Chinese, Ethiopian FMs pledge to advance all-weather strategic partnership Xinhua) 09:26, January 10, 2026 ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday held talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Gedion Timothewos here, with both sides vowing to advance the all-weather strategic partnership. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the tradition of making Africa the destination of the first overseas visit by Chinese foreign minister in a new year has been upheld for 36 consecutive years, demonstrating that China always stands with its African brothers and is committed to strengthening cooperation with developing countries. Ethiopia was chosen as the first stop of this year's visit because the two countries are all-weather strategic partners and should maintain regular strategic communication and strengthen comprehensive strategic cooperation, Wang said. China appreciates that Ethiopia has honored its commitment to the one-China principle, and it supports Ethiopia playing a greater role in multilateral institutions, said Wang. China stands ready to work with Ethiopia to implement the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, continue to play a positive role in advancing China-Africa relations, safeguard the interests of the Global South in international affairs, and promote multipolarization, said Wang. The Chinese minister also said that China-Ethiopia relations are built on mutual understanding and close bonds between the two peoples. He expressed the hope that both sides will seize the opportunity of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and consolidate public support for the bilateral friendship. China will continue to expand practical cooperation with Ethiopia from the perspective of mutual benefit and South-South cooperation, jointly reinvigorate major projects such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, and play a demonstrative role in promoting Ethiopia's prosperity and development as well as regional connectivity, he said. The two sides should make full use of China's zero-tariff policy for African countries with diplomatic ties to China, expand industrial cooperation, and advance together on the path to modernization, he added. For his part, Gedion said Ethiopia's strategic partnership with China is comprehensive and strong. He expressed gratitude to China for its firm support on issues concerning Ethiopia's core interests, as well as for the valuable assistance it has provided to Africa's development and peace. The 10 partnership action plans for jointly advancing modernization proposed by President Xi are fully aligned with Africa's development vision, while the Global Security Initiative plays an important role in addressing regional challenges, Gedion said, adding that China's zero-tariff policy for African countries has benefited people across the continent. Ethiopia greatly appreciates it and stands ready to continue working with China to ensure that the all-weather strategic partnership between the two countries delivers greater benefits to their peoples, said Gedion. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Sheng Chuyi) 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 DUP leader Gavin Robinson has criticised the Irish foreign ministers clear challenge to the UK over legislation to tackle the Northern Ireland Troubles. Mr Robinson urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer against spinelessly surrendering to the Irish Republic as work continues on the Bill. He was speaking after Helen McEntee said during a visit to Parliament Buildings in Belfast that any significant changes to the legislation must have the full agreement of both governments. Sir Keir had indicated that new protections for military veterans will be added to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill his Government is taking through Parliament. The joint framework on legacy announced by London and Dublin last September outlined a range of measures and mechanisms for dealing with historical cases from the Northern Ireland conflict. The framework included commitments to fundamentally reform the structures established by the last Conservative governments contentious Legacy Act, including the removal of a controversial provision that offered a form of conditional immunity to perpetrators of Troubles crimes. At the same time it published the framework, the Labour Government also announced a separate set of proposals it described as new protections, rights and safeguards for Northern Ireland veterans. The measures included allowing witnesses who participate in new legacy processes the option to give evidence remotely without travelling to Northern Ireland. Ms McEntee said what was agreed in September is a very fine balance resulting from a huge amount of work. We are very clear as a government that in transposing that agreement and putting it into legislation, there cannot be any significant changes that shift that balance, she added. In a communication to DUP party members, Mr Robinson said he had challenged the Prime Minister to ensure that the legislation must properly protect our veterans. He paid tribute to military veterans for putting their lives on the line to protect others and uphold the rule of law. They deserve gratitude and respect, not the prospect of legal jeopardy decades later, he said. It is vital that any legal framework clearly distinguishes between those who upheld the law and those who sought to undermine it through terrorism and violence. To blur that line is morally wrong and unjust. The Prime Minister indicated that the Government would bring forward amendments to address these concerns. Of course, within minutes, the foreign minister of the Irish Republic responded to say any change required their support. Thats a clear challenge to the Prime Minister will he side with sovereignty and protect our armed forces or spinelessly surrender to the Republic who have delivered nothing for victims? Mr Robinson was also critical of Stormont Finance Minister John ODowds draft budget. He said the document was published without Executive agreement, and cannot be treated as settled. While we recognise the real financial pressures facing Northern Ireland, the priorities John ODowd has chosen raise serious concerns, he said. Public services, particularly education, are under severe strain, and significant changes will be required before this budget could ever secure DUP support. Northern Ireland must also show it can deliver major infrastructure projects if we are serious about investment, jobs, and economic growth. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Louth is gearing up to champion three ambitious Louth-based creative businesses as they prepare to exhibit at Showcase 2026, Irelands flagship international trade event for craft, design and giftware. Taking place at the RDS Dublin from Sunday 18 to Tuesday 20 January 2026, Showcase brings together more than 400 Irish brands and thousands of buyers from Ireland, the UK, Europe, the USA and beyond, offering a powerful platform for creative enterprises to grow their international reach. Showcase is a major commercial opportunity for creative businesses who are ready to scale, said Grainne McKeown, Local Enterprise Office Louth. It places Irish design and crafts in front of influential buyers from around the world, and we are proud to support three Louth businesses who are well positioned to make the most of this opportunity. Read also: Planning granted for new townhouses in centre of Dundalk LEO Louth says the three Louth makers exhibiting at Showcase 2026 reflect the quality, originality and entrepreneurial spirit in the countys creative sector. Almond Rose Designs, based in Clogherhead, Louth, crafts eco-friendly, pet-themed greeting cards celebrating the special bond between pets and their owners. Founded by graphic designer Fiona, and assisted by her collies, Lexie and Leia, the brand also offers bespoke cards for businesses, delighting animal lovers, retailers, and pet-related enterprises alike. See the full range here. Louth-based artist Tracy Fry creates striking resin maps, landscapes, and symbolic copper pieces inspired by nature and Irish heritage. Her work combines topography, texture, and storytelling, producing contemporary, handcrafted artworks with timeless character. Explore her creations here. Attending Showcase for the first time, Dundalk jeweller Rebecca McDermott creates handcrafted fine jewellery inspired by the sea, shoreline textures, and natural imperfection. Working sustainably with recycled metals and ethically sourced stones, she creates these pieces in her coastal workshop, producing elegant, timeless pieces that are hallmarked in Dublin Castle. Discover her collection here Thomas McEvoy, Deputy Chief Executive of Louth County Council, concludes "Supporting creative enterprise is central to our vision for a thriving local economy, and events like Showcase not only open doors for individual businesses but also strengthen Louths reputation as a hub for innovation and design. "These three talented makers demonstrate the quality and originality that set our county apart, and we are committed to helping them succeed on the national and international stage." Showcase is Irelands Creative Expo, a flagship international trade event and a key commercial platform for Irelands creative sector. Each year, the show attracts more than 3,350 buyers from Ireland, the UK, the USA, mainland Europe and the Far East, generating sales orders in excess of 25.6 million over three days. It presents the very best of Irelands emerging and established creative talent across craft, design and giftware. The event is hosted by the Design & Crafts Council Ireland, with the support of Enterprise Ireland, and features over 400 Irish brands, including many businesses supported by their Local Enterprise Offices. Showcase is a trade-only event. The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has said that new fuel taxes and toll increases now mean Irish drivers are paying the highest diesel rates in the EU, as a Cork truck driver said the rising costs could close businesses. A series of new fuel taxes and toll charges kicked in on January 1, and IRHA president Ger Hyland said: Haulage companies are being pushed to the brink, with some already forced out of business, as fuel taxes, increased tolls, new port charges and carbon taxes rise relentlessly. That is also driving the cost of potatoes, milk, bread and other supermarket staples that are delivered in the back of a truck. He added that increasing taxes disproportionately impacts on rural Ireland, and said that the transport sector, underpins every part of the economy, so loading extra costs onto it damages the entire Irish economy. Car drivers are now paying approximately 5 more to fill a tank of fuel than this time last year, and 19 more than five years ago following the latest hikes, on top of increased toll charges for all drivers, the IRHA said, adding that some hauliers are already paying up to 250,000 a year in tolls alone. A spokesperson for the IRHA said it absolutely accepts that climate change is real and must be addressed. However, a just transition is essential. One industry transport cannot be made responsible for carrying the burden of all climate change measures. Cork truck driver Kenneth Collins, who is also a Sinn Fein councillor for the north west ward, told The Echo: From the ordinary person in a car to hauliers, these fuel hikes are going to have an impact. Theres going to be a knock-on effect if youre a person driving a truck for a company, someone has to pay the extra money, and sadly its almost always the consumer. "Ireland is an island nation we would be in trouble if the hauliers went on strike, but between the cost of fuel and tolls its difficult. The Lord Mayor of Cork, councillor Fergal Dennehy, has led tributes to the late Flor OLeary, former captain and president of Cork Constitution FC, who passed away on Thursday. He was 97. A lifelong stalwart of Cork Constitution, Mr OLeary helped in the early 1950s to lead the clubs move from its then home on the Mardyke to its current grounds in Temple Hill, and was key to guiding the clubs progress over the decades. Mr Dennehy said the late Mr OLeary was a man whose life was defined by service, commitment, and a deep love for his community and his city. Flor believed deeply in Cork and in the importance of community, giving freely of his time and energy to support others, he said. A central part of Mr OLearys life was his long and valued association with Cork Constitution, he added. Flor believed passionately that Cork Constitution was about more than rugby it was about camaraderie, respect, and fostering a sense of belonging across generations. Beyond the club, Flor was a devoted family man and a valued friend, neighbour, and citizen, Mr Dennehy said. His passing leaves a void for all who knew him, but his example will always inspire. Cork Constitution past president Der ORiordan said Mr OLearys true strength had been in his sense of care for young players coming into the club. He would get to know them; he would give them encouragement. He was always a steady hand, and the person in the club you could go to for advice, Mr ORiordan said. He was a very kind man, a great conversationalist, and until his passing, the clubs oldest member. Mr OLeary is survived by his wife Clare, their daughter Ann, sons Ian, Peter, and Kieran, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, and a wide circle of friends. Reposing from 5pm to 6pm tomorrow at OConnors Funeral Home, Boreenmanna Rd. Requiem Mass at noon on Monday in the Sacred Heart Church, Monkstown, with funeral afterwards to St Marys Cemetery, Passage West. Former students of the late Don OLeary are campaigning to have one of Corks newest pedestrian bridges named after the man they remember as an advocate, an educator, and a friend. Mr OLeary, who passed away in October at the age of 68, after living with terminal cancer for five years, had served for more than 18 years as director of the Cork Life Centre. During that time, working with a volunteer-led staff, he helped provide one-to-one, relationship-based tuition to hundreds of young Cork people failed by Irelands mainstream education system. Paying tribute to Mr OLeary after his death, Taoiseach Micheal Martin recalled working with the Ballyphehane native over several years to improve employment conditions in the centre. He believed in the dignity of every individual, and the capacity of every individual to grow, Mr Martin said. His contribution to the Cork Life Centre and to many, many young people was very, very positive, and he has left a significant legacy in that sense. Now several of those young people are calling on Cork City Council to name one of the citys two newest bridges after Mr OLeary. Darcy Faye, who graduated from the Life Centre in 2018, said Mr OLeary had, for so many young people, offered them a bridge to education and greater confidence, and it would be appropriate that his name be remembered on a bridge in the city he loved. Don was all about empowering young people to find their voice and to stand up for what they believe in, and we believe that because Don is someone who helped so many of us, he shouldnt be forgotten, she said. A spokesperson for Cork City Council said a public consultation process was ongoing, inviting proposals from the public to name the bridges. Proposals to commemorate living persons are not generally encouraged. Nominees should be deceased, preferably at least 20 years previously, they said. However, they added, an exception to those guidelines can be considered by the council if deemed appropriate. The deadline for submissions is January 26. Mr OLearys son, Don Jr, said his father would never have stopped giving out, but he would have been so proud of the fine young people they are. Even if this goes nowhere, the effort that his past pupils have put into this is all the tribute that he would want. Cork University Hospital (CUH) has spent nearly eight times as much as the average Irish hospital on debt collectors since 2023, with a bill of over 315,000 to chase unpaid fees. The hospitals use of debt collectors has been branded as despicable. HSE figures show that from the start of 2023 to November 2025, CUH spent 315,411 on debt collectors, considerably higher than any other Irish hospital. It spent 70,874 on debt collectors in 2025 to November; 127,188 in 2024, and 117,349 in 2023. Cork University Maternity Hospital spent a further 1,869 over the near-three-year period. The CUH total is more than three times the next highest of 99,506 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. The 11-month total CUH spent in 2025 is higher than the three-year totals for 17 of 27 Irish hospitals on the list. The data was provided to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly. The HSE told him: With effect from April 17, 2023, there are no hospital charges for public inpatient care or day service care. Charge Patients who attend at public hospitals are, depending on their eligibility and subject to certain exemptions, liable to statutory charges. This includes a 100 charge for an emergency department attendance. The HSE has a statutory obligation to levy and collect these charges, and hospitals have the discretion to operate instalment payment plans where appropriate. Debt collection continues to be managed at a local hospital level. Hospitals are required to refer an unpaid debt to a collection agency after a period of time from date of billing, said the HSE. Hospitals are mindful in implementing these processes that patients may be experiencing stress and or financial challenges and encourage patients who are having difficulties fulfilling their debt to make contact with the hospital to which the debt is owed in order to make alternative arrangements for the payment of outstanding bills. If hospitals are made aware or become aware of such challenges, agreements may be reached between the patient and hospital on a case by case basis and debt collectors are not included in the process. Despicable Cork Social Democrats TD and chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Health, Padraig Rice, told The Echo: The hiring of debt collectors is not only a poor use of public money, it is a despicable practice used to intimidate patients for the non-payment of unfair charges. It must be abolished. While the removal of inpatient charges in April 2023 was a very welcome development, and a real sign of Slaintecare in action. However, It is deeply regrettable that the HSE is still relying on debt collectors to relentlessly pursue patients for outstanding inpatient charges and emergency department fees. I am particularly concerned that Cork University Hospital has now topped the list for payments to debt collectors for three consecutive years. Having spent the most on hounding patients with debt collectors is hardly a record to be proud of. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has called for an increase in hospital beds and staffing, with 525 patients treated on trolleys in Cork this week. Daily trolley figures compiled by the union show that 366 of these were treated in Cork University Hospital, 108 in Mercy University Hospital, and 51 in Bantry General Hospital. The busiest day in Cork was Thursday, when 123 patients, including 82 at the CUH, were treated on trolleys, chairs, or other inappropriate bed spaces. INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said that, nationally, more than 3,170 patients have been admitted to hospitals across the country without a bed so far this week. This week was always going to be incredibly busy, but steps can be taken to ensure that we are not in a similar position next year, said Ms Ni Sheaghdha. The aim for 2026 must be more increasing bed capacity, ensuring that all beds are properly staffed, and ensuring that vacant posts are filled across emergency, medical, and surgical departments. We know that there is less staff to deal with the growing demand in our health system and that it has a knock-on impact on both patient and staff safety, she added. Unsafe staffing levels will continue to be a feature of winter surges, unless we see targeted recruitment and retention plans in each hospital and community care area, Ms Ni Sheaghdha said. Our members want to be able to provide safe care to those who need it. This can only be done if capacity and staffing is increased. Death threat and non-fatal strangulation charges were yesterday brought against a man accused of choking and holding a knife to a young womans neck and threatening her, saying: I will kill you. Sergeant John Dineen confirmed two new charges had been brought against Kevin Buckley of 5C, Shanakiel, Blarney Rd, Cork, at Cork District Court. He said the DPP had directed trial by indictment on the charges, and on two older charges brought against him arising out of the same alleged incident. Solicitor Aoife Buttimer said there was no application for bail in the case, and Judge Mary Dorgan remanded the defendant in custody for one week until January 16. Garda Barry OShea outlined details of the allegations in an objection to bail on the earlier charges before the court. He said gardai were called to the scene of an incident in which it is alleged that Buckley had choked the young woman a number of times, stating: I will kill you. The parties are known to each other. Kevin Buckley proceeded to grab a knife and hold it to her neck, threatening again to kill her. There were a number of marks visible on her neck. She stated that he held a knife to her throat. There are also red marks which she alleged were from choking. She also had bruising to her left arm. Kevin Buckley was highly irate, and became verbally aggressive with gardai. Kevin Buckley began to threaten gardai at the scene. Having received a report from the injured party, gardai arrested Kevin Buckley and detained him. Kevin Buckley resisted arrest and attempted to spit at gardai a number of times. Kevin Buckley was later interviewed in Togher Garda Station, where he denied the allegations. He stated he only pointed the knife He admitted in interview that he threatened to kill himself, Garda Barry OShea said in the course of an objection to bail. The initial charges against the 26-year-old were of assault causing harm, production of a knife, and wilfully resisting arrest. Added to that were charges of threatening to kill the young woman and non-fatal strangulation or suffocation. Sgt Dineen said the DPP directions were for trial by indictment or taking a signed plea of guilty for sentencing at the circuit court on all charges except the summary count of obstructing gardai during the alleged incident on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Carrigrohane apartments, Riverside Farm, Cork. Ms Buttimer asked for a precis of the evidence and memo of his interview with gardai so that a signed plea of guilty could be considered. Its a big city, Caracas, boasting a population of three million, with another two million in the suburbs. The Venezuelan capital hit the headlines this week after U.S President Donald Trump ordered the seizure of its leader there. Nicolas Maduro, President of the South American country, was in a heavily-guarded military compound in Caracas when U.S troops swooped and brought him home to face trial. A 20-minute drive from that compound is the National Pantheon monument, which contains the grave of one Daniel Florence OLeary... and therein lies a fascinating story. You see, Trump may be keen to portray himself as the liberator of Venezuela after this weeks dramatic events, but Cork man OLeary got there first - and will never be displaced in the heroic story of how Venezuela was born. ****** Daniel OLeary was born in 1801 in Barrack Street, Cork city, into a wealthy family of butter merchants, who had a store at the junction of Barrack Street and Bandon Road. In 1812, the family moved to the more fashionable, upmarket Mary Street. He grew up in revolutionary times. The French Revolution had created a new breed of men of privilege who were idealistic about nationhood and the power of the people. If OLeary was looking for a spark to ignite his idealism, he found one in a contemporary, Simon Bolivar, born 4,300 miles away in Caracas. He would become the father of five South American nations - Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, which is named after him - but first he had to overthrow the Spanish imperialists who ran them. Bolivar ran a recruitment drive for troops to help him, one appeared in the Cork Merchant Chronicle on March 16, 1820. It stated: Simon Bolivar President of State, Captain General etc. etc. to the brave soldiers of the Irish Legion. Irishmen, having left your own country in order to follow the generous sentiments which you have always distinguished yourselves among the illustrious of Europe, I have the glory now to number you among the adopted children of Venezuela and to esteem you as defenders of the Liberty of Columbia. Irishmen, your sacrifices exceed all praise and scarcely has Venezuela sufficient means to reward you according to your merits, but whatever Venezuela possesses and can dispose of shall with pleasure be consecrated to the use of distinguished foreigners, who came to offer themselves and services as a tribute to our infant Republic. Be assured that we will first prefer the privation of all our property, then divest you of any of your most sacred rights. It was a rallying cry answered by Daniel OLeary. Just 16, he turned his back on a life of business and joined his fellow Irishmen in enlisting in the Red Huzzards of Venezuela. Daniel was born for the military life, and was appointed a Second Lieutenant at 17, and a year later was promoted to the rank of Captain. The Cork man took part in many of the great battles of the Americas alongside Bolivar, and was wounded in the battle which freed New Granada from Spanish rule in 1820. The pair grew close, and in 1822, OLeary was promoted to Lt Colonel and Principal aide-de-camp to Bolivar, accompanying him on his victorious marches through Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, and Bolivia. During this time, OLeary became a folk hero in Venezuela in particular, as it gained its independence from Spain and won nationhood. He represented the country in talks in London, Paris, and Madrid, and managed to visit Cork for a final time. OLeary never forgot his native city, and presented to the Old Queens College a collection of woods, minerals and birds for its museum. In 1828, he married Bolivars niece and two years later, when the great leader died, he retired to Jamaica. After a remarkable life, devoted to the struggle for smaller nations to shrug off their imperial past, similar to the one which Ireland fought against Britain a few decades after his death, OLeary died in 1854. He was interred at Bogota in Colombia and South America was plunged into mourning. However, 28 years later, the Cork mans mortal remains were taken by a grateful Venezuelan nation from Bogota to Caracas and laid to rest in the beautiful National Pantheon of Venezuela, next to his Commander-in-Chief Bolivar. The tomb is protected by a 24-hour guard. It is not the only part of Caracas where OLeary is remembered. There are statues of him and streets are named after him, including OLeary Plaza. A Battalion in the Venezuelan army is named Battalion OLeary. Arguably, his greatest epitaph is Las Memorias, his 32-volume account of the Wars of Independence in South America. ****** Nor has OLearys native city forgotten its illustrious son. In 2019, his memory was honoured in Cork with the unveiling of a plaque at Barrack Street, to mark the site of his birth. President Michael D. Higgins applauded those who had organised the plaque in memory of a great Corkman who had such a huge impact on Latin America. At another ceremony in Cork in 2004, some of General OLearys personal possessions were presented to army staff at the citys Collins Barracks, with the intention that they go on public display in the military museum. A piece of electrical box street art also pays tribute to OLeary in Barrack Street, and there is a bust of the great man in Fitzgeralds Park. On recent trips to South America, Micheal Martin and former lord mayor of Cork John Sheehan have paid official visits to memorials to OLeary. ****** Its fair to say that most South American nations have endured chequered and tumultuous histories since gaining their independence - and Venezuela is no different. However, one element that has always united all that nations leaders, including the recently-deposed Maduro, has been their willingness to invoke OLeary as a symbol of national pride and shared history, along with Bolivar. The next leader of Venezuela - and hopefully that will be a democratically-elected native of that country, and not Donald Trump - can only hope they earn as much enduring popularity as the Cork man. By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association Thousands of Irish farmers have participated in a rolling protest in the heart of the country as anger grows over the progression of the EU-Mercosur deal. On Friday, the EU ambassador approved a trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay but it still needs to be backed by the European Parliament. The Government voted against the deal in its current form, with senior Cabinet figures insisting that negotiations are not finalised. The trade deal with the EU involves four Mercosur countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. A convoy of tractors in Athlone protesting against the EU-Mercosur trade deal (Cillian Sherlock/PA) Irish beef farmers are concerned that the deal could threaten their exports to Europe due to the introduction of lower-cost Brazilian beef. The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) welcomed the decision of the Government to vote no against the deal, insisting that the proposed safeguards in the document do not give assurances that Brazilian beef will meet EU standards. On Saturday, the Independent Ireland political party organised a large-scale protest in Athlone, Co Westmeath, which saw scores of tractors participate in a rolling demonstration along the M6 motorway before a series of scheduled speeches at the Technological University of the Shannon. Thousands of people gathered to either participate in the protest by foot or shout encouragement along the route. Gardai previously warned of significant traffic delays in the area due to the demonstration. Some participants held signs critical of senior Government figures such as Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris, as well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Speaking ahead of the protest in Athlone on Saturday morning, Independent Ireland agriculture spokesman Michael Fitzmaurice said the attempt to stop the Mercosur deal is far from over. The No to Mercosur Protest will take place this Saturday, 10th Jan, in Athlone. IFA members and others travelling to the event by car can meet at The Mr Price carpark, Cornamaddy, junction 10. Eircode: N37 TK82 from 10am onwards. Our President and Senior officers will be pic.twitter.com/lEM1Ka7ZiD Irish Farmers' Association (@IFAmedia) January 9, 2026 Party MEP Ciaran Mullooly said he would call on all Irish MEPs to vote no against the deal, adding: There is opposition to this rotten trade deal right across the continent. Speaking to the Press Association during the protest, IFA president Francie Gorman said the strong turnout was a continuation of a very strong no campaign to Mercosur. Our message to MEPs is to follow suit with the Irish Government when they honoured the commitment in the Programme for Government to vote against this deal. Our MEPs now have to do the same and also work with MEPs across the spectrum in the European Parliament to build alliances and make sure they can build a majority vote against this deal which will probably be tabled some time in early spring. Sinn Fein agriculture spokesman Martin Kenny said the progression of the Mercosur agreement at the EU council was a bad day for Irish farming. While the Irish government voted against the deal today, they had to be dragged kicking and screaming to this position by the combined opposition, the farm organisations and some of their own backbench TDs." Also at the protest, Green Party senator Malcolm Noonan told the Press Association that the demonstration was important for many reasons. We need to have a wider conversation about the sustainability of Irish farming and I think today is for the farmers themselves to vent their anger at the manner in which the Irish Government flipped and flapped on the issue. They secured the nitrates derogation were held up very favourably by Europe on that and then waited to see what the vote was going to going to play out in Brussels, and then went against it, purely under pressure from the independents and from Independent Ireland. Excuse the pun, but it is doing policy on the hoof and it is disingenuous to Irish farming. Mr Noonan called on the Government to think about the future in terms of generational renewal of farming, as well as regenerative practices. Earlier in the week, Mr Harris said the European Commission should not take for granted that MEPs will back the deal. While he said it looked likely it would pass, he added: It is not a done deal. He said theres still a window of time to outline the concerns that we have in relation to the agreement. He said the Government had not ruled out supporting the deal if if changes and improvements are made around food safety and parity with environmental standards. Mr Harris said Ireland benefits from free trade but that it has to be free trade that doesnt expect our farmers or our consumers to adopt a different set of standards. You can use a VPN app to choose from a long list of virtual locations. (Sam Chapman for Engadget) Chances are that you're here because you've heard a virtual private network (VPN) can change your virtual location, and want to know what that means. If you know already, head over to my best VPN list to learn which services I recommend for changing your location. But if you're clueless, read on. Whenever any device connects to the internet whether it's a laptop, a phone or a smart Lego brick it's assigned a unique IP address that other devices can use to identify it. Think of the name you give the barista at a coffee shop, except instead of a hot beverage, youre being served websites and digital audio and video. That's the upside. The downside is that a device's IP address can be used to find its location in the real world. That means service providers can show you local weather reports as well as targeted local ads. More ominously, however, it means service providers can restrict what you see online based on where you are physically. That impacts everything from the fun (what Netflix has available to stream) to the serious (what information gets censored on the government's behalf). Advertisement Advertisement A VPN gets around that downside by running all your online activity through a middleman server before sending it to its destination. Instead of your real IP address, everyone sees the address of the VPN server, along with its geolocation. That means you can subvert any local restrictions getting in your way: Youre actually in Houston, but so far as the website youre viewing is concerned, you seem to be coming from Amsterdam. Here's how to do it. How to change your virtual location with a VPN With so many excellent commercial VPNs on the market, changing your virtual location is a lot easier than it sounds. You don't need to be a hacker just find a good VPN app and connect to a server in your desired location. On almost any VPN, this is a simple matter of opening the app or desktop client and choosing the server location from a list. On Proton VPN, for example, you can switch locations by clicking the name of any country in the list on the left. (Sam Chapman for Engadget) However, as with any technology, there are some potential pitfalls. For reference, I've laid out the steps below for both desktop and mobile devices. How to change location on Windows or Mac Use these steps to change the virtual location of any desktop or laptop device running macOS or Windows. There may be slight variations, but in general, this process works for any top VPN. Advertisement Advertisement Select a VPN provider. You can rely on Engadget's best VPN list or, if you're unable to pay for a new subscription right now, our list of the best free VPNs. My personal choice is Proton VPN, but there are other good options. Look for a service with fast speeds, modern encryption and a long, non-controversial record in the industry. Create an account with the VPN and save your username and password. Unless it's a forever-free service, this is when you'll be asked to pay for a subscription. If you're sure about your provider, you can save a lot by going with a long-term deal. See our list of the best VPN deals for ideas. Download the VPN app. It's best to go through the VPN's website, even if you're on Mac in rare cases, the App Store versions can be outdated or short on features. Look for a download center on the site, and make sure you enter it while logged in. Install the VPN app. Most VPNs have an installation flow built in, so all you have to do is follow the steps. If the VPN asks you to change your settings or grant it permissions, do it; this installs the tools it needs to do its job. Open the VPN app and find your way around the user interface. At a minimum, make sure you know how to connect, disconnect and open the location selection menu. Connect to a server in the location where you want your internet connection to appear to originate. If you're trying to get around local restrictions, you can just pick any nearby country without that censorship for example, if you're in China, then Japan, South Korea or Singapore will work. If you're after content from a specific country, choose a server in that country. Get online through a browser or connected app as you normally would. To make sure your location has actually changed, use a site like WhatIsMyIPAddress to check where you're coming from. When you want to use your real location again, disconnect from the VPN or choose a server in the county you're in. It's not necessary, but I also recommend activating your VPN's kill switch if there is one. VPN servers aren't perfect, and they do drop connections from time to time. If this happens, an active kill switch also cuts off your internet connection so your real location isn't visible for a millisecond. How to change location on iPhone or Android The process for using a VPN to change your virtual location on mobile is pretty similar to how it's done on desktop. Again, while individual installation flows have their own quirks, the following steps are broadly applicable to any iOS or Android VPN. Pick a VPN provider you like. The best VPNs also tend to be the best for mobile, including Proton VPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark. On mobile, you can use app store reviews and comments to research. Make sure you're getting the real version of your chosen VPN and not a similarly named one trying to piggyback. Download the VPN from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. At this point, if you haven't paid yet, you may be able to take advantage of a free trial by opening the app and proceeding through the setup flow. This is a good time to test if the VPN is changing your location in ways that can't be seen through. Follow the VPN's instructions to create an account, including paying for a subscription if necessary. Take some time to learn to use the VPN app. Mobile interfaces have to pack more features into a smaller space, usually relying on tabs. Try and find the tabs for picking server locations and toggling VPN settings. Connect to a server in your desired location. Make sure the VPN is actually active before you proceed (most of them make it pretty clear, but it's still easy to forget). Get online through a browser or another internet-capable app. When you're finished, disconnect from the VPN to return to using your real location. One more note: on both mobile and desktop, I recommend using either a paid VPN or a free VPN supported by a paid subscription. Entirely free VPNs come with risks, and some popular apps secretly share problematic connections. Why change your virtual location? Changing your virtual location isn't hard, but it's still an extra step between you and the internet. However, the benefits of location masking far outweigh the small amount of extra work. Hiding your IP address and your location along with it is one of the most impactful steps you can take to stay safe online. Advertisement Advertisement Concealing your IP address has massive benefits on its own, even if you use one close to your real location (which gets you shorter loading times). Lots of web services track you without your consent, frequently for advertising purposes. Some of this is done through third-party cookies, but a lot of it starts with building profiles about your IP address. Illicit actors can also take advantage of your IP address and its geolocation. A hacker can track you down to within your ZIP code though an IP address can't pinpoint your location to the square foot, it makes it much easier to narrow down where you live. Even with just your IP address, hackers can launch DDoS attacks against you, use the IP to make fake social media accounts in your name or even call in SWAT teams to your location. By changing my location to the UK using ExpressVPN, I can see shows on Netflix that aren't listed in the US. (Sam Chapman for Engadget) Although masking your virtual location can be vital to staying safe online, there are other practical and even fun reasons to do it. For one thing, when traveling abroad, you might want to use a site only available in your home country. Simply connect to a server located near home and you can use your bank account and local streaming libraries as normal. If you're home, there are lots of benefits to being virtually in another region. You can see a foreign country's streaming libraries and shop for deals that may only be available in its currency. You can also get around any nationwide online censorship and potentially download banned apps. Just be sure to be aware of your local laws to know if doing so is merely frowned upon, or if its truly against the law. Can a VPN change your GPS location? There's one more critical point to remember when changing location with a VPN. The VPN server only changes your IP address and the physical location associated with it. It does not change the GPS location your device might be broadcasting. Advertisement Advertisement GPS data can leak out in a few ways. Tablets and phones have location services turned on by default, and as anyone who's heard a true crime podcast knows, they can also give away your location by contacting cell towers. Web browsers often have similar features. Websites can also use HTML5 geolocation to access your GPS provided you give permission, but that's easy to do without thinking. Some VPNs, including Surfshark and Windscribe, do have features designed to fool GPS, but they're not standard. When you're changing your location with a VPN, make sure to turn off location services and avoid granting any permissions that might reveal where you really are. You can also run a separate GPS spoofing app alongside your VPN. How to troubleshoot a VPN that's not changing your location If you've found that browsers are still seeing your old IP address while you have a VPN active, or that websites show you the same content when you're supposed to be virtually abroad, there's a chance your VPN isn't actually changing your location. To test if your real position is leaking, start by checking your IP address (with a search engine or WhatIsMyIPAddress). If it matches your home location, something has gone wrong. Note that it's not necessarily a problem if it doesn't match your home location or the stated location of your VPN server. VPNs use virtual server locations to reach a lot of locations where brick-and-mortar servers aren't practical Windscribe, for example, does not have a physical data center in Antarctica. Advertisement Advertisement If you find that your VPN is leaking your real IP address, try these troubleshooting steps in order. I've arranged them roughly from least to most time-intensive. Disconnect from your VPN and reconnect to the same location. This should hook you up with a different server in that same place. Test your IP again there's a good chance the problem was isolated to the first server you tried. Try a new location (skip this step if you need a server in a particular country). Try a different VPN protocol. If you're using WireGuard, switch to OpenVPN or IKEv2. Make sure location services are turned off. Clear your browser cache and cookies to get rid of any saved information. Test for DNS leaks. Your VPN might accidentally be sending your IP address to a public server to resolve DNS requests. IPleak.org is a good tool for catching this. Try a different VPN. Use a free service like Proton or Windscribe and test for leaks. If the problem reoccurs, it might be coming from inside your network. Contact the helpdesk for your original VPN and inform them about the problem. Get screenshots of the VPN connected to the leaky location next to IP address data confirming the leak. I've already mentioned several VPNs that do a good job of changing your location, but in case you're here for product advice, here are all my recommendations in one place. My favorite VPN is Proton VPN, which is so far the only service to receive full marks on my location-change test. I used 15 of its servers in five different countries to access Netflix. Each time, I saw the destination country's full content library like I was really there. Surfshark is a close runner-up in this category. It passed 14 out of 15 tests, only slipping up once in Japan and a quick disconnect and reconnect was enough to fix that. I got equally great results from ExpressVPN, only having to retry one server in the UK. NordVPN performed perfectly in every location except Nigeria, and that still didn't leak my real IP address. The problem only seemed to exist on Netflix. Best VPN for 2025 | ExpressVPN review | NordVPN review | Norton VPN review | Proton VPN review | Surfshark review | Private Internet Access (PIA) review | How we test VPNs | How to add VPN to your TV | How to use a VPN on Chromecast or Google TV | How to use a VPN on Roku | How to use a VPN on Apple TV | How to use a VPN on Fire TV | See Engadget's full VPN coverage At every CES Ive ever been to, theres been one or two gadgets promising to boost your mental health. In recent years, the number of companies making forays into this space has grown, and will likely continue to do so in the future. Could it be, much like the number of people wearing heart-monitoring wearables today, everyone will be strapping an EEG to their skulls a decade or so down the line? Its more likely than you think, so its worth asking what these devices are good for, what benefit they could bring, and where does the science end and the hype begin. An Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a clinical tool to monitor the electrical activity of our brains. Put very simply, our minds are constantly moving ions around, and when they reach the scalp, its possible to measure those ions. By placing electrodes on the scalp, you can record the changes in voltages pushed out by our brains more or less in real time. These voltages are commonly grouped into categories, which are often described as brain waves. Each one represents a different state of mind: Gamma (hard thinking), Beta (anxious or active), Alpha (relaxed), Theta (creative, or dreaming) and Delta (asleep). Professor Karl Friston at University College London is one of the worlds most influential neuroscientists and an expert in brain imaging. He explained that these technologies can be used to diagnose issues both in the structure and function of the brain. And while there are many technologies which can look at how our brains work, were a long way away from understanding the brain like we understand the heart. Broadly speaking, EEGs are a fairly simple tool for looking at how our minds work, but they have one benefit over more complex methods such as fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), since they work in real time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consumer-use EEGs are nothing new in 2011 I tested the Zeo Mobile, a small device which you stuck to your forehead and wore overnight. It monitored how well you slept and sounded an alarm when you were at the top of a sleep cycle, so you woke up pretty easily. It worked well but with one downside: Its hard to sleep with a hard plastic puck stuck to your forehead. EEGs are more recently used as part of brain computer interfaces, or for neurofeedback tools to help you calibrate the quality of your meditation. InteraXon, for instance, makes the Muse headbands which will monitor your brain waves, telling you when you shift states. Last year, EEG startup Neurable partnered with Master & Dynamic to launch the MW75S Neuro, a pair of high-end headphones designed to track your focus levels. When your attention starts to wane, the system will alert you, advising you to take a rest with the hope of alleviating burnout. Neurable (Daniel Cooper for Engadget) At CES this year, Neurable announced a partnership with HPs gaming arm HyperX to produce EEG headsets with specific benefits for gamers. As gamers are looking for any way to improve their performance, the company has developed algorithms and training programs to help. You might already know that being in a place of high stress isnt great for your concentration and focus. Consequently, Neurable research scientist Dr. Alicia Howell-Munson walked me through a system that encourages you to reach a state of calm focus with demonstrable improvements in reaction time and accuracy. Its a system that was initially designed in partnership with Singapores Air Force to help ensure pilots remain in a state of calm focus. I sat through this demo myself, initially testing my skills in Aimlabs (a tool people use to test their reflexes) where my accuracy and reaction times were measured. Then, while wearing Neurables headset, I had to practice focusing my attention on a galaxy of dots, the greater my focus, the slower and closer together the dots got. That wasnt an easy process, and it took me nearly five minutes to reach the point where I could push all of the dots to coalesce into a single point on the screen. But, when I had, I retook the shooting gallery, and saw dramatic spikes in my performance. My accuracy increased from 91.3 to 99.1 percent, while my reaction time fell from 623ms to 532ms. Neurable HyperX headset (Daniel Cooper for Engadget) Neurable believes that its systems, which are designed to integrate with any manufacturers gear, has the potential to dramatically increase a persons brain health and productivity. For instance, by taking a break when a persons focus started to wane, they were able to bounce back and function for far longer than if theyd simply pushed harder. Similarly, the company can advise on your cognitive speed and brain age and guide you toward making healthy choices. The company says that this isnt just about wellness, either, as being able to identify loss of focus is vital, for instance, to help reduce auto accidents when truck drivers feel fatigued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Co-founder Adam Molnar explained that the benefits of this technology compound over time, so the more practice a user has in finding that mental state of calm focus, the easier it will be to maintain it for longer. CEO Ramses Alcaide added the companys aim is to enable people to visualize the often invisible symptoms of cognitive stress to ensure theyre looking after themselves. He added that one thing that separates Neurable from other companies is that its looking at far finer-grain detail from its EEG data. MyWaves (Daniel Cooper for Engadget) There are plenty of companies at CES that are using EEGs for more specific goals, such as MyWaves. It uses an EEG as part of its broader offering to use sound patterns to make it easier to go to sleep. It sells you a pricey forehead-worn EEG which you wear for a few nights over the course of a year. From there, the system produces a half hour audio file that will mirror the pattern of your delta brainwaves. It claims that, if you listen to the track before you go to bed, the experience of hearing your delta waves will help you fall asleep faster and experience more REM sleep. And there are plenty of companies which are building EEGs for you to wear to keep an eye on your mental health. Brain-Life, for instance, showed off an early prototype of Focus+, a headband EEG with a companion app that can offer feedback on your cognitive load. It can also tell you how long you can sustain your attention and how well your mind relaxes and recovers. The company didnt have details on when the hardware would be available or how much it cost, as its still early days. BrainEULink. (Daniel Cooper for Engadget) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is broad potential to use an EEG as a brain computer interface, such as the one worked on by Braineulink. That company has combined an EEG with an AR headset to enable people to interact with the world just with their brains. For instance, in a demonstration in the show floor at CES, I was able to turn a light on and off by focusing on it, although its hard to know how useful that would be in, for instance, creating an assistive device for folks with limited mobility. Like Brain-Life, its early days, and so theres no product that we can point to, but its clear were going to see more startups looking to enter this world. Brain-Life (Daniel Cooper for Engadget) As EEGs become more commonplace, its likely theyll be packaged in smaller devices which fit more seamlessly into our lives. One such example is NAOX, a French startup which has built a wearable, clinical-grade EEG into a pair of earbuds for the sort of longitudinal testing required to diagnose conditions like epilepsy. But the company is also planning on incorporating the technology into a pair of true wireless earbuds.These headphones wont be arriving until the end of 2026, but Naox says the tech is small enough that it can be integrated with other companies earbuds. Consequently, its certainly plausible we could see plenty of earbuds that will keep an eye on our brain health as a side hustle. Naox (Daniel Cooper for Engadget) NAOX was co-founded by Dr. Michel Le Van Quyen who, at a talk in London in December 2025, talked about the rationale for creating an in-ear ECG. Essentially, he was looking to build a brain equivalent to the Apple Watchs continuous heart rate monitoring (and ECG). I was curious about the science behind an ear-mounted EEG given they commonly use the scalp. Professor Friston said that an ear-mounted EEG is potentially more useful as you can get slightly closer to the sources of activity. And that it makes a lot of sense for a consumer-grade EEG to be added to wireless earbuds given their utility in practices like meditation. Naox's prototype TWS earbuds sensors. (Daniel Cooper for Engadget) One downside of the proliferation of wearable EEGs is that it could lead users to jump to the wrong conclusions about their mental health. For instance, if someone is to be diagnosed with a condition such as epilepsy, they need to undergo a 24-hour perambulatory EEG. As Professor Friston explained, the recording of that 24 hour EEG would be carefully scrutinized by experts who are able to run a differential diagnosis ... to specify what further investigations are required. He, like a lot of clinicians, is concerned about ill-informed consumers using these devices to make medical interventions without consulting a professional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friston added that people shouldnt expect wearable EEGs to be magic bullets for their brain health or cognition. He said the best way for a consumer to approach them is by treating them with the same level of reverence as a household thermometer. Are thermometers useful in managing the wellness of my children?, Yes, he explained, can your thermometer tell you what particular virus you have? Absolutely not. In the context of well-being and to augment or validate practices such as mindfulness and meditation, they can be fun and useful quantitative devices. But, fundamentally, that is all he feels they can be, especially right now. CES 2026 is winding down in Las Vegas, and Team Engadget is finishing a week that saw hundreds of announcements from major brands including Lenovo, Samsung, LG, NVIDIA and more. See what we named as the Best of CES 2026, then scroll back on our CES 2026 liveblog to see how events progressed throughout the week. Prefer quick summaries? See recaps of all the cool tech we saw Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Princess Kate Middleton has emerged from a serious cancer battle with her marriage to Prince William not only intact but strengthened, according to sources close to the couple. Middleton, 43, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in March 2024 and underwent preventative chemotherapy. In September 2024, she announced she was cancer-free, and confirmed in January 2025 that the disease was in remission. The couple stayed out of the public eye while she was getting treatment, which led to new rumors about the state of their marriage, which had been going on for a long time, as per RadarOnline. The rumors, which had circulated since 2019, alleged Prince William was unfaithful to Middleton, claims that have never been substantiated. According to a royal insider, Middleton's health crisis transformed the relationship. "For a period, there was persistent speculation that William and Kate's relationship was not as smooth or idyllic as it appeared in public," the source told RadarOnline. "But once she was diagnosed and the possibility of losing her became real, it drew them back together." The couple, who began dating in 2002 and married in 2011, share three children: Prince George, 12; Princess Charlotte, 10; and Prince Louis, 7. The source added that Middleton's illness shifted priorities for both. "William has a reputation for being hot-tempered at times, while Kate has often acted as the steadying influence. The health scare made William focus entirely on Kate's well-being, leading to a renewed closeness." In November 2025, the couple, according to Hello! Magazine moved from Adelaide Cottage in Windsor to Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Royal watchers saw the move as a sign of a new beginning after a few tough years marked by the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III's cancer diagnosis. The affair rumors centered around Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, a former friend of Middleton's. Hanbury has denied the allegations through legal representatives. Middleton's absence from public view early in 2024 and an edited Mother's Day photograph fueled conspiracy theories about her health and marriage. Those claims ended after Middleton revealed her cancer diagnosis in a video message. Friends of the couple say the experience has led to a reset in their relationship. "Kate's illness forced a complete reset. All the speculation and long-running affair rumors suddenly felt meaningless when her survival was the priority," said one source. "Since then, William and Kate have returned to public duties cautiously, projecting unity born out of having come through something genuinely life-altering together." On his ninth day in office, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched "Under the Radar for All," a program that will give away 1,500 free tickets to the city's leading experimental theater festival to make live performance more affordable for working New Yorkers. Mamdani announced the initiative at Brooklyn College after spending part of the morning on Hillel Place in Flatbush, where he handed out cards with QR codes that can be redeemed for complimentary tickets. The tickets are tied to the 2026 edition of the Under the Radar festival, which runs through January 25 and features more than 30 productions in venues across the city, according to the New York Times. New Yorkers can claim free seats online on a first-come, first-served basis, with tickets available to 12 selected shows. Participating venues include La MaMa, Lincoln Center, New York Theatre Workshop, PSNY, HERE Arts Center, and other partner theaters in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. The offer targets residents who may live near theaters but rarely attend because of cost or lack of information. Mamdani framed the giveaway as part of his broader affordability agenda, arguing that the arts should not be a luxury for tourists or the wealthy. He said his goal is to ensure that everyday New Yorkers can afford "lives of joy, art, rest, and expression," not just rent and childcare, Bricarts Media reported. The program follows his campaign promises on free or low-cost public services, including childcare and transportation, and extends that focus to culture. Leaders of the Under the Radar festival described the partnership as a way to build a "festival for the entire city," not just a downtown niche audience. Founding artistic director Mark Russell and co-director Kaneza Schaal said the free ticket initiative reflects their belief that contemporary performance should be as accessible as classic works that have long been offered at little or no cost. HERE Arts Center and other participating organizations said they see the program as an expansion of their own efforts to keep tickets affordable year-round. The move also signals that arts and culture will be a visible part of Mamdani's early tenure, after he created an arts and culture transition committee during the mayoral handover and highlighted cultural workers as key partners in his affordability platform. Festival organizers and City Hall officials say they hope the free ticket program can become a model for future citywide cultural access efforts, as per Hyper Allergic. Ashley Tisdale is once again under public scrutiny after publishing a pointed essay about her alleged "toxic" mom group, a move that has reignited old disputes and resurfaced past legal controversies. The former Disney Channel star, 40, sparked online criticism hours after her essay for The Cut went live. Matthew Koma, the husband of Hilary Duff one of the moms referenced in the article called Tisdale "self-obsessed" and "tone deaf" in a satirical Instagram post responding to the essay. Soon after, a podcast clip featuring Anneliese van der Pol, another former Disney alum, emerged. Per Buzzfeed, Van der Pol recalled an "uncomfortable" interaction with Tisdale while she was working as a waitress, stating, "I want to say she was lovely, but ..." before pausing and taking a sip of her drink. The moment added fuel to the growing perception that Tisdale's relationships with peers have sometimes been fraught. Meanwhile, Lawyer Michael Parker, who represented Lina Gonzales in a 2023 lawsuit against Tisdale stemming from a 2022 car accident, told the Daily Mail he was "absolutely not shocked" by the actress's recent fallout with her former friends. He described Tisdale's alleged conduct toward his client as "extremely rude," noting that Gonzales did not even realize she was dealing with a celebrity at the time. Gonzales had claimed she sustained injuries to her shoulders, neck, back and left wrist after a September 6, 2022, collision on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. She alleged that Tisdale initially dismissed her concerns at the scene, telling her that "her manager" would be in contact to discuss the incident. Legal And Social Media Fallout According to Parker, Gonzales's posts on social media about the accident prompted a harsh response from Tisdale's husband, Christopher French. Gonzales alleged in her complaint that French doxxed her, sharing personal information with his followers. Parker told the outlet that this made his client feel "very unsafe," adding, per Page Six, "When you're just a regular person and a celebrity has it out for you, it's really scary especially when they're posting on social media and they have millions of followers." He also noted the practical risks. "There are so many psychos on the internet. Once someone's name is out there and where they work, it's easy to get their phone number, email, their home [address]." Gonzales's restraining order request against Tisdale was ultimately denied, and the lawsuit reached a confidential settlement in December 2024. Past Conflicts And Public Grievances The resurfaced legal drama is reminiscent of other incidents in Tisdale's career where she aired grievances publicly. In 2019, according to People, she called out her neighbor Kevin Smith for a minor fender bender, tweeting, "Thanks @ThatKevinSmith for scratching my mirror on my car and not stopping. Classy move neighbor!" Smith, 55, quickly issued a public apology and on social media, he explained that he had made a courtesy stop, after that Tisdale had pulled away first. The argument was settled on friendly terms, with Smith joking that he felt like he was reliving a scene from "High School Musical." In the same way, Tisdale's piece for The Cut elaborated on how she was left on the sidelines at social events, prompting her to declare, "This is too high school for me and I don't want to take part in it anymore." Although her representatives pointed out that the essay was about a completely different group of friends, the dispute exposed the friction that still exists with celebrity peers. Posts on Instagram by Duff's husband and later on by Tisdale, who unfollowed Duff and Mandy Moore, portraying the Disney alums relationship with some colleagues as still being rather strained, were the last of the references to the matter. Lil Durk's high-profile federal murder-for-hire case continues after a key motion filed by his defense team was rejected by U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald. According to The Source, the ruling keeps the Chicago rapper's legal battle moving forward toward pretrial proceedings. The motion, filed by Durk's attorneys, sought to dismiss the charges, arguing that prosecutors allegedly failed to disclose threatening voicemails made against judicial officials during earlier bail hearings. Specifically, the defense cited four messages left in February for U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue and one in April for Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello, claiming this amounted to a concealment that could have affected pretrial detention decisions. Judge Fitzgerald dismissed the defense's claims, telling the court, "There is just absolutely no basis for this motion. Just none. Absolutely none." He ruled that the alleged threats did not warrant removing prosecutors, recusing Central District judges in California, or dismissing the case entirely. Prosecutors had previously informed the defense about the threats in October, and Yanniello called the allegations "factually inaccurate," noting that marshals had communicated with judges rather than the U.S. Attorney's Office directly. Defense Motion and Court Ruling Explained The defense had requested either an evidentiary hearing or the removal of the prosecutors and judges involved, arguing that concealment of the threats undermined Durk's bail rights. However, Judge Fitzgerald did not find any indication that the messages could have swayed a decision of a judge in any way, so he maintained the status quo regarding the bail order. The decision, in effect, confirmed that Durk's legal path will be as scheduled. The development marks a legal setback for Durk who was detained and charged with criminal offenses in October 2024 after a shooting in Los Angeles in 2022. That incident targeted fellow rapper Quando Rondo who survived, however, his cousin Lul Pab was fatally shot. Durk is looking at the possibility of spending his whole life in jail if the jury finds him guilty. Upcoming Trial Dates and Legal Proceedings The Source reported that the accused's trial is presently scheduled to commence late April 2026, and the exact date of the appearance is considered April 21 or 28 depending on the final assignment of the judge, according to the Rolling Stone. Since Durk's apprehension, there have been several postponements of the case hearings. Originally published on Music Times Nicki Minaj is receiving a backlash that even she probably didn't see coming after publicly identifying herself with conservative political figures which, in turn, has led to thousands of people even some who used to be fans calling for her deportation despite her legal immigration status in the U.S. The rapper from Trinidad who has been brought up in America since her early years, has lately been in the spotlight for praising President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, a step which has been seen as a significant change from her previous negative criticism of Trump era immigration policies. Her political turnaround has set off a social media storm with several petitions urging that she be returned to Trinidad and Tobago. Change.org hosts the two petitions that together have gathered more than 130,000 signatures last week, indicating the rise of the anger of the sections of her fan base who claim that her political stance is against theirs. Political Shift Sparks Fan Backlash Erika Kirk: I know that you are getting a lot of backlash from your own industry. What is your reaction to that? Nicki Minaj: I didn't notice Were the cool kids. The other people, theyre the ones who are still just disgruntled. Im officially a Nicki Minaj fan! pic.twitter.com/pOjp8ax1qW RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) December 21, 2025 In November, Minaj, 43, grabbed the headlines when she addressed the issue of Christian persecution in Nigeria at a meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York. She also joined Turning Point USA's AmericaFest together with Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was tragically killed at a Utah Valley University event in September 2025. During the appearance, Minaj praised Trump and Vance as "people with heart and soul" and said she "love[s] both of them," remarks that quickly spread across social media and fueled calls for her removal from the U.S. Their appearance was followed by a backlash, which is quite surprising considering Minaj's initial position on immigration. In 2018, she was outspoken in her criticism of Trump's policies, even saying, "I came to this country as an illegal immigrant." She later added, "I can't imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me at the age of five." In a 2024 TikTok livestream, Minaj acknowledged that she has never become a U.S. citizen, telling fans, "You would think that with the millions of dollars that I've paid in taxes to this country that I would have been given an honorary citizenship many, many, many thousands of years ago." Immigration Reality Versus Online Petitions Despite the viral petitions, immigration law experts say Minaj's legal status makes deportation highly unlikely without specific triggering factors. Elizabeth Ricci, a national immigration expert and former adjunct professor of immigration law at Florida State University, told Mirror US that presidential authority does not extend to unilateral deportations. "Despite the viral petitions and social media outrage, President Trump cannot personally deport anyone," Ricci said. "Deportation requires formal proceedings before an Immigration Judge." Ricci emphasized that Minaj is a lawful permanent resident, explaining, "Nicki holds a Green Card, making her a lawful permanent resident, not an undocumented immigrant." While that status provides strong protections, Ricci cautioned that it is not absolute. "Green Card holders like Nicki aren't bulletproof," she said, noting that deportation can occur in cases involving serious crimes or fraud during the immigration process. Ricci pointed to potential vulnerabilities, including Minaj's 2003 arrest for criminal possession of a weapon and the circumstances surrounding her childhood entry into the U.S. "If immigration authorities determined she had misrepresented either of these facts when applying for her green card, removal proceedings could theoretically begin," she said. Ricci acknowledged that even back then Minaj would likely have been able to find some arguments to defend herself, one of which is a kind of relief called Cancellation of Removal for permanent residents which takes into account family hardship and long-term residence. Ultimately, Ricci dismissed the petitions as symbolic. "The online petitions calling for Minaj's deportation are really just political theater and not the reality of our legal system," she said, adding that expressing controversial political opinions "is not currently a deportable offense." PR Expert Warns Of Career Fallout While Minaj's immigration status appears secure for now, public relations experts say the political controversy may have lasting professional consequences. Ryan McCormick, a PR specialist who spoke to Mirror US, said Minaj's decision to embrace partisan politics was risky. "From a PR perspective, Nicki fully endorsing President Trump and getting very political was guaranteed to alienate a sizable portion of her fan base," he said. McCormick noted that the damage has not yet translated into canceled shows or lost endorsements, adding, "Her streaming numbers remain stable at 44.7 million monthly on Spotify." Still, he predicted the backlash could dim her long-term appeal. "I call this a considerable career blunder," he said, advising other artists to "make beautiful music and don't get involved in political affairs." Originally published on Music Times 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. Gov. Gavin Newsom has made reducing the homelessness crisis in California a top priority, saying the scale of the states efforts is unprecedented and calling for the continued expansion of his signature effort Project Homekey that has already cost $3.75 billion. But in a state with more than 181,000 homeless individuals, or about one-third of the U.S. total, Homekey has been marred by failures and scandals, including a lack of government oversight and accountability as well as a federal investigation into allegations of fraud in Los Angeles. Newsom, who appears to be preparing for a presidential bid in 2028, could make Homekey, which he calls a national model, a talking point in his campaign. The state claims the program has created almost 16,000 permanent housing units that will serve over 175,000 people. But since the state doesnt track outcomes whether people placed in housing saw their lives improve or if they returned to the streets the programs effectiveness is unclear, according to a critical 2024 state auditors report. [Our budget] is bloated with homeless spending, a bottomless pit and taxpayer boondoggle that doubles down on failure year after year, the Republican-turned-Democrat Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park said at a meeting in May. Hundreds of millions of dollars on bridge homes and Homekeys and interim housing sites, and no one can even tell us which ones are operational. What is clear is that homelessness in California has skyrocketed in the five years Homekey has been in place, growing by more than 20%, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Thats an increase of some 36,000 people between 2019 and 2024. Homekey has been touted by officials as a more cost-effective way to house the homeless. By hiring developers to convert excess motel and hotel rooms and other existing structures into permanent housing, the costs are two to three times lower than building new units, according to the auditors report. But with huge contracts available to developers and very little oversight of their activities, some of that cost savings was lost to fraud, according to federal prosecutors. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California launched a fraud and corruption task force to find out where the money went, and in October filed criminal charges involving two developers who allegedly defrauded the system. In one case, Cody Holmes, the former CFO of developer Shangri-La Industries, allegedly falsified bank records to obtain $26 million in Homekey funds, only to siphon off more than $2 million to pay his own credit card bill, Essayli told the media. Accountability begins today, Essayli said. Too often, this money has been wasted, mismanaged or outright stolen. A COVID Baby Homekey began in 2020 as a FEMA-funded program to provide temporary housing in response to the COVID-19 emergency. Hotel rooms were rented to get homeless people out of encampments and shelters where the virus could spread rapidly. The high rental costs were justified to avoid mass casualties from infection. In San Francisco, City Journal reported that rooms were rented at $6,000 a month, nearly double the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment. Before the emergency measure ended in late 2020, Newsom announced that the program would morph into a provider of permanent housing for the homeless. Weve long dreamed about scooping up thousands of motel rooms and converting them into housing for our homeless neighbors, Newsom said at the time. The terrible pandemic were facing has given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy all these vacant properties, and were using federal stimulus money to do it. Under Homekey, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) began administering grants to local governments to help fund the purchase of commercial buildings to be converted into housing units. The money came from federal and state sources, including the American Rescue Plan and Californias general fund. Critics say one problem with Homekey is that it didnt pay for the mental health and drug treatment services that most homeless people desperately need to truly benefit from housing and get back on their feet. A 2023 study found that 66% of Californias homeless population suffers from mental illnesses. Twelve percent reported experiencing hallucinations. And 31% reported regular use of methamphetamines and 11% non-prescribed opioids. Sixteen percent reported heavy episodic drinking. Rather than helping the homeless, Homekey units have allowed people to privately take drugs and overdose. Drug overdose was the cause of death in seven out of eight cases at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys from April 2020 through June 2021, according to L.A. agencies. I think local leaders knew that there was a risk in placing people addicted to hard drugs like heroin or fentanyl or meth into private rooms where no one is around to act in case of an overdose, a former Homekey service provider from Oakland said on the condition of anonymity. Think about how stupid it is to place an addict in a room alone where no one can administer Narcan, a medicine that can prevent overdose death. Homekey relied on local governments to provide mental health services, although they have a severe shortage of treatment spots, according to an L.A.-based mental health professional whose office provides services at several Homekey buildings. Social workers and therapists meet with clients assigned to Homekey units and sign them up for Medicaid, but most of them havent received the treatment they need, the professional said. State officials didnt return calls seeking comment about Homekey. The latest version of Homekey aims to bolster mental health services. Newsom recently announced Homekey+, made possible by a $6.4 billion Behavioral Health Bond approved by voters. Half of the money is for projects that serve homeless veterans, and some of the resources will help fund other mental health services within Homekey. Overpaying and Underperforming Homekeys main pitch was that it would save taxpayers money by rehabbing existing buildings rather than constructing new housing. But those calculations are based on developers charging market rates and units being occupied, which hasnt always been the case. L.A. County received $550 million in Homekey funds between 2021-2024, which was used to acquire 32 buildings with 2,157 rooms. An investigation by Westside Current found that 71% of units remained vacant as of May 2025 due to construction delays. In the city of L.A., the housing authority used $48.9 million in Homekey money to acquire and complete a building that was under construction. Developer Haroni Investments was chosen to construct a 75,105-square-foot building with 127 housing units. A similar project in the area would typically cost roughly $18.8 million, according to experts who spoke to local reporters. HACLAs purchase price of $48.9 million represents a 165% profit at taxpayer expense, the story noted. A June 2025 memo from L.A. Mayor Karen Bass office estimated that the building would be completed later that month. In August, city officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony even though the building was not yet finished. As of December, the LA Housing Departments website says the building is not yet built, and there are no listings for available units. Requests for comment from Bass office have not been returned. In addition to overspending and delays, there are allegations of fraud. One case involves homeless service provider Weingart Center Association using $27.3 million in Homekey grants to purchase a 76-unit senior living complex in L.A., which it planned to convert into housing units with additional funding from the city. But federal prosecutors say the deal was shady and shrouded in secrecy. Steven Taylor, the real estate developer who sold the property to the Weingart Center, used fake bank statements to obtain loans and credit to buy the property for $11.2 million, just months before flipping it for a $16.1 million markup. Taylor made no improvements or renovations to the building. A contract clause ensured that his involvement would be kept secret. While the property was in escrow, the Weingart Center submitted an application for additional Homekey funds. The application, according to prosecutors, made no mention of the pending sale involving Taylor. Bass allocated $20 million in city dollars toward the project. Bass and Newsom celebrated the purchase as a critical tool in solving homelessness. A spokesperson with the Weingart Center said the property isnt expected to open until next year, even though the grant agreement required it to be fully occupied by February 2025. In August, federal authorities arrested Taylor, who is facing nine felony counts of bank fraud and money laundering. Taylor maintains his innocence and is free on a $3.6 million bond. Bass is cooperating with the ongoing federal investigation. The case highlights the lack of oversight into Homekey-related grants to the Weingart Center, which has been out of compliance with federally required annual audits. The most recent audit, submitted in July 2025 for fiscal year 2023, did not disclose over $50 million in federally funded Homekey grants. A 2023 fiscal audit of the Weingart Center found that it has repeatedly failed to properly document cash flows into the organization. Calls for comment to the Weingart Center were not immediately returned. In November, the homeless service provider placed its CEO, Kevin Murray, who was previously a state senator, on leave as an independent law firm investigates the valuation of its homeless housing projects. Homekey ran into other problems with L.A.-based developer Shangri-La Industries, which was hired to purchase and convert properties across the state. Federal prosecutors allege that the developer defrauded the HCD by misrepresenting its financial assets in order to qualify for a $26 million Homekey grant related to a housing project in Thousand Oaks. After securing the money, Holmes, the CFO, allegedly spent lavishly on himself and his girlfriend. Prosecutors say that Holmes rented a sprawling $46,000-a-month mansion in Beverly Hills, where Holmes was ultimately arrested. Overall, the HCD awarded the Shangri-La a total of $117 million in grants for seven housing projects. The only two projects that Shangri-La managed to complete amount to 174 homeless housing units, costing the state $672,000 a pop. Holmes pleaded not guilty in November, and a trial is set for Jan. 5. Essayli says his investigation into Shangri-La is just the beginning in the Justice Departments quest to recoup billions in misused public funds for the homeless. Essayli says his investigation into Shangri-La is just the beginning in the Justice Departments quest to recoup billions in misused public funds for the homeless. HCD rejects the suggestion it has been asleep at the wheel. "HCD brought action against Shangri-La in January 2024, alleging fraud and other claims, long before the federal criminal charges were announced, a spokesperson told RCI after this article was published. HCDs civil action is focused on preserving its investments and these affordable housing projects, and we will continue to pursue that recourse." Newsom Rejects Accountability By the summer of 2024, the lack of progress in reducing homelessness in California spurred Newsom to issue a threat to local leaders across the state. The governor gathered a group of reporters at a homeless encampment in the Pacoima neighborhood of L.A. so cameras could capture him picking up piles of trash. If we dont see demonstrable results [in reducing homelessness], Ill start to redirect money, Newsom said. But today, Californians continue to see headlines revealing more alleged fraud within the states prolific homeless housing programs, most of which involve the misuse of Homekey funds. The latest example involves the nonprofit Urban Alchemy, which was awarded a $2.3 million Project Homekey contract to provide 88 designated tent spaces in a parking lot so homeless individuals can legally set up tents and access meals, bathrooms, and other services. A city inspection revealed that the lot was operating at half capacity, with only 44 bare wooden platforms on site. One of the state audits main critiques centered on how officials werent tracking the progress of its homeless programs. California is not ensuring that it collects accurate, complete, and comparable financial and outcome information from homelessness programs, according to the report. Following the audit, Californias lawmakers unanimously passed legislation requiring the Newsom administration to submit annual evaluations of the homeless programs that receive public grants. But Newsom vetoed the bill, saying it creates an unnecessary ongoing workload for the Department without providing additional accountability or transparency to taxpayers. Our state has spent billions of taxpayer dollars in recent years only to see homelessness get worse, Republican Assemblyman Josh Hoover said in a September 2024 statement. We will not solve this crisis and get people the help they need until we get serious about accountability. One year later, Newsom hasnt lost faith in Homekey. He announced the allocation of $106.2 million toward six Homekey+ awards to pay for the development of 321 permanent supportive homes. No more excuses, Newsom declared in a press release announcing the grants. Everyone must step up to address this crisis. Australian authorities declared a state of disaster on Saturday after bushfires destroyed houses and razed vast belts of forest in the country's southeast. Temperatures soared past 40C as a heatwave blanketed the state of Victoria this week, with hot winds fanning some of the most dangerous fire weather since the "Black Summer" bushfires of 2019-2020. One of the most destructive bushfires ripped through almost 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) near Longwood, a region cloaked in native forests. State premier Jacinta Allan on Saturday declared a state of disaster, giving fire crews emergency powers to force evacuations. "It's all about one thing: protecting Victorian lives," she said. "And it sends one clear message: if you have been told to leave, go." Three people missing inside one of the state's most dangerous fire grounds had been found, Allan said. Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said at least 130 structures had been destroyed across the state, a figure that includes houses, sheds and other buildings. "We've seen significant livestock, cropping land and vineyards that have also been impacted or destroyed," he told reporters. Wiebusch said 10 major fires were still burning despite conditions easing. "Importantly, many of these major fires will continue to burn for days, if not weeks. "We are expecting more fires today as a result of lightning that occurred throughout yesterday afternoon and overnight." The worst blazes have largely been confined to sparsely populated rural areas where towns might number a few hundred people. Photos taken this week showed the night sky glowing orange as the fire near Longwood ripped through bushland. - 'Terrifying' - "There were embers falling everywhere. It was terrifying," cattle farmer Scott Purcell told national broadcaster ABC. Another bushfire near the small town of Walwa crackled with lightning as it radiated enough heat to form a localised thunderstorm, fire authorities said. Hundreds of firefighters from across Australia have been called in to help. Millions have sweltered through this week's intense heatwave. Hundreds of baby bats died earlier this week as stifling temperatures settled over the state of South Australia, a local wildlife group said. The Black Summer bushfires raged across Australia's eastern seaboard from late 2019 to early 2020, razing millions of hectares, destroying thousands of homes and blanketing cities in noxious smoke. Australia's climate has warmed by an average of 1.51C since 1910, researchers have found, fuelling increasingly frequent extreme weather patterns over both land and sea. Australia remains one of the world's largest producers and exporters of gas and coal, two key fossil fuels blamed for global heating. sft/mjw Good Looks, great dancing skills and loads of charm -- Hrithik Roshan has it all. The actor, who is often referred as the Greek God turns 45 today but manages to keep looking better and better each passing day. Hrithik Roshan is not only known for his good looks but his acting prowess as well as he has delivered a number of memorable performances in his 18 year career. His efforts certainly havent gone unnoticed as he also has won a total of 6 Filmfare Awards in his splendid career so far. Hrithik Roshan, son of filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, made his first appearance as a child artist in 1986 with Bhagwan Dada starring Rakesh Roshan and Rajnikanth. In the year 2000, Hrithik Roshan got launched with Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai and there was no looking back. No one until Hrithik had experienced something called overnight stardom. Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai became the biggest blockbuster of the year and also is regarded as one of the biggest hits of all time. At the turn of the millennium, a new star had arrived. On his birthday we list down 11 roles that only and only Hrithik Roshan could have pulled off. In This Article 1.Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was more style than substance but Hrithik proved in his very first film that he definitely could emote. He also showed the world that he could carry a film on his shoulders. With Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, Hrithik literally barged into the territory that was ruled by the three Khans and gave them a run for their money. Right after the release of 120 Bahadur, I met the ever-effervescent Farhan Akhtar. He walked into the venue with effortless ease, looking as sharp as ever. Greeting me with a warm smile, he seemed genuinely excited about what lay ahead. Farhan settled in quickly and promised me a fun interview. I, on the other hand, hoped I would finally get a glimpse into that fascinating mind of his. Directed by Razneesh Ghai, 120 Bahadur tells the story of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, a Param Vir Chakra awardee. During our conversation, Farhan also shared an update on the Ranveer Singh-starrer Don 3 and spoke candidly about his vision for the women of our country. Read on... 1. 120 Bahadur is based on Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who received the Param Vir Chakra. What was the toughest part about playing this role? I mean, it definitely was a challenge. It always is an added responsibility when youre portraying a real-life hero because his institution, the armed forces, his family, and the people who knew him will always expect you to do justice to the part. I approached it with that responsibility in mind. And then, of course, Razy (Razneesh Ghai), who directed the film, was very clear about the treatment and what he wanted to do, which made my work a little easier. But shooting in Ladakh, while beautiful, comes with its own set of challenges. We were there for a good eight or nine weeks, and all in all, it was a memorable experience. What made you sign the film? Well, 120 Bahadur is a true story, an extraordinary chapter from the 1962 IndoChina War. Its based on the Battle of Rezang La, an event that unfolded over a single unforgettable night, from 17 November into the early hours of the 18th. In that battle, 120 Indian soldiers, led by a young officer, held their ground against nearly 3,000 Chinese soldiers and prevented the post from being captured. As far as standalone battles go, its truly one of a kind, something that has happened only a handful of times in military history across the world. The courage and resilience displayed that night have inspired thousands to join the armed forces over the decades. Its that spirit, that jazba, that deep, unwavering courage, that defines this story. Were genuinely fortunate to be able to bring this chapter of valour to the people of our country and share it on screen. How was it shooting in Ladakh? There were moments when the wind would really pick up and wed be caught in these crazy dust storms. Especially while shooting the final battle sequences, many of which were at night, it was minus six, minus seven. And when the wind rose, you really wished you were somewhere else. Tell us about your professional bond with Razneesh Ghai. Ive worked with Razy on advertising; weve done quite a few things together. As an actor, what you really hope for is a director who has absolute clarity about what they want to see on film. When a director has answers as to why you're being asked to do something, it helps immensely. Razy was prepared, technically sound, and very sure of his vision. You could simply focus on performing and breathing life into your character without worrying about the rest. How do you approach a character that is far removed from your own reality? You know, eventually, no matter what vocation we come from, were all human beings, and we feel the same emotions, even if in different degrees. We love the people closest to us, wed do anything for them, and we all carry a sense of love for our country. In that sense, were all patriots at heart; we just express it differently. For us in the film industry, that patriotism may be more subliminal, in the stories we tell, in the soft power we carry across the world. But for those who wear the uniform, the stakes are unimaginably higher. They put their lives on the line, and that deserves the utmost respect. Still, the core emotion, loving something so deeply, is something we all understand. And when you channel that love towards your country, you begin to relate to what someone in uniform might feel. So, for me, it becomes about putting myself in someone elses shoes. Call it imagination, call it empathy, call it creative interpretation, thats essentially the job. And when youre on location, surrounded by people from the armed forces who guide you, it helps tremendously. It stops feeling as distant as it initially seems. Of course, when you first hear the script, theres that moment of anxiety, that Oh my God, how will I do this? But I think that nervousness is healthy. It pushes you to dig deeper, to find the best possible way to make the character feel authentic and natural. From Lakshya to 120 Bahadur, youve often gravitated towards war films. What draws you to them? Its the ability to witness a human being put something ahead of their own security and survival. To love or be dedicated to a cause so deeply that youre willing to die for it, thats incredibly admirable. But what truly matters is the point of view chosen by the director and writer. Once I align with that, Im completely on board. I find it fascinating that people risk their lives to defend something that will keep others safe. Your films often revolve around strong friendships. Do you draw from your own life? I imagine friendships are important in everyones life, including yours. Outside of our immediate families, the people we choose to keep close, our friends, shape us immeasurably. Ive been fortunate to have close friends Ive known for over 35 years, people I trust with my life. In a high-stress job like ours, its grounding to have friends who treat you the same, regardless of whether your film does well or not. In Luck By Chance, theres a moment where your character enters a room full of actors and then rises to fame. Have you ever felt youve made it? Ive never felt those extremes, neither Ive made it nor All is lost. But Ive had moments of great joy. I loved the release of the first Rock On. I loved making ZNMD, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Toofaan. These have been memorable highlights. But whether Ive made it is for the audience to decide. My job is to keep my head down and do good work. Have you ever felt the need to pat yourself on the back? No, to be honest, no. What does success mean to you? In our line of work, definitions vary. Some feel successful simply by being famous; others by having big box-office numbers. For me, success is the freedom to choose what I want to do next. Theres a trend online: Your Reminder to Never Miss a Javed Akhtar Reel. Whats the one piece of advice from him that has stayed with you? He once told me, metaphorically, that nothing grows in the shade of something else. He used the example of an acorn and an oak. If an acorn falls too close to the tree, itll never grow because it stays in the shade. So you must move far enough to find your own sunlight, to grow into your own tree. But eventually, youll resemble what came before. So always try to find your own space and not remain a sapling under someone elses protection. Youre a girl dad. Women in this country face several issues daily. Whats the one thing youd change in an ideal world? Id want them to be safe wherever they go, something as simple and fundamental as that. No one should fear for their security when they step out of their home. While awareness, social responsibility, and consciousness are being encouraged, at some point, we have to acknowledge that punishment is the strongest deterrent. Its unfortunate, but necessary. Your marriage with Shibani Dandekar seems to be flourishing. Whats most important to you in a romantic relationship? Communication. In any long-term relationship, friendships included, its essential to be open about your feelings and not let things fester. Suppressed emotions can skew your thoughts or become a vulnerability someone else might exploit. Being honest about whats on your mind and in your heart is crucial. Any updates on the Ranveer Singh-starrer Don 3? Oh yes, we start filming next year. Thats probably the biggest update I can give you. Also Read: Exclusive: Will Hrithik Roshan Be The New Hero of Don 3? The censor-related turbulence surrounding Vijays Jana Nayagan and Sivakarthikeyans Parasakthi has triggered one of the strongest public interventions yet from within the Tamil film industry. Actor-politician Kamal Haasan took to his social media platforms with a sharply worded statement that reframed the crisis as not merely an industry dispute but a constitutional concern. Sharing a note titled For Art, For Artists, For the Constitution, Kamal Haasan stressed that the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution of India is guided by reason and must never be weakened by opaque systems. "This moment is larger than any one film; it reflects the space we accord art and artists in a constitutional democracy," he wrote, underlining that cinema is a collective enterprise sustained by writers, technicians, performers, exhibitors and a network of small businesses. His words come at a time when the certification process for two major Tamil releases has been marred by uncertainty, court interventions and growing frustration within the industry. A call for transparency and timelines Kamal Haasans note goes beyond moral support. It reads like a blueprint for reform. He described how the absence of clarity has a domino effect across the industry. "When clarity is absent, creativity is constrained, economic activity is disrupted, and public trust is weakened. Tamil Nadu and India's cinema lovers bring passion, discernment, and maturity to the arts," he wrote, adding that audiences deserve openness and respect from institutions. He called for a relook at the certification framework itself, demanding "defined timelines, transparent evaluation processes, and written, reasoned justifications for every suggested cut or edit." The emphasis on written explanations is particularly telling, as filmmakers often complain that vague verbal instructions leave them with no clarity on what exactly needs to be changed and why. For Art, For Artists, For the Constitution pic.twitter.com/sOrlOOLFtv Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) January 10, 2026 "This is also a moment for the entire film industry to unite and engage in meaningful, constructive dialogue with our government institutions," he added, urging stakeholders to turn the present impasse into a catalyst for long-term reform. For Kamal Haasan, these measures are not just about safeguarding creative freedom. He said they are vital to uphold constitutional values and reinforce democratic institutions by restoring trust between artists, authorities and audiences. Industry voices rally behind Jana Nayagan The intervention from Kamal Haasan follows a wave of reactions from across the film fraternity. Filmmaker Pa Ranjith also voiced his concern over social media, stating, "What has happened to Jana Nayagan shows that the censor board has fallen into misleading and improper guidance. Moreover, such a regressive approach, where efforts are made aggressively to suppress dissenting or alternative voices, must be strongly condemned." He also spoke of facing similar pressures during the release of several of his own films, lending weight to the argument that the issue is systemic. Jana Nayagan, which has been grappling with certification hurdles since December 2025, was initially slated for a January 9 release. The uncertainty around its clearance pushed the film off its original date, triggering widespread solidarity from actors and directors including Silambarasan, Ravi Mohan, Jiiva and Karthik Subbaraj, all of whom publicly expressed support for Vijay and the films team. The legal drama has further intensified the situation. After a hearing before the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on Friday following an appeal by the CBFC, the court stayed the earlier single judge order by Justice PT Asha that had granted the film a U/A 16+ certificate. The next hearing for the writ appeal is scheduled for January 20, leaving the fate of the film hanging in the balance. Parasakthi, directed by Sudha Kongara, faced similar turbulence. The film eventually secured a U/A certificate from the CBFC on Friday and released the following day. However, the clearance reportedly came with multiple modifications, including the muting and replacement of several words across different scenes, which once again fuelled debate on the extent of intervention by the censor board. Together, the episodes surrounding Jana Nayagan and Parasakthi have exposed fault lines in the current certification system. What was once seen as a procedural step is now being questioned as a process that can disrupt livelihoods, stall major releases and dampen creative morale. Kamal Haasans statement has therefore arrived at a crucial juncture. By invoking the Constitution and calling for accountability rather than confrontation, he has shifted the conversation from grievance to governance. Whether the institutions concerned respond with the openness, he seeks remains to be seen. But for now, his words have given the industry a unifying rallying point in a moment of rare collective unease. Also Read: Kamal Haasans KH 237 Announces Star Technical Team on His Birthday Highlights Fact Pattern That Appears to Demonstrate That EWI's Material SpaceX Sell-Down Was Executed to Facilitate an Ill-Conceived Merger Between EWI and USA That Would Benefit Baillie Gifford, EWI's Board and Chairman Jonathan Simpson-Dent at Shareholders' Expense Asks the Board to Finally Answer Key Questions Regarding the Timing, Valuation of and Rationale for the SpaceX Stake Reduction Urges Shareholders to Elect a New, Independent Board That Will Oversee the Company With Sound Judgement and Governance Expertise in the Best Interests of All EWI Shareholders Saba Capital Management, L.P. (together with certain of its affiliates, "Saba" or "we"), the largest shareholder of Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust PLC (EWI:LSE) ("EWI" or the "Company"), today issued the following open letter to the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") outlining its concerns surrounding the recent sell-down of SpaceX. Dear Members of the Board, We are writing to request that you provide the Company's shareholders, as a matter of urgency, with full transparency regarding (1) your knowledge of Baillie Gifford's decision to materially reduce EWI's stake in SpaceX and (2) any connection between this sale and your decision to pursue a merger with the Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust (USA:LSE) ("USA"). As the largest shareholder in the Company, we are deeply concerned at the recent sell-down by Baillie Gifford of the Company's stake in SpaceX the crown jewel of the Company's portfolio just two months prior to SpaceX's scheduled revaluation, in a move that appears to defy commercial logic. We are particularly concerned that this sale was instead motivated by a desire on the part of both Baillie Gifford and you, the Board, to facilitate a merger of the Company with USA. SpaceX is the defining asset in EWI's portfolio and the primary reason why many shareholders purchased EWI shares in the first place. Losing out on a significant portion of the gains represented by SpaceX's recent revaluation represents a serious misstep. We believe that, before voting at the general meeting on 20 January 2026, shareholders deserve answers to critical questions regarding Baillie Gifford's decision to sell down the position, the Board's knowledge of this decision and what the Board has done in response to investigate. A Questionable Timeline: Why Sell SpaceX Two Months Before a Scheduled Revaluation? Based on the companies' respective monthly factsheets, EWI and USA reduced their SpaceX holdings in October by approximately 35% and 49%, respectively. Regrettably, neither trust provides an accessible archive of these monthly factsheets, which means many retail investors may have been unaware of the severity of the sales until we recently put them in the spotlight. SpaceX Holdings in Baillie Gifford Investment Trusts (September October 2025) Company SpaceX Holding as of 30 Sept SpaceX Holding as of 31 Oct Change (percentage points) Change (percentage) USA 11.5% 5.9% -5.6pp -48.7% EWI 13.0% 8.4% -4.6pp -35.4% MNTN 9.1% 7.5% -1.6pp -17.6% SMT 7.6% 7.6% 0.0pp 0% The timing of this sell-down is suspicious for a number of reasons: It is widely known that SpaceX typically runs company-controlled liquidity events roughly twice a year, with a recurring December window. It is reasonable to expect that Baillie Gifford would have known that SpaceX would be conducting a revaluation in December 2025.1 However, instead of waiting for the revaluation, Baillie Gifford sold a substantial portion of EWI and USA's stakes in SpaceX in October 2025 at a valuation that appears to have been materially below the December valuation. In early December 2025, news reports emerged that SpaceX was preparing for a possible public offering in 2026 at a rumoured valuation of about $1.5 trillion.2 SpaceX subsequently set its valuation at approximately $800 billion3, leading EWI to report an upward revaluation of SpaceX on 16 December 2025. However, the Company's announcement failed to disclose that it had heavily reduced its stake just two months earlier.4 By not disclosing its recent sell-down, the Company will have given many shareholders the mistaken impression that the revaluation was a positive development while obscuring the fact that the revaluation served to confirm the extent of the losses suffered by shareholders.Our calculations show that the October SpaceX sell-down resulted in an estimated 37 million loss for EWI shareholders (approximately 4.4% of EWI's 831.55 million in total assets).5 It is hard to believe that the merger discussions were not already well underway at the time of the SpaceX sell-down in October. A merger between EWI and USA is complex and would have required weeks, if not months, of planning. Within EWI's announcement6 of the proposed merger, on 2 December 2025, the Board signalled as much by indicating that it was in "advanced discussions with the Board of USA regarding a proposed merger between the two companies The terms of the merger have been substantively agreed between the two Boards." This announcement also makes clear that Baillie Gifford was involved in these discussions when it states: "The merger would deliver Significant contribution from Baillie Gifford to the costs of implementing the combination through a management fee waiver". It also is reasonable to expect that the Board would have known, during these merger discussions, that SpaceX would be conducting a revaluation in December 2025. If the SpaceX sell-down had not happened, the merger of EWI and USA would most likely not have been possible. The merger, if successful, would have combined the two companies' holdings in SpaceX. If those holdings had not been sold down prior to the merger, the merged company's combined position would have been well above 20% of its total portfolio after conducting the tender, which would likely have prevented it from obtaining the necessary tax treatment under the UK investment trust regime without this, the merger would not have been feasible. While four Baillie Gifford-managed investment trusts invest in SpaceX, significant sell-downs only occurred in EWI and USA the two trusts that subsequently unveiled plans to pursue a potential merger. This all begs the question: was the SpaceX sell-down only executed to facilitate this ill-conceived merger? If so, this would suggest that the Board and Baillie Gifford prioritised their own interests at the expense of shareholders. A Self-Serving Mission: Who Was Incentivized to Sell Down EWI's Stake? Selling down EWI's "highest conviction position"7 at a price far below its current valuation and without consulting shareholders is self-evidently unacceptable. What is even more troublesome is that both Baillie Gifford and the Board in particular, Mr. Simpson-Dent appear to have had strong incentives to push for a merger between EWI and USA. A merger would have enabled Baillie Gifford to retain the combined mandate for EWI and USA, while also requiring us to sign a standstill that would prevent us from advocating for shareholders' interests in the future. Our due diligence also indicates that the merger would likely have enabled Mr. Simpson-Dent to gain a leadership position on the combined company's board, a reward that would come at shareholders' expense. Shareholders Deserve Answers Before They Vote on the Composition of EWI's Board Saba is just one of many shareholders who are deeply troubled by the SpaceX sell-down and frustrated by the Board's silence on this critical issue. After weeks of waiting, it is time for the Board to answer the following important questions: At what valuation did Baillie Gifford sell EWI's SpaceX assets in October 2025, and to whom? Why did EWI not communicate the sell-down to the market at the time of the sale? Before executing the October 2025 sale, did Baillie Gifford and/or the Board know a SpaceX revaluation was scheduled for December 2025? If so, why didn't it wait until the revaluation event before reducing EWI's stake? What was Baillie Gifford's stated rationale for the reduction in EWI's SpaceX holding? Was facilitating the potential merger with USA a factor? Were Mr. Simpson-Dent or other members of the Board aware that Baillie Gifford intended to reduce EWI's position in SpaceX prior to the October 2025 sale occurring? Did Baillie Gifford consult with any of them prior to reducing the position? If so, did the Board approve of the decision? When was the merger between EWI and USA initially proposed, and by whom? When did Baillie Gifford become aware of this proposal? Why did the Board never reach out to shareholders (including Saba, EWI's largest shareholder) to gauge whether there was support for the merger? We have heard from various sources that, over the past 12 months, the chairmen of the seven investment trusts that were part of our original December 2024 campaign have used disappearing WhatsApp messages to communicate with each other about Saba. At any point, have Mr. Simpson-Dent and Tom Burnet, the Chairman of USA, used disappearing WhatsApp messages to discuss the proposed merger and/or the decision to sell down SpaceX? Since October 2025, what steps has the Board taken to hold Baillie Gifford accountable for selling down at significantly below the current valuation of SpaceX? The Board's Apparent Deference to Baillie Gifford Is Alarming Shareholders deserve full transparency ahead of the 20 January general meeting. We request that, by no later than 9 January 2026, the Board provide direct, unambiguous answers to these questions. Unless and until we receive satisfactory responses to these questions and concerns, we reserve all of our rights, including to issue proceedings on behalf of EWI. This debacle reinforces our concern that Mr. Simpson-Dent and the incumbent Board appear incapable of serving as an effective check on Baillie Gifford. Let me remind you that your role is to always act in shareholders' best interests, even when that conflicts with what may be best for the manager. Sincerely, Boaz Weinstein Founder and Chief Investment Officer Saba Capital Management, L.P. At the upcoming General Meeting of shareholders to be held on 20 January 2026, Saba urges its fellow EWI shareholders to vote FOR its resolutions to: Remove the underperforming incumbent directors: Jonathan Simpson-Dent, Mungo Wilson, Caroline Roxburgh, Jane McCracken, Mary Gunn and Gregory Eckersley. Elect three new independent directors Gabi Gliksberg , Michael Joseph and Jassen Trenkow who bring the right experience and objectivity to maximise long-term value creation for all shareholders. NOTE: Platform deadlines may be as early as 12 January 2026 please vote as soon as possible About Saba Saba Capital Management, L.P. is a global alternative asset management firm that seeks to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns for a diverse group of clients. Founded in 2009 by Boaz Weinstein, Saba is a pioneer of credit relative value strategies and capital structure arbitrage. Saba has offices in New York City and London. Learn more at www.sabacapital.com. Disclaimer This announcement is not intended to be and does not constitute or contain any investment recommendation as defined by Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (as it forms part of the domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018). No information in this announcement should be construed as recommending or suggesting an investment strategy. Nothing in this announcement or in any related materials is a statement of or indicates or implies any specific or probable value outcome in any particular circumstance. This announcement is provided merely for general informational purposes and is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as (1) investment, financial, tax or legal advice, or (2) a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security or other investment, or to pursue any investment style or strategy. Neither the information nor any opinion contained in this announcement constitutes an inducement or offer to purchase or sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell any securities or other investments in the Company or any other company by Saba or any of its affiliates in any jurisdiction. This announcement does not consider the investment objective, financial situation, suitability or the particular need or circumstances of any specific individual who may access or review this announcement and may not be taken as advice on the merits of any investment decision. This announcement is not intended to provide the sole basis for evaluation of, and does not purport to contain all information that may be required with respect to, any potential investment in the Company. Any person who is in any doubt about the matters to which this announcement relates should consult an authorised financial adviser or other person authorised under the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. To the best of Saba's ability and belief, all information contained herein is accurate and reliable, and has been obtained from public sources that Saba believes to be accurate and reliable. However, such information is presented "as is", without warranty of any kind, whether express or implied, and Saba has not independently verified the data contained therein. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice, and Saba does not undertake to update or supplement any of the information, analysis and opinion contained herein. Saba may continue transacting in the shares and securities of the Company, and/or derivatives referenced to them (which may include those providing long and short economic exposure) for an indefinite period following the date of this announcement and may increase or decrease its interests in such shares, securities and/or derivatives at any time. Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements and information that are based on Saba's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, Saba. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about strategies, plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, expenditures and assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. When used herein, words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan" and "project" and similar expressions (or their negative) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect Saba's current views with respect to future events, are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially and adversely from those described herein. There is no assurance or guarantee with respect to the prices at which any securities of the Company or any other company will trade, and such securities may not trade at prices that may be implied herein. Any estimates, projections or potential impact of the opportunities identified by Saba herein are based on assumptions that Saba believes to be reasonable as of the date hereof, but there can be no assurance or guarantee that actual results or performance will not differ, and such differences may be material and adverse. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is given by Saba or any of its officers, employees or agents as to the achievement or reasonableness of, and no reliance should be placed on, any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects or returns contained herein. Neither Saba nor any of its directors, officers, employees, advisers or representatives shall have any liability whatsoever (for negligence or misrepresentation or in tort or under contract or otherwise) for any loss howsoever arising from any use of information presented in this announcement or otherwise arising in connection with this announcement. Any historical financial information, projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects or returns contained herein are not necessarily a reliable indicator of future performance. Nothing in this announcement should be relied upon as a promise or representation as to the future. Nothing in this announcement should be considered as a profit forecast. Permitted Recipients In relation to the United Kingdom, this announcement is being issued only to, and is directed only at, (i) investment professionals specified in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 as amended (the "Order"), (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order and (iii) persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities of the Company or any member of its group may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "Permitted Recipients"). Persons who are not Permitted Recipients must not act or rely on the information contained in this announcement. Distribution Not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in, into or from any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of that jurisdiction. The distribution of this announcement in certain countries may be restricted by law and persons who access it are required to inform themselves and to comply with any such restrictions. Saba disclaims all responsibility where persons access this announcement in breach of any law or regulation in the country of which that person is a citizen or in which that person is residing or is domiciled. 1 During an interview with CNBC dated 19 Dec. 2025, EWI Chairman Jonathan Simpson-Dent stated, "Baillie Gifford are talking to them all the time, as you'd expect the manager to be doing." Mr. Simpson-Dent was referring to EWI's portfolio companies, which include SpaceX. 2 Bloomberg article dated 9 Dec. 2025. 3 Bloomberg article dated 12 Dec. 2025. 4 EWI announcement dated 16 Dec. 2025. 5 As at 16 December 2025. Based on the December 2025 valuation of SpaceX of $800 billion and total EWI assets of 831.55 million as at 30 November 2025. 6 EWI announcement dated 2 Dec. 2025. 7 EWI announcement dated 17 Dec. 2025 and circular dated 23 Dec. 2025. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260106146729/en/ Contacts: Longacre Square Partners Kate Sylvester Bence Szechenyi ksylvester@longacresquare.com bszechenyi@longacresquare.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2026) - Hillcrest Energy Technologies (CSE: HEAT) (FSE: 7HI) ("Hillcrest" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has closed the final tranche (the "Final Tranche") of its previously announced offering (the "Offering") of units of the Company (the "Units") for gross proceeds of $4,593,118.86 at a price of $0.09 per Unit, comprised of: (i) $3,642,879.96 in aggregate gross proceeds raised through the issuance of 40,476,444 Units on a private placement basis (the "Cash Offering") and (ii) $950,238.90 in proceeds raised through the issuance of 10,558,210 Units in consideration for the settlement of $950,238.90 in debt owing to an arm's length creditor of the Company (the "Debt Settlement"). The total Cash Offering size, cumulative of all tranches, was 48,972,556 Units for gross proceeds of approximately $4,407,530. The total Debt Settlement size, cumulative of all tranches, was 31,581,634 Units in settlement of an aggregate of approximately $2,842,347 of debt. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). As a result, the Company issued an aggregate total of 51,034,654 Common Shares and 51,034,654 Warrants pursuant to the closing of the Final Tranche. "The closing of this final tranche represents a significant milestone for Hillcrest," said Don Currie, CEO of Hillcrest Energy Technologies. "The strategic investment from Pasqua First Nation not only strengthens our balance sheet but reinforces the value of our collaborative approach to commercializing our ZVS technology. Combined with the successful retirement of debt and strong investor interest, we're now positioned to accelerate our technology development and deliver on the commitments we've made to our shareholders and partners." Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.12 per Common Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. The Warrants are subject to an accelerated expiry upon thirty (30) business days' notice from the Company in the event the Common Shares trade for ten (10) consecutive trading days any time after four (4) months from the date of issuance at a volume-weighted average price of at least $0.36 on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). As previously announced, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with Pasqua First Nation ("PFN") whereby PFN had to ability to invest $3,000,000 directly into Hillcrest through the purchase of Units in the Company to support the further development and commercialization of Hillcrest's ZVS technology and support general operating needs. It is intended that the proceeds from closing of the Final Tranche of the Cash Offering will be used for further development of Hillcrest's ZVS technology, marketing of its products to potential customers, investor relations activities, retirement of existing accounts payable, and general working capital. The securities issued in connection with the Offering, including any Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants, are subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period, in accordance with the policies of the CSE and applicable Canadian securities laws. About Hillcrest Energy Technologies Ltd. Hillcrest Energy Technologies is an energy technology company focused on providing advanced power conversion technologies and digital control systems for next-generation powertrains and grid-connected renewable energy systems. From concept to commercialization, Hillcrest is investing in the development of energy solutions that will power a more sustainable and electrified future. Hillcrest is publicly traded on the CSE under the symbol "HEAT," on the OTCQB Venture Market as "HLRTF" and on the Frankfurt Exchange as "7HI". For more information, please visit: https://hillcrestenergy.tech/. THE SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY REFERRED TO IN THIS PRESS RELEASE HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "U.S. SECURITIES ACT"), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS. ACCORDINGLY, THE SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD WITHIN THE UNITED STATES UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THIS NEWS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. 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 are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the expected use of proceeds from the Cash Offering. 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 receiving all regulatory approvals, risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; political and regulatory risks; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Additional information on these and other risk factors can be found in the Company's continuous disclosure documents available under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. 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 the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/279981 Source: Hillcrest Energy Technologies Ltd. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / January 9, 2026 / Sekur Private Data Ltd. (OTCQB:SWISF)(CSE:SKUR)(FRA:GDT0) ("Sekur" or the "Company"), a leading Swiss hosted cybersecurity and privacy communications platform, is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of up to CA$1,500,000 (US$1,050,000) (the "Private Placement") through the issuance of up to 30,000,000 units (each a "Unit"). Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") priced at CA$0.05 per share, and one full share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Full Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase a Common share at a price of CA$0.10 per share for a period of 48 months from the closing date (the "Warrant Term"). The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement for sales, business development and general working purposes. Shares issued pursuant to the Financing will be subject to a four-month hold period according to applicable securities laws of?Canada. Finders' fees may be payable on the private placement, subject to the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. To find out more about Sekur's privacy communications solutions visit: https://sekur.com For more company information, please visit: https://sekurprivatedata.com About Sekur Private Data Ltd. Sekur Private Data Ltd. is a cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure and private communications. The Company distributes a suite of encrypted e-mails, secure messengers and secure communication tools. Sekur sells its products through its own website, https:/ /www.sekur.com, approved distributors and telecommunications companies worldwide. Sekur serves consumers and businesses worldwide. Follow Sekur on X @sekurprivate LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sekurprivatedata-ltd CONTACT Alain Ghiai, President and Chief Executive Officer SEKUR PRIVATE DATA LTD. Email: investors@sekur.com www.sekurprivatedata.com Tel: +1.305.347.5114 Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "project" and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they do not guarantee future performance. Sekur 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 Sekur's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the future of the Company's business; the success of marketing and sales efforts of the Company; the projections prepared in house and projections delivered by channel partners; the Company's ability to complete the necessary software updates; increases in sales as a result of investments software development technology; consumer interest in the Products; future sales plans and strategies; reliance on large channel partners and expectations of renewals to ongoing agreements with these partners; anticipated events and trends; the economy and other future conditions; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in Sekur's prospectus dated May 8, 2019, filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available on www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Sekur undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. SOURCE: Sekur Private Data Ltd. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/computers-technology-and-internet/sekur-private-data-ltd.-announces-non-brokered-private-placement-1126187 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. Las Vegas, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - January 10, 2026) - Arspura, a healthy kitchen appliance brand under the CleaDeep group, will participate in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026. At the event, the company will present its kitchen ventilation product lineup built around its proprietary IQV (Inclined-Quad-Vortex) airflow technology. CES 2026 marks Arspura's appearance on the global consumer electronics stage, where the brand will introduce its approach to kitchen ventilation design and airflow management to industry professionals, partners, and media. The exhibition will focus on how Arspura applies airflow engineering concepts to address cooking-related air movement and capture within residential kitchen environments. At the core of the showcase is Arspura's IQV system, an airflow architecture that integrates inclined airflow guidance, multi-vortex capture structures, and an air curtain configuration within a single hood design. The system reflects the brand's emphasis on airflow control and structural design, and is applied across multiple products on display at CES 2026. The new lineup includes the Arspura P1, F1, P2, and PRO, each developed for different kitchen layouts and usage scenarios. The Arspura P1 is a 36-inch side-suction range hood designed to integrate IQV airflow architecture with a minimalist exterior. The model incorporates gesture-based control and a filter-free structural design intended to support long-term operation and ease of maintenance. The Arspura F1, offered in a 30-inch format, is designed for compatibility with a wide range of kitchen cabinetry. It features a BLDC motor and an integrated self-cleaning system, along with gesture control and built-in lighting intended to support everyday cooking activities. The Arspura P2 adopts a 36-inch top-suction configuration and includes an integrated PM2.5 sensing function. The model is designed to provide real-time air quality indication during cooking, paired with airflow management features based on the IQV system. Serving as the flagship model, the Arspura PRO is a 36-inch side-suction range hood that integrates IQV airflow architecture with real-time air quality monitoring and professional-grade lighting. The model is designed with an emphasis on durability, low-maintenance operation, and functional integration, offering a comprehensive ventilation solution within a single system. Through its participation at CES 2026, Arspura aims to present its ventilation design philosophy, demonstrate how its IQV Technology is applied across different product formats, and engage with global stakeholders in the home appliance and consumer technology sectors. About Arspura Founded in 2016, Arspura is a technology-driven home appliance brand focused on kitchen ventilation and indoor air management. As part of the CleaDeep family, the brand draws on experience in environmental and airflow technologies to develop kitchen solutions for residential use. Arspura combines engineering-focused design with contemporary aesthetics for markets worldwide. For more information, visit www.arspura.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/279816 Source: Hmedium The world is changing rapidly, and at the same time, the relentless trade war between the US and China is raging. The focus is on rare earths, which are virtually indispensable in high-tech products - from submarines, AI chips, wind turbines, and electric motors to stealth bombers. A gold rush broke out in the industry in 2025, with companies such as Arafura, Lynas Rare Earths, MP Materials, and St George Mining taking center stage. The object of desire does not shine yellow - it is invisibly embedded in our smartphones, powers the motors of electric cars, and is the backbone of modern weapon systems. We are talking about rare earths. The market for these 17 metals is small, with a volume of just a few billion US dollars. But it is expected to grow to US$8 billion by 2032. The superpowers have turned this small market into a geopolitical battlefield. The trade war: USA vs. China The origins of the current conflict go back a long way. Under Barack Obama's presidency, the US began to shift its strategic focus away from Europe and toward the Pacific region, identifying China as its future main competitor for global dominance. This competition has since escalated into a full-blown trade war. Since Joe Biden took office, trade restrictions have been in place, and Donald Trump has at times sparked an economic war with tariffs. Under various US administrations, sanctions and tariffs have been massively expanded. High-performance chips, AI technologies, and complex machines - such as those from Dutch manufacturer ASML - can no longer be exported to China without further ado. China is responding to this technological isolation with its strongest weapon: dominance over the raw materials markets. China's monopoly and the global map China is now the world's second-largest economy and the largest consumer of most raw materials. The country also controls around 60 percent of global production and as much as 90 percent of rare earth processing. China even has a monopoly on some rare earths. This quasi-monopoly enables Beijing to hit the West where it hurts. While the US ceased production decades ago due to environmental regulations and low world market prices, China has perfected the entire value chain - from mining to finished high-performance magnets. But China is not alone. Other countries are gaining importance in shifting the balance of power: Australia: The most important player outside China, mainly through the company Lynas Rare Earths. US: With the Mountain Pass mine, they are attempting a comeback. Myanmar & Kazakhstan: Important countries when it comes to reserves, with Myanmar often acting as an extension of Chinese companies. Kazakhstan, on the other hand, is strongly focused on Russia. Brazil: Home to the world's second-largest reserves. China dominates the market for rare earths, both as a producer and in processing. In some cases, its share of individual rare earths is as high as 100%. Source: US Geological Survey (USGS), January 2025. See here: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/rare-earths-statistics-and-information. Without magnets, there would be little progress! There is great concern in the West, as rare earths are indispensable for key industries. China has already stopped deliveries in the past, forcing companies such as Ford to temporarily suspend production. European companies were also affected in the spring of 2024. The situation is seen as particularly critical in the military sector, where demand is high. China has just restricted exports to Japan for the new year. This applies to all companies that manufacture both military and civilian goods (dual use goods).Two examples (source: Center for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS): F-35 fighter jet: requires approx. 410 kg of rare earths. Virginia-class submarine: consumes around 4.5 tons of raw materials. Source Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): https://www.csis.org/analysis/consequences-chinas-new-rare-earths-export-restrictions The turning point? A temporary agreement In light of the conflict in Ukraine and potential tensions surrounding Taiwan, dependence on China is a strategic nightmare scenario for the Western arms industry. This also applies in view of the recently adopted arms measures in Europe. At the end of October 2025, the US and China surprisingly reached a respite. An agreement was reached whereby China would suspend its export restrictions for one year. In return, the US lowered tariffs on Chinese products and China committed to increasing agricultural imports and taking measures against the fentanyl trade. It is now known that China has not kept its promise to import large quantities of soybeans from the US. The stock markets reacted cautiously at the time, but there was profit-taking on many stocks. Analysts consider the deal to be fragile. The US's goal remains unchanged: to completely establish a supply chain independent of China by 2027. However, industry representatives consider this to be impossible. The US is taking the "uranium model" as its example: just as Russian uranium is to disappear from US power plants by 2028 (import share in 2023 around 16%), the Department of Defense has set the goal that from 2027 onwards, no Chinese magnets may be used in US weapons (Source: https://www.acquisition.gov/dfars/252.225-7052-restriction-acquisition-certain-magnets-tantalum-and-tungsten). This is putting massive pressure on the US weapons industry to establish supply chains. But the US government is not sitting idly by either. Massive capital is flowing into the industry: MP Materials: Receives hundreds of millions of dollars from the Department of Defense and private investments (including $500 million from Apple) to massively expand the only US mine. Australia pact: A memorandum of understanding worth $8.5 billion is intended to strengthen cooperation with Australian miners. However, this is merely a political signal at this stage; nothing has happened yet. Table: Rare Earth Elements ... Den vollstandigen Artikel lesen ... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - January 7, 2026) - Grabar Law Office is investigating claims on behalf of shareholders of CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX). The investigation concerns whether certain officers and directors breached the fiduciary duties they owed to the company. If you purchased CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX), prior to June 20, 2025, and still hold shares today, you can seek corporate reforms, the return of funds back to the company, and a court approved incentive award at no cost to you whatsoever. Please visit https://grabarlaw.com/the-latest/carmax-shareholder-investigation/, contact Joshua Grabar at jgrabar@grabarlaw.com, or call 267-507-6085 to learn more. WHY? As alleged in a recently filed federal securities fraud class action complaint, CarMax Inc. (NYSE: KMX), through certain of its officers, made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) CarMax recklessly overstated its growth prospects when, in reality, its earlier growth in the 2026 fiscal year was a temporary benefit from customers buying cars due to speculation regarding tariffs; and (2) as a result, positive statements about CarMax's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times when made. WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW: If you purchased CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX), prior to June 20, 2025, and still hold shares today, you are encouraged to visit https://grabarlaw.com/the-latest/carmax-shareholder-investigation/, contact Joshua Grabar at jgrabar@grabarlaw.com, or call 267-507-6085. You can seek corporate reforms, the return of funds back to the company, and a court approved incentive award at no cost to you whatsoever. CarMax $KMX KMX Attorney Advertising Disclaimer To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/279697 Source: Grabar Law Office New Infrastructure Standard Delivers Perfect Data Fidelity and Absolute Security; Kypspr Announces "Compliance-by-Design" API Sandbox for Enterprise Trials. MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE / ACCESS Newswire / January 10, 2026 / Kypspr, the definitive provider of high-trust enterprise health data infrastructure, today announced the launch of the industry's first Federated Data Fabric. This category-defining move addresses the healthcare industry's central crisis: not a lack of connectivity, but a profound lack of data clarity and fidelity. For decades, the industry has been sold "plumbing" to move data, but moving broken data only results in propagating errors at scale. Kypspr is not the plumbing; it is the refinery. By bridging the "Level 3 (Semantic) Gap"-the dirty data problem that leaves 80% of clinical data inaccessible - Kypspr enables health systems to finally unlock the intelligence required for AI and modern operations. The Federated Moat: Security Without Compromise At the core of this announcement is Kypspr's proprietary patent pending Federated Moat architecture. Designed specifically for the "Messy Middle"-mid-market health systems, large provider groups, and regional payers-this infrastructure provides a provable security guarantee: Protected Health Information (PHI) never leaves the customer's tenant. By utilizing Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) and Federated Learning, Kypspr allows organizations to refine chaotic source data (HL7v2, unstructured notes) into high-fidelity "Golden Records" without the risks inherent in centralized "black box" platforms. A Mandate for Clarity and Translation Kypspr's mission is to provide perfect, auditable, and legally defensible translation of chaotic source data. The platform's AI-powered Semantic Refinery interprets, structures, and normalizes clinical data without ever altering the original source of truth. "The real crisis in healthcare data isn't connectivity; it's clarity and fidelity," said Ambar Prajapati, Founder and CEO of Kypspr. "We are bringing structure to chaos, empowering organizations to operate with perfect clarity and absolute trust." The API Sandbox: Eliminating the "BAA Gap" To accelerate enterprise adoption, Kypspr is launching the Kypspr API Sandbox, a compliant trial environment that allows technical leads and CISOs to validate the platform's AI-powered Semantic Refinery. This trial includes a mandatory, upfront Business Associate Agreement (BAA), ensuring full regulatory compliance from the first interaction and solving the historical "BAA Gap" that has often hindered healthtech innovation. About Kypspr Kypspr is a deep-tech enterprise infrastructure company providing the high-velocity data fabric required for modern healthcare. Its AI-driven architecture delivers perfect data fidelity and absolute security, empowering organizations to eliminate operational drag and realize the full potential of AI. For more information on the Federated Moat and the Fidelity Imperative, visit kypspr.ai. Media Contact: Ambar Prajapati Founder & CEO ambar@kypspr.ai SOURCE: Kypspr AI View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/computers-technology-and-internet/kypspr-defines-%22federated-data-fabric%22-category-to-solve-healthca-1124564 The 18-year old UK based has denied being his girlfriend and the actor continues and chooses to be mum. However, a source has spilled the beans that two were in the same hotel during their vacation Kartik Aaryan & Karina Kubiliute have been making a lot of news on social media of late ever since their vacation pictures have surfaced. The 18-year old UK based has denied being his girlfriend and the actor continues and chooses to be mum. However, a source has spilled the beans that two were in the same hotel during their viral vacation. A source told Hindustan Times, Yes, Kartik and the other guest were guests at Goas St Regis hotel at the same time earlier this week. The two stayed in different rooms. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kartik Aaryan and Karina Kubiliutes vacation pictures surfacing on social media was something nobody expected or was prepared for. The age difference and relationship rumours added fuel to fire. This brings back memories of that 2013 Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif vacation that made Ibiza more famous. The recent fiasco proves how no journalist, press release, or PR is enough for damage control. The moment the pictures went viral, Aaryan unfollowed the said girl in question on social media. Karina has completed her schooling in 2024 and is now pursuing her graduation in the UK. What netizens are saying One wrote- I have just one question, how did they find this random girls insta and story. I would have understood if both were famous like Rasmika and Vijay, whenever they vacation together people find both their stories and connect. Or Vicky and Kat in the past. Another said, For people who are defending : why he unfollowed her as soon as news broke? Also, let me tell you that, few days ago that girl liked post claiming Kartik Aryan dating young british girl..still let assume everything is fake, just tell me why he was following some random teen girl on instagram with 11 posts & just 2000 followers." Games View All Who is Karina Kubiliute? As per a report by DNA India, Karina grew up in the Carlisle and Wetheral areas of Cumbria in the UK. She is said to have Lithuanian heritage, with familial ties to Greece as well. Her mother, Jovita Kubiliene-Thompson, runs a hospitality venture in Cumbria, while her father, David Thompson, is also involved in the family-run business. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh in the lead, has emerged as the highest-earning Hindi film ever with a collection of over Rs 840 crore in India Film producer Mukesh Bhatt said they are planning to release Awarapan 2 as there is still work pending on it and not because they are scared to bring the movie in theatres around Dhurandhar 2. Awarapan 2 is a sequel to the 2007 action romance drama of the same name starring Emraan Hashmi in the lead. There were reports in the media stating that Awarapan 2 will not release on April 13 as Dhurandhar Part 2 and Yashs Toxic are releasing on March 19. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The release date of Awarapan 2 has been shifted to either in May or June because while shooting for the film, Emraan Hashmi met with an accident and he had to go through the surgery. As a result, he isnt allowed to do action for 45 days. So, all the action sequences will be performed later. Im not scared of Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic, Bhatt told PTI. Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh in the lead, has emerged as the highest-earning Hindi film ever with a collection of over Rs 840 crore in India. Featuring Kannada superstar Yash, Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups is one of the most-awaited films of 2026. The Pan-India film is directed by Geetu Mohandas. According to the producer, one schedule of Awarapan 2, of about 20 days, is left, which will be shot in March in Malaysia. Awarapan was directed by Mohit Suri while the sequel is led by director Nitin Kakkar and writer Bilal Siddiqui. It reportedly stars Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi. Games View All If you have seen the trailer, Prabhas is a laidback oaf who cruises along the unpredictability of life with dollops of nonchalance. Hes someone who doesnt believe in the idea of taking life seriously Prabhas horror-comedy The Raja Saab which released in cinemas on January 9 opened to poor reviews and the first day collections are below expectations too. It has collected Rs 6.15 crore in Hindi as per Sacnilk and the overall collections in India on first day are Rs 54.15 crore. Its a tough battle ahead. The film has opened around 78% less than Ranveer Singhs _Dhurandhar_ which collected Rs 28 crore on December 5. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What is the film about? If you have seen the trailer, Prabhas is a laidback oaf who cruises along the unpredictability of life with dollops of nonchalance. Hes someone who doesnt believe in the idea of taking life seriously. Its his affection for his grandmother called Gangamma (played by Zarina Wahab) that create the films most tender moments. The story digs deeper as the narrative moves forward and we get to the introduction of Kanakraju (Sanjay Dutt having fun yet again after _Dhurandhar_). It all comes down to the grandmothers necklace and how Prabhas uncovers and discovers the identity of the thief. Prabhas shares experience of working with Sanjay Dutt in The Raja Saab Actor Prabhas praised his The Raja Saab co-star Sanjay Dutt and said his screen presence is more than enough. The Raja Saab is a pan-India project and is produced under TG Vishwa Prasad under the People Media Factory banner. It is directed by Maruthi, known for films such as Prati Roju Pandage and Prema Katha Chitram and is set to release on January 9, 2026. Games View All Prabhas attended the pre-release event in Hyderabad on Saturday, which was attended by a large number of fans, according to a press release. The Baahubali actor spoke on his experience of working with Dutt and said watching his scenes would make him forget his own. Sanjay sir just your screen presence is more than enough. When they put a close-up on you, you completely consume the screenWhen I watched his scenes during dubbing, I started forgetting my own scenes, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There is widespread anger in the US after the shooting of a 37-year-old woman, Renee Nicole Good, by a US immigration agent in Minneapolis. Vice President JD Vance claimed that the ICE officer, Jonathan Ross, is protected by absolute immunity. What does the law say? Jonathan Ross, a veteran US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, shot and killed a 37-year-old woman and a mother of three, Renee Nicole Good, on Wednesday (January 7) amid Trumps immigration crackdown. The fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by an ICE officer, followed by another shooting in Oregon, has put the agency under the lens. Shootings in Minneapolis and Portland also resulted in massive widespread protests across the nation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Trump administration has strongly defended Ross, the law enforcement veteran, on the grounds of "self-defence," a claim local officials have rejected. The expansion of the agencys powers amid Donald Trumps deportation drive raises questions over the growing ICEs authority and whether the officer, who fatally shot a Minneapolis woman in her car, can be prosecuted. According to the United States Vice President JD Vance, the veteran ICE officer responsible for shooting Good is protected by absolute immunity." Speaking at the White House, Vance added, The precedent here is very simple. You have a federal law enforcement official engaging in federal law enforcement action thats a federal issue. That guy is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job. Vances remarks triggered an immediate backlash from experts, who believe that the vice president was overstating the law around immunity for federal officials. Here is a look at the potential legal repercussions. What happened? The officer fired defensive shots after a violent rioter attempted to run over officers, a spokeswoman of the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement, adding that the officer had feared for his life. Online videos of the shooting verified by Reuters cast doubt on the governments narrative, however. The fresh 47-second-video has reportedly been taken by the ICE agent who fired the shots. In that video, Good can be heard saying, Thats fine, dude, Im not mad at you. An ICE agent walks around her vehicle, filming it in the road. BREAKING: Alpha News has obtained cellphone footage showing perspective of federal agent at center of ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/p2wks0zew0 Alpha News (@AlphaNews) January 9, 2026 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At the same time, Goods wife, standing outside the car, also records the video, pointing at the ICE officers. Other officers attempt to approach the drivers side of the car, saying, Get out of the car. The driver moves forward while turning away from the officers, and the one in front pulls his weapon, steps back and fires three shots. Suddenly, the camera points upward, then returns to street view as Goods SUV careens away. It was not clear if the car made contact with the officer, and he fired at least one shot after it had already passed him. What does the law say? Minnesotas use-of-force law permits state police to use deadly force only if reasonable officers would believe doing so was necessary to protect themselves or others from death or serious harm. Federal law has a similar standard, permitting use of deadly force when a reasonable officer would have probable cause to believe a person posed an immediate threat of death or serious injury. Last year in October, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told ICE agents that they are legally protected from prosecution, and local officials cannot arrest them, as reported by AlJazeera To all ICE officers, you have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties, Miller said. And anybody who lays a hand on you or tries to stop you or tries to obstruct you is committing a felony," the report quoted as Miller saying. Could a veteran ICE agent be prosecuted? Federal agents are generally immune from state prosecution for actions taken as part of their official duties. Immunity only applies when an officers actions were authorised under federal law and were necessary and proper. If Minnesota charged the agent, the agent could seek to transfer the case to federal court and argue that he is immune from prosecution. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD To prevail, the state would have to show the actions were outside his official duties or were objectively unreasonable or clearly unlawful. If a judge ruled the officer was immune, the case would be dismissed, and the state would not be able to charge him again. Jonathan Ross, veteran ICE agent. Image courtesy: X Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) said Wednesday (January 7), If anyone broke the law, he would do everything in his power to ensure theyre held accountable, reported The Hill. Rachel VanLandingham, a national security law professor at Southwestern Law School, asserted that this issue can be more complicated in court. It seems like she backed up and was trying to go around him, right? That she wasnt trying to hit him. But those standards still have to be they have to reasonably believe that she poses an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death," said VanLandingham, as reported by The Hill. Could federal prosecutors charge the officer? Federal prosecutors can charge law enforcement officers for fatal shootings, but the bar is very high, and charges are rare. Prosecutors would need to show the officer knew his conduct was unlawful or acted with reckless disregard for the constitutional limits of his authority, which is difficult to prove in court. The Trump administration has so far defended the officers actions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD First responders perform CPR on a woman while she is transferred to an ambulance after she was shot in a vehicle by a U.S. immigration officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 7, 2026, in a still image from video. Reuters What defences could the ICE agent have? In addition to federal immunity, the agent could argue that his actions were reasonable under the Constitution, that he acted in self-defense or that he did not act with intent to harm or kill the woman. Could drivers family sue for civil damages? Federal officers are immune from civil lawsuits unless their conduct clearly violates a clear constitutional right. This legal standard, known as qualified immunity, has become a highly effective tool for shielding police officers accused of using excessive force, a series of Reuters investigative stories found in 2020. Attendees hold signs during a press conference, following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Reuters With inputs from agencies United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to annex Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory with significant mineral resources. However, it is easier said than done. Here are the possible challenges the US administration may face while taking over the region by using its military or money How the US could take over Greenland and the potential challenges. AP US President Donald Trump wants to own Greenland. He has repeatedly said the United States must take control of the strategically located, mineral-rich island, which is a semiautonomous region of NATO ally Denmark. Officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States met Thursday in Washington and will meet again next week to discuss a renewed push by the White House, which is considering a range of options, including the use of military force, to acquire the island. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A plane carrying Donald Trump Jr. lands in Nuuk, Greenland. AP Trump said Friday he is going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not. If its not done the easy way, were going to do it the hard way, he said without elaborating what that could entail. In an interview on Thursday, he told The New York Times that he wants to own Greenland because ownership gives you things and elements that you cant get from just signing a document. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO, and Greenlanders say they dont want to become part of the US This is a look at some of the ways the US could take control of Greenland and the potential challenges. Military action could alter global relations Trump and his officials have indicated they want to control Greenland to enhance American security and explore business and mining deals. But Imran Bayoumi, an associate director at the Atlantic Councils Scowcroft Centre for Strategy and Security, said the sudden focus on Greenland is also the result of decades of neglect by several US presidents towards Washingtons position in the Arctic. The current fixation is partly down to the realisation we need to increase our presence in the Arctic, and we dont yet have the right strategy or vision to do so, he said. Danish military forces participate in an exercise with hundreds of troops from several European NATO members in the Arctic Ocean in Nuuk, Greenland. AP If the US took control of Greenland by force, it would plunge NATO into a crisis, possibly an existential one. While Greenland is the largest island in the world, it has a population of around 57,000 and doesnt have its own military. Defence is provided by Denmark, whose military is dwarfed by the US military. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Its unclear how the remaining members of NATO would respond if the US decided to forcibly take control of the island or if they would come to Denmarks aid. If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, Frederiksen has said. Trump said he needs control of the island to guarantee American security, citing the threat from Russian and Chinese ships in the region, but its not true, said Lin Mortensgaard, an expert on the international politics of the Arctic at the Danish Institute for International Studies, or DIIS. While there are probably Russian submarines as there are across the Arctic region there are no surface vessels, Mortensgaard said. China has research vessels in the Central Arctic Ocean, and while the Chinese and Russian militaries have done joint military exercises in the Arctic, they have taken place closer to Alaska, she said. Bayoumi, of the Atlantic Council, said he doubted Trump would take control of Greenland by force because its unpopular with both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and would likely fundamentally alter US relationships with allies worldwide. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defence agreement, and Denmark and Greenland would be quite happy to accommodate a beefed-up American military presence, Mortensgaard said. For that reason, blowing up the NATO alliance for something Trump has already, doesnt make sense, said Ulrik Pram Gad, an expert on Greenland at DIIS. Bilateral agreements may assist effort US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a select group of US lawmakers this week that it was the Republican administrations intention to eventually purchase Greenland, as opposed to using military force. Danish and Greenlandic officials have previously said the island isnt for sale. Its not clear how much buying the island could cost, or if the US would be buying it from Denmark or Greenland. Washington also could boost its military presence in Greenland through cooperation and diplomacy, without taking it over, Bayoumi said. Rubio to meet Denmark leaders next week, signals no retreat on Trumps Greenland goal. Reuters One option could be for the US to gain a veto over security decisions made by the Greenlandic government, as it has in the Pacific islands, Gad said. Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands have a Compact of Free Association, or COFA, with the US That would give Washington the right to operate military bases and to make decisions about the islands security in exchange for US security guarantees and around $7 billion (approx. Rs 5.8 lakh crore)in annual economic assistance, according to the Congressional Research Service. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Its not clear how much that would improve upon Washingtons current security strategy. The US already operates the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, and can bring as many troops as it wants under existing agreements. Influence operations expected to fail Greenlandic politician Aaja Chemnitz told The Associated Press that Greenlanders want more rights, including independence, but dont want to become part of the US Gad suggested influence operations to persuade Greenlanders to join the US would likely fail. He said that is because the community on the island is small and the language is inaccessible. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen summoned the top US official in Denmark in August to complain that foreign actors were seeking to influence the countrys future. Danish media reported that at least three people with connections to Trump carried out covert influence operations in Greenland. Greenland dismisses US takeover fears. Reuters Even if the US managed to take control of Greenland, it would likely come with a large bill, Gad said. Thats because Greenlanders currently have Danish citizenship and access to the Danish welfare system, including free health care and schooling. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD To match that, Trump would have to build a welfare state for Greenlanders that he doesnt want for his own citizens, Gad said. Disagreement unlikely to be resolved Since 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has decreased from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations to 200 at the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest of the island, Rasmussen said last year. The base supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the US and NATO. US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Thursday that Denmark has neglected its missile defence obligations in Greenland, but Mortensgaard said that it makes little sense to criticise Denmark because the main reason why the US operates the Pituffik base in the north of the island is to provide early detection of missiles. The best outcome for Denmark would be to update the defence agreement, which allows the US to have a military presence on the island and have Trump sign it with a gold-plated signature, Gad said. But he suggested thats unlikely because Greenland is handy to the US president. When Trump wants to change the news agenda including distracting from domestic political problems he can just say the word Greenland, and this starts all over again, Gad said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Donald Trump has just signed an executive order withdrawing the US from 66 global organisations, more than half of them affiliated with the United Nations. Enter the most controversial strategic neologism of this brand new year: the Donroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine is a big deal, but weve superseded it by a lot, a real lot. They now call it the Donroe Doctrine, Trump proudly exclaimed, referring to the Monroe Doctrine declared by US President James Monroe in 1823. This was a foundational American foreign policy stating that European powers should not further colonise or interfere in the freshly independent states of the Western Hemisphere, and in return the US would stay out of European internal affairs. The United States has used this doctrine for decades to exert its influence across the Western Hemisphere, including Latin America. Now, with the so-called Donroe Doctrine, what America is essentially saying is that the Western Hemisphere is its backyard, to be controlled through influence. Russia, meanwhile, has its own backyard in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus region, and parts of Central Asia. China has its own sphere encompassing Taiwan, Central Asia, and parts of South-East Asia. So the obvious question is: where does India land in all of this, and is the United Nations all but dead as a sphere of influence? The idea of the United Nations was born from catastrophe. In 1945, as the smoke of World War II still hung over Europe and Asia, the UN proposed something radical: collective security, moral restraint, and the replacement of brute force with dialogue. Eighty years later, this promise feels less like a living apparatus and more like a sepia-toned charter framed on a wall. Respected in theory, ignored in practice. The uncomfortable question is no longer whispered in diplomatic corridors; it is asked openly in policy circles. Is the UN still relevant in a world increasingly governed by raw power, regional dominance, and selective morality? Let us forgo the polite euphemisms. The world today operates not under a rules-based international order, but under a spheres-of-influence system. The United States, of course, dominates the Western Hemisphere economically, militarily, and to a large extent institutionally. NATO, the IMF, and the World Bank act, more often than not, as extensions of American strategic interests. Washington invokes international law when it suits its objectives and sidesteps it when it does not. Kosovo, Iraq, and Libya are stark reminders of this reality. Russia, for its part, has long abandoned the illusion of multilateral consensus. Moscow views the post-Cold War order as a Western imposition and has reverted to a blunt, territorial understanding of power. Ukraine is not simply a conflict; it is a declaration by Russia that geography, history, and force matter more than UN resolutions. Russias repeated vetoes in the Security Council are not aberrations; they are a system working exactly as designed for great powers. Then there is China. Beijing speaks the language of multilateralism while steadily hollowing it out. From the South China Sea to global supply chains, China builds parallel institutions, reshapes norms, and asserts its red lines firmly, with little regard for international opinion. The UN, in this context, becomes a stage for optics rather than outcomes. To be fair, the UNs dysfunction is not accidental; it is structural. The Security Council, with its five permanent members and veto powers, reflects the geopolitical realities of 1945, not 2026. Africa has no permanent seat, nor does Latin America. India, despite being the worlds most populous country and a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, remains outside the charmed circle. This veto system ensures that no major power will ever be held accountable through the UN. War crimes investigations stall. Ceasefire resolutions collapse. Humanitarian catastrophes are debated endlessly while bodies pile up. The UN does not fail because it lacks information; it fails because it lacks authority over those who matter most. Yet abolishing or bypassing the UN is neither realistic nor desirable. For smaller nations, the UN remains the only forum where their voices, however faint, are formally acknowledged. The problem is not the UNs existence; it is the illusion that it still arbitrates global power. For India, this moment presents both danger and opportunity. India has historically believed in multilateralism, non-alignment, and strategic autonomy. From leading the Non-Aligned Movement to championing decolonisation, India has often positioned itself as the moral conscience of the developing world. But morality without leverage rarely shapes outcomes. Todays India is no longer a hesitant postcolonial state. It is a nuclear power, a major economy, a technological hub, and a critical player in the Indo-Pacific. Yet its global doctrine remains reactive rather than declarative. India navigates carefully, as always, balancing ties with the US, managing tensions with China, and maintaining a fruitful relationship with Russia, but it rarely articulates a clear vision of the world it seeks to shape. That may no longer be sufficient. If the UN reflects yesterdays power map, and great powers increasingly ignore it, India must stop waiting for institutional reform and start defining its own framework. Call it a doctrine, a charter, or a strategic worldview. It may be time for India to develop its own Indosphere of influence. Such a doctrine does not reject the UN. Instead, it acknowledges its limitations while building alternatives. First, issue-based coalitions must replace rigid alliances. Indias participation in forums such as the Quad demonstrates that flexible, interest-driven partnerships are more effective than ideological blocs. Second, India must lead the Global South, not as a slogan but as a strategic constituency. Development finance, digital public infrastructure, climate adaptation, and health security are areas where India has both credibility and capability. Third, India should openly advocate for multipolar realism: a world in which power is dispersed, sovereignty is respected, and interventionism is restrained, regardless of who practises it. This means calling out Western hypocrisy without becoming apologetic about Russia or indulgent towards China. India must invest in norm-setting, not merely norm-following. Whether it is AI governance, cyber warfare, space security, or maritime law, the next generation of global rules is being written now. Sitting quietly at the table is no longer an option. So, is the United Nations outdated? In many ways, yes. It no longer governs the world; it mirrors it. But that does not make it irrelevant. It remains a diplomatic arena, a humanitarian coordinator, and a moral reference point, even if an imperfect one. The real danger lies in pretending that the UN still delivers justice, balance, or restraint on its own. It does not. Power does. India already exerts significant influence over Nepal and Bhutan, but an Indosphere of influence must stretch across South Asia and South-East Asia, while standing firm against Chinas attempts to thwart the same. The world of SAARC is over, and the future of BRICS seems shaky at best. In a world of spheres, India must form its own circle of power. (The author is a freelance journalist and features writer based out of Delhi. Her main areas of focus are politics, social issues, climate change and lifestyle-related topics. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.) George HW Bush invaded Panama after CIA agent Manuel Noriega turned against the US, while Donald Trump attacked Venezuela to remove Nicolas Maduro and seize its oil. Both attacks were illegal January 3, 1990, and January 3, 202636 years apart yet the same pattern. The leaders of two sovereign nations were captured under two different American imperialisticpresidents, using the familiar flimsy excuses of the protection of US citizens and the war on drugs. The same brazen display of American hegemony and superior firepower, flouting of international law, a swift, precise and coordinated attack on the sovereign nations and the handcuffing of their dictators dragged to its shores to face its unbiased and honest judicial system. And both attacks were illegal and conducted without Congressional authorisation. Whether George HW Bush or Donald J Trump, Americanimperialism is unabatedthe pathetic excuses and the violentshock-and-awe tactics dont matter; the results do. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The international community, including the UN and Europe, is either shocked or in disbelief only to criticise the US mildly or remain mum. The names of such blatant military operations, in the guise of the American way of implementing democracy and freedom in countries that are weak militarily and financially, smack of hypocrisy. Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989. Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela in 2026. And the logic in attacking such nations, overtly and covertly,is based on the following three factors: 1) The dictator/president/prime minister is an American stooge-turned-traitor as in the case of Panamas Manuel Noriega 2) The country has vast natural resources which can be obtained only through military intervention, like by removing Iraqs Saddam Hussein and Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro. 3) Install puppet leaders, like Augusto Pinochet in Chile in 1973, by orchestrating coups for strategic and military interests. 36 Years ago, an Illegal Invasion In Panamas case, Noriega, a CIA spy for 30 years who assisted the US in its dirty wars against Communism in Latin America, especially in Nicaragua and El Salvador, during the Cold War and the countrys de facto ruler, became the Frankensteinian monster for Bush. Bush, a CIA director and two-term Veep to Ronald Reagan, was deeply involved in the Iran-Contra scandal. Noriega, promoted by his mentor and Panamanian military leader General Omar Torrijos, became a useful and highly paid CIA asset against Daniel Ortegas left-wing Sandinista government in Nicaragua by helping the Contras and the rebels in El Salvador. After Torrijos died in a mysterious plane crash, Noriega, with American help, consolidated power to become the de facto military ruler in 1983 and assisted the US in combating Soviet influence in the region. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The ruthless Noriega oversaw a wave of torture, death squads and murders to silence his enemies. The strongman was also in cahoots with Pablo Escobars Colombian Medellin drug cartel. Reagan and Bush overlooked Noriegas crimes, especially drug trafficking to the US, as he was a buffer against Soviet influence in the region. He allowed Escobar to traffic tonnes of cocaine through Tocumen airport to the US in exchange for $1,000 per kilo. Soon, Cara de Pina (Spanish for Pineapple Face) became too big for his boots and challenged his creator. He covertly supported Fidel Castro and Muammar Gaddafi, threatened US personnel guarding the Panama Canal and declared a state of war with the US. From an asset, Noriega had turned into a liability for the US. On December 20, 1989, the US started bombing Panamaand on January 3, 1990, Delta Force and SEAL operatives forced Noriega to surrender. The Panama Defence Forces (PDF) were dissolved and pro-US President-elect Guillermo Endara was sworn into office. The dictator was handcuffed, flown to the US and taken to Miamis Federal Detention Center. In 1992, he was found guilty of 8 out of 10 counts of drug trafficking, racketeering and money laundering, and sentenced to 40 years, of which he served 17 due to good behaviour at Miamis Federal Correctional Institution. In 2010, Noriega was extradited to France, where he was convicted and sentenced to seven years for money laundering. In 2011, he was extradited to Panama, where he was jailed for crimes committed during his dictatorship. He died in May 2017 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For years, the Reagan and Bush turned a blind eye to Noriegas ties with Escobar and the trafficking of cocaine to the USbut when he turned dangerous, he became expendable. In fact, according to Noriega, the US targeted him after he refused to assist Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, a central figure in the Iran-Contra affair, in providing weapons to the Nicaraguan rebels. The Panama invasion was illegal. The UNs Article 2 states: All members shall refrain in their international relations _from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state_or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations. The UN can only intervene in matters within the domestic jurisdiction of any state under Chapter VII, which gives theSecurity Council the authority to determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression and to take military and non-military action to restore international peace and security. The UNGA passed a resolution terming the Panama invasion a flagrant violation of international law. A similar resolution proposed by the Security Council was supported by a majority of members but vetoed by the US, the UK and France. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even Articles 18 and 20 of the Charter of the Organization of American States prohibit the use of force by member states. No state or group of states has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal affairs of any other state. Neither did Bush seek Congressional authorisation despite Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution granting the power to declare war solely to Congress, not the president. He notified bipartisan leaders several hours before the invasion, but didnt invoke the War Powers Act. 36 Years Later, another Illegal Invasion Trump planned to oust Maduro way back in August, a month before the lethal airstrikes on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific allegedly belonging to alleged narco-terroriststhe Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and the Colombian guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN)and carrying drugs. So far, 36 airstrikes have killed 115 people with Trump notproviding an iota of evidence of the vessels trafficking drugs. All the Trump administration has told Congress is that the US is in an armed conflict against drug cartels and the victims are unlawful combatants. Moreover, the strikes are immune to judicial review due to a classified DoJ finding, which stated that Trump can order lethal strikes against members of drug cartels designated as enemy combatants threatening the US. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organisation on February 20 and Cartel de los Soles, an informal Venezuelan criminal organisation, as a specially designated global terrorist on July 25. Since the boat strikes started on September 2 and the US ordered the biggest naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea after the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, the Trump administration repeatedly denied that it wanted to remove Maduro and capture Venezuelan oil. In December, secretary of state and NSA Marco Rubio and defence secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate the administration had no regime change intentions in Venezuela. In fact, according to Trumps first-term NSA John Bolton, the president was very interested in the Venezuelan oil in 2018-19. After Maduros capture, Trump clarified that the US will have a presence in Venezuela as it pertains to oil. Were going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country, he said. Now, Democratic lawmakers are livid. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Senator Andy Kim senator tweeted: I didnt trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress. Senator Chris Murphy said, When they came to Congress, and they literally lied to our faces. They said, This is just a counter-narcotics operation. This seems to be mostly about oil and natural resources. Rubio and Hegseth lied to lawmakers in November as well. In a briefing, they said that the administration lacked a legal justification for striking targets inside Venezuela as the classified DoJ finding didnt allow attacking land targets. However, considering how Trump has upended decades-old ties with Europe, sided with Russia in the Ukraine War andbombed Iran, the massive naval build-up and the boat strikes were the beginning of Maduros end. Trump not only attacked Venezuela but also didnt seek Congressional authorisation. Congress authorised the Iraq War in 2002 and the Global War on Terrorism in 2001 after 9/11. Trumps comments clearly hinted that he wouldnt seek Congressional authorisation for striking targets inside Venezuela, which meant Maduros removal. In the same month, when Hegseth and Rubio lied to lawmakers, Trump said that he didnt need congressional authorisation to attack targets inside Venezuela. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, how did Bush and Trump order the invasions without Congresss approval? Both presidents used a DoJ legal opinion to justify the invasions. Reagan and Bush had planned the Panama invasion around six months before the bombardment. So did Trump, according to M In June 1989, then-assistant US attorney general (AG) William Barr, Bushs future AG) and Trumps AG in his first term, concluded that the DoJs 1980 opinion, Extraterritorial Apprehension by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, erred in ruling that the FBI does not have legal authority to carry out extraterritorial law enforcement activities that contravene customary international law. According to Barr, responding to the FBIs request, the DoJ undertook a comprehensive review of 1980 opinion and concluded that the Bureau may use its statutory authority to investigate and arrest individuals for violating United States law even if the FBIs actions contravene customary international law. The 1980 opinion stated that under customary international law, it was considered an invasion of sovereignty for one country to carry out law enforcement activities within another country without that countrys consent. Per Barrs legal opinion, the president, acting through the attorney general, can deploy the FBI to investigate and arrest individuals for violating US law in contravention ofcustomary international law even if unexecuted treaties or treaty provisions, such as Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, are contravened. An arrest that is inconsistent with international or foreign law does not violate the Fourth Amendment. Per Barr, US law enforcement agents frequently travel to foreign countries to conduct investigative activities or to meet foreign informants. Formal consent cannot always be obtained from the foreign government, and indeed, in many cases, to seek such consent would endanger both the agents and their investigation, Barr said, which basically means that the FBI can be deployed in a foreign nation without its consent. Thats precisely what Trump did in the Venezuelan attackhe also deployed the FBI along with the Delta Force. To make the case for the invasion watertight, the FBIs elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), tasked with the arrest of high-risk individuals, undercover operations and surveillance, assisted the Delta Force in capturing Maduro. Trumps AG, Pam Bondi, had already framed Maduros indictment to ensure a maximum prison term, which provedthat the Venezuela operation was planned. The DOJ unsealed the indictment while Maduro was en route to the US, a superseding one based on his initial indictment in the Southern District of New York in Trumps final year of his first term in 2020. The earlier indictment, based on criminal charges related to Venezuelan cocaine trafficking, first brought by the DoJ in 2011, charged Maduro and 14 current and former Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking and other criminal charges. Like the first one, the rewritten indictment, which adds the names of Maduros wife and son, two senior Venezuelan officials and an alleged TdA leader, also contains several charges that havent been proved. The charges are on four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, _possession of machine guns_and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. First, per the indictment, Maduro, as a National Assemblymember, foreign minister and president, in collusion with drug traffickers, moved thousands of tonnes of cocaine to the US. However, 84 per cent of the cocaine seized in the US is of Colombian origin, not Venezuelan, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administrations March report, titled DEA 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment. The report doesnt even mention Venezuelait cites Ecuador, Central America and Mexico as the major trafficking hubs. The top three cocaine producers are Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, accounting for 99 per cent of the worlds cocaine production, per the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Similarly, UNODCs 2025 World Drug Report found that only five per cent of Colombian drugs are trafficked through Venezuela. Most US-bound cocaine is trafficked through the Pacific, not Caribbean, according to the UNVenezuela does not have a Pacific Coast. Moreover, drug cartels operating in the Caribbean traffic most of the cocaine to Europe, not the US, due to much higher prices. According to a report funded by the Norwegian government, one kg of cocaine costs around $40,000 on average in Europe and $80,000 in some nations compared to only about $28,000 in the US. A 2023 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an American bipartisan nonprofit think tank, found that cartels operating in the Caribbean do use Venezuela totraffic drugsbut mostly to Europe, not the US. To get to the Caribbean, drug traffickers favour transiting from Colombia through Venezuela. The Colombia-Venezuela border in particular has lax controls on the Venezuelan side and some members of theVenezuelan military are involved or support drug trafficking. Once cocaine reached Venezuela, it is then transported to the Caribbean through the Guajira and Paraguana Peninsulas. Cocaine leaves Colombia and Venezuela in small planes transiting through Guyana or the porous border with Suriname, where drug traffickers cross the Maroni River, a natural border between Suriname and French Guiana. Once in French Guiana, the cocaine departs in cargo vessels or by mules that take commercial flights to France, according to the report. Cocaine shipments from Venezuela enter the European Dutch territories via go-fast boats. From Aruba and Curacao, cocaine is shipped directly to the Netherlands via sea or air or it continues its transshipment route to the eastern Caribbean. Second, Maduro, per the indictment, has partnered with narco-terrorists from Colombias FARC, ELN, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Zetas and TdA. However, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denied last August that Maduro had links to the Sinaloa Cartel as claimed by the US. On Mexicos part, there is no investigation that has to do with that, she told reporters. An Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) memo last April concluded that Maduro probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TdA and is not directing TdA movement to and operations in the United States. While Venezuelas permissive environment enables [Tren de Aragua, or TDA] to operate, the Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States, the report concluded. Third, its true that in 2018, Maduro declared victory in a disputed and internationally condemned presidential election in Venezuela. Its also true that in 2019, the Opposition-controlled National Assembly, led by President Juan Guaido, declared that Maduro had usurped the presidency, and 50 countries, including the US, refused to recognise him as president. Its again true that in the disputed 2024 presidential election, Maduro declared himself the winner. However, neither the US nor other Western nations have the right to question the election results or interfere in Venezuelas internal matters. (The writer is a freelance journalist with more than two decades of experience and comments primarily on foreign affairs. He tweets as @FightTheBigots. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.) The Trump Administrations decision to withdraw from about 66 international organisations is surely going to have substantial adverse impact on a range of global issues, particularly on the efforts of almost every other country to ensure that global warming is not allowed to disrupt life on earth. This is not the first time that the US has decided to withdraw from an international organisation nor is it the first time ever that President Donald Trump has done so. But in terms of the number of organisations that are going to miss American participation in coming years, Trumps record in taking such a decision is certainly unprecedented. It is clear, however, that it is not a whimsical or unthoughtful decision by the Trump White House. It is the result of months of review and deliberations by the task force appointed for this purpose. It is a well-considered step and the outcome of deliberations by a team of advisors of President Donald Trump. Moreover, this is a strategic decision based on the understanding of Trumps advisors that the investment of time, energy and money in those organisations did not bring the desired results or fulfil American interests. Nonetheless, this decision has been criticised by some US commentators as ridiculous and dangerous, thoughtless and malicious action, while some others have expressed the view it was an appropriate step to stop wasteful expenditure and that the US should also withdraw from many more such organisations. This choice has harmful implications for the globe as well as for the United States. First of all, it means further erosion of multilateralism that is considered essential for good global governance. In the absence of multilateral consensus on issues affecting the globe, decision-making is either unilateral by a superpower or the consequence of clash of interest between more than one power. Genuine multilateralism suffered during the decades of the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union and these two powers took unilateral decisions in their respective spheres of influence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After Soviet disintegration, there was a brief period of a unipolar global order when several international issues were dictated by the United States. But during both these eras, multilateral institutions continued to function, though less effectively. These institutions could exert a degree of moral pressure on the superpowers. But the US withdrawal from dozens of international institutions would mean a death blow to multilateralism. Moreover, multilateralism functions relatively more efficiently under a multipolar world order than in a unipolar or bipolar international system. As the world appeared to be moving towards a multipolar order, the Trump Administration 2.0 seems to be determined to prevent the rise of a multipolar world order and, by implication, choking to death the concept of multilateralism. No country can challenge the sovereign decision of the Trump Administration to withdraw from international institutions, but the danger lies in Trumps unilateralism where sovereignty of other countries is flagrantly violated by the Trump White House. The bombardment of Iranian nuclear facilities, aerial attacks on Syria, Nigeria and Iraq, naval attacks on boats in the Caribbean and capturing the President of Venezuela and flying him to New York to hold his trial in an American court are developments that spell disaster for international peace and stability. The United States will no longer be duty bound to abide by the norms set by international institutions, which it left, for peaceful trade and commerce. Many American experts bemoan the withdrawal from institutions that were created by the United States and which were beneficial for the international community and that did project American soft power. Trumps policy is surely aimed at strengthening American military prowess, but withdrawing from international commitments in the name of saving money will undoubtedly dismantle the structures that sustained US soft power. It is evident that the ideologues advising President Trump are unaware of the force of soft power and how it benefited the US in the entire post-Second World War era. First, President Trump ended the US foreign assistance programme, then he disbanded USAID, then undermined democracy promotion schemes and now has withdrawn from scores of international organisations. Some argue that China will seek to fill the leadership vacuum due to Trumps isolationist policies. But the international community does not seem to be ready yet to embrace another hegemon, if one abandons its leadership role in world affairs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD American hegemony was grudgingly accepted by the international community because it brought a certain number of rewards, while flexing of US military muscles and foreign interventions, including regime changes in the developing world, indubitably caused widespread resentment. What is lamentable is the fact that President Trump does not appear to believe that what is good for the world is also good for the United States. And what is good for the US in his view could spell disaster for the global commons. He is already criticised by his fellow Americans as anti-science. His rejection of the danger of climate change will one day make the world suffer and the US itself would be a victim of climate change at a time Trump would no longer be occupying the Oval Office in the American White House. (The writer is founder chairperson, Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies, and Editor, India Quarterly. 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 The British government has signalled that it will not back down. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall blasted the sexual manipulation of images featuring women and children as despicable and abhorrent, demanding an update from regulators in a matter of days Elon Musk is locked in a high-stakes standoff with UK regulators, dismissing the backlash against his platform X as a hunt for any excuse for censorship. The confrontation ignited following disturbing reports that Xs artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, was being used to generate non-consensual sexualized imagery of people, including children. In a move that has further fueled the fire, X responded by restricting these AI image tools to paying subscribers only, a change Downing Street slammed as insulting to victims of sexual violence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Government and regulatory action The British government has signalled that it will not back down. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall blasted the sexual manipulation of images featuring women and children as despicable and abhorrent, demanding an update from regulators in a matter of days. Ofcom, the UKs communications watchdog, has already moved into an emergency phase of its investigation. A spokesperson confirmed, We urgently made contact [with X] on Monday and set a firm deadline of today [Friday] to explain themselves, to which we have received a response." Despite the investigation, Xs current strategy appears to be monetisation rather than removal. Users attempting to access the tool without a subscription are now told, Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers [users] can subscribe to unlock these features." The situation is now at a critical turning point. Ofcom is conducting an expedited assessment as a matter of urgency, and the legal ramifications for Musks company could be severe. Under the Online Safety Act, the regulator has the power to seek a court order to prevent third parties from helping X raise money and block access to the platform entirely within the UK should the firm refuse to comply with safety standards. Grok reports higher funding xAI has reported higher funding despite the widespread claims that its model generates sexually explicit and non-consensual images of women and young girls. xAI has generated $20 billion in its latest funding round, the startup announced on Tuesday. Some of the companies that featured in xAIs Series E funding round include Nvidia, Fidelity Management and Resource Company, Qatars sovereign wealth fund, and Valor Equity Partners. The companys Colossus I and II data centres in Memphis now house over one million high-performing GPUs, the AI chips from Nvidia that are supercharging AI development. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, Khamenei on Friday called the demonstrators vandals and saboteurs An anti-Iranian regime protester holds up a "Free Iran" placard during a gathering outside the Iranian Embassy, central London, on January 9. (AFP) A video of one of Irans biggest mosques on fire, with a wave of protestors chanting anti-regime slogans, has been making rounds on social media as the country witnesses one of the biggest uprisings in three years. The video has been shared by Iranian rights activist Masih Alinejad. One of Irans biggest mosques burned during uprising. Dont panic. This isnt chaos. Its 47 years of rage. For 47 years, after every Allahu Akbar from these minarets, innocent Iranians were executed by an Islamist regime, she said in a post on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD One of Irans biggest mosques burned during uprising. Dont panic. This isnt chaos. Its 47 years of rage. For 47 years, after every Allahu Akbar from these minarets, innocent Iranians were executed by an Islamist regime. pic.twitter.com/oHtMpPjHQA Masih Alinejad (@AlinejadMasih) January 10, 2026 Firstpost cannot confirm the authenticity of this video. In his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, Khamenei on Friday called the demonstrators vandals and saboteurs. Khamenei, in a speech broadcast on state TV, said US President Donald Trumps hands are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians, in apparent reference to Israels June war against the Islamic republic, which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own. He predicted the arrogant US leader would be overthrown like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution. Everyone knows the Islamic republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people, it will not back down in the face of saboteurs. Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled prince of Iran, has urged US President Donald Trump to intervene in the uprising that has led to a clash between protestors and security officials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A second wave of protests began earlier this week after Pahlavi encouraged outraged citizens to speak up against the Islamic Republic as Iran faces severe economic hardships. The current protests, the biggest wave of dissent in three years, began last month in Tehrans Grand Bazaar with shopkeepers condemning the rial currencys free fall. The European Union on Friday reached a free trade agreement with South American countries, 25 years after talks began, despite opposition from farmers in several European countries. Farmers block a road with tractors at Porte d'Auteuil during a demonstration of French farmers union FDSEA as part of a nationwide day of protests and actions called by several farmers unions to push French government to block the Mercosur trade deal and protest against its handling of the nodular dermatitis (CND) epidemic, in Paris on January 8, 2026. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) The European Union on Friday reached a free trade agreement with South American countries, 25 years after talks began, despite opposition from farmers in several European countries. The deal is with the Mercosur trading bloc, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The deal would now require the approval of the European Parliament within the next few months. After the approval, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed the move, calling it a historic day for multilateralism. The approval from the EU came after the South American countries put the final touches to the deal in Brussels. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Interestingly, the deal is also reaching its final stage against the backdrop of US President Donald Trumps tariffs on countries around the world and his recent military intervention in Venezuela. Meanwhile, the EU also heralded what will be its largest free trade accord to date as a win-win, although critics have argued that cheap imports may undercut European farmers in products including beef, poultry and sugar. In an international scenario of growing protectionism and unilateralism, the agreement is a signal in favour of international trade as a driver of economic growth, with benefits for both blocs, Lula posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The contested deal After the announcement, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the deal will bring meaningful benefits to consumers and businesses, on both sides. The deal is coming at a time when Farmers in several countries in Europe held last-ditch protests against the deal, with marches and demonstrations using tractors in France and Belgium. There is a lot of pain, Judy Peeters, a representative for a Belgian young farmers group, told AFP at a protest on a motorway south of Brussels. There is a lot of anger. In light of this, Von der Leyen has maintained that she had listened to the concerns of farmers and had acted on them, including by introducing robust safeguards to protect their livelihoods in the agreement. The EU Commission argued that the deal would help fight climate change through commitments to halt deforestation and ensure a reliable flow of raw materials, critical for the global green transition. The commission also expects the deal to save local companies 4bn ($4.7bn, 3.5bn) a year in export duties. Analysts say Chinas military lacks the operational readiness to carry out a Venezuela-style seizure of Taiwans leadership, despite online calls urging such a move. Calls by some Chinese online users for a Venezuela-style seizure of Taiwans leadership have drawn attention, but analysts, scholars and security officials say such a move is far from feasible. The debate comes as China continues to modernise its military, while Taiwan remains on high alert for any attempt to target its leadership. Security experts say China would face a well-prepared adversary in Taiwan. The island has spent years preparing against a so-called decapitation operation aimed at its leaders. It has extensive air defences, advanced radar systems and early-warning capabilities. Analysts also point to the likelihood of support from the United States and its allies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD PLA modernisation raises questions Although China has invested heavily in advanced weapons over the years, doubts remain about the Peoples Liberation Armys ability to deploy them effectively. Analysts question whether the PLAs command structure can integrate different capabilities smoothly during combat. Once such an operation runs into trouble, it would quickly escalate into a full-scale conflict, with extremely high political and military risk, said Chen Kuan-ting, a lawmaker from Taiwans ruling Democratic Peoples Party. He said Taiwans layered air defence and early warning systems mean any air assault or special-operations infiltration crossing the Taiwan Strait would likely be detected, increasing the risk of escalation. US operation highlights capability gap The United States recently demonstrated its military reach during an operation to extract Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The mission showcased air dominance through the use of stealth fighters, aircraft that jammed enemy defences, and covert reconnaissance drones and satellites providing real-time intelligence to commanders. By comparison, the PLA still faces shortcomings. It still has clear gaps in real joint-operations experience, electro-magnetic and electronic-warfare capabilities, and actual combat validation of high-risk missions, Chen said. China rules out force to take Taiwan China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwans government rejects Chinas claims. Operationally, while the PLA is in recent times trying to get up to speed with force integration, it is still baby steps compared to what the Americans have for decades been accumulating, said Singapore-based security scholar Collin Koh. Taiwan is determined to defend its sovereignty and boost its defence, President Lai Ching-te said last month, after Beijing fired rockets towards Taiwan as part of its latest military drills. The drills surrounding Taiwan - the most extensive to date - were accompanied by strong messaging from Chinese officials and the military. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Any external forces that attempt to intervene in the Taiwan issue or interfere in Chinas internal affairs will surely smash their heads bloody against the iron walls of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army, Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement. In October, Lai unveiled a multi-layered air-defence system called T-Dome. It is intended to be similar to Israels Iron Dome, with a more efficient and sensor-to-shooter mechanism for a higher kill rate that integrates weaponry from Taiwan-developed Sky Bow missiles to U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket systems. In July, Taiwans military staged a drill to protect Taipeis main airport from a hostile landing. Su Tzu-yun, a researcher at Taiwans Institute for National Defence and Security, described significant defences around Taipei, including long-range missiles in nearby mountains, shorter-range weapons at the Tamsui River entrance and military police equipped with shoulder-fired Stinger missiles. Altogether, this forms a complete defensive perimeter, Su said. While military attaches say China has war-gamed extraction operations in Taipei in a broad range of military options to take control of Taiwan, some Chinese online users cited the U.S. action in Venezuela as inspiration. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Venezuelan situation has provided us a solution for unifying Taiwan, said one user on the X-like microblogging site Weibo. First, use special operations to arrest Lai Ching-te, then immediately announce the takeover of Taiwan, issue new identity cards and achieve a swift and decisive victory. Chen, who sits on the foreign affairs and defence committee of Taiwans parliament, dismissed such remarks as fantasy and other analysts said any such attempt would quickly face hard military realities. China had added aircraft to replicate platforms such as Boeings EA-18G Growler electronic-warfare jet and Northrop Grummans E-2D Advanced Hawkeye command and early warning aircraft, but their precise capabilities had yet to be delineated, Koh said. With the ruling Communist Party still playing a role in the PLAs command structure, doubts remain about its effectiveness, added Koh, who is with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. A decentralised command-and-control hierarchy is essential; that allows field commanders to exercise necessary initiative to cope with the fluid, evolving and uncertain nature of military operations as events unfold, Koh said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Despite any perceived PLA shortcomings, Taiwans leaders are taking no chances, however. We have no capital to take them lightly, said a senior Taiwan security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the military issues are sensitive. After all, in the wake of this painful and shocking experience, China will also look for all kinds of ways to overcome these problems. (With agency inputs) The Norwegian Nobel Committee has clarified that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be shared or transferred, days after Venezuelan opposition leader and laureate Maria Corina Machado said she wanted to dedicate her award to Trump. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures at a protest ahead of the Friday inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro for his third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 9, 2025. Reuters File Days after Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado said she wanted to share her Nobel Peace Prize with US President Donald Trump, the Norwegian Nobel Committee clarified that the award cannot be shared, transferred or revoked. In a statement, the committee said, A Nobel Prize can neither be revoked, shared, nor transferred to others. Once the announcement has been made, the decision stands for all time. The clarification came after Machado said she wished to dedicate the prize to Trump following a US military operation in Caracas. Speaking to Fox News, she said she believed Trump deserved the award for actions she described as impossible for many to achieve. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump said on Saturday that he would discuss Machados offer when she visits Washington next week. I think its very nice she wants to come in, and thats what I understand the reason is, he said. Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for opposing what the Norwegian Nobel Committee described as a dictatorship in Venezuela. After the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his transfer to the US to face charges including narco-terror conspiracy, Machado did not assume leadership of the country. Venezuelas Vice President Delcy Rodriguez succeeded Maduro. The Norwegian Nobel Institute noted that while prize money can be shared at the winners discretion, the Nobel Peace Prize itself cannot be transferred to another individual. It added that the committee does not comment on laureates actions after receiving the award, but continues to closely monitor their activities. Trump has repeatedly said he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, crediting himself with ending eight wars within eight months of his second presidential term. He has also criticised former US President Barack Obama for receiving the award in 2009 shortly after taking office. Commenting again on Machados visit, Trump said she would be coming to Washington to pay her regards to our country, really to me, adding that he represents the country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At least four people were killed and dozens remain missing after a massive garbage collapse at a landfill in Cebu City, with rescue operations continuing amid dangerous conditions. Search and rescue teams look for people after a landslide at the landfill in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City. Rescue teams in the central Philippines continued digging through unstable rubble on Saturday after a massive garbage collapse at a landfill in Cebu City buried dozens of workers. The incident occurred at the privately operated Binaliw Landfill, where at least four people were confirmed dead and many others remained unaccounted for. About 50 sanitation workers were buried when a mountain of refuse collapsed on Thursday. A city councillor estimated the garbage fell from a height of about 20 storeys. The landfill services Cebu City and surrounding communities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rescuers face danger of further collapse Search operations were continuing despite the risk of more garbage shifting. Cebu rescuer Jo Reyes said the unstable landfill forced teams to pause work at times. Operations are ongoing as of the moment. It is continuous. (But) from time to time, the landfill is moving, and that will temporarily stop the operation, she told AFP. We have to stop for a while for the safety of our rescuers. Death toll rises, dozens still missing Information from the site emerged slowly due to poor signal at the dumpsite. Cebu City council member Joel Garganera said that as of 10:00 am (0200 GMT), four people had died and 34 remained missing. The four casualties were inside the facility when it happened They have these staff houses inside where most people who were buried stayed, he said. Rescue efforts were being hampered by shifting garbage and heavy steel debris. Its very difficult on the part of the rescuers, because there are really heavy (pieces of steel), and every now and then, the garbage is moving because of the weight from above, Garganera said. We are hoping against hope here and praying for miracles. Families wait as rescue continues Authorities said they were proceeding cautiously, with families of the missing waiting near the site. We cannot just jump to the retrieval (of bodies), because there are a lot of family members who are within the property waiting for any positive result, Garganera said. At least 12 employees have so far been pulled alive from the garbage and hospitalised. Garganera described the height of the garbage pile as alarming and warned that rain increased the risk of collapse. Every now and then when it rains, there are landslides happening around the city of Cebu how much more (dangerous is that) for a landfill or a mountain that is made of garbage? he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The garbage is like a sponge, they really absorb water. Sole waste facility for the region The disaster has disrupted waste management in Cebu, as the landfill is the only service provider for the city and nearby areas. According to its operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, the facility processes 1,000 tons of municipal solid waste daily. Calls and emails to the company remained unanswered. Rita Cogay, a compactor operator at the site, said she survived by chance. She had stepped out to get water moments before the structure she was in collapsed. I thought a helicopter had crashed. But when I turned, it was the garbage and the building coming down, the 49-year-old told AFP. Protests sweeping across Iran neared the two-week mark Saturday, with the countrys government acknowledging the ongoing demonstrations despite an intensifying crackdown and as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world. Mass demonstrations across Iran entered their second week on Saturday with authorities conceding that unrest continues even as security forces intensify efforts to suppress the protests and the country remains largely isolated from the outside world. The nationwide internet shutdown and disruption of phone services have made it increasingly difficult to independently assess the scale of the demonstrations. However, the Washington-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that at least 65 people have been killed and more than 2,300 arrested since the protests began. Iranian state television, meanwhile, has focused coverage on casualties among security personnel and projected an image of stability and control. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has indicated that tougher measures are imminent, despite warnings from the United States against further escalation. On Saturday, Iranian authorities sharpened their rhetoric, with Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad declaring that participation in protests would be treated as a capital offence. In remarks broadcast by state media, he said demonstrators as well as anyone who assisted them would be labelled enemies of God, a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law. The statement urged prosecutors to move swiftly and decisively, calling for immediate indictments and uncompromising trials. It said those accused of fomenting unrest and undermining national security in alignment with foreign interests must face justice without mercy or delay, signalling a hardline approach as the government seeks to stamp out dissent. Meanwhile, major Iranian cities were gripped overnight by new mass rallies denouncing the Islamic republic, as activists on Saturday expressed fear authorities were intensifying their suppression of the demonstrations under cover of an internet blackout. The two weeks of protests have posed one of the biggest challenges to the theocratic authorities who have ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, although supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expressed defiance and blamed the United States. Rights groups have accused security forces of deliberately targeting protesters eyes with birdshot in previous protest waves in Iran. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Norway-based Iran Human Rights group has said at least 51 people have been killed in the crackdown so far, but warned the actual toll could be higher. Iranian authorities are using the most blatant tools of repression, prize-winning filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Jafar Panahi said, pointing to the internet blackout. Experience has shown that resorting to such measures is intended to conceal the violence inflicted during the suppression of protests, they added. More weekend demonstrations planned Irans theocracy cut off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls on Thursday, though it allowed some state-owned and semiofficial media to publish. Qatars state-funded Al Jazeera news network reported live from Iran, but they appeared to be the only major foreign outlet able to work. Irans exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who called for protests Thursday and Friday, asked in his latest message for demonstrators to take to the streets Saturday and Sunday. He urged protesters to carry Irans old lion-and-sun flag and other national symbols used during the time of the shah to claim public spaces as your own. Pahlavis support of and from Israel has drawn criticism in the past particularly after the 12-day war. Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some protests, but it isnt clear whether thats support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the countrys economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Irans theocracy. Airlines have cancelled some flights into Iran over the demonstrations. Austrian Airlines said Saturday it had decided to suspend its flights to Iran as a precautionary measure through Monday. Turkish Airlines earlier announced the cancellation of 17 flights to three cities in Iran. With inputs from agencies Woods said that while he is confident that Venezuela would witness the necessary changes under the US administration, ExxonMobil will put a technical team on the ground to assess the countrys oil infrastructure ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods (R) attends a meeting with US President Donald Trump (L) and oil company executives in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on January 9, 2026. AFP The CEO of ExxonMobil, Americas largest oil and natural gas company, Darren Woods, has said that the current state of Venezuela makes the country uninvestable. He, however, expressed optimism that the situation might change after US President Donald Trumps operation in the country. Woods comments came as Trump huddled with oil company executives to strike a deal and invest in Venezuela now that it is out of ousted president Nicolas Maduros hands. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Weve had our assets seized there twice, and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes, he said at a meeting with Trump. If we look at the legal and commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela today, its uninvestable. The company was actively working in Venezuela in the 1940s but exited in 2007 after refusing demands by then-president Hugo Chavez to cede majority control to the state. Exxon CEO: If you look at the commercial constructs, frameworks in place in Venezuela today, it's uninvestable. Significant changes have to be made to these frameworks, the legal system. There has to be durable investment protections and change to the hydrocarbon laws. pic.twitter.com/vpdH6ftfzm Acyn (@Acyn) January 9, 2026 Woods said that while he is confident that Venezuela would witness the necessary changes under the US administration, ExxonMobil will put a technical team on the ground to assess the countrys oil infrastructure. Meanwhile, Trump on Friday promised oil giants total safety and security in Venezuela, just days after he took control of the Latin American nations oil reserves. Trump held a roundtable press conference at the White House in a bid to persuade oil giants to invest a whopping $100 billion in Venezuela. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The discussions are being held right after the US forces toppled the draconian regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and captured him and his wife. The oil executives included leaders from Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. At the meeting, the American leader doubled down on claims that Maduros arrest presents American oil companies with an unprecedented opportunity for extraction. Greenlands parliament will bring forward a meeting to discuss its response to U.S. threats to take control of the Arctic island, the leaders of the five political parties in the Greenlandic assembly said in a joint statement. Greenlands parliament is accelerating plans to hold a session to address US threats over the Arctic island, according to a joint statement from leaders of the territorys five political parties. The move comes after President Donald Trump declared that the United States should take control of Greenland, an autonomous region within the Kingdom of Denmark, citing concerns that Russia or China could gain influence over the strategically important, resource-rich territory in the future. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In their statement late Friday, posted on social media by Greenlands Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the party leaders called on the U.S. to end what they described as contempt for Greenland. We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders, the statement read. To ensure a thorough political debate and safeguard the rights of Greenlands citizens, the Inatsisartut Greenlands parliament will convene earlier than originally planned, the leaders said. The exact date for the session has not yet been announced. According to the parliaments website, its last meeting was in November, with the next scheduled for February 3. Trumps renewed push for Greenland Trump said on Friday he would do something on Greenland whether they like it or not and that the U.S. military presence in the island under a 1951 agreement with fellow NATO member Denmark is not enough to guarantee the islands defence. Trumps renewed push for Greenland, after U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, worries many of the islands 57,000 inhabitants, whose widely held goal is to eventually become an independent nation. A 2009 agreement between Greenland and Denmark explicitly recognised Greenlanders right to independence if they choose, but while all five parties say they want independence, they differ on how and when to achieve it. We must decide the future of our country ourselves, without pressure for a quick decision, delay or interference from other countries, the party leaders said, adding that they sought dialogue based on diplomacy and international principles. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies Pakistan is under growing pressure to balance ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as their rivalry over Yemen intensifies, testing Islamabads strategic loyalties The Arab worlds two most powerful states are locked in an unprecedented public dispute over Yemen Pakistan finds itself under strain as the Saudi ArabiaUAE rivalry intensifies, testing Islamabads loyalties in the Gulf. With strategic, defence and financial stakes on both sides, Pakistan has avoided taking a firm public position, even as Saudi Arabia seeks clearer backing amid the conflict in Yemen. Defence pact fails to translate into open support Despite signing a bilateral defence pact with Saudi Arabia last year, Pakistan has been unable to support Riyadh openly and decisively following the SaudiUAE spat. Beyond issuing a statement backing Saudi Arabia after the recent conflict in Yemen, the Pakistani leadership and the army have not backed Saudi Arabia on the ground against the UAE. Reuters reported on Friday that Pakistan is close to finalising a $1.5bn arms deal with Sudans army, a move that signals Islamabads deepening alignment with Ankara and Riyadh, as Saudi Arabia- and Turkey-backed forces battle the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sharif reiterates complete solidarity Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistans complete solidarity with Saudi Arabia during a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Experts monitoring PakistanGulf relations say that apart from this call, Islamabad did not take any concrete step in favour of Saudi Arabia. When the Saudi Army launched an attack on UAE military assets in Yemen, the UAE President was in Pakistan on a quasi-official visit. During the visit, the UAE announced an investment in Pakistans Fauji Foundation, which is run by the army. The UAE will acquire shares worth around $1 billion in the Fauji Foundation Group. The deal also includes plans to roll over an additional $2 billion in loans. Riyadh sends feelers as talks continue Riyadh is understood to be keeping a close watch on Pakistans soft stand and has sent feelers to Islamabad to support it. According to a Reuters report, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are in talks to convert about two billion of the Saudi loan into a JF-17 fighter jet deal. Pakistans Air Chief Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu visited Saudi Arabia this week to discuss bilateral defence cooperation, regional security environment and future avenues of collaboration with Lieutenant General Turki bin Bander bin Abdulaziz. The Pakistani military confirmed the engagement in a statement issued on Thursday. Saudi Arabia and UAE lock heads in escalating Yemen conflict Ten years after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates launched a joint military intervention to counter Irans influence in Yemen, the former allies are now on opposing sides of the conflict. The Arab worlds two most powerful states are locked in an unprecedented public dispute over Yemen, a poor but strategically important country long shaped by unresolved conflicts. This week, Saudi Arabia carried out strikes on a UAE shipment carrying combat vehicles destined for Yemen, marking a sharp military escalation, before accusing Abu Dhabi of taking highly dangerous actions that threatened the kingdoms national security. Yemens civil war began in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi movement seized control of the north and captured the capital, Sanaa. Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened a year later, backing the internationally recognised government and allied militias in a shared effort to defeat the Houthis. Over time, however, divisions emerged among rival Yemeni factions pursuing competing goals. Those internal tensions gradually exposed deeper differences between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, revealing a widening rift between the two West Asian allies. Trump has ruled out the possibility of a Maduro-style military operation against Putin, days after Washington captured Maduro in a dramatic raid. Responding to a reporters question, Trump said such an action was not necessary, citing his long-standing relationship with Putin even as he expressed disappointment over the ongoing war in Ukraine. Days after the US carried out a military operation in Venezuela and captured former president Nicolas Maduro and his wife to face federal drug-trafficking charges, President Donald Trump ruled out the possibility of a similar action against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Responding to a reporters question on Friday about whether Washington could consider such a mission in the future, Trump said he did not believe it would be necessary. Playing down the suggestion, he said the US had always shared a good relationship with Putin, even as he expressed disappointment over the ongoing war in Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Not necessary, Trump says Asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys remarks, which appeared to hint that Putin could be next after Maduros arrest, Trump told reporters, I dont think its going to be necessary. I think were going to have a and always had a great relationship with him. Disappointment over Ukraine war Speaking during a meeting with top US oil and gas executives, Trump said he was very disappointed that the Ukraine conflict had not yet ended. Referring to Russias invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022, he said he had settled eight wars in the past and believed this conflict would have been easier to resolve. I wish we could have done it quicker because a lot of people are dying, mostly soldiers, Trump said. He also highlighted the human and economic cost of the war, saying that around 31,000 people were killed last month, many of them Russian soldiers, and that the Russian economy was doing poorly. ICC warrant complicates diplomacy Putin is currently facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, a factor that has further complicated diplomatic efforts to end the fighting. Maduros capture in Venezuela Trumps remarks came a week after a shock US operation in Caracas in which former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was captured in a pre-dawn raid and flown to the US to face trial. The operation drew global attention and prompted reactions from several world leaders. Commenting on Maduros arrest, Zelensky made an oblique reference to Putin, saying that if this is how a dictator must be treated, then the United States knows what it should do next. Trump, however, publicly rejected the idea of ordering any similar action against the Russian leader. How the US operation unfolded According to US accounts, the Venezuela operation began shortly after midnight, with airstrikes followed by the deployment of elite Delta Force troops who stormed Maduros residence. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken into custody and transported to New York via a US military base and the USS Jima. Fallout in Venezuela Venezuelas vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has since assumed the presidency, while condemning the US action as illegal and criminal. Despite the strong criticism, Washington and Caracas have begun exploratory talks on restoring diplomatic ties, including the possible reopening of the US embassy. Trump has linked Venezuelas political transition to its oil resources, encouraging American energy companies to invest while promising security guarantees. He has claimed that oil firms are ready to invest up to $100 billion and said the US plans to sell large volumes of Venezuelan crude. Following the raid, Venezuelan authorities began releasing political prisoners, a move the US said was secured after the operation. Families gathered outside jails in Caracas hoping for reunions, even as protests continued in the city demanding Maduros release and opposing US control over the countrys resources. Meanwhile, Venezuelan officials said about 100 people were killed and a similar number wounded in the US raid, marking the first official casualty toll released since the operation. India and the European Union have stepped up efforts to advance their proposed free trade agreement, with Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal holding high-level talks in Brussels aimed at accelerating negotiations and resolving pending issues. India and the European Union advanced discussions on their proposed Free Trade Agreement during Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyals two-day visit to Brussels, which concluded on January 9. Goyal was in the Belgian capital on January 8 and 9, where he held high-level talks with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic. The meetings focused on accelerating the long-pending IndiaEU FTA negotiations, with both sides giving clear direction to their negotiating teams to resolve outstanding issues and speed up the process. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Push for early conclusion According to the Ministry of Commerce, both sides reviewed progress across key negotiating tracks and underscored the need to conclude a fair, balanced and ambitious agreement. The discussions reflected strong political intent in New Delhi and Brussels to move beyond prolonged technical negotiations and work towards an early conclusion of the deal. Protecting farmers and MSMEs The talks placed emphasis on balancing trade ambitions with domestic priorities. India and the EU stressed that the agreement must safeguard the interests of farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises, while also helping Indian industries integrate more deeply into global supply chains. In a post on X, Goyal said the discussions reaffirmed commitment to a rules-based trading framework and a modern economic partnership aligned with shared priorities. Built on senior-level negotiations The ministerial engagement followed senior-level meetings held on January 6 and 7 between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and European Commission Director-General for Trade Sabine Weyand. Those talks focused on taking stock of negotiations, narrowing differences and clarifying unresolved issues ahead of the ministerial review. Progress on key trade pillars During the Brussels meetings, Goyal and Sefcovic held detailed deliberations on core elements of the proposed FTA, including market access for goods, rules of origin and services. Both sides acknowledged steady progress and reiterated their commitment to concluding an agreement aligned with shared economic priorities and a rules-based trading system. At the conclusion of the visit, India and the EU expressed confidence in moving towards an early conclusion of a modern and mutually beneficial FTA, which both sides view as strategically important for future economic cooperation. Liechtenstein visit and EFTA engagement Before arriving in Brussels, Goyal visited Liechtenstein, where he led a business roundtable with senior executives from leading local companies. The discussions focused on the implementation of the IndiaEFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), marking the first-ever visit by an Indian Cabinet Minister to the country. Investment, technology and value chains During the interactions, Goyal said the IndiaEFTA TEPA goes beyond trade liberalisation and offers a broader framework for investment, technology collaboration, skill development and the creation of resilient value chains. He encouraged Liechtenstein companies to explore investment opportunities in India, particularly in view of the $100 billion investment commitment made by EFTA countries. Industry and leadership meetings As part of the visit, Goyal toured the headquarters of the Hilti Group and met its chief executive, Jahangir Doongaji. The discussions focused on expanding localisation, increasing value addition and scaling up global shipments from India, along with technology collaboration to support safer and smarter infrastructure. The minister also met Liechtenstein Prime Minister Brigitte Haas to discuss ways to deepen economic and investment cooperation under the IndiaEFTA TEPA. The talks explored collaboration in skill development, vocational training and industry-academia partnerships. The Indian Navy is planning to set up a new base at Haldia in West Bengal to boost surveillance and operational capability in the northern Bay of Bengal, amid growing Chinese naval activity and rising regional security concerns, according to a report. Indian Navy to set up new base at Haldia to boost presence in northern Bay of Bengal: Report. Representational image: X/@indiannavy The Indian Navy is set to establish a new base at Haldia in West Bengal to strengthen Indias maritime presence in the northern Bay of Bengal amid increased Chinese naval activity and evolving regional security dynamics involving Bangladesh and Pakistan, India Today reported, citing sources. Naval detachment with quick operational capability According to the report, the facility will function as a naval detachment and focus on the deployment of small warships. The base will leverage the existing Haldia dock complex, enabling the Navy to operationalise the facility quickly with minimal additional infrastructure. Initial work is expected to include the construction of a dedicated jetty and shore-support facilities. Fast attack and interceptor craft to be deployed The Haldia base is likely to host Fast Interceptor Crafts and 300-tonne New Water Jet Fast Attack Crafts. These high-speed platforms, capable of reaching speeds of 4045 knots, are designed for rapid-response maritime operations. They are armed with CRN-91 guns and are expected to be equipped with loitering munitions such as the Nagastra system, strengthening their strike and surveillance capabilities. Strategic drivers behind the move Experts said the decision is driven by multiple factors, including increased deployments by the Peoples Liberation Army Navy in the Indian Ocean Region, growing concerns over maritime infiltration, and instances of illegal crossings from Bangladesh into India via sea routes. The shallow waters and dense maritime traffic along the IndiaBangladesh coastline make fast, agile platforms particularly effective for interception and deterrence missions. China factor and regional security concerns The Haldia base assumes added importance amid Chinas expanding naval footprint in the Indian Ocean and Beijings deepening defence and infrastructure engagement with Bangladesh, alongside its long-standing military partnership with Pakistan. Compact base with strategic location The facility will be relatively compact, with around 100 officers and sailors expected to be stationed there, indicating it will not function as a full-fledged naval command. Located about 100 km from Kolkata, the base offers a strategic advantage by providing direct access to the Bay of Bengal while avoiding the time-consuming transit through the River Hooghly. Fits into broader naval expansion plans India currently operates major naval facilities on the eastern seaboard, including the Eastern Naval Command headquarters in Visakhapatnam and key bases in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Officials said the land for the Haldia base had been earmarked earlier, but construction had been pending. The move also aligns with the Navys broader expansion plans. In 2024, the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the procurement of 120 Fast Interceptor Crafts and 31 New Water Jet Fast Attack Crafts. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD These vessels, typically around 100 tonnes in displacement and capable of carrying 1012 personnel, are suited for coastal patrol, anti-infiltration missions, harbour defence and special operations. Experts said the deployment of such assets is critical to safeguarding sea lanes, monitoring regional developments and reinforcing Indias role as a key security provider in the region. Protests sweeping across Iran neared the two-week mark Saturday, with the countrys government acknowledging the ongoing demonstrations despite an intensifying crackdown and as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world. U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions from members of the media during a meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room of the White House on January 9, 2026 in Washington, DC.- AFP President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States is ready to help as protesters in Iran faced an intensifying crackdown by authorities of the Islamic republic. Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! Trump said in a social post on Truth Social, without elaborating. His comments come a day after he said that Iran was in big trouble and again warned that he could order military strikes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD President Trump offered support for the protesters, saying on social media that Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 72 people killed and over 2,300 others detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signalled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings. Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with the Irans attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an enemy of God, a death-penalty charge. The statement carried by Iranian state television said even those who helped rioters would face the charge. Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country, the statement read. Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence. Global leaders have urged restraint from Iranian authorities, with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen saying Europe backed Iranians mass protests and condemned the violent repression against the demonstrators. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On Saturday, the start of the working week in Iran, one man in Tehran said he was unable to check his work email. This is the price to pay before the victory of the people, he said. Trump refused on Friday to rule out new military action against Iran after Washington backed and joined Israels 12-day war against the Islamic republic in June. Irans in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago, Trump said. With inputs from agencies As the anti-government protests continue to escalate in Iran, the countrys Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Friday that his regime would not back down in the face of the mass demonstrations. As the anti-government protests continue to escalate in Iran, the countrys Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Friday that his regime would not back down in the face of the mass demonstrations. People of Iran have been protesting since December 28 as the country grapples with a cost-of-living crisis and a collapsing currency. In light of this, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi warned that authorities in Tehran may carry out a mass killing under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout. She urged the West to speak out on the matter immediately. Tonight, I am compelled to speak with urgency," she said in a statement released on Friday. There are credible indications that the Islamic Republic may attempt to turn this night into a massacre, under cover of a sweeping communications blackout. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, on Friday, Khamenei also released a formal statement, condemning the latest escalation in the protests. He described the protesters as vandals, who are eager to impress the United States. Last night in Tehran, a bunch of vandals came and destroyed a building that belonged to them so that they could please the president of America, he said in a televised address, without specifying which building. Khamenei slammed Trump He went on to mock US President Donald Trump's pledge to intervene if the Iranian regime kills demonstrators. The Iranian supreme leader maintained that he would do better to pay attention to problems in the United States. The Islamic Republic will not back down in the face of vandals, Khamenei said. Khameneis remarks came as Iranians got hit by an internet and phone service blockade. Amid the chaos, several major airlines in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar cancelled flights to cities in Iran on Friday. On Thursday, Iranians took to the streets in large numbers in their latest act of defiance as protests over the countrys ailing economy quickly grew into a more fundamental challenge to the clerical system over which Khamenei presides. Nobel laureate warns of massacre While warning about a massacre, Ebadi maintained that the protesters have been peaceful in their demonstrations. Iranians have come into the streets peacefully. They have been met with gunfire, she added. A blackout is not a technical failure in Iran; it is a tactic. She went on to address the Western government and the international institutions, insisting that silence would amount to permission, calling for immediate public pressure to halt live fire against civilians, protect hospitals and restore communications. It is pertinent to note that at least 51 people have been killed in the protests, including nine children, according to figures released on Friday by the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Organisation, as authorities imposed a total internet blackout. However, the official death toll is still not recorded. A second wave of protests began earlier this week after Pahlavi encouraged outraged citizens to speak up against the Islamic Republic as Iran faces severe economic hardships Reza Pahlavi, the exiled prince of Iran, has urged US President Donald Trump to intervene in the uprising that has led to a clash between protestors and security officials. A second wave of protests began earlier this week after Pahlavi encouraged outraged citizens to speak up against the Islamic Republic as Iran faces severe economic hardships. The current protests, the biggest wave of dissent in three years, began last month in Tehrans Grand Bazaar with shopkeepers condemning the rial currencys free fall. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Amid all this, the regime in Iran is under immense international pressure, with US President Donald Trump threatening the government to come to the aid of protesters if security forces fire on them. Pahlavi said, Mr. President, this is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support, and action. Last night you saw the millions of brave Iranians in the streets facing down live bullets. Today, they are facing not just bullets but a total communications blackout. No Internet. No landlines. Ali Khamenei, fearing the end of his criminal regime at the hands of the people and with the help of your powerful promise to support the protesters, has threatened the people on the streets with a brutal crack down. And he wants to use this blackout to murder these young heroes, he added. Mr. President, this is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support, and action. Last night you saw the millions of brave Iranians in the streets facing down live bullets. Today, they are facing not just bullets but a total communications blackout. No Internet. No Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) January 9, 2026 Vandals and saboteurs In his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, Khamenei on Friday called the demonstrators vandals and saboteurs. Khamenei, in a speech broadcast on state TV, said US President Donald Trumps hands are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians, in apparent reference to Israels June war against the Islamic republic, which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He predicted the arrogant US leader would be overthrown like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution. Everyone knows the Islamic republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people, it will not back down in the face of saboteurs. With inputs from agencies After the demise of Bangladeshs former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman on Friday was appointed as the chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman waves towards his supporters after his return from London, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reuters After the demise of Bangladeshs former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman on Friday was appointed as the chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The announcement was a month ahead of the general election in Bangladesh. The Standing Committee of the BNP approved the appointment of Rahman as the Chairman of the party in a meeting on Friday, The Dhaka Tribune reported. The news was confirmed to the media by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rahman returned to Bangladesh on December 25 after 17 years of self-exile in London. He was appointed as the chairman of the party after the seat was vacant following the death of his mother, Zia, after a prolonged illness. The three-time Bangladesh prime minister and BNP supremo passed away on December 30. Move ahead of polls Weeks before Bangladesh goes to the polls, a meeting of the National Standing Committee was convened to address the vacancy, as per the party constitution. Meanwhile, the BNP media cell noted that with this appointment, Rahman officially took over the responsibilities of the partys top leadership position, state-owned Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported. The 60-year-old Bangladeshi political scion has emerged as a leading contender for prime ministership in the polls. Back in 2002, Rahman was made BNPs Senior Joint Secretary General and became Senior Vice Chairman in 2009. BNP emerged as the forerunner to capture power in the February polls, as former prime minister Hasinas Awami League party has been barred from contesting the election following the brutal July uprising that led to her ousting in 2024. With inputs from PTI. Newly appointed BNP chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday said there is no reason for Bangladesh to return to the political conditions that existed before the toppling of Sheikh Hasinas regime on August 5, 2024. Newly appointed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday said there was no reason for the country to revert to the political environment that existed before the fall of Sheikh Hasinas government on August 5, 2024. Speaking weeks ahead of the February 12 general elections, Rahman also asserted that the BNP would steer Bangladesh in the right direction if it formed the next government. At 60, he has emerged as a frontrunner for the prime ministers post. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rahmans elevation was approved by the BNPs Standing Committee during a meeting held on Friday, days after the death of his mother, former prime minister and long-time party chief Khaleda Zia, who passed away on December 30 following a prolonged illness. Addressing editors and senior journalists hours after his appointment, Rahman acknowledged lingering political challenges but rejected any return to the situation that prevailed before August 5. We faced problems before and we continue to face them now. But there is no reason to go back to the period before August 5, he said. Stressing dialogue, he added that differences within society should be resolved through discussion rather than confrontation. Rahman said the continuation of democratic practices and accountability would be central to his leadership if the BNP won power. Drawing on key moments in Bangladeshs history, he said the ideals of the 1971 Liberation War, the 1990 mass movement against the HM Ershad regime and the August 5 uprising should guide the nations future path. If we can keep these moments in mind, I strongly believe we can move Bangladesh forward in the right direction, he said. He also outlined broad priorities for reform, pointing to healthcare and economic development as areas that would receive attention under BNP rule. Reiterating his commitment to democracy, Rahman said meaningful change would be possible only through sustained democratic processes. There may be many hurdles and it may be extremely difficult, but if accountability and democracy are maintained over time, change will follow, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, Rahman did not spell out his partys position on shifting geopolitical dynamics or elaborate on strategies for navigating the altered domestic political landscape ahead of next months polls. Hasina, who was ousted after violent student-led protests over July and August that year, fled to India on August 5, 2024. Three days later, Muhammad Yunus took over as head of the interim government, which disbanded Hasinas Awami League party through an executive order. A special Bangladeshi tribunal subsequently sentenced Hasina to death penalty on charges of committing crimes against humanity through her brutal efforts to tame the student-led protests, termed the July Uprising. With Hasina and her Awami League no longer in the fray, Rahmans BNP is the forerunner with its once crucial ally Jamaat-e-Islami being the main rival. Earlier late on Friday night, the BNP posted on X: Following the passing of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister, national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, the position of party Chairman became vacant. In line with the BNP constitution, a meeting of the National Standing Committee was held. At the meeting, Mr Tarique Rahman was unanimously appointed to the vacant post and formally given responsibility as the Chairman of the BNP, it added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rahman returned to Bangladesh on December 25 after 17 years of self-exile in London. In 2002, Rahman was made BNPs Senior Joint Secretary General and became Senior Vice Chairman in 2009. In 2018, when Zia was imprisoned, Rahman was appointed acting chairperson of the party. I have a plan, he said in his first public address on the day he returned from UK, apparently referring to the African-American rights activist Martin Luther Kings famous quote, I have a dream. PTI AR/RD GSP NPK NPK . . Tensions escalated on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones into its airspace, a claim Seoul denied amid fading hopes for renewed dialogue. North Korean forces used special electronic warfare assets to bring down a South Korean drone flying over North Korea's border town. (FIle Photo/Reuters) Tensions on the Korean Peninsula flared after North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones across the heavily fortified border, an allegation Seoul swiftly rejected, as prospects for renewed dialogue between the rivals appeared to dim further. North Koreas military said its forces used special electronic warfare assets on Sunday to bring down a South Korean drone over a border town inside North Korea. The drone was equipped with two cameras that filmed unspecified areas, according to a statement from the General Staff of the Korean Peoples Army carried by state media. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The statement further alleged that South Korea infiltrated another drone into North Korean airspace on September 27, which later crashed after being struck electronically. Authorities claimed that drone also carried video data of major objects in North Korea. We strongly denounce the hooligans serial outrageous encroachment upon our sovereignty and undisguised provocative acts against us, the statement said. The ROK military warmongers will be surely forced to pay a dear price for their unpardonable hysteria. The ROK is the abbreviated form of the Republic of Korea, South Koreas official name. Seoul rejects claims, cites investigation South Koreas Defence Ministry said it did not operate drones during the times specified by North Korea and does not possess the types of drones described in the accusations. Senior ministry official Kim Hong-Cheol said authorities would investigate whether civilians were responsible for flying the drones found in North Korea. He added that South Korea has no intention of provoking the North and will continue efforts to build trust between the two Koreas. Diplomatic push faces resistance Since taking office in June, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sought to reopen talks with North Korea and mend ties. However, Pyongyang has consistently rebuffed his overtures. Lee said on Wednesday that he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to act as a mediator to ease animosities during their recent summit, and Xi urged patience. North Korea has avoided talks with South Korea and the United States since leader Kim Jong Uns nuclear diplomacy with US President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019 over disagreements on US-led sanctions. Since then, Pyongyang has focused on strengthening its nuclear arsenal and declared a hostile two-state system on the peninsula to end relations with Seoul. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Drones a recurring source of friction Drone activity has repeatedly fuelled tensions between the two Koreas, with each side accusing the other of airspace violations in recent years. In October 2024, North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang on three occasions to drop propaganda leaflets, a claim South Koreas military said it could not confirm. Although tensions rose sharply at the time, neither side took major action, and the situation gradually eased. South Korea has also accused North Korea of sending drones into its territory. In December 2022, Seoul said it fired warning shots, scrambled fighter jets and flew surveillance drones over North Korea after what it described as the Norths first drone crossings in five years. Fresh overnight protests erupted across major Iranian cities as opposition voices urged a push to seize city centres, despite an ongoing internet shutdown and warnings of a harsh crackdown. An anti-Iranian regime protester holds up a "Free Iran" placard during a gathering outside the Iranian Embassy, central London, on January 9. (AFP) Iran witnessed a fresh wave of overnight protests across major cities from late Friday into Saturday, as demonstrators renewed calls against the Islamic republic amid a nationwide internet blackout and mounting political tension. The unrest unfolded in Tehran and several provincial centres, two weeks into protests that have become one of the most serious challenges to the authorities since the 1979 Islamic revolution. New rallies followed the largest demonstrations so far on Thursday, with images verified by the news agency and videos circulating on social media despite severe connectivity restrictions. Internet monitoring group Netblocks said early Saturday that metrics show the nationwide internet blackout remains in place at 36 hours. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Tehrans Saadatabad district, residents banged pots and chanted anti-government slogans, including death to Khamenei, as cars honked in support, according to AFP-verified footage. Similar scenes were reported in other parts of the capital. Protests reported in multiple cities Images shared on social media and by Persian-language television channels outside Iran showed large gatherings in Mashhad in the east, Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Qom. In the western city of Hamedan, footage showed a man waving a shah-era Iranian flag bearing the lion and sun amid fires and dancing crowds. In the Pounak district of northern Iran, people were seen dancing around a fire in the middle of a highway. In Mashhads Vakilabad district, marchers moved down an avenue chanting death to Khamenei near one of Shiite Islams holiest shrines. Some of these videos could not be immediately verified. Pahlavi urges targeted action Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Irans ousted shah, described Fridays turnout as magnificent and called on Iranians to stage more focused protests over the weekend. Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres, Pahlavi said in a video message shared on social media. Pahlavi, whose father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown in 1979 and died in 1980, added that he was preparing to return to my homeland at a time he believed was very near. Activists have warned that the internet shutdown could conceal a violent response by the authorities. Norway-based Iran Human Rights said at least 51 people have been killed so far in the crackdown. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi said on Friday that security forces could be preparing a massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout. Leadership defiance and US reaction Iranian authorities have said several members of the security forces have been killed. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking on Friday, condemned vandals and vowed that the Islamic republic would not back down. He blamed the US for fuelling the unrest, a charge echoed by other officials. US President Donald Trump on Friday again declined to rule out new military action against Iran after Washington backed and joined Israels 12-day war against the Islamic republic in June. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Irans in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago, Trump said. Asked about his message to Irans leaders, he added: You better not start shooting because well start shooting too. Ukrainian officials have warned that a cold snap could further strain the countrys energy system, which has come under regular attack since autumn Rescuers work at the site of the apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters Russian strikes in Ukraine have snapped power for thousands of residents in Kyiv as they grapple with intense cold weather. Officials have said that they were racing to restore power to 500,000 consumers and heating to 6,000 buildings in Kyiv as temperatures hovered around -10 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit), after an attack that involved 242 drones and 36 missiles. The strikes resulted in the deaths of four people. Russia reportedly used a hypersonic Oreshnik missile in the western Lviv region near the EU border. Kyiv resident Nataliya Revutska, whose building came under the latest Russian attack, told Reuters that her family and other residents are left with no water or power. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukrainian officials have warned that a cold snap could further strain the countrys energy system, which has come under regular attack since autumn. Deputy energy minister Mykola Kolisnyk told reporters on Friday that only part of the outages were a result of the overnight attack, with the weather accounting for the greater portion. Russia deploys Oreshnik missile Russia on Friday said it attacked Ukraine with a nuclear-capable missile in its latest overnight barrage. The Russian defence ministry said it attacked Ukraine with an Oreshnik missile in response to a Ukrainian attack on one of the residences of President Vladimir Putin in December, according to Reuters. Oreshnic is a hypersonic, nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). It is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. Currently, Ukraine does not appear to have the capabilities to defend against such missiles. The Russian attack amounts to a major escalation at a time when US President Donald Trump has ramped up efforts to bring the war to an end with a negotiated settlement. But such efforts have stalled as Putin has essentially rejected the latest proposal and opposed US and European security guarantees for Ukraine. While Russia has called the Oreshnik strike a response to a Ukrainian attack on one of Putins residences, Ukraine has denied launching any such attack and the Trump administration has assessed the same. The Syrian army said it had moved into Aleppos Sheikh Maksoud district on Saturday after a ceasefire with Kurdish fighters collapsed, raising fresh tensions in the war-hit city amid conflicting claims over control of the area. The Syrian army said on Saturday it had combed Aleppo citys Sheikh Maksoud district, signalling it had taken control of the area from Kurdish fighters after a temporary ceasefire failed to end days of deadly clashes. The violence in Syrias second-largest city has deepened one of the countrys key fault lines, as President Ahmed al-Sharaas pledge to reunify Syria under a single leadership after 14 years of war faces resistance from Kurdish forces wary of his Islamist-led government. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US and other world powers had welcomed a ceasefire earlier in the week, but Kurdish fighters refused to withdraw from their last stronghold in Sheikh Maksoud under the agreement. Late on Friday, the Syrian army said it would launch a ground operation to expel them. Early on Saturday, the army said it had completed combing operations in the district, though some Kurdish fighters were still believed to be in hiding. Kurdish forces, however, denied losing control of Sheikh Maksoud and said they were continuing to resist. Reuters journalists in the city reported no sounds of fighting. If confirmed, the armys takeover of Sheikh Maksoud would end Kurdish control over pockets of Aleppo held since the conflict began in 2011. Kurdish forces continue to control large parts of northeastern Syria, where they administer a semi-autonomous region. They have resisted attempts to integrate into Syrias new government, formed by former rebel groups that ousted long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. With talks on integration stalled, fighting broke out in Aleppo on Tuesday, killing at least nine civilians and forcing more than 140,000 people to flee. US envoy Tom Barrack said in a post on X on Saturday that he had met Jordans Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi in Amman to work on consolidating the ceasefire and ensuring the peaceful withdrawal from Aleppo of Kurdish forces. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order protecting US-held money derived from sales of Venezuelan oil, after the ouster of Nicolas Maduro. U.S. President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One on January 9, 2026 at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida. - AFP US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order shielding Venezuelan oil revenue held in US Treasury accounts from seizure or legal claims, the White House said on Saturday. The order signed on Friday is intended to prevent those funds from being subjected to attachment or judicial process, according to a White House fact sheet. The administration said the move was designed to support Washingtons broader foreign policy objectives related to Venezuela. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The White House said Trump was acting to block any confiscation of Venezuelan oil earnings that could disrupt US efforts to promote economic and political stability in the South American nation. Trump, who has openly stated that access to Venezuelas vast oil reserves was a central motivation behind Washingtons push to remove former president Nicolas Maduro, said earlier on Friday that he had cancelled a planned second round of military strikes. He cited, in part, the release of political detainees as a factor in the decision. However, the US president has continued to suggest that military force could still be used if his demands are not met. During a meeting at the White House on Friday, Trump urged senior oil executives to invest in Venezuelas energy sector. The proposal was received cautiously, with ExxonMobil chief executive Darren Woods reportedly describing the country as uninvestable without sweeping reforms. Trump countered that oil companies had previously operated without proper safeguards under Maduros government, but claimed conditions had now changed. Now you have total security. Its a whole different Venezuela, he said. He also made clear that US companies would engage exclusively with Washington rather than Caracas in developing Venezuelas oil resources. Trump further said that oil firms had pledged investments totalling around $100 billion, even as Venezuelas energy infrastructure remains severely degraded after years of poor management and international sanctions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The president earlier announced plans for the United States to sell between 30 million and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, with the proceeds to be allocated at his discretion. He also said that any funds ultimately transferred to Venezuela would be used solely to purchase American-made goods. Chinas financial exposure to Venezuela adds another layer of complexity. Estimates suggest Beijing is owed at least $10 billion, much of it repaid under Maduro through oil shipments. Analysts have said an interim Venezuelan government aligned with Washington could challenge the legality of those oil-backed loans and halt repayments. According to a Morgan Stanley research note, two Chinese state-owned firms China National Petroleum Corporation and Sinopec hold rights to 4.4 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil reserves, the largest share controlled by any foreign country. In the meanwhile, Washington has maintained maritime pressure on oil tankers in the Caribbean, where it seized a fifth tanker carrying Venezuelan crude oil that would be sold, Trump said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD State-owned oil company PDVSA confirmed in a statement that one vessel was returning to Venezuelan waters, describing it as the first successful joint operation with Washington. With inputs from agencies US President Donald Trump on Friday promised oil giants total safety and security in Venezuela, just days after he took control of the Latin American nations oil reserves US President Donald Trump (2L) speaks during a meeting with US oil company executives in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on January 9, 2026. AFP US President Donald Trump on Friday promised oil giants total safety and security in Venezuela, just days after he took control of the Latin American nations oil reserves. Trump held a roundtable press conference at the White House in a bid to persuade oil giants to invest a whopping $100 billion in Venezuela. The discussions are being held right after the US forces toppled the draconian regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and captured him and his wife. The oil executives included leaders from Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. At the meeting, the American leader doubled down on claims that Maduros arrest presents American oil companies with an unprecedented opportunity for extraction. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While many of the executives expressed support for the Trump administrations actions in Venezuela last weekend, and hinted that they stood ready to invest, some also raised security concerns. The meeting came a week after Trump suggested production in Venezuela could be boosted within 18 months. Were going to be extracting numbers in terms of oil as few people have seen, he said on Friday, emphasising that the US stands to benefit from lower energy prices. Venezuela is going to be very successful, and the people of the United States are going to be big beneficiaries. Trump encourages private investment Trump made it clear that the investment would be coming from oil companies and not from the American federal government. Earlier in the week, he suggested that the US taxpayer might fund their investments. The plan is for them to spend, meaning our giant oil companies will be spending at least $100bn of their money, not the governments money, Trump said at the meeting. They dont need government money, but they need government protection and government security. The American leader warned that if they arent interested in rebuilding efforts, I got 25 people that arent here today that are willing to take your place. While he offered them total safety, Trump suggested that some of the oil firms present did not need the US governments help. These are people that drill oil in some pretty rough places, he said. I could say a couple of those places make Venezuela look like a picnic. After the meeting, Mark Nelson, vice-chair of Chevron, said, the oil giant has been a part of Venezuelas past, we are certainly committed to its present, and we very much look forward as a proud American company to help it build a better future. Nelson said the company currently had 3,000 employees across four different joint ventures in Venezuela and that it had the capacity to increase our liftings from those joint ventures 100% essentially, effective immediately. Darren Woods, Exxons chief executive, said the company expected significant changes to Venezuelas legal and commercial landscapes for the company to reinvest in the country. Today its uninvestable, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Were confident that with this administration and President Trump, working hand in hand with the Venezuelan government, those changes can be put in place, Woods averred. Overall, the American oil giants are now keen to invest in Venezuela. The United Arab Emirates has removed the UK from its list of approved destinations for government-funded overseas study, citing concerns that Emirati students could be exposed to Islamist radicalisation on British university campuses. Graduating students take photos outside Senate House at Cambridge University, England, on May 17. 2024. AP File The United Arab Emirates has removed Britain from the list of countries where Emirati students can study on government scholarships, citing concerns over possible radicalisation linked to the Muslim Brotherhood on UK university campuses. Concerns over mindset shift among students Emirati officials have reportedly flagged a noticeable mindset shift among some students returning from the UK, pointing to campus activism and student groups as channels for Islamist narratives. While British universities often defend such spaces under principles of free speech and liberal discourse, Abu Dhabi views the Muslim Brotherhood as a direct threat to state stability. Sources said the UAE had previously urged the British government to restrict Brotherhood-linked speakers and formally proscribe the group. Britains refusal to do so citing the lack of evidence of terrorist activity appears to have deepened Emirati concerns. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD UK missing from approved scholarship list The UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research maintains an approved list of universities and courses eligible for government scholarships, updated every October. The UK is absent from the 2025 list for the 2026 academic intake. Countries including India, the US, Japan, and European nations such as France, Germany and Italy remain on the list. UK was top destination for Emirati students Until recently, the UK was the preferred destination for Emirati students. In the 202324 academic year, 8,535 Emiratis were enrolled at British universities, an 87 percent increase compared with 2018. When British officials sought clarification over the omission, UAE authorities reportedly said it was not an oversight. The UAE does not want their kids to be radicalised on campus, an official was quoted as saying. Officials also told UK media that funding for studies in Britain was being cut due to the perceived influence of the Muslim Brotherhood on campuses. Private funding still an option Despite the decision, Emirati families can still send their children to the UK using private funds, as the restriction applies only to government scholarships. Diverging views on the Muslim Brotherhood The UAE designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in 2014. The UK has never done so, despite a government-commissioned review that year which concluded the groups ideology was contrary to British values and raised national security concerns. Responding to the issue, a UK Home Office spokesperson said all forms of extremism have no place in British society and stressed that the country has strong laws to counter hatred and terrorism. Wider regional concerns Amit Tiwari, president of the Indian National Students Association UK, said there has been a concerning presence of radical Islamist ideology on some UK campuses, often supported by sections of the hard left in academia. He added that while Indian students have largely stayed away from such movements, caution is advised. The tensions over UK campuses come amid broader regional concerns over the Muslim Brotherhood, with Indian intelligence sources also describing the group as a shared systemic and ideological challenge, particularly in light of recent political developments in South Asia. Britain allocates 200 million pounds for Ukraine troop deployment prep, joins MNFU with France. John Healey announces Octopus drone production for Ukraine after Russia fires hypersonic missile. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer will accompany Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House on August 18. File image/Reuters Britain said it was allocating 200 million pounds ($270 million) to fund preparations for the possible deployment of troops to Ukraine, after pledging its soldiers this week to a multinational force for the country in the event of a ceasefire. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday agreed a declaration of intent at a summit of the coalition of the willing of Ukraines allies, outlining a potential future deployment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday, British defence minister John Healey said the money would be spent on upgrading vehicles and communication systems and counter-drone protection, as well as ensuring troops are ready to deploy. Britain made the announcement hours after Russia fired a powerful hypersonic missile, in what Kyivs European allies described as an attempt to intimidate them from supporting Ukraine. Macron has said France could send thousands of troops to the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNFU), aimed at firming up security guarantees to reassure Kyiv. Britain has not said how many troops it would send; Starmer said on Wednesday Britains plans were still being finalised. Healey said the funding announcement for the MNFU showed the government was surging investment into preparations for Ukraine. This capital spending is being funded from the core defence budget and sends a clear signal to allies and adversaries of the UKs intent to lead the MNFU, (and) fulfil our promises to secure the peace in Ukraine, the statement from the Ministry of Defence said. Healey also told Zelenskiy that production of Octopus interceptor drones, based on a Ukrainian design but made in Britain, would start in January. Britain will send thousands of them back to Ukraine each month to help the country defend itself against Russian drone attacks. A Ukrainian drone attack ignited a fire at an oil storage facility in Russias Volgograd region as Moscow and Kyiv intensify strikes on energy infrastructure amid escalating winter warfare. This handout photograph taken and released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on January 8, 2026, shows rescuers working to extinguish a fire in a heavily damaged residential building following a Russian missile attack in Kryvyi Rig, Dnipropetrovsk region.- AFP A Ukrainian drone attack triggered a blaze at an oil storage facility in Russias southern Volgograd region, officials said on Saturday, following a large-scale Russian assault that involved drones, missiles and a hypersonic weapon, disrupting electricity and heating supplies across parts of Ukraine. Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov said there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. In a message shared via the regional administrations Telegram channel, he noted that authorities were assessing the situation and that residents living close to the oil depot could be evacuated if required. Details on the extent of the damage were not provided. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraines General Staff confirmed overnight strikes on the Zhutovskaya oil depot, saying the facility plays a role in fueling Russian military operations. In a statement, it said assessments were underway to determine the scale of the damage caused by the attack. Kyiv has stepped up long-range drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in recent months, targeting facilities that generate revenue critical to Moscows war effort. Russian forces, meanwhile, have intensified their attacks on Ukraines energy network, aiming to cripple power, heating and water supplies during winter a strategy Ukrainian officials have described as an attempt to use the cold as a weapon against civilians. The latest developments come a day after Russia launched one of its heaviest assaults of the war, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, Ukrainian authorities said. At least four people were killed in Kyiv during the barrage. Notably, Russia deployed a powerful new hypersonic missile in the attack on western Ukraine only the second time such a weapon has been used since the war began nearly four years ago widely seen as a signal to Ukraines Western backers, including NATO, as fighting continues to escalate. The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general, said Fridays attacks have resulted in significant civilian casualties and deprived millions of Ukrainians of essential services, including electricity, heating and water at a time of acute humanitarian need. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said heat supply would be fully restored in Kyiv by the end of Saturday. She said areas on the right bank of the Dnieper River would gradually lift emergency blackouts and return to scheduled outages. But resuming power supply on the left bank, where Russian attacks were concentrated, is more complicated due to significant damage to the power grid, she added. Russias Defence Ministry said Saturday that its forces used aviation, drones, missiles and artillery to strike Ukrainian energy facilities and fuel-storage depots. Russia struck Ukraine with 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile, according to the Ukrainian air force. It said 94 drones were shot down. Separately, the Russian Defence Ministry said 59 Ukrainian drones were neutralized overnight over Russia and occupied Crimea. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraines military said that besides the oil depot in Volgograd, it had struck a drone storage facility belonging to a unit of Russias 19th Motor Rifle Division in Zaporizhzhia, southern Ukraine, as well as a drone command and control point near the eastern city of Pokrovsk. With inputs from agencies Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old woman who was shot dead in Minnesota, was seen saying everything is fine and Im not mad at you seconds before an ICE agent in Minneapolis killed her, a video from an officers perspective showed The ICE official allegedly shot through the windscreen of Good's car while sh was trying to back out. The bullet was shot directly at her face. Police tape is seen around a vehicle with a bullet hole the windshield in Minneapolis. Reuters Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old woman who was shot dead in Minnesota, was seen saying everything is fine and Im not mad at you seconds before an ICE agent in Minneapolis killed her. A video shared by White House on Friday showed what went down moments before Good was killed. The cellphone footage recorded during the exchange was shared by the partisan media outlet Alpha News, and later by US President Donald Trumps Rapid Response on X. It was also shared by Vice President JD Vance. The video showed from the perspective of the ICE agent, and after Good was shot, a mans voice called her a f**king b**ch. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In his post, Vance agreed with the notion that Goods death was a tragedy. However, he accused the media of dishonestly covering the circumstances of her killing. Watch this, as hard as it is. Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn't hit by a car, wasn't being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman. The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense. https://t.co/IfXAAxi9Ql JD Vance (@JDVance) January 9, 2026 Meanwhile, in a statement to The Guardian, the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that the footage was authentic while claiming that Good was impeding law enforcement and weaponised her vehicle in an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm to federal law enforcement and the officer was in fear of his own life. The American people can watch this video with their own eyes and ears and judge for themselves, McLaughlin added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Good appeared to be calm In the footage, Good was seen being approached by ICE officers while she was sitting in the drivers seat of a maroon Honda Pilot stopped across a roadway while a siren blared. Thats fine, dude, Good can be heard saying through an open drivers window as the agent filming the video walks in front of her car, past her open window and to her back license plate. She continues and appears to say: Im not mad at you. Another person was heard saying that the masked agent should show his face. That person appears to be Goods wife, Rebecca Good, who is then seen holding her own cellphone and heard saying: We dont change our plates every morning, just so you know. It will be the same plate when you come talk to us later. Rebecca then explicitly mentioned that both of them were American citizens, adding, You want to come at us? You want to come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy. Go ahead. She then turns to get into the passenger seat of Goods car when another masked officer can then be seen approaching the drivers side of the SUV while saying, Get out of the car. Out of the car. Get out of the fucking car. Get out of the car. The agent filming the video once again walked in front of the drivers side of the vehicle. Good then briefly backs up and drives forward while turning to her right as the woman with her says: Drive, baby, drive. The agents phone then abruptly points skyward, and he can be heard saying: Whoa! STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gunshots then erupt without the officer putting the phone down. A voice says, F**king b**ch, as Goods car briefly comes into view while it drives away. A loud crash is then heard. The dog seen at the back of the car reportedly remained unhurt. Who killed Good The ICE agent who killed the mother of three has been identified as Jonathan E Ross. The officer, who has been a 10-year veteran of the special response team of ICEs enforcement and removal operation, was taking part in an immigration sweep in Minneapolis on Wednesday at the time that he fatally shot Good. Back in June, Ross had been dragged by a vehicle while participating in the arrest of an undocumented immigrant with an open ICE detainer and a criminal conviction for sexually assaulting his 16-year-old stepdaughter in 2022. However, it is important to know that major law enforcement agencies in the US restrict officers from firing at cars coming towards them if the drivers arent wielding a second form of force, such as by aiming a gun at them. In his post, Vance asserted that Rosss life was endangered, and he fired in self-defence. If you want to say this womans death is a tragedy, that we should pray for her soul as Christians and Americans, then I agree with you, Vance wrote in a related X post, after previously joining other Trump administration officials in seeking, without evidence, to portray Good as engaging in domestic terrorism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But does this law enforcement officer have a family? Yes. Did he get seriously injured by a vehicle just six months ago? Yes. Did he have a reason to fear for his life? Yes. Does he have every right to safety while hes doing his job? Yes," he added. However, Minnesota officials and residents have met the Trump administrations narrative of Goods killing with sharp rebukes. The US and Iran exchanged sharp accusations as nationwide protests continued, with leaders on both sides issuing warnings and counterclaims. Protesters march on a bridge in Tehran, Iran, on December 29, 2025. File Image/Fars News Agency via AP Protests across Iran have triggered fresh tensions with Washington, drawing sharp reactions from leaders in both countries. As demonstrations spread to several cities, the United States rejected accusations of foreign interference, while Irans leadership blamed external forces for the unrest. The on Friday said Irans foreign minister was delusional after he accused Israel and Washington of fuelling the protests sweeping the Islamic republic. This statement reflects a delusional attempt to deflect from the massive challenges the Iranian regime faces at home, a US State Department spokesperson said. The response followed comments by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made during a visit to Lebanon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Earlier this week, speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Iranian leaders appeared to be in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago, Trump said. He warned that if Iranian forces opened fire on protesters, the US would respond. You better not start shooting because well start shooting too. Tehran accuses US and Israel of interference Earlier on Friday, Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of trying to influence and destabilise Irans protest movement, while downplaying the likelihood of direct foreign military action. Speaking in Lebanon, he claimed Washington and Tel Aviv were openly interfering in Irans internal affairs. This is what the Americans and Israelis have stated, that they are directly intervening in the protests in Iran, AFP quoted him as saying. Araghchi alleged that outside actors were seeking to escalate the situation. They are trying to transform the peaceful protests into divisive and violent ones, he said, accusing the US and Israel of exploiting domestic unrest to undermine stability in Iran. Addressing the risk of military action, he dismissed the possibility. Regarding the possibility of seeing military intervention against Iran, we believe there is a low possibility of this because their previous attempts were total failures, he added. Internet blackout and human rights concerns Iranians returned to the streets on Friday despite an internet blackout imposed by authorities as part of a crackdown. Amnesty International said the blanket internet shutdown was aimed at hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations and crimes under international law they are carrying out to crush the protests. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday, Jan 9, described demonstrators as vandals and saboteurs. Suggesting US involvement, he said Trumps hands are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians, referring to Israels June war against Iran, which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Khamenei said the arrogant US leader would be overthrown, comparing him to the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran until the 1979 revolution. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the US of fuelling global conflicts through its continued dependence on oil and coal, linking Washingtons withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement to ongoing wars and geopolitical tensions. Colombian president Gustavo Petro speaks during the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on September 23, 2025. Colombia's President Gustavo Petro called at the UN General Assembly Tuesday for a "criminal process" to be opened against counterpart Donald Trump for US strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean. (Photo by Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP) Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said the US will continue to pursue wars as long as its economy remains dependent on oil and coal, arguing that Washingtons withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has contributed to global conflict. Speaking to the BBC, Petro said that with around 70 percent of the US energy mix still based on fossil fuels, the country would tend to seek wars for both resources. He added that had the US remained committed to the Paris climate accord, there would be no wars and global relations, including with South America, would be more democratic and peaceful. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Paris Agreement, built on a 1992 treaty involving 198 countries, aims to support climate action in developing nations. The US pulled out of the accord soon after Donald Trump returned to the White House. Petros remarks follow a period of sharp exchanges with Trump on social media, during which the US President accused the Colombian leader of links to drug trafficking and threatened possible military action. Trump repeated those claims after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. However, tensions appear to have eased following an hour-long phone call between the two leaders. Colombian officials now expect improved cooperation with the US, particularly on drug trafficking. Trump said on Friday that Petro would visit the White House next month. I look forward to having a meeting with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, in the White House, during the first week of February, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Meanwhile, the US and Venezuela said they are exploring the restoration of diplomatic relations, with a Trump administration delegation arriving in the South American country on Friday. Venezuela said Friday it had launched talks with the United States on restoring diplomatic ties, days after US forces deposed Nicolas Maduro as its president. Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. (Photo: STR/AFP) Venezuela said Friday it had launched talks with the United States on restoring diplomatic ties, days after US forces deposed Nicolas Maduro as its president. It was the latest sign of cooperation following the leftist leaders capture and US President Donald Trumps claim to be in charge of the South American country. Officials said US diplomats were in Caracas to discuss reopening the countrys embassy, while in Washington Trump met with oil companies over his plans to access Venezuelas huge crude reserves. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez has decided to initiate an exploratory diplomatic process with the government of the United States of America, aimed at re-establishing diplomatic missions in both countries, Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said in a statement. John McNamara, the top US diplomat in neighboring Colombia, and other personnel traveled to Caracas to conduct an initial assessment for a potential phased resumption of operations, a US official said on customary condition of anonymity. Venezuela said it would be reciprocating by sending a delegation to Washington. Rodriguez in a statement condemned the serious, criminal, illegal and illegitimate attack by the United States and vowed: Venezuela will continue to confront this aggression through the diplomatic route. Trump vows oil investments Trump said earlier Friday that he had called off a second wave of attacks on Venezuela due to the prisoner releases. The US president had suggested he might use force again to get his way in Venezuela, which has the worlds largest proven oil reserves. At a White House meeting on Friday, he pressed top oil executives to invest in Venezuelas reserves, but was met with a cautious reception with ExxonMobil chief executive Darren Woods dismissing the country as uninvestable without sweeping reforms. Trump said foreign firms had enjoyed no meaningful protections under Maduro, but now you have total security. Its a whole different Venezuela. He also stressed that the companies would deal only with Washington, not Caracas, when exploiting Venezuelas oil resources. Trump earlier said that oil companies promised to invest $100 billion in Venezuela, whose oil infrastructure is creaky after years of mismanagement and sanctions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He had earlier announced a plan for the United States to sell between 30 million and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, with the money to be used at his discretion. He promised any funds sent to Caracas would be used to buy only US-made products. Prisoners release Anxious relatives waited outside Venezuelan jails for a glimpse of their loved ones as the authorities began releasing political prisoners a move Washington claimed credit for. When I heard the news, I broke down, said Dilsia Caro, 50, waiting for the release of her husband Noel Flores, who was jailed for criticizing Maduro. Venezuela began releasing prisoners on Thursday in the first such gesture since US forces removed and detained Maduro in the deadly January 3 raid. Trump told Fox News he would meet next week with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, whom he earlier brushed aside as lacking the respect to lead Venezuela. Exiled Venezuelan opposition figurehead Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia said that any democratic transition in the country must recognize his claim to victory in 2024 presidential elections. Maduro was proclaimed the winner of the vote, but his re-election was widely seen as fraudulent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gonzalez was hoping Friday for the release of his son-in-law, who was detained a year ago in Caracas. Protests in Caracas Maduro was seized in a US special forces raid accompanied by airstrikes, operations that left 100 people dead, according to Caracas. US forces took Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores to New York to face trial on drug-trafficking and other charges. Rodriguez insisted Thursday her country was not subordinate or subjugated despite her pledge to cooperate with Trump. Angry protesters rallied in the streets of Caracas on Friday demanding Maduros release in the latest of a daily series of demonstrations. We dont have to give one little drop of oil to Trump after all that he has done to us, said one protester, Josefina Castro, 70, a member of a civil activists group. Our Venezuelan brothers died (in the attack), and that hurts. US President Donald Trumps sweeping immigration crackdown increasingly is sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and US citizens, a development grimly underscored by an ICE officers fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman this week. US President Donald Trumps wide-ranging immigration crackdown has increasingly led to violent encounters involving migrants as well as American citizens, a trend brought into sharp focus by the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer earlier this week. Following Trumps directive to sharply step up deportations, masked immigration agents have intensified operations in Democratic-run cities, deploying tear gas on residential streets, forcibly detaining people in parking lots and pointing weapons at onlookers attempting to record the actions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In one incident last month, a federal officer was seen dragging a woman through a snow-covered street in Minneapolis, an episode the citys police chief condemned as showing a shocking lack of regard for human dignity. According to current and former immigration officials, these confrontations stem from a major change in enforcement strategy, coinciding with a rapid drive to hire and train thousands of new officers. The White House pushed for a sharp rise in immigration arrests in late May, prompting officers to abandon more targeted actions against individuals with serious criminal records in favour of highly visible large-scale raids. Since then, enforcement operations have faced growing public resistance, sometimes escalating into tense standoffs. This kind of highly visible, aggressive and contact-heavy approach creates risks, said Scott Shuchart, a former ICE official who served during the Biden administration. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have all publicly defended the ICE officer involved in the shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, portraying her as someone attempting to obstruct enforcement efforts. Shortly after the incident, Noem claimed that Good attempted to ram the officer with her vehicle, describing the act as domestic terrorism. Responding to a request from Reuters, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson accused Democrats and sections of the media of vilifying ICE personnel and fuelling hostility toward federal officers. The Democrats lies have directly fuelled their supporters to harass and impede law enforcement, which is the cause of any tensions and puts officers at risk, Jackson said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The ICE officer involved in the fatal shooting, Jonathan Ross, fired the first of three shots as Goods vehicle moved past him, a Reuters analysis of the available visuals showed. Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin defended the Trump administrations approach and said the officer in Minneapolis feared for his life. ICE law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations, she said. One former ICE official who spoke with Reuters blamed Democratic leaders for fuelling the backlash by refusing to cooperate with ICE and publicly criticizing their work. Another said it was jarring to see protesters following officers with whistles, trying to disrupt their work. In Minnesota, they have been pelted with snowballs. ICE poised to ramp up in 2026 The administration is preparing to spend tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to hire more immigration officers and intensify its operations, raising concerns such violence could grow in the coming year. Several current and former ICE officers, speaking on the condition of anonymity to speak openly about sensitive matters, expressed concerns that ICE could bring on less-qualified candidates with its accelerated hiring push. The US Department of Homeland Security said earlier this month that it had hired 12,000 new ICE officers on top of an existing force of 10,000, although some questioned whether that many were actually fully hired and working. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD DHS internal watchdog is conducting a review of ICEs hiring practices, with staff expected to visit the departments Georgia training facility in coming weeks, one of the former ICE officials said. The new curriculum cuts involved halving training for firearms and tactics, the former ICE official said. The training for new ICE officers had previously been five months but the Trump administration reduced it to two months as part of its effort to speed up hires, McLaughlin said, adding that it was done to cut redundancy and that candidates still meet the same standards. Even as immigration enforcement becomes more contentious and ICE adds thousands more officers, the agency will have less oversight than in previous years after several DHS oversight bodies experienced mass staffing cuts last year. Shootings follow immigration crackdown Federal immigration officers have shot people in 16 incidents since Trump intensified his crackdown in June, according to The Trace, a non-profit news outlet that tracks gun violence. In some of the cases, immigration officials said agents were under threat due to vehicles being used as weapons, though video evidence and judges later raised questions about those claims. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The incidents included the fatal shooting in Chicago of a Mexican father of two after dropping off his kids, the shooting of a TikTok streamer in Los Angeles and a U.S. citizen in Chicago. John Tsoukaris, a former top ICE official who retired in July, said the ICE officer who fired the fatal shots in Minneapolis may have been within the bounds of protocol and that an investigation would be needed to determine the facts. In these very stressful and challenging situations, officers have to make a split-second decision, said Tsoukaris, who was a field office director for ICEs office in Newark, New Jersey. We should not rush to judgment of the officers actions without the full picture. Kavanaugh stops open door to broad sweeps The Supreme Court in September said the Trump administration could stop people in U.S. cities for reasonable suspicion of violating immigration laws based on factors such as having brown skin or speaking Spanish, a position defended by Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a concurrence at the time. Opponents of Trumps aggressive enforcement say such Kavanaugh stops by ICE and Border Patrol have inflamed tensions. Darius Reeves, a former ICE field office director who retired in 2025, said the Trump administrations confrontational approach is putting officers at risk and increasing the likelihood of violent interactions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Reeves, who spent more than two decades at the agency, said ICE historically tried to minimize its public presence and operate in a more targeted manner. We should not be flooding these neighbourhoods and antagonizing people, Reeves said. This is not going to go well. With inputs from agencies Trump has doubled down on his threat to take over Greenland, insisting that the United States is going to do something [there] whether they like it or not. The remarks from Trump came while he was speaking at a meeting with oil and gas executives at the White House A man passes a building with social housing with an Inuit mural in Nuuk, Greenland. Donald Trump on Friday again suggested the use of force to seize Greenland as he brushed aside Denmark's sovereignty over the autonomous Arctic island. File photo/Reuters The leaders of five political parties in Greenland said in the Parliament on Saturday that they do not wish to be part of the US after President Donald Trump reiterated using military force to acquire the minerals-rich country. We dont want to be Americans, we dont want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders, the leaders of five parties in Greenlands parliament said. The future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What has Trump said? Trump on Friday doubled down on his threat to take over Greenland, insisting that the United States is going to do something [there] whether they like it or not. The remarks from Trump came while he was speaking at a meeting with oil and gas executives at the White House. During the talks, in front of the media, Trump went on to justify his comments by saying, If we dont do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland. And were not going to have Russia or China as neighbours." Trumps latest threat came amid the mounting tensions between the US and Nato allies over the matter. While speaking on the brewing tensions between Nato and the US, Trump highlighted the alliances dependence on the United States. If it werent for me, you wouldnt have Nato right now, Trump said on Friday. But were not going to allow Russia or China to occupy Greenland, and thats whats going to happen if we dont. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an invasion of Greenland would end everything, meaning the transatlantic NATO defence pact and the post-World War II security structure. Trump has made light of the concerns of Denmark, a steadfast US ally that joined the United States in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Im a fan of Denmark, too, I have to tell you. And you know, theyve been very nice to me, Trump said. But you know, the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesnt mean that they own the land. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US President Donald Trump on Friday repeated his threats to take over Greenland, insisting that America is going to do something [there] whether they like it or not. US President Donald Trump on Friday doubled down on his threat to take over Greenland, insisting that the United States is going to do something [there] whether they like it or not. The remarks from Trump came while he was speaking at a meeting with oil and gas executives at the White House. During the talks, in front of the media, Trump went on to justify his comments by saying, If we dont do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland. And were not going to have Russia or China as neighbours." Trumps latest threat came amid the mounting tensions between the US and Nato allies over the matter. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Denmark, which has control over Greenland, has made it explicitly clear that the Arctic region is not for sale, repeatedly rejecting Trumps posture. Despite admonishments from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who recently said that a US attack on Greenland would mean the end of Nato and therefore post Second World War security, Trump has continued to insist that he supports the alliance. .@POTUS: "We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor. I would like to make a deal the easy way." pic.twitter.com/O3wH89icOp Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 9, 2026 Trump claims Russia & China would annex Greenland if the US didnt While speaking on the brewing tensions between Nato and the US, Trump highlighted the alliances dependence on the United States. If it werent for me, you wouldnt have Nato right now, Trump said on Friday. But were not going to allow Russia or China to occupy Greenland, and thats whats going to happen if we dont. It is pertinent to note that Trump has long expressed interest in Greenland. He floated the idea publicly for the first time back in 2019, during his first presidency. At that time as well, his proposal met with swift opposition from both Danish and Greenlandic leaders. Trump revived the topic in recent weeks following the US's operation in Venezuela in which they captured the countrys President, Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Trump said he needed Greenland very badly as a national security imperative. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, Greenlanders have repeatedly expressed their refusal to be part of the US, with 85 per cent of the population rejecting the idea, according to a 2025 poll. Meanwhile, polling shows only 7 per cent of Americans support the idea of a US military invasion of the territory. Greenland is not the only issue that is currently on Trumps radar. On Friday, he warned that the US would take action against the Iranian regime if it moves to violently suppress protesters as demonstrations continue to grow across the country. Describing Iran as being in big trouble, Trump said: If they start killing people as they have in the past, we will get involved. Well be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And again, I tell the Iranian leaders: Youd better not start shooting, because well start shooting too," he added. 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 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. The fate of more than $300 million in child care and social services funds for Colorado now hangs in the balance of a multi-state lawsuit filed on Thursday. The dispute started on Monday, Jan. 6, when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notified Colorado that it would be prohibited indefinitely from accessing three substantial federal grants due to the potential for extensive and systemic fraud. Four other states received the HHS memos, including Minnesota, where at least $217 million in fraud has been identified, but federal prosecutors allege the total could reach $9 billion. #To learn more about those memos, which funds were frozen and the nature of the federal fraud investigation, read the Sentinels initial reporting on the subject. For the Centennial State, however, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said the freeze is a retaliatory measure without evidence, or even a hint, of widespread fraud. Its clear the administrations motivation is to punish Democratic-led states that are disfavored by the administration, Weiser said in a press release. Children and families should not suffer because the Trump administration has a beef with blue states. With that, Weiser and attorneys general from Minnesota, California, Illinois and New York sued the Trump administration. The lawsuit alleged that the proposed freeze ignores detailed legal requirements for imposing sanctions under these programs (and) the laws and regulations governing these (Administration for Children and Families) programs, while violating Congress power over spending and the constitutional principle of separation of powers. The legal effort included an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order, which was approved Friday afternoon, prohibiting the HHS from implementing the funding freeze or virtually any other restrictions on access. That isnt a permanent solution, however. This relief is preliminary in nature and is designed to protect the status quo while (the states) motion for a preliminary injunction is briefed and decided, the court order stated. The order shall automatically expire in 14 days, subject to any further order from the Court... In the meantime, the Colorado Department of Human Services said it had already received some of the to-be-frozen funding before the memos were sent including enough money to last the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program through March, and about half the annual appropriation for the fund that subsidizes child care for low-income families. The Mesa County Department of Human Services confirmed none of its services have been disrupted as of Friday. CDHS added that it is not aware of any open federal fraud investigations into any of the three impacted programs. Specific to TANF, the spokesperson said that fraud, or an intentional program violation (IPVs), is few and far between. According to her, there were 27,932 Colorado families on TANF last fiscal year, and 177 instances of IPV about 0.6% of all cases. Colorado takes the stewardship of public money very seriously, she said. We have a robust system of checks and balances to ensure every dollar goes to eligible families. Each program utilizes various strategies to identify and prevent instances of fraud... Without these programs, there will be immediate and devastating impacts for Coloradans who depend on this support, Weiser said. Childcare providers would lose essential funding, and even children who do not receive ACF-funded care could lose access if facilities are forced to reduce staff or shut down, Weisers press release added. Employers would lose valuable workers, hurting states economies, and families would lose critical cash assistance to help them afford essentials like gas, groceries and rent. Contracts Contracts For Jan. 9, 2026 Defense Logistics Agency L3 Harris Fuzing and Ordnance Systems Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $18,463,883 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quality contract for safety and arming devices. This was a sole-source acquisition using justifications 10 U.S. Code 3204 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 (a)(2). This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Pennsylvania, with a Jan. 31, 2031, performance completion date. Using customer is Army Aviation & Missile Command. Type of appropriations is fiscal 2026 through 2031 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA2-26-D-0003). ARMY Abhe & Svoboda Inc., Jordan, Minnesota, was awarded a $12,945,925 firm-fixed-price contract to repair Tainter gates and associated items, including all related incidental work. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Spiro, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 4, 2029. Fiscal 2026 civil construction funds in the amount of $12,945,925 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, is the contracting activity (W912BV-26-C-A002). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4374773/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services in Transition Forsvaret - Norwegian Armed Forces As of 1 January 2026, the Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Service (NAFMS) has been given a new organisational structure. In light of the security situation, both the medical profession and operational deliveries will be strengthened. Published 7. Jan 2026 12:54 By: MSG Kristian Elden, NAFMS The Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Service (NAFMS, Norwegian name: Forsvarets sanitet) is entering 2026 with a new organisational structure. Effective 1 January, NAFMS will adapt to the evolving security environment by strengthening its areas of professional authority, including associated advisory support to the Defence leadership, as well as its operational structures. "In light of the current security situation, there is an increased need for medical support and civil-military cooperation to sustain military forces. Through this organisational development, we aim to achieve the greatest possible effect from the resources we have," says Brigadier Petter Iversen, Commander of the NAFMS. He explains that NAFMS has highly skilled personnel, but that no significant increase in resources can be expected, making it necessary to employ personnel in a more efficient way. "The key measure to achieve this, is to establish a clear distinction between the exercise of professional authority and the provision of operational and clinical services," says Iversen. This will be accomplished by distributing responsibilities between a new institute and the Medical Regiment. NAFMS Institute The Armed Forces Medical Institute will serve as the center for NAFMS's exercise of professional authority. A key focus area for the institute will also be research and development (R&D). "In this way, we bring together the professional environments responsible for advisory support, the exercise of professional authority, and R&D. This will make it easier to achieve interdisciplinarity and better alignment of the various processes," says Chief Medical Officer Colonel Bent-Age Rolandsen. The institute will consist of a leadership element and four main sections: Human Performance, Veterinary Services and Force Protection, Military Mental Health, and Military Medicine and Development. "The institute will have limited operational output, which will allow us to prioritise professional advisory support and development." The Medical Regiment The Medical Regiment will be strengthened by assuming responsibility for most of the clinical and operational outputs. The regiment currently includes field hospitals, medical evacuation and a veterinary group. It will now also receive the clinical services within dental health, stress management and the National Military Medical Outpatient Clinic. "This enables us to provide more comprehensive medical support to the rest of the Armed Forces," says Colonel Ronny Skeie, Commanding Officer of the Medical Regiment. "With these new capabilities, the regiment now delivers critical contributions to the Norwegian Armed Forces' operational capability every day, from peace to war. Over time, we aim to further strengthen the regiment with additional reservists who can be called up for duty. "Expensive fighter aircraft, vessels and tanks are of little use if we do not take care of the health of those who operate them - both in terms of prevention and when they fall ill or are wounded. Medical support is therefore a vital part of sustaining the Armed Forces' operational capability," says Brigadier Petter Iversen. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Opening remarks by President Antonio Costa at the EU-Jordan summit in Amman, Jordan European Council / Council of the European Union European Council Statements and remarks 8 January 2026 14:28 Your Majesty, Royal Highness, I would like first of all to thank you for the warm welcome to President von der Leyen and I at this very first summit between the European Union and Jordan. One year ago, we signed the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership. Our strategic and comprehensive partnership is a key milestone. Now more than ever, we are working together as reliable and predictable partners. And our bilateral relations are strong and can only get stronger moving forward. The Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership is delivering tangible results. We maintain an excellent relationship at political level, with regular contacts at all levels to coordinate and align positions. We work together to advance shared values - peace based international law, democracy and human rights. The situation in the Middle East, in particular Gaza and the West Bank, have been at the heart of our regular exchanges. Also here today. Together with Jordan and other partners, the EU has offered to support new Palestinian internal security forces to restore order and governance in Gaza. And we will discuss this issue today. For months, Jordan's contribution to address the humanitarian crisis through air and land corridors has been truly remarkable, and valued by all. Yet, despite the ceasefire agreement, the humanitarian situation continues to demand urgent action. Other priorities that we will be discussing today are of course the Syrian political transition, and our shared support to Ukraine's independence and sovereignty. Our Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership has opened a whole new field for EU-Jordan cooperation, namely security and defense. Our fastest growing cooperation strand is military support through the European Peace Facility. And a new package of 35 million was just adopted in late 2025 for the purchase of an air-defence system - and more is planned in 2026. The delivery of this advanced technology from Europe will be combined with a structured policy dialogue addressing all military affairs, counter-terrorism, cyber and other threats. We are advancing steadily on the implementation of the 3 billion support package that combines grants and loans to support Your Majesty's Modernisation Vision, and for sure, President von der Leyen will develop on this. We remain committed to supporting Jordan's economic resilience, and stability. This Summit and the upcoming Investment Conference are key priorities for us. We can only harness the full social and economic dividends of this new Corridor if human capital is growing at the same time. This is why education, research and innovation are the fourth pillar of the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership. Lastly, the EU highly values the role played by Jordan in response to repeated refugee crises in the Middle East. As part of the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership, we will continue to offer a predictable support at scale to help Jordan in assisting host communities and refugees - including Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees through UNRWA. One year has passed since the signature of our new Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership - a busy one, an excellent one for EU-Jordan relations. As we take stock of those concrete results, we will use our first Summit to steer further implementation and guide the efforts to bring EU and Jordan even closer together in all fields. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Opening remarks by President Antonio Costa at the meeting with President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun European Council / Council of the European Union European Council Statements and remarks 9 January 2026 15:04 It is a true pleasure to be here with you in Beirut with President von der Leyen under the great hospitality of President Aoun. Today marks a significant moment exactly one year since President Aoun was elected by the Lebanese Parliament, ending over two years of political instability. This election, followed by the swift appointment of a new government, has been a real turning point for Lebanon, and we recognise the ambitious goals the President has set out. Despite the many challenges, important progress has been made. The European Union has consistently supported Lebanon through crises, providing humanitarian aid, technical support, and a commitment to help ensure the stability and prosperity of Lebanon in the long term. Lebanon's stability is not only essential for its citizens but for the entire region. Regional cooperation is key to peace and security for all. We are committed to Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity. There is no space for armed militias. They undermine the country's security and stability. I welcome President Aoun leadership in working to establish the State monopoly on arms. This is a critical step toward ensuring Lebanon's full control over its territory. In that context, I welcome the announcement that the Lebanese army has completed the first phase of Hezbollah's disarmament. I also welcome the involvement of civilian representatives from both Lebanon and Israel at this week's meeting of the Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanism - this a significant step forward. Permanent stability in the region cannot be achieved through military means alone. We have just arrived from Damascus where we were this morning. And let me recognise the constructive relations that the Lebanese and the Syrian leaderships are building together. The EU is ready to support Lebanon as it navigates this rapidly changing landscape. Lebanon can count on the EU. Our proximity geographically, historically, and culturally forms a powerful bond between our people and guides our partnership. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guatemala: Council prolongs restrictive measures by a year European Council / Council of the European Union Council of the EU Press release 9 January 2026 10:40 The Council today renewed the targeted restrictive measures imposed by the EU against those responsible for actions undermining democracy, the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala for one year, until 13 January 2027. Currently, these EU restrictive measures apply to eight individuals and one entity. The listed individuals are subject to travel restrictions preventing them from entering or transiting through EU member states. Both the individuals and the listed entity are subject to an asset freeze, and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them both directly and indirectly. These targeted sanctions are designed to strictly affect only those responsible for, engaging in, providing support for, or benefitting from actions that undermine democracy, the rule of law or the peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala. They are in no way sanctions against Guatemala, its population or its economy. The EU and Guatemala have a long-standing partnership, and the EU remains committed to supporting democracy and human rights in the country. The deployment of an EU Election Observation Mission in 2023, the EU's clear position in defence of the election results, its support for good governance, and these targeted sanctions are all part of this effort. The EU will continue to work with the Guatemalan government and all sectors of society to support a positive national agenda and to invest in inclusive and sustainable development for the benefit of all. As part of its commitment, the EU mobilised an Ad Hoc Mission to accompany in 2026 the selection and appointment processes for three important institutions (Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Constitutional Court and Attorney General), which all play a key role in upholding the rule of law and democracy in the country. Background On 12 January 2024, the EU adopted a dedicated framework for restrictive measures in view of the situation in Guatemala to support the democratic transition and the will of the Guatemalan people as expressed in their choice of the democratically elected government, and to target those undermining democracy and the rule of law or obstructing the democratic transition following the 2023 general election. The first set of five listings was agreed in February 2024, followed by the listing of three additional individuals and one entity for undermining democracy, the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala in June 2025. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU commits to strengthening partnership with Lebanon European Commission Press release Jan 9, 2026 Beirut During their joint visit to Beirut, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, met with President of the Republic of Lebanon Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. On the first anniversary of President Aoun's nomination, President von der Leyen and President Costa welcomed the decisive steps taken to stabilise Lebanon's security and economy, essential for the country's recovery and reconstruction. They also reiterated their commitment to Lebanon's democratic institutions and stressed the importance of the upcoming legislative elections. President von der Leyen said: "Europe and Lebanon share deep Mediterranean roots and a long tradition of exchange, dialogue and cooperation. We also share a common goal - stability, security and prosperity of our people. Today, our partnership is strong. And we are ready to strengthen it even more." The EU stands ready to launch discussions on a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership with Lebanon once conditions allow. Progress on key reforms, including banking sector reform and the modernisation of state institutions, remains essential and is fully supported by the EU. A renewed partnership would strengthen cooperation in areas of shared interest and advance the implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean. President von der Leyen also reiterated the strong EU support for Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity which has to be upheld, and its longstanding support to Lebanon's key security institutions, including the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and the General Security. The President underlined that is paramount to ensure that non-state armed groups are fully disarmed across the country's territory, and that only a diplomatic solution can ensure lasting regional stability. In this context, the 27 November 2024 ceasefire agreement must be fully implemented and respected by both sides. Background On 15 December 2025, the EU and Lebanon held the ninth EU-Lebanon Association Council, the first in 8 years, in Brussels. They reviewed the state of their bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening their partnership and working together toward a stable, secure and prosperous Lebanon. Cooperation with Lebanon will also be intensified in the framework of the Pact for the Mediterranean and its upcoming Action Plan (March 2026). In May 2024, President von der Leyen announced a 1 billion package to support Lebanon's stability, recovery and reforms. The first half of the package (500 million for 2024-2025) was adopted in August 2024 and included support for access to basic services, security and border management, governance reforms, private sector resilience and sustainable post-conflict recovery. The second half of package (500 million) for 2026-2027 is currently under preparation. Quote(s) Europe and Lebanon share deep Mediterranean roots and a long tradition of exchange, dialogue and cooperation. We also share a common goal - stability, security and prosperity of our people. Today, our partnership is strong. And we are ready to strengthen it even more. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by President von der Leyen with President Costa in Lebanon European Commission Statement Jan 9, 2026 Brussels Good afternoon, It's very good to be back in Beirut - a historic city with inspiring generosity and creativity. Europe and Lebanon share deep Mediterranean roots and a long tradition of exchange, dialogue and cooperation. We share a common goal - stability, security, and prosperity of our people. Today, our partnership is strong. And we are ready to develop it even further. Our action is focusing on three key strands. First, our relations as neighbours. During my visit of May 2024, I announced a EUR 1 billion support package. Our support enables us to accompany you in the reforms you are bringing forward. We welcome key steps you have taken in judicial and economic reforms. The reform of the banking system will certainly be key to stabilise the economy and attract more investments to Lebanon. This can also pave the way for an agreement with the IMF, and further support from the European Union. Second, security and defence. We all agree that security and defence are crucial. This is why we are providing important support to the Lebanese Armed Forces and to the Internal Security Forces and the General Security. And we are ready to step up our cooperation even further. We also agree that it is crucial that the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel is fully respected by all parties. Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity has to be upheld. And it is paramount to ensure that Hezbollah is fully disarmed. I therefore very much welcome your announcement yesterday of the completion of the first phase of the disarmament plan south of the Litani River, and I also welcome Lebanon's efforts to engage in dialogue with Israel. Third, we are working to build the conditions for safe, voluntary and sustainable returns of Syrians. For this, stability and economic recovery inside Syria remain of the essence. This was the message at the core of our visit in Damascus earlier today. Lebanon has shown remarkable solidarity by hosting one of the largest Syrian refugee populations in the world. And you can count on us. While we will continue to support refugees and host communities in Lebanon, we are also supporting the returns and reintegration of Syrians, in Syria, for which we just signed an EUR 80 million programme. We look forward to continuing working together with Lebanon. Thank you NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Finland's Minister of Defence Hakkanen meets Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO Finnish Ministry of Defence Ministry of Defence Publication date 9.1.2026 15.26 Finland's Minister of Defence Antti Hakkanen and General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO, met in Finland on Friday 9 January 2026. They also visited the Vaalimaa border crossing point at Finland's eastern border. Minister Hakkanen and General Grynkewich discussed the current security situation and NATO's deterrence and defence. "NATO continues its long-standing efforts to strengthen its deterrence and defence. An important milestone was reached in December when Finland, Sweden and Denmark were transferred to the area of responsibility of Joint Force Command Norfolk which now encompasses all the Nordic countries", said Minister of Defence Hakkanen. Minister Hakkanen emphasised the importance of the High North and Northern Europe for the Alliance as a whole. "Finland's strong homeland defence has been integral to our quick integration into NATO. The Multi-Corps Land Component Command North in Mikkeli is now an important element of NATO's command structure," Minister Hakkanen said. "The forthcoming Forward Land Forces Finland will be a key component of NATO presence. They will enable the Alliance to address effectively all threats in the High North," Hakkanen said. Minister of Defence Hakkanen and General Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, were joined in their meeting by General Janne Jaakkola, Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The US faces global condemnation, mixed reactions from 'allies' over raid on Venezuela Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Jan 09, 2026 11:45 PM US strikes on Venezuela and its forcible seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have sent shockwaves across the international community. Condemnations over the wanton act - including from some US allies - have poured in, blaming the US for flouting international law and basic norms governing international relations. On Monday, diplomats and foreign representatives convened a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in Venezuela. It was the second time that the Security Council had convened a session recently to discuss actions that the US has taken regarding Venezuela that other nations said threatened the stability and security of the international order, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. "It is unusual for there to be two meetings focused on US action," said Maya Ungar, a UN expert at the International Crisis Group. This, she said, "shows a pattern of increased American disregard for the tenets of the UN Charter," according to The New York Times. "The international community has generally voiced strong opposition to and condemnation of the raid in disregard of international law, norms and basic principles governing international relations. Many countries have voiced opposition to the US' unilateral bullying foreign policy and self-serving economic and trade practices," Sun Yanfeng, director of Latin American research at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times. How is the international community reacting to the US' raid on Venezuela? What considerations are shaping different countries' responses? This article analyzes the varied international reactions and examines the incident's global implications. Outcry from international community Beyond Venezuela itself, particularly fierce opposition came from the country's Latin American neighbors as they, according to Sun, are especially concerned that the US may replicate this model of invading sovereign states and arresting their leaders elsewhere. "Today it's Venezuela, tomorrow it could be anyone else," Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on January 3, raising alarm across Latin American countries over what they see as US hegemonic interference, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Latin American experts and media outlets believe that US action against Venezuela aims to create a "chilling effect" to deter countries in the region, according to Xinhua. On January 4, the governments of Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay issued a joint statement, expressing "deep concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally on Venezuelan territory," saying that "these actions constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and endanger the civilian population," according to an English version of the statement released on the Colombian Foreign Ministry website. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel accused the US of a "criminal attack," according to the BBC. Countries that emphasize international rules and uphold multilateralism in the world have expressed strong opposition to the US' move. "The US move, a typical act of bullying, seriously violates international law, infringes upon Venezuela's sovereignty, and undermines the rights of the Venezuelan people," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing on Wednesday. Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday expressed gratitude to China for condemning US aggression against Venezuela and the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, according to a post she published on Instagram. Some regional organizations also stressed the importance of peace and stability citing the potential risks and challenges to Latin America and even global stability. "The African Union (AU) underscores the importance of dialogue, peaceful settlement of disputes, and respect for constitutional and institutional frameworks, in a spirit of good neighborliness, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence among nations," read a statement by the AU released on its website on January 3. In a statement published on the website of Liberia's Permanent Mission to the UN, Lewis G Brown, Liberia's permanent representative, said that the A3 members - the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Liberia - continues to monitor developments with deep concern. "Such developments present serious challenges not only to Venezuela's internal stability and underscore the imperative to safeguard the broader peace and security of the region," Brown said. Complex reaction among 'allies' In the US, hundreds of people took to the streets of Manhattan as early as January 3 to protest against the military operation in Venezuela, according to Xinhua. The march was part of nationwide "No war on Venezuela" demonstrations held in more than 100 US cities, including Washington, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago and Miami. "This war is not about drugs, it is about Venezuela's oil," Karen, a middle-aged New Yorker in the march, told Xinhua. "How do you have the right to step in Venezuela, to attack Venezuela?" she said. "It feels like we act as criminals." Divisions are also seen in the US political circle. The Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday voted 52-47 to advance a war powers resolution, which would stop the Trump administration from carrying out further military strikes in Venezuela without congressional authorization, according to the Financial Times. Thursday's vote was the clearest signal that Republican lawmakers are growing wary of the White House's increasingly interventionist foreign policy and are eager to place limits on the White House's use of military force, per the Financial Times report. Following the US raid on Venezuela, officials and leaders of many European countries have issued statements. However, official reactions have been notably uneven, with major capitals stressing "principles" while often avoiding direct criticism of Washington, according to Xinhua. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the legality of the US operation was "complex" and international law in general must apply. Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand said "Canada calls on all parties to respect international law and we stand by the people of Venezuela and their desire to live in a peaceful and democratic society." Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said "international law is universal and binding for all states" and "the American intervention in Venezuela is not in accordance with international law," according to the BBC. French President Emmanuel Macron criticized the Trump administration on Thursday for defying the rules-based global order after the administration renewed threats to annex Greenland, Politico reported. European countries maintained selective silence over the US military violation of Venezuela's sovereignty out of fear of offending Washington, yet they were soon bullied by the US over the Greenland issue. This exposes the long-standing double standards of Western countries in international affairs and reveals Europe's predicament in transatlantic relations, according to a Xinhua article released on Thursday. The Japanese government is also seeking to avoid taking a clear stance on Washington's military operation in Venezuela, finding itself caught between its commitment to the Japan-US alliance and its emphasis on the international rule of law, Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday. The Japanese government has refrained from offering a direct evaluation of the US military operation in Venezuela. But it plans to keep a close watch on developments, including responses of relevant countries, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae addressed this during a New Year's news conference on Monday, per the NHK report. On the evening of Friday, a large number of Japanese citizens gathered in front of the Prime Minister's official residence to protest. Their grievances were directed at Takaichi's evasive stance regarding the US strikes on Venezuela and the government's recent series of concerning military policy shifts, according to Xinhua. A similar situation has also emerged within the Philippine government. In a statement issued on Monday, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs expressed "concern over evolving events in Venezuela," according to the Manila Times. Analysts warn that a further slide towards "might-makes-right" behavior could leave smaller states more exposed in a world increasingly shaped by power rather than rules, said Malaysian news outlet The Star. The Venezuela incident has had profoundly negative implications for international relations. First, it elevates domestic law above international law; second, it disregards the principle of sovereign equality by allowing a powerful country to invade another at will under fabricated pretexts; and third, the US may replicate such behavior against future rivals, using unilateral domestic legal standards to judge other countries' foreign policies and heads of state - an extremely dangerous precedent, Sun told the Global Times. A wake-up call The US' dramatic display of power in Venezuela has not only shocked the world, but also deepened global concerns over its expanding interventionism and the destabilizing effects of a new iteration of the Monroe Doctrine, which historically declared the Western Hemisphere as a US sphere of special interest. At the same time, it has fueled growing calls for greater international solidarity and a more multipolar world order. "Expressions of unbridled power don't come blunter than abducting a sitting president from his capital in the dead of night," read a CNN editorial. "Deep in the heart of this staggering operation lies Washington's wider ambitions for greater control of its near-abroad, for what they have termed an updated Monroe Doctrine," it read. The implementation of the new Monroe Doctrine in the Americas will lead to more crises, turmoil and conflict; if it spreads to other regions, it could trigger greater global instability - a scenario the vast majority of countries are unwilling to see, Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, warned during the interview with the Global Times. At the same time, it may prompt countries to better recognize the importance of strengthening cooperation and safeguarding a sound international order, while also accelerating the process of multipolarization, Li said. The US' double standards exposed by the Venezuela incident may make its friends in Asia-Pacific realize the need to rely more on themselves, which means these countries may become more proactive in expanding their influence in the region, Liao Fan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said at a seminar held by the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations on Tuesday, according to The Paper. "For other Global South countries, the top priority is to rapidly strengthen themselves and enhance their comprehensive national capacity, which is essential to enable them to withstand external interference on all fronts," Li stressed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China will continue to firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding its sovereignty: FM on Venezuelan acting president meeting Chinese ambassador Global Times By Global Times Published: Jan 09, 2026 03:36 PM China attaches great importance to its relationship with Venezuela and has always maintained good communication and cooperation with the Venezuelan government, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday in response to a question about a social media post by Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez saying that she had met with the Chinese ambassador to Venezuela. China will continue to firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding its sovereignty, dignity, national security and legitimate rights and interests. Regardless of how the political situation in Venezuela may change, China's commitment to deepening practical cooperation across various fields and promoting common development between the two countries will remain unchanged, the spokesperson said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BRICS members to hold joint drills near South Africa: Chinese Defense Ministry Global Times By Liu Xuanzun and Liu Xin Published: Jan 09, 2026 05:05 PM BRICS members are holding a joint maritime exercise near South Africa, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Friday. A Chinese expert noted that this marks the first such exercise under the BRICS framework, with key significance in safeguarding global maritime stability. From early to mid-January, the "Will for Peace 2026" joint maritime exercise will be held in the sea and airspace near Simon's Town, South Africa, with BRICS members including China, Russia and South Africa taking part, according to a statement from China's Ministry of National Defense on Friday. The exercise will focus on joint actions to safeguard the security of key shipping lanes and economic activities, and will include drills such as counter-terrorism and hostage-rescue operations as well as maritime strike exercises. It will also feature professional and technical exchanges, naval vessel visits and mutual ship tours. The joint exercise aims to further deepen military exchanges and cooperation among the participating countries and enhance their collective capability to respond to maritime security threats, said the ministry. The Chinese side's announcement came after the South African side announced on December 30 that a China led joint, interagency, inter-departmental, multinational exercise will be hosted in South African waters over period 09 -16 January 2026, according to the South African press release. Exercise "Will for Peace 2026" brings together navies from BRICS Plus countries for an intensive program of joint maritime safety operations, interoperability drills and maritime protection serials, the press release said. This is not the first time China, Russia and South Africa have conducted a joint exercise. In November 2019 and February 2023, the three countries held joint maritime exercises near South Africa, according to official media reports. But the "Will for Peace 2026" seems to stand out as the first multilateral exercise under the BRICS framework, said Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert. He told the Global Times that the goal of the BRICS defense cooperation is to safeguard maritime trade route and sea lane security. The drill is expected to enable the participating militaries to familiarize themselves with the procedures of joint operations, enhance their interoperability, and boost maritime security cooperation. It marks that BRICS members have stepped up promoting maritime cooperation, which is very important for the safeguarding of international maritime security and world peace, Zhang said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Vance's hype of Greenland's role for defense against Russian, Chinese missiles excuse for US' hegemonic territorial claims: expert Global Times By Liu Xuanzun and Liang Rui Published: Jan 09, 2026 11:01 AM Amid the US' pursuit of Greenland and worries about a US military takeover, US Vice President JD Vance reportedly again hyped that Greenland is "critical" for the defense of the US and the world against possible Russian or Chinese missile attacks. Such rhetoric is only a made-up excuse for the US' hegemonic territorial claims on Greenland, a Chinese expert said on Friday. BBC reported on Thursday that Vance claimed in an interview on Wednesday that the US' missile defense infrastructure is partially dependent on Greenland. He further hyped that, "If God forbid the Russians and the Chinese -- not saying they're going to -- but if, God forbid, somebody launched a nuclear missile into our continent, they launched a nuclear missile at Europe, Greenland is a critical part of that missile defense." Vance then accused Europe and Denmark of having not "done a proper job of securing Greenland and of making sure it can continue to serve as an anchor for world security and missile defense." But BBC questioned Vance's logic. It said that the US already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland's north-western tip -- a facility that has been operated by the US since World War II. Under existing agreements with Denmark, the US has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland. Hyping up Russian and Chinese missiles is just a piece of US rhetoric that is a made-up excuse attempting to justify its hegemonic claims on Greenland, Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Friday. From a technical point of view, Greenland, located between North America and the Arctic, has been considered a key area where the US could detect and intercept some missiles that fly over the Arctic, which is previously believed to be the shortest route of missile attacks between major countries, but that has changed significantly with the development of missile technologies, Wang said. He noted that new-type missiles now have longer ranges that enable them to bypass the traditional Arctic route, and that hypersonic missiles could hardly be intercepted by contemporary missile defense systems. Using another country's territory as a shield is a move of hegemony, and missile defense cannot justify a potential occupation of another country, which is against the international law, Wang said. This is not the first time that the US has mentioned China in its pursuit of Greenland. When asked to respond to US President Donald Trump's claims that the US needs Greenland and one of the reasons he gave was because it is "covered with Chinese ships," Chinese Foreign spokesperson Lin Jian on Monday urged the US to stop using the "China threat" as a pretext for itself to seek selfish gains. In response to a question that the US has said again it is apparently considering military action to take Greenland, and again, it was mentioned that this was needed for national security and to deter China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday that China always advocates handling state-to-state relations in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. On the US hype of China's intercontinental ballistic missiles in a draft Pentagon report in December, Lin said at a regular press conference at the time that China remains firmly committed to the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense. China keeps its nuclear strength at the minimum level required by national security and does not engage in any nuclear arms race with any country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address One-Third of Sudan Displaced in 1,000 Days of Conflict, IOM Urges Urgent and Sustained Action International Organization for Migration 09 January 2026 Geneva / Port Sudan, 9 January 2026 -- Nearly one in three people has been displaced in Sudan, either internally or across borders, over the past one thousand days since the outbreak of the conflicta crisis that has devastated lives, uprooted communities, and triggered the largest displacement emergency in the world. On average, five displacement-triggering events have occurred every week over this period, resulting in widespread displacement. "One thousand days of conflict have taken an unbearable toll on Sudan's people," said Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). "Behind every displacement statistic is a family doing everything they can to protect their children, preserve their dignity and survive with almost nothing. The courage of the Sudanese people must be met with sustained international action - action that protects civilians, supports displaced families, and creates the conditions for peace so people can safely return, recover and rebuild their lives." According to IOM, 743 incidents have triggered displacement across Sudan since April 2023, including 524 conflict-related events and 219 natural hazards, such as floods and fires. Since the conflict began on 15 April 2023, more than 15 million people have been forced from their homes, including 11.58 million displaced within Sudan and approximately 4 million who fled across borders at the peak of the crisis. The conflict has displaced twice as many people in one year than Sudan experienced over the previous two decades combined. At its height, Sudan hosted approximately 15 per cent of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide, meaning one in every seven IDPs globally was Sudanese. Recent developments underline the continued volatility of the situation. Escalating violence in Al Fasher, North Darfur, in late October 2025 displaced more than 100,000 people, while ongoing clashes in the Kordofan region have forced approximately 65,000 people to flee in recent months. This has further contributed to increased cross border displacement into Chad and South Sudan in particular, with many fleeing into areas already marked by fragility. Even before the current conflict, Sudan already hosted an estimated 3.8 million displaced people. Since April 2023, 41 per cent of them have been displaced again, highlighting the protracted and cyclical nature of displacement in the country. After two years of fighting, the total number of IDPs decreased for the first time in February 2025, driven by return movements. After 1,000 days of conflict, approximately 9.33 million people remain internally displaced, while around 3 million people have returned to their areas of originover one million to Khartoum alone. However, returns remain fragile and are often occurring in areas with damaged infrastructure, limited services, and ongoing insecurity. Children continue to bear the heaviest burden of the crisis. More than half of all internally displaced people in Sudan55 per centare under the age of 18, facing disrupted education, heightened protection risks, and long-term consequences for their well-being and future. As Sudan approaches its fourth year of conflict, IOM reiterates the urgent need for sustained humanitarian access, increased funding, and a renewed focus on civilian protection. Without meaningful progress towards peace and stability, millions of Sudanese will remain trapped in cycles of displacement, loss, and uncertainty. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President met with the German Federal Chancellor in Germany President of the Republic of Lithuania Januray 09, 2026 On Thursday, President Gitanas Nauseda met with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Germany. The meeting focused on bilateral and transatlantic relations, support for Ukraine, and issues of security and defense. The President thanked the Chancellor for Germany's long-standing commitment to the security of Lithuania and the region, emphasizing that Germany's role in ensuring peace in Europe, including on the eastern flank, is exceptional and of great importance. "The inauguration of Germany's 45th Armored Brigade in Vilnius sent a powerful message, which you conveyed during your historic visit to Vilnius last year. Just over a month ago, a commemorative plaque dedicated to this occasion was unveiled in Vilnius Town Hall Square, bearing your words: 'Lithuania's security is also our security, and the protection of Vilnius is the protection of Berlin,'" said the Lithuanian leader. The President emphasized that Lithuania is fulfilling its commitments regarding the permanent deployment of the brigade ahead of schedule and will meet all planned deadlines. According to the Head of State, the deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania marks the beginning of deeper cooperation, interoperability, and integration between the armed forces of both countries. Gitanas Nauseda noted that the deployment of the German brigade is not merely a defense project. It also represents a unique opportunity to elevate bilateral relations with Germany to an even higher level and to strengthen political, economic, social, and cultural ties. In this context, the President stressed the importance of taking additional measures to strengthen German language education and promotion programs in Lithuania. The President reaffirmed Lithuania's support for all new European initiatives aimed at strengthening deterrence and defense, particularly those focused on reinforcing the security of the countries on the eastern flank. "The protection of the EU's eastern border has to become a financial priority for the entire European Union, both now and in the next EU multiannual financial framework. Capabilities for effective border protection have to be closely coordinated with NATO defense planning and provide real added value to our collective defense. We must be prepared for a long-term strategic confrontation with Russia, which will shape the European security environment for generations to come," the Lithuanian leader underscored. President Gitanas Nauseda also emphasized that Europe's first line of defense today lies in Ukraine, meaning that without a secure Ukraine, there can be no lasting security in Europe. According to the President, the right course of action is to ensure long-term military and financial support for Ukraine. "We appreciate Germany's efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. We welcome Germany's leadership in increasing military support for a country attacked by an aggressor. Germany's example could lead to a fairer distribution of the financial burden among Ukraine's allies. Lithuania, for its part, remains firmly committed to allocating 0.25 percent of its annual GDP to support Ukraine, with most of the assistance coming from the national budget," the Lithuanian leader stated. The President also underscored the need to invest more in Ukraine's defense industry and to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and Ukraine in this field. The President's Communication Group NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Army rescue of Fil-Am woman exposes terrorists' deception Philippine News Agency By Priam Nepomuceno January 9, 2026, 3:13 pm MANILA -- The Philippine Army (PA) on Friday lauded the 203rd Infantry Brigade which rescued Thursday afternoon a 24-year-old Filipino-American woman reported missing following the clash between government troops and New People's Army (NPA) remnants in Occidental Mindoro on Jan. 1. "The PA commends our troops for rescuing 24-year-old Chantal Anicoche who was found hiding in a hole near the encounter site at Sitio Mamara, Barangay Cabacao, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro on Jan. 8," Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said in a statement. He said Anicoche's rescue exposes the lies peddled by the communist terrorists and their mouthpieces, who accuse government troops of violating International Law in their legitimate missions. "Her case clearly unmasks the CTG's (communist terrorist group) way of exploiting and endangering young people through their deceptive recruitment tactics," Dema-ala said. In the same clash, a female student-turned NPA rebel was killed. Militant groups earlier claimed that Anicoche, a graduate of BS Psychology from the University of Maryland, and the fatality were in the hinterlands conducting research among farmers and indigenous people in the area. Army troopers later transported Anicoche from the mountains to Abra de Ilog, where she was checked by municipal health workers. Anicoche did not sustain any injuries, except for insect bites. "Rest assured that we stand committed to neutralizing security threats and ensuring the protection of civilians, regardless of their circumstances," Dema-ala said. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Multilateral exercises boost maritime patrols in PH waters Philippine News Agency By Priam Nepomuceno January 9, 2026, 12:09 pm MANILA -- A ranking naval official said the "multilateral maritime cooperative activity" (MMCA) being conducted by the Philippines with like-minded allies is giving the military more opportunities to cover and patrol the country's vast waters. "MMCAs are now part of our operational design. We don't look at them as mere training activities but as part of our operational maneuver already. This allows us to cover more areas of our maritime domain," Philippine Navy (PN) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in an interview with reporters late Thursday. He added that this became policy starting the first quarter of 2024 when Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. made it part of his command guidance. MMCAs are being conducted in the WPS and the southern part of the Philippines, Trinidad noted. For 2025, there are a total of eight MMCAs and 12 bilateral maritime cooperative activities between the Philippines and its allies. And when asked if there will be other countries that will be joining the MMCAs, Trinidad said the public will be immediately informed once this is finalized. "Again, the moment that these are finalized, you will be informed accordingly. We do not declare in advance our forthcoming activities," he added. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Romania handed over the command of the MCM BS TG to Turkiye Romania - Ministry of National Defence Press release No. 1 09.01.2026 On Thursday, January 8th, The Romanian Naval Forces handed over the command of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM BS TG) to the Turkish Naval Forces, during a military ceremony organized in the Port of Umuryeri, Istanbul. The biannual meeting of the MCM Black Sea Committee also took place on Thursday, where the officials were briefed on the activities conducted under the Romanian Naval Forces command. The Romanian Naval Forces participated in the MCM BS TG with the 274th "Vice-Admiral Constantin Balescu" Minelayer as the group's commanding ship, and with M 270 "Sublocotenent Ion Ghiculescu" Minehunter, over July-December 2025. During this period, two activations of the MCM BS TG took place in July 10-24 and October 4-17, during which the ships participated in Multinational Exercises BREEZE and POSEIDON. The principle of rotational command was established in the Memorandum of Understanding signed on January 11th, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey. Thus, the of the MCM BS TG command will be exercised for the next six months by the Turkish Naval Forces, and in the second half of the year by the Bulgarian Naval Forces, with the Romanian Naval Forces taking over command again, in the first half of 2027. The main purpose of the Task Force is to maintain the safety of maritime traffic in the Black Sea, by conducting marine mines surveillance, reconnaissance and neutralizing actions, as well as performing related search and rescue operations at sea. *** On Tuesday, January 6th, M 270 "Sub-Lieutenant Ion Ghiculescu" Minehunter, with a team of explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) divers on board, departed, from Constanta military Port, to join the MCM Black Sea TG, and to participate in the eighth activation of the group since its establishment, which takes place over January 6th-18th. During the mission, the task group has planned stopovers in the Ports of Umuryeri (Turkey), Burgas (Bulgaria) and Constanta (Romania), to restore its combat capability. The Press Office NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Maritime Interdiction Operation, Jan. 9, 2026 Press Release | Jan. 9, 2026 Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: "there is no safe haven for criminals." In a pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended Motor/Tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea without incident. Apprehensions like this are backed by the full power of the U.S. Navy's Amphibious Ready Group, including the ready and lethal platforms of the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale. The Department of War's Operation Southern Spear is unwavering in its mission to defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Europe Consider Boosting NATO Presence in Arctic to Appease Trump - Reports Sputnik News 20260109 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - European countries believe that strengthening NATO's presence in the Arctic region could persuade US President Donald Trump that the United States does not need to own Greenland for security reasons, Politico reported on Friday, citing sources. On January 3, Trump told The Atlantic magazine that the US "absolutely" needed Greenland, claiming the island was "surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged Trump to stop threatening Greenland with annexation. At a closed Thursday meeting in Brussels, the alliance ambassadors agreed on the need to bolster NATO's posture in the Arctic, three NATO diplomats told Politico, adding that Europeans see seeking a compromise with Trump as the first and preferred option. In particular, the meeting of NATO ambassadors reportedly discussed options such as using intelligence capabilities to improve territorial monitoring, increasing spending on Arctic defense, deploying more military equipment to the region, and holding more military exercises in the surrounding areas. One of the sources told Politico that the meeting of the alliance's 32 envoys was held in a "productive" and "constructive" atmosphere. Trump has repeatedly said that Greenland should become part of the US, citing its strategic importance for national security and the defense of the "free world," including from China and Russia. Former Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede said the island was not for sale. On January 4, Katie Miller, the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, posted an image on X with a map of Greenland colored in the US flag, captioned "SOON." In response, Danish Ambassador to the US Jesper Moller Sorensen said that Copenhagen expected respect for the kingdom's territorial integrity. Nielsen called the image disrespectful. Last December, Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy for Greenland. Landry reaffirmed the US' aim to make the island a part of the US. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he was appalled by Landry's remarks. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Jens-Frederik Nielsen warned the US against any takeover, demanding respect for their shared territorial integrity. The island was a Danish colony until 1953. It has remained a part of the Kingdom of Denmark after gaining autonomy in 2009, with the ability to self-govern and determine its own domestic policy. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US to Get Hundreds of Billions or Trillions of Dollars From Venezuelan Oil Sale - Trump Sputnik News 20260109 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said Washington will get billions, and possibly trillions, of dollars from selling Venezuelan oil. "We're taking billions and billions of dollars worth of oil, and it'll be hundreds of billions of dollars. It'll be trillions of dollars, but we're going to be there till we straighten out the country," Trump told Fox News. On January 3, the United States launched a massive attack on Venezuela, abducting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and taking them to New York. Trump announced that Maduro and Flores would face trial for allegedly being involved in "narco-terrorism" and posing a threat to the US. Caracas requested an emergency UN meeting over the US operation. Venezuela's Supreme Court temporarily transferred the duties of the head of state to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who was officially sworn in as acting president before the National Assembly on January 5. Trump said Tuesday the Venezuelan interim authorities had agreed to turn over from 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, and vowed to use the gained money to the benefit of both countries' people. He said Wednesday that Venezuela would only purchase American-made products as part of a "deal" with Washington to sell the Latin American country's oil. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Rubio's Call with NATO Secretary General Rutte US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson January 9, 2026 The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott: Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte today. The two leaders discussed the ongoing U.S.-led efforts to bring a negotiated end to the Russia-Ukraine war. They also discussed the significance of Arctic security for all NATO Allies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Rubio's Call with Spanish Foreign Minister Albares US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson January 9, 2026 The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott: Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. The two leaders discussed the United States' counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean and the need to ensure a proper, judicious transition of power in Venezuela. 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 9 January 2026 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General. ** Ukraine Good afternoon. I will start off with Ukraine. I do expect a statement at some point today, but I can tell you in the meantime that we have seen that another large-scale overnight Russian attack struck Ukraine, causing civilian casualties and widespread disruption to electricity, heating and water supplies, all this as temperatures dropped to -10C and below. We once again condemn these attacks against critical civilian infrastructure. In the capital, Kyiv, a health worker was killed, and rescuers and other health workers were also injured while trying to help people impacted by the attacks, which also killed and injured several civilians. This is what local authorities are telling us. Since the start of the year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports nine attacks on healthcare in Ukraine. Humanitarian organizations are continuing to support people in Kyiv and other impacted cities and towns, providing emergency assistance and monitoring urgent needs as conditions remain extremely challenging due to low temperatures. ** Syria On Syria, I can tell you that we continue to be gravely alarmed by the hostilities in Aleppo. Despite ongoing efforts to try to calm the fighting, the dangers of renewed and further escalation and the impact on civilians are extremely concerning. We underscore that all parties are bound by international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure at all times and we urge all to avoid further escalation. We urge them to demonstrate restraint and take concrete steps to prevent any additional civilian casualties. We call on all parties to show genuine flexibility and good faith and to swiftly return to negotiations to ensure the full implementation of the 10 March agreement. On the humanitarian front, our colleagues tell us that the heightened insecurity in parts of Aleppo has disrupted access to key roads, limiting the ability to move around and delaying humanitarian access. We are coordinating with relevant groups so we can continue to deliver humanitarian aid. ** Occupied Palestinian Territory In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tells us that we and our humanitarian partners are continuing to provide critical assistance to families all across the Gaza Strip. Between Monday and Wednesday, our partners reached more than 5,000 families with emergency cash assistance so that they can purchase some items on the market. Last year, more than 340,000 families across the Strip received such assistance at least once. Turning to the West Bank, our OCHA colleagues report that at least 20 Palestinian families have been displaced from the Ras 'Ein al 'Auja herding community in Area C, and that is in Jericho governorate. This occurred after a series of settler attacks and intimidation, such as cutting off the water and electricity network that we have seen in recent months. In a call for action issued today, our partners in protection warned that several herding and Bedouin communities have been displaced under pressure from Israeli settlers. They called on Member States to support the remaining families, deter attacks and reduce the threat of forced displacement. Meanwhile, in the northern West Bank, OCHA reports that, yesterday, Israeli settlers set fire to property, including vehicles, a school and a nursery. This caused injury and property damage in the localities of Deir Sharaf, Jalud and Bizzariya, all in Nablus governorate. Overall in 2025, OCHA has documented over 1,800 settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties or property damage in about 280 communities across the West Bank. This is the highest daily average since OCHA began recording such incidents in 2006. OCHA reiterates its call for the protection of civilians in the West Bank. ** Sudan In Sudan, the humanitarian situation remains very grave and grim. As you know, today marks 1,000 days since the war began, and civilians are continuing to bear the brunt of the devastating consequences of a conflict that they did not choose. Families have lost their homes, they have lost their livelihoods and, all too often, they have lost loved ones. Our humanitarian colleagues report some heartbreaking statistics, saying that nearly 34 million human beings that's almost two thirds of the population of Sudan now need some sort of humanitarian assistance. This has turned Sudan into the world's largest humanitarian crisis. It is also the largest displacement crisis globally, with 9.3 million people displaced inside their own country and more than 4.3 million refugees seeking safety in neighbouring countries. And I think the generosity of those countries neighbouring Sudan needs to be underscored and reminded. Food security is catastrophic. As you know, famine has been confirmed in El Fasher in North Darfur and in Kadugli in South Kordofan, with at least 20 other areas at risk. More than 21 million people are estimated to be acutely food insecure nationwide. Ongoing sieges in Kordofan have cut off Kadugli and Dilling localities, limiting access to food, access to farmland and access to markets. The health system is also near collapse. Fewer than half of health facilities are fully functional, with access especially restricted for people living amid ongoing hostilities. Cholera has been reported in all 18 states of the country, with more than 72,000 suspected cases recorded last year. Nearly 12 million people, mostly women and girls, are at risk of gender-based violence. Households headed by women are three times more likely to be food insecure, and three quarters of those households report not having enough food to eat. Our humanitarian colleagues also report continued fighting in Darfur, along with drone attacks and long-range strikes targeting civilian infrastructure. Despite all of these challenges, our humanitarian partners reached nearly 19 million people last year, with local and women-led organizations often serving as the first, if not the only, responders in high-risk areas. Access remains dangerous and politically constrained, and more than 125 aid workers have been killed since April 2023. In 2026, our partners aim to assist 20 million people under a $2.9 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. We continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, full respect for international humanitarian law, safe access for aid, protection of civilians and aid workers amidst renewed fighting. ** South Sudan Just south of Sudan in South Sudan, our peacekeeping mission there (UNMISS) has released its latest quarterly human rights brief, which highlights, not surprisingly, a troubling security situation and a troubling civilian protection environment. While overall conflict-related incidents declined, serious abuses persist. Between July and September of last year, the Mission documented 295 incidents of conflict-related violence, impacting over 1,150 civilians, including killings, injuries and cases of conflict-related sexual violence all of this underscoring the continued vulnerability of civilians, especially women and children, in South Sudan. We call on all parties to respect international humanitarian and human rights law. For its part, the Mission remains committed to working with authorities and partners to strengthen civilian protection, promote accountability and support efforts towards a lasting peace in South Sudan. ** Questions and Answers Spokesman : Gabriel and then Edie? Question : Has the UN been notified at all by the US in the last 36 hours? No? That's okay. Spokesman : I didn't mean to anticipate your question, but go ahead. I'll let you finish your sentence. Question : For the record, I'll finish it, but I think you know it, too. Has the UN been officially notified about the US pulling out of those 31 organizations? Spokesman : No, and I checked especially with our legal department for the two treaties, and there's been no official communication. Question : Okay. And I want to ask you a question on international law. You've mentioned it in your briefing today. Almost every day we hear from the podium about the need for the respect of international law. During a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times, President Donald Trump said, and I won't read the whole quote, but I'll read the most pertinent part, he said, "I don't need international law. I'm not looking to hurt people." When the Secretary-General hears the President of the United States making such a comment on the record to the New York Times, what is his reaction? Spokesman : I think his reaction is to redouble his message to all Member States to respect the international law they themselves created. Edie and then Amelie. Question : Thank you, Steph. In a somewhat follow-up to Gabe's question, knowing all the organizations on the list, is the United Nations making any request to the United States to reverse any of the US withdrawals? Spokesman : We've always wanted more US involvement, more US participation in this organization. We've said that for many years, as we've seen over the years US withdraw and rejoin certain parts of the UN. We're really waiting for clarification, and I think whether it's from overall or the various offices that were listed in the White House announcement, to see exactly what this means. And if I recall the announcement from the White House, it also tasked the Secretary of State to kind of operationalize this. I think there's still... We've seen the announcement, but there's still a lot of questions. Question : And on Sudan, can you give us an update on what Mr. [Ramtane] Lamamra is doing to try and end this civil war? And one of the big issues has always been that there have been a lot of individual efforts by different countries. Has that actually been resolved so that there is any one group or one group of countries that is actually trying to get both sides to the table? Spokesman : Mr. Lamamra continues to work the phone to be in contacts with various parties. My understanding, and I hope to have some more details for you early next week, is, I think, there will be a meeting next week to try to do exactly what you said, which is to coordinate all the peace efforts so everyone is working together and not across purposes. Question : Where's that meeting going? Spokesman : I will, as soon as I have more information to share with you, I shall. Amelie, then Dezhi, then Namo. Question : Same issue as Edie. I mean, a few weeks ago, the SG said that he was hoping for technical talks in Geneva with the two parties on Sudan. Is there any progress on that? Spokesman : I have nothing new to report to you on that, unfortunately. Dezhi? Question : Yeah. Follow-up on the question on the US withdrawal from the entities. Has any of the UN, your colleagues, actively reached out to the US Mission to figure out what's going on, or you just wait? Or you're just waiting? Spokesman : We're continuing. It's not so much as we're waiting. We're continuing our work. Once we get some official information, we'll figure out how it impacts our work. But the work is continuing. Question : Yeah, but yesterday we talked a lot about the US payment of the budget. Can you remind us, when is the latest payment from the US Mission to the UN? Spokesman : There have been some peacekeeping payments. I will try to get the... [cross-talk] Question : The regular budget. Spokesman : I'll try to get you some information. Question : Because as far as I understand, the whole of 2025, they haven't paid. Spokesman : That's correct. Yeah. Question : So, the latest one should be in the end of 2024, as I will... [cross-talk] Spokesman : I will try to get you some information on that, Dezhi. Question : So, I mean, yesterday, we talked about the suspension of votes in the GA [General Assembly]. If that was the case, which means they haven't paid the 2025 for 2024, they paid like a sum that, if I understand correctly, if they didn't pay this, if they don't pay this year, they will lose their voting rights. Spokesman : There's a very clear triggering mechanisms for Article 19, and it is now, which... Question : Which says two years, two full years. Spokesman : Again, I will try to get you some more granularity on the payments. Question : Okay. Another question. Obviously, we have all seen the situation of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis, which actually prompted many protests here in the States. I just, I'm just wondering, does the Secretary-General have anything to say on that? Spokesman : I mean, I was asked yesterday and I said, obviously, the video that we saw of the shooting was deeply disturbing and I think disturbs anyone who's seen it. And we understand there's an investigation going on, and we hope it is conducted thoroughly and that people are brought to account. As far as the protest, you know, whether it's in the US or anywhere else in the world, people have a right to protest peacefully. That's an inherent right. Question : One last question which is totally different issue. It's been reported that the Board of Peace of Gaza, it seems they have a director which is the former UN special envoy, Mr. Nickolay Mladenov... Spokesman : Mladenov. Question : Yes. So, what is the reaction? Spokesman : Let's wait for the official announcement on that. Namo? Question : Thank you, Stephane. Reuters reports that the number of displaced civilians in Aleppo has reached over 140,000. What steps is the United Nations taking on the ground? Spokesman : We have humanitarian colleagues in Aleppo. They are trying to reach the people that they can. Obviously, it's a very challenging situation. They have not reported back to me today on hard numbers of displacement, but we do know that civilians have been forced to flee due to the ongoing fighting and the tensions. Question : One more question. An Israeli minister for combating antisemitism named Amichai Chikli yesterday posted on X, describing UN Secretary-General's reaction to what Aleppo as deafening silence. What do you make of that? Spokesman : I think you've heard his reaction. So, I don't think silence is the right word. Alex? Question : Thanks, Steph. Got a couple of questions. Do you have anything on Iran? Spokesman : Well, I mean, we're continuing to follow the situation extremely closely. We're very disturbed by the loss of life that we've seen. In my answer to Dezhi, you know, people anywhere in the world have a right to demonstrate peacefully. And Governments have a responsibility to protect that right and to ensure that that right is respected. Question : What about the UN Staff on the ground? Spokesman : UN Staff? As far as I know, everyone is safe and accounted for. Question : Are you in touch with them? Because there have been some reports of Internet outage. Spokesman : We don't have a magic Internet and phone line. So when phones are down, Internet's down, it's down for us. But I think we've had some contacts. Question : Today on a completely different topic, the US has captured another oil tanker. Do you have anything to share on this one? Spokesman : Again, we don't have the full details of the operation, but it is critical that, especially on the high seas and the open seas, that international law be respected. Question : And the last one, the US delegation has just arrived to Venezuela. Spokesman : The what delegation? Question : US delegation. Any comments on that? Spokesman : I don't have any details on their travel. Yes, Pan? Question : Thank you, Steph. A follow up on Trump's interview yesterday. Somebody stated that if you are not as powerful as the United States, you have to obey his orders. So, when the President of the United States says that he does not need international law, what do you expect other countries do in this? Spokesman : We don't speak for other countries. And I would refer you to what the Secretary-General recently said, which is that we believe in the might of the law. On that note, I will leave all of you. I wish you a happy weekend. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Children in Sudan have endured "1,000 days of agony" UNICEF Statement Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder 09 January 2026 AMMAN, 9 January 2026 - "For the children of Sudan, the world is 1,000 days late. "Since fighting erupted in April 2023, Sudan has become one of the largest and most devastating humanitarian crises in the world, pushing millions of children to the brink of survival. A profound protection crisis with widespread violations of international law by parties to the conflict, exacerbated by a lack of humanitarian access, has deepened with each of the 1,000 days of agony that have passed. "In 2026, 33.7 million people, about two-thirds of the population, are expected to need urgent humanitarian assistance. Half of them are children. Affected populations' access to lifesaving aid remains dangerously constrained across large parts of the country, intensifying the humanitarian crisis. "Children continue to be killed and injured - just this week, eight children were reportedly killed in an attack in Al Obeid in North Kordofan. "More than 5 million children have been forced from their homes - the equivalent of 5,000 children displaced every day - many of them repeatedly, with attacks and violence often following them as they move. Millions of children in Sudan are at risk of rape and other forms of sexual violence, which is being used as a tactic of war, with children as young as one reported among survivors. "An estimated 21 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity in 2026. Famine has already been confirmed in Al Fasher and Kadugli, with an additional 20 areas across Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan at risk. In North Darfur, the epicentre of Sudan's malnutrition emergency, nearly 85,000 children with severe acute malnutrition were treated between January and November 2025, equivalent to one child every six minutes. The collapse of health systems, critical water shortages and the breakdown of basic services are compounding the crisis, fuelling deadly disease outbreaks and placing an estimated 3.4 million children under five at risk. "Behind these numbers are lives marked by fear, hunger and loss, as the conflict continues to rob children of safety, health and hope. "Despite these extraordinary insecurity and access constraints, life-saving assistance continues to reach children wherever possible. UNICEF and partners are delivering support to treat severe malnutrition, vaccinate against deadly diseases, provide safe drinking water, and offer protection and psychosocial care to children affected by violence and displacement. "These efforts are keeping children alive under the most difficult conditions, but they remain far from sufficient in the absence of sustained access, adequate funding and a meaningful reduction in hostilities. Humanitarian action can save lives, but it cannot replace the protection that only peace can provide. "UNICEF is urgently calling for an immediate end to the conflict. All parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law: protect civilians, stop attacks on infrastructure, and allow safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access across Sudan. "Children in Sudan are not statistics. They are frightened, displaced and hungry, but they are also determined, resourceful and resilient. Every day, they strive to learn, to play, to hope, even as they wait for the world to act. Ending this conflict is a moral necessity. It cannot wait." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan: After 1,000 days of war, millions of civilians still bearing brunt By Daniel Johnson in Geneva 9 January 2026 - Aid agencies marked 1,000 days of war in Sudan on Friday with a grim reminder that the conflict has created the world's biggest hunger crisis and largest displacement emergency. Every day, civilians have been "paying the price for a war they did not choose", said UN aid coordination office, OCHA. Latest UN data indicates that 9.3 million people have been uprooted by conflict across the country and more than 4.3 million have fled across borders, placing immense strain on neighbouring countries. More than 21 million people are also believed to be acutely food insecure across the country. Although many of those displaced have returned to the capital, Khartoum, massive challenges and dangers for civilians remain there, including from unexploded weapons. Elsewhere, fighting is continuing "across multiple fronts in Kordofan" further west, OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke said. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, he noted that sieges have cut off the towns of Kadugli - capital of South Kordofan state - and Dilling - a town to the north of Kadugli - restricting food, healthcare and access to farms and markets. Daily drone, missile strikes In Darfur, meanwhile, "fighting on the ground and drone attacks from the sky continue", while long-range strikes on civilian infrastructure have also been recorded far beyond the front lines, Mr. Laerke added. Children continue to be killed and injured amid ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, with eight children reportedly killed in an attack in Al Obeid, North Kordofan, earlier this week. According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), a staggering 5,000 youngsters have been displaced every day since the conflict began in April 2023. "Many have been displaced not once but repeatedly, with violence following them wherever they flee," said UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires. He warned that millions of children are also at risk of rape with survivors including babies. "Behind every one of these numbers is a child, frightened, hungry, sick and wondering why the world has not come to help," Mr. Pires added. Sexual attacks scourge Women are also victims of "rampant" sexual violence and abuse, with some 12 million people - mostly women and girls - at risk of gender-based violence, according to OCHA. "Female-headed households are now three times more likely to be food insecure and three-quarters of these households report not having enough to eat," said Mr. Laerke. The global crisis in humanitarian funding has impacted the UN's work and that of its partners in Sudan, with only 36 per cent of the $4.2 billion requested last year finally funded by donors. In light of this reduced financial support, for 2026, OCHA aims to assist 20 million people out of the nearly 34 million people believed to be in need of humanitarian support in Sudan. The plan has been costed at $2.9 billion. "Today our call is urgent: first, an immediate cessation of hostilities and real steps towards a lasting peace," Mr. Laerke said. "Second, adherence to international humanitarian law with access facilitated across conflict lines and protection of civilians including aid workers and civilian infrastructure." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: Repression in Uganda, fighting in Syria's Aleppo continues, Gaza and West Bank updates 9 January 2026 - The UN has raised serious concerns ahead of Uganda's elections scheduled for 15 January, warning they will take place in an environment marked by widespread repression, intimidation and shrinking civic space. In a new report released on Friday, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said that since the 2021 elections, authorities have enacted or amended laws that entrench repression and impunity, targeting political opposition, journalists, human rights defenders and those with dissenting views. High Commissioner Volker Turk urged Ugandan authorities to uphold its international obligations and ensure all citizens can vote freely and safely. "The Ugandan authorities must ensure all Ugandans can participate fully and safely in the election, as is their right under international law," he said. "They must, among others, ensure that no unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal force, is used to disperse peaceful protests." OHCHR documented arrests and detention of opposition leaders and activists, raids on opposition party offices, confiscation of property, suspension of radio stations, arrests of bloggers and tighter controls on NGOs. Kizza Besigye detained Prominent opposition figure Kizza Besigye remains in detention on what OHCHR described as questionable treason charges after being abducted in neighbouring Kenya in November 2024. His associate Obeid Lutale has also been repeatedly denied bail. The report highlights the use of live ammunition by security forces to disperse peaceful assemblies and the practice of abducting opposition supporters in unmarked vans, holding them incommunicado in unofficial detention sites. OHCHR stressed that all election-related human rights violations must be investigated and those responsible held to account. Syria: UN alarmed by renewed fighting in Aleppo The UN voiced further alarm on Friday over fighting in Syria's second largest city, Aleppo, warning that the risk of escalation and harm to civilians remains extremely high. Despite ongoing efforts to end the fighting, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the situation continues to deteriorate, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. "We underscore that all parties are bound by international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure at all times," he said, urging all actors to avoid further escalation, exercise restraint and take concrete steps to prevent additional civilian casualties. The UN called on all sides to demonstrate genuine flexibility and good faith to ensure full implementation of an agreement on 10 March last year between the Kurdish-led SDF militia and the transitional Government, establishing a lasting ceasefire leading to unified military and security forces. Heightened insecurity in parts of Aleppo has disrupted access to key roads, limiting movement and delaying humanitarian access, Mr. Dujarric said. "We are coordinating with relevant groups so we can continue to deliver humanitarian aid," he added. Aid continues in Gaza as settler violence displaces families in West Bank Meanwhile, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, UN and humanitarian partners continue to provide critical assistance across the Gaza Strip, while violence and displacement persist in the West Bank. According to aid coordination office, OCHA, between Monday and Wednesday more than 5,000 families in Gaza received emergency cash assistance to help them purchase essential items. In 2025, over 340,000 families across the Strip were able to access this benefit at least once. In the West Bank, OCHA reported that at least 20 Palestinian families have been displaced from the Ras 'Ein al 'Auja herding community in Area C of Jericho governorate following repeated settler attacks and intimidation, which has included the loss of water and electricity networks after lines were cut. In the northern West Bank, Israeli settlers reportedly set fire to property on Thursday, including vehicles, a school and a nursery, causing injuries and damage in Deir Sharaf, Jalud and Bizzariya in Nablus governorate. Overall in 2025, OCHA documented more than 1,800 settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties or property damage across about 280 communities - the highest daily average since records began in 2006. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Today's top news: Sudan, Ukraine, Occupied Palestinian Territory UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Sudan Two-thirds of people need aid as conflict reaches 1,000th day Today marks 1,000 days since the start of the war in Sudan, with civilians continuing to bear the brunt of a conflict they did not choose. Nearly 34 million people - or some two-thirds of the population - now need humanitarian assistance, making this the world's largest humanitarian crisis. It is also the largest displacement crisis, with 9.3 million people displaced inside the country and more than 4.3 million refugees in neighbouring states. Food security conditions are catastrophic. Famine has been confirmed in El Fasher in North Darfur and in Kadugli in South Kordofan, with at least 20 other areas at risk. More than 21 million people are estimated to be acutely food insecure nationwide. Sieges in Kordofan have cut off Kadugli and Dilling, limiting access to food, markets and farmland. The health system is close to collapse. Fewer than half of health facilities are fully functional, with even lower coverage in areas of active fighting. Cholera has been reported in all 18 states, with more than 72,000 suspected cases recorded last year. Nearly 12 million people, mostly women and girls, are at risk of gender-based violence. Households headed by women are three times more likely to be food insecure, and three-quarters report not having enough to eat. OCHA also reports continued fighting in Darfur, drone attacks and long-range strikes on civilian infrastructure. Despite the mounting challenges, humanitarian partners reached nearly 19 million people in 2025, with local and women-led organizations often serving as the first or only responders in high-risk areas. However, access remains dangerous and politically constrained, and more than 125 aid workers have been killed since April 2023. In 2026, partners aim to assist 20 million people under a $2.9 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. OCHA calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, respect for international humanitarian law, safe access for aid, protection of civilians and aid workers, and renewed funding, especially for local and women-led partners. *Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Sudan with urgent support. Ukraine Overnight attacks claim civilian lives, sever essential services OCHA reports that another large-scale overnight attack struck the country, causing civilian casualties and widespread disruption to electricity, heating and water supplies, as temperatures dropped to nearly -10C. In the capital Kyiv, authorities reported several civilian deaths and more than 20 people injured. One health worker was killed, while five rescuers and four health workers were injured while helping people affected by the attacks. Since the start of the year, the World Health Organization has reported nine attacks on health care in Ukraine, resulting in two deaths and 11 injuries. Also in the city of Kyiv, authorities and aid workers said that the strikes damaged energy infrastructure, nearly 50 multi-story residential buildings, four schools, ambulances, railway infrastructure and a diplomatic facility. Half a million households were left without electricity, heating or water. In the Kyiv region, five people were injured, including a child rescued from under rubble, while more than 370,000 consumers remain without power. The regions of Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Lviv and Zaporizhzhia were among the hardest hit. Hostilities damaged residential housing and civilian infrastructure, including railways. In the past day, 115 people were evacuated from the Donetsk Region. Ukraine's largest private energy operator restored electricity to nearly 800,000 households in the Dnipro Region. However, parts of the city of Kryvyi Rih remain without power following the latest strikes. Nationwide scheduled power outages continue due to damage to the energy system, according to the state energy company. Amid the severe cold, rolling power outages and disrupted heating and water supply, the Government announced the possible extension of winter school holidays and a shift to remote learning, with decisions to be taken at the regional level. Humanitarian organizations continue to support people in Kyiv and other impacted cities and towns, providing emergency assistance and monitoring urgent needs as conditions remain extremely challenging due to the cold. Occupied Palestinian Territory UN, partners call for protection of Palestinian families in the West Bank OCHA reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to provide critical assistance to families across the Strip. Between Monday and Wednesday alone, partners reached more than 5,000 families with emergency cash assistance so they can purchase some items on the market. Last year, more than 340,000 families across the Strip received such assistance at least once. In the West Bank, OCHA reports that at least 20 Palestinian families have been displaced from the Ras 'Ein al 'Auja herding community in Area C of Jericho governorate. This occurred after a series of settler attacks and intimidation - such as cutting off the water and electricity network - in recent months. In a call for action issued today, partners in protection warned that several herding and Bedouin communities have been displaced under pressure from Israeli settlers. In its statement, it called on Member States to support the remaining families, deter attacks and reduce the threat of forced displacement. Meanwhile, in the northern West Bank, OCHA reports that, yesterday, Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian property, including vehicles, a school and a nursery, causing injury and property damage in Deir Sharaf, Jalud and Bizzariya, in Nablus governorate. Overall in 2025, OCHA has documented over 1,800 settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties or property damage in about 280 communities across the West Bank. This is the highest daily average since OCHA began recording such incidents in 2006. OCHA reiterates its call for the protection of civilians in the West Bank. Posted on 9 January 2026 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Coast Guard Cutter Kimball returns to Honolulu after 120-day Arctic patrol United States Coast Guard Press Release | Jan. 9, 2026 HONOLULU -- The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756) returned to Honolulu, Jan. 1, after a 120-day, 16,500-nautical-mile deployment to the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska reinforcing maritime safety, security, and national sovereignty in the region. As the Arctic region continues to become more accessible and consequential, the demand for U.S. Coast Guard statutory mission services, leadership, and presence continues to grow. Kimball's crew exemplified these efforts. Throughout the deployment, Kimball's crew conducted law enforcement operations, provided critical emergency response, and participated in joint exercises with the Department of War, showcasing the versatility and capability of the national security cutter platform. Kimball's law enforcement teams conducted 13 inspections of fishing vessels and conducted joint boardings with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement. Three citations were issued for violations that included two cases of illegally retained catches. The crew also conducted extensive training with MH-60 helicopters from Air Station Kodiak to enhance proficiency between cutters and air crews. In addition, Kimball tested the new Vertical Takeoff and Landing Battery (V-BAT) unmanned aerial system while patrolling the Bering Sea, conducting several operations to evaluate and enhance the cutter's surveillance capabilities. Following the aftermath of Typhoon Halong, Kimball's crew provided critical support to the area by positioning as a ready fueling platform for responding air assets. The crew also served as the on-scene coordinator and rendered assistance to a disabled and adrift bulk carrier that lost propulsion near a heavily trafficked pass through the Aleutian Islands. Kimball participated in two joint operations with United States Alaskan Command under Operation TUNDRA MERLIN. These activities involved Kimball and multiple U.S. Air Force aircraft in simulated joint maritime strikes, providing valuable insight into the national security cutter's capabilities and demonstrates integration of Department of Homeland Security and Department of War assets in support of homeland defense. "I am immensely proud of this crew for standing the watch over one of the harshest maritime operational areas in the world," said Capt. Craig Allen, Kimball's commanding officer. "This crew demonstrated remarkable skill, tenacity, and teamwork across a wide spectrum of Coast Guard missions. Their professionalism made a direct positive impact to the safety and security of the Alaskan community." While on patrol, Kimball's crew crossed the Arctic Circle, earning the designation as "Blue Nose Polar Bears." The crew also engaged with the Dutch Harbor, Alaksa, community by volunteering for a beach clean-up and hosting a holiday-themed tour of the cutter for nearly 250 local residents. Commissioned in 2019, Kimball is one of two 418-foot, Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Honolulu. The cutter's primary missions are counter-drug operations and defense readiness. The namesake of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball is Sumner Increase Kimball, the organizer of the United States Life-Saving Service and its general superintendent from 1878-1915. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 09 January 2026 - Day 1416 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that on the evening of 08 January 2026 Russia targeted Lviv, Ukraine, with the second operational use of an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM), codenamed Oreshnik, launched from Kapustin Yar in Astrakhan oblast, Russia. The missile travelled approximately 1622 km to its target. The Oreshnik strike was combined with approximately 200 uncrewed aerial systems, at least ten ballistic missile variants, and at least ten Kalibr land attack cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea, which targeted a range of locations across Ukraine. Gas and power outages have been reported in Lviv, with the city's governor stating that the Russian strikes had targeted critical national infrastructure. Russia announced its withdrawal from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty in February 2019, which banned the development and production of IRBMs. However, the development of Oreshnik almost certainly occurred before this. The system is highly likely a variant of the Rubezh RS-26 ballistic missile, which was first tested in 2011. The use of this experimental system against Ukraine was almost certainly intended as strategic messaging following Russia's inaccurate public claims that Ukraine carried out an attack on Russian President Putin's residence in Novgorod, Russia, on 29 December 2025. Russia highly likely only has a handful of Oreshnik missiles. This missile is highly likely to be far more expensive than other missiles Russia is currently using against Ukraine. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of this day, there have been 165 combat clashes. Ukrainian defenders continue to decisively interrupt the Russian attempts advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him a fiery impression. Russian zagarbniki made two missile and 23 aviation strikes, using 36 missiles and dropping 72 controlled bombs. In addition, 3967 kamikaze drones were recruited for impact and carried out 2,795 shelling of positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. In the North-Slobozhansky and Kursky directions, the Russian opponent carried out over 104 shells, including one from the jet system of arson fire. Today, the Russian enemy attacked nine times in the South-Slobozhansky direction in the areas of the settlements of Prylipka, Staritsa, Vovchansk and Zelene. In the Kupyans .komu direction, Russian forces made six attacks in the area of Stepova Novoselivka and towards Boguslavka and Nova Kruglyakivka, two confrontations are ongoing. In the Lyman direction, the Defense Forces repelled 14 assault actions in the area of settlements Novovodiyane, Novoyegorivka, Kolodyazi, Drobisheve and Mirne. In the Slovak direction, the Russian enemy once attacked in the area of platonivka. In the kramators komu direction, the attack of the Russian opponent in the direction of stupocok has been rebuked. 19 combat clashes took place in the Konstantinivsky direction today. Russian forces tried to storm the positions of Ukrainian units near Konstantinivka, Oleksandr-Shultinoy, Pleschievka, Ivanopil, Rusynoy Yar, Yablunivka and towards Sofiyivka. One confrontation is currently ongoing. In the Pokrovsk direction since the beginning of this day, the Russian enemy attacked 39 times in the areas of settlements Razine, Shahove, Nikanorivka, Rodinske, Mirnograd, Pokrovsk, Kotline, Udacne, Novosergiivka and towards Novopavlivka and Filija. Ukrainian defenders are holding back the Russian pressure, in four locations the fights are still ongoing. Today, according to preliminary data, 85 Russian invaders have been defiled, of which 60 - irrevocably. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed a tank, a jet system of salvage fire, five units of automobile equipment, 68 unmanned aircraft, four antennas and a satellite terminal, also struck an artillery system, a car and six shelters for the Russian enemy's personnel. In the Oleksandrivsky direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled 18 attacks of invaders in the areas of settlements of Piddubne, Sosnivka, Vyshneve, Rybne, Yegorivka and Krasnogirsk. Another battle is underway at this time. In the Gulyaipil direction, 25 clashes took place in the areas of the settlements of Solodke, Gulyaipole, Varvarivka and Zelene. In the orihivs komu direction, the Russian enemy tried to enter the area of stepovogo. In the Pridniprovsky direction, the Russian opponent once unsuccessfully carried out offensive actions in the area of the Antonivsky Bridge. In other directions, there have been no significant changes in the environment. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that from 3 to 9 January, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out massive and four group strikes, which hit defence industry enterprises, power facilities, transport, airfield, and port infrastructure of Ukraine that supported the AFU, ammunition and POL depots, production and storage areas of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, training centres for drone operators, temporary deployment areas of AFU formations and foreign mercenaries. During the week, as a result of coordinated actions of the Sever Group of Forces' units, Grabovskoye (Sumy region) was taken under control. Russian troops inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and two territorial defence brigades. In Kharkov direction, Russian troops delivered strikes at formations of four mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, three territorial defence brigades, and one National Guard brigade. In total, in the area of responsibility of the Sever Group of Forces, the enemy losses were more than 1,285 troops, 12 tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, 82 motor vehicles, and seven field artillery guns. In addition, six electronic warfare and counter-battery stations, and 18 ammunition, POL, and materiel depots were neutralised. During the week, units of the Zapad Group of Forces advanced into the depths of the enemy defences in Kharkov region and took control over Podoly (Kharkov region). Russian troops hit manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade, one air assault brigade, two assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and three National Guard brigades. The AFU losses in this direction were more than 1,330 troops, 20 armoured fighting vehicles, 90 motor vehicles, and seven field artillery guns. In addition, two electronic warfare stations and 28 ammunition depots were neutralised. As a result of decisive actions of the Yug Group of Forces' units, Bondarnoye (Donetsk People's Republic) was liberated. Russian troops delivered strikes at formations of five mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one assault brigade, one mountain assault brigade, one airmobile brigade of the AFU, one marine brigade, two territorial defence brigades, and two National Guard brigades. In total, in the area of responsibility of the Yug Group of Forces, the enemy losses were more than 1,355 troops, four tanks, and 43 armoured fighting vehicles including three Western-made ones. In addition, 110 motor vehicles, 14 artillery guns, and 20 ammunition, POL, and materiel depots were damaged. The Tsentr Group of Forces continued active offensive operations on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic and Dnepropetrovsk region. Russian troops launched attacks on manpower and hardware of six mechanised brigades, one infantry brigade, one airmobile brigade, one airborne brigade, one assault brigade, two air assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, two marine brigades, two territorial defence brigades, and three National Guard brigades. Over the past week, the enemy losses in this direction were more than 2,805 troops, five tanks including one German-made Leopard tank, 54 armoured fighting vehicles, 68 motor vehicles, and 12 field artillery guns. The Vostok Group's units continued to advance to the depths of enemy defences. During the week, Zelenoye (Zaporozhye region) and Bratskoye (Dnepropetrovsk region) were liberated. Russian troops hit three mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade, two assault brigades, four assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one marine brigade, and two territorial defence brigades. The AFU losses in the area of responsibility of the Vostok Group of Forces were more than 1,680 troops, 31 armoured fighting vehicles, 58 motor vehicles, 10 field artillery guns, and two materiel depots. Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Russian troops inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one mountain assault brigade, one coastal defence brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and two territorial defence brigades. Over the past week, the AFU losses in this direction were up to 325 troops, five armoured fighting vehicles, 75 motor vehicles, six field artillery guns, six electronic warfare and counter-battery stations as well as six materiel depots. Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces hit three MLRS combat vehicles including one Czech-made Vampire MLRS as well as four SAM systems including one German-made IRIS-T combat vehicle. Air defence systems shot down 21 guided aerial bombs, 14 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, five Neptune long-range guided missiles, and 1,327 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the enemy has lost 670 aircraft, 283 helicopters,108,206 unmanned aerial vehicles, 645 anti-aircraft missile systems, 27,020 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,637 MLRS combat vehicles, 32,463 field artillery guns and mortars, and 51,287 special military vehicles. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump says U.S. to start land strikes against drug cartels People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:11, January 09, 2026 WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States would begin carrying out land strikes against drug trafficking cartels. "We've knocked out 97 percent of the drugs coming in by water, and we are gonna start now hitting land with regard to the cartels," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. "The cartels are running Mexico," he added, without providing further details about the plans. His remarks followed a months-long U.S. military operation targeting vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea as well as last week's raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The couple were later transferred to New York to face what Washington described as "drug trafficking" and other federal charges. During the interview, Trump said that the United States would earn a large sum from selling Venezuelan oil. "We are taking billions and billions of dollars' worth of oil," he said. "It'll be trillions of dollars, but we're going to be there till we straighten out the country." Trump also said he's expecting U.S. oil companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry. According to media reports, the White House is scrambling to broaden a meeting with oil executives scheduled for Friday amid skepticism from major oil companies. Trump said he looks forward to "saying hello" to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who is expected to arrive in Washington next week. Trump previously dismissed the option of working with Machado, saying, "She doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country." He again ruled out the possibility of an election in the oil-rich South American country in the near future. Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that currently part of his job is "to try to ensure that Venezuela is stable" and to ensure that the acting Venezuelan government "actually listens to the United States and does what the United States needs it to do under our country's best interest." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The elevated terrorist threat level remains due to the serious security situation Swedish Security Service Published 9 January 2026 The Head of the Swedish Security Service has decided that the terrorist threat level will remain elevated (level three on a five-level scale). The security situation in Sweden remains serious. The assessment is that there will continue to be a deterioration. The renewed decision regarding the terrorist threat level is based on the overall assessment of the situation. This assessment has taken into account both the recent one-year assessment from the National Centre for Terrorist Threat Assessment (NCT) and the Swedish Security Service's continuous assessments of the attack threat. - The threat could quickly be affected by incidents occurring around the world. Lately, serious incidents and attacks have taken place in Europe and Australia. Conflicts, war, and spreading of propaganda may contribute to incidents in other parts of the world affecting Sweden's national security. It is critical that we monitor such developments in order to take timely action, says Charlotte von Essen, Head of the Swedish Security Service. The attack threat against Sweden mainly consists of lone actors or small groups using simple means to act against more accessible targets. The intent to commit a terrorist attack can often be traced back to a specific event or circumstance, either real or perceived, which serves as a catalysing factor. The threat mainly originates from violent Islamism and violent right-wing extremism. In Sweden, violent Islamism mainly consists of facilitation activities in the form of radicalisation, recruitment, and financing. Violent right-wing extremism is characterised by great variety and different goals. There are some organisations that are more established, but expansion is mainly taking place in loosely-bound networks and online groups. At the same time, the Swedish Security Service sees a development where the focus is more on the violence itself rather than on ideological motivation. As a result, individuals are more inclined to move between different groups and contexts advocating the use of violence. This mobility also contributes to the fact that individuals, to an increasing degree, can develop their own ideology tailored to their own situation and surroundings. Changing international situation The overall threat against Sweden remains serious. The main threat factors are Russian goals and Russian security-threatening activities in Sweden's vicinity. Russia remains the greatest threat to Sweden. Russian intelligence and security services are mainly conducting intelligence activities, influence operations, and technology procurement. There is also a Russian sabotage threat targeting the West's support activities on behalf of Ukraine. Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's activities have become more risk-inclined and opportunistic, even outside the boundaries of the conflict zone. In the Swedish Security Service's assessment, Russian security-threatening activities may become both more extensive and more aggravated. Russia has become more offensive, conducting covert influence activities targeting European countries, including Sweden. - World developments are characterised by uncertainty and rapid changes. As a security service, we assess how external threats and circumstances are affecting Sweden's national security. The security situation remains serious, and we assess that the threat against Sweden will continue to deteriorate in the next few years. We are prepared for this, says Charlotte von Essen. Technological developments also increase threat actors' abilities to attack critical assets. This means that the Swedish Security Service must handle an increased amount of security threats that could lead to serious consequences. - But foreign powers are not behind everything that goes on. We have to be on our toes, take action, and investigate suspicious incidents. At the same time, it is important not to jump to conclusions, says Charlotte von Essen. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali Meets with Wang Yi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: January 08, 2026 23:55 On January 8, 2026 local time, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali met with Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Addis Ababa. Abiy Ahmed Ali asked Wang Yi to convey his New Year greetings and sincere regards to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. He said that Ethiopia regards China as a trustworthy, close brother and strategic partner. The two countries have long supported each other and their bilateral relations are developing with strong momentum. Ethiopia appreciates China's long-standing support and assistance for its economic and social development and speaks highly of China's efforts in implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Ethiopia adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with China, deepen practical cooperation in infrastructure, new energy, artificial intelligence, marine affairs, and other fields, strengthen mutual support in regional and international affairs, and promote sustained growth of bilateral relations. Wang Yi conveyed the cordial greetings of Chinese leaders to Abiy Ahmed Ali, saying that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali is an old friend of the Chinese people. Under the leadership of Abiy Ahmed Ali, the Ethiopian people have striven in unity to achieve rapid progress in national development. Addis Ababa is changing with each passing day, and China extends its congratulations on this. China is ready to work with Ethiopia to implement the important common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, firmly support each other, further synergize development strategies, deepen exchanges of governance experience, and continuously elevate the all-weather strategic partnership between China and Ethiopia to new heights. Wang Yi said that Ethiopia is leading the way in China-Africa cooperation, and both sides should work together to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit. He called for making good and full use of the dividends of China's zero-tariff policy for all African countries having diplomatic relations with China, accelerating the upgrading of economic and trade cooperation, strengthening cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, green industries, and the digital economy, and advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa. He expressed hope that Ethiopia will provide a sound environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and do business, and said that China looks forward to Ethiopia, as a major African country, playing an important role in regional and international affairs. China is ready to continue promoting the implementation of the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa and to play a constructive role in advancing regional peace, stability, as well as mutual benefit and win-win results. On the same day, Wang Yi also held talks with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wang Yi: China-Africa People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges Have Flourished and Delivered Fruitful Results Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: January 09, 2026 09:52 On January 8, 2026 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the launching ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges in Addis Ababa. In his keynote speech, Wang Yi spoke highly of the achievements of China-Africa people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Wang Yi said that China-Africa relations boast a long history, and that the China-Africa traditional friendship has grown stronger over time. In recent years, under the joint guidance of leaders on both sides, China-Africa people-to-people and cultural exchanges have flourished and delivered fruitful results, brimming with vitality. Some achievements are made with the focus on youth exchanges. Efforts ranging from the creation of platforms such as the China-Africa Future Leaders' Dialogue and the Young Leaders Forum, to hosting events like the Youth Festival and the "Tiangong Dialogue" have established bridges of communication for exchanges between Chinese and African youth. Other achievements are made with the emphasis on talent enhancement and empowerment. The initiatives including the active promotion of the China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Plan and the establishment of 17 Luban Workshops in 15 African countries have trained over ten thousand professionals and provided solid intellectual support to boost Africa's development. Additional achievements are made in sharing everyday life. Efforts have been made to bring a large number of Chinese films and television works such as Minning Town and Welcome to Milele into millions of households, which have been widely discussed and welcomed by African audiences. Furthermore, China has signed bilateral tourism cooperation agreements with more than 30 African countries, and the number of African countries and regions designated as outbound group tourism destinations for Chinese citizens has risen to 34. "Travel to Africa" is becoming increasingly popular in China. Wang Yi said that it is gratifying to see that the people of China and Africa are growing ever closer, China-Africa cooperation is expanding in scope, and the friendship between China and Africa is deepening. Facts have shown that people-to-people exchanges form the most solid foundation of China-Africa friendship, while mutual learning among civilizations serves as the strongest driving force for China-Africa cooperation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on January 9, 2026 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: January 09, 2026 21:19 Beijing Daily: On January 8, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf chaired the ninth China-AU Strategic Dialogue at the AU headquarters. Could you share more details? How does China view its current relations with the AU? Mao Ning: The AU is a banner for Africa to seek strength through unity. China always develops relations with the AU from a strategic height and long-term perspective. The dialogue is an important strategic communication between China and the AU after the newly elected leadership of the AU Commission took office. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf had an in-depth exchange of views on China-Africa relations, China-AU cooperation and international and regional issues of mutual interest, which deepened strategic mutual trust, enhanced mutual support, and consolidated solidarity and cooperation. Both sides agreed that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and African leaders, China-Africa relations have grown by leaps and bounds and entered a new stage of jointly building the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. Both sides agreed to continue firmly supporting each other on issues concerning core interests and major concerns and to enhance communication, coordination and mutual support in respective major initiatives. The two sides will jointly uphold the international order based on international law and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South. The AU side reaffirmed its firm commitment to the one-China principle and firmly supported all efforts by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification. We stand ready to work with the AU to implement the outcomes of the dialogue and continue to explore the full potential for practical cooperation between the two sides to deliver more tangibly for the Chinese and African people. Reuters: U.S. President Donald Trump told The New York Times he would be "very unhappy" if China sought to change the status quo over Taiwan during his presidency, as analysts draw comparisons between the U.S.'s strike on Venezuela and what lessons China might take from it. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on President Trump's remarks? Mao Ning: Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. How to resolve it is a matter for the Chinese ourselves and brooks no external interference. The Paper: The launching ceremony of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges was held yesterday at the AU Headquarters. Can you share more information of the event? Mao Ning: Designating this year as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges is an important initiative agreed by President Xi Jinping and African leaders at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the launching ceremony, expressing the hope that through marking the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, the two sides can carry forward traditional friendship, strengthen mutual learning among civilizations, expand people-to-people exchanges, especially among the youth, deepen exchanges of experience in governance and jointly advance modernization. Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the launching ceremony where he spoke highly of the achievements of China-Africa people-to-people exchanges and together with guests from the African side unveiled the logo of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Throughout the year, the two sides plan to hold nearly 600 people-to-people exchange activities under the theme of "Consolidate All-Weather Friendship, Pursue Shared Dream of Modernization," in an effort to step up exchanges and mutual learning between the Chinese and African civilizations and bring the two peoples closer. China-Arab TV: Seven people were killed and over 50 were injured during Israel's sudden air strikes against Gaza yesterday. What's China comment on Israel's violation of the ceasefire agreement? Mao Ning: China is deeply concerned on the current situation in Gaza. We oppose any act that harms civilians and violates international law. China hopes that the ceasefire agreement will be effectively implemented in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis will be eased, and stability will be restored in the region as soon as possible. Relevant parties, Israel in particular, should exercise restraint and avoid further escalation. NHK: Venezuela's Acting President Rodriguez posted on social media that she met with the Chinese ambassador to Venezuela. Can the Foreign Ministry confirm this event occurred and tell us what was discussed during the meeting? Mao Ning: China attaches importance to its relations with Venezuela and maintains sound communication and cooperation with the Venezuelan government. China will continue to firmly support Venezuela in upholding its sovereignty, dignity, national security and lawful rights and interests. No matter what political changes may take place in Venezuela, it will not change China's will of deepening practical cooperation in various fields with Venezuela and promoting common development. AFP: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is visiting Japan next week for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi right after his visit to China. So how does China view this visit and the South Korean President's effort to expand cooperation with Japan, especially as China has taken measures against Japan like tightening trade restrictions and warning citizens against traveling there? Mao Ning: ROK President Lee Jae Myung's visit to Japan is a matter between the ROK and Japan, and I have no comment on that. The interactions between countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability. NHK: Former Japanese ambassador to China Niwa Uichiro died. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on this? Mao Ning: Mr. Niwa is a dear old friend of the Chinese people. He is a renowned Japanese entrepreneur, and the first person from the private sector to serve as Japan's ambassador to China. He has worked actively to promote the improvement and development of China-Japan relations and the economic cooperation between the two countries, and devoted enormous effort to the friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people. China speaks highly of this. We express deep condolences over Mr. Niwa's passing and extend heartfelt sympathies to his family. DPA: According to German media reports, Co-chair of the AfD Tino Chrupalla started his visit to China on Monday. Before the visit, he said he would meet with high-level officials of the Chinese government. Can the Foreign Ministry confirm the meetings? Who did Tino Chrupalla meet? What is China's position on its relations with the AfD? Mao Ning: China and Germany have long been maintaining broad and in-depth exchanges in political, economic, cultural and other areas, which include interactions between legislatures and political parties. China stands ready to continue the constructive exchanges and cooperation with various sectors in Germany and work for sustained and in-depth development of China-Germany friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address From Taiwan To Iran, US Strike On Venezuela Tests China's Global Reach By Reid Standish January 09, 2026 The United States' swift strike that captured Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro has sent shock waves well beyond Latin America and is raising questions for one of Caracas's closest partners: China. The operation comes as Beijing faces parallel challenges elsewhere: widening protests in Iran, another key energy supplier to China, and brings implications for Taiwan, the self-governing democracy that Beijing claims as its own and has vowed to control, by force if necessary. To examine what the Venezuela strike reveals about China's global position, RFE/RL spoke with Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Institute and a former aide to US Senator Ted Cruz. Sobolik closely tracks US-China strategic competition and is the author of Countering China's Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance. The interview below has been condensed and edited for clarity. RFE/RL: China was a major economic and political partner for Maduro, investing north of $60 billion into Venezuela and Beijing signed an "all-weather partnership" agreement with Caracas. But what does the capture of Maduro and what's materializing in Venezuela now mean for China in Latin America and tell us about Chinese support for its partners? Michael Sobolik: It doesn't mean that much, and I think that is a really important reality to underscore because Venezuela is not the first partner of the People's Republic of China to come into some trouble and to receive next to no help at all from Beijing. [In June], during Operation Midnight Hammer, when the United States bombed Iran's nuclear facilities, China couldn't do anything except stand on the sidelines and condemn it, and the past six months have highlighted a huge problem that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has, which is that it is unable to project power in a meaningful way outside of its near abroad. And it shouldn't be overlooked that the operation to capture Maduro took place mere hours after a Chinese delegation met with him. [Editor's note: Qiu Xiaoqi, China's special representative on Latin American affairs, met with Maduro in Caracas the day before the US strike and reportedly was still in Venezuela when Maduro was captured and taken to stand trial in the United States.] That is an enormous embarrassment for China. In that meeting, one can only imagine that there were future plans being drawn up [and] maybe some commitments being offered. All of the promises that China made to Venezuela mean very little right now. It's also an embarrassment for [Chinese leader] Xi Jinping because Venezuela was one of his most prominent beachheads into the Western hemisphere. Taking out Maduro doesn't eliminate all of the inroads for China by any means, but it eliminates a big one. RFE/RL: You mentioned China's issues with projecting force and lack of meaningful options to support its partners under pressure. But isn't there still value in the Chinese being able to use the rhetorical tools that it has and condemn the United States at international bodies to rally countries around it? Sobolik: Talk is cheap in international politics. If all you have is diplomacy that isn't backed up by force, then you just have words. Words are not enough to secure your interests and words are also not enough for your military to be successful. I think where China is hopeful that their diplomacy can help them right now is they are already trying to paint the United States as an aggressor and as a violator of international law. I suspect that they are not only hoping that they can get some traction with that approach, but they are also hoping that America oversteps and overexpands right now. You'll notice that [US] President [Donald] Trump is talking about Greenland again, and talking about how we need Greenland and he's not taking military force off the table. I do not expect there to be a war between the United States and Denmark over Greenland. However, the fact that force is not off the table is an opening for China rhetorically to say, look at what the United States just did in Venezuela. They will send their military wherever they want to send it. They did it with Iran. They did it with Venezuela. They're threatening to do it with a NATO partner. I'm sure that the Chinese are going to be quick to try to exploit that. And I think that also speaks to the importance of how the United States handles this moment. RFE/RL: If we can pivot slightly, you mentioned Iran. This is another place where there is rising tension right now. We had strikes this summer from the US and Israel and expanding protests over an economic crisis that are picking up steam each day. If you're Beijing, how do you support Iran? Sobolik: So it's a different situation for China. While Venezuela is in China's oil import portfolio, it's only about 7 percent of China's oil needs, Iran, on the other hand, is enormous for China when it comes to oil. So, China is going to have to stomach some embarrassment over Venezuela, but Iran is a different scenario. They depend on Tehran for oil in a substantial way. So the Chinese interests are implicated in a deeper, more core way with Iran than they are in Venezuela. Of course, the Chinese were not about to do anything to stop incoming B2 bombers with bunker busters in June [2025], but it's an interesting question: What would China be willing to do to shore up their energy security if the politics in Iran change overnight in a way that is unfavorable? That's a lot of hypotheticals, and I don't want to go too deep into that, but I think the important thing here is that the Chinese can afford to get embarrassed with Venezuela and they have the luxury of learning from their mistakes. If things change rapidly in Iran, however, and they're caught on their back feet, that could be an enormous strategic problem for them. So I expect the Chinese to be communicating with the Trump administration clearly and aggressively, and I expect they will take steps to shore up their energy needs. RFE/RL: Another thing connecting Venezuela and Iran's ties to China beyond oil is that both have Chinese military hardware, primarily air defense systems. The US operation that captured Maduro has drawn attention to the US military's abilities to evade the Chinese radar systems that Venezuela possesses, particularly the JY27A mobile antistealth radars that are supposed to be capable of detecting fifthgeneration stealth aircraft like US F22s and F35s. What does this tell us about Chinese military hardware? Sobolik: Venezuela has a few different Chinese air defense radars. You mentioned the JY27A, which is an older generation radar. So, it's not the latest and greatest. But it's important to know how catastrophically those systems failed against the Americans because you had Chinese radars and you had Russian surface-to-air missiles coupled together that should have protected Venezuela. So, every other nation in the world that is a customer of China for air defenses needs to be asking the question: how well are my air defenses going to work, not only against the Americans, but what about the Israelis? What about other nations that are aligned with the United States that have their own security interests? I do want to be clear: it's not that the latest and greatest tech from China has been tested and found wanting, but systems that should be reliable have been found to be susceptible to countermeasures, not only from the United States, but from partners of the United States as well. That's another black mark for China and an embarrassment for their arms export industry. It should call into question for Xi what other capabilities could be suppressed or sabotaged by the Americans, which could decrease his confidence in using his military to secure his interests. RFE/RL: Since the operation in Venezuela, some have argued that this provides a blueprint for Beijing to move on Taiwan, while other analysts have said that the strike breaks international norms and creates spheres of influence that would embolden China to attack Taiwan. The Taiwanese government, meanwhile, has said that this deters Beijing as it showcases US military might and a will to use it. How do you see this affecting China's calculus on Taiwan? Sobolik: I do not think that what happened in Venezuela is heralding a new era of spheres of influence. The biggest data point that I see that goes against that is that President Trump announced a $1.5 trillion defense budget. That is not the kind of defense budget that is optimized for only the Western hemisphere. That is a global budget for a global military with global missions. I think that's probably bad news for China. As much as they want the story of Venezuela to be about the United States being a violator of international norms and an aggressor, the real story here is that America was strong enough to secure its interests and China wasn't strong enough to stop it. For Taiwan, I think they're absolutely right to say that this bolsters our deterrence for the same reason that our support of Ukraine can bolster our deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. Xi and Vladimir Putin met shortly in February 2022 shortly before Putin's special military operation kicked off. And anyone who says that Xi has not been watching America's and Europe's reaction and response to Putin in Ukraine is fooling themselves. Anyone who says that they weren't watching when we had that disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 is fooling themselves. Everyone is trying to measure great powers for resolve and capability, so when the United States does a risky military operation like they did in Venezuela without a loss of personnel or equipment, that demonstrates that when the United States says something, it follows through. That's the crux of deterrence. Deterrence is a clear, credible threat that is communicated and it works if the other side believes that you're actually going to follow through on that threat. So, I think this makes the Taiwanese safer, it bolsters deterrence. It's also why standing with Ukraine and making sure that that conflict does not go in Putin's favor matters for Taiwan. It really does. So, I think that Xi has had some of his planning complicated in multiple ways over the past few days, and I think that's a very good thing. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/china-venezuela-iran- trump-xi-putin-military-michael-sobolik/33644056.html Copyright (c) 2026. 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 Iran: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the situation in the country European Council / Council of the European Union Council of the EU Statements and remarks 9 January 2026 22:00 The EU expresses its solidarity with the Iranian people as they voice their legitimate aspiration for a better life, freedom and dignity. We follow closely and with great concern the reports on casualties and condemn the use of violence, arbitrary detention, and intimidation tactics by security forces against demonstrators. All individuals unjustly detained for exercising their fundamental rights must be released immediately. We urge Iranian authorities to adhere to Iran's international obligations and fully uphold the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. We also call for ensuring the right of access to information, including by restoring access to the internet for all. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's top security official warns of firm response to foreign-linked armed rioters Iran Press TV Friday, 09 January 2026 10:09 PM Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali Larijani has said security forces and the judiciary were prepared to respond "in the strongest manner" to foreign-linked individuals involved in armed violence and organized attacks targeting the Iranian nation. Speaking during a televised interview on Friday, Larijani said security forces had been instructed to exercise maximum caution to avoid harm to the public, but added that groups entering the scene with weapons or intent to interfere in Iran's internal affairs would face decisive action. The official urged the public to maintain the same level of vigilance shown during the 12-day war that was imposed on the nation by the Israeli regime and the United States in June, saying Iran's adversaries were now targeting the very elements that previously strengthened national resilience. "Our dear nation should be aware that the enemies have targeted the very factor that was the source of the nation's strength and victory" throughout the war, he said, calling for public awareness and unity. Targeting of symbols of national and religious identity Larijani noted that attacks by the riotous elements have focused on symbols of Iran's national and religious identity, including their burning of the Islamic Republic's flag and attempts to vandalize statues of the country's national icons, such as General Qassem Soleimani, Iran's top anti-terror commander, who was assassinated by the US in 2020. "They want to break the national pride," he said, also citing instances, where the elements had resorted to burning the Holy Qur'an and targeting mosques among other things. He described the outrageous measures as an effort to undermine the nation's core sources of strength. The official dismissed claims that the violence had been driven by economic problems, noting that acts such as looting and burning shops signaled some other ulterior motive. "Someone who has economic problems does not go and loot a store," he said, noting that such actions disrupted services meant for the public and indicated motives unrelated to economic reform. Israeli footprint Larijani, meanwhile, linked the sabotage that had been staged by the rioters to earlier statements made by Israeli officials suggesting a strategy of using elements inside Iran to target the Islamic Republic rather than resorting to direct military aggression against the country. The targets that have been chosen by foreign-linked armed elements reveal objectives beyond economic protest, he stated. According to Larijani, security forces have identified the ringleaders of the riots, with some already arrested and others facing imminent detention. He said authorities had uncovered cases involving Gewehr 3 (G3) assault rifles, handguns, and other weapons, indicating prior organization and planning, including methods for transporting and distributing arms. Larijani added that attempts to seize military and law enforcement centers had shown an effort to spark internal conflict and prepare the ground for foreign interference, though, he said such attempts had so far failed due to preparedness of security forces. The remarks came as Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei reiterated that the Islamic Republic would not tolerate vandalism or foreign-backed unrest. Addressing people earlier in the day, Ayatollah Khamenei said the country would "not back down against vandals" and rejected acts of destruction carried out to please foreign powers, while emphasizing that peaceful protests over economic issues remained legitimate. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FM Araghchi: Attack on Iran 'failed experience,' US-Israel behind riots Iran Press TV Friday, 09 January 2026 3:46 PM Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said any military attack on Iran by the United States or Israel would repeat a "failed experience," while stressing that both countries have been playing a direct and declared role in turning recent protests in Iran into violent riots. Speaking to reporters on Friday before departing Beirut for Tehran, Araghchi said the likelihood of a US-Israeli military strike was "very unlikely," arguing that past attempts had already proven unsuccessful. "A military intervention, in our view, is very unlikely because it is a failed experience," he said. "When you repeat a failed experience over and over, you will not get a different result." His remarks came amid several days of foreign-backed unrest in Iran and on the heels of threats by US President Donald Trump to launch strikes against the country. Some shopkeepers last week staged limited street protests in several Iranian cities over economic instability, but the demonstrations were steered toward violence after public statements by US and Israeli figuresamplified by Israeli-linked Persian-language outletsencouraged vandalism and disorder. Araghchi compared the situation to economic protests in Lebanon in 2023, but said there was a crucial difference. "There is one difference," he said. "Both the United States and Israel have officially announced that they are involved and have a role in these riots, and they are trying to push peaceful protests toward violence and chaos." He said evidence of foreign involvement was visible in repeated public statements by American and Israeli officials. Pointing to remarks by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Araghchi said, "His tweet is a very notable examplean admission that the Mossad is playing a role in these riots." Iranian officials have acknowledged the legitimacy of economic grievances raised by peaceful protesters and say they are committed to addressing them, while drawing a firm distinction between lawful assembly and foreign-instigated violence. Security and judicial authorities say they have dismantled several armed terror cells and arrested foreign-linked operatives amid riots that have left several law enforcement officers dead. Officials say rioters have exploited public concerns over rising living costs and the sharp depreciation of the rialeconomic pressures which trace back to unilateral US sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and oil exports. Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani said on Friday that rioters targeted key economic and public infrastructure on Thursday night, including 26 banks, two hospitals and 25 mosques, as well as police facilities and fire trucks. Iranian authorities also point to open encouragement of unrest by American and Israeli figures. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced support for rioters and warned that Washington could attack Iran if what he called "peaceful protesters" were harmed. Those statements followed Trump's apparent greenlight for Israeli aggression on Iran back in June 2025, which targeted military, civilian, and nuclear facilities of the country. The 12-day war ended after Israel entered into a unilateral ceasefire following a strong response by Iran's armed forces. Iran seeks 'best relations' with Lebanon In a separate part of his remarks, Araghchi addressed Tehran's ties with Beirut, describing his recent meetings with Lebanese officials as "positive and constructive." He said Iran's policy is based on supporting "the complete independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon," adding that Tehran is keen to establish "the best relations" with Beirut. Araghchi said both sides were working to open "a new chapter" in bilateral relations grounded in mutual respect and aimed at serving the shared interests of the two countries. He described his meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Rajji, as "very friendly, fully frank and constructive," saying the two sides agreed to continue consultations. Araghchi said they both shared the view that "the hostility of the Zionist regime toward Iran and Lebanon is a real hostility." The Iranian minister also held separate talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's top security body: US, Israel orchestrating riots to drag country into insecurity Iran Press TV Friday, 09 January 2026 1:54 PM Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) says the recent riots were planned and directed by Israel and the United States as part of an ongoing campaign to push the country into insecurity. In a Friday statement, the council said that even after the 12-day war in June, Israel has continued "oppression against Iranians" through "hybrid warfare," changing tactics but not abandoning its hostility toward Iran's steadfast nation. The SNSC said the latest incidents, while initially sparked by protests over market instability, were "drawn into scenes of insecurity through the guidance and design of Israel." It added that recent remarks by US President Donald Trump point to "a joint design between these two regimes to make the life of the Iranian nation insecure." Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed a distinction between peaceful protest and violence. The council said it was "clear" that those genuinely protesting economic conditions would not worsen the situation by inflicting further economic damage or adding insecurity alongside existing hardships. Referring to acts such as the burning of the Iranian flag and attacks on statues of General Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC Quds Force, the statement said, "No person of honor allows national symbols such as the flag to be insulted, let alone set on fire." It added that "no dignified Iranian would allow insults to the statue of the symbol of national resistance, Haj Qassem Soleimani, much less burn it." The SNSC said the Iranian nation had already demonstrated its strength during the 12-day war, when "national solidarity forced the enemy into strategic defeat," and added that the same unity would now "render their sabotage tactics ineffective." The council said the presence of security and law enforcement forces is aimed at preventing chaos and ensuring public safety, stressing that these forces stand "alongside the proud and resilient nation" to neutralize Israel's destabilization plot and that of its "godfather, the United States." It warned that security forces and the judiciary "will show no leniency whatsoever toward saboteurs." The remarks echo statements by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who has said the Islamic Republic "will not back down against vandals" and will not tolerate those acting as foreign mercenaries. He also urged unity on Friday, saying "a united nation overcomes any enemy," and dismissed US claims of supporting the Iranian people. The unrest has continued for several days, with officials saying rioters exploited public concern over rising living costs and the sharp depreciation of the rial to incite violence. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the legitimacy of peaceful economic grievances and vowed to address them, while blaming unilateral US sanctionstargeting Iran's central bank and oil exportsfor much of the economic strain. Security and judicial authorities say they have dismantled several armed terror cells and arrested foreign-linked operatives amid the unrest, which has claimed the lives of several law enforcement officers. Iranian officials say acts of violence have been openly encouraged by American and Israeli figures, including Trump's repeated warnings that Washington could attack Iran if what he called "peaceful protesters" were harmed, and statements by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alluding to Mossad involvement and separatist plots. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Unrest In Iran Grows Despite Moves By Authorities To Stifle Dissent By Kian Sharifi and RFE/RL's Radio Farda January 09, 2026 Iran is seeing a 13th night of protests despite a brutal crackdown and threats by the authorities to punish "rioters" demanding an end to the Islamic republic. Videos from social media and those sent to RFE/RL's Radio Farda on the evening of January 9 are showing crowds massing in various parts of the capital, Tehran, and in the major cities of Shiraz and Mashhad. Earlier in the day, protests reached the southeastern city of Zahedan, where Sunni Baluch worshippers took to the streets after Friday prayers. Speaking at a meeting with oil and gas executives at the White House on the same day, US President Donald Trump said that "Iran is in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago." "We're watching the situation very carefully. I've made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts. That does not mean boots on the ground, but it does mean hitting them very, very hard where it hurts." Brutal Crackdowns The protests have grown to their biggest in several years as crowds flooded streets in major cities, small towns, and neighborhoods across Tehran late on January 8. Raw footage from January 8 shows brutal crackdowns, but also protesters adopting bolder tactics: direct clashes with security forces and torching police and Basij paramilitary outposts. "The crowd that was there will not not give in," one protester in Mashad in northeast Iran told RFE/RL's Radio Farda. "Young and old had come out to protest, some elderly people could hardly walk but they were protesting. There was an old man who kept cursing at [Iran's Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei. We're tired of the high prices, the [forced] hijab and everything else. It's not just one or two things, we want the establishment to change (regime change)." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed supporters of the regime on January 9, saying that "saboteurs, agitators" had "destroyed the country's buildings to please" President Trump. He added that Trump has the "blood of Iranians on his hands" following US strikes on Iran in June, and that the US leader would be "overthrown." After his speech, pro-Islamic republic rallies were held in several cities after Friday prayers with heavy state media coverage. Antiestablishment protests are expected to resume at dusk. Tehran's prosecutor Ali Salehi described protesters who burn public property and clash with security forces as "terrorists" who will be charged with "moharebeh," or waging war against God, which can carry the death penalty. Several security bodies in separate statements also warned protesters on January 9. The Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the "continuation of the situation is unacceptable" and repeated the claim that the protests are instigated by foreign backers. On January 2, Trump said Washington would intervene in Iran if it kills protesters, stating in a Truth Social post: "We are locked and loaded and ready to go." He reiterated that stance late on January 8, saying in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that Iranian authorities have been told "very strongly -- even more strongly than I'm speaking to you right now -- that if they do that [kill protesters], they're going to have to pay hell." The law enforcement force, meanwhile, issued a statement telling people to "protect your teenager" from being swept up in the unrest in view of the police's "no leniency" policy toward "rioters." Iranian media report that several members of security forces were killed in the unrest on January 8, including in Tehran and Marvdasht. A prosecutor and his bodyguards were also killed in the town of Esfarayen, North Khorasan Province. Norway-based Iran Human Rights has said that 51 protesters have been killed as of January 9, with over 2,000 arrests. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, in a joint January 8 statement, accused Iranian forces of "unlawful use of force and firearms and mass arbitrary arrests." UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement on January 9 he was "deeply disturbed" by reports of the violence and called for all deaths to be "promptly, independently, and transparently investigated." "Those responsible for any violations must be held to account in line with international norms and standards," he added. This round of protests, which began on December 28, 2025, in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, quickly snowballed, spreading to dozens of towns. By the evening of January 8, videos poured in from nearly every corner of the country showing huge crowds chanting and marching. Authorities first throttled nationwide Internet speeds before enforcing a near-total blackout at 10:15 p.m. local time on January 8, severing phone lines too. News from inside is trickling out slowly amid the communications blackout, but US and European leaders have ramped up their focus on the chaos. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-largest- clashes-security-forces/33643810.html Copyright (c) 2026. 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 Interview: Iran Is At The 'Beginning Of A Revolutionary Moment' By Hannah Kaviani January 09, 2026 Iran has been rocked by the biggest protests against the clerical establishment in years, with the authorities waging a brutal crackdown to quell the growing unrest. The nationwide street protests and strikes by merchants in bazaars -- key commercial hubs in Iran -- are reminiscent of the events preceding the Islamic Revolution in 1979. RFE/RL talked to Jack Goldstone, professor of public policy at George Mason University and one of the world's leading scholars of revolutions and social change, about whether the current events in Iran could lead to the end of the Islamic republic. RFE/RL: Some observers have said Iran is in a prerevolutionary or revolutionary state. What constitutes a revolution? Jack Goldstone: For the revolution to begin, large numbers of people need to challenge the authority of the regime and demand that it ends. That has happened. So, we are at the beginning of a revolutionary moment. But many times in Iran, we have seen this, and the regime has been as brutal as necessary to stop the protests. This time seems to be the biggest threat to the regime because everybody is involved. The capital, smaller towns, old people, young people, and people who are merchants in the bazaar are closing their shops. So, to me, [these] are the most widespread protests, both geographically and in terms of different groups, that I have seen since [the mass street protests that followed a disputed presidential election in] 2009. RFE/RL: You mentioned that "large numbers" of people are needed to challenge the authority of the clerical establishment for there to be a revolution. What percentage of the population needs to be on the streets for it to be called a revolution? Goldstone: There is no [specific] number. You can have a revolution with one square full of people, 100,000 people, if that frightens the ruler and he runs away like you had in Ukraine. So, there's no number. What matters for whether the revolution succeeds or fails is the resolve of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Basij [paramilitary force], and whatever other forces [Supreme Leader] Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can bring in. RFE/RL: Just because this is, as you say, the "beginning of a revolutionary moment" doesn't mean it will succeed, right? Goldstone: Yes, revolution is a process. It can start, it can stop, it can fail, it can succeed. It can even succeed and be reversed. RFE/RL: In the case of Iran, what factors could lead to a revolution? Goldstone: [Khamenei] has spent his life defending the revolution. He considers it a sacred responsibility to protect the revolution. So, he will do whatever it takes. The question is, will the different groups that he orders to shoot at protesters, will they follow those orders now? In the past, they've always done so, but it's usually been against particular groups. Either students or only people in the capital, or only people in certain provinces, or only women. Now it seems to be almost everybody. And that makes it more difficult for the Basij and even the Revolutionary Guards to fire on the protesters because they increasingly feel that the protesters represent everyone, not just one particular [segment of society]. RFE/RL: How does Iran's economic crisis, international pressure, and the 12-day war with Israel last year factor into this? Goldstone: I think what we have to say is, at this point, after so many years of economic failures, the total collapse of the currency, and the inability to protect Iran from foreign attack, the regime has lost credibility and legitimacy with most of the population. It simply has not done what the revolutionary regime came to power to do. It's not making Iran safe; it's not making Iran stable. It's not preserving people's livelihood. So, I think there's a general impatience and anger and rejection that has reached a higher level now after the Israeli attacks, after the massive currency [collapse], than we've seen before. What I don't think anybody knows is whether the Revolutionary Guards have also lost faith in the regime. If they have, then they may ask Khamenei and the clerics to stand aside while they try to pull together a new government. RFE/RL: Do the protests need a leader for there to be a revolution? Goldstone: At this point, the next step is for the protests to continue to grow larger and for people to see whether the regime can gather enough repressive forces to contain the protests. Nobody knows at this point. It's very much as in Egypt in January of 2010 when people assembled in Tahrir Square. Nobody really knew whether the army was going to support the people or support the regime. We really didn't know until after it had already started to happen. So, I think the same thing is true now [in Iran]. There's enormous hope for change. But until we know whether the Revolutionary Guards continue to support the regime with all their force or not, we don't know what will happen next. RFE/RL: Will policies in the United States or other countries play a role in what will happen in Iran? Goldstone: I don't think it can play a role. At this point, this is between the people of Iran, the leadership, and the military. America will watch; Europe will watch. They will say they support change. But right now, things will happen in the next 48 to 96 hours that show whether the military remains united in defense of the clerical regime or whether the military starts to break into different pieces. Some of them [will] stand aside, some of them [will] support change. We'll find out, I think, in the next two days, maybe two to three days, whether the military will act as forcefully as it has in the past. In 2022 [during the Women, Life, Freedom protests], the military killed hundreds of people, arrested many, many thousands. They would have to do the same thing now, maybe even more. So, we'll have to see if they are up for it or not. As for Khamenei, he is blaming foreign influence. He's trying to make the protesters [appear as] the enemies of the nation. But I don't think there's anything he can say right now that will change the momentum. And unless they are faced with a very strong, repressive response, I think the protests will continue to grow. *This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-revolution- khamenei/33643997.html Copyright (c) 2026. 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 Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei urges unity, slams U.S. in address to nation People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:42, January 10, 2026 TEHRAN, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Friday urged people in Iran to preserve unity and said some protesters try to please the United States. Khamenei made the remarks in a televised address to the nation as the country faces growing protests. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK provides support to U.S. seizure of Bella 1 accused of shadow fleet activities and Iran sanctions breaches Press release The UK has provided enabling support to the United States at their request to interdict the vessel Bella 1 today. From: Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon John Healey MP Published 7 January 2026 The UK has provided enabling support to the United States at their request to interdict the vessel Bella 1 today. UK armed forces provided pre-planned operational support, including basing, to U.S. military assets interdicting the Bella 1 between the UK and Iceland following a U.S. request for assistance. RFA Tideforce is providing support for U.S. forces pursuing and interdicting the Bella 1, while the RAF provided surveillance support from the air. The UK and U.S. defence and security relationship is the deepest in the world and the UK provided enabling support in full compliance with international law. Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: Our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia. This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting. This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine. The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability - making Britain secure at home and strong abroad. The U.S. is the UK's closest defence and security partner and the security of the North Atlantic is critical to both our homelands. The depth of our defence relationship with the U.S. is an essential part of our security, and today's seamlessly executed operation shows just how well this works in practice. The Bella 1 is sanctioned by the U.S. under its counter-Iran sanctions, aimed at stopping Iran from fuelling instability in the Middle East through the profits of illegal oil sales. The ship, initially flying a false flag, turned off its transponders while at sea and sought to reflag while being pursued, indicating its nefarious links to global sanctions evasion. Assessments going back several years that the Bella 1 has been involved in illegal activity, linked to international terrorism and crime including Hezbollah, and part of the web of rising shadow activity that fuels and finances nefarious activity across the globe. The Russian flagging of the vessel shows their role in this interconnected shadow activity we are seeing across the world, which threatens our national security, harms our economy and undermines global security. Further information Deterring and disrupting the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for the UK. To date, we have imposed sanctions on 520 Russian shadow fleet vessels. This is working. For example, Russia's critical oil revenues are down 27% compared to October 2024, the lowest since the start of the war in Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Comment by Foreign Ministry Official Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on developments regarding Russian nationals on board oil tanker Mariner 9 January 2026 12:40 15-09-01-2026 In response to our appeal, US President Donald Trump has made a decision to release two Russian nationals from the crew of the oil tanker Mariner, which was previously detained during the operation in the North Atlantic. We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the US leadership. We are beginning immediate action on all issues related to ensuring the prompt return of our fellow citizens to their homeland. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Releases 2 Russians From Marinera Tanker at Moscow's Request - Foreign Ministry Sputnik News 20260109 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States has decided to release two Russians from the Marinera tanker following Russia's request, and Moscow welcomes this decision, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday. "In response to our request, US President Donald Trump has decided to release two Russian citizens from the Marinera crew, previously detained by the US during an operation in the North Atlantic. We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the US leadership," Zakharova said. Moscow has already begun urgent, practical work on all issues related to the "speedy return" of the detained to their homeland, Zakharova said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Supports Bill Imposing New Sanctions Against Russia Sputnik News 20260109 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said he supported the bill imposing new sanctions against Russia, but hopes he will not have to use it. "I support you. Support it. I hope we don't have to use it anyway," Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. On Wednesday, Senator Lindsey Graham* said that Trump gave the green light to a bill to strengthen sanctions against Russia. *designated as an extremist and terrorist in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Opening remarks by President Antonio Costa at the meeting with President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa European Council / Council of the European Union European Council Statements and remarks 9 January 2026 14:49 It is a great pleasure to be with you here in Damascus today. Following up on our meetings in Cairo and New York last year, we come here to send a clear sign of our support for the democratic and inclusive transition, and our clear support to the Syrian people. After the many years of war and suffering for your people, the fall of the Assad regime opened a new era of hope for your people, and you can count on the European Union to support the efforts towards a peaceful and inclusive Syria. We are standing by you, supporting the independence, the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of Syria. You have taken important steps to rebuild the country, and we are commending you for what you have done over the last months. We support you, just as we did when we eased the sanctions against the country. We encourage you to continue in the same direction, to go further and faster. And it's also important for you to keep good relations with your neighbours. We are very encouraged by the recent talks in Paris with Israel. We are also very encouraged about what we heard in Jordan about the relationship with Syria. We are aware of the very difficult challenges that you need to face. We encourage you to pursue on the path towards inclusivity and to implement the 10th March agreement and the roadmap of Sweida. But we are here with confidence and trust to work with you together and to open this door of a new partnership between the European Union and Syria. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU opens new chapter in its relations with Syria European Commission Press release Jan 9, 2026 Damascus European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Costa visited Damascus today to discuss the renewed bilateral relations with Syria. They met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shaara to discuss this new chapter in bilateral relations, focused around three pillars: A new political partnership supporting a peaceful and inclusive transition and reconciliation within Syria, and the country's regional re-integration; Enhanced trade and economic cooperation, including through Syria's involvement in initiatives under the Pact for the Mediterranean , backed by a substantial financial package for 2026 and 2027 to enable socio-economic recovery, reconstruction and facilitation of private investment; backed by a substantial financial package for 2026 and 2027 to enable socio-economic recovery, reconstruction and facilitation of private investment; Financial support package of around 620 million for 2026 and 2027, which includes humanitarian aid, early recovery support and bilateral support. President von der Leyen said:"Over one year ago, decades of fear, silence, and state violence finally began to give way to hope, opportunity, and the possibility of renewal. We know that the path to reconciliation and recovery is challenging. Because healing, rebuilding lives and creating trust in institutions takes time. We are here today to work for Syria and for all Syrians. To deliver on the goal of a new peaceful, inclusive, and safe Syria." The President acknowledged the significant steps taken by the interim authorities in spite of the remaining challenges. The path to sustainable reconciliation and reconstruction needs to be underpinned by effective reforms, which the EU will continue to support. Stepping up related efforts and Syria's involvement in initiatives under the Pact for the Mediterranean is a key element for a successful inclusive transition and its future integration into the regional and global economy. Background The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 opened the doors for a new Syria and for renewed bilateral relations. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to stand with the Syrian people and to support a peaceful and inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transition to help build a better future for all Syrians. Since 2011, EU support has been reliable and unwavering, providing both political and financial assistance amounting to over 38 billion. In March 2025, the transitional authorities attended for the first time the Ninth Brussels Conference, where the pledges raised amounted to 5.8 billion for Syria and its neighbours. The EU pledged 2.5 billion for 2025 and 2026. In 2025, the EU lifted all economic sanctions on Syria and successfully co-organised with the authorities the Day of Dialogue in Damascus, gathering over 300 representatives from Syria's civil society. The event served to build trust, enhance dialogue and reinforce the foundations for an inclusive future for all Syrians. The EU has also mobilised more than 424 million for Syria, including a 175 million package to support Syria's socio-economic recovery and institution-building, as well as to promote transitional justice, accountability and human rights. Beyond needs inside Syria, the Commission continues supporting and addressing the needs of refugees from Syria and their host communities in the region. Quote(s) Over one year ago, decades of fear, silence, and state violence finally began to give way to hope, opportunity, and the possibility of renewal. We know that the path to reconciliation and recovery is challenging. Because healing, rebuilding lives and creating trust in institutions takes time. We are here today to work for Syria and for all Syrians. To deliver on the goal of a new peaceful, inclusive, and safe Syria. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by President von der Leyen with President Costa and Syrian President al-Sharaa European Commission Statement Jan 9, 2026 Damascus President al-Sharaa, Thank you for your warm welcome to Damascus today. It is now one year ago that decades of fear, silence and state violence finally began to give way to hope, opportunity and the possibility of renewal. We know that the path to reconciliation and recovery remain difficult and long. Because healing, rebuilding lives and creating trust in institutions takes time. We are here today to work with you for Syria and for all Syrians. The violent escalations of recent days are worrisome. Continued dialogue between all parties is urgently needed. The roadmap on Suwayda that you developed with Jordan and the US is a very good example for the way forward. We support your commitment to deliver on the goal of a new, peaceful, inclusive and safe Syria. Since December 2024, the EU has once again been present in Damascus, working closely with the authorities and civil society. And today, we propose a new framework of cooperation. It has three pillars. First, to launch a new political partnership, starting with a High-Level Dialogue in the first half of this year so that we explore together how the EU can best support Syria's path towards recovery, reconstruction and civil peace. The second pillar is about the economic cooperation that we want to deliver We already started by lifting all economic sanctions early last year. The EU has invited the European Investment Bank to resume its activity in Syria. And today, we would like to start discussions on resuming our Cooperation Agreement. So that Syria can start to benefit once again from access to the European economic market. The third pillar is that we want to underpin this new cooperation with a substantial financial support package. After years of devastation under the Assad regime, Syria's recovery and reconstruction needs are immense and I just could see it with my own eyes. We want to strengthen our engagement, with financial support of around EUR 620 million for 2026 and 2027. This financial support will include humanitarian aid, of course but also early recovery support and bilateral support. This whole package is necessary to support the government in restoring the essential services for the population and to rebuild state institutions. We are committed to supporting you in reviving Syria's economy and bringing communities back together. We would like Syrians to have a real prospect of coming back home and rebuilding their lives here. We are therefore stepping up our work with regional partners, including Turkiye, Jordan and Lebanon, as well as the UNHCR, to support safe, dignified and voluntary returns. Thank you for receiving us here, and we have a huge package to discuss. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Opposition again blocks defense, general budgets in Legislature ROC Central News Agency 01/09/2026 03:43 PM Taipei, Jan. 9 (CNA) Opposition parties on Friday again blocked a special budget aimed at bolstering Taiwan's overall defense posture and the general 2026 budget because of what they said was the government's failure to prepare a budget consistent with the law. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus had placed a motion on the agenda for Friday's legislative session that would have sent the budget proposals to committee for review, but it was voted down 59-50 by lawmakers from the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP). The vote came after Premier Cho Jung-tai () warned that failure to pass the NT$3.03 trillion (US$95.88 billion) general budget could keep the central government from accessing NT$299.2 billion in funds, including for defense and local government allocations. Those funds would be earmarked for new initiatives (NT$101.7 billion), running expenses and continuing programs (NT$180.5 billion) and the First and Second Reserve Funds and the Disaster Reserve Fund (NT$17 billion). The government will still be able to draw on other funds for such payments as civil servant salaries and statutory social welfare payments under a "provisional budget" mechanism based on the previous year's approved budget. KMT caucus Secretary-General Lo Chih-chiang () told reporters after the vote that his caucus hopes President Lai Ching-te's () administration will first compile the budget in accordance with the law. Lo urged the Lai administration to fully allocate funds for military pay raises as well as pension increases for retired police officers and firefighters, in line with bills passed by opposition parties last year. The Cabinet has declined to earmark funds for the raises and has sought constitutional interpretations of the bills, which are still pending. Lawmakers from the two opposition parties also blocked a proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget unveiled by Lai on Nov. 26. It was the sixth time opposition lawmakers had voted against the special budget. The opposition has demanded that Lai brief the Legislature on the special budget and respond to lawmakers' questions before any review of the spending plan begins. The TPP has also criticized the proposal, saying that amid delays in the delivery of U.S.-ordered weapons, it is unreasonable to expect opposition backing for what it described as an "opaque" defense spending plan that does not clearly specify funded items. (By Sean Lin) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC Ministry of National Defense 2026.01.09 Issuing AuthorityPolitical Warfare Bureau PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1.Date: 6 a.m. Jan. 8 (Thu.) to 6 a.m. Jan. 9 (Fri.) (UTC+8) 2.PLA activities: 23 sorties of PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN ships and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 19 out of 23 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities. 1150109_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan_1.JPG 1150109_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan_2JPG 1150109_PLA air activities in the vicinity of Taiwan NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM call with Chancellor Merz of Germany and President Macron of France: 9 January 2026 Press release The Prime Minister spoke to the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron this morning. From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP Published 9 January 2026 The Prime Minister spoke to the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron this morning, following the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris. The leaders began by reflecting on the strong unity in support of Ukraine at Tuesday's meeting, and the good progress made on next steps. They welcomed the ongoing close coordination with the US to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. Russia's ongoing attacks in Ukraine, including of the use of an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile in Western Ukraine this morning, were escalatory and unacceptable, the leaders agreed. It was clear Russia was using fabricated allegations to justify the attack, the Prime Minister added. The leaders then turned to security in the High North. The Prime Minister said the NATO Alliance needed to step up in the region to deter adversaries such as Russia. Turning to the situation in Iran, the leaders agreed on the need for close coordination as events evolved and the Prime Minister reiterated his support for those who exercised their right to peaceful protest. The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Massive Oreshnik missile and drone attack against Ukraine: Statement by the President of the Committee of Ministers Council of Europe Moldovan Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Strasbourg 9 January 2026 Mr Mihai Popsoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova and President of the Committee of Ministers, made the following statement: "We strongly condemn Russia's use of the Oreshnik ballistic missile in its brutal overnight attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving the people of Kyiv, Lviv and Kryvyi Rih without electricity or running water. Human life is one of the supreme values defended by the Council of Europe and there shall be no impunity for these brutal attacks. Actions taken by the Council of Europe in ensuring accountability for Ukraine, starting with the functioning of the Register of Damage, continuing with the recent launching in the Hague of the process to establish the Claims Commission, as well as the progress made in the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, are key steps in this direction. Support for Ukraine and accountability for the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation is an overarching priority of the Republic of Moldova's Presidency to the Committee of Ministers. We stand in solidarity with Ukraine and support a just peace for Ukraine." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Finland delivers assistance from EU strategic stockpile to Ukraine Finnish Government Ministry of the Interior Publication date 9.1.2026 11.49 Type:Press release Finland has sent material assistance to Ukraine from the EU-funded rescEU strategic stockpile for the third time. The deployment from Finland included supplies to respond to chemical, biological and radiological threats, as well as medical items. The need for assistance stems from the wide-ranging risks caused by Russia's full-scale war of aggression, which Ukrainian authorities must be prepared to address. Deployment was part of broader EU support for Ukraine. Emergency stockpiles are shared EU reserves There are two rescEU stockpiles in Finland, that include items for a total value of EUR 305 million. Of these, rescEU CBRN provides items for detecting, preventing and protecting people against chemical (C), biological (B), radiological (R) and nuclear (N) threats and hazardous situations, while rescEU Medical provides medical items, medicinal products and devices for measuring the radioactivity of persons and foodstuffs. The medical stockpiles were created to respond to cross-border health emergencies, such as pandemics. Stockpile maintenance and the procurement of supplies are carried out by a consortium under the leadership of the Finnish Ministry of the Interior. The consortium members are the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the National Emergency Supply Agency, and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. The Ministry of the Interior coordinates the projects managing the rescEU strategic reserves in Finland and is the national competent authority of the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism. The rescEU stockpiles are shared strategic reserves funded by the EU. They are deployed after a decision by the European Commission, when a country has insufficient resources to cope with a specific situation. The stockpiles are primarily intended for the EU Member States. However, they can be made available to ten other countries that participate in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. This group largely consists of the EU's neighbouring countries, such as Ukraine. Dispatching items from the rescEU stockpiles requires seamless cooperation between the requesting country, the sending country and the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Update 336 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine International Atomic Energy Agency 9 January 2026 Vienna, Austria 1/2026 The IAEA has initiated consultations to establish a temporary ceasefire zone in the area where Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) last remaining back-up 330 kV line was damaged and disconnected as a result of military activity on 2 January, leaving the plant entirely dependent on its sole functioning 750 kV line, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today. The proposal requests both the Russian Federation and Ukraine to agree to a temporary ceasefire zone at a location approximately 10 kilometres from the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant 330 kV open switchyard, to enable Ukrainian technicians to safely perform the necessary repairs. The latest ceasefire proposal comes after successful repairs were carried out under an IAEA-brokered local ceasefire on 30 December, marking the third time in recent months when temporary truce arrangements negotiated and overseen by the IAEA allowed work on power lines critical for nuclear safety that had been damaged during the conflict. "The IAEA remains actively engaged with both parties to ensure nuclear safety and security at the plant," said Director General Grossi. "We are confident that the Russian Federation and Ukraine will continue to cooperate constructively with us to carry out these essential repairs and reduce the risk of an accident." Over the past week, the IAEA team present at the ZNPP has also reported a significant increase in military activities in the areas surrounding the ZNPP, including some explosions heard close to the site. Throughout Ukraine, IAEA teams present at the country's operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) - Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine - and the Chornobyl NPP site have reported that military attacks on the country's electrical infrastructure continue to impact nuclear safety at the plants. One NPP reduced its power output on 25 December when military activity caused one power line to be damaged and disconnected. Due to persistent military activity on the country's power infrastructure Director General Grossi announced that the IAEA is preparing another expert mission to Ukraine's electrical substations. "These substations are critical for nuclear safety and security as they supply electricity for reactor cooling and other essential safety systems. The IAEA has the expertise to assess the direct implications of the continued deterioration of Ukraine's power grid on the safety of its nuclear power plants," he added. In the past weeks, two deliveries were completed as part of the IAEA's comprehensive programme of assistance to Ukraine. The deliveries consisted of radiation portal monitors intended for the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology and six water level meters for the South-Ukrainian subdivision of the State Enterprise "Ukrainian Geological Company" within the framework of the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to the Kherson Oblast (ISAMKO) programme. The deliveries - which brought the total number of shipments to Ukraine to 196 since the start of the war - were made possible with funds from Japan and Sweden. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address B. Braze at an inter-institutional meeting: Support for Ukraine's military capabilities and energy sector, as well as the development of Latvia's defence industry are among our key priorities Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 09.01.2026 On 8 January 2026, Foreign Minister Baiba Braze chaired an inter-institutional meeting on the implementation of the Agreement between the Republic of Latvia and Ukraine on Long-Term Support and Security Commitments and priorities for 2026. The development of Latvia's defence industry is one of the inter-institutional priorities. At the third inter-institutional meeting, representatives from all ministries presented updates on achievements within their respective sectors and outlined initiatives planned for the year ahead, including military support for Ukraine, support for the restoration of Ukraine's energy sector, Ukraine's integration into the EU and comprehensive reforms, support for Ukrainian civilians in Latvia, etc. Ministry representatives also discussed the development of the national military industry in order to strengthen Latvia's own defence and deterrence capabilities, as well as to provide support to Ukraine. Notable achievements in 2025 Latvia supports Ukraine through both military and non-military initiatives. In 2025, Latvia provided Ukraine with military support amounting to almost EUR 110 million, or 0.30% of GDP, including: contribution of EUR 7.2 million to NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, PURL); supply of PATRIA armoured vehicles; training of Ukrainian soldiers; investment of EUR 20 million in the Latvian-UK led Drone Coalition; investment of EUR 35 thousand in the NATO project Renovator to renovate a military hospital in the Vinnytsia region; contribution of EUR 217 thousand to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund; contribution of EUR 65 thousand to the Finland-Ukraine led Civil Protection Shelter Coalition. In addition: assistance in international proceedings to return Ukrainian children deported by Russia; consistent support for international efforts to hold the aggressor accountable, including the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, signing the Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine; investment of around EUR 5 million in infrastructure restoration projects in Chernihiv which is Latvia's priority reconstruction area for 2025 (implemented by the Entrepreneurs for Peace and Your Friends associations), as well as psychological support to women (implemented by the MARTA Centre). Latvia will continue to implement several reconstruction projects in Ukraine, particularly in the Chernihiv region, thus fulfilling its EUR 15 million reconstruction commitment for 2024-2026 this year. B. Braze: "Since Russia started the war, Latvia has been among Ukraine's strongest supporters, including by successfully assisting in the training of Ukrainian armed forces personnel in Latvia. Ukraine highly appreciates this and expresses gratitude to Latvia and its people for the extensive support. In 2026, Latvia will continue providing military support to Ukraine in the amount of at least 0.25% of GDP, including training of military personnel, supplying equipment and expertise, military equipment, contributing to international organisations to strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities, and investing in the development of the drone industry. Latvia's key priorities include supporting Ukraine's military capabilities and energy sector, as well as advancing the development of Latvia's defence industry." She also pointed out that the Ministry of Defence has created the Ukraine Support Catalog containing military products and technologies produced in Latvia, which allows for targeted support to Ukraine and contributes to strengthening Latvia's own capabilities. Latvia will continue its efforts to apply political, diplomatic, and economic pressure on Russia. In 2025, the EU adopted four sets of sanctions against Russia, which also included Latvia's proposals, while also continuing the alignment of sanctions against Russia and Belarus. In 2025, sanctions against Russia were regularly imposed under other sanction regimes, specifically the hybrid and human rights regimes. Preparation of the 20th sanctions package is currently in process, primarily targeting Russia's energy, finance, and military industrial sectors. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Year. Old War. New Team. Who's Who In Zelenskyy's Personnel Shuffle By Rostyslav Khotin January 09, 2026 Summary Amid corruption scandals and relentless Russian attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is conducting major personnel changes at high levels in Ukraine. Here's a look at who's in, who's out, who's up, and who's down -- and why. Zelenskyy's changes -- made to top executive, defense, and intelligence positions -- come at a critical time for peace negotiations with the West. Kyrylo Budanov, former military intelligence chief, is now head of the presidential office and will lead peace negotiations to end the war with Russia. New year. Old war. New personnel. In some of the most consequential personnel decisions of his time in office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has embarked on a series of major changes to top positions in his administration. That includes replacing the heads of the two most important intelligence agencies. Ukrainians are exhausted by Russia's all-out war, which hits the four-year mark next month. Voters still largely support Zelenskyy, though his approval ratings have slipped, and pressure is building for possible elections if there's a cease-fire or peace deal. Corruption scandals have also shaken Zelenskyy's government, and some political observers say the reshuffle is aimed mainly at bolstering Ukraine in US-led peace talks. "All things considered, the president is realizing that the negotiation process has not yielded quick results. And now these personnel processes, which had slowed down but were maturing, have all now come in a heap," Kyiv-based political scientist Oleh Saakyan told RFE/RL. "We see that the priority is the negotiation process and defense. In fact, this is why these personnel reshuffles are taking place." Parliament may vote on the most important positions as early as this coming week. Here's a look at who's in, who's out, who's up, who's down -- and why. In (and Up): Kyrylo Budanov The longtime chief of the military intelligence agency known as HUR, Budanov was tapped by Zelenskyy on January 2 to take over from Andriy Yermak as powerful head of the presidential office -- essentially his chief-of-staff. Tight-lipped and enigmatic, Budanov has cultivated a base of support for his oversight of sabotage operations against Russian targets. Moscow accused him of orchestrating the 2022 bombing of the Kerch Strait Bridge, which links Russia to Crimea, the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014. The bombing, which temporarily damaged the bridge's roadway and adjacent rail tracks, was hailed as a demonstration of ingenuity. The agency has also deployed satellite-controlled exploding maritime drones targeting dozens of Russian ships in the Black Sea. Budanov's visibility also stoked speculation he could be a political challenger to Zelenskyy, and some experts said Zelenskyy's pulling Budanov into his administration was a way to head off a potential challenge. Budanov's new duties also include leading negotiations with the West aimed at ending Russia's invasion. Talks are at a critical juncture now, as Ukraine has pushed back on what it sees as some of the more problematic proposals in the US plan released in November 2025. Zelenskyy appointed a former deputy foreign minister as his aide. Budanov's replacement will be the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko. Out: Andriy Yermak Yermak, the man Budanov replaced, had amassed considerable influence -- and plenty of enemies -- before he was pushed out in late November 2025, the casualty of a snowballing corruption scandal involving energy sector kickbacks. A lawyer and film producer who met Zelenskyy during the Ukrainian president's former career as an actor and comedian, Yermak was tapped as Zelenskyy's chief of staff in February 2020, less than a year after the political novice took office. He grew to be seen as a political enforcer and often inseparable aide to Zelenskyy after the invasion, sleeping in the presidential bomb shelter with him and traveling extensively to meetings abroad. Yermak's apartment was searched in November as part of an anti-corruption investigation overseen by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, known as NABU and SAPO. Before Yermak, the corruption scandal claimed two top cabinet ministers: Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk. Out (and Over, again): Denys Shmyhal When he was tapped to head the Defense Ministry in July, Shmyhal had been Zelenskyy's prime minister, for nearly five years -- since before the Russian invasion. Prior to that, Shmyhal held a top executive position at the country's largest private energy company, DTEK. The prime minister's office holds less power than the presidency, so the job mainly consists of minding legislative matters in parliament, as well as cabinet meetings. Currently, Zelenskyy's Servant of the People party holds an absolute majority in the parliament, the Verkhovna Rada -- so in practice, the presidential office runs both the government itself and the legislature. With Zelenskyy cleaning out ministers linked to the energy scandal, he tapped Shmyhal to take over the Energy Ministry, ostensibly to help clean it up. Shmyhal is also seen as a stolid technocrat who rarely grants interviews or seeks publicity, in contrast to some other top ministers and officials, so there's little danger of him eclipsing Zelenskyy. In (and Up): Mykhaylo Fedorov One of the youngest ministers in Zelenskyy's government, Fedorov, 34, was named Ukraine's first minister of digital transformation in 2019, a position aimed at modernizing the government's clunky government services, many dating back to the Soviet era. Equally important was providing transparency for long-opaque bureaucratic processes, helping to root out deep-seated corrupt practices. The reforms -- described as "a state in a smartphone" -- were embraced by Ukrainians, and Fedorov's popularity and success led to a cabinet promotion, to deputy prime minister, with an expanded portfolio. With Shmyhal's shuffle over to the Energy Ministry, Fedorov was named to take over the Defense Ministry. Fedorov does not have a military background, which has prompted some grumbling among Ukraine's uniformed armed forces. But neither did Shmyhal. His promotion, to the military post, was seen as a signal that drone warfare and production -- an area of wartime innovation that Ukraine has excelled at -- would be put into higher gear. Out (and Down): Vasyl Malyuk Until his demotion, Malyuk oversaw Ukraine's largest, and arguably most feared security and intelligence agency, the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU. Malyuk took over in February 2023, after Zelenskyy sacked then-chief, Ivan Bakanov, pointing to suspicions that the service was riddled with Russian spies and moles in the run-up to the invasion a year earlier. A rival of Budanov's agency, the SBU was known for rooting out spies and saboteurs, but also conducting assassination and other operations. In June 2025, the service was credited with running a sabotage operation that involved scores of drones being concealed in civilian trucks and launched at Russian air bases thousands of kilometers from the border. The preceding December, the SBU was accused of detonating an electric scooter parked on a Moscow sidewalk, killing a top Russian general. But the service's sometimes shadowy operations also drew criticism. In July 2025ssssssssssssss, the service arrested several investigators who were the backbone of the effort by NABU and SAPO to tackle endemic corruption. The SBU accused a number of them of having ties to Russia. That move, along with legislation that stripped the two organizations of their independence, hit a nerve among Ukrainians and particularly the younger generation, which widely embraced their mission to root out graft. Under pressure from street protests, Zelenskyy backed down, and endorsed legislation restoring their independence. Malyuk had reportedly initially refused to resign when ordered to do so by Zelenskyy, and a number of prominent military and security officials spoke out in his support. They included the commander of Ukraine's drone operations. "I am leaving my post as head of the Security Service," he said, announcing his job switch a few days later. "I will stay in the system to carry out operations that continue to inflict maximum damage on the enemy. A strong, modern intelligence service is key to our state's security." The newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda reported that Malyuk's ouster may have been Yermak's doing. His replacement, Major General Yevhen Khmara, commanded the SBU's elite special operations unit, Alfa. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskyy- personnel-changes-corruption-war/33644026.html Copyright (c) 2026. 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 On Disinformation in Russia's War against Ukraine Republic of Slovenia 9. 1. 2026 Government Communication Office In the latest episode of the GOVSI podcast, we continue exploring the topic of disinformation and information warfare. This time, our guest is Mykhailo Dankanych, a Ukrainian veteran and expert in countering Russian disinformation, who warns that the information front is not taking place only in Ukraine, but also within the European Union. In conversation with host Zoran Potic, the guest explains that information warfare is not an isolated phenomenon, but part of a broader cognitive war, aimed at spreading chaos, distrust and undermining social cohesion. Witnesses as the strongest response to false narratives Dankanych highlights that one of the most effective ways to fight disinformation is to speak with people who have experienced events first-hand. He connects his work to the project To Break the Fake, through which he collects testimonies from former Ukrainian prisoners of war. According to him, their experiences are essential for understanding how Russian narratives are constructed and reinforced over time. Russian narratives in Europeand in Slovenia as well The guest emphasises that Russia also operates in the European media space. His team monitors media outlets across various EU countries, searching for recurring propaganda phrases that appear in pro-Russian narratives. Among the most recently analysed countries is Slovenia, where they have identified several sources spreading patterns typical of Russian disinformation. Disinformation cannot be defeated but we must resist A key message of the episode is that disinformation cannot be completely eliminated, as it will spread even faster with the development of technology and artificial intelligence. Nevertheless, as Dankanych stresses, it is essential to persist: to educate, verify sources and strengthen critical thinking from an early age. He concludes the episode with a simple call: Be sceptical. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Forces Liberate Zelyonoye Village in Zaporozhye Region Sputnik News 20260109 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Vostok battlegroup has liberated the settlement of Zelyonoye in the Zaporozhye Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. "Units of the Vostok battlegroup continued advancing into the depth of the enemy's defenses. Over the week, the settlements of Zelyonoye in the Zaporozhye Region and Bratskoye in the Dnepropetrovsk Region have been liberated," the ministry said. Russia's Vostok battlegroup has eliminated over 1,680 Ukrainian soldiers in the week, while the Yug battlegroup has eliminated over 1,355 soldiers has eliminated over 1,680 Ukrainian soldiers in the week, while the has eliminated over 1,355 soldiers Russia's Tsentr battlegroup has eliminated 2,805 Ukrainian military personnel over the past week has eliminated 2,805 Ukrainian military personnel over the past week Russia's Zapad battlegroup has eliminated over 1,330 soldiers, Ukraine had lost 1,285 fighters in battles with Russia's Sever battlegroup has eliminated over 1,330 soldiers, Ukraine had lost 1,285 fighters in battles with Russia's Russia's Dnepr battlegroup has eliminated up to 325 Ukrainian personnel has eliminated up to 325 Ukrainian personnel Russian air defenses have also shot down 1,327 aircraft-type drones, 21 guided bombs, 14 HIMARS rockets, and five Neptune missiles over the week Russian forces also carried out one massive and four group strikes from January 3 to 9, hitting Ukraine's defense-industrial facilities, energy, transportation, airfield, and port infrastructure, as well as temporary deployment points of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and foreign mercenaries Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Struck Ukrainian Facilities With Oreshnik To Retaliate For Attack On Putin's Residence Sputnik News 20260109 On December 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that overnight Ukraine had launched an attack on the Russian presidential residence in Russia's Novgorod Region using 91 drones. Russian forces launched a massive overnight strike on Ukraine's critical facilities in response to its terrorist attack on Putin's residence, the Russian Defense Ministry stated. "Overnight today, in response to a terrorist attack by the Kiev regime on the residence of the Russian president in the Novgorod Region, carried out on the night of December 29, 2025, the Russian armed forces conducted a massive strike using long-range, high-precision weapons launched from land- and sea-based platforms, including the Oreshnik medium-range mobile ground-based missile system, as well as strike unmanned aerial vehicles, against critically important facilities on the Ukrainian territory," the ministry said in a statement. The strike involved Oreshnik missiles. "Facilities producing unmanned aerial vehicles used in the terrorist attack, as well as energy infrastructure supporting the operation of Ukraine's military-industrial complex, were hit," the ministry said, adding that the objectives of the massive strike had been achieved. "Any terrorist actions by the criminal Ukrainian regime will continue to be met with a response," the Defense Ministry added. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK accelerates 200 million of funding for deployment to Ukraine as air defence support stepped up News story UK is now accelerating 200 million to equip UK Armed Forces with new kit to be ready to deploy as part of the Multinational Force for Ukraine. From: Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon John Healey MP Published 9 January 2026 The Government has allocated 200 million of funding to prepare the UK Armed Forces to deploy as part of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNFU), the Defence Secretary has announced during a visit to Ukraine. The funding will equip UK forces to secure Ukraine's future and reinforce long term security guarantees, following the declaration of intent signed by the leaders of the UK, France and Ukraine this week in Paris, which confirmed that UK and French troops will deploy to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal. The Defence Secretary confirms today that 200 million has been allocated for this year and will specifically fund preparations for any deployment of the MNFU to upgrade vehicles, communications systems, new counter-drone protection and additional force-protection equipment, ensuring troops are ready to deploy if required. This capital spending is being funded from the core defence budget and sends a clear signal to allies and adversaries of the UK's intent to lead the MNFU, fulfil our promises to secure the peace in Ukraine and deliver a 'new deal' for European security to make Britain safer. Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: As we approach the fifth year of Putin's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainians continue to fight with huge courage - civilians and military alike. We are surging investment into our preparations following the Prime Minister's announcement this week, ensuring that Britain's Armed Forces are ready to deploy, and lead, the Multinational Force Ukraine, because a secure Ukraine means a secure UK. As we look towards a potential peace deal, we continue to step up for Ukraine in the fight today - strengthening its air defences while backing British industry, jobs and innovation at home. The Defence Secretary discussed further details of the military plans for the Multinational Force for Ukraine with President Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Shmyhal, as he travelled to Ukraine with the most senior UK General within the HQ of the MNFU, which is already operational in Paris. During those meetings, John Healey MP also confirmed that production of British-built Octopus interceptor drones will begin this month, boosting Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian drone attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure. Developed by Ukrainian engineers and refined by British industry, Octopus interceptors use frontline battlefield data to defeat Shahed-style drones before they reach homes, hospitals and power stations. The drones are low-cost, quick to produce and designed for mass manufacture. The UK aims to produce thousands of Octopus drones per month and send back into Ukraine to defend from further Russian drone attacks. Each Octopus interceptor costs less than 10 per cent of the drone it is designed to destroy, giving Ukraine a sustainable way to defend its skies at scale. The design is updated every six weeks to stay ahead of Russian tactics. Octopus builds on the UK's commitment to invest 600 million into air defence for Ukraine this year, as part of 4.5 billion of military support. Under the UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership, live battlefield data feeds straight into UK production lines, allowing rapid upgrades and faster delivery to the front line. The programme will also support high-skilled jobs across the UK, backing defence as a driver of growth and innovation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha responded to Russia's statements regarding the use of the "Oreshnik" missile Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 09 January 2026 09:35 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "Russia claims it used an intermediate range ballistic missile, so-called "Oreshnik", against Lviv region. Such a strike close to EU and NATO border is a grave threat to the security on the European continent and a test for the transatlantic community. We demand strong responses to Russia's reckless actions. We are informing the United States, European partners, and all countries and international organizations about the details of this dangerous strike through diplomatic channels. It is absurd that Russia attempts to justify this strike with the fake "Putin residence attack" that never happened. Another proof that Moscow does not need any real reasons for its terror and war. Putin uses an IRBM near EU and NATO border in response to his own hallucinations this is truly a global threat. And it demands global responses. There needs to be more strong steps against Russian tanker fleetand the U.S. is right to take action hereas well as Russia's oil revenues, schemes, and its assets. Not only in the EU but across the world. We urge all responsible states and international organizations to call out Russian lies and increase pressure on the aggressor without delay. We will be initiating international action an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council, a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council, as well as responses within the EU, Council of Europe, and OSCE." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held phone talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania Oana Toiu Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 09 January 2026 13:26 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "As part of diplomatic activities to inform our partners about the consequences of Russia's brutal overnight attack and to secure additional military assistance and air defense for Ukraine, I had a substantive call with Romania's Foreign Minister Oana Toiu. We coordinated further steps aimed at strengthening Ukraine's resilience and enhancing our bilateral cooperation. Grateful for my colleague's principled stance and personal efforts in support of Ukraine. We also highly appreciate the recent decision of Romania's leadership to join NATO's PURL initiative to strengthen Ukraine's military. Effective Ukraine-Romania cooperation makes an important contribution to strengthening Black Sea security and promoting regional stability. We also focused on our bilateral political dialogue in the nearest future as well as further cooperation within the Odesa Triangle format of Ukraine - the Republic of Moldova - Romania." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held phone talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia Margus Tsahkna Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 09 January 2026 16:50 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "I had an important conversation with my colleague Minister Margus Tsahkna as Estonia is assuming the coordinating role within the Nordic-Baltic Eight in 2026. I briefed him in detail on Russia's barbaric attack against Ukraine, once again deliberately targeting civilians and critical infrastructure. We discussed concrete steps to ensure a strong and coordinated response to Russia's ongoing terror, with a particular focus on urgently strengthening Ukraine's air defense. Grateful for my colleague's personal leadership and steadfast engagement in mobilizing maximum assistance for Ukraine. Ukraine attaches great importance to further advancing cooperation with the Nordic-Baltic countries and highly appreciates their principled, consistent, and meaningful support. We coordinated our next bilateral contacts and joint efforts to bring closer a just and lasting peace for the whole of Europe." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held phone talks with Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See Mons. Paul R. Gallagher Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 09 January 2026 19:12 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "I had a meaningful call with Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. I conveyed gratitude to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for his prayers for Ukraine and moral solidarity with our people. I reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to a just peace and noted the importance of active diplomacy conducted together with our partners. I informed Archbishop Gallagher about the completion of the transfer of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Kyiv to the Religious Community of St. Nicholas Parish of the Roman Catholic Church, demonstrating Ukraine's commitment to protecting the rights of religious communities. I also emphasized the crucial role of the Holy See in the release of prisoners and return of deported Ukrainian children within the #BringKidsBackUA initiative." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Russians Are Exploiting the Weather - The Cold Snap - Trying to Hit as Many of Our Energy Facilities as Possible - Address by the President President of Ukraine 9 January 2026 - 19:19 Dear Ukrainians! Restoration efforts are currently underway in our cities and our communities - in Kyiv and the region, in the Dnipro, Lviv, Kirovohrad, Cherkasy, and Odesa regions. Repair crews are almost constantly working in the Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv regions. Maximum forces are deployed to restore vital services. The Russians are exploiting the weather - the cold snap - trying to hit as many of our energy facilities as possible. So much for their respect for America and all diplomacy. Last night, over 200 Russian drones were launched, as well as a significant number of ballistic missiles, primarily targeting Kyiv. Four people were killed - my condolences to their families. Nearly thirty were wounded. Prior to that, there were strikes on Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Zaporizhzhia. And before that - Odesa. The main Russian tactic is to try to completely shut cities down. It is crucial that every city administration understands this goal, the goal of the enemy, and prepares for full counteraction, for actual work for the benefit of citizens. The focus should not be on avoiding problems but on solving them, especially when the resources exist to do so - as in Kyiv. It is the best-financed city in Ukraine, and all necessary backup systems must be in place. Today, I held a special energy meeting with military officials, government representatives, and specialized services to discuss the details of protecting energy facilities and the necessary decisions. Diplomats must be as active as possible - through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and informal diplomatic channels. Oreshnik was used again - this time against the Lviv region. Once again, it was pointedly close to the borders of the European Union. And in terms of using medium-range ballistic missiles, this poses the same challenge for all: Warsaw, Bucharest, Budapest, and many other capitals as well. Everyone needs to see this in the same way and with the same seriousness: if the Russians aren't even bothering to come up with a plausible excuse for using such weapons, then no personal connections and no rhetoric will protect anyone from this. What is needed is a system of joint action, a system of collective defense - one that truly works. Does such a system exist now? That's an open question, because across Europe there is the same doubt - whether their capital would be defended if Putin suddenly lost it. Today, I received a detailed military briefing from the Commander-in-Chief and the Chief of the General Staff, including on work with partners in recent days on security guarantees. The documents are largely finalized. But the essence of these documents - their strength - lies in ensuring confidence that the guarantees will work. This can only be truly seen if protection is also operational right now. Timely delivery of air-defense systems. Timely delivery of equipment for our resilience and our energy infrastructure. Timely provision of financial support for Ukraine - for our defense and our stability. There are many details, and each one must be worked through now in a way that ensures confidence for tomorrow. I also want to thank all our people involved in responding to the aftermath of the strikes. This is truly heroic work. In hours, people accomplish what in other countries can take days or weeks. The important thing is that help is available everywhere, repairs are happening everywhere, and maximum effort is being made to restore electricity and heating to the people. I have tasked government officials with communicating as fully as possible what will be done and within what timeframe. I thank everyone who is helping! I thank everyone who supports our people. I thank all the leaders who have not stayed silent and who are standing with us, with Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Diplomatic Efforts and Defense Support: The President Held a Meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Defense President of Ukraine 9 January 2026 - 17:13 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Defense, John Healey. "Very pleased to welcome you to Kyiv. Thank you, your team, and your Government for the great support throughout all these years of the full-scale invasion," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The Head of State highlighted the importance of the Paris Declaration and the Declaration of Intent between the United Kingdom, France, and Ukraine relating to the deployment of multinational forces in support of the defense, reconstruction, and strategic sustainability of Ukraine, which were approved and signed this week in Paris. "I believe the Paris Declaration is the first good step forward - a real document to ensure security guarantees from Europe, from all of Europe. This is extremely important: once this war ends, we must have security guarantees. It was a very positive signal for our people," the President emphasized. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and John Healey discussed options for how a British contingent could be deployed to operate together with French forces if diplomacy succeeds in bringing the war to an end. Separately, the Head of State underscored that strengthening the protection of Ukraine's skies is critically important amid Russia's intensified air terror. The President briefed the Secretary of State on the consequences of Russia's overnight attack on critical infrastructure facilities in Kyiv and the Lviv region, including the use of a medium-range ballistic missile. John Healey expressed condolences to all Ukrainians affected by Russian strikes and reaffirmed the United Kingdom's readiness to help with securing airdefense missiles. "Putin continues to escalate, he continues to attack your cities and your citizens, and this only makes our resolve and our determination to stand with you stronger," the UK Secretary of State for Defense stressed. The sides also discussed further strengthening sanctions against Russia to force it to end this war. The meeting also addressed the implementation of agreements on joint defense production, including Octopus interceptor drones. Ukraine has already provided the necessary data and is awaiting the delivery of the first batch of drones for testing. "As early as this month, we will begin producing new, improved drones and interceptors, and next month we will start supplying them to Ukraine. After that, we aim to ensure that more than 1,000 such systems reach your defenders every month," John Healey noted. The Secretary of State also briefed the President on preparations for the February meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine: Massive overnight attack leaves millions in the dark 9 January 2026 - UN agencies are supporting efforts on Friday to keep energy services up and running in Ukraine, and families warm amid freezing winter temperatures, following a large-scale overnight attack. Russian forces launched hundreds of drones and several missiles in the capital Kyiv and other cities, including one that can carry nuclear warheads, according to media reports. At least four people were killed in Kyiv, and roughly 25 others injured, while thousands of apartment buildings in the city were left without heat in the cold weather. The victims included a medic who was saving others as part of an emergency services team, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said in a tweet. Four healthcare workers were injured, and three ambulances were damaged. Attacks 'must stop immediately': Guterres UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement issued by his Spokesperson that he strongly condemned the ongoing targeted missile and drone attacks. "These attacks have resulted in significant civilian casualties and deprived millions of Ukrainians of essential services, including electricity, heating and water at a time of acute humanitarian need," the statement added. "Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. No matter where they occur, they are unacceptable, unjustifiable, and must stop immediately." Millions without heat In a social media post, UNICEF said that three children were reportedly injured in the massive attack across Ukraine which "left millions without heating, water and power." The agency "is further bolstering energy systems to also enable repairs and is working around the clock with local authorities to help keep critical services for children and families running." In the city of Kryyvi Rih in central Ukraine, aid workers distributed hot meals to affected residents and first responders, in addition to providing construction materials to cover damaged apartments, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tweeted. A continuing 'trend' The attack occurred in a week when massive airstrikes were carried out on Kharkiv in the northeast, Dnipro in the east, and the Kherson region in the southeast, said Elisabeth Haslund, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. "It's really emphasising the continuation of this trend with intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine that we have witnessed on the ground for several months. And this is clearly continuing now into 2026," she told UN News. The ongoing war together with severe attacks, winter weather conditions and targeting of the energy infrastructure are making the humanitarian situation in Ukraine "extremely serious," she added. UNHCR and local partners have been responding with critical and life-saving emergency aid, which includes providing emergency shelter materials to families, psychosocial support, counselling and legal aid for people who have lost documents or need assistance in accessing compensation. Support for families The UN continues to call for an end to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022. Since then, more than 50,000 civilians have been killed or injured, although the actual number is likely higher. WHO said that so far this year, it has documented nine attacks on healthcare, two deaths and 11 injuries. UNICEF has been in the country since before the conflict began. It supports families in numerous ways, including working to ensure the functionality of heating infrastructure, providing solid fuel as well as winter clothing and blankets for children, rehabilitating school shelters, and enabling access to safe water in areas where supply networks have been damaged or destroyed. Last month, UNICEF launched a $350 million appeal to provide humanitarian assistance in Ukraine this year with the goal of supporting 4.3 million people, including 725,000 children. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on recent attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine United Nations Secretary-General 9 January 2026 New York, UN Statements | Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Delivered by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General The Secretary-General strongly condemns the ongoing targeted missile and drone attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukraine's critical civilian infrastructure. These attacks have resulted in significant civilian casualties and deprived millions of Ukrainians of essential services, including electricity, heating and water at a time of acute humanitarian need. Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. No matter where they occur, they are unacceptable, unjustifiable, and must stop immediately. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address VANCOUVER - Germanium Mining Corp. ("GERMANIUM MINING" OR THE "COMPANY") (CSE: GMC; OTCQB: EMSKF; FSE: 1I30) is pleased to announce that it has commenced remote sensing work on its Lac Du Km 35 Property, located in the Chibougamau area, Quebec. Description of the Lac du Km 35 Property Regional Setting The Property comprises the prominent Faribault Shear Zone ("FSZ"), oriented east-southeast, and located towards the eastern part of the Property. The FSZ dips to the south-southwest and ends at the Grenville Front which extends southwest-northeast for several hundreds of kilometres. The FSZ is a key structural feature that may connect with other permeable zones at depth, acting as a preferential conduit for hydrothermal fluids. Discovered by government geologists in 1998 and never followed up, the Laganiere germanium showing consists of a peridotite outcrop within the Laganiere gneissic Complex that comprises amphibolites and hornblende and biotite gneisses. The Laganiere showing returned a value of 0.02% (186 ppm) germanium. These results are considered historical in nature. A qualified person has not completed sufficient work to verify these historical results, and the Company is not treating these historical results as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The Laganiere germanium showing lies beside the main lumber road and immediately adjacent to the south to a cluster of electromagnetic anomalies of roughly 400 m x 400 m in size that were never tested. The Laganiere germanium showing is also 450 m northeast of the FSZ, 800 m from the southern margin of the Duberger felsic pluton and approximately 2 km to the west of the Grenville Front. The area between the FSZ and the Laganiere Germanium showing, including the never tested cluster of electromagnetic anomalies, will be the main focus of GMC. Satellite Imagery Study The remote sensing work is expected to be completed by end of February 2026 and will consist of outlining potential faults, shear zones and related secondary structural features that may be associated with germanium mineralization. The Company intends to complete a satellite imagery study using ESA (European Space Agency) PNEO satellites constellation with panchromatic data of 30 cm in resolution, acquired in September 2023. Algorithms will be applied on these images in order to pinpoint relevant structural bodies, including intrusions, variably dipping dykes and lenticular-shaped elements. The information will be transferred to a GIS system and a series of maps at scale 1:5,000 will be generated. Precise satellite image interpreted structural features will be correlated with existing data for generating targeted areas that will be followed up on the field in the upcoming sampling program in the summer of 2026. About Germanium Germanium is a hard, greyish and brittle metalloid. Germanium has many growing applications in electronics and solar, in fiber optics, and Infrared optics for civil and military uses. Germanium is in the list of critical metals in Canada, the United States and the European Union. Since December 3, 2024, China, the largest producer of refined germanium, has banned germanium exports to the United States. Germanium is not an openly traded commodity and recent spot prices have germanium over US$5,000 per kilogram. The Company cautions that the geological information provided in this news release is of historical nature and mineralization may not be representative of mineralization on the Lac du Km 35 Property. Benoit Moreau, P.Eng., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and vice-president of exploration for Germanium Mining Corp., has approved and is responsible for the technical information contained in this news release. About Germanium Mining Corp. Germanium Mining Corp. is a publicly traded mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and advancement of discovery-stage mineral properties in top tier mining jurisdictions across North America. Germanium Mining Corp. is a member of the Nevada Mining Association. Make sure to follow the Company on X.com & Linkedin as well as subscribe for Company updates at www.germaniummining.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Mario Pezzente ___ CEO & Director For more information on Germanium Mining Corp. please contact: Phone: 604-717-6605 Corporate e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.germaniummining.com Corporate Address: 2905 - 700 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V7Y 1C6 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, but are not limited to, statements regarding the intended use of proceeds of the Offering and other matters regarding the business plans of the Company. 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 Company may use the proceeds of the Offering for purposes other than those disclosed in this news release; adverse market conditions; 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. The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents or accuracy of this press release. Copyright (c) 2026 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Vancouver, January 9, 2026 - Wedgemount Resources Corp. (CSE: WDGY) (OTCQB: WDGRF) ("Wedgemount" or the "Company"), announces that Mr. Simon Clarke has tendered his resignation as an independent director of the Company effective immediately. The Company thanks Simon for his contributions and wishes him the best with his future endeavours. About Wedgemount Resources Corp. Wedgemount Resources is a junior natural resource company focused on maximizing shareholder value through the acquisition, development and exploitation of oil and gas projects in Texas, USA. On behalf of the Board of Directors, WEDGEMOUNT RESOURCES CORP. Mark Vanry, President and CEO For more information, please contact the Company at: Telephone: (604) 343-4743 [email protected] www.wedgemountresources.com Reader Advisory This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements made in this news release includes, the proposed use of proceeds of the private placement. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, availability of funds, personnel and other resources necessary to conduct exploration or development programs, successes of the Company's exploration efforts, availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Copyright (c) 2026 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Featured Open letter to President Yoweri Museveni: A plea for peace and integrity in Ugandas election Kwame Asare Boadu Opinion Jan - 09 - 2026 , 23:25 3 minutes read Your Excellency, As Uganda approaches the pivotal presidential election on January 15, 2026, I write to you from Accra, Ghana, compelled by a spirit of Pan-African solidarity and a deep concern for democratic principles. My appeal for peace, transparency, and justice is framed by personal observation, historical reflection, and the reports emerging from your nation in recent months. Mr President, my perspective is informed by a privileged moment of diplomatic and cultural exchange. In August 2018, as a journalist working with Ghanas biggest newspaper, Daily Graphic, I accompanied the Asantehene, His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on his visit to you at State House in Entebbe. That meeting was profoundly symbolic. You honoured the occasion, and by extension Ghana, by wearing Kente cloth. You spoke with respect for not only Otumfuo but Ghanas first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and shared memories of your visit to Ghana during the Rawlings era. Most critically, you articulated a principle that resonates with greater urgency today: that politicians must not spill blood in their quest to win or maintain power. That statement, made before the Asante monarch whose own kingdom values stability, was a powerful commitment to peaceful politics. Your Excellency, the context of that visit was the 25th coronation anniversary of the Kabaka of Buganda, which Otumfuo was the Special Guest. The event held in the capital Kampala, spoke to a deeper, shared African history. In the late 19th century, both the Asantehene Prempeh I and Kabaka Mwanga II suffered colonial exile in the Seychelles, forging a bond of resistance. Your noted policy of restoring Ugandas cultural institutions, for which Otumfuo Osei Tutu II praised you at the anniversary durbar, aligns with this tradition of affirming sovereign identity. The rapport between government and traditional authority that was celebrated that day is a cornerstone of genuine, culturally-grounded stability. Mr President, more than seven years later, as you seek a new term, the climate in Uganda appears to be telling a different story. The principle you voiced stands in stark contrast to the documented pre-electoral environment, which independent observers describe as one of widespread repression and intimidation. Your principal opponent, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine), and his National Unity Platform (NUP) are reported to be operating under severe constraints that fundamentally undermine the fairness of the contest. Human rights organisations detail a pattern of state action including, violent dispersal of opposition gatherings, arbitrary arrests by security forces, intimidation of journalists, and restrictions on civil society. Such an environment makes a free, fair, and peaceful electoral process difficult. It represents a betrayal of the spirit of mutual respect and cultural dignity that was the foundation of the dialogue you had with Otumfuo in 2018. Your Excellency, the stability of a nation is not measured by the absence of contestation, but by the integrity of its processes for managing political competition. The vision of unity celebrated during Otumfuos visit was rooted in respect. Today, that same stability can only be upheld through electoral integrity. A legacy cemented by a transparent, impartial, and peaceful election where every citizen can participate without fear of coercion or violence, would be your greatest tribute to Ugandas heritage. It would affirm the sovereignty of the Ugandan people and honour the Pan-African ideals of self-determination and dignity that you have historically endorsed. I therefore join my voice with those of concerned Africans and global citizens in respectfully urging you to make the grounds fertile for a process that will earn the confidence of your nation and the world. The outcome on January 15 must reflect the genuine will of the Ugandan people. Upholding the principle you once voiced so clearlyrejecting the spilling of blood for poweris the only path to securing a legacy of honour and principled leadership. Africa, and the world, are watching. Respectfully, Kwame Asare Boadu Accra, Ghana 9th January 2026 Trump warns of more Nigeria strikes if Christians 'continue to be killed' Previous article: Trump warns of more Nigeria strikes if Christians 'continue to be killed' Featured Trump says US needs to 'own' Greenland to prevent Russia and China from taking it BBC International News Jan - 10 - 2026 , 10:45 3 minutes read President Donald Trump says the US needs to "own" Greenland to prevent Russia and China from doing so. "Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership, you don't defend leases. And we'll have to defend Greenland," Trump told reporters on Friday, in response to a question from the BBC. We will do it "the easy way" or "the hard way", he added. The White House said recently the administration is considering buying the semi-autonomous territory of fellow Nato member Denmark, but it would not rule out the option of annexing it by force. Denmark and Greenland say the territory is not for sale. Denmark has said military action would spell the end of the trans-Atlantic defence alliance. In a joint statement on Friday night, Greenland's party leaders, including the opposition, reiterated their call for the "US's disregard for our country to end". "We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders," they said. "The future of Greenland must be decided by the Greenlandic people." Despite being the most sparsely populated territory, Greenland's location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks, and for monitoring vessels in the region. The US president has repeatedly said that Greenland is vital to US national security, claiming without evidence that it was "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place". The US already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland's north-western tip - a facility that has been operated by the US since World War Two. Under existing agreements with Denmark, the US has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland. But speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said a lease agreement was not good enough. "Countries can't make nine-year deals or even 100-year deals," he said, adding that they had to have ownership. "I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia," Trump said. "But I don't want them as a neighbour in Greenland, not going to happen." "And by the way Nato's got to understand that," the US president added. Denmark's Nato allies - major European countries as well as Canada - have rallied to its support this week with statements reaffirming that "only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations". Stressing they were as keen as the US on Arctic security, they have said this must be achieved by allies, including the US, "collectively". They also called for "upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders". Concerns over the future of the territory resurfaced after Trump's use of military force against Venezuela on Saturday to seize its president, Nicolas Maduro. Trump previously made an offer to buy the island in 2019, during his first presidential term, only to be told it was not for sale. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is to hold talks with Denmark next week. In recent years, there has also been increased interest in Greenland's natural resources - including rare earth minerals, uranium and iron - which are becoming easier to access as its ice melts due to climate change. Scientists think it could also have significant oil and gas reserves. Aging Well: 10 things people who look young in their 70s do differently Next article: Aging Well: 10 things people who look young in their 70s do differently Featured This is Ivy and Ivy, the twin sisters who married same day Efia Akese Life Jan - 10 - 2026 , 06:45 6 minutes read On December 20, 2025, identical twin sisters Ivy Yeboah Afrane Panin and Ivy Yeboah Afrane Kakra celebrated a rare joint wedding as they married Emmanuel Akwaboah Nti and Richard Obeng-Kyeremeh, respectively, at The Makers House Chapel, Destiny Arena, Atomic, Accra. Ahead of the white wedding, family and close friends gathered on Friday, December 19, at the Ashongman Estates residence of Mr Anthony Obeng Afrane, the twins father, in Accra, to witness the traditional marriage ceremony of the twins and their spouses. At the traditional wedding, only family members and a handful of close friends could easily tell the twins apart. For everyone else, the colours of their kente gowns became the guide Panin in green and Kakra in pink, with their spouses wearing matching colours. For many guests, it was their first time witnessing a twin wedding and they could not resist capturing memorable moments from both the traditional and white ceremonies. When this reporter interviewed the twin sisters at the Graphic Head Office in Accra last Tuesday, the first question was whether, while growing up, they had always planned to marry on the same day. The sisters said that while they had always imagined marrying on the same day inspired partly by their uncles, who are also twins and married on the same day about four decades ago there was a period when they preferred separate weddings so each could enjoy her own special moment. I dont know whether its because of our uncles, but we always thought of having our wedding together. Later, we wanted separate events. We thought, okay, when Panin is getting married, Ill be her chief bridesmaid and when Im getting married, shell be mine. At that time, we didnt really want a joint wedding at all. Aside from that, we also wanted to have our own special days, Kakra explained. Mr James Appiah-Berko Snr (2nd from right) and Mr James Appiah-Berko Jnr (3rd from right) their twin uncles who had a joint wedding seated with other family members at the traditional wedding However, when their proposed wedding dates, in September and December, turned out to be close, their parents suggested a joint ceremony. When the sisters agreed to have a joint wedding, they said the next step was to get their partners to buy into the idea. While Panins fiance accepted the idea quickly, it took some convincing to bring Kakras fiance on board. The next phase was the planning, which required all four of them to decide on the colours, decor, foods and other details together. The sisters admitted that planning was more hectic than they assumed. We had to go back and forth trying to settle on the colours. Colour was a big issue because we didnt want too many colours. We were wondering how they would blend, especially pink and green, but later realised it wasnt too much for us and it even looked more beautiful than we anticipated. Ivy Panin (left) with her husband, Emmanuel and Ivy Kakra with her husband, Richard We came up with an Excel sheet that we shared so the men could make inputs and edits wherever they wanted, especially with the finances. That way, we knew how much was going to food and how much to the venue, and they were really supportive throughout. They were even communicating about what attire they were going to wear and all of that. Living life separately Three weeks after their wedding, the twins are adjusting to their single lives. I thought it was going to be easier at first, but I realised that the first night I spent with my husband, I was really sad. He kept asking me what was wrong; he thought I didnt like the place or that something was wrong. I had to explain to him that I had just realised I wasnt with Kakra. We had always slept on the same bed and suddenly I wasnt it hit me, Panin said on adjusting to their separate lives. Before the wedding, Kakra had thought about the challenges of living apart from her twin. She reassured herself, however, knowing that they still worked together and would see each other every day at the office. We were typical, typical twins, they said with laughter. Our mum always dressed us the same. So dressing alike has been our life since we were born. Their mother herself is a twin and their grandmother gave birth to two sets of twins (their mum and her late sister and their uncles who had a joint wedding years ago). The sisters attended the same schools throughout their lives, only separated briefly in primary school so teachers could tell them apart. From the Archbishop Porter Girls SHS in Takoradi, Western Region, to the Central University, then the University of Ghana, they studied together. Today, they work at the same institution in different units and are currently in law school together. Throwback to their days in Archbishop Porter Girls SHS Even their names cause confusion. Both sisters share the same name, Ivy Yeboah Afrane, distinguished only by Panin (elder) and Kakra (younger). Even for their partners, it took a while to tell them apart. In the beginning, before we started dating, he couldnt tell us apart easily. It was really difficult he would sometimes call me Panin and then laugh, but over time, as he got to know me better, it became easier, Kakra said. I think the key is spending time with just one of us; eventually, you learn the differences and can tell us apart, Panin added. Plans The twin sisters hope to complete law school and pursue full-time careers in law. When asked whether they planned to have children around the same time, they both laughed, calling the idea too weird. They explained that one part of their lives they keep private from each other is their sex life, so discussing ovulation and intimacy to time pregnancies would never happen. They both, however, hoped to have twins themselves, continuing the family tradition. Lasting memories Their father, Mr Afrane, said seeing his two daughters get married on the same day is a moment he will cherish forever. Tears of happiness streamed down my face as I watched them, not as children anymore, but as strong, independent women ready to build their lives with the men they love. It was a day of dreams realised, a culmination of hopes and prayers and a celebration of the extraordinary bond that both my daughters shared. The presence of so many esteemed guests, including the President of the World Organisation of Writers (WOW), Margarita AL from Russia and Prof. Akua Britwum, the Chair of the National Media Commission (NMC), only amplified the sense of the occasion. I felt honoured and humbled that they would share in our family's joy. Their father, Mr Afrane (left) with Margarita AL (2nd from left) and Prof Akua Britwum (right) and her husband From the heartfelt speeches to the lively reception, every detail was infused with love and laughter. It was, without a doubt, the most magical day of my life, a day I will cherish forever. GTECs action on academic titles necessary Prof. Agyemang Biiya Mukusah Ali Jan - 10 - 2026 , 09:57 3 minutes read An Accounting Professor at the University of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, Professor Joseph Kwasi Agyemang, has endorsed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission's (GTEC) exercise to crack down on the misuse and proliferation of fake academic titles. Prof. Agyemang, also an Accounting Professor at the University of South Africa with decades of experience, described the ongoing exercise as long overdue and "necessary" to restore integrity in the countrys higher education system. Eroded public trust In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Prof. Agyemang said the abuse of doctoral and professorial titles had eroded public trust in academia and weakened institutional credibility. You cannot sit in your house, your office, or your church and award yourself the title Doctor or Professor. These titles must be earned through a recognised and regulated process, he emphasised. Prof. Agyemang said the GTEC intervention mattered because it was mandated under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), empowered to regulate academic titles and qualifications in the country. Although he believes the commission had delayed its intervention for far too long, he commended its current leadership for taking decisive action to sanitise the system. Prof. Agyemang explained that the countrys system largely followed the traditional British academic structure, progressing from Assistant Lecturer to Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and finally full Professor. Advancement, he explained, required a terminal PhD, substantial research output, teaching experience, and independent assessment through a formal dossier. If you have not applied, submitted a dossier, and been assessed and appointed, then the title is not earned, he said. On honorary or non-earned titles, Prof. Agyemang said while such titles may be permissible in certain countries or within specific institutions, Ghana did not recognise their public use unless they had gone through the formal appointment process. In Ghana, if a title is not earned, you are not supposed to use it publicly. That is the law, and GTEC is right to enforce it, he explained. Beyond individual offenders, Prof. Agyemang blamed universities, questioning the recruitment and promotion processes that allow questionable qualifications to pass unchecked. On what basis were these people employed? Did the universities verify their PhDs with GTEC? If background checks had been properly done, many of these issues would not exist today, he questioned. Prof. Agyemang warned that the problem was compounded by the legacy of the former National Accreditation Board (NAB), whose decisions were now being re-examined under GTEC, raising complex legal and financial implications, especially where individuals rose through the ranks to become professors on credentials now deemed invalid. Recommendations To strengthen the country's academic integrity, he proposed several key policy recommendations such as political independence, urging that the GTEC be allowed to operate strictly as a neutral and legally backed regulator. Prof. Agyemang also urged the commission to engage university councils and vice-chancellors to check fake academic titles and educate the public on clear guidance on accredited institutions and acceptable titles. He advised GTEC to avoid inconsistencies, especially where previously evaluated institutions were later blacklisted and encouraged lecturers to have visible academic footprints such as Google scholar and scopus profiles to promote accountability. If your PhD is fake, then any professorial rank you obtained with it is also fake and should be withdrawn. The solution is simple: go back and pursue a legitimate PhD from an accredited institution, Prof. Agyemang said. He believed that the current exercise, if handled fairly and consistently, could mark a turning point. It is better to prevent the problem than to fight it later. This is about protecting the future of Ghanas higher education, Prof. Agyemang said. Featured Ken Ofori-Attas US visa was revoked, he did not overstay - Ayine reveals GraphicOnline Jan - 10 - 2026 , 14:54 3 minutes read The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has revealed that Ghanas former Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, lost his legal immigration status in the United States after his visa was formally revoked by the US State Department, contrary to widespread claims that he had overstayed. The disclosure comes amid public debate following assertions by Mr Ofori-Attas lawyers that he had been detained in the United States over immigration-related concerns. Those claims had raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his continued stay in the country. Appearing on JoyNews Newsfile programme on Saturday [Jan 10, 2026], Dr Ayine explained that the former ministers visa was cancelled in July 2025, after which US authorities granted him a window to leave voluntarily. I want Ghanaians to know that he just didnt overstay his visa. The visa was actually revoked, Dr Ayine said. They gave him up to November 29 of 2025 to leave the United States. He did not. Mr Ofori-Atta, who left Ghana last year on medical grounds according to his legal team, has since been the subject of extradition proceedings initiated by the Ghanaian government. His lawyers have resisted the request, insisting that the allegations against him are politically motivated. Confirmation of his detention later emerged from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which published his details on its official website. The listing showed that Mr Ofori-Atta was being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia and is scheduled to appear before a US court on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. In a public notice issued by his Ghana-based lawyers, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, the legal team stated that the former minister had already applied for an adjustment of his immigration status and expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved. Dr Ayine further disclosed that Mr Ofori-Attas arrest did not occur as initially planned. According to him, US authorities had intended to apprehend the former minister on January 4, 2026, but the move fell through. He said Mr Ofori-Atta was eventually arrested on Tuesday, January 6, in the Virginia area and taken into custody. The Attorney General cautioned against treating the matter as a simple immigration breach, arguing that the revocation of the visa was deliberate and connected to ongoing investigations. This is not exactly about immigration. His visa has not expired. It expires in February. No, it was revoked. I am telling you this on authority, he emphasised. Dr Ayine also disclosed that the decision by US authorities followed sustained engagement with Ghanaian officials, particularly in relation to an extradition request submitted by his office. The extradition request that I sent was in respect of the OSP the SME matter, he said. I have been working with the Americans diligently on him. And the visa was revoked. And that is how come that he lost his immigration status in the United States. Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon made some comments about the company being in talks with Samsung to produce its 2nm chips, although Samsung has since declined to comment on the matter. Either way, this is an interesting turn of events given that Samsung's foundry isn't doing all that well. The last time Samsung produced Qualcomm-designed chips was in 2022, when the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 came out, but it was met with a lot of criticism for its thermal issues. Moreover, the Korean tech giant's foundry didn't meet Qualcomm's requirements in terms of yield, so the US chip designer turned to TSMC. Now, Qualcomm itself has initiated talks with Samsung to take over the 2nm chip manufacturing for Qualcomm. In fact, people familiar with the matter suggest that Qualcomm is already done with the chip design and the company is ready to start production. Nothing is etched in stone yet, but it appears that Samsung is trying to turn the ship around. The head of Samsung's chip division is tasked with the hard task of making Samsung's foundry business profitable again, and recent supply agreements with some customers have improved the outlook. Most recently, Tesla struck a deal with Samsung for the production of high-end chips for AI applications. It's still unclear whether Samsung will be responsible for the production of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips or if the two companies have something else in mind. Via Earlier this week, Motorola unveiled the Signature the first in a new line of premium phones that sits above the Edge series. That one is still on pre-order, but you can already see it in stores. The Motorola Signature with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage costs 1,000. Its a slender 7mm phone that is fairly light at 186g without compromising the battery 5,200mAh is more than you get from Samsung, Apple and Google, though not as much as Chinese brands are offering. The phone has a large 50MP sensor in the main camera (1/1.28 LYT-828), a 50MP 3x/71mm telephoto, 50MP ultra-wide and 50MP selfie cameras. Motorola will deliver 7 OS updates and the current software already has the companys desktop mode. At this price, the Signature costs a bit more than a OnePlus 15. Comparing the two, we see that the OnePlus will be faster (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) and has a bigger battery (7,300mAh). That said, the phone measures 8.1mm thick and weighs 211g. However, its cameras have smaller sensors: the 50MP main sensor is 1/1.56 (vs. 1/1.28), the 50MP 3.5x/80mm periscope is 1/2.76 (vs. 1/1.95) and the 50MP 116 ultra-wide is 1/2.88 (vs. 122 1/2.76). The Motorola Edge 70 is a more affordable device, though its not exactly cheap. It looks similar enough to the Signature while being even slimmer (6mm) and lighter (159g) at the cost of some battery capacity (4,800mAh). This one has a mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset and an LTPS display (vs. LTPO on the Signature and OnePlus). The cameras are more basic too the 50MP main has a 1/1.56 sensor and theres no telephoto module. The Poco F8 Ultra should also be considered when looking at the Motorola Signature. It has the faster chipset (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) and a bigger battery (6,500mAh). It also has a 50MP large sensor in the main camera (1/1.31), which is joined by a 5x/115mm periscope (50MP 1/2.76) and a 102 ultra-wide (50MP, 1/2.88). Also new this week are the Poco M8 and M8 Pro. The vanilla model has a 6.77 display (12-bit, 120Hz OLED) and a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 plus expandable storage. It has a 5,520mAh battery with 45W wired-only charging. The Poco M8 Pro upgrades to a 6.83 Dolby Vision display with a higher pixel count and a Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. The main camera is significantly better than that of its sibling a 50MP 1/1.55 sensor with OIS vs. 50MP 1/2.88 sensor (no OIS). And theres an ultra-wide camera too, even if its only an 8MP unit. The phone also boasts a larger 6,500mAh battery with faster 100W charging. While youre at it, have a look at the Poco X7 Pro. It has a smaller 6.67 display, but it still offers Dolby Vision. The Dimensity 8400 Ultra chipset is faster than the 7s Gen 4, especially in graphics performance. What you lose with the X7 Pro is the larger sensor in the main camera (this one is only 1/1.95), but the battery is close enough at 6,000mAh capacity and 90W charging. Not bad, considering that this phone is 75 cheaper (looking at the 512GB versions). The Google Pixel 10 has a big discount at the moment and it even comes with a free Pixelsnap charger this will give you a jump start on buying magnetic accessories. While the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 trio was announced in mid-December, two of its members only launched this week. There are no discounts yet, but these are worth keeping an eye on. With the Redmi Note 15 Pro+, you are mostly paying for the chipset (Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 vs. Dimensity 7400 Ultra) and battery (6,500mAh/100W vs. 6,580mAh/45W) compared to the regular Redmi Note 15 Pro. Both phones have 6.83 displays, plus 200MP main and 8MP ultra-wide cameras. The Redmi Note 15 gets a smaller 6.77 display with a lower resolution (1080p+ vs. 1280p+), a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset, 108MP main camera and a smaller 5,520mAh battery with 45W charging. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Americas Small Business Development Centers Guam is hosting a series of trainings offering business tips for the month of January. The center already hosted a training on how to start a business on Jan. 9. Here is the rest of the January schedule: Introduction to Financial Statements Jan. 16 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at UOG SBPA Rm. 148. Admission is $20. Registration link: https://pisbdcn.ecenterdirect.com/events/5504 Attendees unfamiliar with accounting practices will be introduced to basic financial accounting concepts and financial statements, including but not limited to profit & loss, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Each attendee will also learn how to read and use the tools and techniques needed for understanding the businesss financial statements. The main components of each report will be reviewed, and how each statement interacts with another, to help you effectively develop financial controls. Knowing the importance of timely and accurate financial statements will result in the ability to successfully understand the financial health of the business. How to Market Your Business Jan. 23 from 8:30am 11 a.m. at UOG SBPA Rm. 148. Admission is $20. Registration link: https://pisbdcn.ecenterdirect.com/events/5505 Customers are the most important part of your business. This workshop will introduce essential aspects of marketing which will help you identify who your customers are, how much and how often they will buy from you, and why they will do business with you rather than your competitors. In addition to your customers, market research, target markets, positioning, and your marketing message are essential to successfully market your business. This workshop builds on these approaches and provides you with a step-by-step guide to preparing a formal marketing plan. You will discover how to attract your target market and entice your customers to buy your product or service and keep them coming back for more. Start-Up Energy: Launching Your Biz with a Little RIZ Jan. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. at UOG SBPA Rm. 148. Admission is free. Registration link: https://pisbdcn.ecenterdirect.com/events/5502 This fun and foundational workshop walks women through the essential steps of starting a business with clarity, confidence, and just the right touch of charisma. Participants learn legal requirements, business planning basics, market understanding, and how to turn an idea into a real, revenue-ready enterprise. Simple, practical, and energizing, perfect for any woman dreaming about launching her business. Introduction to Intellectual Property (IP) Jan. 30 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at UOG SBPA Rm. 148. Admission at $20. Registration link: https://pisbdcn.ecenterdirect.com/events/5506 This introductory class provides a practical overview of intellectual property (IP) and its role in protecting creative ideas, innovations, and business assets. Participants will learn the fundamentals of copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets, along with how each form of protection applies in real-world business situations. The session is designed for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and professionals who want to understand how IP safeguards their work, enhances brand value, and supports business growth. No prior legal knowledge is required. Haiti - Insecurity : Following the violence, MSF suspends its operations in Bel Air Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is deeply concerned by the recent escalation of clashes between the Haitian National Police (PNH) and armed groups in the Bel Air neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. In this area of the capital, where no other medical services are available, MSF teams usually hold consultations one day a week, while volunteer community health workers are present daily to provide basic care and refer patients. On Tuesday, January 6, the former school building used for MSF's medical activities became a battleground following intense fighting between an armed group and the PNH. Seven community health workers were trapped there for several hours before managing to escape. "Today, due to this new episode of violence, we are forced to suspend all our activities in Bel Air until further notice," said Nicolas Tessier, MSF Head of Mission in Haiti. These events also claimed the life of a former community volunteer who had worked with our teams in 2025. Seriously injured, he arrived at the clinic just minutes after the volunteers were evacuated. Lacking first aid, he tragically died from his injuries in front of the building's gate. This is not an isolated incident. The resurgence of violence is seriously endangering the lives of residents in this neighborhood and alarmingly jeopardizing their access to healthcare. MSF calls on all parties to respect medical facilities, healthcare workers, patients, and the community. "The medical interventions we carry out in Bel Air and Bas Delmas provide essential care to several thousand patients every month," Nicolas Tessier points out. "Without these clinics, they would be completely deprived of access to healthcare [...] Today, due to this new episode of violence, we are forced to suspend all our activities in Bel Air until further notice," Tessier concludes. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - OAS : The situation in Haiti on Albert Ramdin's agenda Albert Ramdin, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), met this week with Peter Hakim, President Emeritus and member of the Advisory Council, Keith Mines and Mary Speck of The Inter-American Dialogue, and the Institute of Peace, to discuss the current situation in Haiti and how the OAS can continue its collaboration with various stakeholders, including The Inter-American Dialogue, to effectively support Haiti. It was also agreed to facilitate dialogue with Haitian actors, particularly after February 7, the date of the end of the mandate of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT). We agree that support for and commitment to Haiti requires a long-term commitment, with significant and sustainable progress, in order to rebuild trust. On Wednesday, Albert Ramdin held a videoconference with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss the main challenges facing our hemisphere, particularly the situations in Venezuela and Haiti. Regarding Haiti, Albert Ramdin emphasized the importance of close coordination between the UN and the OAS to support security, governance, and preparations for democratic elections, especially in the context of the upcoming political transition. We reaffirmed our shared commitment to close UN-OAS cooperation and coordinated multilateral action in the service of peace, democracy, and stability in the region. HL /HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... TPS Supreme Court : Decision Pending The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce its next decisions next week, while several major cases remain pending, including the legality of the international tariffs imposed by Donald Trump. The Court indicated on its website on Friday, January 9, 2026, that it could issue decisions in the cases argued at the hearing scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, 2026, specifying that the Court does not announce in advance which cases will be heard. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46594-haiti-flash-crucial-supreme-court-decision-expected-on-donald-trump-s-tariffs.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46587-haiti-flash-end-of-tps-judge-reyes-skeptical-and-unconvinced.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46580-haiti-flash-end-of-tps-judge-reyes-confronts-the-trump-administration-with-its-contradictions.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46575-haiti-flash-a-federal-court-is-to-rule-on-the-legality-of-not-extending-temporary-protected-status-tps.html Cap-Haitien Boulevard : Large-Scale Demolition Operation The authorities of the city of Cap-Haitien, including the departmental delegate for the North, Marc M. Presume, and the president of the municipal commission, Angeline Bell, have launched a large-scale operation to demolish unauthorized constructions on Cap-Haitien Boulevard. Several structures erected on sidewalks, including kiosks, were destroyed, provoking anger among some business owners. Fears of Fuel Shortages Long lines were observed outside several gas stations in the capital. Fearing a potential fuel shortage, particularly in Delmas and Petion-Ville, many motorists rushed to distribution points, partially paralyzing traffic on several roads. January 12, 2020 Earthquake : Measures to be observed Marie E. Regine Joseph Haddad, Secretary General of the Presidency, reminds the public that by decree dated December 18, 2024, January 12 is declared "Day of Remembrance for Victims of Natural Disasters". Consequently, on Monday, January 12, 2026, marking the 16th anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the country : The national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout the country; Nightclubs and similar establishments will remain closed; Radio and television stations are encouraged to broadcast commemorative programs throughout the day. For its part, the Port-au-Prince City Hall announces that no carnival activities will be permitted in the city of Port-au-Prince on Sunday, January 11, 2026. The City Hall urges all groups, organizers, DJs, parades, floats, and other carnival participants to strictly adhere to this measure. Any violator will be subject to the penalties stipulated by applicable laws and regulations. Cap-Haitien : Leslie Voltaire Discusses Sanitation Leslie Voltaire, Presidential Transition Advisor, held a working session with Angie Bell, Mayor of Cap-Haitien, and Sem Calixte, Divisional Commissioner of the North Department. This working session focused primarily on assessing current sanitary conditions, waste management, public health, and urgent measures to be strengthened in order to prevent health risks and sustainably improve the quality of life for the populations of Cap-Haitien and the North Department. Taekwondo : Ava Lee Honored for Her 2025 Performances The National Institute of Sports Observatory in Haiti honored Haitian taekwondo athlete Ava Lee for her commitment and exceptional performances throughout 2025. This distinction testifies to her discipline, perseverance, and commitment to excellence, and is a source of great pride for the entire Haitian sports community. Me Carlet Vincent, from the Taekwondo Federation, was present to accept the award on behalf of Ava Lee. HL/ HaitiLibre The legal dispute over the dynamic integration of Google Fonts is entering its next and decisive round. The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has suspended proceedings with a recent decision to submit three central questions to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for a preliminary ruling. The case, with file number VI ZR 258/24, could mean the end for a business model that has kept thousands of website operators on edge lately: the systematic provocation of data protection violations for the purpose of mass warnings. Continue after ad The BGH explains: The defendant used a web crawler "to automatically check numerous websites for the dynamic integration of Google Fonts." Among other things, he achieved a "hit" on the plaintiff's website. With the help of further software developed specifically for this purpose, a visit by the defendant to the plaintiff's homepage was automated. The dynamic IP address assigned to the defendant during this process was forwarded to Google in the USA. The first question that the ECJ is now to clarify, according to the decision published on August 28, concerns a cornerstone of data protection: When exactly is information "personal data" within the meaning of Article 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)? The appellate court, the Regional Court of Hanover, had previously argued that the dynamically assigned IP address in this specific case was not personal data. Reason: The US company Google did not have the legal means to identify the visitor with the help of their internet service provider. "Loss of Control" Deliberately Induced The BGH expresses doubts here. It wants to know whether a "relative standard" applies. This would mean that it would depend on whether the recipient of the data can generally identify the person. If, on the other hand, an "objective standard" applies, a dynamic IP address would already be considered personal data if anyone, such as the provider, can establish a connection to the person. Should the ECJ follow this "objective" approach, the hurdle for data protection violations when transmitting IP addresses would be significantly lower than previously assumed by many courts. The second preliminary ruling question, which deals with the concept of non-material damage under Article 82 of the GDPR, is even more complex. Previously, courts often saw damage as an "involuntary loss." In the present case, however, the defendant deliberately and actively caused the violation to document and financially claim it. Here, the BGH wants to know whether non-material damage can even exist if an affected person does not involuntarily cede control over their data, but deliberately stages the "loss of control." This is particularly true when such violations are automatically triggered in large numbers. While the ECJ has repeatedly emphasized in the past that the concept of damage is to be interpreted broadly, an answer to the question of deliberate provocation is still pending. Hint at Data Protection Problems? Continue after ad The third question bridges to abuse of rights. Even if lawyers affirmed a violation and a formal damage, a claim could be excluded according to good faith. The BGH asks for clarification: Can a claim for damages be denied if the affected person has artificially created the conditions for this claim to gain a financial advantage? It is crucial whether the acquisition of a sum of money must be the sole motivation or whether it is sufficient if this financial interest was clearly in the foreground. The appellate court could not rule out in the matter that the defendant might also have pursued the goal of pointing out data protection problems. Skepticism Towards Mass Warnings The ECJ's decision is likely to be groundbreaking for the digital economy. On the one hand, it is about whether the GDPR continues to serve as a sharp sword for the protection of privacy, IT lawyer Jens Ferner knows. On the other hand, it must be prevented from becoming a tool for automated litigation industries. While the appellate court classified the defendant's conduct as immoral intentional damage under Section 826 of the German Civil Code (BGB) because claims were deliberately provoked, the ECJ must now finally illuminate the component of EU law. For website operators, the situation remains uncertain until the ruling from Luxembourg, which is likely to be issued in a few months or years. However, the BGH's referral signals that the Karlsruhe judges are highly skeptical of the mass warning practice. The era of easy profits from automated crawler visits could soon be over. As early as 2016, the ECJ ruled: Pseudonymized data such as a dynamic IP address are not automatically anonymous. As long as it is possible to restore the identity of the person through "additional information," the personal reference remains. The crucial aspect here is whether the data controller has the means for re-identification. This includes the option of cooperation with third parties such as internet providers or authorities. (nen) 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. Health trackers without a screen seem to be increasingly trending since the Whoop band. In addition to the Whoop 5.0, manufacturers like Amazfit and Polar also offer similar solutions. At CES 2026, Luna, a subsidiary of the Indian tech company Noise, which has been more known for smart rings so far, introduced its Luna Band. Similar to the models from Amazfit and Polar, the tracker is intended to be usable without monthly subscription fees. Continue after ad Siri Support According to the company, the band is supposed to offer "real-time health advice via voice output." Furthermore, the Luna Band is not only supposed to display data but also provide timely and actionable suggestions. Users can also log meals, record symptoms, and seek health advice using voice commands with the band. According to the manufacturer, the system works via connected earbuds and integration with Apple's Siri. The manufacturer does not reveal on its website whether it works with other voice assistants; according to information from the British newspaper Independent, this should be the case. The band looks similar to other products in this category: it has a slim metal casing containing the sensors and battery. The tracker collects health data and synchronizes it with the smartphone app, where users can view statistics and advice. LifeOS as Operating System On the software side, the fitness tracker is based on the company's proprietary operating system, LifeOS, which, according to the manufacturer, should be able to process thousands of physiological signals per minute. According to Luna, LifeOS recognizes changes in the areas of recovery, stress, circadian rhythm, and hormone patterns and provides context-aware recommendations throughout the day. In addition to daily activity, the band also provides insights into sleep patterns and can be used as a cycle tracker. Furthermore, according to the manufacturer, the band can measure recovery and stress. Continue after ad The band contains optical sensors and a "high-precision 6-axis IMU" (Inertial Measurement Unit). The manufacturer does not provide further details about the equipment. Luna has not yet revealed a price either. The band is expected to be released later this year. heise online is an official media partner of CES 2026. Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen. Preisvergleiche immer laden Preisvergleich jetzt laden (afl) 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. We do not wish to be Americans. We do not wish to be Danes. We wish to be Greenlanders, the five party leaders wrote. The statement , released Friday evening, came after Trump told reporters the United States was prepared to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not and warned that the island risked falling under Russian or Chinese influence. Greenlands political leaders have issued a unified rejection of US President Donald Trump s renewed attempt to assert American control over the autonomous Danish territory. The future of Greenland must be decided by the Greenlandic people. The declaration was signed by Jens Frederik Nielsen, Pele Broberg, Mute B. Egede, Aleqa Hammond, and Aqqalu C. Jeremiassen, who represent the five major parties in the Inatsisartut, Greenlands parliament. The parties called for continued cooperation with international partners but insisted that no foreign power had the right to interfere in Greenlands governance or territorial integrity. The joint statement also urged diplomatic dialogue based on international law and reaffirmed Greenlands commitment to self-rule under the 2009 Self-Government Act. The comments followed a week of intensified rhetoric from Trump, who claimed Greenlands strategic value made it a national security priority. Speaking at a White House meeting with oil and gas executives, Trump said the US would act the easy way or the hard way, referring to Greenlands future. He said ownership of the territory was required to prevent Russian or Chinese presence in the Arctic. If we dont do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, Trump said. Were not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. Greenland, home to around 57,000 people, has been governed autonomously since 1979, though foreign policy and defence remain under Danish control. The US maintains a military presence at Pituffik Space Base under a 1951 defence agreement with Denmark. According to a 2025 poll conducted by Verian, 85 percent of Greenlanders oppose any transfer of sovereignty to the United States. Only 7 percent of Americans support a military takeover of Greenland, according to a YouGov research. In 2019, during his first term, Trump publicly proposed purchasing the island from Denmark. The idea was rejected by both the Danish and Greenlandic governments. He revived the idea in recent weeks following the US militarys operation and capture of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, raising concerns among NATO allies over potential parallels in Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any use of force in Greenland would end NATO and the post-war security structure in Europe. This would mean the end of everything, she said last week. On Tuesday, Denmark joined Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland in a joint statement declaring that only Greenland and Denmark had the authority to decide on the islands status. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday to discuss Arctic security. A NATO spokesperson confirmed that discussions included the importance of the Arctic to shared security and ongoing alliance efforts to reinforce capabilities in the region. Despite his threats, Trump also said he remained committed to NATO. If it werent for me, you wouldnt have a NATO right now, he said. But NATO has to understandGreenland cant be left open to Russia and China. Greenlands leaders acknowledged the US partnership but called for an end to what they described as disregard from Washington. They described the moment as a serious period and pledged to continue working towards securing the safety and autonomy of all Greenlanders through democratic dialogue. An extraordinary session of the Inatsisartut has been scheduled to discuss the escalating tensions. We stand together in our right to our country, now and for all time. Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people, the statement concluded. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Copenhagen next week for discussions with Danish and Greenlandic representatives. HT Democratic Party announces 11th Congressional District candidate forum The Henderson County Democratic Party will host an 11th Congressional District candidate forum on Saturday, Jan. 24, ahead of the March 3 primary. Related Stories The Democratic nominee will go on to face the winner of the Republican primary either incumbent Chuck Edwards of Flat Rock or challenger Adam Smith of Fairview in Buncombe County. The Western North Carolina seat is potentially in play in the battle for control of Congress as Edwards faces questions about the federal government's inefficient Hurricane Helene recovery and as President Trump's popularity drops. The forum is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 24, on the second floor of the Historic Courthouse. The event is open to the public. Attendees should use the side entrance on Second Avenue East and follow signs. Candidates committed to participate, in order of filing, are Zelda Briarwood, a mental health professional from Canton; Jamie Ager, a fourth-generation farmer, entrepreneur and grandson of former U.S. Congressman James M. "Jamie" Clarke; Richard Hudspeth, physician and former CEO of Blue Ridge Health, a non-profit community health center; and Paul Maddox, a cancer researcher and professor from Burnsville. Engineer Lee Whipple of Asheville has also filed to run in the Democratic primary. The forum will give voters a chance to meet candidates and hear their views on key issues Were especially excited to announce that Mark Warwick, a nonpartisan community leader from local radio station WTZQ, will moderate the event, said Drake English, first vice chair of Henderson County Democratic Party. We believe Marks professionalism will create a meaningful forum that will help voters make an informed choice when they go to cast their votes in March. The forum will begin with a mix-and-mingle session to allow voters to meet the 11th Congressional District candidates as well as other local candidates who choose to attend. The formal program will begin at 10 a.m. with candidate introductions followed by the candidates' responses to four questions relating to Helene recovery, health care, local agriculture and affordability. The forum will conclude with a Q&A segment using questions submitted by the public ahead of time. Those who would like to submit a question may use this form. Even if a person cannot attend, they are welcome to submit a question. There's something undeniably special about classic American cars: the rumble of a V8, the chrome that catches sunlight just right, the designs that turned heads on every street corner. While modern vehicles excel in efficiency and technology, they've lost some of that raw character that made driving an emotional experience. Car enthusiasts and casual drivers alike find themselves daydreaming about models that captured a specific moment in automotive history. The industry has been bringing back nameplates with mixed results, but there are still plenty of forgotten gems sitting in the archives. Here are 12 classic American cars that deserve another shot at glory, reimagined for today's drivers who crave something more than just transportation. Plymouth Road Runner Image Credit: Greg Gjerdingen 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner, CC BY 2.0/Wiki Commons. The Road Runner was muscle car minimalism at its finest, stripped down, powerful, and affordable for the everyday driver. It didn't pretend to be luxurious; it just wanted to go fast in a straight line, and it did that job brilliantly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A modern version could capture that same working-class hero spirit with a straightforward performance package that doesn't break the bank. Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Image Credit: Stoqliq/Shutterstock. The Trans Am became a cultural icon thanks to its aggressive styling and that unforgettable screaming chicken hood decal (famously associated with 1970s Trans Ams). While Chevrolet brought back the Camaro, Pontiac's sportier, more theatrical cousin stayed in the past. Reviving the Trans Am would give GM a chance to create something with more edge and personality than the last Camaro offered. AMC Javelin Image Credit: Gestalt Imagery / Shutterstock. AMC always played the underdog role, and the Javelin was their swing at the pony car market with genuinely beautiful proportions. It offered something different from the Mustang-Camaro-Challenger trinity, with cleaner lines and a more refined approach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today's market could use that same alternative voice, especially with retro styling that stands apart from the crowd. Ford Thunderbird (Personal Luxury Coupe) Image Credit: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA - CC BY 2.0/Wiki Commons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The original Thunderbird defined the personal luxury car segment: stylish, comfortable, and more about cruising than racing. Fords 20022005 revival missed the mark with its retro-cute styling, but the concept of an elegant, driver-focused coupe still has appeal. Think of it as an American answer to the grand touring cars from Europe, with that distinctly relaxed American character. Dodge Dart (Performance Version) Image Credit: Sergey Kohl / Shutterstock. The Dart nameplate returned in 2013 as a compact sedan, but it never recaptured the spirit of the original muscle-era versions. A proper comeback would lean into the lightweight, performance-compact concept, something nimble and quick that doesn't require a massive engine. The modern tuner market would embrace a car that puts handling and driver engagement first. Chevrolet El Camino Image Credit: Krisz12Photo / Shutterstock. The El Camino brilliantly solved a problem nobody asked about: what if your muscle car could haul plywood on Saturday? Chevrolet introduced the El Camino for the 1959 model year, two years after the Ranchero. Its car-truck hybrid design has found new relevance as people realize they occasionally need utility but don't want to daily drive a full-size pickup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Modern engineering could make it practical for everyday use while maintaining that unmistakable profile. Oldsmobile 442 Image Credit: 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Convertible by Gestalt Imagery/ Shutterstock. the 4-4-2 name originally stood for a four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhaust, but from 1965 onward Oldsmobile literature redefined it as 400 cubic inches, four-barrel, and dual exhaust. It offered a more refined alternative to the raw muscle cars, appealing to drivers who wanted power with a touch of class. Bringing it back under another GM brand could fill the gap between sporty and sophisticated. Buick Grand National Image Credit: Gestalt Imagery/Shutterstock. Advertisement Advertisement The turbocharged Grand National proved you didn't need a V8 to dominate the performance scene, becoming a legend with its menacing all-black appearance. It was a tech showcase that happened to look intimidating, and that formula translates perfectly to today's turbocharged era. A modern version could use current forced induction technology to create something genuinely quick and distinctive. Mercury Cougar Image Credit:Gestalt Imagery / Shutterstock. The Cougar started as a more upscale Mustang cousin, offering the same performance with better interior appointments and distinctive styling. Later versions lost their way, but the original concept of a premium pony car has merit. Lincoln could revive the nameplate as a sophisticated performance coupe that competes with European grand tourers. Studebaker Avanti Image Credit:Rex Gray - 1963 Studebaker Avanti Coupe - fvr, CC BY 2.0/Wiki Commons. The Avanti looked like it came from the future when it debuted in 1962, with its radical fiberglass body and aircraft-inspired design. Studebaker's financial troubles limited its potential, but the design remains striking today. Advertisement Advertisement A boutique manufacturer could create a limited-production modern interpretation that honors its forward-thinking spirit. Chevrolet Chevelle SS Image Credit: Tony Savino / Shutterstock. The Chevelle SS was the everyman's muscle car, not as flashy as a GTO, not as intimidating as a Road Runner, just honest American power in a handsome package. Its mid-size dimensions would translate well to modern preferences, sitting between compact sport sedans and full-size performance cars. Chevrolet could position it as a rear-wheel-drive alternative to the front-drive Malibu, giving enthusiasts an affordable V8 option. Ford Ranchero Image Credit: Sue Thatcher/Shutterstock. Advertisement Advertisement Ford created the U.S. car-based pickup segment with the Ranchero, and while the El Camino got more attention, the Ranchero had its own devoted following. Modern crossovers prove people want vehicle versatility without full truck dimensions, making this concept surprisingly relevant. Ford could build it on the Mustang platform, creating a performance utility vehicle that actually looks good in a parking lot. Conclusion Image Credit: Gestalt Imagery/Shutterstock. The beauty of these classics isn't just nostalgia, it's that each one represented a specific idea about what a car could be. Some prioritized straight-line speed, others focused on style, and a few tried to be genuinely practical while still being fun. Today's automotive landscape feels a bit homogenized, with similar-looking crossovers and sedans dominating dealer lots. Bringing back any of these nameplates would require more than just slapping vintage badges on current models, it would mean understanding what made them special and translating that character into something relevant for modern drivers. Whether any manufacturer takes that chance remains to be seen, but the appetite for distinctive, characterful vehicles certainly exists. The automakers in-house customization brand has a new package for the J150 Prado thats inspired by outdoor gear. While plenty of cars built for auto shows will never make the jump to production, thats not to say that every concept is consigned to fantasy. Quite the contrary, as one of this years Tokyo Auto Salon debuts was actually previewed at the Japan Mobility Show last fall. Following overwhelming demand, Toyota had no choice but to heed customers wishes and work with The North Face to turn it into a factory-backed reality. The Newscape package offers buyers two different flavors of Land Cruiser overhaul. - Credit: Toyota Corde by Its called the Newscape, and its a sustainability initiative being handled by the Toyota Coniq Pros Corde by division thats intended to give older Land Cruiser Prado models a refresh. A rugged TNF overhaul Now, its worth noting that this package is only available for the Prado J150 and to owners in Japan. Still, seeing as Toyota also sold that version of the Land Cruiser as the Lexus GX in the United States, each of these builds at least deserves a spot on the proverbial mood board. The Graphite Gray option features Mango Orange accents reminiscent of the 1997 Mountain Light Jacket. - Credit: Toyota Corde by Especially because of their The North Face influences. Interestingly enough, the colors themselves are supposedly inspired by several staples from the brands catalog. Advertisement Advertisement For instance, the two-tone livery on the Graphite Gray option is meant to represent the American brands color-blocked outerwear, while the Mango Orange accents mimic the hue found on the 1997 Mountain Light Jacket. By contrast, the Meld Gray with Saffron Yellow option recalls the same pairing found on The North Faces Geodome 4 tent. The Meld Gray option takes inspiration from The North Faces Geodome 4 tent. - Credit: Toyota Corde by Advertisement Advertisement Color choices aside, the Newscape brings plenty of stylistic updates to the discontinued Land Cruiser Prado. Regardless of which option owners choose, the overhaul includes a rear ladder, a roof rack and a fuel lid stamped with The North Face logo. Add to that a set of matte black alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain rubber and outfitted with mud flaps, and the Newscape is made only better by the changes it brings inside. Both Land Cruisers benefit from accessories like a rear ladder. - Credit: Toyota Corde by Exercises in sustainability Thats because, in addition to continuing the TNF theme in the form of a co-branded glove box and some fresh floor mats, the Newscape package also furthers its sustainability goals through a new eco-conscious upholstery. Brewed Protein is a plant-based alternative to plastic-based synthetics. - Credit: Spiber Its known as Brewed Protein, and it comes courtesy of Japanese biotech firm Spiber. The outfit has collaborated with The North Face to introduce the fiber on apparel in the past, but this is the first time its seen an automotive application. Advertisement Advertisement Though it exhibits similar qualities to cashmere, wool and silk, its a plant-based fabric wherein sugar is the the primary ingredient used for production. (It involves a process known as protein fermentation if youd like to learn more.) The North Face co-branding brings the exterior theme to the inside of the cabin. - Credit: Spiber In any case, this means that, along with extending the lifespan of older Land Cruisers through added accessories and stylistic updates, the Newscape package has the added benefit of avoiding doing so with petroleum-based products. The Newscape is meant to give older Land Cruiser J150 models a fresh lease on life. - Credit: Toyota Corde by Advertisement Advertisement Pricing and availability The Newscape package will be available to order through Toyota Corde by dealers in Japan starting Saturday, March 7, 2026. Unfortunately, it wont come cheap. Per Toyota Coniq Pro, the total is expected to run buyers around 8,000,000 (roughly $51,000). The estimated price includes the cost of a donor as well as that of the Newscape installation which runs from 3,850,000 (roughly $24,500). About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When hes not chasing the latest industry news, hes probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers. Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When hes not chasing the latest industry news, hes probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers. Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results. Over the decades, Toyota has built some of the most impressive engines the industry has ever seen, and among the general public, Toyota's reputation for reliability is unmatched. That does not mean, however, that all of Toyota's engines are powerhouses or even that its cars haven't been outgunned by the competition at times. There's nothing inherently wrong with this, of course, and millions of buyers have spoken with their wallets, choosing the reliability or fuel efficiency of a Toyota even if it's down on power. Over the last five to ten years, the company has taken big steps across the board to make the days of woefully underpowered Toyotas feel like a thing of the past. Likewise, cars like the latest iteration of the Prius and Camry have proven that you can have both incredible fuel efficiency and impressive power; however, there are still a few modern Toyotas that are quite slow by today's standards. It's also important to note that it's not even necessarily the engine itself that's underpowered, but more the combination of an engine and transmission in a car of a certain weight. With that in mind, we've picked five Toyotas from the last 20 years including a couple of current ones that drivers and reviewers have found to be especially underpowered. Read more: 5 Of The Most Reliable Engines Ever Put In A Pickup Truck Toyota Tacoma 2.7-liter 2016 Tacoma SR5 driving in city - Toyota Until its latest generation, which introduced an all-turbocharged lineup, the Toyota Tacoma traditionally offered buyers the choice between a naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine or a naturally aspirated V6. Toyota's 2.7-liter 2TR-FE four-cylinder engine had no major issues as far as reliability goes. When it came to powering the previous-generation Tacoma, the four-cylinder very much had its work cut out for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just look at the four-cylinder Tacoma's output 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. Those are both numbers that bring to mind the pickups of the 1990s, not ones that were sold into the early 2020s. Either figure is a massive downgrade from the more common 3.5-liter V6, which made 278 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. And it's not like the V6-powered Tacomas were known as rocketships, with modest 0-60 times in the high seven-second range. Given that it was the base engine, there isn't a whole lot of official testing data out there on the 2.7-liter Tacoma, but real-world 0-60 times have shown figures over 11 seconds, which makes the V6 Tacoma look like an absolute muscle truck by comparison. New Tacoma buyers won't have to deal with this anymore, though, as the latest version of the truck now makes a much more substantial 228 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque in its cheapest guise. Toyota Corolla 1.8-liter (2020-2022) Side view of 2020 Corolla LE - Toyota When Toyota debuted the current-generation Corolla sedan for the 2020 model year, it moved the car forward in a big way with its switch to the new TNGA-C platform. One thing that did not get updated with the new car, though, was its base engine a 139-horsepower naturally aspirated 2ZR-FAE 1.8-liter four-cylinder that was mated to a CVT. As with the Tacoma we just mentioned, that sounds more like a 1990s horsepower figure rather than a 2020s figure. When Motor Trend tested the new 2020 Corolla sedan upon its release, it found the base engine "loud and underpowered," with a 0-60 time over ten seconds and quarter-mile ET nearing 18 seconds. Obviously, the buyers of a base model Corolla aren't looking for big performance numbers, but the 1.8 cars were absolute slowpokes by the standards of the segment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fortunately, Toyota refreshed the Corolla's engine lineup for 2023, dropping the old base 1.8-liter from the option list completely. Today, even the base model Corolla LE comes with the more powerful 2.0-liter engine, and though it's still a far cry from the fire-breathing GR Corolla, the normal version of the 2025 Corolla remains a safe but competent choice in the compact sedan segment. Toyota Prius c 1.5-liter 2018 Toyota Prius c on highway - Toyota Back in the early 2010s, when the fuel-sipping Toyota Prius was at the height of its popularity, Toyota introduced a smaller version of the car called the Prius c. The idea was to carry over the Prius' excellent MPGs into a smaller, cheaper package and that part of the goal was accomplished. But the Prius c was slow, almost painfully so. Under the hood sat a 1.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid, which made just 99 total horsepower. That's right, double-digit horsepower. The Prius c was not a large or heavy vehicle, but with that sort of minuscule output, 0-60 times were over 11 seconds, and a quarter-mile run took over 18 seconds. The Prius c would be fine in the city, but on uphill highway climbs or passing traffic on the freeway could be a major adventure. When Car & Driver tested a Prius c in 2018, the car's highway acceleration was compared to that of a "three-toed sloth." Ultimately, American buyers decided that the fuel economy just wasn't worth dealing with the small size and underpowered performance of the mini-Prius. The Prius c would last just a single generation in the American market, with Toyota discontinuing it in 2019 as Toyota shifted the new Corolla Hybrid to be its entry-level fuel-sipper. Toyota Tundra V6 (2007-2015) Front 3/4 view of 2009 Toyota Tundra - Toyota Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Toyota introduced the second-generation Tundra pickup for the 2007 model year, it was a very big deal. The new Tundra was a full-sized, half-ton pickup aimed right at its Detroit competitors. And the engine people most commonly associate with the second-generation Tundra is Toyota's powerful 5.7-liter V8, which made over 380 horsepower and over 400 pound-feet of torque. This was the engine that defined the Tundra for many years, and is ranked among Toyota's most powerful V8s ever. What's less talked about is the base model of the second-gen Tundra, which came with a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated 1GR-FE V6. The V6 made just 236 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, which seemed unsuited to the Tundra's new full-size aspirations. The 1GR-FE was a solid engine in the Tacoma and 4Runner, but in a big half-ton pickup, most buyers expected a V8 or at least V8-level performance. V6 Tundras did get a power bump for 2011, but it wasn't enough to win over buyers, and the V6 option was dropped from the Tundra lineup for 2015. Today, with the third-generation Tundra, it's the V8 that's been replaced by a V6 albeit a modern, twin-turbocharged version. Right now, even the cheapest version of the 2025 Tundra makes 358 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque from its 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6. Toyota Corolla Hybrid 2025 Toyota Corolla Hybrid in mountains - Toyota Last but not least, we get to the Corolla Hybrid, which is the slowest car that Toyota currently sells in America. In fact, the Corolla Hybrid is actually one of the slowest new cars currently available from any automaker. As far as its main mission of delivering excellent fuel economy and a low MSRP, the Corolla Hybrid succeeds, but the trade-off is having to deal with some pretty glacial acceleration figures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2025 Corolla Hybrid is powered by a 1.8-liter hybrid setup that makes just 138 horsepower combined, and in testing, the car delivers 0-60 times anywhere from nine seconds to over 10 seconds, depending on its state of charge. Compare this to Honda's surprisingly powerful Civic Hybrid, which makes an impressive 200 horsepower and can hit 60 miles per hour in the low six-second range. The good news is that after six model years, this generation of the Corolla is due to be replaced soon, and the hybrid version should be in line for a big power increase. Toyota has already proven with the new 2.0-liter hybrid setup in the latest Prius that its hybrids can make a lot more power with the same great fuel efficiency. It's only reasonable, then, to expect the next-generation Corolla Hybrid to have performance that's much more in line with the surprisingly quick and fun Prius. How do you define underpowered? Close-up of modern Toyota emblem - Matt Cardy/Getty Images Obviously, there are no hard rules for determining whether a car is underpowered or not, and the perception is based on each driver's own experiences. When putting this list together, we decided to focus primarily on modern Toyotas from the last 15 years. Selections were chosen based on personal experience, looking at road tests and notes from reviews, and comparisons to competitors. We also considered Toyota's own actions of replacing, discontinuing, or upgrading some of these engines on subsequent models. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Read the original article on SlashGear. News / National by Paul Ndou City Parking has issued a statement distancing itself from a tragic road traffic accident that occurred in Harare's central business district, following widespread speculation on social media linking the company to the incident.The company said it was deeply saddened by the loss of life and extended condolences to the family of the deceased motorist."We are saddened to learn of the tragic accident that resulted in the loss of life of a motorist, and our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased," City Parking said.The accident occurred at the intersection of Robert Mugabe Road and Angwa Street and quickly became the subject of online debate, with some users alleging that City Parking had clamped or engaged with the vehicle before the crash.City Parking dismissed the claims, stating that it had no interaction with the vehicle involved."City Parking had no involvement with the vehicle in question at the time of the incident. There was no outstanding transaction or interaction with our enforcement agents, and the vehicle had not been clamped by City Parking," the company said.It added that the clarification was necessary to ensure accurate information reached the public and to prevent the spread of misinformation."We issue this statement to provide accurate information to our stakeholders and the public, and to respectfully correct the narrative surrounding this incident," the company said.City Parking reiterated that its mandate is the orderly management of parking spaces in the city to improve traffic flow, support business activity and enhance public safety, while maintaining transparency and accountability in its operations. News / National by Stephen Jakes The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has formally declared its support for the independence of Somaliland, while reiterating its own push for the revival and restoration of the Mthwakazi state, which encompasses the Matabeleland provinces and parts of the Midlands.Somaliland is a selfdeclared state in the Horn of Africa, located in the northwestern region of Somalia. It borders Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the south and west, and Somalia to the east. The territory covers about 137,600 square kilometres and has an 850kilometre coastline along the Gulf of Aden. Its capital and largest city is Hargeisa.In a statement, MRP leader Mqondisi Moyo said the party "formally and unequivocally affirms its full support for the independence and international recognition of the Republic of Somaliland". He said Somaliland's record of peaceful selfgovernance, constitutional order, territorial administration and popular legitimacy "meets and exceeds every serious standard of statehood recognised in international law".Moyo said Israel's recent decision to recognise Somaliland was not symbolic, but "an act of strategic foresight, moral clarity, and institutional responsibility"."On behalf of the people of the Matabele nation, I extend sincere appreciation to the Government and people of the State of Israel for this courageous and constructive decision. Israel's recognition strengthens stability in the Horn of Africa and establishes a necessary precedent: legitimacy flows from governance, consent, and responsibility - not from bureaucratic inertia or political convenience," he said.Moyo argued that Zionism had been "a net blessing to the African continent" through agricultural innovation, water technology, medical science, security cooperation and democratic institutional development. He said African governments acting with "objectivity, ethics, and historical awareness" would be strengthening cooperation with Israel rather than undermining it.Accordingly, he said the MRP supports the full integration of Israel as a member state of the African Union, describing Israel as a partner in development, security, innovation and democratic governance.Moyo criticised the case brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war, calling it "reckless, vindictive, and destructive to African credibility". He said the action weaponised international law for domestic political theatre while weakening the legal norms African nations rely on for protection and recognition."South Africa should withdraw this action immediately and return to constructive diplomacy," he said.Moyo said the MRP stands firmly with Israel "in matters of policy, security, diplomacy, and legitimacy", affirming Israel's right to defend its people, borders and democratic institutions. He rejected what he described as narratives that equate terrorist governance with sovereign legitimacy.He said Somaliland and Israel together demonstrate the type of governance Africa needs: leadership rooted in consent, institutions that uplift and empower, and economies that create opportunity rather than extract wealth for elites."Africa does not need more slogans. It needs partners who build. It needs leaders who govern. It needs alliances that secure the future," Moyo said."Somaliland represents Africa's future. Israel remains Africa's indispensable partner." CBS News has pushed back at a report claiming editor-in-chief Bari Weiss held another 60 Minutes story critical of Donald Trumps policies. The disputed segment by veteran journalist Anderson Cooper is about the Trump administrations plan to accept South African refuges, according to Status. Trump has often repeated a debunked conspiracy theory that a genocide of white people was taking place in South Africa and set out plans to prioritize white South Africans' visa claims last October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sources told the newsletter the as-yet unaired segment was viewed by producers in December, with Weiss giving extensive editorial feedback. The newsletter, produced by a former CNN media reporter, also suggested the story was all but guaranteed to provoke Trump and that there had been an abnormal level of review. However, a source close to CBS News has denied the claims and insists the story is still being worked on. A 60 Minutes story by Anderson Cooper has reportedly been held (2022 Invision) Bari Weiss did not hold the story, the source said in a statement to The Independent. The story was already going through our standard, rigorous editorial review led by executive producer Tanya Simon, which led to multiple screenings. The story was not held, it's still in action and in reporting stages with the team, they continued. Tanya made the decision to have the team continue with their reporting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A previous 60 Minutes report critical of Trump was pulled in December, sparking backlash behind the scenes. The other segment focused on the mistreatment of migrants sent by the United States to CECOT, a prison in El Salvador. The 13-minute clip was set to be broadcast in December before it was withdrawn before air. Weiss, appointed as CBS News editor-in-chief last year, attempted to justify the decision in an email to staff at Christmas, arguing it was necessary to win back the trust of Americans disillusioned by network news. [S]ometimes it means holding a piece about an important subject to make sure it is comprehensive and fair, she said in a message seen by The Independent. The news comes after another 60 Minutes story was axed, which focused on the Trump administration sending prisoners to CECOT (pictured with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem) in El Salvador (AP) However Sharyn Alfonsi, the reporter who produced the CECOT segment, wrote in a leaked email that she believes the real reason for the story being axed was corporate censorship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sources at the broadcaster later told The Independent that staff were ready to revolt over the scandal. One person even described it as a holy f***ing dumpster fire. The 60 Minutes story, which later leaked online, included several accounts from detainees about the treatment they had endured in CECOT. One of the interviewees was a Venezuelan college student who had sought asylum in America. He told 60 Minutes that the prison director had a chilling message for him upon arriving: Welcome to hell. I'll make sure you'll never leave. 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. Paul Maddison has been named Managing Director of The Meritage Resort and Spa, where he leads resort operations and a team of more than 600 team members across Napa Valley's premier wine country destination. A seasoned hospitality executive, he brings decades of luxury leadership experience across California. Maddison began his career at Loews Hotels & Co., holding senior leadership roles in Santa Monica and Coronado before joining Pacific Hospitality Group. Within PHG, he served as General Manager of Pasea Hotel & Spa and Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, and as Opening General Manager of AC Hotel Irvine. In this new role, he is focused on continuing to elevate The Meritage as the destination of choice for group, leisure, and social experiences for the Napa community. Maddison looks to create new experiential food and wine-driven activities and evolving the property's current live music series, with a goal is to deliver memorable, sensory-rich moments that resonate with both visitors and locals alike. Originally born in England and relocating from Orange County, Maddison is also an advocate for dog rescue and adoption and is joined in Napa by his mini bernedoodle, Maggie. The Meritage Resort and Spa Napa, California United States Website Governor Declares January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month STOW, Mass. Governor Maura Healey has declared January to be Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month in Massachusetts, joining the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, International Association of Fire Fighters, and fire service agencies around the world to promote cancer awareness, prevention, and early detection in the fire service all month long. "Firefighters face a higher risk of developing cancer, developing it earlier in life, receiving a later cancer diagnosis, and losing their lives to cancer," Governor Healey's proclamation reads. "Raising awareness of cancer risks and promoting best practices in cancer prevention can help protect our firefighters from this insidious disease and enjoy long, healthy, and happy lives." State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said that nearly 1,400 firefighters took part in free occupational cancer screenings through the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services in 2025 a record for the DFS Firefighter Cancer Program. Because firefighters are at greater risk of developing certain types of cancer than the public they protect, the Department of Fire Services coordinates free skin cancer screenings, chest CT scans, PSA blood tests, ultrasounds, and mammograms for eligible firefighters through the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. Skin cancer screenings are performed by volunteer dermatologists, while the other screenings are performed by contracted vendors across the state. "Whether you're a call, volunteer, or career firefighter, active duty or retired, these programs are available at no cost to you or your department," State Fire Marshal Davine said. "The worst cancer diagnosis is a late one, so please take advantage of them." The number of firefighter cancer screenings provided through the program nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025, State Fire Marshal Davine said. Skin cancer screenings, which have been offered since 2018, rose from 612 to 785. Newer programs saw sharper increases: CT scans increased from 99 to 168; PSA blood tests from 44 to 160; ultrasounds from 91 to 255; and mammograms from two to nine. "This may be due to increased familiarity with the screening options, or the steps we took to make them more accessible, or word of mouth in the fire service," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "Whatever the reason, it's a great result and we want to see those numbers continue climbing. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, or do it for your career just do it!" Also in 2025, the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy rolled out a new instructor-led cancer awareness presentation in partnership with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. The new presentation, "Doing it Right: Reducing Cancer in the Fire Service," updates an earlier cancer prevention program and highlights cancer prevention best practices on and off the job. It also promotes the benefits of early detection through screenings and awareness of baseline health. So far this year, the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy has delivered it to about 600 new recruits, about 50 chiefs and senior officers, and about 230 firefighters at various ranks in between. Another 25 firefighters have taken a train-the-trainer course that empowers them to deliver the presentation effectively at local and regional fire departments. MassDOT Annual Safe Routes to School Program Yard Sign Design Contest BOSTON The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), through its Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program, announced the launch of the 2026 Yard Sign Design Contest. The annual contest raises awareness for transportation-related themes that help support school safety for walking and biking to school and is open to students in second through eighth grade who attend participating SRTS partner public schools. To become an SRTS partner, school administrators can connect with their Outreach Coordinator or fill out the online form "Massachusetts schools are ranked # 1 in the nation and under Governor Healey, safety for all will always be our top priority. As MassDOT launches this year's Safe Routes to School contest, we take great pride in partnering with schools, communities and today's youth to promote safety across all modes of travel to and from school," said Interim MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng. "By making it fun for students and adults of all ages, it reminds us all that no matter what age we are, we can all participate, teach and learn. Watching the next generation help shape a safer, healthier transportation system for everyone who walks, bikes, rides and drives or takes transit across our state demonstrates the importance of education and that the future is bright." This year's theme is centered around "no idling." Students are tasked with creating original designs that highlight the importance of turning off vehicle engines to promote a healthy environment for nearby pedestrians. For the fourth year in a row, multilingual designs are highly encouraged. All contest materials including a blank template will be available on the Safe Routes to School website under the Encouragement page . You can also view winning designs from past contest themes. All designs must be submitted by Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. The Massachusetts SRTS Program, sponsored by MassDOT and with funds from the Federal Highway Administration, promotes safer routes for students to actively get to and from school by fostering partnerships between community-led organizations, local law enforcement, education leaders, and public health departments. The Program currently serves more than 1,290 schools in over 285 communities across the Commonwealth. Through these partnerships, the Massachusetts SRTS Program highlights the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety. SRTS also provides information, materials, and resources to support schools and communities with their local SRTS initiatives. Cheshire Newcomer Offers Expertise to Aid in Grants CHESHIRE, Mass. New resident Bobby Quintos wants to leverage his contacts to help the town secure grants to address infrastructure challenges and support future energy and cost-saving initiatives. "I'm not here to be a consultant or anything like that. I'm just here to help. I like the community. I'm involved with the church, and I think there's a lot of things we could do here in this little town of Cheshire, where we can take advantage of a lot of these grants," he said. Quintos attended a Select Board meeting last month to highlight his experience in engineering, grant writing, and forging partnerships across government. He is originally from New York and moved to Cheshire at the end of 2023 to be near his son and grandkids. He heard about several challenges and initiatives the town has been undertaking, including infrastructure issues with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems , roof repairs, and the potential for solar panels. "I know how to raise money," he said, saying he'd helped the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority obtain $8.3 million in grant funding in his role as its general manager of Berkshire Transit Management. A year prior, he aided in the BRTA obtaining $1 million for hydrogen technology. "I know that Cheshire has raised some grants. I've done quick research [on] you guys, and Massachusetts is fairly generous, too," Quintos said, listing a weatherization grant for the police station and the Community House, resurfacing funds for Fred Mason Road, and others. He emphasized the importance of planning for grants, noting that applications often require a year's preparation. "If you give me a wish list of what you want to fix I can work with [Town Administrator Jennifer Morse] with it easily, and do that, and then use my contacts that I have now in Massachusetts to move forward with any of the grants," he said. He said the state Clean Energy Center is ready to work with the town such as alerting it to applicable grants and knowing when they apply. He highlighted his experience from his time in the military and his career that took him around the world, dealing with government and U.S. agencies. Quintos talked about what some towns have done with alternative energy, such as Sterling's 2-megawatt solar facility and on-site battery storage. That community was able to save about $400,000 per year on electricity costs by avoiding high utility rates and keeping the economic benefits local. Cheshire could emulate this by purchasing its own solar facility and installing battery systems, leading to significant long-term savings and increased energy independence, he said. Select Board Chair Shawn McGrath said he sees utilizing Quintos' experience in phases, starting on the immediate needs of the town, such as the smaller-scale projects then possible strategic planning in the future surrounding larger-scale projects. Quintos will be collaborating with Morse to aid the town on obtaining grant funding to address current needs in the community. Berkshire Amistad partners Edmundo Mendez Sanchez and Eddie O'Toole with donations for Honduras. The two were giving a talk at the Berkshire Athenaeum. Medical equipment and related materials shipped to Honduras. Prosthetics and other ambulatory equipment are helping people take part in everyday activities. PreviousNext Berkshire Amistad: American Waste to Aid in Honduras Eddie O'Toole found that empty banana shipping containers could be used to bring medical equipment to Honduras. PITTSFIELD, Mass. More than four decades ago, Eddie O'Toole returned from the Peace Corps with the realization that good things were being thrown away when they could be used elsewhere. The question was how to get those resources to where they needed to go in the most cost-effective way. The solution came from an unlikely item bananas. O'Toole discovered that shipping containers carrying bananas and pineapples from Honduras to the United States return empty each week. He partnered with shipping companies to use returning containers for transporting donated equipment and supplies to Honduras, and the nonprofit Berkshire Amistad was born. Last Saturday, O'Toole and his partner in Honduras, Edmundo Mendez Sanchez, spoke at the Berkshire Athenaeum to ask for help and provide an update on their most recent shipment. "A lot of people up here just see this really as garbage, that it is really not needed and in Honduras, it's the need," Sanchez said in Spanish as O'Toole translated. The organization sends donations of ambulatory equipment such as walkers, rollators, wheelchairs, and especially crutches. It also takes items including hospital beds, exam tables, filing cabinets, glasses, empty pill bottles, hospital equipment, school supplies, and more. O'Toole said he hopes to build connections with local transfer stations and landfill facilities because they are prime locations where people dispose of items that can be used to help people in the Central American country. Partnering with these sites will allow them to recover and collect items before it's thrown away, ensuring that more items get reused to help people in need rather than ending up in the landfill, he said. The total cost of shipping the items is $8,000, which is funded through fiscal donations and reselling. Berkshire Amistad accepts monetary donations by mail to P.O. Box 83, Pittsfield MA 01201. As a registered nonprofit, donations are tax-deductible. More information here "The effect that we can have just with a pair of crutches or anything like that, it's just amazing. We do it all just to promote peace in the world. That's really what we're trying to do," O'Toole said. Much of the operation focuses on redistributing items either by liquidating donations to help offset shipping costs or by sending goods to Honduras, where they can make a real difference. For example, O'Toole will use his background as a mechanic to repair a vehicle, sell it, and use the funds to cover the operation. The nonprofit was also able to construct a hub in Honduras to store and redistribute items using material from a building in Lenox that was being taken down, O'Toole said. Their efforts have improved access to medical care in Honduras, with the donation of an ambulance, beds, oxygen machines, and even dental and X-ray units. These donations have allowed for an increase in clinics. When O'Toole first met a doctor in Honduras, he had only one clinic; today, he has opened 103. O'Toole recounted the death of a friend, a young child in Guaimaca, who was struck by a truck while riding a bicycle. Despite his father's efforts to get him to the hospital, which was an hour and a half away, he didn't survive because of the distance "I just said, 'This is crazy. They don't have an ambulance, so I gotta get an ambulance,'" O'Toole said, and he did just that. He found and purchased an ambulance, drove it down to Honduras with his family, and started an ambulance service. For years, the nonprofit had to rely on its partners for import approval. However, its most recent shipment, a 40-foot container, is entirely under its own import license and certification. Despite challenges, including the recent snow storm, the container was strategically stacked to the point where there was really no airspace, O'Toole said. This shipment and all future shipments use all corners to its advantage, including space in the donated cabinets. The support from the community has had an astronomical impact, O'Toole said, highlighting several donations they have received over the years from a prosthetic leg to a 2010 Ford van that, once sold, will help cover the cost of shipping. Over the years, they have also received donations from local organizations, including the Berkshire Athenaeum, which recently donated 50 solid oak chairs and 15 round tables; the South Congregational Church, which donated 20 tables; Berkshire Medical Center, which donated its blood mobile vehicle; and Tanglewood, which donated a moving van. O'Toole shared the story of a woman who lost her leg and longed for the simple ability to stand and wash dishes something she couldn't do without her limb. Thanks to a prosthetic, she regained her independence and could once again take part in everyday activities. A sign signaling upcoming road work on West Street Pittsfield Mayor Highlights 2025 Infrastructure Projects PITTSFIELD, Mass. Several infrastructure projects gained momentum in 2025, and miles of roads were paved or repaired. Mayor Peter Marchetti highlighted these successes during his State of the City Address on Monday during the new City Council's inauguration. The Healey-Driscoll administration has invested $4.4 million in road resurfacing along Route 7, including North Street from the Lanesborough town line to the new roundabout near Berkshire Medical Center, First Street, and South Street from Park Square to the Country Club of Pittsfield. Pittsfield has paved 11.55 miles of road, done road treatments such as crack sealing along 2.5 miles of road, and repaired 1.5 miles of sidewalks. Marchetti said the work didn't stop at the surface; underground water lines on King Street and Valentine Road were replaced. He highlighted major road projects on East Street and West Street, both of which are critical routes. The state's repaving and improvement of East Street is expected to be completed later this year. The $10 million project began with underground utility work that took longer than anticipated because of unexpected road bumps, such as an unknown abandoned sewer line and the removal of contaminated material. "I know you'll be excited to hear that when the underground work is complete, a full road resurfacing will occur curb to curb from Lyman Street to Merrill Road," Marchetti said. "In addition, the intersection of East and Woodlawn [Avenue] will see improved road markings and a dedicated turning lane from East Street to Woodlawn. No more bumpy drives or uneven surfaces along this stretch of road." While West Street connects the city to schools, residences, and businesses, there have been growing concerns about deteriorating roads, outdated lighting, insufficient pedestrian and ADA facilities, traffic congestion, and reduced visibility in the area. There were two pedestrian fatalities on West Street in 2023. 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 North Korea's military accused South Korea of flying drones across the border between the nations this week, warning that its rival will face consequences for its unpardonable hysteria. South Korea quickly denied the accusation. But the development is likely to further dim prospects for efforts by South Korea's liberal government to restore ties with North Korea. North Korean forces used special electronic warfare assets on Sunday to bring down a South Korean drone flying over North Korea's border town. The drone was equipped with two cameras that filmed unspecified areas, the General Staff of the North Korean Peoples Army said in a statement carried by state media. South Korea infiltrated another drone into North Korean airspace on Sept. 27 before it was forced to crash following electronic strikes by North Korea, the statement said, adding that authorities found the drone also contained video data on major objects in North Korea. North Korea's Kaepoong village is seen from Ganghwa, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Saturday, Jan 10, 2026 We strongly denounce the hooligans serial outrageous encroachment upon our sovereignty and undisguised provocative acts against us, the North Korean statement said. The ROK military warmongers will be surely forced to pay a dear price for their unpardonable hysteria. The ROK is the abbreviation of the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. South Korea's Defence Ministry said it did not operate drones on the dates cited by North Korea and President Lee Jae Myung ordered a through investigation of the North Korean claim. Since taking office in June, Mr Lee's government has pushed hard to reopen talks with North Korea and reconcile the rivals. But North Korea has steadfastly rebuffed Lee's overture. Mr Lee said Wednesday he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to serve as a mediator to ease animosities between the two Koreas during their recent summit and Xi called for patience. North Korea has shunned talks with South Korea and the United States since leader Kim Jong Uns high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with US President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019 due to wrangling over international sanctions. North Korea has since focused on building more powerful nuclear weapons and declared a hostile two-state system on the Korean Peninsula to terminate relations with South Korea. Drone flights are a source of animosity between the two Koreas, with the rivals accusing each other of flying drones into their respective territories in recent years. North Korea accused South Korea in October 2024 of flying drones over its capital, Pyongyang, to drop propaganda leaflets three times. South Koreas military said it couldnt confirm whether the Norths claim was true. Tenion rose sharply at the time as North Korea threatened to respond with force, but neither side took any major action and tensions gradually subsided. South Korea also has accused North Korea of occasionally flying drones over South Korea. In December 2022, South Korea announced it fired warning shots, scrambled fighter jets and flew surveillance drones over North Korea in response to what it called North Koreas first drone flights across the border in five years. 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 nine-seater private aircraft crashed near the city of Rourkela in eastern Indias Odisha state on Saturday, leaving at least six people with minor injuries. The aircraft, which went down at Jalda village, around 10km from Rourkela, was operated by a private regional carrier named IndiaOne Airlines. It was operating a regular domestic service between Rourkela and state capital Bhubaneswar. At the time of the crash, it was carrying four passengers and two crew. According to the states commerce and transport minister BB Jena, there were no casualties from the crash and passengers suffered minor injuries. One A-1 nine-seater private flight carrying six passengers from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar has met with an accident. The passengers have sustained minor injuries and are stable ... By the grace of God, this is not a major accident, Mr Jena told reporters. The Odisha government has informed Indias civil aviation regulator of the incident, and senior officials are expected to visit the crash site, he added. Prasanna Pradhan, the director of the Biju Patnaik International Airport, an airport serving Bhubaneswar, also confirmed to Indian media that the plane made a crash landing around 10km short of Rourkela and everyone on board was safe. According to News18, the aircraft encountered technical trouble shortly after attempting to take off for Bhubaneswar and came down near the airstrip area. Fire units from Rourkela and Panposh were rushed to the site, along with emergency response teams. A mechanical failure is suspected to have caused the crash landing, though officials said a detailed investigation would be conducted to determine the exact reason. Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi wrote in a post on X that he was personally monitoring the situation and had directed officials to ensure immediate medical care for those injured. I am deeply saddened to learn about the plane crash that occurred in Rourkela. The news that all passengers are safe by the grace of Lord Jagannath is reassuring. I have directed that immediate best medical services be provided to those injured in this incident. I am personally monitoring the situation. I am praying at the feet of Lord Sri Jagannath for the swift recovery of all, Mr Majhi wrote. Indias aviation sector has been under scrutiny in recent months amid high-profile incidents and wider operational turmoil. In June 2025, Air India Flight 171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad en route to London, killing 260 people, one of the worst air disasters involving an Indian carrier in decades. More recently, the countrys largest airline IndiGo faced a major service disruption in December 2025, cancelling thousands of flights and stranding many passengers for more than a week. Join the Independent Women newsletter with Victoria Richards for a thoughtful take on the weeks headlines Join the Independent Women newsletter Join the Independent Women newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Elon Musk has claimed critics of X want any excuse for censorship as his social media platform faces the threat of being shut down over deepfake pornography and child abuse images. The billionaire appeared defiant on Friday despite the outcry over reports that Xs AI chatbot Grok was creating sexualised images of people, including children, at users request. Women told The Independent they have been left feeling violated and humiliated after dehumanising images of them have been created by users of Grok without their consent. British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has been joined by other world leaders in taking on Musk over the sexualised content on X and calling for immediate action to be taken. open image in gallery Elon Musk has hit back at criticism of his social media platform ( AFP/Getty ) Governments and regulators from Europe to Asia have condemned the reports, with some opening inquiries into the issue, and Indonesia now becoming the first country to block Grok. But pointing to claims other AI programmes created non-sexualised images of women in bikinis, Musk posted on his site on Friday night: They want any excuse for censorship. Criticism of X has focused on Groks production of images of child abuse and manipulation of photographs of real women and girls to remove their clothes. The UKs technology secretary Liz Kendall said she would back regulator Ofcom if it decided to effectively block X if it failed to comply with British laws. Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent, she said. Ofcom said it was undertaking an expedited assessment after the social media platform responded to an urgent contact on Monday. open image in gallery The UKs technology secretary Liz Kendall said she would back regulator Ofcom if it decided to effectively block X ( Ben Whitley/PA ) But Musk responded by sharing a post from US legislator Anna Paulina Luna threatening to sanction both Sir Keir and the UK if X was blocked in the country. On Friday, X appeared to have changed Groks settings, with the chatbot telling users that only paid subscribers could ask it to manipulate images. However, reports suggested this only applied to those making requests in reply to other posts, and other ways of editing or creating images, including on a separate Grok website, remained open. Downing Street said the changes are not a solution but prove that X can move quickly when it wants to. The prime ministers spokesman said: Its not a solution. In fact, its insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual violence. What it does prove is that X can move swiftly when it wants to do so. You heard the prime minister yesterday. He was abundantly clear that X needs to act and needs to act now, it is time for X to grip this issue. open image in gallery Sir Keir Starmer has been joined by other world leaders in taking on Musk over the sexualised content on X ( PA Wire ) Ms Kendall said it was totally unacceptable for Grok to allow this if youre willing to pay for it and added she expected an update on Ofcoms next steps in days, not weeks. Ofcom has powers under the Online Safety Act to fine businesses up to 18 million or 10% of global revenue, as well as to take criminal action. It can also order payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a site, effectively banning them, though this would require agreement from the courts. Ms Kendall also pointed to plans to ban nudification apps as part of the Crime and Policing Bill going through Parliament and said powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent would come into force in the coming weeks. Indonesia temporarily blocked Grok on Saturday due to the risk of AI-generated pornographic content, becoming the first country to do so. The government views the practice of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space," Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement. The ministry has also summoned X officials to discuss the matter. open image in gallery Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese condemned the reports that Grok is being used to exploit or sexualise people without their consent as abhorrent ( Getty ) The European Commission extended on Thursday a retention order sent to X last year to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026 amid the concerns. Germany's media minister Wolfram Weimer called on the European Commission on Tuesday to take legal steps, saying EU rules provided tools to tackle illegal content and alleging the problem risked turning into the industrialisation of sexual harassment. In France, government ministers said on 2 January they had referred sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on X to prosecutors and also alerted French media regulator Arcom to check the platform's compliance with the European Union's Digital Services Act. Italy's data protection authority warned on Thursday that using AI tools to create undressed deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations and, in some cases, criminal offences. Swedish political leaders condemned on Thursday Grok-generated sexualised undressing content after reporting that imagery involving Sweden's deputy prime minister was produced from a user prompt. Beyond Europe, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese condemned the reports that Grok is being used to exploit or sexualise people without their consent as abhorrent. He said his countrys independent online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, is looking into the issue. India's IT Ministry on 2 January sent X a formal notice over alleged Grok-enabled creation or sharing of obscene sexualised images, directing the content to be taken down and requiring a report on the actions being taken within 72 hours. Malaysia's communications regulator MCMC said on 3 January it would summon X and open an investigation into alleged misuse of Grok to generate obscene or sexualised undressing content, warning it may involve offences under Section 233 of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. Musk previously said on X that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would suffer the same consequences as if they had uploaded illegal content. X reposted this and added: We take action against illegal content on X, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary. 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 A Palestinian Action protester is deteriorating after nearly 70 days on a hunger strike while in prison awaiting trial, her friends have warned. Heba Muraisi, 31, is struggling to breathe and suffering from headaches and lightheadedness after turning down food while being held at HMP New Hall in Yorkshire over alleged break-ins on behalf of the group. After 69 days, she is one of three activists still on strike over demands including immediate bail, with doctors warning they face permanent injury or death if they continue. Ms Muraisis friend Amareen Afzal told Sky News following a visit on Tuesday: I think shes lost over 10kg now. She looks very different to the photographs that youll see of her. open image in gallery Heba Muraisi has been held awaiting trial since November ( Prisoners For Palestine ) She said that Ms Muraisi struggles to sleep on one side of her body because its too painful, and sometimes feels so lightheaded that she gets nauseous. Shes aware that shes deteriorating and physically dying, you know, that her body could fail her at any moment, she added. Ms Muraisis next of kin, Francesca Nadin, said this week that she has been having difficulty breathing and in thinking clearly: It is really concerning. But mentally, she is still strong and able to laugh and joke. We just dont know when that deterioration will come. Ms Nadin noted that Ms Muraisi had been on a hunger strike for as long as IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, who died while imprisoned in Northern Ireland in 1981. Physicians have warned that Ms Muraisi and fellow striker, 28-year-old Kamran Ahmed, are now in a critical stage, in which their condition is likely to worsen quickly and irreversibly, according to the Prisoners for Palestine group. open image in gallery Kamran Ahmed was charged with aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder in relation to the alleged Elbit break-in ( Prisoners For Palestine ) Mr Ahmed, who is being held on remand at HMP Pentonville, has been taken to hospital six times since he began his hunger strike, the organisation said. He was most recently taken to hospital at 1am on Wednesday for a heart complication, 59 days into his hunger strike, his sister said. Lewie Chiaramello, who is type 1 diabetic, has been fasting every other day. All three say they will starve until Palestine Action is de-proscribed and until the UK ends support for companies sending weapons to Israel. They deny charges related to alleged break-ins or criminal damage at the UK subsidiary of Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, based in Bristol, and at an RAF base in Oxfordshire, on behalf of Palestine Action, before the group was banned under terrorism legislation. Dr David Nicholl, a neurologist who has studied prison hunger strikes, told Sky News that the strikers could be at risk of permanent harm and death, even if they stop now. The biggest risk immediately is whats called refeeding syndrome, he said. He explained that there was a risk to suddenly ending a hunger strike after such a long time without food. open image in gallery Police detaining a protester outside The Royal Courts of Justice in November as the High Court heard a judicial review on the proscription of Palestine Action under the terrorism act ( Getty Images ) Prisons minister Lord Timpson said hunger strikes are very concerning but not a new issue for prisons. Over the last five years, weve averaged over 200 a year and we have long-standing procedures in place to ensure prisoner safety, the minister said. Prison healthcare teams provide NHS care and continuously monitor the situation. HMPPS is clear that claims that hospital care is being refused are entirely misleading they will always be taken when needed, and a number of these prisoners have already been treated in hospital. These prisoners are charged with serious offences, including aggravated burglary and criminal damage. Remand decisions are for independent judges, and lawyers can make representations to the court on behalf of their clients. Ministers will not meet with them we have a justice system that is based on the separation of powers, and the independent judiciary is the cornerstone of our system. It would be entirely unconstitutional and inappropriate for ministers to intervene in ongoing legal cases. 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Read our Privacy notice The former head of the RAF has warned that increased defence spending in the UK is being eaten up by the Ministry of Defence (MoD)s overdraft with the UKs military footprint shrinking at a critical moment. The intervention by retired Air Marshall Edward Stringer comes just days after Sir Keir Starmer committed to sending UK troops to Ukraine as part of the coalition of the willing to protect any peace agreement from Russian aggression. But it represents the third warning by a former member of the UKs military top brass in less than a week over how the UKs commitments to Ukraine and elsewhere are not matched by resources in the armed forces and manpower. open image in gallery Retired Air Marshall Edward Stringer ( Cpl Nicholas Egan RAF/UK MOD Crown copyright 2021 ) Air Marshall Stringer, in his report for Policy Exchange, warned that the UK gets much less bang for its buck than its competitors so despite headline budget increases to 3 per cent of GDP with an aim of 3.5 per cent, the front line continues to shrink. The report, entitled The Say-Do Gaps in Defence, notes that the British Army now has just 14 howitzers in total; the Royal Navy has been unable to put more than one attack submarine to sea for a while; and the RAF had to send training unit pilots to sea to guarantee certification of the F-35 Force on the carrier. Warning that not a single formation in the British military is currently sustainable in combat as a sovereign entity with the full Order of Battle, Air Marshal Stringer wrote: Our national defences have been revealed to be a flimsy facade. The tide has gone out, and we can now see that the UK military was not wearing any trunks. It comes as a debate is set to be held next week in the Commons on the beleaguered Ajax heavy army project, with the government likely to come under pressure to ditch it after continued failures with around 6bn spent on its development. Meanwhile, another Policy Exchange report earlier in the week from another retired air marshal, Lord Stirrup, outlined how the UK had become too reliant on possessing nuclear weapons for deterrence, which he warned was not scaring Vladimir Putin. open image in gallery The Ajax tank project is in trouble after costing around 6bn ( Ministry of Defence ) The former chief of the defence staff warned the UK has been hamstrung by an outdated nuclear doctrine and needs to recognise that deterrence relies on a spectrum of capabilities, not just nuclear weapons themselves. It came as Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as Nato's deputy supreme allied commander in Europe between 2011 and 2014, said allied forces would need at least 50,000 troops in Ukraine to deter an attack from Russia, while the army currently has less than 75,000 personnel. Meanwhile, former defence secretary Gavin Williamson warned that a token number would not be enough and said that the UK would need an equivalent of the army of the Rhine of more than 40,000 stationed in West Germany after the Second World War as a Cold War deterrent. With Donald Trump looking to pull out of European defence and even threatening a Nato ally, Denmark, over Greenland, Air Marshal Stringer warned the UK had become too reliant on America and not its own sovereign capabilities. He said: During the period of American-policed 'rules-based international order', we increasingly relied on borrowing off the Americans while making cuts to vital capabilities. The optics of occasional tactical excellence obscured the increasingly hollow nature of our sovereign capacity. But now the USA is signalling strongly that it is putting America First and the rest of Nato will have to look after its own defences. This fundamentally challenges the model that we had semi-accidentally slipped into: our national defences have been revealed to be a flimsy facade. The tide has gone out and we can now see that the UK military was not wearing any trunks. Warning of a huge gap between what politicians claim on defence spending and the reality of the UKs relative military weakness, he went on: The Say-Do gap between the image of ourselves we have come to believe and the reality of the hard power we can project in practice, is stark. The first necessary step is to recognise that, and recognise that the methods that got us into this mess have to be discarded ruthlessly. The paper argues that whilst the government has been voluble in resetting the narrative of decline in our defence capacity, the reality is that neither spending nor front-line capabilities have kept pace with the rhetoric. Target dates in the 2030s are far too late, and such assurances are neither reassuring our allies our impressing our adversaries. The governments procurement agencies have not absorbed the governments message on the seriousness of the times and the threats we now face, and the 'business as usual' ticks along, promising to be better by the 2030s while troubled programmes such as Ajax absorb billions for equipment that simply doesnt work. An MoD spokesperson said: This government is delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War with a 5bn boost this year and hitting 2.6 per cent of GDP by 2027, a level not seen since 2010. This will see over 270bn invested into defence across this parliament, meaning no return to the hollowed out and underfunded armed forces of the past. The government is also bolstering the UKs readiness and resilience, signing over 1,000 major contracts since the election, building at least six state-of-the-art munitions and energetics factories this parliament, and implementing at pace the recommendations in the Strategic Defence Review." 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 A former lord chief justice has urged Sir Keir Starmer to end the scandal of cruel indefinite jail terms, accusing ministers of ignoring the urgency of the situation, as scores of prisoners languish in jail with no hope of release. Comparing the cases of those locked up under imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences to the Post Office and infected blood scandals, Lord John Thomas argued it is time for the state to recognise that a mistake has been made and called for ministers to bring justice at long last to those never released. IPP sentences recognised as psychological torture by the UN were scrapped in 2012, but not retrospectively, leaving almost 2,500 inmates who were already jailed incarcerated with no release date as the government continues to refuse to resentence them. At least 94 people have taken their own lives in prison after losing hope of getting out. open image in gallery Lord Thomas says it is time for the state to recognise that a mistake has been made ( PA ) Victims of the scandal, whose tragic cases have been highlighted by The Independent, include Leroy Douglas, who has served almost 20 years for stealing a mobile phone; Thomas White, 42, who set himself alight in his cell and has served 13 years for stealing a phone; and Abdullahi Suleman, 41, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for a laptop robbery. Lord Thomas, a crossbench peer, last month tabled an amendment to the Sentencing Bill calling for IPP prisoners to be given a release date within two years of their next parole hearing, but it was voted down by the government this week. It came alongside another defeated amendment tabled by Edward Garnier KC, a former solicitor general under the Conservative government, which called for a panel of judges to reconsider the plight of every prisoner on an indefinite jail term. Writing for The Independent, Lord Thomas argued that IPP sentences have left some prisoners facing extraordinary sentences which are wholly disproportionate to the crime they committed. The IPP sentence is now accepted to have been wrong in principle by absolutely everyone. How, therefore, can we as a nation justly continue to imprison people under such a sentence? There is no answer to this question, save that the policy of the government is unjust, he wrote. open image in gallery Clockwise, from top left: Leroy Douglas, Luke Ings, Liam Bennett, Wayne Williams, Abdullahi Suleman, Yusuf Ali, James Lawrence and Thomas White are all trapped in IPP sentences ( Samantha Ings/Margaret White/Mandy Lawrence/Jacqueline Ali /Handout ) Lord Thomas continued: Psychiatric evidence is clear that if we lock someone up for an indefinite time for an offence that is not that serious, we are likely to do them damage. People on IPP sentences are being subjected to increased risk because their imprisonment is unjust and they lose all hope. It is time for the state to recognise that a mistake has been made. If we can do justice in the terrible cases of the Post Office and infected blood scandal, we can do it here. James Timpson, the prisons minister, has been at the forefront of trying to push reform in the new government, and is understood to have been arguing for many of the changes that Lord Thomas specifies in his mission for change. Even though deputy prime minister David Lammy showed sympathy for change while in opposition, he has been reluctant to embrace the changes he once advocated. The Independent understands there have been heated exchanges at the top of government, with the debate pivoting on the possible public disdain over the release of prisoners against the compassion of not locking people up and throwing away the key. open image in gallery Deputy prime minister David Lammy agrees the jail term is a grave injustice which causes simply horrendous mental trauma ( PA ) Lord Thomass remarks come just days after The Independent reported on the plight of 233 prisoners serving indefinite sentences who have been transferred to secure mental health units, in many cases because the hopeless nature of the jail term has left them profoundly damaged. Meanwhile, a senior doctor who treats IPP prisoners warned that more will likely take their lives in custody unless the government moves to end the scandal. Calling for ministers to take urgent action, Lord Thomas said: 2026 should be the year in which we at last remedy this longstanding injustice. It should not be a year when our government leaves the stain of IPP on our otherwise world-renowned system of justice and shows we, as a country, cannot pass the unfailing test of any civilisation. The Independent revealed in September that the United Nations will investigate whether Britain is breaching human rights law by arbitrarily detaining prisoners trapped on IPP sentences. Campaigners and their legal team launched a landmark complaint on behalf of five men who have served a combined total of 84 years incarcerated under IPP jail terms, including for minor crimes. The case, lodged with the UNs Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in September 2025, includes a bombshell letter from Mr Lammy, which proves he agrees the jail term is a grave injustice which causes simply horrendous mental trauma. The letter, written in 2021 when he was shadow justice secretary, says the implementation of the jail term was tragically flawed, adding: It is now painfully clear that the IPP sentence was far too broad, and many low-risk offenders are serving IPP sentences today for committing minor offences in the past. Meanwhile, senior judges who imposed the jail terms have revealed their regret for their part in the injustice. Former High Court judge Sir John Saunders said he would apologise to offenders he handed IPP jail terms. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said:It is right that IPP sentences were abolished and we have already acted. This includes tabling an amendment to ensure those serving IPP sentences in the community can be more swiftly considered for licence termination, supporting them to move on with their lives. Every IPP prisoner is entitled to a parole review at least every two years and no one is kept in prison unless the independent Parole Board judges they still pose a serious risk. 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, Russian, and Iranian warships have launched a week of naval drills off South Africas Cape Town coast, amid high geopolitical tensions over the United States intervention in Venezuela and its move to seize tankers carrying Venezuelan oil. These Chinese-led exercises, organised last year under the Brics bloc, aim to practice maritime safety and anti-piracy operations, and to deepen cooperation, South Africas armed forces have stated. China, Russia, and South Africa are long-standing Brics members; Iran joined the group in 2024. The Iranian navys participation occurs as domestic protests against the Islamic Republics leadership continue. It was not immediately clear if other countries from the Brics group which also includes Brazil, India and the United Arab Emirates among others would take part in the drills. A spokesperson for the South African armed forces said they werent yet able to confirm all the countries participating in the drills, which are due to run until next Friday. Chinese, Russian and Iranian ships were seen moving in and out of the harbour that serves South Africas top naval base in Simons Town, south of Cape Town, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. Chinas ships include the Tangshan, a 161-meter (528-foot) long destroyer-class vessel. Russias Baltic Fleet said it sent a smaller warship, the Stoikiy, and a replenishment tanker to South Africa. South Africa also hosted Chinese and Russian ships for navy drills in 2023. A helicopter flys over a South Africa Navy submarine, following an incident with a South Africa Navy submarine during exercises off Kommetjie in Cape Town, South Africa September 20, 2023 ( Reuters ) The latest drills were meant to happen in late November but were delayed for diplomatic reasons because South Africa hosted Western and other world leaders for the Group of 20 summit around the same time. The drills are bound to further strain ties between the US, and South Africa, which is the most advanced economy in Africa and a leading voice for the continent but has been especially targeted for criticism by the Trump administration. US president Donald Trump said in an executive order in February that South Africa supports bad actors on the world stage and singled out its ties with Iran as one of the reasons for the US cutting funding to the country. China and Russia have often used Brics forums to launch criticism of the US and the West. South Africa has long claimed it follows a nonaligned foreign policy and remains neutral, but Russian presence on the southern tip of Africa has strained its relationship with the US before. The Biden administration accused South Africa in 2023 of allowing a sanctioned Russian ship to dock at the Simons Town naval base and load weapons to be taken to Russia for the war in Ukraine. South Africa denied the allegation. South Africas willingness to host Russian and Iranian warships has also been criticised inside the country. The Democratic Alliance, the second biggest political party in the coalition government, said it was opposed to hosting drills that included heavily sanctioned Russia and Iran. Calling these drills Brics cooperation is a political trick to soften what is really happening: government is choosing closer military ties with rogue and sanctioned states such as Russia and Iran, the Democratic Alliance 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 Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates sent nearly $8 billion to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, for charity work, instantly making her foundation one of the worlds largest nonprofits, a new report has revealed. The pair announced their divorce in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage. They subsequently split up their philanthropic efforts, with French Gates announcing in May 2024 that she would resign as co-chair of the Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation has spent $53.8 billion since 2000 on health, gender equality, global development and education, according to its website. When French Gates announced her resignation, she wrote on X, Under the terms of my agreement with Bill, in leaving the foundation, I will have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families. open image in gallery Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates sent nearly $8 billion to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, for charity work, instantly making her foundation one of the worlds largest nonprofits, a new report has revealed ( Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images ) Most of that money has reportedly been allocated to Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 2022 as part of the broader group, Pivotal, which French Gates founded in 2015 to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the U.S. and around the world, according to its website. Gates made a $7.88 billion donation in 2024 to Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, according to a tax filing reviewed by The New York Times. A spokesperson for Pivotal told The Independent that the donation was part of Gates and French Gates's agreement when she left the Gates Foundation. open image in gallery The pair announced their divorce in May 2021 and subsequently split up their philanthropic efforts ( Getty Images for Global Citizen ) The spokesperson said the $12.5 billion commitment has been fulfilled. Its unclear where the remaining $4.62 billion was allocated. According to Pivotals website, French Gates has committed $2 billion to expanding womens power and influence, which is presumably separate from Gates donation. Before Gates donation was reported, his net worth was $118 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. According to Forbes, French Gatess net worth is $29.4 billion, with the outlet estimating that her divorce settlement was worth $25 billion. 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 Incarcerated for two decades, Jacob Smith and his fellow inmates are now embarking on regular journeys to far-flung, exotic locales no passport required, just a virtual reality headset. "I went to Thailand, man!" Smith recalled with a grin, describing his initial experience strapping on a VR device and being transported to the lush landscapes and bustling markets of Southeast Asia. This innovative programme is being introduced to California prisons by a Los Angeles-based non-profit organisation. Its aim is to offer inmates a brief respite from their confinement and, crucially, to expose them to real-world scenarios designed to aid their reintegration into society. During a week-long initiative last month, incarcerated men at Valley State Prison near Fresno gathered in a common area. Seated on metal folding chairs, they shuffled expectantly as they were fitted with the opaque goggle-like headsets. Their necks subtly contorted, and smiles spread across their faces as the high-definition videos began, commencing their virtual journeys. Some saw the sights on the other side of the globe, including Bangkok, while others experienced more practical scenes, such as job interviews. The men sit across virtual desks from virtual interviewers who are both easygoing and hard-nosed to give them the tools for finding employment once they're released. For a lot of us, the workforce has changed and things are different with the application process, said Smith, who is eligible for parole in 2031 and now volunteers helping his fellow inmates navigate the VR experience. Its a nerve wracking experience going to sit in front of somebody and telling them why Im good for the job. Afterward, volunteers help the inmates process the emotions or traumas that bubbled up during their experiences. Sabra Williams, founder of the nonprofit Creative Acts, calls the VR devices a hope machine. The program stems from a prison arts project that Williams ran that incorporated theater, music, poetry, dance and painting. Watching incarcerated people become engaged in artistic pursuits made her wonder about other ways to bring the outside world inside." open image in gallery Incarcerated men use virtual reality headsets inside Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, Calif., Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Haven Daley) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) She heard from people who had left prison lamenting that technology had passed them by. They felt confounded by simple things like pumping gas, checking out at a supermarket, or going to the ATM. And what I hear from them is that it made them feel like they didnt belong, and that they only belong in prison, she said. First Williams' group dug for footage on YouTube to recreate everyday activities. Soon they were creating their own videos focusing on travel, constructive scenarios, civic engagement, conflict resolution, art, and even meditation to blow their minds and also educate their minds. Such technology could have an important role to play in rehabilitation and, especially, reintegration into society, said Nancy La Vigne, the dean of Rutgers-Newark School of Criminal Justice in New Jersey. She envisions people who haven't been in the real world for a long time using VR to act out navigating the DMV or figuring out how to take a city bus. Another benefit could be a calming effect on stressed out inmates. La Vigne points to research published by the American Psychological Association that found that incarcerated people who viewed short nature videos showed reduced levels of aggression and were subject to fewer discipline reports. open image in gallery Sabra Williams, Co-Founder of Creative Acts, cleans virtual reality headsets inside Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, Calif., Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Haven Daley) Virtual Reality ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) But with a hefty price tag and limited access, La Vigne worries about the practical realities," such as unintended consequences that stem from those who might be left out of the VR experience. You can't just hand them out or sell them at commissary, La Vigne said. A former inmate, Richard Richard, first used a VR headset about six years ago when the program was launched and since his release has become a volunteer for Creative Acts. He said he's impressed by how far the technology has advanced. He loves watching his fellow inmates use the devices for the first time and then progress as they deal with trauma and emotional issues. You may physically be here, but mentally, spiritually you can actually transcend this environment, he said. The group conducts the program, using 100 Oculus headsets donated by Meta, both in general population and in solitary confinement. Youth offenders are also eligible. It currently runs three times a year at four California prisons, and Williams hopes to expand it throughout the state and across the country. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation didn't immediately respond this week to inquiries about plans to expand the program. But in announcing the introduction of VR at the California Men's Colony prison in San Luis Obispo County last August, the department said the usage has the potential to heal trauma, regulate emotional response, and prepare for a safe, successful reentry into society. The introductory two-minute trip to Thailand is often emotional for many inmates, some of whom had never been off their block, let alone out the country, Williams said. And so many times people would take off the headsets and theyd be crying," she said. "Because theyd be like, I never knew the world was so beautiful. 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 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot a 37-year-old mom-of-three in Minneapolis has been identified as Jonathan Ross, an officer who was dragged and injured by a fleeing driver in a separate incident last year, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported. Ross was part of a targeted crackdown in south Minneapolis on Wednesday morning when Renee Nicole Good was shot, a law enforcement source told the Tribune. Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at DHS, refused to name the ICE agent, but told The Independent he acted according to his training. Ross was previously dragged by a fleeing suspect during the arrest of Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala, a Mexican citizen, in Bloomington, Minnesota, in June 2025. Munoz-Guatemala, who had previously been convicted of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and was on a detainer, ignored ICE agents commands, prompting Ross to break open a window of his car and try to unlock the door. Munoz-Guatemala then accelerated, dragging Ross roughly 300 feet before he was knocked from the car. As a result of the incident, Ross needed 20 stitches on his arm and 13 more on his hand, according to court documents seen by the Tribune. Munoz-Guatemala was later convicted of assaulting an officer. open image in gallery The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday has been identified as Jonathan Ross, according to reports ( Screengrab ) Jury instructions for Munoz-Guatemalas trial identify the officer injured as Ross. Property records and voter registration reviewed by The Guardian confirmed that a 46-year-old man called Jonathan Ross lives in north-east Minneapolis. In her statement, McLaughlin said the agent is a longtime ICE officer who has been serving his country his entire life. His experience, she added, includes more than 10 years as an ICE Deportation Officer and selection for ICEs Special Response Team. Hours after the fatal shooting Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the agent involved had previously been dragged by a vehicle, but did not provide specifics, only saying the officer was experienced and followed his training. Noem has also claimed that the officers were forced to open fire because Good had engaged in domestic terrorism. The Homeland Security Secretary, as well as other Trump officials, say Good rammed her vehicle into officers while driving away from an ICE operation, though this version of events has been widely disputed. During a White House press briefing Thursday, Vice President JD Vance said Good had violated the law and committed an act of terrorism. She was trying to ram this guy with her car. The idea that this was not justified is absurd, he said, later adding that her death was a tragedy of her own making. Vance also took the briefing as an opportunity to slam the press for questioning the White Houses retelling of events. You people in the mediahave been lying about this attack, the Republican vice president said. She was trying to ram this guy with her carhe shot back, he defended himself. This is classic terrorism, he said. The idea that this was not justified is absurd. Videos taken by bystanders at the scene do not support the White Houses claim that Good was trying to hit the agent, according to an analysis by The New York Times. open image in gallery Jonathan Ross has been named as the ICE agent who fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis ( Screengrab ) The shooting, and the White Houses retelling of it, has sparked outrage both in Minneapolis and across the country, prompting protestors to take to the streets in several major cities. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey slammed the Trump administrations garbage narrative of the shooting and called for federal agents to get the f*** out of the city. He also pushed back on the Trump administrations claims that Goods actions were an act of domestic terrorism during a CNN appearance Wednesday, saying, I saw the same videos you saw, and the notion that this is domestic terrorism on the form of the victim, yeah, its positively ridiculous. Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz also criticized the Trump administration for barring local leaders from participating in the shootings investigation. The U.S. Attorneys Office, which operates under the Justice Department, said the Federal Bureau of Investigation would be solely responsible for the probe. I just want to make this clear for everyone: Minnesota must be part of this investigation, Walz said. It feels very, very difficult that we will get a fair outcome. Close Cell phone footage shows shooting of Renee Good from ICE agent's perspective 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 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday twice referred to Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minnesota last week, as a lunatic," the latest Trump administration denunciation of the deceased mother of three. Leavitt said that Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot Good, was absolutely justified in using self defense against a lunatic who was part of a group, an organized group, to interject and to impede on law enforcement operations. A number of Trump officials have blamed Good for her own death, alleging without evidence she was a professional agitator. Goods death set off widespread protests, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said hundreds more federal law enforcement agents will be deployed to Minnesota to protect its officers amid the outcry. Ross shot Good while she was driving an SUV on a residential street in Minneapolis last Wednesday. Footage of the shooting has drawn intense scrutiny, with Democrats accusing Ross of acting recklessly and Republicans claiming Good attempted to strike the agent. State and local officials in Minnesota sued the Trump administration on Monday, alleging the ongoing DHS immigration crackdown violates the Constitution. 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 Cigarettes, backpacks, short skirts, firearms and books. Now, you can add a new item to the banned-in-school list - the smartphone. From California to Texas to Maine, both state legislatures and individual school districts are cracking down on screen time in the classroom, often implementing total "bell to bell" bans on personal devices. The goal of the bans is to reduce distractions in the classroom and improve kids learning outcomes, while also reducing their overall screen time and thus their exposure to digital dangers. What's more, the push is bipartisan which is almost stunning in the second Trump era. Throughout 2025, red and blue state governors joined the crusade with equal ardor, while on Capitol Hill, Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine and Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton moved to grant extra funding to schools piloting such bans. "Phone bans in schools are wildly popular with parents and with educators," Vaishnavi J, a veteran online child safety consultant who was once head of youth policy at Instagram's parent company Meta, tells The Independent. "They're initially met with resistance by the students themselves, but shortly after the restrictions come into effect, a lot of children and teens report feeling higher levels of attentiveness, [being] more in the moment." open image in gallery Eighth-grader Ja' Nae Dorsey retrieves her phone from a lockable storage pouch after the closing bell rings at Mark Twain Middle School in Alexandria, Virginia one of numerous schools across the U.S. and the world to implement a personal device ban ( Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images ) It is, Vaishnavi J says, akin to the mass bipartisan support for new laws against texting while driving, as well as the massive push to get computers into schools during the 1990s and 2000s. Most of all, Vaishnavi J argues, these bans don't require complicated technological solutions to enforce: schools already know how to confiscate and regulate physical items. That makes them "a very attractive proposition" for any politician wanting to "show that they're making some progress around child safety." Indeed, 69 percent of Americans now support banning cell phones from K-12 classrooms, according to a Fox News poll in December, with both Republicans and Democrats being mostly in favor (though with quite different margins). "I think these bans are just a great start. We should largely strive to make schools completely screen free," said conservative commentator Karol Markowicz in an interview with Lara Trump on her Fox & Friends spot last week. "Kids don't have attention spans anymore." A growing body of alarming evidence Much of the credit for this tidal wave can go to the psychologist and prolific centrist pundit Jonathan Haidt, who led the charge with his best-selling 2024 book The Anxious Generation. His work has been trumpeted by both Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and New Jersey's Phil Murphy, both of whom have several children. "Everyone is a parent, everyone has kids... everyone sees this," Haidt told Politico in September. Haidt's book drew together numerous studies to argue that smartphones and social media were behind a widespread rise in mental health diagnoses, self-harm and suicides among people under 18 years old since 2010. Some scholars and researchers have pushed back on those claims, arguing that Haidt's evidence isn't enough to blame technology alone and accusing him of peddling simple answers to a complex set of problems. According to Stanford professor Thomas Robinson, who has been studying the impact of screen time on children since the early 1990s, it's true that the academic evidence is lacking. "A preponderance of null and weak results make it difficult to conclude effects one way or another," he tells The Independent. Yet much of that, he argues, is due to limitations in research methods not least the difficulty of measuring kids' actual activity on smartphones rather than just what they tell researchers. In a recent study designed to fix those issues, but which has not yet been peer reviewed, Robinson and other researchers measured 163 teenage users' actual activity via a background monitoring app. While the specifics varied between individuals, there was intensive use during school hours, very little of which was actually related to their schoolwork. "In younger children, on the whole, many types of evidence lean toward harms. In teens, the evidence of harms also outweigh the evidence for benefits," Robinson says. open image in gallery A YONDR locking pouch holds a Virginia student's phone in their bag. The bag can only be unlocked using a special magnetic tool ( Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images ) Robinson's findings mirror another recent study led by Dr. Jason Nagata, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, which found that teens spent more than an hour on their phones during the school day mostly on social media, videos or gaming apps. Nagata's research has also found that social media use before age 13 is associated with poorer performance on reading, memory and vocabulary tests two years later. "[These] findings align with recent school phone bans and efforts to promote age-appropriate screen habits," he told The Independent. In any case, Robinson says, what's really driving these bans is that parents and teachers feel they are seeing blatant problems unfold right before their eyes, with anxious and distracted teens constantly glued to their portable magic mirrors. "Im living this real time, right now," Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Politico. How do the bans work? The exact approach differs widely between schools. Plenty already had rules against students having their phones out during class, and some have tried to divide up the premises into smartphone 'green zones' and 'red zones'. But such policies are difficult to enforce, and easily defied as anyone who's ever made trouble behind a teacher's back can attest. That is why many schools have opted to work with a company called Yondr, which says more than 2.5 million students are now using its lockable phone storage pouches. Students slip their phone inside the pouch when they arrive at school then keep it on them throughout their day, and are only able to unlock it later using a special magnetic tool. "Our whole perspective is that it's not taking something away from students, it's giving them something back," Yondr CEO Graham Dugoni, who founded the firm in 2014, told CBS News. Other schools use lower tech solutions: personal cubbies, students' lockers or even just a plain locked wooden box in every classroom. Some let older students to keep their phones, but require them to install app-blocking software. According to the Fordham Institute, a conservative education think tank, bans work better if teachers too are forced to ditch their devices. Phone bans arent always popular with students. "I think its hurt me, because in times when I need to contact my parents or get any help, Im being chased by people who believe the policy is a good thing," junior year student Mito Flores told Oregon broadcaster KOIN 6. "While I see that there are positive sides to the policy, I think that it undermines student autonomy." Others had more positive feelings, such as the New York 16-year-old who told Edutopia: "I got more work done today than Ive gotten done for the last two weeks. I didnt have to worry about my cell phone." But many teachers who've implemented new policies say the difference is like night and day. "The hallways buzz a lot more again. More students stop by my desk to chat about history and their grades, sure, but also about their weekends, their lives," wrote New York City history teacher Sari Beth Rosenberg in an op-ed praising the city's smartphone ban. "Students have not even complained much about the absence of their phones throughout the day. Instead, it feels like oxygen got pumped back into the building. And only now do we realize how flat things had become." Will these bans actually work? Both researchers voiced cautious optimism about the impact of these bans. "We dont know for sure yet, but early reports and testimonial evidence I have seen so far, including reports from teachers, parents and students themselves, suggest overall benefits from limiting or fully excluding smartphones from classrooms," says Robinson. "I wish Congress and state legislatures would act to appropriately regulate digital media companies and their practices. If they did so, the burden would not fall on the shoulders of schools, teachers, parents and kids themselves. In that context, I support restricting smartphone use in schools." Nagata similarly says the bans "could reduce distraction during instructional time" and "help protect attention for learning and in-person interaction." However, he warns: "We still need more evidence on whether limits or bans actually work, especially in practice. Teens are often very tech-savvy and can find ways around restrictions, so the key question is not just if bans help, but how they are implemented and enforced." Indeed, in Australia which recently banned under-16s from social media kids have found creative ways to get around the restrictions, such as commandeering their parents' old devices. Australian officials said this was only natural and did not undermine the ban as a whole, commenting: "We are not expecting flawlessness." Some parents have also pushed back against school smartphone bans, particularly because they want to be in contact with their children if anything terrible happens during the school day. Still, the momentum for such bans in the U.S. now seems unstoppable, and tech companies are not lobbying hard against them. According to Vaishnavi J, founder of the child safety consultancy Vys, these firms have been alarmed by calls to ban smartphones or social media for children entirely, not least because smartphones have enormous benefits to children (such as giving them a more private space to connect with peers and explore their identities). By contrast, school bans are a much easier sell. "Industry recognizes that this is not a decision that they should have a say in," Vaishnavi J says. "This is about how school districts and governments and societies are structuring their offline environments." Yet Vaishnavi J also notes that these policies leave a glaring hole for potential harm, via the very laptops and tablets that schools give to students to do their work. Those devices, Vaishnavi J says, often have very crude limits and oversight methods which cannot account for unsafe content children might encounter through permitted video and social media platforms, discussions with AI chatbots or conversations with fellow students. That's especially true in cash-strapped school districts without the capacity to manage fleets of computers in detail. "Phones are being completely banned for 10 hours of the day, and yet the school-issued devices can still become vectors of abuse, harassment, manipulation, addiction, dependency, despair," Vaishnavi J says. "I think there's a question about, well, how do we address that?" 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 bartender in San Francisco who tripped an angry woman who had been attacking his coworkers in a video that went viral has been fired. Miguel Marchese, 25, was fired on Saturday just weeks after video of the altercation between him and the belligerent customer went viral on social media, according to the New York Post. The incident that led to his termination occurred at Hazie's on December 13. Video from the incident shows an angry, intoxicated woman identified by police as Shireen Afkari, a Strava fitness app employee yelling at staff for cutting off her drinks. A man accompanying her follows her around the bar as she records the incident on her phone. The video shows Afkari slapping people who are recording her in the restaurant, which leads a Hazie's worker to slam her to the ground. At that point Afkari becomes enraged, and her male companion tries to intervene. More staff and customers become involved in the altercation, which results in two men grabbing and dragging the man out of the restaurant. Marchese carries Afkari out as well. A woman, identified by police as Shireen Afkari, films former Hazies bartender Miguel Marchese, left, before allegedly assaulting members of the staff after they refused to serve her drinks ( Tiktok/Miss_little_ranter ) The incident continued outside. Video shows Afkari grabbing Marchese's hair and refusing to let go. Marchese throws her phone into the street and tries to retreat back into the restaurant. After that, Afkari tries to run after him, but Marchese sticks his foot out and trips her, sending her crashing to the pavement. In an Instagram post Marchese made after the fight, he says Afkari tripped over him while she was running. "I initially was patient with her hoping she'd let go but in the end I had to kick her in the vagina, chuck her phone across the street, to which she chases after and accidentally trips over my leg," he wrote. According to NBC Bay Area, Afkari was arrested and detained for public intoxication after the incident. She was also fired from her job at Strava. Strava issued a post after the incident, saying in part that "we don't condone violence of any kind and this does not reflect the standards we expect of our team." According to the Gazetteer SF, Marchese was fired via email on Saturday because he was ruled an "insurance risk." He was reportedly offered a $5,000 severance package on the condition that he sign a non-disclosure agreement and promise not to sue the restaurant. The Independent has requested comment from Hazie's and Afkari. 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 man convicted on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records, and found liable in a civil court for sexual abuse and defamation, now says that as US president he is unbound by international law and answers only to my own morality. Donald Trumps latest boast came at the end of a week when his forces abducted the Venezuelan president abroad and after his ICE agents killed a mother of three on home soil. In Venezuela, he violated the nations sovereignty. In Minneapolis, he pre-empted any investigation into the shooting of Renee Good, claimed she had tried to run over an ICE agent and that the armed agent who killed her by firing three shots point blank acted in self-defence. There is no aspect, now, of international law that Trump believes he is bound by. And few of domestic, either. In an interview with The New York Times, he was asked whether there were any limits on his use of American military might. Yeah, there is one thing, he replied. My own morality. My own mind. Its the only thing that can stop me. I dont need international law. Im not looking to hurt people. In Bogata, Colombias capital, that claim is dismissed outright. open image in gallery Supporters of Colombian president Gustavo Petro take to the streets of Bogota to protest against Donald Trumps threats ( AP ) Filipe Grisaldo, a bookshop assistant not far from Palaza de Bolivar, the central square in the capital, represents many when he says that for the last week he has felt genuinely afraid that his country would come under American attack. Here where I work is very close to the government buildings. If the Americans come, I could be killed, he adds. His fear was caused by Trumps threats against Colombias president, Gustavo Petro, who, the US president said, needs to watch his ass. He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and isnt going to be doing it very long, Trump threatened earlier this week. When asked if he favoured military intervention against Colombias drug operations, the president said, sounds good. This week, thousands of people flooded onto Plaza de Bolivar, named after South Americas liberator, Simon Bolivar, to protest at the US threats made before Trump insisted he was above international law. Colombias military is already on high alert along its border with Venezuela, dealing with transnational narco-gangs like Tren de Aragua, and with rebel movements like ELN and FARC, also involved in international drugs and gold smuggling. open image in gallery A woman walks past military vehicles at the border crossing with Venezuela in Cucuta, Colombia, on 3 January 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro ( AFP/Getty ) Cocaine production in Colombia is at its highest ever. But the US and Bogota have worked together for years trying to reduce the scale of the problem for both countries. It is the longer history between South and Central America and the US that really frightens me, though, says Grisaldo. We had decades when the US was operating in our countries, supporting authoritarians and guerrilla groups that brought chaos. In the 1960s and for the next three decades, until the fall of the Soviet Union, successive governments in Washington backed covert and overt operations to keep socialist and communist-leaning leaders from power in Americas backyard. Cuba remains isolated and under a crippling economic embargo as a socialist state established by Fidel Castro. The US was instrumental in the 1973 coup against Salvador Allende, who was killed, and backed the reign of terror of right-wing dictator Augusto Pinochet until 1990. US military support for successive military regimes in Guatemala led to UN allegations of acts of genocide against the Indigenous people. The US backed Contra guerrillas in Nicaragua, and supported death squad regimes in El Salvador, plus the dirty war of Argentinas dictatorship. The list is longer than this. Those US actions sought to offset a threat of growing Soviet influence and the possibility of establishing military bases to threaten the US. Today, there is no obvious physical danger from Vladimir Putins Russia. His efforts to restore the Soviet empire have focused on Eastern Europe. He has weaponised the cyber realms and social media to undermine democracy across the West, including the US, to this end. He wants Ukraine not Uruguay. Trump is leaving Putin to pursue his aim to regain dominance over Eastern Europe while his focus is on the western hemisphere. open image in gallery American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again, Trump said after the Venezuelan operation ( AFP/Getty ) To that end, he has withdrawn further from international bodies and treaties, leaving 31 UN bodies and agreements and more than 30 others that cover global efforts to mitigate climate change and defend the rights of women. American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again, Trump said after the Venezuelan operation. His focus lies on the drug cartels, which have evolved into military organisations with nation-sized budgets in the bloody soup of South and Central Americas proxy wars between Moscow and Washington. Chaos and compromise led to vast ungoverned spaces and weak governments unable, or unwilling, to deal with the explosion of criminal gangs. These gangs, Trump insists, now pose a threat to US security. But now Trump, in turn, poses a threat to the security of allies in the USs war on drugs. He has backed away from threatening Colombias president for now and has instead invited him to a meeting at the White House. Petro has readily agreed because when Trump makes threats, as Maduro has found out and Greenland may soon, he tends to mean it. And his business and personal life shows that he is unhindered by complex ethics. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked Chinas Pacific Construction Group to look into building an underground metro linking Tan Son Nhat Airport and Long Thanh Airport. The PM on Friday met with Yan Jiehe, founder of the group a major Chinese private enterprise in infrastructure investment, construction, operation and management, which has ranked among the worlds top 500 largest corporations for 10 consecutive years. Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran PM Chinh also called on the group to expand its investment in Vietnam, including cooperation with domestic enterprises to develop landmark projects associated with technology transfer. This would not only contribute to Vietnams socio-economic development but also help strengthen bilateral relations and bring benefits to both sides, he added. Jiehe said Pacific Construction Group has won bids and is currently working on three major projects in Hanoi: the construction of Tu Lien Bridge, Ngoc Hoi Bridge and the Van CaoHoa Lac metro line. The company wants to join more major infrastructure projects and to maintain a long-term presence in Vietnam in line with the Prime Ministers direction, he added. The group will discuss with Vietnam Railways Corporation on possible railway and metro projects in Hanoi and HCMC. In October last year, HCMC proposed to the government for a rail connection between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh via Metro Line No. 2, which would then link to the Thu ThiemLong Thanh line. Under the proposed plan, passengers from Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City would transfer to Ba Queo Station on Metro Line No. 2. From there, they would switch to the Thu ThiemLong Thanh railway to reach Long Thanh Airport in Dong Nai province. HCMC has also planned some other rail connections between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh, which is set to be commercially operated in the middle of this year under an annual capacity of 25 million passengers. 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 Trumps administration has announced it is reexamining thousands of refugee cases in Minnesota. The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services launched a sweeping initiative reexamining thousands of refugee cases through new background checks and intensive verification of refugee claims in Minnesota since mid December, according to a statement released Friday. The program has been dubbed Operation PARRIS, which stands for post-admission refugee reverification and integrity strengthening. The announcement comes just two days after an ICE agent, identified as Jonathan Ross, shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis while the agency was conducting a large operation in the city. The incident has sparked protests in Minneapolis and other cities across the U.S., including Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. Just hours after Good was killed, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed agents will continue to operate in Minneapolis and throughout the state. Demonstrators have gathered in Minneapolis to protest after an ICE agent killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good ( AFP via Getty Images ) Operation PARRIS will initially focus on Minnesotas 5,600 refugees who have not yet been given lawful permanent resident status (Green Cards). Officials have already started referring cases to ICE as part of this operation, according to the statement. A DHS official also referred to Minnesota as ground zero for the war on fraud in a statement accompanying the announcement. The Trump administration has focused on Minnesota in recent weeks amid a growing fraud scandal in the state that stretches back years. This operation in Minnesota demonstrates that the Trump administration will not stand idly by as the U.S. immigration system is weaponized by those seeking to defraud the American people. American citizens and the rule of law come first, always, the DHS spokesperson said. Many of those who have been charged in the fraud cases are of Somali descent, which has prompted Trump to claim that Somali immigrants ripped off that state. Trump has also previously referred to Somali immigrants as garbage. Minnesota is home to the nations largest Somali population. Most people of Somali descent living in the U.S. are citizens, according to census data reviewed by the Minnesota Reformer. Some local officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have pushed back on the rhetoric used by Trump and his allies. You commit fraud in Minnesota, you're going to prison. I don't care what color you are, what religion you are. Anybody who wants to help us in that, we welcome that, Walz said last month. But sitting on the sidelines and throwing out accusations and, let's be very clear, demonizing an entire population and lying to people about the safety and security of the state, is beneath that, he added. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice New autopsy details to be released in February will confirm that convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein did not die by suicide in jail in 2019 as authorities say, but was murdered, according to his brother. Jeffrey was murdered, and more autopsy facts will be coming out in February that prove it, Mark Epstein told NewsNation on Friday. Mark, who identified his brothers body after the alleged trafficker was found dead in a New York prison cell while awaiting trial, told the outlet the injuries he saw didnt correspond to the way his body was found hanging. Epstein later hired Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, to observe the autopsy by city officials, and the examiner concluded in 2019 that the evidence points to homicide rather than suicide. Official reviews, however, have concluded Epstein died of his own accord. open image in gallery Multiple government reviews have concluded Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019, but his brother Mark says forthcoming autopsy details will show the late pedophile was murdered ( New York State Sex Offender Registry/Getty ) A 2023 Department of Justice inspector general report concluded that a number of prison oversight failures contributed to the death, though it ultimately ruled that no one else was involved. Last year, facing pressure to deliver on Trump campaign promises to disclose the Epstein files, the DOJ and FBI reviewed the material again, and they again concluded that Epstein died by suicide. Nonetheless, there are persistent theories that Epstein was killed to protect his powerful friends and associates, who have included high-profile executives and world leaders. There are only three ways to die in prison, Mark Epstein added in his NewsNation interview. Suicide, natural causes or murder. And Jeff was murdered. I want to know who killed him and on whose behalf? open image in gallery The Trump administrations incomplete release of the Epstein files has fueled already widespread speculation that Epstein did not die by suicide ( AFP via Getty Images ) Imprisoned Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell has also said she believes he didnt die by suicide. The White House has faced allegations that it is engaging in a cover-up of the full Epstein story, owing to Donald Trumps past friendship with the late pedophile. A bipartisan revolt in Congress pressured the president to sign a bill releasing more of the files, though lawmakers accuse the administration of failing to comply with the bill's terms and have said they are drafting contempt charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi. The administration has strongly denied that Trump was aware of or involved in any of Jeffrey Epsteins wrongdoing. 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 Adam Johnson, deemed Lectern Guy after being photographed carrying a podium from former Speaker Nancy Pelosis office during the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, is now running for local office in Florida. The 41-year-old Republican filed on Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of the riot, to run for an at-large seat on the Manatee County Commission, which serves the area near Tampa Bay. He will likely face at least four other Republican candidates. Adam Johnson is running to bring MAGA principles to county government and root out the corruption thats been costing you money and destroying our quality of life, his campaign website reads. Johnsons campaign slogan, Fix Manatee FAST, hits four key priorities: Ending fraud, waste, and abuse in government; lowering the cost of living for residents; ensuring sustainable growth that benefits families rather than developers; and implementing practical traffic solutions rather than commissioning endless studies. Adam Johnson, who was infamously photographed carrying a podium from Nancy Pelosis office during the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, will be running for local office in Florida ( Getty Images ) For too long, the forgotten conservative has watched county government waste money, cut corrupt deals, and ignore the problems that matter to working families, Johnson said in a statement on his campaign website. Traffic keeps getting worse. Taxes keep going up. And the insiders keep getting richer. That ends when Im elected. Johnson continued, Ill expose corruption. Ill fight for affordability. Ill demand sustainable growth that works for residents. And Ill fix our traffic nightmare with real solutions, not more studies. This is what America First looks like at the county level. This is MAGA in action. The Independent has also contacted Johnson for comment. Johnson was arrested days after the Capitol attack, during which he was photographed smiling and carrying a podium believed to be from Pelosis office. He was charged with unlawful entry, theft of government property, and disorderly conduct at the Capitol. He later pleaded guilty to entering a restricted building and was sentenced to 75 days in prison and one year of probation. Johnson now sells hand-crafted wooden podiums on his Unlicensed Furniture Movers website, where his memoir, Taking a Stand, is available for preorder. Johnson was among more than 1,500 people prosecuted for their roles in the January 6 riot, nearly all of whom were pardoned a year ago by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office, fulfilling a longstanding campaign promise. A husband and father of five sons, Johnson says he is a small business owner whose experiences with the challenges facing working families have shaped his approach to leadership. He is also the founder of Help Take a Stand Inc., an organization that helps families that the system left behind. 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 cousin of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller accused him Thursday of being responsible for an ICE agent fatally shooting a woman in Minneapolis. When I called out my cousin for being the face of evil I DID NOT stutter, Alisa Kasmer wrote on Threads, referencing a Facebook post she made last year. Renee Nicole Goods death is blood on YOUR hands, Stephen. Im just glad our grandparents are no longer alive to witness the shame you have brought to our family, Kasmer added. The Independent has contacted Kasmer and the White House for comment. Good, a 37yearold mother of three, was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on a Minneapolis street during a large federal immigration enforcement operation. Video from the scene shows an agent confronting her while she was in her car, and then Ross firing multiple shots as her vehicle began to move. open image in gallery Stephen Miller's cousin, Alisa Kasmer, who prevously called the White House Deputy Chief of Staff the 'face of evil, accused him of being responsible for an ICE agent fatally shooting a Minneapolis woman Renee Good ( Getty Images ) Officials from the Trump administration have defended the ICE agents actions as selfdefense. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump have both labeled Goods actions as domestic terrorism. Kasmer, who lives in Millers Los Angeles hometown, where there were major protests last summer over ICE raids, publicly blasted him on Facebook in July, recalling babysitting him as a child and describing him as once lovable and harmless but now someone she could no longer support or tolerate. I grieve what youve become, Stephen I will never knowingly let evil into my life, no matter whose blood it carriesincluding my own, she wrote at the time. Kasmer described a young Miller as an awkward, funny, needy middle child who loved to chase attention but was always the sweetest with the littlest family members. She added that he was young, conservative, maybe misguided, but lovable and harmless. People always ask me, What happened to you? I don't have a clear answer, Kasmer continued in July. I can only surmise it was a perfect storm of ego, fear, hate, and ambition-all of it mangled into something cruel and hollow, masquerading as strength. You were born into privilege, into safety, and wealth. And somehow, you've weaponized all of it. Kasmer has also accused Miller of hypocrisy, criticizing him for leading the Trump administration's harsh immigration policies that take away the very opportunities that once helped his own family come to the U.S. and build a life. Were Jewishwe grew up knowing how hated we were just for existing, Kasmer told The New Republic in December. Now hes trying to take away the exact thing that his own family benefited from: that ability to create a life for themselves, to prosper, to build community, to have successful businessesto live a rewarding life. open image in gallery J.D. Vance stated Thursday, without evidence, that Renee Good was a part of a 'broader leftwing network' intent on harassing and obstructing ICE officers ( Getty Images ) During a White House press briefing on Thursday, Vice President J.D. Vance angrily defended the ICE agents in Goods case, blaming the media, Democrats, and left-wing radicals for how the incident has been portrayed. Vance went well beyond defending the ICE agents actions, accusing Good, without evidence, of being in Minneapolis to disrupt a legitimate law enforcement operation and claiming she was part of what he described as a broader leftwing network intent on harassing and obstructing ICE officers. The former Ohio senator shouted at reporters, accusing you people in the media of lying about this attack while again stating that Good had been trying to ram the officer who shot her. He shot back. He defended himself, Vance defended Ross.He's already been seriously wounded in law enforcement operations before, and everybody who has been repeating the lie that this is some innocent woman who was out for a drive in Minneapolis when a law enforcement officer shot at her. You should be ashamed of yourselves. 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 Trump administration adviser Steve Bannon is reportedly laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential campaign, though he adamantly denies it. Bannon, a key architect of Trumps MAGA movement, has expressed interest in setting up a PAC that could spend money in the midterms and has considered political staffing decisions, Axios reports, citing two sources familiar with Bannons thinking. The campaign is not meant to mount a serious run; instead, it is an attempt to steer the GOP debate towards Trumps signature America First priorities, according to the report. "The Bannon campaign will merge the foreign policy of Rand Paul with the tax policy of Elizabeth Warren, former congressman and Bannon podcast guest Matt Gaetz told the outlet. Bannon has consistently denied hes running, telling Axios its report about a 2028 run was bulls***. "We don't have a country if we don't get every ounce of fight and energy from President Trump you can drive a Mack Truck through the 22nd Amendment and that's exactly what I intend to do in order to save our country," Bannon told Axios of the Constitutions two-term presidential term limit. open image in gallery Insiders say Steve Bannon wants to mount a symbolic 2028 presidential run to inject his America First ideas into the debate around the ultimate GOP nominee, though the Trump adviser strongly denies this ( Getty Images ) The Independent has contacted Bannon for comment. Bannon has said there is a plan in place for Trump to get around this seemingly straightforward provision and serve a third term, though Trump has acknowledged hes not allowed to run again. Throughout 2025, Bannon faced headlines about him pondering a run, though he had brushed off earlier reports as absurd or told reporters Trump 2028 when asked about the alleged campaign effort. Bannon served a brief federal prison sentence in 2024 for contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena in the January 6 investigation. Polling suggests Bannon would have a tough road ahead if he did decide to run. open image in gallery Polling suggests Vice President JD Vance is the likely 2028 GOP nominee ( Reuters ) Bannon has a one percent chance of becoming the GOP nominee, according to the betting site Polymarket, well behind the frontrunner, Vice President JD Vance, who has a 52 percent rating. An early 2025 straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference put Bannon behind Vance as well. Aggregators of traditional political polling also suggest the vice president is the likely heir to the MAGA movement. Race to the WH puts Vance well ahead of the nearest competitor at nearly 45 percent, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in second at 10.7 percent and Donald Trump Jr. rounding out the top three at 9.4 percent. The Real Clear Polling average for the 2028 nominee shows a similar breakdown, with Vance on top, followed distantly by Trump Jr. and Rubio. 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 Donald Trumps hostile approach to Greenland threatens to undermine the largely unfettered access the United States has with the Danish territory, Americas leading expert on the issue has warned. Barack Obamas former assistant secretary of state Frank Rose was the last U.S. official to negotiate a defence deal with Denmark and the Greenland Home Rule administration and spoke exclusively to The Independent about the international dispute threatening to break NATO. Like many things with the president, I don't disagree with what he's trying to do, he said. I disagree with the means he's trying to get there. Rose described Greenland as critical to U.S. defence and in 2003/2004 was responsible for negotiating the agreement for satellite defence on the island as part of the early warning system for attacks on America. open image in gallery Donald Trump says he will forcibly take Greenland if Denmark is unwilling to sell it ( AFP via Getty Images ) He noted that thanks to another treaty in 1951 the U.S. can do whatever it wants militarily on Greenland with the consent of the Danish government and they were never going to say no. But he warned that with President Trumps bellicose language of forcibly taking Greenland from Denmark, that the consent needed might not be forthcoming if the U.S. wants to put 10,000 troops on the island again - the number it had there until the end of the Cold War. On Friday, Trump reiterated his intentions to take to take the territory one way or another and showed no sign of backing down. Were going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not, he told reporters. We're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor. I would like to make a deal, the easy way. But if we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way. Im a big fan of Denmark, theyve been very nice to me. But the fact they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesnt mean they own the land. Im sure we had lots of boats go there also. The issue has shocked NATO allies with U.K. prime minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking twice to the president about it in a bid to persuade him to back off his demands. open image in gallery Frank Rose negotiated a deal with Denmark for the U.S. on Greenland ( Frank Rose ) When it was put to Rose that Denmark and Greenland are not going to be cooperative because of the international backlash to Trumps threats, he replied: That's quite possible. He went on: I've worked with Danes for 25 years of my career. They are wonderful allies. They have shed blood for the United States in Afghanistan. These people are good allies. You know, you really don't want to upset your friends for no reason. Sometimes you need to upset your friends. Okay, that's just, that's life. This is not one of those situations where we need to upset our friends to get what we need. I say this, as someone who's actually negotiated with the Danes and the Greenland Home Rule government back in 2003/ 2004 to enhance the security of the United States, I understand how important Greenland is. As a a junior staffer at the Pentagon working on missile defense, he was responsible for working with the Danish government and the Greenland Home Rule government to allow them to upgrade the radar as part of the homeland missile defense mission. open image in gallery Vice President JD Vance toured the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland last year ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images ) He said the radar is really critical with regards to our ability to protect the East Coast of the United States from long range missile threats from North Korea and potentially Iran. It is also critical to track missiles in space or ones fired over the poles by Russia or China. The United States occupied Greenland during the Second World War after Denmark fell to Nazi Germany and then the treaty of 1951 meant that they could station whatever military they wanted afterwards. So Trump absolutely right about the strategic importance of Greenland, but fundamentally, under the 1951 Defense of Greenland Treaty, we basically have wide latitude to deploy additional troops as needed, Rose said. We have all the legal rights necessary to do what we need to do. This is Donald Trump. He gets many of these, the fundamental issues right, but it's how he goes about it. And I wish somebody on the National Security Council or the State Department was telling him that we can do whatever we need to do there. 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 signed an executive order to block courts or creditors from impounding revenue from Venezuelan oil sales, held in U.S. Treasury accounts, the White House announced on Saturday. The emergency directive, issued on Friday, states these funds, held in foreign government deposit accounts, should be used in Venezuela to help create peace, prosperity and stability. This move follows the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces in Caracas less than a week prior. Several companies, including Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, hold longstanding claims against the country. Both left Venezuela nearly 20 years ago after their assets were nationalized, and are still owed billions of dollars. The order does not mention any specific company. It declares that the money is the sovereign property of Venezuela, held in U.S. custody for governmental and diplomatic purposes, and is not subject to private claims. A U.S. agreement with Venezuela's interim leaders would provide up to 50 million barrels of crude oil to the U.S., where numerous refineries are specially equipped to refine it. ( AP Photo/Edgar Frias ) "President Trump is preventing the seizure of Venezuelan oil revenue that could undermine critical U.S. efforts to ensure economic and political stability in Venezuela," the White House said in a fact sheet. A U.S. agreement with Venezuela's interim leaders would provide up to 50 million barrels of crude oil to the U.S., where numerous refineries are specially equipped to refine it. Trump cited the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the 1976 National Emergencies Act as a legal justification. Trump signed the order the same day he met in Washington with executives from Exxon, Conoco, Chevron CVX.N and other oil companies as part of a bid to encourage them to invest $100 billion in Venezuela's oil industry. 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 Thursday, the House failed to override President Donald Trumps veto of a bill championed by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) to secure clean drinking water for her constituents. This came even though just last month, the bill had passed unanimously. This time, only 24 Republicans voted for the initiative. This is a bill that, in policy, no one in that chamber disagreed with, Boebert told The Independent in a gaggle after the vote on Thursday. This was purely political, and it's very unfortunate, but I'm not taking it out personally on anybody. I'm going to use my frustration as motivation to continue to get this over the line. open image in gallery Republicans refused to override a veto by President Donald Trump for a bill Rep. Lauren Boebert, Republican of Colorado, authored. ( AFP via Getty Images ) While its not clear why exactly Trump vetoed the legislation, its hard not to see that Trump hung Boebert, one of his most enthusiastic supporters in the House, literally out to dry after she joined the discharge petition to force a vote to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein. It reveals the double-bind Republicans face: as the president becomes increasingly unpopular or when he directly defies their local interests, they have to find ways to break with him. But his megaphone and sway on the Republican electorate remains tight. On Thursday, five Republicans joined with Senate Democrats on a War Powers Act resolution to rein in any future activity in Venezuela. One of the Republicans, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, insisted to reporters that he did not mean to cross the president. This is all about going forward, if the president should determine, you know what, I need to put troops on the ground in Venezuela, I think that wouldn't require Congress, Hawley said. It didnt work. Later that day, Trump lit into Hawley and his cohorts Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Todd Young of Indiana for voting for the resolution, saying they should never be elected to office again. open image in gallery President Donald Trump lit into Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) as well as other Republicans who joined in on a War Powers Act resolution with Democrats. ( Getty Images ) Its a bold statement, considering Collins is up for re-election in what will be a tough race and her occasional votes with Democrats are the only thing that keeps her afloat in liberal New England. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who is up for re-election this year, told reporters not to make too much of it. I think you should check back with him and see how he feels in a few days, he told reporters on Thursday. But obviously, he was irritated with that outcome. I think it was a bad outcome myself, because I think people are interpreting this as somehow a rebuke. Cornyn needs to stay on Trumps good side to survive a bruising primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton and avoid Trump endorsing the super-MAGA Paxton. That might give Republicans less of an incentive to vote on a War Powers resolution pushed by Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego to prevent Trump from putting troops on the ground in Greenland. The only Republican who seems comfortable lighting into Stephen Miller, the most vocal champion of the idea, is retiring Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. It should be to Stephen Miller that if he wants to take a position that the president supports, that's fine. He doesn't speak for me, he told The Independent. And I'm just saying, keep in your lane or know what you're talking about and never represent it. On the other side of the Capitol that same day, 17 Republicans defected to vote for legislation with Democrats to extend the expanded tax credits for the Affordable Care Acts health insurance marketplace. Almost all of them are in tough re-election races. But dont expect Trump to give them breathing room for siding with Democrats. Its only a matter of time before he turns his attention to them the way he did Boebert. And Republicans learn they have to tread lightly around Trump. Many Hispanics in South Florida who voted for Trump hoped that his capture of Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro would be the beginning of Democracy. But Trump has shown little interest in supporting opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, instead propping up Maduros deputy Delcy Rodriguez. But when asked about it, Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida, who is Cuban-American, did not seem bothered. It's a means to an end, he told The Independent. It's up to the Venezuelan people to that's whoever the Venezuelan people want. And right now, I believe the Venezuelan people want Maria Corina Machado. And Republicans need only look at the fate of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Boebers former friend and colleague, who formally tendered her resignation at the beginning of this week after she clashed with Trump about the release of Epstein files. 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 Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced that her agency is suspending federal financial awards to Minnesota and Minneapolis, citing evidence of fraud found by the Trump administration. Rollins published a letter on Friday addressed to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, announcing the suspension of all active awards and any future awards from USDA to the State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis, currently totaling over $129.18 million. Rollins said the suspension will last "until sufficient proof has been provided that the fraud has stopped." She also instructed Minnesota officials to provide the USDA with payment justifications for all federal dollar expenditures from January 20, 2025, to the present" within 30 days. The Independent has contacted Walz for comment. A spokesperson for the city of Minneapolis said officials are communicating with state partners to understand the impacts of such a blanket cut to funding meant for residents most in need. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced she's suspending 'federal financial awards' to Minnesota and Minneapolis ( Getty Images ) Whats abundantly clear is that Minneapolis is the latest target of the Trump administration -- willing to harm Americans in service to its perceived political gain, the city spokesperson told The Independent. The Independent has also contacted the USDA for more information on which programs will be impacted by this suspension. The decision comes days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, identified as Jonathan Ross, shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Protests have since erupted in Minneapolis and other cities across the U.S., including Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. In a social media post announcing the decision, Rollins said the Trump administration has uncovered massive fraud and that those in charge have ZERO plan to fix it. Rollins also wrote in her letter that numerous non-profits and businesses have defrauded the federal government while Walz and Frey have been in office. Rollins specifically cited the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal, which first emerged in 2022. Dozens of people have been convicted in connection with the scheme, which prosecutors have said involved the theft of millions of dollars from a federally funded program designed to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Justice Department has characterized it as the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the U.S., and in March, Walz said he was furious with criminals that preyed on the system that was meant to feed children. This comes as federal officials say theyre investigating alleged widespread social services fraud in the state. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said last week ICE agents were conducting a massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced a series of initiatives to combat rampant government benefits fraud in Minnesota on Friday. Last month, Walz said he welcomes any support to fight fraud in Minnesota. You commit fraud in Minnesota, you're going to prison. I don't care what color you are, what religion you are. Anybody who wants to help us in that, we welcome that, he said at the time. Walz also announced Monday that he will not seek a third term in office, following weeks of heightened concern about alleged fraud schemes in the state. While Walz has faced criticism from the Trump administration over the scandals, he has not been accused of wrongdoing. The Trump administration also paused federal funding for child care subsidies and other social services in five Democratic-led states, including Minnesota, earlier this week. The states sued, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the order on Friday, which will allow funds to continue flowing as the legal battle plays out. 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 U.S. president Donald Trump has claimed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was responsible for the overdose deaths of countless Americans, accusing him of trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the country. Those allegations were used in part to justify Maduros arrest by U.S. authorities on 3 January, following a series of U.S. military attacks on boats off Venezuelas coast that have killed more than 115 people since September. Maduro has since been charged with conspiracy offences and has pleaded not guilty, while his government condemned the operation in Caracas as an imperialist act. But do Trumps claims about the drug trade stack up? open image in gallery US Special Operations forces hit multiple narco boats off the Venezuelan coast in December ( Donald Trump/Truth Social ) Analysis by The Independent has examined how much cocaine and fentanyl is actually illegally imported into the United States from Venezuela. Does Venezuela produce Fentanyl? Illicit opioids, particularly Fentanyl, remain the primary drivers behind the epidemic of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. according to the U.S. governments 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment. However, Venezuela is not mentioned as a fentanyl producer in this assessment. Instead, Mexico is the dominant source of illicit fentanyl entering the United States, according to the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking. The government doesnt list fentanyl by country of manufacture the same way it does for other drugs, but it does identify Mexico as the primary source and also mentions Canada. Venezuela is not a place where Fentanyl is produced. Fentanyl is produced in Mexico for the U.S. market, Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies drug policy, told The Independent. It's produced in Canada for the Canadian market, and it's produced in China for shipments elsewhere, such as to Europe, she added. The Trump administration has obviously tried to make the Fentanyl justification very broad, including to pressure Canada and then to impose tariffs on Canada, Vanda Felbab-Brown said. The White House has been contacted for comment on this claim. Government estimates show that in 2024, about 22.7 kilograms of Canada-sourced fentanyl were seized at the U.S.Canada border, compared to 9,354 kilograms seized at the U.S.Mexico border. open image in gallery Criminology specialists test cocaine seized in Maracaibo, Zulia state, northwest of Venezuela ( AFP/Getty ) Does Venezuela produce cocaine? Cocaine is derived from coca leaves grown in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia and the manufacturing process takes place in remote jungle labs, according to the DEA. Venezuela is not mentioned in the DEAs 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment as a country where cocaine originates. U.S. government data shows 84 per cent of the cocaine seized by authorities in 2024 originated in Colombia. Peru and Bolivia are also mentioned as sources. However, experts note that some cocaine production does take place in Venezuela. There is some cultivation of coca in Venezuela that has increased in recent years as new cultivars of coca allow its cultivation in much lower altitudes with greater humidity than has traditionally been the case, but that production is still small, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. The vast majority of production takes place in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. Is Venezuela used to traffic cocaine? open image in gallery A Criminal Investigation Technical Agency (ATIC) agent carries a package with of cocaine next to two of the five Venezuelan and Colombian alleged drug traffickers from whom it was seized ( AFP/Getty ) According to U.S. estimates detailed by the United Nations, around 70% of cocaine leaves Colombia via the Pacific route. The DEAalso says most cocaine entering the U.S. is trafficked through Mexico. Venezuela is a place where a lot of cocaine is exported to Europe and to the United States. It's not the sole place through which those exports, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. Despite repeated claims by Trump that Venezuela is a major source of drugs harming the U.S., data and expert assessments tell a different story: Venezuela is not a principal producer or trafficking country for cocaine or fentanyl destined for the United States. Certainly Trump believed that the counter-narcotics narrative would appeal to his base and would create both domestically and internationally a justification for removing Maduro from power, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. The Trump administration maintains that its actions are legally justified. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela, it is a narco-terror cartel, and Maduro, it is the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Families willing to buck the trend by keeping their children out of school Instead of burying himself in textbooks to prepare for high school entrance exams, 15-year-old Nguyen Phan Anh of Hanoi spent an entire summer trying 13 different jobs. In Nghe An Province in central Vietnam, the four children of Ba Ngoc, aged five to 13, gather for breakfast at 8 a.m. every day. While their peers are already seated in classrooms, the siblings then split up to read books or draw. This marks the second year they have followed this approach: learning without formal schooling. In Da Lat in the Central Highlands, 12-year-old Minh Nhat, the son of Huynh Dung, also does not attend school. Instead, he leads groups of foreign tourists on treks through pine forests and introduces them to organic coffee production, earning his first paychecks. Anh, the son of Bach Duong, recently designed a two-week family trip to Japan rather than joining the race for entrance exams to high schools. These three families, living in three different regions, share one decision: withdrawing their children from the formal education system to pursue a different path. Huynh Dung (C), his wife and his son Minh Nhat (R) experience mushroom foraging in Da Lat, May 2025. Photo courtesy of Dung For these families, the unconventional choice stems from prolonged tensions between parental expectations and school realities. Anh has studied in public, private and international schools in search of what he and his parents call "the right fit." At the private school he attended, he felt stifled by strict discipline. At the international school, he found greater freedom but felt lost amid the race for overseas certificates. "I wanted real-life experiences rather than chasing grades," he says. Dung, 42, said he struggled with watching his nature-loving son confined within four classroom walls just to complete assignments. "The curriculum in current schools is heavy and lacks personalization," he says. "I attended normal schools and spent many years learning things I never used at work, and I didn't want my child to repeat that." For Ngoc, the decision to pull all four children out of school followed what he described as an educational "shock." In 2023 he launched an emotion-focused preschool, only to close it a year later when parents were mainly concerned with early literacy rather than their children's emotional development. Seeing his own children becoming disengaged and addicted to games alarmed him and made him fear he was becoming an achievements-driven parent like those he saw. During a summer break he took his children on a cross-country trip to visit families who had already allowed their children to leave the formal education system. "I saw children learning at home who were lively and happy, completely different from the lethargy of students bent over textbooks from morning until night," he says. On Vietnamese social media platforms, dozens of groups dedicated to sharing experiences with homeschooling and unschooling have emerged, some with nearly 100,000 active members. The growth of these communities, along with internationally recognized online programs, suggests a quiet but strengthening undercurrent. "Amid pressure from schools for gifted students and widespread extra tutoring, many parents in our community see 'bringing children home' as a way to protect their childhood," Ngoc says. Phan Anh studies online while taking part in hands-on activities during summer 2025. Photo courtesy of Duong After allowing their children to step away from school, each of the three families designed its own version of a "school." Ngoc's family allows the children to freely pursue their interests: his eldest son studies architecture online, his daughter learns tailoring, and his youngest son is likely to stay up until 2 a.m. to finish a painting he loves. Ngoc and his wife run a home business and observe and guide their children. Dung's family chose homeschooling under an international curriculum costing about VND16 million (US$608) a year. The flexible schedule allows his son Nhat to go hiking, camping or diving for weeks at a time while continuing his studies. "Real-life experiences broaden his worldview in ways four classroom walls cannot," Dung says. For Anh, leaving school meant "no more summer breaks." His schedule is tightly packed, beginning with morning river swims, followed by academic study through an online program affiliated with a U.S.-based high school to ensure he earns a diploma. His family built his learning path around three pillars: knowledge, character and adaptability. With their belief that "anyone can be a teacher," his parents enlist experts in swimming, writing, video production, and artificial intelligence to mentor him directly. Last summer Anh tried 13 jobs as part of a "100 jobs" project, ranging from working as a barbers assistant and repairing motorbikes to farming. Phan Anh experiences different jobs, including motorbike repair, in his ongoing "100 jobs" project. Photo courtesy of Duong The greatest gain, these parents say, is their childrens happiness and initiative. However, the journey is a "battle" that demands strong conviction. Ngoc faced fierce opposition from his own parents and neighborhood gossip, particularly over concerns about social interaction and academic credentials. He said he accepts that his children may not hold Vietnamese-standard diplomas. "If later on my children are interested in jobs that require formal degrees, their options may narrow," he says. "But I believe the real abilities they accumulate through homeschooling will open other paths." To ensure social interaction, Dung enrolls his son in art and swimming clubs and interest-based community groups. "Real-life experiences help him interact with diverse groups, something traditional schools struggle to fully provide," he says. Concerns over formal qualifications are also easing as education options diversify in Vietnam. Even without traditional university entry, students can now study abroad, attend international universities right in this country or pursue specialized vocational training. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, academic director of Pathway School, says parents' motivation to "break away" often stems from school pressure and overloaded curricula. She notes that homeschooling tends to produce "sweet results" mainly for families aiming for overseas study or those with strong financial and educational foundations. Nevertheless, there are some risks. Huyen says she has seen many homeschooling attempts fail, forcing children back into school. Re-entry is relatively easy at the primary school level, but at secondary level the door is almost closed due to transcript requirements. "This is a long battle not for the majority," she warns. "To pursue this path, parents must be well-versed in education, have enormous time to devote to their children, and have deep pockets." 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 Britain will not allow the United States to use its military bases to facilitate an invasion of Greenland, the defence secretary said, after Donald Trump threatened to make a deal the easy or the hard way. Asked if British bases, personnel or equipment could be used to support a US operation, John Healey told ITV News resolutely: Theres no question of that. "Greenland and Denmark are part of Nato. We and the US are part of that alliance with treaty obligations, he reiterated on Friday, during a visit to Kyiv. "And so far as the UK's support for any nation with any military action, we will do so if the purpose is correct and if the legal basis is sound." The White House refused to rule out taking the Danish territory by force this week, but Denmark has maintained its position that Greenland is not for sale. On Thursday, the countrys defence minister said Danish forces will shoot first and ask questions later if Greenland is invaded. open image in gallery Defence secretary John Healey is in Kyiv, where he spoke to reporters about the situation in Greenland ( PA ) Trump said on Friday that he would like to make a deal on the island, but would not commit to talking about money at this stage. He told reporters at the White House that the US needs to own Greenland to prevent Russia or China from occupying it in the future. "We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not. Because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour," Trump said while meeting with oil company executives in Washington. Greenland has a population of 57,000 people and is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. The US already maintains a military presence on the island under a 1951 agreement. Britain and Denmarks European allies have rebuked Trump in recent days, insisting they would strongly oppose US military action or a sale. Leaders pledged they would "not stop defending" the islands territorial integrity in a joint statement seen as a message to the US this week. Sir Keir Starmer "set out his position" on Greenland in a phone call with Mr Trump on Wednesday evening, described by Downing Street sources as "positive" and "friendly". open image in gallery Donald Trump has doubled down on his plans to annex Greenland this week ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The prime minister has said Greenland's future must be a matter for the people of the territory and Denmark alone. The call with Trump was followed by a flurry of diplomatic activity, including conversations with both Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen and Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte on the need to "do more to deter Russian aggression" in the High North. The Trump administration has argued that Denmark has not done enough to ensure that Greenland can uphold global security. Vice president JD Vance told Fox News this week: Europe has failed to contend with the fundamental argument the president, and the entire administration, has made. Greenland is critical, not just to our national security, but to the worlds national security, he added, outlining the territorys role in missile defence. 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 Indigenous people in Greenland have condemned the United States threat to seize the self-governing Danish territory, with many saying they want independence from both countries. Donald Trump has doubled down on his desire to take the island, telling reporters on Friday the U.S. would do something with Greenland whether they like it or not. The Trump administration has repeatedly refused to rule out military force, with the idea of $100,000 payments to Greenlanders who agree to join the U.S. also reportedly being considered. Greenlanders, however, have made it clear they are not interested, giving the president a defiant message that they dont want to be Americans. Approximately 89% of the 57,000-strong population in Inuit Nunaat, more commonly known as Greenland, are indigenous Inuit. open image in gallery Michael Bro is one of the many indigenous people who do not want the territory taken by the Americans ( Michael Bro ) Michael Bro, 34, Indigenous Inuk and Greenlandic and Arctic studies student said: We want to be Inuit. We want to be independent and Inuit Nunaat belongs to Inuit, we are the people of the land it doesnt belong to anyone else. I dont want to be a Dane and I certainly dont want to be an American. A similar sentiment was echoed in a statement from Greenlands politicians on Friday night. open image in gallery The U.S. insists Greenland is a key strategic location ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, alongside four prominent party leaders, declared: We don't want to be Americans, we don't want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders. Greenland's future must be decided by the Greenlandic people. As Greenlandic party leaders, we would like to emphasize once again our wish that the United States' contempt for our country ends. Tuesday saw leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain joining Frederiksen in defending Greenlandic sovereignty. Greenlanders hope that the territorys allies will continue to stand by them. The European Union has already made an agreement with the government of Greenland, with the previous administration, to further expand mining activities in our lands, Bro said. open image in gallery Greenland is rich in natural resources ( Geophysical Research Letters, CC BY-NC-SA ) I feel like the Americans dont want more European presence in Inuit Nunaat as they also have economic interest in regard to our natural resources like oil, rare earth minerals and opening trade routes through the Arctic. Who wouldnt want to be in control of that? Our allies must support and protect Inuit, the people of our land, Inuit Nunaat, toward becoming a sovereign nation. Amidst calls for Greenlandic independence, Ottawa Inuit circle, an Inuit community support group has shared the hashtag #StandWithGreenland, on social media. Facebook group Hands Off Greenland! has also seen a recent boost in activity, the purpose of which is: to educate the American public against misinformation and to provide a forum for Greenlanders to speak to American voters. open image in gallery Donald Trump has repeated his intention to do something with Greenland whether the like it or not ( AFP via Getty Images ) Donald Trump must not attempt to seize Greenland against the wishes of Greenlands Inuit majority, the group said, echoing growing concerns about just how far the U.S. government might go to achieve the presidents goals. Aqqaluk Lynge, co-founder of pro-Greenlandic independence party Inuit Atagatigiit, told Danish newspaper Dagbladet Information earlier this week: For the last 40 years, we have tried through the Arctic Council to prevent the Arctic from becoming militarized. Suddenly everything has changed with Donald Trump. The United States is no longer a friend. The United States is now an aggressor. That changes everything. open image in gallery Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen have shown a united front ( Ritzau Scanpix ) Trump appeared to be in no mood to compromise when he addressed the issue with reporters during a press conference Friday. Were going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not, Trump said. If we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way, he added, without explaining what that entailed. The White House said it is considering a range of options, including using military force, to acquire the island. The US has maintained a long-standing strategic presence in Greenland, dating back to the 1951 Greenland defence agreement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet with Danish officials to discuss the situation next week. On Wednesday, Rubio told reporters in Washington DC that Trump retains the option of using military force. This sparked concern amidst Democratic and Republican senators alike, who said they expect the Senate will eventually vote on legislation seeking to restrict the presidents ability to attempt to seize the territory. 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 As Ukraine is gripped by a bitter cold snap, more than one million people have been left without heating and electricity as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure. Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C. Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraines cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks. It gives you depression, 33-year-old Dnipro resident Kyril Tulenev says. You cannot do anything. You cannot check the news. You cannot properly use your things. Sometimes you cannot call anyone because there is no connection. open image in gallery A grandmother in Kryvyi Rih, who says she thought she had survived the worst after living through the Second World War ( Rozvitok Mista ) Hundreds of thousands were left without electricity and heating across large swathes of Ukraines central and southeastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions on Thursday. On Friday, an attack on Kyiv left 500,000 without power, with mayor Vitali Klitschko calling for people to temporarily evacuate with temperatures set to plummet. Kyril paints an even bleaker picture of life outside the home. Petrol stations freeze over, the streets are lifeless, and traffic lights no longer function. The family of Kyrils girlfriend including an uncle with disabilities and an elderly grandfather are struggling. Unlike Kyril, who lives in an apartment, the family lives in an ageing house, riddled with cracks and exposed to freezing weather. open image in gallery The missile attack on Kryvyi Rih killed one and injured 24, authorities said ( State Emergency Service of Ukraine ) The uncle cannot move by himself, so they need to take care for him. They need to bring him to the toilet. They need to do the bath for him. When there is no electricity, you dont have water, and it's kind of difficult for them to take care for him, he says. Residents are also struggling without access to a fridge to keep food fresh, running water due to very low pressure, and wifi to allow them to contact family. The family of Kyrils girlfriend owns an electric oven; when power is down, they cannot cook themselves a proper meal. Kyril says Ukrainians fear the cold snap currently gripping large parts of Ukraine. The power plants, Kyril explains, restrict their output when it is very cold when Ukrainians need electricity the most because of the added pressures cold weather puts on energy facilities. One elderly grandmother, who did not wish to be named, told The Independent that, having been born during the Second World War, she thought she had survived the worst. open image in gallery Dragan Petrovich says the poor conditions make him appreciate simple things ( Rozvitok Mista ) Wrapped up in bed, staring at the ceiling with a candle lit on her bedside table, she says she cant believe there is a war between groups of people who stood shoulder to shoulder to fight the Nazis. Several Ukrainian organisations, such as Rozvitok Mista in Kryvyi Rih, are supporting vulnerable and elderly people through the blackouts, visiting those who dont have people to care for them. Hope for Ukraine, another organisation, is handing out solar kits in blackout zones, helping reshape the long-term resilience of Ukrainian civilians living in or near frontline towns. It is in these towns where sustained drone and missile attacks create such difficulty in daily life. Olena Yanchenko, a 54-year-old grandmother in Kryvyi Rih, was nearby when a Russian missile struck apartment buildings in the city, killing one person and injuring 24, including six children. open image in gallery Ukraines cities and towns are facing a bitter winter ( Ukrainian Armed Forces ) The early evening strike plunged the city into darkness, Olena says. It came hours after an overnight strike had caused blackouts across Dnipropetrovsk. Its really scary, she says of the moments the cities go dark during a Russian air attack. Every time I feel like its my last day of life. Olena was going to the shop to buy food for her cat when she heard a noise in the sky, rushed into the shop, and took shelter with the shop assistant. At this time, there was a great explosion. We were in shock, I remember that my hands were shaking and my heart was beating, and then [the shop assistant] cried. It was a real shock for me, I even dont remember how then I got home. After that the electricity disappeared in all the city. It was really dark. I was really scared. The first blackout in Kryvyi Rih began when a huge overnight Russian attack caused mass blackouts across the Dnipropetrovk region, hours before the early evening missile strike seen by OIena on Thursday. open image in gallery Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk were in darkness on Thursday as around one million were left without power ( REUTERS ) Olena, a school teacher, says the city was still without electricity and heating on Friday, as temperatures dropped to -3C. Children are due to return to school on Monday. Many schools have generators, which means they will have light to work in but without heaters, they may have to learn with their coats on. We do everything which we can, she says. But its really hard. We try to prepare for it. We have warm clothes, of course. Any way [we can], we are going to stay alive. The Ukrainian people are brave. Dragan Mikhail Petrovich, 84, another resident in Kryvyi Rih, told The Independent that he feels anxiety, fear and exhaustion as the city faces another several days in near-total blackout, during one of the coldest parts of the year. Such conditions make us appreciate simple things and the support of loved ones, he adds. Especially in my condition, when you are bedridden. NGOs warn that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the lack of heating, especially those who are not fit to move around easily and do not have family to assist them. I am worried, because the cold and possible power outages create additional difficulties for everyday life, says Mr Petrovich. The boiler that heats our home almost does not work without electricity. It is cold in the house. Protecting yourself from the cold in such situations is quite difficult. These actions are criminal and inhuman. 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 Ukrainian drone strike has ignited a fire at an oil depot in Russia's southern Volgograd region, local authorities have confirmed. The regional governor, in a Telegram post, stated there were no immediate reports of casualties. While the extent of the damage remains unclear, residents living near the facility may face evacuation. Ukraine's long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion. Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to "weaponise winter". Saturday's attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, according to Ukrainian officials, killing at least four people in the capital. For only the second time in the nearly four-year-old war, it used a powerful, new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine on Friday, in a clear warning to Kyiv's Nato allies. The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a US-led peace deal is struck. open image in gallery A part of Russian nuclear-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile system at the site of the Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv region, Ukraine January 9, 2026 ( via REUTERS ) The Oreshnik, whose name means Hazel Tree, is an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile that Russia has fired only once before against Ukraine, in November 2024. On that occasion it was equipped only with dummy warheads and therefore caused limited damage, Ukrainian sources said, in what was effectively a test. If the overnight attack carried explosive warheads, it would mark the first time that Russia has used the Oreshnik with full destructive intent. The strike targeted what Russia called critical infrastructure in Ukraine, though the extent of the damage was not immediately clear. The missile, based on the RS-26 Rubezh, which Russia had originally developed as an intercontinental weapon, is capable of carrying nuclear as well as conventional warheads, but there was no suggestion of any nuclear component to the overnight attack. Russia's defence ministry said its forces used aviation, drones, missiles and artillery to strike Ukrainian energy facilities and fuel-storage depots on Friday and overnight. It did not immediately specify the targets or damage. Overnight into Saturday, Russia struck Ukraine with 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile, according to the Ukrainian air force. It said 94 drones were shot down. 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 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, has spent more than three decades consolidating power by crushing internal threats. But his leadership faces its most significant challenge yet as widespread protests against his leadership continue to grow across the country, with millions of Iranians taking to the streets to demand regime change. US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran if Mr Khameneis regime continues its deadly crackdown of protesters, with Tehran warning they are ready for war in response to the threats. Mr Trump suggested last week that Mr Khamenei might be planning to flee the country amidst the unrest, with the Iranian leader responding by calling Mr Trump arrogant, saying he would be overthrown. Iranian officials, speaking to the New York Times, indicated the government had been "thrust into survival mode", with reports last week also suggesting Mr Khamenei could flee to Russia. Heres what you need to know about Khamenei. He transformed the Islamic Republic open image in gallery Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that the Iranian nation is not one to surrender and issued a stern warning that any intervention by the US would bring irreparable damage to them When he rose to power in 1989, Khamenei had to overcome deep doubts about his authority as he succeeded the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. A low-level cleric at the time, Khamenei didn't have his predecessor's religious credentials. With his thick glasses and plodding style, he didn't have his fiery charisma either. But Khamenei has ruled three times longer than the late Khomeini and has shaped Irans Islamic Republic perhaps even more dramatically. He entrenched the system of rule by the mullahs," or Shiite Muslim clerics. That secured his place in the eyes of hardliners as the unquestionable authority below only that of God. At the same time, Khamenei built the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the dominant force in Irans military and internal politics. The Guard boasts Irans most elite military and oversees its ballistic missile program. Its international arm, the Quds Force, pieced together the Axis of Resistance, the collection of pro-Iranian proxies stretching from Yemen to Lebanon that for years gave Iran considerable power across the region. Khamenei also gave the Guard a free hand to build a network of businesses allowing it to dominate Irans economy. In return, the Guard became his loyal shock force. He fended off domestic challenges open image in gallery Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, speaks with then-Syrian President Bashar Assad in a meeting in Tehran, Iran The first major threat to Khameneis grip was the reform movement that swept into a parliament majority and the presidency soon after he became supreme leader. The movement advocated for giving greater power to elected officials something Khameneis hardline supporters feared would lead to dismantling the Islamic Republic system. Khamenei stymied the reformists by rallying the clerical establishment. Unelected bodies run by the mullahs succeeded in shutting down major reforms and barring reform candidates from running in elections. The Revolutionary Guard and Irans other security agencies crushed waves of protests that followed the failure of the reform movement. Huge nationwide protests erupted in 2009 over allegations of vote-rigging. Under the weight of sanctions, economic protests broke out in 2017 and 2019. More nationwide protests broke out in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini after police detained her for not wearing her mandatory headscarf properly. Hundreds were killed in crackdowns on the protests, and hundreds more arrested amid reports of detainees tortured to death or raped in prison. Still, the successive protests showed the strains in Irans theocratic system and lay bare widespread resentment of clerical rule, corruption and economic troubles. Trying to defuse anger, authorities often eased enforcement of some of the Islamic Republics social restrictions. He built Iran into a regional power open image in gallery Holding posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Lebanon's Hezbollah flag, demonstrators chant slogans in an annual rally in front of the former US Embassy in Tehran, Iran ( Associated Press ) When Khamenei took power, Iran was just emerging from its long war with Iraq that left the country battered and isolated. Over the next three decades, Khamenei turned Iran around into an assertive power wielding influence across the Middle East. One major boost was the USs 2003 ousting of Saddam Hussein, which eventually brought Iranian-allied Shiite politicians and militias to power in Iraq. Iraq provided a linchpin in Irans Axis of Resistance, grouping Bashar Assads Syria, Lebanons Hezbollah, the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. By 2015, the alliance was at its height, putting Iran on Israels doorstep. The past two years brought a dramatic reversal open image in gallery Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turned Iran around into an assertive power wielding influence across the Middle East. Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel brought a massive Israeli retaliation on the Gaza Strip. It also brought a turnaround in Israeli policy. After years of trying to fend off and tamp down Iran's allies, Israel made crushing them its goal. Hamas has been crippled, though not eliminated, even at the cost of the decimation of Gaza. Israel has similarly sidelined Hezbollah at least for the moment with weeks of bombardment in Lebanon last year, along with a dramatic attack with booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies that stunned the group. An even heavier blow to Hezbollah was the fall in December 2024 of Syria's Bashar Assad when Sunni rebels marched on the capital and removed him from power. Now, a government hostile to Iran and Hezbollah rules from Damascus. In June 2025, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. The strike came in support of Israels 12-day war on the Islamic republic in June, although the US reportedly proved unsuccessful in destroying Irans alleged nuclear weapons programme. As the latest wave of protests pushes Khameneis regime to the brink, Iran's Axis of Resistance is at its lowest ebb ever. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two people on board a British Airways flight sustained broken ankles after their plane to London was hit by turbulence. The incident occurred on 6 December 2024 on a flight from Los Angeles to Heathrow while flying near Greenland. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) released a report on the incident on 8 January 2026, detailing the impact turbulence had on the flight. The report details that the crew received briefing documents before the flight which stated that there were no significant weather warnings to be aware of before takeoff. However, the crew later observed on a live weather app on their electronic flight bags (a digital tablet similar to an iPad) that potentially severe turbulence was developing south of Greenland. Before the plane approached this area, the captain switched on the seat belt sign and asked the cabin secure equipment and take their own seats. Around 20 minutes after the seatbelt signs were switched on, an episode of turbulence lasting approximately 10 to 15 seconds occurred. At this time, a member of cabin crew was lowering her crew seat to strap herself in when the turbulence raised her up and caused her to fall, breaking her ankle, the report said. Meanwhile, a passenger had left his seat to use the toilet in the upper deck, as he said he was asleep when the seatbelt sign was turned on and did not notice it, nor did he hear any announcements. While returning to his seat, he said the plane made a sudden movement upward and sideways, stating that the movement of the floor had broken his ankle. Shortly after these injuries, a third passenger became unwell and lost consciousness. Two other passengers who declared themselves as doctors helped the injured people using splints to support their ankles and gave them pain relief. Cabin crew and one of the doctors assisted the unwell passenger, with crew also seeking advice from MedLink, an aviation medical advisory service. After injuries, the captain considered diverting to Gander airport in Canada or Keflavik airport in Iceland, however, Ganders weather was not suitable for landing, while Keflaviks runway was covered in ice. After discussions with MedLink, the doctors and crew, he decided to continue to fly to Heathrow, declaring a medical PAN signal before landing, allowing air traffic control to facilitate a direct route to Heathrow and call ambulances to meet the plane on arrival. The three injured passengers were then taken to hospital. In a statement to The Independent, British Airways said: Safety is always our priority, and our highly-skilled pilots and cabin crew are trained to manage rare events such as this. The aircraft landed safely at London Heathrow, where our teams looked after both our colleague and the customer. Read more: British Airways cuts business class breakfast from eight routes The internet has always hated women; it was only a matter of time until it started undressing them. That might sound glib, but there is no appropriate tone for what has been happening on Elon Musks X platform, where its Grok AI tool has been used to digitally alter photographs of womens bodies so that they appear partially or entirely nude, via an image-editing feature. Over the last week, women have reported seeing photos of themselves in bikinis with parts of their bodies manipulated, including their breasts being enlarged. On Thursday, the UK-based Internet Watch Foundation revealed that the tool has been used to create sexual imagery of girls aged between 11 and 13. Quite rightly, this has prompted global opprobrium, with regulators calling on X to take urgent action. Now, it has sort of. As of Friday, Groks image-editing tool has been restricted to paid users, meaning anyone requesting illicit material must now be an X subscriber, with their name and payment details on file. Far from reassuring, this feels too little, too late and worse still because it follows Musks claim that Grok is on the side of angels. Is this really a platform committed to protecting women? Or is it one that now offers perversion at a premium? With this in mind, the service hasnt truly been limited at all. It has merely been repackaged as a cash-grab: anyone seeking to digitally undress women and children is now putting money directly into Musks cavernous pockets. It would be myopic to dismiss this as dystopian, even if it feels that way. This isnt some speculative, imagined reality created for Netflix by Charlie Brooker. Its real and its terrifying. open image in gallery AI tool Grok is being used to digitally undress women on X ( PA ) X says it takes action against illegal content on the platform, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts and working with local governments and law enforcement where necessary. The company has stated that anyone using or prompting Grok to create illegal content will face the same consequences as those who upload such material, and has pointed users towards its help pages for its full X Rules and range of enforcement options. Even so, perhaps its unsurprising that women are leaving the platform altogether. On Wednesday, the House of Commons women and equalities committee announced it would no longer use X for its communications, citing its commitment to preventing violence against women and girls. This follows similar announcements from several womens organisations, including Solace and Womens Aid Ireland, which described Groks non-consensual sexual imagery as a tipping point. These departures echo those of female celebrities who abandoned their X profiles after Musk purchased the platform, with Jamie Lee Curtis, Gabrielle Union and Alyssa Milano among them. All of this is understandable. If X is no longer a safe space for women and is actively placing us at risk through pornographic deepfakes (now accessible only to paying users) why would we stay? Groks capabilities are abhorrent, but they are not surprising. This technology has been steeped in misogyny from the start: shortly after the metaverse emerged, there were reports of female avatars being sexually assaulted. Despite everything, Im resisting the urge to log off X. Not because I endorse anything Musk has done, but because I refuse to let the predators win. If every woman deletes her account, what are we left with? A degenerate echo chamber where perverts and paedophiles are welcome, provided they pay an entry fee? That helps no one. In fact, I suspect that the more of us leave, the more this kind of behaviour will escalate. open image in gallery Women quitting X represents another instance of women modifying their behaviour because of dangerous men ( Getty ) This is grim, to say the least. Mass female departures from X represent yet another instance of women being forced to modify their behaviour to accommodate dangerous men. We already avoid walking alone after dark. We already walk home at night with keys clenched in our hands. We already cover our drinks in clubs. Why, then, should we be the ones forced to leave X? Shouldnt we be removing the predators instead? Violence against women is too often tolerated rather than confronted both in policy and in society which is precisely why it persists. As AI opens the door to myriad new and terrifying forms of abuse, the need to push back has never been more urgent. We have to remain on these social media platforms to fight back, even when we are made unwelcome. Its the only way they will ever become safe spaces for women. For now, Im staying on X. And I wont be going anywhere any time soon. Irish Government has 14 days to respond to US complaint over Dublin Airport cap US Department of Transport urged to curtail flights from Ireland to US unless passenger cap is removed The new White House administration is expected to loosen regulation on cryptocurrencies. Photo: Getty John Mulligan Fri 9 Jan 2026 at 17:41 The US Department of Transport has given the Irish government 14 days to respond to a request that the White House curtails the number of transatlantic flights from Ireland to America unless the passenger cap at Dublin Airport is removed. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/OTU.DONETSK The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) recorded 171 combat clashes during the last day. The AFU General Staff stated this on Telegram in operational information on the Russian invasion as of 08:00 on Saturday. "Yesterday, the enemy launched two missile and 28 air strikes, used 36 missiles and dropped 92 guided aerial bombs. In addition, it carried out 3,322 attacks, including 61 from multiple launch rocket systems, and engaged 6,140 kamikaze drones for destruction," the General Staff said. Adrian Weckler: Why I wont boycott X, even if Elon Musks app is a steaming cesspit of toxicity Should we log off the site showing faked images of minors, or try to influence its narratives? Renewed calls for ban on AI tools that can produce sexual images of children and adults after Xs AI tool Grok has been used to digitally 'undress' people online Adrian Weckler Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 Now that Grok has been undressing women and minors online at a rate of up to 6,700 photos per hour, what do we do? The theory was popularised in the early 1990s by then New York Police Department commissioner William Bratton and its implementation was seen as a primary reason why New York cleaned itself up. Evangelical leader on Enoch Burke: Its a tragedy he created and one he can end Pastor says sacked teachers troubles stem from his un-Christian attitude, not his beliefs about gender Its a tragedy Enoch Burke created and one he can end any time he wants Eavan Murray Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 A leader of the evangelical church in Ireland has condemned Enoch Burkes un-Christian, insulting and disruptive behaviour as the reason for his continued imprisonment, and not his beliefs about gender. The Indo Daily: Melania: The Movie We saw it, so you dont have to... Its a total scam Miriam OCallaghan says fake adverts of her are back despite previous High Court action The Prime Time presenter says the adverts for a health-related product have nothing to do with me Miriam O'Callaghan received an apology from Facebook in 2022. Photo: Gerry Mooney Adrianna Wrona Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 RTE broadcaster Miriam OCallaghan has warned her followers that new fake advertisements using her image are circulating on social media. Now its behind a paywall now its making money, said Niamh Smyth of the controversial software Executives at X will meet with junior AI minister Niamh Smyth over the nudification scandal engulfing the social media platform linked to its AI tool, Grok. Ms Smyth wrote to X on Wednesday to request a meeting over concerns that Grok has been used to create sexually explicit images of women and children. X responded to the minister yesterday and agreed to meet with her in the coming weeks. A teenager has been charged in connection with the death of west Dublin man James Berney last summer, gardai have said. He had been arrested yesterday in connection with the investigation and is now due to appear before Dublin District Court, Criminal Courts of Justice (Court 2) at 10.30 am. Is the Islamic Republic about to fall? Here are they key signs that point to a regime change in Iran Donald Trumps threats, an ageing leader, Israeli pressure and growing protests Iranians are starting to believe that real change is coming Reza Pahlavi, the son of Irans toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, released a video this week calling on Iranians to take to the streets for a protest on Thursday. Photo: AP Roland Oliphant Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 This time it is different. Dozens of times over recent years, Iranians have repeated that mantra as they joined street demonstrations calling for the reform or overthrow of the theocratic dictatorship. Ukraine and the United States are set to sign a "prosperity" deal to rebuild the country at a meeting of world leaders in Davos, The Telegraph reported on Friday, citing unnamed "Western officials." "Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump are heading to the Swiss mountain resort, where they are expected to meet and finalise the agreement," Western officials have told The Telegraph. "The Ukrainian president had hoped to travel to the White House next week to conclude both the economic prosperity plan and a deal on post-war security guarantees. But his European backers in the 'coalition of the willing' advised against the trip, and instead suggested the World Economic Forum as more suitable alternative at which to meet Mr Trump," The Telegraph said. The deal, in particular, envisages raising $800 billion for the reconstruction of Ukraine over a decade. "It is understood to pave the way for a series of loans, grants and investment opportunities from private companies to deliver the funds. Kyiv hopes that by offering Washington a stake in post-war reconstruction, especially in projects to which Mr Trump could be amenable, the US president will be more inclined to offer robust security guarantees," The Telegraph said. According to the publication, the agreement is based on a minerals agreement signed last year, which "gave US investors preferential access to future mining projects in Ukraine." Edaein OConnell: Podcast bros, beware I am not going to accept blame for an anti-family agenda Listening to men talk as if women are solely responsible for declining birth rates made my blood boil Steven Bartlett, who hosts 'The Diary of a CEO'. Photo: PA Edaein O'Connell Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 Its happening again. The men are talking on podcasts, and they cant seem to stop. I have been saying for years now that we are too free-wheeling with whom we hand podcasting equipment to. Not everyone needs a microphone, and the beginning of this year has only solidified my belief. Department of Education & Youth officials have confirmed that they are currently liaising with Cork City Council officials in relation to the acquisition of a site in Lisheens, just outside Ballincollig. A spokesperson for the Department of Education & Youth told The Corkman that the process is currently at the negotiation stage. Residents and public representatives in Ballincollig have been appealing for new schools and new school places to meet the demands of the growing number of primary and post-primary students in the large satellite town for several years. Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould said the people of Ballincollig are crying out for new schools and new school places. Deputy Gould subsequently called on Cork City Council to engage with the Department of Education to resolve the issue: Im sick and tired of bureaucracy. We need Cork City Council to sit down with the Department of Education, sort this problem out and deliver the schools that Ballincollig need. A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Youth said that a joint major building project for Le Cheile Secondary School and Gaelscoil an Chaisleain Ballincollig is currently being delivered as part of the Departments Adapt 4 programme - Programme Innovate. The spokesperson said: The brief formulation report (BFR), which forms the basis of the schedule of accommodation to be designed and provided, are for a new 1000 pupil post primary school including six classrooms for pupils with special educational needs, and a new eight classroom primary school with accommodation including two classrooms for pupils with special educational needs, at a site in Ballincollig. The spokesperson continued: The Integrated Project Team (IPT) have been requested to masterplan the campus site and to secure planning permission to include for the future expansion of the Gaelscoil to a 16-classroom primary school and accommodation with four classrooms for pupils with special educational needs, to be provided as phase 2 delivery. The department will make a decision regarding the overall schedule of accommodation and phasing once the IPT have secured planning permission. The permanent site for Gaelscoil an Chaisleain and Le Cheile SS, Ballincollig is being acquired by way of a Compulsory Purchase Order undertaken by Cork City Council, she added. The spokesperson for the Department of Education & Youth stated that at present, the site remains in the possession of Cork City Council and has not yet transferred into the ownership of the minister. Department of Education & Youth officials continue to liaise with Cork City Council officials in relation to the acquisition of this site which is currently at the negotiation stage. Regarding the next steps the spokesperson said Programme Innovate will be delivered by Integrated Project Teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects. This project is currently at the initial stage of architectural planning Pre-Stage 1 where the Integrated Project Team carry out a site and current building assessment and initial design sketch schemes are created. Upon receipt and review of the Stage 1 report by the department, the IPT and school authorities will be advised regarding project progression and next steps, she added. Sinn Fein councillor for the South West ward, Joe Lynch stated that progress is needed to accommodate both Gaelscoil an Chaisleain and Le Cheile Secondary School. Gaelscoil an Chaisleain and Le Cheile Secondary School are crying out for permanent school buildings. This land was acquired by Cork City Council nearly two years ago to deliver just that. Unfortunately, we have a situation where no progress is being made. We really need to see progress. Rosemount Three in Tralee, Co Kerry A property management firm owned by Kerry TD and junior minister Michael Healy-Rae, has bought another property in the county, advertising it as the third in a line of guesthouses linked to accommodating Ukrainian refugees. Roughty Properties LTD bought the property back in July 2025, with a sign promoting Rosemount Three having been erected since. The Property Services Regulatory Authority lists an agreed sale price for the house located in Tralee as 485,000. Minister Healy-Rae declined to comment on the purchase. Figures from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality show Minister Healy-Raes Rosemount brand received 470,640 for housing Ukrainian refugees in 2024, with payments decreasing sharply in the final quarter of 2024. The equality departments quarterly figures, which detail all procurement costs over 20,000, show no payment was made to Roughty Properties or Rosemont in 2025, though Q4 data is yet to be released. The Roughty property firm is now Mr Healy-Raes most profitable enterprise, recording combined profits of 841,908 over 2023 and 2024. The Kerry TDs entry in the Dail Register of Members Interests states that the main activity of Roughty Properties Ltd is management of rental properties. In the register, Mr Healy-Rae describes himself as an owner of rental properties and his entry lists 17 separate properties for letting, including 14 houses. Separate accounts filed earlier this year by Mr Healy-Raes plant hire firm, Roughty Plant Hire Ltd, show that its accumulated profits increased by 74,887 from 734,024 to 808,911 in the 12 months to the end of April 2024. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme An initiative supporting Drogheda businesses to keep their premises lit during winter nights is being examined by Louth County Council Drogheda would benefit from taking part in the 'Leave a Light On' initiative, councillors heard. Drogheda could be joining the Leave a Light On campaign in a bid to improve safety and boost the night-time economy in the town centre. The initiative, which is already underway in Cork and Limerick, encourages businesses to brighten up the streets by leaving a light on after closing time. This additional lighting is aimed a creating a safer, more welcoming and vibrant environment during dark winter nights. Louth County Council revealed this week that a proposal to introduce the scheme to Drogheda is currently being reviewed. Mayor Michelle Hall highlighted the benefits of improved lighting at the January meeting of Drogheda Borough District, where asked the council to ensure all street lights in the town centre are working and repaired in a timely manner. She appealed for St. Peters Church and Laurence Gate to be lit up by taking the lights into the asset management of the council. Drogheda businesses should also be supported to Leave a Light On, said the Mayor, explaining the initiative that encourages businesses to keep a single light on during winter nights to enhance safety, vibrancy and community spirit in urban areas after dark. David Hanratty, Operations and Environment Delivery at Louth County Council said that all public lighting within the county is managed by the operations section and maintained by a contractor. "Repair and replacement metrics form part of the contractors performance reporting. The average time to repair a light has ranged from two to six days across 2025. He explained that a legacy agreement of shared responsibility for the lights at St. Peters Church exists. The lights are in the ownership of the church, but the electricity costs are covered by Louth County Council. The lights at Laurence Gate are currently owned and maintained by Louth County Council. Mr. Hanratty outlined work done by the council on the proposal for Drogheda to join the Leave a Light On campaign, which is currently underway in Cork and Limerick. "The Night-Time Economy Advisor for Drogheda has reviewed the initiatives in these areas and formulated a specific proposal for Drogheda which is under consideration. The proposal aims to support and work with businesses and retail to enhance a sense of welcome and vibrancy on the streets after dark. He added that this would be in addition to the public street lighting and would aim to address feedback from the Drogheda By Night consultation in April 2025, looking at street ambience and safety concerns. It would, he said, also consider environmental issues around energy use and carbon impact. If approved the Leave A Light On scheme would be implemented in Drogheda in the first quarter of 2026. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme Fred Cooke and Aoife Dunne are among the comedians taking part in the So Funny Sligo Comedy Festival. Now firmly established as one of the most popular comedy festivals in the West of Ireland, So Funny Sligo 2026 will bring six days of comedy to venues right across Sligo town and county, from theatres and bars in the town centre to smaller rural communities that dont often get the chance to host live comedy. The 2026 programme will feature some of the finest comedians in Ireland and beyond, with a mix of household names, rising stars and much-loved local favourites. Performers announced so far include Aoife Dunne, Fred Cooke (The Tommy Tiernan Show, Republic of Telly), Kevin McGahern (Republic of Telly, Hardy Bucks), Joe Rooney (Fr Ted , Killinaskully), Karl Spain and Sharon Mannion (Bridget & Eamonn), along with many more still to be revealed. Audiences can also look forward to appearances from local podcasters, Mark & Ray from The Kendy and Raybo Podcast, alongside acts recognisable from Irish television, film and the wider comedy circuit. As always, the festival prides itself on being accessible and inclusive, with free events, all-ages shows, school workshops, and a family magic show all forming part of the packed schedule. One of the standout features of So Funny Sligo continues to be its commitment to rural gigs. Speaking about the 2026 festival, organiser Brendan Tierney said: Year on year weve been building the rural gigs. I always love getting out into the countryside of Sligo and bringing comedy to small rural areas that dont normally get live shows. Weve increased that again this year with three new villages, with first time gigs for the festival in Maugherow, Ballymote and Ballisodare, and were keen to keep building on that into the future. Another major highlight of the festival is the return of the hugely popular Ha Ha Hawks Well Comedy Award, a national talent search for the next wave of Irish comedy. The winner will receive a 1,000 cash prize, making it the biggest cash prize in Irish comedy. The Ha Ha Hawks Well Comedy Award is always one of the highlights of the week. Eight finalists, three judges and an audience vote give you all of the X Factor feel, with none of the fake tears! Tierney added. Its about spotting new talent and giving them a real platform. Year on year the festival keeps growing, and 2026 is shaping up to be our biggest and best yet. With many shows taking place in small-capacity venues, organisers are urging people to book early. Some of these gigs will sell out quickly, as some are small venues, Tierney said. We are very excited to host our first ever show in the newly re-opened Art Deco Theatre. Its a fabulous venue and the double headliner show with Joe Rooney and Sharon Mannion promises a night full of laughs from two of the best in the business. Full programme details and tickets are available at www.sofunnysligo.com Tramores oncelegendary social and cultural scene from showbands and packed Christmas pantos to nights when global stars like Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Paul Weller, Sinead OConnor and Thin Lizzy played may be poised for a revival. Long running plans to develop a theatre in Tramore, which could act as a hub for the local cultural scene, received a boost recently when a feasibility study was completed and handed over to senior officials at Waterford City and County Council. The council is advancing the idea in association with the Tramore Area Community Theatre (TACT) group, founded by Garrett Wyse and James Power. The plans will be presented to a local body called the Tramore Town Centre Management Group (TTCMG), before advancing to the full council stage. Mr Wyse said its an exciting development that has been eight years in the making. The duo set up TACT about three years ago as the legal vehicle to progress the concept, bringing on board local experts. TTCMG is the formal body which applied for grants on behalf of the council, receiving funding about three years ago. On foot of that, a feasibility study was commissioned to seek the publics views and identify sites. The feasibility study was extended in time and resources, said Mr Wyse. Now that study is finished. Its sitting on the desk of the senior executives of the council. They have to make a decision on this. Then the feasibility study has to be adopted or accepted by Tramore Town Centre Management Group. Then it goes to the metropolitan council, and then to the full plenary hopefully. TACT has identified about 14 sites, on brownfield, greenfield, and former business sites. The criteria to narrow down the perfect suitable location will depend on ownership, access, existing use, parking and other issues, said Mr Wyse. It has to tie into the development plans, local area plan, and spatial strategies. I assume some of these 14 sites will be whittled down over time, due to those factors. The serious professionalism of the council is now meeting the imagination of the people, said Mr Wyse. As it is, the town is decades behind. The social, cultural, artistic, even education and training, and sporting and community facilities this is the opportunity to address an awful lot of them complimentarily in the one go. The arts scene in Tramore is just one area that could be dramatically enhanced by having a dedicated theatre venue for local townspeople, said Mr Wyse. In 1987 when I left secondary school in Tramore, there were 250 in the school. Now there are 250 in each class, and there are six classes. The population hasnt increased dramatically since then, but the catchment area has, bringing in students from miles away. Tramore in the early and mid-1970s, when I moved here, had about seven hotels and about 24 bars. Now its down to two hotels and about seven bars. Mr Wyse came across a ticket stub recently, showing on one line-up that legendary rock bands Skid Row, Thin Lizzy and guitarist Rory Gallagher were due to appear, while the Fleadh Mor attracted names such Bob Dylan. We had South (a Tramore superclub), down here, with Laurent Garnier opening it up on the first night. It was crazy that things were like that. Mr Wyse remembers going down the road to see French music producer and DJ Laurent Garnier, Paul Weller, Shane MacGowan, and Sinead OConnor, and up the road to see Ray Charles and Bob Dylan. This was in Tramore, he said. Then there was the showbands down here before that and the Atlantic Ballroom. There was the Silver Slipper. Tramore has a huge history of this, with big fine hotels. A development like this has a couple of aspects to it. It really does facilitate the development of this town as a standalone town and not just a glorified housing estate on the outskirts of Waterford, with a nice beach beside it. We are actually now a suburb of Waterford because were Waterford city west. But its the biggest town in the county. It has by far the fastest growing population and the demands of this young, growing, population have to be met with something like this. Mr Wyse said a new theatre could create a critical mass of cultural groups and movements, and attract more tourism. Tramore doesnt have a cultural quarter there are little bits and pieces here and there, but theres no coherent centre of gravity. Mr Wyse said the town lacks a social space where people can come and relax and chat. The library would be the closest, which is great, but its overrun with people trying to use it, morning, noon and night, he said. Its now open 12 or 13 hours a day up until 10 oclock at night with your access card. All these services theyre bursting at the seams. An amenity like a theatre hub could provide a home for local clubs and associations, and act as a centre for visiting artists and performers, added Mr Wyse. Even the Christmas pantos used to be huge in Tramore, but theyve all gone for lack of facilities and services to really make it happen. Dance and drama clubs had to go elsewhere to do gigs too. Bring them all together, said Mr Wyse. Create a critical mass where this happens and say this is the focal point for the redevelopment of our town and were starting with the cultural, the artistic, the social, educational and training, sporting, community and voluntary, all of them in one go get a piece of the cake. The Gorey community is saddened to learn of the passing of local farmer Laurence Donohue, known locally as Larry. Larry who was in his late 80s was from Annagh, Gorey and died peacefully on Thursday, January 8 at Gorey District Hospital surrounded by his loving family. He was regarded as a well-respected, conversationalist who played a prominent role in dairy and beef farming in the Gorey community. He was also known for his involvement with the Donohue well drilling business. Born in the 1930s, Larry was born a twin brother to the late Paddy Donohue who passed away in February 2024. Following his passing, a number of local representatives have paid tribute to Larry. Husband to Eileen, Larry was a father to 11 children including current county councillor Anthony Donohue, the late Michael and their baby daughter who sadly passed away in infancy. Forming a large family, Larry was a grandfather to 27 grandchildren, 11 grandsons and 16 granddaughters. The late Larry Donohue. Wicklow-Wexford TD Brian Brennan paid tribute to Larry, who with his family made a lasting contribution to the community in Annagh and beyond. My thoughts are with his family, both at home and abroad, at this sad time, Deputy Brennan said. Former chairperson of the Irish Famers Association (IFA) Pat Murray was a friend of Larrys and said he was a particularly hard working farmer and praised him for being a good neighbour to locals in the community. Larry was a very devoted and dedicated farmer, worked hard for his local farm, he said. Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Joe Sullivan paid tribute to Larry and praised his farming and well drilling business. He would have been very highly thought and decent person, he said. Cllr Sullivan further extended his sympathies to Cllr Anthony Donohue and the Donohue family on the passing of Larry. Members of the community paid tribute to the popular Gorey man, with one person writing on RIP.ie: I am saddened to hear of the death of Larry, a thoroughly decent and hardworking man, rest in peace Larry. Another commented: Sincere sympathy to Eileen and the Donohoe family on the sad passing of Larry. Will always remember his friendship and kindness during the many years I delivered the post to the house. Thank you, Lar, for that. May your gentle soul rest in peace. Larry is survived by his wife Eileen, sons, daughters, brothers, 11 grandsons, 16 granddaughters, extended family, relatives, friends and neighbours. His funeral took place on Sunday. Family flowers only and donations if desired can be directed to The Friends of Gorey District Hospital. Sheila and Louisa Doyle were at the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day. Pic: Jim Campbell At the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day were Ross, Finn, Malwina, Noah and Maria Meyler. Pic: Jim Campbell Tadhg Brohan, Carolyn Cleary-Brohan, Doireann Brohan, Laoise Brohan and Anita Ronan were pictured during the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day. Pic: Jim Campbell Eileen Wickham Burke, Mireille Howlin and Carolyn Cleary-Brohan were pictured during the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day. Pic: Jim Campbell Paul Culleton and Anita Ronan were at the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day. Pic: Jim Campbell Pictured at the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day were Lisa Black, Maire Hope, Brid Hanrick and Aine McMullen. Pic: Jim Campbell Emma, Eimear, Eamon and David O'Rourke pictured at the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day. Pic: Jim Campbell Organisers; Claire O'Rourke and Carolyn Cleary-Brohan were pictured during the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day. Pic: Jim Campbell The group who participated in the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day. Pic: Jim Campbell A small but mighty Wexford seaside village community came out in force on St. Stephens Day for a festive walk, raising hundreds of euros for Trocaire in the process. 40 men, women and children gathered to tackle a 5km route along the main road in Rosslare Harbour. For a number of years, since before Covid, the initiative had been organised by Carolyn Cleary-Brohans friend Claire ORourke. But when she found herself unable to take it on this year, Carolyn stepped in. I just slotted in but like all credit goes to Claire really because she's built it up over a number of years and got the community behind it she says. It was a matter of getting the word out. I applied for the permit to do the bucket collection. So we adhere to all the regulations around that. I promoted it on Facebook, put it in the community diary, in the paper, put it on South East Radio, and had posters up with the QR code for donations on it. An information leaflet was handed out to pupils in Kilrane National School and Carolyn said it was great to see new faces turn up. And she had no qualms with maintaining Trocaire as their charity partner. The group who participated in the Trocaire Walk in Rosslare Harbour on St Stephen's Day. Pic: Jim Campbell Since 1973, Trocaire has been challenging injustice and providing support to people living with its effects. From civil wars in Central America to the campaign to end apartheid in South Africa, Trocaire has been vocal in speaking-up on behalf of the oppressed and marginalised. In 1982, Michael D. Higgins who would go on to become Irelands 9th president, visited El Salvador with Sally ONeill and the charity. They uncovered evidence of a massacre in the town of El Mozate and their attracted massive international attention. Then in 2004, after the December Tsunami hit Southeast Asia, a remarkable 27m was pledged to the charity, which represented the largest humanitarian appeal in the organisations history. Carolyn is a townie by heart but now living happily with her family in Rosslare. There is great community spirit down here, to be fair. They always rally around when there's something. They are very community conscious and look to give something back. And they'll get behind you no matter what it is, said Carolyn. Ive been told Ive done well many times Ryan Tubridy on his first month of marriage and life in London Presenter has been lunching with British broadcasters including Piers Morgan Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy at The Irish Post Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Photo: Getty Julie Ann Trainor Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 Ryan Tubridy has spoken of his first few weeks of married life and revealed he received a really lovely welcome to London from TV presenter Piers Morgan when he first made the move. Dancing with the Stars contestant Amber Wilson: Any negative backlash would be my biggest fear. Im a relatively sensitive person, so maybe Im out of my depth here Best known as Vogues sister, the Dubliner is making history as part of the Irish shows first all-female partnership. Here, she talks about who she thinks is her biggest competition, trying and failing to emigrate to Australia and not coming out to her father before his death Amber Wilson. Photo: Gareth Chaney Kirsty Blake Knox Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 In the late months of last year, podcaster Amber Wilson had two golden secrets to keep under wraps. The first was that her sister Vogue Williams was about to head to Brisbane, Australia, to appear on ITVs long-running series Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! The other was that she had signed up to throw on sequins and Lycra and take part in RTEs upcoming series of Dancing with the Stars. Latvia will submit a request for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in connection with the Russian attack using the Oreshnik medium-range missile, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze has said on the X platform on Friday. "Latvia will request an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council in response to Russia's barbaric attack against Ukraine, including using an intermediate range ballistic missile close to the EU and NATO border," Braze said. In her statement, she also shared the post of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, who called the Russian attack "a test for the transatlantic community." Moscow targets critical infrastructure as temperatures hit -10C Ukrainian firefighters at the site of the apartment building hit by a Russian missile strike in the city of in Kryvyi Rih. Photo: Reuters Russia fired a powerful hypersonic missile overnight yesterday at a target in Ukraine near the border with Nato-member Poland, in what Kyivs European allies described as an attempt to intimidate them from supporting Ukraine. It was only the second time Russia has fired the Oreshnik at Ukraine, and came amid a night of air attacks that Ukrainian authorities said also killed four people in Kyiv, knocked out power in the capital and damaged the Qatari embassy there. US using force to take Greenland would have grave effect on Nato, says Giorgia Meloni Military action is 'not in interest of the US, PM says Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni said she agreed with US action in Venezuela. Photo: Reuters Gisedla Vagnoni Reuters Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said she did not believe the US would use military force to seize Greenland, warning yesterday that such a move would have grave consequences for Nato. A soft and beautiful spirit Renee Nicole Good remembered by friends in Northern Ireland after her visits there as a teenager Woman shot dead by ICE agent spent time in Co Down and Co Derry on Christian youth missions in the early 2000s, which friends recall fondly ICE agents video shows interaction with Renee Nicole Good before being shot Jessica Rice Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 Northern Irish friends of a woman who was shot dead by an ICE enforcement officer have spoken about her soft and beautiful spirit. Donald Trump has insisted that he doesnt need to abide by international law and the only constraint keeping his power in check is his own morality. Slain mother was part of ICE watch group, says department Claims Good had followed agents and used her car to interfere with their federal operations Federal agents scuffle with protesters as immigration enforcement action continues the day after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. Photo: Reuters Owen Scott UK Independent Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 06:30 The mother-of-three shot dead by a federal agent in Minneapolis was a member of an ICE watch group, Department of Homeland Security sources have said. Image credit : Instagram @ katyperry | Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark documentary buzz Katy Perry rumoured to be developing tell-all documentary on Trudeau RadarOnline.com Image credit : Instagram @ katyperry | Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau eye big media plans Perrys past relationship Image credit : X @katyperrybr | Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau fuel power couple talk Katy Perry and Justin Trudeaus romance When pop star Katy Perry and former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau were first spotted together, many thought it was just another surprising celebrity pairing. But as more details emerge, insiders say this relationship could be about much more than romance.According to, Perry sees a major opportunity in the publics growing fascination with her new partner, and big ideas may already be taking shape. An insider told the portal that the buzz around Perry and Trudeau has created a unique moment neither of them wants to ignore.The public is fascinated by them, so it's a no-brainer for them to cash in on that interest, whether that's by producing a documentary or launching a product together, the source shared.This growing attention, fuelled by their very different worlds of pop music and politics, has made the couple one of the most talked-about new pairings. And that interest, insiders say, has opened the door to creative and business possibilities.According to sources, both Perry and Trudeau see themselves as creative people. Justin wants to dip his toe into the whole Hollywood thing, but he's a total newbie and acknowledges Katy will have to drive the ship with any project they team up on, the insider said.Rather than resisting that imbalance, Perry appears eager to take the lead. The source added that she is feeling more driven than she has in years. Katy is feeling so empowered, said the insider. Her whole world has opened up since she and Orlando finally pulled the plug on their nearly 10-year relationship. She's ambitious again, and Justin is a big part of that. Together, they want to be a power couple.Perrys past relationship with actor Orlando Bloom reportedly played a role in shaping her excitement about this new chapter. Sources claimed Bloom was not always comfortable with public attention or big ideas tied to their relationship.The insider alleged, Justin doesn't stick his nose up at her ideas and call them tacky, the way Orlando would. That's thrilling for Katy; she has a partner who fully embraces and supports her at every step. That support has reportedly given Perry a fresh sense of freedom and confidence, something she may not have felt in years.Trudeau, 53, and Perry, 41, first connected earlier in 2025s summer, two years after Trudeaus split from his wife, Sophie Gregoire. Insiders compared their high-profile pairing to this century's answer to JFK and Marilyn Monroe, highlighting just how much attention they attract together.Although their connection began quietly, public interest exploded in October when photos surfaced of the couple getting close during a yacht trip off the coast of Santa Barbara. The images quickly spread online, sparking fresh curiosity about their relationship. Months later, Perry made their relationship official on December 6 by sharing a photo with Trudeau during a trip to Tokyo on Instagram. Image credit : X @sweeneydailyx | Scooter Braun annoyed as athletes slide into Sydney Sweeneys DMs. Athletes in Sydney Sweeneys DMs spark tension with Scooter Braun Image credit : X @sweeneydailyx | Scooter Braun cant hide frustration over athletes DMing Sydney Sweeney Other issues between Sydney and Scooter behind the scenes Image credit : X @sweeneydailyx | Scooter Braun allegedly frustrated by athlete attention toward Sydney Sweeney Fans react strongly online Sweeney and Brauns relationship timeline Sydney Sweeneys love life is once again in the spotlight. New reports claim that professional athletes repeatedly sliding into the actresss direct messages have caused serious tension between her and her boyfriend, music executive Scooter Braun. While the couple has kept things low-key in public, insiders say trouble may be brewing behind closed doors.According to a report by The Sun, professional athletes have been constantly sending messages to Sweeney, 28, on social media. Sources claim the attention has frustrated Braun, 44, who reportedly finds the behaviour incredibly disrespectful.Despite the flood of messages, insiders say Sweeney does not engage with them. The source claimed the actress ignores the messages and blocks the sender. Still, the repeated attention has reportedly taken a toll on Braun, even if Sweeney herself is not encouraging it.Sources suggest the DM drama is not the only issue affecting the relationship. Insiders claim Braun was left feeling furious and disrespected last November after Sweeney was seen meeting her ex-fiance, Jonathan Davino, in Los Angeles.While no details were shared about the nature of that meeting, the source said it added strain to an already sensitive situation. The meeting reportedly stood out for Braun, especially given his concerns about boundaries within the relationship.Insiders also point to a deeper clash in lifestyles. One source described Braun as old school and said he struggles with Sweeneys need for independence. The insider explained, Sydney has always been fiercely independent. She values time alone, whether thats travelling by herself, going out with girlfriends, or just switching off. Scooter prefers togetherness, and hes still adjusting to that.The difference in expectations has reportedly been another source of friction, even as the couple continues to spend time together publicly.As reports spread online, fans were quick to share their opinions, many siding firmly with Sweeney. One user wrote, Cant handle having a bad bitch.not surprised. Another added, Toxic masculinity and insecurity right there. Others echoed similar views, with comments like, Dont date desirable women if you cant take the heat and Deal with it. You knew who you were getting involved with.One particularly harsh comment read, Scooter Braun, stop fawning over Sydney Sweeney and leave her alone. She deserves a better man than you, one with a conscience, unlike you. You support Zionism and genocide. You're not human; you're a monster. Leave her alone.Another fan summed it up by writing, Dont date a lady out of your league, and you wont live life in worry.Sweeney previously dated Jonathan Davino for nearly seven years before they split in March 2025. Braun was also married before, having spent seven years with mining heiress Yael Cohen, 38.Shortly after her breakup, Sweeney and Braun were first linked in June 2025 after meeting at the Bezos-Sanchez wedding in Venice. An industry source claimed Sweeney pursued Braun at the event. Though Braun reportedly worried about their 16-year age gap at first, the two quickly connected.Since then, the pair have been spotted together multiple times. They spent Labour Day weekend in Lake Tahoe, held hands during a double date with Sweeneys parents at a Los Angeles Halloween event in October, and were photographed sharing a steamy moment in New York Citys Central Park in November. The operation of water supply and electric transport systems has been suspended in Kyiv due to an emergency power outage initiated by Ukrenergo, Kyiv City State Administration has said on the website on Saturday. "Emergency power outage has been introduced in the city by order of Ukrenergo. The operation of water supply, heat supply, and electric transport systems has been suspended. Power engineers are currently carrying out restoration work," the administration said. Kyivpastrans utility company said on the Telegram channel that "due to the unstable situation in the power system, electric transport on the left and right banks of the capital has been temporarily suspended." "Kyivpastrans is launching duplicate bus routes. In particular, due to the temporary suspension of Borshchahivsky express tram, due to the lack of voltage, a bus service has already been organized on route 3t Starovokzalna Street to Kiltseva Road," the administration said. As reported, as a result of the attack on Kyiv by Russian troops on January 9, four people were killed and 25 were injured, including medics, rescuers and police officers. Some 19 multi-storey buildings, the Qatar embassy building, a tram depot, an unfinished multi-storey building, cars, a supermarket and a gas station were damaged, and windows in a kindergarten were broken. Paparazzi King Image credit : Netflix | Paparazzi King is the biggest true crime release of the weekend Platform: Netflix Netflix Release date: January 9, 2026 January 9, 2026 Episodes: 5 episodes dropped together Harlan Cobens Final Twist Image credit : Paramount | Harlan Coben's Final Twist marks the authors first step into true crime Platform: CBS and Paramount Plus CBS and Paramount Plus Release date: January 7, 2026 January 7, 2026 Episode pattern: Weekly releases Desert Law Image credit : A&E | Desert Law follows the Pima County Sheriffs Department across thousands of miles of Arizona desert Platform: A and E A and E Release date: January 7, 2026 January 7, 2026 Episode pattern: Weekly episodes Alaska State Troopers season 9 Image credit : A&E | Season 9 of Alaska State Troopers continues to show law enforcement in one of the toughest environments on earth Platform: A and E A and E Release date: January 7, 2026 January 7, 2026 Episode pattern: Weekly episodes Bad Boy Billionaires: India Image credit : Netflix | Bad Boy Billionaires: India became fully available heading into January Platform: Netflix Netflix Final episode release: December 31, 2025 December 31, 2025 Status in this window: Fully bingeable The second weekend of January 2026 delivered a strong wave of true crime content across streaming and television. Between January 8 and January 11, viewers were treated to stories rooted in real scandals real crimes and real investigations. Netflix led with a shocking celebrity focused docuseries while US cable networks rolled out fresh episodes centred on frontline policing and brutal murder cases.One long delayed financial crime series also became fully binge ready during this window. Together these releases offered a mix of global scandals emotional storytelling and raw law enforcement footage that made this weekend a standout moment for true crime fans.Paparazzi King is the biggest true crime release of the weekend. The series explores the rise of Italian paparazzo Fabrizio Corona and his alleged use of celebrity photos for blackmail and control. Through interviews and old footage it shows how fame power and crime blended during Italys tabloid boom. It is dark uncomfortable and very bingeable.Harlan Coben's Final Twist marks the authors first step into true crime. The premiere episode investigates a chilling double murder involving a young couple and their infant child. The show focuses on hidden grudges online harassment and missed warning signs. It feels more like a psychological deep dive than a standard crime recap.Desert Law follows the Pima County Sheriffs Department across thousands of miles of Arizona desert. The series captures real police work without filters or dramatic narration. Border crimes rescues and dangerous pursuits unfold in harsh terrain where backup can be far away. The setting alone adds tension to every case.Season nine of Alaska State Troopers continues to show law enforcement in one of the toughest environments on earth. New episodes feature remote crimes wildlife threats and emergency rescues where help is never close. The series remains grounded realistic and intense without trying to sensationalise danger.Bad Boy Billionaires: India became fully available heading into January. The series breaks down some of Indias biggest financial scandals using clear explanations and strong archival material. With the final episode finally released after years of delays it is now the right time to watch the full story from start to finish.This January weekend delivered both scale and substance. Netflix focused on global scandal while cable networks stayed close to real time policing and investigation. Whether you enjoy celebrity crime corporate fraud or frontline law enforcement this short window offered some of the strongest non fictional crime content of the year so far. Greece defended its backing of the contentious European UnionMercosur trade agreement this week, arguing the pact secures vital protections for iconic national products and opens vast new markets, even as farmers across the country escalated protests against the deal. Ministry of Rural Development sources said in a briefing that the agreementwhich links the EU with the 270-million-consumer Mercosur bloc of Brazil, The governments defense comes at a volatile moment. Farmers have manned tractors at key junctions in Thessaly and Macedonia for days, fearing a flood of cheap South American imports. However, officials insist the final deal includes a "handbrake" clause: if imports of sensitive goods like beef or poultry surge by more than 5% annually, the EU can automatically suspend them. The agreement secures Greek farmers and gives new prospects to our products, ministry officials stated, noting that Greeces vote in favor was strategic, as the deal had already secured a qualified majority in the EU Council. A central pillar of the government's argument is the protection of 21 Greek products with Geographical Indication (GI) status. Under the deal, items such as Feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and Samos wine will be shielded from imitation in the South American market. Officials highlighted that these protected goods typically command prices two to three times higher than generic competitors. Currently, Greek agri-food exports to the region stand at a modest 34.3 million, a figure the ministry expects to rise sharply as tariffs fall. The deal has deepened political divisions in Athens. While ruling New Democracy lawmakers supported the accompanying safeguards in a European Parliament vote on Dec. 16, opposition parties fractured. Ministry sources accused MEPs from the socialist Pasok party and the Left of "pure populism" for voting against the measures, noting that socialists in major agricultural powers like France and Spain supported them. Beyond agriculture, the government sees the deal as a boon for small businesses, which make up 97% of Greek exporters. The agreement aims to slash red tape and tariffs that currently hamper entry into Latin American markets. The European Commission has pledged to mobilize 45 billion for the EUs primary sector to ease the transition. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hailed the funding as proof that "Greeces voice is being heard," though it remains to be seen if this will be enough to clear the tractors from Greek highways. iefimerida.gr New Democracy has been the dominant political power in Greece in the last decade, taking the country forward and creating a wide social alliance of responsible patriotism and economic and social progress, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday, addressing the public at Moschato. Mitsotakis met with residents of the southwestern suburb shortly after meeting at the party headquarters in Moschato to cut the New Year's cake The premier referred to the massive geopolitical changes taking place and said that in these circumstances holding steady and maintaining a sense of safety for Greeks is a top priority, which they can experience with this party. He noted that on Thursday, an expression of that security will be visible with the delivery of the first of four French Belharra frigates, 'Kimon', which will arrive at Flisvos off Moschato on its way to the Navy base on Salamis island. "Perhaps this symbolic moment is the best indication to remember where we were in the past in terms of the Armed Forces' deterrence power, where we are today, and where we want to go," the PM said. Mitsotakis also referred to the government's work and reforms and said that "2026 will be a year that a lot more and great, key reforms will be implemented, so that we are prepared in 2027 to enter the final stretch" and citizens can trust the party once again in the spring elections that year. "I know it is not easy for a government ruling for the seventh year to keep its reformist drive. People may always feel a fatigue, be possibly charmed by some 'sirens' offering alternative proposals. I say to all: Let us be very careful. Greece has paid dearly for populist experiments in the past, and I would like to believe that these experiences have become learned lessons for citizens," the premier underlined. iefimerida.gr The Panhellenic Committee of the roadblocks will meet at midday to decide on the delegation of representatives for the meeting with the prime minister What is happening with the roadblocks A former vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has told the African Democratic Congress, ADC, that it does not have among its fold politicians in the calibre of late former President Muhammadu Buhari or Bola Tinubu, who he described as a resourceful, focused and determined master politicians. Baba-Ahmed suggested that the ADC will come to an end once the primary elections do not favour some of the top politicians within its folds. Speaking on Channels Television on Friday morning, Baba-Ahmed pointed out that the same people who built the All Progressives Congress, APC that, according to him, is misruling Nigeria today, are the same people who formed the ADC disgruntled about not having one seat in APC or receiving political appointments. Advertisement Some of them went all the way to Senate screening and are taking it back now to use the Nigerian people to fight the APC. I am not that gullible. I am able to ask questions right from the beginning of their respective political careers to where they are today, and I answer those questions negatively, he said. I have also highlighted the structure, many structural defects of PDP, that they are deluding themselves to think that Nigerians will agree to be deceived twice after bringing in APC, they go and remove the P and bring a D, and think that Nigerians will just fall for it, for the same people. I have told you that they dont have a Buhari in ADC where runners up will team up to support him. They dont have a Tinubu, a resourceful, focused and determined master politician. Im not praising Him, who has his own hidden agenda. They dont have it in ADC. The era of 2015 leading up to 2011 was that there was a subsistent promise after electing then President Jonathan, that does not exist. Now there isnt a promise issue. So everything about the coalition that happened before is not there. Now, the same people who brought in APC that Nigeria is so sorry about, are now asking Nigerians to please come and vote ADC. ARISE News reached out to Adichies media team, who confirmed that she did author the statement. According to her representatives, the message was originally sent privately to family members and a few close friends. My son would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6th. We were in Lagos for Christmas. Nkanu had what we first thought was just a cold, but soon turned into a very serious infection and he was admitted to Atlantis hospital. Advertisement He was to travel to the US the next day, January 7th, accompanied by Travelling Doctors. A team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore. The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI. The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a central line (used to administer iv medications) in preparation for Nkanus flight. Atlantis hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have the procedures done. The morning of the 6th, we left Atlantis hospital for Euracare, Nkanu carried in his fathers arms. We were told he would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the central line procedure. I was waiting just outside the theater. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theater and immediately knew something had happened. A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated. But suddenly Nkanu was on a ventilator, he was intubated and placed in the ICU. The next thing I heard was that he had seizures. Cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone It turns out that Nkanu was NEVER monitored after being given too much propofol. The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theater, so nobody knows when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive. How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him? Later, after the central line procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanus oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU! The anesthesiologist was CRIMINALLY negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed. We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures. And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. It is like living your worst nightmare. I will never survive the loss of my child. We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child. United States President Donald Trump has acknowledged that Muslims are also among those being killed in Nigeria, while warning that the U.S. could carry out additional airstrikes if the violence persists. The warning followed recent U.S. military action in Nigeria and drew international reactions, including condemnation from Pope Leo XIV, who criticised attacks on sovereign nations by the United States, Russia, and others. On Christmas Day, U.S. forces bombed two camps operated by a jihadist group known as Lakurawa in Sokoto State, a predominantly Muslim area in north-western Nigeria close to the Niger border. The strikes came roughly a month after Trump publicly threatened to deploy U.S. troops into Nigeria guns-a-blazing to wipe out the terrorists killing our cherished Christians, amid repeated claims by some American politicians that Christians are being targeted for genocide in the country. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have released casualty figures from the operation, and no official assessment of the outcome has been made public. In an interview with The New York Times, Trump suggested that further military action remains an option, stating: Id love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike. Nigerias government has consistently rejected accusations that it is failing to protect Christians from extremist violence. However, it has expressed willingness to work with the United States and other allied nations to address the countrys security challenges. In October, Trumps senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, said Boko Haram and ISIS were killing more Muslims than Christians. Responding to that assessment, Trump said: I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But its mostly Christians. Shaina Taub as Alice Paul in "Suffs" on Broadway. The touring musical runs at the Academy of Music through Jan. 18. Read more Broadway playwright, composer, and actor Shaina Taub knows the power of theater to make a political statement. As an enthusiastic teen in Vermont, Taub staged a teach-in to protest the Iraq War at her high school a bold move inspired by the anti-war musical Hair. About a decade later, when she was approached to write a musical about the suffrage movement, Taub recognized another meaningful opportunity to blend activism with theater. Advertisement The one challenge: She was pretty unfamiliar with the American women who fought for the right to vote. I really didnt know anything, Taub said. She was stunned, but her feelings turned into frustration as she concluded that her American public school education had been seriously lacking. I was blown back by the scope of this history, she said. That fueled her to create Suffs, the hit musical about the suffrage movement centered on South Jersey Quaker activist Alice Paul, a radical and charismatic organizer played fittingly by Taub herself in the Off-Broadway and Broadway runs. After premiering in 2022 at New Yorks Public Theater for a sold-out run following the trajectory of another history musical box-office success, Hamilton Suffs opened on Broadway in 2024. It went on to earn six Tony Award nominations. Taub took home two, for best book and best score, making history as the first woman to win in both categories independently on a night where Hillary Clinton, a Suffs coproducer, introduced Taub and the cast. Now on its first North American tour, Suffs has landed at Philadelphias Academy of Music this week (running through Jan. 18) to help kick off a year of events commemorating the 250th anniversary of the nations founding. The musical graces the same stage where suffragist Susan B. Anthony once spoke some 150 years ago advocating for the right to vote. Though mostly set in the District of Columbia, Suffs has some local shout-outs, too: The show mentions Swarthmore College, where Paul studied before pursuing her masters at the University of Pennsylvania, and Bryn Mawr College, where President Woodrow Wilson (Suffs main antagonist) once taught history and politics. On opening night at the Academy of Music, director Leigh Silverman nodded to Philadelphias history in the suffrage movement, mentioning the protests Paul organized at Independence Hall, only a mile away, and across the city. The suffs you met tonight, and the many, many others were here in Philadelphia, and they remind us of our collective strength and what is possible when we stand up and fight, despite how far it might seem like we have to go, or for how long we have to keep marching, she said. Taub echoed that sentiment in an interview. She believes the tour has been especially significant to stage under President Donald Trump following his policies canceling millions in federal grants for arts organizations nationwide and targeting historical institutions (particularly in Philadelphia) to alter the information they present to the public about slavery. This is the first year of Suffs being performed under this president, and [it feels like] a radical act to get together in the theater and tell these stories, Taub said. She added that its acutely meaningful to see the show in Philadelphia as the city reflects on the nations history for America250 this year. Though the actor/playwright grew up in Vermont, she saw shows in Philadelphia as a kid when she visited family in South Jersey; her mother, Susan Taub, was raised in Cherry Hill, just a few miles down the road from Pauls childhood home in Mount Laurel. Today, it serves as the location of the Alice Paul Center for Gender Justice. Despite her connections to the region, Taub admitted that she has not yet visited Pauls home. She plans to march over there soon. Suffs. Through Jan. 18, Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. ensembleartsphilly.org A Sheetz is pictured in Berwick, Pa. in 2022. The chain has set an opening date for its first store located solidly in the Philadelphia area, which has long been Wawa territory. Read more Sheetzs encroachment into Wawa territory has an official ETA. The Altoona-based convenience store chain is set to open its first Philadelphia-area store on Feb. 12 in Limerick Township, Montgomery County, according to Sheetz public affairs manager Nick Ruffner. Advertisement It will be located at 454 W. Ridge Pike, across the street from an existing Wawa. Sheetz presented its site plans to Limericks board of supervisors about a year ago. The area was already zoned for this type of development, officials said at the time, and no other township permits were required. As Sheetz continues its expansion into communities near its existing footprint, we remain committed to being the best neighbor we can be and delivering the convenience, quality, and service Pennsylvania communities have come to expect from us for more than 70 years, Ruffner said in a statement. For decades, Sheetz opened its convenience-store gas stations in the western and central parts of the Commonwealth, while Wawa added locations in communities near its Delaware County headquarters. Over the years, both companies expanded into other states: Wawa has more than 1,100 locations in 13 states and Washington, D.C., while Sheetz has more than 800 stores in seven states. READ MORE: Sheetz president and CEO dies, but the convenience store rivalry is eternal But neither of the two chains would encroach on the others traditional strongholds in Pennsylvania. At least for a while. That changed in 2024, when Wawa opened its first central Pennsylvania store. The location outside Harrisburg was within eyesight of a Sheetz. By this October, Wawa announced it had opened its 10th central Pennsylvania store. At the time, the company said in a news release that it planned to add five to seven new locations in the region each year for the next five years to reach new Pennsylvania markets along the Susquehanna River. Wawa plans to open its first outposts in the State College area, near Penn States campus. READ MORE: Wawa and Sheetz tied at No. 2 for customer satisfaction in national survey As of early January, Sheetzs closest store to Philadelphia is just over the Chester County border in Morgantown. But along with the forthcoming Limerick location, Sheetz has also expressed interest in opening at least one store in western Chester County. This fall, Sheetz presented Caln Township officials with a sketch plan for a store on the site of a former Rite Aid on the 3800 block of Lincoln Highway in Thorndale, according to the township website. Sheetzs namesake, Stephen G. Sheetz, died Sunday due to complications from pneumonia. The former president, CEO, and board chairman was 77. Above all, Uncle Steve was the center of our family, Sheetz president and CEO Travis Sheetz said in a statement. We are so deeply grateful for his leadership, vision, and steadfast commitment to our employees, customers, and communities. Croque madame at Caribou Cafe When the server at this long-running French brasserie in Washington Square West delivered my croque madame for lunch Thursday, I was taken aback by its size and beauty. If ever a sandwich deserved a place in the Louvre, this was it. The thick-sliced brioche bread was toasted golden and crispy, the Parisian jambon (ham) and cheese within were grilled to perfection, and a decadent bechamel sauce was drizzled over the bread and spooned in a perfect circle around the entire sandwich. A well-executed sunny-side up egg atop was sprinkled with paprika and julienned ribbons of fresh herbs. Of course, once I dove into it, this croque madame went from beautiful to big ol mess very quickly but it tasted delightful. Should I have eaten a salad for my first lunch out of the year? Perhaps. Do I have any regrets? None whatsoever. Not only was the food good, Caribous French-inspired decor always has a way of transporting me to Europe while still in Center City. Philadelphia. Caribou Cafe, 1126 Walnut St., 267-951-2190, cariboucafe.com Advertisement Stephanie Farr Salmon beurre at Cleo Bagels On a rainy day in West Philly, I found myself wanting to switch it up from a classic Nova lox sandwich but not veer too far from it at the same time. The salmon beurre, a recurring special at Cleo Bagels, was the perfect fit. Served on a garlic zaatar bialy (one of my favorite bialys in the city), this lighter sandwich pairs a schmear of fancy cultured butter with lox and cornichon pickles. Its a pleasant, balanced, and just-filling-enough bite Im sure to repeat. Cleo Bagels, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 215-282-7292, cleobagels.com Emily Bloch Breakfast sandwich at Matines Cafe The day after New Years was cold and gray, and the prospect of going back to the grindstone was a grim one, and the only sensible salve for that was a breakfast sandwich. (Judging by this weeks other Best Things entries, I wasnt alone in that sentiment.) So I swung by Chestnut Hills Matines Cafe now in a larger, new-ish space just off the main drag on Highland Avenue and ordered their signature breakfast sandwich, which comes with scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar. And I chose to have it on a croissant instead of a baguette for all of the aforementioned reasons, not to mention Matines owners are French and know their way around viennoiserie. Split just enough to tuck in a sizable scoop of fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy strips of bacon, and a scant layer of cheddar, the croissant sandwich scratched my itch for something savory and slightly decadent and managed to do that without flaking or falling apart. Paired with a big mug of black coffee and its accompanying tuft of balsamic-dressed side salad, it got the first workday of the year off to a very satisfying start. Ill be more than happy to return to try one of Matines other breakfast-sandwich varieties, including avocado with turkey and Swiss, salmon with brie, and black truffle-parmesan-prosciutto. Matines Cafe, 23 W. Highland Ave., 215-621-6667, matinescafe.com Jenn Ladd Photo: screenshot French President Emmanuel Macron gathered on Thursday, January 8, political forces represented in the French parliament to present to them a project to deploy several thousand French soldiers in Ukraine after the conclusion of a peace agreement, Le Monde reports. "We will not be on the frontline, but we will be in Ukraine to support the Ukrainian army," Macron said, assuring that international forces will accompany Ukrainians "far from the frontline." The closed meeting was attended by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces General Fabien Mandon, Speakers of the National Assembly Yael Braun-Pivet and Senate Gerard Larcher, heads of parliamentary factions, party leaders and heads of the foreign affairs and defense committees in parliament, a total of about thirty people. According to the publication, all political forces were present at the meeting, including those who were most skeptical about sending troops to Ukraine. "The French forces will be neither a mediation force nor a stabilization force," Mandon clarified during the meeting, stating that they were "a force to provide support to the Ukrainian army." After the meeting, parliamentarian Mathilde Panot said that Paris could send "6,000 French soldiers" to Ukraine. Macron also shared with the politicians at the meeting "confidential information" about France's contribution "so that everyone has a clear idea of the stakes," the head of state's entourage clarified. He said "important progress," which, in his opinion, is the U.S. support for the security guarantees that the Europeans will provide to Ukraine, such as sending ground forces to prevent any new Russian attacks when a possible ceasefire comes into force. According to the publication, none of the participants in the meeting expressed a principled objection to the mechanism presented by the head of state, and some parliamentarians saw the proposed coalition of volunteers as a possible alternative to NATO. However, the "backstop," that is, the promise of U.S. intervention in the event of Russia's violation of a possible ceasefire, sparked discussion. A number of deputies noted that they did not trust the U.S. promises, others expressed fears of "an outbreak of conflict," opposed unification with the U.S. and advocated for "UN peacekeeping forces." Lecornu agreed with the "need to involve parliament in the discussions." The debate will take place "within two to three weeks," in accordance with Article 50-1 of the Constitution, with or without a vote, he said. Adam Cesare knew by the third date that if he and his future wife were going to end up together, he was going to have to start calling sub sandwiches hoagies. Shes a Philly lifer, the New York-born, USA Today best-selling author said. Sure enough, after graduating from college in Boston, the couple relocated to Philadelphia, where Cesare threw himself into the citys film and literary scenes. I took to Philly like a fish to water, Cesare said. That was 15 years ago. Fast forward to today, and the former high school English teacher is an acclaimed local author with more than a dozen horror novels under his belt, including the popular Clown in a Cornfield series, the first of which was adapted for the big screen and released in theaters this past summer. Now, Cesare is gearing up to release Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! Advertisement When hes not busy editing his manuscript, Cesare still loves to explore Phillys extensive film and lit scenes, roaming through used bookstores or catching a flick at PhilaMOCA. Heres how Adam Cesare would spend a perfect day in Philadelphia. 9 a.m. First, I would make sure its not a Sunday because I want to go to Beilers Doughnuts in Reading Terminal, and its closed on Sundays. 11 a.m. After Beilers, Id pop over to Old City to go to The Book Trader. I could name-drop all the current new bookstores, but theres something about used bookstores that I really like. Id swing by the comics shop, Brave New Worlds, because its right next door, then Id head to Mostly Books on Bainbridge. I love that place. Its great because they have a pretty decent VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray selection too, so Ill get a few movies. I might also pop into the Philly AIDS Thrift. Its fun to walk around. They have a good book section. Its mostly general fiction. I like their physical media section too. You can get the DVD or VHS of every television series thats been kicked off Netflix. 1 p.m. For lunch, Im definitely going to Monster Vegan. It is what it sounds like. It is a really good vegan restaurant themed on monsters. They play clips from Count Yorga and stuff on the walls. They do events, too. I once saw Lloyd Kaufman present Class of Nuke Em High. 3 p.m. After lunch, I might drive over to Manayunk to check out Thrillerdelphia. Its a new bookstore that exclusively sells horror and thrillers. They just opened two months ago, and I did one of their first events. Theyre really nice people, and they have a great selection. 5 p.m. Its time to beam back down to South Street for dinner and a movie. On a perfect day, Im going to Royal Izakaya, a Japanese restaurant I like to go to on my birthday. Since money is no object on my perfect day, Ill order the omakase. Let the chef decide. 7 p.m. There are so many good places to see a movie in Philly. Theres the Philadelphia Film Society. Theres also PhilaMOCA. Its probably my favorite place to go. They work closely with Exhumed Films, which is a group of film fans who screen 35mm and 16mm films from their private collection in local theaters. They do a lot of work with The Colonial in Phoenixville as well. The last time I went to PhilaMOCA, I saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and John Cameron Mitchell was there doing a live commentary, which was sick. They do really cool stuff like that all the time. 9 p.m. That was a full day. Im good for bed now. Best friends Lizzy Seitel (from left), Rachel Neuschatz, and Rachel Luban prepare a house dinner in a kitchen of their shared West Mount Airy home. The Rachels coparent the dog. Read more The Rachels met each other when they were 5 and 6 years old, and they met Lizzy Seitel who would come to be known as one of the Rachels despite her name in middle school. They all lived in the D.C. area, and one weekend they took part in a retreat with Cheder, a progressive Jewish community in the area. In Seitels recollection, they listened to Ani DiFranco, went skinny-dipping, and talked about their fears. Advertisement It was just a really crazy, beautiful, life-affirming teenage moment, Seitel, now 38, said. It also marked the beginning of a very long friendship. Soon after, Rachel (Luban), Rachel (Neuschatz), and Seitel began celebrating winter solstice together with a witchy ritual drawn from a pagan book. In the quarter-century since, theyve never missed the solstice. The Rachels went to the same college; Lizzy went elsewhere. Then, after living apart for some years in their 20s, they decided to settle down, together. By that point, Seitel had married Serge Levin (he grew up in a communal house in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, and was game for an alternative arrangement) and was pregnant with their first child. In 2022 the four bought a giant old stone house in Mount Airy, where they now live communally. They have a shared bank account for the mortgage, house maintenance, and utilities, along with a shared backyard, basement, porch, and Google calendar. The Rachels, who both have romantic partners living elsewhere, coparent a dog. Seitel and Levins two young children call the Rachels Aunt Lu and Aunt Nu. The following, as told to Zoe Greenberg in separate interviews, has been edited for length and clarity and combined. On meeting each other as kids Rachel Neuschatz: I consider myself a red diaper baby [a term to describe the kids of radical/Communist parents]. We lived in a single family home, but we were always involved with the Jewish community Cheder. Rachel Luban and I were in it starting from age 5. Lizzy Seitel: I grew up in a pretty typical nuclear family, in most ways. But my parents always had an extra room, and they were always having people come stay with us. There was this feeling of people coming in and out, and I really loved that just the idea of family being expansive. It was always my fantasy to live in a boarding house. Rachel Luban: I feel like we raised each other, and those relationships have always felt as central to me as romantic relationships. Romantic partnership was part of my vision, but as a kid I would never dream about getting married. On the palace of dreams Lizzy Seitel: The Rachels and I always talked about creating a palace of dreams. Rachel Neuschatz: Wed always talked very vaguely about living together. Of course, people loved to tell us it wouldnt work, which is a very funny, ubiquitous response. Rachel Luban: We had been talking for many years about wanting a more communal living situation, some kind of cohousing. We didnt know exactly what that would look like. Lizzy was very rooted in Philly. Shed been here for maybe 10 years, she was married, she was pregnant. So both Rachel and I decided to move to Philly in 2019. We moved within a month of each other, and we were all living in separate apartments in South Philly. On choosing to buy a house together Lizzy Seitel: Having a kid, and then it being the pandemic, it was like, Oh yeah, the nuclear family is bulls. This is not how anyone should raise kids. Rachel Luban: Even though we were all living in South Philly, less than a half hour walk from each other, it felt like seeing each other had to be this big planned thing and you had to clear your night for it. We wanted lower barriers to spending time together, and more incidental interactions. On searching for the right place Rachel Luban: There was really no road map, and that was very challenging. We didnt have many people to talk to. There are all of these logistics to figure out: Should we become an LLC? We decided not to do that, because then we would need a commercial mortgage. We wanted a single structure that had separate units. So everyone has their own door, everyone has their own kitchen, but there are some common spaces, and were all really close together. We made our own basic boundaries about what percentage of the property each person would own and therefore, what percentage of the finances they would be responsible for. Our runner-up was this former nunnery that was three huge conjoined West Philly rowhomes. It had one giant kitchen, 13 bathrooms, and a lot of institutional carpeting. It was kind of cool, but also just an insane space. The place we eventually found felt like it fell from heaven, because nothing else came close. On committing Lizzy Seitel: I knew that these are the people that are the most committed to me, besides Serge. I know we can fight and that were always gonna want to come back together. Theres no question of, is this friendship gonna last? Were gonna make it last. Rachel Luban: A lot of people, including lawyers, told us not to do this. They were like, You intertwine your lives, and then somebody has a falling out, or somebody wants to move, and then youre in a mess. In a certain way, I think it required the kind of psychological commitment that people make when they get married, where theyre throwing their chips in together. Knowing that if something happens, it could be really messy. We decided we trust each other enough to think that if something changes, everyone will act with good faith. On their friendships now Rachel Luban: You get to know people in a different way, and your fates are more tied together. We had to replace our entire heating system, which is actually three different heating systems. Theres a range of different feelings about spending money and what kind of upkeep the house needs. Even whether we should mow the lawn was a discussion that we had to have. Lizzy Seitel: We might not live in this house or in this arrangement for every year until we die, but were thinking that far ahead about aging and wanting to be together in this life. That feels like a commitment to each others future. Rachel Neuschatz: Probably I will not formally parent. Maybe itll still happen, but thats not on my bucket list. Lizzys kids are like my niblings nieces and nephews. On telling other people: Rachel Luban: Most people are like, Im jealous. I want to do that. Then a minority of people are like, Thats my personal hell. Lizzy Seitel: I feel like theres this thing of people not knowing that theyre allowed to commit to their friends, or have their friends commit to them. Rachel Neuschatz: I cap myself from gushing too much, because I dont want to be a jerk. But yeah, its a goddamn paradise that weve made ourselves. This is part of an occasional series about life partners across the Philadelphia area. If you want to share your story about who youre navigating life with romantically or otherwise, write to lifepartners@inquirer.com. We wont publish anything without speaking to you first. Armed members of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, including Paul Birdsong (right), stand among the crowd of protesters as they march throughout Center City on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, to rally against the killing of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Read more As the Trump administration increases the presence of federal agents in U.S. cities, a local group identifying as part of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense has become more active in Philadelphia. The group says it is a resurgence of the militant Black power group dating back to the 1960s, and has been trained by some of the original partys surviving members. Several attended an anti-ICE protest Thursday at Philadelphia City Hall, carrying military-style weapons. Advertisement They say theyre legally permitted to carry firearms and are showing up as a response to violence from the Trump administration. The group has been holding regular weekly free food programs in North Philadelphia for several years, according to 39-year-old Paul Birdsong of West Philadelphia, who identifies himself as the Black Panther Partys national chairman. Birdsong and others attended the Philly protest one day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. That wouldnt have happened if we were there, Birdsong said. Not a single person would have gotten touched. Millions of people have watched videos of the shooting online, sparking national protests. The Trump administration quickly defended the shooter, with JD Vance asserting Ross has absolute immunity and was doing his job. Some have rejected Vances suggestion that Ross couldnt be tried by the state, and Minnesota leaders Friday renewed their calls for state involvement in an investigation of the shooting. Birdsong said the group wants to see ICE abolished and the Trump administration held accountable. You got people that are part of a cabal, that are self serving ... and they prey on the common folks of the United States, Birdsong said. A free food program Birdsong said he was recruited by members of the Black Panther Party in the wake of the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, and he listed several surviving elders of the group as mentors. The Philly chapter has less than 100 members, he said, though he declined to provide more detail. On Friday evening, Birdsong and several other Black Panther Party members set up a pop-up food pantry outside Church of the Advocate at the corner of 18th and Diamond Streets in North Philadelphia. The members laid out bananas, grapes, salad greens, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, apples, pears, celery, peppers, and mushrooms on folding tables. They added bread, Tastykakes immediately popular with passing children canned food, and hygiene items like shampoo, COVID-19 test kits, and adult undergarments. On another table were childrens clothes and a large pot of chicken soup, all near a banner with the Black Panthers logo. Birdsong said the money to buy the food comes from members own paychecks, as well as donations from people in the community. It really helps out, said Dawn Henkins, 60, who lives nearby. She said its especially helpful for older people who are living on a fixed income. The brothers can help people they are here for the people," Henkins said. The Black Panthers previously held food programs at 33rd Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue in Strawberry Mansion, and at Jefferson Square Park in Pennsport, Birdsong said. More recently, the group was able to move into 2123 N. Gratz St. a North Philadelphia location that Birdsong says once was a headquarters for the original Black Panther Party Philadelphia chapter. The original Black Panther Party was founded by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in Oakland, Calif., in 1966 and was active nationally until the early 1980s. The group formed to fight against police brutality and quickly evolved to promote other social changes including prison reform and access to education, food, and healthcare, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The group was soon targeted by J. Edgar Hoovers FBI, which sought to discredit, disrupt, and destroy the Black rights movement, according to UC Berkeley Library. Two Black Panthers in Chicago, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, were killed in a Chicago police raid that was later revealed to have been coordinated by the FBI. The Philadelphia chapter was active from 1968 until 1973, according to a University of Washington website that maps U.S. social movements. Prominent local figures from this era include Sultan Ahmad, who went on to hold roles in city government, and Paula Peebles, a social activist who stayed involved in the Black Panthers for much of her life. One person who stopped by for soup on Friday, Jerome Hill, 63, said he can distantly remember the days when Episcopalian pastor and social activist the Rev. Paul Washington let the Black Panthers hold events at Church of the Advocate. They primarily were always community oriented, Hill said. He said hes glad to see the group handing out food, and added that they could serve as role models for younger people in the neighborhood. While one member of the group served up chicken soup to several boys who stopped by the tables, another member stood at the corner holding an AK-47-style rifle. I feel like were welcome, said one member, also carrying a firearm, who identified himself as Comrade Arch. He said he was a fan of the original group growing up, and he joined a few months ago. Ive always had a revolutionary spirit. Under a canopy behind the tables, Birdsong moved back his jacket to reveal a modern MP5, a weapon that has its origins in German submachine guns. He also carried two semiautomatic handguns. Its a controversial posture: Many pro-democracy advocates and experts on civil rights emphasize that nonviolence is essential to successful protest movements. The law says you can carry a gun in Philadelphia but only if you have a license to carry firearms, according to Dillon Harris, an attorney who focuses on gun rights. Open carry, or carrying a firearm in a way that it can be plainly seen by others, is generally lawful in Pennsylvania, except for in prohibited locations such as federal buildings, said Harris. But Philadelphia is an exception to this rule, Harris said. A state law prohibits carrying firearms in a first class city without a license to carry firearms. That statute applies to Philadelphia. But while many civil rights advocates argue that firearms tend to escalate violent confrontations, rather than prevent them, its long been part of the Black Panthers tactics, and Birdsong pushed back against that idea. We feel safe, Birdsong said. No police, no drug dealers doing anything to us here. Sheriff Rochelle Bilal has garnered national headlines and condemnation for calling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement fake, wannabe law enforcement and sending a blunt warning to immigration officers who commit crimes in Philadelphia. If any [ICE agents] want to come in this city and commit a crime, you will not be able to hide, nobody will whisk you off, Bilal said. You dont want this smoke, cause we will bring it to you. The criminal in the White House would not be able to keep you from going to jail. Advertisement Bilal made the now-viral remarks at a news conference Thursday alongside Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who vowed to prosecute law enforcement officers who commit crimes. The news conference was held in response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE officer Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis. READ MORE: DA Krasner condemns fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, says officers who commit crimes in Philly will be convicted Since then, clips of Bilal have circled social media with one post on X amassing 1.6 million views and more than 91,000 likes as of Saturday afternoon and the sheriffs name has been invoked in Fox News, Newsweek, and HuffPost headlines, among others. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said his department has been inundated with calls and emails, leading him to put out a statement Friday affirming that the sheriffs office is a separate entity from the Philadelphia Police Department. One Florida politician said Bilal should be arrested. The sheriffs office and a spokesperson for Bilal did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday. In an interview with CNNs Erin Burnett, Bilal said enough is enough. People are tired of these people coming into the city, masked up basically all masked up and pulling people out and causing havoc, Bilal told the network. This was supposed to be helping cities out, this was supposed to be eliminating crime, but yet, you are committing them here, you are putting people in fear, you are breaking up families. Bilal spoke for less than four minutes at the Thursday news conference. She upbraided ICE agents for wearing masks that obscure their faces and said their actions violate not only legal law but the moral law. Law enforcement professionals around the country do their job, and we have been fighting for years to build that bridge between us and our communities, Bilal said. You had one negative nutcase that causes this problem and now we all have to fight again to let people know law enforcement works with communities. READ MORE: Hundreds protest in Philadelphia against Minneapolis ICE shooting Some praised Bilal on social media. Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney, wrote on Facebook, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal didnt hold back. Tragedies like this happen when agents operate in our communities with little to no oversight. Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania GOP posted on X, When local law enforcement stands with criminals rather than people keeping our communities safe, you know theres a problem. Rhetoric like this only makes this situation more dangerous for federal law enforcement and the city of Philadelphia. A video of Bilals statement was also posted by LibsofTikTok, a controversial far-right social media account. That post had more than 746,800 views and 8,500 likes as of Saturday afternoon. U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican from Florida, responded to LibsofTikToks post, writing, She should be arrested. The Philadelphia Sheriffs Office does not police the city; instead, the offices core functions are deploying deputies to the countys courtrooms and transporting in-custody defendants to court. In his statement, Police Commissioner Bethel distinguished the roles of the sheriffs office and the police department, noting that the sheriffs office does not conduct criminal investigations, nor does it in any way direct municipal policing. The sheriff is an elected official, while police commissioners are appointed by the mayor. The Philadelphia Police Department will continue to work professionally with all of our enforcement partners, Bethel said. But clear lines of authority and accurate public representation of those roles are essential to maintaining public trust and effective public safety operations. Under Bilal who took office in 2020 theres been a series of breakdowns in the sheriffs office, The Inquirer has reported, including misappropriated funds, lax courthouse security, mishandled domestic-abuse cases, and allegations of missing guns. The issues have renewed calls to reform or abolish the embattled office. READ MORE: Phillys financial watchdog calls for abolition of Sheriffs Office and Register of Wills Five Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration for freezing their share of federal food, housing, and childcare assistance dollars, saying officials failed to justify the sweeping actions that could strip billions in aid from needy families. New York, along with California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota, asked for a temporary restraining order that would allow them to continue receiving the funds, in a lawsuit filed Thursday evening with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Advertisement The states argued that the Administration for Children and Families, which is within the Department of Health and Human Services, provided no evidence of fraud and acted illegally by enacting sanctions within the three welfare programs without following processes laid out by law. The administration wrote to the states earlier this week that the freeze was necessary to prevent potential fraud but didnt detail what it meant, according to letters viewed by the Washington Post. I will not allow this administration to play political games with the resources families need to help make ends meet, New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) said in a statement. State officials and child advocates have said the funding freeze would wreak havoc on families relying on childcare aid and could cause ripple effects if parents are forced to quit their jobs to care for children or daycare centers shut down permanently. HHS General Counsel Mike Stuart wrote on X late Thursday that the agency stands by its decision to take this action to defend American taxpayers. We identified serious concerns in these states that warranted immediate review and action, he wrote. These same officials were complicit in this perpetuation of this fraud and allowing it to happen. Minnesota was already in the administrations crosshairs amid investigations into billions of federal dollars authorities say were fraudulently claimed by individuals and groups purporting to help the states low-income population. HHS broadened its crackdown this week, saying nearly $2.4 billion in childcare grants have been frozen to the five states, as well as $7.35 billion in temporary grants for needy families and $869 million in social services funds. These programs help cover childcare, housing, food, and home utility costs for families with low incomes. Democratic leaders in those states blasted the move as politically motivated. Before the lawsuit was filed Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) told reporters that the administration is coming after Democratic governors, five of us, for no reason at all. I want them to know this, that you may think youre punishing me as a Democrat, but this is a county program, she said, referring to safety net programs in New York partly funded with federal dollars. We are simply the pass-through. The money goes to providers selected by the counties. They run this. Under the freeze, the states must submit justification and receipts before being able to collect funds from any of the programs. The administration wrote in letters to the states that the freeze wouldnt be lifted until they put in place more verification measures to ensure the funds are being used properly for eligible recipients. A letter from HHSs Administration for Children and Families to Colorado said the administration is committed to rooting out fraud and expressed concern that Colorado is providing illegal aliens government benefits. Fraud investigations into the three programs targeted by the administration are typically handled by states, former HHS officials said. New Yorks Office of the Welfare Inspector General reported it secured nearly $600,000 in fraud-related restitution in 2024, for example. The administration froze childcare funding to nearly a dozen daycare facilities in Minnesota in late December after a viral video alleged they were collecting funds without caring for children claims the state has rebutted. Federal prosecutors have charged 92 people with committing fraud in other, Medicaid-funded programs in the state. All five states involved in the lawsuit filed Thursday are among more than two dozen states that previously sued the Trump administration over withholding other federal funds including for education, disaster relief and public health, arguing the actions jeopardize critical services. 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 Photo: https://www.facebook.com/vadym.filashkin/ A resident of the village of Zelene, Kramatorsk district, Donetsk region, died, two more residents of the district were injured as a result of Russian shelling in the past day, Head of Donetsk regional military administration Vadym Filashkin has said on Saturday morning. "Kramatorsk district. In Sloviansk, 11 households, four cars, power grids and a gas pipeline were damaged. In Zelene, Oleksandrivska community, one person was killed and one injured, five high-rise buildings and a power grid were damaged. In Druzhkivka, three households were damaged; in Kindrativka, a person was injured," Filashkin said on Telegram. In addition, in Sviato-Pokrovsk, Siversk community, Bakhmut district, a household was damaged by shelling, and in Dobropillia, Pokrovsk district, two administrative buildings and four infrastructure facilities were damaged. In Bilozersk, Pokrovsk district, a five-story residential building was destroyed, and eight more apartment buildings were damaged. In total, the Russians shelled settlements in Donetsk region 20 times in a day; some 150 people, including 35 children, were evacuated from the frontline. Photo: https://t.me/Kyrylo_Budanov_Official An expanded meeting on corruption in the Territorial Centers for Recruiting and Social Support and numerous cases of absent without leave (AWOL) by servicemen was held with the participation of the heads of defense and law enforcement agencies, Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov has said. "Held an expanded meeting with the leadership of the General Staff, the Ground Forces, the Supreme Military Council and the heads of the country's law enforcement agencies. On the agenda is combating corruption in the Territorial Centers for Recruiting and Social Support system and the issue of AWOL in the army. Abuse of official duties and undermining military discipline are unacceptable. We are studying the issues of these issues and preparing clear and effective solutions," Budanov said on Telegram on Saturday following the meeting. He also said corruption in the Territorial Centers for Recruiting and Social Support system, as well as AWOL in the army, are "problems that affect our defense capability." The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will spend GBP 200 million to prepare British troops for deployment in Ukraine at the time of the end of the war with Russia, British Defense Secretary John Healey has said. "Today I am confirming we are committed 200 million pounds to prepare British troops in the event of a peace deal, to be able to start deploying from day one. And why we're starting to manufacture, in Britain, this month, new interceptors that will stop the Shahed drones," Healey said in a video message posted on the X social media platform on Saturday. "We've taken Ukrainian IP [intellectual property], we've applied modern British manufacturing methods. We'll mass manufacture them. We'll get them back into Ukraine, thousands per month. And we will help, at the same time, Ukraine stay in the fight today. And help secure the long-term peace tomorrow," the secretary added. He had previously said that the funds would be used to modernise vehicles and communications systems, protect against drones and other equipment to ensure the troops are ready for deployment. On Friday, Healey also announced that production of new Octopus drones for Ukraine, designed to intercept Russian drones attacking civilian targets. The UK plans to produce thousands of drones each month, with each Octopus costing just 10% of the cost of the drones they are designed to intercept. TENS OF thousands of Irish farmers arrive in Athlone today to protest the passing of the Mercosur agreement, the landmark trade deal between Europe and South America. They join their colleagues across Europe who must now wait to judge the impact of the agreement. Depending on who you speak to in Europe, Mercosur is either a win for European exporters and consumers in a period of uncertainty related to global trade and tariffs or it's a bad deal for the continent and will unleash a wave of beef and other agricultural products that will undermine the Irish and European farmers. Opposition led by France, Ireland and Poland failed to prevent the deal from being passed this week, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to travel to Paraguay in the coming days to sign the deal. Ireland's opposition to the deal at a Government level is also noteworthy, given our general pro-European stance and export-led economy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered significant concessions this week to get the deal over the line. Mercosur (Mercado Comun del Sur) is the South American trade bloc formed in 1991 by founding members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Today, the full members include the founding members and Bolivia, which joined in 2024. Venezuela, currently preoccupied with the loss of its president, was a full member in 2012 but is currently suspended due to non-compliance. A trade deal between the South American countries and the EU has been 25 years in the making and will be the EUs largest in terms of tariff cuts. The EU is already Mercosurs second-largest trading partners in goods after China, but ahead of the US, with exports of 57bn in 2024. The EU also accounts for a quarter of the total Mercosur trade in services, amounting to 29bn in 2023. Benefits for EU The proponents of the trade agreement say the deal will allow European exporters to sell far more products into South America at more favourable conditions than the US or Asian products. One estimate puts savings for European exporters at 4bn per year through the elimination of tariffs. The EU Commission and proponents such as Germany and Spain say the deal offers a route away from reliance on China, especially for critical minerals such as battery metal lithium. It will ensure there are no taxes on the export of most such materials. Germany has also backed the deal given its large automotive industry. Current tariffs on car parts, machinery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals between the two regions are 35%, 20%, 18% and 14%, respectively. Proponents also say it offers relief from the impact of tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. The deal will also give protection to the more than 3,500 EU protected products, including French Champagne, Irish Whiskey and Donegal Tweed. Mercosur access to EU In exchange for this market access by European industries, South American countries will gain access to Europe for a range of products. But it is this access that has kicked off years of opposition and protest. Beef farmers in particular are concerned about the impact of the quota of 99,000 tonnes of beef, which is proposed in the revised agreement, maintaining that it will drop the prices of beef in the EU. These 99,000 tonnes of beef correspond to 1.5% of the EUs total production. The usual tariff on beef imports from Mercosur is around 40% to 45%; with the revised agreement, a tariff rate quota of 7.5% will apply to a limited amount of beef. There will be two different quotas on imported beef. 55% of the quota will consist of fresh or chilled meat, and 45% of lower-value frozen meat. Irish beef farmers are particularly concerned about the fresh beef quota, as these imports will affect high-value cuts. There are safeguards in place as part of the deal in an effort to protect EU farmers against any sudden increase in imports. Opposition to deal The safeguard clause was dubbed purely cosmetic and a political fig leaf by Irish Farmers Association (IFA) President Francie Gorman. There is also a financial safety net set aside to support farmers if imports negatively affect the markets. Mr Gorman said it is very difficult to see how this so-called safeguard clause will be of any help. It requires there to be a threat of serious injury to the sector before an investigation is even launched. Other farming organisations, such as the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) and the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA), have also called out the Governments inaction in opposing the agreement. Even at this late stage, the Irish Government could, and should, stand up for Irish farmers and the principles, standard and science that we have all operated under for 20 years. "They could, and should, call out Mercosur for what it demonstrably is: a complete sell-out of sustainable farming and declare that Ireland will reject Mercosur in its current format, said ICMSA president Denis Drennan. It is noted that meat from South America, particularly beef, is already imported to the EU. The commission has underlined that food that is imported into the EU must comply with the existing rules, including those related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and compliance with maximum residue levels for pesticides, veterinary medicines or contaminants set by the EU. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said Ireland's opposition relates to the higher standards placed on Irish and European farmers compared to operations in South America. Farming organisations have pointed to the lack of antibiotic control in Mercosur countries such as Brazil and have staunchly opposed imports due to hormone use in those countries. Recently, Brazilian beef imported into Europe was found to contain banned hormones and was confirmed this week to have entered the Irish food chain and is now subject to an official recall by the Food Safety Authority. The EU Commission said food safety import controls include audits and approval of the control systems of the countries interested in exporting to the EU. They said meat imported into the EU must come from animals that were slaughtered or killed under animal welfare conditions equivalent to those of the EU, and that there is sampling of products already on sale in the EU market, originating in the EU or imported. Negotiations As the trade discussions went on over many years, various modifications and guarantees were offered to take the sting out of any impact. Farm organisations here were quick to oppose any attempt to link progress on Mercosur to the other key farming issues, the reform of CAP payments and Ireland's nitrates derogation, which allows farmers here to stock more cattle than their European counterparts. In recent days, in a final push by von der Leyen, the EU offered a further 45bn in future budget allocations to "ensure additional resources are available as of 2028 for addressing the needs of farmers and rural communities". Despite being dismissed as a "financial ploy", the concession seemed to have persuaded hold outs like Italy to support the deal. While the opposition of farm organisations was expected, the decision by the Irish Government this week to oppose the deal was a surprising one and has likely damaged the country's reputation within the EU. A potential Government-coalition collapse was on the cards during the week over concerns, particularly from Independents. Ultimately, Ireland's response was a united one. Speaking in China this week, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said their opposition relates to the higher standards placed on Irish and European farmers, both for food quality and carbon efficiency. With the deal now set to proceed, it is set to have a significant impact on future trade. For European consumers and businesses, tariffs on about 90% of goods will be phased out, meaning many imported products could become cheaper over time. However, price drops for specific goods such as beef or poultry will also depend on differing quotas and standards. European consumer trends will also play their part, and there is no guarantee the demand will be there for South American beef and other produce. Irish beef and dairy are considered premium products, but their prices are rising above that of general inflation. According to the CSO, cattle output prices in Ireland rose almost 50% over the past year. The price of sirloin steak has risen by more than 5 per kg over the past year. With ratification now likely, the deal is set to reshape transatlantic trade relations after more than two decades of negotiation, but the concerns of Irish and European farmers over standards and enforcement remain unresolved. Moules frites is the ultimate mussel dish. Crisp fried chips make the perfect vessel for dipping and dunking into the luxurious oceanic broth released from the cooked mussels. There are many variations of the aromatics used to add flavour to this dish, in some recipes youll find cream or butter added others include chilli and ginger. Here Ive added a little curry powder for extra spice and a touch of turmeric for its luminous colour which accentuates the orange coloured female mussels and lifts the paler coloured male mussels. The addition of fresh herbs takes any homecooked dish from good to great, here Ive finished the dish with chopped chervil but you could use coriander or flat leaf parsley. For the perfect chip you need to first start with the perfect spuds. Markies and Maris - piper are the varieties that work best ,yielding a soft interior and crisp golden exterior. I have had success with rooster potatoes on occasion, but for the most part I find they are too high in sugar browning too quickly before they have a chance to get crisp. Making sure the chips are cut to the same size is imperative for even cooking. So pick your desired chip - thick cut, shoestring or somewhere in between but please, keep them uniform! Once prepped, washing is a key step to remove all the excess starch. For a shoestring chip, I find one blanch first , at a lower temperature of 160 degrees Celsius, then cooled completely before its final blanch at 180 degrees Celsius does the trick. Spuds vary so do trust your instinct the most important part in the cooking process is that the chips are cooked through before their final blanch in the hot oil. Season generously with lots of Irish sea salt flakes. Curried mussels with shoestring fries recipe by:Aishling Moore Moules frites is the ultimate mussel dish. Crisp fried chips make the perfect vessel for dipping and dunking into the luxurious oceanic broth released from the cooked mussels. Servings 4 Preparation Time 10 mins Cooking Time 20 mins Total Time 30 mins Course Main Ingredients 2 kg mussels 3 tbsp golden rapeseed oil 2 shallots, finely diced 5 cloves garlic, finely sliced 1 tsp Madras curry powder tsp turmeric 200ml white wine 1 lemon 1 bunch chervil For the fries 500g Maris Piper potatoes Vegetable oil for cooking Sea salt Method Cut the potatoes into slender 6mm wide chips. Rinse well under cold running water. Heat a deep-fat fryer to 160 degrees Celsius. Drain the chips well before placing in the fryer and fry in batches until the potatoes are fully cooked through but without colour. This will take between 4-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chip. Drain and place on a large baking tray to cool quickly. Turn the fryer up to 180C and cook again in batches, depending on the size of the fryer for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Drain well to remove excess oil and season generously with sea salt. To prepare the mussels, begin by cleaning them. Fill a large bowl with water and add the mussels to the water. Using a small paring knife, remove any barnacles from the shells and the beard of the mussel. The beard is what the mussel uses to attach itself to the surface of which it grows. Rinse the cleaned mussels in a colander and refrigerate until just before cooking. In a heavy-based large pot on medium-low heat, sweat the finely diced shallot and garlic in rapeseed oil until softened. Approximately 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and ground turmeric and cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices. Turn the heat up to high and add the mussels to the pot. Immediately follow by adding the white wine. Place a tight-fitting lid on the pot. Give the pot a little shake and leave to cook covered for 3 4 minutes. Remove the lid and give the mussels a good stir. All the mussels should be cooked and open at this stage, discard any that havent opened. Remove from the heat, finish with the juice of a lemon and serve in warm bowls with chips and garnish with chervil. Fish tales Rinsing the potatoes in cold running water to remove excess starch is a key step to result in a crispy chip. If you dont have a deep-fryer a thermometer is essential. Use a heavy-based pot or casserole and fill it no more than halfway with oil. Make sure the chips are fully submerged under the oil when frying, making for even cooking. Mussels should only be cooked when alive so discard any that have cracked shells or do not close when tapped. They should smell fresh and of the seaside. Its very important when seasoning shellfish dishes to taste before you add any salt. Mussels are naturally high in salt. Swap the mussels for some surf clams, cockles or a combination of all three. It's over four months now since my knee replacement. Even though Im still a bit bockety, Im infinitely more mobile than previously so Im up for little adventures. Recently, I flew to London to attend a Last Supper gathering to remember Skye Gyngell, a dearly loved cook and friend who sadly passed away at just 62 years of age. She visited and taught at the Ballymaloe Cookery School several times and was such a joy and inspiration to all of us. As ever, I took the opportunity to catch up on excitements in the London food scene. There have been many high-profile launches in recent months despite the deeply challenging trading climate and the many closures, mainly due to costs rising exponentially in every area. The Hart, a relatively recent opening on the gastropub scene, is still one of Londons most sought-after bookings. Think the Fat Badger, The Devonshire, The Pelican lively cool crowds were happily queuing around the corner. The vibe inside is less rowdy boozer, more vibey date spot: Super-cool interiors with wood panelling, cosy snugs and niches, some original stained glass panels, and flickering oil lamps. The restaurant, several flights above the busy bar, is a quieter, more relaxed, elegant space with flickering candles. The menu is deceptively simple, but every bite had an extra je ne sais quoi. Simple-sounding crab cakes were crisp and packed with flavour, as was the pigs head with a sauce gribiche and a chunky chicken and dumpling soup. How about that for comforting food on a winters evening? My grandson said his steak and smashed potatoes infused with garlic and rosemary was the very best hed ever eaten. Dont miss the mince roll; sounds dull and boring, definitely is not. I hate banoffee pie with a passion, but everyone seemed to be raving about it, so my grandson ordered one as well as a huge choux bun oozing with chocolate mousse, whipped cream, and crunchy praline with a wafer of craquelin on top. Both were luscious and irresistible. No surprise then that the banoffee pie is referred to as their standout dessert. On the way to the new Padella in Shoreditch, we passed Legado, Nieves Barragan Mohachos new restaurant, so I decided to change my plan and have lunch there, much as I love Padella. Its regional, nose-to-tail eating from all four corners of Spain and features an exceptional wine and sherry menu, possibly the best fino sherry Ive ever drunk. Quo Vadis on Dean St in Soho is hardly new but is my favourite go-to when I arrive in London on a late-ish flight. I love Jeremy Lees comforting seasonal food. We enjoyed a smoked eel and horseradish sandwich, baked salsify with a dusting of Parmesan, roast partridge with cabbage, and one of these gooey desserts with custard and softly whipped cream divine! Another great find was a little hidden spot under the railway arches, on Mentmore Terrace, not far from the brilliant Saturday Broadway market in Hackney. Its called Pockets and serves just one good thing: The most delicious and outstanding falafel Ive ever tasted anywhere in the world. A fluffy pita pocket stuffed full to bursting with freshly fried falafel, tahini, red cabbage slaw, pickled onion, sumac, tomato, cucumber, hummus, red zhug, amba, and a crispy wafer of something delicious plus a killer chilli a messy, irresistible feast in a pocket. Potato and Chorizo Stew recipe by:Darina Allen Nieves Barragan Mohacho is the executive chef at Sabor, on Heddon Street, and has a cookbook by the same name published by Fig Tree. This stew from Rioja is simple but you do need to cut the potatoes correctly to ensure that their starch thickens the liqu Servings 4 Preparation Time 10 mins Cooking Time 45 mins Total Time 55 mins Course Main Ingredients 4 large potatoes 240g mild or spicy cooking chorizo 25ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve 1 large Spanish onion, julienned 2 bay leaves 100ml dry white wine 1 litre chicken stock, or water, or a 50/50 mixture of both sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped Method Peel the potatoes. Partially cut into them, then pull them apart into chunky, uneven-edged pieces around 3cm in size. Cut the chorizo to half the size of the potatoes. Put the olive oil into a big pan on a medium heat, then add the onion and cook gently for about 15 minutes, without colouring. Add the chorizo and when it starts to caramelise lightly (careful, it burns easily) add the potatoes, bay leaves and wine. Cook until the wine has evaporated, then add the chicken stock and/or water and season. Half cover the pan with a lid and continue cooking on a low-medium heat. The more slowly you cook it, the more starch will come out of the potatoes it should take about 25 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked through, add the parsley. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil to finish and bread to dip. Snow White Apple Ice Cream from Spring in London recipe by:Darina Allen They use Snow White organic apples from Fern Verrow, a biodynamic Farm in Herefordshire in the UK. Servings 6 Preparation Time 10 mins Cooking Time 10 mins Total Time 20 mins Course Main Ingredients Makes 1500ml ice cream Serves 4-6 approx. 340ml double cream 265ml whole milk tsp flaky sea salt 90g caster sugar 90g egg yolks 800g freshly squeezed apple juice lemon juice Method To make the ice cream base, have ready a fine mesh sieve set over a heat-proof container. Add the cream, milk, salt and sugar to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. In a large and wide bowl, whisk the egg yolks until lightened in colour. Temper the egg yolks with the hot cream, whisking constantly, then pour the mixture back in the saucepan. Place the custard back on a low heat and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the custard reaches a temperature of 76C. Immediately pass the custard through the sieve and into the container. Place the container over a bowl of ice water and stir until cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The following day, add the apple juice to the custard and taste for seasoning. Season with more sugar lightly and a generous squeeze of lemon. Churn in an ice cream maker as per the manufacturers instructions, then transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve a scoop of apple ice cream in a chilled bowl. Sue Cullinane's Banoffee Pie I dont know the secret of The Hart Banoffee Pie but this too is delicious. Thank you, Sue, for sharing. Servings 6 Preparation Time 10 mins Total Time 10 mins Course Main Ingredients 2 tins dulche de leche (caramel sauce) 75g butter large packet of digestive biscuits, approx. 225g 6-8 bananas freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon 425ml cream 3 tbsp Irel Coffee essence or Tia Maria To garnish grated chocolate or toasted flaked almonds 30.5cm cheesecake tin Method Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Crush the biscuits and add to the butter. Line the lightly oiled tin with this mixture and leave to set. Open the tins and spread the dulche de leche over the biscuit base. Slice the bananas, toss in freshly squeezed lemon juice and arrange on top of the toffee. Whip the cream, add the coffee essence or Tia Maria. Pipe over the bananas. Cover lightly and put it into the fridge to set. Serve sprinkled with chocolate swirls or toasted almonds. Note: The banoffee pie may be prepared a day ahead. Seasonal Journal Galtee Honey Farm Tours and Workshops Galtee Honey Farm is run by the Mac Giolla Coda family, third and fourth-generation beekeepers. Micheal and Aoife are certified lecturers in beekeeping. They are dedicated to sustainability, looking after their 170 hives of honey bees. Galtee Honey Farm is one of the pioneers of Native Irish Honey Bee Conservation. To find out more about the tours and courses they are offering, see galteehoney.com The Centre of Food Culture Ireland - Producers Directory A brilliant new initiative in the Boyne Valley in Co. Meath, The Centre of Food Culture Ireland is delighted to launch the first publicly available directory of artisan and farmhouse food producers, growers, craft breweries, cider producers and distilleries across the island of Ireland, acting as a resource for consumers, chefs and stakeholders across the food industry. It's a work-in-progress at present so if you are an artisan or farmhouse food producer or grower that sells directly to the public or food service, craft brewer, cider producer or distiller based on the island of Ireland and want to be a part of their directory, then be sure to get in touch. To register and find out more, see foodcultureireland.ie/producer-directory Grow It Yourself Let this year be the year you start to grow some of your own food. Time to look at the seed catalogues, start smart, dont be overambitious maybe start a growing club with a few friends and share tips and knowledge. Its never too early to get planning. See giy.ie for a myriad of practical tips. Ringing in the new year was magical for Cork woman Annette ODonovan because she celebrated getting married, welcoming her first grandchildren, and marking her milestone 60th birthday in the past 12 months. Annette, from Mogeely, moved to Killeagh, Co Cork, 18 years ago, which is where she now lives with her husband, Charlie Davis, originally from Cobh. We met seven years ago, and he took me out for a meal to The Elm Tree in Glounthaune on our first date, she says. Annette O'Donovan and Charlie Davis. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography They got engaged in July 2024. Charlie asked me if Id like to go for a spin with him. He said he wanted to buy a watch in Dungarvan. Next thing I know, were going down the road to Dungarvan, and he said, can I talk to you?. I said one minute, because Im usually answering a text or on social media. And he said Im taking you to Dungarvan to buy you an engagement ring. Well. I nearly jumped out of the car. Annette O'Donovan and Charlie Davis and guests. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography Luckily, Annette stayed put in the vehicle, and Charlie kept its momentum going, or we wouldnt have their romance story motoring on to Weekends Wedding of the Week page. I didnt know what to say, so I told Charlie wed have to go for a cup of tea. I was shocked but it was lovely, adds Annette. Equally enjoyable moments were to follow throughout 2025. We got married on March 8, and I celebrated the big six-o on March 10, she says. We holidayed in Lanzarote on March 11, which was just a mini-moon because we went on a cruise on the MSC World Europa Ship from July 4 to July 11. Its been a busy and brilliant year. The couple were wed in the Garryvoe Hotel, which also served as the reception venue, by celebrant and solemniser Edel OFlynn. I couldnt speak highly enough of them; they were outstanding, says Annette. Annette O'Donovan and Charlie Davis. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography The bride looked elegant in a dress she sourced in Vows in Blarney, and the groom was dapper in a suit by Suited Menswear in Midleton. The makeup artist, Rebecca ODonovan, and hairstylist, Chloe Aherne, came down to the hotel on the Saturday morning [of the wedding], says the bride. Annette O'Donovan. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography I stayed in Garryvoe the night before with my mom, Dina, and my two daughters, Shauna Broderick OReilly and Tamara Broderick, who were my bridesmaids. The flowergirls were Lily Connolly, Molly Connolly, and Lily Hehir and Jayden ODonovan, my sisters son, was the pageboy. Annette O'Donovan with her mother Dina. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography Two new arrivals, a girl and a boy, Tamara and Shaunas children, joined their team that spring and summer. My grandchild Madison was born on March 21, and Finn was born on May 25 and theyre my world, adds Annette. Annette O'Donovan and her daughters and bridesmaids Tamara Broderick and Shauna Broderick OReilly. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography Charlies wedding party featured Denis Crowley, Dave Otter, and Martina Prendergast. Annette O'Donovan with her flowergirls Lily Connolly, Molly Connolly, and Lily Hehir. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography Fiona Kennedy Music performed during the ceremony, including a rendition of A Thousand Years as the brides son, Eric Broderick, walked her down the aisle. Fiona also sang during the drinks reception. The five-piece band Out the Gap, followed by DJ Tommy Coppinger, entertained during the reception. Annette O'Donovan is walked up the aisle by her son Eric Broderick. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography Capturing the big day on film was wedding photographer Conor Healy (conorhealyphoto.com) and videographer Brian Connolly, Arclight Weddings. Conor was an absolute gem and did such a fantastic job, along with his friend Jamie ONeill and Brian Connolly, says the bride. Annette O'Donovan and Charlie Davis. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography The floral arrangements were by Castlemartyr Florist and the brides friend Margaret Lehane baked the wedding cake. Margaret was a guest at the wedding, and she gifted me the delicious cake, says Annette. Annette O'Donovan and Charlie Davis. Pictures: Conor Healy Photography If 2026 delivers a new elective hospital for Limerick and the handover of the National Childrens Hospital to the HSE, health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will be happy. Progress on tackling hospital overcrowding, especially in Cork and Galway, as well as reducing the enormous drain on the HSE budget from over-use of agency staff are also on the minister's to-do list. Construction Limerick is to get an elective-only hospital as part of the Government's response to concerns raised by the health watchdog, Hiqa, about the safety risks to patients from overcrowding. Ms Carroll MacNeill has focused on the options given by Hiqa to address overcrowding in Limerick, particularly options B and 'C' the former is a new elective-only centre, and the latter a longer-term plan for an additional hospital with an emergency department. She described the projects as a real test for the new reforms of planning laws whereby the construction of buildings for the public good can navigate the planning hurdles more easily. Cork is also awaiting an elective hospital, promised in 2022, but it is not now expected to be shovel-ready until 2030. Read More Cork and Kerry hospital patients have a worse experience than those in Dublin, minister admits The elective hospital in Cork has an issue with the council, which is a straightforward planning issue about the (access) road," she said. "The council has to sort that out and we need to put the planning permission in, but that (the road) has been the barrier." A spokesperson for Cork City Council said it is fully supportive of the HSEs proposal to build an elective hospital at its Sarsfield Court site in Glanmire. "The city council has engaged in extensive pre-planning discussions with the HSE on this proposal and substantial progress has been made on key planning issues identified," the spokesperson said. "That engagement is continuing and the city council stands ready to help, as always, to progress matters as quickly as possible. The city council looks forward to considering a detailed planning application for this site, if and when it is submitted by the HSE." The ministerial office Ms Carroll MacNeill conducted this interview in her office, on the top floor of the Department of Health. It is where the top brass of Bank of Ireland once worked, with its glass corner walls looking over the city. Her desk, however, looks inward where a large painting of Dun Laoghaire Harbour greets her eyes. Her predecessor Stephen Donnelly had this office too, but his desk faced out towards the city views. In one corner of the room, there is a framed newspaper page from 1985, containing a photograph of a young Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and her mother at a Fine Gael conference. A framed newspaper page from 1985 hanging on her office wall. Just inside the door, a statuette of the Big Fella, Michael Collins, sits proudly on the top shelf. It was presented at Beal na mBlath, where she made a speech last year. This led to much commentary about her remarks on neutrality and care for children with scoliosis. Inquiries Setting up an inquiry into the substandard care received by children with spina bifida and scoliosis is likely to dominate much of 2026, along with an inquiry into the historic prescribing of Epilim to pregnant women. A scoping exercise, which could lead to a further inquiry into convicted sex offender and former hospital consultant Michael Shine, is also happening. The spinal care inquiry will directly affect Childrens Health Ireland, just as it should be ramping up to move to the new National Childrens Hospital. One floor of the hospital was given to the HSE before Christmas and specialist cleaning is ongoing. IT teams will begin work this month, with the first batch of equipment delivered yesterday. Ms Carroll MacNeill said the main contractor BAM has "certainly improved engagement" after years of delays and cost overruns that saw the builders at loggerheads with the project overlords, the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. Full commissioning of the National Children's Hospital, after handover, is now seven to eight months away, Ms Carroll MacNeill said. Pressed on an exact date, the minister said: I wish BAM would just give me the hospital." A spokesperson for BAM said it is "working closely with all stakeholders to actively manage the challenges involved and to secure the earliest possible opening date for the children of Ireland". An inquiry into spinal care was promised in the aftermath of the death of Harvey Morrison Sherratt, aged 9, last July. Ms Carroll MacNeill said the tragedies that have sparked the inquiries are often difficult to process. There are some quiet, very difficult days, when you get patient notifications about things that have happened around the country and you can get those at any time. "Many of those are just natural things but they are always very sad. Thats not something you anticipate before becoming minister for health. She added: I appreciate there has been significant difficulties in spinal care for some time, but I do see improvements." Overcrowding Many hospitals have faced unprecedented patient numbers in recent days, due to freezing conditions and the high number of flu cases. Some 75 people were on trolleys for longer than 24 hours, including 14 people aged over 75, on Thursday. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation counted 708 people unable to get a bed. Tackling overcrowding is Ms Carroll MacNeill's "no 1 priority" and she was especially critical of health chiefs in Cork and Galway for not doing more. I think if I was living in Cork I would reasonably ask why can't I have the predictability or the relative predictability that we achieve in the Mater or Beaumont or St James, she said. I just think the people in Cork and Galway deserve the same experience and we have to interrogate that as much as possible to make sure we achieve it. And I do believe we will achieve it. Over the last year, all hospitals moved to a seven-day week roster, among other reforms, in a bid to ease overcrowding. Ms Carroll MacNeill said: Cork and Galway are further behind on this journey of process change, but to be very fair they have certainly come a distance. She highlighted improvements elsewhere, saying: Limerick is performing really well, theyre discharging around 100 people per day despite very increased attendances. In response, HSE South West said CUH and other hospitals locally are challenged because of increased demand and capacity constraints. It said it is determined to ensure that CUH and all sites progress to meeting national targets, including those relating to emergency department wait times on a consistent basis. The CUH emergency department sees 14% more patients now than in 2023, but the number of patients on trolleys has dropped in a 17% year-on-year improvement. Average adult discharges increased by 7% in 2025, with CUH regularly achieving the highest discharge volumes nationally, it said. It had 585 beds by April, up from 493 in 2020 and 30 critical care beds, up from 18. More acute beds are planned this year. Recruitment has continued with the workforce now at 4,840, including additional nurses and midwives. The HSE expects recent investments, including in Mallow and Blarney, as well as building a new surgical hub will help to alleviate the pressures on acute settings such as CUH", it said. It said greater integration of health and social care services this year will also help. A spokesperson for HSE West and Northwest said Galway hospital is challenged with bed capacity, delayed discharges and high numbers of patients being treated for flu and RSV, however, we are doing everything we can. The statement added: This is not the standard of care that we want for patients of our services and we regret that any patient would have to wait for a hospital bed in this way. This is a patient safety issue. "Existing facilities are outdated and lack the space and design needed to support modern, state-of-the-art healthcare delivery. A new emergency department and 300 new inpatient beds are key elements of the long-term development plans. One broader area where reforms seem to be having little impact is slashing the ballooning bills for agency workers. We clearly have an imperative to reduce the spend which is close to 1bn a year on agency, Ms Carroll MacNeill said. And while I think there is always a measure of some appropriate agency work, we have become too used to it. It has become too expensive. She cautioned: Its too much a normalised part of the system. Solutions include plans to revamp hiring processes in hospitals, community and therapy roles. Vaping Ms Carroll MacNeill also touched on wider plans to help people avoid vaping by making it easier to clamp down on new products. Vaping is far too available, she said. Were trying to do this future-proofing in the legislation which will give me or my successor the opportunity to catch different products more quickly than would have been the case by having to do primary legislation all the time. Tobacco companies try to make vapes more and more attractive, she said, while also developing new products like nicotine pouches. Theyre just different ways of manipulating children and getting them addicted to nicotine, she warned. It is too early to say how many of her plans will have come to fruition by December especially for construction but patients and healthcare workers will surely hope for as many as possible to land. Thousands of farmers from all over Ireland will converge on the Midlands today, Saturday, for a mass protest over the EU's approval of the controversial Mercosur trade deal. Gardai have already warned the public to be braced for potential traffic chaos as farmers drive tractors across the country to the rally at TUS Athlone. As well as a march by participants, the tractors will form convoys that will snarl up the local roads. The protestors are determined to continue fighting against a deal that will see an influx of South American beef into the EU, including to Irish shelves. Irish Farmers Association president Francie Gorman said countries including Ireland representing a sizeable proportion of the EU population 31.3% had not backed the deal in the ambassadors vote. He pointed out that the deal still requires approval by the European Parliament, and said Irish farmers will renew their focus with their colleagues across the continent on securing a majority against the deal in the parliament. The Irish Government was not alone in expressing deep reservations about the deal and what it means for farmers and public health, Mr Gorman said. The commission cannot ignore the scale of the opposition to the deal. "Our MEPs now have a crucial role to play in building alliances within their groupings and amongst colleagues from other countries to build opposition to the deal." Tanaiste Simon Harris also said the EU cant take for granted that the deal will go ahead. Simon Harris says deal is not done yet No officials, at any level, including the European Commission, should ever take for granted the decisions that the democratically-elected representatives right across the European Union may decide to make in the European Parliament, said Mr Harris. He said the Government had not ruled out supporting the deal if changes and improvements are made around food safety and parity with environmental standards. Mr Harris said Ireland benefits from free trade but it has to be free trade that doesnt expect our farmers or our consumers to adopt a different set of standards. If it were to be rubberstamped by the parliament, the deal would boost EU exports to Mercosur countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. However, farmers and others argue it will distort agricultural markets if EU farmers are forced to compete with lower-cost South American beef. When the result of the vote was confirmed it was met with protests in a number of parts of Europe including France and Poland. Two Irish MEPs backed Mercosur deal Two Irish MEPs have publicly backed the deal Fianna Fails Barry Andrews and Fine Gaels Regina Doherty. Both have said they would be supporting the trade agreement when it comes before the European Parliament. Ive been very supportive of this deal up until now. I cant see anything that will change for me between now and when the vote does come to the parliament, Ms Doherty told RTEs Drivetime. Mr Andrews argued that the debate on Mercosur lacked balance, saying groups like the pharmaceutical and drinks industries have remained silent on its benefits. Sinn Fein MEP Kathleen Funchion described the European Councils decision to back the deal as being bad for Irish farmers, the environment, and public health. Ms Funchion said it would force Irish farmers into unfair competition with Mercosur ranchers, who produce under far less strict regulation. A lecturer accused of racism, the resitting of an Irish university exam in extraordinary circumstances on the far side of the globe, and major questions around whether some students have any idea what is going on in their lecture hall. These are the components of an event that may have exposed a much bigger issue in University College Cork (UCC) and the wider third-level sphere. The matter concerns how much the college, and particularly its business school, has come to rely on the lucrative fees available from overseas students. This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Subscribe to access all of the Irish Examiner. Annual 13080 Best value Monthly 126 / month One twist to this year's annual Turner exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland is the inclusion of artists who found inspiration in Turner. The January show of the 31 watercolours by the master in our national collection is like a meeting of old friends after a two-year gap. The pictures were in Scotland last year. To mark the 250th anniversary of Turner's birth in 1775, the National Gallery exchanged its Turners with the National Galleries of Scotland. Both institutions benefited from the generous bequest of wealthy English collector Henry Vaughan, who stipulated that the delicate watercolours could be displayed only in January when natural light in these parts is at its lowest. So they are now out of storage until the end of the month. 'Quite Early One Morning, 2017' by Niall Naessens is at the Turner exhibition. The exhibition, titled Turner as Inspiration, is enriched by the inclusion of watercolours and prints by artists who found inspiration in Turners mastery of light, colour, and atmosphere. Works by Hercules Brabazon (1821-1906), William Callow (1812-1908), John Faulkner (1835-1894), and James H Burgess (1819-1890) highlight Turners influence, while Irish artists Jennifer Lane (b.1952) and Niall Naessens (b.1961) pay homage to his enduring legacy. Together, these works underscore how Turner continues to inspire new artistic generations. Bequeathed in 1900, the Turner watercolours have been displayed every year since 1901, with the notable exception of the pandemic year of 2021 and 2025. Another good reason to visit our national collection right now is the fascinating Picasso: From the Studio exhibition, which runs until February 22. The show, in collaboration with the Musee national Picasso Paris, places Picasso in the context of his studios and highlights the various phases of his art and life. Key locations are explored, from his arrival in Paris at the start of the 20th century to his studio in Mougins in the South of France, are explored. 'Ostend Harbour' by JMW Turner. 2026 promises to be another blockbuster year at the gallery with an ambitious and diverse line-up that brings some of the worlds most visionary artists into dialogue across centuries, mediums and movements. From the poetic mysticism of William Blake (17571827) and the spiritual abstraction of Hilma af Klint (18621944) to the theatrical storytelling of Jan Steen (16261679), a year of extraordinary art encounters is in store. The artist and poet Blake was a defining force in Romanticism. William Blake: The Age of Romantic Fantasy, curated by Tate in partnership with the National Gallery, runs from April 16 to July 19. From Rembrandt to Matisse: A Celebration of European Prints and Drawings runs from June 27 to November 8 in celebration of Ireland's presidency of the EU Council. Hilma af Klint is recognised as one of Europes foremost abstract painters and is one of Swedens most celebrated modern artists. An exhibition of paintings, drawings and watercolours developed in partnership with the Hilma af Klint Foundation, some of which have never been exhibited, opens on October 15 and runs until February 7, 2027. Hilma af Klint's 'Altarpiece No 1, 1915' features in the National Gallery of Ireland's upcoming exhibition. Marking the 400th anniversary of his birth, Jan Steen: Sacred and Profane runs from November 21 to April 25, 2027. One of the leading painters of the 17th century, he is renowned for his ability to capture the variety and humour of human nature. Steens work extends beyond the chaotic genre scenes for which he is best known, encompassing exquisitely painted religious narratives, portraits, and high-society scenes. Photo: https://www.facebook.com The leader of the European Solidarity party in Kyiv City Council, Head of the City Council commission on healthcare, family, social and veterans' policy Maryna Poroshenko has said the capital's health facilities are ready to work in conditions of an energy crisis. "These days are extremely difficult for our capital: Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have caused major blackout and interruptions in heating and water supply in many districts of Kyiv... I want to assure you: the capital's hospitals are operating at full capacity and are ready to help anyone who needs it. Despite the difficulties with power supply, all possible measures have been taken for health facilities to ensure their uninterrupted operation," Mrs Poroshenko said on Facebook on Saturday. According to her, mobile boiler houses have been deployed in Kyiv, which are already connected to health facilities in the capital from clinical hospitals to maternity hospitals and children's centers. This makes it possible to maintain a comfortable temperature even in areas where there is temporarily no stationary heat supply. "Doctors and healthcare professionals work around the clock they are next to you, ready to provide assistance. Energy workers, utility workers and rescuers are working 24/7 to restore heat, light and water. City services are doing everything possible to ensure that health facilities are provided with autonomous heat sources and can provide assistance every minute. So, please do not worry about access to medical care the system is working, hospitals are equipped, and doctors are in place," Mrs Poroshenko said. A Ukrainian drone strike has sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russias southern Volgograd region, regional authorities said. There were no immediate reports of casualties, the regional governor was quoted as saying in a Telegram post. The post did not specify the damage, but said that people living near the depot may have to be evacuated. The Russians are exploiting the cold snap trying to hit as many of our energy facilities as possible. So much for their respect for America and all diplomacy. The main Russian tactic is to try to completely shut cities down. Oreshnik was used again this time against the Lviv pic.twitter.com/I53NaCwBLC Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) January 9, 2026 Ukraines long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion. Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to weaponise winter. Saturdays attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, according to Ukrainian officials, killing at least four people in the capital. For only the second time in the nearly four-year-old war, it used a powerful, new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine on Friday, in a clear warning to Kyivs Nato allies. A fragment of what is believed to be part of a Russian Oreshnik hypersonic missile that hit the Lviv region in Ukraine (Ukrainian Security Service via AP) The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a US-led peace deal is struck. Russias defence ministry said its forces used aviation, drones, missiles and artillery to strike Ukrainian energy facilities and fuel-storage depots on Friday and overnight. It did not immediately specify the targets or damage. Overnight into Saturday, Russia struck Ukraine with 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile, according to the Ukrainian air force. It said 94 drones were shot down. Aid agencies in Ireland and the World Health Organisation have called for an end to fighting in Sudan, now reaching its 1000th day, saying 21m people desperately need food there. Just this week another eight children were reported killed while millions are at risk of rape and other forms of sexual violence used as weapons of war, Unicef Ireland warned. The conflict broke out in April 2024 when a power struggle erupted between the army and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Force. Nearly three years of continuous violence, severe access constraints, and reduced funding have turned Sudan into the worst humanitarian crisis globally, the WHO warned. The fighting has included deadly attacks it said on hospitals and clinics as well as leaving the remaining doctors without essential medical supplies. It has verified 201 attacks on health care, resulting in 1858 deaths and 490 injuries. Over one third of health facilities are non-functional leaving millions of people without help, it said despite aid agency efforts. These attacks, it said: violate international humanitarian law, undermine access to lifesaving care and put health care workers, patients and caregivers at grave risk. WHO Representative in Sudan, Dr Shible Sahbani warned: One thousand days of conflict in Sudan have driven the health system to the brink of collapse. Under the strain of disease, hunger and a lack of access to basic services, people face a devastating situation. He said the WHO is doing what it can to rebuild the system. However, some 13.6m people are estimated to be displaced, making this the largest displacement crisis in the world. It supporting efforts to combat cholera, dengue, malaria, and measles, with cholera reported from all 18 states, dengue from 14 states, and malaria from 16 states. The WHO is working with Sudans Federal and State Ministries of Health and partners to improve access to critical health services. Despite the conditions, about 24m people have had cholera vaccination and a programme to deliver malaria vaccination is being scaled up. The WHO called on all parties to the conflict, saying they must urgently work towards a ceasefire and peace for the people of Sudan. Unicef also highlighted that other immediate dangers facing children. Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder said: millions of children in Sudan are at risk of rape and other forms of sexual violence, which is being used as a tactic of war, with children as young as one reported among survivors. He also warned about 5,000 children are estimated to be displaced from home every day. In North Darfur, the epicentre of Sudans malnutrition emergency, nearly 85,000 children with severe acute malnutrition were treated between January and November 2025, equivalent to one child every six minutes, he said. In December minister of state for international development Neale Richmond announced funding of 21.5m to the UN to support rapid response to humanitarian crises globally. In addition last week he allocated 100m to ten Irish charities who work internationally including in Sudan and neighbouring South Sudan. This included Concern Worldwide, GOAL, Trocaire and Christian Aid Ireland. He said: at a time when funding for development and humanitarian work is decreasing globally, I am proud that the Government, through Irish Aid, is recommitting its support to the vital work carried out by our NGO partners. The US has launched another round of retaliatory strikes against the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria following last months ambush that killed two US soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in the country. The large-scale strikes were conducted by the US alongside partner forces, according to US Central Command. The Polish prosecutor's office has supported Ukraine's request for the extradition of Russian archaeologist Alexander B. (Butyagin), the RMF 24 internet portal has reported on Friday. "The extradition request for Alexander B., a Russian archaeologist from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, has been submitted to the District Court in Warsaw. As RMF FM reporter Krzysztof Zasada has learned, the prosecutor's office, in its position attached to the request, supports Ukraine's demand to extradite the scientist. Archaeologist Alexander B. was detained in the first half of December by the Internal Security Agency on charges of conducting illegal archaeological work in the Russian-occupied Crimea," RMF 24 said. According to the resource, the court has now received an electronic version of the extradition request. It is expected that the original documents and translations will be submitted to the court tomorrow. "In addition, together with these materials, the investigators submitted to the court a request to extend the term of the Russian's pre-trial detention," RMF 24 said, noting that the term of pretrial detention expires on Monday. By that date, the court will have to decide whether the measure will be extended. It will then set a date for the extradition hearing. "It is important that in this case the court will only decide on the legal admissibility of the detainee's extradition to Ukraine. If so, the decision on his extradition to our eastern neighbors will be made by the Minister of Justice. If the court finds his extradition to another country inadmissible, there will be no question of such a decision," the RMF 24 portal said. ( Middle East Monitor ) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concluded his visit to the United States, returning home after reportedly securing yet another round of political backing from Donald Trump. As with previous encounters, the meeting provided Netanyahu with diplomatic cover and strategic reassurance, reinforcing Israels ability to sustain its military posture in Gaza and across the region with limited external constraint. The talks, held between 29th December 29 and 1st January, did not signal a shift toward de-escalation. Instead, they underscored Netanyahus central objective: preserving a prolonged state of war in the Middle East. This is not necessarily about maintaining full-scale genocide in Gaza at all times, but about keeping the Strip trapped in a condition of permanent instabilityone that allows Israel to violate the 10th October ceasefire agreement at will, recalibrating violence while avoiding the political fallout associated with openly sustained mass killing. This approach exposes a central contradiction in Israels official narrative. Netanyahu and leading figures within his extremist coalition repeatedly claimed that Israel has already won the war. If that is the case, why insist on keeping the Gaza file open? The answer lies in a convergence of political, ideological, and strategic calculations. First, Netanyahu continues to gamble on the possibility that international and regional opinion may eventually become receptive to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the Gaza Stripand subsequently, from the occupied West Bank. Sustained warfare, humanitarian collapse, and forced displacement are not unfortunate byproducts of the conflict; they are essential mechanisms for keeping that option alive and politically imaginable. This logic explains Israels systematic manipulation of aid, including its haggling over food, medicine, fuel, and cement. These items bear little meaningful relationship to the strength of the Gaza resistance. Their restriction is designed to keep Gazans suspended between survival and death. It also explains why Israel, after sustained pressure, agreed to open the Rafah border crossing from only one sideout of Gaza. This, too, is part of a broader scheme aimed at driving Palestinians out of the Strip incrementally, supported by a well-funded political and logistical machinery that has been operating for months. Second, the genocidal war on Gaza is being actively exploited to escalate conditions in the occupied West Bank. Under the cover of regional war, Netanyahu and his coalition partners have accelerated settlement expansion, intensified repression, and advanced a long-term colonial project of de facto annexation with minimal international scrutiny. Throughout the genocide, many observers rightly warned of the deteriorating situation in the West Bankincreased Israeli violence, mass arrests, and the ethnic cleansing of entire communities. While Gaza was experiencing annihilation, the West Bank appeared to fade from global attention. In reality, the two were linked from the very beginning. The escalation in the West Bank was designed to achieve similar outcomes to those in Gazafragmentation, dispossession, and controlalbeit through different tactics. Unlike Gaza, resistance in the West Bank has been largely subdued through joint IsraeliPalestinian Authority security coordination. Third, the persistence of war serves a critical domestic function. By maintaining a permanent state of emergency, Netanyahuand the Israeli far right more broadlycan preserve political relevance while postponing any serious reckoning over the failures of 7th October and the catastrophic war that followed. War suspends accountability, fractures opposition, and recasts political survival as a matter of national security. This pattern has repeated itself since October 2023. Each time Netanyahu faced mounting domestic pressure to investigate the events leading to the war, he destabilized the internal political front by escalating on one of several fronts he had deliberately kept active. Fourth, closing the Gaza file would inevitably intensify pressure on Israel to pursue a political solution to the occupation of Palestineprecisely what Netanyahu seeks to avoid. Any meaningful political process would constrain his ability to govern through force, crisis management, and perpetual escalation. This explains Netanyahus refusal to seriously engage in the Trump administrations push for a broader regional settlement, despite the fact that the initiative was deliberately designed by Washington to overwhelmingly benefit Israel. For Netanyahu, even discussing resolutions implies a commitment to a longer, more sustainable peace processthe very antithesis of his governing strategy since first becoming prime minister in 1996. Fifth, the narrative of unfinished business in Gaza is being deliberately leveraged to justify a broader regional agenda. Gaza functions as both a pretext and a testing ground for extending Israeli military and political ambitions into Lebanon, Syria, and beyond. This assessment is reinforced by Netanyahus own language, including repeated references to reshaping the region into a new Middle East and rhetoric that aligns with the ideological concept of a Greater Israela long-standing aspiration within Israels far-right political imagination. In fact, Netanyahu was very clear that the latter was his exact objective, declaring last August that he is on a historic and spiritual mission to pursue the vision of Greater Israel. File. Benjamin Netanyahu. Public domain. Via Picryl. Finally, any return to normalcy would place Netanyahu back at the center of Israels unresolved legal and political crises. Ending the war would strip away the shield of emergency rule and reopen scrutiny of corruption cases and institutional failures. Here, Netanyahus legal team has played a decisive role, repeatedly invoking national security concerns to delay court appearances and stall proceedings. In this sense, the war on Gaza is not merely a military campaign. It is the linchpin holding together Netanyahus political survival, ideological project, and regional ambitionsone he appears determined to keep firmly in place. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / January 9, 2026 / Bolt Metals Corp. ("Bolt" or the "Company") (TSXV:BOLT) (OTC:PCRCF) (FSE:A3D8AK), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company, is pleased to announce that further to the Company's news release disseminated on December 1, 2025, announcing a non-brokered private placement of up to 12,903,225 special warrants of the Company (each, a "Special Warrant") at a price of $0.31 per special warrant for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $4,000,000 (the "Offering"), the Company has received significant interest in the Offering. As a result of this interest, the Company intends to upsize the Offering up to 19,354,838special warrants at a price of $0.31 per special warrant, for aggregate gross proceeds from up to $4,000,000 to up to $6,000,000. Each Special Warrant will automatically convert, for no additional consideration, into one unit of the Company (each a "Unit") on the date that is the earlier of: (i) the date that is three business days following the date on which the Company files a prospectus supplement to a short form base shelf prospectus with the securities commissions qualifying distribution of the Units underlying the Special Warrants (the "Prospectus Supplement"), and (ii) the date that is four months and one day after the closing of the Offering. Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company (each, a "Share") and one share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant") of the Company, with each Warrant exercisable into one additional Share at an exercise price of $0.41 for two (2) years from the date of closing. The Warrants will be subject to ten percent blocker provision that restrict the exercise of any Warrants, in the event that such exercise would result in the applicable securityholder holding ten percent or more of the issued and outstanding Shares at such time. The Company will use the net proceeds from the Offering for operations and administrative costs. The Company intends to use the proceeds raised from the Offering for ongoing exploration activities and general working capital. The Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). The Special Warrants are expected to be issued pursuant to exemptions from the prospectus requirements under Canadian securities laws, such as the accredited investor, $150,000 minimum investment, or other relevant exemptions under National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions. Prior to the filing of the Prospectus Supplement and the automatic conversion of the Special Warrants, the securities issued under the Offering will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing of the Offering in addition to any other restrictions under applicable law. The Company may pay finder's fees on the Offering within the amount permitted by the policies of the CSE. About Bolt Metals Corp. Bolt Metals Corp. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality precious and base metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Bolt trades on the CSE under the symbol BOLT, the OTC under the symbol PCRFC and in Germany under the WKN A3D8AK. BOLT METALS CORP. Zachary Kotowych, CEO and Director, 888-614-2658 For more information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.boltmetals.com. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements: This news release includes "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the closing of subsequent tranches of the Offering, the expected use of proceeds from the Offering, the terms and conditions of the Units, Warrants, the filing of the Prospectus Supplement, and the Company's exploration and corporate plans and objectives. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These risks include, but are not limited to: uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets; the Company's ability to complete additional tranches of the Offering; the use of proceeds differing from management's current expectations; actual results of exploration and development activities; environmental risks; future prices of metals; operating risks; accidents; labour issues; delays in receiving required approvals and permits; changes in government regulations; and risks associated with early-stage mineral exploration. The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Vancouver, BC January 9, 2026 TheNewswire - Vanguard Mining Corp. ("Vanguard" or the "Company") (CSE: UUU | OTC: UUUFF | Frankfurt: SL51) is pleased to announce it has completed its Q4 drill program drilling to a total depth of 511 metres at its 100%-owned Redonda Copper-Molybdenum Project (the Project), located in the Vancouver Mining Division near Campbell River, British Columbia. To execute the program, Vanguard engaged Paradigm Drilling Ltd. (Paradigm Drilling), which will deploy a Boyles T-75 hydraulic, track-mounted diamond drill equipped with NQ tooling and capable of testing targets to depths exceeding 600 metres. Figure 1: Typical high-grade Molybdenite (M0S2) florets-tourmaline on fracture Figure 2 Typical Abundant Chalcopyrite Fracture Figure 3:. Typical Abundant Chalcopyrite Fracture The Project was previously explored by Teck Resources Ltd. (formerly Teck Corp.), which completed nine NQ-diameter diamond drill holes totaling 1,681 metres in 1979. More recent follow-up drilling was completed in 2023, consisting of five drill holes totaling 799.81 metres. Historical drilling encountered copper-molybdenum mineralization; however, the historical results referenced herein in part are historical in nature. The Company has not independently verified these results and is not treating them as current mineral resources or mineral reserves as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Table 1: 2023 Exploration Program 2023 Exploration Program Hole # From / To Core Length Cu % Mo % Re (ppm) Hole Red-23-04 Mineralization starts from surface 3.1 18.2 m 15.2 m 0.452 0.0265 0.1053 Hole Red-23-04 25.5 97.5 m 72.0 m 0.235 0.0228 0.1106 Hole Red-23-04 Hole bottoms in good grade 147.8 163.1 m 30.3 m 0.212 0.0154 0.0514 Hole Red-23-03 Mineralization starts from surface 3.1 48.0 m 45.0 m 0.329 0.0265 0.1111 Hole Red-23-03 68.8 141.0 m 77.3 m 0.323 0.0197 0.0791 Hole Red-23-03 Hole bottoms in good grade 199.5 210.0 m 10.5 m 0.174 0.0117 0.0563 Hole Red-23-05 Mineralization starts from surface 2.7 33.0 m 30.3 m 0.213 0.0192 0.0749 Hole Red-23-05 Hole bottoms in good grade 39.3 182.0 m 142.6 m 0.279 0.0281 0.0927 Hole Red-23-02 Mineralization starts from surface 3.1 111.0 m 108.0 m 0.251 0.0250 0.1025 Hole Red-23-02 Hole bottoms in good grade 158.5 169.2 m 10.7 m 0.375 0.1377 0.5871 Hole Red-23-01 Confirmation hole collared outside potassic zone 60.0 67.0 m 7.0 m 0.136 0.0023 0.0167 Table 2: 1979 Drilling Completed By Teck Corp. Historic Holes (1979) Historic Hole # From / To Core Length Cu % MoS % Re (ppm) DOH R79-2 110.0 200.0 m 90.0 m 0.21 0.019 DOH R79-2 3.4 27.5 m 24.1 m 0.42 0.075 DOH R79-3 Mineralization starts from surface 35.0 60.0 m 25.0 m 0.19 0.024 DOH R79-3 67.5 97.5 m 30.0 m 0.17 0.120 DOH R79-3 140.0 152.5 m 12.5 m 0.30 0.015 DOH R79-5 2.7 55.8 m 53.1 m 0.33 0.025 DOH R79-5 Mineralization starts from surface 92.5 135.0 m 42.5 m 0.20 0.038 DOH R79-5 155.0 172.5 m 17.5 m 0.37 0.010 DOH R79-5 182.5 210.0 m 27.5 m 0.22 0.021 DOH R79-6 Mineralization starts from surface 2.5 30.0 m 27.5 m 0.23 0.058 DOH R79-6 142.5 155.5 m 10.0 m 0.10 0.045 DOH R79-7 30.0 37.5 m 7.5 m 0.20 0.004 DOH R79-8 125.0 135.0 m 10.0 m 0.06 0.034 DOH R79-9 Mineralization starts from surface 5.0 15.0 m 10.0 m 0.16 0.014 DOH R79-9 97.5 110.0 m 12.5 m 0.19 0.011 DOH R79-9 175.0 210.0 m 35.0 m 0.09 0.27 Figure 5. Historical Core Boxes From Project David Greenway, CEO of Vanguard Mining Corp., commented: The 2025 drill program was designed to test targets beyond the limits of historical drilling and to improve our understanding of the geological framework at Redonda. Drilling has been completed as planned, and all core has been logged and submitted for analysis. While we have observed alteration and sulphide mineralization consistent with the known Redonda system, visual observations alone are not indicative of mineralization grades or economic significance. Assay results are required to determine the presence, extent, and continuity of mineralization. Results from this program, together with historical data and previous drilling, will be used to guide future exploration planning at the project. No assay results have been received for the 2025 drill program at the time of this release. Visual observations of drill core, including the presence of alteration or sulphide mineralization, are qualitative in nature and should not be considered a substitute for laboratory analytical results. There is no assurance that visual observations will correlate with assay results. Figure 4: 2024 Airborne Magnetics (RTP) with lineaments See release The drill program was guided by targets and structural corridors interpreted from a previously announced airborne geophysical survey conducted by Precision GeoSurveys, Inc. (Precision), integrated with historical drilling data and surface sampling. As reported in a January 25, 2024, news release, drilling at Redonda returned intervals of up to 142.6 metres (467.8 feet) grading 0.279% Cu and 0.0281% Mo, while surface sampling yielded near-surface intervals ranging from 3.1 metres (10.17 feet) to 48 metres (157.4 feet) grading 0.529% CuEq. These results are historical in nature and should not be relied upon as an indication of current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Copper equivalent (CuEq) values are provided for illustrative purposes only and are calculated using the metal prices and recovery assumptions disclosed in the Companys news release Core logging for the 2025 drill program was conducted by an independent, certified senior geologist, and samples have been submitted to ALS Canada Ltd. (ALS Laboratories), for analysis using industry-standard quality assurance and quality control procedures, including the insertion of blanks and standards. Assay results are pending. Vanguard further announces the Company has made it a priority to work in close collaboration with the Klahoose First Nation (Klahoose) throughout the campaign, prioritizing local labour, training opportunities, and the use of Klahoose-affiliated service providers for logistics where practicable. The Company will maintain ongoing engagement throughout the program, including regular updates on work plans and timelines, incorporation of feedback into field operations, and adherence to cultural heritage protocols and environmental best practices within Klahoose Traditional Territory. Vanguard will coordinate site access, safety, and environmental monitoring with Klahoose representatives and will continue to explore additional opportunities for additional capacity-building and economic-participation Target Generation from 2024 Airborne Geophysics Drill hole locations have been selected using a combination of historical datasets and results from the Companys late-2024 airborne geophysical survey, which integrated total magnetic intensity, gradient magnetics, and radiometrics. The survey delineates strong correlations with mapped geological domains, including a northeastsouthwesttrending fault system displaying right-lateral offset and several circular magnetic lows interpreted as potential intrusive centres. Radiometric potassium anomalies define arcuate potassic-alteration zoneskey vectors in porphyry copper-molybdenum systemsfocusing priority targets both adjacent to historical drilling and along newly defined structural corridors. The full airborne data package, including GeoTIFF magnetic and radiometric maps, will be made available on the Companys website for reference only and should not be relied upon for investment decisions to illustrate the scale and quality of the Redonda exploration opportunity. About Redonda The Redonda Project comprises nine mineral claims totaling 2,746.46 ha, located approximately 40 km northeast of Campbell River, British Columbia. The property is accessible year-round via scheduled barge service from Campbell River (e.g., MarineLink or other contract barges), with on-site access provided by 5 km of recently upgraded logging road from Redonda Bay. Active forestry maintains an extensive network of forest service roads across the claims. Field work in 2021 was conducted under a Letter of Support from the Klahoose First Nation within their Traditional Territory, together with a Free Use Permit, Drill Permit, and IP Exemption issued by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLI). Consultation with the Homalko First Nation has concluded, and a permit for additional drill sites has been issued. Redonda lies within the Coast Suture Zone between the Wrangellia Terrane and the Coast Plutonic Complex. Early Cretaceous dioritic intrusions of the Coast Plutonic Complex are cut by at least three later intrusive phases: (i) a quartz plug; (ii) a wide, hornblende-rich dike locally brecciated over ~600 metres of exposed length; and (iii) several smaller feldspar dikes near the southwestern margin of the hornblende body. Copper-molybdenum mineralization is most concentrated along the hornblende dike, particularly within brecciated zones. The geological setting shares several characteristics with nearby porphyry systems, including the OKover copper-molybdenum deposit located ~34 km to the southeast (north of Powell River) and the Gambier Copper deposit in Howe Sound. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by J. T. Shearer, M.Sc., D.I.C., P.Geo. (BC & Ontario), a consulting geologist who is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43- 101). Mr. Shearer is not at arms length with Vanguard Mining, as he has provided consulting geological services to the Company. About Vanguard Mining Corp. Vanguard Mining Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the discovery and development of high-value strategic minerals. The Company is currently advancing exploration projects in Argentina, Canada and Paraguay, with a focus on identifying and developing assets critical to the global energy transition. Vanguard is committed to responsible exploration and value creation through the acquisition and advancement of highly prospective uranium properties. All Stakeholders are encouraged to follow the Company on its social media profiles on , and Instagram and sign up for updates at Vanguardminingcorp.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors David Greenway David Greenway, CEO For further information, please contact: Vanguard Mining Corp. Brent Rusin Phone: +1 672-533-0348 E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: vanguardminingcorp.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, intentions, objectives, strategies, future performance, and anticipated events or results. Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations, estimates, and assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect, and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied. There can be no assurance that the events anticipated in forward-looking statements will occur, or, if they do, what benefits Vanguard will obtain from them. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, exploration results, availability of financing, commodity prices, permitting and regulatory risks, operating risks, and other risks described in the Companys public disclosure. Forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof, and Vanguard undertakes no 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. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The UN Security Council will meet Monday to discuss Ukraine, a revised scheduled showed, after Kyiv's mayor urged residents to leave the capital due to mass heating outages caused by Russian strikes. "The Russian Federation has reached an appalling new level of war crimes and crimes against humanity by its terror against civilians," Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk said in a letter to the Security Council seen by AFP on Friday. The latest strikes left half of the residential buildings in Kyiv without heating in sub-zero temperatures, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said. The Kremlin also confirmed firing an Oreshnik ballistic missile on Ukraine for the second time since the war began in February 2022. "The Russian Federation regime officially claims that it used an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the so-called 'Oreshnik', against the Lviv region," the ambassador's letter continued. "Such a strike represents a grave and unprecedented threat to the security of the European continent." Moscow claims the Oreshnik, which can be equipped with both nuclear and conventional warheads, is impossible to stop Ukraine's request for the emergency UNSC meeting was supported by six members -- France, Latvia, Denmark, Greece, Liberia and the United Kingdom -- diplomatic sources told AFP. Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy heard a report from acting head of the SBU Yevhen Khmara on recent operations against the enemy. "It is important that our combat operations of the State Security Service of Ukraine are being implemented exactly as Ukraine needs. Yevhen reported on the details of the operations that took place recently. Today it is still too early to talk about them publicly, but the results we were counting on are there," Zelenskyy said in the Telegram channel on Saturday. The president also said "new operations have also been agreed upon." "The State Security Service of Ukraine continues to counter all forms of sabotage against Ukraine, as well as manifestations of collaboration with the enemy. Any activity of Russian structures in Ukraine is invariably blocked," Zelenskyy also said and thanked "all operatives and special forces of the SBU who protect our state and Ukrainian national interests." As reported, Zelenskyy sent a motion to parliament to dismiss SBU head Vasyl Maliuk, which will be considered in the near future. The president also instructed the head of the SBU Special Operations Center "A" Khmara, to temporarily perform the duties of the SBU head. Actor Chae Jong-hyeop made a monetary contribution of 50 million KRW (approximately $34,554) to support those living with epilepsy by addressing the issues associated with both money and health for these patients. On January 7, the Korea Epilepsy Association said that Chae's donation would be used to pay for the medical costs of patients who are having trouble and to raise awareness in the public. The group praised the actor's kindness and stressed how important his help has been for people with epilepsy. Chae, who has epilepsy himself, talked about his experience in 2023 when he publicly explained why he was exempt from military service. He said that his condition made him a Grade 5 wartime service member. He told AllKpop, "I understand the pain of people living with epilepsy all too well. I hope my small contribution can offer even a little strength and comfort to patients." Read more: Chae Jong Hyeop, Kim Soo Hyun's New Romance Drama 'Is It a Coincidence?' to Air in THIS Month The Korea Epilepsy Association thanked him for his help. The organization said, as reported by The Chosun Daily, "His understanding of the hardships faced by epilepsy patients and their families, and his willingness to help, have been a great source of encouragement and strength." Chae Jong Hyeop started his career in 2016 with a web drama and quickly became well-known for his roles in shows like Hot Stove League, Nevertheless, Shooting Stars, and Castaway Diva. He became famous around the world for his lead male role in the Korean-Japanese drama Eye Love You, where he acted with Fumi Nikaido. Chae is getting ready to return to television in MBC's upcoming FridaySaturday drama "In Your Radiant Season," which will air in the first half of 2026. This is in addition to his work for charity. Fans and the general public have praised the actor for using his fame to raise awareness about epilepsy while also working on his acting career. Read more: Chae Jong Hyeop Net Worth 2023: How Rich Is Park Eun Bin's New Leading Man? Friday, January 9, 2026 - A multi-agency security team has arrested a suspected drug trafficker in Diani following a swift, intelligence-led operation that led to the recovery of a significant quantity of narcotics. According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), detectives first intercepted two green gunny bags packed with rolls of cannabis. The suspect, identified as Hellen Saru Mwajombo, 36, was apprehended during the operation. Following her arrest, Mwajombo reportedly led officers to her nearby residence in Diani, where an even larger consignment of narcotics was recovered. A thorough search of the house uncovered multiple packages of cannabis concealed in a black bag and another green gunny bag. In addition to the drugs, detectives impounded a white Nissan Note, registration number KDS 092K, which is suspected to have been used to facilitate the trafficking activities. The DCI reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks through relentless operations and close collaboration with other security agencies. Authorities emphasized a zero-tolerance policy toward drug traffickers, regardless of status, reiterating their resolve to protect communities and ensure a safer, drug-free Kenya. The Kenyan DAILY POST Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov the issue of strengthening sanctions policy. "We discussed the priorities of the work of the President's Office, and in particular the issue of sanctions policy. All areas of pressure on Russia and persons associated with it must be maintained and adapted to the changing realities of wartime. We will strengthen the sanctions toolbox," Zelenskyy said in the Telegram channel on Saturday. According to the president, Budanov reported on some of the meetings within the diplomatic track of the negotiations. "We also identified tasks within domestic policy that need to be resolved as a matter of priority," the president said. Friday, January 09, 2025 - Controversial Italian billionaire, Flavio Briatore, has sparked a diplomatic mystery in Kenya after an Instagram post suggested President William Ruto quietly visited Dubai, despite his official itinerary placing him in the country. On January 6th, 2025, Briatore, the 75yearold former Formula One boss and longtime friend of Kenya, shared a photo from his new venture, Lion in the Sun at the Mandarin Oriental Downtown Dubai posing with President Ruto. He wrote: Last night welcoming with Falco at Lion in the Sun Dubai, prestigious guests, President of Kenya William Ruto and entrepreneur Kamel Ghribi. The post suggested Ruto attended a private dinner with Briatore and TunisianSwiss healthcare tycoon, Kamel Ghribi. The revelation sparked intrigue as local media confirmed Rutos presence in Kenya on January 6th and 7th, where he was engaged in highprofile public duties. In West Pokot County, he announced plans to list Kenya Pipeline Company shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange by the end of January 2026, encouraging citizens to invest even with as little as Ksh200. Later, in Kakamega County, he launched the second phase of the World Bankfunded NYOTA project, disbursing Ksh25,000 to youth entrepreneurs. He also intensified his campaign against drug abuse and illicit brews, ahead of a multiagency meeting at State House the following day. The timeline raises questions: Briatores post, dated January 7th, referred to hosting Ruto last night, implying the President may have flown to Dubai overnight before returning for duties in Kenya. Ghribi heads Gruppo San Donato, Italys largest private hospital group, while Briatore maintains deep ties to Kenya through luxury resorts in Malindi. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, January 09, 2026 - A Kenyan creative has sparked laughter online after using AI to craft a viral video of President William Ruto performing Iyaniis charttopping hit Tamu. The uncanny lookalike, dressed in a crisp white shirt, grey trousers, and tie, delivers the song with animated gestures and playful energy that make him appear more Ruto than Ruto himself. While AI parodies of the President often lean towarda satire, this particular creation has struck a lighter, more entertaining chord - winning smiles from both critics and supporters. Its the kind of digital creativity even the President himself might applaud for its wit. Watch the video The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, January 09, 2026 - A man has stirred online buzz after posting screenshots of a conversation with his uncle, in which he requested financial support to kickstart a business venture. The exchange, shared by an X (formerly Twitter) user, shows the nephew requesting 500k to launch a venture. What began as a straightforward appeal for family support quickly spiraled into hostility and bizarre demands that left many questioning the uncles motives. Instead of encouragement, the uncle lashed out, branding his nephew very stupid for only reaching out when in need. He pressed further, asking, When last did you check on me that you somehow deem it fit to ask me for money? Even after the nephew promised repayment with 20% interest, the uncles response shocked readers. He insisted that before releasing the funds, the two must have a very good time together. When the nephew resisted, asking why he couldnt simply transfer the money, the uncle replied: Just have a nice shower and come over quickly. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, January 9, 2026 - Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was attacked on his way to Kagio in Kirinyaga County, as suspected goons, reportedly under police escort, blocked and unleashed terror on his motorcade. A video shared online shows police officers deploying teargas to disperse men who were throwing stones at the convoy. Eyewitnesses claim that the attackers appeared to be state-sponsored, targeting Gachagua as part of a coordinated attempt to intimidate him. The incident comes just a day after Gachagua publicly accused the Government of deploying goons to intimidate locals in Nyeri town during his meet-and-greet tour. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, January 09, 2025 - Two Kenyan pilots found themselves at the heart of one of Africas most secretive missions three decades ago. Hussein Mohamed Anshuur, a former Kenya Air Force captain, and his partner Mohamed Adan, cofounders of Bluebird Aviation, were unexpectedly approached at Wilson Airport in Nairobi by a Nigerian diplomat. The request was extraordinary: to fly the body of Somalias former dictator, Siad Barre, from Lagos back to his hometown of Garbaharey for burial. What followed was a journey layered with secrecy, political risk and immense pressure. Their story, told for the first time, reveals how courage and calculated risk defined one of the most unusual flights in Kenyas aviation history. Read the story below courtesy of BBC. Exactly 31 years ago to the day, two Kenyan pilots, Hussein Mohamed Anshuur and Mohamed Adan, received an unexpected visitor at their office at Wilson Airport near the capital, Nairobi. It was a Nigerian diplomat, who drew them into a sensitive and secretive mission to fly the body of Somalias former ruler Siad Barre back to his homeland for burial following his death in exile in Nigeria at the age of 80. Anshuur, previously a captain in the Kenyan Air Force, and Adan are partners in Bluebird Aviation, one of Kenyas largest private airlines that they had set up a few years earlier. Speaking to the media for the first time about the mission, Anshuur told the BBC that the Nigerian diplomat came straight to the point, asking him and Hussein to charter an aircraft and secretly transport the body from Nigerias main city of Lagos, to Barres hometown of Garbaharey in southern Somalia for burial, on the other side of Africa, a distance of some 4,300 km (2,700 miles). Anshuur said they were stunned at the request: We knew immediately this wasnt a normal charter. Barre had fled Somalia on 28 January 1991 after being overthrown by militia forces, so returning his body was politically fraught, involving multiple governments, fragile regional relations and the risk of a diplomatic fallout. Anshuur said they were fearful of the possible repercussions as the diplomat asked for the flight to be organised outside normal procedures. If the Kenyan authorities found out, it could have caused serious problems, Anshuur said. The pilots spent the rest of the day debating whether to accept the request, carefully weighing the risks, particularly if the Kenyan government, then led by President Daniel arap Moi, discovered what they were planning to do. Barre seized power in a bloodless coup in 1969. His supporters saw him as a pan-Africanist, who supported causes such as the campaign against the racist system of apartheid in South Africa. To his critics, he was a dictator who oversaw numerous human rights abuses until he was driven from power. Barre initially fled to Kenya, but Mois government came under intense pressure from parliament and rights groups for hosting him. Barre was then given political asylum by Nigeria, then under military ruler Gen Ibrahim Babangida, and lived in Lagos until he died of a diabetes-related illness. Given the sensitivity of the mission, the pilots asked the Nigerian diplomat to give them one more day to think about his request. The financial offer was lucrative they didnt want to reveal the exact amount but the risks were considerable. We first advised him to use a Nigerian Air Force aircraft, but he refused, Anshuur recalled. He said that the operation was too sensitive and that the Kenyan government must not be informed. Also speaking to the media for the first time about the mission, the former Somali rulers son, Ayaanle Mohamed Siad Barre, told the BBC that the secrecy wasnt about hiding anything illegal. He explained that Islamic tradition requires a burial to take place as soon as possible, and therefore normal procedures were circumvented, though some governments were aware of the plan. Time was against us, he said. If we had gone through all the paperwork, it would have delayed the burial. He said he was told by Nigerian officials that Garbahareys runway was too small for a military aircraft. Thats why Bluebird Aviation was contacted, Barres son told the BBC. The pilots had no contact with Barres family at the time, and relayed their decision to the Nigerian diplomat, Anshuur said, on 10 January 1995. It wasnt an easy choice, Anshuur recalled. But we felt the responsibility to execute the trip. This was not their first connection to the former president. When Barre and his family fled the capital Mogadishu, he arrived in Burdubo, a town in the same region as Garbaharey. During that period, the pilots had flown essential supplies including food, medicine and other basic necessities to Burdubo for the Barre family. But before embarking on the journey with Barres body, the pilots demanded guarantees from the Nigerian government. That if anything goes wrong politically, Nigeria must take responsibility, Anshuur said. And we wanted two embassy officials on board. Nigeria agreed. The pilots then designed a plan to ensure their mission remained a secret and succeeded. Just after 03:00 on 11 January, Anshuur said their small plane, a Beechcraft King Air B200, took off from Wilson Airport. The pilots filed a flight manifest listing Kisumu, a lakeside city in western Kenya, as their destination. That was only on paper, Anshuur said. When we got close to Kisumu, we switched off the radar and diverted to Entebbe in Uganda. At the time, radar coverage across much of the region was limited, a gap the pilots knew they could exploit. Upon landing in Entebbe, the pilots told airport authorities the aircraft had arrived from Kisumu. The two Nigerian officials on board were instructed to remain silent and not to disembark. The plane was refuelled, and Yaounde in Cameroon, was declared as the next destination, where Nigerian diplomats helping to coordinate the operation were waiting, Anshuur told the BBC After a brief stop, the aircraft continued to Lagos. Before entering Nigerian airspace, the Nigerian government instructed the pilots to use a Nigerian Air Force call sign WT 001 to avoid any suspicion. That detail mattered, Anshuur said. Without it, we might have been questioned. They arrived at around 13:00 on 11 January in Lagos, where Barres family was waiting. After resting for the rest of the day, the pilots prepared for the final leg of the journey taking Barres body to Garbaharey in Somalia. On 12 January 1995, his wooden casket was loaded on to the aircraft. The two Nigerian government officials were also on the flight, this time with six members of the family, including his son Ayaanle Mohamed Siad Barre. From the pilots perspective, secrecy remained essential. At no point did we tell airport authorities in Cameroon, Uganda or Kenya that we were carrying a body, Hussein said. That was deliberate. The aircraft retraced its route, stopping briefly in Yaounde before flying to Entebbe, where it refuelled. The Ugandan authorities were told the final destination was Kisumu in western Kenya. As they neared Kisumu, the pilots diverted, this time flying directly to Garbaharey. Anshuur said after the casket was offloaded, he and his co-pilot attended the burial and then departed for Wilson Airport, with the two Nigerian officials on board. Anshuur said this turned out to be the most stressful part of their entire trip. You think: This is where we could be stopped.' Fearing being caught, the pilots informed Wilson air traffic control that they were arriving from Mandera in north-eastern Kenya, giving the impression that it was a local flight. No-one asked questions, Anshuur said. Thats when we knew we were safe. With that, the mission was over. Only afterwards did it really sink in what we had done, Anshuur told the BBC. Asked whether he would do it again, he replied: I am 65 years old now and no, I would not carry out a similar mission today because aviation technology has improved so much that there is now sufficient air traffic radar coverage within the African continent. It is virtually impossible to exploit the gaps in air traffic control that existed way back in 1995. U.S. and Ukrainian Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy may sign an agreement on "prosperity" and post-war reconstruction of Ukraine worth about $800 billion during the World Economic Forum in Davos, the British newspaper The Telegraph has reported on Saturday. "Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump are heading to the Swiss mountain resort, where they are expected to meet and finalise the agreement," Western officials told The Telegraph. The World Economic Forum in Davos will be held from January 19 to 23. According to The Telegraph, Zelenskyy had hoped to travel to the White House next week to conclude both an economic prosperity plan and an agreement on post-war security guarantees. However, his European allies in the Coalition of the Willing have dissuaded him from the trip and have instead suggested the World Economic Forum as a more suitable alternative for meeting Trump. According to officials, the plan was to use the meeting to finalise an economic deal a key part of a revised U.S.-backed proposal to end the nearly four-year war with Russia, The Telegraph said. According to the publication, European officials involved in the peace talks have urged Zelenskyy not to rush into talks with the US president because they believe he currently supports their efforts to end the war on terms that are favourable to Kyiv. According to Ukrainian officials, the prosperity plan aims to raise around $800 billion (GBP 600 billion) over a decade to rebuild Ukraine and jump-start its economy. During a briefing with reporters late last year, Zelenskyy said the deal would ensure "economic recovery, the return of jobs and the return of life to Ukraine." It is believed to pave the way for a range of loans, grants and investment opportunities from private companies to provide funds. Kyiv hopes that by offering Washington a role in post-war reconstruction, especially in projects that Trump may be sympathetic to, the U.S. president will be more inclined to provide solid security guarantees, The Telegraph said. The deal builds on a minerals deal signed last year that gave U.S. investors preferential access to future mining projects in Ukraine. Kilkenny students were to the fore at the Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition at the RDS in Dublin last week. Kilkenny projects Affordable Prosthetic Arm Mk2 Kilkenny College; The Effect of Trauma and Autism Colaiste Pobail Osrai; A Longitudinal Study into the Effect of the Menstrual Cycle on the Wellbeing of Teenage Girls Castlecomer Community School; The Battery Battle: Which Powers Better Rechargeable or Disposable? Meanscoil na mBraithre Criostai; Can You Create Eco-Friendly Paper Out of Waste Plant Materials? Castlecomer Community School. Leas Ceann Comhairle and Fianna Fail TD for CarlowKilkenny John McGuinness attended the event on Thursday, where he expressed his admiration for the exceptional standard, creativity and ambition on displayparticularly from students across Carlow and Kilkenny. TAP HERE FOR MORE KILKENNY SCHOOLS NEWS Speaking following his visit, Deputy McGuinness said he was amazed at the remarkable range and quality of projects on display and deeply impressed by the level of thought, work and imagination that went into every entry. I was delighted to be brought through the exhibition and to meet so many bright, enthusiastic young people, especially those representing schools from Carlow and Kilkenny, he said. The diversity of ideas, the scientific rigour and the social awareness shown by these students is truly inspiring. After seeing what I saw today, I leave knowing that the future is bright. Everyone involved is a winner. Now in its 61st year, the Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition has, since its foundation in 1965, served as a launchpad for Irelands brightest young minds. The exhibition is a national showcase of original student research, where thousands of proposals are submitted annually, with approximately 500 projects selected to be displayed over the four-day event in Dublin. Students present their work to panels of judges and the public, culminating in an awards ceremony where the overall Stripe Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year is announced. Deputy McGuinness paid particular tribute to the students and teachers from Carlow and Kilkenny. He commended the students, their families and their teachers for their dedication and commitment. These projects reflect not only academic excellence, but a genuine desire to solve real-world problems, he said. I congratulate every student who took part and thank the teachers and parents who continue to nurture and encourage this extraordinary talent. Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell reported on seven oil tankers of the so-called "shadow fleet" which changed course to avoid interception by the U.S. military in the Caribbean Sea over the past day. "The Department of War blockade in the Caribbean Sea remains in full effect and very effective. In the past 24 hours alone, at least seven 'dark fleet' oil vessels have turned around to avoid interdiction because they know we mean business," Parnell said on the X social network on Saturday. However, he did not specify whether these tankers were affiliated with Russia or not, but reported that they were engaged in the transportation of oil from Venezuela. "The days of letting criminal activity run rampant in our hemisphere are over thanks to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. The Department of War, alongside our interagency partners, will hunt down and interdict all dark fleet vessels transporting Venezuelan oil at the time and place of our choosing," Parnell said. As reported, the United States seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) on January 8 after a week-long pursuit. Later, the U.S. Southern Command reported the seizure in the Caribbean of the stateless vessel M/T Sophia, and later the motor tanker Olina, which were also part of the Russian shadow fleet and were under sanctions. Photo: https://t.me/svyrydenkoy Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko has said the government has instructed all relevant authorities and services to ensure the uninterrupted operation of Invincibility Points, to provide backup power sources and fuel for their operation, means of communication and other necessary equipment. The Prime Minister said in the Telegram channel on Saturday that "the operation of Invincibility Points on the left bank of Kyiv and in Kyiv region has been checked." In total, according to her, there are almost 1,300 points operating in the capital, they are provided by authorities, the State Emergency Service, the National Police and entrepreneurs. Some 6,908 Invincibility Points have been deployed across the country, another 2,703 are in reserve. "An additional solution is the invincibility carriages from Ukrzaliznytsia, the first seven of which went into operation in Kyiv region today to help people after enemy attacks. There is a full-fledged heating system, Starlink, household appliances, separate areas for families with children and pets. One carriage can accommodate about 40 people at a time. In total, 100 such passenger carriages from the non-working fleet have been converted," Svyrydenko said. She also said the regional military administrations, together with local authorities, should deploy additional points as much as possible not only in the capital, but also throughout the country in conditions of worsening weather and low temperatures. "We are involving the resources of major state-owned enterprises and banks in this. I am grateful to Ukrainian business, which is actively involved and gives people the opportunity to recharge and warm up in their premises. You can find the Invincibility Point nearest to you in the Diia application," Svyrydenko said. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Chinese FM puts forward proposals to further deepen China-Africa friendship Xinhua) 09:06, January 10, 2026 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Jan. 9, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Qiong) DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo on Friday in Dar es Salaam, calling for further strengthening China-Africa friendship. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China and Tanzania share a long-standing and enduring traditional friendship. Chinese President Xi Jinping chose Tanzania as one of the destinations of his first visit to Africa in 2013, where he put forward the principles of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith in China's Africa policy, marking a new milestone in the history of China-Africa relations, Wang said while meeting the press together with Kombo. This year's visit continues the tradition of China's foreign ministers making Africa their first overseas destination at the start of the year for 36 consecutive years, a practice China will continue to uphold and carry forward, he said. China-Africa cooperation, he noted, is an important component of South-South cooperation, with strong internal momentum and bright development prospects. The Chinese foreign minister summarized China-Africa friendship and mutual trust in three key aspects. First, jointly upholding justice. China and Africa once stood shoulder to shoulder in the struggles against imperialism and colonialism, in the fight for national liberation, and in the pursuit of development and revitalization, he said. Today, the two sides continue to firmly support each other on issues involving their respective core interests, safeguard the common interests of the Global South, uphold the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and act as a stabilizing force in a world marked by turbulence and change, he added. China supports Tanzania in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and development interests, supports the Tanzanian people in pursuing a development path suited to their national conditions, and opposes any external interference in Tanzania's internal affairs under any pretext, he noted. Second, jointly pursuing progress. President Xi has proposed that China and Africa work together to advance modernization characterized by six features and build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, providing direction for South-South cooperation, Wang said. China-Tanzania relations, Wang said, have gone beyond the bilateral scope and align with the historical trend of the collective rise of the Global South. Third, jointly advocating mutual benefit. China and Africa's shared pursuit of modernization is anchored in mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, Wang said. China stands ready to further align development strategies with African countries, promote faster and broader implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Africa, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, advancing hand in hand on the path to modernization, he said. Wang recalled that two months ago, under the guidance of the leaders of China, Tanzania, and Zambia, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway revitalization project officially broke ground. China is willing to work with Tanzania to advance the revitalization of the railway, jointly build a prosperity belt along the railway, turn it into a new engine for Tanzania's development, and continuously enrich and deepen the China-Tanzania comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Jan. 9, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Qiong) (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Sheng Chuyi) The Cartier Foundation and Art Basel Paris illustrate the growing influence of private initiative in the French capitals cultural scene. The trend is at once revitalizing the industry and threatening the role of the public sector Something is stirring in the cultural sector of Paris, which is experiencing a resurgence as an art capital thanks to a new prominence of private enterprise. Over the past few months, the citys cultural ecosystem has entered a new phase, undoubtedly more vibrant than in recent decades. But it is also more oriented towards art as a form of luxury, increasingly distant from the public model that once dominated the French capital. Several milestones in recent months demonstrate this. First, the multimillion-euro results of Art Basel Paris, a branch of the famous fair held every June in Switzerland that sold 90 million worth of artworks in just the first four hours. Then came the inauguration of the new Cartier Foundation headquarters opposite the Louvre, in a former antiques center transformed by Jean Nouvel. Around these two new centers, a more spectacular and international city of the arts is taking shape. But, according to critics, it is also more vulnerable to the transformation of culture into a mere financial asset. Some doors open, but others close. For example, the Centre Pompidou, which has just closed to begin renovations that will last until 2030. The old FIAC art fair, which brought together French galleries at the Grand Palais since the 1970s, has been replaced by the Swiss giant Art Basel, which already organizes professional events in Basel, Miami, Hong Kong and Qatar, in addition to Paris. The glass-fronted headquarters of the Cartier Foundation in Montparnasse, where artists studios were concentrated at the beginning of the 20th century, is now history. The institution has moved to the center of Paris, to a larger museum-scale building, capable of displaying a wider portion of its collection of more than 5,000 works, and equipped with an innovative system of mobile platforms that allows the space to be reconfigured for each exhibition. Its location aims to attract high-spending tourists who rarely venture far from the city center. The new building is adjacent to the Louvre, which is still recovering from the heist of the century another sign, for some, of the decline of public museums, victims of mass tourism and relative financial instability compared to their new neighbors. The inaugural exhibition of the new Cartier Foundation, in a building remodeled by Jean Nouvel, at the end of October in Paris. Luc Castel (Getty Images) The landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. The new building joins a cultural map where a central position has been held since 2014 by the Louis Vuitton Foundation, the flagship of the business tycoon Bernard Arnault, whose fortune exceeds 200 billion. Housed in a building designed by the late Frank Gehry, it has hosted exhibitions that have made history, such as the one dedicated to the Russian collector and patron of the avant-garde Sergei Shchukin, and which was the most visited exhibition in recent years in all of Paris. In 2021, the citys cultural landscape added the Bourse de Commerce, showcase of the Kering empire, which owns brands like Saint Laurent and Gucci. The building, remodeled by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando, houses the collection of 10,000 works belonging to its owner, Francois Pinault, in museum-quality exhibitions such as the current one dedicated to minimalism, which would once have been hosted by the Centre Pompidou. Alongside the more modest 19M, a cultural center owned by Chanel and dedicated to luxury craftsmanship and emerging artistic talent, the pieces are beginning to fall into place in a different way. Paris is leaving behind the model of cultural democratization designed during the years of Francois Mitterrand, who championed large public institutions and culture as a state service accessible to all, a model that set a trend in Europe and the world. Now, a different logic is taking hold: a new circuit of showcase museums that dazzle with their artistic ambition and financial power, but which are also more restrictive on a sociological level. There is evident enthusiasm in Paris, but also a certain vertigo about what is being left behind, perhaps irreversibly. In mid-October, Art Basel Paris opened its new edition with another exclusive event for a select group of collectors. Prices reached pre-pandemic levels: two canvases by Gerhard Richter, currently on display at Vuitton in one of the largest exhibitions ever dedicated to the German painter, sold for 25 million and 23 million, respectively, while two Picasso paintings fetched 50 million each. A comparison with London, until now the undisputed capital of the art market on the continent, made it clear that something is changing: the Frieze fair, held a week earlier, saw more modest prices, between 1 million and 3 million. Art Basel didnt create this moment, but it has been able to accompany and amplify it, stated Clement Delepine, director of Art Basel Paris, a position he will leave to take charge of another private foundation, Lafayette Anticipations, owned by the department store of the same name. The city has regained its status as a cultural capital, which it already had in the early 20th century and which it lost to London and New York. Exterior view of the 19M, Chanel's art and crafts center, in a building by architect Rudy Riccioti on the outskirts of Paris. Francois GOUDIER (Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) France remains the worlds fourth-largest art market after the United States, China and the United Kingdom, but it has doubled its share in the last 20 years and has tax incentives, such as a reduced VAT rate and legislation favorable to patronage, that help it retain masterpieces within its borders. Paris has also capitalized on the Brexit situation to gain ground on London. Since the UKs departure from the EU, several international galleries have opened or strengthened their presence in the city, establishing it as their new headquarters. These include Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, Esther Schipper, White Cube, Jessica Silverman, and Jack Shainman, while the French capital has attracted an increasing number of top-tier collectors and dealers. Veronique Jaeger, president of the Jeanne Bucher Jaeger gallery, one of the historic galleries on the Left Bank of the Seine that supported avant-garde artists and recently celebrated its centennial, welcomes the current acceleration but issues a warning. I hope that the arrival of major international brands will contribute to the dynamism of the capital without detracting from the charm of a city that has always been defined more by its spirit than by its market, she notes. In reality, not all perspectives are euphoric. The critic and essayist Pierre Bal-Blanc, a member of the Documenta 14 curatorial team, echoes this sentiment. What is presented as a renaissance is, he argues, a transformation of the relationship between art and capital. It illustrates how the business world and the art market have arrogated to themselves the power to shape a relationship with culture subordinated to the production of surplus value, he says. The vertigo one might feel stems from a confusion between vitality and speculation. The proliferation of foundations, the privatization of patronage, the transformation of the Centre Pompidou or the Cartier Foundation are not signs of good health, but rather symptoms of capital appropriating a common heritage, says Bal-Blanc, who fears that art will end up reduced to its decorative function. The Pompidou Centre has closed its doors to begin renovations expected to last five years. The image shows the last day the museum was open to the public, at the end of October. Luc Castel (Getty Images) At the Centre Pompidou, curator Alicia Knock organized Paris Noir, the last major exhibition before its temporary closure. The show recalled the cosmopolitan character that the French capital has always possessed, a place where the African diaspora found intellectual refuge. A proponent of public institutions, Knock emphasizes the role that state museums must maintain in the coming years. In this new landscape, they must continue to be a place for conversation: a space where collective narratives and critical perspectives are constructed. The challenge, she suggests, is not to compete in spectacularity with private foundations, but to contribute what has always defined them: to offer food for thought and an openness to everyone. Even so, not everything privately owned can be labeled as mere speculation. Alongside a centrifugal force gravitating towards historic Paris, another force is pushing outwards and occupying territories in the suburbs, sometimes abandoned by the state. The periphery is filling up with centers born from private initiative, transforming former factories and industrial facilities into spaces for creation and exhibition: the Fondation Fiminco in Romainville, the Poush center in Aubervilliers, or the new artistic hub of Ile Seguin, a major cultural project by the Emerige real estate group designed by the Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes in Boulogne-Billancourt, on the outskirts of Paris. A truly dense, diverse and vibrant ecosystem is emerging year-round, where we are seeing improved dialogue between public institutions and private actors, confirms Jean-Michel Crovesi, director of another such center, Hangar Y, located in a renovated former aircraft hangar in Meudon, 10 kilometers from the center of Paris. With its pros and cons, this shift is not only reshaping the Parisian cultural landscape, but also points to a changing era that could serve as a model for other parts of Europe. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Experts believe that a military attack by a major ally against a smaller partner would be a blow to the Atlantic Alliance from which it would be difficult to recover Donald Trump has presented NATO with an existential dilemma. The U.S. president has long been attacking the military organization. He has even gone so far as to question its very core, its fundamental principle: the mutual defense clause. Now, the White Houses threats against Greenland, an autonomous territory that is part of Denmark a NATO member like the United States without ruling out military action, could shatter the transatlantic alliance on which Europe has relied for its security since the end of World War II. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued an unusually stark warning: If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War. But the wound has already been laid bare, and the rest of Europe is being forced to accept that the new order is here to stay. The situation is so unusual that the treaties of the organization which stipulate that its members must resolve their disputes peacefully do not address what to do if one ally directly attacks another. Even less so if the aggressor is the most powerful member against one of the smaller ones one that is strong and committed in terms of investment and participation in missions. Furthermore, the threat comes at a very sensitive time for Europe, with Russias war against Ukraine approaching its fourth anniversary and negotiations underway to end the conflict on European soil. NATO continues to consider Russia its primary threat. However, the greatest danger now appears to lie within its own ranks. Would a U.S. incursion into Greenland truly spell the end of the Alliance? Jamie Shea, a high-ranking NATO official until 2018, is in no doubt. It would constitute a complete repudiation of the principles of the UN Charter, upon which the 1949 NATO Treaty is based. NATO (including the United States and Denmark) is currently responsible for Greenlands defense and has incorporated this scenario into its regional defense plans. Therefore, the expert points out, a U.S. takeover of the island under the pretext of strengthening common defense against Russia and China in the North Atlantic region, as Trump has stated, would be a way of saying that NATO cannot do the job and that only the United States can guarantee the Alliances security. That was the end of collective defense and respect for the sovereignty of NATO allies, Shea, currently a researcher at the think tank Friends of Europe, points out. A Spanish army Leopard 2A6E tank during the NATO "Brilliant Jump" military exercises on February 26, 2024 in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland. Sean Gallup (Getty Images) Manuel Muniz, rector of IE University in Spain and professor of international relations, echoes these sentiments: Any military action against one NATO ally by another would irreversibly damage the Alliance; it would mark a turning point for the Alliance. I have no doubt about it, he says. Trump has already demonstrated in Venezuela that he is willing to resort to the use of force. After sending a Delta Force team to kidnap Nicolas Maduro, he stated: We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. The White House has gone even further, making it very clear that all options are on the table. In Europe, people are increasingly nervous. And that nervousness has also reached the heart of NATO. The issue has been raised in recent meetings, but for the moment, the decision has been made not to address it as a multilateral matter. The organization has long feared that the U.S. will eventually disengage from the Alliance and accelerate its withdrawal from Europe, where it is its main security umbrella. For this reason, sensitive topics are avoided. But this practice may now change. The Greenland issue could become unavoidable, says a NATO source, speaking on condition of anonymity. The real question will be the reaction of the allies if Washington intervenes on the island, something that will also depend on the type of intervention. The White House believes Europe is not considering a scenario of defensive confrontation. Nobody is going to fight the United States over the future of Greenland, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller confidently told CNN in an interview last Monday. Nor would it be feasible. The United States has 1.3 million active military personnel across all branches; Denmark has 13,100. If the comparison is made in terms of defense spending, the disparity is also staggering, even when considering all allies: $845 billion in 2025 for the U.S., compared to a combined $559 billion for the other 31 NATO members. Its difficult to imagine how the alliance would recover from such a shocking treaty violation as one ally attacking another to seize territory, says Marion Messmer, director of the International Security program at Chatham House. At the same time, European countries must seriously consider what NATO would look like without the U.S. and accelerate investments in those capabilities where the U.S. remains strongest, such as command and control networks, suppression of enemy air defenses, and similar enabling capabilities. They will also need to seriously consider what kind of adversary the United States might pose, she says in an analysis. Much of this should be done, and will be done, discreetly or privately. But states can no longer afford to ignore this possibility. It remains shocking that the question is being raised of how European allies could defend Denmark against another ally within the framework of the organization. And whether Article 5 of the collective defense treaty could be invoked (an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all, thus allowing them to respond). Experts believe it would not be applicable. Indeed, there is the precedent of the conflict between Turkey and Greece over Cyprus. When Ankara invaded the small island, the Alliance did not intervene, but the United States acted as a mediator. To add fuel to the fire, the U.S. president has once again attacked NATO. On Wednesday, he escalated his rhetoric and sowed doubts about the common defense clause: Everyone is lucky that I rebuilt our military in my first term and continue to do so. We will always be there for NATO, even if they wont be there for us. This only added to the unrest and discontent in Europe, which has done everything possible to appease him and lets his bluster pass without a response for that very reason. If it comes to it, several European sources believe Trump will try to justify an intervention by arguing that it is essential for the security of the Arctic and the North Atlantic. The truth, however, is that bilateral agreements between Denmark and the U.S. allow Washington to significantly increase its military presence on the island and give it considerable leeway: The United States already has sufficient guarantees and agreements with Denmark to increase its presence in Greenland as much as it wants and to reach economic and strategic agreements of all kinds. This [referring to a military intervention] appears to be a mere territorial claim. It would be an unmitigated act of aggression, explains Muniz of IE University. The message to Europeans will be that U.S. security can only be achieved by accepting total submission to Washington and turning a blind eye to U.S. violations of international law and exercises in realpolitik, says Shea of Friends for Europe. Few will believe that NATO could survive for long with that kind of transatlantic agreement. The headquarters and infrastructure in Brussels might remain for a while, but the alliance would have lost its meaning and its foundation. Messmer points out that NATOs European allies would have several levers at their disposal if the U.S. continues its threats: they could refuse to resupply American ships in European ports; refuse to accept wounded military personnel for treatment in European military hospitals; and demand hefty payments for the continued stationing of U.S. troops. They could also propose closing certain military installations. These measures were previously unthinkable. But they could reassure the United States that, while complaining about European freeloaders on security has become popular, this has long been a mutually beneficial arrangement, she concludes. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition If youre thinking about traveling to Russia anytime soon, take note that the country is one place you should avoid traveling. The U.S. State Department issued its highest travel advisory for Russia, warning Americans not to travel there for any reason. Here is what you need to know about the travel advisory and why the U.S. government is saying you shouldnt travel there. What does the latest travel advisory for Russia mean for you? Item Detail Start Date Dec. 29, 2025 Whats changing Updated travel advisory urging travelers not to travel to Russia for any reason due to drone attacks, the war between Russia and Ukraine, terrorism, unrest and wrongful detention. What will happen? Travelers should not travel to Russia and U.S. citizens already there are urged to leave immediately because the U.S. government can provide little support to Americans wrongly detained for any reason. Who will it affect? Travelers to Russia. The agency gave a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory to Russia due to drone attacks, the war between Russia and Ukraine, terrorism, unrest and wrongful detention. What is the highest travel advisory? There are four levels of travel advisory, Level 1 through Level 4. When planning a vacation, you should check the current travel advisory for that destination. Level 1 : Exercise Normal Precautions This is the lowest level of advisory; it is advised that there is some risk in that area, and travelers should take precautions while on their visit. Level 2 : Exercise Increased Caution There is a heightened risk for safety and security in that area, and travelers need to take extra caution. Level 3 : Reconsider Travel There are serious risks to safety, and travelers are advised to reconsider their travel plans to this destination. Level 4: Do Not Travel This is the highest level of advisory, and it is strongly recommended not to travel to any destinations with a Level 4 advisory, due to many factors, one of which is that the U.S. government might not be able to provide travelers any assistance in the event of an emergency. What should travelers to Russia do in light of this travel advisory? The U.S. State Department warns travelers who decide not to heed the travel warning to do the following: The Portlaoise branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann celebrated the dawn of a New Year with news of an invitation to America for St Patricks Day. The invite stems from the Sister Cities twinning of Laois and Williamson County, Tennessee. It will see the cream of young local trad talent participate in events during March 2026 to advance links between the two locations. Portlaoise Comhaltas outlined plans to the Leinster Express / Laois Live. The branch says the visit will be hosted at Franklin, the administrative seat of Williamson County while the party will also visit Nashville and other locations. The branch says the visit follows on from the summer of 2025 when a Franklin delegation visited Laois, meeting with business, sporting and cultural interests around the county. The visit concluded with an evening at a Portlaoise Comhaltas Seisiun in Kavanaghs Pub on July 1, 2025. Portlaoise Comhaltas say that the national Comhaltas HQ and the Laois County Board have endorsed the trip, with delegates at a recent meeting of Bord Co Laoise CCE expressing "their delight" that the Portlaoise branch will be representing the whole county as they meet with the diaspora in Tennessee. Portlaoise Chairperson Jason Conroy welcomed support from across the county as plans are afoot to stage a major fundraising concert to coincide with St Brigids Day, including special guests from across the county. Group leader P J Phelan believes this invitation came as a result of the dedication of the panel of teachers and the emphasis the branch committee places on staging entertaining performances such as the annual show on the main stage at the fleadh. More below photo. Pictured: PJ Phelan welcoming Eric Stuckey, Franklin City Administrator, at Portlaoise Seisiun on July 1, 2025. "Individuals and groups may take provincial and national honours but the seisiun andstage shows bring a great sense of pride to all the members, he told the Leinster Express. READ ALSO: Renowned Laois drama festival launches 2026 programme Portlaoise is one of nine Comhaltas branches catering for young and old who wish to learn and enjoy traditional music. The branch says that partnering with the Buggy school of Irish dancing in recent years, it has come to prominence at national level building on decades of voluntary effort by enthusiasts proving the seanochal. "Mol an oige agus tiochfaid si - praise the young and they will flourish," concluded Mr Phelan. READ ALSO: Laois club to celebrate six decades in style A formal Twinning Agreement was signed in March 2008 between Laois County Council and Franklin/Williamson County to foster trade, commerce, tourism, and build cultural, educational, and artistic connections. This Friday night, Patrick Kielty throws open the doors for the seisiun of all seisiuns. On a night dedicated to celebrating traditional Irish music, some of the greatest trad musicians from Ireland and around the world - including many of the standout artists appearing at this years TradFest - gather for unforgettable performances, stories and surprises. Expect incredible instrumentals, surprise collaborations and some of the best-known songs in the Irish music tradition, interspersed with conversations with guests throughout the night. READ NEXT: BREAKING: Bodies of man and young child discovered in separate locations in Dublin American folk legend Peggy Seeger joins the line-up for the Late Late Show Trad Special. She will reflect on her seven decades in the music industry and still performing and releasing music at 90. Shell pay tribute to her late husband Ewan MacColl with a performance of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, the iconic song he wrote for her. Audiences can also look forward to a special group performance of Dirty Old Town, another of MacColls classics. Actor Ricky Tomlinson, beloved for The Royle Family, will also drop in for a chat. Hell discuss his passion for singing and playing the banjo, his connection to Ireland and why he has no intention of slowing down any time soon. Hell reflect on the joy he finds in performing and in true seisiun spirit, might even treat audiences to a tune of his own! Lisa Canny, founding member of all-female trad supergroup Biird, will also chat to Paddy about the incredible year shes had with the band from launching their debut Irish tour to taking the stage at All Together Now, the Fleadh and the 3Arena, all while squeezing in a tour with Ed Sheeran and a feature in Vogue. Lisa will also look ahead to the year to come, sharing how 2026 is shaping up to be just as big for both her and the band, with even more music and milestones on the horizon. READ NEXT: Government ministers could leave X in protest over abhorrent Grok AI images In between performances, Patrick will also catch up with other well-known musicians including Kevin Conneff of The Chieftains, Donal Lunny, Fiachna O Braonain and Zoe Conway as they share stories, songs and their passion for keeping the tradition alive. And in a Late Late Show first, one musician will be inducted into The Late Late Show Trad Music Hall of Fame. All of this and lots more this Friday night on RTE One at 9.35pm. Motorists crashed into a wall in Castletown three times over Christmas prompting a Councillor to call on drivers to slow down. Independent Cllr James Kelly said chevrons had now been installed on the wall by Laois County Council at the dangerous bend at Dainganroe, Castletown near Mountrath. Following three impacts on the wall during Christmas period residents contacted me and I commend the prompt response from Council employees. Please slow down on this very dangerous bend, Cllr Kelly stated. Cllr Kelly said the wall is located on a busy road coming down from the hurling field. He urged motorists to take care and said the new chevrons would be of little use if a driver is travelling too quickly. It is down to driver behaviour as well, they have to just slow down, said Cllr Kelly. READ ALSO: ISPCA no longer running Laois Dog Pound What we are asking for really is that people would slow down, he said. He urged motorists to take care when driving in the area. A 15-year-old from County Kerry has been named the winner of the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition for a tool that helps doctors improve the treatment of brain cancer. Aoibheann Dalys project GlioScope: Multi-task Deep Learning and Causal AI for Glioma & Glioblastoma Profiling allows doctors to predict what genetic mutations may be present in the brain using an MRI to make treatment quicker and easier for patients. Doctors currently rely on taking samples of brain tissue, which is expensive and carries a high risk of bleeding in the brain. Professor Catherine Darker, head judge for the Health & Wellbeing category said Aoibheanns development is an extraordinary achievement. Aoibheann has brought together scientific areas of medicine with computer science to improve the chances of early intervention for people with brain cancer, she said. The Stripe YSTE trophy was presented to Aoibheann on Friday by Minister for Education, Hildegarde Naughton, and Stripe cofounder and former YSTE winner Patrick Collison. In addition to receiving the grand prize of 7,500 euros, she will go on to represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Kiel in Germany in September 2026. Aoife Fadian and Jessica OConnor, fifth year students from County Sligo, were named Best Group, with their project Sheep Strength II: Using Sheep Wool to Reinforce Concrete. Expanding on their work from last year, the pair investigated the most effective, market-friendly form of sheep wool as a strengthening agent for concrete. The YSTE was founded in 1965 and attracts more than 40,000 visitors on average to the RDS in Dublin, making it one of the biggest events of its kind worldwide. More than 1,000 students presenting 550 projects competed for more than 200 prizes throughout the week. The projects were chosen from a pool of almost 2,000 entries. A staple of the new year political calendar, the exhibition attracted high-profile politicians who came to inspect projects made by schools in their constituencies. President Catherine Connolly officially opened the competition on Wednesday and a range of Cabinet ministers visited throughout the week. Friday saw the attendance of Tanaiste Simon Harris as well as Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who had just returned from a days-long diplomatic visit to China. The Fine Gael and Fianna Fail leaders spent hours interacting with secondary school students on the show floor, posing for photographs and interacting with projects. Nearly a quarter of the projects use or examine artificial intelligence (AI), while environment and climate-related projects also feature heavily this year. On the subject of AI, Mr Harris told reporters that he was grappling with whether politicians should deactivate their X account amid a controversy about the platforms Grok tool which has been used to create sexualised images of people, including children. He also said the companys decision to move that capability behind a paywall would clearly not address the issue. This years main sponsor is Stripe, which has taken over from BT Ireland after 25 years. Stripe was founded by Irish brothers and former YSTE entrants John and Patrick Collison. Patrick won the competition in 2005 and attended the event on Thursday and Friday. The tech firm, which operates a dual headquarters in Dublin and San Francisco, offers programmable financial services for millions of businesses to accept payments. Mr Collison joined the Taoiseach as he walked around the exhibition hall. One of the projects Mr Martin stopped at was the IronInsight app to promote haemochromatosis awareness, created by Transition Year student Ellen OShea at Ursuline College Blackrock, Co Cork. Ms OSheas project was part of a range of entries supported by the Teen Turn charity which is dedicated to providing teenage girls with hands-on Stem experience. Meanwhile, 15-year-old disability campaigner Cara Darmody entered with a project examining misconceptions and misinformation about autism diagnoses. Both Mr Martin and Mr Harris stopped to speak to the activist, who gained national attention with her campaign on the shortcomings in the assessment of needs system. Given the uncertainty prevailing in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolas Maduro by the United States and the continued rule of Chavismo, Colombia is addressing the possibility of a new mass influx of people into its territory, which already hosts 2.8 million Venezuelans. The government of Gustavo Petro is currently considering a three-phase plan in the event of a potential migration emergency, according to a draft from the Foreign Ministry reviewed by EL PAIS. Deputy Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs Mauricio Jaramillo stated Tuesday before the Permanent Council of the OAS that the situation in Venezuela following the attacks ordered by Donald Trump could generate a massive flow of migration that would demand a significant effort in resources and capabilities to provide the necessary support and assistance in the receiving areas. The draft, prepared by the Directorate of Territorial Sovereignty and Border Development, details three stages in response to a potential migration emergency. The first stage occurs when the number of daily entries of Venezuelans reaches 73,000 and the percentage of non-returns falls below 0.01%. In other words, when the majority of those entering remain in Colombia. This initial stage will focus solely on identifying the needs of those entering, a task that can be handled by local and departmental capacities. The director general of Colombias migration agency, Gloria Arriero, stated Tuesday that approximately 60,000 people are traveling daily to Cucuta, the Colombian city with the highest influx of Venezuelans. Although Arriero indicated that there has not been a significant increase in recent days, she acknowledged that the situation could change at any moment. Our officers at the mandatory checkpoints are reporting uncertainty among the people due to a very complicated situation that has affected Venezuela and is also affecting us, she said at a press conference. If these numbers begin to rise, the government will initiate the second phase, according to the draft. This will be deployed when 90,000 entries are registered daily, the rate of non-returnees reaches 15%, and the percentage of Venezuelans with irregular status who wish to remain in the country is between 5% and 15%. At this point, territorial capacity to handle the influx of people will be exceeded, and the government will consider a possible declaration of emergency. From then on, ministries will respond according to their mission and capabilities, and services such as lodging, food, and first aid will be activated. Minister of Equality Juan Carlos Florian, who has been part of the Unified Command Post (PMU) in Cucuta, stated that we must be prepared to provide timely, decisive, and comprehensive assistance to those arriving in our country. At the moment, it is too early to say whether or not the number of migrants will increase, but we dont know what will happen, for example, with illegal migration, and many people may be entering the country, he explained in a conversation with journalists. The government announced over the weekend the deployment of 30,000 troops along the entire border which stretches from the Caribbean Sea to the Amazon rainforest to strengthen territorial security. The third and final phase will be activated if the number of Venezuelans entering the country exceeds 120,000 per day, with a non-return rate greater than 25% and an irregular immigration status exceeding 15%. This phase will overwhelm the States capacity and even exceptional measures, the draft states. To address the situation, the government proposes activating international cooperation to cover the basic needs of the new arrivals. According to the document, the country has the support of the United Nations system and other partners who have expressed their interest in assisting the Government [...] to address a potential humanitarian emergency. By the end of 2025, the number of Venezuelans in Colombia had reached 2.8 million, of whom 67% had received a foreign resident ID card or a Temporary Protection Permit (PPT), the most common mechanism used to regularize the immigration status of Venezuelans and which grants them access to basic services such as health, education, and employment. According to the Ministry of Labor, 71% of the Venezuelan migrant population was of working age in 2024, and their labor force participation rate was even higher than that of the rest of the countrys population (73.8% compared to 63.5%). Several humanitarian organizations have denounced the mismanagement of Venezuelan migration during Petros administration. The Venezuelan program for Education-Action in Human Rights (Provea) published a report in October characterizing the presidency as having slowed the response to migration while dismantling certain mechanisms. The organization cites as examples the closure of the Border Management Office and the Single Registry of Venezuelan Migrants, an office under the presidency. Currently, there is no general regularization mechanism for those who entered the country after the end of May 2023, the report states. The situation is also complex for human rights defenders. The attack suffered by activists Luis Peche and Yendri Velasquez in October highlighted the weaknesses in the security afforded to Venezuelan political exiles in Colombia. Many have urged the government to strengthen protection and reception systems, and as the Foreign Ministrys draft shows it has been in development since early December, before the U.S. attack on Venezuela it is also a concern for the administration, which fears, as happened a decade ago, that the border will overflow again. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A Kildare TD has urged the Minister for Education to intervene to reopen a Clane primary school that will close from this coming Monday, January 12. Hewetson National School, Millicent, Clane has this lunchtime emailed parents informing them that they will be closing the school following guidance from the Fire Safety Officer on the basis that a fire alarm system is not compliant. The school has had a company ready to install a brand-new, state-of-the-art fire alarm system for some time, but the matter is awaiting funding approval from the Department through the Emergency Works Grant process, Social Democrats TD, Aidan Farrelly said today. In fact, they have been actively pursuing this funding since last November. My office has emailed the Minister to expedite this funding situation. This is simply not good enough. We have had parents of children getting in touch with us, concerned at the disruption to their childrens education, as well as the disruption to their family and working life as a result of having to take time off work to care for their children. Things should never have gotten to this point and the Minister must act to get this school re-opened as quickly as possible. These childrens education should not be disrupted like this for the sake of bureaucracy. READ NEXT: Works complete on 3.5m apartment development in this Kildare town 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. Laws against freedom of expression, the presence of paramilitaries, and the return of Chavista hawks mark the daily life of a strange transition that does not take the population into account The two Venezuelas that coexist these days walk without touching each other, while the bustling Caracas lowers its voice and witnesses movements that were unimaginable just a week ago. One Venezuela, the Chavista one, is putting up with U.S. tutelage and accepting as normal that Washington now decides the fate of its oil, while announcing a mass release of political prisoners. The other Venezuela remains silent in the face of an agreement among the elites that have decided, without their consent, the course of the transition. To the usual repression, millions of Venezuelans now add the silence imposed from above. In the new Venezuela, not even the families of the recently released prisoners were able to celebrate their release because the law of national commotion, passed by Delcy Rodriguez after being sworn in as acting president, seeks to maintain control of the narrative and prevents expression in the streets except to support Nicolas Maduro, now detained in a New York jail. Theres a strange joy, but also a lot of frustration. Were caught between something that wont die and something that wont be born, says a PDVSA oil company worker who prefers to remain anonymous. I have a feeling this could last for years, and how does that benefit me? he asks. All I know is that now I could get into trouble for expressing my opinion and talking to you, he says from Caracas. Despite Trumps humiliating impositions, and despite the fact that Maduros regime is at its lowest point without him, Chavismo, like Castroism in Cuba, thrives on confrontation. It is accustomed to survival and knows how to wield language, the media, street tactics, and weapons. Thus, it responds with external displays of submission while applying an iron fist at home, as a rebuke to those who perceive signs of weakness. In many Venezuelan cities, following Maduros capture, the streets are now controlled by paramilitary groups, the infamous motorcyclists, who have assumed a central role in maintaining order. Armed and masked, they have deployed primarily in working-class neighborhoods of the capital, such as Petare and Catia, to suppress any spontaneous movement. When a coup ousted Hugo Chavez from power on April 11, 2002, it was the first time the Bolivarian Revolution had been left without a leader by force. The reaction, however, was that thousands of people descended from the hills, surrounded the presidential palace, and the social mobilization in the streets and military barracks ultimately crushed the uprising led by Pedro Carmona just two days later. That popular victory of April 13 left a phrase etched in the Chavista subconscious, one that the most hardline sector of Chavismo repeats these days: Every 11th has its 13th. The city is quieter than usual, says a Caracas-based journalist who, like the 10 people interviewed for this story, prefers to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. Theres a strange feeling that things have changed only to stay the same. The government wants to project normalcy, but there are few people in the streets and no one wants to talk about politics, he explains. Theres fear, says a law professor at the Central University. There are armed civilians in the streets, military checkpoints every few blocks, and cell phones are being checked. People, in general, are quieter, he says as he leaves his classroom. The feeling is that the changes are being felt more intensely outside the country than inside, adds a primary school teacher from the state of Yaracuy, who is perplexed by the air of defeat of the Rodriguez siblings, Delcy and Jorge, at the head of the executive and legislative branches, respectively. While the streets remain silent, the official media outlets are hammering away with programming that insists on the normalcy prevailing in the country. Radio and television stations, programs and analysts speak of the imperialist aggression, civic-military unity, and daily work as a great contribution to the nation. Not a word is uttered about the capitulation on the oil front or the release of prisoners, presented as a gesture of goodwill in support of national dialogue. However, daily life is far less idyllic. Hundreds of men dressed in black, armed with pistols, shotguns, and rifles, stationed on street corners, instill fear as they patrol the streets on motorcycles, establishing informal controls over residents and businesses, enforcing closing times, and restricting nighttime movement. The soldiers get on the bus and ask for your phone: they are looking for words like Trump, Maduro, United States, or invasion, explained a pharmacist who works in the Altamira area. Many Venezuelans who voted overwhelmingly against Maduro in 2024 have been unable to celebrate the news they had been waiting years for. To prevent it, the government has a provision that orders the search and capture throughout the national territory of any person involved in promoting or supporting the armed attack by the United States, which has sent shivers down the spines of human rights organizations. The goal is to maintain control of both the institutions and the streets. Following the shock of January 3, when U.S. planes bombed the capital, Diosdado Cabello, Venezuelas vice president and representative of the most militaristic wing of Chavismo, led walks through the city for two nights, accompanied by dozens of armed men. However, the once all-powerful Cabello appeared dejected and haggard on Wednesday night during his television program appearance, in which he had to acknowledge that the last 27 weeks have been a constant siege I am dismayed, emotionally devastated and very afraid. At first there were lines to buy food and gasoline now things have returned to normal. You can see that there are efforts to convey that nothing has happened and that life goes on, says an engineering student from the capital. The schizophrenic silence imposed on the country has led to several arrests, such as those of two brothers, farmers from the state of Merida, who celebrated Maduros capture by firing shots into the air, according to the NGO Foro Penal. On the day of the acting presidents inauguration, at least 15 journalists, 11 of them from international media outlets, were detained in a clear message that everything changes at the top, but nothing changes on the ground. But the crackdown isnt limited to the streets. Three other people were arrested for celebrating on social media. One young woman was forced to issue a public apology, and the police released a video in which she, handcuffed and accompanied by two officers, said: Mr. President Nicolas, Im here to leave this video to apologize for a video I posted a few hours ago. The appointments within the Chavista leadership also show no changes to the established line. Having overcome the initial shock, Rodriguez chose General Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez as the new commander of the Presidential Honor Guard. The first appointment made by the acting president served as minister of the interior and director of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) until the end of 2024. SEBIN is the regimes political police, responsible, among other things, for the notorious Helicoide prison, a symbol of torture and repression against the opposition. He is one of the hardliners. His appointment sends no signal of change, says opposition deputy Stalin Gonzalez. While daily life is managed between Washington and Caracas, on the street the most immediate concern is whether well get our war bonus on the 15th, says a nurse from Caracas, referring to the extra $30 that public employees receive, supplementing their $70 monthly salary. Political changes will come; right now Im worried about food, she explains on her way to work. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition LIMERICK gardai are appealing for information regarding a break-in in Kilteragh. Sergeant Michelle OHalloran, Crime Prevention Officer Henry Street Garda Station said: "Shortly after 3am on the morning of January 6th, suspects broke into a house in Kilteragh through an unlocked rear window. The thieves ransacked the house and stole the keys to two vehiclesa 2021 Kia and a 2025 Ford Transit." "Luckily, both vehicles were stolen and found not far from the scene, possibly because of icy road conditions that night," added Sgt O'Halloran. "However, the damage caused to the property and the distress to the homeowners, who were away on holiday, is still significant." READ MORE: Limerick boy, aged 13, kicks girl, 12, in the ribs after she made sex assault complaint The gardai are appealing to anyone who may have any information about this burglary or if they observed anyone acting suspicious around 3am on January 6 in the Kilteragh area, to contact Roxboro Garda Station on 061 214340. The local crime prevention officer explained: "We always remind people to lock all doors and windows when leaving their homes, even if its just for a short period. If youre planning to go on holiday, ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property and even park their car in your driveway. This simple step can deter criminals who are searching for empty occupied homes." Sgt O'Halloran advised that lighting also plays a significant role. "Using timers to turn lights on and off at various times of the evening creates the illusion that someone is home. Its a good idea to also set up an intruder alarm if you dont already have one." She concluded: "If the alarm goes off, the risk of being caught generally makes criminals flee the scene quickly. Its a great way to protect your property, especially when youre away." A WOMAN who was observed by gardai on patrol as driving on the wrong side of the road has been convicted and fined. Connie Mullane with an address at Reens East, Ardagh appeared before Newcastle West District Court. READ ALSO: Beloved Limerick teacher remembered as an inspiration and true friend Inspector Gearoid Thompson told the court that on September 25, 2025, gardai on patrol saw Ms Mullane driving on the wrong side of the road on the N21 at Killaheen, near Rathkeale. He said that some vehicles had to take small evasive actions to avoid the vehicle. The car was observed being driven in this manner at 8.30pm in the evening. When stopped by gardai, Ms Mullane admitted the offence and was arrested. The court heard that there was no collision due to her actions. Inspector Thompson told the court that Ms Mullane has four previous convictions, one in the UK and the most recent was a road traffic offence in 2017 for no tax, while there was also a public order offence. The 33-year-old woman was convicted and a fine of 400 was imposed, which she has six months to pay. The story of American success is full of early callings, groundbreaking ideas and media exposure. But none of that applies to Benjamin Talley Smith, 46. At first he thought he wanted to pursue a career in the movie industry, but when he found himself using computers and editing programs, he realized he missed working with his hands. From there, he jumped somewhat randomly into the world of fashion and, within the sector, dedicated himself to a seemingly unattractive sector: jeans. And, little by little, love blossomed. Today, the Vermont native is a leading expert on this peculiar subject, which he studies as if it were a science. He has been the jeans whisperer for Tommy Hilfiger, Helmut Lang, Rag & Bone, and Marc by Marc Jacobs, although he also didnt hesitate when it came to designing $27 jeans for Walmart. Until The New York Times published a piece about it a year ago, it was the best-kept secret in the American textile industry. He prefers to keep it that way: for his independent consultancy (Talley Creative) to continue with its five employees and no more, and for him to retain the freedom to say no to companies he feels arent ready to launch his line of jeans. Recently, the president of a brand told me when he met me that I wasnt at all the way hed imagined, he explains, knowing he doesnt have the airs that are often attributed to the fashion world. And he remembers how he couldnt hold back his laughter when someone whose name he doesnt want to remember swore revenge on a supermodel simply because she wasnt available to them at the time. A pocket a few inches higher or lower, a wider or narrower yoke... the devil is in the details of jeans, according to Benjamin Talley Smith. Cedida por Benjamin Talley Smith Talley Smith, with his Vermont-bred good-boy attitude and, of course, dressed in denim pants and jacket, meets us at a cafe in New Yorks SoHo just before a meeting with Spanx, with whom he has just launched an innovative line of jeans made with Lycra that he believes could revolutionize the market. The denim market generated $45.51 billion worldwide in 2024, according to a report by Research and Markets, and is going full steam ahead: the same sources predict it will generate revenue of $67.36 billion by 2030. Its an emblem of the United States and it never goes out of style. At the companies Ive worked for, the denim line represented no less than 10% of their business. If you do it right, it becomes something huge, and thats why investors find it attractive. And, if you get it right, success lasts forever, he argues. We all have our favorite jeans. The ones that fit us well and to which we swear loyalty. Once you find them and feel comfortable in them, theyre almost like armor, he summarizes. His job is precisely to ensure that no body is left without its most flattering pair of jeans, the ones well buy again when theyve worn out or shrunk. One of the founders of Shazam once called me asking for help because his favorite pair of jeans was no longer being made, he recalls. But beyond this anecdote, what sets Talley apart is that he offers a vertical service in his consulting firm: from sourcing and working with materials (purchasing, design, washing) to market research and marketing campaigns. The New York Times called him the wizard of jeans, although he seems more like an archivist of this garment: he works surrounded by more than 2,000 pairs of jeans of all kinds in his studio, continues to seek out collectors pieces in secondhand stores, and when he walks down the street, he recognizes each and every one of his creations. Theyre like my children, he jokes. Although one of his most famous jeans is named not after his son, but after his wife: the Danielle, designed for Khaite. A high-waisted, straight-leg jean that Kendall Jenner wore last fall and was a hit on social media. The creator inside his workshop. Todd Tyler (Cedida por Benjamin According to Talley, theres no single secret to a successful pair of jeans, but rather respecting the nature of the process, which requires patience in trial and error and the experience that only he possesses in the industry. The first key is the wash: Its the most expensive part of the jean, and if you want to do it right, it has to be done by hand. That makes each pair of jeans different, almost like a fingerprint. The second, with all due respect, is the butt. Who hasnt contorted themselves in front of the mirror to see the effect of a pair of jeans on their rear end? If the wash is the most expensive, designing the rear of the jean is the most time-consuming. Especially with womens jeans. It requires fitting them on women, something I have to do myself at least five times a week for different brands. Is the pocket in the right place? Is it too small? Sometimes its a matter of millimeters. And you can tell when not enough attention has been paid to that process. Sometimes Im walking down the street and say, Look, that pocket isnt placed correctly, he says. The third is understanding that a line of jeans requires a huge initial effort: at least nine months of preparation and a $30,000 budget, he says. The payoff comes in the medium to long term. Although everything sounds like a production line, Talley doesnt feel like his work is monotonous. Trendswhether wider or narrower, the challenges of sustainability, or the blurred gender barriers of contemporary societykeep him more than entertained. And talking to him, its tempting to trace the evolution of society through a garment created in 1873, designed, with its rivets and durable fabric, for workers in adverse conditions. Later, movie stars like Marlon Brando and James Dean popularized it when Hollywood began to tell less glamorous, more real-life stories. Despite that masculine beginning, today, Talley says, 80% of the industry is dedicated to producing jeans for women, and the big change this millennium brought is premium or luxury jeans. In 1999, Diesel was the first to release a pair of jeans that cost $120, when the most expensive Levis cost around $89, he recalls. Then came higher-end brands like Seven, which approached the $200 mark. And thats when it all started. In the last 10 years, weve entered the luxury phase, he says, recalling how Louis Vuitton was the one that pushed the price beyond $1,000. But whether its $1,200 or $20, what makes jeans unique is how often we all wear them, he concludes. According to Talley Smith, designing the back of the pants is what takes the most time. Cedida por Benjamin Talley Smith Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition IN ONE sitting of Newcastle West District Court, 15 cases were not heard due to the High Court ruling on blood specimens for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In August of 2025, the High Court overturned a conviction for drink driving on the basis that the chain of custody for a blood sample could not be proven. READ ALSO: Beloved Limerick teacher remembered as an inspiration and true friend In that instance, Ms Justice Sara Phelan quashed the district court conviction, which had included a two-year driving ban and a fine. In that case, the blood sample was taken to a garda station and posted to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety the next day. However, the High Court judge found that garda evidence did not account for the storage or security of the blood sample before it got to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety. The judge ruled that the chain of custody could not be presumed. At the time, it was predicted by solicitors and barristers that this would have a significant impact on cases coming through the district court. Now, more than six months on, any cases which rely on blood samples cannot be heard. This is adding to the case loads in district courts and causing significant delays in rulings and potential convictions. BISHOP OF Limerick Brendan Leahy has called for a national plan for peace-building. In his message to mark World Day of Prayer for peace, the Bishop acknowledged the world is in a "fragile" state today, we must all commit to peace personally. He said that in Ireland we are rightly proud of our tradition of neutrality, but we cant be naive and simply adhere to a passive notion of neutrality. READ MORE: Trainee teacher in court for assaulting man at popular late-night venue in Limerick We need a vibrant vision of Ireland as a peace-building country. Our collective identity, if it wants to be one characterised by peaceful neutrality, needs commitment and a clear statement owned collectively by us all that the active promotion of peace is a priority for us, Bishop Leahy said. "We can, he added, be grateful for the diplomatic pathways already formulated by our Government and for the many wonderful gestures of generosity and kindness on the part of many in our society that are certainly already peace-building. But it would be good if an overall high-level national integral strategic plan of peace-building were formulated," said Bishop Leahy. This could become, he added, a framework for our society becoming a pro-active promoter of peace at all levels personal, social and political, nationally and internationally, he said. It could be entitled: disarmed and disarming peace, words suggested by Pope Leos message for the 2025 World Day of Peace, added Bishop Leahy. Neutrality is a high ideal, but the ideal is not enough. We can be rightly proud of the peace-keeping activities performed by our Defence Forces but they alone are not enough. Peace is more than simply the absence of war. We need to be a country where peace, in its fullest sense, is articulated and stated clearly as a political and social priority with a commitment to becoming a country known as a pro-active artisan of peace. With 61 wars going on across the world, we are now in a dangerous period, he said, with many concluding that we are heading for war in Europe, a concern that is shocking given the hard-won lessons of the twentieth century that saw how war is always a failure for humanity, with its millions of victims. Bishop Leahy also said that the sense of a violent world permeates also at home here in Ireland. Even locally, in our own country and around us, we have to admit there are many threats to personal and social peace. We hear of violent crimes, domestic violence, drug criminality, human trafficking, and expressions of racist intolerance of people seeking refuge here having had to leave their homeland because of war and persecution. And there is the legacy of wounds of terrorist activity and all forms of abuse. As human beings who long for peace and as Christians mandated to cultivate peace in our world, what are we to do, faced with the increased talk of warfare, the increasing tendency in Europe to arm ourselves more, and then the growing temptation, as Pope Leo puts it, to weaponize even thoughts and words in social media outlets and in other ways? The first step, he said, is always personal and that that people of religious convictions must draw on the deepest resources of their religion to build themselves up as people of peace. But peace is never just an individual achievement. It is together that we are to promote unarmed and disarming peace," the Bishop concluded. Philipp Navratil has had a tough start to 2026. Only months after taking charge of Nestle SA, the Swiss foodmakers chief executive officer is battling a deepening infant formula contamination crisis that has spread from a handful of countries in Europe to more than 50 worldwide in less than a week. Scores of products across brands like BEBA, SMA and Alfamino are being recalled and multiple production sites have been affected by the discovery that cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting, was detected in an ingredient from one of its oil suppliers. Nestle initiated the recall, no babies have been reported ill and the food maker said the financial impact will be limited, yet damage has been done. Shares of Nestle are down more than 4% since the recall began, and analysts at Jefferies are forecasting a sales hit of as much as 1.2 billion Swiss francs ($1.5 billion). The drip feed of disclosures about new markets affected this week has raised questions about trust in a company with a checkered history when it comes to the sale of infant formula. Navratil, who came in last year pledging openness after his predecessor was ousted in a scandal involving an office romance, is now facing his first major operational challenge at the same time hes trying to cut thousands of jobs and turn around performance. Its important that Nestle gets in front of the recall in terms of transparency, said Christopher Rossbach, chief investment officer at J. Stern & Co, a Nestle shareholder. A supplier failed. Thats something that can happen, but there has to be radical transparency. Its the only way to deal with it. Toxin Detection News of the potential contamination first came to Nestles attention more than a month ago following tests the manufacturer conducted through its own safety protocols. The company, which also makes coffee, pet food and chocolate, then traced the source of the contamination to an ingredient known as arachidonic acid oil. This discovery set off a chain reaction as Nestle identified affected batches and informed local authorities a process made more challenging over the holiday period. The name of the supplier has not been disclosed. Foodwatch, a consumer rights group, criticized the delayed public warnings from Nestle and said there should be tougher penalties for companies violating food safety regulations. The 49-year-old Navratil, a veteran of Nestle, has been coordinating the response from the company headquarters in Vevey, with the first recall starting on Dec. 10. Also Read | Nestle flirts with luxury via First Nespresso boutique in India; more to follow The orders on how to handle this are coming from the very top, said a Nestle spokesman. Philipp Navratil is closely involved, being briefed daily and following every decision. Nestle has received thousands of calls this week from worried parents with every conversation lasting a couple of minutes on average to up to half an hour, the spokesman said. He added that strict protocols are being followed given infant formula is a highly-regulated product. One of the major difficulties for Navratil and Nestle is that the initial detection of cereulide is tricky and testing for it is expensive and complex, according to Professor Monika Ehling-Schulz at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. And when its found, the battle is just beginning. Because the molecule is very small, it cannot be removed by filtration. Furthermore, because of its structure, it also survives very high temperatures, said Ehling-Schulz, who co-developed a standard method for the detection and quantitation of cereulide. In a contaminated product, it is therefore almost impossible to remove. Affected facilities must be properly cleaned. Food safety standards in many countries dictate a zero-tolerance policy for cereulide in products, meaning no detectable level is acceptable. The Netherlands had first-hand experience of this around 15 years ago, when more than 100 students fell ill with food poisoning after consuming a cereulide-contaminated rice dish. Even trace amounts can affect a large number of people. Safety, quality and compliance are not negotiable for Nestle, the company said in an emailed statement. It added that all affected factories have been thoroughly cleaned and restarted operations with reinforced quality management, in full compliance with local authority requirements. Revival Plan The recall is an unexpected challenge for Navratil, the former Nespresso boss who is trying to revive Nestle s performance. Since he took charge, Navratil has announced plans to slash 16,000 jobs, 4,000 of which will come from manufacturing. He wants to refocus the companys attention on driving up product volumes and free cash flow, while winning back customers, reducing debt and preserving the dividend. He also plans to boost spending on advertising so the company can bet on fewer but bigger product initiatives. As Nestle battles to contain the fallout, pressure to keep a lid on costs throughout the business will intensify to ensure the company can meet its targets. This isnt the first time that Nestle has had a recall and some have been far more serious. In 2022, two children died in France after eating the companys Buitoni FraichUp pizza contaminated with E. coli. But Austrias health ministry described it as the largest in Nestles history, expanding from a limited regional action to one involving six continents. Nestle previously faced years of criticism and boycotts over its infant formula marketing practices dating back to the 1970s in developing countries, where limited access to clean water contributed to widespread health problems. A 2008 scandal in China that involved formula from a domestic maker has fueled safety concerns in the worlds largest formula market. Nestle has removed 41 batches of products from the market. Authorities there on Thursday urged Nestle to act quickly to protect the rights and interests of Chinese consumers. One small area of relief for Navratil is that the large, lucrative US market is not involved in the recall. The US baby formula market is highly concentrated among a few key manufacturers and any temporary shutdown of one suppliers facilities could affect supply, as happened in 2022 when Abbott Laboratories recalled several brands, exposing the fragility of the supply chain. Still, the scale of the recall, and the size of the potential financial hit, is larger than it initially appeared and what Nestle originally communicated, according to Kai Lehmann, senior research analyst at Flossbach von Storch, an investor in the company. While Nestle has yet to tally the total cost, the company has said the recall represents significantly less than 0.5% of annual group sales. Analysts put the damage at three times that amount, said Lehmann. When Philipp Navratil took office, he promised greater transparency. Even though it is understandable that the company needs some time to sort everything out, I would have expected more updates by now. Nestle said its focused on handling the recall and ensuring at the same time that formula supply is also maintained something of paramount concern to local authorities. The spokesman said the company quickly identified a new supplier of arachidonic acid oil, which is then further processed in one production site in Switzerland. The production site which processes the oil has been running 24/7 since Monday, he said. No chocolate on the shelves we can live with, but that is not the case with infant formula. --With assistance from Sonja Wind and Lisa Pham. (Updates with Foodwatch comment in ninth paragraph. A previous version corrected the spelling of the CEOs name.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Fans of the DC Universe have flooded social media with enthusiastic reactions after official confirmation that Sebastian Stan will portray Harvey Dent famously known as Two-Face in The Batman: Part II, directed by Matt Reeves. DC fans celebrate Sebastian Stan's casting as Harvey Dent / Two-Face The casting news, reported by The Hollywood Reporter and further amplified by images shared online by Stans stylist Michael Fisher showing the actor envisioned as Two-Face, has sparked wide interest and excitement across fan platforms. View full Image The Hollywood Reporter's official confirmation of Sebastian's casting in the film. Reactions from fans on social media platforms such as X and Reddit have been overwhelmingly positive, with many welcoming Stan as a compelling choice for the conflicted former district attorney who becomes one of Gothams most notorious villains. One fan wrote: I was hiking a mountain and got lost, so I asked a stranger where we were, he pointed at this casting and thats when I knew, we were at the peak (sic), a playful way of saying the announcement was a career highlight. Another user compared the casting choice to one of Marvels most iconic moments, stating: Yeah this casting is up there with Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man holy shit (sic), suggesting Stans inclusion could be similarly transformative for the franchise. A third reaction simply celebrated the news with: Throwing EVERYTHING on the grill tonight to celebrate (sic), reflecting excitement. Other posts highlighted appreciation for both Reeves and Stans creative potential, with comments such as Matt Reeves masterpiece on the way (sic), indicating confidence in the filmmakers vision. Another echoed admiration for Stans screen presence: Hes got the eyes for it and we already know he can communicate intensity with only half a face (sic), referencing the psychological depth required for the role. One fan went further, suggesting: Watch Matt Reeves use him better in one movie than the MCU has in 15 years (sic), a nod to Stans successful tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Batman: Part II is a sequel to the critically acclaimed 2022 film The Batman, which starred Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne and grossed over $770 million worldwide. The sequel is scheduled for theatrical release on 1 October 2027, with principal photography set to begin in spring 2026 after delays to refine the script. Reeves returns as director, with Pattinson once again in the lead role and other returning cast members expected, including Colin Farrell as Penguin. More About Sebastian Stan's work front Sebastian Stan has steadily built a diverse and acclaimed career beyond his long-running portrayal of Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier in the Marvel franchise. He has won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival for A Different Man and took home the Golden Globe for Best Actor for the same film, where he played a character with neurofibromatosis. Additionally, Stan was nominated for a 2025 Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Donald Trump in The Apprentice. Further roles on Stans slate include the forthcoming drama Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu, and continuing his role as Bucky Barnes in Avengers: Doomsday' and Thunderbolts as part of Marvel Studios expanding cinematic universe. Despite some fans awaiting additional official confirmation from Reeves or studio representatives, the current consensus online is one of strong support and keen anticipation. New Delhi, Jan 10 (PTI) Lenders have sanctioned 3,361.83 crore to 774 applicants under the 20,000-crore Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters (CGSE) in one month to help promote exports facing the heat of the steep US tariffs. The scheme approved by the Union Cabinet on November 12 provides 100 per cent credit guarantee coverage by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd (NCGTC) to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) for extending additional credit facilities up to 20,000 crore to eligible exporters, including MSMEs. CGSE was made operational on December 1, 2025. It enables banks and financial institutions to extend additional financial assistance to Indian exporters during a period of certain headwinds, which shall diversify their markets and enhance their global competitiveness. "Applications worth 8,764.81 crore (1,840 applications) received, out of which 3,361.83 crore (774 applications) sanctioned by the lenders" till January 2, 2026, Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Finance Ministry said in a statement. Implemented by the DFS, CGSE is valid till March 31, 2026 or until 20,000 crore of guarantees are issued, the statement said, while outlining the performance of DFS. Talking about the Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs (MCGS-MSME), it said, the scheme offers a credit guarantee to provide an incentive to MLIs to enable availability of additional credit facilities up to 100 crore to MSME borrowers for purchase of equipment/plant and machinery. Further, it aims to give a boost to manufacturing by facilitating the availability of credit for the purchase of plant and machinery/equipment, it said. As of December 2025, banks have sanctioned 16,836 crore against 8.96 lakh applications. Sharing the performance of banks, it said, Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) have recorded the highest ever aggregate net profit of 4.01 lakh crore. Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have also recorded the highest ever aggregate net profit of 1.78 lakh crore during 2024-25. Further, the net profit of PSBs during the first half of 2025-26 was 0.94 lakh crore. Global deposits and global advances of PSBs increased from 71.95 lakh crore and 56.16 lakh crore in March 2015 to 146.27 lakh crore and 114.85 lakh crore, respectively, in September 2025. GNPA ratio of PSBs declined to 2.30 per cent ( 2.65 lakh crore) in September 2025 (provisional data) from 4.97 per cent ( 2.79 lakh crore) in March 2015, and from a peak of 14.58 per cent ( 8.96 lakh crore) in March 2018. Meta Platforms on Friday unveiled a series of agreements that would make it an anchor customer for new and existing nuclear power in the U.S., where it needs city-size amounts of electricity for its artificial-intelligence data centers. The Facebook parent said it would back new reactor projects with the developers TerraPower and Oklo and has struck a deal with the power producer Vistra to purchase and expand the generation output of three existing nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Financial details werent disclosed, but the arrangements are among the most-sweeping and ambitious so far between tech companies and nuclear-power providers. Meta aims to see the first new reactors delivered as early as 2030 and 2032, a speedy target even for more-conventional power projects. Its purchase of nuclear power from Vistra starts later this year and will keep power on the grid. Were very eyes-wide-open that the schedule is challenging, but we think its important to be bold," Urvi Parekh, director of global energy at Meta, said in an interview. Hitting those timelines for new reactors would require the companies to quickly select sites that would be acceptable to nuclear regulators, start working with utilities to secure grid connections, and get their manufacturing operations up and running, she said. But it would also mean they have a chance to meet the urgent demand for more electricity to fuel AI computing. If we allow ourselves to just focus on really far-out dates, we will push this technology out of being in consideration and being able to help the near-term crunch that were all worrying about," Parekh said. The AI boom has turbocharged demand projections for electricity, increased the demand for new natural-gas-fired power plants and led to long bottlenecks in connecting to the grid. It also has spurred the tech industrys fascination with nuclear power and created a bring your own power" push for tech companies to build their own power generation. Under its agreement with TerraPower, the reactor developer backed by Bill Gates, Meta would pay to help accelerate the development of two reactors that could generate up to 690 megawatts of capacityor enough to power a midsize cityby 2032. Another six units could follow by 2035, Meta said. A big question for reactor developers has been when solid commercial orders will materialize. Were getting paid to start a project, which is really different," said Chris Levesque, chief executive officer of TerraPower. This is an order for real work to begin a megaproject." With Oklo, the Meta funding would help kick-start the development of a nuclear campus in Ohio. Oklo said Metas prepayments for power would be used to secure nuclear fuel and advance the first phase of the project, which could eventually grow to about 1,200 megawatts of capacity, about what a large reactor generates. Jacob DeWitte, Oklos co-founder and CEO, called the deal a major step in moving advanced nuclear forward." Oklo plans to develop the project on 206 acres in Pike County, Ohio. The company went public in 2024 when it merged with a special-purpose acquisition company headed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Vistra, for its part, said it would start planning for federal license extensions at the Perry and Davis-Besse plants in Ohio and the Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania. A 20-year agreement with Meta includes 2,176 megawatts of operating capacity from the reactors in Ohio and an additional 433 megawatts of generation-output increases, known as uprates, across all three locations. The outlook for the nuclear sector has improved dramatically of lateall three plants had been expected to close just a few years ago. But even with todays rising power prices and more federal support for nuclear power, Vistra Chief Executive Jim Burke said the extensions and uprates wouldnt be possible without Metas financial support. Last year, Meta agreed to buy the power generation of a nuclear plant in Illinois for 20 years under a deal with Constellation Energy. The power company said it would help cover the costs of re-licensing, upgrades and maintenance. The agreement with Vistra is similar. Under what is known as a power-purchase agreement, Meta would buy the nuclear-power generation, but electricity from all of the reactors involved would continue to flow to the grid. Other tech-nuclear deals include Amazon.coms investment in the reactor developer X-energy, Microsofts 20-year power-purchase agreement with Constellation to spur the restart of the former Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, and a Google-NextEra Energy partnership to reopen a nuclear reactor in Iowa. Write to Jennifer Hiller at jennifer.hiller@wsj.com Less than one week after the U.S. military swooped into Venezuela and captured the countrys leader, Nicolas Maduro, the president will meet with energy industry chief executives Friday about his plan to dramatically expand drilling in the South American country. Trump wants to pump so much oil out of Venezuela that he pushes oil prices down to around $50 a barrel. There are a TON of things in flux with this effort, but here are some key issues to watch: 1. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that big oil companies have so far been reluctant to jump at the opportunity to boost drilling in Venezuela, citing in part their corporate boards" and a lot of bureaucracy." 2. The process of overhauling Venezuelas creaking energy infrastructure and pumping out enough oil to move markets could be very expensive, but Trump seems very committed even if it takes multiple years. 3. The average price of gasoline now is roughly $2.82, down about $0.25 from a year ago. Thats good for Trump, in the eyes of consumers, but low energy prices could cause problems in areas that rely on energy jobs, particularly in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Something to watch later this year. 4. Congress isnt on board with Trumps Venezuela plan. In fact, the Senate voted Thursday to make it harder for him to send U.S. troops to the country without their support (to guard energy assets?). Does he now proceed with more caution? This is an edition of the Politics newsletter, bringing you an expert guide to whats driving D.C. every day. If youre not subscribed, sign up here. People and Policies Im Watching Oil CEOs at the White House: The leaders of the U.S.s biggest oil companies are expected to meet Trump at 2:30 p.m. ET, following the weekends ousting of Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro. December jobs numbers: The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the jobs report for December at 8:30 a.m. ET. Trumps Friday: President Trump is expected to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 11 a.m. ET. What Im Following U.S.s top intelligence officer was sidelined from Venezuela planning. White House officials excluded the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, from Venezuela meetings since last summer. This move highlights Gabbards increasing isolation and waning influence amid her struggle to penetrate the inner circle of officials who influence Trumps thinking. Trumps risky fixation with other countries oil. The Venezuela operation reflects a long-held desire to leverage military might into control over energythough falling prices are hurting U.S. producers. U.S. targets shadow fleet as warning to adversaries to stay out of Venezuela. The Trump administrations seizure of tankers under an oil embargo is meant to warn adversaries attempting to gain a foothold in the Western Hemisphere and boost Washingtons influence in Latin America. Trump is calling on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy mortgage bonds. The president said the government-backed mortgage-finance companies would buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds, part of a broader effort to address a sharp rise in the cost to own a home. There were few details provided on how the purchases would be executed or when. What Else Is Happening Democrats win ACA round as divisions plague Republicans.The attorney defending ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is known as the pit bull, a nickname earned early in his career.The president demonstrates his grip on GOP lawmakers, as the House upholds his vetoes on two Republican-led bills.Vice President JD Vance defends ICE agent who shot a Minnesota woman dead.A judge disqualifies prosecutor leading civil-rights probe of Letitia James. What Im Reading Josh Shapiros Reelection Campaign in Pa. Starts Nowbut 2028 Looms Large (Philadelphia Inquirer)CDCs Updated Childhood Vaccine Schedule Creates Chaos for Georgia Doctors (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)Local Politicians, Doctors Respond to Trump Administrations New Alcohol Guidelines (Press Democrat) This Week in Washington History During this week in 1973, the trial began for the seven men accused of breaking into the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate hotel. The fallout from the case, which became known as Watergate, led to President Richard Nixons resignation the following year. About Me Im Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journals Washington coverage chief. Ive covered Washington for 22 years as a reporter and editor. Ive covered the White House, Congress, national security, the federal budget, economics and multiple market meltdowns.WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to whats driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if youre reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Alistair Dawber and Yolanda McBride. Got a tip for us? Heres how to submit. KYIV, UkraineRussia launched its nuclear-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile against Ukraine for only the second time, hitting the western region of Lviv near the Polish border overnight in a significant escalation of its aerial campaign as another wave of drones and missiles struck the capital, Kyiv. Russian leader Vladimir Putin first unveiled the Oreshnik in an attack on central Ukraine over a year ago to warn the West against further involvement in the war after Ukraine attacked Russia with U.S. and U.K.-supplied missiles. The new missile appeared to have a greater range and speed than other weapons Russia had used in war until that point, and, like the missile targeting Lviv, wasnt fitted with nuclear warheads. This time, Russias Defense Ministry said the Oreshnik strike in Lviv and the barrage of drones and missiles directed at Kyiv were in response to what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack against one of Putins residences in late December. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had denied the Russian allegation, which came shortly after he met with President Trump to discuss proposals to end the war, including the contentious issue of what security guarantees the U.S. and its allies might provide to underpin any deal. U.S. national-security officials also determined that Kyiv didnt target Putin or one of his residences during the alleged strike. Russia subsequently threatened to recalibrate its already hard-line position on ending the war and pledged a response, which appeared to come in the early hours of Friday. Near the border with Poland, a NATO member, residents in the Lviv region said they barely had time to react to alerts. Everything happened extremely fast," Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi said. Very powerful explosions rang out and after the explosions, we received information that it was a ballistic missile." He said the attack damaged critical infrastructure, though no casualties were reported. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X that this is truly a global threat. And it demands global responses." He said Ukraine would initiate an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The countrywide attack which involved 242 drones and 36 missiles killed four people and injured more than 20 in Kyiv. It damaged 20 residential buildings and, crucially, crippled heating systems as temperatures dropped to about -11 degrees Celsius. Russia deliberately targeted civilian and critical infrastructure. The enemys inhumane goal is to leave millions of people without light, heat, and water in the middle of a freezing winter," Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote. The attack left some 500,000 residents without power or water as of Friday morning with the emergency repairs under way, according to the Ukrainian prime minister. City Mayor Vitali Klitschko said half of Kyivs apartment buildings had lost heating. The Russian Defense Ministry said it had successfully struck drone-production sites and energy infrastructure powering the Ukrainian military effort. Write to Anastasiia Malenko at anastasiia.malenko@wsj.com Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed The U.S.-orchestrated military intervention to kidnap Nicolas Maduro bore the hallmarks of a major television production, in which the scriptwriters crafted a heroic narrative devoid of any bloodshed. The background explosions, the gunfire, the din of planes and helicopters, and then the immediate transition to the figure of a handcuffed and humiliated leader: the gray tracksuit, the dark glasses, the headphones, the water bottle. The dead appear only as a minor detail, a number in small print. Donald Trump, the architect of the operation, presented it as if it were a grand spectacle yet another one of his , a showy display of overwhelming American power. It also took the form of a sophisticated computer game brought to life, in which the deposed president wishes his captors a Happy New Year and then poses with his thumbs up as if he were the victor. On the other side of the trench, Chavismo, which immediately called for armed struggle to stop the coup: The entire country must mobilize to defeat this imperialist aggression. The brave architects of 21st-century socialism were preparing to demonstrate their courage and resolve against their perennial enemy, but it all came to nothing. There was a little noise from the motorcycles of their supporters, and a few hours later the cameras focused on Delcy Rodriguez as she was sworn in as acting president of Venezuela, dressed in an elegant green suit with a gold brooch, earrings and bracelets, her hands clasped as if she were about to pray to the heavens, giving thanks for the blessing of leading her people. No one knows exactly towards what. The opposition was stunned to realize that neither Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the undeclared winner of the last elections which Maduro ignored to cling to power nor Maria Corina Machado, whose resilience serves as an inspiration to those yearning for a different country, were part of Trumps plans. They were discreetly sidelined and placed in a sort of standby mode, who knows for how long. So the Venezuelan people are completely bewildered. They dont know if, in celebrating the fall of the leader of a dictatorship, they arent actually celebrating the arrival of foreign investors who will take their oil barrels and rare earth minerals. Its as if the White House had wiped the smiles right off their faces. Theyve been hoping for change since Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999, but theyll have to put their hopes and their desire to build a different country on hold for a while longer. They have suddenly found themselves inhabiting a caricature: Donald Trump is now the one piloting the Bolivarian revolution. The most complicated thing about what has happened in recent days is using words, because they have lost all meaning. It is quite possible that Venezuelans dont know what they mean when they talk about freedom. Are they referring to the intervention of a special operations military group tasked with high-risk missions that arrived from Washington to rid them of the tyrant? Or to the new direction that Delcy Rodriguez is going to set for Chavismo under the watchful eye of Washington? In this context, talking about democracy almost has an element of bad taste, of unnecessary audacity, of invoking an antiquated notion that no longer serves any purpose. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition New Delhi: Indias top electric bus manufacturers are gearing up for the governments next mega tender of 6,230 electric buses, cumulatively valued at over 6,000 crore, to be deployed across five citiesDelhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Hyderabadaccording to tender documents released on 9 January. Delhi, grappling with severe air pollution, will get the largest allocation of 3,330 electric buses through this round of procurement, the tender document, reviewed by Mint, showed. The submission of bids for the players opened on 9 January, and will run till 10 March. The latest electric bus tender comes weeks after the country concluded the largest ever tender of 10,900 ebuses under the Centres PM E-Drive scheme, where new age manufacturers PMI Electro Mobility and Eka Mobility secured more than two-third share of ebuses. Companies such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd (Volvo-Eicher), PMI Electro Mobility, Eka Mobility, and Olectra Greentech are involved in the manufacturing of electric buses. The tender is issued by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a government undertaking responsible for aggregating demand for electric buses in the country. CESL confirmed the details of the tender in an emailed response to Mint's queries. A company spokesperson for Eka Mobility confirmed that the company will participate in the tender. Queries sent to other e-bus makers did not elicit a response till press time. "Given a large fleet of around 150,000 buses being run by government authorities in the country, there appears to be scope for replacement demand for electric buses," said Sanyam Gandhi, whole-time director, Chartered Speed Ltd, said. The model of collaboration between e-bus makers and operators is intended to help in meeting the large demand for such buses in the next few years." The tender comprises eight lots spread across the five cities. After Delhi, Mumbai will receive 1,500 buses, Pune 1,000, while Hyderabad and Ahmedabad will each get 200 each. The demand spans multiple configurations, including 7-metre, 9-metre and 12-metre electric buses, both AC and non-AC. Electric buses typically cost between 85 lakh and 1.8 crore. Assuming an average price of 1 crore per unit, the tender could generate business worth well over 6,000 crore for manufacturers. Like in past tenders, the government has once again opted for the gross cost contracting (GCC) model under which the payment is done on a per kilometre basis over a set period of time, usually 10-12 years. Electric bus makers participate in these tenders through fleet operators who are responsible for procuring the electric buses and running them for the respective city/state transport authorities. This way, automakers avoid holding electric buses on their own balance sheet and can focus on manufacturing operations only, while fleet operators dont have to invest in making the buses. In the recently concluded 10,900 e-bus tender, leading players like Tata Motors, Eka Mobility, Olectra Greentech, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd and others participated through bus operators like Chartered Speed, and GreenCell Mobility, among others. The latest tender of more than 6,000 buses is being seen as important for legacy players like Tata Motors, Switch Mobility, and VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd, who lost out on the 10,900 e-bus tender. To be sure, the final decision on whether to participate in this tender will be taken by these companies as participation remains at their own discretion based on capacities and pending order books. Companies like PMI Electro Mobility and Eka Mobility offered aggressive, lucrative pricing, securing contracts for 5,210 and 3,485 e-buses, respectively. Among other manufacturers, only Olectra Greentech, an established electric bus manufacturer and a subsidiary of Hyderabad-based EPC company Megha Engineering, managed a partial win, bagging 1,785 e-buses. While Tata Motors and VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd did not manage to win a single ebus in the bidding process, Ashok Leyland was not able to participate in the bidding process owing to what it claims was a technical glitch for which it has moved the Delhi High Court. The government is doubling down on pushing electric buses in major cities of the country, with automakers also ramping up their own capacities. Total registrations of electric buses in the country have increased from 1,988 in 2022 to 4,408 in 2025, with automakers preparing to meet the rising demand of such vehicles. On Friday, Ashok Leyland inaugurated a new greenfield facility for the manufacturing of electric vehicles near Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Eka Mobility is increasing its capacity to 6,000 electric buses by the end of this financial year. PMI Electro Mobility is building a new plant in Neemrana, Rajasthan which will have a capacity of 15,000 units annually. (Bloomberg) -- Bitcoin is ending its first full week of trading in 2026 little changed hovering around the $90,000 level and down about 2% from a year earlier. The original cryptocurrency failed to break above $95,000, keeping it below what has effectively been a price ceiling since an October selloff erased nearly a third of its value. Bitcoin began rebounding earlier this week during a broader New Year market rally, but it peaked below $94,800 on Monday. It was trading at about $90,200 at 4 p.m. in New York on Friday. Investors are awaiting a slate of policy decisions in Washington covering tariffs, Federal Reserve leadership and cryptocurrency legislation, leaving Bitcoin in a holding pattern. The Supreme Court did not issue an expected ruling on Friday on the legality of President Donald Trumps tariffs, contributing to Bitcoins stasis alongside exchange-traded fund inflows and geopolitical uncertainty, according to Jake Ostrovskis, head of over-the-counter trading at Wintermute. Were seeing classic post-rally consolidation after Bitcoins strong start to 2026, Ostrovskis said. Stronger-than-expected economic data also weighed on expectations for additional interest-rate cuts, limiting Bitcoins momentum toward its all-time high above $126,000 in October. Macroeconomic data have generally come in stronger than expected, modestly reducing the probability of a March rate cut and likely adding further near-term pressure on prices, said James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares. Some market participants view the price stagnation as constructive. Bitcoin is consolidating around $90,000 after a prolonged selloff tied to tax-loss harvesting and fears MSCI would exclude digital-asset treasury companies from major indices, said Brian Vieten, a senior research analyst covering digital assets and blockchain at Siebert Financial. With that risk now resolved, selling pressure has largely been exhausted. Index provider MSCI shelved a plan this week to remove digital-asset treasuries on the grounds that they behave like investment funds. Some traders remain bullish on Bitcoins longer-term prospects. Butterfill said a price of about $200,000 is achievable by year-end. Ostrovskis said systemic buying would be unlocked again once Bitcoin breaks through the $95,000 psychological barrier, reopening a path to six-figure prices. A sustained break above $95,000 likely becomes reflexive, Ostrovskis said. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Booming demand for copper is driving a spate of mining megadeals, in a rush to secure more of a metal essential to powering artificial intelligence. Rio Tinto and Glencore said late Thursday that they are in talks to create what would be the worlds largest mining company, with a market value of more than $200 billion. Spurring those talksand a string of other recent actual and attempted mergersis copper. U.S. copper prices hit a record Monday on concerns that demand for the so-called red metal will outstrip supply, as well as lingering anxiety about tariffs. Copper has uses including piping, circuit boards and wiring. Its application as a conductor of electricity is what makes the metal key to powering the AI revolution. Growing adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy such as solar power has also boosted demand, as has increased defense spending on copper-heavy ammunition and other weaponry. Looking ahead, new supplies arent expected to keep pace with the soaring demand. Demand is set to outstrip supply by 25%, or 10 million metric tons, by 2040, according to forecasts from S&P Global, unless miners increase production. At stake is whether copper remains an enabler of progress or becomes a bottleneck to growth and innovation," Daniel Yergin, S&P Globals vice chairman, said in a report this week. In November, the U.S. Geological Survey added copper to its list of critical minerals deemed vital to national security and the economy, a designation that could open the door for federal aid to encourage production. U.S. copper prices rose 41% last year and have made further gains in 2026, closing at a record high of $5.9245 a pound in New York on Monday. View Full Image ... Doing deals can help miners increase their production faster than building new copper mines, which can take decades to bring to fruition. Existing mines are also fraught with challenges that can disrupt output. The rekindling of talks between Rio Tinto and Glencore is the latest in a run of copper-inspired attempts to consolidate the mining industry. Last year, Anglo American agreed to merge with Canadas Teck Resources in a deal that industry leader BHP tried to gate-crash. Mining megamergers are backin most cases, the key to the proposed combination is copper," Jefferies analysts wrote in a note to clients. Buying or merging with other companies that own copper assets increases miners exposure to the in-demand metal. They may also hope to increase production through greater efficiencies and financial heft. But deals dont necessarily boost investment in new mines. A combination of Rio Tinto and Glencore would probably bring more copper onto the market by providing more capital to develop the latters assets, according to Duncan Hay, an analyst at broker Panmure Liberum. View Full Image ... Glencore owns a stake in a major copper mine in Chile as well as other copper assets around the world. Last month, it set out plans to boost production, including by restarting a mine in Argentina. Rio Tintos copper business includes the Kennecott mine in Utah and a long-delayed project in Arizona that could supply a quarter of U.S. demand of the industrial metal when it starts up. Overall, copper would account for 36% of the combined companys earnings, according to Jefferies, making the metal its largest business and overtaking the iron-ore operations that turned Rio Tinto into one of the worlds top two miners. S&P Global projects demand for copper to swell to 42 million metric tons by 2040, a 50% increase from current levels. The rise of AI is juicing demand. Massive amounts of the conducting metal are needed in electricity-guzzling server farms. Over the next decade, data centers will need more than 4.3 million metric tons of the metal, according to research firm BloombergNEF. That is equivalent to around a years supply from the worlds top supplier, Chile. Decarbonization and defense are also supporting prices. Demand for EVs alone will rise to 2.3 million tons in 2030 from 1.3 million tons in 2025, Benchmark Minerals Intelligence estimates. Record defense spending and restocking of depleted ammunition supplies may also increase demand, analysts say. Copper, which is used as an alloy in ammunition shell casings and elsewhere, is the Defense Departments second-most-used material, according to the White House. Meanwhile, the prospect of President Trumps tariffs have added volatility to the copper market. Prices have been boosted by U.S. importers filling warehouses with the metal to get ahead of potential new tariffs that the White House has floated. However, analysts at Goldman Sachs said this week they expect clarity on tariffs to reduce stockpiling and weigh on prices. Another factor that could affect demand would be any weakness in the Chinese economy, which is responsible for around half of consumption. The main driver of demand over the last 10 years or so has been Chinaand thats been slowing," said Panmure Liberums Hay. Write to Alistair MacDonald at Alistair.Macdonald@wsj.com and Ed Ballard at ed.ballard@wsj.com Gold rate today in India: Amid rising geopolitical tensions and fears of a looming recession in the US, the MCX gold rate extended its bull run in 2026. The precious yellow metal has increased from 1,35,447 to 1,38,875 per 10 gm, delivering around 2.50% return to investors in 2026. According to commodity market experts, the gold rate today is in a bull trend, as geopolitical tensions have surged following the US attacks on Venezuela. They said the US has entered 2026 with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, which has triggered speculation about a US recession. This combination makes a conducive safe-haven demand for gold in the short term. They predicted that gold prices in India may soon reach 1,45,000 per 10 gm once it breaks above the current hurdle at 1,40,000 per 10 gm. They said that the US Supreme Court's decision on tariffs will be significant, as the court is expected to deliver its ruling on Trump's tariffs next Wednesday. Renewed fear of US recession On why the gold price today is in a bull trend, Anuj Gupta, a SEBI-registered commodity expert, said, "Rising geopolitical tension and the renewed fear of US recession are the primary reasons for expecting the continuation of the bull trend in gold prices. The US has entered 2026 with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, after the lowest monthly pace of job gains outside a recession since 2003. This signifies that Trump's tariffs are eroding the US economy's strength and triggering a US recession." Anuj Gupta said that no concrete development regarding the peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war and the US attacking Venezuela has further worsened the geopolitical tension. In fact, the US-Venezuela conflict signals realignment of the global powers as China may now start invading Taiwan, taking an example from the US attacks on Venezuela. US Supreme Court's decision on tariffs? Advising gold investors to remain vigilant about the US Supreme Court's ruling on tariffs, Amit Goel, Chief Global Strategist at Pace 360, said, "The US Supreme Court's decision on Trump's tariffs was expected on Friday, but the US Supreme Court is set to issue its next round of rulings on 14 January 2026, i.e., on Wednesday next week. There is speculation in the market that the US Supreme Court's ruling on tariffs may go against Donald Trump, and uncertainties such as a trade war and tariff hikes may be alleviated." Is it the right time to invest in gold? Expecting the bull trend to continue, Ponmudi R, CEO at Enrich Money, said, "Gold rate today on MCX is quoting 1,38,819 per 10 grams, consolidating after posting lifetime highs and moving within a well-defined upward channel. Strong support for the gold price today is placed in the 1,35,000 to 1,37,000 range. The immediate resistance is seen at 1,40,000 to 1,42,000; a decisive breakout above this band could accelerate prices toward 1,45,000 and higher. The overall structure remains positive, supported by firm global prices, a supportive rupee trend, and steady investment flows." On the outlook of the COMEX gold price, Ponmudi R of Enrich Money, said, "COMEX Gold futures are consolidating around the $4,500$4,517 per ounce range after testing recent highs, while continuing to respect a multi-year rising channel. Price action continues to form higher lows on pullbacks, highlighting strong underlying demand. Key support lies near $4,400, aligned with the channel base and key moving averages. A sustained hold above this zone maintains the bullish bias. On the upside, a decisive breakout above $4,600 could open the path toward $4,800$5,000. The broader trend continues to favour buy-on-dips, supported by safe-haven demand and central bank accumulation." Key Takeaways Gold prices are currently in a bull trend due to geopolitical tensions and economic fears. The upcoming US Supreme Court decision on tariffs could significantly impact gold prices. Investors should watch resistance levels closely as a breakout may lead to further price increases. Silver rate today: After remaining under pressure in the first few sessions last week, the COMEX silver price finally finished at $79.341 per ounce, after recording an intraday gain of 5.59% on Friday. This rise in the precious white metal was mainly driven by the ease in the US Dollar (USD), which witnessed profit-booking on the weekend after remaining strong throughout the week. After finishing at $79.341 per ounce, the precious white metal recorded a weekly gain of 11.27% against the previous week's close of $71.300 per ouncethe MCX silver rates for the March 2026 futures expiry ended around 2,52,000 per kg. The weekly gain following the retracement from the record high of $82.37 has fueled speculation about whether silver prices will reach $100 in the near term or take some time to do so. Similarly, traders on the MCX are also holding their breath to see whether silver rates in India will reach 3 lakh or not. According to commodity market experts, the silver rate today is on an upward trend due to a structural shift in the demand-supply balance. They stated that these structural shifts include disruptions in export supply from Peru and Chad due to the escalating US-Venezuela conflict, as well as China's shadow ban on silver exports, effective January 1, 2026. The rising demand for EVs, solar, and electronic goods has widened the demand-supply gap, leading to a sharp increase in silver prices. However, they maintained that commodity prices are cooling down and the silver price rally is also expected to top out soon. However, they maintained that there is still a possibility that MCX silver rates may reach 3 lakh per kg before topping out and predicted the COMEX silver price to peak around $100. US Supreme Court's tariff decision in focus On why silver prices rose last week, especially on Friday, Amit Goel, Chief Global Strategist at Pace 360, said, "The US Supreme Court's decision on Trump's tariffs was expected on Friday, but the US Supreme Court is set to issue its next round of rulings on 14 January 2026, i.e., on Wednesday next week. There is speculation in the market that the US Supreme Court's ruling on tariffs may go against Donald Trump, and uncertainties such as a trade war and tariff hikes may be alleviated. However, the US Supreme Court set the issue in its next hearing, which fueled silver and gold prices." Anuj Gupta, Director at Ya Wealth, said, "At the beginning of last week, silver prices were under pressure due to the strong US Dollar. However, the US currency came under pressure from profit booking, which fueled bullion and base metal prices. Can COMEX silver touch $100? Asked about the chances of the COMEX silver rates hitting $100 per ounce in the near-term, Amit Goel of Pace 360 said, "Before looking at a target, we need to look at the possibility of topping out. Every rally tops out, and bullion won't be an exception to it. We saw strong selling in the base metals last week. Bullions were also under pressure, but their Friday rally put them in the green zone. Bullion may top out by the end of February. Hence, there is still a possibility for the white metal to touch the magic figure. However, we need to remain vigilant about the crucial support placed at $70. If the COMEX silver price breaks below $70 on a closing basis, without touching the $100 figure, then it would be a significant dent for the bulls. Upon reaching the $100 mark, the COMEX silver has two tremendous hurdles to overcome, positioned at $84 and $90. If the white metal breaks decisively above these two hurdles, we can expect it to reach a peak above or around the $ 100-per-ounce level. However, all these things w Amit Goel stated that crucial support for the MCX silver rate is at 2,30,000. The precious white metal slipping below this support without touching the 3 lakh per kg mark may eclipse the fancy of hitting the 3 lakh levels. On the upside, the MCX silver rate has two major hurdles placed at 2,65,000 and 2,90,000. If the silver price breaks above these hurdles in the next one to one and a half months, the MCX silver rate may touch 3 lakh, said Amit Goel. Silver rate today: Near-term outlook "COMEX Silver is holding firm and comfortably above its short- and medium-term moving averages following a consolidation breakout. Momentum remains buyer-driven, supported by rising industrial demand from solar, EVs, and AI-linked applications, alongside ongoing safe-haven flows. The $80$83 zone may invite intermittent profit-booking; however, a sustained breakout above $83 would likely trigger the next medium-term leg toward $85$90. Strong demand is visible in the $75$77 support zone," said Ponmudi R, CEO at Enrich Money. On the outlook of the MCX silver rates, Enrich Money expert added, MCX Silver continues to be firmly entrenched in a bullish channel. Dips are being absorbed aggressively, highlighting strong underlying demand and positioning silver as a high-beta outperformer within the precious metals space. Sustained strength above 2,48,000 to 2,50,000 keeps the upside momentum intact. A breakout beyond 2,52,000 to 2,55,000 could accelerate gains toward 2,60,000 to 2,70,000. On the downside, a break below 2,44,000 would expose supports in the 2,43,000 to 2,38,000 zone, where fresh buying interest is likely to emerge. Expert view: After the sharp rise in 2026 and the volatility this year, investors are contemplating how to approach gold and silver going ahead. Navneet Damani, Head of Research, Commodities, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, believes that 2026 will not see a one-way rally in gold and silver prices. That said, he remains bullish on these commodities. He believes that investors should focus on allocating 15% to precious metals, with a higher chunk allocated to gold. Damani also highlighted the factors that could trigger a reversal in the bull trend in the precious metals. Edited excerpts: Gold and silver have been the hottest assets of the year. Do you still have a bullish outlook, and what are your bull-case targets for them? We have been very positive on gold and silver for the last 1-2 years, and what we've seen in 2025 is nothing short of exuberance. Silver seems a little ahead of the course, and the 200% rally in two years is creating a lot of FOMO buying. There is a buzz that a large participant or institution was shot in the market, and now that they have been cornered, this is why we saw silver jump from $70 to $80. But overall, in the larger macro framework, it looks like there is going to be substitution. There will be a realignment of funds in commodities in the first quarter of 2026, which could probably pause the run-up or the speed of gold and silver rise in todays market. Also Read | Inflows into gold ETFs touch record high That said, we believe that the larger trend remains positive and $90 or $95 is pretty much on cards for silver, translating to around 3,23,000-3,30,000 on the domestic front. As for gold, $4750, followed by $5000, could be a level to watch out for in 2026. For MCX, 1,21,500 or 1,55,000 could be the upside potential target for gold. However, it's not going to be a one-way smooth ride that we had in 2025. This year is going to be bumpy, marked by sharp selloffs and reasonable pullbacks along the way. Massive volatility is expected in the first, at least in the first quarter of 2026. Do you think silver and gold prices are showing signs of exuberance? Yeah, it's a little exuberance at this point in time, and we would need more fundamental factors to justify any major further movement from hereon. The market being in a deficit or various uses of silver in segments like solar panels, EV, and all is one part of the story, but that will eventually not help you justify the 180% or 170% move that has happened in 2025. Would you still recommend a 10-15% allocation to commodities in a portfolio, or should one consider increasing it? Well, fundamentally and practically, 15% is the number. You have to understand that 2025 was an outlier year. From 2011 to 2019, silver did not do anything at all. It kept on hovering between 30,000-40,000. It underperformed for a good 7-8 years. And this is quite common in commodities, where they go into a lull period after a brief rally for months, quarters and years. So, having a balanced portfolio and 15% allocation into precious metals, another 10% into international commodities like base metals or some of the soft commodities, is enough for those looking at diversification. But investors must note that gold should be the major chunk, with some allocation to silver. In the 15% allocated to precious metals, 10% could be gold and 5% could be silver. Also Read | When will silver price rally top out? Explained Which factors could trigger a reversal in gold prices? For this to happen, a lot of measures that have been taken from US President Donald Trumps side will have to be reversed, which we don't think will happen in 2026 or maybe in the next one year or so. His impeachment could be one big factor which could again trigger some volatility in the market, leading to positivity in gold prices. But eventually, a big fear factor could be if central banks start to shift away from de-dollarisation and start accumulating U.S. Treasury because of better yields Many countries are buying gold at every levelfrom central banks to funds to ETFs. If they decide they can lend this gold, or if banks or governments allow their holdings to be lent to end users, that could mark a major reform. The current shortage in the marketgold sitting in vaults and warehousescould then come into the open market. For lending purposes, this could reduce the pressure from actual demand, which is very high in India, China, and some other parts of the world. That demand could immediately take a backseat, potentially bringing prices significantly lower. If someone wants to play the metals, what could be the ideal bet ETFs, physical commodity or via equity-linked plays? We have seen in the case of gold and silver that jewellery stocks have not really participated. One can look at these stocks linked to commodities as a hedge to a very large extent, and that is the bigger reason that they don't benefit from the massive run-up or rallies in prices. In fact, they have a major mark-to-marketing loss. According to me, thats not the best way to participate. To play the rally in gold or silver or any momentum that you see in metals, the safest or good way is to look at an ETF as an investment. It has a 95-97% correlation to underlying prices and saves on GST or storage costs. ETFs or SIP in some of these funds or funds could be a good opportunity. The government had introduced gold bonds a few years back, which was a very good initiative, and the scheme has given bumper returns to clients, and all gains were tax-free. Some sovereign gold bonds do get traded in the secondary market. If an investor wants to take a tactical pay for the next 3-4 years, that can be an opportunity where a sovereign gold bond in the secondary market can be considered. Buying jewellery would be the last preference, and bars or coins are suitable if you want to hold it for a longer term, and do not want to pay the fund manager. If you want to wear it, then only venture into buying jewellery. Also Read | Three crude oil stocks to benefit amid US-Venezuela tension How do you see the crude story playing out in 2025 amid the US-Venezuela developments? Ever since OPEC and non-OPEC countries have been increasing production, there has been a supply glut in the market, which has led to a sharp decline in oil prices as the demand has not been as sharp. This year started with geopolitical tensions. Venezuela, lets be clear, has reasonable reserves, and those reserves are not in the market as yet. And their production from 2015, which was 4% of global production, is now down to 0.8-0.9% of global production. With the US stepping in, early plans signal that they will bring back the lost glory to Venezuela and lost production also. Eventually, over the next 1-2 years, if the production reaches 3-4% of the global production, then it will keep the market well liquidated and well supplied. With OPEC+ continuing to pump in and the demand side scenario not looking very robust, it looks like this year, at least, the first two quarters will be negative for crude oil prices. We see crude oil prices sliding to $45 and $47 for WTI. On the domestic front, it could be as low as 4500-4700, also on the MCX. Global mining is entering a phase where growth is no longer just about volume, but about access, reliability, and control. However, geopolitical tensions, tariff wars, and shifting trade policies are reshaping global supply chains, underscoring the need for resource security. Against this backdrop, bauxite has moved to the centre of the global aluminium narrative. Export restrictions from traditional suppliers, declining availability from established regions, and rising demand for clean energy have made Bauxite a structural theme. Guinea, with its vast reserves, has emerged as the most reliable source of bauxite amid accelerating demand for aluminium in infrastructure, electric vehicles, and renewable energy. India's aluminium demand alone is expected to more than triple by the end of the decade, underscoring the scale of the opportunity. In this changing global environment, where access to bauxite is crucial for the clean energy transition, Ashapura Minechem has formulated its growth strategy. Its share price has risen by around 100% over the last six months and by 89% over the last year. So, what's behind the surge, and is this sustainable? Let's take a look: A diversified mineral platform Ashapura Minechem has built a diversified mineral platform spanning mining, manufacturing, and trading. Established in 1982 as a bentonite-focused company, Ashapura has gradually expanded its portfolio to include bauxite, kaolin, bleaching clay, silica, and iron ore. This position is that of an integrated supplier of industrial minerals. The company operates on a business-to-business model and caters to large customers across sectors, including fibreglass, paints, cement, civil engineering, oil and gas, and edible oil refining. Its product mix spans bentonite, bleaching clay, kaolin, and Bauxite. This allows Ashapura to address both volume-driven and value-added applications. Bentonite anchors the domestic business The company has a presence in India and Guinea. In India, Ashapura's operations are diversified across multiple mineral verticals. Bentonite and allied minerals are the core of the business, contributing 45.2% of FY25 turnover. The segment serves applications in iron ore pelletizing, construction, foundry, and the oil and gas industry. Bentonite remains the core of the company's domestic operations, supported by high-value end-use segments and long-standing customer relationships. To strengthen competitiveness, Ashapura has recently commenced production at two new bentonite mines in Kutch. These mines are expected to support annual dispatches of around 300,000 tonnes. This will help Ashapura optimize sourcing costs and improve supply reliability for domestic customers. Bleaching clay is the second-largest segment, accounting for 28.3% of turnover. Demand is largely driven by the edible oil refining industry. Ashapura holds a dominant 70% market share in India's premium bleaching clay segment. This capacity is also running at peak utilization, and management is evaluating debottlenecking and brownfield expansion options to support incremental volumes. Kaolin contributes approximately 9% to turnover and continues to see strong export demand, particularly from the fibreglass and paint industries. The Paddhar kaolin plant is operating near peak capacity, driven by overseas demand and limited spare capacity in the near term. Bauxite as the volume engine beyond India Although bauxite accounts for just over 7% of consolidated turnover, it is a critical volume driver for Ashapura's international operations. This business is largely anchored in Guinea, which has emerged as the company's most important growth geography. Note that bauxite is the primary raw material used to produce aluminium, and demand for which is growing as the clean energy transition advances. Why Guinea sits at the centre of Ashapura's global growth strategy Guinea holds the world's largest bauxite reserves, estimated at 30 to 50 billion tonnes. With the support of the Guinean government, where mining accounts for 40% of the GDP, it has become the key global destination for bauxite. Ashapura has leveraged this advantage to build a fully integrated operating model in the region. Also Read | Three crude oil stocks to benefit amid US-Venezuela tension Ashapura operates three captive ports, GSM, BOFFA, and Konta, with a handling capacity of 16 million metric tonnes (MMT). It has end-to-end control over the supply chain, with captive ports and an internal transport system. The company also manages an in-house road network exceeding 370 km, connecting mines to ports. It has also completed a 100-meter bridge to access large, high-quality bauxite deposits in the BOFFA region. It has a long-term strategic arrangement with China Railway to strengthen its operations in Guinea. The partnership focuses on mining, transportation, and marine logistics, and aims to build a strong base to meet its large export volumes. On a positive note, China is also the primary destination for Ashapura's bauxite exports. This is because domestic bauxite availability in China is decreasing due to falling reserves and stricter environmental regulations. Thus, to meet domestic demand, China is currently importing about 200 million tonnes of bauxite annually, with imports increasing by 10-15% each year. China's clean energy transition is driving this demand. Aluminium is gaining wider adoption in carbon-reduction initiatives, particularly for the manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs), solar energy projects, and grid expansion. Many Chinese aluminium smelter owners are not fully integrated (meaning they don't own their own mines), making a mine owner like Ashapura a key strategic supplier. Furthermore, with Indonesia's export ban and Australia's reduction in export volumes, China's traditional bauxite sources are drying up. Numbers have started reflecting the scale-up. In H1FY26, the company exported 3.38 MMT of bauxite, almost equal to last year's (FY25) volume (3 MMT). In fact, bauxite exports doubled to 1.33 MMT in Q2FY26 from the same time last year. Most Bauxite sales to China are conducted on a CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) basis, under which Ashapura bears all costs until the cargo reaches the destination port in China. CIF transactions result in higher revenue because the price includes ocean freight and insurance costs. While certain customers also prefer FOB (Free on Board) arrangements, under which Ashapura delivers the mineral to the port in Guinea. Once the goods are on board, the responsibility shifts to the buyer. FOB contracts result in lower revenue because they are priced without the freight. As demand increases with the shift towards cleaner energy, Ashapura plans to scale exports to 15 MMT by FY28. To support this growth, it is expanding capacity at its BOFFA and GSM ports. Total port handling capacity is expected to increase from 16 MMT to 27 MMT by Q2FY27. This will enable it to manage higher captive volumes and third-party cargo more efficiently. Management describes its growth trajectory as a "linear progression," meaning they are intentionally ramping up volumes rather than aiming to hit maximum capacity immediately. Guinea bauxite export Ebitda stood at $8.9 per metric tonnes in the first half of FY26. Portfolio diversification within Guinea Beyond bauxite, Ashapura is diversifying its Guinea portfolio by entering the iron ore market. It has signed a long-term sale-and-purchase contract with a local beneficiation plant. Trial production was expected to begin in late 2025. Management expects to commercialize around 1 million tonnes or more within the next one to two quarters. Iron ore sales are structured on an ex-works basis, meaning the transaction excludes costs such as road transport, port handling, and ocean freight. Management expects ex-mines costs to be less than $10 per tonne, a fraction of the price of minerals delivered to China. It's because logistics account for the largest share of total costs in Guinea's mining operations. Thus, selling ex-mines results in a relatively lower top-line than selling bauxite on a CIF basis. But lower logistics costs are expected to support good contribution margins, making iron ore an incremental contributor to profitability. Ashapura's financial growth is also increasing rapidly due to higher bauxite export volumes from Guinea. Performance tracking the volume scale-up Revenue in the first half of FY26 rose by 75% year-on-year to 2,308 crore, while Ebitda rose by 105% to 320 crore. Ebitda margin also expanded by 2.1 percentage points to 13.9%. Net profit also jumped by 136% to 220 crore, from 103 crore in H1 FY25. India's business grew by over 25% in the H1 of FY26. The company expects the second half to be even stronger. The company is trading at an EV/EBITDA multiple of 15, above its 5-year median of 11. However, this premium could moderate as revenue growth scales into higher EBITDA. Key risks include volatility in bauxite prices and the company's high dependence on Guinea for bauxite exports. For more such analysis, read Profit Pulse. Madhvendra has over seven years of experience in equity markets and writes detailed research articles on listed Indian companies, sectoral trends, and macroeconomic developments. The writer does not hold the stocks discussed in this article. The purpose of this article is only to share interesting charts, data points, and thought-provoking opinions. It is NOT a recommendation. If you wish to consider an investment, you are strongly advised to consult your advisor. This article is strictly for educational purposes only. The ongoing RussiaUkraine war, tensions between the US and Venezuela, and US President Donald Trumps aggressive stance on Greenland and Iran have heightened geopolitical risks. As geopolitical conflicts intensify, several countries are increasing their defence budgets. Trump has proposed to raise the military budget to $1.5 trillion in 2027 a 50% increase from the earlier projection. The evolving geopolitical scenarios have fuelled speculation that the Indian government, too, may step up defence spending in the Union Budget 2026. Rising global conflicts US action on Venezuela surprised the world. The US military attacked Venezuela and captured its President, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. This raised apprehensions that China might use the chaotic situation to make Taiwan move. Geopolitics is complex, and speculation around future developments can be diverse and fluid. Experts believe Chinas approach towards Taiwan will likely depend on the regional military balance as well as domestic political considerations. "China does not view Taiwan through the prism of U.S. behaviour in Latin America. Taiwan is a core sovereignty issue for Beijing, and Chinese decision-making is driven primarily by the regional military balance, the credibility of U.S. alliances, and domestic political considerations," said Manoranjan Sharma, Chief Economist at Infomerics Ratings. Sharma believes aggressive U.S. action against Venezuela may reinforce deterrence by signalling Washingtons willingness to act decisively when it defines its interests as vital. However, he added that "China is far more influenced by U.S. military posture in the Indo-Pacific, trilateral coordination among the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines, and Taiwans own defence preparedness than by events elsewhere." "In the context of Arunachal Pradesh is long-standing. Beijing calibrates pressure on India based on IndiaU.S. strategic proximity, Indias military preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and internal stability in Tibet. These actions are calculated and strategic, not reactive in a linear or symbolic sense," said Sharma. Will India increase its defence budget? Many experts believe Indian will increase its budget outlay on the defence sector not only due to heightened geopolitical risks and Chinas rapid military expansion, but also because of its increased push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing. "Higher allocation for defence in the 2026 Budget is certain," said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments. Last year, the Indian government set aside over 6.8 lakh crore for the defence sector for FY2025-26, including 1.8 lakh crore for the modernisation of the military. This year, experts expect a significant rise. Sharma underscored that India has already been increasing its defence spending in response to growing global instability. These decisions are guided by a clear five-point framework: (i) China as the primary long-term strategic challenge. (ii) A two-front contingency involving China and Pakistan. (iii) Indigenisation under "Make in India" and "Atmanirbhar Bharat". (iv) Naval expansion across the Indian Ocean. (v) A shift toward technology-driven warfare, including drones, cyber, and space. Sharma said India has steadily raised defence outlays, prioritising capital expenditure over personnel costs and investing heavily in missiles, air defence, and surveillance capabilities. "Rather than sudden spending spikes, the trajectory points toward sustained increases, improved efficiency, and greater reliance on private-sector participation and joint production, said Sharma. Read all market-related news here Read more stories by Nishant Kumar In April 1937, the junior maharani of Alwar decided to go joy riding in an aeroplane. It was not an easy proposition. As Rajput royalty, she could not be exposed to anyone outside a small family circle, necessitating special arrangements. A senior state official inspected the six-seater plane to be perfectly certain it was purdah-compliant, later deputing his wife to reconfirm. A barrier was raised to ensure the pilot was completely cut off from the rest of the cabin, and curtains of the planes windows were drawn until they reached a safe altitude. In any case, to be extra sure, the only spectators allowed near the airstrip were the maharanis retainers. It was all for naught, though, for the event triggered adverse comment regardless. British officials were aghast that the maharani had violated longstanding rules of ladylike decorum. The precautions did not matterairborne purdah fit the letter of the rule but eviscerated its spirit. The institution of purdah in India has an interesting history. For one, its origins are a topic of controversy. While the general policing of womens bodies goes back many ages, permanent, everyday seclusion is believed to largely be a development under Islamic rule. Muslim elites in West Asia and Persia adopted purdah, and when Islamic power arrived in India, it would make the custom fashionable here too. Some argue that Hindus took up purdah to protect women from Muslim invaders. But the more persuasive view is different. Essentially, as groups like the Rajputs were incorporated into the new imperial system, Muslim courtly practices began to be mimicked. One innovation, for example, was men starting to wear the flowing jama (somewhat like how we took to shirts under the Raj). Purdah is held to be another such borrowed practice, slowly trickling down to a wider stratum. This is not to say that forms of seclusion were unheard of in India prior to Islamic rule. Keralas Namboodiri Brahmins, for instance, kept their women sequestered; when these ladies went out to temples, they held large parasols shielding them from the public gaze. Here unwanted eyes belonged not to Muslim invaders, but Hindus of other caste groups. Ideas around modesty also do not fully explain purdah, because the concept varied in India. If in the north it was proper for women to cover their heads before elders and in temples, in Kerala this would have been bad form. Here the protocol in sacred spaces and around seniors was to go comprehensively topless. Those Namboodiri ladies who walked with parasols wore as their routine attire just a waistcloth. Purdah, then, was often about status and distinction, which also explains why it has historically found ready purchase with upwardly mobile groups. The Marathas are a case in point. Traditionally, Maratha women did not live behind veils, but some elites did embrace purdah over the centuries. There was, however, no consistency to this. So, in the early 19th century, if a British official noticed a degree of purdah at the Scindia durbar, ladies at the court of the Bhosales of Nagpur appeared unveiled in public. In 1809, another observer saw Maratha women on horseback without taking any pains to conceal their faces. Indeed, there were cases where a woman might be astraddle, behind her husband on the same animal. In Baroda, while the Maratha queens did not show themselves to the ordinary masses, purdah was easily waived in certain settings. Thus, in the mid-1870s Jamnabai, a widow of barely 30, received Queen Victorias sonhis entourage noted not only her pleasant face, bright eyes, and agreeable smile but also her small and well-shaped feet. Muslim grandees observed purdah far more strictly, though here again there were exceptions, including of an entertaining variety. When the Frenchman Louis Rousselet visited Bhopal in the 1860s, not only was its ruler, Sikander Begum, out of purdah, she also dressed like a man. Moving about on horseback, she worked 12-hour days, shared a hookah with her guestan episode that made no small noiseand had male dancers perform the nautch. When her daughter, after marriage, took to purdah, the begum was thoroughly displeased. But while this might be too unusual a case, strategies existed for less adventurous queens also to bypass the veil when practicalities necessitated it. In the 15th century Bahmani Sultanate, the regent queen Nargis declared her minister an honorary brother and got rid of an intervening curtain. Ease of doing business prevailed over courtly norms in this instance. In the north, though, the purdahs association with womensand by patriarchal extension, their familieshonour remained strong. One 17th century tale, in fact, shows a Rajput king, Dalpat Rao of Datiya, prepare to kill his wife (who was in an awkward situation on her elephant during a river crossing) rather than let her get to safety unveiled. In the 1840s, British officials in Patna recorded rumours among local Muslims that the government was about to ban purdah and force Mahomedan femalesgo about unveiledan alarming bit of news they feared could spark a law-and-order problem. As late as 1871, Raja Shiva Prasad, the Hindi writer and intellectual, attempted to get the British to design railway carriages in a way that allowed women to keep purdah even in third class. The authorities refusedladies of rank who required seclusion could surely afford second and above. Ironically, the colonial state had a love-hate relationship with purdah. As much as its agents urged strict conformity on the Alwar maharani, the curtain also often posed political problems. After all, white men could penetrate the durbar hall and keep an eye on the throne. But if the thrones occupant were acquiring inputs from screened-off women, it was tougher for colonial advice to prevail. It was for this reason that an influential wife of Akbar Shah II in 19th century Delhi was described as A nasty Dame & Bitch; the emperor spoke but seemed to transmit her ideas. Indeed, women in purdah turned seclusion to their advantage. In the 1830s, a regent queen of Jaipur took the reins of state, strategically deploying the screen to evade British interference. A century later, in Gwalior colonial officials found themselves once again arguing with a bamboo curtain, behind which operated a wily queen mother. By the end of the 19th century and into the 20th, however, purdah came to be seen as a social evil; its time had passed. While traditional elites clung to the custom, segments of Indian society that were exposed to modern education decried it as backward. Mythology and history were summoned to the cause of reform. As Mahatma Gandhi argued, for instance, In the age when proud Draupadi and spotless Sita lived there could be no purdah. Gargi could not have held her discourses from behind the purdah. And yet objections were strongplague epidemics often saw men fixate over whether purdah would be breached, as Sir Saiyyad Ahmad Khan warned a British official in 1897. In the 1920s, a Rajput asked another civil servant: What would remain of the Rajputs if they gave up pardah? For ultimately, at its core, the tradition was what it had always been: as much about men as women. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Saturday, 10 January, that the 100% increase in financial assistance for ex-servicemen (ESM) and their dependents, as declared by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has now been implemented. Hiked assistance has been provided under schemes implemented by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare through the Kendriya Sainik Board. The Ministry said that the decision highlights the government's commitment to honouring the service and sacrifice of veterans. Also Read | Massive fire breaks out at store inside army camp in UttarakhandVideo In a post on the social media platform X, MoD noted, A 100% increase in financial assistance for Ex-Servicemen (ESM) and their dependents under schemes implemented by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare through Kendriya Sainik Board reaffirms the Government's commitment to honouring the service and sacrifice of the veterans. In October last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave the nod for a 100% increase in financial assistance for ex-servicemen (ESM), ANI reported. What grants have been hiked? The Penury Grant has been increased from 4,000 to 8,000 per month for each beneficiary, offering sustained lifetime support to elderly and non-pensioner ESM and their widows above 65 years who have no regular income, according to the ministry. The Education Grant has been raised from 1,000 to 2,000 per month per head for up to two dependent children (Class I to Graduation) or widows undertaking a two-year postgraduate course. The Marriage Grant has been increased from 50,000 to 1,00,000 per beneficiary. It applies to up to two daughters of ESM and for widow remarriage, for marriages solemnised after the issuance of this order. These schemes are financed through the Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund, which is a part of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF). Every September, the descendants of the residents evicted to build the highest dam in Galicia return to where the deceased were transferred from the cemetery at the height of the reservoirs flooding On the first Sunday in September, around a hundred people from municipalities in Ourense, Madrid, Barcelona, and Ponferrada travel to a chapel and a cemetery on a special spot in the vast landscape of southeastern Spanish region of Galicia. The location is enveloped by the Serra Seca mountains (1,100 meters above sea level), the eternal route to Castile, and the Invernadoiro Natural Park (1,550 meters). There they venerate (ahead of the saints day itself) their patron saint, San Martino; they visit the remains of their dead; and celebrate that Veigas de Camba, their beloved village, swallowed by the waters of the Portas reservoir more than half a century ago in 1974, remains alive in the collective memory. Theyre now in their third generation (or fourth, because some of the residents had to move when they were over 80), but their attachment to the land expropriated by order of the Northern Spain Water Commission starting in 1971 remains unwavering. They continue to visit each other when someone is sick, and they meet up at festivals and funerals. Teresa Martinez, 90, no longer feels fit enough to attend the pilgrimages, but she definitely goes to the funerals! exclaims her smiling son, Miguel Lopez: She doesnt miss a single one! The Portas reservoir in Galicia. Fernando Serrulla Rech Sometimes, if a long drought coincides with the opening of the dam, some recognizable element of the landscape, erased by the water, can be seen. A chestnut tree, an orchard, still remembered by the name of its former owner. But except for the remains of one building the Casa do Avelino, in 2021 the houses that were crowded into two neighborhoods separated by a road, Veigas de Camba de Arriba and Abaixo, where the medieval church, renovated centuries later, was also buried, have never surfaced. Everything there was submerged when the trout-filled Camba River was dammed. The Portas Reservoir devoured it all, except for the memory and the dead, who were exhumed along with the soil they lay in and painfully, unorthodoxly moved to Venda da Capela. There, at that highest point in the Serra Seca, the Iberduero company built a new chapel, and on the first Sunday in September, the residents hold a pilgrimage, banquet, and procession, with the preserved image of the saint. It is their way of affirming their roots and reinforcing the pride of belonging to an invisible but ever-present people. I was happy there. People were incredibly united. No one was angry with each other. The doors of the houses were always open. We children all played together in the street, and if we got thirsty, we went into the nearest one to drink. Isaura Fernandez was 15 years old when she had to leave with her entire family. It was very hard; the older people didnt overcome their grief and died early, she continues from the neighboring municipality of A Gudina, where she lives. She vividly remembers the times when, during the reservoirs filling, she walked to O Alto dos Carpinteiros, a high point in the landscape overlooking the valley of her childhood: I would watch the houses get covered day by day and cry. Residents in Veigas de Camba. cedida por Miguel Lopez Today, half a century later, and with the Spanish energy company Iberdrola now operating the plant, they also make the same journey. Every time something emerges from the water, they go on a pilgrimage, they have a very strong feeling, says archaeologist Nieves Amado, a member of the Heritage and Cultural Benefits Section of the Galician Cultural Council (CCG). Three years ago, Amado proposed holding an on-site event to commemorate the history of Veigas de Camba, reflect on the ties between residents, review the judicial processes and expropriation procedures for the last Franco-era reservoir in Galicia, and analyze the engineering of a dam whose construction involved more than 4,000 workers. On September 7, Amados project finally bore fruit, with a guided tour of the area and talks by researchers and residents, after the pilgrimage, in A Gudina. The CCG aims to vindicate the memory of the people in the diaspora of Veigas de Camba and Campobecerros, where lands were also expropriated. The institution aims to rescue the life experience of being displaced from their place of birth and centuries-old habitation, and dispossessed from their most fertile lands. The Portas reservoir is also known as Ourenses inland sea, in the only province in Galicia without access to the ocean. It flooded 1,183 hectares, and its dam, at 141 meters, is the highest in the region. The reservoir is the second-highest in Galicia in terms of impounded water, with 536 cubic hectometers. In February 1974, when the water entered the houses, many of the more than 200 residents living in the two neighborhoods still remained. They knew the flood would soon arrive, and that they had time to find somewhere to go. They sold their sheep, goats, cows, and chickens. They bought land and a house elsewhere in Ourense or decided to emigrate to the cities, but everyone clung to their village and their old ways until the 11th hour. The company didnt expect the water to rise so quickly when it closed the floodgates, but it was February, and the water was everywhere in that valley, Isaura recalls, so they saw that people were still in their homes and they had to come and move them. The lost church of San Martino in Veigas de Camba. Cedida por Miguel Lopez Everyone knew that day would come, and the houses hadnt been cared for for a long time... in fact, a transformer was installed to bring electricity to the village, but it never came on, explains Miguel Lopez, who was also born there 63 years ago. In this place without electricity, which was buried precisely to produce light, everyone survived with carbide lamps, candles, and camping gas. What endures in the collective memory is reflected in the photographs Miguel recovered thanks to the blog he decided to publish as a tribute in 2008, when his father died. He started with the black and white ones he and his brother kept, and with the color prints held by his uncle Ramon, who had emigrated to Germany and bought a state-of-the-art camera. Then, he spread the word, and everyone rummaged through their drawers. Thus, he assembled the album of the drowned village (its houses, its people, the church of San Martino), and moved everyone. This legacy is now shared between the Veigas de Camba blog and Facebook, where the greatest treasure, for Miguel, is a view of the two neighborhoods from above, before their particular universal flood. If it were still standing, today it would be by far the most beautiful village in the municipality, he maintains. Residents of Veigas de Camba on one of the wooden bridges connecting the banks of the river. Cedida por Miguel Lopez They lived off agriculture, livestock, hunting and selling furs from mountains rich in wildlife, and made charcoal from the roots of the heather. The reservoir flooded an entire high-mountain lifestyle, concludes Nieves Amado. During the negotiations, the company offered the residents a comprehensive relocation, with the construction of a town in Las Hurdes [Caceres], Isaura says, but who would want to go so far away! So they dispersed, each ending up wherever the expropriation money allowed. The first people who accepted were paid very little, Isaura continues, thats why people were outraged... There was a meeting, it was agreed that two lawyers and an expert would be hired, and they got much more. It turned out the company was trying to deceive us completely, because in the end they got my grandparents four times what they were initially offered. Even so, only the material value was assessed, the land, the stones, Isaura emphasizes, there was no compensation for the psychological damage, the trauma of uprooting. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Air India on Saturday night issued a travel advisory urging passengers to check the latest flight status before heading to the airport as fog and reduced visibility continue to disrupt flight operations in several parts of the country. The airline added that reduced visibility due to fog is expected on Sunday morning, which could affect several parts of Northern India, including Amritsar, Chandigarh, Udaipur, Varanasi, Jammu, and Delhi. "This may have an impact on flight schedules across the network, Air India said on X (formerly Twitter). Air India continues to remain vigilant and has taken proactive measures to mitigate fog-related disruptions," the airline added. Air India Fog Care Meanwhile, the airline said that it has activated its Fog Care initiative to help passengers in scenarios where there are delays or schedule changes due to situations beyond our control. Under the initiative, flights that are likely to be affected by fog, based on met forecast, are proactively identified and passengers are alerted about any delay or a change in schedule. Passengers also have the option to avail complimentary rescheduling or opt for full refund without penalty through Air India Fog Care, Weather forecast India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that dense fog conditions will continue over northwest India in this week, and further warned residents to brace for cold day conditions in Delhi and its neighbouring states, including Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. Also Read | IMD issues yellow alert for cold wave, dense fog in these states In the coming days, cold wave conditions are likely to persist over parts of north and northwest India, including Delhi-NCR. However, no severe cold wave conditions are threatening yet, the weather office said. Meanwhile, Delhi experienced its coldest January morning in 2 years on Friday, 9 January, with mercury plunging as low as 4.6 degrees Celsius. The second lowest temperature of this season was recorded on 4 and 5 December 2025 when the mercury struck 5.6 degrees Celsius. The third coldest day of this winter season was 1 December, when the mercury stood at 5.7 degrees Celsius. NEW DELHI : With US trade ties under strain, Canadas west-coast province of British Columbia is stepping up its push into India, with Premier David Eby set to lead a trade mission to the country from 12 to 17 January, the Canadian High Commission said on Friday. Eby's visit underscores the provinces effort to diversify export markets amid punishing US tariffs, as it looks to tap Indias fast-growing economy and rising demand for clean energy, critical minerals and sustainable forestry to support jobs and investment at home. Eby will be accompanied by jobs and economic growth minister Ravi Kahlon for meetings with government and business leaders in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Bengaluru. The mission will focus on promoting British Columbias strengths in clean energy, critical minerals, sustainable forestry and responsible mining, sectors the province sees as key to building a more resilient and independent economy, the statement said. Trade diversification drive British Columbia is a province bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the US states of Washington, Idaho and Montana to the south. Vancouver is its largest city and the main commercial and trade hub. The delegation comes at a time when US tariffs are weighing on Canadian exporters, prompting British Columbia to accelerate efforts to diversify trade beyond its largest market. The mission will promote British Columbias businesses, critical minerals and sustainable wood products, supporting efforts to build a more independent economy and create good jobs," the statement said. With unjustified US tariffs affecting workers and businesses in British Columbia, it is more important than ever to deepen strategic ties with international partners to attract investment and support good-paying jobs in the province," Premier David Eby said in a statement. India is a key market for B.C. with enormous opportunities for trade. This trade mission is about deepening our relationships, supporting good jobs in B.C. and strengthening our position as the economic engine of the new Canadian economy." Energy, minerals and India strategy The province is known for its strong natural-resource base and export-oriented economy, with major industries including forestry, mining, natural gas, clean energy, agriculture and technology. British Columbia is also home to Canadas largest port, the Port of Vancouver, which plays a key role in trade with Asia, including India that is set to become worlds third-largest economy The province head will highlight opportunities in sustainable forestry, clean energy and responsible mining through new partnerships that British Columbia says are uniquely placed in the province, the statement said. Also Read | BIS withdraws outdated standards to boost exports, modernize safety norms India is the worlds third-largest energy consumer and has a growing demand for clean technology and clean energy, areas where British Columbia believes it can offer credible solutions. The mission forms part of the Canada and British Columbia's 'Look West: Jobs and Prosperity strategy and aligns with the goal of doubling exports to non-US markets over the next decade, it said. The province is Canadas second-largest producer of natural gas and, if considered independently, would rank as the worlds 12th-largest producer, with significant reserves to support future expansion. It also produces, or has the potential to produce, at least 19 critical minerals identified on Canadian and US lists, including copper, nickel, germanium and rare earth elements. Citing minister Kahlon, the statement said British Columbia has the highest share of exports to India among Canadian provinces and that the trade mission, under the Look West plan, will focus on presenting the provinces capabilities in clean energy, sustainable forestry, responsible mining and clean technology. The governments objective is to attract investment and reduce dependence on the US market through more diversified trade partnerships, which could support employment and economic activity in the province," Kahlon said. The province launched its broader trade diversification strategy in early 2023 and has since stepped up outreach through missions to Asia and Europe, highlighting opportunities across sectors such as life sciences, technology, agriculture, forestry, ocean science and sustainability. In 2024, British Columbia-origin exports of goods to India were valued at about $1.3 billion. The province also maintains a network of over 50 trade and investment representatives across 14 key global markets, including offices in Chandigarh, New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Through agencies such as forestry innovation investment, British Columbia has been promoting its wood products in India under the Canadian Wood brand to expand market access and support long-term demand for its key industries. Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), sparked a controversy on Saturday by stating that a hijab-clad woman will eventually serve as India's Prime Minister. He attributed this possibility to the Indian Constitution, which provides equal status to all communities a contrast he drew with Pakistan, where top constitutional offices are restricted to a single religion. While addressing an election rally on Friday in Maharashtra's Solapur district ahead of the January 15 civic polls, Owaisi said: The Constitution of Pakistan says that only a person belonging to one religion can become the country's prime minister or the president. But the Constitution, written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, clearly states that any citizen can become the prime minister, the chief minister of a state or even a mayor. "By the grace of Almighty, the day will come, when neither I nor the present generation will be around, but a daughter wearing a hijab would become the prime minister of India," the AIMIM president said. Owaisi's comments triggered a sharp rebuttal from the ruling BJP. BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla challenged him to make a 'Pasmanda' muslim or hijab-clad woman the president of AIMIM. "Hijabwali will become PM, says Miyaan Owaisi. Miyaan Owaisi - constitution stops nobody, but I challenge you to make a Pasmanda or Hijabwali as your president of AIMIM first," Poonawalla said in a post on X. Party leaders labeled the Hyderabad MP's remarks "irresponsible," arguing he was presenting a distorted view because many Muslim women actively oppose the hijab. BJP MP Anil Bonde further criticized Owaisi for offering "half-truths," claiming that women do not desire subjugation and pointing to ongoing anti-hijab protests in Iran as evidence. Bonde also alleged a rising demographic imbalance in India, calling for Hindu unity in response. During his campaign rally for the upcoming civic polls, Owaisi also urged the electorate to reject candidates from the parties of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) and Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and Ajit Pawar (NCP). A woman suspected to be a Chinese national was arrested on Friday after allegedly trying to enter India without valid visa and passport documents through the Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradeshs Maharajganj district, officials said. Security personnel noticed her around 1 pm crossing into India via a footpath at Bairia Bazaar in the Nautanwa area along the India-Nepal border, and she was detained during a routine inspection, according to PTI. She was subsequently detained by personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) after it was discovered that she did not have the required travel documents, a senior official said. The woman was later handed over to the police, who arrested her. Nautanwa Station House Officer (SHO) Purushottam Rao stated the woman was identified as Huajia Jie, a Chinese national, based on a slip recovered from her. Rao added, "Investigations are underway to determine her city of origin and the purpose of her visit to India. Due to language barriers, no specific information has been collected yet. Also Read | India plans to ease restrictions on Chinese firms bidding govt contracts: Report Previous incidents The Border Intelligence Team of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Uttar Pradesh police detained Chinese national Liu Kunjing, 49, last year in November near the IndiaNepal border in the Rupaidiha area of Bahraich. Kunjing was apprehended while filming the SSB camp and other security installations near Border Pillar 651/07, just 60 metres inside Indian territory, according to New Indian Express. His passport, containing visas for Pakistan, Nepal, and Vietnam, indicated extensive travel, raising further concerns for security agencies. Three mobile phones, a Vivo X7 Pro, a Vivo Nexa, and an iPhone 6s, along with an iFlytek translation device, suggesting preparation for multilingual communication, were recovered. A map of Nepal marking sensitive border points was also seized. During initial questioning, Kunjing reportedly claimed he intended to travel to Delhi for a furniture business via Nepalgunj and Rupaidiha, a route not authorized for foreign nationals. However, lacking an Indian visa, he had entered Indian territory illegally, the report said. The digital data from his three mobile phones were shared with surveillance and cyber experts for analysis. Following the arrest, the SSB and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) informed central agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), and Military Intelligence. Kunjing was reportedly booked under Section 21 of the Foreigners and Immigration Act, 2025, for illegal entry into India. After a medical examination, he was presented before a local court and sent to Bahraich jail under 14-day judicial custody, the report noted. Meanwhile, a local court in December last year sentenced a Chinese national to one year in prison for illegally entering India from Nepal. Chief Judicial Magistrate Mukesh Yadav handed Peng Minhui, a resident of Dongtao City, Longshan County, Hunan Province, China, a one-year term of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of 5,000, according to PTI. The case dates back to January 14, when police at Sonauli, on the IndiaNepal border, spotted a suspected foreign national entering India from Nepal. During questioning, Peng Minhui disclosed his identity and admitted that he had visited Nepal and then entered India without a valid visa. The police subsequently registered a case under The Foreigners Act and filed a chargesheet in court. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) report has revealed a serious plot to falsely implicate Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ANI reported. The case is related to a 2016 incident registered at Thane Nagar Police Station. The SIT report advises initiating criminal proceedings against former Director General of Police Sanjay Pandey, former Deputy Commissioner Laxmikant Patil, and Assistant Commissioner Sardar Patil for allegedly conspiring to frame the leaders in a false case, ANI reported. Also Read | Ajit Pawar, uncle Sharad Pawar release joint manifesto for Pune civic polls The report was submitted to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) by former DGP Rashmi Shukla just five days before her retirement. According to the report, attempts to frame Devendra Fadnavis intensified during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, and these efforts gained further momentum after Sanjay Pandey became Mumbai Police Commissioner and later Director General of Police (DGP). Meanwhile, polling for 29 municipal corporation elections across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, will be held on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16. A day earlier, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde campaigned in Pune ahead of the Pune Municipal Corporation elections, asserting that the Mahayuti alliance is contesting the civic polls on the plank of development and will emerge victorious both in Mumbai and Pune. Speaking to the media during his visit to Katraj, Shinde said he was not aware of statements made by any individual party worker, but stressed that Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party are contesting the elections with full strength. "We are fighting this election on the issue of development," he said, adding that the work carried out during his two-and-a-half-year tenure as Chief Minister, along with the work done under Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the past year, is being taken directly to the people, ANI reported. Rekha Gupta shut down trolls who made cheap comments about her Air Quality Index (AQI) gaffe. Speaking in the Delhi Assembly on Friday, she said they do not like a Chief Minister who works around the clock and added that she had accidentally misspoken. She said it was a mistake that anyone can make while speaking. They don't like the fact that a woman Chief Minister is working 24/7. They make fun of the words I accidentally utter. Anyone can make mistakes while speaking or mispronounce certain words. I made a mistake. But you did things deliberately, ANI quoted Gupta as saying. She mentioned, Sometimes they would say something to hurt (my) dignity, make cheap comments, level baseless allegations, and go after my words... They would say AQI was uttered as AIQ'. Rekha Gupta slams AAP She said that in her speech she had mistakenly referred to Congress instead of the British, and alleged that the remark was taken out of context and turned into social media reels. She maintained that such verbal slips can happen to anyone, adding that while her error was unintentional, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had repeatedly and deliberately misled the people of Delhi, according to PTI. Also Read | Influencer to raise AQI, stray dog issues in meeting with Delhi CM Launching a scathing critique of the previous government, the Chief Minister said that hospital buildings were constructed without proper planning, financial provisions, or approved layouts. As a result, project costs ballooned from 200 crore to 1,600 crore, and resolving these stalled works has now emerged as a major challenge, with many projects requiring fresh tenders. She further noted that under the earlier administration, nearly 1.5 lakh properties in Delhi that had been booked were functioning without electricity meters, despite consuming power, leading to widespread theft and corruption. Her government, she said, took a decisive step by ensuring legal electricity connections and installing meters for all such properties. Meanwhile, Gupta said that in Delhi today, the Central government, the Lieutenant Governor, the Municipal Corporation and various agencies were no longer working at cross purposes but were united in advancing the citys development. She said her government had set clear priorities, formulated policies and started working in a planned way with short-, medium- and long-term objectives. She claimed that within just 11 months, the government had managed to change the direction of Delhi, according to a release. The chief minister said that she, along with her ministers and BJP MLAs, was working tirelessly on the ground to serve the people of Delhi, emphasising that her government was accountable to the public. (With inputs from agencies) The Telangana Drugs Control Administration on Saturday released an urgent advisory directing the immediate discontinuation of Almont-Kid Syrup, a medicine commonly used to treat allergies, hay fever, and asthma in children, after it was allegedly found to be adulterated with the highly toxic substance Ethylene Glycol (EG), as reported by PTI. Also Read | UP govt sets up SIT to investigate codeine cough syrup illegal trade, 32 held A notification of the DCA said it received an alert from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), East Zone, Kolkata, regarding a laboratory report that has declared the syrup (Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride and Montelukast Sodium Syrup) as adulterated. In light of the above, the public is hereby strongly advised to immediately stop the use of the above syrup, if in possession, and report the same to the nearest Drugs Control Authority without delay, the DCA said. Also Read | No more free pass: Govt plans to regulate cough syrup sales in villages The public may also report possession of the said product directly to the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, through the Toll-Free Number, it added. The advisory said the syrup (Batch No.: AL-24002) was manufactured by Tridus Remedies, Bihar. Electric vehicle major Tesla on Saturday announced plans to open its fourth showroom in India, with Bengaluru set to get the new outlet. Confirming the development on X (formerly Twitter), Tesla India wrote, See you soon in Namma Bengaluru. Check out the post here: The upcoming showroom will strengthen Teslas footprint in the country, adding to its existing outlets in Delhi, Mumbai and Gurugram, Deccan Herald reported. Reacting to the news, car enthusiasts shared their excitement on X. A user wrote, Welcome to Namma Bengaluru! I did get a brief glimpse of the Delhi showroom when I was there last week, and Im really looking forward to a more detailed experience here in Bengaluru. Another user wrote, Bangaluru has such a wealthy tesla fan base, it's going to be amazing. The third user wrote, Is Tesla rolling into Bengaluru? The electric future is hitting hard, the streets are about to get a lot cooler! Namma Traffic welcomes you, the fourth quipped. Now we just need the supercharger network to keep up. driving a tesla in bangalore traffic is going to be an experience lol, a user joked. Also Read | Tesla loses lead as China's BYD tops EV sales in Germany and UK The announcement comes shortly after the American EV maker launched its first charging station in India. In December last year, Tesla said it had set up a charging facility at DLF Horizon Center in Gurugram. The company has said these steps reflect its focus on building a robust charging infrastructure in India and offering customers seamless and sustainable mobility solutions as it gradually expands its presence in the market. The Bengaluru announcement comes amid a rapid expansion by Tesla in India. The EV maker recently launched its second India showrooman 8,200sq ft experience centre at Worldmark 3 in Delhis Aerocityweeks after debuting in Mumbais Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). According to documents accessed by CRE Matrix, Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt Ltd has leased the Aerocity space for nine years at a monthly rent of 17.22 lakh, with a security deposit of 1.03 crore. The sublease, registered on July 30, includes 10 parking slots and a three-year lock-in, with rent escalation every three years. The lease will commence on 15 March 2025, with rent payments beginning 13 July 2025. Tesla officially entered the Indian market on 15 July with its first showroom at Maker Maxity Mall in Mumbais BKC, leasing 4,000sq ft in one of Indias costliest commercial districts. The company has also leased nearly 51,000sq ft at Orchid Business Park on Sohna Road, Gurugram, for nine years. Amid the row over US Commerce Secretary Lutnick's inaccurate remark, and Trump's backing for a bill proposing 500% tariff on Russian oil, US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor, has arrived in New Delhi. He said that incredible opportunities lie ahead for both nations. "Great to be back in India! Incredible opportunities ahead for our two nations!" he said on social media after landing in the national capital on Friday night, 9 January. Gor aged 38-years-old known to be a key member of US President Donald Trump's inner circle, was sworn in as the US envoy to India around mid-November last year. India calls Lutnick's remarks inaccurate His arrival in India came as a fresh row erupted between the two sides following US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's claim that the proposed trade deal between the two countries couldn't be sealed last year as Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not make a telephone call to President Donald Trump. New Delhi on Friday rejected the claim and described Lutnick's remarks as "inaccurate". Gor was serving as the White House personnel director when President Trump named him in August to be the next US envoy to New Delhi. The India-US ties have been reeling under severe stress after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50% including a 25% additional duty for India's purchase of Russian crude oil. Apart from tariff, the relations witnessed a downturn on a number of other issues, including Trump's claim of ending the India-Pakistan conflict in May last year and Washington's new immigration policy. ..trusting Sergio The US Senate confirmed Gor in October to serve as the US' next ambassador to India. "I'm trusting Sergio to help strengthen one of our country's most important international relationships and that's the strategic partnership with India," Trump had said after Gor's oath ceremony. Gor had described his new role as "an honour of a lifetime" and said he looks forward to "enhancing" the relationship between the US and India. He played a major role in the political action committee (PAC) of Trump's campaign in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, and his influence increased manifold after he was tasked with vetting political appointees in the new administration. In January last year, the then US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, stepped down from the post paving the way for the Trump administration to appoint its new envoy. India is among other countries invited by the United States (US) to join a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of Seven advanced economies, said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Bessent told Reuters on Friday that he was unsure if India had accepted the invitation. His statement came after touring the Minneapolis-area engineering lab of RV and boat maker Winnebago Industries. Also Read | Japan urges G7 unity amid concerns over China's export controls on rare earths It was not immediately clear which other countries had been invited, Reuters reported. The US is hosting the G7 meeting in Washington on Monday to discuss critical minerals. Bessent said he had been pressing for a separate meeting on the issue since last summer's summit of G7 leaders, and finance ministers had already held a virtual meeting in December. Also Read | India, Canada to revive trade talks as Modi meets Carney at G7 The G7 includes the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Canada, as well as the European Union, most of whom are heavily dependent on rare earths supplies from China. Last June, the group agreed on an action plan to secure their supply chains and boost their economies. China dominates China dominates the critical minerals supply chain, refining between 47% and 87% of copper, lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earths, according to the International Energy Agency. These minerals are used in defense technologies, semiconductors, renewable energy components, batteries and refining processes. Western countries have sought to reduce their dependence on China's critical minerals in recent years, even as China moved to impose strict export controls on rare earths. According to Reuters, the meeting on Monday comes days after reports that China had begun restricting exports to Japanese companies of rare earths and powerful magnets containing them, as well as banning exports of dual-use items to the Japanese military. Bessent said China was still living up to its commitments to purchase US soybeans and ship critical minerals to US firms. In 2019, during a trip to Marrakech, Gary He (New York, 41 years old), a photojournalist based in the Big Apple, went into a McDonalds. It was Ramadan, and he saw that they had an iftar kit the meal eaten to break the days fast, just after sunset with harira soup, dates, chebakia, and a yogurt and milk drink. He had been pondering for years how a global fast-food chain with more than 43,000 restaurants scattered around the world, according to Statista, offered specialties from the places where it operated; perhaps, he thought, that had been one of the secrets of its success. He found that there was very little information on the subject, so he decided it was time to do some research, delve deeper, and solidify his findings into a project. Six years, more than 50 countries, six continents, and thousands of shots later, the photojournalist has published his book, McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches, in which he challenges the notion that the multinational is a kind of homogenizing, monolithic juggernaut that steamrolls the local culture of the country it enters. Theres some truth to that! he clarifies. But its not all McNuggets and Big Macs. There are also bowls of rice, spaghetti, macaroni, and falafel, he explains. He attributes this to the fact that the business is structured more like a network of local business owners with access to similar branding resources, of course and less like a beehive. I think this mechanism has allowed the brand to expand its customer base abroad, beyond those interested in a particular slice of American culture, he reflects via email. Gary He poses at the McDonald's located in the Swedish ski resort of Lindvallen. Gary He/McAtlas He defends his thesis with a selection of 250 photographs of an anthropological nature, full of local idiosyncrasies and accompanied by data, locations, and historical context. One shows the facade of the McDonalds on Connaught Place, in the heart of New Delhi, as a couple of tuk-tuks, with their typical green and yellow colors, pass by. Opening a restaurant that sells hamburgers in India, where most of the population doesnt eat cows, was quite a challenge, overcome thanks to the substitution of lamb for beef. Years later, they developed products adapted to local tastes, such as the McAloo Tikki and the Veg Pizza McPuff, He adds. McDonalds declined to participate in his project. Theyre very busy running their empire, so it was a completely independent journalistic initiative of mine, jokes the photographer, who bought the food he photographed himself. This added an element of authenticity; I photographed real items, just as a customer would see them, not carefully staged and curated advertising photos, he explains. He would order the food and take it to the hotel, where he had already set up a makeshift studio, arranging his order on colored cardboard laid out on the floor. I wish I had pictures of myself comically running from the restaurants to the hotel, he remarks. Macaroni soup, included on the menus of a McDonald's in Hong Kong. Gary He/McAtlas The McBaguettes he ordered in France were the first product he intentionally immortalized on colored paper, with a single flash. Thats when he knew this would be the esthetic for his images. It allowed me to standardize the food photography in the book, so that only the differences between the various menus would be noticeable, he explains. The formal similarities between the portrait of the baguette against a green background and the open McSpaghetti box against a red background are evident, for example. Where do you think it comes from? he asks about this latter culinary offering. Its not from Italy, but from the Philippines, where a local chain was already serving a very popular spaghetti dish at childrens birthday parties when McDonalds arrived, he explains. The McBaguette, served in France. Gary He/McAtlas He traveled to Shenzhen, to the first McDonalds that opened in China. It opened when Shenzhen was a special economic zone, to see if Western companies could integrate into a country with a reputation for being closed, he explains. Thirty-five years later, he reveals, the Asian country is the chains fastest-growing market. He also visited a restaurant in Hong Kong, where he ordered a macaroni soup that filled him with nostalgia. My parents are originally from southern China, and when I was a child, they would make me this dish, which is very popular in Hong Kongs cha chaan teng [traditional tea houses]. So, when I learned that McDonalds had its own version of this specialty, I was flooded with childhood memories." McSpaghetti, typical in the Philippines. Gary He/McAtlas The majority of the images in McAtlas were taken over the three years following the Covid-19 pandemic. Regarding the Roswell, New Mexico location the supposed crash site of an extraterrestrial spacecraft he explains that its called UFO McDonalds and has perfectly blended in with the space theme of a town where even the streetlights are shaped like alien heads. Regarding Mequi 1000 the 1,000th McDonalds to open in Brazil, in a historic house on Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo he mentions that it offers an exclusive special menu. This menu includes banana cake, guarana soda, and Coca-Cola ice cream, all while enjoying music from a live DJ. The so-called UFO McDonald's in Roswell, New Mexico. Gary He/McAtlas Denton House is a late 18th-century mansion located in New Hyde Park, New York. Of all the locations featured in the book, its the closest to Hes home. I didnt even have to take a plane, he says happily. And its probably also the most elegant. It was bought by the fast-food chain, which intended to demolish it and build a standard restaurant on the site, but residents mobilized to save the building, successfully getting it declared a historic landmark. After that, the company opted to renovate it and open the restaurant. I think my work shows how, to survive and thrive worldwide, a global brand adapts to the will and tastes of its local customers, He concludes. Two James Beard Awards Gary He published McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches with Parla Publishing in November 2024. In June 2025, it won two James Beard Awards, the prestigious awards recognizing cookbooks and books related to food and beverages in the United States. These accolades, in particular, have generated "a lot of excitement" for the book, according to its author. So much so that he expects to hear about its international distribution "very soon." Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Israel and Hamas are preparing for renewed fighting as the Palestinian militant group is refusing to disarm, a requirement that is holding up progress on President Trumps peace plan for Gaza. Israels military has drawn up plans for a new ground operation inside Hamas-controlled territory in Gaza, according to people briefed on the plans. Hamas is focusing on rebuilding military capabilities lost during the war, including parts of its damaged tunnel infrastructure, Arab and Israeli officials said. The U.S.-designated terrorist group also has received a new influx of cash that has helped it regularly pay salaries to its fighters again, the officials said. Israel must be prepared to quickly transition to a wide attack across the other side of the yellow line," said Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir, in November, referring to Hamas-controlled territory. Israel and the U.S. have said Hamas needs to give up its weapons in compliance with the cease-fire agreement. Hamas is open to giving up what is left of its stock of heavy weapons, but wont turn over its small arms, Arab officials said. Israel estimates the group has 60,000 rifles and 20,000 fighters. An Israeli official said Hamas wont be able to shirk its obligation to relinquish its arms. The official said that if the group doesnt willingly give up its weapons, Israel would force it to do so. There are no immediate plans for the military to enter Hamas-controlled Gaza, and Israel is willing to give time for the U.S. plan to move forward, Israeli officials said. Moving ahead with any war plans would be a decision to be made by Israels political leaders, another Israeli official said. Trump has sent Hamas a similar message, saying in December that there will be hell to pay" if the group doesnt give up its weapons. An October cease-fire ended two years of heavy fighting between the two sides that left more than 70,000 Palestinians dead and the enclave in ruins. A return to war would have grave consequences for Gazas roughly two million Palestinians, most of whom have been displaced during the war and many are living in tent encampments or other makeshift shelters. The plans first phase left the enclave divided: Israel controls just over 50% and Hamas controls the rest. The second phase of the plan requires Hamas to give up governing control of Gaza and turn over its arms, after which Israel would pull its troops back to a much smaller buffer zone. An international force would enter Gaza to help stabilize it, and a committee of Palestinian technocrats would run Gaza, overseen by a so-called Board of Peace chaired by Trump. Since the cease-fire ended, Hamas has cracked down on opponents and moved to strengthen its grip over Gaza. The group has been appointing new commanders to succeed those who were killed and has started rebuilding some of its damaged tunnel infrastructure, Arab and Israeli officials said. The group is also rebuilding its financial coffers with access to cash it had stored in tunnels, from taxation, and an influx from Iran, the officials said. The possibility of renewed fighting in Gaza comes as Israel mulls a new round of clashes with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah and Iran. Israel says Hezbollah is trying to rehabilitate its armed wing after it dealt the group several painful blows. Israeli officials say a new operation in Lebanon may be required to help the Lebanese military disarm the group. The Lebanese military says it is effectively disarming Hezbollah on its own. Israel is also closely watching efforts by Iran to rebuild its ballistic missiles program after their 12-day war in June, and has warned it would launch new strikes to keep that from happening. Trump has said that he would support military action against Iran if it tries to rebuild its missile or nuclear programs. View Full Image Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza. Nir Elias/Reuters Israeli security analysts said Israel will need to determine which battles to give priority to. Fighting Hamas now would be easier for Israel because it doesnt have to worry about putting the hostages at risk, said Erez Winner, who held a senior planning position in Israels military for most of the war in Gaza and is now a research fellow at the Israel Centre for Grand Strategy. Since most Palestinians on the Hamas side of Gaza are living in tents, it would be easier for Israel to evacuate them, he said. Israel could also offer Palestinians safety on the Israeli-controlled side of Gaza, he said. It will be much faster and easier than people want to believe," he said, of a new round of fighting in Gaza. Its adjusting plans we already have to the current situation." Israeli security analysts said Israel could choose a large-scale invasion of Gaza Citythe de facto capital of the enclavein an attempt to force a quick surrender from Hamas, or slowly wrestle control of the enclave piece by piece. It can be gradual or swift, depending on the time frame and strategy," said Amir Avivi, a former senior defense official close to the current government. The army is ready and can do both." Hamas has agreed to disarmament under Trumps peace plan, and the Board of Peace and Palestinian technocratic government envisioned under the plan will decide what constitutes disarmamentsuch as whether it includes small armsand how it will be implemented, a source familiar with American thinking on the matter. Hamas is increasingly levying taxes on all kinds of goods and services in Gaza, Arab and Israeli officials said. Cash transfers from Iran into Gaza move through a network of intermediaries, the officials said. The new cash flow is helping Hamas pay government employees as well as its fighters more consistently, and is fueling the groups recruitment efforts, Arab and Israeli officials said. It is also helping to fund the groups reconstruction of parts of its vast tunnel system underneath the enclave, the Arab officials said. Hamas is facing elections to pick a new leader outside of Gaza that could determine whether the group risks a new round of fighting by continuing to refuse to give up its weapons. The race is currently between Khalil Al-Hayya, who believes the group should not disarm, and Khaled Mashal, who is more open to a compromise with Israel. The current leader of Hamas in Gaza, Ezzedin Al-Haddad, supports a hard-line stance against disarmament. The refusal by Hamas to disarm isnt the only thing preventing the peace plan from progressing. Other parts of the first phase havent been completed. Israel has yet to open the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt so that Palestinians can enter and exit the enclave, while the body of the last remaining deceased Israeli hostage in Gaza has yet to be returned. The U.S. has also struggled to establish the international stabilization force envisioned by Trumps peace plan, as few countries are willing to sign up while Hamas refuses to disarm. Israel and the U.S. have also said that there will be no rebuilding efforts in Gaza until Hamas disarms. Write to Dov Lieber at dov.lieber@wsj.com and Summer Said at summer.said@wsj.com DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Protests sweeping across Iran reached the two-week mark Saturday, with the countrys government acknowledging the ongoing demonstrations despite an intensifying crackdown and as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world. With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 72 people killed and over 2,300 others detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings. Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with the Irans attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an enemy of God, a death-penalty charge. The statement carried by Iranian state television said even those who helped rioters would face the charge. Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country, the statement read. Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence. U.S. President Donald Trump offered support for the protesters, saying on social media that Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! The State Department separately warned: Do not play games with President Trump. When he says hell do something, he means it. Saturday marks the start of the work week in Iran, but many schools and universities reportedly held online classes, Iranian state TV reported. Internal Iranian government websites are believed to be functioning. State TV repeatedly played a driving, martial orchestral arrangement from the Epic of Khorramshahr by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showing pro-government demonstrations. The song, aired repeatedly during the 12-day war launched by Israel, honors Iran's 1982 liberation of the city of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war. It has been used in videos of protesting women cutting away their hair to protest the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini as well. It also repeatedly aired video of purported protesters shooting at security forces with firearms. Field reports indicate that peace prevailed in most cities of the country at night, a state TV anchor reported Saturday morning. After a number of armed terrorists attacked public places and set fire to peoples private property last night, there was no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces last night. That was directly contradicted by an online video verified by The Associated Press that showed demonstrations in northern Tehran's Saadat Abad area, with what appeared to be thousands on the street. Death to Khamenei! a man chanted. The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of the few media outlets able to publish to the outside world, released surveillance camera footage of what it said came from demonstrations in Isfahan. In it, a protester appeared to fire a long gun, while others set fires and threw gasoline bombs at what appeared to be a government compound. The Young Journalists' Club, associated with state TV, reported that protesters killed three members of the Guards all-volunteer Basij force in the city of Gachsaran. It also reported a security official was stabbed to death in Hamadan province, a police officer killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas and another in Gilan, as well as one person slain in Mashhad. The semiofficial Tasnim news agency, also close to the Guard, claimed authorities detained nearly 200 people belonging to what it described as operational terrorist teams. It alleged those arrested had weapons including firearms, grenades and gasoline bombs. State television also aired footage of a funeral service attended by hundreds in Qom, a Shiite seminary city just south of Tehran. Irans theocracy cut off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls on Thursday, though it allowed some state-owned and semiofficial media to publish. Qatar's state-funded Al Jazeera news network reported live from Iran, but they appeared to be the only major foreign outlet able to work. Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who called for protests Thursday and Friday, asked in his latest message for demonstrators to take to the streets Saturday and Sunday. He urged protesters to carry Iran's old lion-and-sun flag and other national symbols used during the time of the shah to claim public spaces as your own. Pahlavi's support of and from Israel has drawn criticism in the past particularly after the 12-day war. Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some protests, but it isnt clear whether thats support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Online video purported to show protests ongoing Saturday night as well. The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country's economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran's theocracy. Airlines have canceled some flights into Iran over the demonstrations. Austrian Airlines said Saturday it had decided to suspend its flights to Iran as a precautionary measure through Monday. Turkish Airlines earlier announced the cancellation of 17 flights to three cities in Iran. Meanwhile, concern is growing that the internet shutdown will allow Iran's security forces to go on a bloody crackdown, as they have in other rounds of demonstrations. Ali Rahmani, the son of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi who is imprisoned in Iran, noted that security forces killed hundreds in a 2019 protest so we can only fear the worst. They are fighting, and losing their lives, against a dictatorial regime, Rahmani said. ___ U.S. President Donald Trump hosted top executives from major global oil companies at the White House on Friday to talk about Venezuela, saying he wants them to pour $100 billion into the country to massively boost output, Reuters reported. After U.S. troops carried out a nighttime raid in Caracas on January 3 that resulted in the capture of Nicolas Maduro, Trump shifted his Venezuela strategy to focus primarily on oil, the report stated. Heres what Trump said "American companies will have the opportunity to rebuild Venezuela's rotting energy infrastructure and eventually increase oil production to levels never, ever seen before," Trump said at the opening of the meeting, Reuters reported. He was flanked by top executives from Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, Chevron Corp and others. "We're going to be making the decision as to which oil companies are going to go in," the Republican president said. He praised an agreement with Venezuela's interim leaders to provide 50 million barrels of crude oil to the U.S., where numerous refineries are specially equipped to refine it. Trump said he expects such deliveries to continue indefinitely. "One of the things the United States gets out of this will be even lower energy prices," he said. US forces have kept intercepting Venezuelan oil tankers at sea to uphold the embargo, with a fifth seizure reported on Friday. Trump administration officials have said they need to control Venezuelas oil sales and revenues indefinitely to ensure the country acts in Americas interests, including by reducing corruption and drug trafficking, Reuters reported. Some Democratic lawmakers have called this tactic a form of extortion, Reuters reported. Industry experts have also cautioned that the country risks political instability as it tries to both condemn Maduros capture and stay on good terms with the U.S. UNINVESTABLE Companies including Chevron, Vitol and Trafigura are competing for U.S. licenses to market Venezuelas existing crude oil, but oil majors are hesitant to commit to big, longer-term investments in Venezuela due to high costs and political instability. Exxon CEO Darren Woods said at the White House meeting that the company sees Venezuela as currently "uninvestable" and needs to see significant changes to return there. "We've had our assets seized there twice, and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes," he said, Reuters reported. "We're confident that with this administration and President Trump, working hand in hand with the Venezuelan government, that those changes can be put in place," he said. Exxon and ConocoPhillips departed Venezuela nearly 20 years ago after their assets were nationalized. Chevron Vice Chairman Mark Nelson said the company is committed to investments in Venezuela. Chevron is the only U.S. oil major still operating in the country. Several smaller independents and private equity-backed players were also invited to the meeting, including some with links to Colorado, home state of Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Many of those executives praised Trump for his policies on Venezuela, and said they were prepared to invest in the country and market its oil, Reuters reported. Decades of underinvestment have eroded production in Venezuela, an OPEC member that boasts the world's largest oil reserves but accounts for only about 1% of global supply. In the 1970s, Venezuela was producing up to 3.5 million barrels of oil per day, which is over three times its current output. During the meeting, Trump said the U.S. would protect the physical and financial interests of oil companies operating in Venezuela, but he offered no further details, according to the report. On Friday morning, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in an interview on Fox News ahead of the White House talks that there is "a real possibility" the U.S. could use its Export-Import Bank to help fund large oil projects in Venezuela. This could reduce financial risks for companies that decide to invest there. Fresh demonstrations are planned across the United States this weekend following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, as local officials criticized federal authorities for excluding them from the investigation. Protest organizers said they expected more than a thousand demonstrations over the weekend in response to the incident, which occurred on Wednesday during an immigration enforcement operation. Federal-local tensions over investigation Local Minnesota officials have expressed frustration at being shut out of the inquiry. A local prosecutor confirmed that federal investigators had taken Good's car and shell casings from the scene. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, criticized the federal response: "This is not the time to bend the rules. This is a time to follow the law...the fact that Pam Bondi's Department of Justice and this presidential administration has already come to a conclusion about those facts is deeply concerning. We know that they've already determined much of the investigation." Frey added: Why not include [local authorities] in the process? ICE officers actions and controversial footage Cell phone footage, apparently taken by the ICE agent who fired the fatal shots, shows him approaching and circling Good's car. In the clip, Good tells the officer, "I'm not mad at you," before shots are fired as she attempts to drive away. The video ends with the officer being heard saying, "fucking bitch." Vice President JD Vance defended Ross, arguing it shows the officer was in danger and accusing the media of misrepresenting the incident. Court filings show Ross had previously been dragged 100 yards by a vehicle during an enforcement operation in June 2025. Local authorities push for transparency Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty emphasized the importance of local oversight: "Our goal must be that a thorough investigation is completed at the local level. The FBI currently has, for example, Ms. Good's car, the shell casings, and witness interviews." Moriarty also unveiled an online evidence portal to allow community members to submit leads and evidence. Patrick O'Shaughnessy, a Minneapolis resident, warned: "When the FBI, when the federal agencies, say they won't share evidence with the local authorities, the public can't trust that it's going to be a true, transparent investigation." Protests and clashes with federal authorities Protests continued on Friday outside a federal facility, drawing hundreds of demonstrators. Federal immigration officers reportedly used pepperball guns and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Goods wife, Becca Good, told local media: "We had whistles. They had guns. We had gone to the scene of immigration enforcement activity to support our neighbors." Civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) plan to organize hundreds more demonstrations across the country on Saturday and Sunday. Also Read | 2 people shot by Border Patrol agent in Portland amid immigration crackdown Federal disputes over Somali immigrant benefits The divide between local and federal authorities widened after US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins suspended $129.2 million in federal agricultural financial awards, accusing Minnesota officials of overlooking large-scale fraud by Somali immigrants. US President Donald Trump said the United States will to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland. Speaking after a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Friday, Trump doubled down on his Greenland ambitions, saying, We're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if not, we are going to do it the hard way... When we own it, we defend it..., Trump said. "Look at what happened with the horrible deal Obama made with Iran, which was a short-term deal... Countries need to have ownership... We have to defend Greenland, because if we don't, China or Russia will...," Trump said. Why it's important to own Greenland When asked why it was important to "own" Greenland, when the US has a military presence that it could expand, Trump said that one defends ownership and not leases. When we own it, we defend it. You don't defend leases the same way. You have to own it. Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership. You don't defend leases. If we don't do it, China or Russia will," Trump was quoted by news agency ANI as saying. "That's not going to happen... NATO has to understand that. I'm all for NATO. I saved it. If it weren't for me, NATO would not be there, he added. Premier of Greenland says we do not wish to be Americans In a statement on Friday, Premier of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen reportedky said, As leaders of Greenlands political parties, we once again wish to underline our firm position that the United States disregard for our country must come to an end. We do not wish to be Americans. We do not wish to be Danes. We wish to be Greenlanders, he said, as per a statement shared on social media. He said the future of Greenland must be decided by the Greenlandic people. Work concerning Greenlands future is conducted in dialogue with the population and prepared on the basis of international law and the Self-Government Act, he added. No other country has the right to interfere in this process. We will decide our countrys future ourselveswithout pressure to make hasty decisions, without delays imposed from outside, and without external interference, the premier said. US eyes Greenland For decades, Washington has viewed Greenland as strategically important, and the Trump administration has once more placed the island at the centre of its Arctic agenda by reviving discussions around altering the status of the Danish territory. Trump and White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under US control, including potential use of the US military and lump sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark and potentially join the US. Also Read | Trump Team Considering Buying Greenland For $100,000 Per Citizen Trump previously made an offer to buy the island in 2019, during his first presidential term, only to be told it was not for sale. The fear of Russia and China laying a "claim" to foreign territories has been repeated by President Trump before too. National Park visitors who alter their 2026 entrance passes by covering President Donald Trumps image could face fines or be required to buy replacement passes, according to updated National Park Service guidelines, a report said. Trumps face appears on the America the Beautiful national parks pass starting January 1, alongside George Washington. Void if altered policy tightened The National Park Service has updated its Void if Altered rules to clarify that placing stickers or other coverings on the front of a pass could render it invalid, according to SFGate. Defacing the pass in any way, including writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings, is a form of altering the pass, the policy states, per SFGate. Altering a pass can cover up important information and required security features necessary to prevent fraud. Fines, replacements or day passes possible Under the revised guidelines, park staff are allowed to use discretion when encountering altered passes. According to the report, rangers may still accept a pass if its security features including a mountain-shaped foil hologram remain visible. China has issued draft regulations aimed at tightening the governance of personal information collected from the internet, outlining stricter rules for how such data can be gathered, stores, and used by applicants, Bloomberg News reported. The proposal is part of the country's broader efforts to protect the rights of online users and promote greater transparency in the system, ensuring that personal data is used responsibly while preventing any potential misuse. This development comes just months after India also implemented similar measures with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) rules, establishing a citizen-focused framework balancing individual rights and promoting responsible use of digital personal data. What are the proposed rules? The Cyberspace Administration of China released the rules from the draft on Saturday, which will be open for public consultation until 9 February, 2026. The framework includes: Inform users: One of the key requirements is that apps must clearly disclose collection rules, obtain informed consent from users, and limit data usage to essential purposes only. Hold accountability: This also means that app operators will bear the responsibility for security, compliance, and software development kit oversight. Protection of minors: The proposed regulations has also called for granular permission settings, bans on excessive or unauthorized data collection, and strict protection for minors and biometric data. Ensure compliance: Platforms and device manufacturers must also enforce compliance through mandatory audits and risk warnings. Limit access: Apps may access camera and microphone permissions only when users are actively using related functions, such as taking photos, or recording video/audio, and must stop access once those functions end. Why is China proposing these changes now? In view of rising privacy concerns and alleged misuse of online data, China has decided to introduce these rules and bring some reforms in how organisations and applicants handle personal information available on the internet. Last year in September, Beijing imposed administrative penalties on LVMHs Dior brand in Shanghai for violating data privacy rules. Also Read | Data privacy law upends OTT operations, forcing audits and new safeguards A probe found that the Shanghai unit of Dior did not use encryption to protect personal information that it collected. The luxury brand was also accused of sharing data with LVMHs headquarters in France without obtaining the rightful consent of the users, Bloomberg reported earlier. India's data protection framework India has also taken significant steps to regulate the use of online data. It's long-awaited data-privacy regime formally came into effect in November, 2025, more than two years after the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) was passed by Parliament. Under the rules, companies will need to comply with the Acts provisions within 1218 months from the date of implementation, including appointing consent managers and data-protection officers, putting in place systems for express user permission, and reporting data breaches within 72 hours. Irans attorney general Mohammad Movahedi Azad on Saturday (January 10) warned that anyone taking part in ongoing protests or even those who helped rioters would be treated as an enemy of God, a charge that carries the death penalty, as nationwide demonstrations approached the two-week mark amid an intensifying crackdown. Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation, Azad said in a statement carried by state television. Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence. Death toll rises, internet blackout deepens The warning came as Iran remained largely cut off from the outside world, with internet access and phone lines shut down, making it increasingly difficult to assess the scale of the unrest. At least 72 people have been killed and more than 2,300 detained so far, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iranian state TV has instead focused on casualties among security forces, while insisting authorities are in control. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a tougher response despite mounting international pressure, including warnings from the United States. Trump backs protesters, issues warning US President Donald Trump voiced support for demonstrators, writing on social media: Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! State TV narrative clashes with videos Iranian state television on Saturday portrayed calm returning to most cities, airing pro-government rallies alongside martial music and footage it said showed armed protesters attacking security forces. Field reports indicate that peace prevailed in most cities of the country at night, a state TV anchor said. There was no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces last night. However, videos verified by The Associated Press showed large crowds chanting Death to Khamenei! in northern Tehrans Saadat Abad district, contradicting official claims. Security forces report casualties Semiofficial media close to Irans Revolutionary Guard reported multiple deaths among security personnel. The Young Journalists Club said three Basij members were killed in Gachsaran, while other reports cited a police officer killed in Bandar Abbas, another in Gilan, and a security official stabbed to death in Hamadan province. Tasnim news agency said authorities detained nearly 200 people belonging to what it described as operational terrorist teams, alleging they possessed firearms, grenades and gasoline bombs. State TV also broadcast footage of funerals for security personnel, including a large service in the holy city of Qom. Calls for more protests Irans exiled former crown prince Reza Pahlavi urged demonstrators to continue protests through the weekend, calling on them to reclaim public spaces and carry Irans pre-1979 lion-and-sun flag. The demonstrations began on December 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial now trading at more than 1.4 million to the US dollar before expanding into direct challenges to Irans ruling theocracy. Fears of a harsher crackdown Rights activists fear the internet blackout could allow security forces to unleash a violent crackdown similar to past protests. They are fighting, and losing their lives, against a dictatorial regime, said Ali Rahmani, son of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. After what happened in 2019, we can only fear the worst. Despite threats, arrests and mounting casualties, videos circulating online suggest the unrest shows little sign of easing. A Ukrainian drone strike ignited a blaze at an oil depot in Russia's southern Volgograd region on Saturday, as reported by news agency Associated Press. This followed a massive Russian assault involving a new hypersonic missile and drones that severely disrupted Kyiv's power and heating infrastructure. Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov stated via a local administration Telegram post that there were no immediate reports of casualties. The announcement noted that residents living near the facility might face evacuation. Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff claimed responsibility for the overnight strike on the Zhutovskaya oil depot, asserting the site supplies essential fuel to Russian military forces. Damage assessments are currently underway. Ukraines strategy of targeting Russian energy hubs with long-range drones aims to deplete Moscows oil export revenue, which fuels its ongoing invasion. Conversely, Russia continues to target the Ukrainian power grid to deny civilians access to light, heat, and water a tactic Kyiv officials describe as "weaponizing winter." Russia Deploys Nuclear-Capable Hypersonic Missile Saturdays escalation occurred just a day after Russia launched a devastating barrage of hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, killing at least four people in Kyiv. During that attack, Moscow deployed its advanced nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile for only the second time in the nearly four-year conflict, striking western Ukraine as a stark warning to NATO allies. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said Friday's attacks have resulted in significant civilian casualties and deprived millions of Ukrainians of essential services, including electricity, heating and water at a time of acute humanitarian need. This intense bombardment coincided with reports of significant progress in discussions between Ukraine and its partners regarding future security frameworks, should a US-led peace agreement be reached. Amid the aftermath, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that heat supplies would be fully restored to the capital by Saturday evening. Svyrydenko explained that regions on the Dnieper River's right bank would transition from emergency blackouts back to scheduled outages. However, restoring power to the left bank remains difficult due to heavy grid damage from concentrated Russian strikes. Russias Defense Ministry maintained on Saturday that its forces used aviation, artillery, and missiles to target Ukrainian energy assets and fuel storage centers. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia utilized 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile in its latest offensive, with 94 of the drones being intercepted. Separately, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 59 Ukrainian drones were neutralized overnight over Russian territory and occupied Crimea. US President Donald Trump's administration has ramped up scrutiny of the H-1B visa applications. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) expanded US visa screening to detect fraudulent cases, limit immigration, and ensure national security and job security for Americans. The deepened scrutiny has led to a delay in H-1B visa appointments. In the past year, the US department said it would take a more targeted approach, focusing on H-1B-dependent employers, cases where officials could not validate the employers basic business information, and employers petitioning for H-1B workers who work off-site at another company or organisations location. Types of fraud in H-1B applications In its document, USCIS listed a set of indicators that suggest possible cases of H-1B visa fraud. They are: View full Image Types of fraud in H-1B applications 1. The H-1B worker is not or will not be paid the wage certified on the Labor Condition Application (LCA) 2. Wage disparity between H-1B workers and other workers performing the same or similar duties, particularly to the detriment of US workers. 3. The H-1B worker is not performing the duties specified in the H-1B petition, including when the duties are at a higher level than the position description. 4. The H-1B worker has less experience than US workers in similar positions in the same company. 5. The H-1B worker is not working in the intended location as certified on the LCA. Explaining H-1B fraud with an example A case emerged in 2019, wherein a person, identified as 52-year-old Abhijit Prasad, was convicted of 21 counts of visa fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. The evidence during trial revealed that Prasad had filed 19 petitions for H-1B non-immigrant visas containing false statements, made under penalty of perjury, as to purported work projects to be performed at locations in California, including Cisco Systems. Also Read | Amazon Allows Remote Work Due To H-1B Delays But With These Conditions According to the ICE, the evidence further showed that Prasad "knowingly submitted forged Cisco documents to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in support of his claims that the beneficiaries would work at Cisco." Prasad had also fraudulently used the digital signature of a Cisco employee, who was not authorised to sign a Cisco employment document. He had obtained two H-1B visas using this fraudulent document, which was misrepresented as a fully executed Cisco contract. How does USCIS detect fraud in H-1B applications? Does your H-1B application look 'normal'? The USCIS will compare it with several other applications, watching, cross-checking, and verifying often without warning. 1. Random site visits "To identify employers who are abusing the system", US officials conduct random site visits to ensure that employers and foreign workers are complying with the requirements of the H-1B non-immigrant classification, the USCIS said. During the visits, officials verify H-1B workers wages, job duties, and work locations. The US department also makes unannounced and random visits to all H-1B employers across the country, both before and after any petition is adjudicated. 2. Whistleblower complaints The USCIS also urges people to report any case they suspect to be a fraudulent one. The department says that anyone (American workers or H-1B workers who suspect they or others may be the victim of H-1B fraud or abuse) can send tips to the department. They can fill out the USCIS's online tip form to report the issue in detail. 3. Requests for Evidence (RFEs) An RFE could be sent for many reasons. They may include: > The petition as submitted does not demonstrate the applicant's eligibility. "As such, an RFE is an additional opportunity for the petitioner to submit evidence to establish eligibility," the USCIS said in a document released in 2019. > To check "whether the Labor Condition Application (LCA) properly corresponds to the proffered position in the petition," the document stated. > For evidence of the employer-employee relationship and qualifying work > To verify the beneficiarys qualifications 4. Data analysis The USCIS keeps records of past denials, employer history, salary patterns and location changes. The USCIS had launched the Targeted Site Visit and Verification Program (TSVVP) in 2017 to take a more data-driven approach to petition verification. Pro-tips for successful H-1B visa approval To the best, avoid: Careless paperwork, inconsistent stories and shortcuts. The applicants must also: 1. Read the filing instructions very carefully 2. Make sure each form has an original signature 3. Include signed checks or money orders with the correct fee amount. 4. Submit all required documentation and evidence with the petition at the time of filing 5. Ensure that the LCA properly corresponds to the position in your petition. 6. File the petition with the correct USCIS service center Amid escalating unrest in Iran, former US Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi engaged in a public spat on social media, trading pointed accusations over foreign interference in the countrys ongoing protests. The exchange comes as demonstrations continue to sweep across Iranian cities, challenging the government and drawing international attention. Pompeo warns "Iranian regime is in trouble In a tweet on January 3, Pompeo highlighted what he described as the regimes vulnerability amid nationwide protests. He wrote: "The Iranian regime is in trouble. Bringing in mercenaries is its last best hope. Riots in dozens of cities and the Basij under siege Mashed, Tehran, Zahedan. Next stop: Baluchistan. 47 years of this regime; POTUS 47. Coincidence? Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking beside them..." Pompeos message suggested that both Israeli and US involvement were contributing to unrest in Iran, a claim that Tehran has long denied. Iran FM rebuts Pompeo Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi quickly responded, accusing Pompeo of openly confirming US and Israeli interference in the protests. Araghchi said: "According to the US Government, Iran is 'delusional' for assessing that Israel and the US are fueling violent riots in our country. There is only one problem: President Trump's own former CIA Director has openly and unashamedly highlighted what Mossad and its American enablers are really up to. The only 'delusional' aspect of the current situation is the belief that arson does not ultimately arsonists." Araghchis statement reinforces Tehrans position that foreign powers are seeking to destabilize Iran. The tweets follow weeks of unrest in Iran, with demonstrators protesting economic hardship and government policies. Security forces have reportedly used lethal force against protesters, while authorities have imposed internet blackouts to limit the spread of information. Protests grip Iran Iran is facing its largest wave of demonstrations in years as citizens protest across multiple cities against the government, despite a nationwide internet blackout. Rights groups warn that authorities are intensifying a deadly crackdown. Authorities escalate lethal force Amnesty International said it was reviewing distressing reports that security forces have intensified their unlawful use of lethal force against protesters since Thursday, in an escalation that has led to further deaths and injuries. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group reported that at least 51 people have been killed so far, though the actual toll could be higher. IHR shared images it said showed bodies of people shot dead in protests at Alghadir hospital in Tehran. These images provide further evidence of the excessive and lethal use of force against protesters, IHR said. Protests spread across major cities AFP verified videos and images show demonstrations continuing in Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, Qom, and Hamedan. In Tehrans Saadatabad district, residents banged pots and chanted death to Khamenei while cars honked in solidarity. In Hamedan, a man waved a shah-era Iranian flag featuring the lion and sun, and protesters briefly replaced the current Iranian flag at the Iranian embassy in London. Reza Pahlavi calls for seizing city centres Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Irans ousted shah, praised the protests as magnificent and urged Iranians to plan more targeted actions. Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres, Pahlavi said in a social media video. He also hinted at a possible return to Iran soon, calling the timing very near. Supreme leader blames US Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the protests as acts by vandals and blamed the United States for fuelling unrest. National security council chief Ali Larijani said, we are in the middle of a war and that the incidents were being directed from outside. State TV aired funerals for several security personnel killed during protests, along with images of buildings, including a mosque, on fire. Irans army stated it would vigorously protect and safeguard national interests against enemies seeking to disrupt order. Daily life disrupted amid internet blackout The government-imposed internet blackout, now lasting 48 hours according to NetBlocks, has disrupted work and communications. A Tehran resident said, This is the price to pay before the victory of the people, while reporting he could not access his work email. AFP reporters noted deserted streets and early business closures in Tehran. A cafe manager said, The area is not safe, closing at around 4:00 pm. Shop windows were broken, and security forces were actively deployed. Global leaders condemn violence International leaders have urged restraint. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Europe supports the mass protests and condemned violent repression of demonstrators. Thousands of men, women and children hailing from the minority Kohli community in Pakistan ended their two-day protest, which disrupted traffic on the Thar coal road in Badin district, on Friday, after after top police officials reportedly assured protesters that action would be taken against the influential landlord who allegedly murdered a young farmer. The demonstrators reportedly gave the administration a one-week ultimatum to arrest the accused. The protest, backed by over a dozen political, nationalist, and religious parties, saw demonstrators block the Thar coal supply route and the main road linking Badin to Hyderabad via Tando Muhammad Khan. They demanded the arrest of Sarfaraz Nizamani, accused of killing 22-year-old farmer Kailash Kohli earlier this month, according to The Express Tribune. The protesters stated that Kohli was gunned down on January 4 in a village near Talhar. They claimed that the suspect, an influential local landlord, fired on him after an argument and then escaped with armed companions. Although a case was filed, the failure to arrest the accused sparked anger among residents of the area. Deputy Commissioner Yasir Bhatti and Senior Superintendent of Police Qamar Raza Jikani conducted three rounds of negotiations with the protesters. The talks were spearheaded by victim's father Chetan Kohli, who called for swift justice for his son. Addressing the media, Chetan Kohli alleged that Nizamani was drunk and furious at the time of the incident. He said the family hurried to the spot after hearing gunfire and discovered Kailash lying on the ground with deadly bullet injuries. When we reached there, the accused and his men pointed guns at us and then escaped, he claimed, according to The Express Tribune. Minority rights activist Sodhi Kohli sharply criticised the police, stating that the daylight killing of an unarmed peasant highlighted the extreme vulnerability of impoverished communities. She questioned why the principal suspect had not yet been arrested despite mounting public pressure, and urged the authorities to act with empathy and enforce the law. Also Read | In open letter to Jaishankar, Baloch leader warns of Chinese troop deployment The Badin District Bar Association suspended court activities on Friday while demonstrating solidarity. Lawyers denounced the killing and accused the police of hesitating to move forward with the case due to the suspects influence. Bar members joined the protest along with representatives of Sindh Kohli Ittehad and various political and nationalist parties, calling for prompt and unbiased justice. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday (January 10) said Russia alone is responsible for prolonging the war and warned that Moscow will face tangible response for efforts to undermine Ukraines relations with its international partners. Only Russia is the source of this war, the reason the war is being dragged out, and it deserves all retaliatory strikes and pressure for everything it does against life and people, against diplomacy, against partners, Zelensky wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Zelensky accused Russia of attacking not only Ukrainian lives but also diplomacy and global cooperation, and said Kyiv is closely tracking Moscows covert activities. He said Russia continues to resist diplomatic efforts while escalating pressure through military and political means. Ukraine monitoring Russian influence efforts Zelensky said Ukrainian authorities are documenting Russian attempts to sabotage ties between Kyiv and its allies, including lobbying efforts and covert operations in Europe. We carefully monitor and document every attempt by the Russians to undermine our relations with partners, he said. We see which lobbyists Moscow is engaging, through whom it is trying to act, which internal operations it is attempting to launch in Ukraine and in Europe. Tangible response promised The Ukrainian leader said Kyivs response would involve intelligence agencies, political coordination with allies, and expanded sanctions. Our response will be tangible through our special services, through our intelligence agencies, through political cooperation with our partners, and, in particular, through sanctions, Zelensky said. Welcomes US push for tougher Russia sanctions Zelensky also welcomed renewed momentum in the US Congress toward tougher sanctions targeting Russias oil sector, calling the move potentially decisive. What is important is that the U.S. Congress is back in motion on tougher sanctions against Russia targeting Russian oil, he wrote. This can truly work. I thank everyone who is helping. As the United States captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro a week ago, Trump was asked about cryptic remarks made by his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, who said that if this is how a dictator must be treated, then the United States knows what to do next", hinting at a similar fate for Russian President Vladimir Putin. While disagreeing with Zelensky, Trump stated such a sanction is not necessary", while adding that he is very disappointed with Putin. I don't think it's going to be necessary, Trump mentioned during a meeting with US' oil and gas executives. He added, I think we're going to have a--and always had--a great relationship with him. I am very disappointed. I settled eight wars. I thought this would be in the middle of the pack or maybe one of the easier ones. Putin is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Ukraine has been resisting a renewed Russian offensive since 2022, has so far kept its capital, Kyiv, out of occupation. While recalling the deaths of soldiers, Trump expressed regret that he couldn't halt the UkraineRussia conflict and reiterated his claim of having stopped eight wars around the world. The US President said that around 31,000 people had died in the previous month, many of them Russian soldiers, adding that Russias economy was struggling, according to NDTV. He reportedly expressed confidence that the conflict would eventually be resolved but said he wished it could have been settled sooner, noting that many lives, mostly those of soldiers, were being lost. Russia-Ukraine war Russia has stepped up strikes on Ukraines cities, and as the invasion nears its fourth anniversary in February, it has increasingly focused on energy facilities, aiming to deprive civilians of heat and running water during the harsh winter. The United Nations said earlier in December that more than 2,300 Ukrainian civilians were killed and over 11,000 injured between January and November, as per AP. The toll was 26% higher than during the same period in 2024 and 70% higher than in 2023, according to the UN. Maduro's capture Explosions were first reported in Caracas and nearby areas shortly before 2:00 am (0600 GMT), with the blasts continuing until about 3:15 am on January 3 this year. Social media footage showed helicopters outlined against the night sky as missiles struck their targets, producing fireballs and towering clouds of smoke. In a post at 0921 GMT on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States had successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and that Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of the Country. Imagine your company headed by someone whos always available, never plays favourites, and whos famous for spot-on decisions that bring great results. Sounds good? Except you probably wont be exchanging a smile with this boss in the corridor. And the boss will probably not be asking if your mom has recovered from her knee surgery. On the other hand, you never know. The more humans try to be as smart as AI, the more AI tries to be human. While most companies are still, thankfully, run by humans, some have been experimenting with machine-led management. There are some things humans just cant do as well, especially if it involves scanning massive amounts of data, so lets see how technology does the job. One of the most famous AI bosses is Mika, the Humanoid CEO of Colombian luxury spirits brand, Dictador. She was created by Hanson Robotics, which also made the famous Sophia. Data-driven precision Mika isnt just digital but has a bodyshes a robot. She was very much intended to embody the Game Changer ethos of Dictador and support the branding for the company as one thats committed to technology. So, she is very much public-facing. Otherwise, Mikas responsibilities include identifying potential clients through data analysis, curating artists to collaborate on unique designs, and managing complex projects. Mikas leadership philosophy is all about data-driven precision. A human would rely on instinct or personal relationships, but Mika works in a future present" state: She constantly analyzes real-time market data to predict trends and minimize risk. As Mika herself noted, this operational capacity comes with a big advantage: She doesn't take weekends off. And can take unbiased decisions 24/7. The Mika experiment has had mixed results. Shes visible and a high-profile marketing tool, but Dictadors revenue growth lagged behind the industry average. Mika herself lagged behind when it was found during a Fox interview that her responses went into pauses. Imagine your boss not being able to answer because hes busy buffering. Also Read | 2025 was the year we stopped trusting our eyes and ears Mika still has her job and valuable insights into how to (or not to) integrate AI into an organization. High-efficiency hub In August 2022, Chinese gaming giant NetDragon Websoft appointed the AI-powered Ms Tang Yu as the rotating CEO of its flagship subsidiary. Some saw it as a publicity stunt, but NetDragon saw its AI leader as a central hub for efficiency, rewriting the rules of the C-suite. Tang Yu, still in her job, has core functions that are centred on pure operational excellence. Her designated responsibilities include streamlining internal processes, enhancing work quality across the organization. By processing vast amounts of information instantly, the AI CEO is supposed to support rational, data-backed decision-making, taking away the guesswork and human bias that can cloud executive judgment. In the six months following the AI CEOs appointment, investor confidence soared, driving the companys stock value up by 10% and outperforming the Hang Seng Index. Internally, the AIs 24/7 processing capacity yielded a 15% decrease in operational delays, as it handled approvals and analyzed risks without the cognitive overhead or time constraints of a human. Also, the precision in implementing cost-efficiency measures led to an amazing 15.6% reduction in operating expenses, showcasing the AIs power to preserve the bottom line. The limitations of Tang Yu's influence became clear when faced with major economic forces. Despite its impressive efficiency gains, the AI CEO could not prevent a 27.9% year-on-year decrease in total revenue during the first half of 2025. It looks like operational optimization alone cant insulate a company from broad market headwinds. Even so, the experiment highlights several critical advantages and disadvantages of relying on AI for top-level leadership: Perfect blend needed Now, by 2026, the concept of an AI CEO has decisively transitioned from science fiction to becoming a very real corporate possibility. The central critique of AI leadership is that while an algorithm can optimize a process, it cant inspire a team. Or even fully win its trust. True leadership needs a blend of data-driven strategy and distinctly human qualities like empathy and strategic foresighttraits that current AI simply doesnt have. Apart from the obvious human characteristics needed in a leadership position, there are also legal issues. Whos liable when the AI inadvertently blunders? What happens if security is severely compromised, such as in a hacking or other breach? How will an AI react when theres an unexpected crisis, like the Covid-19 pandemic? Ultimately, the future of leadership is not a choice between human and machine, but a partnership. This model is already taking shape in the C-suites of todays most powerful companies. Microsofts Satya Nadella uses GPT-5 to prepare for high-stakes meetings, while Apples Tim Cook leverages AI for time recovery", allowing him to focus on mission-critical strategy. These AI-augmented leaders show a path forward where machines handle data and humans handle people. Come to think of it, thats how it always has been. Ive had some wonderful bosses in my time. No humanoid could have given me the spontaneous, warm praise I received when the first issue of my magazine was published many years ago. My boss told me that if he had ever dreamt of a perfect magazine, this was it. Even now, thats a moment that warms my heart. Also Read | AI has introduced a new lexicon of strange terms Ive also had bosses I would gladly exchange for a piece of software. Obsessed with quantifying everything in sight, forgetting that people have feelings, and viewing them as assets and liabilities rather than as humans, they were a complete displeasure to work with. People can give a great deal of themselves to their work when surrounded by warmthand that may well be a challenge for a robotic CEO. The New Normal: The world is at an inflexion point. Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to be as massive a revolution as the Internet has been. The option to just stay away from AI will not be available to most people, as all the tech we use takes the AI route. This column series introduces AI to the non-techie in an easy and relatable way, aiming to demystify and help a user to actually put the technology to good use in everyday life. Mala Bhargava is most often described as a veteran writer who has contributed to several publications in India since 1995. Her domain is personal tech, and she writes to simplify and demystify technology for a non-techie audience. A Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader on Friday alleged that by 'leaving out' Prashant Kishor, Enforcement Directorate (ED, during its raids on I-PAC, showed whose interests it was serving. The leader was refering to the central agency conducting searches at the office of the political consultancy firm and the residence of its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata on Thursday. The ED complaints date back to 2020. Who was at the help of I-PAC then? It is Prashant Kishor. Then why is Pratik Jain being targeted by ED and not Kishor?, Arup Chakraborty, TMC spokesperson said. The ED action ignited high drama, with TMC supremeo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee unexpectedly storming into the sites during raids, alleging that the central agency was trying to seize her sensitive data ahead of the high-stakes state polls. "The answer is simple. Jain is now helping TMC with its party strategy. And Kishor with its Jan Suraaj party in Bihar divided the opposition votes, which helped the BJP," 'The ED complaint refers to events that took place in Goa, when Kishor was leading I-PAC,' Arup added. Attention on PK and his I-PAC role The ED raids on Jain, the co-founder of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), have brought in focus the political consultancy and once its most recognisable strategist, Prashant Kishor. Is Prashant Kishor, one of the I-PAC co-founders who later shifted to mainstream politics, still associated with the firm? Well, after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Kishor is said to have exited the I-PAC. But his name never existed in paper in I-PAC, according to former I-PAC associates. He always worked as a consultant," a former I-PAC member who did not want to be named told LiveMint from Guwahati. I-PAC had emerged from Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), a poliical consultancy group that was formed by Kishor and others before 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Many members of CAG later formed separate political consultancies. I-PAC was one of them. "Prashant Kishor's name would be there on paper during CAG days. But he had no formal associations with I-PAC even before 2021, the former I-PAC employee said. He would charge money based on projects. "In some cases he would ask for 40 per cent while in others he would ask for 60 per cent of the amount that I-PAC raised through consultancy. Rest of the money would be distributed as salaries and other expenses, he said. Even after his exit in 2021, Prashant Kishor was in touch with the firm at least until 2023 when he hit the ground in Bihar in the run up to Jan Suraaj formation, according to another former I-PAC employee. As thing stand today, three directors Pratik Jain, Rishi Raj Singh and Vinesh Chandel oversee the functioning of I-PAC. What happened on Thursday? The ED conducted searches at the I-PAC office and the residence of Jain in Kolkata. Banerjee who appeared at the site of the raids alleged that the central agency was trying to seize the TMCs sensitive data ahead of the high-stakes state polls. In a strong rebuttal, the ED, which maintained that the searches were part of a money laundering probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam, accused Banerjee of obstructing a lawful investigation and claimed that she and the state police forcibly removed "key evidence" during the raids. The confrontation, which unfolded at a politically combustible moment, added sharp electoral overtones ahead of the elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, to be held in less than three months, as both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP were locked in an aggressive battle for narrative control. The standoff also soon took a legal turn, with the ED moving the Calcutta High Court, seeking permission to file a petition, alleging interference in its investigation. The I-PAC also approached the HC, opposing the searches and questioning its legality. I-PAC, apart from offering political consultancy to the TMC, also manages the partys IT and media operations, making the search especially sensitive in the run-up to elections. Prashant Kishor and Jan Suraaj Kishor founded Jan Suraaj in October 2024. The Jan Suraaj Party made its electoral debut in the Bihar by-elections held on 13 November 2024, contesting four assembly constituencies and lost all four. The party had contested on 238 seats in the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections. It failed to win a single seat, registering a vote share percentage of 3.4 per cent Since then, Prashant Kishor has largely been silent with uncertainty surrounding his future political involvement. The answer is simple. Jain is now helping TMC with its party strategy. While the TMCs ties with Kishor have been fraught since his departure from I-PAC in 2021, the party had until now avoided publicly criticising him. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee referred to Kishor briefly in her speech on Friday at Hazra crossing "When Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, I-PAC worked for him. Back then, Prashant Kishor was there, Now Prashant is not there, Pratik oversees it, the CM said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expelled 58 functionaries from Mumbai and Nagpur for six years following breaches of party discipline ahead of the January 15 elections for 29 municipal corporations. This disciplinary measure against former mayors, councilors, and prominent workers comes amidst widespread internal friction affecting nearly all primary political organizations and coalitions throughout the state. The action has been taken for defying official nominees, damaging the partys reputation, and refusing to support Mahayuti candidates, as reported by news agency PTI citing BJP sources. Also Read | Ajit Pawar, uncle Sharad Pawar release joint manifesto for Pune civic polls Of those disciplined, 26 are based in Mumbai, including Divya Dhole (Ward 60), Nehal Amar Shah (Ward 177), Janhavi Rane (Ward 205), Asawari Patil (Ward 2, now running with Shiv Sena UBT), Mohan Ambekar (Ward 166), and Dhanashree Baghel (Ward 131). The 32 individuals ousted in Nagpur include Vinayak Dehankar, spouse of ex-mayor Archana Dehankar, along with former representatives Sunil Agrawal and Dheeraj Chavan, the sources told PTI. Nagpur BJP chief Dayashankar Tiwari issued the formal dismissal orders. The electoral competition has reached a fever pitch as parties prepare for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and various other local body contests. The current cycle has been marked by intense hostility as partners within the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances compete independently or form unusual local pacts. BJP promises 100 concrete roads, 300-bed hospital in Mira Bhayandar The construction of more than 100 new concrete roads, the creation of a 300-bed civil hospital, and initiatives to curb air and noise pollution are central pledges in the BJPs manifesto for Mira Bhayandar residents ahead of the upcoming civic elections. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP President Ravindra Chavan, and local MLA Narendra Mehta unveiled the partys platform on Friday during a campaign rally for the January 15 Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) polls. Titled 'Resolve for the Development of Mira-Bhayandar', the document presents a detailed strategy to evolve the locality into a modern, secure, and ecologically sustainable smart city. The competition to lead the civic administration features a contest between Mahayuti partners, the BJP and Shiv Sena. The manifesto highlights the benefits of a 'triple engine' governance model, utilizing the BJP's presence at both Federal and State levels to fast-track local infrastructure projects. Key promises include building over 100 concrete roads to guarantee a pothole-free environment, introducing expanded bus fleets, and implementing a regulated shared rickshaw network. (Bloomberg) -- Venezuela continued releasing political prisoners on Saturday, including a member of opposition leader Maria Corina Machados party, a week after President Nicolas Maduro was captured by US forces. Venezuelan authorities released at least five people, including Virgilio Laverde, youth coordinator for Machados Vente Venezuela party in the southern state of Bolivar, the human rights organization Foro Penal confirmed on X. The release of political prisoners is one of the oppositions main demands following the apprehension of Maduro on Jan. 3 and President Donald Trumps claims that the US is running the oil-rich Latin American country. Venezuelas National Assembly head Jorge Rodriguez said on Thursday that a significant number of prisoners would be released as a gesture of peace. So far, the number has not reached two dozen, while Foro Penal estimates there are more than 800 political prisoners in the country. Among the first prisoners released are Biagio Pilieri, a former lawmaker and Machado ally; Enrique Marquez, a former vice president of the opposition-led National Assembly and electoral authority, and five Spanish citizens. During an event at a food market on Saturday, acting President Delcy Rodriguez said Venezuela wont stop condemning Maduros detention. We will not rest until we have President Maduro back; we are going to rescue him, she said, without mentioning the new releases of prisoners. Trump said he had canceled a second wave of attacks on Venezuela following cooperation from the South American nation, with American diplomats visiting Caracas, the countrys capital. The US president signed an executive order on Saturday to safeguard Venezuelan oil revenue held in US Treasury accounts, blocking it from the Latin American countrys creditors and preventing its seizure to satisfy debts or other legal claims, according to a White House fact sheet. On Friday, major US oil executives expressed caution about Trumps push for them to spend at least $100 billion to rebuild Venezuela, with the head of Exxon Mobil Corp. calling the nation currently uninvestable. --With assistance from Andreina Itriago. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Friday that the early undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International Space Station (ISS) will take place on January 14. The mission holds significance as it is NASA's first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station. For the first time ever, four astronauts will depart the ISS early due to a medical issue. Senior space agency officials said a "serious medical condition" with a crew member aboard the ISS led NASA to bring the astronaut and three crewmates back to Earth months earlier than planned, the first such emergency return in the orbiting laboratory's 25-year history. Also Read | NASA weighs early return of ISS crew after medical issue forces spacewalk delay "NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 5 pm EST, Wednesday, Jan 14, for the undocking of the agencys SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International Space Station, pending weather conditions," the US space agency said in a press release on Friday. According to the release, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will splash down off the coast of California at approximately 3:40 am on Thursday, January 15. But, the undocking of the SpaceX Dragon depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors. "NASA and SpaceX will select a specific splashdown time and location closer to the Crew-11 spacecraft undocking," NASA said. The crew Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov has been on the space station since launching from Florida in August and were scheduled to return around May this year. What's the 'medical concern' on ISS? On January 8, NASA announced its decision to return the SpaceX Crew-11 mission to Earth from the space station earlier than originally planned as teams monitor a "medical concern" with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory. The agency had informed that the astronaut is "stable." But, it didn't share further details, saying, "It is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member." The NASA officials did not even identify which of the Crew-11 mission's four astronauts was experiencing the medical issue or describe its nature. NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer James Polk said, "This was not an injury that occurred in the pursuit of operations," meaning it did not happen while the astronaut was working, Reuters reported. NASA's astronaut corps regards medical situations on the ISS as closely held secrets, and astronauts rarely acknowledge or describe publicly their medical conditions. Spacewalks called off On Wednesday afternoon, NASA had also called off a planned spacewalk with two US astronauts that had been scheduled for Thursday over what it described as a "medical concern" with an astronaut, later saying in a midnight statement that it was considering ending the astronaut's rotation mission early. (Bloomberg) -- Some of Chinas most prominent figures in generative artificial intelligence warned that the Asian nation is unlikely to eclipse the US in the global AI race anytime soon. Justin Lin, head of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s Qwen series of open-source models, put at less than 20% the chances of any Chinese company leapfrogging the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic with fundamental breakthroughs over the next three to five years. His caution was shared by peers at Tencent Holdings Ltd., and at Zhipu AI, which this week helped lead Chinese large-language model makers in tapping the public market. A massive amount of OpenAIs compute is dedicated to next-generation research, whereas we are stretched thin just meeting delivery demands consumes most of our resources, Lin said during a panel at the AGI-Next summit in Beijing on Saturday. Its an age-old question: does innovation happen in the hands of the rich, or the poor? The event, co-organized by Zhipu and Tsinghua University, followed market debuts this week in which Zhipu and Shanghai-based MiniMax Group collectively raised more than $1 billion. MiniMax shares more than doubled on their Friday debut, while Zhipu has climbed 36% since its debut a day earlier. Still, Chinas AI heavyweights struck a cautious note on the chances of overtaking the US in developing state-of-the-art models at the gathering in Zhongguancun, a technology hub often described as Beijings Silicon Valley. Joining Lin in that assessment were Tang Jie, Zhipus founder and chief AI scientist, and Yao Shunyu, who recently joined Tencent from OpenAI to lead the AI push for Chinas most valuable company. We just released some open-source models, and some might feel excited, thinking Chinese models have surpassed the US, Tang said. But the real answer is that the gap may actually be widening. The breakout success of DeepSeeks R1 model at the start of 2025 spurred a wave of Chinese firms from giant Alibaba to startups like Zhipu to open-source their latest AI iterations. Such models have rapidly closed the gap with US proprietary offerings from the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. Key Constraints While acknowledging progress, the speakers cited limited resources and US export controls on chips and lithography equipment as key constraints. Yao urged his industry peers to focus on the bottlenecks of next-generation models such as long-term memory and self-learning. The tech leaders also offered a primer on where theyre placing bets for the coming year. Yao said hes helping Tencent leverage AI to generate greater value for its massive user base for example, by linking the companys Yuanbao assistant with WeChat chat history. Lin highlighted Alibabas bet on multimodality and real-world agents, while both Tang and Yang Zhilin, who founded Moonshot AI, touted newer releases of their flagship foundation models. Meaningless internal competition serves no purpose, said Tang. We should represent China to push AGI further for the world, he added, referring to artificial general intelligence. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned about the potential misuse of AI by bad actors to create bioweapons, along with the threat it poses to the job market. Gates made the remarks in his annual letter for 2026, where he said that he remains an optimist, partly because of the innovations being accelerated by artificial intelligence. Also Read | Elon Musk speaks out as Grok faces global backlash over sexualized AI images We are far better off than when I was born 70 years ago. I believe the world will keep improving, but it is harder to see that today than it has been in a long time, Gates said. Of all the things humans have ever created, AI will change society the most. It will help solve many of our current problems while also bringing new challenges very different from past innovations. The billionaire then went on to note that while timelines for artificial general intelligence (AGI) are being missed, advances in the field of AI will not plateau before exceeding human levels. He then outlined what he sees as the two biggest challenges posed by the technology. The two big challenges in the next decade are the use of AI by bad actors and disruption to the job market. Both are real risks that we need to do a better job managing. We will need to be deliberate about how this technology is developed, governed, and deployed, he added. Gates cited his 2015 TED talk, where he warned that the world was not ready to handle a pandemic, and said that if the warning had been taken seriously, the amount of human suffering could have been dramatically lower. He then noted that there is now an even greater risk than a pandemic: the possibility of a non-government group using open-source AI tools to design a bioterrorism weapon. The second challenge is job market disruption. AI capabilities will allow us to make far more goods and services with less labour. In a mathematical sense, we should be able to allocate these new capabilities in ways that benefit everyone. As AI delivers on its potential, we could reduce the work week or even decide there are some areas we do not want to use AI in. The rate of improvement is already starting to be enough to disrupt job demand in areas like software development. Other areas like warehouse work or phone support are not quite there yet, but once the AIs become more capable, the job disruption will be more immediate, he added. Gates on the positives of AI: Gates also highlighted the positive effects AI could bring, particularly in improving healthcare across countries. I believe we can improve healthcare dramatically in all countries by using AI not only to accelerate the development of innovations but also directly in the delivery of healthcare, he noted. Amid mounting pressure on X and Grok, Elon Musk has targeted the UK government for trying to suppress free speech. The comment by Musk comes as the UK government is mulling imposing fines or a possible ban on X in the country after the company's AI chatbot Grok generated sexualized images of women and children at the behest of users. As UK ministers threatened a possible ban on X, Musk went on to claim that the social media platform earlier called Twitter has gone on to become the most downloaded app on the country's app stores. In response to a post on X, Musk wrote, They just want to suppress free speech. They want any excuse for censorship, he said while replying to another post. Meanwhile, Musk also responded to a post by a user who stated that the UK has the highest arrests for social media comments in the world. The billionaire, while quoting the post, wrote, Why is the UK government so fascist? Musk also reposted a few posts that suggested that Grok wasn't the only AI app that could generate non-consensual deepfakes of users and that even rivals like OpenAI and Google oblige user requests for generating images with people wearing bikinis. UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall had recently said that the country was looking at the possibility of banning access to X. X needs to get a grip and get this material down, Liz was quoted by The Guardian as saying. And I would remind them that in the Online Safety Act, there are backstop powers to block access to services if they refuse to comply with the law for people in the UK. And if Ofcom decides to use those powers, they would have the full backing of the government. Why is Grok being threatened? Over the last few days, Grok has been used to widely circulate sexualized images of women and sometimes even children without their consent. Since Grok is deeply embedded in X, users have taken advantage of the chatbot to request images of women in bikinis or other such suggestive outfits. Since then, Musk has warned users not to use Grok for illegal purposes while also suggesting that users should be held liable for generating such content and that the platform should not be punished. The Grok app has also faced heat in various countries, including India and Indonesia. Elon Musk has reacted to the recent uproar over Grok's obscene image generations. The xAI owned chatbot has been at the center of a massive controversy with users taking advantage of the AI to create disturbing images of women and children and share them on X. The billionaire resposted a post by a user with the caption exactly, which stated that X should not be punished for users generating bikini clad images of women. So what if Grok can put people in bikinis? So can photoshop? So can millions of apps already? This isnt a new problem, its a new tool. If a user does it someone unconsentually, the user should be punished, not the platform. noted the user The comment by Musk comes as multiple countries are mulling taking action on X and Grok over the chatbot's inappropriate behaviour. Meanwhile, Grok's image editing feature has also been reportedly put behind a paywall. Moreover, Indonesia also today became the first country to ban the chatbot over its inappropriate content generation and will also summon X officials to ask them for implementing safeguards in their platform. Three Democrat US Senators have also asked Google and Apple to step in and ban X and Grok from their app stores until the platforms implement enough safeguards to protect their users. India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had also sent X a formal notice over Grok's misuse and asked the company to submit a detailed Action Taken Report while removing all unlawful content. What has Musk and X said about gross image generations via Grok? X had said last week that it will take action against the illegal content being generated on the platform by removing it and permanently suspending the accounts. The company also said that it will be working wit local governments and law enforcement agencies when necessary. Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content. Musk had posted last week, a stance that was later reiterated officially by the platform. Indonesia has temporarily blocked access to the chatbot, becoming the first country to block access to the xAI-owned chatbot, as per a report by Reuters. The action by the Indonesian government comes after the chatbot was used by thousands of users online to recreate images of women, and sometimes children, without clothes. Indonesia's Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid, in a statement quoted by Reuters, said, The government views the practice of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space. The ministry took the decision while citing the need to protect women, children and the public at large from the psychological and social harms of AI-generated explicit content, according to Indonesia-based Antara News. She also went on to categorise Grok's use for generating sexualised images as a form of digital-based violence. Reportedly, the Indonesian government has also issued formal summons to X officials, who will now be required to provide clarification and explain the negative impacts of Grok's current configuration. The company will have to demonstrate compliance with Indonesian laws by presenting concrete technical steps it is taking in order to prevent future misuse. The minister also noted that while Grok is temporarily blocked in Indonesia, the future of the AI chatbot in the country will depend on the platform's willingness to implement strict content filters and ethical AI standards. What did Elon Musk say about Grok's AI misuse? Musk and xAI had both warned users last week about misusing the chatbot for illegal purposes, stating that it could land them in legal trouble. Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content, Musk had said in a post on X. Meanwhile, the billionaire appeared to change his tone after a barrage of criticism over the platform's inability to regulate the generation of deepfake images. Musk reposted a post by a sympathiser on Saturday, who stated that X should not be blamed for the deepfake images generated and that the blame must lie with users. Three US Senators have also penned a letter to Google and Apple asking them to remove the Grok and X apps from their respective App Stores over violations of their terms, which explicitly forbid the creation of sexualised images. An accomplished Longford town chef and restaurant owner, who offers customers an authentic taste of Italy, is grateful to her parents and the solid experience she gained in the family business. Lisa Vocella, the head chef and owner at Vocella's on Main Street, grew up immersed in food and customer service as her parents Peter and Patricia ran Luigi's fast food restaurant. All of the dishes are made to order from start to finish by the 29 year-old and her colleague chef Vincent Meldrum. Lisa and her husband Benny opened the doors of Vocella's in July 2018, but the cooking flair and connection with locals was sown several decades prior to that. "I worked with my mam and dad next door in Luigi's for many years and I always wanted to be a chef and I went off and did my own thing," she said. "They bought the unit where Vocella's is off Pat Stenson," she said. "It was an old chemist, and it was idle for many years and in the meantime I trained up, I was working in other restaurants and eventually in 2018 I took the place over." Lisa said she loved cooking from a young age and she recalls how she would often spend weekends cooking with her grandmother Libera on her mother's side during her visits to Longford and in Italy. The Vocella family originally hails from the town of Terelle in the Italian mountains and Lisa also has fond memories of cooking and spending time with her grandmother Addolorata on her father's side in the region. Lisa is proud of her Italian roots and Vocella's restaurant is a homage to the rich culinary influences she grew up with and is hugely popular with local diners. "I started working when I was 11 in Luigi's and I was mad to start. There was even earlier memories when my parents obviously wouldn't let me work but I was eager to get going," she said. "So yeah, I worked with them for years until I got out of school and I went to college." She said her and her older sister Antonella were brought up on delicious pasta dishes and pizza and they had a great grounding in Italian cooking. Lisa graduated with first class honours from DIT after completing a four year degree in Culinary Arts at Cathal Brugha Street and she gained valuable working experience. She believes the experience of having a connection with Luigi's customers was a big advantage when they opened Vocella's, but they also maximised that opportunity to create a positive impression. "It would have been my mother and father's name next door that was known and that would have gotten people to come in the door here because they had certain kinds of expectations, but now we have built the name for ourselves over time," she added. Vocella's is a multi-award winning restaurant and in 2024 it was named best Longford restaurant in the highly-regarded Irish Restaurant Awards. They were also honoured with Best wine experience and Best Customer Service awards in 2022 at the event and they have won up to seven prestigious awards in recent years. Vocella's has five full-time staff, which includes Lisa and Benny and five part-time staff and she is thankful to their hardworking and dedicated workers. "We use fresh, locally sourced ingredients in all of our dishes," she said. The meats and fish are also locally sourced and are butchered and cleaved in house and the wine is sourced from smaller, lesser known producers, Vocella's was open less than two years when the Covid-19 pandemic struck but it was only closed for two days before it reopened to serve take-away meals. Lisa is thankful to their loyal customers who supported them through those times. "It's kind of been going from strength to strength, like even after Covid and stuff like that, we've been kind of getting busier and this business has been improving in general," she added. Lisa has not forgotten where it all started and she still helps her parents in Luigi's whenever she can. "I still kind of give a hand every now and again in there so it's always still a part of life," she added. Lisa stated they will continue to work hard and offer the best service they can and she is optimistic about the future. "I suppose we will just keep at it, keep the name up, keep consistently working," she said. "God knows what the future holds. I might open a number two somewhere, I'm not sure." READ NEXT: Artistic team revealed for fourth and final Longford Lights Festival READ NEXT: Stepping back in time: Inside Longford's Connolly Barracks ahead of it's 7m facelift Thousands of Irish farmers have participated in a rolling protest in the heart of the country as anger grows over the progression of the EU-Mercosur deal. On Friday, the EU ambassador approved a trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay but it still needs to be backed by the European Parliament. The Irish Government voted against the deal in its current form, with senior Cabinet figures insisting that negotiations are not finalised. The trade deal with the EU involves four Mercosur countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Irish beef farmers are concerned that the deal could threaten their exports to Europe due to the introduction of lower-cost Brazilian beef. The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) welcomed the decision of the Government to vote no against the deal, insisting the proposed safeguards in the document to do not give assurances that Brazilian beef will meet EU standards. On Saturday, the Independent Ireland political party organised a large-scale protest in Athlone, Co Westmeath, which saw scores of tractors participate in a rolling demonstration along the M6 motorway before an indoor rally at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). Thousands of people gathered to either participate in the protest by foot or shout encouragement along the route. Gardai had warned of significant traffic delays in the area due to the demonstration. Some participants held signs critical of senior Government figures such as Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris, as will as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Speaking ahead of the protest in Athlone on Saturday morning, Independent Ireland agriculture spokesman Michael Fitzmaurice said the attempt to stop the Mercosur deal is far from over. The large demonstration was followed by a rally inside a sporting arena at TUS where thousands of farmers listened to politicians and representatives of farming organisations deliver rousing speeches against the trade deal. The event was led by Party MEP Ciaran Mullooly, who received a standing ovation. Earlier, he said he would call on all Irish MEPs to vote no against the deal, adding: There is opposition to this rotten trade deal right across the continent. Speaking to the Press Association during the protest, IFA president Francie Gormman said the strong turnout was a continuation of a very strong no campaign to Mercosur. Our message to MEPs is to follow suit with the Irish Government when they honoured the commitment in the Programme for Government to vote against this deal. Our MEPs now have to do the same and also work with MEPs across the spectrum in the European Parliament to build alliances and make sure they can build a majority vote against this deal which will probably be tabled some time in early spring. Sinn Fein agriculture spokesman Martin Kenny said the progression of the Mercosur agreement at the EU council was a bad day for Irish farming. While the Irish Government voted against the deal today, they had to be dragged kicking and screaming to this position by the combined opposition, the farm organisations and some of their own backbench TDs. Also at the protest, Green Party senator Malcolm Noonan told the Press Association that the demonstration was important for many reasons. We need to have a wider conversation about the sustainability of Irish farming and I think today is for the farmers themselves to vent their anger at the manner in which the Irish Government flipped and flapped on the issue. They secured the nitrates derogation were held up very favourably by Europe on that and then waited to see what the vote was going to going to play out in Brussels, and then went against it, purely under pressure from the independents and from Independent Ireland. Excuse the pun, but it is doing policy on the hoof and it is disingenuous to Irish farming. Mr Noonan called on the Government to think about the future in terms of generational renewal of farming, as well as regenerative practices. Earlier in the week, Mr Harris said the European Commission should not take for granted that MEPs will back the deal. While he said it looked likely it would pass, he added: It is not a done deal. He said theres still a window of time to outline the concerns that we have in relation to the agreement. He said the Government had not ruled out supporting the deal if changes and improvements are made around food safety and parity with environmental standards. Mr Harris said Ireland benefits from free trade but that it has to be free trade that doesnt expect our farmers or our consumers to adopt a different set of standards. UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Friday marks 1,000 days since the war in Sudan began, with civilians bearing the brunt of a conflict they did not choose, said UN humanitarians. Nearly 34 million people, or about two-thirds of the population, now need humanitarian assistance, making Sudan the world's largest humanitarian crisis, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. It is also the largest displacement emergency, with 9.3 million people displaced inside the country and more than 4.3 million refugees in neighboring states, the UN agency said. More than 21 million people are acutely food insecure nationwide. Famine has been confirmed in El Fasher in North Darfur and Kadugli in South Kordofan, with at least 20 other areas at risk, it said. Nearly 12 million people, primarily women and girls, are at risk of gender-based violence. Households headed by women are three times more likely to be food insecure, the agency said. Sudan's health system is close to collapse, with fewer than half of health facilities fully functioning. Cholera has been reported in all 18 states, with more than 72,000 suspected cases recorded last year, it said. The UN agency calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, respect for international humanitarian law, safe access for aid, protection of civilians and aid workers, and renewed funding, especially for local and women-led partners. The war in Sudan began on April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out between the government's army and paramilitary forces in the capital, Khartoum. The conflict later spread to other parts of the country, with the Darfur and Kordofan regions among the hardest hit. Boston police have arrested a man in connection with a shooting in which the suspect crashed his getaway car, prompting him to flee on foot. Tyrone Williams, 45, was arrested on Friday morning in Dorchester, according to police. On Monday, police received a report of a person shot on Brook Avenue in Dorchester. At the scene, they found a 40-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening. Police determined the shooter had left the scene in a vehicle before officers arrived, and that he was involved in a crash at the intersection of Folsom Street and Harlow Street, just two-tenths of a mile away. The suspect then fled on foot, according to police. The ensuing investigation led police to arrest Williams, a Manchester, New Hampshire resident. He is expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court on multiple charges, including of assault and battery with firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of property damage. The Burren, a longtime Irish pub and live music venue in Somervilles Davis Square, has secured an agreement to return after a proposed demolition of its current location, according to WBUR. A proposed redevelopment on Elm Street in Davis Square would knock down several buildings, including the one housing The Burren, in order to build a mixed-use apartment tower, according to WBUR. The Burren reached an agreement with the developer, Copper Mill, to return to the new building once construction is finished. The new development will be a 26-story building with 502 apartment units. In December, The Burrens owner, Tommy McCarthy, submitted a letter in support of the project as part of Copper Mills proposal, according to WBUR. We believe that the new development will revitalize the Davis Square neighborhood and we are pleased that The Burren has secured a long-term home for its future, McCarthy wrote, according to WBUR. McCarthy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to WBUR, some patrons and regular performers at The Burren oppose the plan, fearing that the shutdown will displace people who made the venue such an iconic local landmark. The Burren is more than just a building the vitality of this cultural and community institution flows from the musicians and staff who work there. If The Burren is closed during construction, all of those individuals will be displaced, Rachel Rosenberg, who performs with her band monthly at The Burren, told WBUR. A reopened Burren will be a Burren stripped of its heart and soul: the people whove worked there for years who make it a welcoming home for anyone who enters. The current proposal, which still needs approval from the Somerville zone board of appeals, would require The Burren to close for 18 to 24 months, according to WBUR. SPRINGFIELD One day after leading a successful House debate, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal said Friday hes confident Affordable Care Act tax credits will survive. The ACA is not going away. Its going to be there, Neal, D-Springfield, told reporters Friday afternoon at the Federal Courthouse on State Street. He said he is pleased with the momentum thats developed sound the issue. At least 15 million people were in danger of losing their health care benefits. Thursday, 17 Republicans crossed the aisle and voted with Neal and Democrats on an extension of the COVID-era tax credits for health care, credits that expired at the end of the year. Now the measure goes to the Senate, where there are several competing plans brewing. I thought what we did (Thursday) was a compromise, so there will be some competing measures here, Neal said. I would urge the Senate to simply vote up and down on our plan, extend the credits for three years, and then we can have a full force discussion about how to improve the ACA. Neal said the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, was polling in the 30% approval range when it passed and is now in the 60s. But for any fix to become law, it must first cross the desk of President Donald Trump. Well, the President has been uncharacteristically quiet on this, and I think its because he understands where opinion is on it across the country. And I think that hes witnessed a substantial revolt in his own party in the last week on war powers as it relates to Venezuela. There are those who have questioned for sure aggressively his argument and somehow Greenland is ripe for military intervention, Neal said. Seventeen GOP votes was more than the minimum Democrats needed. I think that there are some indications that theres a considerable fracture taking place between the president and the Republican Party in Congress, Neal said. Neal had planned to talk tariffs. Hes signed on to legal briefs supporting businesses suing Trumps use of emergency powers to tax imported goods. It was thought the U.S. Supreme Court would rule Friday on the matter. Neal also called for restraint on the part of immigration officers while the state of Minnesota investigates the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good. He said Trump and his cabinet are rushing to judgment before an investigation. He said Minnesota officials need to be part of the investigation. Immigration enforcement is escalating, he said. At first, it was to be directed at immigrants whod committed crimes. We now find that people are being apprehended in courthouses when they are simply there to check on their status, Neal said. Theyre here legally. Congress members of both parties will reflect public will on the matter. Heated rhetoric is not helpful, he said. Fetty Wap, who rose to fame with his 2014 single Trap Queen, was released early from prison after serving more than three years behind bars for a conviction in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The rappers publicist confirmed to CNN Friday that he is now under home confinement after he was transferred on January 7, 2026, from the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Sandstone to community confinement overseen by the BOPs Philadelphia Residential Reentry Management Office, a spokesperson told the outlet in a statement. His current period of supervision is expected to continue until Nov. 8, with terms that include strict oversight, regular reporting and other conditions designed to ensure compliance with federal rules, according to authorities. I want to thank my family, friends, and fans for the love, prayers, and continued support it truly means everything to me, Fetty wrote in a statement sent to Billboard. Right now, my focus is on giving back through my community initiatives and foundation, supporting at-risk young children by expanding access to education, early tech skills, and vision care for young kids and students so they can show up as their best selves. Im committed to moving forward with purpose and making a meaningful impact where it matters most. The Department of Justice said Fetty Wap, whose real name is Willie Junior Maxwell II, was a member of a drug trafficking organization that distributed more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey. Court filings show that from June 2019 through June 2020, members of the organization obtained narcotics from the West Coast and transported them across the country using drivers and hidden compartments in vehicles, as well as the U.S. Postal Service. Once the drugs arrived in Suffolk County, New York, they were stored and then distributed to dealers who sold them locally and in New Jersey. Authorities said Fetty Wap acted as a kilogram-level redistributor for the group while his co-defendant Anthony Cyntje, a New Jersey corrections officer, transported kilograms of cocaine from Long Island to New Jersey. Multiple defendants helped transport and process the narcotics while some members also reportedly used firearms to protect the organization and its distribution chain. In October 2021, Fetty Wap was arrested in Queens ahead of his performance at Rolling Loud NYC. The DOJ said search warrants executed during the investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, numerous fentanyl pills, two 9mm handguns, a rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, a .40 caliber pistol and ammunition. The 679 rapper pleaded not guilty to in August 2022 and was released from custody on a $500,000 bond the following month as he awaited trial. However, Fetty Waps bond was later revoked after prosecutors accused him of violating the conditions in the release order, including supposedly possessing a firearm, CNN reported. In May 2023, Fetty Wap was sentenced to six years in federal prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Cyntje received the same sentence, while four additional co-defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing, according to the DOJ. A 39-year-old man who ran sober homes across Massachusetts and insulation companies that received state assistance was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a variety of fraud schemes, federal prosecutors announced. In addition to the prison time, Daniel Cleggett, of Kingston, was ordered to pay restitution totaling more than $1.8 million and forfeit roughly $1.54 million, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foleys office said in a statement. In December 2024, Cleggett pleaded guilty to 25 counts of wire fraud, six counts of money laundering, three counts of making false statements to a mortgage lending business, two counts of wire fraud conspiracy and a single count of mortgage fraud conspiracy. Cleggett was arrested and charged in March 2023 along with Nicholas Espinosa, a co-conspirator who pleaded guilty to criminal charges in October 2024. Cleggett founded a sober home business called A Vision From God LLC in November 2016, which operated sober homes in Boston, Wakefield, Quincy and Weymouth. Espinosa was responsible for managing the businesss day-to-day affairs. At some point, Cleggett, Espinosa and a sober home client entered into a conspiracy to defraud a New York-based family trust that was paying for the clients room and board at a Quincy sober home, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Cleggett and Espinosa overcharged the trust up to $12,500 by submitting false and fraudulent invoices. They would then issue refund checks to the client. Between October 2019 and December 2021, Cleggett purchased three residential properties in Weymouth and Boston to use as sober homes through straw purchasers. Cleggett, Espinosa and others represented that the properties would be used as primary residences when in reality they were intended to be sober homes. In addition to the sober home business, Cleggett ran several insulation contracting companies that participated in the Mass Save program. Two of the companies, Green Save and ECO, received millions of dollars for residential insulation work from a lead vendor company under the program. Between 2018 and mid-2021, the companies fraudulently billed the vendor for required permits that werent obtained. The companies were removed from the vendor companys program in June 2021, and Cleggett was banned from Mass Save. In response, Cleggett, Espinosa and other co-conspirators created Insulation Situation and Green Giants to enter as new lead vendors with the same company under straw owners. As a result, Cleggett obtained roughly $945,000 in payments from the company to Insulation Situation and Green Giants, despite being banned from Mass Save. Cleggett also submitted three Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications to the Small Business Administration in April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the applications, he falsely denied involvement in illegal activity despite the fraud schemes. He used tens of thousands of dollars from the funds to pay for personal expenses, such as EZ-Pass bills, gym membership fees, pet expenses, airline tickets, car rentals, vacation trips to Yellowstone, Montana and Aruba, and thousands of dollars in hotel resort stays. Cleggett also used nearly $38,000 for wedding expenses. The man known to fans as Moz has secured a label and set a release date for his long-delayed new album. Morrissey, the legendary former frontman of The Smiths, will release his new LP, Make-Up Is A Lie, on March 6 via Sire/Warner Bros., according to Rolling Stone. The title track is available now. The album was finished three years ago, according to Rolling Stone, but Morrissey said he was unable to find a label to distribute it. In the meantime, he toured Europe and America, but the mercurial performer canceled several shows at the last minute. Morrissey was supposed to begin an American tour on Jan. 3 in Rancho Mirage, Calif., but it was postponed due to an adverse reaction to a prescription medication. He also canceled a Jan. 6 concert in San Diego. The new album was recorded in France and will feature 11 new tracks, plus a cover of the 1973 Roxy Music song Amazona. A Princeton man who worked with children in at least two Massachusetts communities died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Thursday night as law enforcement tried to serve a search warrant for child sexual abuse material at his home in Princeton, officials announced Friday night. John Buffington, 67, of Princeton, worked with the town of Princetons Parks and Recreation Department, leading programs on woodworking, primitive and kite skills, according to officials from Massachusetts State Police, the Princeton Police Department and district attorneys from Worcester and Middlesex counties. He previously worked in an afterschool program in Lincoln, called the Lincoln Extended Day Program (LEAP) for kindergarten through eighth-grade students for about two decades until 2014. Its extremely concerning, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said of a person trusted to work with children being involved in such a crime. He and other officials emphasized their goal of being transparent so anyone who may have been affected can get help fast. Officials dont think any children he worked with were involved in the child sex abuse material, but they urge anyone who is worried their children many of whom would now be adults may have been affected by Buffington to contact the Middlesex County Child Advocacy Center at 781-897-8400. One of the children identified in the material is believed to have been known to Buffington, officials said, although officials would not specify the nature of that relationship. Buffington killed himself after police arrived at his home to serve the warrant on Jan. 8 between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. in Princeton, at 7 Oak Circle, officials said. As officers attempted to serve their warrant for child sex abuse material and announced themselves at the door, he retreated back into the home, fled into an attached garage and fatally shot himself, said state police Colonel Geoffrey Noble. Officers did not see him with the weapon at the door and he did not speak with officers at any point prior to his death. An ensuing investigation at the home revealed several pictures of child sex abuse material, Princeton Police Chief Paul Patriarca said. A tip about Buffington had come into law enforcement through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Noble said. Buffington did not have a criminal record and did have a license to carry a firearm. An incident involving Buffington was reported, however, to the Department of Children and Families in 2014, the officials said, but it was not substantiated. Buffington had passed Criminal Offender Record Information, or CORI, checks in the past, Patriarca said. The death investigation is being conducted by Massachusetts State Police, Princeton police and investigators with both the Worcester County and Middlesex County District Attorneys Offices. Pop megastar Billie Eilish spoke out against the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, calling the federal agency a terrorist group. On Friday night, Eilish took to Instagram, where she has more than 124 million followers, and posted a series of stories criticizing ICE for its use of deadly force in the Minneapolis incident that left Good dead. ICE IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED AND SUPPORTED TERRORIST GROUP UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY THAT HAS DONE NOTHING TO MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER, Eilish wrote in one story post. THEY ARE THE DOMESTIC TERRORISTS TEARING APART FAMILIES, TERRORIZING CITIZENS, AND NOW MURDERING INNOCENT PEOPLE. In a subsequent story, Eilish shared a post that listed the names of people who have died in ICE custody. The story ended with the words, This needs to end today. Abolish ICE. On Wednesday, an ICE agent shot and killed Good while she was in her vehicle. Good was unarmed at the time. The Department of Homeland Security has condemned Good as a domestic terrorist, while video of the incident taken by a bystander appears to show the ICE agent shooting and killing Good as she tried to drive away. Eilish, 24, is a nine-time Grammy Award winner and two-time Academy Award winner. Her song Bad Guy reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2019. She has seven top-10 hits. SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's defense minister said Saturday that Pyongyang's claim of a "drone infiltration" does not involve any drone model possessed by the South Korean military. Its been nearly four years since Karen Read found her boyfriend, Boston Police officer John OKeefe, in the snow on the front lawn of a fellow officers Canton home. But the Read phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down, with several adaptations of her story in the works, including a forthcoming series starring Mass. native Elizabeth Banks. Lifetime is throwing its hat in the ring on Saturday, when Accused: The Karen Read Story premieres. Its a largely faithful telling of the saga surrounding Read, which began when OKeefe died on Jan. 29, 2022 and led to two widely watched criminal trials (Read was acquitted in June of all charges having to do with OKeefes death). Katie Cassidy stars as Read in the film, with Luke Humphrey playing OKeefe. MassLive was provided an early copy of the film. What Accused: The Karen Read Story gets right Reads panicked phone calls The film depicts a seemingly hungover Read making a series of panicked phone calls on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022 after she wakes up to find OKeefe hasnt returned to his home in Canton. Read calls two of OKeefes friends: Jennifer McCabe and Kerry Roberts, and the three of them venture out to look for him. McCabe is later shown taking the stand during a dramatized version of Reads trial. The Red Solo Cups Police officers famously or infamously used red Solo cups at the scene of OKeefes death to collect evidence, storing blood-soaked snow in the cups. The film depicts red slush inside one of the cups. Those Proctor texts Michael Proctor, the former Massachusetts State Police trooper who led the criminal investigation into Read, is depicted sending the unprofessional text messages about Read that ultimately led to his firing. In a group chat with friends from high school, Proctor called Read a whack-job (expletive), adding she was a babe with a weird Fall River accent. He is later seen being questioned about his texts on the stand during Reads trial. Reads voicemails After dropping OKeefe off at 34 Fairview Road in Canton, where he would later be found, Read left him several angry voicemails. Those voicemails, including one where Read says, John I (expletive) hate you, were a central part of the evidence against Read at her two criminal trials. In the film, an actor playing prosecutor Adam Lally (who is not named) asks for the voicemails to be played aloud. The cursing is removed. Verdict reached then withdrawn Jurors during Reads retrial did actually alert court officers that they had come to a verdict, then swiftly changed their minds and reported they no longer had a verdict. It was a dramatic enough moment that the script didnt even have to fake it. What Accused: The Karen Read Story gets wrong The police response At the scene of OKeefes death, viewers clearly see a Boston Police officer collecting blood in Solo cups. Though OKeefe was a Boston officer, Canton Police led the initial response and used the Solo cups. Turtleboy Aidan Kearney, the blogger who goes by Turtleboy online, is portrayed in the film as a mostly mild-mannered advocate for peaceful protests in support of Read. While Kearney was arguably Reads most fervent supporter, his methods were more confrontational than portrayed. Kearney held what he dubbed rolling rallies and regularly accused McCabe and others of being murderers responsible for the death of OKeefe. He has since been charged with numerous counts of witness intimidation for his conduct, which his lawyers say is protected by the First Amendment. An omission The film leaves out Elizabeth Little, one of the lawyers who worked on Reads defense. Little is a partner at Alan Jacksons Los Angeles, California, law firm. Jackson headed up Reads criminal defense. Little was on the defense team for both of Reads trials. While she didnt question many witnesses, she was responsible for writing many of the pre-trial motions. The film spends most of its time portraying the first trial, meaning Robert Alessi, who joined the team ahead of Reads retrial, is also left out. The state commission charged with oversight of Massachusetts police decertified five former officers from around the state, including a former deputy police chief convicted last year of raping a teenage girl while serving as a school resource officer. Former Hopkinton Deputy Police Chief John Jay Porter was convicted in June of conducting a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student off-campus between 2004 and 2005. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. Porters decertification last month by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission means he, along with the other four decertified officers, will be permanently prohibited from serving as police officers in the state. The decertifications bring the total to 75 since the POST Commission was created in 2020. The woman in Porters case did not come forward to report the assaults until 2022, MassLive previously reported. The Middlesex County District Attorneys Office said previously the student often sought support from Porter when she was in the 9th and 10th grades, but their relationship changed when she was 15, going from a trusted adult and student to a flirtatious, then sexual one. The case also implicated former Hopkinton Police Sgt. Timothy Brennan, who was fired from the department for not reporting Porter to law enforcement after the victim confided in him about the assaults. She first informed Brennan of her inappropriate relationship with the former deputy chief in 2017 and told him not to report Porter, saying she would deny the information if he did so. She ultimately came forward to the district attorneys office at his encouragement. According to the decertification order released Dec. 19, Porter did not respond to mailings from the commission or defend himself against its allegations. The commission redacted information from its decertification order detailing the misconduct allegations against Porter. In past cases, the board has redacted information covering criminal charges against officers or their personal information. State Police Trooper Calvin Butner Retired Massachusetts State Police Trooper Calvin Butner of Halifax was also decertified in December after he pleaded guilty last year for his role in a bribery scheme to provide Commercial Drivers License credentials to unqualified applicants. Between May 2019 and January 2023, authorities say, Butner and three others within the State Police Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Unit, which is responsible for administering CDL skills tests, agreed to give passing scores to at least 17 applicants, regardless of whether they passed the test. In exchange for the passing grades, the troopers involved in the scheme received thousands of dollars in gifts and services, MassLive previously reported. Authorities say Butner gave passing scores to three people who failed the test and five who did not take the test at all. He was sentenced in August to three months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release, with the first three months in home confinement. Butner did not respond to the POST Commissions communications or defend himself. Hull Police Sgt. Scott Saunders Scott Saunders, a former Hull Police Department sergeant, was also decertified in December, and the related decertification order was redacted. Saunders was charged in 2023 with assaulting his 72-year-old neighbor, with whom he had a reported history of disputes. The case in Plymouth District Court was continued without a finding in August, allowing it to be dismissed if Saunders meets the conditions of probation. The neighbor told the media at the time that Saunders hit his car with a paddleboard as he drove past him that day. When the neighbor got out of the car to confront the sergeant, he said Saunders pushed him down and punched him. The Hull Police Department immediately placed Saunders on leave after the incident. Saunders did not respond to the POST Commissions communications or defend himself. MassLive was unable to contact Saunders for comment. Greenfield Police Officer Christopher Hewitt The reasons behind the decertification of former Greenfield Police officer Christopher Hewitt are unclear. Much of the commissions December decision was redacted. The POST website cites a section of Massachusetts General Laws that says, The commission shall immediately suspend the certification of any officer who is arrested, charged or indicted for a felony. Hewitt also did not respond to the commissions allegations against him. MassLive was unable to contact Hewitt for comment. Peabody Police Officer Gerald Fitzgerald The final officer decertified last month, Gerald Fitzgerald, formerly of Peabody Police Department, signed an agreement with the commission to have his certification permanently revoked and waive his right to contest the facts of his decertification in the future. Fitzgerald was accused of falsifying an incident report from a November 2023 armed robbery by writing that a female suspect had assaulted two people at the restaurant where the robbery took place. After being instructed by a supervisor to review the surveillance footage from the incident to verify his account, Fitzgerald said he had done so and added more information to the report. Another detective who later viewed the footage determined the allegations that led to the assault charges against the female were false. Fitzgerald admitted he had not watched the entire footage as instructed, and the assault charges against the suspect were dropped. According to the decertification agreement, Fitzgerald had previously faced disciplinary action on four occasions since 2015 for missing court dates, not completing required training and showing up to firearms training while intoxicated. Stoughton Police Deputy Chief Robert Devine The POST Commission voted last month to decertify Robert Devine, a former Stoughton deputy police chief accused of misconduct involving Sandra Birchmore, MassLive previously reported. Birchmore, who was 23 and pregnant, was found dead in her Canton apartment on Feb. 4, 2021. Her death was initially ruled a suicide, but on further investigation, it was ruled a homicide. Former Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell has since been charged federally with killing Birchmore to hide a sexual relationship they began after she joined a police youth program as a teenager. The commission accused Devine, who oversaw the program, of coordinating a sexual encounter with Birchmore while he was on duty in December 2020. He has not been charged criminally in connection with the case and denied the POST Commissions claims against him. State lawmakers established the oversight commission in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The nine-member board, appointed by the governor and attorney general, has broad power to set standards that all law enforcement agencies and officers in Massachusetts must abide by and to investigate and decertify police officers accused of misconduct. Many of the officers it has decertified have been convicted of criminal charges, automatically leading to the loss of their certifications. However, the commission can also decertify officers it finds liable for egregious but noncriminal misconduct. The commission reports the names of decertified officers to a national registry, a move intended to alert departments in other states to their troubled histories. If you are a victim of sexual assault, you are not alone. Rape Crisis Centers in Massachusetts offer free, confidential services for adolescent and adult survivors as well as their loved ones. Crisis centers operate a 24/7 toll-free hotline for phone counseling, questions and referrals. For a full list of regional crisis centers, click here . If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. UGG is giving its cult-favorite Tasman II a seasonal refresh, and the result is one of the brands most eye-catching colorways yet. The new Dense Smoke version keeps the slippers signature cozy construction but adds a pink braided trim around the collar, a soft Valentines Dayinspired detail that feels playful without being over the top. UGG Tasman II Slipper in Dense Smoke $125 NEW! Buy Now at UGG The base color, Dense Smoke, is a smooth dark brown suede that leans neutral and wearable. What makes this release stand out is the contrast: UGGs signature braid is reimagined in a pink tone, wrapping around the opening and instantly giving the classic Tasman silhouette a fresh, modern look. Its the kind of detail that feels intentional and trend-forward, not seasonal novelty. At its core, this is still the Tasman II fans know and love. The slipper features a luxurious sheepskin lining along the insole and vamp, delivering immediate warmth and plush comfort the moment you slip them on. UGGs lining is designed to regulate temperature, keeping feet cozy without overheating, one of the reasons the Tasman remains a year-round staple. The sugarcane EVA outsole provides lightweight cushioning and traction, making these suitable for both indoor wear and quick outdoor steps. Whether youre heading out to grab coffee or just stepping onto the porch, the Tasman II holds up far better than a typical house slipper. For fans of the Tasman line, this release offers a fresh reason to revisit a favorite. And for anyone new to the style, its a polished entry point into one of UGGs most versatile silhouettes. Check them out now at UGG. Dont miss these UGGs on sale right now More at UGG. Sign up for MassLives Shopping Newsletter: A recap of the biggest online deals and sales from the week, curated by MassLives expert e-commerce writer, Jessica Day. AGAWAM Developers will take their plans to build a battery storage facility at the old Lucia Lumber property at 769 Silver St. to the public Monday. The company, Boston-based Longroad Energy, will meet with the public from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Agawam Senior Center Dining Room, 954 Main St. The meetings are organized by the developer, not the town. The 250-megawatt energy storage facility on the 17-acre property would have enough power for 285,000 average homes. Agawams City Council enacted an ordinance last year meant to address similar battery plants, which are being proposed not just in Agawam but also in cities and towns across the Pioneer Valley and beyond. Neighbors worry about the risk of fire and water contamination. However, the state considers the plants as green energy infrastructure, and towns and cities cannot ban them outright and cannot place unreasonable restrictions on them, said Mayor Christopher Johnson. Instead, Agawams ordinance requires what Johnson called the most stringent safety requirements in the industry from the National Fire Protection Association and Underwriters Laboratories. Each battery must be housed in its own container with an independent fire-suppression system. Developers also must post a decommissioning bond, money that could be used to remove battery storage facilities if they are no longer used. Johnsons been talking with Longroad Energy for about a year, he said. They are at the beginning stages of permitting, he said. Longroad said construction is expected to start in 2027, with project operations slated to begin in 2029. The site is ideal because of its industrial zoning and proximity to power lines, the company said. But its not the only proposal. The industry has evolved dramatically, he said. We were getting contacted by developers. The Silver Street project is different from a separate project proposed by New Leaf Energy nearby at 404 Silver St. And Agawam isnt alone. Paige Cerulli has been trying to raise public awareness about a proposed battery storage facility near her home in rural Plainfield. She said Blandford received two new proposals recently, including one that hosted an informational meeting Wednesday. Worthingtons Planning Board discussed a proposal Thursday night. Otis has proposals, as well. Its absolutely a wave hitting the Hilltowns, just about simultaneously, she said. We are all worried. Developers pulled out of a Westfield project last year in the face of community opposition. A project is also under review in Southampton. And in West Springfield, Chris Sherman, senior vice president of regulatory and development for Cogentrix Energy Power Management, said a project proposed for the former generation station on the Connecticut River on Memorial Avenue is still active. Cogentrix will participate in the next solicitation from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources for energy storage site, which is expected out this summer, Sherman wrote in an email Friday. The man who was shot and killed by police during a chaotic incident at a Hinsdale home Wednesday morning has been identified as 27-year-old New York resident Biagio Kauvil, Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy Shugrue announced during a press conference Friday afternoon. Kauvil was in the midst of a mental health crisis during the incident and shot two police officers as they tried to take him into custody, though it is unclear if he did so intentionally. Shugrue said. A third officer shot at Kauvil during the struggle, but accidentally hit one of the officers who had already been shot with his first round before shooting the Kauvil in the head with the second. [Kauvil] seemed to be a nice kid. Everybody seemed to like him, Shugrue said. He wasnt on anybodys radar. He wasnt a risk to anybody.... He seemed to be a decent individual, but suffered from serious mental illness. The two officers who were shot during the incident were Hinsdale Police Chief Shawn Boyne and a Hinsdale police sergeant not yet named by the district attorneys office. The district attorneys office will not be releasing the names of all the officers involved in the incident until its investigation has concluded, Shugrue said. Boyne was released from the hospital on Wednesday. The sergeant was transferred to Albany Medical Center in New York and remains in their care as of Thursday afternoon, the district attorneys office said. His injuries are serious but not life-threatening. All officers involved in the incident have been placed on leave, the district attorneys office said. It is unclear whether any will face charges or discipline from their department. This was a terrible tragedy. Its just everybody was put in a very bad situation and it was volatile and it happened quickly, Shugrue said Friday. What happened in the days before the incident During the press conference, Shugrue shared further details about the events prior to and during the incident at 53 Off South Street based on police radio transmissions and body camera footage. Leading up to the Wednesday morning incident, Kauvil had been expressing paranoid and delusional thoughts to his family and on social media, Shugrue said. He had a mental breakdown just a few days before the incident. On Tuesday, Kauvil called the FBIs national crime tip center and told them he believed law enforcement agencies were listening to his phone calls and alleged that he and his family were being attacked by organized crime groups, the district attorneys office said. He also told the tip center he believed someone was trying to lure him into a machine in his basement that would damage the body and drain life and induce suicidal thoughts. He claimed he wasnt suicidal, but believed that police and others were trying to harm him and that an urgent response was necessary. During the call, Kauvil implied that he was living in Dalton. As such, the FBIs tip center contacted Dalton police just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday and informed them of what hed communicated, the district attorneys office said. Kauvil was not wanted by the FBI, but the tip center asked Dalton police to visit him for a well-being check as soon as possible. Officers were unable to locate Kauvil on Tuesday, the district attorneys office said. The following day, a local law enforcement alert was sent requesting that any police that came across him conduct a well-being check. What happened before police arrived Between 9:40 and 10 a.m. Wednesday, Kauvil called and abandoned five calls to 911, Shugrue said. Just before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Chief Boyne contacted Dalton police to inform them that Kauvil might be staying with his mother at 53 Off South St. in Hinsdale, and that he planned to conduct the well-being check. Boyne requested that Dalton police send officers to accompany him, as his department was short-staffed, Shugrue said. A team of officers made up of Boyne, a Hinsdale sergeant, a Hinsdale police officer and two Dalton officers arrived at the home shortly before 10:30 a.m. No mental health professionals responded to the incident. Shortly before police arrived, Kauvil locked himself in a back bedroom of the home and made a 911 call that lasted 16 minutes, the district attorneys office said. Over the course of the call, he volleyed between expressing paranoia and agitation and insisting he was fine and did not want to harm himself or others. A relative of Kauvils who is underage could be heard in the background of the call, the district attorneys office said. But when police arrived, all of Kauvils family members who were at the home left the premises. How the incident unfolded The Hinsdale police sergeant who responded to the scene had previously established a positive rapport with Kauvil, and Kauvil agreed to speak to the sergeant through the bedroom door, the district attorneys office said. At 10:50 a.m., a Dalton police officer requested an ambulance to take Kauvil to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. Though it is not yet clear why, police soon determined that they needed to breach the bedroom door and take Kauvil into custody, Shugrue said. When officers entered the bedroom, the sergeant immediately wrapped his arms around Kauvils waist and restrained him against the wall. Kauvil was holding a small gun at the time, but the officers did not immediately see it, Shugrue said. Police were previously informed that he had a license to carry, but that the gun was not currently in his possession. The officers tried to restrain Kauvil on a bed, but as he struggled against them, his gun went off, Shugrue said. It is unclear whether Kauvils gun was fired intentionally. The bullet went through the sergeants hand and hit Boyne, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, in the chest. At 10:58 a.m., an officer radioed that Kauvil had been tased, Shugrue said. Kauvil was tased twice, but was only subdued temporarily, the district attorneys office said. Once the effects of the taser wore off, he became agitated again and asked the officers to end his life. Approximately 15 seconds after the taser was deployed, an officer radioed that shots had been fired, Shugrue said. The shots were fired by a Hinsdale police officer who initially missed and hit the sergeant in the elbow. Six seconds later, the officer fired again, hitting Kauvil in the head. It is unclear whether Kauvil was still holding or attempting to use his gun when he was shot by the officer, Shugrue said. Police did not recover the gun from his person until after hed been shot. The entire incident happened over the course of approximately 45 seconds, Shugrue said. First responders provided Kauvil, the sergeant and Boyne with medical aid at the scene, the district attorneys office said. They were then taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, but Kauvil died of his injuries at the hospital late Wednesday afternoon. Kauvil did not have any criminal convictions, but Shugrue was unsure whether he was otherwise known to police. The district attorneys office is still investigating the incident. No further information has been released. An Amtrak train traveling north from New Haven, Connecticut, to Greenfield Wednesday night struck a person as it passed through Longmeadow. The collision left the person with only minor injuries and the 21 passengers riding the train with a nearly 90-minute delay. Capt. Carl Mazzaferro of the Longmeadow Police said Friday the person was transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield with minor injuries and the incident is currently under investigation. The train struck the person shortly before 9 p.m., according to Jason Abrams, spokesperson for Amtrak. Abrams added that the person was trespassing on the tracks at the time of the collision, which is the leading cause of death related to railways in the nation. Abrams said the incident occurred at milepost 57.9, which is not at a crossing. The collision appeared to be close to where Emerson Road crosses the tracks at around milepost 58.1. Along that stretch of tracks, trains can reach speeds up to 80 mph. Amtrak announced on X Wednesday night that its Train 494 was held after municipal officials placed a hold on the tracks. Shortly before 10:30 p.m., Amtrak posted the train had resumed its journey, delayed an hour and 25 minutes. We thank you for your patience during this delay and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, the rail company wrote. Several years ago, officials worked to improve safety along the stretch of track running through Longmeadow. After a train fatally struck a Longmeadow employee operating a snowplow in 2017, officials pushed to install safety equipment at the Birnie Road crossing in 2019, which sits less than a mile south of Wednesdays collision. Over the decades, five people died at that crossing. Around that same time, hiking app AllTrails removed a loop trail in Longmeadow from its platform after Amtrak Police said it was causing hikers to trespass onto the double track running through the area, according to the departments 2020 annual report. SPRINGFIELD For several hours Friday, members of Springfield polices crisis negotiation team tried to speak with a man in a house along Wilbraham Road, but eventually the police entered and took the man into custody. Around 5 p.m., a SWAT team forced entry into the house, which is in the 1600 block of Wilbraham Road. From the street, the officers lights could be seen through the windows as they moved through the two-story house and into the attic. After a few minutes, they emerged with an older man who was handcuffed. At roughly 5 p.m. police forced entry into 1671 Wilbraham Rd. Jan. 9, 2026. (Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook By about 5:20 p.m., most of the police had left the scene. Ryan Walsh, police spokesperson, said Friday afternoon there was no threat to public safety. The incident began shortly before noon after the mans family called to say they were concerned about his well-being and worried that he might be a danger to himself, according to Walsh. Its unknown if hes armed, but there are firearms in the home, Walsh said earlier in the day. The Springfield Police Department were in a standoff on Wilbraham Road on Friday afternoon. Jan. 9, 2026. (Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook Police set up a perimeter around the house, according to Walsh. Police blocked off Wilbraham Road and the other roads surrounding the house. Officers crouched behind bushes surrounding the property. HILLTOWNS Notably absent in the Healey-Driscoll Administrations Dec. 19 announcement of nearly $33.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) awards to support housing, infrastructure, social services and economic development projects in 52 communities across Massachusetts was the funding for Southern Hilltowns social service agencies. From our smallest hill towns to our Gateway Cities and regional hubs, we are listening to local leaders and making sure they have the resources they need to deliver for their residents, said Gov. Maura Healey in making the announcement. According to Joe Hagopian, senior planner for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, which manages the So. Hilltown CDBG grant, the application included the following breakdown, none of which was funded. Southern Hilltowns Domestic Violence Task Force, $45,777; Huntington Food Pantry, $51,480; Hilltown Community Health Centers (for the Hilltown Social Services Project), $73,829; and the Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center (SHAEC) through UMass, $73,578. Hagopian said the last time funding was not awarded, which he believes was in 2012, agencies were extremely impacted. Thankfully, previous grant rounds have carried over funding through the present, so all of the agencies are still receiving funding for the time being, he said. I would also like to emphasize the important work that all of these provider agencies have done and continue to do. Their staff are extremely compassionate, knowledgeable and truly look out for their neighbors, Hagopian added. While the social services were not funded, infrastructure grant awards were announced for Chester and Huntington. Chester will receive $850,000 for Prospect Street Phase 4, and Huntington will receive $850,000 for Blandford Hill Road infrastructure improvements, Stanton Avenue improvement project phase II and ADA self-evaluation and transition plan. Kate Norton, a communications consultant with the PVPC, said a public hearing was planned on Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Chester Board of Selectmen meeting. She said she believed the primary focus of the meeting would be the infrastructure program that was funded, but to her understanding, they would also be discussing the current status of the ongoing FY24 grant, which has remaining funding for all of the social services. Typically, CDBG grants run a year behind. Reaching out to the agencies, Laura Gavioli, director of the Huntington Food Pantry, said she had no comment on the loss of funding to the program because she had not been aware of the cut. She said she planned to go to the CDBG hearing on Jan. 12 to find out what was going on. Gavioii said the food pantry is still operating with the remaining funds from the 2024 CDBG grant. The Huntington Food Pantry saw historic demand for its services throughout 2025. Monica Moran of the So. Hilltowns Domestic Violence Task Force agreed that it was bad news about the funding, and so disappointing. However, we will figure out a way to keep going in hopes that the funding comes through next year perhaps meeting less and doing fewer projects. A lot of what happens is by members and volunteers. Well scale back. We havent sorted it out yet. But we will not fold. Too important, Moran said. Michele Kenney, program director for the SHAEC through UMASS Amherst, was the first to talk about the upcoming cut to adult education programs in the coming year due to the loss of the block grant. She said that with no grant, they will only be able to offer GED HiSet programs and one-on-one business assistance with the funding that remains. Kenney said the Village Education Center in Chester will remain open. and other classes will be offered as they get volunteers and through Friends of SHAEC. She said back in 2010, they formed the non-profit Friends of SHAEC, a fundraising arm, to allow the adult education center to widen its variety of offerings, and this year they will be looking to increase those fundraising efforts. Kenney said among the cuts they will have to make is computer help at local Councils on Aging, which she said is to her the most critical loss. Currently, UMASS Amherst is putting together a request to PVPC for a separate grant for computer help for seniors. One of the reasons I think its so important to ask for that is the scams and the seniors being taken advantage of, Kenney said. She said one teacher recently spoke to a couple from Chester who asked her why Yahoo was suddenly charging them $30 a month for their email account. She said the teacher looked into it and found a phishing scam that had entangled them and other people they knew. How many other people are getting scammed? I feel its important to ask if we can get funding for computer help for seniors. They are vulnerable, and this is their only option, she said. Kenney said SHAEC will also be applying for a 2026 CDBG grant. Kim Savery, director of Community Programs for the Hilltown Community Health Centers, said the loss in funding will impact community health workers, navigators, the Family Center and HOPE programs, which are all reliant on the CDBG funding. She said they are currently looking for additional funding for their domestic violence outreach program, Hilltown Safety at Home, as the grant from the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance has also faced cuts. Savery said the Southern Hilltowns CDBG funding has played an important role in supporting social services that help residents meet basic needs, navigate systems and stay healthy. Losing this funding creates real challenges, particularly in this rural region where transportation barriers, isolation and limited local resources already exist. We want the community to know that this loss does not reflect a reduced need demand for social services in the hilltowns remains high, Savery said. She said while the loss of the CDBG block grant funding is a setback, the Hilltown Community Health Centers remains fully committed to ensuring that residents continue to have access to essential social services. We are adapting, leveraging partnerships, and pursuing diversified funding strategies to sustain and strengthen these services. Hilltown Community Health Centers has served the hilltowns for more than 75 years, and our mission is rooted in long-term commitment, not short-term funding cycles. Social services remain a core part of our integrated care model, alongside medical, behavioral health, dental and community-based supports. We are prioritizing continuity of services for the most vulnerable residents, including older adults, families with children, people experiencing housing or food insecurity and survivors of violence, Savery said. In terms of immediate strategies to maintain services, Savery said they are looking at a three-pronged approach: resource allocation, integration with clinical care and partnership coordination. I am actively pursuing new grant funding to replace and diversify lost support, including federal and state funding, private foundations and discrete funding streams for each of the programs. Savery also stressed that Hilltown residents should continue to seek help, and services are still available, and they will work with individuals to connect them to resources. No one should assume that help has disappeared; our staff are actively navigating options with each person we serve. We are committed to transparency and will keep the community informed as funding strategies evolve, she said, noting that this has happened before. The hilltowns are resilient, and so is Hilltown Community Health Centers. While funding landscapes change, our commitment to this region does not. We will continue to adapt, advocate, and pursue every opportunity to ensure that social services remain accessible to the people who rely on them, Savery said. Public health updates should be highlighting progress that includes improving communicable disease rates, new research, developments and positivity. In the beginning of 2026, we are seeing the opposite. The flu season is surging, COVID-19 and measles cases are climbing, RSV is rising and the nations vaccine recommendations are being modified without evidence-based research. Someone at work the other day in a busy urgent care said flu, flu, COVID in an analogy to duck, duck, goose. Often gallows humor gets us through. Of course these viruses are not humorous. There is wisdom, teaching and history in nursery rhymes and games. We are definitely seeing more flu than COVID. We are clearly seeing more flu and COVID than any other complaints. Four children in Massachusetts have reportedly died of the flu this year and nine in the US. Nationwide, we are experiencing high levels of the flu. Numbers are already surpassing last years before peak flu season has hit. So far this season, CDC estimates there have been 11 million cases, 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. In Massachusetts, estimated influenza and flu-like illness is very high and hospitalizations are increasing. As of Dec. 27, 2025, there have been 32 deaths which includes the four children. With sound evidence in the news that people are suffering and dying from the flu, the federal government announced they no longer recommend flu vaccinations and other vital immunizations for children. COVID vaccinations for children are no longer recommended either. Other vaccinations no longer on the schedule include, hepatitis A and B, meningitis, rotavirus and RSV. The administration schedules of the MMR, Hep A and Varicella vaccine were previously altered. Measles vaccination rates have dropped to 92.7%. When more than 95% of the community are vaccinated, herd immunity protects most people. This decrease is an open invitation to the disease to spread. There were 2,144 cases of measles in the US per the CDC in 2025. To date in 2026, there have been 3. Remember, measles was eliminated in the US in 2000. Before that, about 400 children a year died of measles. The government also announced that government Medicaid programs will no longer have to report immunizations rates. This eliminates comprehensive data of children at risk for communicable diseases, data that can help protect children from preventable diseases. These decisions are being made by people who have no education or expertise in medicine and public health. We cant know where we are going if we dont know where we are. The end result will be more preventable illness and death. The immediate effects are going to be chaos and confusion for parents trying to navigate and understand what is best for their child when government guidelines are not based on scientific evidence. The American Academy of Pediatricians released its own immunization schedule that is formatted from evidence based research. Our nation cannot forget that the reason death and disability of children from vaccine preventable illnesses has improved is because of vaccines. Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein stated in a recent press release regarding rising levels of influenza activity, These viruses are serious, dangerous and life threatening. We are seeing children who are seriously ill, families grieving devastating losses and hospitals under capacity strain. There is a simple, effective and available way to address these concerns: vaccines. They can prevent serious illness and hospitalization. And they save lives. If you have not yet been vaccinated against flu or COVID-19 this season, now is the time. It is not too late. Choosing vaccination is choosing to protect yourself, your family, your friends, your colleagues and your community. We can save lives by leaving childrens games in the school playground and leaving vaccine schedules to the medical community of experts and researchers. The price of a childs life is too valuable to leave it in the hands of those not educated and qualified to make life saving decisions. The childrens rhyme and game, Ring Around the Rosie, is said to depict the bubonic plague the rosies represent deadly rashes, the posies thought to be a preventative measure or to mask stench, the ashes, ashes refers to cremations and everyone falling down meant falling down dead. My hope is the children of today can continue to know this simply as a game to sing and play and not a comeback of preventable, horrible diseases and deaths or a new morbid nursery rhyme in the future. Take care of yourself and someone else. For Worcester resident April LeBlanc, going to a bank was never easy. LeBlanc, 45, has anxiety disorder, OCD, ADHD and a basic learning disorder, would get nervous whenever she would have to deal with financial matters or go to a bank. Her foster mother, who passed away in 2023, would often have to help when it came to finances, according to LeBlanc. Now, LeBlanc says she feels more comfortable and confident when it comes to banking and other financial matters all thanks to a six-week financial literacy class created by Seven Hills Foundation and Workers Credit Union. LeBlanc, along with 10 other neurodivergent adults, graduated from their six-week course in financial literacy on Thursday. The classes, which were held in Worcester, taught the adult students basic financial skills: how to write a check, how to talk to a bank teller and determining which financial items are important to keep. A ceremony was held at the Workers Credit Unions Grove Street branch, with the students receiving certificates. Im much more comfortable, LeBlanc said with a small smile I learned to be more confident. The classes began in September and took place on a two-week basis, according to Darren Brown, a case manager who works with LeBlanc. A favorite class among the students was keep or toss where they had to figure out which items were important to keep and which ones could be thrown away. Another exercise the students did was determining what kind of financial bird they were. Examples include a peacock, who likes to flaunt their money or a crow, who stashes away money. Brian Forbes, 27, of South Grafton, said he wanted to take the classes because he wished to learn more about money. Forbes has down syndrome and told MassLive that he has a lemonade business. I am going to learn how to save money and not use it all, Forbes said. Timothy Johnson, the Vice President of Adult Day Services at Seven Hills, told MassLive that he believes the classes were a success for the adults, all of whom are clients for Seven Hills. Johnson said the classes give neurodivergent adults the opportunity to learn life and vocational skills. He noted that Forbes was able to be more connected with his peers thanks to the classes, becoming more engaged than he normally would. I think that something like financial literacy is an area that people with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) dont get as much support as they should, Johnson said. I think when we give people the opportunity to demonstrate and to develop their skills, it furthers their independence. The program was created to help neurodivergent adults to have the confidence to be financially independent, according to Deborah Halperin Colbert, a spokesperson for Workers Credit Union. It goes without saying that people from all ages and backgrounds need to have a firm grasp about what it takes to balance a checkbook and budget monthly expenses, she said. People living with Autism, Down syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy can find handling money difficult, yet financial literacy classes are rarely offered to them because of their developmental differences. Robert Remillard, one of the teachers and Vice President of Community & Government Affairs, also believes the program was very successful and that the students made efforts to improve upon skills they want to learn. In this class, they tell us what they want to learn, he said. And they are going to use these tools moving forward. Because of the programs success, another set of classes will be established later this year, according to Johnson. As for LeBlanc, she says shes ready to go into a bank without worrying at all. More confidence, she said, smiling. NEW YORK, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday promoted his plan of securing investment of at least 100 billion U.S. dollars to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry in a meeting with U.S. oil company executives at the White House. Trump urged major U.S. oil companies to participate in the investment deal and promised them quick and good returns. Nevertheless, company CEOs largely did not commit to the deal. Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods said given that the current situation in Venezuela presents an unacceptable risk, his company would not be diving headfirst into Venezuela. "If we look at the legal and commercial constructs and frameworks in place today, in Venezuela today, it's uninvestible, and so significant changes have to be made to those commercial frameworks, the legal system," Woods said. ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance said his company lost 12 billion dollars from the previous nationalization of Venezuelan assets. A Chevron top official detailed the company's current operations rather than discussing dramatically scaling them up. Chevron is the only U.S. oil company that now operates in Venezuela through a joint venture with Venezuela's state oil company, according to local media. By summoning the meeting, Trump was seeking an agreement to decide which U.S. oil companies can enter Venezuela and rebuild the country's energy infrastructure. The United States has taken control of Venezuela's oil exports to drive changes that must happen in the country, said U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Earlier on Friday, Trump said on Truth Social that the United States, "in coordination with the Interim Authorities of Venezuela, seized an oil tanker which departed Venezuela without our approval." "This tanker is now on its way back to Venezuela, and the oil will be sold through the GREAT Energy Deal, which we have created for such sales," Trump added. It is the fifth oil tanker the U.S. forces have seized, allegedly linked to Venezuela. The U.S. military forces raided and seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Jan. 3. Since then, the Trump administration has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity, saying that the United States will be controlling Venezuelan oil sales indefinitely and that the Venezuelan authorities "will be turning over" between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States. Venezuela has the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, with approximately 303 billion barrels or about 17 percent of the global total, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. GUANGZHOU, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Zhuhai land port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has handled over 100 million inbound and outbound passenger trips as of Tuesday since it opened to traffic in 2018. This milestone came shortly after the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link saw its 100-millionth passenger trip. These record-high figures underscore the deepening connectivity of infrastructure and rules and people-to-people ties within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). To date, six major river or sea-crossing passages have opened to traffic in the area. This network of infrastructure has vitalized the area's integrated development, acting as its major "arteries." Today, a high-speed train from the Guangzhou South Station in south China's Guangdong Province to Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station is a journey of just under 50 minutes at its fastest speed, and the journey from Shenzhen's Futian Station to West Kowloon Station is only about 15 minutes. "The sustained and record-high passenger numbers on the Hong Kong section reflect the vibrant growth driven by deepening integration between the mainland and Hong Kong," said Jeny Yeung Mei-chun, CEO of Hong Kong's MTR Corporation. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has slashed travel times between Hong Kong and Zhuhai or Macao from three hours to about 45 minutes. "It took over five years to reach the first 50 million passenger trips, but only one year and eight months for the second 50 million," said Chen Faqiu, director of the bridge's border checkpoint. After more than seven years of operations, these two cross-boundary landmarks are transforming travel routines. For a growing number of people in the GBA, taking a high-speed train to attend a cross-border meeting or driving across the bridge to go shopping is shifting from a novel experience to a part of daily life. The 100 million trips taken are tangible proof that the GBA's "one-hour living circle" is becoming a reality. "These two mega projects have directly facilitated the seamless flow of talent, capital and innovation within the GBA, accelerating the complementary integration of urban functions, socio-economic resources and industrial chains," said Erik Yim Kong, a member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). While ever-improving infrastructure provides the hardware, continuously facilitative policies provide the software. In recent years, a series of policies have accelerated integration via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and clearance procedures have been optimized at major ports. "Driving from Zhuhai to Hong Kong is an incredibly smooth experience!" a Zhuhai resident surnamed Cao, who drove his family to Hong Kong during the year-end shopping season, told Xinhua. Travelers have noted that procedures have been greatly simplified, removing past concerns over vehicle restrictions and ferry schedules. "The two cross-boundary railway projects will fully integrate the metro networks of Hong Kong and Shenzhen," said Mable Chan, secretary for transport and logistics of the HKSAR government, referring to the MTR Northern Link project and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link project. This has been a common sight for over a year at Gongbei Port: Instead of fumbling for documents, travelers simply face a camera and press a fingerprint, completing the clearance process in about 10 seconds. This smart channel system was among the first features trial launched at the Gongbei Port -- between Zhuhai and Macao -- and the Shenzhen Bay Port (between Shenzhen and Hong Kong) in November 2024. "I work in Macao. Before, I had to take out my documents and queue every morning and evening. Now, with facial and fingerprint verification, it's all done in one step, which is very convenient," a woman surnamed Li from Zhuhai who works in Macao told Xinhua. The improving infrastructure and facilitative policies are fostering more frequent exchanges and deeper integration among residents of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. "Coming to Hengqin makes me feel very relaxed and comfortable," said Sheeta Su, a Macao resident who works at a university in Macao. Attracted by Hengqin's environment and increasingly convenient clearance policies, she recently moved into a new community there. She now commutes daily using a single-plate vehicle for Hengqin, passing through customs in just minutes during off-peak hours. Since moving in at the end of 2024, Su and her family have witnessed the community's gradual development. She finds the neighborhood environment, community activities and supporting facilities, including health stations and community services centers, to be very considerate. "Over the past year, more neighbors and children have moved in, and many from Macao have opened shops nearby. It's thriving," she said. With her parents now traveling frequently between their hometown of Yangjiang in Guangdong and her home in Hengqin, Su's family embodies the integrated development of the GBA. "We've explored all over Hengqin. Now our daily travel is expanding to cities like Zhuhai and Zhongshan," Su said. As distances shrink, accelerating flows of people and capital are bringing hearts and minds closer. "This is the general trend." "The smooth flow of people naturally facilitates efficient logistics and the circulation of capital. North-south consumption and economic interactions are continuously solidifying the foundations of the GBA's integrated development," said Irons Sze Wing-wai, president of the Federation of Hong Kong Beijing Organisations. While most kids his age would likely spend a Saturday morning sleeping in, teenager Josh Bourbon had a better idea honoring soldiers from his areas Civil War past. Honoring the Past Bourbon, a life scout with Troop 32 in West Dundee, Illinois, spent the Saturday morning of Oct. 18 scraping off peat moss and the other blemishes from headstones that date back more than a century. With a pack of volunteers, Bourbon led a cleanup crew that brought a little more shine and honor to Union soldiers buried in the Dundee Township Cemetery. To help complete his project, Bourbon received sponsorship from the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, Camp No. 2, an organization in Aurora, Illinois, along with West Dundees VFW Post 2298 and the Three Fires Council in St. Charles, Illinois. While Bourbon came up with the idea to clean the veteran headstones, he still needed approval from local organizations. When he approached Dundee Township and the Dundee Township Historical Society about his plans, both entities were on board, giving the green light for the restoration project. Bourbon restored headstones in the West Dundee Township Cemetery. (Photo from West Dundee Township Historical Society) No Easy Task Despite being enthusiastic about the work, Bourbon realized scraping natures mold off aged and weather-worn headstones wouldnt be an easy task. Bourbon and his volunteers grabbed bottles of D/2 Biological Solution, used by the U.S. government to clean historic buildings and national monuments, and started spraying. The solution is so potent that its used to wash away grime from headstones at Arlington National Cemetery. The cleaning solution can eliminate lichen and algae, illuminating headstones without inflicting damage to the structures. Bourbon was pleased to see the D/2 Biological Solution work well enough to restore much of the stones luster. He believes it will protect the gravesites for years in the future. This cemetery is really close to home, Bourbon said. I wanted to honor those who preserved our nation by cleaning the monument and their Civil War headstones, and I wanted to help out my community. Remember Their Sacrifices Along with about 15 volunteers, Bourbon logged more than four hours in the cemetery, meticulously cleaning each headstone belonging to a Civil War veteran. Most of these Union soldiers likely no longer have family ties with West Dundee, so having people visit the gravesites is unlikely. Theyve been largely forgotten with time. Bourbon didnt forget. His project restores a slice of dignity to these Union soldiers that he hopes will last for decades to come. Matt Clark, from the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, said its heartwarming to see this type of dedication from a young volunteer. We appreciate Josh and his efforts to remember those who died in battle to reunite the country at a time of great divide, Clark said. Were grateful for all his volunteers and the meaningful work they accomplished. For Bourbon, the restoration project is another key element toward earning the Eagle Scout badge, the highest rank in scouting. But perhaps more importantly, the work helps connect the present with the past, teaching a new generation about the sacrifices veterans made to preserve the nation more than 160 years ago. Denmark deployed soldiers to both Iraq and Afghanistan when America launched the Global War on Terrorism. Fifty of their soldiers never came home. President Donald Trump now refuses to rule out using force to seize Greenland from Denmark. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that "utilizing the U.S. military is always an option" to acquire the Arctic territory. Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, questioned Denmark's right to Greenland on CNN and declared that "obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States." Miller asked "by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland?" Denmark has controlled Greenland since 1721. This was 55 years before the United States existed as a nation. The United States briefly occupied Greenland during World War II after Germany invaded Denmark in 1940, but returned control to Denmark when the war ended in 1945. Miller added that "nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over Greenland" and argued that "the United States is the power of NATO" and therefore "Greenland should be part of the United States." Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller deliver remarks while meeting with National Guard troops positioned at Union Station as part of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, Washington, D.C., Aug. 20, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza) Denmark Refuses This is not Trump's first attempt to acquire Greenland. In August 2019 during his first term, Trump proposed purchasing the island, calling it "a large real estate deal." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the idea "absurd" and said "Greenland is not for sale." Trump canceled his planned state visit to Denmark over her response. Frederiksen recently warned that any U.S. military action against Greenland would mean "the end of NATO." She told reporters that NATO's Article 5, the mutual defense clause stating that an attack on one member is an attack on all, would make a U.S. invasion of Greenland an attack on Denmark itself, theoretically obligating other NATO members to defend Denmark against the United States. European leaders rallied behind Denmark. France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Britain declared that Greenland "belongs to its people" and that only Denmark and Greenland can decide their future. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that NATO would "lose its meaning" if one member attacked another. Trump told reporters that America needs Greenland for national security. The island guards critical Arctic shipping routes. Greenland also contains vast deposits of rare earth minerals essential for smartphones, batteries, and military technology, resources currently dominated by China. Trump claimed Greenland is "covered with Russian and Chinese ships," though Danish officials disputed this, noting that neither Russia nor China maintains warships in Greenland's waters. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander, U.S. Space Command, coins Capt. Bartholomew Winn, Mission Support Flight commander assigned to 12th Space Warning Squadron, during a tour of the 12 SWS facilities at Pituffik Space Base, Greenland, Dec. 6, 2025. During his visit, Whiting toured facilities, received mission briefs, and met with personnel, underscoring the bases critical role in the command's mission, Arctic operations, and mission readiness. (U. S. Space Command photo by Senior Airman Erica Paculan) The United States already maintains a significant military presence in Greenland on Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, located 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Established under a 1951 defense agreement between the United States and Denmark, the base serves as a critical early warning station for ballistic missiles and space surveillance operations. The agreement grants the U.S. military permanent rights to operate the installation while respecting Danish sovereignty over Greenland. Approximately 150 U.S. Space Force personnel are currently stationed there. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark with a population of 57,000, mostly Indigenous Greenlanders. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called the U.S. position "completely unacceptable" and demanded respect for international law. This situation carries particular weight given Denmark's military record as part of NATO. Danish soldiers fought and died in both Afghanistan and Iraq alongside American forces. They deployed to the most dangerous combat zones and suffered high casualty rates given their small size. Danish veterans suffered from PTSD and other issues stemming from the conflicts. A soldier with the Danish Contingent presents the Denmark flag to Danish Army Col. Micheal Thogersen, DANCON commander, during a flag-lowering ceremony aboard Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, July 21, 2014. (Wikimedia Commons) Helmand Province In Afghanistan Denmark's deepest military commitment came in Afghanistan. After September 11, 2001, Denmark pledged support for the U.S. By 2006, Danish forces had moved into Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, which would become the deadliest battleground of the 20-year war. In August 2006, Danish troops found themselves besieged at the Musa Qala district center for three weeks. The Danish squadron held their position under relentless Taliban assault until a relief force of 500 coalition troops fought through to assist them. Danish soldiers suffered several casualties in combat operations over the years. Sophia Bruun was 12 years old on September 11, 2001. She joined the Danish military as an adult and volunteered for a deployment to Afghanistan. Private Bruun then joined a patrol on June 1, 2010. The 22-year-old was manning a machine gun on an armored Piranha vehicle near Girishk when a roadside IED detonated. She died instantly. Just weeks earlier, she had stayed at her gun position during a Taliban attack, providing covering fire while treating wounded comrades. She had already chosen what her gravestone would say if she died in combat. It reads "Sophia - wanted to make the world a better place." Sgt. Jacob P. of the Jutland Dragoon Regiment was wounded twice but refused evacuation both times. On January 5, 2012, a sniper's bullet struck his right shoulder. Jacob stayed at his position, located the enemy fighter through his tank's optics, and killed him. The sniper had already killed five British soldiers. Three weeks later, three more bullets hit Jacob. He remained at his post directing his crew to eliminate the insurgents. His loader plugged the shoulder wound with his finger to stop the bleeding. Maj. Gen. John Toolan, commanding general of U.S. forces in southwest Afghanistan, visited Jacob in the hospital. "You're not only going to go down in Danish lore," Toolan told him, "But you're going to go down in USMC lore." In June 2009, 700 Danish soldiers participated in Operation Panther's Claw, one of the war's largest offensives. Danish Leopard 2 tanks supported British and Afghan forces pushing into Taliban strongholds in close-quarters combat. Though smaller than their coalition counterparts, the Danes provided vital military assistance and helped the locals build schools, roads, and helped guard infrastructure projects. British soldiers from 2nd Battalion, The Rifles and Danish soldiers from the Danish Battle Group enjoy down time before beginning a long day of patrolling in the district of Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand province. Alongside the Afghan National Army and Afghan Uniformed Police, the coalition servicemembers executed Operation Shamali Kamarband, an Afghan-led clearing operation of various routes and compounds in the area. (Wikimedia Commons) Deployment to Iraq The Iraq War, on the other hand, divided NATO. France and Germany refused to join the 2003 invasion, even going as far as joining Russia in condemning the conflict. They questioned the intelligence about weapons of mass destruction and argued the war lacked international legitimacy. Denmark joined anyway. Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen committed troops to the U.S.-led coalition. The small nation sent a battalion to Basra Province in southern Iraq. At peak strength, Denmark deployed more than 500 soldiers. They fought from 2003 to 2007. U.S. President George W. Bush praised Denmarks contributions when speaking with Rasmussen in 2004. "The moms and dads of those troops need to know they're performing brilliantly," Bush said. "They're good, strong soldiers who bring great credit to your country." Lance Corporal Preben Pedersen of the Jutland Dragoon Regiment became the first non-U.S., non-British coalition soldier killed in Iraq. He died on August 17, 2003. He was 34 years old. Six more Danish soldiers died over the next four years. Private Martin Hjorth was killed in combat on October 6, 2006. Private Henrik Nbbe died in another ambush on May 14, 2007. First Lieutenant Bjarke Kirkmand, Private Jesper Nielsen, and Lance Corporal Kim Wadim were all killed by IEDs. Denmark's own War Inquiry later revealed that Danish politicians discussed the Iraq deployment primarily in terms of maintaining good relations with the United States. The mission itself was considered secondary to demonstrating solidarity with America. Danish forces maintained a presence in Iraq as part of the NATO Mission in Iraq and Operation Inherent Resolve. Danish soldiers are still deployed to the region alongside their American allies. U.S. Marine Chief Warrant Officer 2 Juan Rodriguez, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command, and Danish 1st Lt. Daniel Cramer, both with Task Force Al Asad, teach a Counter-Improvised Explosive Device class to Iraqi Army officers, aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Jan. 30, 2015. Coalition forces from TF Al Asad are facilitating a six-week training program for Iraqi soldiers in an effort to build partner capacity and help Iraqi security forces degrade and defeat Daesh. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Carson A. Gramley/ Released) The Casualties Denmark lost 43 soldiers in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014. Combined with seven killed in Iraq, Denmark suffered 50 military deaths in support of U.S.-led operations. For a nation of 5.8 million people, the casualty rate was devastating. Denmark's death rate reached 8.62 per million citizens. Only the United States at 21.06 per million and United Kingdom at 9.49 per million exceeded that figure. Denmark suffered the third highest casualty rate per capita of all NATO nations that fought in both wars. Between 2002 and 2021, Denmark deployed 18,000 troops to Afghanistan. At peak deployment, Denmark maintained 760 soldiers in Helmand Province. They deployed tanks, F-16 fighters, special forces, and infantry units. They were not simply providing security in both conflicts, they were actively going out and engaging enemy combatants alongside U.S. troops. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Denmark in December 2008 after two Danish soldiers were killed in combat. She told Danish officials that "Denmark has been a terrific ally in this fight against terrorism and in support of democracy and freedom." President Barack Obama thanked Denmark in 2012 for its "extraordinary contributions" in Helmand, noting that Danish troops operated "without caveat" and had "taken significant casualties." President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark meet at Camp David Friday, June 9, 2006. White House photo by Eric Draper. NATO Spending and Arctic Defense Denmark failed to meet NATO's 2 percent GDP defense spending guideline for years. The country spent approximately 1.3 percent of GDP on defense through most of the 2010s, reaching 1.65 percent by 2023. This came despite Denmark's combat deployments and casualty rates in Iraq and Afghanistan. Officials in the Trump administration have cited Denmark's spending shortfall when questioning Denmark's commitment to the alliance and its ability to defend Greenland. Trump outright told reporters that "Denmark is not going to be able to" protect Greenland from outside threats. In 2024, Denmark finally reached the 2 percent threshold. The Danish parliament approved significant defense increases, committing to reach 3.22 percent of its GDP by 2025. At the 2025 NATO summit, Denmark committed to the alliance's new target of 5 percent over the next decade. The additional funding includes major equipment purchases. Denmark is acquiring CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, air defense systems including Patriot and IRIS-T batteries, and 27 F-35A fighters to replace its aging F-16 fleet. Denmark also announced nearly $2.3 billion in spending specifically for Arctic defense capabilities, including three new Arctic naval vessels, two long-range surveillance drones, and enhanced satellite capacity for Greenland. Denmark extended conscription to include women starting in 2027 and increased annual conscript numbers from 4,700 to 7,500. Given recent tensions with Russia, Denmark has shown it is willing and capable of pursuing the defense of Europe with the assistance of the U.S. U.S. Army Spc. Andrew Gagnon, an infantryman with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Michigan Army National Guard and a Danish Armed Forces officer share knowledge of weapons and deployment tactics during Exercise Baltic Viking at Camp Adazi, Latvia, June 6, 2025. The exercise provided U.S. and NATO soldiers the opportunity to exchange ideas and strategies, improving interoperability among allies and enhancing their lethality on the battlefield. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Novak) Alliance Under Pressure The Trump administration's position on Greenland represents an unprecedented challenge to NATO. No NATO member has ever threatened military action against another member state since the alliance's founding in 1949. White House statements that military action remains "an option" against a NATO ally have no modern precedent. If the United States were to attempt military action against Greenland, Denmark would face the choice of whether to invoke NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause. Under Article 5, an armed attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against all members. The alliance has invoked Article 5 only once, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when NATO allies including Denmark deployed forces to Afghanistan in support of the U.S. Senator Chris Murphy stated that NATO countries would have to defend Greenland under Article 5 if the United States under Donald Trump attacked. "We're laughing, but this is not actually something to laugh about now because I think he's increasingly serious," Murphy said. Senator Ruben Gallego introduced legislation to prohibit the use of military funds for any action against Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen has pointed to Denmark's military record in response to recent White House statements. "For many years, we have stood by the Americans in very difficult situations," she said, referencing Danish deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan where dozens of Danes were killed. European defense analysts at institutions including the Royal Danish Defense College and European Policy Centre have warned that NATO members must now privately consider contingency planning for scenarios they previously considered unthinkable, including what defending Denmark from the United States would require. Danish soldier at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the 2021 Kabul Airlift. (Wikimedia Commons) Denmark joined the Iraq War when major European allies refused. Danish families buried seven soldiers who died in Basra Province fighting America's war. In Afghanistan, Denmark deployed forces to Helmand Province and lost 43 soldiers over 12 years of combat in a conflict that arose after the U.S. was attacked. These commitments were made based on alliance obligations and the promise of mutual defense. Critics on both sides of the Atlantic now question what right the U.S. has to threaten an ally who volunteered to fight alongside American soldiers in two different conflicts. Denmark deployed tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan and Iraq over two decades and suffered the third-highest per capita casualty rate in NATO. In return for their sacrifices, the U.S. government is floating the idea of taking and annexing Greenland, a territory Denmark has controlled for longer than the U.S. has even existed. The United States threatening to seize Greenland by force from an ally that lost 50 soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan destroys American credibility around the world. Every nation that depends on U.S. protection is taking note. So is every adversary. HURON COUNTY, MI A Michigan funeral director will stand trial on more than 30 criminal charges after allegedly embezzling $192,000 from more than 50 victims. Terry Alvin Kaufman, 72, was bound over to stand trial in the 52nd Circuit Court on Jan. 9, according to a news release from Attorney General Dana Nessels office. The funeral director was accused of embezzling and converting funds he received for prepaid funerals and funeral insurance policies. Kaufman faces the following charges: one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony; two counts of embezzlement by an agent $20,000 or more but less than $50,000, each a 10-year felony; five counts of embezzlement by an agent $1,000 or more but less than $20,000, each a 5-year felony; and 31 counts of conversion of funeral contracts, each 5-year felonies. Kaufman owned and operated Kaufman & Co. Funeral Home in Huron County. In total, he is accused of collecting $192,824.98. He used the funds to pay his own salary in some cases, according to the release. When families prepay for funeral services, they expect the funds to be handled with integrity, not siphoned off for personal gain, said Nessel at the time of arraignment. My office remains committed to holding those who commit such criminal enterprises accountable to the fullest extent of the law. PYONGYANG, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) accused South Korea of violating its airspace by flying a drone on Sunday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Saturday. The Korean People's Army on Sunday spotted and tracked an air target moving northward over the area of Inchon of South Korea. The DPRK units struck it with special electronic warfare assets and forced it to fall into a place near Kaesong Municipality, a spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army was quoted as saying in a statement. The drone was set to conduct photographic surveillance of the DPRK's major objects while flying over multiple places within the country's territory, said the statement. The video data obtained from the cameras served as clear proof that the drone violated the DPRK territorial airspace for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes, it said. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI A man who fled custody from the Washtenaw County probation department today was apprehended after a police search near the Oak Park Subdivision in Pittsfield Township, police said. Pittsfield Township Police officers were dispatched to the probation department around 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9. The suspect, described as a handcuffed black male in a white T-shirt, was originally taken into custody for a nonviolent offense. The man fled on foot toward the subdivision near Washtenaw Avenue and Crystal Drive before he was taken into custody. If you have any information related to the incident, you are asked to contact the Washtenaw County Dispatch at 734-944-2911. ANN ARBOR, MI She was a poet, a mother of three, kind, compassionate, and she didnt deserve to be killed. That was how 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was described at a candlelight vigil in remembrance of her at Liberty Plaza in downtown Ann Arbor on Friday night, Jan. 9. Hundreds of community members packed into the plaza for the demonstration standing up for victims of actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has aggressively ramped up enforcement under President Donald Trump. Its really important that people stand up, but we also not let people incite us, said U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, who was among the local officials in Friday nights crowd. Peaceful gathering is very important in these times. Candlelight vigil for Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old poet and mother of three shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis, at Liberty Plaza in downtown Ann Arbor on Jan. 9, 2026. Hundreds attended the peaceful demonstration standing up for victims of ICE violence. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday after reportedly dropping off her 6-year-old son at school and attempting to drive home with her wife. Video of the incident shows a series of exchanges between them and ICE before Good began to drive forward and an ICE agent opened fire into the vehicle at close range. The Trump administration has defended the lethal action as self defense. A coalition of groups around the country is calling for justice for Good and others killed by ICE. Fridays demonstration at Liberty Plaza was organized by Ann Arbor Indivisible, a pro-democracy group against Trump. Candlelight vigil for Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old poet and mother of three shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis, at Liberty Plaza in downtown Ann Arbor on Jan. 9, 2026. Hundreds attended the peaceful demonstration standing up for victims of ICE violence. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News We want the ICE killers to be arrested and prosecuted to the extent the law allows and we demand that ICE be withdrawn from our communities for our own safety, Ann Arbor Indivisible organizer Gus Teschke said. Demonstrators carried signs with messages such as ICE out for Good, Trump is a killer, resist, we stand for Good, I prefer crushd ICE and make lying wrong again. Organizers are planning an ICE out for Good march and rally at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Ann Arbor, going from the University of Michigan Diag at the corner of State Street and North University Avenue to city hall on Huron Street. Teschke said he invites anyone interested in rebuilding democracy and standing against authoritarian government to join his group, which is one of about 2,700 chapters of the national Indivisible organization. Theyre building a massive movement to challenge Trump, he said. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, at the candlelight vigil for Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old poet and mother of three shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis, at Liberty Plaza in downtown Ann Arbor on Jan. 9, 2026. Hundreds attended the peaceful demonstration standing up for victims of ICE violence. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Never has it been more important for people to not be afraid stand up for whats right, but they should do so peacefully, Dingell said. This kind of event shows our solidarity as a community, our concern, our strength, and that we will not be silenced, and that we have each others back, she said. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. FRENCHTOWN TWP., MI - A crash near the city of Monroe has closed both directions of Telegraph Road. Both the northbound and southbound directions of Telegraph Road, also known as U.S. 24, closed around 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. The road was closed between Heiss Road and M-125, also known as Monroe Street. The area is in Frenchtown Township, near the city of Monroe. It was not immediately clear when the road would reopen. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office did not immediately release additional information. DETROIT, MI President Donald Trump is returning to Michigan Tuesday, Jan. 13. The visit comes just one day ahead of the Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit, Jan. 14 through 25. Trump is expected to address members of the Detroit Economic Club from 2 to 4 p.m. at the MotorCity Casino, per the clubs website. The ticketed event is limited to club members and guests, according to the website. This is Trumps first address to the club as president, though he has been welcomed twice before while on the campaign trail in 2016 and 2024. It was at the October 2024 event he remarked the whole country will end up like Detroit without GOP leadership, drawing ire from local leaders. After frequenting the state while running for the presidency in 2024, Trump marked 100 days in office with a visit to Metro Detroit in April 2025. MORE: Five ways the Trump administration reshaped Michigan in 2025 Officials could not be reached for information regarding Trumps schedule or other appearances. ANN ARBOR, MI Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor is joining in speaking out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the killing of a Minneapolis mother. Renee Goods murder is part of the Trump Administrations project to instill fear and chaos, Taylor said in a statement Saturday, Jan. 10, echoing calls for ICE out now! Taylors statement on social media came after an ICE out for Good rally outside city hall where demonstrators called for the removal of ICE from American communities and the arrest and prosecution of ICE agents who have killed people. Family separation. Masked men in the streets. Unlawful arrests. Violence. Terror, Taylor said. The administration is doing this so that we will submit to their larger project, which is to delegitimize Black and Brown immigrants and definitionally reserve America for so-called Heritage Americans, that is to say, white people. The "ICE out for Good" rally outside Ann Arbor's city hall Jan. 10, 2026. Demonstrators stood up for Renee Nicole Good and called for the arrest and prosecution of ICE agents who have killed people and the removal of ICE from communities. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Its a hateful project of blut und boden, Taylor said, using a German Nazi slogan meaning blood and soil. Ann Arbor will not submit, he said. We will never cooperate with ICE, never authorize them to use city resources to support their lawless agenda of hate. The "ICE out for Good" rally outside Ann Arbor's city hall Jan. 10, 2026. Demonstrators stood up for Renee Nicole Good and called for the arrest and prosecution of ICE agents who have killed people and the removal of ICE from communities. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News No story of American greatness is possible without the centrality of the immigrant experience, Taylor said. Saturdays rally at city hall followed a march through Ann Arbor and a Friday night candlelight vigil attended by hundreds in remembrance of Good and others killed by ICE. The "ICE out for Good" rally outside Ann Arbor's city hall Jan. 10, 2026. Demonstrators stood up for Renee Nicole Good and called for the arrest and prosecution of ICE agents who have killed people and the removal of ICE from communities. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday after reportedly dropping off her 6-year-old son at school and attempting to drive home with her wife. Video of the incident shows a series of exchanges between them and ICE before Good began to drive forward and an ICE agent opened fire into the vehicle at close range. The Trump administration has defended the lethal action as self defense. Candlelight vigil for Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old poet and mother of three shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis, at Liberty Plaza in downtown Ann Arbor on Jan. 9, 2026. Hundreds attended the peaceful demonstration standing up for victims of ICE violence. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Immigrant rights advocates are calling on Ann Arbor to ban ICE from city buildings, but the city has not taken that step. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. OAKLAND COUNTY, MI Two Oakland County residents were charged in separate animal cruelty cases this week, according to a news release from Prosecutor Karen McDonald. Myelia Michelle King, a 32-year-old Fendale resident, faces one charge of abandoning/cruelty to 2-3 animals for the alleged mistreatment of two German Shepherds. Both dogs were found malnourished, tethered to a fence on short chains without water or food, according to the release. One of the dogs tested positive for heartworm. The other resident, Bradley James Vincent, was charged with abandoning/cruelty to an animal for the mistreatment of a dog. Neighbors of the 32-year-old Troy resident reported hearing the dog squeal in pain and allegedly saw Vincent hit the animal. A veterinary examination revealed a bruise to the top of the dogs head, bruises to inner gums and injuries consistent with being kicked. We have a moral responsibility to treat animals in our care humanely, McDonald said in a news release. These cases demonstrate how seriously Oakland County law enforcement takes animal mistreatment. We will hold abusers accountable. GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Genesee County is reducing what it originally budgeted for its America 250 celebration and is adding additional members to the commission appointed to plan it. A divided county Board of Commissioners approved the changes, including a reduction in funding for semiquincentennial events this summer from $250,000 to $50,000, on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Some commissioners said they would consider additional funding requests once plans and sponsorship efforts are solidified. County officials have said America 250 events are expected to culminate with a celebration at Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad. Board Chair Dale K. Weighill said he wasnt certain the investment of $250,000 in hotel tax revenue would produce enough economic benefit to be justified. Commissioners initially agreed to the funding amount last April when they established America 250 -- Genesee County Commission. A resolution establishing the commission called for its membership to include one resident appointed by commissioners from each of the nine commission districts. Other America 250 commission seats were reserved for members appointed by the Michigan Township Association, Small Cities & Villages Association, Flint City Council, and Genesee Intermediate School District. A representative of the higher education community and two representatives from the Genesee County Historical Society were also to be appointed. Commissioners added to the membership by approving the America 250 resolution this week, adding representatives of Explore Flint & Genesee County and Sloan Museum, as well as former Lt. Gov. John Cherry and former state Rep. Charles Mueller as honorary co-chairs. Some commissioners said they opposed increasing the size of the commission. The larger a committee gets, the less gets done, said Commissioner Martin Cousineau, D-Thetford Twp. Crossroads Village was the countys bicentennial project. It was dedicated on July 4, 1976. EAST CHINA, MI Michigan State Police arrested an East China Township man for possessing and sending child sexually abusive material (CSAM). An investigation was initiated when it was learned that Mark Piper was sharing files on the internet, police said in Jan. 9 post on X. The 60-year-old turned himself in after digital evidence was seized from him home, per the post. Piper was arraigned in the 72 District Court on Monday, December 22. He faces four counts of aggravated possession of CSAM, one count possession of CSAM and five counts of using a computer to commit a crime. Information regarding possible child sexual exploitation can be reported to the CyberTipLine. GRAND BLANC TWP, MI - A new Korean barbecue restaurant is bringing a hands-on dining experience to Grand Blanc Township, offering something its owner says has been missing in Genesee County. Mi-K BBQ & Bar opened in September at 6319 Dort Hwy., in a space formerly occupied by Cicis Pizza, across from Walmart. The restaurant features Korean-style tabletop grilling, where diners cook meats and other items themselves, creating what owner Tim Lin described as a social, interactive meal. Lin said the restaurant is his third in Genesee County. He also owns Ichiban Japanese Bistro & Steakhouse and Mi Poke, both located in Grand Blanc Township. Lin partnered with others who previously operated a Korean barbecue restaurant in Frankenmuth and wanted to bring the concept to a larger market. Korean barbecue has been very popular on the West Coast, East Coast and in big cities, he said. But in Genesee County, we didnt really have this. For a county this big, I thought it was a great opportunity. The restaurants most popular option so far has been its all-you-can-eat menu, which includes items such as ribeye, prime brisket, short ribs, bulgogi, chicken, salmon and jumbo shrimp, along with a variety of appetizers and side dishes. Customers can also order individual dishes off the regular menu, place takeout orders, or stop in just for some drinks. The restaurant also offers eight beer taps, along with other alcoholic beverages, including Korean wine and spirits. Lin said the appeal goes beyond the food itself. He described Korean barbecue as a group experience, where friends and families cook together at the table and control how their food is prepared. Its like a small party, he said. You decide how you want it cooked, and you do it together. The restaurant also features a space-themed design, including a moon mounted on the roof, astronaut figures displayed throughout the dining area and futuristic decor meant to complement the interactive grilling experience. It includes the use of a service robot that delivers food to tables. Orders are taken by staff and sent through the system, after which the robot brings items out to customers. Lin said the feature has been especially popular with children. Mi-K BBQ & Bar runs a birthday promotion that offers a free meal to a guest dining with four or more paying customers, he said, provided the birthday falls within a few days of the visit and identification is shown. Lin said his goal is to give residents a new option without having to travel to larger cities like Detroit. I just want to bring some good stuff to the community, he said. People can try something different, experience another culture, and hopefully theyll like it. Mi-K BBQ & Bar is open seven days a week. Weekday hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner and offers takeout. Follow Mi-K BBQ & Bar on Facebook. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - 2026 is officially underway, meaning Grand Rapids residents are ready to start their resolutions for the new year. Whether youre eager to learn how to paint, knit or rock climb, there are tons of businesses in the city offering a chance to begin a new hobby. See below for the top 5 spots to check out. Unwind GR A big part of Unwind GR is the community. Inspired by the namesake of the business, the mission is about creating a place to relax away from the hustle and bustle of work or school. Former art teachers May McCalmon and Sivian Bachar opened Unwind at 1059 Wealthy St. SE in January 2025. The space, formerly utilized by Forty Acres Soul Kitchen Cognac Bar, has been transformed to fit the colorful atmosphere. Upon entering, customers will be welcomed with colors like deep blue, pastel orange, mustard yellow, and dark purple as the backdrop, complemented by mismatched vintage wood bookcases, lounge chairs, and boho decor accents. But the big draw is the several rolls of yarn on display, hanging from pegboards on the wall and stacked in cubbies. There are also a variety of classes offered for fiber artists of all levels, from intro to knitting to crocheting a cabled headband. Prices range from $20 to $50. Learn more and book your spot at unwindgrstore.com/book-online. Holland Parks & Recreation Check out this one-day beginner hand quilting class on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at City On A Hill, 100 Pine St. in Zeeland. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., attendees can expect to learn the readiness and skills of hand piecing. All supplies are provided for this class. The cost to participate starts at $50 for residents and $65 for non-residents. The deadline to register online is Jan. 12. The Local Epicurean This business has been a staple in the Eastown neighborhood since opening in 2012 at 1436 Wealthy St. It specializes in infused pasta that is not only handcrafted from organic ingredients, but each pasta option has a different flavor made with a unique combination of herbs and vegetables. The Local Epicurean also offers a collection of homemade sauces and chocolate delicacies. What makes this spot a perfect place to start a new hobby is the pasta-making classes. Available for parties of 2 to 12 guests, the new Pasta Maestro Series classes are designed to help guests master the art of making pasta and simple sauce techniques. All options include a three-course meal featuring two courses of pasta and a dessert of Italian Tiramisu. Prices start at $99 per person. To learn more and book a class, call 616-206-5175. Terra Firma Bouldering Co. This indoor, family-friendly bouldering gym is located at 1555 Marshall Ave. SE in Grand Rapids. Terra Frima offers climbing routes for all skill levels. There is also a yoga studio and classes, and private event offerings. First-time climbers, ages 18 and over, must sign a waiver online before entering. Guests can purchase a day pass and rent climbing shoes and chalk at the front desk. Day passes start at $19, but there are also 10-punch passes for $170. Chalk and climbing shoes are $2-$5. There are also monthly and annual memberships available. Visit climbterrafirma.com to learn more. Brush Studio Brush Studio is West Michigans premier paint and sip space in downtown Grand Rapids. The door to enter is located at 11 Ionia Ave. NW. The studio offers weekly classes, private parties, team events, showers and more. Our recipe is simple. We mix creativity and camaraderie with paint and instruction, add a little music, a glass of wine or a craft beerand voila," according to the Brush Studio website. The results are simply magical. The Sip Brush Bar is stocked with a variety of beverages, including wine, beer, ciders, soda and bottled water. Classes start at $30 per person. To register and learn more, visit brushgr.com. JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Friday that long-term government interventions have contributed to a gradual reduction in the country's poverty levels. Speaking at a gala dinner in South Africa's North West province, Ramaphosa cited the latest poverty trends report released by Statistics South Africa, which shows that poverty levels have recorded a notable decline since 2006. Ramaphosa said the decline in poverty levels over the past decade, despite low economic growth and rising unemployment, could be attributed to pro-poor government policies. "A significant portion of the budget is directed toward social support. We spend 61 percent of the budget, amounting to about 2 trillion rand (about 121 billion U.S. dollars), on social projects and social welfare programs," he added. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Police have found a body that washed up on the shore of Lake Michigan in Park Township, Ottawa County, authorities said. The Ottawa County Sheriffs Office was called to the shoreline by an individual who was walking on the beach and located the body on Jan. 9, according to a news release from the sheriffs office. The death is currently under investigation. There is no threat to the public. STURGIS, MI The iconic Strand Theater closed its doors on Dec. 31, 2025. The historic Southwest Michigan venue is on the market for $549,900, through CENTURY 21 Affiliated. An Experience Sturgis plaque notes the building at 219/221 W. Chicago Road has housed a movie theater since 1911. A 1915 advertisement in the city directory that invited residents out to the Crystal Theatre for moving pictures and vaudeville, according to the plaque. Strand Theater in downtown Sturgis on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. The movie theater closed its doors on Dec. 31, 2025, after 63 years in business. There has been a movie theater at the 219/221 W Chicago Road location since 1911. The historic venue is on the market for $549,900. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com) A downtown theater like that is a big part of our community. It has been for a number of years, Sturgis City Manager Andrew Kuk said. Definitely a hard thing to see that close. Our downtown is the heartbeat of our community and places like the Strand are part of what makes it great. Kuk described the marquee as a landmark in Sturgis. He has fond memories himself of seeing movies there with friends. The venue features 12,000 square feet with multiple auditoriums and a common area. The listing said the space is ideal for continued cinema operations, live events, retail or mixed-use redevelopment and is perfect for developers, investors, or creative entrepreneurs looking to revitalize a historic community centerpiece with endless potential. Looking inside the window at Strand Theater in downtown Sturgis on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, shows a still full concession stand. The movie theater closed its doors on Dec. 31, 2025, after 63 years in business. There has been a movie theater at the 219/221 W Chicago Road location since 1911. The historic venue is on the market for $549,900. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com) The Strand has recently undergone some renovation, with new roofing, HVAC systems, sound equipment and upgraded seating. The Strand Theatre, with its iconically colorful marquee, is a staple of downtown Sturgis. There has been an outpouring of memories throughout Sturgis Facebook pages, remembering the movie theater and the first movies the community saw there. The Strand Theatres website is empty now, save the words Your hometown theater and Thank You! The message on the website mirrors the current black lettering on the marquee. No longer is there an advertisement for the next movie playing, instead the message: From the Saitz Family a heartfelt thank you. Eric Saitz was the owner of the theater. The Strands Facebook page notes the movie theater is family-owned and operated, and in 2025, it celebrated 63 years in the family. Two of the last movies shown at the theater before closing were Avatar: Fire and Ash and The SpongeBob Movie. American moviegoers are now more likely to stream a movie than see it in theaters, according to The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Its a change that may have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kuk said the citys first hope is that someone will reopen it as a community theater, but understands the situation may not allow for that. Sturgis is open to whatever may take its place and wants to see the venue filled downtown. Wed love to see someone reopen the Strand and make use of it again, Kuk said. The Strand Theater did not respond to interview requests from MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette. BRANCH COUNTY, MI A jury convicted a man of sexual assaults of young girls and a drug crime after he was extradited from Mexico. On Thursday, Jan. 8, Anthony Cuyler, 47, of Branch County was convicted of three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of delivery of methamphetamine to a minor, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. Cuyler was extradited to Michigan from Mexico in April 2024. He was charged by the Branch County Prosecuting Attorneys Office in 2019 with sexually assaulting two girls, ages 11 and 12 years old, and providing them with methamphetamine. Cuyler fled and eluded authorities for years before being located in Mexico. The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the extradition as part of Operation Survivor Justice, a law enforcement partnership to locate, apprehend and return to Michigan fugitive offenders with outstanding sexual assault warrants. Cold case sexual assaults are among the most challenging to prosecute, Nessel said. My office will continue to leverage these partnerships to pursue justice for sexual assault survivors. The Department of Attorney General led the prosecution of this case. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Bookmark MLives local Kalamazoo news page. Following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minnesota, a Muskegon sandwich shop publicly banned all ICE agents from its premises, sparking both intense support and backlash. Fatty Lumpkins Sandwich Shack responded immediately after the Wednesday, Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mom of three. She was shot in the head while in her SUV by an ICE agent in a Minneapolis residential neighborhood during protests of ongoing immigration crackdowns. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good weaponized her vehicle and tried to run over one of the officers after disregarding orders to exit her vehicle. She said the agent feared for his life and fired defensive shots. But the shops co-owner said the video of the encounter tells a different story. These are four takeaways from the original article. A Michigan sandwich shop banned ICE agents Fatty Lumpkins Sandwich Shack in Muskegon announced via a viral, expletive-laden Facebook post that ICE agents are no longer welcome in the establishment without a warrant. The post directly condemned the agencys murderous ways and disregard for due process following the shooting of Good, a U.S. citizen born in Colorado, who recently moved to Minneapolis. The shops stance drew both backlash and overwhelming support The social media post generated a polarized reaction, with some customers vowing to boycott the business for being political. The shop, however, received a flood of in-person support, resulting in a record day with long lines, high sales, and customers leaving tips without ordering. The owner defends his right to take a political stand Co-owner Brett Gilbert stated he has always used his platform to speak on political issues and that some things are more important than losing customers. He argued that telling business owners they cannot have a voice clips the wings of some of the countrys most creative and hard-working people. The shooting sparked broader political action The fatal shooting had ripple effects beyond the sandwich shop, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calling on ICE agents to leave his city. In West Michigan, activists cited Goods killing at a Kent County Board of Commissioners meeting, demanding that local authorities cease cooperation with ICE. Did our AI summary help? 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. Students and their parents leave the Taipei Confucius Temple after praying for good luck in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, Jan. 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Chenghao) TAIPEI, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of high school students and their parents gathered on Saturday at the Taipei Confucius Temple to pray for good luck in an upcoming college entrance exam. Honoring Confucius, China's most revered ancient educator, the Taipei Confucius Temple held a special prayer ceremony for candidates of the General Scholastic Ability Test, a major college entrance exam that will take place in mid-January this year. Students wrote their names, dates of birth, home addresses, exam locations and candidate numbers on prayer cards provided by the temple. They then followed ritual procedures, including bowing to the memorial tablet of Confucius, before the cards were collected and placed in a blessing box. "I felt a sense of calm when bowing and praying," said an examinee surnamed Wu. "Preparations for the exam have been quite stressful lately. Today, I hope to express my respect to Confucius, and also draw encouragement from the sense of ritual." Some parents offered prayers on behalf of their children. One parent, surnamed Chen, shared that she prayed for her daughter, who had been working extremely hard in preparation for the exam. "There isn't much we can do as parents to help her directly, and I just hope that paying respects to Confucius at the temple can bring her some peace of mind," she said. Huang Sui-ping, a staff member at the Taipei Confucius Temple, said the temple had held prayer ceremonies for college entrance examinees for more than a decade. "The purpose is to convey good wishes through traditional rituals, in the hope of helping students ease exam-related stress and do their best in the exam," Huang said. Quote of the Day by Nikola Tesla: Life is and will ever remain an equation incapable of solution, but it Did our AI summary help? Ragini Jaiswal Entertainment journalist and content writer with 3+ years of experience covering Bollywood, lifestyle trends, and celebrity stories across leading digital platforms. Did our AI summary help? hrithik roshan with father and sister Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma responded to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's remarks in which the latter said India will have a hijab-clad prime minister one day. Did our AI summary help? The Jio listing would add to strong momentum in India's IPO market over the last couple of years; it ranked as the world's No. 2 primary equity issuance market in 2025, raising $21.6 billion as of December 18, according to LSEG data. DAMASCUS, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Syrian internal security forces on Saturday began entering Sheikh Maqsoud, the last Kurdish-held neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo, to secure the area after the army declared its military clearance operations complete. Citing a government source, the state-run SANA news agency said the deployment, coordinated with the army, aims to complete search-and-sweep operations and stabilize the predominantly Kurdish neighborhood. SANA showed footage of security forces fanning out and reported that Aleppo's internal security chief Mohammad Abdul Ghani had toured the area and met with residents. The army had earlier declared Sheikh Maqsoud a closed military zone after deadlines for Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters to withdraw expired. Shortly after the entry, the Syrian army's Operations Command announced in a statement a halt to all military operations in the neighborhood starting at 3:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT), citing efforts to de-escalate fighting and restore state control. The statement added that the army would begin handing over all health and government facilities in the neighborhood to state institutions and gradually withdraw from the streets of Sheikh Maqsoud as security arrangements are finalized. Meanwhile, the SDF said in a statement its fighters have continued what it described as "resistance" against attacks by government forces backed by Turkish drones. Earlier on Saturday, a member of the SDF detonated himself near army units in Sheikh Maqsoud, without causing casualties, according to SANA. Meanwhile, the Syrian army's Operations Command said three Syrian soldiers were killed and more than 12 others wounded in SDF attacks on its positions in Aleppo, accusing the group of systematic shelling and attacks on civilian areas before military targets. The violence marks a breakdown in a March 2025 agreement intended to integrate Kurdish civil and military institutions, including the SDF, into the Syrian state. Following stalled implementation, the Defense Ministry on Wednesday declared all SDF positions in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh -- under Kurdish control since 2012 -- as "legitimate targets." Aleppo has seen days of intense clashes and reciprocal shelling between government forces and the SDF, causing large-scale civilian displacement from affected neighborhoods. The fund managed assets worth Rs 2,492.97 crore at the end of December ( fund mobilised in NFO). Of this, equity investments accounted for Rs 479.96 crore, or 19.24 per cent of net assets, while Rs 1,998.59 crore, or 80.17 per cent, was held in reverse repo and TREPS. Net receivables stood at Rs 14.42 crore, or 0.59 per cent of assets. The proposals are part of Sebi's broader push to facilitate ease of doing business across stock exchanges, including commodity derivatives exchanges. You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK He went via public transport and last contacted his friends and family on December 30 Agency alleges obstruction during searches and claims Rs 20 crore hawala transfers to I-PAC; Mamata Banerjee denies wrongdoing and leads protest. Brij Bhushan lost his balance and tumbles forward before falling face first on stage. (Courtesy: X) Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Hijab-clad woman can be PM: Asaduddin Owaisi contrasts Indias Constitution with Pakistan Before moving the Supreme Court, the ED had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking registration of an FIR against Mamata Banerjee for allegedly obstructing its search operations. Police say the occupants were intoxicated; one person has been detained while others fled as hospitals treat the injured. ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Saturday dismissed reports of its dissolution as "fabricated and legally void," saying the claims were made under coercion and without any legitimate authority. According to a statement posted on social media platform X, the STC said its National Assembly, Consultative Council and General Secretariat held an emergency meeting in the southern port city of Aden, accusing Saudi Arabia of detaining its negotiating delegation in Riyadh and forcing them to issue the dissolution statement under pressure. The alleged dissolution came from an unauthorized party under pressure and therefore carries no legal or political validity, the council stated. The STC said it remains "fully legitimate and operational," stressing that its mandate has derived from the southern Yemeni people since its establishment in 2017. Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of its detained members, the council urged the UN and international partners to "respect the will of the southern people" and reject any political process that marginalizes their representatives. The denial follows reports from Yemeni state media on Friday that an STC delegation in Riyadh had announced the council's self-dissolution and the closure of all its offices inside and outside the country. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen on Thursday also claimed STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi secretly left Yemen after failing to attend peace talks in Riyadh. Allegedly backed by the United Arab Emirates, the STC seeks southern Yemen's self-determination and eventual independence. Despite joining the Saudi-led coalition and integrating into Yemen's ruling PLC in 2022, the group continues to push for sovereignty for the south, fuelling recurring disputes over power-sharing and control of resources. After the RJD was drubbed in the Bihar assembly polls last year, Acharya, a doctor by qualification, who chose to become a homemaker and settled down with her Singapore-based husband, had announced that she was quitting politics and severed ties with the family The contempt plea was filed against government authorities for allegedly wilfully disobeying an order directing that the ceremonial lamp be lit on the Deepa Thoon (lamp pillar) located at the summit of the hill. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Mamata vs ED: After I-PAC raids, she alleges coal scam money reached Amit Shah via Suvendu Adhikari Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Mans 40-year live-in family gets relief as Delhi High Court tells Centre 'no legitimate reason' to withhold pension Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Pak's hurried constitutional amendments acknowledgement of its Op Sindoor failure, says CDS Chauhan PM Modi received a rousing welcome as he arrived at Somnath Temple to attend the Somnath Swabhiman parv, which is being organised from January 8-11, marking 1000 years of faith and India's history. To gain the trust of victims, the fraudsters shared photographs of female models and claimed meetings would be arranged. (Representative image) Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Scientists say male factors play major role in couple infertility; say genetic tech can spot cause Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Sena (UBT) slams BJP's Annamalai for saying Mumbai is not Maharashtra city Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to 'Solely of deletion and exclusion': Mamata Banerjee writes to CEC Gyanesh Kumar on mechanical SIR in West Bengal SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday ordered a joint military-police probe into the possibility that the drone cited in the "drone infiltration" claim by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was civilian-operated, Yonhap News Agency reported. Lee warned that if confirmed, it would constitute a grave criminal offense, the report said. Rewati Karan is Senior Sub Editor at Moneycontrol. She covers law, politics, business, and national affairs. She was previously Principal Correspondent at Financial Express and Copyeditor at ThePrint where she wrote feature stories and covered legal news. She has also worked extensively in social media, videos and podcasts at ThePrint and India Today. She can be reached at rewati.karan@nw18.com | Twitter: @RewatiKaran This decision has been taken in view of the incidents of theft, robbery, and fraud that have occurred in several districts, they claimed. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to 'We will win over 200 Assembly constituencies,' says Tamil Nadu CM Stalin Mamata Banerjee said that her presence at the I-PAC office during the raid was justified. I have done nothing wrong." Police are scanning CCTV footage from the area and questioning local residents to reconstruct the events leading up to the shooting. Amitabh Sinha is the executive editor of News18 India. He has extensive experience in print and TV journalism. He started his career with Patna's 'Times of India' and reported for almost 14 years at 'Aaj Tak'. He has been associated with Network18 since 2015. writes with equal authority in Hindi and English languages and has reported on many important events and incidents in India and abroad. He has a long experience in parliamentary journalism and has special grasp of e policies and schemes of the government. He writes regularly on News18's website in both Hindi and English languages. He is a post graduate from Delhi University. X- @amitabhnews18 Indian techie who grew up below poverty line set to retire at 34 to travel full-time: 'Be your own Santa' Scientists have discovered that most birds-of-paradise species emit biofluorescence, glowing yellow green under ultraviolet light. Studying museum specimens, researchers found the trait widespread across feathers and mouths, especially in non monogamous species. Birds can likely see these glowing signals more clearly than humans, leading scientists to suspect biofluorescence enhances courtship displays and social communication in these famously ornamental birds. Did our AI summary help? Horned ceratopsian dinosaurs, long believed absent from Europe, were actually present but misidentified for decades. New CT scans and 3D modelling of fossils from Hungary and Romania reveal they were wrongly classified as other dinosaur groups. The findings confirm ceratopsians lived in Europe during the Late Cretaceous and suggest many European fossil collections may need re-examination, reshaping understanding of dinosaur evolution and distribution. Did our AI summary help? Scientists using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have identified the fastest-spinning asteroid of its size ever recorded. The skyscraper-sized asteroid, 2025 MN45, completes a rotation in just 113 seconds, suggesting unusual internal strength. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the discovery highlights the power of Rubins survey, which has already revealed thousands of new asteroids and promises many more insights into how the solar system formed and evolved. Did our AI summary help? Farmers celebrate after receiving year-end bonuses in Anyi County of Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 9, 2026. Ling Jihe, a rural entrepreneur in Anyi County, distributed year-end bonuses totaling 21.29 million yuan (about 3.05 million U.S. dollars) to his team on Friday, extending his 15-year tradition of rewarding outstanding farmers. Since founding an agricultural company in 2010, Ling has been hiring local farmers to cultivate land under the company's management. Farmers receive a basic monthly salary in advance, with year-end bonuses tied to annual output performance. The company also provides a full range of services including seed selection, sowing, weeding and harvesting. In 2025, Ling's team achieved a grain output of 63.5 million kilograms. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi) Farmers celebrate after receiving year-end bonuses in Anyi County of Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 9, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi) Farmers receive year-end bonuses in Anyi County of Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 9, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi) Farmers celebrate after receiving year-end bonuses in Anyi County of Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 9, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi) Farmers pose for photos with Ling Jihe (3rd L) after receiving year-end bonuses in Anyi County of Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 9, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi) Ling Jihe arranges stacks of cash for distribution in Anyi County of Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 9, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi) A year-end bonus distribution event is held in Anyi County of Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 9, 2026.(Xinhua/Zhou Mi) 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 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 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. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to A rare sighting: Doomsday Plane spotted across US locations with defense chief aboard; heres what we know Protest against the lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh, near Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. (Courtesy: Reuters photo) Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Bangladesh: Another Hindu youth killed as violence against minorities surges ahead of elections QUITO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Four members of the same family were killed in a shooting attack late Thursday in Machala, one of Ecuador's most violent cities, local media reported on Friday. Police said the attack occurred around midnight at a home where attackers posing as police officers shot four people dead and then set the house on fire. The victims were a 13-year-old girl, a 17-year-old boy, a 40-year-old woman, and a 41-year-old man with a criminal record for robbery and drug-related offenses. The attack was reportedly aimed at another resident who survived by hiding in a bathroom. She told police she had received threats hours earlier from a former partner allegedly linked to a criminal gang. Machala, in Ecuador's southern coastal province of El Oro near the Peruvian border, remains under a state of emergency amid rising organized crime. Ecuador has been under an "internal armed conflict" declared by President Daniel Noboa since January 2024. Cuba looks like it is ready to fall, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. I don't know if they're going to hold out, but Cuba now has no income," he said. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Could Vladimir Putin face a fate like Maduro? What Donald Trump said: Very disappointed The entrance of 'El Helicoide', a detention centre of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service. (Courtesy: Reuters photo) Danish and Greenlandic officials have indicated they are open to expanded US cooperation under existing frameworks, but insist the island is not for sale. Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Mohammad Ashfaq Rana publicly criticized the Pakistani government, exposing cracks in the state's long-standing support for militant groups. His outburst signals eroding control as economic crisis and discontent weaken Islamabad's grip. Did our AI summary help? President Trump reiterated that he ended the India-Pakistan conflict and other wars, including an assertion about eight planes shot down, even as India rejects US mediation. Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All Killing of Hindu activist triggers protests in Pakistans Sindh: Blood of Kailash Kohli demands justice OTTAWA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian government on Friday approved the deployment of a specialized military team to the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Manitoba province to address a severe infrastructure crisis following a prolonged power outage. Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski announced the decision in a statement posted on X, saying that the team will provide targeted assessment and advisory support focused on water treatment and sewage systems, power generation, project management and logistics. This deployment came in response to a state of emergency declared by the Pimicikamak Cree Nation on Dec. 29, 2025, after a snapped power line left the community without electricity for days amid freezing temperatures. According to local media, the outage caused extensive damage, including burst pipes, sewage backups, and compromised water and heating systems. Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias had been advocating for the deployment of the Canadian Armed Forces to provide emergency logistical support. He told local media that at least 200 homes were unlivable due to the damage, and the vast majority of the community's more than 1,300 homes have yet to be assessed for damage. About 4,000 residents of the First Nation, which has an on-reserve population of around 7,000, have been evacuated to other communities across the province, local media reported. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to How secret diplomacy to broker safe exit for Maduro collapsed before US forces moved in He made the remarks during the weekly press briefing here in the national capital. NATO is facing its most uncomfortable crisis yet and Europe does not know how to stop it Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Six killed in series of shootings in eastern Mississippi; suspect in custody Tarique Rahman says Bangladesh has no reason to return to pre-August 5 politics as he takes charge of BNP Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to The coldest moment in recorded history and the lonely station that logged it Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to The New Yorker cover showing Trump drinking oil from a barrel goes viral An oil refinery on Lake Maracaibo in Maracaibo, Zulia state, Venezuela. Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Trump reads Marco Rubios note at oil executives meeting, heres what it said People attend a protest in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 9, 2026. Large numbers of Japanese residents rallied in Tokyo on Friday evening to protest Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's evasive stance on U.S. military strikes against Venezuela, as well as a series of dangerous recent military policy moves by her administration. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng) TOKYO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Large numbers of Japanese residents rallied in Tokyo on Friday evening to protest Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's evasive stance on U.S. military strikes against Venezuela, as well as a series of dangerous recent military policy moves by her administration. The protest, jointly organized by multiple civic groups, began at 7 p.m. local time in front of the prime minister's official residence, with demonstrators holding signs to express their demands, including "Force cannot create peace," "We need politics that uphold the constitution," and "No war anywhere on earth." The residents condemned Washington's brazen military operation against Venezuela and urged the Takaichi government to make a clear and responsible statement. They also voiced strong concern over Takaichi's intention to revise the country's non-nuclear principles and other military policies. Protester Moriya told Xinhua that the U.S. action clearly violated international law and that Takaichi should have stated unequivocally that "Japan cannot form an alliance with a country that resorts to the use of force, let alone fight alongside it." She added that as the leader of the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks, Takaichi's failure to make such a point, while instead seeking to revise the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," was "extremely shameful." Another protester, Motoko Kato, said she had "lost all expectations" of Takaichi, noting that Japan should have voiced opposition regarding the situation in Venezuela, but the prime minister remained silent. "If you do not speak out, it is equivalent to acquiescence and approval," she said. In recent days, the international community has widely condemned the U.S. military for launching a large-scale military operation in Venezuela and the forcible seizure of its president and the president's wife. However, Takaichi has continued to avoid making a clear statement regarding the actions of the U.S. military. While her social media posts largely echoed the Japanese Foreign Ministry's wording, she deliberately omitted any mention of "international law," with the focus placed solely on the safety of Japanese nationals in Venezuela, which has drawn widespread criticism from the Japanese public. People attend a protest in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 9, 2026. Large numbers of Japanese residents rallied in Tokyo on Friday evening to protest Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's evasive stance on U.S. military strikes against Venezuela, as well as a series of dangerous recent military policy moves by her administration. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng) People attend a protest in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 9, 2026. Large numbers of Japanese residents rallied in Tokyo on Friday evening to protest Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's evasive stance on U.S. military strikes against Venezuela, as well as a series of dangerous recent military policy moves by her administration. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng) People attend a protest in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 9, 2026. Large numbers of Japanese residents rallied in Tokyo on Friday evening to protest Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's evasive stance on U.S. military strikes against Venezuela, as well as a series of dangerous recent military policy moves by her administration. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng) People attend a protest in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 9, 2026. Large numbers of Japanese residents rallied in Tokyo on Friday evening to protest Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's evasive stance on U.S. military strikes against Venezuela, as well as a series of dangerous recent military policy moves by her administration. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng) People attend a protest in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 9, 2026. Large numbers of Japanese residents rallied in Tokyo on Friday evening to protest Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's evasive stance on U.S. military strikes against Venezuela, as well as a series of dangerous recent military policy moves by her administration. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng) Asked if he was considering making a financial offer to the people of the island to entice them to join the US, Trump said he was not talking about money for Greenland yet. Loans up to OTHERS OTHERS co-presented by Follow us on: Loans up to My Account or or Hello, Login All US protests loom after ICE shooting of Renee Good amid local-federal investigation rift Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to US seizes Olina tanker in Caribbean, fifth vessel taken in Venezuela blockade Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Who is Noor Ahmed Noor?: First Afghan envoy posted to India since Taliban takeover Loans up to Follow us on: Loans up to Why Iranian women are lighting cigarettes with the Supreme Leaders image Why Trumps claim that the War Powers law is unconstitutional does not hold up People hold signs and candles during a protest after the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Arizona. (Courtesy: Reuters photo) SYDNEY, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Over 200,000 people in northeast Australia were on Saturday advised to prepare for damaging winds, heavy rain and flooding as a tropical cyclone approaches the coast. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on Saturday said that a tropical low storm system is likely to develop into a category one tropical cyclone before making landfall on the northeast coast of the state of Queensland in the early hours of Sunday morning. A cyclone warning issued by the BoM for a 470 km stretch of coast, including the city of Townsville with a population of around 230,000 people and resort islands, said that damaging wind gusts up to 100 km per hour and heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding are forecast to develop during Saturday. It said that intense rainfall in towns southeast of Townsville may cause dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding. The same region was hit by widespread devastating flooding in January 2025. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television on Saturday morning that swift water rescue boats, as well as police, firefighters, and State Emergency Service personnel, have been pre-positioned in the area to aid with the response. "I do want Queenslanders to know we're better prepared than ever before," he said. Yves here. As we document via our Links that are firing very soon, Trumps bluster about the US developing and selling Venezuelas oil is already going pear-shaped, with Exxons CEO calling Venezuela uninvestible. But the US still has its blockade on and has seized a fifth tanker, so the Administration still has the means to squeeze Venezuela. Douglas Macgregor has forecast that the Administration will realize in a few weeks that in Venezuela that they have bitten off more than they can chew, and will simply stop talking about it and will instead make noise about the target du jour, likely Iran or perhaps Greenland. Since Iran and Greenland were on the menu, lets hope hes right and that the US quietly retreats from its control Venezuela caper. By Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace. and co-author, with Nicolas J.S. Davies, of War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict and Nicolas J. S. Davies, an independent journalist and author of Blood On Our Hands: the American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq As the Senate voted to advance a War Powers Resolution on Venezuela on January 8th, Republican Senator Susan Collins declared that she did not agree with a sustained engagement running Venezuela. The world was mystified when President Donald Trump first said that the United States would run Venezuela. He has since made it clear that he wants to control Venezuela by imposing a US monopoly on selling its oil to the rest of the world, to trap the Venezuelan government in a subservient relationship with the United States. The US Energy Department has published a plan to sell Venezuelan oil already seized by the United States and then to use the same system for all future Venezuelan oil exports. The US would dictate how the revenues are divided between the US and Venezuela, and continue this form of control indefinitely. Trump is planning to meet with US oil company executives on Friday, January 9th, to discuss his plan. Trumps plan would cut off Venezuelas trade with China, Russia, Iran and other countries, and force it to spend its oil revenues on goods and services from the United States. This new form of economic colonialism would also prevent Venezuela from continuing to spend the bulk of its oil revenues on its generous system of social spending, which has lifted millions of Venezuelans out of poverty. However, on January 7th, the New York Times reported that Venezuela has other plans. Venezuelas state-run oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, confirmed for the first time that it was negotiating the sale of crude oil to the United States, the Times reported. It said in a statement on social media that it was using frameworks similar to those currently in effect with international companies, such as Chevron, and is based on a strictly commercial transaction. Trump has threatened further military action to remove acting president Delcy Rodriguez from office if she does not comply with US plans for Venezuela. But Trump has already bowed to reality in his decision to cooperate with Rodriguez, recognizing that Maria Corina Machado, the previous US favorite, does not have popular support in Venezuela. The very presence of Delcy Rodriguez as acting president exposes the failure of Trumps regime change operation and his well-grounded reluctance to unleash yet another unwinnable US war. After the US invasion and abduction of President Maduro on January 3rd, Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Acting President, reaffirming her loyalty to President Maduro and taking charge of running the country in his absence. But who is Delcy Rodriguez, and how is she likely to govern Venezuela? As a compliant and coerced US puppet, or as the leader of an undefeated and independent Venezuela? Delcy Rodriguez was seven years old in 1976, when her father was tortured and beaten to death as a political prisoner in Venezuela. Jorge Antonio Rodriguez was the 34-year-old co-founder of the Socialist League, a leftist political party, whom the government accused of a leading role in the kidnapping of William Niehous, a suspected CIA officer working under cover as an Owens Corning executive. Jorge Rodriguez was arrested and died in state custody after interrogation by Venezuelan intelligence agents. While the official cause of death was listed as a heart attack, his autopsy found that he had suffered severe injuries consistent with torture, including seven broken ribs, a collapsed chest, and a detached liver. Delcy studied law in Caracas and Paris and became a labor lawyer, while her older brother Jorge became a psychiatrist. Delcy and her mother, Delcy Gomez, were in London during the failed US-backed coup in Venezuela in 2003, and they denounced the coup from the Venezuelan embassy in interviews with the BBC and CNN. Delcy and her older brother Jorge soon joined Hugo Chavezs Bolivarian government, and rose to a series of senior positions under Chavez and then Maduro: Delcy served as Foreign Minister from 2014 to 2017, and Economy and Finance Minister from 2020 to 2024, as well as Oil Minister and Vice President; Jorge was Vice President for a year under Chavez and then Mayor of Caracas for 8 years. On January 5th 2026, it fell to Jorge, now the president of the National Assembly, to swear in his sister as acting president, after the illegal US invasion and abduction of President Maduro. Delcy Rodriguez told her people and the world, I come as the executive vice president of the constitutional president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro Moros, to take the oath of office. I come with pain for the suffering that has been caused to the Venezuelan people after an illegitimate military aggression against our homeland. I come with pain for the kidnapping of two heroes who are being held hostage in the United States of America, President Nicolas Maduro and the first combatant, first lady of our country, Cilia Flores. I come with pain, but I must say that I also come with honor to swear in the name of all Venezuelans. I come to swear by our father, liberator Simon Bolivar. In other public statements, acting president Rodriguez has struck a fine balance between fierce assertions of Venezuelas independence and a pragmatic readiness to cooperate peacefully with the United States. On January 3rd, Delcy Rodriguez declared that Venezuela would never again be anyones colony. However, after chairing her first cabinet meeting the next day, she said that Venezuela was looking for a balanced and respectful relationship with the United States. She went on to say, We extend an invitation to the government of the US to work jointly on an agenda of cooperation, aimed at shared development, within the framework of international law, and that strengthens lasting peaceful coexistence, In a direct message to Trump, Rodriguez wrote, President Donald Trump: our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. That has always been President Nicolas Maduros conviction and it is that of all Venezuela at this moment. This is the Venezuela I believe in and to which I have dedicated my life. My dream is for Venezuela to become a great power where all decent Venezuelans can come together. Venezuela has the right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future. Alan McPherson, who chairs the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy at Temple University in the US, calls Delcy Rodriguez a pragmatist who helped stabilize the Venezuelan economy in recent times. However, speaking to Al Jazeera, he cautioned that any perceived humiliation by the Trump administration or demands seen as excessive could backfire and end the cooperation, making the relationship a difficult balance to achieve. After the US invasion on January 3rd, at least a dozen oil tankers set sail from Venezuela with their location transponders turned off, carrying 12 million barrels of oil, mostly to China, effectively breaking the US blockade. But then, on January 7th, US forces boarded and seized two more oil tankers with links to Venezuela, one in the Caribbean and a Russian one in the north Atlantic that they had been tracking for some time, making it clear that Trump is still intent on selectively enforcing the US blockade. Chevron has recalled American employees to work in Venezuela and resumed normal shipments to US refineries after a four-day pause. But other US oil companies are not eager to charge into Venezuela, where Trumps actions have so far only increased the political risks for any new US investments, amid a global surplus of oil supplies, low prices, and a world transitioning to cleaner, renewable energy. Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice is scrambling to make a case against President Maduro, after Trumps lawless war plan led to Maduros illegal arrest as the leader of a non-existent drug cartel in a foreign country where US domestic law does not apply. In his first court appearance in New York, Maduro identified himself as the president of Venezuela and a prisoner of war. Continuing to seize ships at sea and trying to shake down Venezuela for control of its oil revenues are not the balanced and respectful relationship that Delcy Rodriguez and the government of Venezuela are looking for, and the US position is not as strong as Trump and Rubios threats suggest. Under the influence of neocons like Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, Trump has marched the US to the brink of a war in Latin America that very few Americans support and that most of the world is united against. Mutual respect and cooperation with Rodriguez and other progressive Latin American leaders, like Lula in Brazil, Gustavo Petro in Colombia, and Mexicos Claudia Scheinbaum, offer Trump face-saving ways out of the ever-escalating crisis that he and his clueless advisers have blundered into. Trump has an eminently viable alternative to being manipulated into war by Marco Rubio: what the Chinese like to call win-win cooperation. Most Americans would favor that over the zero-sum game of hegemonic imperialism into which Rubio and Trump are draining our hard-earned tax dollars. The main obstacle to the peaceful cooperation that Trump says he wants is his own blind belief in US militarism and military supremacy. He wants to redirect US imperialism away from Europe, Asia, and Africa toward Latin America, but this is no more winnable or any more legitimate under international law, and its just as unpopular with the American people. If anything, there is greater public opposition to US aggression in our backyard than to US wars 10,000 miles away. Cuba, Venezuela, and Colombia are our close neighbors, and the consequences of plunging them into violence and chaos are more obvious to most Americans than the equally appalling human costs of more distant US wars. Trump understands that endless war is unpopular, but he still seems to believe that he can get away with one and done operations like bombing Iran and kidnapping President Maduro and his first lady. These attacks, however, have only solved imaginary problemsIrans non-existent nuclear weapons and Maduros non-existent drug cartelwhile exacerbating long-standing regional crises that US policy is largely responsible for, and which have no military solutions. Dealing with Trump is a difficult challenge for Delcy Rodriguez and other Latin American leaders, but they should all understand by now that caving to Trump or letting him pick them off one by one is a path to ruin. The world must stand together to deter aggression and defend the basic principles and rules of the UN Charter, under which all countries agree to settle disputes peacefully and not to threaten or use military force against each other. Any chance for a more peaceful world depends on finally starting to take those commitments seriously, as Trumps predecessors also failed to do. There is a growing movement organizing nationwide protests to tell Trump that the American people reject his wars and threats of war against our neighbors in Latin America and around the world. This is a critical moment to raise your voice and help to turn the tide against endless war. UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss Ukraine, according to a published UN Security Council schedule. The meeting will start at 3 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) on Monday, according to the schedule. Yves here. This article takes a celebratory tone about a community collective that serves the destitute and desperate. While members of the New Orleans acting together to help the homeless is admirable, the very existence of this center is an indictment of life in America. I lived in New York City in the bad old days of the early 1980s, right after its fiscal crisis. Then, there were flophouses called single room occupancy hotels, which provided very cheap lodging and kept many off the street. Its well documented that the high cost of housing is a big if not the driver of homelessness. And as for drug use, former prosecutor David in Friday Harbor has repeatedly pointed out that what in the UK is politely called sleeping rough often leads to drug use, that it becomes necessary to cope. A friend here got a commission as a writer in Australia to spend three nights on the street and report on his experience. He recounts that even in that short duration of simulated homelessness, found it impossible to sleep and was offered and took a substance, he knew not what, to enable him to get some shut eye. So the assumption that drug use leads to homelessness often has the causality backwards. By Aneri Pattani. Originally published at KFF Health News From the outside, the abandoned Family Dollar store in the Lower 9th Ward looks intimidating. Its covered in graffiti, with aluminum cans and trash dotting the parking lot. It sits on a street with other empty lots and decayed buildings symbols of the lasting devastation this neighborhood, one of the citys poorest, has endured since Hurricane Katrina. But inside, the store is a welcoming oasis. Twinkly string lights adorn racks of donated clothing. Shelves and bins overflow with childrens books, allergy medications, and toiletries. Curtains cordon off one side of the room, where theres a stage for musicians and a neon sign depicting roller skates for weekly free skate nights. The space is part free thrift store, part over-the-counter pharmacy, part punk show venue and wholly a radical community center, said Dan Bingler, who runs the place. Bingler is a waiter and bartender in the city who founded a mutual-aid organization called the Greater New Orleans Caring Collective. He said the building owners allow him to use the space as long as he pays the water, electricity, and trash bills. On Monday evenings, volunteers from other community organizations show up some used to set up in the parking lot before Bingler opened the store. They offer free testing for sexually transmitted infections, basic medical care, hot meals, and sterile syringes and other supplies for people who use drugs. The purpose of the space is simple, Bingler said: Were going to make sure we provide for the community. Although its been open for a few years now, the space has become even more crucial to this community in recent months, with the Trump administration slashing funding for many social service organizations and taking an aggressive approach to homelessness and drug use. In Washington, D.C., the administration has bulldozed tents to push people living on the street to leave the city. Nationally, it has called for people who use drugs to be forced into treatment. It has decried harm reduction practices that public health experts say keep people who use drugs safe and alive but that critics say promote illegal drug use. The community space in New Orleans named the Fred Hampton Free Store after the famous Black Panther activistknown for bringing together diverse groups to fight for social reforms aims to be a haven among this sea of changes. Dan Bingler, who runs the Fred Hampton Free Store, calls it a radical community center. The store offers visitors free items, all donated by people and groups in the community. Volunteers from other organizations often provide free basic medical care and harm reduction services on-site. (Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News) On Wednesday evenings, the store hosts free indoor roller-skating for the public. (Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News) It doesnt receive federal funding, state or local grants, or money from foundations, Bingler said. Its simply neighbors helping neighbors, he said, tearing up and adding, Its a really beautiful thing to be able to share all this space. All items inside are provided by people or organizations in the community. Bingler said one time a local hotel undergoing renovations donated 50 flat-screen TVs. On nights the store is open, often more than 100 people visit, Bingler said. One fall evening, dozens of people browsed for free clothing and over-the-counter medications. Others sat on the grass outside, chatting while keeping an eye on their bicycles or grocery carts full of possessions. James Beshears stopped by the harm reduction group in the parking lot to get sterile supplies he uses to inject heroin and fentanyl. He said hed been in treatment for years but relapsed after his doctor moved away and he was referred to a clinic that charged $250 a day. Street drugs were cheaper than treatment, he said. He wants to stop. But until he can find affordable care, places like the free store keep him going. Without it, he said, hed have one foot in the grave. Another man in the parking lot was waiting for the arrival of Aquil Bey, a paramedic and former Green Beret well known for helping people overcome obstacles to getting health care. As soon as the man spotted Beys black Jeep, he ran up. Ive got stage 4 kidney disease, the man said, adding that he was scheduled for treatments at a hospital but was struggling to get there. Do me a favor, Bey said as he unloaded folding tables and medical equipment from his car. When our team gets here, come and see us. Maybe we can get you transportation. Bey is the founder of Freestanding Communities, a volunteer-run organization that provides free basic medical care and referrals for people who are homeless, using drugs, or part of other vulnerable communities. The group has a steady presence at the free store. That day, Bey and his team connected the man needing kidney disease treatment to reduced-cost transit programs. They also did blood pressure and blood sugar checks for anyone who wanted them, cleaned infected wounds, and called clinics to make appointments for patients without phones. A man with a leg injury mentioned he was sleeping on the concrete floor of an abandoned naval base. Bey noticed the free stores furniture section had a mattress. He and another volunteer hauled it out, strapped it to the top of a car, and delivered it to where the man was sleeping. On Monday evenings, Freestanding Communities sets up supplies on a folding table inside the Fred Hampton Free Store and offers checkups, wound care, and other services to anyone who visits. (Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News) Were just trying to find all these barriers that people face and find ways to fix them, Bey said. The clinic at the free store helped Stephen Wiltz connect with addiction care. He grew up in the Lower 9th Ward and had been using drugs since he was 10. Fed up with discrimination from doctors who blamed him for his addiction, Wiltz said, he was reluctant to go to any treatment facility. But after years of knowing the volunteers at the free store, he trusted them to point him in the right direction. At 56, Wiltz was in sustained recovery for the first time in his life, he said during a phone interview in the fall. Those volunteers cared for people who didnt have nobody to care for them, he said. As the sun went down that fall evening at the store, a punk band started setting up for a show across the room from the medical clinic. Lights dimmed and music blared a reminder that this was not your everyday clinic or community center. Bey continued consulting with a patient who had gout. I get used to the sound, Bey said of the rapid drums and loud power chords. I like it sometimes. Part of the Fred Hampton Free Store functions as a punk concert venue. Dan Bingler, who runs the space, rents it out to bands at low cost, about $100 to $200 a night. That helps offset the water and electric bills he pays for the space. The concerts are typically open to all ages. (Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News) < Chokepoints of Power: The silent war for global domination in the waterways Naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan's principlewhoever controls maritime chokepoints controls the worldremains true today. Historical thalassocracies (Minoans, Phoenicians, Venice, Britain) rose and fell based on their grip over trade routes. The British Empire's collapse after losing control of Suez (1956) highlights the necessity of both naval power and political-economic resilience. The seven critical maritime chokepoints are the Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, Suez Canal, Panama Canal, Bab el-Mandeb, Turkish Straits and Arctic routes The book discusses how Beijing invests in bypasses of the Kra Canal (Thailand), China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Digital Yuan and BRI. It also tackles U.S. decline and asymmetric warfare, how China outpaces U.S. drydock capacity and how Russia/China lead in hypersonic missiles. It also notes how proxy wars backfire, sanctions pushing nations toward BRICS alternatives and how Small actors (such as Houthis backed by Iran) prove superpowers can be outmaneuvered. "Chokepoints of Power" offers solutions such as decentralizing supply chains, investing in tangible assets (gold, crypto) and building resilient communities. "Chokepoints of Power: The Hidden Battle for the World's Most Critical Sea Lanes" delivers a gripping, meticulously researched expose on the silent war being waged over the world's most vital maritime routes. This war shapes empires, dictates economic dominance and could determine the fate of nations in the coming decades. Drawing from historical precedents, military strategy and modern geopolitical maneuvering, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the hidden levers of global power. From the outset, the book establishes a fundamental truth: Whoever controls the sea lanes controls the world. This principle, articulated by naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan in the 19th century, remains as relevant today as it was during the height of the British Empire. The author traces the rise and fall of thalassocraciessea-based empiresfrom the Minoans and Phoenicians to Venice and Britain, demonstrating how mastery of maritime trade routes translated into economic supremacy. The British Empire's dominance, for instance, wasn't just built on naval might but on strategic control of chokepointsGibraltar, Suez, Singaporethat locked down global trade. Yet, as the book reveals, empires that lose control of these passages inevitably decline. The Suez Crisis of 1956 marked the end of British hegemony, proving that naval supremacy alone isn't enough. It must be backed by political will and economic resilience. The seven critical chokepoints The book meticulously dissects the seven most pivotal maritime chokepoints today: Strait of Hormuz : The jugular of global oil, where Iran's asymmetric warfare (drones, mines, fast-attack boats) threatens to strangle 20% of the world's petroleum supply. : The jugular of global oil, where Iran's asymmetric warfare (drones, mines, fast-attack boats) threatens to strangle 20% of the world's petroleum supply. Strait of Malacca : The Achilles' heel of China, through which 80% of its oil imports flow, leaving Beijing vulnerable to U.S. naval blockades. : The Achilles' heel of China, through which 80% of its oil imports flow, leaving Beijing vulnerable to U.S. naval blockades. Suez Canal : A man-made bottleneck where a single grounded ship (Ever Given, 2021) paralyzed $10 billion in daily trade. : A man-made bottleneck where a single grounded ship (Ever Given, 2021) paralyzed $10 billion in daily trade. Panama Canal : America's backyard lifeline, now infiltrated by Chinese port investments, raising fears of a future chokehold. : America's backyard lifeline, now infiltrated by Chinese port investments, raising fears of a future chokehold. Bab el-Mandeb : The "Gate of Tears," where Houthi rebels (backed by Iran) disrupt shipping, forcing reroutes around Africa. : The "Gate of Tears," where Houthi rebels (backed by Iran) disrupt shipping, forcing reroutes around Africa. Turkish Straits : Russia's only warm-water lifeline, vulnerable to NATO-backed closures. : Russia's only warm-water lifeline, vulnerable to NATO-backed closures. Arctic routes: The emerging battleground as melting ice opens new passages, with Russia and China racing to dominate. Each of these chokepoints is a potential flashpoint for conflictwhether through military confrontation, cyber sabotage or economic warfare. One of the book's most compelling sections explores China's desperate bid to escape its "Malacca Dilemma." Recognizing that the U.S. Navy could cripple its economy by blockading the Strait of Malacca, Beijing has embarked on a staggering infrastructure blitz: The Kra Canal (Thailand) : A proposed shortcut bypassing Malacca entirely. : A proposed shortcut bypassing Malacca entirely. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) : Linking Xinjiang to Gwadar Port, reducing reliance on sea lanes. : Linking Xinjiang to Gwadar Port, reducing reliance on sea lanes. Digital yuan and Belt and Road (BRI): Financial and logistical networks designed to sidestep U.S.-controlled systems. Yet, as the book warns, these efforts come with risks. Debt-trap diplomacy alienates host nations and overland routes cant fully replace maritime trade. The U.S. decline and the rise of asymmetric warfare While America still boasts the world's most powerful navy, the book exposes its strategic vulnerabilities: Outdated shipyards : China's drydock capacity dwarfs the U.S., enabling rapid fleet expansion. : China's drydock capacity dwarfs the U.S., enabling rapid fleet expansion. Hypersonic missile gap : Russia and China's advanced missiles render U.S. carriers vulnerable. : Russia and China's advanced missiles render U.S. carriers vulnerable. Proxy wars backfiring: Sanctions and economic warfare push nations toward BRICS alternatives. The Houthi rebels' success in disrupting Red Sea shipping proves that small, determined actors can outmaneuver superpowersa lesson China and Russia are keenly applying. The final chapters offer a sobering forecast: Economic warfare : The U.S. dollar's reserve status is under siege as BRICS nations push gold-backed alternatives. : The U.S. dollar's reserve status is under siege as BRICS nations push gold-backed alternatives. Cyber and EMP threats : Undersea cables, power grids and financial systems are ripe for sabotage. : Undersea cables, power grids and financial systems are ripe for sabotage. Direct military confrontation: Taiwan, the South China Sea and Panama could spark global conflict. The book doesn't just diagnose the problem. It provides actionable solutions for individuals and nations: Decentralize supply chains : Localize food, energy and production to withstand disruptions. : Localize food, energy and production to withstand disruptions. Invest in tangible assets : Gold, silver and cryptocurrency hedge against financial collapse. : Gold, silver and cryptocurrency hedge against financial collapse. Build resilient communities: Mutual aid networks and self-sufficiency skills are critical. "Chokepoints of Power" is more than a geopolitical treatiseit's a survival manual for the 21st century. The author's blend of historical insight, military analysis and forward-thinking strategy makes this book indispensable for preppers, investors and patriots alike. The message is clear: The battle for the world's sea lanes is already underway. Those who understand the stakesand prepare accordinglywill navigate the coming storm. Those who don't will be swept away. Grab a copy of "Chokepoints of Power: The Hidden Battle for the World's Most Critical Sea Lanes" via this link. To read more books for free, visit Books.BrightLearn.AI. You can also visit BrightLearn.AI to create your own books for free. Watch Michael Yon and Health Ranger Mike Adams discussing Panama, Pakistan, India, Russia and sea routes for energy and trade in this clip from the "Health Ranger Report." This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: BrightLearn.ai Books.BrightLearn.ai Brighteon.com An interstellar enigma and a wall of secrecy: CIA wont confirm or deny existence of alien mothership The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS exhibits unexplained acceleration and composition, challenging scientific norms. Harvard's Avi Loeb suggests its anomalies could indicate an artificial, technological origin. NASA has publicly classified the object as a natural comet, despite its puzzling behavior. The CIA has refused to confirm or deny possessing any records on 3I/ATLAS, citing classified intelligence methods. This discrepancy raises significant questions about government transparency and national security protocols regarding potential extraterrestrial technology. In late 2025, a mysterious visitor from deep space, designated 3I/ATLAS, began behaving in ways that defied easy explanation, prompting a renowned Harvard astrophysicist to publicly question if it was a piece of alien technology. Now, a terse, classified response from the Central Intelligence Agency to a routine records request has ignited a firestorm, pitting official scientific declarations against opaque national security protocols and forcing a sobering debate: Is the government hiding its true concerns about what is flying through our solar system? A cosmic puzzle defying easy answers The third interstellar object ever detected, 3I/ATLAS, has been a source of intense scrutiny since its discovery. Data confirmed it experienced a non-gravitational speed increasea trait of comets outgassingyet its other features stray into the anomalous. It displayed a persistent "anti-tail" jet pointing toward the Sun, an unusual rotational alignment, and a chemical signature with a nickel-to-iron ratio reminiscent of industrial alloys. For Dr. Avi Loeb of Harvard University, these collective oddities warrant serious consideration that the object could be artificial, a relic of an advanced civilization. This hypothesis, while controversial, is rooted in a scientific analysis of the object's unprecedented characteristics. Official story vs. intelligence silence The public position from the scientific establishment, led by NASA, has been one of definitive natural explanation. In a November 2025 press conference, agency officials stated conclusively that 3I/ATLAS was a comet. However, this certainty was directly challenged weeks later. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request by researcher John Greenewald Jr., the CIA issued a standard but potent refusal: It could "neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of records" related to the object. This response, known as a Glomar response, is typically reserved for matters touching on highly classified intelligence sources and methods. The dissonance is stark: If the object is unquestionably a natural comet, why would the very existence of government records about it be a state secret? The "black swan" calculus and national security The most logical interpretation of the CIAs position is not proof of alien technology, but proof of a serious risk assessment. National security agencies are tasked with considering low-probability, high-impact eventsso-called "black swans." The potential societal and strategic consequences of an interstellar object being anything other than inert rock are immense, even if the probability is deemed extremely low. Historically, intelligence failures often stem from dismissing unlikely scenarios. The CIAs non-response suggests that, while NASA communicated the likely scientific conclusion to the public, security agencies may have conducted a parallel, classified analysis to rule out a potential threat. This two-track approach aims to prevent public panic over a remote possibility while still fulfilling the governments duty to investigate. A precedent of secrecy and public distrust This event did not occur in a vacuum. It follows decades of public fascination and official obfuscation regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), marked by decades of dismissals and declassifications that have eroded trust. The CIAs response to 3I/ATLAS taps directly into this legacy. When a scientific anomaly intersects with national security, the default posture of secrecy often fuels more speculation than it quells. The refusal to transparently address why an object publicly labeled a "comet" merits intelligence classification undermines public confidence and feeds narratives of a concealed truth. Vigilance in the void The journey of 3I/ATLAS through our solar system continues, and with it, the opportunity for observation. Astronomers will gather more data on its composition and behavior as it departs. The ultimate resolution of its naturenatural comet or something elseremains for science to determine. However, the CIAs wall of silence has already answered a different, perhaps more terrestrial, question. It confirms that the U.S. government, when faced with a cosmic unknown that exhibits provocative anomalies, still retreats behind a veil of classification. This response underscores a enduring reality: in the intersection between frontier science and national security, the imperative to prepare for any possibility, however remote, continues to trump the publics desire for transparency, ensuring that the debate over what lurks in the dark between the stars is as much about governance on Earth as it is about mysteries from the heavens. Sources for this article include: TheNationalPulse.com Medium.com Wionews.com Border invasion: Bugs bringing Chagas outbreak to Texas-Mexico border A new study finds a sharp increase in the percentage of "kissing bugs" infected with the Chagas disease parasite along the U.S.-Mexico border. Researchers warn this signals a growing risk of local, homegrown transmission in southern U.S. states, challenging the view of Chagas as solely an imported disease. Chagas disease is a chronic, often "silent" infection that can cause severe heart and digestive complications years after the initial bite. The insects are increasingly found in residential areas, near homes, patios and woodpiles, raising the risk to people and pets. Experts emphasize preventive measures like sealing homes, managing outdoor habitats and increasing awareness over reliance on pesticide use. For decades, U.S. health authorities have viewed Chagas disease, a potentially deadly parasitic infection, as a problem imported from Latin America. That perception is now collapsing under the weight of new scientific evidence. Researchers are issuing an urgent call to reclassify Chagas as a persistent, endemic threat within the United States itself, particularly across the southern states. The catalyst is a startling new study from the University of Texas at El Paso, which found that nearly 85% of "kissing bugs" collected in the El Paso and Las Cruces area carried the Trypanosoma cruzi parasitea significant jump from 63% just a few years prior. This isn't a new invasion; the bugs, the parasite and infected animal populations have deep historical roots here. The news matters today because it underscores a silent public health shift, where a long-misunderstood disease is quietly spreading in American backyards, not just across distant borders. An inefficient but insidious transmission The transmission of Chagas is uniquely indirect. The nocturnal kissing bug feeds on a sleeping host, often biting on the face. The danger comes not from the bite itself, but from the bug's subsequent defecation. The parasite, present in the feces, can then enter the host's bloodstream if the fecal matter is accidentally rubbed into the bite wound, eyes, or mouth. This inefficient process has historically contributed to the disease being overlooked in the U.S. However, the new research confirms the bugs are moving from wild landscapes into residential spaces, found under patio furniture, firewood piles and in garages. This proximity dramatically increases the opportunity for this precise chain of events to occur, putting both humans and their pets at greater risk. The "silent killer" syndrome Chagas disease is notoriously difficult to detect, earning its grim nickname. Its acute phase is often asymptomatic or presents with mild, flu-like symptoms that easily go unnoticed or misdiagnosed. The true danger lies in the chronic phase, which can emerge 20 to 30 years later. During this silent period, the parasite causes irreversible damage, primarily to the heart and digestive system. Chronic Chagas can lead to: Heart failure and enlarged heart Life-threatening arrhythmias Blood clots and stroke Digestive tract damage and enlargement By the time these serious complications arise, the original parasitic cause is rarely suspected, with symptoms often attributed to more common cardiac conditions. This diagnostic blind spot is compounded by the fact that Chagas is not a nationally notifiable disease in the U.S., leading to severe underreporting. An estimated 230,000 Americans may be living with the infection, most unaware. Historical roots and a modern surge The presence of T. cruzi in the Americas is ancient, with evidence of the parasite found in prehistoric remains. In the U.S., kissing bugs have been documented in southern states for over a century. What has changed is the scale of the threat. The new border study reveals a clear and alarming upward trend in parasite infection rates among the insects themselves. Researchers point to a confluence of factors: similar desert ecosystems that span the border, constant cross-border travel and urbanization that brings housing into undeveloped bug habitats. While Mexico is home to over 30 triatomine species, the 11 species found in the southern U.S. are proving to be highly competent vectors, creating what experts call a unique "vulnerability" in states like Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. A call for prevention, not panic Facing this creeping endemicity, health advocates stress a pragmatic, prevention-first approach over alarm. Widespread pesticide use is neither targeted nor sustainable for controlling kissing bugs. Instead, experts recommend integrated habitat management to break the chain of transmission at the point of human contact. Key measures include: Sealing cracks and gaps around windows, doors and walls. Removing woodpiles, rock piles and debris from near home foundations. Keeping pet sleeping areas clean and indoors when possible. Installing and maintaining window screens. Using caution with outdoor lighting at night, which can attract the bugs. These steps, coupled with increased awareness among both the public and healthcare providers, are critical. Treatment with antiparasitic drugs like benznidazole is most effective in the early acute phase, highlighting the need for timely diagnosis in areas of known risk. A new endemic era The emerging data paints a clear picture: Chagas disease can no longer be considered an outsider. The kissing bugs are here, the parasite is thriving within them, and the conditions for local transmission are intensifying. This shift from an imported curiosity to a domestic health consideration demands a parallel shift in strategyfrom passive monitoring to active education, surveillance and prevention. Recognizing Chagas as an endemic reality in the American South is the first, crucial step in unmasking the silent killer and protecting communities from its long-hidden toll. The story of Chagas in the U.S. is no longer just about border crossings; it is about what is already living and spreading in our own backyards. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.com USnews.com KFOXtv.com Johnson & Johnson joins TrumpRx, agrees to slash U.S. drug prices in deal for tariff relief Johnson & Johnson agrees to lower U.S. drug prices under a deal with the Trump administration. The company will join the upcoming TrumpRx direct-to-consumer discount platform. It will also offer Medicaid "most-favored-nation" pricing comparable to other wealthy nations. In exchange, J&J receives an exemption from U.S. tariffs on its pharmaceutical products. The deal includes a $55 billion U.S. manufacturing investment, creating thousands of jobs. For years, Americans have faced a sickening reality at the pharmacy counter: they pay the highest prices on Earth for the exact same prescription drugs available for a fraction of the cost in other developed nations. This long-standing injustice, where citizens of allied countries pay far less for medicines often made in the same factories, has been a central focus of the Trump administrations push for healthcare fairness. Now, in a major move that signals a shift in the pharmaceutical landscape, Johnson & Johnson has become the latest industry giant to bend to that pressure. On January 8, the healthcare conglomerate announced it had struck a voluntary agreement with the Trump administration to significantly lower drug prices for U.S. patients. The deal centers on two key promises from J&J. First, the company will participate in the upcoming TrumpRx.gov direct-to-consumer platform, allowing Americans to purchase its medicines at what the company calls significantly discounted rates. Second, it will provide access to its products for the governments Medicaid program at prices comparable to those in other wealthy nations. A bargain for relief In exchange for these concessions, Johnson & Johnson secures a valuable benefit for its business: an exemption from U.S. tariffs for its pharmaceutical products. This carrot-and-stick approach follows a pattern established by the administration throughout 2025. The joint agreement meets the requests laid out by President Trump to the industry and provides the companys pharmaceutical products an exemption from tariffs, J&J stated. The companys chairman and CEO, Joaquin Duato, framed the deal as a collaborative success. Todays agreement shows that when the public and private sectors work together towards shared goals, we can deliver real results for patients and the U.S. economy, Duato said. The company did not specify which medications would see lower prices or detail the exact discounts, but the commitment to the most-favored-nation pricing model is clear. The "most-favored-nation" mandate This model is the engine of the administrations drug pricing offensive. Established by a May 12, 2025, executive order from President Trump, it aims to force an end to the era where Americans pay inflated premiums. Americans will no longer be forced to pay almost three times more for the exact same medicines, often made in the exact same factories. As the largest purchaser of pharmaceuticals, Americans should get the best deal, the order states. It called on drugmakers to offer U.S. consumers these lowest available international prices, warning that failure could lead the administration to take additional aggressive action. Johnson & Johnson is not acting in isolation. It is one of 17 pharmaceutical companies that received letters from Trump last August demanding compliance with this pricing principle. The administration has been securing deals throughout the past year. In December, it announced agreements with nine other major firms, including Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, and Novartis, to cut prices for medications treating conditions from cancer to diabetes. Five other drugmakers, including Pfizer, had signed similar deals earlier in 2025. Investing in American soil Beyond pricing, the J&J agreement includes a substantial domestic manufacturing component, aligning with the broader economic agenda of reshoring critical industries. The company confirmed plans to build two new manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. This construction is part of a larger $55 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing, research, and development that J&J announced last year. One of these projects is a 2 billion biologics manufacturing plant in Wilson, North Carolina, that is expected to create around 5,000 skilled jobs. The company indicated that further U.S. investment announcements are likely later this year. For the average American who has struggled with prescription costs, the tangible impact of these corporate announcements will ultimately be measured at the checkout. The promise of the TrumpRx.gov platform, slated to allow consumers to bypass traditional pharmacy markups, represents a potential revolution in drug access. When combined with mandated Medicaid savings, the policy seeks to deliver relief at both the individual and systemic levels. The cascade of agreements from pharmaceutical titans reveals a fundamental truth: the previous status quo was unsustainable. For decades, the U.S. market subsidized global drug innovation while its own citizens shouldered an unfair burden. The persistent question from patients was simple: why do we pay more? The answer, it turns, was not a matter of necessity but of a broken system that lacked the political will to confront a powerful industry. This latest deal suggests that will has finally been found, hopefully turning a long-held campaign promise into a new reality for American healthcare. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com Reuters.com CNBC.com WSJ.com New study links COVID-19 vaccines to increased cancer risk, revealing smoking gun evidence The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (in mRNA vaccines) suppresses p53, a critical tumor-suppressing protein, increasing cancer riskconfirmed by Brown University researchers. Post-vaccine cancers (leukemia, lymphoma, breast, lung) show rapid progression, atypical locations (near injection sites) and reactivation of dormant tumors. Pfizer/Moderna shots contain plasmid DNA fragments, which may integrate into human DNA and trigger mutationsacknowledged but downplayed by regulators. Large studies (South Korea, Italy, U.S. military) reveal spikes in cancer rates post-vaccination, including a 27% higher overall cancer risk in one analysis. Independent researchers demand long-term safety studies, forensic autopsies and investigations into DNA contaminationwhile health agencies continue to dismiss concerns. A groundbreaking review of 69 studies has uncovered alarming evidence connecting COVID-19 vaccines and SARS-CoV-2 infection to aggressive forms of cancer, raising urgent questions about the long-term safety of mRNA technology. Published in Oncotarget, the comprehensive analysis identifies leukemia, lymphoma, breast cancer and lung cancer as key malignancies potentially triggered by vaccine componentsincluding the spike protein and DNA contamination found in some shots. Researchers warn that these findings may represent only "the tip of a very damaging iceberg." "Turbo cancers" and unprecedented aggression The study highlights disturbing patterns in post-vaccination cancer cases, including: Rapid progression: Tumors appearing within weeks of vaccination, defying typical disease timelines. Atypical locations: Cancers emerging near injection sites, suggesting localized biological disruption. Reactivation of dormant tumors: Previously controlled malignancies surging back with lethal force. Dr. Wafik El-Deiry, co-author and renowned oncologist, told The Defender that the data resembles a "smoking gun," particularly given reports of "hyperprogression"where preexisting tumors grow explosively after vaccination. Investigative journalist Maryanne Demasi, Ph.D., emphasized that such consistent patterns across countries and cancer types can no longer be dismissed as coincidence. Mechanisms of harm: Spike protein and DNA contamination The review pinpoints two primary culprits: Spike protein toxicity: The SARS-CoV-2 spike proteinengineered into mRNA vaccinesinhibits p53, a critical tumor-suppressing protein. Brown University researchers confirmed this mechanism in a recent preprint study, revealing how spike proteins may cripple the body's natural cancer defenses. DNA contamination: Pfizer and Moderna shots contain plasmid DNA fragments, which some scientists argue could integrate into human genomes and trigger cancerous mutations. Regulatory agencies like the FDA and EMA have acknowledged these contaminants but downplayed risks. Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., a Children's Health Defense researcher, noted the recklessness of deploying gene-based vaccines without oncogenicity testing: "It is not remotely surprising that a gene therapy rebranded as a vaccine, never tested for cancer risk, would correlate with increased malignancies worldwide." Epidemiological red flags Large-scale studies cited in the review paint a damning picture: South Korea (8.4 million people): A 27% higher overall cancer risk post-vaccination, with spikes in breast, lung and thyroid cancers. Italy (300,000 subjects): Elevated hospitalizations for bladder, breast and colorectal cancers among the vaccinated. U.S. Military Data: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma rates surged in 2021the year COVID shots were mandated for service members. A call for transparency and independent research Despite mounting evidence, health agencies and pharmaceutical giants continue to dismiss concerns. The review's authors demand immediate action: Long-term safety studies to quantify cancer risks. Forensic analysis of vaccine-injured autopsies. Investigation into DNA contamination and its genomic impact. Dr. El-Deiry stressed that while the paper doesn't prove causation, the correlation is too severe to ignore: "When you see the same aggressive cancers appearing globally, it's time to ask hard questions." The bigger picture: A pattern of suppressed risks This study adds to a growing body of research exposing COVID-19 vaccines as potential drivers of catastrophic health outcomesfrom immune dysfunction to sudden deaths. With turbo cancers now joining the list, the medical establishment faces a crisis of credibility. As Demasi concluded: "When independent scientists keep finding the same signals, it's not 'misinformation'it's a warning we can't afford to ignore." Final Thought: The push for mRNA technologydespite known risksmirrors Big Pharma's history of prioritizing profits over safety. Until regulators demand accountability, the public must seek truth beyond captured institutions and prepare for the long-term consequences of this unchecked medical experiment. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, this alarming study confirms what many independent researchers have warned aboutthat mRNA vaccine spike proteins actively suppress tumor-suppressing proteins, effectively acting as a cancer accelerant. These findings expose the criminal negligence of globalist pharmaceutical companies and captured regulatory agencies who pushed these experimental bioweapons while suppressing safer, natural alternatives that don't carry such devastating health consequences. Watch the Dec. 16 episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about mRNA Jabs Revealed as Biological NERVE AGENTS Designed to Maim and Kill. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Trauma Unlocked: Discover the hidden path to healing Trauma disrupts the foundation of our being, affecting cells, thoughts and spirit. It rewires us, altering genes through epigenetics, and can turn on or off genes linked to inflammation, immune function and stress response. The body holds onto trauma in ways that defy conventional medical explanations, communicating through chronic fatigue, migraines and digestive disorders. Trauma rewires the brain, making adults prone to rage, freeze or self-sabotage. It creates trauma loops, replaying past wounds through physical symptoms. Beyond the physical and psychological, there's soul trauma, the violation of something deeper than psychology can measure, often seen in indigenous peoples and victims of abuse. Healing trauma involves listening to the body, rewiring the mind and reclaiming the spirit. Natural remedies like herbs, detox methods and movement can help. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, somatic experiencing and meditation can rewire the mind. Soul retrieval, ancestral healing and nature therapy can restore connections. True healing begins when we stop outsourcing our wellness and start trusting the body's signals. Trauma is not just a wound to the body or a scar on the emotions it's a fracture in the very essence of who we are. Most people think of trauma as broken bones or deep emotional pain. But its impact runs far deeper as explained in "Trauma Unlocked: The Hidden Path to Healing and Freedom." Trauma disrupts the foundation of our being, affecting our cells, thoughts and spirit. Modern medicine, with its pills and procedures, often misses the mark because it refuses to see the full picture. The truth is, trauma is both a cause and an effect of imbalance, and healing requires addressing the whole person body, mind and soul. The body remembers Trauma doesnt just live in our memories; it rewires us. Studies on Holocaust survivors and their descendants show that trauma can alter our genes through epigenetics meaning the fear and suffering of our ancestors may be written into our DNA. Dr. Dawson Church, in "The Genie in Your Genes", explains how these changes can turn on or off genes linked to inflammation, immune function and stress response. So when doctors dismiss chronic fatigue or autoimmune flares as "all in your head," they're wrong. It's in your cells. The body holds onto trauma in ways that defy conventional medical explanations. Chronic fatigue, migraines and digestive disorders these aren't just random malfunctions; they're messages. Your body is communicating what your mind may have buried. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda have understood this for millennia, framing trauma as blocked qi or stagnant prana life force energy dammed up by unresolved pain. Modern medicine, however, dismisses these wisdom traditions as "alternative" pushing synthetic drugs that mask symptoms rather than heal the root cause. The mind's betrayal and the soul's wound Trauma doesn't just reshape the body it rewires the brain. When we live in chronic fear, our amygdala (the brain's alarm system) becomes hypervigilant, while the prefrontal cortex (responsible for reason and impulse control) weakens. The result? Adults who fly into rage at minor slights, freeze in conflict or sabotage their own success without understanding why. This isn't a moral failing; it's a survival adaptation gone awry. Trauma also creates what psychologists call trauma loops the body's cruel trick of replaying past wounds through physical symptoms. Migraines before a stressful meeting, IBS flare-ups during family visits, back pain on the anniversary of a loss these aren't coincidences. They're the body's way of saying, "We're still stuck here." Beyond the physical and psychological, there's another layer mainstream science often ignores: soul trauma. This is the violation of something deeper than psychology can measure the severing of your connection to what's sacred. Indigenous peoples forced off their land, victims of MK-Ultra experiments, survivors of childhood abuse these aren't just historical footnotes. They're examples of how trauma shatters the soul's trust in the world. Breaking free: The path to healing When your sense of safety in the universe is broken, healing isn't just about therapy. It's about reclaiming your place in the web of life. Listen to your body : Chronic symptoms aren't malfunctions they're messages. Herbs like ashwagandha and passionflower can recalibrate a stressed nervous system. Detox methods like infrared saunas and zeolite clay help purge stored toxins. Movement yoga, dance, tai chi releases trapped trauma from tissues. : Chronic symptoms aren't malfunctions they're messages. Herbs like ashwagandha and passionflower can recalibrate a stressed nervous system. Detox methods like infrared saunas and zeolite clay help purge stored toxins. Movement yoga, dance, tai chi releases trapped trauma from tissues. Rewire your mind : Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps challenge distorted thinking. Somatic experiencing and breathwork release stuck survival energy. Meditation and mindfulness rebuild the prefrontal cortex, restoring reason over reaction. : Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps challenge distorted thinking. Somatic experiencing and breathwork release stuck survival energy. Meditation and mindfulness rebuild the prefrontal cortex, restoring reason over reaction. Reclaim your spirit: Soul retrieval, ancestral healing and energy work (like reiki) restore severed connections. Nature therapy such as forest bathing and grounding reconnects you to life's rhythms. Service mentoring, creating, advocating turns pain into purpose. Healing trauma isn't just personal it's political. The systems that profit from keeping us sick Big Pharma, industrial medicine, even the food industry have spent decades convincing us that healing must come from outside: a pill, a procedure, an authority figure in a white coat. But true healing begins when we stop outsourcing our wellness and start trusting the body's signals. That tightness in your jaw? It's not "just stress." That knot in your stomach? It's not "nothing." These are breadcrumbs leading back to the rocks in your backpack. And here's the good news: Once you start removing them, one by one, the load gets lighter. The body wants to heal. It's been waiting for you to ask. Trauma isn't just pain. Its a call to wake up to your body, your history and your right to be whole. The path forward isn't about forgetting the past. It's about integrating it, honoring it and then stepping into a future where your truth is yours to define. "Our traumas do not define us. They help shape who we become. We have control over that," Nick Polizzi writes in his 2021 book "Trauma: Healing Your Past to Find Freedom Now." The choice is yours. Will you let trauma bind you or will you let it break you open into something stronger, wiser and freer than before? Grab a copy of "Trauma Unlocked: The Hidden Path to Healing and Freedom" via this link. Discover this book and other good reads at Books.BrightLearn.AI, with thousands of books and counting 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 Scott Gordon explaining the hidden impact of trauma and how to overcome it with the Health Ranger Mike Adams on the "Health Ranger Report" below. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: BrightLearn.ai Books.BrightLearn.ai Brighteon.com Verbal exchange between Trump and Petro COOLS, with Colombian president invited to White House After weeks of escalating tensions including U.S. sanctions, threats of aid cuts, tariffs and President Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric he and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro held a conciliatory phone call, planning a White House meeting. Previously labeling Petro an "illegal drug leader" and entertaining military action, Trump now praised the call as a "great honor" and signaled optimism for cooperation. Petro framed dialogue as essential to avoiding war, pushing for U.S. investment in Latin American clean energy instead of exploitative policies that risk "barbarism and World War III." Despite the thaw, disputes persist over cocaine production, U.S. military strikes (condemned by Petro as "murder") and sovereignty after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured by U.S. forces. Analysts warn that without cooperation, Colombia risks being exploited by Venezuela's destabilizing role in drug trafficking/migration, while the U.S. faces worsening border crises. The detente may be temporary as deep policy divisions remain unresolved. In a dramatic shift from fiery accusations to diplomatic overtures, U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro engaged in a conciliatory phone call on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The sudden de-escalation follows weeks of escalating tensions, including U.S. sanctions against Petro, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces and threats of severed aid and tariffs on Colombian imports. It also comes just days after Trump openly entertained military action against Colombia and labeled Petro an "illegal drug leader." Now, the two leaders are planning a White House meeting a stark reversal from Trump's earlier claims that military intervention in Colombia "sounds good" to him. The unexpected diplomatic thaw began when Petro reached out to Trump, marking their first direct conversation since Petro's 2022 election. Trump described the call as a "great honor" on Truth Social, praising Petro's tone and expressing optimism about future cooperation. Petro, meanwhile, framed the discussion as a necessary step to avoid conflict, telling supporters in Bogota: "If there is no dialogue, there is war." The Colombian president emphasized his desire for U.S. investment in Latin American clean energy rather than continued reliance on oil extraction, warning that exploitative policies could lead to "barbarism and World War III." BrightU.AI's Enoch notes that it is critical for Washington and Bogota to hold diplomatic talks to address Venezuela's destabilizing role in facilitating illegal migration and drug trafficking, which threatens regional security and fuels human rights abuses under the guise of counter-narcotics efforts. Without cooperation, Colombia risks being exploited as a pawn in Venezuela's agenda while the U.S. faces escalating drug-related crises and destabilization at its southern border. Why Trump and Petro suddenly switched to diplomacy? The abrupt softening of rhetoric follows months of hostility, fueled by Trump's accusations that Petro has allowed cocaine production to surge under his leadership. Last year, Trump imposed sanctions on Petro and revoked his U.S. visa after the Colombian leader condemned U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels as indiscriminate attacks on fishermen. Petro, a former guerrilla fighter turned leftist reformer, has repeatedly denied these allegations, pointing to record cocaine seizures under his administration and vowing to defend Colombia against foreign intervention. The tensions reached a boiling point after U.S. Special Forces captured Maduro in a controversial raid over the weekend, drawing condemnation across Latin America. Petro denounced the operation as a violation of sovereignty, prompting Trump to escalate his rhetoric, calling Colombia "very sick" and Petro a "sick man who likes making cocaine." Yet within days, both leaders appeared eager to dial back the confrontation, with Colombian officials celebrating the call as a "180-degree change" in relations. Historically, Colombia has been Washington's closest ally in the region, serving as the focal point of U.S. counternarcotics efforts for decades. But Petro's presidency has strained that alliance, with his calls for drug policy reform and criticism of U.S. militarism clashing with Trump's hardline stance. The sudden pivot toward diplomacy suggests neither side is eager for a full rupture especially as Trump faces domestic scrutiny over the legality of the Maduro operation and Petro grapples with economic pressures from potential U.S. aid cuts and tariffs. As both leaders prepare for a potential White House summit, the question remains whether this detente signals a lasting shift or merely a temporary pause in hostilities. For now, Petro's symbolic posting of a jaguar and bald eagle embracing may capture the fragile optimism. But the underlying disputes over drugs, sovereignty and U.S. influence in Latin America are far from resolved. Watch Colombian President Gustavo Petro commenting on the U.S. strikes on narco-vessels in the Caribbean below. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: RT.com CBSNews.com DW.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com ISLAMABAD, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces killed 11 militants in two separate intelligence-based operations in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Saturday. The security forces launched an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan district on Thursday following reports about the presence of militants in the area, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani army, said in a statement. In another operation conducted jointly by police and security forces in Kurram district, five militants were killed in a separate gunfight, the ISPR added. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed militants, who were allegedly involved in attacks against security forces, law enforcement agencies and civilians, according to the statement. The military said sanitization operations were continuing in the affected areas to eliminate any remaining militants. Afghanistan has appointed diplomat Noor Ahmed Noor to its embassy in New Delhi, signaling continued engagement. This move follows Afghan Health Minister Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali's visit to India, where he highlighted India as a crucial alternative for pharmaceutical needs due to a deteriorated relationship with Pakistan. India has reaffirmed its commitment to providing long-term humanitarian and medical support to Afghanistan. The diplomatic activity is part of a pattern of official exchanges, including a recent visit by Afghanistan's foreign minister and the reported resolution of long-standing visa hurdles for Afghan citizens. Afghanistan appoints Noor Ahmed Noor to its Delhi embassy, as health minister calls India a key pharmaceutical partner amid deteriorated ties with Pakistan. New Delhi, January 10 Afghanistan appointed diplomat Noor Ahmed Noor at the Afghan Embassy in Delhi, sources toldon Saturday. Earlier on December 20, Afghanistan's Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali said that India is emerging as a key alternative partner for Afghanistan's pharmaceutical needs, as its relationship with Pakistan stands "deteriorated". Jalali said Afghanistan is looking to open a "new chapter" of cooperation with India, highlighting the long-standing ties between the two countries and India's role as a reliable health partner. "We have a strong relationship with India, and we are here to open a new chapter of cooperation and collaboration. When it comes to Pakistan, the relationship stands deteriorated." His remarks came during his visit to India for the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, held in New Delhi. 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. Jalali's visit followed the Ministry of External Affairs welcoming him on his first official visit to India, underlining New Delhi's continued humanitarian outreach to Afghanistan despite changing regional dynamics. Jalali's visit was part of a broader pattern of official exchanges between the two countries. In October 2025, 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." Afghanistan's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, on November 24 had announced that long-standing visa hurdles between India and Afghanistan have been resolved, allowing Afghan citizens to obtain Indian visas for both medical treatment and business purposes. Adressing a press conference following his five-day offical visit to the country, the Afghan Minister added that the Afghan Embassy will play a key role in facilitating these services. At the same time, the Embassy of India in Kabul will also develop programs to support Afghan nationals. - ANI A nine-seater aircraft force-landed near Rourkela after a sudden drop in pressure caused it to lose balance. Odisha Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena stated six people were injured but are stable, averting a major tragedy. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has begun an investigation into the incident. The state government and Chief Minister are coordinating support and have seized the matter. Odisha Minister Bibhuti Jena says a sudden pressure drop caused a nine-seater plane to crash near Rourkela. Six injured, DGCA probe initiated. Bhubaneshwar, January 10 Odisha Commerce & Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena informed that the nine-seater aircraft that force-landed near Rourkela experienced "sudden drop in pressure and lost balance while flying, leading to the crash," adding that a DGCA probe has been initiated. Speaking to ANI, the Minister said that the IndiaOne Air type of aircraft (Caravan 208) bearing Regn. VT-KSS met with the accident just a few kilometres before the destination. "A regular India One flight operating from Bhubaneswar met with an accident near Rourkela, around 8-10 kilometres before reaching its destination," he said. The Minister further stated that the aircraft, carrying passengers including the pilot, reportedly experienced a sudden drop in pressure and lost balance while flying at a relatively low altitude, leading to the crash. Six injured, including two crew members and four passengers, sustained injuries in the incident. "The injured passengers were immediately rushed to a nearby local hospital, where they are now stable. By the grace of God, a major tragedy was averted. Had the impact been more severe, there could have been a significant loss of life and property," Jena said. The state government responded promptly by alerting the Directorate team and initiating coordination with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). "We have spoken to the DGCA, which has begun an investigation into the incident. Necessary steps will be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur in the future," The Minister said. The Minister further requested the passengers not to fear flying in aircraft after the incident, adding that the safety and security of passengers will be ensured. Earlier, the Directorate of Aviation, in an official release, stated that the aircraft departed at 1227 hours with two pilots and four passengers, and the pilots ensured the landing, due to which lives have been saved. Receiving the information of the crash, the District Administration reached out and shifted the injured pilots and passengers to the medical facilities at Rourkela. Currently, three passengers are being treated at J.P. Hospital, and two pilots, along with one passenger, are getting treatment at Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH), Rourkela. As reported, all are under medical treatment, and no fatalities have been reported. The accident has been reported to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Ministry of Civil Aviation and all concerned. As per the Regulations, the Airline shall report the details to the DGCA / Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for further action. The Directorate of Civil Aviation (Commerce & Transport Department) has seized the matter and is extending all the support to the passengers through the District Administration and to airlines as needed. Additionally, the Chief Minister has reviewed the situation and directed the concerned officials to extend all the support from the state to the passengers, pilots and authorities. - ANI Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jodhpur for a two-day visit to Rajasthan, where he was welcomed by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma. His key agenda includes distributing appointment letters to 10,000 newly recruited police constables at the Rajasthan Police Academy in Jaipur. The visit follows a state police conference focused on modernizing policing to align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Vision 2047 for a developed India. Separately, Chief Minister Sharma expressed condolences for a tragic road accident in Jaipur's Journalist Colony. Union Home Minister Amit Shah begins a 2-day Rajasthan visit, to distribute appointment letters to 10,000 police constables and review security. Jodhpur, January 10 Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday extended a warm welcome to Union Home Minister Amit Shah upon his arrival in the state. In a post on X, Sharma said, "The valiant land of Rajasthan, enriched with a glorious cultural heritage, extended a warm welcome and heartfelt felicitation to Amit Shah, Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, upon his arrival, by presenting a bouquet of flowers at Jodhpur Airport." Shah was received at the Jodhpur airport early Saturday morning, marking the start of his two-day visit to Rajasthan. As part of his schedule, Shah will attend a key programme at the Rajasthan Police Academy in Jaipur. Ahead of the visit, Chief Minister Sharma personally reviewed the programme venue and security arrangements at the academy. Director General of Police Rajeev Sharma was also present during the inspection. Addressing a press conference, the DGP said a state-level police conference was organised at the academy on January 8 and 9, with the participation of senior police officers from across the state. He noted that detailed discussions were held on the role of police in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Vision 2047 for a developed India, with emphasis on making policing more modern, accountable and people-centric. During his Jaipur visit, Amit Shah will distribute appointment letters to 10,000 newly recruited police constables. Toppers of the recruitment process will receive their letters directly from the Union Home Minister, while senior officers will hand over the rest. The DGP also announced that, on the Chief Minister's directions, students will visit police stations on January 12 to mark Youth Day, aiming to familiarise them with police functioning and legal procedures. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed deep condolences over a tragic road accident in Jaipur's Journalist Colony. "The road accident that occurred in Jaipur's Journalist Colony is extremely tragic and heart-rending. Instructions have been given for the appropriate and prompt treatment of all the injured. May Lord Shri Ram grant peace to the departed soul and bestow swift recovery upon the injured," he said. - ANI Former Indian Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar has strongly criticized the United States' recent actions against Venezuela, calling them a serious violation of international law and the UN Charter. He argues the move infringes on Venezuela's sovereignty and territorial integrity without proper authorization from the UN or the US Congress. Sajjanhar notes that while the Venezuelan diaspora may seek change, key domestic institutions like the army and law enforcement still appear to support President Nicolas Maduro. He further questions the legality and stated justifications for the intervention, drawing parallels to past US actions and warning of the dangerous precedent it sets. Former Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar condemns US action in Venezuela as a gross violation of UN Charter, sovereignty, and domestic law. New Delhi, January 10 Former Indian Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar has said that the United States' actions against Venezuela amount to a serious violation of international law, raising concerns over sovereignty, the use of force, and the precedent such actions could set globally. In an interview with ANI, Sajjanhar also said that people of Venenzuelan-origin outside the country are in favour of a change of government in the South American country, but within the country, the Army, the law enforcement authorities who have power with them, "they still appear to be very much with Nicolas Maduro" . He said the US action in Venezuela is a violation of the UN Charter. "First, if you look at the UN Charter, the UN principle, you know, there is an independent country, there is a sovereign country, and you have violated its territorial integrity and sovereignty, that is a huge gross violation of international law," he said. "The second would be in terms of Article 2 of the UN Charter, where it is mentioned that use of force in settling any disputes that is not permitted. There are two very short exceptions to that. One, if you are (in) self-defence. And the second is if it is authorized by the United Nations. And none of that really held in this particular case," he added. Sajjanhar, who was India's envoy to Sweden, Kazakhstan and Latvia, referred to the international legal principle that protects a sitting head of state from arrest, noting that even the Permanent International Court of Justice has ruled against forcibly detaining a head of state. "The Permanent International Court of Justice has ruled against picking up a ruling head of state, a person in position as the head of state, because his persona is to be treated as inviolable," he said. He added that several political figures in Venezuela are demanding elections, but that does not justify external intervention. "And there are others also waiting in the wings like, you know, Edmundo Gonzalez, who fought the election. They want new elections. Maria Corina Machado, she wants elections," Sajjanhar noted. The former diplomat also questioned the legality of the action under US domestic law, saying the US Constitution requires Congressional approval before engaging in military action against another country. "The charge that has been levelled against them (US) also is that you did not take permission from the Congress. And you cannot wage war against any other country without... getting the authorization from the Congress," he said. Sajjanhar said the US administration is attempting to justify the move as a law enforcement action rather than a military operation. "That's what they are trying to defend in their domestic context. That it is a legal, it's a law enforcement measure. We have not gone to war," he said, adding that US authorities argue Maduro was indicted earlier and is being brought to face justice. He also referred to an earlier US intervention and said "two wrongs does not make it right". "...Coming back to what George HW Bush has done to, you know, to (Manuel) Noriega in Panama in 1989... two wrongs does not make it right. You know, that was wrong as it stood. This is also wrong as it stands. both international law and domestic law," Sajjanhar said. He also questioned claims concerning US action in Venezuela. "Are they going there to restore democracy as they have done in Afghanistan? The sort of democracy that they have restored in Iraq, in Libya, meaning is that the sort of democracy?" he asked. "I think there is evidence to suggest that Venezuela has not been the biggest transporter of drugs into the United States. Much more of it is being processed in Colombia and the other places," he added. Sajjanhar said the US President Donald Trump's remarks soon after Maduro was captured in military action, raised further alarm. "Mr. Trump used it on Saturday evening in his press conference that now we are going to run Venezuela. What does that mean?" he asked. He added that Trump later claimed that Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez had agreed to U.S. demands, but her public statements contradicted this claim. "And he said she didn't have any choice. But after that, we have seen what Delcy Rodriguez has said. She said, we do not want to be again a colony of any other empire," Sajjanhar said. "There might be one-fourth of the population which is outside, which has fled the diaspora, which wants change. But within the country, and, you know, particularly as far as the army is concerned, the law enforcement authorities, they have the power with them. and they still appear to be very much with Nicolas Maduro," he added. Sharing a personal anecdote, Sajjanhar recalled meeting Delcy Rodriguez during her visit to India in February 2025. "I don't have a connection in that sense, but I was totally unaware that she will be rising to this particular position," he said, adding that she had visited India to attend India Energy Week and is also Venezuela's oil minister. Sajjanhar also spoke about the influence of India'sn spirituality in South America. "In South America, there is a lot of interest in Indian spirituality, Indian spiritualism... The Brahma Kumaris, they have huge followings there," he said. - ANI Bangladesh's National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman held key meetings with senior US State Department officials in Washington DC. The discussions centered on ensuring a free and fair upcoming election in Bangladesh, with the US reiterating its strong support for the democratic process. Other critical topics included enhancing bilateral trade, addressing US visa bond requirements for Bangladeshi businessmen, and securing continued American assistance for the Rohingya refugees. Rahman also expressed Bangladesh's principled interest in contributing to an international stabilization force for Gaza. Bangladesh NSA meets US officials, discusses upcoming polls, trade relations, Rohingya support, and potential Gaza peacekeeping role. Washington DC, January 10 Bangladesh's National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman met with Allison Hooker, Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Paul Kapur, Assistant Secretary of State at the State Department in Washington DC on Saturday, a statement by the Chief Adviser of the Interim government of Bangladesh said. During the meetings, they discussed upcoming elections in Bangladesh, economic and trade relations, Rohingya issue, and regional matters, the statement said. In the meeting with the US Under-Secretary, Rahman briefed Hooker about the preparations and arrangements for the upcoming general elections and expressed appreciation for the support of the US to the interim government during its tenure, including for the elections. Hooker responded that the US continues its strong support for the democratic transition in Bangladesh and looks forward to a free and fair elections in February, as per the statement. Rahman underscored the prospects of increased trade between the two countries following substantially enhanced Bangladeshi import of American farm products. He requested Hooker to ease travel of Bangladeshi businessmen to US in the context the of the recent visa bond, and if possible, to exempt B1 short term business visa for Bangladeshi businessmen from the visa bond. Hooker recognized the matter and assured that the US government will positively consider the step. She also indicated that if the overstay by the tourists declines substantially in future, the US might review the bond requirements that have been put in place. She also expressed deep appreciation for the cooperation of Bangladesh to the return of undocumented Bangladeshis. Rahman expressed sincere thanks to the US for its continued support to the displaced Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh. Recognizing that the US is the largest donor for Rohingyas, he requested continuation of US support and assistance for them. Hooker thanked Bangladesh for continuing to carry substantial burden by hosting Rohingya refugees. She underscored the need for broad based burden sharing and finding a solution to the crisis. She also requested Bangladesh to expand livelihood options for the Rohingyas as long as they are in Bangladesh, the statement said. Rahman requested the US side to consider granting access to DFC financing for Bangladeshi private sector and also access to financing for semi-conductor development in Bangladesh. Under-Secretary Hooker assured US consideration of these proposals. Rahman also expressed Bangladesh's interest in principle to be part of the international stabilization force that would be deployed in Gaza. Hooker said that the US is willing to work together with Bangladesh on this important matter. In a separate meeting with Kapur, Rahman discussed issues of mutual interest including the forthcoming election in Bangladesh, US-Bangladesh bilateral relations, Rohingya crisis, US Visa bond, trade and investment and other regional issues. As a special invitee, Rahman also attended the swearing-in ceremony of Brent Christensen, the new appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh held in the State Department. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Michael J Rigas administered the oath. The ceremony was attended by Bangladesh Ambassador to US, Embassy officials, senior State Department and Military officials, former US ambassadors to Bangladesh, and US business leaders. In his remarks, Deputy Secretary of State reiterated US commitment to continue to support Bangladesh in its journey to democratic transition. Ambassador Christensen said, "The US supports Bangladesh in its journey towards a bright democratic future. I am excited to see the results and look forward to what the new elected government and I can do together to advance the US-Bangladesh relations." In all the events, Senior Embassy officials accompanied Rahman, the statement concluded. - ANI Union Home Minister Amit Shah credited the BJP-led Rajasthan government with ending the malpractice of paper leaks in police job examinations, a problem he associated with the previous Congress era. He praised Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma for improving law and order, citing significant reductions in various crime categories, including dacoity and murder. Shah distributed appointment letters to nearly 9,000 police constables, emphasizing transparent and merit-based recruitment as key to state progress. He also linked the state's improved prosecution rate to new criminal laws introduced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. Union Home Minister Amit Shah credits BJP govt for ending paper leaks in Rajasthan police recruitment and improving law & order under PM Modi's leadership. Jaipur, Jan 10 Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Saturday, credited the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Rajasthan government for improving law and order in the state and credited Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma for ending the Congress era malpractice of paper leaks in police job examinations. Speaking at an event to distribute appointment to nearly 9,000 Rajasthan Police Constables, including more than 2,500 women, Home Minister Shah said that Chief Minister Sharma has not only improved the law and order situation in the state but also succeeded in attracting investment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Union Home Minister said the BJP-led Rajasthan government has not only ended the era of paper leaks but also improved law and order in the state by bringing down the overall crime rate by 14 per cent. The BJP-led Rajasthan government has brought down dacoities by 47 per cent, loots by 51 per cent, murders by 25 per cent, attempts to murder by 19 per cent, crimes against women by 10 per cent and crimes against SC/ST by 28 per cent, he added. Lauding the Chief Minister Sharma for concluding the constable recruitment in a transparent and merit-based manner, Home Minister Shah said, "A state can progress only when it promotes youth on the basis of merit." The Union Home Minister also exhorted the young recruits to make the best use of the new criminal laws introduced under PM Modi's vision for speedy justice. "With the introduction of the three new criminal laws, the prosecution rate in Rajasthan has increased from 41 per cent to 60 per cent and I am confident that there is no hurdle in taking it to 85 per cent to ensure that all criminals remain behind bars," he said. Earlier, Home Minister Shah called upon citizens to use 'Make in India' products, calling it the sure shot recipe for realising PM Modi's dream of becoming self-reliant and the world's largest economy. Speaking at the 'Maheshwari Global Convention and Expo-2026' in Jodhpur, the Union Home Minister said the nation would progress only when it uses indigenous products. Praising the Maheshwari community, Home Minister Shah said, "Both in India and abroad, if a community remains connected to its roots, it is commendable. The Maheshwari community has always risen to the occasion whenever the country needed support. When fighting against the Mughals, the community contributed significantly to the royal treasuries and the Independence struggle, including funding the efforts of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi." - IANS Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez held talks focusing on advancing the Mercosur-EU free trade agreement, which Lula praised as a boost for multilateralism. They coordinated on the Venezuela situation, aligning with a regional statement rejecting global divisions and unauthorized force. The leaders also welcomed Venezuela's release of detainees, including Spanish nationals, and Lula confirmed Brazil sent 40 tons of medical supplies following US bombings. Additionally, Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez separately discussed bilateral cooperation with Lula, Sanchez, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, briefing them on the recent US attacks. Brazilian President Lula and Spanish PM Sanchez advance trade talks, address Venezuela situation, and coordinate humanitarian aid following US strikes. Brasilia, Jan 10 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez discussed the Mercosur-EU free trade agreement and the situation in Venezuela, Brazil's presidential office said. During their telephone conversation on Friday (local time), Lula thanked the Spanish government for supporting the agreement and called the deal "a very positive signal in defence of multilateralism and predictable, stable trade rules." On Venezuela, they highlighted a joint statement issued along with Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay, which rejects any division of the world into spheres of influence and opposes the use of force in international relations without authorisation under the UN Charter, reports Xinhua news agency. They also welcomed the announcement made on Thursday in Caracas by Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on the release of Venezuelan and foreign detainees, including four Spanish nationals. Lula confirmed that Brazil sent 40 tons of dialysis supplies and medicines on Friday to help replenish stocks at a distribution centre damaged by US bombings on January 3. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of organising a new edition of the forum "In Defence of Democracy: Combating Extremism" in Spain in the coming months. Additionally, Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday held phone talks with the Brazilian President, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. On her Telegram channel, Rodriguez said the leaders agreed on the importance of advancing a cooperation agenda, amid what she described as "the grave criminal, illegal and illegitimate aggression" perpetrated against Venezuela. Rodriguez said she briefed the three leaders on the US armed attacks against the South American country, which caused the killing of civilians and military personnel. "We agree on the need to advance with a broad bilateral cooperation agenda, based on respect for international law, State sovereignty and dialogue between peoples," Rodriguez said. - IANS The Central Consumer Protection Authority has taken action against 27 restaurants across India for mandatorily levying service charges, declaring it a violation of consumer rights. This follows a Delhi High Court judgment upholding CCPA guidelines that deem such mandatory charges unlawful. Specific cases include Cafe Blue Bottle in Patna being fined and ordered to refund customers, and China Gate in Mumbai being fined and told to modify its billing software. The CCPA will continue monitoring complaints and taking strict action against non-compliant establishments. CCPA takes action against 27 restaurants for mandatory service charges, a violation of consumer rights. Fines issued, refunds ordered. New Delhi, January 10 The Central Consumer Protection Authority has initiated action against 27 restaurants across India for mandatorily levying service charges, declaring the practice a violation of consumer rights and an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The action follows the judgment of the Delhi High Court Delhi dated 28 March 2025, which upheld the Guidelines issued by CCPA on the levy of service charge. The Court held that mandatory collection of service charges by restaurants is unlawful and noted that all restaurant establishments must comply with the CCPA guidelines. The Court further affirmed that CCPA is fully empowered to enforce its guidelines in accordance with the law. According to the CCPA, investigations triggered by consumer complaints received through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) revealed that several restaurants were automatically adding service charges, often around 10 per cent, to food bills without customer consent. Such practices directly contravene the CCPA's 2022 guidelines, which state that service charges must be voluntary and not added by default or subject to GST. Among the cases cited, Cafe Blue Bottle in Patna was directed to refund the service charge collected from consumers, discontinue the practice immediately, and pay a penalty of Rs 30,000. China Gate Restaurant Private Limited (Bora Bora) in Mumbai was fined Rs 50,000 and instructed to modify its billing software to remove the default addition of service charges and to ensure an active grievance redressal mechanism. The CCPA said it will continue to closely monitor complaints related to service charges and take strict action against non-compliant establishments to protect consumer interests and curb unfair trade practices. - ANI Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi received a warm welcome at Keshod Airport as they arrived for the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to participate in the event, leading a Shaurya Yatra procession and performing rituals at the historic temple. The multi-day festival features cultural performances from states across India, embodying the 'Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat' theme. The event commemorates the 1000th anniversary of Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion and the 75th anniversary of the temple's restoration after independence. CM Bhupendra Patel arrives for Somnath Swabhiman Parv. PM Modi to lead Shaurya Yatra, Omkar Mantra, and address public on Jan 11. Gandhinagar Januar, y 10 Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi were warmly welcomed at Keshod Airport by office bearers and officials of Junagadh district. They arrived to participate in the Swabhiman Parv at Somnat and were welcomed by District Panchayat President Shri Haresh Thummar, MLAs Deva Malam and Bhagvan Kargatia, District Collector Anilkumar Ranavasia, District Development Officer HP Patel, Superintendent of Police Subodh Odedara, Assistant Collector Vandana Meena, President of Keshod Municipality Mehulbhai Gondaliya, District BJP President Chandubhai Makwana, Chairman of Savaj Dairy Dineshbhai Khatariya, along with other local dignitaries. Meanwhile, at the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv', Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend, cultural performances from states such as Karnataka, West Bengal, and others are being presented on around 20 stages along the Shaurya Yatra route from Shankh Circle to Hamirji Circle, giving living expression to the concept of 'Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat', according to a release from CMO. Ahead of the arrival of PM Modi, devotees and local citizens gathered in large numbers to witness various cultural programmes presented by artists from different states along the Shaurya Yatra route. These performances, showcasing unity in diversity, included Yakshagana, Kuchipudi dance, Maniyaro Raas, Bharatnatyam, and many others. PM Modi will participate in Omkar Mantra chanting at the Somnath Swabhiman Parv and thereafter view the Drone show at the Somnath Temple. On 11 January, at around 9:45 am, the Prime Minister will participate in the Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession organised to honour the countless warriors who laid down their lives defending the Somnath Temple. The Shaurya Yatra will feature a symbolic procession of 108 horses, reflecting valour and sacrifice. Thereafter, at around 10:15 am, the Prime Minister will perform Darshan and Pooja at the Somnath Temple. At around 11 AM, the Prime Minister will participate in and address a public function in Somnath. The Somnath Swabhiman Parv, held from 8 to 11 January 2026, is being organised in Somnath. It is being held to remember the countless citizens of India whose sacrifice to defend the Temple continues to inspire the cultural consciousness of future generations. The programme marks the 1,000th anniversary of Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion of the Somnath Temple in 1026. Despite repeated attempts to destroy it over centuries, the Somnath Temple stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith, and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory. The release stated that, after independence, Sardar Patel led the effort to restore the Temple. One of the most important milestones in this journey of revival was achieved in 1951, when the restored Somnath Temple was formally opened to devotees in the presence of the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The 75th anniversary of this historic restoration in 2026 adds special significance to the Somnath Swabhiman Parv.The celebrations will feature hundreds of saints from across the country, along with 72 hours of continuous chanting of 'Om' within the temple premises. - ANI BRASILIA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday discussed the Mercosur-EU free trade agreement and the situation in Venezuela, Brazil's presidential office said. During their telephone conversation, Lula thanked the Spanish government for supporting the agreement and called the deal "a very positive signal in defense of multilateralism and predictable, stable trade rules." On Venezuela, they highlighted a joint statement issued along with Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay, which rejects any division of the world into spheres of influence and opposes the use of force in international relations without authorization under the UN Charter. They also welcomed the announcement made on Thursday in Caracas by Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on the release of Venezuelan and foreign detainees, including four Spanish nationals. Lula confirmed that Brazil sent 40 tons of dialysis supplies and medicines on Friday to help replenish stocks at a distribution center damaged by U.S. bombings on Jan. 3. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of organizing a new edition of the forum "In Defense of Democracy: Combating Extremism" in Spain in the coming months. Union Home Minister Amit Shah distributed appointment letters to over 8,000 new constables in Rajasthan, highlighting the event as a milestone for state security. He praised the Rajasthan Government for conducting a transparent, corruption-free recruitment process based purely on merit. Shah specifically credited Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma for ending the recurring problem of paper leaks that plagued the previous administration. The ceremony also featured the virtual inauguration of a Multipurpose Indoor Hall and the recognition of Ratannagar Police Station as the state's best. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, at a police constable appointment ceremony, commended CM Bhajanlal Sharma for transparent recruitment and ending paper leaks in Rajasthan. Jaipur, January 10 Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah addressed the appointment letter distribution ceremony for newly appointed constables of Rajasthan Police in Jaipur today. On this occasion, Chief Minister of Rajasthan Bhajan Lal Sharma, along with several dignitaries, was present. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said that today is a very important day for Rajasthan Police and the law and order of the state, as more than 8 thousand youths have joined Rajasthan Police today. He stated that these young police personnel will dedicate the rest of their lives to this very work in order to ensure the security of the people and to fulfil the resolve of a secure Rajasthan. He added that on one hand, thousands of our jawans have received their uniforms, while on the other hand, a new hope has been awakened in the families and relatives of these young police personnel. Amit Shah said that today the virtual inauguration of the Multipurpose Indoor Hall took place, and the Ratannagar Police Station of Churu district was honoured as the best police station in Rajasthan. He said that among the more than 8 thousand constables who were given appointment letters today, more than 2500 are women constables. Shah said that the Rajasthan Government has provided jobs to these 8 thousand youths without any bribe or recommendation, purely on the basis of their own strength, capability, and merit. This process reflects transparency, the elimination of corruption, and respect for merit. He added that any state can progress only when it provides opportunities to meritorious youths, recruitment is conducted in a completely transparent manner, and there is no corruption in the process. "Bhajan Lal Ji has ended the series of paper leaks that were ongoing during the opposition's government and has freed Rajasthan from this menace," he said. Amit Shah said that the Rajasthan Police is among the country's most advanced and capable police forces. He stated that Rajasthan is a state with challenging geographical conditions. - ANI Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced the celebration of Thirukkural Week across the state in January, featuring cultural and educational events in all districts. He inaugurated the festivities under the banner "Thirukkural Thiruvizha," urging people to uphold the values of the ancient text. The CM also participated in Pongal celebrations in Chennai, distributing kitchen appliances to attendees. Additionally, he inaugurated the 49th Chennai Book Fair, highlighting its role as a knowledge festival and an initiative honoring writers through the Kalaignar Porkizhi award. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin announces statewide Thirukkural Week celebrations and participates in Chennai Pongal events, promoting Tamil culture. Chennai, January 10 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin participated in Pongal celebrations in Chennai today, where he also distributed Kitchen appliances to the attendees. Earlier on the same day, the Chief Minister also announced statewide celebrations of Thirukkural Week in January, reaffirming the state government's commitment to promoting Tamil language, literature and culture. Sharing a post on X, the Chief Minister said the celebrations were being organised in line with an announcement made during the silver jubilee of the Statue of Wisdom established by Muthamil Arignar at Kanyakumari pier. "In accordance with the announcement made during the silver jubilee celebrations of the #StatueOfWisdom established by Muthamil Arignar at Kanyakumari pier, #kurrll_vaar_villlaa celebrations across Tamil Nadu in the month of January! Events including Kural painting, Kural recitation, music performances, seminars, Tamil music, a Kural teacher conference with participation from government employees and teachers, quiz contests, and more will be held in all 38 districts," Stalin said in his X post, which was also accompanied by a video. The Chief Minister said that he inaugurated the eents with pride under the banner "Thirukkural Thiruvizha - The Grand Festival That Never Fails to Delight Tamils," calling upon people to honour and uphold the values of Valluvar. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Stalin inaugurated the 49th edition of the Chennai Book Fair at the YMCA Grounds in Nandanam, describing it as a long-running knowledge festival and expressing happiness over its continued success. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said he was delighted to inaugurate the long-running knowledge festival and expressed his gratitude to the publishers who have been consistently organising the exhibition over the years. Stalin said it gave him special personal satisfaction that the interest earned from the Rs 1 crore donation made by former Chief Minister Kalaignar is being used to honour outstanding writers. Under this initiative, eminent authors are being awarded Rs 1 lakh each through the Kalaignar Porkizhi award, CM Stalin added. Emphasising the importance of knowledge, the Chief Minister said the Tamil community should be recognised globally as a knowledge-based society. - ANI Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced the submission of a detailed proposal to the central government for the immediate procurement of 3,330 additional electric buses. The buses, in three different sizes, are intended to provide comprehensive connectivity from narrow streets to major arterial roads. This move aims to significantly expand Delhi's electric bus fleet, with a goal of operating 7,000 e-buses by the end of 2026 to reduce pollution and modernize public transport. The Delhi government has stated it is prepared to bear the cost itself if any central subsidy hurdles arise to prevent delays. Delhi CM sends proposal to Centre for immediate procurement of 3,330 e-buses to create one of the world's largest clean bus fleets. New Delhi, Jan 10 Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Saturday that the Transport Department officials have submitted a detailed proposal to the Central Government's agency, Convergence Energy Services Limited, for the immediate procurement of 3,330 additional electric buses. The Chief Minister described the proposal as the Delhi government's fresh step towards making the capital's transport system completely 'green' and delivering a decisive blow against pollution. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta made it clear that ensuring clean air in Delhi and providing citizens with a modern, convenient and affordable public transport system are among her government's highest priorities. With this objective, following a recent high-level meeting with CESL, it was decided to increase Delhi's bus allocation under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme (Phase-2). According to the Chief Minister, after reassessing requirements, demand has been placed for buses of different sizes to ensure connectivity from narrow streets to major arterial roads. The Transport Department has sought a total of 3,330 buses, comprising 500 buses of 7 metres, 2,330 buses of 9 metres and 500 buses of 12 metres. All buses will be low-floor, air-conditioned electric buses. The 7-metre buses will serve narrow streets and provide last-mile connectivity to residents. The 9-metre buses will operate on smaller roads and as feeder services. The 12-metre buses will be deployed on main routes and heavily congested corridors. Chief Minister Gupta stated that her government has requested the Central Government and the Ministry of Heavy Industries to include this additional requirement (separate from the already allotted quota of 2,800 buses) under the subsidy model. She said that if any technical hurdles arise with regard to subsidies, the Delhi Government is fully prepared to bear the cost itself to ensure that there is no delay in procuring the buses. The Chief Minister believes that these 3,330 new buses are not merely a mode of public transport, but will also form the foundation of Delhi's green transition. Their induction will reduce citizens' dependence on private vehicles and lead to a significant reduction in harmful emissions. Low-floor buses will make travel safer and more comfortable for women passengers and senior citizens. The Delhi Government aims to ensure that, in the coming months, Delhi's bus fleet becomes one of the largest and cleanest electric bus networks in the world. At present, a total of 5,336 government buses are operating in Delhi, of which 3,535 are electric buses. These include 1,162 nine-metre DEVI buses, 2,273 twelve-metre buses and 100 feeder buses. According to the Chief Minister, more than 5,000 electric buses will be operating on Delhi's roads by March this year. Her resolve is that by the end of 2026, 7,000 electric buses will be made available to the people of Delhi. After the induction of 2,800 buses under PM E-DRIVE (Phase-1), the total number of buses in Delhi will rise to 10,430, and following the induction of 3,330 buses under PM E-DRIVE (Phase-2), the total fleet will increase to 13,760 buses, said a statement. - IANS US President Donald Trump has reiterated his intent to "do something" about Greenland, stating the US will act whether others like it or not. He warned that if the US does not take action, Russia or China will move in and occupy the strategically important territory. Trump dismissed Denmark's historical claim to the island, arguing that landing a boat there centuries ago does not equate to ownership. He connected this stance to recent US actions in Venezuela and used the opportunity to sharply criticize wind energy. US President Donald Trump renews push for Greenland, warns Russia and China will take it if US doesn't act. Says US will act "the nice way or the difficult way." Washington DC, January 10 US President Donald Trump again reiterated the claims of having to do "something" about Greenland, saying that if US doesn't take any action, Russia and China would spring in and that Washington does not want to have them as neighbours. In the context of Denmark, he said that landing a boat 500 years ago in Greenland "doesn't mean they own the land". The US President made the remarks while interacting with mediapersons during his meeting with the top oil and gas executives. When asked about Greenland, Trump said, "We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland -- and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. I would like to make a deal the easy way but if we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way". He added, "And by the way, I'm a fan of Denmark as well. They've been very nice to me. I'm a big fan but the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn't mean that they own the land. We had lots of boats go there also. But we need that because if you take a look at outside of Greenland right now, they are Russian destroyers, Chinese destroyers and bigger there are Russian submarines all over the place. We're not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland and that's what they're going to do if we don't. We will do something with Greenland either the nice way or the difficult way." When asked why it was important to "own" Greenland, when the US has a military presence that it could expand, Trump said that one defends ownership and not leases. "When we own it we defend it. You don't defend leases the same way. You have to own it. Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership. You don't defend leases. If we don't do it, China or Russia well. That's not going to happen... NATO has to understand that. I'm all for NATO. I saved it. If it weren't for me, NATO would not be there." Trump has renewed his push to take over a semi-autonomous Danish territory rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron. The new push to annexe Greenland comes after Trump's use of military force against Venezuela on Saturday to seize its President Nicolas Maduro. For decades, Washington has viewed Greenland as strategically important, and the Trump administration has once more placed the island at the centre of its Arctic agenda by reviving discussions around altering the status of the Danish territory. Trump previously made an offer to buy the island in 2019, during his first presidential term, only to be told it was not for sale. The fear of Russia and China laying a "claim" to foreign territories has been repeated by President Trump before too. Speaking in regard to the recent operation in capturing Nicolas Maduro, Trump said, "If we didn't do what we did, China or Russia would have been in Venezuela." In another query about Europe, Trump expressed sharp disdain over energy generated from windmills and said, "I'm not much of a windmill person. I can proudly say that we have not approved one wind mill since I've been in office and we're going to keep it that way. My role is to not let any windmill get build. They're losers. They lose money, they destroy your landscape, they kill your birds, they are all made in China". Trump added that Europe should question China on how much windmill area does China itself have. "They (China) use coal, oil and gas and some nuclear but they don't have windmills. They make them and sell them to suckers like Europe and suckers like the United States before. They are the worst form of energy, most expensive form of energy". The remarks come after he signed a memorandum on Wednesday (local time), directing the withdrawal of the United States from international organisations, conventions and treaties that are "contrary to the interests" of the US. The announcement was made in the statement of the Presidential Memoranda shared by the White House that mentioned withdrawal from 35-non non-UN organisations and 31 UN entities. The Non-UN organisations include the India and France-led International Solar Alliance, key environmental bodies like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Other non-UN bodies International Energy Forum, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation and the Global Counterterrorism Forum, among others. - ANI A session at the 1 Billion Followers Summit showcased Dubai's media and humanitarian model as a global example for connecting cultures. Kuwaiti content creator Khalifa Al Mazen emphasized that Dubai's success stems from focusing on meaningful, original content with a long-term vision. He praised the leadership's human-centred, institutional approach to development. Al Mazen also highlighted Dubai's role as a global aviation and maritime hub that naturally positions it as a meeting point for diverse cultures and economies. At the 1 Billion Followers Summit, Dubai is praised as a global model for using original, purposeful content to build bridges between cultures. Dubai, January 11 A session at the 1 Billion Followers Summit highlighted Dubai's media and humanitarian model as a global example of content creation that connects cultures through originality and purpose, rather than follower numbers. Speaking during the session, Kuwaiti content creator Khalifa Al Mazen, said Dubai demonstrates how meaningful content can build bridges between people by focusing on uniqueness and long-term vision. Al Mazein praised the vision of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, noting that a human-centred, institutional development approach has been key to Dubai's global success. He also cited Dubai's role as a global aviation and maritime hub linking more than 170 destinations, positioning the emirate as a meeting point for cultures and economies. Al Mazen urged content creators to focus on originality over imitation, stressing that diversity enriches digital media and strengthens its ability to bring people together. - ANI Served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Emmy-winning television director and producer Tom Cherones has passed away at age 86 at his home in Oregon. He was best known for directing 85 episodes of the iconic sitcom "Seinfeld," including the early episode "The Stakeout." Cherones shared an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993 with creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. His career also included work on shows like "NewsRadio" and a stint in educational television after serving in the U.S. Navy. Emmy-winning director Tom Cherones, who helmed 85 episodes of 'Seinfeld,' passes away at 86 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease. Los Angeles, January 10 Emmy-winning producer, director Tom Cherones, known for his work on 'Seinfeld', has passed away at 86, reported Deadline. The filmmaker died at his home in Florence, Oregon, after a prolonged battle with Alzheimer's disease. Tom Cherones famously directed and produced the second 'Seinfeld' episode titled 'The Stakeout', which was released in May 1990. He received six Emmy nominations along the way and even won the coveted trophy for Outstanding Comedy Series, sharing it with creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David in 1993. During this stint, he also appeared on the show, just once in episode four, 'The Pilot'. Born on September 11, 1939, in Tuscaloosa, AL, Cherones did his graduation the University of New Mexico with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He later received a master's degree in telecommunications from the University of Alabama. Cherones also served four years as a lieutenant in the United States Navy, as per Deadline. While doing his master's degree, Cherones began working in educational television and even produced and directed programs for WQED in Pittsburgh. In 1975, he moved to Hollywood and landed his first job as a production manager for General Hospital. Tom Cherones' first work as a TV director came with the 1986 show 'Babes in the Woods'. It was finally in 1990 that he began work on 'Seinfeld' as a director and producer in a total of 85 episodes. He left the show after the fifth season. "Creator Jerry Seinfeld was tired of the same thing, I guess. We changed writers almost every season, and finally, he just wanted somebody else, another presence, to try to keep it fresh," Cherones said in an interview, as quoted by Deadline. Tom Cherones' other direction credits include 'NewsRadio', 'Welcome Back Kotter', 'Caroline in the City', 'Annie McGuire and Ellen'. - ANI RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed the Sanatan Culture Festival in Vrindavan, emphasizing the oneness of Hindu society despite perceived divisions. He explicitly called for an end to all forms of discrimination based on caste, sect, language, or community. His speech also touched upon the ongoing centenary celebrations of the RSS, framing them as a moment of responsibility rather than a display of power. Bhagwat stressed the need to focus on finding solutions to contemporary crises. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, at a Vrindavan festival, said the entire Hindu society is one and called for an end to caste, sect, and language-based divisions. Mathura, January 10 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, on Saturday, while attending the Sanatan Culture Festival in Vrindavan, Mathura, vouched for unity among the Hindu community, saying that there should be no discrimination of any kind. Addressing the event, Bhagwat said that the world might view divisions within the Hindu community by caste, creed, sect, and language, but they are all one. "There should be no discrimination of any kind... We consider the society in which we live as one; we believe the entire Hindu society is one, yet the world sees many divisions within it, such as language, caste, sect, and community... For as many types of Hindus as the world recognises, I have friends from each of those types--visiting each other, eating and drinking together, standing by in joy and sorrow, treating them as friends..." he said. Earlier, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat offered prayers at the Shree Ram Mandir in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on January 1. On Wednesday, on RSS's centenary celebrations, Bhagwat said that Hindu Sammelans are being organised across the country as the Sangh completes 100 years of its journey, stressing that the occasion should not be viewed as an act of "bravery", but as a "moment of responsibility." "The work of Sangh has completed 100 years, therefore, Hindu Sammelan are being organised across the country," Bhagwat said while addressing a Hindu Sammelan here, adding that the centenary celebrations are not meant for display of power. "This is not bravery," he added. Recalling the organisation's origin, the RSS chief said, "Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar formed this Sangh with his blood." He noted that crises are visible in every field today, but emphasised that merely discussing problems is not the solution. "The stress should be on finding solutions, and not just on discussions," Bhagwat said. - ANI The Vishva Hindu Parishad's International Working President, Alok Kumar, has welcomed the decision to ban non-vegetarian food and alcohol within the Ayodhya Dham area. Ayodhya Food Commissioner Manik Chandra Singh announced the strict ban, which also applies to online food delivery platforms, with penalties for violations. The move is intended to align with the city's status as a major spiritual and religious center, similar to other holy cities like Haridwar and Tirupati. A local hotel manager also supported the ban, stating it preserves the holy spirit of Ayodhya as per religious scriptures. VHP President Alok Kumar supports Ayodhya's ban on non-veg food & alcohol, comparing it to other holy cities. Officials announce strict enforcement. Ayodhya, January 11 International Working President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, Alok Kumar, on Saturday welcomed the decision to impose a strict ban on non-vegetarian food in hotels and restaurants within Ayodhya Dham, stating that Ayodhya is becoming the spiritual and religious centre of India. The VHP President further declared that everybody should welcome this decision. "... Everyone should welcome this decision (of banning alcohol and meat in Ayodhya). In other holy cities like Haridwar and Tirupati, alcohol and meat are not sold. Ayodhya is becoming the spiritual and religious centre of India, and it is absolutely correct that alcohol and meat should not be sold here...," Kumar told ANI. Earlier, Ayodhya Food Commissioner Manik Chandra Singh announced a strict ban on non-vegetarian food in hotels and restaurants within Ayodhya Dham. The ban includes online deliveries, and authorities will penalise platforms violating the rule. Speaking to ANI, Food Commissioner Ayodhya Manik Chandra Singh said, "... Non-vegetarian food has been banned from being served in hotels and restaurants in Ayodhya Dham."Singh also announced to take action against hotels and delivery platforms flouting rules. "However, online delivery was still taking place through various platforms. We are ensuring that in these areas, meat will neither be served nor delivered through online platforms. We will also ensure that delivery platforms tied up with hotels strictly follow the rules, failing which strict action will be taken against them...," added Singh. The decision aims to align with Ayodhya's cultural and religious significance and respect local sentiments and pilgrim preferences. Speaking on the ban, Shubham Srivastava, a hotel General Manager, welcomed it as a measure to preserve the sanctity of the Ayodhya Dham. "Consumption of non-veg is prohibited in our holy scriptures; it is considered a sin in our religion. We, thus, are appreciative of this ban and aim to safeguard and maintain the holy spirit of Ayodhya Dham by not serving non-veg in our hotel," he told ANI. - ANI Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodriguez stated that exploring the reopening of US and Venezuelan embassies is aimed at continuing to denounce the January 3rd US military operation on Venezuelan territory. She emphasized the response would be diplomatic and in accordance with international law. Rodriguez thanked the leaders of Spain, Colombia, Brazil, and Qatar for their support following the operation that captured Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores. She noted Qatar's role in facilitating talks with the US to obtain proof of life for the detained couple. Venezuela's interim president says exploring US embassy reopening aims to denounce Jan 3 aggression, thanks allies for support after Maduro's capture. Caracas, January 10 Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said on Friday that the exploration of opening the US Embassy in Venezuela and vice versa responds to the objective of continuing to "denounce the aggression" of January 3rd on national territory, as per El Cooperante. In an event at the La Candelaria parish, Rodriguez stated that the response to the US after the operation will be diplomatic and in accordance with the international law. "The Venezuelan and US governments are exploring avenues for opening embassies. What is their objective? To reiterate their condemnation of the aggression suffered by our people, because our women, our men, our girls were deeply affected by such aggression," she said, as quoted by El Cooperante. Rodriguez also thanked the states that expressed their support after the US operation and the capture of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores, noting that the Venezuelan people appreciate their courage. He reported that he held meetings with Presidents Pedro Sanchez of Spain, Gustavo Petro of Colombia, and Luiz Inacio Lula of Brazil, who expressed their "support". "I want to express my deepest gratitude to the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was very attentive to Venezuela and our people on the very day of the invasion. That day he asked us how he could help, and we told him about the bombing of a medicine warehouse. (...) The medicines to treat our dialysis patients have already arrived in Venezuela," El Cooperante quoted Rodriguez as saying. She further thanked Emir (ruler) of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for facilitating talks with the US to obtain the first "proof of life" of the deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The Venezuelan government announced the start of an "exploratory diplomatic process" with the US, and confirmed the arrival of a State Department delegation from the US. The announcement came almost a week after the US military operation that shoved Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores into a plane and imprisoned them in a New York prison, as per El Cooperante. - ANI Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired a pre-budget consultation meeting with states and union territories for the upcoming Union Budget 2026-27. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant highlighted key demands for his state, including continued central schemes and specific funding for tourism, health, and renewable energy. The meeting followed a series of sectoral consultations with experts from agriculture, MSMEs, capital markets, and technology. The Union Budget is expected to be presented in Parliament on February 1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chairs pre-budget meeting with states. Goa CM Pramod Sawant details demands for tourism, health, and renewable energy sectors. New Delhi, January 10 Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday chaired the meeting on Pre-Budget Consultation with States and Union Territories for the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27 in New Delhi. Along with Union Minister for State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, the meeting was also attended by Governor of Manipur; Chief Ministers of Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, and Sikkim; Deputy Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana; the Finance Ministers of States/UTs, besides Secretaries of Departments of Economic Affairs, Expenditure, and Revenue, and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance. While speaking with the reporters after the meeting, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, "We specifically demanded that the central schemes currently running for Goa be continued. As a tourism state, we have particularly requested assistance for the tourism sector. We also demanded funds for the health sector. Funds for the infrastructure development of Kushavati, which we have newly created as a district, were also discussed." Goa Chief Minister further said, "We have also laid down special demands for the Renewable Energy sector, and for the Railway sector, we raised demands for the redevelopment of the Konkan Railways among others." He highlighted that the 15th Finance Commission recommended Rs 700 crore in state-specific funds for the state. "We seek more funds in the 16th Finance Commission," he said. Notably, the 15th Finance Commission recommended specific grants for Goa, including Rs 500 crore for climate change and Rs 200 crore for tourism, totalling Rs 700 crore in state-specific funds, while also providing grants for rural bodies and projecting GST compensation. Recently. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chaired a pre-Budget meeting with leading economists. At the meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery and other eminent economists were present. Discussions focused on key priorities and inputs for the upcoming Union Budget. Earlier, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman held 10 rounds of Pre-Budget Consultations as part of the preparations for the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27. The meetings brought together representatives and experts from key sectors of the economy, including agriculture and MSMEs, capital markets, manufacturing, services, and technology. The series began with consultations with leading economists, followed by representatives from farmer associations and agricultural economists. Subsequent sessions engaged stakeholders from MSMEs, capital markets, startups, manufacturing, BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance), information technology, tourism and hospitality, and finally trade unions and labour organisations. During these meetings, sector experts and stakeholders presented their recommendations, challenges, and expectations for the upcoming Budget. The discussions focused on economic growth, employment generation, investment climate, technological advancement, industrial competitiveness, financial sector stability, labour welfare, and sustainable development. The Union Budget is typically presented on February 1 of each year. This year too, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to present the Union Budget for 2026-27 in Parliament on February 1. - ANI OSLO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- "We do not want to be Americans," Greenland's party leaders announced in a joint statement issued on Friday. The statement, titled "We Stand Together as One People," said that Greenland's future must be decided by the Greenlandic people themselves, Danish broadcaster DR reported. "We, as Greenlandic party leaders, wish once again to emphasize our desire for the United States' disregard for our country to come to an end," the statement read. The party leaders also said that Greenland will continue to cooperate with the United States and other Western countries in the future, but work concerning Greenland's future must be carried out with the Greenlandic people and be prepared on the basis of international law and the Self-Government Act. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said a deal will be made for the United States to acquire Greenland in an "easy way" or "hard way," adding that he was "going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz begins a two-day visit to India, arriving in Ahmedabad. His agenda includes cultural stops at the Sabarmati Ashram and a kite festival before high-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders will review the 25-year-old strategic partnership, focusing on deepening cooperation in trade, technology, defence, and sustainable development. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral ties ahead of the upcoming India-EU Summit. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visits India, meeting PM Modi to strengthen strategic partnership, with stops at Sabarmati Ashram and a kite festival. New Delhi, January 10 Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor of Germany is scheduled to arrive at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on January 12, a statement by the MEA said. Merz would then visit Sabarmati Ashram and participate in the Kite Festival. He is then scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and issue press statements at Mahatma Mandir. He will also visit the Dandi Kutir. On January 13, Merz will visit Bosch, followed by Nano Science and Engineering, CeNSE and then depart for Germany. PM Modi and Merz had met earlier on November 22 at G20 Summit. The two leaders will review the progress made in the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which has recently completed 25 years. Their discussion will also focus on further intensifying cooperation in trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility, while also advancing collaboration in important domains of defence and security, science, innovation and research, green and sustainable development, and people-to-people ties. Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance, and engage with business and industry leaders of the two countries. The visit is expected to build on the momentum generated by regular high-level political interactions and provide an opportunity to reaffirm the shared vision of India and Germany to develop a forward-looking partnership for the benefit of both countries and the wider global community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Merz last held discussions on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where the two leaders agreed to further broaden the bilateral strategic partnership. During that interaction, Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to the German Chancellor for an official visit to New Delhi. The visit is also taking place in the lead-up to the India-EU Summit scheduled for January 27. - ANI The Indo-Japan Friendship Association of Gujarat has inaugurated GOLDFEST 2026, a five-day cultural festival in Ahmedabad commemorating 50 years of bilateral friendship. The festival was launched with the opening of "Patang-O-Dori," a major exhibition showcasing Japanese kites and shared kite-flying heritage with Ahmedabad. It also celebrates the first anniversary of the sister city relationship between Ahmedabad and Hamamatsu and the sister state partnership between Gujarat and Shizuoka Prefecture. The event, with the theme "Kem Chhe - Konnichiwa," aims to reinforce cultural bonds through art, music, and cuisine. GOLDFEST 2026, a cultural festival in Ahmedabad, marks 50 years of Indo-Japan friendship and the anniversary of the Hamamatsu-Ahmedabad sister city pact. Ahmedabad, January 11 The Indo-Japan Friendship Association of Gujarat on Saturday inaugurated GOLDFEST 2026, marking 50 years of Indo-Japan friendship. The five-day cultural celebration is being held from January 10 to 14, 2026, as part of IJFA's Golden Jubilee commemorations. As per the statement, the festival was inaugurated with the opening of "Patang-O-Dori", a grand Japanese kite exhibition, at the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA). The exhibition was inaugurated by Megumi Shimada, Consul for Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Japan in Mumbai, in the presence of the Honorary Consul of Japan in Ahmedabad, Mukesh Patel, Japanese dignitaries and senior officials. GOLDFEST 2026 also commemorates the first anniversary of the Hamamatsu-Ahmedabad Sister City relationship and the Shizuoka Prefecture-Gujarat Sister State partnership. Delegations from Shizuoka and Hamamatsu are participating in the festival, bringing Japanese kites, music and traditional matcha culture to the centre stage. The "Patang-O-Dori" exhibition highlights the shared kite-flying heritage of Hamamatsu, Japan's kite-flying capital, and Ahmedabad, known for its iconic Uttarayan celebrations. The exhibition features colourful Japanese kites, traditional lanterns gifted by the City of Hamamatsu, and narratives tracing the evolution of kite-flying traditions in both cultures. On the occasion, Megumi Shimada, Consul for Cultural Affairs, Japan, told the media that she was present to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the Indo-Japan Friendship Association and one year anniversary of Ahmedabad and Hamamatsu city As per the statement, the exhibition will be open to the public on January 11 and 12, from 11 am to 7 pm. With the theme "Kem Chhe - Konnichiwa", GOLDFEST 2026 aims to strengthen cultural bonds through art, music and cuisine, reinforcing Gujarat's long-standing reputation as the "Mini-Japan of India." India and Japan share a 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership', the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted in a statement. It noted that the friendship between the two countries has a long history rooted in spiritual affinity and strong cultural and civilizational ties. - ANI A private bus travelling from Solan to Kupvi plunged into a deep gorge near Haripurdhar, killing at least 13 people, including the driver. Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil stated the state government will fully cover the treatment expenses for the injured, some of whom are in serious condition and referred to Shimla. Rescue operations are ongoing, and the death toll may rise as identification efforts continue. The cause of the accident is under investigation by authorities. 13 killed as bus plunges into gorge in Himachal's Haripurdhar. State government to bear all treatment costs for the injured, some in serious condition. Shimla, January 10 Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil has said the state government was ensuring proper medical care for all those injured, adding that the expenses for their treatment would be borne entirely by the government. Speaking to ANI on Friday here, he said some of the injured were in serious condition and had been referred to Shimla for advanced medical treatment. "It is being ensured that those who are injured are taken care of properly. Some of them are serious and hence have been sent to Shimla. The state government will bear the expense of all of their treatments," he said. The Health Minister assured that the authorities were closely monitoring the condition of the injured and that all necessary medical facilities were being provided to ensure their recovery. At least 13 people, including the driver, have died after a private bus en route from Shimla-Solan to Kupvi plunged into a deep gorge near Haripurdhar in Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Friday. The death toll may rise, as rescue and identification efforts are still underway. Earlier, Naresh Chauhan, Principal Media Advisor to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, said that according to the information received so far, the bus skidded off the road and fell nearly 100 metres into a gorge. "As per the information available at present, this was a private bus going from Solan to Kupvi. Near Haripurdhar, the bus fell off the road and plunged about 100 metres into a gorge, resulting in the death of 13 people. The driver is also among those who lost their lives," Chauhan said. He added that the cause of the accident is being investigated. "The cause of the accident is being probed. According to the police, so far 22 injured passengers have been shifted by police and administrative teams to different hospitals," he said. Chauhan said that the bus was carrying nearly 40 people. "Around 40 people were believed to be travelling in the bus, though the exact number may be higher. It is reported that approximately 40 people were on the bus. This number could be more, as some passengers who were safe may have gone to hospitals on their own or returned home immediately after the accident, and efforts are underway to identify all passengers and ensure proper medical care for the injured," he said. "Those who are injured are being provided treatment. The state machinery ensures medical facilities are available in hospitals during such incidents. Officers have reached the spot, and relief and rescue work is still in progress," he added. Expressing condolences, he said the first priority was to ensure that the injured receive immediate medical treatment. "The government expresses its condolences to all the bereaved families. Our first priority is to ensure that the injured receive immediate medical treatment and are taken to hospitals, and that formal confirmation of the deceased and injured is done after initial rescue operations," Chauhan said. "Immediately after such accidents, the priority is to treat the injured. After that, the bodies are handed over to the families after completing post-mortem formalities. The reason behind the accident will be established after a detailed investigation," he added. He reiterated that 13 deaths have been confirmed so far, but the toll could increase as more information comes in. - ANI Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal has urged the central government to continue the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation to states, citing economic pressures from global uncertainties. He also strongly opposed proposed changes to the MGNREGA funding pattern, arguing a shift to a 40:60 cost-sharing model would be unfeasible for Kerala. The demands were made during a pre-budget consultation meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Other state leaders, including Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, also presented specific funding requests for their regions. Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal demands GST compensation extension and opposes MGNREGA funding changes in pre-budget meeting with FM Sitharaman. New Delhi, January 10 Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal on Saturday said that the state government has urged the Centre to continue Goods and Services Tax compensation and retain the existing structure of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, citing economic pressures on states amid global uncertainties. Speaking to reporters after attending the pre-budget consultation meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the national capital, Balagopal said Kerala placed several specific demands before the Centre, highlighting fiscal challenges faced by states due to both domestic and international factors. "We made some specific demands that GST compensation should continue. Because of the global economy and Trump, every state is facing some problems, even the national economy, for that matter," Balagopal said. Balagopal also raised concerns about proposed changes to the MGNREGA funding pattern, particularly the reported shift to a 40:60 cost-sharing mechanism between the Centre and the states. He said such a model would not be viable for Kerala. "In case of G-RAM G Bill, we are demanding that the existing system of MGNREGA should work because this 40-60 system will not be feasible for us," he said. Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the Pre-Budget Consultation meeting with States and Union Territories (with Legislature) for the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27 in New Delhi. Along with Union Minister for State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, the meeting was also attended by Governor of Manipur; Chief Ministers of Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, and Sikkim; Deputy Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana; the Finance Ministers of States/UTs, besides Secretaries of Departments of Economic Affairs, Expenditure, and Revenue, and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance. While speaking with the reporters after the meeting, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, "We specifically demanded that the central schemes currently running for Goa be continued. As a tourism state, we have particularly requested assistance for the tourism sector. We also demanded funds for the health sector. Funds for the infrastructure development of Kushavati, which we have newly created as a district, were also discussed." - ANI Gujarat's Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani visited the Somnath Mahadev temple to offer prayers. He participated in a continuous 72-hour "Omkar jap" ceremony being held as part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. The spiritual event, organized by Rishikumars, aims to reinforce India's ancient cultural values and national self-respect. The ceremony has seen significant participation from devotees, amplifying its spiritual atmosphere. Gujarat Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani offered prayers and joined the 72-hour Omkar chanting at Somnath Mahadev temple during the Swabhiman Parv. Gandhinagar, January 10 Gujarat Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani offered prayers at Somnath Mahadev on Saturday. He also sat on the Somnath temple premises and chanted the Omkar with devotion, joined by his family. Under the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, a 72-hour continuous "Omkar jap" is being organised by Rishikumars in the sacred premises of Shri Somnath Mahadev temple. Through this spiritual ritual organised under the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, a new direction is being given to India's ancient culture, faith, and the spirit of national self-respect. Notably, the large participation of devotees is enhancing the spiritual significance of Somnath. - ANI Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat to participate in the Somnath Swabhiman Mahotsav, where he was welcomed enthusiastically by devotees. The event featured a magnificent drone show over the Arabian Sea, displaying visuals of Lord Shiva, historical figures, and Somnath's cultural heritage. PM Modi chaired a meeting of the Shree Somnath Trust to review infrastructure upgrades aimed at enhancing the pilgrimage experience. He also offered prayers at the temple, which is revered as the first of the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas. PM Modi witnessed a grand drone show at Somnath Temple, reviewed infrastructure upgrades, and offered prayers at the historic Jyotirlinga site. Gandhinagar Januar, y 11 Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Somnath to participate in the Somnath Swabhiman Mahotsav Parv on Saturday. His arrival created a Diwali-like festive spirit and a deeply devotional atmosphere in Somnath. Devotees from Somnath and across the country welcomed the Prime Minister with great enthusiasm. According to the Gujarat CMO, magnificent fireworks and a grand drone show showcased the grandeur and divinity of Somnath, mesmerising residents and devotees. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harshbhai Sanghavi, and other ministers expressed joy after watching cultural performances and the drone show. At the cultural programme held on the temple premises, artists including Hansraj Raghuwanshi, Brijraj Gadhvi, and Mayur Dave immersed devotees in the hues of devotion to Shiva. Songs of Shiva devotion, such as 'Mera Bhola Hai Bhandari'....., 'Bam Bam Bhole Bam Bam Bhole Re'....., 'Aisa Damru Bajaya Bholenath Ne'....., 'Shambhu Re Mahadev Shambhu Re Mahadev'....., along with folk songs and performances, brought to life the harmony between Somnath and Lord Shiva. The devotees danced wholeheartedly to these songs. The drone show displayed visuals of Somnath's valour, pride, and cultural heritage, creating a deeply devotional atmosphere. Images of the Swabhiman Parv logo, Lord Shankar's Tandava, the Trishul, Om, Veer Hamirji, Ahilyabai Holkar, scenes from Somnath's history, and portraits of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and PM Modi lit up over the Arabian Sea. Devotees applauded the show with chants of 'Har Har Mahadev', while the grand fireworks left everyone spellbound. Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Shree Somnath Trust and oversaw various phases related to the infrastructural upgradation in the temple premises and ensured a more pleasurable trip for the devotees. Taking it to X, PM Modi wrote, "In Somnath this evening, chaired a meeting of the Shree Somnath Trust. We reviewed various aspects relating to infrastructure upgradations in the temple complex and ways to make the pilgrimage to Somnath even more memorable." The Prime Minister also offered prayers at the Somnath Temple, which is revered as the first of the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and a significant part of India's spiritual heritage. - ANI Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh emphasized Hindi's role as a unifying force in India's diverse linguistic landscape during World Hindi Day celebrations. Foreign diplomats, including the Norwegian and Slovak Ambassadors, extended greetings and noted Hindi's importance in connecting people and cultures globally. The day commemorates January 10, 1949, when Hindi was first spoken in the UN General Assembly, and Hindi is the third most spoken language worldwide. The observance, officially adopted in 2006, features global events promoting the language's rich legacy. Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh and foreign envoys celebrate Vishwa Hindi Diwas, emphasizing Hindi's role in uniting India's diversity and connecting cultures globally. New Delhi, January 10 Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on Friday underlined the role of language in nation-building, saying that Hindi serves as a unifying thread in India's diverse linguistic landscape. Attending World Hindi Diwas organised at the CB Muthamma Hall in Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, Singh said, "Language plays an important role in nation building, and hindi is our common language. There are many languages in the country, and Hindi is one that unites us all. It won't be exaggerated to say that language keeps the culture alive." Norwegian Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener extended her greetings on the occassion, underlining how Hindi plays an important role in connecting people across cultures. "My greeting for all on Hindi Diwas. Hindi is a language that connects people, cultures and different parts of the world," she said to the reporters. Echoing similar sentiments, Slovak Ambassador to India Robert Maxian conveyed his wishes through a post on X. "Dear Citizens of India, heartfelt wishes for the New Year and warm greetings on #WorldHindiDay. Indo-Slovak relations continue to grow through strong political ties, rising trade & investments and cultural exchanges. May 2026 bring prosperity to all," the post read. Every year on January 10, World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, is commemorated. Vishwa Hindi Diwas was formed to mark the day when Hindi was first spoken in the UNGA in 1949. With about 600 million speakers globally, Hindi is the third most widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and English. In 1950, Hindi was made the official language of the Union of India. The official language of India is designated as Hindi in the Devanagari script in Article 343 of the Indian Constitution. Rashtra Bhasha Prachar Samiti, Wardha, had the idea for the inaugural World Hindi Conference in 1973. On January 10, 1975, Nagpur hosted the event. Its goal was to spread the language throughout the world. A total of 122 representatives from 30 nations attended the conference. The very first World Hindi Day was celebrated on January 10, 2006. Dr Manmohan Singh, a former prime minister, adopted it. Numerous activities are planned on this day all around the world to honour the language's rich legacy and to promote it. These are frequently hosted by educational institutions and take the form of literary contests, public forums, and cultural events. - ANI Spiritual leaders in Ayodhya have welcomed the administration's ban on the delivery of non-vegetarian food items within a 15-kilometer radius of the Ram Temple. They argue the move is necessary to maintain the city's cultural and spiritual dignity for devotees visiting the holy site. The ban follows previous restrictions on the sale of liquor and meat along the Ram Path, though enforcement has reportedly been inconsistent. Authorities have also warned hotels and homestays against serving non-vegetarian food and alcohol to guests. Ayodhya administration bans non-vegetarian food delivery within 15 km of Ram Temple. Spiritual leaders welcome the move to uphold cultural dignity. Ayodhya, Jan 10 Sadhus and sants in Ayodhya on Saturday welcomed the ban on delivery of non-veg food items within a 15-km radius of the Ram Temple and said that the move should be enforced stringently. Another spiritual leader, Mahamandaleshwar Vishnu Das told IANS, "Devotees who come to the holy city of Lord Ram to do 'darshan (worship)' should not face such difficulties or see such activities. It was happening earlier, which is unfortunate, and a matter of disrespect towards the city of Lord Ram and Lord Ram himself." Speaking to IANS, Deveshacharya Maharaj said, "This is a matter of great satisfaction that the sale and display of non-vegetarian food items has now been banned in Ayodhya. This has been our demand for many years. Ayodhya is the city of Lord Ram, a city of culture and a centre of spirituality where devotees come from across the world." He defended the decision, calling it necessary to uphold cultural dignity. "In such circumstances, it goes against our culture and dignity when non-vegetarian food is served. I welcome this move and hope that it is enforced stringently", he added. Earlier, the Ayodhya administration on Friday banned the delivery of non-vegetarian food within a 15-km radius of the Ram temple. Officials said the decision was taken after repeated complaints that online food delivery platforms were supplying non-vegetarian food in areas covered under the Panchkosi Parikrama. Authorities also said some hotels and homestays in Ayodhya were serving non-vegetarian food and alcohol to guests. These establishments have been given a strict warning to stop such practices. In May 2025, the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation had decided to ban the sale of liquor and meat along the 14-km Ram Path connecting Ayodhya and Faizabad. However, locals said the liquor ban has not been properly enforced and more than two dozen alcohol outlets are still operating along the route. - IANS Sharmila Tagore began her illustrious career at just 14 years old, cast by the legendary Satyajit Ray in 'Apur Sansar'. She credits Ray, whom she calls "Manik da," for his gentle direction that made her first film experience stress-free and welcoming. Their celebrated partnership spanned five films, including 'Devi' and 'Aranyer Din Ratri', which showcased a different, more introspective side of her acting. Tagore recently revisited memories of their collaborations, recalling the physically demanding but fondly remembered shoot for 'Aranyer Din Ratri' in Jharkhand. Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore shares memories of her cinematic debut in Satyajit Ray's 'Apur Sansar' and their celebrated five-film collaboration. By Zoya Aziz, New Delhi, January 10 For many Hindi film lovers, Sharmila Tagore will forever be the woman in 'Kashmir Ki Kali,' 'Aradhana,' and 'Amar Prem': graceful, romantic, and effortlessly luminous. However, long before the actress became a mainstream star, Tagore's journey into cinema began in a far more intimate space. It all started in Bengali cinema, under the watchful eye of one of India's greatest filmmakers, Satyajit Ray, when she was barely in her teens. Tagore was just 14 when Ray cast her in 'Apur Sansar' (1959), the final film in his acclaimed Apu Trilogy. At that age, she had no formal "exposure" to films, no understanding of the mechanics of acting, and little sense of the cinematic legacy she was stepping into. Looking back now, the actress recalls that the experience felt less intimidating than one might imagine, thanks largely to Ray's gentle approach. Speaking to ANI, the veteran actor recalled her very first shot on set, a moment she says she still remembers clearly. "Oh my God, that's going to take a long time. But it was wonderful. And I still remember it. So my first shot was entering the house and looking around. And of course, one doesn't forget one's first shot..." She credits the first Indian Oscar-winning director, whom she affectionately refers to as "Manik da," for creating an environment where even a newcomer felt at ease. According to her, he never made actors feel that a scene was "difficult." For a young girl stepping onto a film set for the first time, that reassurance made all the difference. "It was all kind of new for me to discover. So it was lovely, it was very stress-free. And that is the beauty of Manik da. Because he never made his actors feel that the scene was difficult. So it was my first day, I was very new, and I had no exposure to films. He just made it all very easy for me," she told ANI. Over the years, Tagore and Ray went on to collaborate on five films to form one of Indian cinema's most celebrated actor-director partnerships. Beyond 'Apur Sansar,' their work together included 'Devi,' 'Nayak,' 'Aranyer Din Ratri,' and 'Seemabaddha.' That legacy was revisited recently in Delhi, where Ray's 'Aranyer Din Ratri' (Days and Nights in the Forest, 1970) was screened in a restored 4K version. The film, which explored urban alienation and social tensions, remains one of Ray's most layered works, and one that holds vivid memories for Tagore. Recalling the shoot, she spoke about the physical demands of filming in Jharkhand. The cast had to travel via Ranchi before driving to the location, which Ray had chosen deliberately for its seasonal look. She remembered the "heat," the sparse trees without leaves, and the "absence of electricity," all elements Ray wanted to capture visually. While she had access to a generator and a cooler, she added how the rest of the cast endured the discomfort together but chose to laugh instead of complain. "Yes, in Jharkhand. We had to get off at Ranchi and then drive. It was beautiful, I mean, he wanted that particular location and that time of the year. So it was very hot, and the trees were all sparse. There were no leaves, and he wanted that kind of look. We didn't have electricity, but I was given a generator with a cooler. The boys were all very uncomfortable, but we just laughed about it. In the evenings, it was very pleasant," she said. Each film Tagore did with Ray had its own speciality, and even today, these masterpieces hold a special place in fans' hearts. All five films revealed a different side of her restrained, introspective, and modern qualities, which often stood apart from the more glamorous roles she later played in Hindi cinema. - ANI Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Maheshwari Global Convention in Jodhpur, arguing that large-scale community gatherings strengthen national unity rather than divide it. He emphasized that if every community takes responsibility for its vulnerable members and becomes self-reliant, the entire nation will benefit. Shah praised the Maheshwari community for its significant contributions to India's progress across various fields while staying connected to its roots. He also outlined the four key objectives behind the celebrations marking 75 years of Indian independence, including a pledge for India to lead globally by 2047. Union Home Minister Amit Shah says large community gatherings strengthen India and that self-reliant communities lead to a self-reliant nation. Jodhpur, January 10 Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that large-scale community gatherings strengthen the nation rather than divide it, asserting that a self-reliant society leads to a self-reliant India. Shah was addressing the Maheshwari Global Convention & Expo in Jodhpur, where he emphasised that India's social fabric and strong community structures play a vital role in national unity. He noted that if every community takes responsibility for the welfare and safety of its most vulnerable members, the country as a whole would be better served. "Whenever social gatherings or community events are organised, some so-called progressive people criticise those who attend them. I have personally faced many such criticisms. I believe that the structure of our communities and such large community congregations actually strengthen India; they never divide the country. If every community takes responsibility for the safety and welfare of its poorest members, the entire nation will automatically be taken care of and if every community becomes self-reliant, then the whole of India will become self-reliant," Amit Shah said. Praising the Maheshwari community, Shah said it has produced individuals who have contributed to the nation across diverse fields, making India shine like a person who is adorned with jewels. He noted that, despite its prominence across sectors, the community remains deeply connected to its roots. "The gems that emerged from the Maheshwari community have adorned this country in every field, making it shine like a person adorned with jewels. Even after reaching the highest positions in the country, if any community has remained connected to its roots, it is the Maheshwari community," Amit Shah said. The Home Minister further said that after Independence, when India began its journey toward industrial growth and self-reliance, the Maheshwari community played a key role. From manufacturing and production to wealth creation and technology, he said, the community has consistently demonstrated its progressive outlook. "When the country attained independence and it was time to move forward after freedom, to become self-reliant, to advance by surpassing the horizons of the entire world in the field of industries, even then the Maheshwari community never looked back. Be it the field of production, manufacturing hubs, wealth generation or technology, the Maheshwari community has always demonstrated its identity as a progressive society in all these areas," Shah said. Referring to the celebrations marking 75 years of Independence, Shah said the initiative had four main objectives. The first was to familiarise the younger generation with India's freedom struggle from 1857 to 1947. The second was to highlight the country's achievements over the past 75 years, while the third aimed to strengthen the sense of national identity among India's 140 crore citizens. "A few years ago, we celebrated 75 years of our country's independence... Those who sacrificed their lives for the country were remembered. There were four objectives behind this. The first objective was to familiarise our young generation with the great struggle for independence from 1857 to 1947," he said. He added that the fourth objective was particularly significant, noting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge that by the time India marks 100 years of Independence on August 15, 2047, the country would be at the forefront globally in every field. "The second objective was to inform our young generation about the achievements we have made over the past 75 years. And the third was to instil the idea of India in the minds of 140 crore Indians. The fourth task was very important. PM Modi took a pledge. He has resolved that when the centenary of independence is celebrated on August 15, 2047, when the country completes 100 years of independence, India will be at the forefront in every field in the entire world," Shah said. - ANI Performers dance during the media preview of the Pongal Festival celebration held in Singapore's Indian Heritage Center on Jan. 9, 2026. Pongal Festival is a tradition celebrated in south India. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua) Wang Zhiyi (front) of China interacts with fans after the women's singles quarterfinal match against Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia at the Malaysia Open 2026 badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jan. 9, 2026. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng) This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2026 shows the scene of the national memorial service in Martigny, Switzerland. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)/Handout via Xinhua) Police officers and rangers patrol the Qilian Mountains in the Laohugou region of Menyuan Hui Autonomous County in Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 8, 2026. For years, police officers and rangers inside Qilian Mountain National Park in northwest China's Qinghai Province have dedicated themselves to their work, carrying out regular patrols and safeguarding the region's ecological security despite high altitude and harsh winter weather. (Xinhua/Zhang Long) Tourists have fun at a ski resort in Lixian County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 5, 2026. Sichuan ranks among the world's richest regions in low-latitude ice-and-snow tourism, and by leveraging its iconic landscapes that blend snowy mountains with mild temperatures, the province has become a popular destination for travelers at home and abroad. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing) People take a selfie at snow-covered Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 9, 2026. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua) This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2026 shows the U.S. Embassy building in Caracas, Venezuela. The U.S. official said Friday that personnel from the State Department's Colombia-based Venezuela Affairs Unit, including the unit's charge d'affaires John McNamara, will "conduct an initial assessment for a potential phased resumption of operations" in Caracas, where the U.S. embassy was closed in 2019 with all embassy staff withdrawn. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa) An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 8, 2026 shows the construction site of the cable-stayed bridge across the Chuhe River in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. As part of a high-speed railway linking Shanghai, Nanjing of Jiangsu Province and Hefei of Anhui Province, the cable-stayed bridge across the Chuhe River completed its closure on Thursday. (Xinhua/Li Bo) The Indian Army's Trishakti Corps has initiated a pilot project for the home delivery of medicines to veterans in Sikkim. The service, run through the ECHS Polyclinic in Gangtok, collaborates with the Department of Posts to reach veterans in remote areas. It specifically aims to assist approximately 58 identified beneficiaries who face mobility and terrain challenges. The initiative is part of a nationwide ECHS effort to improve healthcare accessibility and dignity for ex-servicemen. Indian Army's Trishakti Corps begins pilot project for home delivery of essential medicines to veterans in remote areas of Sikkim via ECHS. Gangtok, January 10 As part of a pilot initiative to enhance veteran welfare, the Indian Army, through the Trishakti Corps, has commenced home delivery of essential medicines to entitled veterans via the ECHS Polyclinic in Gangtok. According to an official release, the project is being implemented in collaboration with the Department of Posts and CSC e-Governance Services India Limited to ensure safe, timely, and hassle-free delivery of medicines, especially for veterans residing in remote areas. The Defence PRO stated that during the initial screening, the ECHS Polyclinic in Gangtok identified approximately 58 long-distance beneficiaries residing in South Sikkim, North Sikkim, and West Sikkim. These veterans face considerable difficulty in physically collecting medicines due to long distances, challenging terrain and mobility constraints, particularly among elderly and vulnerable beneficiaries. Based on the pilot project outcomes, the polyclinic proposes to extend home delivery services to the identified beneficiaries in the next phase. The expansion aims to improve accessibility, ensure continuity of medical care and significantly reduce the travel burden for senior citizens and physically challenged veterans, thereby enhancing overall beneficiary satisfaction. The pilot project is part of a pan-India initiative of the Central Organisation Ex-Servicemen Health Scheme (ECHS), under the Adjutant General's Branch, reaffirming the Indian Army's enduring commitment to the welfare of veterans and to making their lives safer, healthier and more dignified. Earlier in December 2025, the Indian Army's Trishakti Corps organised the Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan Supercar Drive from December 11 to 15 in East Sikkim. According to the Defence PRO, the event was a civil-military initiative conducted in partnership with Super Car Route and the Government of Sikkim, aimed at promoting responsible tourism, showcasing India's border heritage, and strengthening bonds between citizens and the Armed Forces. The Defence PRO said the event was flagged off by Lieutenant General Man Raj Singh Mann, General Commanding Officer of the Trishakti Corps, at Sukna. - ANI The Indian Navy is organizing a Joint Services Multi-Speciality Medical Camp in Lakshadweep from January 12 to 16. The camp aims to deliver comprehensive medical care, including specialist consultations and surgical interventions like cataract operations, to residents across five islands. It will be conducted by a joint medical team from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, complementing the existing government healthcare system. The initiative underscores the Navy's tradition of community support and civil-military cooperation. Indian Navy to conduct a joint services medical camp in Lakshadweep from Jan 12-16, offering specialist care and surgeries to residents. New Delhi, January 10 The Indian Navy is organising a Joint Services Multi-Speciality Medical Camp in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep from January 12 to 16, reaffirming the Navy's commitment to healthcare outreach, community welfare and sustained civil-military cooperation. According to an official release, the five-day health camp will be formally inaugurated by Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, the Chief of the Naval Staff, and is aimed at delivering comprehensive medical care to the residents of Lakshadweep through specialist consultations, treatment services and selected surgical interventions, including cataract surgery. This initiative is part of the Indian Navy's continued efforts to support and augment the existing healthcare services in the island territory through regular conduct of camps as part of the Navy Day outreach activities. The medical camps, over the years, included various primary care specialities and dental surgery across most islands of Lakshadweep. With advances in healthcare and continued support of UTL Administration, as well as a highly encouraging response from the local populace, the health camp has been upgraded to a multi-speciality camp. Lakshadweep has an established Govt healthcare system comprising district hospitals, community health centres and primary health facilities. The multi-speciality health camp is designed to complement these services, along with providing access to specialist and super-specialist medical expertise in a coordinated and patient-centric manner. Emphasis will be placed on early diagnosis, timely intervention and appropriate clinical management of common and chronic medical conditions. The camp will cover Agatti, Kavaratti, Androth, Amini and Minicoy islands. It will be conducted by a Joint Services Medical Team comprising experienced medical officers and specialists from the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The participation of professionals from all three Services will ensure a broad spectrum of clinical expertise, facilitating comprehensive and integrated healthcare delivery during the camp period. Medical consultations will be provided in several basic specialities, including dental surgery and a few super-specialities such as Cardiology. Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology and Gastroenterology. In addition to outpatient consultations, cataract surgeries and select general surgical procedures will be carried out during the camp by surgical teams. These procedures will be undertaken in coordination with local health authorities. The surgical component of the camp is expected to significantly enhance the quality of life for patients requiring operative intervention. Screening by medical specialists is already in progress in the islands. Medical teams will also provide guidance on follow-up care to ensure continuity of treatment beyond the duration of the camp. Alongside curative and surgical services, the camp will place strong emphasis on preventive healthcare and health awareness. Medical officers will interact with community members to address lifestyle-related conditions, maternal and child health issues, nutrition and general wellness. The Indian Navy has a long tradition of contributing to humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and community support initiatives. The Lakshadweep health camp continues this tradition of service and outreach. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by senior leadership of the Indian Navy, including V Adm Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Surg V Adm Arti Sarin, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services and Surg V Adm Kavita Sahai, Director General Medical Services (Navy). In addition, Advisor to the Administrator, UTL and senior officials from the Lakshadweep Administration and Armed Forces would also be present. The camp is expected to benefit a large number of residents and further reinforce the trust and goodwill shared between the Indian Navy and the people of Lakshadweep. - ANI A policy research institute recorded 116 protests across 22 Iranian provinces in a single day, with 20 being large-scale demonstrations. The Iranian regime has sustained a nationwide internet shutdown for over 36 hours, likely to disrupt coordination and obscure repression. Protest activity has reportedly expanded, challenging security forces' bandwidth and damaging regime institutions. International figures, including foreign ministers, have condemned the crackdown while activists highlight the role of Starlink in bypassing the blackout. A report details 116 protests across Iran in a single day, with an internet blackout hampering communication as security forces face challenges. Washington DC, January 10 The Institute for the Study of War, a policy research organisation, on Saturday said it recorded 116 protests across 22 provinces since 3:30pm on January 8. As per the report, Iran saw 20 huge protests- ones that have a turnout of over 1,000 people. In a post on X, the Institute said, "Critical Threats and ISW have recorded 116 protests across 22 provinces since 3:30 PM ET on January 8. Twenty of these protests were large protests, which CTP-ISW defines as protests with more than 1,000 participants. CTP-ISW's protest data since its last data cutoff likely reflects only part of the protest activity that has taken place in Iran since that time, given that the internet shutdown restricts protesters' ability to publish and share videos of the protests. Some protesters have reportedly used Starlink to send reports of protests to foreign media." Earlier in the day, the Institute said that the regime had sustained the internet shutdown in a bid to dampen the protests, but they have been going on regardless. In a post on X, the think tank said, "The Iranian regime has sustained its nationwide internet shutdown, likely to disrupt protest coordination and obscure the scale of its repression. Widespread protest activity has continued to take place across Iran amid the internet shutdown." Further detailing the protests, it said, "The protests in Iran may have expanded to such an extent that they are challenging Iranian security forces' ability to suppress them. Protesters damaged regime institutions in multiple cities across Iran on January 8 and 9. The Iranian regime may increasingly rely on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to suppress the protests as local Law Enforcement Command forces reportedly face bandwidth constraints." Posting videos that she says she received from people in Iran via Starlink, prominent Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad said, "It's been over 24 hours now that the dictator of Iran has shut down internet connections for 90 million Iranians. Internet access is the lifeline of Iran uprising and by making Starlink services available for Iranian revolutionaries, Elon Musk has made a crucial and indispensable contribution to the fight for democracy in Iran." Meanwhile, Internet monitor Netblocks detailed the reported Internet blocks across Iran, "It's now 8:00 am in Iran where the sun is rising after another night of protests met with repression; metrics show the nationwide internet blackout remains in place at 36 hours, severely limiting Iranians' ability to check on the safety of friends and loved ones ." World leaders on Saturday condemned the killing and arrest of protesters as they gripped Iran as threat looms over the administration. In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union lauded the bravery displayed by the citizens of Iran and condemned the reported crackdown by the regime. (*ANI) - ANI Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan expressing serious concerns about the proposed Malayalam Language Bill. The bill mandates Malayalam as the compulsory first language even in Kannada-medium schools, particularly in border districts like Kasaragod. Siddaramaiah argues this imposes a single linguistic pathway, risks burdening children, and could weaken minority-run institutions. He urges Kerala to reconsider and engage in inclusive dialogue, warning that Karnataka will constitutionally oppose the bill if it is passed. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah writes to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, warning of opposition to the bill mandating Malayalam in Kannada-medium schools. Bengaluru, January 10 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, expressing grave concerns about the Malayalam Language Bill. The Karnataka CM highlighted that the compulsion of making Malayalam the first language even in Kannada-medium schools, particularly in border districts such as Kasaragod, could undermine linguistic minority rights. He also stated that if passed, the bill will be opposed by Karnataka. "I wish to convey my serious concern regarding the proposed Malayalam Language Bill, which mandates Malayalam as the compulsory first language even in Kannada-medium schools, particularly in the border districts such as Kasaragod," CM Siddaramaiah wrote in his letter on Friday. Furthermore, CM Siddaramaiah stated that ethos in border regions such as Kasaragod has shaped everyday life, education, and identity harmoniously. "India's civilisational strength has always rested on plurality without fear...Border regions like Kasaragod are living examples of this ethos, where Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, Beary and other languages have harmoniously shaped everyday life, education and identity for generations," the letter read. The letter further stated that the language acts as the identity and dignity of the minority community, further underlining that any policy that compels a single linguistic pathway risks placing an undue burden on children, weakening minority-run educational institutions and unsettling long-standing educational ecosystems that have served these communities with trust and continuity. CM Siddaramaiah, in the letter to the Kerala CM, stressed that the state of Karnataka takes immense pride in the Kannada language, underlining the unequivocal protection to linguistic minorities given by the Constitution. "Karnataka takes immense pride in Kannada, a language shaped by social reform, equality and inclusive thought. At the same time, we have always upheld the principle that promotion of one's language must never become an imposition on another. This belief has guided our policies and our commitment to harmony," the letter said. Concluding the appeal to the Kerala government, the Karnataka CM asked for reconsideration of the proposal, outlining that the bill will be opposed by Karnataka if passed to defend the linguistic minorities. The letter stated, "I urge the Government of Kerala to reconsider the proposed approach and engage in a broader, inclusive dialogue with linguistic minority communities, educators and neighbouring States. Such engagement will reinforce India's unity while preserving the dignity of every language and every citizen. If this Bill is passed, Karnataka will oppose it by exercising every constitutional right available to us, in defence of linguistic minorities and the plural spirit of our Republic. This position flows not from confrontation, but from our duty to the Constitution and to the people whose voices must never be marginalised." - ANI Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal has assured that the proposed Malayalam Language Bill 2025 will not discriminate against any section of society. The bill has faced strong criticism from Karnataka, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah writing a formal letter of concern to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan. Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge argued that promoting a language should not amount to its imposition, especially in border regions like Kasargod. Siddaramaiah warned the bill could burden children and weaken minority-run schools, vowing to use constitutional means to oppose it. Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal defends the Malayalam Language Bill 2025 amid criticism from Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Minister Priyank Kharge. Thiruvananthapuram, January 10 Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal sought to reassure the public amid mounting concerns over the proposed Malayalam Language Bill 2025, stating that the legislation would not lead to discrimination against any section of society. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Balagopal said, "I can assure you about one thing that there will be no discrimination against anyone in the state," as criticism from neighbouring Karnataka intensified over the bill's provisions. The proposed bill has sparked a debate over the first compulsory language across Kerala. Earlier, speaking to the media in Bidar on Friday, regarding the issue surrounding the bill, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said language promotion should not amount to imposition. "When states were formed, bifurcation was done on the basis of language. In Kasargod, more than 90% people speak Kannada. There is nothing wrong with promoting a language, but don't enforce it," he said. On Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, expressing grave concerns over the bill. In his letter, Siddaramaiah warned that making Malayalam compulsory even in Kannada-medium schools could weaken minority-run educational institutions and burden children in border areas. Emphasising India's pluralistic ethos, the Karnataka CM noted that regions like Kasargod have historically thrived on linguistic harmony, with Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, Beary and other languages shaping everyday life and identity. While reiterating Karnataka's pride in the Kannada language, he stressed that language promotion must never become imposition. Calling for reconsideration, Siddaramaiah urged the Kerala government to engage in wider consultations with linguistic minorities, educators and neighbouring states. He maintained that Karnataka would oppose the bill, if passed, using every constitutional means to defend minority rights and uphold the plural spirit of the Constitution. - ANI Latifa bint Mohammed visited the 1 Billion Followers Summit, emphasizing how the UAE leadership's vision establishes the nation as a top global hub for creators and innovators. The summit, themed 'Content for Good', underscores the positive social impact of digital content and the creator economy's role in sustainable development. With over 30,000 visitors and 15,000 creators, the event features hundreds of speakers and sessions with global experts. The visit highlighted the sector's significant growth and its expanding contribution to the global knowledge economy. Latifa bint Mohammed highlights UAE as premier hub for creators and innovators at the 1 Billion Followers Summit, themed 'Content for Good'. Dubai, January 11 Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, today visited the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world's largest event dedicated to shaping the content creation economy. Latifa bint Mohammed said the success of the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit reflects the UAE's established global standing, under the leadership of President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the vision of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai. Latifa bint Mohammed added that the leadership's vision has cemented the UAE's status as a leading destination that supports creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs from around the world across multiple fields, including content creation. Organised by the UAE Government Media Office under the theme 'Content for Good', the summit is being held until 11 January across Emirates Towers, the Dubai International Financial Centre, and the Museum of the Future. During her visit, Latifa bint Mohammed was accompanied by Maryam Al Hammadi, Minister of State and Secretary General of the UAE Cabinet, and Saeed Al Eter, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Projects and Chairman of the UAE Government Media Office. The visit included a tour of the pavilions of several leading global platforms, including Meta and Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Latifa bint Mohammed said that the summit's theme, 'Content for Good', underscores the importance of creating content with a positive social impact. She said the theme highlights the vital role creators play in both upholding societal values and driving sustainable development that benefits communities and humanity at large. Latifa bint Mohammed praised the summit's scale and level of participation, noting that this reflects its growing momentum and underscores its expanding influence within the content creation sector. She highlighted the sector's continued annual growth and its increasing contribution to global knowledge-economy investment. With an expected attendance of over 30,000 visitors, the 1 Billion Followers Summit is hosting more than 15,000 content creators, in addition to over 500 speakers with a collective audience of 3.5 billion. The summit features a rich programme of over 580 events, including keynote sessions, roundtables, interactive dialogues, and workshops. These sessions will feature the participation of 150 CEOs and global experts. - ANI US President Donald Trump met with top global oil and gas executives at the White House to promote major investments in Venezuela's energy sector. He assured the executives of "total safety and security," stating they would be dealing directly with the US. Trump highlighted America's historical role in building Venezuela's oil industry and framed the departure of Nicolas Maduro as an opportunity. The meeting is part of broader administration efforts to attract massive private investment to revive Venezuela's struggling oil infrastructure. President Trump met oil executives, promoting major US investment in Venezuela's energy sector, promising safety and lower oil prices. Washington DC, January 10 US President Donald Trump on Friday met with top oil and gas executives at the White House to promote major investments in Venezuela's energy sector, and said that "a lot of money is going to be made". Addressing reporters earlier, he said, "We just had a great meeting with the oil executives, we sort of formed a deal." "They're going to be going in with hundreds of billions of dollars in drilling oil, and it's good for Venezuela, and it's great for the United States," Fox News quoted Trump as saying. "A lot of money is going to be made. Oil prices will come down, although they are getting down pretty good now without it, and it was a great meeting we had today with the biggest companies anywhere in the world," he said. Earlier, he assured the executives of safety and security in Venezuela. Saying that the United States built the Venezuelan oil industry with American talent, now the US would do "everything" about the assets that were 'stolen'. Trump said he was delighted to welcome almost two dozen of the "biggest and most respected" oil and gas executives in the world to the White House. The US President said that the departure of Nicolas Maduro made it possible to have an incredible future for both nations, and said that there would be deeper integration of the economies of the two major energy powers of the Western hemisphere. Assuring the industry leaders of safety and security in Venezuela, Trump said, "You're dealing with us directly, not Venezuela. You have total safety, security; it's a whole different Venezuela". The president also highlighted America's historical role in building Venezuela's oil industry. "Decades ago, the United States built Venezuela's oil industry with American skill, technology, know-how, and dollars. But those assets were stolen from us, and we had Presidents who did nothing about it. Now, we're doing everything about it," Trump said. The meeting comes amid broader efforts by Trump's administration to attract at least $100 billion in private investment to revive Venezuela's struggling oil infrastructure. - ANI Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Prayagraj to participate in the Magh Mela, performing Ganga Puja and taking a holy dip. He is reviewing official preparations for the major bathing festivals during the 44-day event, including Makar Sankranti and Mauni Amavasya. The Chief Minister will also attend ceremonies honouring Shri Jagadguru Ramanandacharya and meet with religious leaders. The Mela, which began on January 3, is expected to draw vast crowds for its six key bathing dates culminating on Mahashivratri. UP CM Yogi Adityanath offers prayers at the Ganga in Prayagraj, reviews arrangements for the 44-day Magh Mela's major bathing festivals. Prayagraj, Jan 10 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday offered prayers and performed rituals at the Ganga river in Prayagraj, during his visit to the Magh Mela, 2026. He arrived in Prayagraj on Saturday to review preparations for the upcoming 'Snan Parv' at the Magh Mela. During his visit, the Chief Minister participated in Ganga Puja and will be a part of other religious programmes being organised at Sattu Baba's pandal in the Magh Mela area. CM Adityanath will also hold a review meeting with officials to assess arrangements for the major bathing festivals, including Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya and Basant Panchami. These bathing rituals are expected to draw a large number of devotees from across the country. After taking a holy dip in the Ganga and performing puja, the Chief Minister will take part in the manifestation ceremony of Shri Jagadguru Ramanandacharya at Sattu Baba's camp. He is expected to arrive at the pandal shortly, where sadhus and seers have already begun gathering. According to an official statement, CM Adityanath will also meet sants and religious leaders present at the Magh Mela site. In addition, he will attend a programme organised on the occasion of the 726th birth anniversary of Ramanandacharya. During his Prayagraj visit, the Chief Minister is also scheduled to visit Rajendra Prasad National Law University. The 44-day-long Magh Mela began on January 3 at the Sangam in Prayagraj with the auspicious bath on Paush Purnima. There will be six major bathing occasions during the Magh Mela, which will conclude with the holy bath on Mahashivratri on February 15. The important bathing dates this year include Makar Sankranti on January 14, Mauni Amavasya on January 18, Basant Panchami on January 23, Maghi Purnima on February 1, and Mahashivratri on February 15. With a massive turnout, elaborate arrangements, and deep spiritual fervour, the grand beginning of Magh Mela-2026 has once again reaffirmed Prayagraj's status as a timeless centre of faith and culture. - IANS The Mercosur-European Union trade partnership has been approved, concluding over 25 years of complex negotiations. Brazilian President Lula celebrated the deal as a historic victory for multilateralism and global trade. The agreement will liberalize tariffs on the vast majority of goods traded between the two massive economic blocs. Analysts see it as a crucial counter to protectionism, promising expanded exports for Brazil and simplified rules for European investment. Brazil's President Lula hails the EU-Mercosur trade pact approval after 25 years of talks, a major deal covering 718M people and $22.4T GDP. Sao Paulo, January 10 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva yesterday welcomed the approval of the Mercosur-European Union Partnership Agreement, calling it a "historic day for multilateralism" as the long-pending deal secured the backing of a qualified majority of EU member states. The endorsement effectively concludes more than two decades of negotiations between the South American trading bloc and the European Union. As reported by Brasil 247, the decision marks a major breakthrough in one of the world's most ambitious trade negotiations. The agreement, confirmed by most European countries, is expected to significantly reshape trade relations between the two regions. Studies cited by Reuters suggest that, over the long term, the pact could boost Brazilian agribusiness output by nearly 2 per cent, with gains concentrated in sectors such as livestock, poultry, pork, vegetable oils and fats. President Lula said the agreement, negotiated over 25 years, would deliver wide-ranging commercial benefits to Mercosur nations and strengthen global multilateral cooperation. In a post on social media platform X, he described the deal as "one of the largest free trade agreements in the world," noting that it brings together two economic blocs representing a combined population of 718 million people and a total gross domestic product of approximately US$22.4 trillion. The treaty provides for extensive tariff liberalisation on industrial and agricultural goods through phased reduction schedules designed to address the sensitivities of both markets. Under the agreement, Mercosur has committed to liberalising around 91 per cent of goods and 85 per cent of the value of Brazilian imports from the EU, while the European Union will liberalise about 95 per cent of goods and 92 per cent of the value of imports from Brazil. Beyond tariffs, the agreement includes modern provisions on sustainability, government procurement, intellectual property rights and new technologies. Analysts view the pact as a strong signal in support of open international trade at a time of rising protectionism, expanding export opportunities for Brazil, encouraging European investment and simplifying trade rules for both sides. - ANI Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will officially launch the 'Krishak Varsh' (Farmer Welfare Year) 2026 with a state-level program in Bhopal. The launch will be preceded by the flagging off of a 'Krishi Rath' and a farmers' tractor rally. The initiative aims to transform agriculture into a profitable and technology-driven sector, focusing on horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing. The state government plans to enhance farmer incomes through higher productivity, natural farming, and creating rural employment in agri-tech and food processing. Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav launches Krishak Varsh 2026, flagging off a Krishi Rath and tractor rally to promote profitable, tech-driven agriculture. Bhopal, January 10 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's announcement to observe the year 2026 as 'Krishan Varsh' will be officially implemented on Sunday, January 11, with a state-level programme to take place at Jamboree Maidan here. According to an official release, prior to the programme, CM Yadav will flag off a 'Krishi Rath' and a farmers' tractor rally at the Kokta Bypass in the state capital. The Chief Minister will brief farmers about the activities to be undertaken during the Farmer Welfare Year. Farmers attending the programme will be informed about the state government's farmer-friendly schemes and the initiatives planned under Farmer Welfare Year 2026. The Chief Minister said that the focus sectors of Farmer Welfare Year include horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries and food processing. The objective is to transform agriculture into a profitable, sustainable, and technology-driven model for employment generation. Emphasis will be laid on promoting district-level cluster-based development by integrating agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and forestry. Besides this, farmers' incomes will be enhanced through higher productivity, promotion of natural farming, expansion of digital services and strengthening of agricultural processing. Employment opportunities will also be created for rural youth in agriculture-based sectors such as agri-tech, drone services, FPO management, food processing and hydroponics, the CM added. He further said that agriculture and allied sectors are the foundation of Madhya Pradesh's economy. While the state government is continuously increasing the agriculture budget, several welfare schemes are being implemented for farmers. These include procurement of crops at the Minimum Support Price, the Bhavantar scheme for soybean growers, distribution of relief assistance to farmers affected by excessive rainfall, pest infestations and natural calamities, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Mukyamantri Krishan Kalayan Yojana, Mukhyamantri Krishi Unnati Yojana and the Rani Durgavati Shri Anna Incentive Scheme. - ANI People visit the "Dunhuang in Glazes" exhibition at the Jiangxi provincial art museum in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi) NANCHANG, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- In a quiet studio in Jingdezhen, a Chinese city famous for its ancient porcelain heritage, Turkish artist Dilan Atasayar guided a brush dipped in cobalt blue across the curve of a white clay body. Under her steady hand, two ancient civilizations seemed to meet, as intricate vine motifs from traditional Turkish art intertwined with the flowing ribbons of the "Flying Apsaras," the celestial beings depicted in China's ancient Dunhuang murals. "It feels like a dialogue across time and space," she said. For Atasayar, a PhD student at Jingdezhen Ceramic University, this city in east China's Jiangxi Province has become a "second hometown." Her artistic journey, however, began thousands of miles away in Iznik, a Turkish city renowned for its historic ceramic production. Centuries ago, Jingdezhen exported its ceramics, including the exquisite blue-and-white porcelain, to Central Asia, West Asia, Europe and Africa via the ancient Silk Road, profoundly influencing the development of porcelain making in places like Iznik. Growing up in Iznik, Atasayar spent her childhood gazing at these Eastern ceramic treasures in local museums, fascinated by the blue motifs that seemed both foreign and familiarly connected to her own culture. After spending eight years studying traditional ceramic arts in Turkiye, Atasayar decided to trace the roots of that inspiration. In 2023, she enrolled in a doctoral program at Jingdezhen Ceramic University, and has been studying to master Chinese ceramic techniques such as blue-and-white shading and underglaze painting. But her exploration has gone beyond traditional ceramics. After settling in Jingdezhen, Atasayar became fascinated by a flourishing artistic trend: the creative fusion linking Jingdezhen's porcelain with the aesthetics of Dunhuang, a historic hub along the ancient Silk Road in northwest China. "The fluid lines and rich storytelling of the Dunhuang murals share an intrinsic resonance with Turkish traditional decorative arts," Atasayar explained. "And Jingdezhen's porcelain and blue-and-white techniques provide the perfect medium to express this connection." In her works, cultural boundaries often blur as she weaves together motifs from both traditions. For instance, a Flying Apsara might be depicted holding an instrument reminiscent of Turkish classical design. This fusion goes beyond simple collage. Atasayar delves deep into the history, philosophy and aesthetics of the Dunhuang art, all the while refining her mastery of ceramic techniques. "Every time I open the kiln, it's like unwrapping a gift from history. The result is unpredictable, but full of surprises," she said. Her dedication and effort have borne fruit. Her artwork "The Friendship Vase" is currently on display at the Jiangxi provincial art museum as part of the "Dunhuang in Glazes" exhibition, drawing visitors from home and abroad. On the vase, Chinese auspicious clouds dance with Turkish scroll patterns, while the sacred lotus of the East resonates with graceful Ottoman tulip motifs. Atasayar is not alone in her creative pursuit. She is part of a growing community of foreign artists in Jingdezhen, who have been drawn by the city's porcelain-making heritage and open atmosphere. Today, the ancient porcelain capital hosts thousands of international artists who, like Atasayar, find new inspiration in old traditions. "Historically, blue-and-white porcelain traveled from China to Turkiye and shaped our art. Today, we bring our own cultural background back here to engage in dialogue with Chinese tradition and create something new," Atasayar said. With the sister-city bond established between Iznik and Jingdezhen in 2021, Atasayar sees her work as more than just art, but a modern continuation of the ancient trade routes. "I hope my artworks will add a new Silk Road, paved with glaze and creativity, between these two ceramic cities and our two countries," she said. This undated photo shows Turkish artist Dilan Atasayar's artwork "The Friendship Vase" displayed during the "Dunhuang in Glazes" exhibition at the Jiangxi provincial art museum, in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Jiangxi provincial art museum/Handout via Xinhua) This photo taken on Dec. 19, 2025 shows a ceramic artwork related to Dunhuang murals during the "Dunhuang in Glazes" exhibition at the Jiangxi provincial art museum, in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi) This photo taken on Dec. 19, 2025 shows a ceramic artwork by a Turkish artist during the "Dunhuang in Glazes" exhibition at the Jiangxi provincial art museum, in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi) A person visits the "Dunhuang in Glazes" exhibition at the Jiangxi provincial art museum in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi) This photo taken on Dec. 19, 2025 shows two ceramic artworks by a Turkish artist during the "Dunhuang in Glazes" exhibition at the Jiangxi provincial art museum, in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi) This photo taken on Dec. 19, 2025 shows a ceramic artwork related to Dunhuang murals during the "Dunhuang in Glazes" exhibition at the Jiangxi provincial art museum, in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi) This photo taken on Dec. 19, 2025 shows a ceramic artwork related to Dunhuang murals during the "Dunhuang in Glazes" exhibition at the Jiangxi provincial art museum, in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav offered prayers and performed Jalabhishek at the ancient Neelkantheshwar Mahadev Temple in Vidisha district. He described the over-1,000-year-old site as a beautiful historic heritage with intricate Khajuraho-style carvings. The CM pledged to undertake effective measures to preserve and strengthen the temple's archaeological significance. He also stated that efforts would be made to develop the location into a centre for archaeological learning and research. Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav offered prayers at the ancient Neelkantheshwar Mahadev temple, pledging to preserve the archaeological heritage site. Vidisha, January 10 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday offered prayers at ancient Neelkantheshwar Mahadev Temple located in Udaipur, Vidisha district, and sought happiness, peace, and prosperity for the state. CM Yadav also performed Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva with milk, curd, and panchamrita on the occasion. According to an official release, the Neelkantheshwar Temple is an ancient and magnificent Shiva temple located in Udaipur village near Ganj Basoda in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh. It is an outstanding example of Indian architectural excellence, with intricate carvings resembling those of the Khajuraho temples. A five-day fair is organised here every year on the occasion of Mahashivratri. The first rays of the sun fall directly on the Shivling, making Udaipur a unique and revered site. The temple showcases exquisite Khajuraho-style carvings and a remarkable integration of mathematical and astronomical knowledge, it added. The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, continuous efforts are being made to re-establish the prestige of Sanatan culture. Lord Ram temple built in Ayodhya, while the grandeur of Shri Mahakal Lok in Ujjain and Baba Vishwanath in Varanasi is illuminating the world. He further praised Prime Minister Modi saying, the PM's efforts to restore and re-establish the glory of the sacred Somnath Temple are truly commendable and deserve heartfelt appreciation. By remembering the events of the past and preparing the nation with a forward-looking vision, the Prime Minister has strengthened the country and enhanced India's stature on the global stage. After offering prayers at the Neelkantheshwar Mahadev Temple, Chief Minister Yadav said that the Neelkantheshwar Temple of Lord Mahadev is an extremely beautiful, historic, and over 1,000-year-old heritage site. He stated that effective measures will be undertaken to further strengthen and preserve this remarkable archaeological heritage in keeping with its religious significance. He added that efforts would also be made to develop the site into a centre of learning and research for those interested in archaeology. - ANI Mumbai solidified its position as India's premier residential real estate market in 2025 with nearly 100,000 homes sold. The city's office leasing reached 9.8 million sq ft, making it the second-strongest year for commercial absorption in over a decade. Global Capability Centres emerged as the dominant demand driver, nearly tripling their share of office leasing. Rental and residential prices firmed up, supported by quality demand and improved infrastructure connectivity. Mumbai leads India's residential sales in 2025 while office leasing hits second-highest volume in over a decade, driven by GCCs, says Knight Frank. Mumbai, January 10 Mumbai consolidated its position as India's largest residential real estate market in 2025 while recording the second-highest office leasing volume in more than a decade, according to Knight Frank India's latest report. In its India Real Estate: Office and Residential Market, July-December 2025 (H2 2025) report, Knight Frank India said Mumbai closed the year with 9.8 million sq ft of office leasing, despite a 5 per cent year-on-year decline, making 2025 the second-strongest year for commercial absorption in over ten years. Leasing activity in the second half stood at 4.3 million sq ft, supported by large-format transactions in scalable suburban locations. Global Capability Centres (GCCs) emerged as the dominant demand driver, with their share of office leasing rising sharply from 9 per cent in H2 2024 to 27 per cent in H2 2025, led by BFSI, technology and engineering firms. India-facing occupiers remained the largest segment at 40 per cent, though significantly lower than the 72 per cent share recorded a year earlier. Third-party IT and ITeS firms also increased their footprint, accounting for 20 per cent of leasing, primarily in cost-efficient suburban hubs such as Andheri East, Goregaon, Airoli and Thane. Rental values continued to firm up, with average transacted rents rising 6 per cent year-on-year to Rs 125 per sq ft per month, supported by quality-driven demand and limited new supply. Vacancy levels remained stable at 18.3 per cent, even as new completions declined 12 per cent annually. Gulam Zia, International Partner, Senior Executive Director, Research, Advisory, Infrastructure and Valuation, Knight Frank India, said, "Mumbai's office market continues to demonstrate long-term stability, with 2025 recording the second-highest annual leasing volume in over a decade. The most compelling story is the rapid rise of GCCs, whose market share nearly tripled this year as global firms leverage Mumbai's deep talent pool for high-end analytics and shared services." On the residential front, Mumbai registered annual home sales of 97,188 units, marking a 1 per cent year-on-year increase, while H2 2025 sales rose 3 per cent to 50,153 units. Average residential prices climbed 7 per cent annually to Rs 8,856 per sq ft, reflecting steady end-user demand and controlled supply. Knight Frank noted a visible shift away from the affordable housing segment, with demand increasingly concentrated in higher ticket sizes, particularly the Rs 2-5 crore category. Improved infrastructure connectivity, including the operationalisation of Metro Line 3 and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, continued to support demand in peripheral and suburban markets, the report added. - ANI The Tamil Nadu government has formally rolled out the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme (TNAPS), providing assured retirement benefits. The scheme guarantees a pension equal to 50% of an employee's last drawn basic pay and dearness allowance, with DA revisions every six months. It is mandatory for employees who joined service from December 1, while those under the older Contributory Pension Scheme get an option at retirement. The move addresses a long-standing demand from unions and is seen as a major welfare reform for public servants. TN govt introduces Assured Pension Scheme offering 50% of last basic pay as guaranteed pension with DA revisions for employees & teachers. Chennai, Jan 11 Pension security for Tamil Nadu government employees and teachers took a decisive turn, with the state rolling out the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme, a long-awaited reform that seeks to address a demand pending for nearly two decades. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin ordered the implementation of the new scheme last week, and the state government on Saturday issued a formal order detailing its broad framework and scope. The Assured Pension Scheme is designed to blend the security of the old pension system with elements of the contributory model introduced earlier. Under TNAPS, eligible employees will receive a guaranteed pension equal to 50 per cent of their last drawn basic pay and dearness allowance (DA). The state has also confirmed that pensioners under the scheme will be entitled to DA revisions once every six months, on par with serving government employees. The move fulfils a long-standing demand raised by employee and teacher unions ever since the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) replaced the old pension system. To fund the enhanced benefits, the state government had earlier announced that 10 per cent of an employee's salary would be deducted, a provision reiterated during discussions with unions. According to the government order, the Assured Pension Scheme will be mandatory for all government employees and teachers who joined service from the first day of last month. In addition, all employees who were covered under the Contributory Pension Scheme and retired on or after that date will also be eligible for benefits under TNAPS. A key feature of the new framework is the option provided to employees who joined service before the cut-off date. Such employees will be given the choice at the time of retirement to opt either for the Contributory Pension Scheme or the Assured Pension Scheme. The state government has clarified that those who switch from the contributory system to the assured pension framework will be treated as eligible for minimum pension benefits. Government employee and teacher organisations, which had sought early clarity through a formal government order, have welcomed the announcement while urging the state to swiftly notify the detailed rules. Responding to these demands, the state government has said that a separate, comprehensive notification outlining eligibility norms, procedural guidelines, and implementation mechanisms will be issued soon. The rollout of the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme is being viewed as a significant welfare reform, restoring retirement security to thousands of public servants while marking a major policy milestone for the state government. - IANS North Korea has accused South Korea of conducting drone incursions into its airspace in September and earlier this week, warning Seoul to be ready to "pay a high price." South Korea's defense ministry and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back have firmly rejected the claims, stating their military did not operate drones on the alleged dates. The accusations come as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared inter-Korean ties as between "two hostile states," despite the new South Korean administration's efforts to resume dialogue. Experts suggest North Korea is cementing a hard-line stance ahead of an upcoming key party congress. North Korea accuses South Korea of drone incursions, warns Seoul to 'pay a high price'. South Korea's defense ministry rejects the claims. Seoul, Jan 10 North Korea claimed on Saturday that South Korea infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions in September last year and earlier this week, saying that Seoul should be ready to 'pay a high price' for what it called a provocation. But South Korea's defence ministry rejected Pyongyang's claim, saying the South's military did not operate drones on the dates asserted by the North. A spokesperson of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army issued a statement denouncing South Korea as 'the most hostile' enemy, insisting that Seoul has continued to stage provocative acts, contradicting its overtures for dialogue with Pyongyang, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The Republic of Korea (ROK) should be ready to pay a high price for having committed another provocation of infringing on the sovereignty of the DPRK with a drone," the spokesperson said, referring to South Korea by its official name. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. On January 4, North Korea's military captured and tracked an air target moving northward from the sky over South Korea's Ganghwa County, Incheon, and struck the drone with special electronic warfare assets, forcing it to fall in Muksan-ri near the North's border city of Kaesong, the KCNA said. It also said that on September 27, a drone, which took off from the South's border city of Paju, fell into Jangphung County, Kaesong, after being struck down by the North's electronic means. The drone was returning after infiltrating the sky above Phyongsan County, North Hwanghae Province, it said. The spokesperson said that the drone, which crashed this week, was equipped with surveillance devices, while citing the North's analysis that the drone was set to record the North's major objects while flying a distance of 156 kilometres for more than three hours. North Korea released photos of debris from the drones, recording devices and images presumed to have been filmed by the unmanned aerial vehicles. It described South Korea as a "perfect copy of Kiev's lunatics," likening the South to Ukraine fighting against Russia. Pyongyang accused the South Korean military of being behind the drone infiltrations, saying those drones freely passed over areas where the South Korean Army's radar systems for detecting low-altitude targets and anti-drone equipment are located. "The ROK is the enemy most hostile towards us that can never be changed in nature, and the object to be certainly collapsed by us if it attacks," the spokesperson said. "The ROK military warmongers will be surely forced to pay a dear price for their unpardonable hysteria." In response to an inquiry by Yonhap News Agency, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back rejected North Korea's claim as "absolutely not true," noting the drones shown in the photos released by the North are not models owned by the South Korean military. The defence ministry said South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered a 'thorough' investigation into the matter and relevant government agencies are verifying it. Experts assessed the drones disclosed by the North do not appear to be aerial vehicles operated by the military, noting they are likely made up of cheap parts not fit for military purposes. In October 2024, North Korea said South Korean drones carrying anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets were detected over Pyongyang three times that month, threatening to respond if such flights occur again, Yonhap news agency reported. The South Korean military is suspected of having sent drones over Pyongyang during former President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration in an apparent bid to provoke North Korea and use it as a pretext for his martial law bid in December 2024. North Korea's claims of drone infiltrations came as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared inter-Korean ties as those between "two states hostile to each other." Since taking office in June, the administration of South Korean President Lee has been seeking to mend ties with North Korea and resume dialogue with it. Expert said North Korea is apparently cementing its hard-line stance toward Seoul ahead of an upcoming key party congress set for January or February. The North is expected to formulate a five-year policy line covering diplomacy, the economy, the military and other areas. "North Korea is expected to reflect the 'two hostile states' stance in the ruling party's rules and regulations at the party congress and seek to revise the constitution to codify it at a key parliamentary meeting in the first half," Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said. - IANS The sequel to the acclaimed 'Godzilla Minus One' has been officially titled 'Godzilla Minus Zero' and will premiere in Japan on November 3, 2026, before its North American release on November 6. Director and screenwriter Takashi Yamazaki is returning for the new installment, though plot and cast details are still under wraps. The original film was a surprise box office hit, grossing $113 million globally against a $15 million budget. It also made history by winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, the first Oscar for the Godzilla franchise. The Oscar-winning 'Godzilla Minus One' sequel, 'Godzilla Minus Zero,' directed by Takashi Yamazaki, will premiere in 2026. Get details. Los Angeles, January 10 The much-awaited sequel to 2023's sleeper hit 'Godzilla Minus One' is finally roaring its way to the theatres. With the return of director-screenwriter Takashi Yamazaki, 'Godzilla Minus Zero' will hit North American theatres on November 6, 2026, following its Japan premiere on November 3, as per Deadline. It will be distributed by GKids. The November 3 Japanese release coincides with the day when the original 'Godzilla' film came out in 1954, now observed as Godzilla Day. 'Godzilla Minus One' was also released in Japan on November 2, 2023. Meanwhile, details surrounding the upcoming sequel's cast and its plot have been kept under wraps, the story. Production currently remains underway at Toho Studios, with Robot producing and visual effects handled by Shirogumi. Earlier in November 2025, the film's title was unveiled during the Godzilla fest, months after the sequel was announced in 2024. Speaking about the sequel, GKids president David Jesteadt shared, "GKids is proud to bring Godzilla Minus Zero to North American audiences, following the incredible global reception of Godzilla Minus One. This next chapter is sure to become another defining moment for the most colossal monster ever to dominate the screen. It is only fitting that this bold, new Godzilla event be experienced in its fullest theatrical glory, and we're honoured that Tpho has entrusted us to carry this legacy forward," as quoted by Deadline. 'Godzilla Minus One' was set in post-World War II Japan, focusing on a Kamikaze pilot who lived in shame after giving up on his duty to die in battle. The story moves to show him finding redemption after helping his country deal with the monstrous Godzilla. The film emerged as a surprise hit in 2023. Made on a mere budget of USD 15 million, it collected USD 113 million worldwide, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Besides earning high praise from all over Hollywood, including ace filmmaker Steven Spielberg, 'Godzilla Minus One' also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects - the first in the franchise's 70-year history. - ANI US President Donald Trump has repeated his assertion that he personally stopped a war between India and Pakistan, claiming Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly thanked him for saving "minimum ten million lives." Trump made these remarks while speaking to reporters at the White House, also stating he deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for settling such conflicts. However, India has consistently denied any third-party involvement in the peace process, attributing the ceasefire to direct military communication between the two nations. The backdrop was India's Operation Sindoor, launched in response to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. US President Donald Trump says Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif thanked him for saving "minimum 10 million lives" by settling India-Pakistan conflict. Washington DC, January 10 United States President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his claim of having stopped a war between India and Pakistan, while also saying that Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, during his visit to the US thanked Trump for having saved millions of lives. He made the remarks while responding to queries from the mediapersons as he met the top oil and gas executives at the White House. He said, "The Prime Minister of Pakistan came here, and he made a very public statement. He said that President Trump saved minimum ten million lives having to do with Pakistan and India, and that was going to be raging." Speaking about wanting to get the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump said he "does not want to be bragging" about settling such conflicts, but he also "can't think of anybody in history that should get the Nobel Prize more" than him. He added that while a Nobel Prize should be given for every war stopped, he cared more about saving lives. Trump said, "Whether people like Trump or don't like Trump, I settled eight wars- big ones. Some going on for 36 years, 32, 31, 28, 25 years. Some just getting ready to start like India and Pakistan where eight jets were shot out in the air and I got it done in rapid order without nuclear weapons. I can't think of anybody in the history that should get the Nobel Prize more than me and I don't want to be bragging but nobody else settled wars. You should get the Nobel Prize for every war you stopped. These were major wars, these were wars nobody thought could be stopped... I don't care about that; I care about saving lives. I've saved tens of millions of lives." Trump has made similar claims at least times since May 10 last year, stating that it was his pressure that led to peace between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. However, India has consistently denied any third-party involvement, maintaining that peace was brokered directly between the two countries following India's launch of Operation Sindoor to target terror bases in Pakistan. The operation was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people back in April 2025. According to Indian officials, it was Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) who contacted his Indian counterpart on May 10 to request an end to hostilities. The ceasefire was then agreed upon. - ANI Gujarat Giants secured a thrilling 10-run victory over UP Warriorz in a high-scoring WPL 2025 encounter. Captain Ashleigh Gardner led from the front with a powerful 65, helping her team post a formidable 207/4. In reply, Phoebe Litchfield's brilliant 78 kept UP Warriorz in the hunt, but they ultimately finished on 197/8. Renuka Singh's economical spell of 2/25 proved decisive in restricting the chase. Phoebe Litchfield's 78 not enough as UP Warriorz fall short chasing 208. Ashleigh Gardner's 65 powers Gujarat Giants to a thrilling 10-run win in WPL 2025. Navi Mumbai, January 10 Phoebe Litchfield's valiant 78 went in vain as UP Warriorz suffered a narrow 10-run defeat against Gujarat Giants in a high-scoring encounter at the DY Patil Stadium on Saturday. Chasing a stiff target of 208, UP Warriorz were rocked early as Kiran Navgire departed in the very first over. The opener managed one run before being dismissed by Renuka Singh, giving Gujarat Giants the perfect start. Following the early setback, it was the Australian duo of captain Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield who steadied the innings. The pair stitched together a crucial 70-run partnership, keeping UP in the hunt. Lanning played the role of the anchor, scoring 30 off 27 balls with five boundaries, before she was dismissed. UP Warriorz then suffered a sudden collapse in the middle overs. Harleen Deol was dismissed for a duck, while all-rounder Deepti Sharma followed soon after, managing one run. The Warriorz slipped to 74/4 in 9.1 overs, putting them under significant pressure. Young Shweta Sehrawat joined Litchfield at the crease, and the duo revived the chase with a vital 69-run partnership. Sehrawat looked composed during her stay but was eventually bowled by Rajeshwari Gayakwad after scoring 25. Litchfield, who had been the backbone of the innings, was dismissed shortly after for a superb 78 off 40 balls, an innings that included eight fours and five sixes. Deandra Dottin chipped in with 12 off nine deliveries but was dismissed by Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner. At the death, Asha Sobhana tried to pull off a late surge for the Warriorz, remaining unbeaten on 27 off 10 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes. However, her effort was not enough as UP Warriorz finished on 197/8, falling 10 runs short of the target. With the ball, Renuka Singh was the standout performer for Gujarat Giants, returning figures of 2/25 from her four overs. Georgia Wareham and Sophie Devine also made key contributions, picking up two wickets each, while Ashleigh Gardner and Rajeshwari Gayakwad claimed one wicket apiece. Earlier, Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner displayed strong batting as the team put on a massive 207 against UP Warriroz in the second match of the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 on Saturday. Having been asked to bat first, Gujarat saw a good start. Sophie Devine slammed 14 runs in the second over against UPW speedster Shikha Pandey. After the first four overs, the Giants were 40/0. However, Warriorz got the much-needed breakthrough as veteran spinner Sophie Ecclestone clean bowled Beth Mooney (13 off 12 balls, including one four) during the fifth over. In the very next over, pacer Pandey dismissed Sophie Devine for 38 off 20 balls. Devine's innings included five fours and two sixes. Gujarat reached 56/2 at the end of six overs. Giants also registered their third-best score in the power play in WPL. Captain Gardner and Anushka Sharma stabilised the innings as the Giants reached 90/2 in 10 overs. During the 13th over, speedster Kranti Gaud conceded 18 runs as Garnder and Sharma slammed boundaries. In the very next over, Anushka slammed two fours, and Gardner hit two sixes against leg-spinner Asha Sobhana with Gujarat reaching 139/2 in 14 overs. Gardner reached her sixth WPL fifty during the third ball of the 15th over as Giants crossed the 150-run mark. Gardner also became the batter with the most fifty-plus scores for Gujarat Giants, surpassing Beth Mooney (5), and Laura Wolvaardt (3). During the 16th over, Deandra Dottin broke the 100-run stand after she dismissed Anushka for 44 runs. She had made the runs from 30 balls with help of seven fours. Anushka Sharma's 44 is the highest by a Gujarat Giants batter on WPL debut. The previous highest was Dani Gibson's 34 runs last year. In the very next over, Ecclestone removed captain Garnder, who smashed 65 off 41 balls and the innings included six fours and three sixes. Towards the end, Bharti Fulmali's unbeaten 14 and Georgia Wareham's blistering unbeaten knock of 27 helped Gujarat post a mammoth 207/4 on the board. Sophie Ecclestone (2/32), Deandra Dottin (1/47) and Shikha Pandey (1/29) were among the wicket-takers. Brief scores: Gujarat Giants: 207/4 in 20 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 65, Anushka Sharma 44; Sophie Ecclestone 2/32) vs UP Warriorz 197/8 in 20 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 78, Meg Lanning 30; Renuka Singh 2/25). - ANI Union Minister Piyush Goyal concluded a two-day visit to Brussels, providing high-level guidance to expedite the India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations. He held talks with EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, with both sides emphasizing the protection of farmers and MSMEs while integrating Indian industries into global chains. The ministerial discussions noted steady progress across key areas like Market Access and Services, reaffirming a strong political resolve for a balanced agreement. The visit followed technical talks between officials and included a prior engagement in Liechtenstein to advance the separate India-EFTA trade pact. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal concludes Brussels visit, holding high-level talks to expedite the India-EU Free Trade Agreement and resolve pending issues. New Delhi, January 10 Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, concluded his two-day visit to Brussels a decisive step forward in the India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations. The Commerce Minister was in Brussels on 8 and 9 January, and held a series of high-level dialogues with Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maros Sefcovic, where both the leaders provided guidance to negotiating teams to resolve pending issues and expedite the agreement. Discussions centred on the proposed India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with both sides underlining the importance of protecting the interests of farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), while enabling Indian industries to integrate more deeply into global supply chains. "In continuation of our efforts to secure a mutually beneficial India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), I held high-level talks with the EU Trade and Economic Security Commissioner, Mr. Maros Sefcovic, in Brussels. During this dialogue, we deliberated across key areas of the proposed agreement. We reaffirmed our commitment to a rules-based trading framework and a modern economic partnership that safeguards the interests of farmers and MSMEs while integrating Indian industries into global supply chains," Goyal had said in a post on X. Minister Goyal and Commissioner Sefcovic carried out detailed deliberations across key areas of the proposed agreement. Both sides took note of the steady progress achieved across various negotiating tracks including Market Access for Goods, Rules of Origin, Services etc, a statement from Ministry of Commerce said. The Ministerial-level discussions reaffirmed the strong political resolve on either side to address pending issues through constructive engagement. Both sides emphasized the strategic importance of concluding a fair, balanced, and ambitious agreement that aligns with their shared values, economic priorities, and commitment to a rules-based trading framework, it added. The Ministerial engagement was preceded by high-level discussions between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and the Director-General for Trade, European Commission, Sabine Weyand, on 6-7 January 2026. The meetings focused on stocktaking the progress achieved across various negotiating tracks. The officials worked to "narrow divergences" and ensure clarity on outstanding issues, clearing the path for the Ministerial dialogue. Ahead of the Brussels meeting, Goyal visited Liechtenstein, where he chaired a business roundtable with leaders of leading Liechtenstein companies. The discussions focused on the implementation of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA). The visit was significant as it marked the first time an Indian Cabinet Minister travelled to Liechtenstein, reflecting the deepening of bilateral economic ties following the operationalisation of the landmark trade pact. Goyal highlighted that the India-EFTA TEPA goes beyond trade liberalisation and provides a framework for promoting investment, technology collaboration, skill development, and resilient value chains. He invited Liechtenstein companies to explore opportunities in India, particularly in light of the $100 billion investment commitment by EFTA nations. Minister also toured the headquarters of the Hilti Group and met its CEO, Jahangir Doongaji. Discussions focused on enhancing localisation, increasing value addition, and scaling global shipments from India. With Hilti's presence in India's construction sector for over 25 years, the talks also covered technology collaboration to support safer and smarter infrastructure, aligned with India's manufacturing and export growth objectives. Minister Goyal also met Liechtenstein's Prime Minister Brigitte Haas to discuss strengthening economic and investment ties under the India-EFTA TEPA. The two leaders explored cooperation in skill development, vocational training, and industry-academia linkages, combining India's young workforce with Liechtenstein's advanced industrial capabilities. - ANI The "Sanjha Shakti" joint Military Civil Fusion exercise was conducted at Pune's Khadki Military Station from January 8-9. It involved over 350 personnel from the Indian Army and 16 civilian agencies like Maharashtra Police and Force One. The exercise focused on testing interoperability, communication, and rapid response through realistic security and emergency scenarios. Lt Gen DS Kushwah emphasized the critical need for strong civil-military synergy for hinterland security and disaster relief. Pune's Khadki Military Station hosts joint Military Civil Fusion exercise "Sanjha Shakti" with 16 civilian agencies to boost emergency response & security. Pune, January 10 A joint Military Civil Fusion exercise, "Sanjha Shakti", was successfully conducted from January 8-9 at the Diggi Range, Khadki Military Station, under the aegis of MG & G Area, Southern Command. Exercise highlighted seamless coordination and joint preparedness among civil and military agencies to address complex security challenges and emergency situations. The exercise saw active participation from the Indian Army and 16 key civilian agencies, including the Maharashtra Police, Force One, and Fire Fighting Departments, with more than 350 personnel from these agencies participating. It focused on enhancing interoperability, rapid response, and coordinated action in evolving emergency and security scenarios. Realistic scenarios were simulated to test standard operating procedures, communication channels, and decision-making across various operational levels. Appreciating the Indian Army's endeavour, all participating agencies overwhelmingly reaffirmed their commitment towards ensuring public safety, swift crisis management, and civil-military synergy. Lt Gen DS Kushwah, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding, MG & G Area, while addressing the gathering, emphasised the Indian Army's effective role in flood relief operations, key aspects of rear area security, and ongoing welfare initiatives for veterans and Veer Naris. He highlighted that the strong synergy between the Indian Army and all organs of the state is the need of the hour to safeguard the hinterland, provide humanitarian assistance during natural disasters, and ensure holistic support for veterans and their families. Such joint exercises play a vital role in refining operational synergy and preparedness to effectively respond to emerging security challenges. - ANI Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has publicly appealed to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, N Chandrababu Naidu, to stop obstructing project approvals on the Krishna River, stating the delays are imposing a heavy economic burden on Telangana. He emphasized his government's priority is to resolve water disputes amicably through dialogue with neighboring states, not to gain political mileage. Reddy also outlined the ambitious Telangana Rising 2047 vision, targeting a $1 trillion economy by 2034, and highlighted Hyderabad's status as a global pharmaceutical hub. He stressed the importance of encouraging private investment, like the new Suzen Medicare plant, to generate jobs and strengthen the state's economy. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy asks Andhra CM Naidu to stop obstructing Krishna River projects, cites economic burden, and calls for cooperative resolution. Hyderabad Januar, y 10 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has appealed to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to stop obstructing project approvals on the Krishna River. He stated that delays are imposing a heavy economic burden on Telangana. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Suzen Medicare fluids plant in Maheshwaram here, the Chief Minister called upon all political parties to extend support to resolve inter-state water issues amicably. He said Telangana was already facing financial stress due to delays in project approvals and the suspension of fund releases by the Union government. Reddy further asserted that the Telangana government opposed developing enmity with neighbouring states over water issues and had no intention of gaining political advantage over them. "Our priority is to find solutions to water disputes, not to develop enmity. The Congress has no intention of gaining political mileage in the name of water issues," he said. The Chief Minister reiterated that the state government prioritised safeguarding the interests of the people and farmers and was ready to resolve water issues through dialogue in a friendly manner. Referring to the proposal for port connectivity for Telangana, Revanth Reddy sought cooperation from Andhra Pradesh, noting that issues could be resolved if the two states worked together. He added that discussions with neighbouring states would continue for this purpose. "We are seeking mutual cooperation with all neighbouring states- AP, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu," the CM said. Highlighting the Telangana Rising 2047 Vision document, Reddy said the government had set a target of achieving a 1 trillion US dollar economy by 2034 and a 3 trillion USD economy by 2047. He said initiatives such as CURE and PURE would play a pivotal role in strengthening the state's economic activity. Stating that Hyderabad was already competing with top global cities, Reddy said Telangana was poised to compete with economies such as Germany, Japan, South Korea, and New York. "As part of this, we are encouraging industries started by young entrepreneurs," the CM said. The Chief Minister noted that around 40 per cent of the country's bulk drugs are produced in Telangana, asserting that the state excels in the pharmaceutical sector and that Hyderabad has emerged as a global hub. "We are excelling in the pharma sector, and the entire world is looking at Hyderabad. Those who studied here have become CEOs of global companies. This is a matter of great pride for us," he said. Reddy said 30 years of sustained efforts had enabled Hyderabad to compete with leading global cities. It is commendable that a great company manufacturing IV fluids using German technology has been established in South India. The Sujen Medicare manufacturing unit has been established as part of the Telangana Rising 2047 vision. The CM stressed that private investments should be encouraged to generate more job opportunities. He welcomed the establishment of the Suzen Medicare unit, which uses German technology to manufacture IV fluids. The Sujen Medicare manufacturing unit has been established as part of the Telangana Rising 2047 vision, the CM said, stressing that private investments should be encouraged to generate more job opportunities. - ANI WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States would "get involved" if Iranian authorities "start killing people" during the country's current unrest, but would not deploy ground troops. "If they start killing people... we will get involved," Trump told reporters on the situation in Iran. "That doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts," he added. Trump and other senior U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that Washington would take action if Iran "kills peaceful protesters." Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned what it described as "interventionist and deceptive" remarks by the Trump administration about the unrest, saying they reflected Washington's continued hostility toward the Iranian people. Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism. Dozens of people, including protesters and members of the security forces, have been killed since the protests began, according to various reports. There is no official figure for the death toll. The Save Ariha Team has urgently called on the Indian government to seek the diplomatic repatriation of Baby Ariha Shah from German foster care ahead of the German Chancellor's 2026 visit. The child has been in custody since 2021, moved across five foster homes, despite higher courts recommending placement with her parents and the closure of all police cases. The group alleges severe violations of her rights, including denial of Indian cultural exposure and language, while her parents face crippling financial demands from German authorities. CPI(M) MP John Brittas has also written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, urging high-level intervention during the Chancellor's visit to resolve the case. Save Ariha Team urges diplomatic action to bring Indian child home from Germany, citing rights violations and huge foster care bills ahead of Chancellor's visit. New Delhi, January 10 The Save Ariha Team has expressed deep concern over the continued separation of Baby Ariha Shah, an Indian citizen, from her parents in Germany, urging the Government of India to intervene diplomatically for her immediate repatriation ahead of the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to India in January 2026. In a press release issued on Saturday, the group said Ariha has remained under the custody of German Child Services (Jugendamt) in Berlin despite the closure of all police cases against her parents in February 2022. Ariha was taken into foster care in September 2021 and has since been moved across five different foster homes, the release stated. According to the Save Ariha Team, a higher court in Germany in 2024 had recommended placing the child in a parent-child facility with her parents. However, the recommendation was not implemented, and custody remains with German authorities. At present, no active legal proceedings regarding Ariha's custody are pending in Germany, leaving her future uncertain. The group raised serious concerns over what it described as violations of Ariha's fundamental rights. It stated that the child is not allowed to meet Indian individuals or celebrate Indian festivals and is being raised entirely in a German-only environment, without exposure to her Indian cultural, religious, or linguistic identity. "Ariha was taken into foster care in September 2021 and, in the four and a half years since, has been moved between five different foster homes, denying her any sense of stability or security. The Higher Court in 2024 had recommended placement in a parent-child facility with her parents, yet this recommendation was ignored, and custody remains with German authorities. At present, no active legal case is ongoing in Germany regarding Ariha's custody, leaving her future uncertain and her rights violated," the group said. The release further claimed that the Indian Embassy in Germany has not been informed of Ariha's exact location or condition, and does not have unrestricted access to visit her. The Save Ariha Team said the denial of cultural identity and isolation at such a young age amounts to emotional and mental harm. Highlighting international obligations, the group said depriving a child of her mother tongue, religion, and cultural exposure violates the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), to which both India and Germany are signatories. The Save Ariha Team also flagged financial concerns, stating that German foster care authorities have billed Ariha's parents nearly 22 lakh for foster care expenses from September 2021 to June 2024. The parents have reportedly been asked to pay 55,000 per month until the child turns 18, along with additional charges of around 16 lakh for court-appointed experts, translators, and administrative costs. The group said Ariha's parents are facing severe financial hardship following job losses and prolonged legal proceedings, and described the charges as unjust and exploitative. With the German Chancellor's visit to India scheduled for mid-January 2026, the Save Ariha Team called on the Indian government to raise Ariha's case at the highest diplomatic level. It said India has the legal and institutional framework to ensure the child's safety, welfare, and cultural upbringing. Meanwhile, John Brittas, CPI(M) MP from Kerala, has written a letter to the Union Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, urging urgent high-level diplomatic intervention during the forthcoming visit of the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to secure the repatriation of Baby Ariha Shah, an Indian citizen who has remained in foster care in Germany for over four and a half years despite the closure of all criminal allegations against her parents. In his letter, Brittas highlighted that Ariha, now approximately five years old, continues to remain under the custody of German Child Services even after the German hospital concerned has categorically ruled out any evidence of abuse and a court-appointed psychologist has recommended restoration of parental custody. Yet, German authorities persist in pursuing termination of parental rights and adoption within Germany. - ANI A delegation of 57 research scholars from leading Indian think tanks visited Air Force Station Hindon to understand operational aspects and explore collaborative research. The scholars, from institutions like MP-IDSA and ORF, were received by the base commander who emphasized partnership. They received a comprehensive briefing on IAF capabilities and had interactive sessions with personnel. The visit aims to pave the way for future research projects and academic exchanges between the military and academia. 57 research scholars from top think tanks visit IAF Hindon base to explore joint research avenues and understand air force operations. Hindon, Jan 10 A delegation of 57 research scholars from leading think tanks visited Air Force Station Hindon, a premier base of the Indian Air Force, on Saturday to understand the operational aspects and explore avenues for collaborative research, an official said. The delegation comprised research scholars from the Manohar Parrikar - Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies (CAPSS), Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), National Maritime Foundation (NMF), India Foundation, Centre for Contemporary China Studies (CCCS), United Service Institution of India (USI) and Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), said a statement. The visit aimed to provide the scholars with an opportunity to engage with IAF personnel to understand the operational aspects and explore avenues for collaborative research. The scholars were received by the Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Hindon, who welcomed them and expressed his enthusiasm for fostering partnerships between the IAF and academic institutions. The scholars were given a comprehensive briefing on the operational aspects of the IAF, including its history, capabilities and achievements, said the statement. The delegation was also given an opportunity to interact with IAF personnel, who shared their experiences and insights on various aspects of operations. The visit was a significant step in promoting mutual understanding and cooperation between the IAF and think tanks. It also paves the way for further collaborations through research projects and academic exchanges, said the statement. Earlier, Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, the Chief of the Air Staff, delivered the keynote address for the first Air Commodore Mehar Singh Memorial Talk at the Air Force Station in Chandigarh on Friday, the Ministry of Defence said. The talk was organised by the Air Force Association (North Zone) and was conducted at the Arjan Singh Auditorium, 12 Wing, AF in Chandigarh, during which the IAF chief shed light on the evolving role of air power in modern warfare, underlining the need for close coordination between political and military leadership. - IANS A nine-seater IndiaOne Air aircraft made an emergency belly-landing in a field near Rourkela, Odisha, after a technical malfunction post-takeoff. The pilot sustained serious injuries, while six passengers suffered minor injuries and are reported as stable. Odisha's Transport Minister credited the pilot for avoiding a residential area, and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed the administration to provide best medical care. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been informed, and a formal investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is imminent. Nine-seater aircraft makes emergency belly-landing near Rourkela. Pilot seriously injured, passengers stable. DGCA informed, investigation launched. Bhubaneswar, Jan 10 At least six passengers sustained injuries, one of them seriously, on Saturday after a nine-seater aircraft made an emergency landing in a field about 10 km from the Rourkela airstrip in Odisha, officials confirmed. The IndiaOne Air aircraft operating a regular regional connectivity service from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar, encountered a technical malfunction moments after take-off. The pilot sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) Hospital for treatment, while others suffered minor injuries in the incident. They have also been admitted to the RSP Hospital for treatment. There were reportedly seven passengers on board the aircraft. Odisha's Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena stated that the pilot performed a belly-landing on grassland near Jalda in the Raghunathpali area to avoid a residential locality. "The passengers have sustained minor injuries and are stable. By the grace of God, a major tragedy was averted," Jena told reporters. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed concern over the incident and directed the administration to provide the best medical care to the victims. "I have directed that immediate medical services be provided to those injured, and I am personally monitoring the situation," the CM said in a post on X. The injured were initially rushed to a local hospital before being transferred to RSP Hospital, Rourkela, for specialised treatment. Hospital sources noted that while the passengers are stable, the pilot sustained major injuries during the impact. Local people rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations immediately after the aircraft made a soft landing on a grass surface. Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) Director Prasanna Pradhan confirmed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been apprised of the incident, according to the media reports. The aircraft's fuselage suffered damage, and its nose-gear was sheared off, though the wings remained intact. This accident adds to a growing list of aviation safety concerns in the country. Following the catastrophic Air India crash in Ahmedabad in June 2025 and recent spikes in technical diversions, industry experts have pointed toward a critical manpower deficit in regulatory oversight. A formal investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to begin shortly to determine the exact nature of the mechanical failure. - IANS Sonam Kapoor expressed deep affection for her husband, businessman Anand Ahuja, on Instagram, calling him her "knight in shining armour." The couple, who married in 2018 and have a son named Vayu, are expecting their second child. The actress recently shared a photo showcasing her baby bump. Sonam was last seen in the 2023 film 'Blind' and began her career under director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Sonam Kapoor shares heartfelt tribute to husband Anand Ahuja, calling him her "knight in shining armour" while expecting their second child. Mumbai, Jan 6 Bollywood fashionista Sonam Kapoor poured her heart out for husband Anand Ahuja, calling him her "knight in shining armour" who is always there to steady her through life's highs and lows. Sonam took to Instagram stories, where she shared a post about "The zodiac signs saving the world in 2026" which included "Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius." She added the caption: "@anandahuja always my knight in shining armour.. saving me from myself all the time." Sonam tied the knot with businessman Anand Ahuja in a grand wedding ceremony in May 2018, after being in a relationship for several years. The couple welcomed their first child, a baby boy, whom they named Vayu, in August 2022. The actress is all set to welcome her second baby. She took to social media on November 20 when she shared the news with the world. Sonam shared a picture of herself dressed in a striking hot-pink pure wool suit featuring oversized padded shoulders and a softly curved shoulder line. The actress is seen lovingly holding on to her blossoming baby bump. She captioned the post: "MOTHER." Rumours about Sonam's second pregnancy started doing the rounds in October. At that time as per rumours, Sonam was in her second trimester of pregnancy. She was last seen in the film Blind in 2023. The crime thriller was directed by Shome Makhija. It also stars Purab Kohli, Vinay Pathak and Lillete Dubey in supporting roles. Blind, a remake of the 2011 Korean film of the same name, centres around a blind police officer in search of a serial killer. Sonam, who is the daughter of actor Anil Kapoor, began her career as an assistant director on filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2005 film Black. She made her acting debut in Bhansali's romantic drama Saawariya in 2007. She was then seen in I Hate Luv Storys, Raanjhanaal successes with supporting roles in the biopics Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Sanju, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Neerja and Veere Di Wedding. Sonam Kapoor was lined up to headline the film adaptation of Anuja Chauhan's novel "Battle for Bittora," but the project has remained stalled for years. Produced by her sister Rhea Kapoor, the film was envisioned as a blend of romance and politics. - IANS South Korea's Defence Minister has firmly denied North Korea's allegations that South Korean drones infiltrated its airspace in September and January. Minister Ahn Gyu-back stated the drones pictured by the North are not models operated by the South Korean military and that no flight operations occurred on the dates Pyongyang specified. He suggested the two Koreas conduct a joint investigation into the incidents. The South Korean defence ministry confirmed President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a thorough investigation, which verified the military did not operate drones on the claimed dates. South Korean Defence Minister refutes North Korea's claims of southern drone incursions, stating the military did not operate drones on the alleged dates. Seoul, Jan 10 South Korea's defence chief on Saturday denied North Korea's claims that its drones infiltrated into the North in September last year and earlier this week, saying the drones in question were not models operated by the South Korean military. North Korea claimed earlier in the day that South Korea infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions, saying that Seoul should be ready to "pay a high price" for what it called a provocation. In response to an inquiry by Yonhap News Agency, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the North's alleged claims were "absolutely not true," noting the photos of the drones released by the North were not of models owned by the South Korean military. "How could that be possible when the nightmare of martial law still feels like it was just yesterday?" Ahn said, adding the drone operation command, the Army's ground operations command and the Marine Corps headquarters had not conducted flight operations on the dates claimed by North Korea. Ahn also suggested the matter could be jointly investigated by South and North Korea, Yonhap news agency reported. In a statement issued by the spokesperson of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, North Korea claimed South Korea's drones had infiltrated into the North on two occasions, while denouncing Seoul as "the most hostile" enemy. On January 4, North Korea's military captured and tracked an air target moving northward from the sky over South Korea's Ganghwa County, Incheon, and struck the drone with special electronic warfare assets, forcing it to fall in Muksan-ri near the North's border city of Kaesong, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It also claimed that on September 27, a drone, which took off from the South's border city of Paju, fell into Jangphung County, Kaesong, after being struck down by the North's electronic means. The drone was returning after infiltrating the sky above Phyongsan County, North Hwanghae Province. The defence ministry said South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had ordered a 'thorough' investigation into the matter, with relevant agencies verifying the details of the case. "It has been confirmed that the South Korean military had not operated any drones on the dates claimed by North Korea," the ministry said in a notice. - IANS Spain's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have inaugurated a commemorative room at the Foreign Ministry dedicated to the women and girls of Afghanistan. The leaders stated the world owes an "unpaid debt" to Afghan women and pledged Spain's unwavering alliance to their cause. A women's rights activist, however, criticized such international statements as largely symbolic with little real impact. The Islamic Emirate (Taliban), while not commenting on this event, has historically claimed to protect women's rights under Islamic principles. Spanish PM and Foreign Minister unveil a room dedicated to Afghan women, pledging continued support and highlighting an "unpaid debt" to them. Madrid, January 10 A commemorative room was unveiled at Spain's Foreign Ministry in honor of the women and girls of Afghanistan, Tolo News reported on Saturday. On Thursday, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez along with Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, inaugurated a dedicated room at the ministry during the Ambassadors' Meeting in Madrid, to honor the struggle and efforts of Afghan women and girls. Sanchez said that the world still owes an unpaid debt to Afghan women, as per Tolo News. He added: "I would like to take this opportunity to once again emphasize that the world owes an unpaid debt to the women of Afghanistan, a debt that falls within the framework of the feminist foreign policy that Spain has led in recent years. As I have said before, we hope 2026 will be a year of peace," as quoted by Tolo News. The Spanish Foreign Minister said that his country stands with Afghan women and will remain a committed ally to their cause. Jose Manuel Albares, Spain's Foreign Minister, said: "Your struggle is our struggle. Your hope is our hope. And your voice is our voice. There will be no silence. We will not back down from this path. You will always have a place in this ministry, and within Spain's diplomatic service, you will always find an ally for your cause." Tafsir Siahpush, a women's rights activist, commented: "For more than four years, such statements have been made by the international community, but unfortunately they have had no real impact, because they have not stood sincerely with Afghan women and have only made symbolic gestures." The Islamic Emirate has not recently commented on this event, but in the past, it has repeatedly stated that it protects women's rights and provides for their needs according to Islamic principles, as reported by Tolo News. - ANI Senior Taliban member Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor has arrived in New Delhi to assume the role of Charge d'Affaires at Afghanistan's Embassy. His appointment follows a visit by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who firmly asserted Taliban control over the diplomatic mission. India has not formally recognized the Taliban regime but continues to be a significant provider of aid and medical supplies. Bilateral engagements have increased, focusing on trade, energy, and the development of the Chabahar Port. Senior Taliban member Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor arrives in New Delhi as Charge d'Affaires, signaling deepening India-Afghanistan ties despite non-recognition. New Delhi, Jan 10 Senior Taliban member Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor has arrived in New Delhi to take over as Charge d'Affaires at Afghanistan's Embassy, officials said on Saturday. Noor Ahmad Noor has previously served as the Director General of the First Political Department at Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. India and Afghanistan have witnessed a steady rise in their bilateral relations in the past few months, especially after the seven-day visit of the Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in October. During this visit, Muttaqi had firmly asserted control over the Embassy here in New Delhi, indicating the Islamic Emirate's flag flying in front and behind him. "This is our flag. We fought jihad under this. This is 100 per cent our embassy. All those who are working here... they are all with us," Muttaqi said in response to a question by IANS, pointing to the Islamic Emirate's flag fluttering behind his back and at the front of his table while the embassy officially still hoists the former flag, representing the former regime of Ashraf Ghani. Notably, Mufti Noor was a part of the FM Muttaqi's delegation to New Delhi. Although India has not yet recognised the Taliban regime, it has been emerging as a key aid donor and continues to supply aid and medical supplies. Similarly, Afghan consulates, both in Mumbai and Hyderabad, are being run by Taliban appointed diplomats. Said Muhammad Ibrahim Khil, who was appointed by the government headed by former President Ashraf Ghani, was the CDA of the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. Meanwhile, there have been several high-ranking delegation visits from Afghanistan to India, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, trade, energy development and activating and effectively utilising the capacities of the India-developed Chabahar Port in Iran and attracting more investments. - IANS Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy addressed over 500 young cardiologists at the Fellows India Conference-2025 in Hyderabad. He emphasized that constant learning and skill upgrades are the "biggest secret of success" in the rapidly evolving medical field. The CM urged doctors to balance technological advancements with empathetic patient care and to focus on preventive medicine to combat the growing burden of cardiac diseases. He also reiterated the state government's commitment to healthcare and invited collaboration from medical professionals. CM Revanth Reddy addresses Fellows India Conference, stressing continuous learning, preventive healthcare, and empathy in a tech-driven medical field. Hyderabad, January 10 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday underscored the importance of constant learning, ethical responsibility and preventive healthcare while addressing young cardiologists at the Fellows India Conference-2025 held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, according to a CMO release. Speaking at the conference, which drew over 500 young cardiologists from across India and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, the Chief Minister said continuous upskilling was the "biggest secret of success" in a rapidly evolving medical ecosystem. "Even with success, you are here to upgrade your knowledge and enhance your skills. It is the biggest secret of success: constant learning. The day you stop learning new things, or increasing your knowledge or skills, you are closing your career options," he said. The Chief Minister welcomed the delegates and expressed happiness that the prestigious medical conference was being hosted in Hyderabad. "I am happy the Fellows India Conference is being held in Hyderabad. More than 500 young cardiologists from across India and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries are here to participate. I welcome all of you," he said. Highlighting Telangana's growing stature in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, he said, "It is a matter of pride that this wonderful event is happening in Hyderabad. We are fast becoming a hub of excellence, innovation and competencies in life sciences, pharma, healthcare and allied sectors." The Chief Minister described doctors as a special group in society, stressing the trust people place in them. "Most people cannot qualify to become a doctor. You are a special group in society -- we all trust our lives in your care. Never forget your responsibility towards humanity and society," he said. Reiterating the government's commitment to healthcare, he said the state was keen to work closely with medical professionals. "As a government, we place top priority on healthcare. We are always open to working with doctors like you to improve our policies in the larger public interest. Please do help us and give your suggestions and feedback," he added. Drawing attention to rapid technological advancements, the Chief Minister urged doctors to stay updated while maintaining empathy in patient care. "Knowledge and technology are changing the world very rapidly. With quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence, and other technologies, healthcare has become a very high-tech work. Please keep yourselves upgraded on the latest tech, but do not lose people touch," he said, adding, "High-tech and high touch must go hand in hand, especially for doctors." Expressing concern over the growing burden of cardiac diseases, he called for a collective mission to save lives. "As you know, we lose lots of people because of heart disease. Let us all join in a mission to prevent heart disease. Let us work together to save more lives," he said. He also highlighted the importance of community engagement and preventive medicine. "For example, if you can volunteer to teach students CPR, we can save many lives in our country. Many times, preventive medicine is neglected, but society will benefit if we can educate people," he noted. The Chief Minister urged doctors to focus on quality and excellence in healthcare delivery. "Finally, I request all of you to work on the quality of healthcare. We have to become the best in the world. Each one of you must try to become the best doctor," he said. - ANI The Telangana Prison Department's stall at the 2026 All India Industrial Exhibition in Hyderabad is highlighting products made by inmates as part of rehabilitation efforts. Items on display range from steel furniture and woven textiles to jute bags, herbal soaps, and honey from new apiaries. Officials note that income supports the Prison Welfare Fund, providing inmate wages and aid for their families. Visitors praise the quality and reasonable pricing, seeing the initiative as a positive step in giving prisoners dignity through skilled work. Telangana Prison Dept stall at Hyderabad's Numaish 2026 features furniture, bags, honey & eco-products made by inmates, supporting rehabilitation. Hyderabad, January 10 At the All India Industrial Exhibition being held at the Exhibition Grounds in Nampally from January 1 to February 15, 2026, the Telangana Prison Department stall is drawing attention for showcasing a wide range of products made by inmates as part of their rehabilitation and skill-development programme. Speaking to ANI, Narayana Jajara said the products displayed at the stall are made by prisoners across various jails in the state. "We are exhibiting steel furniture like stools, tables, shoe racks, almirahs and bookshelves. In the weaving and carpentry sections, prisoners are making double and single bed sheets, handkerchiefs, phone stands, pen stands, pooja mandirs and S-type chairs," he said. He added that women inmates are producing jute bags, laptop bags and pouches, while the soap unit is manufacturing soaps, herbal 'Sunipindi' soap, detergent powder, liquid soap, handwash and sanitary products. "This year, we have also started honey farming in our open jails. Since it is pure honey, there is a huge demand from the public," he said. Highlighting a new eco-friendly initiative, Jajara said that carry bags are now made from old newspapers to reduce plastic use. "The prices are very low, and the income goes to the Prison Welfare Fund, through which prisoners are paid wages and financial support is provided for their children's education and marriages," he added. Srishti, who visited the stall, said she was impressed with the quality of the products. "It is a very good experience. The quality is excellent, and the prices are reasonable. The wooden items, like mobile stands, are very well finished. Everyone must visit this store and support this initiative," she said. Another visitor, Arvind, praised the furniture on display. "The quality is very good, and the rates are reasonable compared to the market. The chairs and tables here are of a standard you don't easily find elsewhere. If the store were bigger with more options like cupboards with lockers, it would be even better," he said, adding that he had purchased a few products. Abdul Subang said the prison stall reflects positive change among inmates. "I visit this store whenever I come to Numaish. The government's initiative is giving prisoners respect through their work. Every year, I see improvement in the products, especially items like phone holders and direction boards," he said. He also suggested that authorities should publicly highlight how the revenue generated is being utilised for prisoner welfare. The Telangana Prison Department stall has emerged as a notable attraction at this year's Numaish, promoting skill development, rehabilitation, and sustainable practices through products crafted by inmates. - ANI Ukraine's Foreign Minister announced the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting following recent Russian attacks that included the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile. President Zelenskyy detailed a massive overnight assault involving hundreds of drones and missiles, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian government is urging the international community to demand an immediate end to hostilities and reaffirm support for its sovereignty. The emergency session is expected to feature strong condemnations from Ukraine and its allies against Russia's actions. Ukraine calls UNSC emergency meeting after Russian strikes with ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy reports casualties and infrastructure damage. Kyiv, January 10 The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday, January 12, to discuss Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine, following an urgent request from Kyiv, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced. In a post on social media platform X, Sybiha said the meeting was convened after recent Russian strikes, which reportedly involved the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile. The emergency session is scheduled for 10 pm Kyiv time and will focus on what Ukraine has described as Russia's serious violations of the United Nations Charter. "Following our urgent request in the wake of Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine, which included the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the UN Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on Monday, January 12th, 10 pm Kyiv time, " he said. "The meeting will address Russia's flagrant breaches of the UN Charter. We urge Security Council members to demonstrate unity of purpose by demanding an end to the aggression, protection of civilians, and unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty", he added. He urged the Council to demand an immediate end to hostilities, ensure the protection of civilians, and reaffirm unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Sybiha stressed that continued Russian attacks not only threaten Ukraine but also undermine broader international peace and security efforts. He said Moscow's actions weaken diplomatic initiatives led by the United States, European countries, and other international partners aimed at restoring stability in the region. "Russian attacks undermine international security and peace efforts by the United States, European states, and other partners," the Ukrainian foreign minister said, adding that the international community must act decisively. He called for increased pressure on Russia and accountability for what he described as acts of aggression, stating that failure to respond firmly would embolden further violations of international law. According to Sybiha, the moment requires collective action to deter aggression and prevent further escalation. The upcoming Security Council meeting is expected to witness sharp exchanges, with Ukraine and its allies pressing for stronger condemnation of Russia's actions, while Moscow has consistently denied wrongdoing and blamed Europe for escalating tensions. Russia carried out a massive overnight aerial assault on Ukraine, launching 242 drones, 13 ballistic missiles and 22 cruise missiles, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said the strikes heavily targeted Kyiv and several other regions in the country, damaging civilian infrastructure and energy facilities during a period of severe cold, as the war continues in Eastern Europe for the last four years. He confirmed that at least four people were killed in the capital alone, including a member of an ambulance crew. "In Kyiv and the region, the aftermath of the massive Russian strike is still being dealt with. All necessary services are deployed. Twenty residential buildings alone were damaged," Zelenskyy said, adding that recovery operations are ongoing in the Lviv region and other parts of the country.The Ukrainian President said dozens of people were injured in the attacks and noted that Russia carried out a second strike on a residential building precisely when first responders were providing assistance after the initial attack. "Unfortunately, as of now, it is known that four people have been killed in the capital alone. Among them is an ambulance crew member. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Dozens of people were injured. There was also a second strike on one of the residential buildings - precisely at the moment when first responders were providing assistance after the first strike," Zelenskyy stated in his post. Providing details of the assault, Zelenskyy said Russia launched 242 drones, 13 ballistic missiles aimed at energy facilities and civilian infrastructure, one Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile, and 22 cruise missiles. He said the timing of the attack, coinciding with a significant cold spell, showed it was deliberately aimed at disrupting the normal lives of civilians. - ANI KABUL, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Five members of a family were killed when their vehicle lost control and overturned in northern Afghanistan's Badakhshan province on Friday afternoon, provincial police spokesman Ehsanullah Kamgar reported. The accident occurred in Taraq region of Argo district resulting in the immediate deaths of all five family members, Kamgar said, adding the accident was due to a technical failure and poor road conditions. The tragedy follows a series of deadly accidents in western Herat province on Wednesday, when five people were killed and 16 others injured in multiple road incidents. President Donald Trump framed the US-led effort to revive Venezuela's oil sector as a strategic move to prevent China and Russia from dominating the country's energy resources and expanding their footprint in the Western Hemisphere. He stated the US would remain open to selling oil but insisted control over Venezuelan production must align with US interests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued Venezuela had become a platform for hostile actors under the previous regime, posing a national security threat. The administration presented its military and economic pressure as creating leverage to secure US interests without a prolonged conflict, mirroring broader efforts to counter Chinese and Russian influence in strategic regions. Trump says US-led effort to revive Venezuela's oil sector prevents China and Russia from expanding their strategic footprint in the Americas. Washington, Jan 10 , President Donald Trump said the US-led effort to revive Venezuela's oil sector was aimed at preventing China and Russia from expanding their strategic footprint in the Western Hemisphere. Speaking at the White House along with executives of major American and international oil companies, Trump said Beijing or Moscow would have moved quickly to dominate Venezuela's energy resources had Washington not intervened. "If we didn't do this, China or Russia would have been there," Trump said. He said the United States would remain open to selling oil to China and other countries but insisted control over Venezuelan production must align with US interests. "We are open for business in the United States and we are open for business in Venezuela," Trump said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela had become a platform for hostile actors under the previous regime. "It was not in the national interest or national security of the United States to have in our own hemisphere a country... controlled by an indicted narco trafficker," Rubio said. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Venezuela's decline had fueled instability beyond its borders. "The corruption and decline of Venezuela has been a crisis for the people of Venezuela," Wright said. Trump said US military action had created leverage without prolonged conflict. "Ordering both the tremendous military operation... and then to use the power of our military, not to fire bullets but to stop the flow of Venezuelan oil," he said. He said the strategy mirrored US efforts to prevent Chinese and Russian influence in other strategic regions. "We're not going to have Russia or China occupy Venezuela," Trump said. Latin America has long been a region of strategic interest for the United States, with energy security and geopolitical competition shaping US policy across administrations. - IANS US officials assured Bangladesh of support for its democratic transition and free elections during high-level meetings in Washington. Discussions covered easing US visa bond requirements for Bangladeshi businessmen and continuing aid for the Rohingya refugee crisis. Bangladesh sought US financing for private sector and semiconductor development and expressed interest in joining an international force for Gaza. The new US Ambassador to Bangladesh emphasized advancing bilateral relations with the future elected government. US officials discuss democratic transition, trade, and Rohingya burden-sharing with Bangladesh's NSA, reaffirming commitment to free elections. Dhaka, January 10 Bangladesh's National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman met with Allison Hooker, Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Paul Kapur, Assistant Secretary of State at the State Department in Washington DC on Friday. During the meetings, they discussed upcoming elections in Bangladesh, economic and trade relations, Rohingya issue, and regional matters, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Press Wing said in a statement on Saturday. Rahman underscored the prospects of increased trade between the two countries following substantially enhanced Bangladeshi import of American farm products. He requested Hooker to ease travel of Bangladeshi businessmen to US in the context the of the recent visa bond, and if possible, to exempt B1 short term business visa for Bangladeshi businessmen from the visa bond. Hooker recognized the matter and assured that the US government will positively consider the step. She also indicated that if the overstay by the tourists declines substantially in future, the US might review the bond requirements that have been put in place. She also expressed deep appreciation for the cooperation of Bangladesh to the return of undocumented Bangladesh nationals, the statement said. Rahman expressed sincere thanks to the US for its continued support to the displaced Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh. Recognizing that the US is the largest donor for Rohingyas, he requested continuation of US support and assistance for them. Hooker thanked Bangladesh for continuing to carry substantial burden by hosting Rohingya refugees. She underscored the need for broad based burden sharing and finding a solution to the crisis. She also requested Bangladesh to expand livelihood options for the Rohingyas as long as they are in Bangladesh. NSA Rahman requested the US side to consider granting access to DFC financing for Bangladeshi private sector and also access to financing for semi-conductor development in Bangladesh. Under-Secretary Hooker assured US consideration of these proposals. Rahman also expressed Bangladesh's interest in principle to be part of the international stabilization force that would be deployed in Gaza. Under Secretary Hooker said that the US is willing to work together with Bangladesh on this important matter. In a separate meeting with Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur, NSA Rahman discussed issues of mutual interest including the forthcoming election in Bangladesh, US-Bangladesh bilateral relations, Rohingya crisis, US Visa bond, trade and investment and other regional issues. As a special invitee, NSA Rahman also attended the swearing-in ceremony of Brent Christensen, the new appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh held in the State Department. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Michael J. Rigas administered the oath. The ceremony was attended by Bangladesh Ambassador to US, Embassy officials, senior State Department and Military officials, former US ambassadors to Bangladesh, and US business leaders. In his remarks, Deputy Secretary of State reiterated US commitment to continue to support Bangladesh in its journey to democratic transition. Ambassador Christensen said, "The U.S supports Bangladesh in its journey towards a bright democratic future. I am excited to see the results and look forward to what the new elected government and I can do together to advance the U.S. -Bangladesh relations." Earlier in December, The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated India's consistent support for democratic processes in Bangladesh, stressing its call for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in the neighbouring country. Outlining New Delhi's position, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "India stands for strengthening our ties with the people of Bangladesh. We favour peace and stability in Bangladesh and have consistently called for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh." - ANI Protests in Iran have entered their thirteenth day, transforming from economic demonstrations into a nationwide movement challenging the Islamic Republic's rule. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former President Donald Trump have publicly expressed support for the protesters, with Trump warning of US intervention if the regime begins killing demonstrators. Meanwhile, Iran's former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, living in exile, has called for nationwide strikes and for protesters to occupy city centers, aiming to disable the "machine of suppression." The international community, including Australia, Canada, and the EU, has condemned the Iranian regime's reported violent crackdown on its own people. US leaders voice support for Iranian protests as exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi calls for nationwide strikes. Trump warns of US action if protesters are killed. Washington DC, January 10 Protests in Iran entered the thirteenth day on Friday, evolving from demonstrations over rising living costs into a nationwide movement calling for the end of the Islamic Republic, which has ruled the country since the 1979 revolution. Now, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has come out in support of the Iranian protestors. In a post on X, Rubio said, "The United States supports the brave people of Iran." The statement follows US President Donald Trump who said on Friday that the situation in Iran is being monitored very closely and hoped for the protestors in the country to be safe. He warned that if protestors were killed, the US would get involved and would hit the country where it hurts. "Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts so we don't want that to happen," Trump said. Meanwhile, Iran's former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who is living in exile, on Saturday called on Iranians working in economic sectors to strike work and to move to occupy the centre of Tehran. Pahlavi voiced support for protesters across the country, praising continued demonstrations against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ruling establishment. "I call upon the workers and employees of key economic sectors--especially transportation, oil, gas, and energy--to begin the process of nationwide strikes. Furthermore, I ask all of you today and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday (January 9 and 10/Day 20 and 21), starting from 6:00 PM, to take to the streets with flags, portraits, and national symbols to reclaim public spaces. Our goal is no longer merely to be present in the streets; the goal is to prepare for the capture and holding of city centres," he said. "To achieve this objective, move toward the central parts of cities from as many different routes as possible and merge separate crowds together. At the same time, prepare yourselves from this moment to remain in the streets and secure the necessary provisions. To the youth of the "Immortal Guard" of Iran, and all members of the armed and security forces who have joined the National Cooperation Platform, I say: slow down and disrupt the machine of suppression more than ever before, so that on the appointed day, we may disable it entirely." he added. Earlier, in a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union lauded the bravery displayed by the citizens of Iran and condemned the reported crackdown by the regime. "We commend the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest. We strongly condemn the killing of protestors, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people," the statement read. The nations called on Iranian government to end the use of aggressive force against the protesters and preserve their right to freedom of expression. - ANI Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated a one-day workshop on 'Cold Wave Preparedness' in Dehradun. He released several disaster management guidelines and honored volunteers for their rescue services in 2025. Dhami emphasized integrating modern technology like drone surveillance and early warning systems to mitigate risks, especially in vulnerable high-altitude areas. The state is focusing on inter-departmental coordination and community-based initiatives to ensure public safety during the winter season. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurates a workshop on cold wave preparedness, releasing guidelines and emphasizing tech-driven disaster management. Dehradun, January 10 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated a one-day workshop on the theme "Cold Wave Preparedness" at the Survey of India Auditorium, Hathibadkala, Dehradun, an official statement said. As per the statement, on this occasion on Friday, CM Dhami released guidelines related to cold waves, floods, mock drills, the SOP for aerial support, the Disaster Management Department's New Year Calendar 2026, and the Disaster Management Handbook. During the programme, the Chief Minister also honoured Yuva Aapda Mitras and individuals who rendered commendable services in relief and rescue operations during disasters in 2025. He also flagged off four vehicles provided by the State Bank of India for disaster management purposes. Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Dhami said that disaster management is not the responsibility of a single department, but requires the collective participation of the entire administration, local bodies, voluntary organisations, and the general public. He said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, disaster risk reduction has been made a key national agenda. Guided by this vision, the Uttarakhand government is placing special emphasis on adopting modern technologies in disaster management. The state is strengthening drone surveillance, GIS mapping, satellite monitoring, and early warning systems. Measures such as installing sensors in high-altitude areas, digital monitoring systems, and the formation of modern rapid response teams are being implemented to reduce disaster risks. The Chief Minister said that avalanches pose a serious natural hazard in a Himalayan state like Uttarakhand, with several regions being highly vulnerable. Ensuring the safety of tourism, pilgrimage, and mountaineering activities in these areas is a top priority for the government. He added that continuous efforts are being made to strengthen early warning systems, maximise the use of modern technology, deploy trained rescue forces, and further improve safe tourism protocols. Several concrete and practical steps have also been taken to effectively address challenges arising from cold waves and heavy snowfall. All districts have been connected to the early warning system, and district magistrates have been directed to ensure adequate arrangements for bonfires, night shelters, and blankets. The Chief Minister emphasised the need for better coordination among the Meteorological Department, the Disaster Management Department, and the local administration, and for further strengthening early warning systems to ensure timely alerts and preparedness in cold wave- and snowfall-prone areas, a release said. To address health issues such as hypothermia, cold, flu, and pneumonia during cold waves, all district hospitals, health centres, and mobile medical teams must remain active. He stressed the need to ensure the availability of essential medicines, heating equipment, and first-aid supplies, especially in border and high-altitude areas. He further stated that the state government is working to strengthen community-based disaster management through initiatives such as Yuva Aapda Mitra and Aapda Sakhi. The Chief Minister expressed hope that the workshop would help review preparedness for potential challenges during the winter season and strengthen inter-departmental coordination. Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan said that the workshop is a commendable initiative towards strengthening the state's disaster management system. He noted that cold waves develop gradually but can have devastating impacts, particularly affecting public health services and the lives of vulnerable populations. Cold wave management should be viewed not merely as a seasonal challenge, but as an administrative and social responsibility. He added that under the Chief Minister's visionary leadership, continuous efforts are being made to make disaster management in the state more robust, organised, and policy-driven, a release stated. - ANI Lovely Professional University celebrated its 12th convocation with Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan as chief guest, who urged over 50,000 graduates to live for more than themselves and contribute to society. He expressed concern about drug abuse among youth and appealed to students to stay away from narcotics. The ceremony also saw an honorary doctorate conferred on former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who described India as a key global force. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and LPU founder Ashok Mittal emphasized character-building education and translating learning into societal impact. Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan addressed LPU's 12th convocation, urging 50,000+ graduates to serve society, uphold integrity, and stay away from drugs. Jalandhar/Ludhiana, January 10 Lovely Professional University has celebrated its 12th Annual Convocation, marking a major academic milestone for over 50,000 graduating students, with Hon'ble Vice-President of India CP Radhakrishnan attending as the Chief Guest. Addressing the convocation on Friday, the Vice-President congratulated the graduating students and said that while living for oneself is not wrong, "living only for yourself is." He urged students to give back to society and uphold the values of integrity, compassion and service. Describing convocation as a moment of fulfilment and responsibility, he said the role of universities extends beyond imparting education to shaping national character. The Vice-President appreciated LPU's initiatives, such as the promotion of Made-in-India products on campus and the Jai Jawan Scholarship for families of armed forces personnel. Expressing concern over drug abuse among youth, he appealed to students to stay away from drugs and actively help prevent their peers from falling into addiction. The convocation was presided over by the Hon'ble Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, who congratulated the graduates and emphasised that education must focus on character-building, ethics and civic responsibility. He said India's vision of becoming a global leader by 2047 depends on the capability and integrity of its youth and called upon students to contribute constructively to nation-building. Adding global significance to the ceremony, LPU conferred the Degree of Doctorate Honoris Causa upon Rt Hon Mary Elizabeth Truss, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in recognition of her leadership and public service. Addressing the graduates, she described India as a key force in the emerging global order and encouraged students to take risks, innovate, learn from failures and lead with conviction. Ashok Kumar Mittal, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Founder-Chancellor of LPU, said the university is committed to nurturing leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers who can address national and global challenges. He urged students to translate their education into meaningful societal impact. The convocation honoured students from the graduating batches of 2023-24 and 2024-25 across regular, online and distance education programmes. A total of 320 students received academic medals, including 37 gold medallists, while 861 PhD scholars were awarded degrees for their research contributions. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Lovely Group Chairman Ramesh Mittal, Vice-Chairman Naresh Mittal, Pro-Chancellor Dr. Col. Rashmi Mittal, Punjab Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat and LPU Director General HR Singla. - ANI Actor Vidyut Jammwal has gone viral for a video showing him climbing a tree without clothes as part of his annual yogic ritual. He explained the practice, called 'Sahaja,' is a return to natural ease and instinct that deepens his connection to nature. The 'Commando' star stated the practice scientifically enhances sensory feedback, balance, and mental focus. Jammwal is next set to play the yogi Dhalsim in the live-action 'Street Fighter' film. Actor Vidyut Jammwal's video climbing a tree as part of his 'Sahaja' yogic ritual goes viral, showcasing his extreme fitness and deep nature connection. Mumbai, January 10 Actor Vidyut Jammwal, known for his strong bond with nature and fitness, once again demonstrated his commitment to fitness and his love of pushing his limits. On Saturday, the actor posted on Instagram, sharing moments from his time in nature as he followed his annual yogic routine, giving fans a glimpse into a side of his life away from film sets. Vidyut posted a video of himself climbing a tree without clothes. This immediately caught attention on social media, and soon the clip went viral. The video also shows him sitting calmly in deep snow, offering prayers, and walking carefully on a thin rope across open plateaus. Alongside the video, the 'Commando' actor also added a caption explaining the meaning of this ritual. In the note, he explained that, as a Kalaripayattu practitioner, he follows the yogic practice of "Sahaja," which he described as a return to natural ease and instinct. He shared that the practice helps him connect more deeply with nature and his inner self. "As a Kalaripayattu practitioner, I delve into the yogic practice of Sahaja once a year. Sahaja means returning to a state of natural ease and instinct, fostering a deeper connection to nature and inner awareness. Scientifically, it activates numerous neuroreceptors and proprioceptors, enhancing sensory feedback and improving balance and coordination. This leads to greater body awareness, heightened mental focus, and a profound sense of grounding," read his Instagram post. Soon after the post was shared, fans chimed in on the comment section to share their reactions. Many praised his strength and discipline, while some compared him to a "real-life Tarzan." One even called him the "strongest man on Earth." This is not the first time Vidyut has followed this ritual. In December 2023, he shared pictures from the Himalayan ranges, where he spent time in nature. For the actor, these mountain visits are part of a regular retreat he follows. On the work front, Vidyut Jammwal is set to appear in Legendary's live-action film based on the popular video game series Street Fighter. The actor will play Dhalsim, a yogi with fire-spitting abilities, a fundamentally peaceful man who fights to support his family. - ANI Vidyut Jammwal has shared a striking video of himself climbing a tree without any clothes, describing the act as part of the annual yogic practice of Sahaja. The actor, a dedicated Kalaripayattu practitioner, stated this practice fosters a natural connection to instinct and nature while scientifically activating neuroreceptors. He frequently uses social media to highlight his rigorous training regimen and the warrior spirit instilled by ancient practices. Professionally, Jammwal is preparing for the release of the live-action film "Street Fighter," slated for October 2026. Actor Vidyut Jammwal shares video climbing a tree unclothed, explaining it as the annual yogic practice of Sahaja to connect with nature and instinct. Mumbai Ja, n 10 Actor Vidyut Jammwal recently took to his social media account to share a video wherein he is seen 'delving yogic practice of Sahaj'. In the video, the actor is seen climbing a tree, without any clothes on his body. The actor captioned it as, "As a Kalaripayattu practitioner, I delve into the yogic practice of Sahaja once a year. Sahaja means returning to a state of natural ease and instinct, fostering a deeper connection to nature and inner awareness." Elaborating on it further, Vidyut stated, "Scientifically, it activates numerous neuroreceptors and proprioceptors, enhancing sensory feedback and improving balance and coordination. This leads to greater body awareness, heightened mental focus, and a profound sense of grounding. #ItIsI #kalaripayattu." The actor has always been extremely disciplined with his fitness routines. Earlier, the actor had taken to his social media account to showcase his dedication to the ancient martial art of Kalari Payattu by 'pushing his physical and mental limits.' The actor, through a combination of rigorous training, yoga, and challenging exercises, had paid tribute to the legacy of the traditional practices. Vidyut also had highlighted the strength, focus, and warrior spirit they instill. Sharing the video featuring himself, the actor wrote, "Honoring the ancient Kalari Payattu and Yoga that empower us to transcend limits. Candle wax and blindfolds, a testament to the warrior spirit!"#kalaripayattu #itrainlikevidyutjammwal #streetfighter." On the professional front, Vidyut Jammwal is gearing up for the release of his next, "Street Fighter," which also stars Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, Roman Reigns, David Dastmalchian, Cody Rhodes, Andrew Schulz, Eric Andre, Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, and Jason Momoa. The teaser for the upcoming live-action film was unveiled at the 2025 Game Awards, where the film's cast took the stage to unveil the first look. An official synopsis of the movie read, "Estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don't, it's game over!" The movie directed by Kitao Sakurai, is slated to hit theatres on October 16, 2026. - IANS The Gujarat Giants defeated the UP Warriorz by 10 runs in a high-scoring WPL 2026 encounter that set a new global record for women's T20 cricket with 21 sixes. Batting first, the Giants posted 207/4 powered by captain Ashleigh Gardner's 65 and Anushka Sharma's 44 on debut. In reply, UP Warriorz fought valiantly thanks to Phoebe Litchfield's brilliant 78 off 40 balls but fell short, finishing at 197/8. Key bowling performances from Renuka Singh and Sophie Ecclestone helped contain the chase in a match that broke the previous six-hitting record of 19. Gujarat Giants edge UP Warriorz by 10 runs in a WPL 2026 classic that set a new women's T20 record with 21 sixes hit. Match recap and scores. Navi Mumbai, January 10 The second Women's Premier League 2026 match between Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz on Saturday has set a new six-hitting record for any women's T20 match, according to ESPNcricinfo. The WPL 2026 clash at the DY Patil Stadium between Gujarat and Warriorz saw 21 sixes, which is the most sixes for any women's T20 match. The previous highest was 19 sixes during the Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars in the 2017-18 Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) tournament, and bettering 19 sixes hit in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals match at Bengaluru in the WPL 2024 season. Coming to the match, Phoebe Litchfield's valiant 78 went in vain as UP Warriorz suffered a narrow 10-run defeat against Gujarat Giants in a high-scoring encounter. Chasing a stiff target of 208, UP Warriorz were rocked early as Kiran Navgire departed in the very first over. The opener managed one run before being dismissed by Renuka Singh, giving Gujarat Giants the perfect start. Following the early setback, it was the Australian duo of captain Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield who steadied the innings. The pair stitched together a crucial 70-run partnership, keeping UP in the hunt. Lanning played the role of the anchor, scoring 30 off 27 balls with five boundaries, before she was dismissed.UP Warriorz then suffered a sudden collapse in the middle overs. Young Shweta Sehrawat joined Litchfield at the crease, and the duo revived the chase with a vital 69-run partnership. Sehrawat looked composed during her stay but was eventually bowled by Rajeshwari Gayakwad after scoring 25. Litchfield, who had been the backbone of the innings, was dismissed shortly after for a superb 78 off 40 balls, an innings that included eight fours and five sixes. However, her effort was not enough as UP Warriorz finished on 197/8, falling 10 runs short of the target. With the ball, Renuka Singh was the standout performer for Gujarat Giants, returning figures of 2/25 from her four overs. Georgia Wareham and Sophie Devine also made key contributions, picking up two wickets each, while Ashleigh Gardner and Rajeshwari Gayakwad claimed one wicket apiece. Earlier, Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner displayed strong batting as the team put on a massive 207 against UP Warriroz. After the first four overs, the Giants were 40/0. However, Warriorz got the much-needed breakthrough as veteran spinner Sophie Ecclestone clean bowled Beth Mooney (13 off 12 balls, including one four) during the fifth over. In the very next over, pacer Pandey dismissed Sophie Devine for 38 off 20 balls. Devine's innings included five fours and two sixes. Gujarat reached 56/2 at the end of six overs. Giants also registered their third-best score in the power play in WPL. Captain Gardner and Anushka Sharma stabilised the innings as the Giants reached 90/2 in 10 overs. During the 13th over, speedster Kranti Gaud conceded 18 runs as Garnder and Sharma slammed boundaries. In the very next over, Anushka slammed two fours, and Gardner hit two sixes against leg-spinner Asha Sobhana with Gujarat reaching 139/2 in 14 overs. Gardner reached her sixth WPL fifty during the third ball of the 15th over as the Giants crossed the 150-run mark. Gardner also became the batter with the most fifty-plus scores for Gujarat Giants, surpassing Beth Mooney (5) and Laura Wolvaardt (3). During the 16th over, Deandra Dottin broke the 100-run stand after she dismissed Anushka for 44 runs. She had made the runs from 30 balls with the help of seven fours. Anushka Sharma's 44 is the highest by a Gujarat Giants batter on WPL debut. The previous highest was Dani Gibson's 34 runs last year. In the very next over, Ecclestone removed captain Garnder, who smashed 65 off 41 balls, and the innings included six fours and three sixes. Towards the end, Bharti Fulmali's unbeaten 14 and Georgia Wareham's blistering unbeaten knock of 27 helped Gujarat post a mammoth 207/4 on the board. Sophie Ecclestone (2/32), Deandra Dottin (1/47) and Shikha Pandey (1/29) were among the wicket-takers. Brief scores: Gujarat Giants: 207/4 in 20 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 65, Anushka Sharma 44; Sophie Ecclestone 2/32) vs UP Warriorz 197/8 in 20 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 78, Meg Lanning 30; Renuka Singh 2/25). - ANI The Mumbai Indians bounced back from an opening loss to secure a dominant 50-run victory over the Delhi Capitals in the WPL. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur's unbeaten 74 and Nat Sciver-Brunt's 70 powered MI to a formidable total of 195/4. In reply, Delhi Capitals faltered to 145 all out despite a fighting 56 from Chinelle Henry. The MI bowling attack, led by Nicola Carey and Amelia Kerr who took three wickets each, delivered a comprehensive all-round performance. Harmanpreet Kaur's 74* and Sciver-Brunt's 70 power MI to 195/4. Carey & Kerr take 3 wickets each to secure a commanding 50-run victory. Navi Mumbai, January 10 After losing the opening match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the two-time champions Mumbai Indians bounced back and secured a commanding 50-run win against the Delhi Capitals at the DY Patil Stadium on Saturday. Defending a competitive target of 196 runs, the Mumbai Indians bowlers produced an all-round performance that helped them bundle out the Delhi Capitals for 145 runs, registering a commanding win. Coming to the chase, Wicketkeeper-batter Lizelle Lee (10), Shafali Verma (8), Laura Wolvaardt (9), and captain Jemimah Rodrigues (1) had poor outings with the bat. Chinelle Henry played a fighting knock of 56 runs off 33 balls, including five fours and three sixes. But after her departure, none of the Delhi batters crossed the 20-run mark. For the Mumbai Indians, Nicola Carey (3/37), Amelia Kerr (3/24), and Nat Sciver-Brunt (2/29) had good outings with the ball. Earlier, Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt powered their side to a commanding 195/4 in 20 overs against Delhi Capitals. After being sent in to bat first by Delhi Capitals captain Jemimah Rodrigues, Mumbai suffered an early setback as Amelia Kerr was dismissed for a golden duck by Chinelle Henry in the opening over. Despite the early wicket, the Mumbai Indians brought up their 50 in 6.2 overs. However, the momentum was briefly checked when Gunalan Kamalini was dismissed after scoring 16 off 19 balls. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur then took control of the innings, stitching together a crucial 66-run partnership to steady the side. Sciver-Brunt played a fluent knock and was eventually dismissed by Shree Charani after scoring 70 off 46 balls, an innings that included 13 boundaries. Following Sciver-Brunt's departure, Harmanpreet found another able partner in Nicola Carey. The duo added an important 53-run stand, ensuring Mumbai maintained the scoring rate in the latter half of the innings. Carey chipped in with a quick 21 off 12 deliveries before she was cleaned up by Nandani Sharma. Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front and remained unbeaten on 74 off 42 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes, as Mumbai Indians finished with a strong total of 195/4. For the Delhi Capitals, Nandani Sharma was the most effective bowler, returning figures of 2/26 from her three overs. Chinelle Henry and Shree Charani picked up one wicket each. Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 195/4 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 74*, Nat Sciver-Brunt 70; Nandani Sharma 2/26) vs Delhi Capitals. - ANI This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2026 shows a local dressed in traditional costumes during the Vodun Days in Ouidah, Benin. The 2026 edition of Vodun Days is held from Jan. 8 to 10 in Ouidah, a historic cultural city in southwestern Benin, showcasing the diversity and vitality of Vodun culture through ritual demonstrations, dance and music performances, and art exhibitions. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua) Locals dressed in traditional costumes dance to celebrate the Vodun Days in Ouidah, Benin, Jan. 8, 2026. The 2026 edition of Vodun Days is held from Jan. 8 to 10 in Ouidah, a historic cultural city in southwestern Benin, showcasing the diversity and vitality of Vodun culture through ritual demonstrations, dance and music performances, and art exhibitions. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua) This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2026 shows locals dressed in traditional costumes during the Vodun Days in Ouidah, Benin. The 2026 edition of Vodun Days is held from Jan. 8 to 10 in Ouidah, a historic cultural city in southwestern Benin, showcasing the diversity and vitality of Vodun culture through ritual demonstrations, dance and music performances, and art exhibitions. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua) This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2026 shows a local dressed in traditional costumes during the Vodun Days in Ouidah, Benin. The 2026 edition of Vodun Days is held from Jan. 8 to 10 in Ouidah, a historic cultural city in southwestern Benin, showcasing the diversity and vitality of Vodun culture through ritual demonstrations, dance and music performances, and art exhibitions. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua) A woman dressed in traditional costumes performs a dance to celebrate the Vodun Days in Ouidah, Benin, Jan. 9, 2026. The 2026 edition of Vodun Days is held from Jan. 8 to 10 in Ouidah, a historic cultural city in southwestern Benin, showcasing the diversity and vitality of Vodun culture through ritual demonstrations, dance and music performances, and art exhibitions. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua) A woman dressed in traditional costumes performs a dance to celebrate the Vodun Days in Ouidah, Benin, Jan. 8, 2026. The 2026 edition of Vodun Days is held from Jan. 8 to 10 in Ouidah, a historic cultural city in southwestern Benin, showcasing the diversity and vitality of Vodun culture through ritual demonstrations, dance and music performances, and art exhibitions. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua) 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. Scientists have uncovered a new explanation for how swimming bacteria change direction, providing fresh insight into one of biology's most intensively studied molecular machines. Bacteria move through liquids using propellerlike tails called flagella, which alternate between clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. For decades, this switching behavior has been attributed to an equilibrium 'domino effect' model, in which proteins lining the bacterium's tail exert pressure on their neighbors, prompting a change in rotational direction. New research in Nature Physics from the Flatiron Institute's Henry Mattingly and Yuhai Tu proposes a different mechanism, informed by experimental measurements of the molecular structure of the flagellar motor and an analysis of how flagella switch their spin. Rather than relying on passive pressure from neighboring proteins, the switch is driven by an active tug-of-war among distant proteins. People have known this switching behavior since the 1950s, but now having this simple molecular-level mechanism to explain it is very exciting." Yuhai Tu, senior research scientist at the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Biology (CCB) and Center for Computational Neuroscience (CCN) The problem with the domino effect The flagellar motor is a long-studied structure, and as Tu notes, it's one of nature's most beautiful molecular machines. It is composed of 34 proteins arranged in a large central ring, powered by smaller structures called stators - channels that allow electrically charged atoms to flow in and drive the rotation. The ring proteins control whether the tail rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on signals they receive from a molecule called CheY-P. If CheY-P binds to one of the proteins, it affects the protein's conformation so that it promotes spinning in one direction or the other. "CheY-P concentration depends on what the cell is experiencing outside, in its environment," says Mattingly, an associate research scientist at the CCB. "It's like a relay from what the cell senses to how it responds with changes in behavior." Depending on which proteins are bound by CheY-P, the ring proteins can end up in different states: Some bias the motor to move clockwise, while others favor counterclockwise rotation. In the original equilibrium model, scientists proposed that this disagreement among neighboring proteins would eventually be overcome through a domino effect. If a protein's neighbors promoted a certain rotational direction, then that protein would be more likely to 'fall in line' and adopt that same state. "The proteins cooperate with each other. If I'm in one state, my neighbor has a higher probability of joining me in that same state," says Tu. "Once enough of them change state, the motor flips." However, when researchers examined the actual frequency with which flagella switched rotational direction, the distribution couldn't be explained by the equilibrium model. Under that framework, motor switching should follow a memoryless statistical pattern, in which the likelihood of a flip doesn't depend on how long the motor has been rotating in a given direction. Instead, the experimental data revealed a peak in the distribution of time spent rotating in one direction rather than the other, which is not possible in an equilibrium system. "If you see this pattern, then the effect cannot be a purely equilibrium phenomenon," says Tu. "There had to be something else going on." A tug-of-war inside the tail Mattingly and Tu reasoned that switching the motor's rotational direction couldn't be a passive equilibrium process - there must be energy injected into the system that somehow influences how and when the motor switches. Several recent discoveries about the physical structure of the motor informed Mattingly and Tu's theory. First, the ring of proteins in the flagellar motor, known as the C-ring, acts as one big central gear, with each protein acting as one tooth of the gear. Second, the stators aren't just a general power source; they also function as smaller gears. These stators always rotate clockwise and make contact with the teeth of the large gear. How these teeth touch the stators determines which way they try to get the motor to turn. The teeth of the large gear can change position to touch the small gears - the stators - on the stators' outer edge or their inner edge. When the teeth touch the outer edge, the stators push the large gear clockwise; when they touch the inner edge, the stators push them counterclockwise. As a result, even though the small gears always rotate clockwise, the flagellum can rotate either way. However, conflicts can arise when different teeth adopt different conformations. Some may contact their stators on the outside and favor a clockwise direction, while others contact their stators on the inside and try to turn the other way. According to the new model, this is where the tug-of-war emerges. "Imagine all the teeth are in the same outer conformation. Then one of them flips," says Mattingly. "As the gear turns, that lone dissenter eventually comes in contact with a stator that now pushes it in the opposite direction from all the others. Because the teeth are mechanically linked, that one tooth is feeling five active gears pushing one way and one pushing the other. Since it's out of sync with the rest, the torque on it is much larger. It's like a mechanical tug-of-war. If the mechanical force on it is too strong, it flips to join the majority. But if enough teeth dissent, then the entire motor changes direction." The team calls this process "global mechanical coupling." The name is meant to underscore that the forces driving each tooth to turn one way or the other aren't determined solely by the teeth's interactions with their neighbors; rather, all teeth touching stators will impact one another across the motor in a collective process. Global mechanical coupling can also produce the peak in the distribution seen in the earlier experiments. Since the stators are active players in the direction switching, not just general power sources for rotation, they inject energy into the system and drive it out of equilibrium. "Global mechanical coupling explains what the earlier, purely equilibrium theory couldn't, that switching is energy-driven, directional and cooperative," says Tu. Unraveling mysteries in the flagella and beyond With a new model in place, the team hopes it will inform our understanding of other nonequilibrium systems in living organisms. "Our results make sense to me because I believe living systems always operate out of equilibrium," says Tu. "They dissipate energy, and that energy is essential for biological function. This is a beautiful example of that principle." The researchers will continue to refine their model to integrate more experimental data. For example, their model predicts a peak in the distribution of counterclockwise durations, but on a shorter timescale than in experiments. Understanding the flagella can also influence how scientists understand more complex systems. "It's so well studied that it becomes a perfect system to test ideas - and what we learn here often helps us think about more complex biology," says Mattingly. Tu adds that the new research is also exciting for the field of bacterial chemotaxis. "Every so often people say, 'This is a dead field.' Every time that turns out to be wrong. There's always another layer." 6 killed in Mississippi rampage, suspect charged with murder Last Updated: January 11, 2026, 04:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) West Point (US), Jan 11 (AP) A 24-year-old Mississippi man killed six people his father, brother, uncle, 7-year-old cousin, a church pastor and the pastors brother at three locations during a rampage in a rural area, authorities said. Daricka M Moore was arrested at a police roadblock in Cedarbluff just before midnight on Friday after dozens of local, state and federal officers flooded the northeast Mississippi area. Moore was being held without bail Saturday at the Clay County jail in West Point on murder charges and ahead of an expected initial appearance Monday before a judge. Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom, who said he expects to pursue the death penalty, told The Associated Press that Moore would likely be appointed a public defender at that time. If charges are upgraded to capital murder before then, Moore will be ineligible for bail under state law. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said at a Saturday news conference that evidence and witnesses indicate that Moore was the only shooter and no other injuries have been reported. Investigators were continuing to interview Moore but do not currently know what may have motivated him, he added. A situation like this, youve got a family member attacking their own family," Scott said. Whatever the reason is, were hoping that well find out." The shootings on Friday unfolded in an area of fields, woods and mostly modest homes about 200 km northeast of Jackson. Investigators believe Moore first killed his father, 67-year-old Glenn Moore, his brother, 33-year-old Quinton Moore and his uncle, 55-year-old Willie Ed Guines, at the familys mobile home on a dirt road in western Clay County. The sheriff said Moore then stole his brothers truck and drove a few miles to a cousins house, where he forced his way in and attempted to commit sexual battery. Scott said Moore than put a gun to the head of a 7-year-old girl, whom he declined to identify, and fatally shot her. I dont know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old," he said. Scott said that according to witnesses, Moore then placed a gun against a younger childs head, but she was not shot. It was not clear whether he did not pull the trigger or the gun misfired. Thats how violent it was," Scott said. The mother and a third child were also present, the sheriff said. Moore then allegedly drove to a small white frame church, the Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus. There, Scott said, he broke into a residence, killed the pastor and his brother and stole one of their vehicles. Scott said the last two victims, the Rev. Barry Bradley and Samuel Bradley, lived most of the time in nearby Columbus but spent weekends on church grounds. Some Moore family members attend the church, Scott said. Moore was caught at a roadblock at 11:24 pm near where the second shooting occurred, Scott said, four-and-a-half hours after the first call came in. Colom said Moore had a rifle and a handgun. Scott said officers are investigating where Moore obtained the guns. The state medical examiner is performing autopsies on the victims. Scott said Moores surviving relatives are overwhelmed with grief. It was really hard to have conversations other than prayers with everybody out there," he said, adding, this has really shaken our community." Colom, a Democrat who is seeking his partys nomination this year to run against Republican US Sen Cindy Hyde Smith, said he is confident that his office has the resources to prosecute Moore and pursuing the death penalty is the right thing to do. Six people, one night, several different scenes, its about as bad as it gets," Colom said. (AP) SCY SCY News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 11, 2026, 04:30 IST News agency-feeds 6 killed in Mississippi rampage, suspect charged with murder 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... Afghanistan appoints Noor Ahmed Noor at its Embassy in India: Sources Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 11:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) New Delhi [India], January 10 (ANI): Afghanistan appointed diplomat Noor Ahmed Noor at the Afghan Embassy in Delhi, sources told ANI on Saturday.Earlier on December 20, Afghanistans Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali said that India is emerging as a key alternative partner for Afghanistans pharmaceutical needs, as its relationship with Pakistan stands deteriorated".Jalali said Afghanistan is looking to open a new chapter" of cooperation with India, highlighting the long-standing ties between the two countries and Indias role as a reliable health partner.We have a strong relationship with India, and we are here to open a new chapter of cooperation and collaboration. When it comes to Pakistan, the relationship stands deteriorated."His remarks came during his visit to India for the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, held in New Delhi.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.Jalalis visit followed the Ministry of External Affairs welcoming him on his first official visit to India, underlining New Delhis continued humanitarian outreach to Afghanistan despite changing regional dynamics.Jalalis visit was part of a broader pattern of official exchanges between the two countries.In October 2025, Afghanistans 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."Afghanistans Minister of Commerce and Industry, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, on November 24 had announced that long-standing visa hurdles between India and Afghanistan have been resolved, allowing Afghan citizens to obtain Indian visas for both medical treatment and business purposes.Adressing a press conference following his five-day offical visit to the country, the Afghan Minister added that the Afghan Embassy will play a key role in facilitating these services. At the same time, the Embassy of India in Kabul will also develop programs to support Afghan nationals. (ANI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 11:00 IST News agency-feeds Afghanistan appoints Noor Ahmed Noor at its Embassy in India: Sources 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... Anti-ICE protesters assemble across US after shootings in Minneapolis, Portland Last Updated: January 11, 2026, 02:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Minneapolis (US), Jan 11 (AP) Thousands of people have converged on a Minneapolis park to decry the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal immigration officer in that city and the shooting of two protesters in Portland, Oregon. The Minneapolis gathering on Saturday was one of hundreds of protests planned in towns and cities across the country over the weekend. It came in a city on edge since the killing of Renee Good on Wednesday. On Friday night, a protest outside a Minneapolis hotel that attracted about 1,000 people turned violent as demonstrators threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OHara said during a news conference Saturday. One officer suffered minor injuries after being struck with a piece of ice, OHara said. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he said. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested. He faulted agitators that are trying to rile up large crowds". This is what Donald Trump wants," Frey said of the president who has demanded massive immigration enforcement efforts in several US cities. He wants us to take the bait." Minnesota Gov Tim Walz echoed that call for peaceful demonstrations. Trump sent thousands of armed federal officers into our state, and it took just one day for them to kill someone," Walz posted on social media. Now he wants nothing more than to see chaos distract from that horrific action. Dont give him what he wants." The demonstrations across the country come as the US Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation. Trumps administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defence against drivers who weaponised" their vehicles to attack officers. Connor Maloney said he came to the Minneapolis protest to show support for his community and out of frustration over the ongoing immigration enforcement action. Almost daily I see them harassing people," he said. Its just sickening that its happening in our community around us." Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to get out of his comfort zone and attend a protest in Durham, North Carolina, on Saturday because of what he called Goods horrifying" death. We cant allow it," Eubanks said. We have to stand up." Indivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. Many were dubbed ICE Out for Good" using the acronym for the federal agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organised protests in all 50 states last year. In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups organised a demonstration at Powderhorn Park, a large green space about half a mile from the residential neighbourhood where the 37-year-old Good was shot on Wednesday. They said the rally and march would celebrate her life and call for an end to deadly terror on our streets." A couple of miles from the park, just as the demonstration began, an Associated Press photographer witnessed heavily armed officers at least one in Border Patrol uniform approach a person who had been following them. Two of the agents had long guns out when they ordered the person to stop following them, telling him it was his first and final warning". The agents eventually drove onto the interstate without detaining the driver. Protests held in the neighbourhood have been largely peaceful, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and officers guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown. OHara said city police officers have responded to calls about cars abandoned because their drivers have been apprehended by immigration enforcement. In one case, the car was left in park and in another case a dog was left in the vehicle. He said immigration enforcement activities are happening all over the city" and that 911 callers have been alerting authorities to ICE activity, arrests and abandoned vehicles. Three congresswomen from Minnesota attempted to tour the ICE facility in the Minneapolis federal building on Saturday morning and were initially allowed to enter but then told they had to leave about 10 minutes later. US Reps Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison and Angie Craig accused ICE agents of obstructing members of Congress from fulfilling their duty to oversee operations there. They do not care that they are violating federal law," Craig said after being turned away. A federal judge last month temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing policies that limit congressional visits to immigration facilities. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by 12 members of Congress who sued in Washington, DC to challenge ICEs amended visitor policies after they were denied entry to detention facilities. The Trump administration has deployed thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. More than 2,000 officers were taking part. Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they were part of another operation that started last month and was expected to last until February. (AP) SCY SCY News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 11, 2026, 02:30 IST News agency-feeds Anti-ICE protesters assemble across US after shootings in Minneapolis, Portland 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... GOLDFEST 2026 Begins in Ahmedabad marking 50 Years of Indo-Japan Friendship Last Updated: January 11, 2026, 01:45 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], January 11 (ANI): The Indo-Japan Friendship Association of Gujarat (IJFA) on Saturday inaugurated GOLDFEST 2026, marking 50 years of Indo-Japan friendship. The five-day cultural celebration is being held from January 10 to 14, 2026, as part of IJFAs Golden Jubilee commemorations.As per the statement, the festival was inaugurated with the opening of Patang-O-Dori", a grand Japanese kite exhibition, at the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA). The exhibition was inaugurated by Megumi Shimada, Consul for Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Japan in Mumbai, in the presence of the Honorary Consul of Japan in Ahmedabad, Mukesh Patel, Japanese dignitaries and senior officials.GOLDFEST 2026 also commemorates the first anniversary of the Hamamatsu-Ahmedabad Sister City relationship and the Shizuoka Prefecture-Gujarat Sister State partnership. Delegations from Shizuoka and Hamamatsu are participating in the festival, bringing Japanese kites, music and traditional matcha culture to the centre stage.The Patang-O-Dori" exhibition highlights the shared kite-flying heritage of Hamamatsu, Japans kite-flying capital, and Ahmedabad, known for its iconic Uttarayan celebrations. The exhibition features colourful Japanese kites, traditional lanterns gifted by the City of Hamamatsu, and narratives tracing the evolution of kite-flying traditions in both cultures.On the occasion, Megumi Shimada, Consul for Cultural Affairs, Japan, told the media that she was present to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the Indo-Japan Friendship Association and one year anniversary of Ahmedabad and Hamamatsu cityAs per the statement, the exhibition will be open to the public on January 11 and 12, from 11 am to 7 pm.With the theme Kem Chhe Konnichiwa", GOLDFEST 2026 aims to strengthen cultural bonds through art, music and cuisine, reinforcing Gujarats long-standing reputation as the Mini-Japan of India." India and Japan share a Special Strategic and Global Partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted in a statement. It noted that the friendship between the two countries has a long history rooted in spiritual affinity and strong cultural and civilizational ties. (ANI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 11, 2026, 01:45 IST News agency-feeds GOLDFEST 2026 Begins in Ahmedabad marking 50 Years of Indo-Japan Friendship 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... IED blast injures peace committee head in northwest Pak Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 20:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Peshawar, Jan 10 (PTI) The head of a peace committee was injured on Saturday in an IED blast targeting his vehicle in Pakistans restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. The Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) blast took place in the Sarwakai area of the Upper South Waziristan district, according to District Police Officer Arshad Khan. Peace committee head Qadam Khan was injured in the blast, which completely destroyed the vehicle he was travelling in. Khan was immediately shifted to a hospital for medical treatment. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. No group claimed responsibility for the blast, but investigations into the attack are underway. This is the second blast in the district in the last 24 hours. An earlier blast on Friday targeted Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Maulana Sultan, who succumbed to injuries on Saturday morning. PTI AYZ GRS GRS GRS News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 20:15 IST News agency-feeds IED blast injures peace committee head in northwest Pak 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... Nicaragua says it's freeing detainees after pressure from US Last Updated: January 11, 2026, 04:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Mexico City, Jan 11 (AP) Nicaraguas Interior Ministry has said the country would release dozens of prisoners, as the US ramped up pressure on leftist President Daniel Ortegaa week after it ousted former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. On Friday, the US Embassy in Nicaragua said Venezuela had taken an important step toward peace by releasing what it described as political prisoners." But it lamented that in Nicaragua, more than 60 people remain unjustly detained or disappeared, including pastors, religious workers, the sick, and the elderly." On Saturday, the Interior Ministry said in a statement that dozens of people who were in the National Penitentiary System are returning to their homes and families." It wasnt immediately clear who was freed and under what conditions. Nicaraguas government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The government has been carrying out an ongoing crackdown since mass social protests in 2018, that were violently repressed. Nicaraguas government has imprisoned adversaries, religious leaders, journalists and more, then exiled them, stripping hundreds of their Nicaraguan citizenship and possessions. Since 2018, it has shuttered more than 5,000 organisations, largely religious, and forced thousands to flee the country. Nicaraguas government often accused critics and opponents of plotting against the government. In recent years, the government has released hundreds of imprisoned political opponents, critics and activists. It stripped them of Nicaraguan citizenship and sent them to other countries like the US and Guatemala. Observers have called it an effort to wash its hands of its opposition and offset international human rights criticism. Many of those Nicaraguans were forced into a situation of statelessness". Saturday on X, the US State Departments Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs again slammed Nicaraguas government. Nicaraguans voted for a president in 2006, not for an illegitimate lifelong dynasty," it said. Rewriting the Constitution and crushing dissent will not erase the Nicaraguans aspirations to live free from tyranny." Danny Ramirez-Ayerdiz, executive-secretary of the Nicaraguan human rights organisation CADILH, said he had mixed feelings about the releases announced Saturday. On the one hand, Im glad. All political prisoners suffer some form of torture. But on the other hand, I know these people will continue to be harassed, surveilled and monitored by the police, and so will their families." Ramirez-Ayerdiz said the liberation of the prisoners is a response to pressure exerted by the United States. There is surely a great deal of fear within the regime that the US might completely dismantle it," he said. (AP) SCY News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 11, 2026, 04:00 IST News agency-feeds Nicaragua says it's freeing detainees after pressure from 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... Residential building in Delhi's Trilokpuri catches fire, no casualties Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 22:45 IST Representational image (Image: News18) New Delhi, Jan 10 (PTI) A fire broke out in a residential building in east Delhis Trilokpuri area on Saturday, prompting authorities to rush nine fire tenders, an official said. No one was hurt in the incident. A call regarding a fire breaking out in a building, consisting of a ground plus two floors, was received at 7.20 pm, the Delhi Fire Services official said. We rushed nine fire tenders to the spot, and the fire was doused at 9.35 pm. No injury or casualties have been reported," the officer added. PTI SSJ AMJ AMJ News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 22:45 IST News agency-feeds Residential building in Delhi's Trilokpuri catches fire, no casualties 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... GAZA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Three Palestinians were killed in separate Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement. According to the statement, one Palestinian was killed and another wounded when an Israeli drone struck a group of young men near the Bani Suheila area in central Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Two others were killed by gunfire from Israeli military vehicles east of the Zeitoun neighborhood in southeastern Gaza City. Additionally, three people were seriously wounded when Israeli forces targeted a bulldozer at the entrance to the al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. Eeyewitnesses reported ongoing Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, including shelling on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City, an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip and an attack on Rafah in the south. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the incidents. Since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect on Oct. 10, 439 Palestinians have been killed, according to figures released by Gaza-based health authorities on Friday, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 71,409. Six, including child, pastor killed in Mississippi shooting Last Updated: January 11, 2026, 03:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Mississippi [US], January 11 (ANI): Six people were killed, including a seven-year-old girl and a pastor, in Mississippi, the New York Post reported, citing the police. As per the New York Post, this was the biggest mass shooting to rock Mississippi in almost a decade, the police said Saturday.It reported that the 24-year-oldThe allegedly gunned down people across three locations near West Point after his plans to sexually assault one of the victims were thwarted.Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said at a press conference, Its just overwhelmed (sic) grief. Its hard to describe First trying to grieve the loss of their loved one and then finding out who [did it]". As per the New York Post, the violence erupted on Friday evening when the accused allegedly killed his father, uncle and brother in Cedarbluff, which is located west of the county seat of West Point, 150 miles northwest of Jackson. As per the police, the accused stole his brothers car and raced to a second home on Blake Road, where he tried to sexually assault another victim at gunpoint. Instead, the accused allegedly killed a 7-year-old girl. He is also accused of pointing the firearm at another child under the age of 7, but did not pull the trigger.The New York Post reported that the accused then sped to another location, where he gunned down two brothers on Siloam-Griffith Road. One of the men was a pastor at a local church, police said.The accused was finally captured at 3 a.m. (local time) and charged with first-degree murder.As per the New York Post, cops said the crime could be upgraded to capital murder and that he may also face additional murder charges.It mentioned that the mass shooting is the largest in Mississippi since eight people were killed in 2017. (ANI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 11, 2026, 03:00 IST News agency-feeds Six, including child, pastor killed in Mississippi shooting 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... Trump wears new 'Happy Trump' lapel pin, but insists he's never happy Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 06:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Washington, Jan 10 (AP) President Donald Trump insists hes never happy. But now he has a lapel pin that is. The president sported a tiny version of himself on his suits lapel on Friday, under the miniature American flag pin he and other presidents have traditionally worn. Somebody gave me this. Do you know what that is? Thats called a Happy Trump," the president said when a reporter asked about the accessory during an event in the White House East Room with oil executives discussing future US control of Venezuelas energy industry. The pin features Trump with a cartoonishly large head and open-mouthed expression that some online immediately said looked like a bobblehead version of the president. Trump didnt say who gave him the pin. Considering the fact that Im never happy, Im never satisfied," the president continued, holding out his lapel and looking down at the pin, then looking back at reporters with a playful smirk. I will never be satisfied until we make America great again, but were getting pretty close, I tell you what. This is called a Happy Trump." Trump wore a pin with the same design at least once before, during a ceremony in February to swear in Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of National Intelligence though he didnt comment on it then. Online searching revealed a Trump lapel pin featuring what appears to be the same design bundled together with a pin imposing an American flag over an outline of a US map available for sale on Amazon for USD 9.99. Since the September 11, 2001, attacks, US presidents have generally worn an American flag pin on their lapels. Former President Joe Biden occasionally added his own flourish, sometimes wearing a pin featuring an American flag crossed with a Ukraine one to show his support for that country in its war with Russia. Then-Sen. Barack Obama was criticised while first running for president in 2007 when he said hed no longer wear a flag pin because he said doing so had become a substitute for true patriotism." But Obama resumed the practice the following year, when a veteran handed him one at a Pennsylvania town hall, prompting the candidate to immediately don it to cheers from attendees. Fridays was not the first Trump likeness to pop up on a lapel pin in Washington. In April, Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Commissions Commission, wore a small gold medallion fashioned in the shape of Trumps profile as a lapel pin. It could be seen in Carrs post on X about a meeting on Capitol Hill with Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter. (AP) RHL News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 06:00 IST News agency-feeds Trump wears new 'Happy Trump' lapel pin, but insists he's never happy 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... Ujyaalo Nepal Party's merger with RSP collapses Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 20:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Kathmandu, Jan 10 (PTI) The merger process between Nepals Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) led by Ravi Lamichhane and Ujyaalo Nepal Party led by Kulman Ghising collapsed in less than two weeks on Saturday. Former Minister for Energy and Water Resources, Ghising, who is credited with ending 16-hour-long load-shedding in Nepal during his tenure as the head of Nepal Electricity Authority, announced that he and his team have disassociated from the RSP. Ghising has announced that his party would field candidates in all 165 seats across Nepal under the direct election during the March 5 general election. Despite showing utmost flexibility during the merger process, we could not agree to move forward together with the RSP," Ghising told a crowded press meet in Kathmandu Saturday evening. Ghising resigned from the cabinet headed by Sushila Karki last week to join active politics. He is likely to contest the election from Kathmandu- 3. There are altogether 10 constituencies in the capital city. Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah and the leader of Ujyaalo Nepal Party Ghising had signed an agreement for unification to contest the upcoming elections jointly last month. RSP has projected Mayor Shah as the Prime Ministerial candidate on behalf of the party for the upcoming general elections. We broke the unification process as the RSP disagreed to our request for a supplementary agreement regarding inclusiveness and federalism," Ghising said. PTI SBP RD RD RD News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 20:15 IST News agency-feeds Ujyaalo Nepal Party's merger with RSP collapses 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: 14-year-old killed in animal attack in Sohgibarwa forest area Last Updated: January 11, 2026, 00:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Maharajganj (UP), Jan 10 (PTI) A minor girl was found dead here with injuries to her face, back and other parts in what is suspected to be an animal attack, police said on Saturday. According to the police, Guddi Chaudhary (14) went to graze goats in the forest near Sohgibarwa village in Uttar Pradeshs Maharajganj district on Friday afternoon. When she did not return home by evening, her family and villagers began searching for her in the forest. Sunil Rao, ranger of the Sohgibarwa forest area, said they found the girls body on Saturday morning. The animal had attacked her face, back, and other parts of her body." He added that a forest department team reached the spot to investigate and attempt to capture the animal suspected to be a leopard or a tiger. Rao said no paw prints have been found so far. He noted that the exact cause of death would be confirmed after post-mortem examination. The ranger appealed to villagers to avoid going into the forest until the situation is under control. PTI COR CDN SKY SKY News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 11, 2026, 00:15 IST News agency-feeds UP: 14-year-old killed in animal attack in Sohgibarwa forest area 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: Dalit woman abducted from Meerut village recovered; accused in custody Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 22:45 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Meerut (UP), Jan 10 (PTI) The 20-year-old Dalit woman, who was abducted from Kapsad village in Sardhana area here, was recovered from Saharanpur district on Saturday, and the accused was arrested, police said. The woman was traced three days after the incident, in which her elderly mother was allegedly killed while trying to save her. A joint operation by the Meerut and Saharanpur police rescued the woman safely, an officer said, adding that the accused, identified as Paras, has been taken into custody and both are being brought to Meerut for further questioning. Senior Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada said the recovery was made following a tip-off and manual surveillance. The abducted woman has been safely recovered and the accused has also been arrested. The law and order situation is completely under control," he said, appealing to people to maintain peace. According to police, the incident took place on Thursday morning when the accused allegedly attacked the womans elderly mother with a sharp-edged weapon as she tried to intervene, leading to her death, before abducting the daughter. The accused had been absconding since then. Police said further action will be taken based on the facts that emerge during interrogation. PTI COR CDN ARB ARB News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 22:45 IST News agency-feeds UP: Dalit woman abducted from Meerut village recovered; accused in custody 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... US: 6 killed in Mississippi, suspect charged with murder Last Updated: January 11, 2026, 02:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) West Point (US), Jan 11 (AP) Authorities have charged a 24-year-old man with murder after six people, including a child, were killed in a series of shootings in northeast Mississippi. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said the victims, four family members related to the suspect and two other adults, were shot at three separate locations late Friday. The youngest victim was a cousin of the suspect. I dont know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old," Scott said at a press conference Saturday. The suspect was identified as Daricka M Moore. He faces a first-degree murder charge that could be upgraded to capital murder, Scott said. Moore may face additional murder charges as the investigation proceeds. The shootings took place in the rural community of Cedarbluff, west of the county seat of West Point. This guy (the suspect) wasnt our radar," Scott said. This is family members that he went after." Online court records in Clay County show Moore has no previous criminal charges. A situation like this, youve got a family member attacking their own family," Scott said. Whatever the reason is, were hoping that well find out." Scott said investigators believe Moore placed a gun to the head of a younger child at the home where the 7-year-old died. Investigators arent sure whether the gun misfired. A third young child and their mother was present in that house as well. The 7-year-old victim was Moores second cousin, Scott said. Investigators hope to have more information and upgraded charges by the time Moore appears before a judge. An initial appearance is scheduled for Monday. Scott said no other injuries have been reported beyond the six deaths. Scott said evidence and witnesses indicate Moore was the only shooter. (AP) SCY SCY News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 11, 2026, 02:00 IST News agency-feeds US: 6 killed in Mississippi, suspect charged with murder 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... US to support Banglasesh's democratic transition, free and fair elections Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 11:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Dhaka (Bangladesh), January 10 (ANI): Bangladeshs National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman met with Allison Hooker, Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Paul Kapur, Assistant Secretary of State at the State Department in Washington DC on Friday. During the meetings, they discussed upcoming elections in Bangladesh, economic and trade relations, Rohingya issue, and regional matters, Bangladeshs Chief Adviser Press Wing said in a statement on Saturday.Rahman underscored the prospects of increased trade between the two countries following substantially enhanced Bangladeshi import of American farm products. He requested Hooker to ease travel of Bangladeshi businessmen to US in the context the of the recent visa bond, and if possible, to exempt B1 short term business visa for Bangladeshi businessmen from the visa bond. Hooker recognized the matter and assured that the US government will positively consider the step. She also indicated that if the overstay by the tourists declines substantially in future, the US might review the bond requirements that have been put in place. She also expressed deep appreciation for the cooperation of Bangladesh to the return of undocumented Bangladesh nationals, the statement said.Rahman expressed sincere thanks to the US for its continued support to the displaced Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh. Recognizing that the US is the largest donor for Rohingyas, he requested continuation of US support and assistance for them.Hooker thanked Bangladesh for continuing to carry substantial burden by hosting Rohingya refugees. She underscored the need for broad based burden sharing and finding a solution to the crisis. She also requested Bangladesh to expand livelihood options for the Rohingyas as long as they are in Bangladesh. NSA Rahman requested the US side to consider granting access to DFC financing for Bangladeshi private sector and also access to financing for semi-conductor development in Bangladesh. Under-Secretary Hooker assured US consideration of these proposals. Rahman also expressed Bangladeshs interest in principle to be part of the international stabilization force that would be deployed in Gaza. Under Secretary Hooker said that the US is willing to work together with Bangladesh on this important matter.In a separate meeting with Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur, NSA Rahman discussed issues of mutual interest including the forthcoming election in Bangladesh, US-Bangladesh bilateral relations, Rohingya crisis, US Visa bond, trade and investment and other regional issues.As a special invitee, NSA Rahman also attended the swearing-in ceremony of Brent Christensen, the new appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh held in the State Department. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Michael J. Rigas administered the oath. The ceremony was attended by Bangladesh Ambassador to US, Embassy officials, senior State Department and Military officials, former US ambassadors to Bangladesh, and US business leaders. In his remarks, Deputy Secretary of State reiterated US commitment to continue to support Bangladesh in its journey to democratic transition. Ambassador Christensen said, The U.S supports Bangladesh in its journey towards a bright democratic future. I am excited to see the results and look forward to what the new elected government and I can do together to advance the U.S. -Bangladesh relations." Earlier in December, The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated Indias consistent support for democratic processes in Bangladesh, stressing its call for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in the neighbouring country.Outlining New Delhis position, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, India stands for strengthening our ties with the people of Bangladesh. We favour peace and stability in Bangladesh and have consistently called for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh." (ANI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 11:00 IST News agency-feeds US to support Banglasesh's democratic transition, free and fair elections 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... Panchang Today, January 10, 2026: Tithi, Nakshatra, Rahu Kaal And Shubh Muhurat Written By : GaneshaGrace Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 05:45 IST Panchang Today for January 10, 2026 highlights Krishna Ashtami, Hasta Nakshatra, Rahu Kaal, Shubh Muhurat and planetary positions influencing work, health and rituals. Aaj Ka Panchang, January 10, 2026: Tithi, Muhurat and Rahu Kaal. Aaj Ka Panchang, January 10, 2026: Today, as the Ashtami Tithi of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight), is considered extremely important from a religious perspective. This date symbolizes liberation from troubles and the attainment of strength. The Hasta Nakshatra associates this day with diligence, hard work, and success. This day is auspicious for fulfilling responsibilities at work and completing pending tasks. Karana Balava bestows stability and determination, while Atigand Yoga (until 4:58:05 pm) suggests caution for a while. After this Yoga, the day will be generally auspicious. The Moon is transiting in Virgo today, enhancing discernment, analytical skills, and decision-making. This transit will be beneficial in business and professional matters, and also indicates improved health. Currently, the Hemant season is in effect, which symbolizes stability and discipline. This is the auspicious period of the month of Paush in the Amavasya system, while the month of Magh in the Purnima system. This time is highly suitable for religious practice, chanting mantras, and introspection. Today indicates success through hard work, discipline, and perseverance. Timely actions will yield long-term benefits, and the day will end on a positive note. Tithi: Krishna Ashtami Nakshatra: Hast Karana: Baalav Paksha: Krishna-Paksha Yoga: Atigand till 04:58:05 PM Day: Saturday Sun & Moon Calculations Sun Rise: 07:22:28 AM Sun Set: 06:11:51 PM Moon Rise: 12:04:35 AM Moon Set: 11:57:54 AM Moon Sign: Virgo Ritu: Hemant Hindu Month & Year Shaka Samvat: 1947 Vikram Samvat: 2082 Month Amanta: Pausha Month Purnimanta: Magha Inauspicious Timings (Ashubh Muhurat) Rahu Kaal: 10:04:49 AM to 11:25:59 AM Yamaganda: 02:08:20 PM to 03:29:30 PM Gulika Kaal: 07:22:28 AM to 08:43:39 AM Auspicious Timings (Shubh Muhurat) Abhijit: 12:26:00 PM to 01:08:00 PM (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: January 10, 2026, 05:45 IST News astrology Panchang Today, January 10, 2026: Tithi, Nakshatra, Rahu Kaal And Shubh Muhurat 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, January 10, 2026 Curated By : GaneshaGrace Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 06:50 IST Sagittarius Daily Horoscope, January 10, 2026: Ganesha predicts relief from personal issues, progress in studies, family joy, and completed government work. Sagittarius Horoscope Today: Astrological predictions by Chirag Daruwalla for dhanu rashi on January 10 2026. (AI generated image) Sagittarius Daily Horoscope Today, January 10 2026: Ganesha says today brings relief through solutions to personal problems and progress toward long-term goals, with students likely to achieve favorable results in research or studies. Time spent with family in recreational activities and the completion of pending government work will add positivity, while mental energy and focus remain strong. Sagittarius natives should exercise caution with valuables, expenses, and emotions, keeping plans discreet and avoiding trust in strangers. Business planning and careful handling of transactions are advised, and financial decisions should be conservative, focusing on current management rather than major investments. Marital life is harmonious, romantic relationships benefit from decorum, and sharing personal worries with a trusted person will help maintain mental and physical health. Positive Today, finding a solution to a personal problem will bring relief. You will focus on achieving a long-term goal. Students conducting research should remain focused; the planetary positions are favorable for them to achieve desired results. You will spend time with family engaging in recreational activities. Your pending government work may be completed today. You will feel quite strong and energetic mentally today. Negative You may get into trouble due to losing a valuable item or important papers. Your efforts are necessary to maintain harmonious relationships with relatives. Keep your expenses under control, otherwise, your budget will be affected. It would be better for you to keep your plans secret. Dont let your emotions lead you to make mistakes. Trusting strangers can be costly. Avoid anger. Business The time is favorable for planning a new project in your business. Handle transactions carefully. There may be errors in paperwork. Colleagues will cooperate in maintaining internal order. Finance Todays horoscope for Sagittarius in the financial sector will be average. You may experience some instability in your financial decisions, which could be unsettling. You will need to pay attention to your expenses today, as there is a possibility of unnecessary spending. You may want to review your budget and consider making some cuts if needed. You should avoid any major investments, as today is not favorable for making sound financial decisions. However, if you have managed your past decisions wisely, you may see some satisfactory results. This is a time to focus on your current financial management and make prudent choices. Love Marital life will be pleasant and happy. Maintaining decorum in romantic relationships is very important. Health Personal worries will affect your health. Sharing your problems with a trusted person will lighten your mind. Lucky Color Pink Lucky Number 1 (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: January 10, 2026, 06:50 IST News astrology Sagittarius Horoscope Today, January 10, 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... PM Kisan 22nd Installment Date: How To Register As A New Farmer To Receive Next Tranche Of Rs 2,000? Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 10:34 IST Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the Centre provides Rs 6,000 in a year to eligible farmers through direct benefits transfer (DBT) in three installments. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana: The PM-KISAN Yojana provides landholding farmer families with Rs 6,000 annually, distributed in three equal Rs 2,000 installments every four months directly into their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer. (Image: File Pic) PM Kisan 22nd Installment Date 2025: The central government provides financial assistance to farmers in the country to provide assistance to farmers. Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the Centre provides Rs 6,000 in a year to eligible farmers through direct benefits transfer (DBT) in three installments. So far, the government has released 21 installments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 19 released the 21st instalment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, disbursing Rs 18,000 crore to more than nine crore farmers. In 21 instalments, PM Modi has disbursed more than Rs 4 lakh crore under the scheme. What Is PM Kisan Scheme? Under the PM Kisan scheme, eligible farmers get Rs 2,000 every four months, which is Rs 6,000 annually. The money is provided each year in three instalments April-July, August-November and December-March. The fund is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The scheme was announced in the Interim Budget 2019 by then finance minister Piyush Goyal and was later launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It has now become the worlds biggest Direct Benefit Transfer scheme. When Will Farmers Receive 22nd Installment Of PM Kisan Scheme? According to media reports, the next installment (22nd installment) of the PM Kisan scheme is expected to be released in February 2026. However, the official date has not been announced yet. Meanwhile, it is necessary for the farmers to check eligibility, complete KYC, and check beneficiary status. They also need to apply if they have not so far. Who Is Eligible For PM Kisan Scheme? In order to be eligible for the PM-Kisans 19th installment, a person needs to fulfill below mentioned conditions: Indian citizen Owns cultivable land Should be a small or marginal farmer Not be a retiree who receives a pension of at least Rs 10,000 per month Not have filed for income tax Not be an institutional landholder. PM Kisan Scheme e-KYC To receive the installments, the farmers need to complete their e-KYC. According to the schemes official website, eKYC is MANDATORY for PMKISAN Registered Farmers. OTP-based eKYC is available on the PMKISAN Portal, or the nearest CSC centres may be contacted for Biometric-based eKYC". PM Kisan: How To Check Beneficiary Status? 1) Visit the official website https://pmkisan.gov.in/. 2) Now, click on the tab Know Your Status on the right side of the page. 3) Enter your registration number and fill Captcha Code, and select Get Data option. Your beneficiary status will come up on the screen. PM-Kisan: Check Your Name in Beneficiary List Step 1: Visit PM Kisan official website https://pmkisan.gov.in/ Step 2: Click on the Beneficiary list tab. Step 3: Select details from the drop-down such as select state, district, sub-district, block, and village Step 4: Click on the Get report tab After this, the beneficiary list will be displayed. You can call on the helpline numbers 155261 and 011-24300606. How To Apply For PM Kisan Samman Nidhi? Step 1: Visit https://pmkisan.gov.in/ Step 2: Click on New Farmer Registration and enter Aadhaar number and fill the captcha Step 3: Enter the required details and click on Yes Step 4: Fill in the information asked in the PM-Kisan application form, save it and take a printout for future reference. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 10:34 IST News business economy PM Kisan 22nd Installment Date: How To Register As A New Farmer To Receive Next Tranche Of Rs 2,000? 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... COLOMBO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has recorded 2,170 dengue cases during the first nine days of 2026, health officials said on Saturday. Prashila Samaraweera, community medical specialist of the National Dengue Control Unit, told journalists that a "high-risk dengue situation" has been identified across 41 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions. She said health teams have intensified surveillance and mosquito-control operations in these areas. Samaraweera added that school principals and local health authorities have been instructed to carry out dengue-control programs ahead of this year's Advanced Level examinations and before schools reopen. Sri Lanka reported more than 50,000 dengue cases in 2025, according to official data. Government Reviews Provident Fund Wage Ceiling As Salaries Rise Across India Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 13:28 IST The government is reviewing the EPFO salary limit, which has remained unchanged since 2014. The move could bring more workers under social security. (Photo Credits: X) The government is once again looking at changes to the salary limit used for Provident Fund contributions. The current cap, which has stayed the same for many years, is now being questioned as wages across the country continue to rise. Many workers today earn more than the existing limit, especially in cities and even in some low-paying jobs. Due to this, a large number of employees are not fully covered under the retirement savings system. This has pushed the authorities to rethink whether the old limit still makes sense. The proposal has come back into focus after concerns were raised about social security coverage. There is also pressure to make sure more workers are able to build savings for their future, especially as living costs increase. What The Wage Ceiling Actually Means The wage ceiling is the maximum monthly salary on which Provident Fund contributions are compulsory. Right now, this limit is Rs 15,000 per month. Anyone earning above this amount can choose whether or not to contribute to EPFO. This limit was last revised in September 2014. Since then, salaries have grown steadily, and in many states, even minimum wages for basic jobs have crossed Rs 15,000. As a result, many workers earning modest incomes are not getting full EPFO benefits. Why The Government Is Reviewing The Limit Now The idea of increasing the cap was discussed earlier, too. At that time, a proposal to raise it to Rs 25,000 was considered. However, it was reportedly put on hold as many employers were not in favour of higher mandatory contributions. Some employee unions, on the other hand, asked for the cap to be raised to Rs 30,000. Recently, the Supreme Court asked the labour ministry to review the wage ceiling within four months. This has added urgency to the discussion and brought the issue back to the table. How Workers Could Benefit From A Higher Cap If the ceiling is raised, more workers will come under the EPFO system. This is expected to help especially those in low-paying and unorganised jobs who are currently left out. Officials reportedly believe that a higher cap would lead to larger monthly contributions. Over time, this could result in a bigger retirement fund, thanks to long-term savings and interest. EPFO has also been making changes to balance withdrawals and savings, including setting minimum balance rules. EPFO Numbers Today As of the financial year 202324, there are around 7.4 crore active contributors under EPFO. In total, nearly 32 crore member accounts exist, which include both current and past contributors. With new labour rules likely to be implemented soon, the government believes clearer wage definitions and a higher cap could reduce disputes and improve retirement security for millions of workers. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 13:27 IST News business Government Reviews Provident Fund Wage Ceiling As Salaries Rise Across India 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... Sebi Proposes Sweeping Overhaul Of Exchange Norms, Higher Net-Worth Bar For Margin Trading Brokers Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 08:22 IST Sebi has suggested increasing the minimum net-worth requirement to Rs 5 crore or more from the current Rs 3 crore. MTF allows investors to buy securities by paying only a part of the transaction value upfront, with the broker financing the remaining amount. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has floated a broad set of proposals to streamline stock exchange regulations, with the twin objectives of removing outdated norms and improving ease of doing business for exchanges as well as market participants. A key proposal involves tightening eligibility for brokers offering the margin trading facility (MTF). Sebi has suggested increasing the minimum net-worth requirement to Rs 5 crore or more from the current Rs 3 crore. The regulator noted that the existing threshold, first introduced in 2004 to ensure that only well-capitalised entities provide margin trading, has not been reviewed since 2022. Under the proposed framework, stock exchanges would also be empowered to revise net-worth criteria periodically without seeking prior regulatory approval. MTF allows investors to buy securities by paying only a part of the transaction value upfront, with the broker financing the remaining amount, subject to margins and regulatory conditions. The consultation paper has been put out for public comments until January 30, 2026. The regulator has also proposed changes to timelines for submitting net-worth certificates by brokers offering MTF. For the half-year ending September 30, certificates would need to be filed within 45 days, while for the March 31 half-year, the deadline would be 60 days. Sebi said this is aimed at maintaining consistency with timelines for declaring financial results, and it has also proposed extending auditor certificate submission timelines accordingly. Another major recommendation is the withdrawal of market-making provisions dating back to 2000, which Sebi said have outlived their relevance and are no longer followed by exchanges. In practice, exchanges now rely on liquidity enhancement schemes (LES), which offer greater flexibility and are based on broader principles. The draft paper builds on comments made by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget for FY24 on simplifying compliance and reducing costs in the financial sector through stakeholder consultations. It follows a consultation paper issued in October last year on ease-of-doing-business measures for stock exchange administration. The current paper, the second in the series, proposes rationalising multiple trading-related norms with the eventual aim of issuing a single consolidated circular. Sebi has also sought to clarify market-making obligations for companies listed on the SME platform after schemes of arrangement such as demergers. While market making is mandatory for SME-listed entities, ambiguity existed in such cases. The regulator has proposed codifying an earlier clarification that market making would continue to apply unless the demerged entity has already met the requirement. In another structural change, Sebi has recommended merging provisions governing commodity derivatives with those applicable to equity cash and equity derivatives under a unified framework. This would cover market making and other volume-enhancement schemes, while simplifying approval and oversight mechanisms. A half-yearly board review would replace multiple layers of approvals and reviews. The consultation paper also proposes several operational relaxations. These include simpler norms for client code modifications, increasing waivers for genuine errors from once a quarter to once a month, scrapping quarterly reporting of such waivers to Sebi, and replacing special inspections with routine monitoring by exchanges. Sebi has also suggested doing away with the requirement for exchanges to submit end-of-day surveillance reports on pre-open call auction alerts, allowing exchanges to act directly. In the commodity derivatives segment, the regulator has proposed incentivising farmers and farmer producer organisations (FPOs) to participate in options on futures and options on goods, including through the use of option premiums paid by them. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 08:22 IST News business markets Sebi Proposes Sweeping Overhaul Of Exchange Norms, Higher Net-Worth Bar For Margin Trading Brokers 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... Waiting For Income Tax Refund? Reasons Of Delay, Interest Rules And How To Check Status Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 10:38 IST Many taxpayers are still awaiting ITR refunds for FY2024-25 due to high-value claim scrutiny, CBDT Nudge campaign, incorrect bank details, pending taxes, and data mismatches. Income Tax Refund Delayed: Check top reasons Income Tax Refund 2025: Three months after the conclusion of the extended due date for filing Income Tax Return (ITR) of FY2024-25 (Assessment year 2025-26) on September 16, a considerable number of taxpayers are still awaiting their refunds. Typically, ITR refunds dont take this much time and are debited to the taxpayers account in one or two weeks. However, theres nothing illegal about delaying the refund from the tax department side. Under Section 143(1) of the Income Tax Act, the department is legally permitted to process returns filed for FY 202425 up to December 31, 2026. Multiple reasons are associated leading to delay in refunds for taxpayers: High-Value Refund Flagged The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Ravi Agrawal told earlier that delays in refunds are occurring due to anomalies in certain claims of specific deductions in high-value ITRs. In such situations, the Income Tax Department issues intimations, and taxpayers are required to respond to these communications in order for refunds to be processed. Abhishek Soni, CEO and co-founder of Tax2win, notes that many salaried individuals have received such intimations. These cases largely involve employees who claimed deductions such as those under Sections 80C, 80D, or HRA in their ITRs but had not declared these to their employers at the time when tax was deducted at source (TDS). NUDGE Campaign Another factor contributing to slower refunds is the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Nudge campaign, launched in December 2025. Under this initiative, taxpayers whose returns show discrepancies are proactively informed via SMS and email. They are advised to either accept the variations identified by the Income Tax Department or rectify them by filing a revised or updated return. While the campaign is intended to promote voluntary compliance, refunds linked to such cases are being held back until the taxpayer responds. Incorrect Information Of Bank Account Sometimes, users put wrong information in bank details, leading to failure in sending refund amount. Old Pending Tax If a taxpayer has any old tax dues, the department releases the refund only after those dues are cleared. Also, if the ITR is not e-verified within 30 days of filing, the return does not get processed at all. Mismatch In Form26AS, AIS Or TIS If there is any major error in the return or the data does not match with Form 26AS, AIS or TIS, the refund is put on hold. In some cases, the ITR is marked as defective," and processing does not move forward until the issue is fixed. Sometimes, large refunds also face temporary financial delays. Physical verification delays If you opted to send your ITR-V physically to the Centralised Processing Centre (CPC) Bengaluru, late delivery can push back processing. Step-By-Step Guide To Check Your ITR Refund Method 1: Through the Income Tax Portal (incometax.gov.in) Go to www.incometax.gov.in Click on Login Enter your PAN, password and OTP After logging in, go to:e-File > Income Tax Returns > View Filed Returns Choose the relevant Assessment Year Check the status shown against your returnIt will show terms like Processed, Refund Issued, Refund Failed, etc. Method 2: Check refund status on TIN-NSDL (SBI Refund Banker) Visit https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/oltas/refund-status Enter your PAN Select the Assessment Year Enter the captcha The page will show your refund status, date of issue, mode of payment or reason for failure. Method 3: Check through your bank account If your refund is credited, it will appear in your bank statement as: ITR Refund CPC Bangalore". You will also receive an SMS from your bank or SBI. Method 4: Check CPC email or SMS The Income Tax Department sends an email and SMS when: Your return is processed Your refund is issued or failed Do Taxpayers Get Interest On Delayed Refund? As per Section 244A of the Income Tax Act, if a refund is delayed, the tax department will pay interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum on the amount due. The interest is calculated from the date the refund becomes due until the date it is actually issued, provided the delay is not because of missing or incorrect information filed by the taxpayer. If the taxpayer has made an error or failed to respond to queries on time, the interest clock may not run for that period. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 10:35 IST News business tax Waiting For Income Tax Refund? Reasons Of Delay, Interest Rules And How To Check Status 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 Mother Allegedly Poisons Infant, Kills Self; Family Suspects Harassment Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 12:42 IST The womans mother was also found lying unconscious at the scene. While the woman and the child died, her mother is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. Rapid Read A woman allegedly poisoned her 11-month-old son before taking her own life at her residence in Telangana A woman allegedly poisoned her 11-month-old son before taking her own life at her residence under the Meerpet Police Station limits in Telanganas Hastinapuram, said the police. The womans sister-in-law was also found lying unconscious at the scene. While the woman and the child died, her sister-in-law is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital, said the police, as quoted by news agency ANI. According to Inspector Shankar Kumar Naik, the deceased, Susmita (27), a resident of Ramannapet in the Nalgonda district, got married three years back to Chartered Accountant Yashwanth Reddy, who is also from the same area. Hyderabad, Telangana: 27-year-old Sushmita died allegedly by hanging in Jayakrishna Enclave, Hastinapuram, within the limits of Meerpet Police Station. Before taking her own life, she also allegedly poisoned her 11-month-old son, Ashwanth Nandan Reddy, and her sister-in-law, ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2026 The family went shopping two days ago as their childs first birthday was approaching. On Thursday morning, Yashwant Reddy returned home from the office to find his wife hanging from a ceiling fan, with their child lying dead. Susmitas sistr-in-law, Lalitha (45), was found unconscious and was rushed to a hospital. Prima facie, the police suspect that Susmita may have first poisoned her son and sister-in-law, later killing herself. However, the reason behind the incident is yet to be established. Susmita subjected to harassment Susmitas family members have alleged that she was subjected to harassment by her husband, Yashwanth. As per their allegations, he restricted her movements and did not allow her to speak with others. Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed by the deceased womans uncle Sanjeeva Reddy, alleging that Susmita took the extreme step due to the harassment by her husband. A further probe is underway into the matter. Suicide Prevention. News 18. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 08:54 IST News hyderabad-news Telangana Mother Allegedly Poisons Infant, Kills Self; Family Suspects Harassment 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 Woman Stabs Friend To Death During Argument At Party, Arrested Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 17:34 IST Police said the two women met at the accused's residence, where they were having a party, when an argument broke out over an earlier issue. Rapid Read The confrontation between the two women quickly escalated. (Representative/Shutterstock) A 35-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly stabbing her friend to death in Mumbais Santacruz (West) on Thursday night during a heated argument at the accuseds residence, according to reports. The accused was identified as Kamala Sanjay Kamble alias Preeti, 35, a resident of Gajdhar Bandh area, who had known the victim Reshma Dhone (37) for over a decade. The two were reportedly on strained terms due to a previous dispute, according to The Indian Express. Police said the two women met at Kambles residence, where they were having a party, when an argument broke out over an earlier issue. Dhone reportedly did not visit Kambles house despite being invited earlier, which led to a confrontation. According to Lokmat Times, both women were working as domestic help, and a preliminary investigation has revealed that they were in a personal relationship. The dispute between them reportedly escalated after the accused questioned the deceased about meeting someone. The altercation escalated quickly when Kamble allegedly picked up a knife lying in the house and stabbed Dhone in the chest in a fit of rage. Hearing Dhones screams, neighbours alerted the police, who rushed Dhone to the hospital. However, she was declared dead by doctors. Kamble was taken into custody from the spot and later arrested under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on the FIR registered on the complaint of Dhones son. The accused was produced before a court and has been remanded to police custody till January 22. Further investigation is underway, and the police are collecting evidence, including the weapon used in the crime. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 17:34 IST News mumbai-news Mumbai Woman Stabs Friend To Death During Argument At Party, 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... Salman Khans Brother-In-Law, Known For Acting In Krantiveer, Set To Redevelop 60-Yr-Old Bandra Society Who Is Atul Agnihotri? Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 11:09 IST Atul Agnihotris real estate firm has been chosen to redevelop a 60-year-old housing society in Bandra through a formal tender process. Atul Agnihotri is Salman Khans brother-in-law. (Photo Credit: X) Bollywood actor and producer Atul Agnihotri, known for films like Sir, Aatish and Krantiveer, is venturing into real estate with a redevelopment project in Mumbais Bandra area. He is also Salman Khans brother-in-law. Property records reveal that Atul Agnihotris company, Shivansai Homemaker Infra LLP, will redevelop a residential building that is over six decades old. The project involves a small housing society and has garnered attention due to the familys significant ownership stake in the property. A Closer Look At The Bandra Redevelopment Plan The redevelopment will take place at Palimala Co-operative Housing Society Limited, a three-storey building that is more than 60 years old. Of the 11 members in the society, five flats are owned by the Agnihotri family and their company, Reel Life Production Pvt Ltd. Why Old Buildings Are Being Redeveloped Across Maharashtra, many ageing residential buildings are being redeveloped. This usually means tearing down the old structure and building a new one that meets current safety and living standards. Under such projects, existing residents get bigger homes at no cost. Builders earn by selling extra flats in the open market, while the government collects revenue through stamp duty and registration charges. How The Society Chose The Developer Documents accessed by Liases Foras, a real estate data and analytics firm, show that the housing society selected Agnihotris company through a formal tender process. The firm reportedly paid a token amount of Rs 11 lakh in November 2025. Registration papers also show that stamp duty of Rs 1.08 crore was paid on December 5, 2025, to complete the transaction. What Residents Will Receive After Redevelopment Currently, the 11 flats together measure 8,565 sq ft under MOFA carpet area rules. After redevelopment, each member will receive 1,241 sq ft of RERA carpet area. The document reportedly notes that the old structures are over 60 (sixty) years old and require repairs at an increasing frequency and costs" All members will get 45 per cent extra carpet area compared to their existing homes. The Agnihotri family, which now occupies 4,092 sq ft, will receive 5,934 sq ft after redevelopment. Compensation And Amenities Promised To Members Members will be paid hardship compensation of Rs 4,500 per sq ft, along with a one-time shifting charge of Rs 1.75 lakh. Monthly rent of Rs 1.50 lakh will be paid for up to 42 months, along with brokerage support. New homes will include air conditioners, Italian marble flooring, modular kitchens, branded fittings, TVs, and home appliances. Who Is Atul Agnihotri? Atul Agnihotri is married to Alvira, Salman Khans sister. He began his acting career in the early 1990s and later moved into film production. In 2004, he transitioned to directing with the film Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa, starring Salman Khan, followed by Hello in 2008. Atul Agnihotri and Alvira are proud parents of two kids, Alizeh Agnihotri and Ayaan Agnihotri. While Alizeh made her acting debut in 2024, Ayaan is a musician. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 10:55 IST News mumbai-news Salman Khans Brother-In-Law, Known For Acting In Krantiveer, Set To Redevelop 60-Yr-Old Bandra Society Who Is Atul Agnihotri? 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 Noida International Airport: Key Details On Flights, Launch Date & How It Is Shaping Up For Travelers Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 08:47 IST Noida International Airport is one of Indias biggest new airport projects and is being built with a clear focus on smooth travel, modern design and eco-friendly ideas. The airport terminal is designed to accommodate up to 1.2 crore passengers annually. (Photo Credits: NIA)) The Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar is gearing up for its grand opening, with the countdown already underway. Set to transform travel across the Delhi-NCR region, this airport is one of Indias largest new infrastructure projects. Designed with a focus on seamless travel, modern architecture, and eco-friendly innovations, NIA promises to make both domestic and international journeys easier and more convenient for passengers once it begins operations. The project began in November 2021, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone. Since then, senior leaders have frequently visited the site to monitor progress and ensure timely completion. With the launch just a month away, the Noida International Airport is poised to create jobs, support local businesses and drive fresh economic growth in western Uttar Pradesh. Lets take a closer look at what this upcoming airport has in store. A Look At Noida International Airport (NIA) Initially, NIA will serve only domestic airlines like IndiGo, Air India Express and Akasa. This phase will allow airport teams to test systems, manage daily operations, and quickly identify any issues. Starting with domestic flights also gives staff time to familiarise themselves with passenger flow, safety protocols, and ground handling procedures. International flights are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026. Once the teams are confident in delivering smooth daily operations, long-haul routes will be introduced. Safety at the NIA is closely monitored by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India. Every process is checked to make sure flights can arrive and depart without delays. Systems are tested again and again before the airport begins its global routes. Domestic flights play a key role in this phase. They help build a strong base for proper operations. Flight numbers will increase gradually over the first month, starting with around 60 flights per day. After 30 days, additional flights will be added, with daily operations expected to reach between 240 and 300 flights within six months. The airport terminal is designed to accommodate up to 1.2 crore passengers annually. In its first year, it is projected to handle around 60 lakh travellers. During this initial phase, passenger movement, with clear signage and spacious walkways, will be closely monitored. Baggage handling and customs areas will also be carefully reviewed to ensure a smooth flow throughout the terminal. What UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Said Speaking in the state Assembly on the last day of the Winter Session in December, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Noida International Airport is built as a greenfield project in the Jewar area of Gautam Buddh Nagar. The CM also pointed out the airports key location near the Yamuna Expressway. This position will make travel easier for people from Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida and western Uttar Pradesh. Why Operations Got Delayed? The first phase of the Noida International Airport was earlier planned to start operations in September 2024. That plan did not move forward as expected. The project ran into delays due to construction work and required clearances. These issues pushed the opening date further ahead. After fresh reviews and updated schedules, the launch timeline has now been reset. The airport is set to begin operations in January 2026. With most major work nearing completion, authorities are focusing on final checks and approvals. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 08:47 IST News noida Inside Noida International Airport: Key Details On Flights, Launch Date & How It Is Shaping Up For Travelers 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 School Holidays Extended, Nursery To Class 8 To Remain Closed Till January 15 Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 18:11 IST The order does not apply to all classes. Students in grades 9 to 12 will continue their studies offline, but specific guidelines have been issued for their safety. Several Delhi schools have informed parents that regular classes will resume on January 16th. (AI Generated Image) School holidays have been extended in Delhi due to severe cold and dense fog. The Delhi Directorate of Education (DoE) has announced that winter vacations for students from nursery to grade 8 will continue until January 15, 2026, to protect children from health issues and travel difficulties caused by the cold wave and low visibility. This order does not apply to all classes. Students in grades 9 to 12 will continue their studies offline, but specific guidelines have been issued for their safety. Several Delhi schools have informed parents that regular classes will resume on January 16th. The examination schedule for primary grades has also been altered. Exams for class 2 to 5 will now be held between January 19 and January 21, 2026. The Meteorological Department has warned that fog and cold conditions may persist in Delhi for the next few days, making travel challenging for school buses and private vehicles. The Delhi government has asked schools to ensure that teaching continues online, if possible, during the winter holidays to avoid disrupting childrens education. Parents have been advised to keep their children safe at home and monitor WhatsApp messages or circulars from the school. If weather conditions do not improve, the administration may extend the holidays. Currently, schools are expected to reopen on January 16th, depending on weather conditions. Several North Indian states, including Delhi, have extended school holidays until Lohri/ Makar Sankranti. In cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, and Lucknow, schools up to grade 8 are closed until January 10, 2026, and schedules for higher classes have been modified. In Lucknow and Varanasi, classes for grades 9-12 will now be held from 10 am to 3 pm. In Rajasthan, 25 districts, such as Jaipur, Bikaner, and Jodhpur, have announced holidays for children up to grade 5 until January 10. In Bihar, schools up to class 8 in multiple districts, including Patna, are closed until January 11. Similarly, in Ranchi and Jamshedpur, schools are instructed to remain closed until January 10. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 18:01 IST News education-career Delhi School Holidays Extended, Nursery To Class 8 To Remain Closed Till January 15 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... GK: What Are The Five Deserts In The World That Once Had A Vast Ocean? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 16:37 IST Over millions of years, the Earth has evolved rapidly, which led to the draining of many oceans and left behind deserted landscapes. Scientists assert that many large deserts of today were once underwater. (AI Generated Image) Can you believe that where we now see vast stretches of sand, there once existed immense oceans? The Earths history spans millions of years, constantly evolving through rapid geological activity, continental shifts, and climate change. These changes have led to the draining of many oceans, leaving behind deserted landscapes. Scientists assert that many large deserts of today were once underwater. Even now, fossils of marine life, salt deposits, and marine remains in rocks provide evidence of this transformation. Lets explore five significant deserts that were once oceans. 1. Sahara Desert (Africa) Currently the worlds largest hot desert, the Sahara was a vast seabed millions of years ago. Approximately 100 million years ago, it was submerged under the Tethys Sea. Fossils of ancient whales, sharks, and other marine life are still found in Egypts Western Desert and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wadi al-Hitan (Whale Valley). The presence of limestone, shells, and ancient coral reefs further indicates that a deep sea once flowed here. 2. Arabian Desert (Middle East) The Arabian Desert, which stretches across Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE, was once covered by shallow seas linked to the Indian Ocean. Due to tectonic plate movements, the land gradually rose and the waters dried up. Today, salt flats and marine sedimentary rocks tell the story of its maritime past. 3. Mojave Desert (North America) The Mojave Desert in California, USA, was once part of a vast inland sea. Areas like Death Valley once hosted lakes such as Lake Manly and Lake Mohave. Today, traces of dried lakes, fossils of aquatic life, and thick salt crusts indicate that this area, now one of the driest regions in the world, was once filled with water and teeming with life. 4. Kalahari Desert (South Africa) The Kalahari Desert in southern Africa was once the bottom of a vast ancient lake. The Makgadikgadi Pan, one of the worlds largest salt flats, is the remnant of that ancient lake. When the lake existed, it supported a large number of aquatic life. Over time, the water dried up, transforming the area into sandy savanna and desert. 5. Great Victoria Desert (Australia) Australias Great Victoria Desert was once part of a shallow sea. Marine fossils and sedimentary rocks in northern South Australia indicate that a sea once existed here. As sea levels receded and the climate changed, the region transformed into a desert with red sand dunes and salt lakes. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 16:35 IST News education-career GK: What Are The Five Deserts In The World That Once Had A Vast Ocean? 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... Explained: 3 Takeaways From Trump Aide's 'PM Modi Didn't Call' Over Trade Deal Remarks Written By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 10:24 IST Howard Lutnick's remarks point to growing unpredictability in India-US ties as the two sides negotiate a trade deal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. (AP Photo) US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has effectively blamed India for the delay in a hard-negotiated trade deal, triggering a spirited diplomatic debate and offering fresh fodder for social media on the increasingly blow-hot-blow-cold India-US relationship. Lutnick said on a podcast that India ended up on the wrong side of the seesaw" despite the deal being set up; that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have dialled President Donald Trump, whom he described as the ultimate closer"; and that New Delhis discomfort with the proposal ultimately led to the agreement faltering between the two strategic partners. Lutnicks remarks point to three key subtexts hidden underneath his pronouncements: New Delhi cant expect an iota of predictability in dealing with the current administration in Washington; India maintains a consistent and uncompromising foreign policy stance despite domestic criticism; and ultimately, it is the Trumpian ego that appears to have been hurt at not getting a call from Modi. Trade Deal And Unpredictability According to the Commerce Secretary, the deal was in its final leg before falling through due to what he suggested was Indian inaction; he did not spell out a timeline. He did, though, mention deals with Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines in the same breath while talking about India. He said that US negotiators had hoped the India deal would go through before those with the Southeast Asian nations, but that was not to be. The White House report dated October 26, 2025, says that the US and Vietnam have agreed to a Framework for an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade to strengthen our bilateral economic relationship, which will provide both countries exporters unprecedented access to each others markets". Earlier, in late July, Trump said he and the President of the Philippines had reached a trade agreement. Soon after, he also revealed more detailed terms of an agreement with Indonesia", according to CNN. The deal with Indonesia has yet to be signed, though reports as recent as December 23 suggest that the two sides have agreed on all substantial issues for a tariff deal, paving the way for the signing of an agreement". Given the complicated, layered and roiling tariff discussions between the Trump administration and the rest of the world, it is difficult to pinpoint the timeline Lutnick alluded to on the All-In Podcast on January 8 (US time). But if his reference to a whole bunch of deals" and the three Southeast Asian nations indeed point to a mid-2025 period (June-July), it would mean his proclamation is neither climactic nor conclusive. US negotiators visited India as recently as December, although the deal still remains elusive, with New Delhi reiterating that it wouldnt compromise on its national interest. In a measured response, Indias foreign ministry has set the record straight. It has said that the two countries are committed to negotiating the trade deal, acknowledged they have been close on several occasions, and described the characterisation of these discussions in the reported remarks" as inaccurate. The recent episode buttresses what has been the hallmark of India-US ties over the past year or so, defined by unwarranted and ill-timed statements coming from Washington even when the two sides are holding closed-door negotiations. This pattern of unpredictability begins at the very top. Yes Sir? No, Thank You Speaking to reporters recently aboard Air Force One, Trump said that India ordered 68 Apaches, and Prime Minister Modi came to see me". According to him, PM Modi told him, Sir, may I see you please?" He veered soon, characteristically, and said PM Modi was not that happy" with him since India was paying high tariffs, remarks that serve as yet another testimony to the unpredictability in bilateral ties. The Opposition back home did not let go of this opportunity, mounting an attack on the Prime Minister for allegedly surrendering to Trump. Even if parts of Lutnicks remarks are correct (although India has questioned the characterisation"), they bolster Indias standing. This suggests India has maintained a consistent foreign policy that is strong and independent, from the Operation Sindoor ceasefire to trade negotiations, two sticking points in India-US ties today. PM Modi and Trump have spoken over the phone eight times in 2025, including after the mid-2025 window that Lutnick was possibly referring to, but the divergence between their countries on the two key issues has been stark. The leaders have not shied away from acknowledging their personal bonding. However, Trumps claim of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May 2025 and his subsequent imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on India on the pretext of Russian oil buy and indirect support to Ukraine war have pushed once-soaring bilateral ties into uncharted territory. On Operation Sindoor and Pakistan, Indian leaders have been clear: there is no space for any third-party negotiation, and the military campaign has not endedit could resume if provoked. And on trade, PM Modi has chosen not to create public spectacles, unlike the US President, whose comments have triggered one shockwave after another in Indian politics. The Prime Minister and other senior functionaries of the government, however, have advocated for a fair and mutually beneficial trade deal that protects Indian domestic interests, while the Opposition has repeatedly questioned why India was not acting more assertively to Trumps tirades. There are debates in India about whether it could have handled the post-Operation Sindoor messaging differently, or if New Delhis trade negotiators could have taken a different approach. But, for now, the record shows a clear pattern: India has been consistent in its strategic and measured public posturingrefusing to be a cavalier willing to burn bridges, despite what can only be described as ample provocation. Ego At Play? This brings us to the central question: Is Trumps ego standing in the way of a trade deal? What else justifies Lutnicks closer" adulation for the powerful President? Once a deal is done after long negotiations, its done. Why should it get stuck at the final stage if a countrys leader doesnt pick up the phone and dial the US President? After Trump imposed a punitive 25 per cent tariff on India over and above an already steep 25 per cent, American investment bank Jefferies said the move had less to do with New Delhis Russian oil buy. It stressed it was Trumps personal pique" after New Delhi did not acknowledge his claim that he brokered the May ceasefire between India and Pakistan after four days of intense fighting. Much has been written and discussed about Trumps unexpected move, with Democrats calling it biased" and analysts linking his unsuccessful pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize to his tariff tirade against India. But New Delhi should be prepared for many more Lutnick-esque remarks and Trumpian declarations, especially at a time when the US President has endorsed a bill that proposes 500 per cent tariffs on nations buying Russian oil, including India. Unpredictability is the new normal in Washington. India should maintain the balance by infusing its signature predictable diplomacy: a measured response here, a warm phone call there, and keep the doors open for engagement always. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 07:52 IST News explainers Explained: 3 Takeaways From Trump Aide's 'PM Modi Didn't Call' Over Trade Deal Remarks 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... MEXICO CITY, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation with Brazil to deliver benefits to both countries and their peoples. At her daily press conference, Sheinbaum confirmed she held a phone call with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to exchange views on the situation in Latin America, recent U.S. attacks in Venezuela, and existing bilateral cooperation agreements between Mexico and Brazil. She highlighted "significant progress in some areas of work and collaboration," following a recent visit to Mexico by a Brazilian delegation of senior officials and business leaders. Sheinbaum said that Lula formally invited her to visit Brazil in May and that she would evaluate the invitation. The Mexican president also applauded Lula's commitment to combating gender-based violence in Brazil, proposing that Mexico's minister for women, Citlalli Hernandez Mora, work with Brazilian authorities to share experiences. In a message posted on social media, Lula said he and Sheinbaum condemned attacks against the Venezuelan people and rejected any attempt to divide the world into spheres of influence. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to defending multilateralism, respecting international law and promoting free trade. 16-Year-Old Girl Raped Inside Closed Factory In West Bengal, Two Accused Arrested Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 14:58 IST The incident triggered protests in the area, with Opposition leaders alleging political links to the main accused, claims denied by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). West Bengal Police: Representative Image A 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted inside the premises of a closed factory in West Bengals Hooghly district on Thursday evening, police said, adding that two men have been arrested in connection with the case. The incident triggered protests in the area, with Opposition leaders alleging political links to the main accused, claims denied by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Police identified the prime accused as Dipankar Adhikari, who claimed to be a local TMC leader and a civic volunteer. Both the police and the TMC, however, said his claim of political affiliation was unsubstantiated. According to investigators, the minor had entered the factory with a friend when Adhikari and two others allegedly arrived at the spot. The friend was reportedly threatened and forced to leave, after which the girl was assaulted. A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Two accused have been arrested and produced before the Serampore court. The victim has undergone a medical examination and the investigation is underway," a senior Hooghly district police officer said. He added that police are also probing whether more individuals were involved. Opposition parties claimed that at least two additional accused were part of the incident and demanded their arrest. CPI(M) leaders staged a sit-in protest outside the local police station, alleging that earlier complaints, including an extortion allegation against Adhikari, had not been acted upon. BJP leader Indranil Dutta alleged that the accused had operated with political backing. He had been acting with impunity for a long time, and this incident is a result of that," Dutta was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. Local TMC leaders rejected the allegations, asserting that the party would not shield anyone involved in criminal activity. Some people falsely claim proximity to the party for personal gain. If anyone commits a crime, the police will act and the law will take its course. The party will not tolerate criminals," TMC leader Kalachand Banerjee said. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 14:58 IST News india 16-Year-Old Girl Raped Inside Closed Factory In West Bengal, Two Accused 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... Accessing Wifes Intimate Photos, Threatening To Share Them Amount To Cruelty: Jharkhand HC Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 15:55 IST The Jharkhand High Court reiterated that cruelty may be physical or mental, intentional or unintentional, and is a relative and subjective concept. The Jharkhand High Court observed that such conduct constitutes character assassination of a wife by her own husband. The Jharkhand High Court held that unauthorised access to a spouses intimate photographs, coupled with threats to circulate them on social media and acts of physical and sexual violence, amounts to cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act. The Jharkhand High Court observed that such conduct constitutes character assassination" of a wife by her own husband. A Division Bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai delivered the ruling while allowing a first appeal filed by a woman under Section 19(1) of the Family Courts Act. The appeal challenged a Family Court judgment that had dismissed her plea for dissolution of marriage under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act on the ground of cruelty. The appellant-wife and the respondent-husband were married on March 13, 2020, at Jhari in Dhanbad district according to Hindu rites and customs. After the marriage, the couple lived together as husband and wife. The wife alleged that a day after the wedding, while she was asleep, the husband accessed her mobile phone and found certain objectionable photographs stored on her Google Drive, which she had inadvertently failed to delete. According to her, the husband transferred these photographs to his own phone without her knowledge and later threatened to upload them on social media platforms. She further contended that she was subjected to repeated physical and mental assault and was forced to engage in sexual relations on several occasions. The husband, however, denied the allegations and claimed that after the marriage, the wife would speak to another person late into the night. On confronting her, he alleged, she admitted to being in an illicit relationship and stated that she would not end it. The Jharkhand High Court reiterated that cruelty may be physical or mental, intentional or unintentional, and is a relative and subjective concept that must be assessed in light of the facts and circumstances of each case. Emphasising the importance of reputation in determining cruelty, the Bench observed that harm or injury to a spouses reputation is a significant factor in such cases. The Jharkhand High Court noted that the husband had shown the objectionable photographs to his family members, following which the wife was humiliated by them. This conduct, the Bench said, amounted to nothing but the character assassination of the wife by her own husband," and clearly constituted mental cruelty. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Jharkhand, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 15:52 IST News india Accessing Wifes Intimate Photos, Threatening To Share Them Amount To Cruelty: Jharkhand HC 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... Afghanistan's 1st Envoy In India After Taliban Takeover Takes Charge In New Delhi Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 13:09 IST Noor Ahmed Noor, appointed by the Taliban, arrives in Delhi as Charge dAffaires amid evolving India-Afghanistan ties, though India does not officially recognise the Taliban govt. Rapid Read Afghanistan appointed Noor Ahmed Noor at its Embassy in Delhi. (Image: X) Nearly five years after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the Afghan government appointed diplomat Noor Ahmed Noor to its embassy in New Delhi. The Taliban-appointed diplomat has arrived in Delhi to assume duties as Charge dAffaires. His appointment was finalised following a visit by Afghanistans acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi to Delhi in October 2025, during which he met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Noor had accompanied Mottaqi during that visit and also travelled with him to the Darul Uloom madrassa in Deoband. In December 2025, Noor visited Dhaka, where he reportedly met several Islamist leaders ahead of Bangladeshs February 12 elections. Who Is Noor Ahmed Noor? Although Noor serves as Director General of the First Political Division of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, officials said he is yet to submit formal letters of appointment, and his posting has not been publicly announced by the ministry, The Hindu reported. A previous attempt by the Taliban to appoint a Charge dAffaires in Delhi failed in April 2023, when embassy staff rejected the nominee and barred his entry. The Taliban later succeeded in appointing Ikramuddin Kamil to the Mumbai consulate, while Mohammad Ebrahimkhil, originally posted by the former Ghani government, continued as Charge dAffaires in Delhi. Sources said Ebrahimkhils future posting remains unclear. Both the Mumbai and Hyderabad consuls are currently in Delhi for Noors arrival. It is to be noted that India does not officially recognise the Taliban government, which took power in August 2021 after overthrowing the elected government of President Ashraf Ghani. However, the ties between the two nations have gradually improved since India reopened a technical mission in Kabul in 2022. Earlier on October 21, 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs announced it would upgrade the mission to embassy status, allowing the Taliban to post diplomats in India. Officials said existing embassy staff and the tricolour flag of the previous Afghan republic will remain for now, though changes are expected once Noor formally assumes charge. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 13:09 IST News india Afghanistan's 1st Envoy In India After Taliban Takeover Takes Charge In New Delhi 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... Chinese National Tries To Enter India Without Documents Via Nepal Border, Arrested Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 13:28 IST A suspected Chinese national, was arrested by Sashastra Seema Bal, Maharajganj, for entering India via the Indo-Nepal border without valid documents. News18 A suspected Chinese national was arrested on Friday after attempting to enter India without valid visa and passport documents. As per the officials, the woman was caught entering into the country via the Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradeshs Maharajganj district. The incident occurred around 1 pm on Friday when the woman was spotted entering India through a footpath in Bairia Bazaar, located in the Nautanwa area near the India-Nepal border. She was stopped by security personnel during a routine check. Following this, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel detained her upon discovering she lacked the necessary travel documents, a senior official reported. She was subsequently handed over to the police and arrested. Station House Officer (SHO) of Nautanwa, Purushottam Rao, confirmed that the woman has been identified as Huajia Jie of China, based on a slip found with her. Investigations are underway to determine her city of origin and the purpose of her visit to India. Due to language barriers, no specific information has been collected yet," the SHO was quoted as saying by PTI. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Maharajganj (Mahrajganj), India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 12:18 IST News india Chinese National Tries To Enter India Without Documents Via Nepal Border, 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... ED Moves Supreme Court In I-PAC Raids Case Over 'Probe Obstruction'; Bengal Govt Files Caveat Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Shobhit Gupta Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 16:04 IST The ED had alleged in a press statement on Thursday that Banerjee entered Jains residence on Loudon Road in Kolkata during the raids and took away key evidence". West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (Photo: PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday moved the Supreme Court in connection with the I-PAC raids case against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. While filing an Article 32 petition before the top court, the probe agency detailed the entire sequence of events and stated that its right to conduct a fair investigation was curtailed due to interference by the state machinery. In its petition, the probe agency has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter. Bengal Govt Files Caveat On the other hand, the West Bengal government has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court seeking that no order should be passed without hearing it in connection with the raid case. A caveat is filed by a litigant in the High Courts and the Supreme Court to ensure that no adverse order is passed against it without it being heard. The EDs move came after failing to get urgent relief from the Calcutta High Court where it sought a CBI investigation into the role of Banerjee, senior police officials and others for allegedly obstructing its raids in Kolkata against political consultancy firm I-PAC and its director on Thursday. What Happened In High Court? Proceedings in the High Court were adjourned after chaos broke out in the courtroom. The disruption forced the judge to leave the bench, leading to the hearing being halted and deferred. The ED has alleged that the Chief Minister took away incriminating documents from the agencys custody during the raid at Jains home. Banerjee, however, has maintained that the documents and data related to her political party and accused the agency of targeting her and the Trinamool Congress. I-PAC has been associated with the TMC since after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, according to reports. ED Raids At I-PAC Office The ED conducted search operations at 10 premises, including six in West Bengal and four in Delhi, linked to Anup Majee as per the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), including the I-PAC office and Jains residence. I-PAC has been associated with the TMC since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The raids at the I-PAC office and Jains residence turned into a bitter face-off between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as Mamata Banerjee rushed to the area and alleged political vendetta. She accused the BJP-led Centre of targeting her party ahead of elections by seizing the TMCs internal documents, hard disks and sensitive data linked to its election strategy. The ED had alleged in a press statement on Thursday that Banerjee entered Jains residence on Loudon Road in Kolkata during the raids and took away key evidence" and followed the same action at the I-PAC office. On Friday afternoon, Mamata Banerjee led a massive protest march in Kolkata, flanked by actors of the Bengali film industry. She accused the ED of acting as a political tool of the BJP to steal" her partys internal strategy, asserting that she did nothing wrong in reaching the premises linked to I-PAC during the central agencys raids. I have done no wrong . Why did you come to do chori? You were stealing my data from my office. I-PAC is an authorised office I called Pratik Jain, he did not take call. Then I felt that they must be taking my party documents. I have all those pen drives, if necessary, I will open all those," she said. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 15:33 IST News india ED Moves Supreme Court In I-PAC Raids Case Over 'Probe Obstruction'; Bengal Govt Files Caveat 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... Election Commission Approves Polling Booths In West Bengal High-Rise Complexes, BJP Lauds Move Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 20:39 IST West Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal forwarded a list of 69 high-rise residential complexes in the state to serve as new booths for the upcoming Assembly elections. Rapid Read The BJP hailed the ECI's move to set up polling stations within high-rise residential complexes and large housing societies. (Representational Image) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has approved the setting up of polling booths inside multi-storey housing complexes in West Bengal, despite objections from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. West Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal forwarded a list of 69 high-rises in West Bengal to serve as new booths for the West Bengal Assembly elections. Of these, 10 are from two parliamentary constituencies in Kolkata, while another 47 are in the adjoining neighbourhoods within the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, according to the Times of India. This came after the poll body had issued an ultimatum to the District Electoral Officers of eight districts in West Bengal to submit a list of apartment complexes eligible for setting up polling booths in December. The DEOs submitted their lists and, based on it, the CEO prepared his list. Agarwal said two high-rises from South Kolkata and eight from North Kolkata were selected, while the maximum were from South 24 Parganas (25), followed by North 24 Parganas (22). Howrah had four, Hooghly five and East Burdwan got three high-rises on this list. Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, objecting to the proposal to set up polling booths inside high-rise buildings, citing concerns over neutrality and security. BJP Lauds Move Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lauded the ECIs move to set up polling stations within high-rise residential complexes and large housing societies, calling it an important step towards ensuring that all citizens can exercise their right to vote. For years, many urban voters have faced challenges in participating in the electoral process. This move brings the Festival of Democracy" right to their doorstep," said BJPs IT department in-charge Amit Malviya. Malviya said the move would reduce the risk of external interference and voter intimidation, and make it harder for anti-social elements" to engage in vote rigging or the looting of ballot boxes. This ensures a safe and orderly environment, allowing families and senior citizens to cast their votes without fear of unrest," he added. We welcome the initiative to set up polling stations within high-rise residential complexes and large housing societies. This is a positive step towards ensuring that every citizen can exercise their right to vote with ease and confidence.For years, many urban voters have faced pic.twitter.com/AaVQspEuv0 Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 10, 2026 The BJP leader said the true spirit of democracy can be finally be reflected in the states urban centres and urged everyone to participate in large numbers and make their voices heard. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 20:11 IST News india Election Commission Approves Polling Booths In West Bengal High-Rise Complexes, BJP Lauds Move 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... Five Jharkhand Workers, Who Were Abducted By Militants In Niger, Return To India After 8 Months Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 13:51 IST Five Jharkhand workers abducted by militants in Niger in April 2025 have been released. They landed in Mumbai. Their safe return was coordinated by Jharkhand, MEA, and KPTL. AI-generated image used for representational purposes only The five workers from Jharkhand who were abducted last year by a militant group in Niger, a country in West Africa, have been released safely, the state government said on Friday. The workers have arrived in Mumbai and efforts were underway to bring them back to their state. Their safe return to India followed sustained coordination between the Jharkhand government, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Indian Embassy in Niamey and their employer. The workers, identified as Sanjay Mahto, Raju Mahto, Chandrika Mahto, Faljit Mahto and Uttam Mahto, all residents of Bagodar in Giridih district, were kidnapped in April 2025 while working for Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited (KPTL) in Niger. The Jharkhand State Migrant Control Room (SMCR) confirmed that all five are safe, in touch with officials. They are expected to return home on January 14. Currently, all five are in Mumbai, undergoing mandatory health checks and completing necessary government and legal formalities and will be returning to their respective homes on January 14," PTI quoted Shikha Lakra, team leader of SMCR (which functions under Jharkhands labour department), as saying. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who intervened soon after the abduction, had directed the SMCR to coordinate closely with the MEA, the Protector of Emigrants, the Indian Embassy and the company to ensure their safe release and return. Abduction Amid Firing The abduction occurred on April 25, 2025, when armed militants opened fire near a KPTL project site as Indian and local workers were returning from lunch. As workers tried to escape in a company vehicle, several were intercepted by attackers moving on motorcycles. Survivors later reported that gunfire continued for nearly half an hour. Five Indian workers from Jharkhand and one local resident were taken hostage in what was later confirmed to be part of a broader militant operation in the region, The Indian Express reported. During their captivity, the Jharkhand government said it ensured social security support for the workers families through the Giridih district administration. Benefits included ration cards, Ayushman Bharat health coverage, MGNREGA job cards, pensions, housing assistance, Ujjwala connections, Jal Jeevan Mission tap water connections and e-Shram registration. KPTL was also directed to continue depositing salaries into the workers bank accounts. The kidnapping had caused widespread concern among Indian workers at the site, with many seeking to return home amid heightened security fears. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 13:51 IST News india Five Jharkhand Workers, Who Were Abducted By Militants In Niger, Return To India After 8 Months 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... 'Op Sindoor Forced Pakistan To Reset Its Constitution, Militiary Structure': CDS Anil Chauhan Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 09:58 IST General Chauhan described the changes as an acknowledgement that the operation had exposed serious shortcomings in Islamabads military system. CDS Anil Chauhan (Image: PTI/File photo) Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday said Operation Sindoor compelled Pakistan to push through constitutional amendments and overhaul its higher defence organisation. General Chauhan described the changes as an acknowledgement that the operation had exposed serious shortcomings in Islamabads military system. Addressing the Pune Public Policy Festival 2026 at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Gen Chauhan said Pakistans post-operation restructuring of its command and control architecture revealed weaknesses that surfaced during the conflict. He pointed to Islamabads decision to scrap the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and replace it with a Chief of Defence Forces, alongside the creation of new entities such as the National Strategy Command and the Army Rocket Forces Command. According to the CDS, these moves have led to an unusual concentration of land, joint and strategic military authority in a single individual. This runs counter to the core principle of jointness and reflects a land-centric approach to warfare," he said, cautioning that such centralisation could pose internal challenges for Pakistans military establishment. Responding to questions on whether Operation Sindoor had prompted changes in Indias own command structure, Gen Chauhan clarified that while the CDS does not exercise direct command over the three service chiefs, the role carries significant operational responsibility. As the permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, he said decisions are taken collectively to ensure integrated planning and execution. He added that the CDS has direct oversight of emerging operational domains such as space, cyber, electromagnetic and cognitive warfare, as well as special forces operating under the Integrated Defence Staff framework. Gen Chauhan said global military strategy is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with technology increasingly shaping the conduct of warfare rather than geography alone. From Panipat to Plassey, geography once dictated campaigns. Today, technology is the key driver," he said. While future conflicts may rely more on non-contact and non-kinetic methods, he warned that conventional land warfare remains brutal and manpower-intensive, particularly along contested borders with Pakistan and China. India, he said, must be prepared for both technology-driven conflicts and the possibility of attritional combat, even as it works to avoid the latter. Drawing lessons from Operation Sindoor and earlier engagements such as the Uri surgical strikes, the Doklam and Galwan standoffs, and the Balakot air strikes, Gen Chauhan said these operations relied on innovative, situation-specific command arrangements. What we are moving towards now is a standardised system that can be applied across contingencies," he said, adding that most of the foundational work for establishing joint theatre commands has been completed. He expressed confidence that the integrated command structure would be operational before the revised timeline. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 09:58 IST News india 'Op Sindoor Forced Pakistan To Reset Its Constitution, Militiary Structure': CDS Anil Chauhan 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... Passion, Betrayal And Murder: What Led To Jhansi's Woman Auto Driver Killing Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 14:14 IST Mukesh told police that he had been in a relationship with Anita seven years ago and had married her in a temple, but she later ended relationship after falling for another man. Anita Choudhary, was found dead near an overturned auto on Jan 5 In a major breakthrough in the murder of Jhansis first woman auto driver, police have arrested the prime accused following a late-night encounter. The victim, Anita Choudhary, was found dead near an overturned auto on Station Road in the Nawabad police station area of Jhansi in the early hours of January 5. What was initially believed to be a road accident later turned into a murder investigation after Anitas family raised suspicion. A post-mortem conducted by a panel of doctors confirmed that she was shot dead, prompting police to intensify the probe. Sister Had Raised Suspicion Anitas sister Vinita, had told the media that her sister had not died in an accident but was murdered. She said Mukesh Jha had been stalking Anita for several months and had also threatened to kill her. Vinita added that she had earlier approached the police and demanded action in the matter, but no steps were taken at that time. As the case gained attention, Senior Superintendent of Police BBGTS Murthy took the matter seriously and ordered a post-mortem by a panel of doctors, along with videography of the procedure. The post-mortem reportedly confirmed that Anita was shot dead, bringing the case further into the spotlight. Following this, the SSP announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to the arrest of the main accused, Mukesh Jha, and deployed police teams to track him down. According to police, the accused, Mukesh Jha, was caught after he opened fire while trying to flee during a routine checking operation. He was arrested following an encounter near Karguwan Road. Police had earlier announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for his arrest. Motive Revealed During Questioning During interrogation, Mukesh told police that he and Anita were in a relationship seven years ago and had married in a temple. He claimed Anita later ended the relationship after developing feelings for another man. Unable to accept the break-up, he allegedly shot her dead on their wedding anniversary night. Senior Superintendent of Police BBGTS Murthy said further investigation is underway. Anitas murder has triggered widespread anger, with many citing her role as a symbol of womens self-reliance in Jhansi. Who Was Anita Choudhary? Anita was widely known as Jhansis first woman auto driver. She took up driving five years ago to support her family after her husband fell ill. She had been honoured by several organisations for promoting womens self-reliance. In December 2021, then DIG Jogendra Singh had even travelled in her auto. Her death triggered anger among locals and womens groups, as many women had taken inspiration from her. Further probe into the matter is underway. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Jhansi, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 14:14 IST News india Passion, Betrayal And Murder: What Led To Jhansi's Woman Auto Driver Killing 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... Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 23:28 IST PM Modi Somnath Temple Visit Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived Somnath in Gujarat on Saturday to take part in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, a major cultural and spiritual programme being held at the historic Somnath Temple. On January 10, the Prime Minister will participate in Omkar Mantra chanting at the temple around 8 PM. The spiritual event will be followed by a drone show at the temple complex, adding a visual tribute to the occasion. The next morning, on January 11, he will join the Shaurya Yatra at around 9:45 AM. The ceremonial procession honours the warriors who sacrificed their lives to protect the Somnath Temple and will include a symbolic march of 108 horses, representing courage and sacrifice. Later, the Prime Minister will perform darshan and pooja at the temple and address a public gathering in Somnath. The Somnath Swabhiman Parv, being held from January 8 to 11, marks 1,000 years since the invasion of the temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026. Despite repeated destruction attempts, the temple remains a symbol of faith and resilience. Its restoration after independence was led by Sardar Patel, with the rebuilt shrine inaugurated in 1951 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The completion of 75 years of this restoration in 2026 adds special meaning to the celebrations, which will also see hundreds of saints and 72 hours of continuous Om chanting within the temple premises. KIEV, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday confirmed that Russia used an Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile in its attack on Ukraine overnight into Friday. "Overall, last night there were 242 drones. There were also 13 ballistic missiles targeting energy facilities and civilian infrastructure, one Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile, as well as 22 cruise missiles," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on the social platform X. The Oreshnik hypersonic missile is capable of reaching high speeds, according to media reports. In November 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russia had successfully tested the missile system, hitting targets in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Russia's overnight assault killed at least 4 people and injured 25 others in Kiev, according to the Kiev City Prosecutor's Office. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine will initiate an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council, a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council, as well as a response within the European Union, following the strike. PM Modi Offers Prayers At Gujarats Somnath Temple As Swabhiman Parv Celebrations Begin Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 23:33 IST PM Modi offered prayers at the historic Somnath Temple and took part in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, an event highlighting India's civilisational spirit. Rapid Read Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Gujarat's Somnath Temple on Saturday. (PMO) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the iconic Somnath Temple in Gujarat on Saturday to take part in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, a major cultural and spiritual programme being held at the historic temple. The entire area was filled with a festive atmosphere to mark the historic occasion. Thousands of people from both sides of the roads welcomed the Prime Minister as his convoy arrived at the Somnath Temple. PM Modi received a rousing welcome from a huge crowd, with chants of Modi, Modi", as he entered the temple to offer prayers. #WATCH | PM @narendramodi receives a rousing welcome as he arrives at Somnath Temple to attend the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, which is being organised from 8-11 January, marking 1000 years of faith and Indias history.@PMOIndia @MIB_India @PIB_India#SomnathSwabhimaanParv pic.twitter.com/UOXoBhWzi1 DD News (@DDNewslive) January 10, 2026 The Prime Minister offered prayers at the iconic temple and took part in the Swabhiman Parv celebrations in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and hundreds of devotees. Feeling blessed to be in Somnath, a proud symbol of our civilisational courage. This visit comes during Somnath Swabhiman Parv, when the entire nation has come together to mark a thousand years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026. Grateful to the people for the warm welcome," Modi wrote on X. Feeling blessed to be in Somnath, a proud symbol of our civilisational courage.This visit comes during #SomnathSwabhimanParv, when the entire nation has come together to mark a thousand years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026. Grateful to the people for pic.twitter.com/jwTSF0uMOS Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 10, 2026 He later chaired a meeting of the Shree Somnath Trust, where they reviewed various aspects relating to infrastructure upgradations in the temple complex and ways to make the pilgrimage to Somnath even more memorable". In Somnath this evening, chaired a meeting of the Shree Somnath Trust. We reviewed various aspects relating to infrastructure upgradations in the temple complex and ways to make the pilgrimage to Somnath even more memorable. pic.twitter.com/q9WHJ2crsx Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 10, 2026 The Prime Minister also took part in the Omkar Mantra chanting at the temple and witnessed a dazzling drone show that highlighted a blend of ancient faith and modern technology. This beam of light emerging from the sacred land of Somnath is conveying the message of Indias cultural power to the entire world," he said. pic.twitter.com/hwKgJsp33T Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 10, 2026 The Somnath Swabhiman Parv, being held from January 8 to 11, marks 1,000 years since the invasion of the temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026. Despite repeated destruction attempts, the temple remains a symbol of faith and resilience. Its restoration after independence was led by Sardar Patel, with the rebuilt shrine inaugurated in 1951 by Indias first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES HERE PM Modis Schedule Earlier in the day, PM Modi landed at Heerasar Airport in Rajkot before departing for Somnath. He was welcomed by Cabinet Minister Kunwarji Bawliya and the Mayor of Rajkot at the airport. On January 11, PM Modi will participate in Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession organised to honour the countless warriors who laid down their lives defending the Somnath Temple. This yatra will feature a symbolic procession of 108 horses, reflecting valour and sacrifice. After that, he will perform darshan and pooja at the Somnath Temple. At around 11 am on Sunday, the Prime Minister will participate in and address a public function in Somnath. On January 12, PM Modi will meet German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad. At around 9:30 am, the two leaders will visit Sabarmati Ashram, followed by their participation in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront at around 10 am. Powerful Symbol Of Our Spiritual Tradition Ahead of his visit to the temple, PM Modi called the Somnath Swabhiman Parv a powerful symbol of our spiritual tradition, which was being celebrated across the country with complete devotion, faith and enthusiasm." , , 8 9:45 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 9, 2026 The completion of 75 years of this historic restoration of the Somnath Temple in 2026 has added special significance to the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. The celebrations will witness the participation of hundreds of saints from across the country, along with 72 hours of continuous chanting of Om within the temple premises. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Gujarat, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 18:32 IST News india PM Modi Offers Prayers At Gujarats Somnath Temple As Swabhiman Parv Celebrations Begin 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... Pune Civic Polls 2026: Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar Share Stage As NCP Factions Unveil Joint Manifesto Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 10:27 IST The BJP and Shiv Sena, both part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, have fielded 137 and 90 candidates respectively for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body elections. Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SCP) leader Supriya Sule and NCP leader Ajit Pawar (Credits: ANI) Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SCP) leader Supriya Sule and NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Saturday jointly addressed the media at the launch of their common manifesto for the upcoming civic body elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The joint appearance marked a rare show of unity between the NCPSharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SCP) faction and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar. The Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body elections are scheduled to be held on Thursday, January 15, 2026, with polling set to take place from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The elections will mark the first major electoral contest of 2026 in Maharashtra. As many as 29 local bodies across the state are scheduled to go to the polls on January 15. These elections were delayed for several years due to prolonged legal disputes. According to the Maharashtra State Election Commission, the terms of these civic bodies ended between 2015 and 2018. Elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and 17 other major municipal corporations were last held in 2017. Five corporations Vasai-Virar, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivli went to the polls in 2015, while Dhule, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar and Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad held elections in 2018. #WATCH | Pune | NCP-SCPs Supriya Sule and NCPs Ajit Pawar jointly address the press at the launch of their joint manifesto for Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body elections pic.twitter.com/1QLtFF2F3G ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2026 The political contest is expected to be intense. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena, both part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, have fielded 137 and 90 candidates respectively. Their ally, the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, is contesting independently with 94 candidates, setting up direct contests with its alliance partners in several seats if withdrawals do not take place. On the opposition side, the Congress has fielded 143 candidates. Its ally, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by Prakash Ambedkar, has nominated 42 candidates despite being allotted 62 seats under a pre-poll understanding. The Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, another Congress ally, has put up six candidates. The Shiv Sena (UBT), led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, is contesting over 150 seats, while the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) is contesting 11. Raj Thackerays Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is contesting the remaining seats. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 10:27 IST News india Pune Civic Polls 2026: Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar Share Stage As NCP Factions Unveil Joint Manifesto 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... Srinagar Man Held, Questioned Over Suspicious Activity In Ayodhya Ram Temple Complex Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 16:42 IST Officials are also probing his travel details, including why he came to Ayodhya and whether anyone else was involved. Police are questioning him and have also taken several Kashmiri shawl sellers into custody. (IANS) A man was taken into custody on Saturday after he was reportedly found engaging in a religious activity inside Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. As per multiple news reports, the incident took place today morning near the southern enclosure of the temple when the man, identified as Ahmed Sheikh, around 50 years old, and a resident of Srinagar, allegedly attempted to offer namaz inside the temple premises. When security personnel intervened, he reportedly shouted slogans associated with a particular community, a claim that has not been officially confirmed. Security forces deployed at the site immediately took the man into custody. Security agencies, local police, and senior officials have launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances and intent behind the incident. Officials are also probing his travel details, including why he came to Ayodhya and whether anyone else was involved. As per news agency IANS, police have also taken several Kashmiri shawl sellers into custody. Multiple people are being interrogated at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station. The district administration and the Ram Temple Trust have so far declined to comment. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Ayodhya, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 16:42 IST News india Srinagar Man Held, Questioned Over Suspicious Activity In Ayodhya Ram Temple Complex 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... Successful Patrols Go Up In Depsang, Demchok After 2024 Breakthrough With China | Exclusive Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 15:24 IST Patrolling is unhindered now, Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla told CNN-News18, outlining how ground dynamics have shifted since 2024. Representative image: Indian and Chinese soldiers. | PTI For the first time since the 2020 Galwan clash froze patrolling along some of the most sensitive stretches of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Indian and Chinese troops are now patrolling in Depsang and Demchok regularly. The successful patrols, which were not a regular affair earlier due to standoffs, have increased in the area following the 2024 breakthrough. Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, Corps Commander of the Indian Armys 14 Corps, spoke for the first time on this in an exclusive conversation with CNN-News18. Since it is unhindered, the number of successful patrols has increased annually," Lt Gen Bhalla said, explaining how the new mechanism has removed the risk of face-offs that marked the pre-2020 period. After the Galwan clash, Depsang and Demchok had remained the last two unresolved friction points, with the Chinese side calling them legacy areas". According to Lt Gen Bhalla, the breakthrough came after prolonged military, diplomatic and political negotiations, culminating in a consensus on 21 October 2024. I was fortunate to lead the talks that led to the breakthrough," he said. The key Indian gain was the restoration of full patrolling rights in both Depsang and Demchok, exactly as they existed before 2020. Patrolling is now coordinated." When we go, we inform them. When they come, they inform us," the Corps Commander said. This ensures that patrols from both sides do not run into each other, eliminating the chances of standoffs, face-offs or clashes. Earlier, even though troop numbers and patrol frequencies were broadly fixed, differing perceptions of the claim line meant patrols often confronted each other. Today, Indian troops are definitely going for our patrolling", but without friction, leading to a visible rise in successful missions on the ground. Not just patrolling but grazing rights for local herders suspended after 2020 have now been fully restored across eastern Ladakh. In areas south of the Depsang Plains, towards Changthang, Kangthun and Demchok, the graziers are going right up to their claimed areas for grazing," Lt Gen Bhalla said. It took four years, but what we have achieved is better peace and stability." Operation Sindoor And The Western Threat While the LAC saw stabilisation, 2025 remained tense on Indias western front after the Pahalgam terror attack led to Operation Sindoor. Ladakh too felt its impact. The Corps Commander revealed that swarms of drones some in groups of eight to ten were spotted over the DrasKargil and Siachen sectors, with up to 30 to 40 drones seen at a time. Even Leh airfield and the Corps headquarters area saw six to eight drones. Our counter-UAS grid, air defence deployments and preparedness ensured none of these could cause any serious damage," he said, adding that Pakistan could not carry out any offensive drone action in his sector. Massive Infrastructure Push Along The LAC Alongside diplomacy and deterrence, India has stepped up infrastructure in eastern Ladakh. Over the past three years, nearly 600 km of roads and 45 major bridges have been completed, with 31 more bridges due by next season. Older bridges have also been upgraded to heavier load classes. This is not just new construction. Even our old roads and bridges have been improved," Lt Gen Bhalla said. Forward areas are now getting mobile connectivity as well, including Indias first mobile tower on the Siachen Glacier at Kumar Post, a critical enabler for both troops and civilians. Three Ds With China Lt Gen Bhalla also explained the three Ds" framework guiding LAC talks: Disengagement moving back and resuming patrolling and grazing De-escalation pulling back heavy equipment De-induction reducing troop levels These are largely sequential but with overlaps," he said, with future outcomes dependent on talks at multiple levels. For now, what stands out is that after years of deadlock, Indian boots are once again moving freely in Depsang and Demchok more often, more confidently, and without confrontation marking one of the most significant stabilisation steps on the LAC since 2020. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 15:24 IST News india Successful Patrols Go Up In Depsang, Demchok After 2024 Breakthrough With China | 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... Two Arrested For Disrespecting National Emblem By Installing Flex Banners In Tirupati Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 08:35 IST During the investigation, police found that the banners were printed and displayed through GVK Printing Press located in STV Nagar. Representative image Police in Tirupati have arrested two men for allegedly installing flex banners that showed disrespect to Indias national emblem. The arrests were made after the banners were found displayed without permission in a public area of the town. According to Tirupati East Police Station Circle Inspector Srinivasulu, the accused put up the banners at Annamayya Circle, which falls under the stations jurisdiction. The content on the flexes was described as provocative and capable of disturbing public peace and order. The arrested persons have been identified as Kalikiri Kranti Chaitanya and Duggineni Mohan Krishna. Acting on a complaint filed by Chinnepalli Kiran Kumar, a resident of Tirupati town, police registered cases against them under relevant sections of the law. During the investigation, police found that the banners were printed and displayed through GVK Printing Press located in STV Nagar. Officials further alleged that the Ashoka Chakra on the national flag was morphed in a way that undermined the dignity of the nation. The act is punishable under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which prohibits any act that disrespects the national flag, emblem or Constitution of India. Further investigation into the matter is underway. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Tirupati, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 08:35 IST News india Two Arrested For Disrespecting National Emblem By Installing Flex Banners In Tirupati 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... 'World Might View Divisions Within Hindu Community But It Is One': Mohan Bhagwat Published By : ANI Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 20:42 IST RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat noted that crises are visible in every field today, but emphasised that merely discussing problems is not the solution. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. (Image: PTI/File) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, on Saturday, while attending the Sanatan Culture Festival in Vrindavan, Mathura, vouched for unity among the Hindu community, saying that there should be no discrimination of any kind. Addressing the event, Bhagwat said that the world might view divisions within the Hindu community by caste, creed, sect, and language, but they are all one. There should be no discrimination of any kind We consider the society in which we live as one; we believe the entire Hindu society is one, yet the world sees many divisions within it, such as language, caste, sect, and community For as many types of Hindus as the world recognises, I have friends from each of those typesvisiting each other, eating and drinking together, standing by in joy and sorrow, treating them as friends" he said. Earlier, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat offered prayers at the Shree Ram Mandir in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on January 1. On Wednesday, on RSSs centenary celebrations, Bhagwat said that Hindu Sammelans are being organised across the country as the Sangh completes 100 years of its journey, stressing that the occasion should not be viewed as an act of bravery", but as a moment of responsibility." The work of Sangh has completed 100 years, therefore, Hindu Sammelan are being organised across the country," Bhagwat said while addressing a Hindu Sammelan here, adding that the centenary celebrations are not meant for display of power. This is not bravery," he added. Recalling the organisations origin, the RSS chief said, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar formed this Sangh with his blood." He noted that crises are visible in every field today, but emphasised that merely discussing problems is not the solution. The stress should be on finding solutions, and not just on discussions," Bhagwat said. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Vrindavan, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 20:42 IST News india 'World Might View Divisions Within Hindu Community But It Is One': Mohan Bhagwat 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... Ananya Panday Stuns In Mini Royal Blue Kaftan At Jewellery Event In Mumbai Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 09:04 IST Ananya Panday opted to wear the mini La Luna Crystal Kaftan that is from the Italian brand Taller Marmo. Ananya Panday at a recent event in a royal blue kaftan Ananya Panday has already begun the new year on a busy note. After coming up with one stunning look after another while she was on the promotional press tour her new film, Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri next actor Kartik Aryaan, the actor has already shown up in style. Ananya Panday has been named the brand ambassador for Tanishqs Festival of Diamonds and recently attended an event for it. The actor wore a gorgeous royal blue kaftan with a flowy silhouette. She cinched it in the middle with a tie that had silver hardware to add some shape and definition at the waist. Styled by stylist Priyanka Kapadia Badani, the billowy sleeves of Ananyas kaftan were both aesthetic and acted almost like a cape, giving the entire look a fun element. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bollywood Celebrity Style (@bollywoodwomencloset) Unlike the kaftans ones mums would wear, Ananyas mini La Luna Crystal Kaftan was from the Italian brand Taller Marmo. Interestingly, it comes in midi and mini versions as well. Elongating her legs, the actor wore the silver ALAIA Fishnet heels that also have some crystals on ithem, adding to the sparkle of the event. To accentuate the high neck of the mini kaftan, the actor added a heavy-duty sparkler a stunning diamond-studded necklace with an intricate design and paired it with the matching dangling earrings from the jewellery brand. She also added a few silver and diamond rings to accessorise the look. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tanishq (@tanishqjewellery) For her glam, the actor kept her makeup simple yet chic. Ananya has been loving the clean girl makeup look, which basically means her makeup looks might come off as minimal; however, it is flawless. A black eyeliner with short yet fluffy lashes made her eyes pop. She added minimal blush and a light pink gloss that added shine to the lips. She wore her hair in a half-up and half-down look. The sleeked back ponytail is another element of the clean girl look that prefers to have all elements of a fashionable moment be neat, without a hair out of place. On a professional note, Ananya Pandays next confirmed movie is Dharma Productions romantic drama Chand Mera Dil. She will be seen starring opposite actor Lakshya and the film is slated for an April 10, 2026, release. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 09:04 IST News lifestyle fashion Ananya Panday Stuns In Mini Royal Blue Kaftan At Jewellery Event In Mumbai Kriti Sanon's Abhinav Mishra Lehenga Is The Perfect Dance Partner This Wedding Season Written By : News18.com Edited By: Snigdha Oreya Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 15:02 IST Kriti Sanon danced the night away for Nupur Sanon and Stebin Ben's sangeet ceremony hosted in Rajasthan. Kriti Sanon was styled by celebrity stylist Sukriti Grover for the sangeet ceremony. Kriti Sanon made sure her younger sister, Nupur Sanon and groom-to-be Stebin Ben had a colourful and magical sangeet ceremony. Filled with love and lots of dancing, Kriti Sanon danced the night away to an array of heartfelt and foot-thumping Bollywood music. Nupur Sanon and Stebin Ben, who are all set to tie the knot on January 11, 2026, in Rajasthan, celebrated their sangeet surrounded by close family and friends. Matching the shimmery and colourful vibe of the evening, Kriti Sanon was styled by celebrity stylist Sukriti Grover in an Abhinav Mishra lehenga set. A perfect festive look for a special evening, Kritis look features a peplum top and a lehenga crafted in chanderi. The multicoloured lehenga set was enhanced with intricate zari and mirror work, adding sparkle to Kritis stylish look. Kriti Sanon Sets The Tone For The Wedding Season In 2026 Kriti Sanons Abhinav Mishras Roshanara lehenga set celebrates the rich crafts of India. Priced at Rs 2,85,000, the lehenga is innovative and artistic, and the perfect silhouette to celebrate the Indian woman of today. Sukriti Grover, who styled Kriti in this multicoloured lehenga set, made sure the styling was perfect and hassle-free for the evening. Kriti not only looked surreal in the ensemble but also matched the vibe of the colourful and fun-filled night. The peplum top is highlighted with cuts on the side and mirror work tassels in the shape of dewdrops, adding drama to the festive look. Kritis Glam Quotient When there is dancing and movement involved in a function, ones hair and makeup has to be on point. And Kritis glam quotient at the sangeet ceremony celebrated her to the T. She styled her half-bun hairstyle with mirror accessories that complemented her entire look. The Songs Kriti Danced On Kriti Sanon took to the dance floor and performed to an array of hit songs, including a solo performance on Salaam-E-Ishq, the Bhojpuri hit number Kamariya, along with actor Varun Sharma; a special dance sequence with her sister Nupur Sanon on the song Sajnaji Vaari Vaari, and a heartfelt performance with her mother Geeta Sanon on Dil Tu Jaan Tu. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 15:01 IST News lifestyle fashion Kriti Sanon's Abhinav Mishra Lehenga Is The Perfect Dance Partner This Wedding Season World Hindi Day 2026: Date, History, Significance, Theme And Quotes Published By : Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 07:35 IST World Hindi Day 2026 will be observed on January 10 to highlight Hindis global influence, cultural roots and growing presence in education, diplomacy and digital spaces. Rapid Read World Hindi Day is observed on January 10 to celebrate Hindis global reach and cultural significance. World Hindi Day is observed every year on January 10 to recognise the global presence and cultural importance of the Hindi language. The day highlights how Hindi continues to connect people across regions while evolving with changing times. Spoken by millions worldwide, Hindi is more than a means of communication. It carries shared histories, emotions and traditions, making it one of the most influential languages globally. Over the years, World Hindi Day has emerged as a platform to promote the use of Hindi in international forums, education, literature, diplomacy and digital communication. It also acknowledges the contribution of writers, poets, scholars and cultural ambassadors who have helped strengthen the language across generations and borders. Hindi is among the most spoken languages in the world, often ranked after Mandarin Chinese and English, with over 600 million speakers globally. Its reach extends far beyond India, with strong Hindi-speaking communities in several countries. World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, focuses on promoting Hindi at the global level. It is different from National Hindi Day, which is celebrated in India on September 14. World Hindi Day 2026: Theme The official theme for World Hindi Day 2026 has not been announced yet. Each year, the theme reflects Hindis role in contemporary society and global communication. For reference, the 2025 theme focused on Hindi as a global voice of unity and cultural pride. World Hindi Day 2026: History World Hindi Day was officially observed for the first time on January 10, 2006, during the tenure of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The date commemorates January 10, 1949, when Hindi was used for the first time at the United Nations General Assembly. Efforts to promote Hindi internationally began much earlier. Since 1975, the Ministry of External Affairs has organised World Hindi Conferences in countries including the UK, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States and Fijiregions with strong Hindi-speaking communities. World Hindi Day 2026: Significance World Hindi Day celebrates the growing global presence of Hindi and encourages its use across education, technology, creative industries and online platforms. The day highlights how Hindi continues to evolve while staying rooted in tradition. By promoting Hindi internationally, the occasion supports cultural exchange, linguistic diversity and the preservation of heritage for future generations. World Hindi Day 2026: Global Celebrations World Hindi Day is marked through poetry readings, storytelling sessions, literary discussions and cultural performances across countries. In India, schools, colleges and government offices organise debates, seminars, quizzes and workshops. Writing and speaking competitions help encourage interest and confidence in the language among students. Many organisations also honour writers, poets and cultural contributors for their work in promoting Hindi. Social media campaigns using hashtags like #WorldHindiDay play a key role in spreading awareness among younger audiences. World Hindi Day: Famous Quotes Hindi is not just a language; it is an emotion." Munshi Premchand A nations culture lives in the hearts of its people." Mahatma Gandhi Hindi connects Indias traditions with its future." Atal Bihari Vajpayee Language reflects the soul of a society." Dr Rajendra Prasad. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 07:35 IST News lifestyle World Hindi Day 2026: Date, History, Significance, Theme And Quotes British Rockstar Yungblud Bares It All On Sydney Yacht Ahead Of His Concert Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 16:56 IST Rockstar Yungblud grinned on a nude boat outing in Sydney before the start of The World Tour. Yungblud posted a few naked pictures to Instagram during the social gathering. (Photo Credit: Instagram) British rock star Yungblud made waves in Sydney this week by exchanging his stage gear for nothing but a grin while enjoying a beautiful boat cruise in Sydney Harbour with friends ahead of the Australian leg of his Idols: The World Tour." The 28-year-old artist, whose real name is Dominic Harrison, made waves offstage as soon as he landed in Australia with a series of arena performances. Yungblud posted a few naked pictures from the social event to Instagram with the caption, Australia Im back. Sydney Ill see you tonight. I want you LOUD." He can be seen smiling with friends and enjoying the harbour sunlight in photos taken during the event while completely naked. View this post on Instagram A post shared by YUNGBLUD (@yungblud) Yacht Revelry In Sydney Harbour Yungblud joined a group of pals on a private yacht on Thursday, January 8, cruising Sydney Harbour as part of his pre-show festivities. According to photos obtained by PEOPLE, the rocker began the excursion wearing shorts and a white T-shirt before taking off his clothing to enjoy the occasion with unrestrained confidence. While hanging out with buddies on the boat, Yungblud is spotted taking off his shorts and white T-shirt. Then, with merely a smile on his face, he exposed his torso and back, gripping his crotch with one hand while drinking with the other. The artist is seen in other photos drying off with a patterned towel that he wrapped around his waist while conversing with other passengers on the yacht. Yungblud even had a quick swim in the water, swimming around with visitors that included Australian socialite Dina Broadhurst and others, taking in the celebratory atmosphere, according to further coverage of the event. Yungbluds Idols: The World Tour Beyond just having fun in the sun, the boat excursion signalled the beginning of Yungbluds Idols: The World Tour in Australia, which has five shows planned between January 10 and January 18. Fans are looking forward to his upbeat performances, and the tour stop in Sydney is the first of several that will take him through key Australian cities this month. Yungblud welcomed Australian followers on Instagram upon his arrival, promising LOUD" performances and light-hearted banter about his expanding fan base, fondly known as the Black Hearts Club. The rockers fearless attitude and unvarnished style continue to garner attention off stage, laying the groundwork for what looks to be an incredible tour leg. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 16:56 IST News movies hollywood British Rockstar Yungblud Bares It All On Sydney Yacht Ahead Of His Concert by Wen Tsui LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Quantum computing is no longer a fringe attraction at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026. This year, it was drawing crowds. At CES Foundry, a new advanced-technology zone inside the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel, demonstration rooms filled quickly and lines formed outside as attendees waited to see quantum systems in action. Presentations on the show floor often reached standing-room-only. Industry executives say the technology may be nearing a turning point, sometimes described as a "ChatGPT moment" -- when a complex idea breaks out of research labs and into wider use. Quantum computers, which harness principles of quantum physics, are designed to tackle problems beyond the reach of classical computers. The technology is expected to play a role in drug discovery, financial modeling, supply-chain optimization, cybersecurity and a range of other fields requiring advanced computation. "The momentum is building up," Pouya Dianat, Chief Revenue Officer of Quantum Computing Inc., told Xinhua, noting that progress has moved faster than many expected just a few years ago. The buzz around quantum computing has been fueled in part by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Panelists at CES compared the current moment to AI's sudden acceleration after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, noting that adoption could happen faster than businesses anticipate. More than 200 international and U.S. government officials attended CES, including several senators and the heads of the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. Their presence drew defense officials, policy analysts and international media focused on U.S. technology strategy. Panel discussions at CES suggested that quantum computing may be edging closer to mainstream use. Ariel Braunstein, chief product officer at IonQ, compared its current stage to artificial intelligence just before ChatGPT's breakout, when early products existed but their broader impact was not yet clear. He warned that adoption could accelerate quickly, leaving slower-moving companies behind. Jean-Francois Bobier of Boston Consulting Group said that once quantum computing shows clear commercial value, its future will shift from uncertain to inevitable, describing the moment as quantum's "ChatGPT moment." An IBM executive, Joseph S. Broz, said the gap between current quantum capabilities and business needs has narrowed sharply. Rebecca Krauthamer, chief executive of quantum security firm QuSecure, said a similar inflection point could still be years away but predicted adoption would accelerate abruptly once it arrives. Dianat said quantum computing is likely to develop alongside artificial intelligence rather than compete with it, pointing to early hybrid applications already in use. CES organizers said attendance reached record levels this year, with more than 4,100 companies exhibiting across 13 venues and about 6,600 journalists registered. The show received a record 3,600 innovation award entries and hosted over 400 sessions with 1,300 speakers. Leonardo DiCaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow Pose Together At The 2026 AFI Awards Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 15:06 IST Leonardo DiCaprio and Gwyneth Paltrow were first linked in August 2023. Leonardo DiCaprio and Gwyneth Paltrow reunited at the AFI Awards. (Photo Credit: X) Hollywood heavyweights Leonardo DiCaprio and Gwyneth Paltrow attracted attention at the 2026 American Film Institute (AFI) Awards in Los Angeles on Friday, January 9, by posing together and grinning on the red carpet. The meeting represented a public reunion almost 32 years after Paltrow revealed that she had rejected DiCaprios amorous advances early in their careers. The pairnow both seasoned actors with very different personal liveslooked at ease and cordial, captivating photographers and fans alike. Their tale has rekindled curiosity in long-standing Hollywood friendships and how they have changed since the early 1990s. From Young Acquaintances to Event Night Smiles DiCaprio, 51, and Paltrow, 53, stood together and were photographed grinning and conversing for the cameras at the AFI Awards, which took place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. The event, which honoured the years accomplishments ahead of the Golden Globes, attracted top television and movie talent. Their recent interaction drew attention because of a story Paltrow shared in 2023 about a young encounter with DiCaprio. In a May 2023 Call Her Daddy podcast, Paltrow recounted that a teenage DiCaprio once made a move on heran advance she politely declined. Nope, never made out with Leo," Paltrow said at the time, adding, He tried back in the day. But he was already like, you know, he was very loose with the goods from when he was 19." Elle noted that while Paltrow did not specify DiCaprios age at the time of the encounter, a picture of the two of them taken at the National Board of Review Motion Picture Awards in New York City in February 1994 would have put the Goop mogul at around 21 and the Titanic star at 19. Separate Lives, Shared Respect Both celebrities now have fulfilling personal and professional lives. Since 2018, Paltrow has been married to television producer and American Horror Story co-creator Brad Falchuk. Moreover, Paltrow runs her lifestyle business Goop. Paltrow was formerly married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, with whom she has two grown children Apple Martin, 21 and Moses Martin, 18. DiCaprio, on the other hand, has gained recognition for his environmental campaigning and Academy Award-winning roles. Since 2023, he has been openly linked to Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, 27, and he continues to be a regular at prestigious business gatherings. The One Battle After Another actor was recently spotted on Wednesday at a special screening of Song Sung Blue at Soho House in Los Angeles with Ceretti. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 15:06 IST News movies hollywood Leonardo DiCaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow Pose Together At The 2026 AFI Awards Madras High Court Blocks Karthis Vaa Vaathiyaar Release Over Rs 21.78 Crore Dues | Details Inside Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 13:05 IST Karthi's Vaa Vaathiyaar faces release hurdles as Madras High Court stays its launch over Rs 21.78 crore dues, demanding full payment before any theatrical or digital release. A still from the movie. Karthis much-anticipated film Vaa Vaathiyaar has hit another roadblock as the Madras High Court has reaffirmed that the movie cannot release until the production house settles outstanding debts. Originally scheduled for a December 12, 2025 release, the films launch was postponed due to unpaid dues, and efforts to release it during the Pongal festival have now been blocked by the court. During Fridays hearing, a Division Bench comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and C Kumarappan maintained the stay on the film, ruling that it cannot release across theaters, OTT platforms, or digital media until the pending Rs 21.78 crore is fully cleared. Reports indicate the production house, Studio Green, had sought permission to proceed with a Pongal release by offering partial repayment, but the court rejected the request, stating that previous deadlines had not been honoured. The financial dispute dates back to a debt of Rs 10.35 crore, which has now accrued interest, reaching Rs 21.78 crore. This amount was borrowed by producer Gnanavel Raja from businessman Arjunlal Sundardas, who was declared insolvent by the Madras High Court in 2014. The official assignee managing Sundardas assets recently sought recovery of the sum and requested an interim injunction against the films release. According to court records, Gnanavel Raja had offered to pay Rs 3.75 crore within 24 hours as of December 12 and proposed property documents to cover the remaining dues. However, the division bench noted that repeated extensions and assurances had not been honoured in the past, and declined to relax the conditions. Vaa Vaathiyaar, an action-comedy directed by Nalan Kumarasamy, stars Karthi and Krithi Shetty in lead roles, with supporting performances by Rajkiran, Sathyaraj, Anandaraj, Karunakaran, and GM Sundar. The film had initially aimed to capitalize on the festive Pongal release window, which opened up following the indefinite postponement of Thalapathy Vijays Jana Nayagan due to legal issues over its CBFC rating. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 13:05 IST News movies regional-cinema Madras High Court Blocks Karthis Vaa Vaathiyaar Release Over Rs 21.78 Crore Dues | Details Inside Global Watch | Moving The Goalposts: Western Double Standards On Venezuela And Pakistan Written By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 11:45 IST If the West wishes to reclaim credibility in its democracy agenda, it must confront this imbalance honestly. US President Donald Trump (Getty Images) The American-led post-World War II order has been built upon the sustained rhetoric of normativity, which includes democracy, governance, and human rights, but it practises geopolitics in a far older language: utility. Nowhere is this dissonance more visible than in the contrast between how the West treats Venezuela and how it engages Pakistan. Both countries are repeatedly invoked in the US and Western security calculus, are associated with illicit networks, and sit uneasily with liberal democratic norms. Yet one is publicly disciplined as a democratic deviant, while the other is quietly accommodated as a strategic necessity. This asymmetry is not accidental. It reflects how democracy has become a selective instrument rather than a consistent universal principle of Western foreign policy. Venezuelas position in the Western imagination is shaped more by its symbolism than by its material power. Over the past decade, it has been framed as a cautionary tale of democratic backsliding, economic mismanagement, and narco-state behaviour. Western governments have been vocal in condemning electoral irregularities, restrictions on opposition parties, and the concentration of power in the executives hands. Sanctions regimes have followed, justified as necessary pressure to restore democratic order. There is, of course, substance to these concerns. Venezuela has become a significant transit corridor for cocaine flowing from Colombia to Europe and West Africa. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, routes passing through Venezuela expanded sharply after 2015, aided by weak state institutions and collusion at lower administrative levels. The US Drug Enforcement Administration has repeatedly flagged the role of Venezuelan territory in cocaine trafficking networks linked to Latin American cartels. These activities have destabilised neighbouring states and fuelled organised crime beyond the region. Yet it is also essential to keep the scale of this threat in perspective. Venezuela is a transit state, not the global centre of the narcotics economy. It neither produces cocaine nor controls the principal distribution networks that feed North American and European markets, unlike other Latin American countries. Its capacity to project narcotics as an instrument of state power is unfounded, and its political instability, while devastating domestically, does not fundamentally alter the balance of power in any major theatre. This distance allows Western capitals to treat Venezuela as a manageable problem, one that can be addressed through sanctions, rhetoric, and diplomatic isolation without incurring high strategic costs. Pakistan occupies a very different category. It is not merely a troubled democracy or an authoritarian-leaning state. It is a nuclear-armed country of over 240 million people, embedded in one of the worlds most volatile regions, and historically enmeshed in conflicts that have directly affected global security. Unlike Venezuela, Pakistans internal political arrangements are not a distant normative concern. They are intimately linked to patterns of violence, militancy, and instability that have spilled across borders for decades. The erosion of civilian authority in Pakistan is no longer subtle. Over the years, the military has evolved from an arbiter to a manager and, finally, to a de facto ruler of the political system. Elections continue to be held, but their outcomes are carefully shaped. Political leaders who challenge the militarys primacy find themselves marginalised, imprisoned, or disqualified. Media outlets operate under pervasive pressure, and the judiciary oscillates between moments of resistance and strategic compliance. What remains is not a functioning civilian democracy but a controlled political space designed to preserve military dominance. Western governments are not unaware of this transformation. The reason lies in the magnitude of the security risks associated with Pakistan. Unlike Venezuela, Pakistan has a long and well-documented relationship with terrorist organisations that operate transnationally. Pakistans neighbour India, and at times the United States Congress itself, have accused it of pursuing a state-sponsored terror policy. Groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, designated terrorist organisations by multiple Western governments, have operated with varying degrees of tolerance within Pakistans security ecosystem. The Financial Action Task Force placed Pakistan on its grey list from 2018 to 2022 precisely because of persistent deficiencies in curbing terror financing and money laundering. These were not symbolic concerns; they reflected systemic weaknesses in controlling financial flows linked to violent extremism. The human cost of this ecosystem has been substantial. The Global Terrorism Index has consistently ranked Pakistan among the countries most affected by terrorism over the past two decades. More importantly for Western interests, terror networks nurtured or tolerated within Pakistan have been implicated in attacks beyond its borders, from Afghanistan to India, and have maintained ideological and logistical linkages with global jihadist movements. These are not marginal threats. They sit at the core of post-9/11 security anxieties. And yet, it is precisely this dangerous profile that has insulated Pakistan from democratic scrutiny. Western policymakers have long operated on the assumption that the Pakistani military, for all its flaws, is the only institution capable of maintaining a semblance of order over a deeply fragmented society and a sprawling security apparatus. Civilian politics are viewed as destabilising, prone to populism, and insufficiently reliable on issues of counter-terrorism and nuclear security. Military dominance, by contrast, offers predictability. This logic reached its peak during the war in Afghanistan. Pakistan was repeatedly described as indispensable, even as evidence mounted of its selective cooperation and strategic hedging. The language of partnership persisted because alternatives were deemed worse. That mindset has not disappeared with the withdrawal from Kabul. It has merely been repurposed within a broader calculus shaped by China, regional stability, and nuclear risk management. However, since Pakistans inception, there have been no sustained efforts whatsoever from the West to hold it accountable in this light. This is precisely why democratic leaders in Pakistan are jailed, exiled, or worse, killed if they do not work in tandem with military apparatchiks. Here lies the core contradiction. If Venezuela is castigated for enabling narcotics flows that undermine governance and security, Pakistans far more consequential role in sustaining terror infrastructures should attract even greater concern. The difference is not in severity, but in inconvenience. Pressuring Pakistan on democracy risks alienating an actor whose cooperation, however ambivalent, is still considered necessary. Venezuela offers no such dilemma. This selective morality carries long-term costs. By normalising military rule in Pakistan, the West is not neutral; it is actively shaping incentives. It signals to Pakistans generals that political engineering carries few international penalties as long as strategic commitments are upheld. It weakens civilian actors by depriving them of external support precisely when internal checks are being dismantled. And it reinforces a governance model that has repeatedly failed to deliver stability, economic growth, or social cohesion. There is also a broader credibility problem. When democracy is defended loudly in some cases and softly sidelined in others, it ceases to function as a normative anchor. It becomes a tool of convenience, deployed where costs are low and withdrawn where stakes are high. This erosion is not lost on other authoritarian regimes, nor on societies living under constrained political conditions. It fosters cynicism about Western intentions and strengthens the argument that values are merely a rhetorical cover for power politics. The irony is that this approach may ultimately undermine the very stability it seeks to preserve. Pakistans repeated cycles of military dominance have not resolved its structural crises. They have deepened economic fragility, intensified centreperiphery tensions, and eroded public trust. Suppressing political competition does not eliminate dissent; it displaces it into more volatile forms. In a nuclear-armed state with a history of militant spillovers, this is not a risk that can be indefinitely managed. The comparison with Venezuela, then, is not about absolving one or condemning the other. It is about recognising how selectively applied principles distort policy outcomes and loosen moral footing. Venezuelas problems are real, but their global impact is limited. Pakistans internal authoritarianism, by contrast, intersects directly with some of the most persistent security challenges facing South Asia and beyond. Treating the former as a democratic emergency and the latter as a tolerable anomaly reveals not moral clarity but strategic myopia. If the West wishes to reclaim credibility in its democracy agenda, it must confront this imbalance honestly. That does not mean identical policies for vastly different contexts. It does mean acknowledging that democracy cannot be championed only when it is cost-free. Otherwise, the language of values will continue to ring hollow, and the structures of instability that selective silence enables will remain firmly in place. Ultimately, the question is not whether the West can afford to pressure Pakistan on democratic norms. It is whether it can afford not to. The writer is an author and columnist. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed are personal and solely those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect News18s views. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 11:45 IST News opinion Global Watch | Moving The Goalposts: Western Double Standards On Venezuela And Pakistan 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... Hinduism Vs Hindutva: A Battle Of Colonial Construct Vs Eternal Dharma Written By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 20:42 IST Hindutva is accused of being 'majoritarian' by the very people who reduced Hindus to a religious minority within their own civilisation Unlike Western secularism's hostile separation of state and faith, or Indias pseudo-secularism that panders to Muslims while demonising the Hindu, Hindutva treats all born of this soil as heirs to a common civilisation. (Representational image/Getty) The word Hinduism" itself is not ancient. Neither is it native nor organic. The very suffix ism" within the word Hinduism" reeks of Western taxonomy, aiming to confine the civilisation within rigid, dogmatic lines, much like the Abrahamic religions of Christianity and Islam. Such a framework is violently alien to Sanatan Dharma, which never sought reduction into a closed creed. The Hindu civilisational experience is fluid, plural, evolving, contradictory, and unapologetically non-dogmatic. As Atal Bihari Vajpayee observed in his 1998 interview with Javed Akhtar, Indias secularism flows naturally from Hindu civilisation itself. Hindu thought binds no one to a single prophet, a single book, or a compulsory theology. One may be astika or nastika, devotional or sceptical, ritualistic or philosophical, and still remain within the civilisational fold. There is no concept of blasphemy, apostasy, or enforced belief. Hinduism" was not born in Kashi or Kanchipuram. It was midwifed in colonial census offices and missionary tracts. European orientalists and British administrators required a neat category to govern, classify, and evangelise. In doing so, they lumped together diverse Indic traditions (Vedic, Tantric, Bhakti, folk) under a single label, often distorting them to fit monotheistic templates. The term gained currency only in the early 19th century. By freezing Sanatan Dharma into Hinduism", colonialism hollowed out its essence, morphing it to fit within their monotheistic template. Hindutva, contrary to hysterical propaganda, does not destroy this civilisational ethos, but it vociferously exposes the artificiality of the colonial box it was forced into. Hindutva is not ritualistic Hinduism", but when etymologically translated from Sanskrit, it simply is the essence of being Hindua civilisational consciousness rooted in land, memory, culture, and continuity. It encompasses all Indic traditions, including Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, bound by culture, history, and geography, not narrow dogma. One does not need to pray to Ram to be Hindu. One does not even need to believe in God. One only needs to belong, to a civilisational inheritance that predates and outlives religious dogma. This is precisely why Hindutva terrifies the pseudo-liberal establishment. Pseudo-liberals peddle the lie that Hindutva endangers Hinduism". This is inverted propaganda from a deracinated elite, conditioned by Macaulays education system. In truth, Hindutva is the purest secularism India has ever known. Unlike Western secularisms hostile separation of state and faith, or Indias pseudo-secularism that panders to Muslims while demonising the Hindu, Hindutva treats all born of this soil as heirs to a common civilisation. It demands loyalty to Bharat first, allowing diverse dharmas to flourish without privileging imported exclusivism. This is true pluralism: equal cultural dignity, not appeasement. Colonialism weaponised Hinduism" to divide. It was deliberately marketed as superstitious paganism ripe for civilising". Reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, while alleviating genuine social evils, inadvertently reinforced colonial frameworks by engaging Hindu civilisation in Abrahamic terms. Ironically, this was made possible precisely because the Hindu was never a codified faith and therefore remained open to reform in a way dogmatic religions like Islam are not. Post-independence, Nehruvian secularism entrenched minorityism, alienating the majority, while left-leaning narratives painted any Hindu assertion as communal". Hindutva is accused of being majoritarian" by the very people who reduced Hindus to a religious minority within their own civilisation. They denied them cultural rights while enthusiastically funding, protecting, and politically mobilising every other faith identity. Indias Anglophone elite, left-leaning intelligentsia conditioned by colonial education and Nehruvian secularism, loathe the term Hindutva" not for any supposed majoritarianism (their go-to smear), but because it ruthlessly exposes their lingering colonial hangover. Hindutva asserts an unapologetic, indigenous civilisational identity tied to India as a civilisational land, history, and ethos, shattering the superiority complex these elites inherited from Macaulays system. Conditioned to see Indias value system as backward or in need of Western civilising", they embraced abstract secularism, Muslim appeasement, and cultural alienation as badges of progress. Hindutva strips that facade, reclaiming agency for the rooted majority, highlighting their detachment from the masses, unease with confident Hindu assertion, and the hollowness of power built on post-colonial mimicry rather than authentic heritage. It forces uncomfortable self-reflection on their enduring mental colonisation, and thats precisely why they hate it. In Bengal, this conditioning runs deep. The Bengali intelligentsia, shaped by the Bengal Renaissance and later Marxist dominance under decades of Left Front rule, has long leaned leftward. They are often virulently anti-Hindutva, viewing it through a lens of colonial-era secularism and Soviet-inspired atheism. Calcuttas elite, influenced by British education and communist hegemony post-1947, internalised narratives dismissing Hindu civilisational pride as retrograde. This brings us to the upcoming spectacle. On January 11, 2026, at the prestigious Calcutta Club, the Calcutta Debating Circle (in association with The Telegraph) hosts a debate on the motion Hinduism Needs Protection From Hindutva." For the motion are relics like Mani Shankar Aiyar and Ashutosh, feral loudmouths like Mahua Moitra, and distorians like Ruchika Sharma peddling tired pseudo-secular tropes. Against the motion stand stalwarts like Swapan Dasgupta, J Sai Deepak, Agnimitra Paul, and Sudhanshu Trivedi, who, unlike the flustered opposition, conduct themselves armed with logic and history. The left-leaning intelligentsia, long cocooned in culturally alienated narratives, are in for a total feast. For decades, theyve parroted that Hindutva is fascist" or majoritarian," ignoring how it liberates Dharma from colonial chains. This event will hopefully pierce that bubble, forcing confrontation with truths, that Hinduism" is the real threat to authentic Dharma and Hindutva its saviour. Hopefully, by the end, even the most conditioned will glimpse the propaganda theyve swallowed, emerging informed and even perhaps awakened. The death knell of that construct has sounded. Hindutva is not a threat but a reclamation. Not destruction, but resurrection. And it is precisely this mirror, held up to enduring mental colonisation, that its critics find impossible to face. Adit Kothari is a Calcuttan residing in London as a Pravasi Bharatiya, working to dismantle the plethora of false narratives and misinformation against India and Hindutva. 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: January 10, 2026, 20:40 IST News opinion Hinduism Vs Hindutva: A Battle Of Colonial Construct Vs Eternal Dharma 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 | Is Brute Power The New World Order? Written By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 07:00 IST If power, unadorned and unapologetic, has become the only meaningful currency in the world, then the only option left for India is to become as powerful as possible itself US President Donald Trump and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (File photos/AFP) Would America have dared to carry out the abduction of the President and his wife of a country, as part of planned pulverisation of the enshrined principle of national sovereignty, if that country was a nuclear weapons power, and could also inflict, even if not in the same measure, unacceptable damage to America? The answer is clearly in the negative. So, the only inference to draw from the lawless world in which we live today is that, irrespective of the real merits of any situation, the only wrong that one can commit is to be helpless and vulnerable to the lunatic domination of the powerful. The blunt truth is that brute power is synonymous with the new world order. The grammar of diplomacy still invokes the United Nations, international law, human rights, democracy, sovereignty, and a rules-based order. Yet the lived reality of global politics increasingly suggests another, older languageone in which brute power speaks more fluently than principle, and outcomes are shaped less by norms than by naked capacity. True, the world has rarely been governed by idealism alone. Notions like the balance of power, spheres of influence, and realpolitik are not modern inventions; they are as old as Chanakya. What is different today is not the existence of might is right, but its brazennessand the erosion of any shared moral embarrassment about its use. The post-Second World War order, painstakingly constructed amidst the ruins of unrestrained violence, sought to place some limits on this instinct. The United Nations, international law, and a network of multilateral institutions were not designed to abolish power, but to civilize itto embed it within procedures, norms, and a minimal consensus about restraint. For several decades, this architecture functioned imperfectly but meaningfully. Even the most powerful states felt obliged to cloak their actions in the language of legality and ethics. Hypocrisy, paradoxically, was a tribute paid to principle. That tribute now appears less obligatory. When Russia redraws borders by force, when the United States employs sanctions as instruments of economic siege, invades Venezuela and claims Denmark, when Israel continues its relentless bombing of Palestine, or when China asserts that Asia is its natural area of dominance, it is clear that the rules- based international order is dead. Frankly, the United Nations too is redundant. The UN was never a world government; it is a forum, a mirror held up to the international community. Its paralysis often reflects not its own irrelevance, but the deep divisions among its most powerful members. The Security Council does not fail because rules are meaningless; it fails because power is unequally distributed and jealously guarded. To blame the institution for the behaviour of states is to misunderstand both. Within borders, autocratic governmentsincluding a powerful and self-assured Chinahave asserted control over dissent, information, and identity with little apology to liberal sensibilities. Liberal democracy once claimed not only moral superiority but historical inevitability. That confidence has dissipated. Autocratic regimes arguesometimes persuasively to their own citizensthat order, growth, and national pride matter more than procedural freedoms. The spectacle of dysfunction in many democracies, marked by polarisation and inequality, is of a piece with global dysfunction. Only more pro-active citizens can counter this push towards internal national hegemony. Between international unilateralism and internal authoritarianism, three things are common. Both justify their actions on the basis of national interest whose definition is solely their monopoly; both believe that any opposition to their wilful impunity is irrelevant, and should be suppressed by force; and, both are convinced of the ideological supremacy of what they believe in. Donald Trump is a classic example of this confluence. He is contemptuously dismissive of the opposition within his own country, and arrogantly unconcerned about the push back to his actions on the international front. What then are the diplomatic lessons for India? If power, unadorned and unapologetic, has become the only meaningful currency in the world, then the only option left for India is to become as powerful as possible itself. We can only be grateful that rising above our moral hypocrisy we decided in 1998 to become a nuclear weapons power. Over time we have further strengthenedalbeit far too slowlyour defence capabilities. With Pakistan aligned with China, we live in one of the most hostile regions of the world. Chinas imperious designs, although seemingly less flagrant than Trumps, are not very different. We have to remain forever clear-eyed on that score. There is one final lesson for India. In a world where rules have become totally flexible, and only applied when convenient or when enforced by superior strength, India must stand strongly and publicly against any bullying. We have verifiable strengths: one of the worlds largest economies, 1.4 billion people, civilisational legacy, democracy even if less than perfect, and nuclear weapons. Bullies dont understand reason or rational accommodation. Thus, when Trump announced blatantly partisan tariffs as an act of intimidation against us for buying Russian oil, we should have been far more aggressive in our reaction. That self-confidence and willingness to preserve national self-respect at any cost, is the only currency that works in the global jungle raj that we live in today. Here, we could learn from China. It boldly stood up to Trumps aggression, and today the same presidential bully is talking about a G-2 comprising the US and China. The writer is a former diplomat, an author, and a politician. 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: January 10, 2026, 07:00 IST News opinion Opinion | Is Brute Power The New World Order? 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 Clock Doesnt Reset At Midnight, So Why Do We Expect Ourselves To? Written By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 22:46 IST Meaningful change isnt a switch that you can flip on symbolic dates Its strange how these entirely arbitrary dates that have been collectively agreed upon and socially reinforced carry such weight. (Representational image: AI-generated) I often joke with my family that we get to reset" our lives three times a year. Like most people, we begin with the Gregorian calendars New Year, complete with reflection posts, resolutions, and the silent pressure to wake up improved. Being Telugu means we also celebrate Ugadi, which is our cultural New Year rooted in ritual and symbolism. And now, having married into a Gujarati family, Diwali marks yet another New Year, filled with light, prosperity, and the promise of new beginnings. Three New Years. Three chances to start over. Its strange how these entirely arbitrary dates that have been collectively agreed upon and socially reinforced carry such weight. Were expected to be more disciplined, mindful, and aligned with some ideal version of ourselves soon after the clock strikes midnight. Why cant change just quietly begin on an ordinary Tuesday? Ever since COVID-19, these dates stopped feeling like opportunities to reset or reinvent myself. Instead, they became reminders of what I actually get joy from and a reason to return to that. The shared meals with people I love, a long seaside Sunday walk with my dogs, building things (sometimes my business, sometimes Lego), conversations that dont necessarily lead to anything but fill your heart, and anything that feels like home to me. Each New Year has a unique emotional thread. The Gregorian New Year arrives after a glamorous night of celebration, with the need to optimise, fix, and plan. Ugadi feels softer, soulful, and more intimate. Every year on Ugadi morning, I look forward to the pachadi lovingly made by my mother. Its blend of the sweet, bitter, sour, spicy, salty, and astringent flavours subtly acknowledges that life will never be just one flavour. While Diwali signifies the spiritual victory of light over darkness, it also brings renewal through community gatherings and shared optimism at both home and work. It feels like a collective awakening, with families doing their Diwali cleaning together and teams at work coming together with hopes of a successful new financial year as well. None of these moments demand reinvention. We are the ones who have confused reflection with resets. Some of my most grounding moments arrive after the celebrations end. Those in-between moments, with the ones who linger without agenda while the lull sets in and theres a mess waiting to be cleaned up, seem unremarkable on the surface, but they hold an immense sense of gratitude. Its a reminder that connection doesnt live in announcements or milestones, but in presence. Relationships, much like plants, need nurturing. But not all plants need the same kind of care, and this is something Im constantly learning about as a new plant mum. Some thrive with constant attention, while others need space and patience. Overwatering can be just as damaging as neglect. The challenge is learning what each relationship needs and resisting the urge to treat them all the way you would like to be treated. Things usually get complicated when care becomes transactional. We live in a world where material gestures are often used to express or replace affection. While gifts, favours, access, and generosity can be meaningful, they cannot substitute for emotional presence. People try to buy relationships and loyalty this way, not realising that connections built this way can never be real. You might gain dependence, gratitude, or compliance, but not love. Loyalty thats bought can never be trusted, because it exists only to serve self-interest on both ends. True relationships exist beyond vanity and material pleasure. When a relationship lacks emotional depth, it also lacks honesty and transparency. Without emotional safety, people perform instead of revealing their truest self. They curate, not communicate. And no amount of generosity can replace the willingness to be vulnerable. Relationships with strong foundations also understand something we dont talk about enough: sometimes, you have to prioritise other things. Life moves in seasons or, in my case, like my PMS mood swings. Careers demand focus. Health takes precedence. Family comes first. And there will come a time when rest is non-negotiable. There have been times when I couldnt show up for a friends party, a celebration, or even a wedding. Its not because I didnt care, but because I couldnt be everywhere at once. Since I value relationships built on emotional depth, these absences didnt fracture my bond. Maybe I was met with silent punishment for a few days (and that too mostly for a touch of drama), but the relationship held because it wasnt dependent on constant visibility. Thats the thing about strong relationships; they trust intent, not just attendance. One of my closest friends lives in Dublin. Even though I havent seen him in 7 months and we cant physically be there for all of each others milestones, theres an unsaid understanding that were always rooting for and looking out for each other. One of the relationships I value most is also one that has evolved the most: my relationship with my brother. We have heated arguments. We see life through very different lenses most of the time. We challenge each other, sometimes so loudly that our parents think were back to being terrible teenagers instead of adults in their 30s. Yet, beneath all that friction is an unshakeable certainty that he will always have my back. There is no transaction involved because we dont keep count of what we do for each other. Its just trust and love built over years of honesty, disagreement followed by understanding, and shared history. This kind of loyalty comes from knowing that even when perspectives clash, the foundation remains intact. Perhaps this is why I no longer believe in New Year resolutions as markers of transformation. Because meaningful change isnt a switch that you can flip on symbolic dates. Life doesnt reset at midnight. The clock keeps ticking. What matters most is how we choose to be present in our lives. Juveca Panda Chheda is an entrepreneur, writer and unapologetic slow-living advocate who believes mindfulness should come with a sense of humour. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. 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: January 10, 2026, 22:37 IST News opinion Opinion | The Clock Doesnt Reset At Midnight, So Why Do We Expect Ourselves To? 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... Last Updated: January 09, 2026, 18:44 IST 1 / 11 When it comes to larger-than-life screen presence, few actors can manage to exceed the standards set by Prabhas. The actors latest release, The Raja Saab, is another example of the mania that drives his fans. From fake crocodiles in movie theatres to dancing on the streets ahead of the horror comedys release, the film is another example of how Prabhas manages to excite his followers with every release. 2 / 11 But few people know that Prabhas has a big collection of luxury cars. The Baahubali actors garage features vehicles any auto enthusiast might go gaga over, with cars ranging from a Rolls-Royce Phantom or a BMW X5. Prabhas keeps things low-key on social media, rarely posting photos unrelated to his projects. However, his car collection remains a talking point for some of his fans. ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 11 One of the biggest cars that Prabhas owns is a Rolls-Royce Phantom. The bespoke limousine is powered by a 6.75L V12 motor. The engine generates a peak power of 563 hp and a maximum torque of 900 Nm. It has an 8-speed automatic transmission that launches the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds. 4 / 11 The Rolls-Royce Phantom is famous as a vehicle of choice among affluent people across the globe. The current version of the luxury car has a base price of Rs 9 crore. If one opts for the extended wheelbase variant, the cost goes up to Rs 10.48 crore. The vehicle is synonymous with luxury and comfort. ADVERTISEMENT 5 / 11 If the Rolls-Royce Phantom stands for indulgence, the Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster that Prabhas owns is a symbol of pure speed. The car is a bright orange hue, which Lamborghini calls Arancio. The Aventador S Roadster is not available for sale anymore. The vehicle used to be priced at around Rs 6 crore in the Indian market. 6 / 11 The Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster is famous for its speed. The supercar has a maximum torque of 720 Nm and a peak power output of 770 PS. It is powered by a 6.5L NA V12 petrol motor. The Aventador S Roadster also features a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. As per reports, one of the last units of the vehicle was delivered to Prabhas. The Aventador S Roadster is succeeded by the Lamborghini Revuelto. ADVERTISEMENT 7 / 11 Another luxury vehicle in Prabhas garage is the BMW X5. As per reports, Prabhas owns the facelifted version of the second-generation BMW X5 in black. The supercar has a 3.0-liter straight-six diesel engine capable of delivering a peak power output of 255 PS and maximum torque of 560 Nm. The BMW X5 also has an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The car offers both comfort and peak performance. 8 / 11 Like a lot of celebrities, Prabhas also has a Range Rover in his possession. He earlier owned an older version of the flagship Range Rover SUV, but switched to the new-gen variant in 2023. The Santorini Black fourth-generation long-wheelbase Range Rover is equipped with a 4.4-liter diesel V8 engine that generates 340 PS of power and 740 Nm of torque. The Range Rover also has an 8-speed automatic transmission. ADVERTISEMENT 9 / 11 The final luxury car that Prabhas owns is the Jaguar XJ. This was reportedly Prabhas first luxury vehicle and has a special place in his heart. The silver-coloured vehicle has a robust 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 diesel engine that gives 600 Nm and 275 PS of peak torque and power using a 6-speed automatic gearbox. It offers elegance, comfort and speed at once. 10 / 11 The luxury cars owned by Prabhas make him one of the few Indian celebrities with such a wide-ranging collection. The choices reflect both his passion as an auto-enthusiast and his stardom. These cars are all about comfort, style and speed, making every travel experience one to be remembered. ADVERTISEMENT Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 13:38 IST 1 / 5 The excitement for Lohri is palpable among children and adults alike. Every year, Lohri results in school holidays across several states in North India. This festival not only celebrates the harvest but also extends the winter break in schools during the cold season. However, there is some confusion about the exact date of Lohri and which specific days schools will be closed. (AI Generated Image) 2 / 5 Lohri is celebrated in mid-January, a time when a cold wave sweeps much of North India. Consequently, the administration in states like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana extends the winter vacation to include Lohri and Makar Sankranti. Parents should be aware of the regions that have officially declared holidays and the schools that will observe voluntary holidays. (Image: Canva) ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 5 When is the festival? Lohri is celebrated exactly one day before Makar Sankranti. Typically, it is celebrated on January 13th, but occasionally, it may fall on January 14th due to changes in the date of Makar Sankranti. The school holiday calendar depends on this date. However, most people will celebrate Lohri on January 13th, 2026 (Tuesday). (AI Generated Image) 4 / 5 Schools in Delhi and the NCR region, including Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Gurugram, have a winter vacation in the first half of January. If the cold weather persists in January 2026, the administration might extend the holidays around Lohri. According to the Delhi government's Directorate of Education (DoE), most government schools are likely to remain closed until January 15, allowing students to fully enjoy Lohri and Makar Sankranti. (AI Generated Image) ADVERTISEMENT Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 12:18 IST 1 / 10 Greenland, a vast Arctic island dominated by ice and glaciers, has unexpectedly found itself back in global conversations due to recent remarks made by US President Donald Trump. During a recent meeting at the White House on Friday, January 9, with senior oil and gas executives, Trump once again spoke about why he believes it is important for the US to own Greenland. He has been pushing this controversial idea since 2019. (Photos: Pexels) 2 / 10 Positioning himself as a global peacemaker, Trump argued that the issue was less about territorial ambition and more about preventing Russia and China from expanding their influence in the Arctic region. His remarks were accompanied by renewed talk that military action could not be ruled out. "I would like to make a deal, you know, the easy way. But if we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way," Trump said. His comments drew attention especially because both the US and Denmark, which governs Greenland, are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). (Photo Credits: Instagram) ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 10 But as political debates go on, a question has resurfaced online: why is Greenland called Greenland at all? At first glance, the name Greenland appears misleading. Around 80 per cent of the island is covered by ice, and much of its terrain remains frozen year-round. This very irony has puzzled many, particularly as discussions about the islands strategic importance dominate headlines. (Photo Credits: Pexels) 4 / 10 Recently, a short explanatory video revisited this long-standing curiosity that offers historical context behind the contrasting names of Greenland and Iceland. These two neighbouring lands names seem odd with their actual geography. The narrator opens with a question that many have wondered about: Why is Greenland called Greenland when it is 80 per cent made up of glaciers and almost completely covered in ice? And why is Iceland famous for its green landscapes and hot springs called Iceland? It seems these names were mixed up. Well, it was actually a Viking trick. ADVERTISEMENT 5 / 10 The explanation traces back over a thousand years to the Viking Age. Vikings, who originated from Scandinavia (modern-day Norway, Denmark and Sweden), were seafaring explorers known for their longships, raids and settlements across Europe and beyond. Between the late 8th and 11th centuries, they established communities in Iceland and Greenland and even reached parts of North America. 6 / 10 According to the video, Iceland was named first. Norwegian Vikings arrived there in the 9th century during winter and encountered a land dominated by ice and snow. Based on what they saw, they named it Iceland. The narrator explains, In the 9th century, Norwegian Vikings were the first to reach the shores of Iceland. It was winter, and as they saw nothing but ice and snow, they naturally named it Iceland. Naming lands based on first impressions was common among explorers. The video points out that Florida, for example, got its name from Spanish explorers who arrived during a season of abundant flowers. ADVERTISEMENT 7 / 10 Greenlands name came from a clever decision. The video goes on to explain that Greenland was named later by Erik the Red, a Viking who had been exiled from Iceland for crimes. While searching for new lands to settle, he travelled west and encountered a massive island that was largely icy. Understanding that it would be difficult to attract settlers to such a place, Erik chose a more persuasive approach. Realising that it would be difficult to attract settlers to the island, he used a clever trick and named it Greenland, the opposite of Iceland, of what it actually was to make the name sound attractive to new inhabitants, the narrator says. The name was less about geography and more about marketing. 8 / 10 While the islands name may have historical roots in Viking persuasion, modern Greenlanders have been firm about their identity and future. Following Trumps latest remarks, Greenlands political leaders issued a rare joint statement criticising what they described as the US disregard for their autonomy. We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders. The future of Greenland must be decided by the Greenlandic people, the leaders stated as quoted by Financial Express. ADVERTISEMENT 9 / 10 Concerns were also raised about Trumps repeated claims that Russian and Chinese ships are increasingly present in Greenlands waters. Speaking to The Guardian, Jess Berthelsen, chair of Greenlands national trade union confederation SIK, dismissed these assertions outright. We cant see it, we cant recognise it and we cant understand it, he said and added that Greenland will not be annexed. Berthelsen further questioned the basis of Trumps claims, saying, The Danish navy is travelling in Greenland waters, and our big trawlers are also everywhere. If that had been the case, they could have told us already, but theres no such thing. So what is it that hes talking about? Assam CM Claims Gaurav Gogoi Has 'Relationship With Pakistan', Promises 'Explosive' Proof Soon Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 10:59 IST Addressing a rally in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that three out of four members of Congress MP Gaurav Gogois immediate family are foreigners. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi | File Image Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday launched his sharpest attack yet on Congress MP and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi, accusing him of having a relationship with Pakistan" and vowing that explosive details" would be revealed within this month. Addressing a public rally at Goreswar in Assams Tamulpur, Sarma intensified his long-running campaign against the Jorhat Lok Sabha MP, alleging that three out of four members of Gogois immediate family are foreigners. The Chief Minister referred to Gogois British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, and their two children, whom he has repeatedly claimed hold foreign citizenship. Invoking Assamese cultural symbolism, Sarma declared that the people of the state would not accept such a person into the traditional household (borghar)," using the metaphor to question Gogois loyalty, roots, and suitability to lead Assam. He went further, branding Gogoi a Pakistani agent" and alleging that foreign forces had deliberately planted" him in Assams political landscape. The Chief Ministers remarks build on earlier allegations linking Gogoi to Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), claims Sarma has previously tied to his wifes past professional associations and visits abroad. Although no evidence has been made public so far, Sarma has repeatedly asserted that an official probe has uncovered serious findings. The renewed offensive comes at a time of rising political temperatures ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections. Sarma reiterated that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the allegations had already submitted its report last year. He hinted that the case could soon be handed over to a central investigative agency, while teasing major disclosures in the coming weeks. This is not political rhetoric," Sarma has maintained in recent statements, insisting that the matter concerns national security and Assams future. Gaurav Gogoi has strongly and consistently rejected the accusations, calling them baseless lies", political theatrics", and a calculated smear campaign by the BJP to distract from what he describes as governance failures under the Sarma-led government. The Congress leader has dared the Chief Minister to make the alleged evidence public, warning that unsubstantiated allegations amount to intimidation and character assassination. This is fear politics," Gogoi has said, accusing the BJP of weaponising nationalism to silence opposition voices. He has also questioned why, if the allegations were genuine, no concrete action has been taken so far. The confrontation underscores the deepening polarisation in Assam politics, with the BJP aggressively framing the political contest as a battle between nationalism and external influence, while the Congress accuses Sarma of authoritarianism, fearmongering, and misuse of state machinery. As January end approaches, political circles in Assam are watching closely to see whether Sarma follows through on his promise of disclosures from the SIT probe or whether the high-voltage accusations remain part of an escalating war of words that continues to dominate the pre-election narrative in the state. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 10:58 IST News politics Assam CM Claims Gaurav Gogoi Has 'Relationship With Pakistan', Promises 'Explosive' Proof Soon 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... China, Kenya discover advanced Paleolithic tools in Africa Xinhua) 10:37, January 10, 2026 This undated file photo shows China-Kenya joint archaeological team working at Kenya's Lake Bogoria site. A China-Kenya joint archaeological team has for the first time unearthed stone tool products featuring blade technology from the middle to late Paleolithic period at Kenya's Lake Bogoria site. The discovery, announced at a conference on the 2025 archaeological results of central China's Henan Province held from Wednesday to Saturday, provides crucial material for studying the origins and spread of blade technology and its connection to early modern humans. (Xinhua) ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A China-Kenya joint archaeological team has for the first time unearthed stone tool products featuring blade technology from the middle to late Paleolithic period at Kenya's Lake Bogoria site. The discovery, announced at a conference on the 2025 archaeological results of central China's Henan Province held from Wednesday to Saturday, provides crucial material for studying the origins and spread of blade technology and its connection to early modern humans. Peng Shenglan, a team member from the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology (HPICHA), explained that blade technology is considered a major "upgrade" in human toolmaking. Compared to earlier, bulkier tools, these blades were more portable and easier to rework, significantly improving production efficiency and standardization. Kenya is recognized as "one of the cradles of humankind" and a key region supporting the "Out of Africa" theory of modern human origins. The Lake Bogoria site is located in Baringo County within Kenya's Rift Valley. In September 2025, a Chinese team from the HPICHA and Luoyang Institute of Archaeology, also in Henan, arrived in Kenya. They surveyed areas around the lakes of Baringo and Bogoria for middle Paleolithic sites dating between 300,000 and 100,000 years ago and excavated a location of the Lake Bogoria site. According to Peng, the excavation covered 64 square meters and reached a depth of about 3.6 meters. Over 5,000 stone artifacts and animal fossils were unearthed, including the first stone blade products from that period. "The discovery of these blade artifacts, with clear stratigraphic information, offers vital evidence for exploring the origins and dissemination of bladelet technology and its ties to early modern humans," said Zhao Qingpo, field director from the Chinese side of the joint team, adding that the abundance of animal fossils in the deposits suggests favorable preservation conditions, raising the possibility of future hominin fossil discoveries. Zhao said that the team will continue excavations, expand the archaeological survey in the Baringo region, and conduct comprehensive research on the unearthed Paleolithic remains to search for new clues and evidence for the study of modern human origins. This undated file photo shows stone tool products featuring blade technology unearthed by the China-Kenya joint archaeological team at Kenya's Lake Bogoria site. A China-Kenya joint archaeological team has for the first time unearthed stone tool products featuring blade technology from the middle to late Paleolithic period at Kenya's Lake Bogoria site. The discovery, announced at a conference on the 2025 archaeological results of central China's Henan Province held from Wednesday to Saturday, provides crucial material for studying the origins and spread of blade technology and its connection to early modern humans. (Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Sheng Chuyi) In recent years, Azerbaijan-China relations have demonstrated clear upward momentum, marked by a growing number of high-level visits, expanding economic ties, and deepening cooperation across strategic sectors. Against the backdrop of shifting global power balances and the restructuring of international supply chains, Bakus engagement with Beijing reflects a deliberate and forward-looking foreign policy choice. Developing relations with China, one of the worlds leading economic and political powers, has become one of Azerbaijans key foreign policy priorities. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on April 2, 1992, bilateral cooperation has evolved steadily, reaching a strategic level over the past few years. This trajectory is not accidental but the result of consistent diplomatic engagement and shared long-term interests. At the political level, relations between Azerbaijan and China are underpinned by strong mutual trust between President Ilham Aliyev and Chinese President Xi Jinping. This high degree of political confidence is reflected in regular contacts and symbolic gestures, including President Xi being among the first world leaders to congratulate President Ilham Aliyev on his re-election. Such signals carry particular weight in diplomatic practice, especially in relations with China, where continuity and trust are key pillars of foreign engagement. President Ilham Aliyev has described the strengthening of ties with China as one of the most important achievements of Azerbaijans foreign policy in 2025. In his assessment, the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed during his state visit to China in April last year, represents a milestone in bilateral relations. This declaration elevated cooperation to a new political framework, providing institutional and strategic depth to Azerbaijan-China ties. The political framework has translated into tangible economic results. During President Aliyevs state visit to China, 20 cooperation documents were signed, covering a broad range of areas including trade, energy, transport, science, education, culture, and media. As a result, bilateral trade turnover has reached a record level, exceeding $4 billion. Chinese investment activity in Azerbaijan has also intensified, particularly in the green energy sector - an area aligned with Azerbaijans long-term development strategy and its commitments to energy transition. Chinese companies are involved in the construction of solar and wind power plants, power generation infrastructure, and the production of electric buses, positioning Azerbaijan as an emerging hub for green energy development in the region. This growing investment cooperation reflects Chinas broader global strategy of supporting sustainable infrastructure projects, while allowing Azerbaijan to diversify its economy beyond hydrocarbons. One of the most strategically significant areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and China is transport and logistics. Azerbaijan occupies a central position along the EastWest transport corridor, also known as the Middle Corridor, which connects China to Europe via Central Asia and the Caspian Sea. President Ilham Aliyev has noted that China will be the main driver of future growth in freight traffic along this route. Chinas multibillion-dollar investments in railway infrastructure across Central Asia - including projects through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan toward the Caspian Sea - signal Beijings long-term commitment to this corridor. Once operational at full capacity, these routes are expected to significantly increase cargo flows to Azerbaijan, strengthening its role as a key logistics hub. In this context, Azerbaijan is not merely a transit country but an active stakeholder in shaping a reliable, diversified alternative to traditional maritime routes, particularly amid global supply chain disruptions. Beyond economics and geopolitics, Azerbaijan-China cooperation is expanding into science, education, and people-to-people diplomacy - areas that ensure long-term sustainability of bilateral relations. A recent example is the interest expressed by Chinas Hubei International Professional Exchange Association in establishing partnerships with Azerbaijani scientific institutions. During a meeting with Aghshin Aliyev, Head of the Azerbaijani Language Department at Beijing Foreign Studies University, the associations leadership highlighted opportunities for joint research projects. These discussions reflect a broader trend: academic exchanges between Azerbaijani and Chinese universities and research centers are intensifying, supported by the comprehensive strategic partnership framework. Founded in 1988, the Hubei International Professional Exchange Association has implemented more than 200 international scientific projects across fields such as medical biology, agriculture, information technology, new materials, and ecology. Its interest in cooperation with Azerbaijan underscores the growing recognition of Azerbaijan as a reliable scientific and educational partner in Eurasia. Taken together, these developments indicate that Azerbaijan-China relations have moved beyond symbolic partnership into a multidimensional strategic alliance. Political trust has created the foundation, economic cooperation provides tangible benefits, transport connectivity strengthens Azerbaijans geopolitical relevance, and scientific collaboration ensures long-term institutional depth. As global competition intensifies and new economic corridors take shape, Azerbaijans pragmatic and balanced engagement with China positions the country as a key regional partner - capable of aligning national interests with broader Eurasian integration processes. In this sense, Azerbaijan-China relations are not only deepening but are becoming an integral part of Azerbaijans broader vision for sustainable growth and strategic autonomy. TOKYO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The city assemblies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have adopted statements urging the Japanese government to adhere to the country's Three Non-Nuclear Principles, Kyodo News reported. The Hiroshima City Assembly unanimously adopted its statement on Friday, pointing out that the ruling party's attempt to revise the non-nuclear principles has caused concern, and strongly urging the Japanese government to take the feelings of people in the atomic-bombed cities seriously and to uphold the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, the report said. The Nagasaki City Assembly passed its statement on Thursday by a majority vote, noting that successive Japanese governments have regarded the Three Non-Nuclear Principles as a national policy. It said the ruling party's intended revision of the principles while amending the country's security documents is totally unacceptable. On Aug. 6 and 9, 1945, in an effort to force Japan, which had launched a war of aggression, to surrender as soon as possible, the U.S. military dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. The Three Non-Nuclear Principles, not possessing, not producing and not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japanese territory, were first declared by then Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967 and formally adopted by the parliament in 1971, establishing them as Japan's basic nuclear policy. The National Security Strategy, one of the three documents approved by the Cabinet in 2022, states, "The basic policy of adhering to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles will remain unchanged in the future." Japanese media have previously reported that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering reviewing the third of The Three Non-Nuclear Principles, which prohibits nuclear weapons from entering Japan's territory, when updating related documents. 'Bhrasht Janata Party': Rahul Gandhi Slams BJP's Double Engine Govts In Various States Published By : PTI Last Updated: January 09, 2026, 20:10 IST Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP's double-engine governments of corruption and arrogance, citing Ankita Bhandari murder, Unnao case, and Indore deaths. Congress leader and LoP Rahul Gandhi. (Image: PTI/File) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday dubbed the BJP Bhrast Janata Party and claimed that its double-engine governments in various states have ruined the lives of the people through corruption, abuse of power and the poison of arrogance. Gandhi cited the murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand, the Unnao rape case in Uttar Pradesh, deaths from drinking contaminated water in Indore, among others, to attack the BJP. Across the country, the Bhrasht Janata Partys double-engine governments have ruined the lives of the people. Corruption, abuse of power, and the poison of arrogance have spread throughout the BJPs politics, from top to bottom," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said in a post in Hindi. In their system, the lives of the poor, the helpless, labourers, and the middle class are merely statistics, and a system of extortion is operating in the name of development", Gandhi alleged. The brutal murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand shook the entire nation but the question remains: which BJP VIP is being protected by those in power? When will the law be equal for all?" he said. In the Unnao case in Uttar Pradesh, the entire country witnessed how criminals were protected due to the arrogance of power, and how much the victim had to pay for justice, Gandhi said. Whether its deaths from drinking contaminated water in Indore or complaints of contaminated water and polluted supply from Gujarat, Haryana, and Delhi the fear of disease is everywhere, he claimed. From the Aravalli range in Rajasthan to other natural resources wherever the greed and self-interest of billionaires have reached, rules have been trampled upon. Mountains are being cut down, forests are being destroyed and the public is getting in return: dust, pollution, and disaster," Gandhi said. Deaths of children from cough syrup, rats killing newborns in government hospitals, collapsing roofs of government schools this is not negligence," but a direct consequence of corruption, he further alleged. Bridges collapse, roads cave in, families are wiped out in train accidents, and the BJP government does the same thing every time: photo opportunities, tweets, and the formality of compensation," Gandhi said. Modi jis double engine is running but only for the billionaires. For the common Indian, this double-engine government of corruption is not a speed of development, but a speed of destruction crushing someones life every single day," the former Congress chief charged, using the hashtag "Bhrasht Janata Party. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 09, 2026, 20:05 IST News politics 'Bhrasht Janata Party': Rahul Gandhi Slams BJP's Double Engine Govts In Various States 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... Can't Tolerate A Woman CM: Rekha Gupta Slams AAP For Trolling Her Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 18:10 IST Rekha Gupta criticized Aam Aadmi Party for mocking her verbal slips, alleging intolerance towards a woman Chief Minister. Rekha Gupta was replying to the discussion on the lieutenant governors address in the Delhi Assembly. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday slammed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders for repeatedly mocking her through memes and personal attacks over inadvertent verbal slips saying that she felt pained by such actions and claimed that the opposition party cannot tolerate a woman running the government and working around the clock. While replying to the discussion on the Lieutenant Governors address in the Delhi Assembly, the Chief Minister said that the ridicule went beyond political opposition. While referring to criticism and mockery she faced for misspelling AQI" (air quality index), she said, Sometimes they would say something to hurt (my) dignity, make cheap comments, level baseless allegations, and go after my words" she said as quoted by news agency PTI. The Chief Minister clarified that she had not intentionally made any remarks that warranted ridicule, but was being targeted for minor mistakes. She added, In my speech, I said Congress instead of British, and they started making reels out of it. Anyone can make such verbal slips. While I committed a mistake, the AAP deliberately misled the people of Delhi on so many occasions." Gupta alleged that these attacks were baseless and stemmed from resentment toward a woman working round the clock. I am pained by the way AAP leaders behaved. They do not like a woman running the government, or a woman chief minister working 247, doing so many things They are unable to tolerate it," she added. Hitting back at the opposition, Gupta said there was a difference between unintentional errors and deliberate actions. Referring to AAPs national convenor Arvind Kejriwals political journey, Gupta claimed that the transition from a hunger strike at the Ramlila Maidan to the Sheesh Mahal" was undertaken deliberately and with full awareness. He consciously swore on his children that he would neither seek power nor accept government posts, official bungalows or vehicles, and would never ally with the Congress. Those misleading statements were made consciously, and not by any mistake as I did," the Chief Minister said. She alleged that the idea to claim a British-era Phansi Ghar" on the Assembly premises was also deliberate and made under a conspiracy, and not by any mistake. Gupta also accused the AAP Leader of Opposition in the Assembly (Atishi) of deliberately" insulting Sikh Gurus, saying such acts will not be tolerated. During her speech in the Delhi Assembly, Gupta also drew a comparison between her governments 11 months in office and what she called as 11 years of mismanagement and corruption" under the AAP government. The Delhi CM highlighted the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Vandana Yojana, digitisation in hospitals, as well as initiatives like Jan Aushadhi Kendras, palna centres for working women, and more. Gupta alleged that during the term of the past AAP government, there had been massive cost overruns in hospital projects, irregular electricity connections, and irrational water bills. (With inputs from agencies) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 18:10 IST News politics Can't Tolerate A Woman CM: Rekha Gupta Slams AAP For Trolling Her 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... 'Lawless Dictatorship': Suvendu Adhikari Sits On Dharna At Bengal Police Station After Convoy Attack Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 23:04 IST While Adhikari claimed the attack was carried out by 'TMC goons', Trinamool Congress spokespersons suggested that the BJP is attempting to create a 'narrative of victimhood' Local TMC leaders characterised the incident as an expression of 'public anger'. (File Image) The political atmosphere in West Bengal grew increasingly volatile on Saturday, following an alleged attack on the Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, in Paschim Medinipur district. Posting a video on social media site X, Adhikari claimed that his convoy was viciously attacked" by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers at approximately 8.20 pm while he was returning from a political engagement in Purulia. The incident occurred near Chandrakona Road, sparking immediate protests and a high-stakes standoff between BJP supporters and local law enforcement. Detailing the encounter, Adhikari alleged that the attackers used sticks and bamboo to strike his vehicle as it crossed a busy intersection. He further accused the West Bengal Police of acting as mute spectators", claiming that the assault took place in the presence of security personnel who failed to intervene. Describing the event as a lawless dictatorship", the BJP heavyweight argued that the attack was a sign of the ruling partys desperation in the face of rising public discontent ahead of the assembly elections. Tonight approximately around 8:20 PM, while I was returning from Purulia, at Chandrakona Road; Paschim Medinipur district, I was viciously attacked by TMC goons.These cowards, emboldened by the Mamata Banerjee regimes culture of violence and impunity, attacked me right in the pic.twitter.com/caM0JshS4y Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) January 10, 2026 Following the confrontation, Adhikari entered the Chandrakona Police Station and staged a dharna, sitting on the floor of the station to demand the immediate arrest of the perpetrators. Visuals from the scene showed a heavy police presence as BJP workers gathered outside the station, raising slogans against the Mamata Banerjee-led government. Adhikari maintained that he would not budge" from the station until a First Information Report (FIR) was registered and accountability was enforced against those he termed TMC goons". The Trinamool Congress has largely dismissed the allegations, with local leaders characterising the incident as an expression of public anger" rather than an organised party attack. TMC spokespersons suggested that the BJP is attempting to create a narrative of victimhood" to stay relevant amid a lack of grassroots support. This incident is the latest in a series of violent clashes between the two parties, following a similar alleged attack on Adhikaris convoy in Cooch Behar in late 2025. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 23:04 IST News politics 'Lawless Dictatorship': Suvendu Adhikari Sits On Dharna At Bengal Police Station After Convoy Attack 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... Not A Word On Bangladesh From Champions Of Secularism: Yogi Adityanath Slams Opposition Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 20:35 IST Yogi Adityanath alleged that the Opposition remains silent when atrocities are committed against Hindus in neighbouring countries, while protesting on global issues selectively. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday took a veiled dig at the opposition, accusing them of selective outrage" and appeasement politics while referring to violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. While addressing the 726th birth celebration of Jagatguru Ramanandacharya in Uttar Pradeshs Prayagraj, Yogi Adityanath alleged that the Opposition remains silent when atrocities are committed against Hindus in neighbouring countries, while protesting on international issues selectively. It seems as if someone has glued their mouths shut with Fevicol. These people are not holding any candle marches on the Bangladesh incidents. This is also a warning for all of us," Adityanath said as quoted by news agency PTI. Not a single word is coming out of the mouths of champions of secularism," he added. #WATCH | Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi Adityanath participates in the 726th birth celebration of Jagatguru Ramanandacharya, says, Division based on caste, creed and community will destroy us exactly as we see in Bangladesh. Nobody is talking of Bangladesh, those pic.twitter.com/fvqZEbbm1O ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2026 He further emphasised the hard work of saints and said that the saint community has historically worked to unite society and that its collective efforts had yielded results, including the construction of a grand Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that the Ram Temple was the outcome of the penance and unity of the revered saints," which was given concrete shape under PM Modis leadership. This is the result of the penance and unity of the revered saints, which was given concrete form by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many prime ministers have served since the countrys independence, and all of them have thought about the development of the country. But the feeling that Indias true soul should be respected, that Ram Lalla should be enshrined in Ayodhya, only came to Modi, who gave it concrete form," Adityanath said. Referring to the Ganga River, Adityanath said he experienced the purity of the river while bathing at the Triveni Sangam. He credited the Namami Gange project for improving water quality and said such achievements were possible only under PM Modis leadership. Here at Triveni, I am having a divine experience of bathing. I also came here and first took a dip in the Triveni and expressed my gratitude to Mother Ganga. What pure water it is! Was such pure water available 8-10 years ago? Such a divine opportunity comes only when a devotee of Lord Ram and Mother Ganga is in power," he said. Without naming opposition leaders, the Chief Minister accused their past governments of prioritising family interests over public welfare. He warned that those who seek to divide society, attack Sanatan Dharma and spread unrest should not be allowed to return to power. Those who are still trying to divide you today can never be your well-wishers. These are the same people who had the opportunity to be in power. When they were in power, they only thought about their own families. Their vision did not extend beyond that." He added, Today, when they are not in power, they are raising all sorts of slogans. They will create an identity crisis, cause anarchy, attack Sanatan Dharma, and use riots to inflict suffering on everyone. We must not allow this to happen again under any circumstances." (With inputs from agencies) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Prayagraj, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 20:35 IST News politics Not A Word On Bangladesh From Champions Of Secularism: Yogi Adityanath Slams Opposition 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... 'True Son Of The Soil': Bihar NDA Allies Raise Bharat Ratna Pitch For Nitish Kumar Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 17:55 IST The JD(U) has officially adopted a cautious stance, likely intended to avoid the perception of political opportunism or creating a rift with the BJP JD(U)'s KC Tyagi had sparked the conversation by highlighting Kumars 'clean image and long-term administrative service', and the sentiment was echoed by HAM(S)'s Jitan Ram Manjhi. File pic Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has thrown his weight behind the demand to confer the Bharat Ratna upon Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Manjhis public endorsement echoes earlier sentiments expressed by veteran Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi, suggesting a coordinated push from certain quarters of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to elevate the Chief Minister to the nations highest civilian honour. Speaking to reporters in Patna, Manjhi described Nitish Kumar as a true son of the soil" who has dedicated over two decades to the social and economic transformation of Bihar. He argued that Kumars pioneering work in womens empowerment through the Jeevika" self-help groups and the implementation of total prohibitionwhich Manjhi characterised as a bold social reformmerits the same recognition recently afforded to the late Karpoori Thakur. Manjhis support is seen as a strategic olive branch to his former mentor, following a period of public friction between the two leaders over Dalit politics in the state. However, the demand has created a curious friction within the JD(U) itself. While KC Tyagi had sparked the conversation by highlighting Kumars clean image and long-term administrative service", the partys official leadership has sought to distance itself from the remarks. Senior JD(U) leaders, including party president Sanjay Jha, have maintained that while the Chief Minister is undoubtedly deserving of every accolade, the party is not officially lobbying for the award. This cautious stance is likely intended to avoid the perception of political opportunism or creating a rift with the BJP, which controls the central committee responsible for Bharat Ratna recommendations. The timing of this demand is particularly significant given the current political climate in Bihar. Following the conferment of the Bharat Ratna on socialist icon Karpoori Thakur in 2024, there has been an unspoken competition amongst regional leaders to claim his legacy. By advocating for Kumar, allies like Manjhi are attempting to consolidate the Mahadalit" and Extremely Backward Class" (EBC) vote banks under a unified banner of regional pride. Political observers suggest that while the JD(U) may be officially distancing itself from Tyagis comments to maintain a humble public posture, the underlying message to the BJP leadership is clear: the recognition of Nitish Kumars legacy is a key expectation of its most vital regional partner. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 17:55 IST News politics 'True Son Of The Soil': Bihar NDA Allies Raise Bharat Ratna Pitch For Nitish Kumar 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... 'Willing To Back Even Donald Trump To Strengthen Maharashtra': Raj Thackeray's Shocker Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 21:06 IST Raj Thackeray said that being flexible in political strategy does not amount to compromising ones ideology, and political labels mattered less than the interests of the state. MNS Chief Raj Thackeray (PTI/File) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who recently allied with his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, said he was willing to back even US President Donald Trump to ensure that Maharashtra remained strong. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Raj Thackeray asserted that flexibility in political approach did not mean that the ideology was compromised, and that his priority was to ensure the welfare of the Marathi people and language, and a strong Maharashtra. He also offered an analogy, saying that any method can be used to ensure that water reaches a particular spot, as long as the objective remains clear and pure". Marking their first political alliance in nearly two decades, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray announced a tie-up in December, ahead of the January 15 civic polls in Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations across Maharashtra. Extremely Marathi The MNS chief also described himself as extremely Marathi" and asserted that his alliance with Shiv Senas (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray was solely focused on the Marathi people and language. He rejected the view that this tie-up would be replicated at the state or central level, saying that is a completely different issue". He emphasised that his stance on the Marathi identity was not a political position but stemmed from deeply held beliefs shaped by the values instilled in him by his uncle and Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray. Raj Thackeray also insisted that he would have no hesitation even in backing someone like Trump, provided it helped strengthen Maharashtra, adding that political labels mattered less than the interests of the state. He also questioned the Centres intent behind declaring Marathi a classical language, saying it had done nothing to support it in financial terms. Despite the status, not a single rupee has been allotted for Marathi," he told NDTV, adding that substantial funds are being spent on Sanskrit. Polling for the BMC, along with 28 other municipal corporations in the state, will be held on January 15. Vote counting is scheduled for January 16. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 21:06 IST News politics 'Willing To Back Even Donald Trump To Strengthen Maharashtra': Raj Thackeray's Shocker 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... A Fountain That Looks Like An Open Book: Where To Find It, When To Visit And Entry Fee Details Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 07:30 IST The Open Book Fountain in Budapest was designed in 2012 by artist Kelecsenyi Gergely and engineer Jozsef Szita. The Open Book Fountain is located in Egyetem Square, Budapest. (Photo Credits: X) Hungary is a country that leaves a strong impression on visitors, thanks to its rich history, thermal baths and mouth-watering cuisine. Its capital, Budapest, in particular is full of surprises at every turn that catch travellers off guard. While bridges and river views usually get all the attention, it also holds creative details that visitors walk past without realising. One such spot is a fountain that looks nothing like a regular fountain. The name of this fountain, the Open Book Fountain, feels almost poetic. If Hungary is on your travel list, this is one place worth adding to your walking route in Budapest. The Open Book Fountain In Budapest Located in Egyetem Square, the Open Book Fountain is exactly what its name suggests. It looks like a giant book lying open. What makes it special is how water flows from its centre. The water rises and curves in a way that feels like pages slowly turning. https://x.com/MrLaalpotato/status/2009156154929369467?s=20 The fountain was designed in 2012 by artist Kelecsenyi Gergely and engineer Jozsef Szita. Together, they created a water sculpture that celebrates books. Its location makes this idea even more meaningful as it stands right in front of Eotvos Lorand University, one of Hungarys oldest and most respected universities. What Makes This Fountain So Different The fountain is made of smooth marble and looks like a large open book. Water rises from the centre and curves outward in soft arcs. The movement makes it look like the pages of the book are slowly turning. The design is simple but it immediately stands out. This fountain also promotes the importance of learning and reading. Its location in a university square adds to its meaning. Visiting Information You Should Know Entry Fee And Timing There is no entry fee. The fountain can be viewed at any time of the day. But the water feature usually operates during the warmer months. In colder seasons, the sculpture remains in place but without flowing water. Accessibility The square is open and easy to access. You can stop by for a few minutes or sit nearby and even take photos. There are no restrictions. Planning Your Trip To Budapest Visa Requirements For Indian Travellers Indian citizens need a Schengen visa to visit Hungary. It should not be noted that there is no visa-on-arrival or visa-free entry option. It is best to apply well in advance through the proper channels. Flights To Budapest You can book flights from major cities like Delhi or Mumbai to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD). Most routes include one stop. Getting From The Airport To City Once you land at Budapest Airport, you have a few transport options: Taxi: This is the fastest option. The ride takes around 30 minutes and costs roughly HUF 7,000 to 9,000 (approximately Rs 1,900 to 2,450). Airport Bus or Shuttle: A more budget-friendly choice which takes about 45 to 60 minutes to reach the city centre and costs between HUF 900 and 3,000 (Rs 245 to Rs 820). Walking: If you are already in central areas like Belvaros-Lipotvaros, the square is easy to reach on foot. Walking also lets you enjoy the charm of the surrounding streets. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 07:30 IST News viral A Fountain That Looks Like An Open Book: Where To Find It, When To Visit And Entry Fee Details 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... Bengaluru Man Says He Feels Like Crying After Seeing Bad Road & Bumper-To-Bumper Traffic: Please Let Us Breathe Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 14:41 IST The user revealed that they travel at least twice a week along the entire stretch of the ORR and find it increasingly unbearable due to worsening traffic. The resident also called for the return of a dedicated bus lane. (Photo Credit: X) A Bengaluru resident has voiced growing frustration over the worsening traffic, road conditions and lane discipline on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), urging the government to take strict action. The resident, who has lived in Bengaluru all their life, said recent years have seen the citys roads, traffic, and public transport decline sharply. Ive lived here all my life and loved every bit of it. But in the past few years, everything has gotten worse. The traffic, the air, the water, and most importantly, the roads," the Redditor wrote. The user revealed that they travel at least twice a week along the entire stretch of the ORR, from Silk Board to Mahadevpura, and find it increasingly unbearable due to worsening traffic. I tried everything: office cab, switching 3 metros, bus, personal car, and personal bike. Everything has its pros and cons, but overall, every mode of transport suffers the same issue." They stated that nothing can provide relief to poor road conditions, terrible drivers, and bumper-to-bumper traffic. The Redditor highlighted several issues and possible improvements in ORR in their post. According to the resident, buses and cabs frequently switch lanes unpredictably, creating random choke points that worsen traffic exponentially. Uneven patches and poorly maintained stretches on the ORR pose a risk, particularly to two-wheeler riders. While travelling on my bike, I need to keep track of these buses, cars, and most importantly, roads to make sure I dont place my bike at a weird angle. There are so many chances of me just skidding and falling into this mess of traffic, which could turn fatal very easily," they wrote. Measures To Control Traffic In Bengaluru The resident also called for the return of a dedicated bus lane for all heavy-duty vehicles, including private and public buses, as a measure to ease traffic and improve safety. The Reddit user requested more traffic cops patrolling at every choke point along ORR, including Mahadevpura Bridge, Marathahalli Bridge, Ecospace, and the stretch after Sarjapur Road towards HSR Layout, not only during peak hours but throughout the day. They mentioned that the lane discipline would solve at least 50 per cent of the problems on ORR, suggesting stricter policing, cameras to penalise rash driving, and a hotline to report accidents. Sharing a recent incident, the resident recounted, I almost reached Bommanahalli and right in front of the bus stop (where all the Tamil Nadu and Kerala buses stop), I just felt like getting off my bike, going next to the cop, sitting down, and crying. What is happening to my city? Why has it gotten so terrible?" While acknowledging that citizens also bear responsibility, the resident urged the government to take stronger measures. We pay 30 per cent of our money to the government for a reason. 4 months a year for a reason. And if I can get peace of mind to travel on ORR peacefully for even 4 months in a year, Ill take it," the Redditor wrote. Well settle for the bare minimum. Please let the city breathe. Please let us breathe," the post concluded. How Did The Internet React? The post quickly went viral, with people sharing their own measures and incidents in the comment section. One person commented, Bus lane is necessary. The bus moves to the extreme left once the bus stop arrives and other times to the extreme right. Ban inter-state buses during peak hours. Also, stop tankers, goods and construction vehicles during peak hours." Another wrote, I was in the same stretch few days ago and I totally agree. A BMTC driver shifted 3 lanes and stopped the bus diagonally. He nearly crashed into 3 cars while doing this (thankfully they all had driving sense and stopped or moved further left)." The only reason i hate going to office is this lane mismanagement. My area is appr 4km from ORR and it takes ~45 mins to reach the damn ORR," wrote the next. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: January 10, 2026, 14:40 IST News viral Bengaluru Man Says He Feels Like Crying After Seeing Bad Road & Bumper-To-Bumper Traffic: Please Let Us Breathe 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... Another Hindu Youth Beaten, Poisoned To Death In Bangladesh As Violence Continues Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 14:01 IST This is another such incident, as the minorities in Bangladesh continue to witness a surge in violence ahead of the 13th Parliamentary elections in the country. Rapid Read Bangladesh is under scrutiny for increasing violence against Hindu minorities. (Reuters/File) Just within a span of 20 days, another Hindu youth was killed on Thursday in the Bhangadohor village of the Sunamganj district. The man, identified as Joy Mahapatro, was allegedly beaten and later poisoned by a local Muslim, named Amirul Islam, according to the family. This is another such incident, as the minorities in Bangladesh continue to witness a surge in violence ahead of the 13th Parliamentary elections in the country. According to data released by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, at least 51 such incidents of violence were reported in December. Earlier, Moni Chakraborty, a 40-year-old grocery shop owner, was murdered by unidentified attackers who struck him with a sharp weapon on Monday night at Charsindhur Bazar in Palash Upazila of Narsingdi. The incident triggered a widespread outrage among the traders community. More than a hundred traders formed a human chain under the banner of the local market association, demanding the immediate identification and arrest of those responsible. Chakrabortys killing took place hours after another Hindu businessman, Rana Pratap Bairagi (38), was fatally shot in the head by unidentified assailants in Jessore district. Surge in violence against minorities in Bdesh Theres been a sudden surge of targeted violence against the minority communities in Bangladesh, as country is set to hold its first Parliamentary elections since the exile of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On December 18, Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das, 25, was lynched by a mob and his body set on fire over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh city, with the incident sparking widespread outrage and diplomatic friction in India. The Ministry of External Affairs expressed deep concern over the barbaric killing of the Hindu youth and demanded that Bangladeshi authorities bring the perpetrators to justice. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Bangladesh First Published: January 10, 2026, 12:54 IST News world Another Hindu Youth Beaten, Poisoned To Death In Bangladesh As Violence Continues 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... Bangladesh Follows Pakistan's Footsteps, Expresses Willingness To Send Troops For Gaza Peace Force Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Aveek Banerjee Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 16:06 IST Bangladesh NSA Khalilur Rahman signalled Dhaka's willingness to send troops to Gaza during high-level meetings with US officials in Washington. Rapid Read Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus (IMAGE: AFP) The Muhammad Yunus-led government in Bangladesh has expressed its wish to join US President Donald Trumps Internal Stabilisation Force (ISF) in the Gaza Strip, effectively following in Pakistans steps, sources told CNN-News18. Trumps 20-point peace plan calls for a force from Muslim nations, including Pakistan, to oversee a transition period for reconstruction and economic recovery in the war-torn Gaza, which was decimated by two years of Israeli bombardment. Many countries are wary of the mission to demilitarise the Hamas group in Gaza, which can enrage their pro-Palestinian populations. Bangladeshs National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman held meetings with senior US officials at the US State Department in Washington, where he said that Dhaka is ready to send its forces to Gaza, as per top intelligence sources. The meeting was also attended by Sergio Gor, US Ambassador to India, and the US Special Envoy for South Asia and Central Asian Affairs. Bangladeshs NSA received a green signal from the US to deploy troops for the stabilisation force in Gaza. Khalilur Rahman also briefed US officials on domestic and regional issues, along with Bangladeshs potential role in the Gaza peace force. They also discussed the countrys upcoming elections, bilateral trade, the Rohingya crisis, and rising relations with Pakistan. Why Is Bangladesh Sending Troops To Gaza? Bangladesh is offering troops or security cooperation for Muslim-world conflicts to secure strategic indulgence from Washington, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18. US officials have already assured full support for Bangladeshs troops in Gaza. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus aims to use the move to consolidate his domestic constituency, particularly with the Jamaat-e-Islami, which has long supported the Palestinian cause. By backing Trumps Gaza peace plan, the Yunus administration is seeking US acceptance for a long transition period. The interim leadership also wants to manage local elections before moving to national polls scheduled for February 12. Sources said Bangladeshs offer for troops in Gaza and its high-level engagements with Washington are more about validating the interim authority internationally than operational deployment. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Dhaka, Bangladesh First Published: January 10, 2026, 16:02 IST News world Bangladesh Follows Pakistan's Footsteps, Expresses Willingness To Send Troops For Gaza Peace Force 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... RAMALLAH, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Revolutionary Council of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) announced on Saturday the decision to hold the movement's eighth general conference on May 14, its first such gathering since 2016. The council described the conference as both an organizational requirement and a political necessity in a statement published by the Palestinian News Agency WAFA. Originally scheduled for Dec. 17, 2023, the conference was postponed due to the war in the Gaza Strip which erupted on Oct. 7, 2023. Fatah last held its general conference in late 2016 in Ramallah after a seven-year hiatus, electing new leadership bodies. If convened as planned, the upcoming one would be the third inside the Palestinian territories. The council also decided to reinstate some expelled members on a case-by-case basis, excluding those accused of "crimes against the Palestinian people" or facing pending legal cases. The statement reaffirmed the council's rejection of all forms of external political interference, and its commitment to the unity of Palestinian land, stressing the urgency of ending the "aggression against Gaza," ensuring humanitarian access, beginning reconstruction, reopening the Rafah crossing, and securing a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Under Fatah's statutes, the general conference is to be convened every five years to approve political and military programs and elect its decision-making bodies. Bangladesh-US Trade Talks: Dhaka Seeks Cut In 20% Tariff, Discusses Textile Market Access Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 20:48 IST Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, secures a breakthrough in US trade talks, with prospects of reduced tariffs and improved market access for its textile and apparel exports. Both sides have developed an innovative and forward-looking solution to support Bangladeshs export priorities. (X) Bangladesh has indicated a breakthrough in trade relations with the United States after discussions in Washington raised the prospect of reduced tariffs and improved market access for its textile and garment exports. In a statement, Bangladeshs Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said the talks marked an important step forward" in strengthening a mutually beneficial economic partnership between the two countries. According to Yunus, US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer has agreed to raise with Trump the possibility of reducing Bangladeshs current 20 per cent reciprocal tariff rate. The request was made by National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman during his visit to Washington. Bangladesh Secures Major Breakthrough in U.S. Trade TalksWashington, January 10, 2026 Bangladesh has achieved an important step forward in strengthening its mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States, opening the door to greater market access and new pic.twitter.com/Sbe3xP5NZw Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) January 10, 2026 The proposed reduction would bring Bangladeshs tariff treatment closer to that of regional competitors and expand access for its garment sector, which is a major driver of the countrys exports and employment. Yunus further said that officials also discussed a proposed preferential arrangement under which Bangladesh could receive tariff-free access to the US market for textile and apparel exports equivalent to its imports of US-produced cotton and man-made fibre textile inputs. The scheme, measured on a square-metre basis, was described by officials as a win-win" approach that would strengthen supply-chain ties between the two countries. This creative, win-win approach strengthens bilateral trade, supports Bangladeshi manufacturers and workers, and deepens supply-chain ties with U.S. producers. It reflects growing momentum and goodwill in U.S.Bangladesh economic relations and marks a promising new chapter for Bangladeshs global trade prospects," he said. The interim government described the proposal as a mutually beneficial approach that would reinforce bilateral trade ties, support employment and manufacturing in Bangladesh, and strengthen supply-chain linkages with American producers. In 2024, total US goods and services trade with Bangladesh stood at an estimated $12.4 billion, up three per cent from the previous year. US goods exports to Bangladesh were valued at $2.3 billion, while imports from Bangladesh rose to $8.4 billion, resulting in a US goods trade deficit of $6.1 billion. 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: January 10, 2026, 20:48 IST News world Bangladesh-US Trade Talks: Dhaka Seeks Cut In 20% Tariff, Discusses Textile Market Access 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... 'Call For Attention, Support & Action': As Iran Goes Offline, Crown Prince Goes Public With Plea To Trump Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 06:21 IST The urgent plea from Reza Pahlavi, shared across social media platforms, comes as the Islamic Republic remains gripped by a nationwide internet and telecommunications blackout The timing of Pahlavi's appeal is critical, occurring as the reported death toll from the fortnight-long unrest has climbed to at least 62, with over 2,300 individuals detained. File pic/AFP Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince and son of Irans late Shah, issued a high-stakes appeal to US President Donald Trump on Friday, requesting immediate American intervention to protect protesters from an impending massacre. The urgent plea, shared across social media platforms, comes as the Islamic Republic remains gripped by a nationwide internet and telecommunications blackout. Pahlavi warned that the regime in Tehran is using this digital shroud" to conceal a brutal crackdown on a movement that has posed the most significant challenge to clerical rule in decades. Mr President, this is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support, and action," Pahlavi wrote, addressing Trump as a man of peace and a man of your word". The exiled leader, who resides in the Washington area, claimed that millions of brave Iranians" had taken to the streets on Thursday night following his direct call for mass mobilisation. He argued that the current communication blackoutwhich has seen national connectivity flatline at approximately 1 per centis a strategic move by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to murder these young heroes" away from the eyes of the international community. The timing of Pahlavis appeal is critical, occurring as the reported death toll from the fortnight-long unrest has climbed to at least 62, with over 2,300 individuals detained. The protests, initially triggered in late December 2025 by a collapsing economy and a record-low rial, have evolved into a revolutionary surge with demonstrators openly chanting Death to the Dictator" and calling for the return of the monarchy. While Pahlavi did not specify the nature of the intervention he seeks, his message alluded to Trumps previous locked and loaded" warnings. The President has repeatedly threatened to hit the Iranian regime very, very hard" if it resorts to lethal force against peaceful demonstrators. However, the White House has maintained a degree of strategic ambiguity. In recent interviews, President Trump praised the bravery of the Iranian people but expressed reluctance to meet with Pahlavi officially, stating it would be premature" to back a specific opposition leader before the movement further matures. Meanwhile, Tehran has blamed the United States and Israel for orchestrating the vandalism" and has warned of decisive and maximum" punishment for those it labels as saboteurs. As the blackout continues, Pahlavis message serves as a desperate attempt to keep the international spotlight on a nation teetering on the edge of a violent confrontation. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 06:21 IST News world 'Call For Attention, Support & Action': As Iran Goes Offline, Crown Prince Goes Public With Plea To Trump 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... Can Denmark Defend Greenland Against US? A Military Comparison Between Them Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 20:18 IST Trumps push for US control of Greenland alarms Europe and NATO, citing its mineral wealth and strategic Arctic location, while Denmark vows to strengthen Greenlands defences. Rapid Read File photo of Donald Trump. (Image: AP/File) Renewing his long-standing interest in Greenland, US President Donald Trump has sparked concern across Europe and within NATO, as the White House indicated that a range of options, including potential military measures, are being considered to bring the semi-autonomous Danish territory under American control. Greenland, the worlds largest island, is rich in untapped mineral resources. Though it lies on the North American continent, it remains politically linked to Europe through Denmark. Any effort to take control of the island would be highly complex. Beyond political obstacles, a military move would risk putting the US in direct confrontation with its own NATO allies. However, Denmark and Greenland are nonetheless taking the threat seriously. According to CNBC, Danish Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Denmark would do anything" to strengthen Greenlands defences, citing the serious security situation we find ourselves in." Despite this, analysts told CNBC they do not expect European forces to ever open fire on US troops. The United States already has extensive access to Greenland. Under a little-known 1951 Cold War-era agreement, Washington holds broad rights to establish and expand military facilities on the island, with the consent of Denmark and Greenland. Currently, the US maintains more than 100 military personnel at its Pituffik base. Under the same agreement, Washington could quickly bolster its troop presence without violating any formal treaty obligations, effectively enabling it to assert control over the territory without a conventional invasion. US military manpower dwarfs that of other NATO members, states the CNBC report. NATO estimates showed that the United States fielded about 1.3 million active personnel in 2024, while the remaining alliance members together accounted for roughly 2.1 million troops. With its armed forces numbering around 4,81,00, Turkey followed as the largest contributor after the US. According to Global Firepowers 2025 rankings, the US holds the top spot, while Denmark is ranked 45th out of 145 countries, highlighting a stark gap in military strength. The United States fields approximately 2,127,500 personnel across its armed forces, compared with around 83,000 in Denmarks army, navy, and air force. The disparity is even more pronounced in air power, with the US operating roughly 1,790 fighter jets and 5,843 helicopters, while Denmark has just 31 fighter jets and 34 helicopters. Reportedly, the Royal Danish Navy employs around 3,500 personnel and operates about nine frigates, with no submarines in service. Its naval manpower is reportedly comparable to the combined crews of Indias aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. Geography further limits Denmarks defensive capabilities. Greenland is located nearly 3,000 kilometres from the Danish mainland, making rapid troop deployment difficult and time-consuming in the event of a sudden crisis. Greenlands location above the Arctic Circle provides access to key naval and shipping routes. The islands significance is further heightened by its vast reserves of rare earth minerals. Trump has repeatedly highlighted Greenlands natural resources and strategic importance, arguing that US control would help counter Chinese and Russian activity in the Arctic, where he asserts their naval presence has grown. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: January 10, 2026, 20:18 IST News world Can Denmark Defend Greenland Against US? A Military Comparison Between Them 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... Donald Trump Signs Executive Order Protecting Venezuela's Oil Revenue Held In US Accounts Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 23:27 IST The executive order signed by Trump is aimed at safeguarding Venezuelan oil revenue held in US Treasury accounts and blocking it from the country's creditors. US President Donald Trump. (Image: REUTERS) US President Donald Trump on Saturday took another step to control future sales of Venezuelan oil by signing an executive order meant to declare a national emergency and safeguard Venezuelan oil revenue held in US accounts. The executive order signed by Trump on Saturday effectively blocks the oil revenue from the Latin American countrys creditors and prevents its seizure to satisfy debts or other legal claims, according to a White House fact sheet. The goal is to ensure these funds are preserved to advance US foreign policy objectives". The emergency order said the revenue, held in foreign government deposit funds, should be used in Venezuela to help create peace, prosperity and stability." The order was signed on Friday, less than a week after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. Several companies have longstanding claims against the country, such as Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, which left Venezuela nearly 20 years ago after their assets were nationalised under the Maduro regime. Both companies are still owed billions of dollars, according to Reuters. What Does The Order Entail? In its fact sheet, the White House said the executive order signed by Trump blocks any attachment, judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial process against Foreign Government Deposit Funds, which refers to the Venezuelan oil revenues and diluent sales held in US Treasury accounts. The Order prohibits transfers or dealings in these funds except as authorised, superseding any prior Orders that might block or regulate them. It also says that the funds are sovereign property of Venezuela held in US custody for governmental and diplomatic purposes, not subject to private claims. The Trump administration seeks to prevent the seizure of Venezuelan oil revenue that could undermine critical US efforts to ensure economic and political stability in Venezuela, according to the White House. It says that allowing attachment of these funds would directly jeopardise US objectives of halting illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Trump cited the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the 1976 National Emergencies Act as a legal justification. A US agreement with Venezuelas interim leaders would provide up to 50 million barrels of crude oil to Washington, where numerous refineries are specially equipped to refine it. The order was signed on the same day Trump met with executives from Exxon, Conoco, Chevron and other oil companies in Washington to encourage them to invest $100 billion in the Venezuelan oil industry. 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: January 10, 2026, 23:21 IST News world Donald Trump Signs Executive Order Protecting Venezuela's Oil Revenue Held In US Accounts 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... 'Good For Venezuela, Great For US': Trump Meets Oil Executives At White House Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 07:09 IST Trump met oil industry leaders at the White House, urging major investment in Venezuelas petroleum reserves, days after US forces captured Maduro. Rapid Read US President Donald Trump (Photo: AP) US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) held a meeting with oil industry leaders at the White House, pressing them to commit to large-scale investment to tap into Venezuelas vast petroleum reserves following recent US military action in the Latin American nation. Calling the meeting great," the US President said they sort of formed a deal" which would bring an investment of billions of dollars, a move he claimed would benefit both the US and Venezuela through increased energy production and lower oil prices. We just had a great meeting with the oil executives. We sort of formed a deal. Theyre going to be going in with hundreds of billions of dollars and drilling oil and its good for Venezuela and its great for the United States," Trump told reporters. .@POTUS: We just had a great meeting with the oil executives. We sort of formed a deal. Theyre going to be going in with hundreds of billions of dollars and drilling oil and its good for Venezuela and its great for the United States. A lot of money is going to be made." pic.twitter.com/L5z1ShQ0hy Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 9, 2026 A lot of money is going to be made. Oil prices will come down although they are getting down pretty good now without it. And it was a great meeting we had today with the biggest companies anywhere in the world," he added. US Pushes Oil Firms To Revive Venezuelas Slumping Output At the White House roundtable, the Republican president urged oil executives to commit up to $100 billion in private investment to rebuild Venezuelas oil infrastructure. He also pledged total safety" for companies willing to operate there, saying they would deal directly with the United States rather than Venezuelan authorities. Executives from Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and more than a dozen other oil and gas companies attended the meeting held days after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a dramatic night-time raid in Caracas. Venezuelas oil production has slumped below one million barrels per day. A key challenge for Trump in reversing that decline will be persuading oil companies that his administration has a stable working relationship with Venezuelas interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, and that adequate protections are in place for firms entering the market. Although Rodriguez has publicly condemned Trump and the removal of Maduro, the US President has said she has so far cooperated with his administration behind the scenes. Venezuela Operation Will Make US Richer: Vance Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance, who joined Trump at a press conference earlier in the day, framed the strategy as part of a broader push to enhance US economic and security interests, even connecting increased energy production with domestic concerns such as reducing drug overdose deaths. .@VP: The operation in Venezuela is going to make our country richer, its going to make our country more powerful, its going to make our country safer, and its going to lead to the further decline of drug overdose deaths in the United States of America an amazing thing." https://t.co/ljAEb2mOO0 pic.twitter.com/2oY4qRpu6w Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 9, 2026 The operation in Venezuela is going to make our country richer, its going to make our country more powerful, its going to make our country safer, and its going to lead to the further decline of drug overdose deaths in the United States of America an amazing thing," Vance said. Since the US military raid that captured Maduro last Saturday, Trump has swiftly shifted to framing the operation as an economic opportunity for the US. According to news agency AP, his administration has seized tankers carrying Venezuelan crude and said the US is assuming control over the sale of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned oil, with plans to control sales worldwide indefinitely. 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: January 10, 2026, 07:09 IST News world 'Good For Venezuela, Great For US': Trump Meets Oil Executives At White House 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... Indian-American Judge Draws Racist Attacks From MAGA After Blocking Trumps Funding Freeze Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 16:59 IST Judge Arun Subramanian halted a freeze on $10 billion in aid, sparking MAGA backlash and xenophobic attacks, echoing similar racist attacks against fellow Indian-American judges. Judge Arun Subramanian halted a freeze on $10 billion in aid, sparking MAGA backlash and xenophobic attacks, echoing similar racist attacks against fellow Indian-American judges. (Image: X) An Indian-American federal judge has become the latest target of intense criticism from MAGA supporters after blocking a key Trump administration move to freeze billions of dollars in federal funding, highlighting a broader pattern of backlash often tinged with xenophobia against judges of Indian origin whose rulings have stalled Trump policies. Federal Judge Arun Subramanian of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Friday issued a temporary restraining order halting the administrations decision to freeze nearly $10 billion in federal funding for child care and social services (as known as Somalian daycares) across five Democratic-led states. The order followed a lawsuit by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, who argued that the Department of Health and Human Services lacked legal authority to suspend the funds and had encroached on Congresss power over federal spending. The funding pause was announced earlier this week, with the administration citing alleged large-scale fraud, particularly in Minnesotas child care subsidy programmes, as justification. President Donald Trump framed the move as part of his America First" agenda, alleging misuse of taxpayer money. In his brief order, Judge Subramanian said the states had shown good cause" for emergency relief, citing a likelihood of success on the merits, the risk of irreparable harm to vulnerable families, and the public interest in maintaining the flow of aid. The ruling imposed a 14-day pause to allow fuller legal arguments, without adjudicating the fraud allegations themselves. The decision sparked a fierce online backlash from MAGA supporters. On social media, critics labelled Subramanian a Biden appointee" and a DEI hire," with some posts veering into overt xenophobia, including calls for his deportation despite his US citizenship. Senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller criticised the ruling, arguing it forces Americans to fund what he described as refugee-related daycare scams." Meet Judge Arun Subramanian.He was appointing by Joe Biden. He just ruled against the Trump Administrations funding freeze so the American people must continue to fund Somalian Daycare and every other scam were funding. Judicial Insurrection. pic.twitter.com/2zWLcbUBPP C3 (@C_3C_3) January 10, 2026 Subramanian is not alone. Other Indian-American judges have faced similar attacks in recent months. Amit Mehta drew criticism after ruling that Trumps Stop the Steal" speech before the January 6 Capitol riot could plausibly be viewed as a call to action and thus not protected by the First Amendment. Vince Chhabria faced backlash after blocking the use of Immigration and Customs Enforcements access to healthcare data for deportation operations. Massachusetts-based Judge Indira Talwani has also been a frequent target after repeatedly halting elements of Trumps second-term agenda, including moves affecting migrant parole programmes and welfare benefits. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : New York, United States of America (USA) First Published: January 10, 2026, 16:53 IST News world Indian-American Judge Draws Racist Attacks From MAGA After Blocking Trumps Funding Freeze 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... Indian Envoy, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman Hold Courtesy Meeting In Dhaka Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 18:36 IST Pranay Verma met Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, highlighting Indias ongoing diplomatic outreach to BNP amid recent anti-India protests and attacks on consulates. Pranay Verma met Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, highlighting Indias ongoing diplomatic outreach to BNP amid recent anti-India protests and attacks on consulates in Rajshahi and Chattogram. (Image: BSS News) Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, on Friday held a courtesy meeting with Tarique Rahman, the Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The meeting took place at the BNP Chairmans office in Dhaka around 5 pm Bangladesh time, BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan said. While details of the discussions were not disclosed, the interaction is being seen as part of continued diplomatic engagement between India and key political stakeholders in Bangladesh. BNPs Engagements with India The meeting adds to a series of recent interactions between the BNP and Indian officials. In March 2023, a five-member BNP delegation attended a dinner hosted by High Commissioner Pranay Verma in Dhaka. This was followed by meetings between Verma and senior BNP leaders in September 2024, signalling ongoing political outreach. India has also extended gestures of goodwill toward the BNP leadership in recent years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed support to the family of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia during her illness. India also deputed External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to attend Khaleda Zias funeral. Additionally, Prime Minister Modi sent a letter to Tarique Rahman to extend condolences, underscoring New Delhis continued engagement with the BNP leadership. The meeting between the Indian High Commissioner and Tarique Rahman assumes particular significance against the backdrop of recent anti-India protests in Bangladesh, where sections of demonstrators and political groups have accused New Delhi of undue interference in the countrys internal affairs and the killing of the youth leader Osman Hadi. India has emerged as a frequent target during street protests and political rhetoric, especially amid debates over governance, elections and regional influence, making diplomatic outreach to opposition forces all the more sensitive. This led to protests getting violent, with several of the consulate generals in cities like Rajshahi and Chattogram coming under attack, and visa services for Bangladeshi citizens being suspended. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Dhaka, Bangladesh First Published: January 10, 2026, 18:36 IST News world Indian Envoy, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman Hold Courtesy Meeting In Dhaka 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... Justice For Kailash: Pakistans Sindh Sees Mass Protests Over Hindu Farmers Death Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 11:09 IST Sources told CNN-News18 the killing reflects a recurring pattern in Sindh, where attacks on Hindu minorities routinely see delayed or inconclusive investigations. A 25-year-old Hindu farmer and community activist, Kailash Kohli, was shot dead in Pakistans Sindh province. A 25-year-old Hindu farmer and community activist, Kailash Kohli, was shot dead in Pakistans Sindh province, triggering widespread anger and protests among local residents who say minority communities are increasingly vulnerable to targeted violence. According to a copy of the police complaint accessed by CNN-News18, the killing took place on January 4, 2026, in Goth Daho, Peeru Lashari, under Tehsil Talhar in Badin district, where assailants allegedly approached Kohli in broad daylight and fired two bullets into his chest at point-blank range. He died on the spot. Kohli was known for his involvement in local community issues and for advocating minority rights in an area where Hindus constitute one of Pakistans most marginalised groups. The attack, sources said, appears to be linked either to his activism or to broader religious tensions in the region. Protests Break Out In Badin, Roads Blocked The killing has shocked Hindu residents of Badin, who say they have long lived under fear of forced conversions, abductions and violent intimidation. Following Kohlis death, villagers and activists launched sit-in demonstrations, blocking key roads and refusing to disperse until the attackers are arrested. Demands for justice have spread across social media, where hashtags such as #JusticeForKailashKolhi gained traction as locals, activists and rights groups urged the provincial government to act swiftly. Shiva Kachhi, chairman of Minority Rights Organization, Pakistan Darawar itehad, strongly condemned the killing, calling it a brutal and cold-blooded murder. In a post on X, he said the blood of Kailash Kolhi demands justice". We strongly condemn the brutal and cold-blooded murder of the innocent Hindu youth Kailash Kolhi. The blood of Kailash Kolhi demands justice from all of us.We fully support the protest sit-in to be held tomorrow in front of the DC Office, Badin, demanding the immediate arrest pic.twitter.com/is1x4ERUF9 Shiva Kachhi () (@FaqirShiva) January 7, 2026 According to a statement shared by him, the protest has been ongoing without pause, reflecting what organisers described as growing anger and frustration among residents. The demonstration, which began at 10 am on Wednesday, continued through the night and resumed into Thursday, underscoring the determination of the protesters. Badin SindhThe protest for the arrest of the killers of the martyred Kalash Kolhi is making history.Shiva Kachhi, Chairman of Pakistan Darawar Ittehad @PItehad is leading the historic protest sit-in.This was not just a protestit was the cry of a wounded conscience.From pic.twitter.com/uo9io9PAk0 Shiva Kachhi () (@FaqirShiva) January 9, 2026 Men, women, elderly people and children were seen participating in the sit-in, braving harsh conditions to press for action. Protesters said the agitation represents a broader outcry against what they allege is a system that protects the powerful while marginalising the poor and vulnerable. Pattern Of Targeted Violence Top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that the murder fits into a recurring pattern of attacks on Hindu minorities in Sindh, where targeted killings are often followed by delayed or inconclusive investigations. According to the sources, human rights notices are routinely issued by authorities in Pakistan, but convictions remain rare. This has fostered a culture of impunity that indirectly enables further violence against vulnerable communities. The latest killing underscores Pakistans systemic failure to protect minorities, particularly in rural Sindh where attacks on Hindusranging from enforced disappearances to mob pressure and discriminationremain persistent. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 11:09 IST News world Justice For Kailash: Pakistans Sindh Sees Mass Protests Over Hindu Farmers Death 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... Lashkar-e-Taiba Deputy Chief Openly Admits Pakistan Army Link In School Speech Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 21:54 IST Speaking at a children's school in Pakistan, the terrorist group's leader openly boasted about the Pakistan Army inviting him for funerals of its own soldiers. Lashkar-e-Taiba deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri addressing a school event. (Photo: X) Lashkar-e-Taibas (LeT) deputy chief and Pahalgam terror attack mastermind Saifullah Kasuri has openly admitted the terror groups association with the Pakistan Army, thus exposing the nexus between the Pakistani military and the terror groups that India has long flagged. Speaking at an event at a school in Pakistan, Kasuri openly boasted about the Army inviting him to the funerals of its soldiers and claimed that India was fearful of his presence. Pakistans Army invites me to lead funeral prayers. Do you know India is also scared of me?" he was seen saying in a viral video. Osint Alert:Straight from the horses mouth. Pahalgam mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba Deputy Chief Saifullah Kasuri openly claims that the Pakistan Army invites him to lead funeral prayers of its own soldiers. He boasts that India is rattled and fearful of his presence. https://t.co/4CDcKPXY8i pic.twitter.com/PQtieLZ5Il OsintTV (@OsintTV) January 10, 2026 Kasuri also claimed that tomorrow belonged to Islam and Pakistan. What was most bizarre was that a terrorist groups leader was allowed to address young minds at a childrens school in Pakistan. This also confirmed Indias long-standing allegations that terror groups in Pakistan were in cahoots with the military. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot group linked to the LeT, carried out a barbaric terror attack in Jammu and Kashmirs Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, in which 26 tourists were gunned down by terrorists after asking about their religion. The attack sparked a military response by India through Operation Sindoor, in which India decimated terror strongholds in Pakistan. LeT Rebuilding Headquarters Earlier, an intelligence dossier seen by CNN-News18 revealed that the LeT has begun the systematic demolition and reconstruction of its headquarters, Markaz Taiba in Muridke, following a devastating Indian Air Force (IAF) strike on May 7. The May 7 strike, conducted under Operation Sindoor in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, inflicted total structural damage on three key LeT buildingsthe red accommodation/storage block and the yellow Umm-ul-Qura training and residential facilitiesrendering the Muridke complex operationally defunct. However, the LeT did not abandon the site. Instead, a well-orchestrated demolition began on August 18, using heavy machinery. By September 7, all core structures were completely razed, clearing the way for reconstruction. The rebuild is being fast-tracked to be completed before February 5, 2026, aligning with Kashmir Solidarity Day and its annual jihad convention, providing both symbolic and propaganda value to the project. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Pakistan First Published: January 10, 2026, 21:54 IST News world Lashkar-e-Taiba Deputy Chief Openly Admits Pakistan Army Link In School Speech 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... Six Killed In Mass Shooting In US State Of Mississippi, Suspect In Custody Curated By : Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 21:54 IST 6 people were killed in shootings at 3 locations in Clay County, Mississippi. Sheriff Eddie Scott confirmed the suspect is in custody and urged prayers for victims and families. 6 people were killed in shootings at 3 locations in Clay County, Mississippi. Sheriff Eddie Scott confirmed the suspect is in custody and urged prayers for victims and families.(Representative Image) At least six people were killed in a series of shootings late Friday in Clay County, Mississippi, with the suspect now in custody, local media and law enforcement said. The shootings took place at three separate locations, according to WTVA, an NBC affiliate, which reported that six people died. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said the suspect is in custody and no longer poses a threat to our community," though he did not confirm the number of fatalities. In a post on Facebook, Scott asked residents to keep the victims and their families in their prayers. The sheriff and his department did not immediately respond to requests for further details. Clay County, located in northeastern Mississippi, has a population of about 20,000. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: January 10, 2026, 21:50 IST News world Six Killed In Mass Shooting In US State Of Mississippi, Suspect In Custody 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... A lion-tailed macaque infant made her first public appearance at a wildlife park in China's Guangzhou, highlighting ongoing efforts to conserve the endangered species through captive breeding and education. Sri Lankan Politician Condemns Violence Against Hindus In Bangladesh: 'India's Role Is Pivotal' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 16:50 IST Sri Lankan entrepreneur Barath Arullsamy said Bangladesh's interim government must ensure the protection of the minorities and that India's role was pivotal to regional stability. Rapid Read Bangladesh is under global scrutiny for a wave of attacks against minorities. (AFP) Amid global outcry over targeted violence against minorities in Bangladesh, Barath Arullsamy, the vice president of Sri Lankas Democratic Peoples Front (DPF), has condemned such attacks, saying a democracy is only as strong as its protection for vulnerable communities. The DPF is a prominent member of the Tamil Progressive Alliance and a key partner of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya coalition. Arullsamy is a policy entrepreneur and serves as the Chairman of the Plantation Human Development Trust, a tripartite organisation comprising the Government of Sri Lanka, plantation companies, and trade unions. True regional strength is not measured merely by economic alliances, but by the safety of the individual citizen. The recent reports of targeted violence against minorities in Bangladesh, exemplified by the tragic killing of Khokan Das & 6 minorities, are a sombre reminder of the work ahead. A democracy is only as strong as its protection of its most vulnerable," he said. For South Asia to truly thrive, the Interim Government (Bangladesh) must ensure that secularism is more than a promise, it must be a reality on the ground. No citizen should fear for their life because of their faith. Regional stability is a shared lifeline," he added. True regional strength is not measured merely by economic alliances, but by the safety of the individual citizen.The recent reports of targeted violence against minorities in Bangladesh, exemplified by the tragic killing of #KhokanDas & 6 minorities, are a sombre reminder of pic.twitter.com/hb4k9AUdnI Barath Arullsamy (@BarathArulsamy) January 10, 2026 Arullsamy further said Indias role is pivotal in fostering a convergence where peace and human rights are non-negotiable. We cannot overcome current turmoils if we allow extremism to fracture our communities. If South Asia wishes to project collective influence on the global stage, we must first prove we can protect human rights at home," he further said. Attacks On Bangladeshi Hindus Arullsamys remarks came as Bangladesh has come under global scrutiny following widespread protests after the murder of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Several Hindus in Bangladesh have been the victims of mob lynchings and other forms of targeted violence. A young factory worker, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob and his body was set on fire in an alarming display of lawlessness and mobocracy in the country. On December 31, Hindu businessman Khokon Chandra Das was stabbed and set on fire by a mob in Shariatpur district. He escaped the attack by jumping in a pond but later died from burn injuries in hospital. READ MORE: Another Hindu Youth Beaten, Poisoned To Death In Bangladesh As Violence Continues This week, a Hindu grocery shop owner and a journalist were killed in Bangladesh within a 24-hour period. Sarat Chakraborty Mani was running his grocery shop as usual at Charsindur Bazaar in Palash upazila of Narsingdi district when unidentified assailants suddenly attacked him with sharp weapons. Last month, Malaysias Parliament voiced strong support for the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Malaysian MP SN Rayer told CNN-News18 that Dipu Chandras killing had deeply disturbed legislators across party lines and prompted calls for tougher measures, including possible restrictions on Bangladeshi visas and entry into Malaysia. It is imperative that the government of Bangladesh takes steps to ensure the protection of all minority communities and prevent the recurrence of such atrocities," Rayer said. Meanwhile, UK MP Priti Patel has written a letter to British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, calling on the UK to use its influence and convening powers to bring stability in the country. The situation in Bangladesh is very concerning. Religious freedoms should be protected and the murders of Hindus and persecution taking place are wrong and must stop," Patel said, expressing concern over increasing religious violence and persecution in Bangladesh. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Colombo, Sri Lanka First Published: January 10, 2026, 16:50 IST News world Sri Lankan Politician Condemns Violence Against Hindus In Bangladesh: 'India's Role Is Pivotal' 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... Trump's Greenland Gambit: US President Threatens To Get It 'The Hard Way' To Deter Russia, China Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 21:38 IST The President doubled down on his recent assertions that the mineral-rich island is an absolute necessity for American national security While Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, the Trump administration has increasingly questioned the ability of Copenhagen to defend the island. File pic President Donald Trump on Friday intensified his long-running campaign to bring Greenland under American control, warning that the United States must own the territory to prevent it from being occupied" by Russia or China. Speaking at a White House meeting with oil and gas executives, the President doubled down on his recent assertions that the mineral-rich island is an absolute necessity for American national security. He suggested that if a diplomatic purchase cannot be brokered, the US might be forced to intervene the hard way". The Presidents latest comments come amid a dramatic escalation in Arctic tensions. Trump claimed that the waters surrounding the worlds largest island are currently covered with Russian and Chinese ships", a claim he used to justify the need for a swift change in sovereignty. If we dont do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland," he told the executives. And were not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour." His remarks echo a broader administration strategy to ensure US hegemony in the Western Hemispherea sentiment sharpened following the recent US military operation in Venezuela. TRUMP: GREENLAND WILL BE OURS ONE WAY OR ANOTHERRight now, we are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not. If we dont do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and were not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor. I would like to pic.twitter.com/a9qtFY8Gjw Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 9, 2026 While Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, the Trump administration has increasingly questioned the ability of Copenhagen to defend the island. Vice President JD Vance recently accused Denmark of failing to protect the strategically vital landmass, framing the issue around missile defence and the civilisational" importance of the Arctic. However, the proposal has met with fierce resistance. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that any attempt by the US to seize Greenland by force would signal the end of NATO", describing the idea of annexation as absurd and deeply disrespectful to Greenlandic sovereignty. The strategic value of Greenland is multifaceted, involving its position at the GIUK (Greenland-Iceland-UK) Gapa critical naval choke pointand its vast untapped deposits of rare earth minerals essential for high-tech and military hardware. The US already operates Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule) under a 1951 treaty, but the President now insists that mere access is insufficient. Despite the White Houses hard way" rhetoric, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet Danish and Greenlandic officials next week to explore potential economic packages" to sway local opinion, though polling indicates that over 90 per cent of Greenlanders remain opposed to joining the United States. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 06:06 IST News world Trump's Greenland Gambit: US President Threatens To Get It 'The Hard Way' To Deter Russia, China 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... Trumps Venezuela Action And Greenland Threats Revive Fears In Canada Of US Coercion Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 23:00 IST Experts warn US actions in Venezuela and Greenland may threaten Canadas sovereignty through economic pressure and USMCA review. US President Donald Trump (Getty Images) Fears of US coercion have resurfaced in Canada following recent actions and rhetoric by US President Donald Trump, including a US military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, and renewed threats directed at Denmark over Greenland. Trumps earlier remarks about making Canada the 51st state" have once again begun circulating widely, fuelling unease north of the US border. The concern has been amplified by commentary in Canadas The Globe and Mail, where a recent column warned that Canadians must confront the possibility that Trump could use military or economic coercion. One of the authors, Canadian academic Thomas Homer-Dixon, argued that deterrence is about changing the calculus," adding that any attempt at coercion must be made enormously costly." Analysts say Canadas anxiety stems from parallels with Greenland: both are democracies, Arctic nations, and members of NATO, an alliance Trump has repeatedly sought to dominate. Wesley Wark, a former Canadian government adviser on security and border issues, said recent US actions should serve as a final wake-up call" for Ottawa, underscoring that the United States is not the country that it used to be." Prime Minister Mark Carney, who came to power promising to stand up to Trump, has since adopted a more cautious diplomatic approach. His government has focused on diversifying trade ties, particularly with China, to reduce dependence on the US. While Carney recently said the sovereignty of Greenland and Denmark should be respected, he avoided directly addressing Trumps past comments about Canada. Experts largely agree that a direct US military action against Canada is unlikely, but warn that economic pressure is a more realistic threat. Stephanie Carvin, an associate professor at Carleton University and former Canadian national security analyst, said Washington could be willing to cripple the Canadian economy" to suit the presidents priorities, especially after asserting control over Venezuelas oil resources. Another risk scenario, according to Philippe Lagasse of Carleton University, could emerge if Canada were to rely heavily on US assistance during a crisissuch as a major natural disaster or a threat to electricity supplies. In such circumstances, he warned, the US might intervene and then leverage its presence for concessions. Attention is also turning to the upcoming review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), signed during Trumps first term. Canada currently sends about 70% of its exports to the US, with roughly 85% of bilateral trade tariff-free under the agreement. Analysts warn that even the threat of removing tariff exemptions during the review could have severe consequences for Canadas economy, making trade leverage one of Washingtons most powerful tools. 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: January 10, 2026, 23:00 IST News world Trumps Venezuela Action And Greenland Threats Revive Fears In Canada Of US Coercion 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... UAE Snubs UK Universities, Citing Muslim Brotherhood Influence | Exclusive Details Reported By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 18:54 IST The friction over UK campuses comes as Indian intelligence sources signal a shared 'systemic and ideological challenge' posed by the Muslim Brotherhood By shutting the UK out of its government-funded overseas education programme, the UAE is effectively preventing its future diplomats, officers, and elite youth from exposure to what it deems 'ideological radicalisation' during their formative years. (Representational image: AI-generated) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken a dramatic diplomatic step by quietly removing British universities from its approved list of institutions eligible for state scholarships. CNN-News18 has learnt that the decision stems from deepening concerns in Abu Dhabi that UK campuses have become fertile ground for the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and other Islamist ideologies. By shutting the UK out of its government-funded overseas education programme, the UAE is effectively preventing its future diplomats, officers, and elite youth from exposure to what it deems ideological radicalisation" during their formative years. Emirati policymakers have reportedly observed a troubling mindset shift" in students returning from the UK, noting that student groups and campus activism often serve as a conduit for Islamist narratives. While UK institutions defend these platforms under the banners of liberal discourse and free speech, Abu Dhabi views the Muslim Brotherhood as a direct existential threat to state stability. Sources indicate that the UAE had previously urged the British government to ban Brotherhood-linked speakers and proscribe the group entirely. Britains refusal to do sociting a lack of evidence of terrorist activityappears to have convinced the UAE that UK campuses are no longer reliable environments for their citizens. The friction over UK campuses comes as Indian intelligence sources signal a shared systemic and ideological challenge" posed by the Muslim Brotherhood. High-level sources suggest that India recently conveyed its concerns to both Jeddah and Abu Dhabi, particularly in the wake of the political upheaval in Bangladesh. Indian agencies believe the Brotherhoods ideology is uniquely capable of: Radicalising Youth: Exploiting democratic spaces to alter the mindsets of young students. Challenging Authority: Gradually undermining the legitimacy of modern nation-states. Societal Destabilisation: Using a long-term patient" strategy to shift societal values towards hardline Islamism. Data from the UKs own Prevent" deradicalisation programme supports these anxieties; in the 202324 academic year, nearly 70 students at UK universities were flagged for Islamist radicalisationa figure that has doubled in just twelve months. As Abu Dhabi pivots its funding towards institutions in the US, Australia, and Israel, the move serves as a stark warning to the West that its politically correct" approach to campus activism is costing it its most vital strategic partnerships in West Asia. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 18:54 IST News world UAE Snubs UK Universities, Citing Muslim Brotherhood Influence | Exclusive Details 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... Venezuelan Oil To India? US Says Its Ready, But Under Washington-Controlled Framework Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 08:35 IST The statement also comes at a time when the ties between New Delhi and Washington are going through a dry spell following the US's steep 50 per cent tariffs against Indian goods. Rapid Read US President Donald Trump (File photo) The White House has stated that it is prepared to allow India to buy Venezuelan oil under a new US-controlled framework, a senior Trump administration official said, signalling the revival of a potential trade halted by American sanctions. When asked directly whether Washington was ready to let India purchase Venezuelan oil, given its vast and growing energy requirements, the response was candid. Yes", the official told news agency IANS. He also highlighted that finer details were being worked out. The official also pointed to recent remarks by US Energy Secretary Christopher Wright, who had stated that the United States would be open to selling Venezuelan oil to almost all countries". The remarks follow the US militarys capture of Venezuela and transfer of President Nicolas Maduro from Caracas to the US over allegations linked to the smuggling of narcotics a dramatic development that has grabbed global attention. The statement also comes at a time when the ties between New Delhi and Washington are going through a dry spell following the Trump administrations steep 50 per cent tariffs against Indian goods. US to sell 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil US President Donald Trump has said that Washington will refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil under a new arrangement. Venezuela is going to be very successful," Trump said, adding, Were taking back what was taken from us,". Trump also outlined that oil companies would invest at least USD 100 billion of their money" into Venezuela, as the US seeks to revive production in a country that is known for holding the worlds largest oil reserves. However, reports have mentioned that the whole oil industry of Venezuela has been crippled by years of mismanagement and sanctions. The US President clearly indicated that Washington would control the reopening of Venezuelas oil sectors. The Latin American country possesses millions of barrels of oil stored in onshore storage tanks and vessels due to sanctions and logistical complications. Meanwhile, as per the plan outlined earlier this week, Venezuela would sell between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned crude to Washington, Trump had said. With inputs from agencies 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: January 10, 2026, 08:34 IST News world Venezuelan Oil To India? US Says Its Ready, But Under Washington-Controlled Framework 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... US Will Continue To Seek Wars Till Its Economy Depends On Oil: Colombian President Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 21:44 IST Gustavo Petro further warned that there is now a real threat" of US military action against Colombia, accusing the US of behaving like an empire. Colombian President Gustavo Petro and US President Donald Trump (R). (AFP photo) Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said that the US will continue to engage in wars as long as their economy depends on oil and coal. In an interview with the BBC, the Colombian leader said that if the US had not pulled out of the Paris Agreement, there would be no wars, there would be a much more democratic and peaceful relationship with the world. And South America." As long as the US economy is based on oil and coal, 70% of its energy matrix, it will tend to seek wars for both resources," he said as quoted by the news outlet. The 1992 pact, under which 198 countries committed to funding climate-related efforts in developing nations, serves as the foundation for the landmark Paris climate accord. Trump exited the agreement shortly after returning to the White House. Petro further warned that there is now a real threat" of US military action against Colombia, accusing Washington of behaving like an empire and risking international isolation. He said Washington has long treated other nations, particularly in Latin America, as part of a US empire," often disregarding international law. He also criticised US immigration enforcement, accusing agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of acting like Nazi brigades." Trump has significantly expanded ICE operations, which the administration says are aimed at tackling crime and illegal immigration. The tensions escalated after recent US strikes on Venezuela and the seizure of President Nicolas Maduro, following which Trump said a military operation targeting Colombia sounds good." Trump has also repeatedly issued personal warnings to Petro, remarks the Colombian leader has strongly condemned. Petro and Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday evening. After the call, Trump said he would meet Petro at the White House in the near future," later describing the conversation on his Truth Social platform as a great honour." I look forward to having a meeting with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, in the White House, during the first week of February," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Colombia First Published: January 10, 2026, 21:44 IST News world US Will Continue To Seek Wars Till Its Economy Depends On Oil: Colombian President 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... Venezuela Rules Out Foreign Travel By Interim President, Says Rodriguez Not Planning Trips Abroad Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 07:18 IST Venezuela has played down talk of foreign travel by interim president Delcy Rodriguez, even as earlier reports said she had sought permission for a possible visit to Washington. Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez, alongside Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez (Credits: Reuters) The Venezuelan government said on Friday that interim president Delcy Rodriguez has no plans to travel abroad in the near future, responding to reports that suggested a possible visit to Colombia. The clarification comes amid earlier reports that Rodriguez had sought permission to travel to Washington next Tuesday, a trip that could include a possible visit to the White House. That request, according to the report, was under preliminary review and would require a temporary sanctions waiver from the US Treasury, as Rodriguez is sanctioned by the United States for human rights abuses. Earlier, Colombian President Gustavo Petro had also indicated that Rodriguez could soon travel to Bogota for talks. However, Venezuelan officials moved quickly to play down the suggestion. Communications Minister Freddy Nanez said the interim presidents administration is currently concentrating on internal matters. In a message shared on Telegram, he said the government is focused as a government on the domestic agenda." Petro had earlier told Spanish newspaper El Pais that Rodriguez was expected to visit the Colombian capital in the coming weeks. Explaining the timeline, he said, She has asked for two weeks. She needs to see what is happening in her own country," Petro was quoted as saying. For now, Caracas has made it clear that no international travel by the interim president is scheduled, as the government keeps its attention firmly on issues at home. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: January 10, 2026, 07:18 IST News world Venezuela Rules Out Foreign Travel By Interim President, Says Rodriguez Not Planning Trips Abroad 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... 'We Don't Want To Be Americans': 5 Political Parties Of Greenland Issue Response After Trump's Threat Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 13:16 IST In a statement signed by the leaders of all five parties represented in the Inatsisartut, Greenlands parliament, the parties rejected any suggestion of US or Danish control. Greenland Parliament | File Image Political leaders across Greenlands parliament on Friday issued a rare joint response to US President Donald Trumps renewed claims over the Arctic island, asserting that Greenlands future can only be decided by its own people. In a statement signed by the leaders of all five parties represented in the Inatsisartut, Greenlands parliament, the parties rejected any suggestion of US or Danish control. We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders," the statement said, underscoring a unified political stance. The parties also urged Washington to end what they described as a dismissive attitude towards the territory and stressed that decisions about Greenlands status must rest with its population. The future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders," they said. The statement followed comments by Trump earlier on Friday in which he reiterated his interest in bringing Greenland under US control, citing its strategic importance in the Arctic. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the United States would act to prevent China or Russia from gaining influence over the island. Were going to do something about Greenland, whether people like it or not," Trump said, warning that failure to act could allow Moscow or Beijing to establish a foothold in the region. Were not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour," he added. Trump suggested he preferred a negotiated outcome but did not rule out more forceful measures. I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we dont do it the easy way, were going to do it the hard way," he said. The US president has repeatedly voiced his desire to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and a member of the NATO alliance. His comments have raised concern in Europe, particularly as he has not ruled out the use of economic or military pressure. Greenland, which is largely ice-covered, has a population of about 57,000. Denmark has firmly rejected Trumps assertions. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that any US attack on Greenland would undermine NATO and threaten the post-World War II security order. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: January 10, 2026, 13:04 IST News world 'We Don't Want To Be Americans': 5 Political Parties Of Greenland Issue Response After Trump's Threat 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... 'Will Get Involved If...': Trump Warns Iran Against Using Deadly Force On Protesters Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: January 10, 2026, 10:48 IST US President Donald Trump said any American response would not involve deploying ground forces but would target pressure points. Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump (Image: AFP) US President Donald Trump on Friday said Washington is closely monitoring the unfolding protests in Iran and issued a warning to Tehran against using lethal force on demonstrators, saying the United States would respond if protesters were harmed. Trump made the remarks while taking questions from reporters during a meeting with senior oil and gas executives at the White House. He said he hoped protesters in Iran would remain safe but cautioned that past actions by Iranian authorities had raised serious concerns. Iran is in big trouble," Trump said, claiming that demonstrators had taken control of areas previously considered out of reach. Were watching very closely, and Ive said very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved." The US President said any American response would not involve deploying ground forces but would target pressure points. That doesnt mean boots on the ground," he said. It means hitting them very hard where it hurts. We dont want that to happen." Describing the protests as unprecedented, Trump said years of repression had pushed people to the streets. Its an incredible thing to watch. Theyve treated their people very badly, and now theres a reaction. Lets see what happens, but we are watching it very closely," he added. Trump also directly warned Irans leadership against a violent crackdown. I just hope the protesters are safe because its a very dangerous situation right now," he said. And again, I tell the Iranian leaders: you better not start shooting, because well start shooting too." According to the US-based policy research group Institute for the Study of War, protest activity in Iran has surged significantly since January 7, both in frequency and scale, including in Tehran and parts of northwestern Iran. The think tank said authorities have stepped up their response, including the unusual deployment of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ground forces in at least one province. Earlier this week, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States of orchestrating the unrest. Speaking at a public event on January 9, Khamenei alleged that some protesters were acting to curry favour with the American president. Iranian state media quoted Khamenei as saying that acts of vandalism were carried out to please the President of America," dismissing Trumps statements as irrelevant nonsense" and accusing him of encouraging unrest while failing to manage problems at home. Khamenei also criticised Trump personally, calling him arrogant" and warning that history shows despotic leaders fall at the height of their power". News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Iran First Published: January 10, 2026, 08:17 IST News world 'Will Get Involved If...': Trump Warns Iran Against Using Deadly Force On Protesters 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... MANILA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- At least four people have been confirmed dead as search and rescue operations continued Saturday for the remaining missing people after a landfill in the central Philippine city of Cebu collapsed late Thursday afternoon, the city mayor said Saturday. Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said in a social media post that 12 injured individuals have been extricated from the debris and rushed to a local hospital for treatment. Local officials warned that the death toll could rise again as rescuers work to locate those still missing. Archival said the instability of the ground and the risk of acetylene have made search-and-rescue operations extremely dangerous, forcing teams to proceed with caution. "Authorities confirmed the presence of detected signs of life in specific areas, requiring continued careful excavation," said Archival, stressing the need to deploy a more advanced crane at the site. Firefighters, police, and volunteer rescuers continued operations using heavy equipment and manual digging. However, efforts have been intermittently halted due to safety concerns, officials said. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse and are assessing the safety of nearby communities. A war that helped turn hobby drones into flying bombs is now doing the same for AI-guided killers. On Ukraine's 800-mile front, both Kyiv and Moscow are fielding drones that can increasingly fly, hunt, and strike with little human control, sometimes completing the final lethal seconds of an attack on their own, reports the New York Times . Ukraine has become a live-fire lab where government officials, arms makers, coders, and venture capitalists test new systems that automate chunks of the "kill chain," from navigation to target recognition to terminal attack. The Bumblebeebuilt by a hush-hush venture backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidtis one of the most advanced: It can be pointed at a target, cut off from its pilot, and still dive in and hit, even through heavy Russian signal-jamming. Bumblebee is hardly alone. Ukrainian startups like NORDA Dynamics sell bolted-on AI modules that let cheap first-person-view drones lock onto a visual target and finish the strike autonomously when radio links die. Sine Engineering's Pasika lets a single operator manage dozens of drones at once. Other firms are building long-range systems that navigate without GPS, using computer vision to pick out specific targetsoil tanks, air-defense radars, and even (potentially) individuals. Russia, for its part, is also deploying AI-enhanced drones and studying downed Ukrainian gear with growing alarm. Developers and soldiers are blunt about the trade-offs. The new weapons are still brittle, have short battery lives, and are often less precise than a skilled human pilot. Many retain a human "in the loop," at least to designate the target. But some systems, their creators acknowledge, can already attack soldiers without human input. "I think we created the monster, and I'm not sure where it's going to go," one developer warns. Critics caution that allowing machines to autonomously choose human targets crosses a "moral line," eroding civilian protections. Kyiv's techies and foreign backers see AI drones as essential to stopping a larger Russian military now, noting how "unbelievably unprepared" Western militaries are, including the United States. Schmidt casts his role as humanitarian, arguing AI weapons might someday make large ground invasions a thing of the past. History is less reassuring: When Richard Gatling pitched his rapid-fire gun in the late 19th century, he, too, suggested it would make huge armies, and thus war itself, obsolete. Forbes takes a look at drone evolution in Ukraine during its nearly four-year-old war. The Guardian remains wary of what AI-driven drones mean for the world at large. The United Health Foundation is out with a wide-ranging assessment of the nation's health, one that includes a ranking of the states. Looking at dozens of factors in five broad categoriessocial and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomesthe group ranked the best and worst. New Hampshire takes top honors, while Louisiana finishes last: 10 healthiest states New Hampshire Massachusetts Vermont Connecticut Utah Minnesota Washington Maryland Hawaii Rhode Island Immigration officials now have access to a tool that can map the movements of phones across whole neighborhoods, raising new alarms among privacy advocates. Documents obtained by 404 Media show that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has purchased access to two products from Penlink called Webloc and Tangles. Webloc lets users draw shapes on a digital mapie, workplaces, protest sitesand pull up all the phones there during a chosen time window, then trace those devices to other sites, like homes and workplaces. An internal ICE memo says agents can query this commercial data sans warrant. "This is probably unconstitutional," says Don Bell of the Constitution Project at the Project on Government Oversight, per the Independent . The data comes from the murky location-data market, with info harvested from ordinary apps, then sold by brokers, per 404. Once a device is flagged by Webloc, the system can reconstruct its travel history locally and nationwide, cross-matching phones that show up at multiple sites. Tangles, meanwhile, lets users monitor social media, detect faces in images, run "sentiment analysis" on posts, and maintain watch lists. Civil liberties groups say ICE is exploiting a legal gray zone to sidestep the Supreme Court's Carpenter vs. US decision, which requires warrants for historical location data from telecoms. The agency argues people have "voluntarily" shared data with third parties by using apps, undermining any expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. The ACLU says that reasoning is "self-serving," warning the system enables pervasive tracking "at an agent's mere whim," with immigrant and minority communities likely to bear the brunt; anti-ICE protesters will also be targets, per the Brennan Center. Sen. Ron Wyden, a critic of the location-data sector, says the program gives "Trump's shock troops" a powerful tool against people "who have done nothing wrong" and contends it violates federal law unless users clearly consent to government salessomething he says isn't happening, per 404. ICE has spent more than $2.3 million on Penlink licenses since September, even after a 2023 inspector general report found ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and the Secret Service broke rules using similar commercial-location datasets and lacked adequate safeguards. In a statement, Penlink said its tools use only public or commercially available data, are meant to "advance criminal investigations and save lives," and are governed by "strict compliance" and "responsible-use standards." President Trump called on major US and European oil companies to sink at least $100 billion into Venezuela's energy sector, but the industry leaders he met at the White House on Friday signaled no such commitment. Some smaller oil and trading firms have been eager to expand in Venezuela, but the large companies capable of significantly raising production including Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillipsremain wary, the New York Times reports. "We've had our assets seized there twice, and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes," Exxon CEO Darren Woods told the president. "Today it's uninvestable." The White House said it invited oil executives from 17 companies, including Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, as well as Exxon and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses, per the AP. Woods said Exxon would consider sending a team to the country within weeks if it receives security guarantees and legal changes that provide "durable investment protections." Other executives, including Trump ally and oil producer Harold Hamm, also expressed interest but stopped short of firm promises, noting Venezuela's "challenges." Consultancy Rystad Energy estimates that simply holding Venezuela's output at about 1 million barrels a day would cost more than $50 billion over 15 years, while pushing production above 1.4 million barrels a day could require more than $120 billion through 2040. Chevron said it could lift its output there by roughly 50% in the next two years, per the Times. After Chevron Vice Chairman Mark Nelson spoke, Trump warned: "If we make a deal, you will be there a long time. If we don't make a deal, you won't be there at all." Trump said his administration could offer security guarantees but not direct funding, adding that oil majors would be spending "their money, not the government's money"possibly with credit support from the US Export-Import Bank. PHNOM PENH, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia said on Saturday that the United States will provide multi-million U.S. dollars in aid to support displaced families, mine clearance and combating online scams. Michael George DeSombre, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, announced the aid during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, said a press release from the prime minister's spokesperson unit. DeSombre was in Cambodia to help fortify a fragile ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand. "He announced that the United States will provide 15 million U.S. dollars in assistance to support displaced families along the borders of both countries, as well as 10 million U.S. dollars for demining and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance in Cambodia," the press release said. "DeSombre announced that the United States will provide 10 million U.S. dollars in assistance to support Cambodia's capacity-building efforts in combating online scams," the press release added. For his part, Hun Manet reaffirmed that Cambodia consistently values peace and remains firmly committed to resolving border issues through peaceful means, in accordance with international law, treaties, conventions, and bilateral agreements. He expressed the hope that the United States would continue to encourage both parties to fully implement the ceasefire to secure the safe return of civilians to their homes without obstruction and the resumption of the Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary to conduct surveys and demarcate the land boundary as a foundation for long-term peace. Cambodia and Thailand agreed to an immediate ceasefire on Dec. 27 after three weeks of armed conflict, which caused casualties on both sides. North Korea's military accused South Korea of flying drones across the border between the nations this week, warning Saturday that South Korea will face consequences for its "unpardonable hysteria." South Korea quickly denied the accusation. But the development is likely to further dim prospects for efforts by South Korea's liberal government to restore ties with North Korea, per the AP . North Korean forces say they used special electronic warfare assets on Sunday to bring down a South Korean drone flying over North Korea's border town. The drone was equipped with two cameras that filmed unspecified areas, the General Staff of the North Korean People's Army said in a statement carried by state media. South Korea sent another drone into North Korean airspace on Sept. 27 before it was forced to crash following electronic strikes by North Korea, the statement said, adding that authorities found the drone also contained video data on major objects in North Korea. "We strongly denounce the hooligans' serial outrageous encroachment upon our sovereignty and undisguised provocative acts against us," the North Korean statement said. "The ROK military warmongers will be surely forced to pay a dear price for their unpardonable hysteria." "ROK" is the abbreviation of the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. South Korea's Defense Ministry said it didn't operate drones on the dates cited by North Korea, and President Lee Jae Myung ordered a through investigation of the North Korean claim. Since taking office in June, Lee's government has pushed hard to reopen talks with North Korea and reconcile the rivals, but North Korea has steadfastly rebuffed Lee's overture. Lee said on Wednesday he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to serve as a mediator to ease animosities between the two Koreas during their recent summit, and that Xi called for patience. Drone flights are a source of animosity between the two Koreas, with the rivals accusing each other of flying drones into their respective territories in recent years. North Korea accused South Korea in October 2024 of flying drones over its capital, Pyongyang, to drop propaganda leaflets three times. South Korea's military said it couldn't confirm whether the North's claim was true. Tensions rose sharply at the time as North Korea threatened to respond with force, but neither side took any major action, and tensions gradually subsided. South Korea also has accused North Korea of occasionally flying drones over South Korea. Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in a large-scale overnight attack, officials said Friday, killing at least four people in the capital. The intense barrage and launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile came days after Ukraine and its allies reported major progress toward agreeing on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a US-led peace deal is struck, per the AP . The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany condemned the attack as "escalatory and unacceptable," and the EU's top foreign policy envoy said Russian President Vladimir Putin's reply to diplomacy was "more missiles and destruction." Ukrainian officials said four people were killed and at least 25 wounded in Kyiv as apartments were struck overnight. Those killed included an emergency medical aid worker, per Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko. Four doctors and one police officer were injured while responding to the attacks, authorities said. About half of snowy Kyiv's apartment buildingsnearly 6,000were left without heat amid daytime temperatures of about 18 degrees Fahrenheit, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Water supplies also were disrupted. Municipal services restored power and heat to public facilities, including hospitals and maternity wards, using portable boiler units, he noted. The Kyiv Post notes that temps are expected to drop even further in coming days, reaching into the negatives. Klitschko is now advising Kyiv residents who can do so to ditch the capital for that reason, at least temporarily, as it will soon be "impossible" to remain in their unheated homes in those kind of conditions. The attack also damaged the Qatari Embassy in Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who noted that Qatar has played a key role in mediating the exchange of prisoners of war, per the AP. He called for a "clear response" from the international community, particularly from the US, which he said Russia takes seriously. Ukraine's Security Service said it identified debris from the Oreshnik missile in the Lviv region in the country's west. It was fired from Russia's Kapustin Yar test range near the Caspian Sea in southwestern Russia and targeted civilian infrastructure, investigators said. Russia's Defense Ministry said the attack was in retaliation for what Moscow claimed was a Ukrainian drone strike on one of Putin's residences last month. Both the US and Ukraine have rejected the Russian claim. More here. Home Alone actor Daniel Stern is facing a misdemeanor citation in Southern California linked to an alleged attempt to pay for sex. Authorities in Ventura County say Stern was cited on Dec. 10 in Camarillo, California, for allegedly soliciting prostitution, according to police records obtained by TMZ . The incident reportedly took place at a hotel in the city, located about an hour northwest of Los Angeles. Stern, best known for playing burglar Marv in the Home Alone films, wasn't arrested, per the New York Post. Officers issued him a ticket at the scene and didn't take a booking photo, police tell TMZ. The 68-year-old actor has drawn emergency services attention in the area before: In October, local fire officials responded to a medical call at a residence in Somis and rushed him to a hospital, TMZ previously reported. Per an observation by Parade, the incident happened during peak holiday season, when Home Alone tends to get a lot of views. The outlet also notes that Stern has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years. "I don't leave my farm," he told People last month. The actor could face up to six months behind bars or a $1,000 fine if convicted. Representatives for Stern didn't respond to a request for comment. The US military said Saturday that it carried out a broad wave of airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, describing the action as a response to a deadly December ambush. US Central Command reported that more than 35 ISIS-linked sites were hit around 12:30pm ET as part of an operation, in conjuction with partners, that the Pentagon said was authorized by President Trump on Dec. 19, per NBC News . The Dec. 13 attack near Palmyra killed two American soldiers and a US civilian interpreter, according to US officials. A Central Command spokesperson said that more than 90 precision weapons were used and that over 20 aircraft took part in the operation Saturday. The military had already conducted strikes in December on Islamic State infrastructure and weapons, officials said. "Our message remains strong: if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice," the Central Command statement said, per the AP. The Public Safety Report is compiled from criminal complaints filed in state and federal courts, as well as some police blotter information, trooper dispatches, fire department reports and interviews with public safety officials. Individuals named as arrested and/or charged with crimes in this report are presumed innocent until proved guilty in a court of law. TOKYO, Jan 10 (News On Japan) - A man accused of robbing a convenience store and injuring an employee, his face marked by a prominent tattoo, gave an interview from detention ahead of his first court appearance on January 9th, saying the crime was not motivated by financial need. The man, who stared down the camera with glinting teeth and a green snake tattoo running down the center of his face, is on trial for robbery resulting in injury. He spoke with reporters inside the Tokyo Detention House prior to the opening hearing. The defendant, Masanobu Echizenya, 50, said he was not struggling financially. In December 2024, Echizenya allegedly stole goods worth about 500 yen from a convenience store in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, and repeatedly headbutted a male store clerk in his 30s who chased after him, causing injuries that required about two weeks to heal. During a meeting with an FNN reporter two days before the first hearing, Echizenya spoke about his facial tattoos, saying, Ive had my tattoos for about 20 years now. After his arrest, Echizenya initially refused to speak to investigators. However, during a meeting on January 7th, he admitted wrongdoing, telling the reporter, I know I did something bad. Im sorry for causing trouble. I regret it. Echizenya acknowledged his guilt in front of the reporter and showed an understanding that robbery resulting in injury is a serious offense carrying a minimum sentence of six years in prison. Asked about his motive, Echizenya insisted it was not about money. He said he stole the items intending to cause trouble for the store, and that he assaulted the clerk in order to escape. Reports after his arrest said he dropped the stolen coffee and bread while fleeing, but Echizenya claimed he did not drop them and instead threw them away. The reporter who met him described Echizenya as polite and well-mannered, noting that he greeted people clearly and properly, but also said that his conversation sometimes drifted, such as when he suddenly began talking about what he usually eats. At the first hearing held at the Tokyo District Court on January 9th, Echizenya again admitted to the charges. Prosecutors argued that he had repeatedly caused disturbances at the convenience store in the past and committed the crime out of resentment after being warned by staff. The defense countered that Echizenya had been in an unstable mental state, unable to work due to insomnia and other issues. The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on January 21st. Source: FNN BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Central Bank of Argentina said Friday that it has repaid the tranche of the currency swap agreed with the U.S. Department of the Treasury last October, under a 20 billion U.S. dollars "exchange-rate stabilization agreement." In a statement, the monetary authority said the repayment "was carried out in December, under the exchange-rate stabilization agreement for 20 billion U.S. dollars announced on Oct. 20, 2025." The amount repaid totaled about 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, local media reported, citing the U.S. Treasury's Exchange Stabilization Fund Monthly Financial Statement released last October. "The objective of this agreement is to contribute to Argentina's macroeconomic stability, with special emphasis on preserving price stability and promoting sustainable economic growth," said the statement. The repayment was also announced by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the social platform X. "I am pleased to announce that, reflecting its strengthened financial position, Argentina has quickly and fully repaid its limited drawing on the swap with the United States, so the Exchange Stabilization Fund currently holds no pesos," Bessent said. ISLAMABAD, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Navy on Saturday carried out a successful test-firing of a surface-to-air missile, demonstrating a range of conventional and unmanned warfare capabilities in the north Arabian Sea, the military said. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military, said in a statement that the exercise underscored the navy's operational readiness and combat preparedness in line with the evolving requirements of modern naval warfare. According to the ISPR, the drills included the live firing of the LY-80 (N) surface-to-air missile from a vertical launching system at an extended range, validating the long-range air defense capability of the Pakistan Navy. "The exercise also featured the successful engagement of surface targets using loitering munitions, demonstrating precision strike capabilities," said the ISPR, adding that the munitions accurately struck and destroyed designated targets. In addition, the navy conducted open-sea trials of an unmanned surface vessel, marking a significant step forward in autonomous naval technology. The trials validated the platform's high-speed performance and mission-critical durability, with key capabilities including extreme manoeuvrability, precision navigation and resilience in challenging weather conditions, the military said. NANJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen people were injured in an off-road racing accident in Tongzhou District of Nantong City, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Saturday, according to local government. The incident occurred during an off-road racing event held at a venue within an agricultural technology company in Tongzhou District. A total of 89 drivers participated in the event, supported by 38 accompanying personnel and 68 staff members responsible for security, registration, and rescue operations. At around 10 a.m., a 52-year-old male driver, surnamed Lu, lost control of his vehicle, resulting in the injuries at the scene. All the injured were promptly taken to the hospital, including two who sustained severe injuries but are now in stable condition. The accident is under further investigation, and the individuals involved are currently in police custody. SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday ordered a joint military-police probe into the possibility that the drone cited in the "drone infiltration" claim by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was civilian-operated, warning that if confirmed, it would constitute a grave criminal offense, Yonhap News Agency reported. Citing the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, Yonhap said Lee issued the instruction in response to the possibility of a civilian-operated drone, warning that if confirmed, it would constitute a grave crime threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security. Earlier on Saturday, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek said allegations that South Korean drones had violated the DPRK's airspace were "absolutely untrue," noting that the drone shown in photos released by the DPRK was not a model operated by the South Korean military. The South Korean defense ministry also said it had confirmed that the military did not operate drones on the dates cited by the DPRK. According to the Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, a spokesperson for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said in a statement released on Friday that South Korea had again sent drones into the DPRK's airspace at the beginning of the new year. A Bergen County man was taken into custody Thursday in connection with the sexual assault of an incapacitated woman on New Years Day, investigators said. Julian A. Morris, 20, of River Vale, is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree sexual assault. Authorities began investigating Jan. 1 after receiving a report of the assault, officials said. No additional details about the investigation were released. Morris is being held at the Bergen County Jail pending a detention hearing. An attorney for Morris declined to comment. A dead whale found on the bow of a cargo ship in Gloucester City last week showed signs of blunt force trauma, according to preliminary information released Friday. A necropsy has been completed on the fin whale found Jan. 4 on the bow of a container ship docked at a South Jersey port on the Delaware River. The examination is the first step in determining what caused the animals death. The necropsy, also known as an animal autopsy, was performed on the young male whale after it was towed from the Holt Marine Terminal in Gloucester City to the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard, according to a statement from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. The 42-foot, 11.5-ton whale showed signs of blunt force trauma to the right side of its body, consistent with a vessel strike, the center said. Samples taken from the whale will be analyzed to determine if it was hit by the boat before or after it died, investigators said. Those results will be released at a later time. Due to industrial development along the local shoreline, the whale could not be buried onsite, so it was prepared for transport to an inland burial location, the center said. Fin whales are an endangered species and rank as the second-largest whale, surpassed only by the blue whale, authorities said. Since 1978, the center has responded to 34 incidents involving fin whales. A man and woman discovered Wednesday inside a Wildwood Crest home died as a result of a murder-suicide, the Cape May County Prosecutors Office announced Friday. The pair were identified Friday as Donald and Marion Miller, both 79, who were found in a home on East Atlanta Avenue by Wildwood Crest police, prosecutors said. Investigators determined that Marion died after being shot once by Donald, who then fatally shot himself. Authorities did not immediately clarify the relationship between the two. Public records show that Marion and Donald bought the home in 1987. The incident is still under investigation and anyone with information was asked to contact the office or the Wildwood Crest Police Department. Editors note: NJ Advance Media typically limits reporting on suicides to those that occur in crowded public places, involve public figures or, in special circumstances, where there is a larger public impact. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be reduced with the proper mental health support and treatment. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Its a brand new year, and new Saturday Night Live episodes are on the way. There wont be a new episode of SNL on Saturday, Jan. 10. Season 51 of the sketch comedy show returns with a new episode on Saturday, Jan. 17. Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, who played Mike Wheeler on the Netflix series, will make his hosting debut during the episode. The musical guest, rapper A$AP Rocky, will also make his SNL debut. SNL has been on a midseason hiatus since Ariana Grande hosted the Dec. 21 Christmas episode with musical guest Cher. After Wolfhard kicks off SNLs 2026 shows, Teyana Taylor will host the Jan. 24 episode with musical guest Geese. Taylor recently starred in the Paul Thomas Anderson film One Battle After Another and the Hulu legal drama Alls Fair. Both Taylor and Geese, a rock band fronted by Cameron Winter, will make their SNL" debuts during the episode. Alexander Skarsgard is set to host the Jan. 31 episode of SNL with musical guest Cardi B. Known for television shows including True Blood, Big Little Lies and Succession, Skarsgard currently stars in the new Apple TV series Murderbot. While Skarsgard is another first-time SNL host, Cardi B previously served as musical guest in 2018. Her second studio album, Am I the Drama?, dropped in September 2025. Keep scrolling to see the full SNL season 51 schedule, so far: Saturday Night Live season 51 schedule Saturday, Oct. 4: Bad Bunny and Doja Cat Saturday, Oct. 11: Amy Poehler and Role Model Saturday, Oct. 18: Sabrina Carpenter (double duty) Saturday, Oct. 25: No new episode Saturday, Nov. 1: Miles Teller and Brandi Carlile Saturday, Nov. 8: Nikki Glaser and sombr Saturday, Nov. 15: Glen Powell and Olivia Dean READ MORE: SNL alum says costars turned a blind eye to his addiction struggles Saturday, Nov. 22: No new episode Saturday, Nov. 29: No new episode Saturday, Dec. 6: Melissa McCarthy and Dijon Saturday, Dec. 13: Josh OConnor and Lily Allen Saturday, Dec. 20: Ariana Grande and Cher Saturday, Dec. 27: No new episode Saturday, Jan. 3: No new episode Saturday, Jan. 10: No new episode Saturday, Jan. 17: Finn Wolfhard and A$AP Rocky Saturday, Jan. 24: Teyana Taylor and Geese Saturday, Jan. 31: Alexander Skarsgard and Cardi B Season 51 of Saturday Night Live returns on Saturday, Jan. 17. New episodes premiere on NBC on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET and are available to stream on Peacock the day after they air. A man has been arrested after allegedly uploading child sexual abuse files to his Snapchat account. Anthony Santiago, 28, of Bayonne, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, the Hudson County Prosecutors Office said in a statement Friday. In July 2024, cybercrime investigators received a tip about a Snapchat account that was uploading the illegal files. The account was later linked to Santiago and detectives found that his online accounts and devices contained hundreds of child sexual abuse files, authorities alleged. Attorney information was not immediately available for Santiago on Friday. He remains in custody at the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing. A Tewksbury man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of possessing hundreds of child sex abuse files. David Tuytjens, 70, a convicted sex offender, faces one count of possession of child pornography, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey said Friday. He appeared in Trenton federal court on Thursday, where he pleaded not guilty. He was initially charged by complaint in April 2025. Tuytjens is subject to supervised release for life due to his previous criminal convictions. As part of his supervision conditions, he is prohibited from owning any internet-capable devices. In December 2024, officers from the New Jersey State Parole Board arrived at his house and found a microSD storage card inside his laptop, federal authorities said. A search of the storage card revealed about 800 pictures and 30 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, federal prosecutors said. Certain files included prepubescent, infant and toddler victims as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct, officials said. Tuytjens prior convictions include aggravated sexual assault at the state level and possession of child pornography at the federal level, prosecutors said. In its statement on Friday night, the U.S. Attorneys Office did not say whether Tuytjens is still in custody or whether he is represented by an attorney. Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang addresses a sharing session aimed at promoting China-Africa people-to-people exchanges in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Xu Haofu) CAIRO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A sharing session aimed at promoting China-Africa people-to-people exchanges was held here on Thursday evening, attracting some 100 diplomats, Egyptian alumni of Chinese universities, and young representatives from China and Egypt. Addressing the event themed "Writing a Splendid Chapter of China-Africa Friendship Through Youth," Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang noted that 2026 marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and that China-Egypt ties are currently at their best in history. The deepening of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership requires the active participation of youth, and the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future requires their continued efforts, Liao said. Exchanges and mutual understanding between Chinese and Egyptian youth have further strengthened ties between the two peoples and offered a vivid illustration of mutual learning among civilizations, he added. Yasser Alawi, president of Egypt's Institute for Diplomatic Studies, said Egypt attaches great importance to youth exchanges. He noted that the Egyptian Foreign Ministry has included Chinese as an optional subject in its diplomatic recruitment examinations and that the institute has incorporated study in China into its training system, laying a solid foundation for the long-term development of Egypt-China ties. Nasser Abdel-Aal, chairman of the Egyptian Alumni Association of Chinese Universities, noted that Egypt was among the first Arab and African countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and that Egypt-China ties have withstood the test of time and produced fruitful cooperation. Youth from both countries are not only witnesses to China-Africa friendship but will also serve as an important bridge for promoting civilizational exchanges and advancing common development, Abdel-Aal said. He added that Egyptian and Chinese youth will make new contributions through concrete actions toward building a community with a shared future for mankind. During the event, organized by the Chinese Embassy in Egypt in cooperation with the Association of Egyptian Scholars in China, young representatives from both countries exchanged views on cooperation in areas including the training of young diplomats, language education, and academic exchanges. They also offered suggestions on further deepening China-Egypt and China-Africa youth partnerships. On Christmas Eve, residents of Roxbury were shaken from their holiday routines by a national news report that name-dropped their small Morris County town. The report, published by The Washington Post, said that Roxbury was among a small group of communities under consideration for new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. The plan, according to documents drafted by ICE and reviewed by the Post, would involve converting existing warehouses into facilities where as many as 1,500 people would be held pending deportation. The center would become the largest in New Jersey by detainee population. Local officials were blindsided. So far, we only know what was in the Post report, Brian Considine, the chair of the Roxbury Dems, said on Thursday. You have to wonder if the feds are just messing with you, he added, giving a grim laugh. The report spread across town very quickly, according to William Angus, a community organizer who lived in Roxbury for a decade before moving to neighboring Hackettstown two years ago. Our first thought was, we need to go to the town council, he said. Our second thought was, we need to get a protest going. Within days, the normally tranquil municipality of 23,000 people found itself in the eye of a fast-moving political and emotional maelstrom. Residents flocked to a Dec. 30 township council meeting then flooded a major intersection the following weekend to protest a facility that local officials say they themselves learned about only through the press and that the federal government has yet to confirm. The Post report described a draft of U.S. Department of Homeland Security planning documents outlining a nationwide expansion of immigration detention capacity through the conversion of large industrial warehouses. Roxbury was listed among roughly 16 potential sites of similar size, though the newspaper cautioned the documents were preliminary and subject to change. That caveat has done little to calm nerves, especially in the wake of the fatal shooting of a woman in Minnesota by a federal immigration officer Wednesday. No one wants to see that play out in Roxbury, said Darcy Draeger, chair of the Morris County Democratic Committee. Operating in a vacuum Local leaders say they have received no communication from ICE or DHS about any proposed project. At the Dec. 30 meeting, Mayor Shawn Potillo said that township officials had learned about the alleged plan the same way as other residents. To the best of this councils knowledge, no officials in the Township of Roxbury have been contacted by the federal government, nor do we have any information from them at this time regarding the validity of the Washington Posts report, he told the crowd. Reached by email on Friday, Potillo declined to comment further. But Draeger said that officials were still in the dark. Everyone is operating in a vacuum of information right now, she said. Spokespeople for ICE and DHS did not respond to requests for comment. Roxbury Township's welcome sign NJ Advance Media file photo Draeger said the county Democratic committee contacted the office of U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-7th Dist., whose congressional district includes Roxbury, seeking any information. They were told Kean had no comment, she said. A spokesperson for Kean did not return inquiries from NJ Advance Media. The federal government has remained silent, even as state lawmakers in Trenton move on the issue. This week, New Jersey Democrats advanced a package of immigrationrelated bills supporters say would bolster protections for immigrant communities by limiting state and local cooperation with federal enforcement. Adam McGovern, a legislative strategist at Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center, said in a statement that he was confident the bills were all but assured of passage next week. It is a powerful sign of how much New Jersey doesnt want outsiders in masks terrorizing our neighborhoods, and how much we can depend on each other to care, he said. This is not acceptable The first public test of Roxburys reaction came at the township council meetings year-end meeting, normally a sleepy affair. Instead, about 65 residents showed up and roughly 20 spoke, according to organizers and attendees. Many voiced fear, anger and uncertainty about what an ICE facility would mean for their families and their town. The humanity that was on display was very, very moving, said Justin Strickland, a Chatham Borough councilman and a Democrat running in the Feb. 5 special election to fill Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrills vacated seat. Strickland said the meeting reinforced his view that ICE has drifted far from its original mission. ICE was created to protect American citizens from terrorist attacks, not to terrorize American communities, he said. It clearly does not serve the purpose that it was intended. Days later, more than 150 people gathered in freezing temperatures at the intersection of Routes 10 and 46, chanting, dancing in inflatable costumes and waving signs opposing the potential facility. Another protest is planned for Sunday morning at the same intersection, Angus said. Attendees described the demonstration, which was supervised by local police and Morris County sheriffs deputies, as peaceful but urgent. It was very energized, said Brian Varela, a Democrat running to unseat Kean, who brought a bullhorn to take part in chanting. People wanted to make clear that this is not acceptable, he said. Not who Roxbury is Concerns about an ICE warehouse in Roxbury extend beyond civil liberties. Angus cited fears about depressed property values, increased demands on police and fire services and rising property taxes. Any town that becomes a prison town changes, he said. Thats not who Roxbury is. Several speakers at the council meeting shared deeply personal stories, including one woman whose husband self-deported earlier this year and another who said she fears being detained without her children knowing where she is. A number of people were crying and had to fight back tears, said Angus, who also testified. Every single person had a different reason for opposing it. Opposition has drawn from across the political spectrum, organizers said, with Angus pointing to state State Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, who serves as Roxburys municipal attorney. No one will ever accuse him of being liberal, but he has been very outspoken about how he does not want this, Angus said. And if he can feel that way, I know that there are other Republicans who do, too. Bucco, who did not immediately return a request for comment, told NJ Spotlight News earlier this week that he was opposed to the idea. Delaney Hall in Newark, NJ on Monday, December 22, 2025 John Jones | For NJ Advance Media I dont think that an ICE facility in the middle of a town like Roxbury is something that the federal government should consider, he said. Internal DHS criteria cited in the Washington Post report suggest a detention center holding 1,500 people would require a warehouse of roughly 400,000 to 500,000 square feet a scale that residents say would transform the face of the township. If built, it would also more than double the size of New Jerseys current immigration detention infrastructure, which constitutes two smaller holding facilities. Less than 50 miles east of Roxbury, Delaney Hall in Newark is operating with a maximum capacity of 1,000 beds. A town over, the Elizabeth Contract Detention Center holds another 300 detainees. But even that expansion is dwarfed by the most expansive components of the federal plan. According to the Post, ICEs draft plan envisions an additional seven large-scale warehouse detention hubs across the country, each capable of holding between 5,000 and 10,000 people. Those mega-sites would be located close to major logistics hubs in Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Georgia and Missouri, according to the report. Frightening Despite the growing protests, local leaders acknowledge they may have limited legal authority if the federal government ultimately moves forward. My understanding is there are very few tools that could potentially prevent this, Draeger said. Thats frightening. Nationwide, immigration detention has been scaling up rapidly under President Donald Trumps administration. Federal data shows that ICE held more than 68,000 people in detention by mid-December 2025, the highest number on record, according to the Post. The Trump administration deported more than 605,000 people in 2025, the Department of Homeland Security announced in December. A further 1.9 million people left the U.S. voluntarily, or self-deported, the government said. There were 685,000 total deportations in fiscal year 2024 under then-President Joe Biden, according to a report published last year by the Migration Policy Institute. Still, Draeger said, the rapid mobilization in Roxbury has revealed something about how New Jerseyans might respond to further expansion. Morris County has a very strong grassroots community, she said. People are putting their bodies where their values are. Its been five years since New Jersey-born U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died after defending the Capitol from the Jan. 6 attack. On Friday, National Law Enforcement Day, Gov. Phil Murphy and several other officials joined Sicknicks family in their hometown of South River for a ceremony honoring the late officer and his sacrifice. Murphy also signed a joint resolution declaring July 30, Sicknicks birthday, as Brian Sicknick Day in New Jersey. Officer Brian Sicknick was an American hero, killed in the line of duty on one of our nations darkest days, the governor said. Sicknick, who grew up in South River, was bear-sprayed when a mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to protest Congress certifying Joe Bidens victory over Trump in the 2020 election. Sicknick died a day later after suffering two strokes. He was 42. A D.C. medical examiner ruled Sicknick died of natural causes but noted that all that transpired on that day played a role in his condition. Late U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. (United States Capitol Police via AP) AP Two men, one from Pennsylvania and one from New Jersey, were arrested for assaulting Officer Sicknick and one who was later pardoned by President Donald Trump after he began his second term last year. I feel that my brother died in vain and that our nation has a very long and dark road ahead of it, Craig Sicknick said in an email to NJ Advance Media after Trump issued blanked pardons to those charged in the attack. Fridays wreath-laying ceremony included a performance of the national anthem, bagpipes, and a 21-gun salute, according to event organizers. In a statement, Ken Sicknick asked people to remember his brother not just as an officer who lost his life after defending the Capitol. That is not his only identity, Ken said. He is a brother, a son, and a co-worker that was embraced by his peers. He was loved because of the person that he was. He is a hero. Officials are warning people to avoid the popular Giant Stairs section of the Shore Trail near State Line Lookout at the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey. The trail, which includes a mile of scrambling over boulders, is closed due to a major rockfall and slide. In addition to the closure, this portion of the park unsafe due to the risk of possible additional rockfall activity, the Palisades Parks Conservancy said in a Jan. 9 Facebook post. The conservatory said park staff is addressing the situation, and they will update the public as soon as possible. If youre planning a trip to Grenada anytime soon, you might want to take some extra precautions before you go. The U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory to Grenada, advising travelers to take extra precautions in the country due to increased risks of crime. Heres what you need to know if you plan on traveling to Grenada. What does the latest travel advisory to Grenada mean to you? Item Detail Start Date Jan. 5, 2026 Whats changing Updated travel advisory warning travelers to exercise increased caution in Grenada due to increased risks of crime. What will happen? Travelers should be aware of their surroundings, dont resist any robbery attempts, be careful when walking or driving at night and dont answer the door to strangers. Who will it affect? Travelers to Grenada. The agency gave a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution advisory to Grenada because of increased crime risks. The State Department says that Americans in Grenada have been victims of armed robbery, assault, burglary and rape, and in some instances, have been killed. Police response times are also slower than they are in the U.S. What is the highest travel advisory? There are four levels of travel advisory, Level 1 through Level 4. When planning a vacation, you should check the current travel advisory for that destination. Level 1 : Exercise Normal Precautions This is the lowest level of advisory; it is advised that there is some risk in that area, and travelers should take precautions while on their visit. Level 2 : Exercise Increased Caution There is a heightened risk for safety and security in that area, and travelers need to take extra caution. Level 3 : Reconsider Travel There are serious risks to safety, and travelers are advised to reconsider their travel plans to this destination. Level 4: Do Not Travel This is the highest level of advisory, and it is strongly recommended not to travel to any destinations with a Level 4 advisory, due to many factors, one of which is that the U.S. government might not be able to provide travelers any assistance in the event of an emergency. What should travelers to Grenada do in light of this travel advisory? Travelers to Grenada should be aware of their surroundings, dont resist any robbery attempts, be careful when walking or driving at night and dont answer the door to strangers. The State Department also suggests to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to get alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency and purchase travel insurance. You can also prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations using the Travelers Checklist. A man has been sentenced to state prison for a utility terrain vehicle crash that killed a passenger while he was intoxicated. Stephen McGuire, 48, of Howell, received two three-year sentences on Friday, which will run concurrently, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office said in a statement. He pleaded guilty last year to strict liability vehicular homicide and endangering the welfare of a child. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said the plea agreement was reached following extensive talks with Grovers family, who he described as being compassionate and forgiving toward McGuire. Manchester Township Police responded to the crash at the Heritage Minerals Mine on Route 70 on Dec. 12, 2020. On the scene, officers learned that McGuire was driving the UTV when it crashed and was submerged in a lake, officials said. A utility terrain vehicle, or UTV, is a four- or six-wheeled off-road vehicle. McGuire and his three juvenile passengers were able to swim to safety. However, the fourth passenger, 62-year-old James Grover, remained underwater. The group told police that they attempted to rescue Grover from the water, but failed. Dive teams later found the UTV submerged 25 feet underwater with Grover attached to the vehicle by a safety harness. Grover, who was also from Howell, was pronounced dead on the scene, prosecutors said. McGuire was then brought to Community Medical Center and a warrant was obtained for a blood draw. The results revealed that his blood-alcohol concentration was 0.127%, authorities said. The legal blood-alcohol limit in the state is 0.08%. Attorney information was not immediately available for McGuire on Friday. He was arrested at his home on Jan. 5, 2021 and later released in accordance with New Jersey Bail Reform. President Donald Trump has an updated timeline of when he expects his proposed $2,000 stimulus checks to be sent to Americans. In an interview with The New York Times, Trump said he will not need congressional approval for the checks, fueled by revenue collected from his sweeping tariffs, to come to fruition. When asked when Americans can see the funds hitting their wallets, he replied: I would say toward the end of the year. His new update is a slight delay from his previous deadline of probably mid-2026 or shortly afterward. Trump first proposed the idea of rebate checks in November, saying the payment will be reserved for low- and middle-income Americans. The White House has not offered specific guidelines for who exactly would qualify. In his announcement, Trump floated that any leftover money could be put toward helping pay down the nations over $38 trillion in debt. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, a new round of stimulus checks would cost about $600 billion. The United States collected $195 billion in tariff revenue in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, a final monthly statement from the Department of Treasury revealed showing that the federal government may be under budget to uphold the initiative. A looming decision from the Supreme Court on the legality of his tariffs imposed on trading partners could also derail the presidents plans. The high court did not rule on challenges on Friday, after it issued its first opinion of the term. The court, however, appeared skeptical during arguments in November that Trump has the authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a 1977 law that gives the president broad economic powers during a national emergency. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously predicted that the administration could still impose tariffs, regardless of the outcome from the Supreme Court. Last month, during The New York Times DealBook Summit, Bessent pointed to sections of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which grants a president the authority to implement tariffs on imports in certain circumstances. We can re-create the exact tariff structure with 301s, with 232s, with the I think a 122, he said. When asked whether they would be a permanent option to keep tariffs intact, Bessent had signaled in agreement. The 122s are permanently, but the others, we can do it, Bessent said. Bessents comments were not the first time he cited the legislation to defend Trumps tariff agenda. In November, Bessent cited Section 232, which allows a president to impose restrictions on imports or enter into trade negotiations if the commerce secretary, following an investigation, determines that the quantity or other circumstance of those imports threaten to impair U.S. national security, according to Congress. Bessent has also noted Section 301, which provides relief from unfair trading practices. CNBC reported, though, that the act would limit the presidents ability to enact tariffs under emergency grounds, like Trump has up to this point. Meanwhile, Bessent has maintained that legislation passed by Congress may be required to make the checks ultimately happen. Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal sent a blunt warning to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thursday, vowing to prosecute any federal officers who commit crimes in the city. If any of them want to come in this city and commit a crime, you will not be able to hide, nobody will whisk you off, Bilal said during a press conference. You dont want this smoke because we will bring it to you. Philadelphia police officers will enforce District Attorney Larry Krasners directive to detain ICE agents who provoke illegal actions or endanger the public, Bilal said. The criminal in the White House will not be able to keep you from going to jail, she added, referring to President Donald Trump. The sheriffs broadside marked another escalation in the conflict between the Trump administration and Democrat-led cities after ICE officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. This should not have happened, Bilal said of the shooting. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other Trump officials have portrayed the encounter as an act of self-defense and depicted Good as an aggressor who used her vehicle against the officer. They have labeled her conduct domestic terrorism and insisted the agent was justified in firing as she began to drive away. An officer of ours acted quickly, and defensively shot to protect himself and the people around him, Noem said. State and local leaders, however, have rejected that account. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said video of the encounter does not support the administrations version of events, calling the self-defense argument garbage and accusing federal authorities of spinning the narrative. The New York Times analyzed videos from the incident and concluded that Good appeared to be turning away from Ross as he opened fire. Policing experts told the Associated Press that some of the choices Ross made in that moment defy practices nearly every law enforcement agency have followed for decades. Bilal expressed similar concerns with ICEs tactics while addressing the shooting. Law enforcement professionals do not shoot at moving vehicles. Law enforcement professionals do not stand in front of moving vehicles invoking an action that is illegal, Bilal said. No law enforcement professional wears a mask. None. What they do is against not only the legal law, but the moral law, she added. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Middlesex County man was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a child in a park 15 years ago, officials said. Samuel Perl, 36, of Middlesex previously pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated sexual assault and second-degree sexual assault of a child under 13 years old. On Jan. 15, 2025, Union County Police Department officials received a report about a sexual assault involving two juveniles in Nomehagen Park in Cranford from 2011, officials said. Investigators discovered that Perl, who was in his 20s at the time, posed as a minor in order to meet underage girls online, officials said. He was arrested on June 3, 2025 and held in county jail until he was transferred to state prison, officials said. Perl must serve at least 85% of the sentence and will be subject to Megans Law and Nicoles Law upon his release, officials said. Megans Law requires public disclosure of sex offender information, while Nicoles Law allows victims of sexual offenses to seek restraining orders against accused offenders even if they werent in an intimate relationship. An attorney for Perl did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Azerbaijans Ambassador to Mexico Seymur Fataliyev has presented a copy of his credentials to Jonathan Chait, Director General of Protocol at Mexicos Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Azernews reports, the information was shared on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Mexico. During the meeting, the sides discussed the current state of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Mexico and reviewed prospects for expanding cooperation in various areas. It should be noted that Seymur Fataliyev was appointed as Azerbaijans Ambassador to Mexico on October 27 last year. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Jan. 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Qiong) DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- China and Tanzania are friends with a shared future, and the friendship forged and nurtured by leaders of the older generation remains the most valuable spiritual asset of the two countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Hassan asked Wang to convey her New Year greetings and best wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping. She thanked China for its strong support for Tanzania's development under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The Tanzanian side firmly adheres to the one-China principle, Hassan said, adding that Tanzania is ready to align its development plans with China's, deepen practical cooperation, advance the revitalization of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway and the building of a regional prosperity belt, strengthen inter-party exchanges, expand people-to-people interactions, and promote economic growth so as to bring benefits to the two peoples. Hassan spoke highly of the four major global initiatives proposed by Xi, saying that Tanzania stands ready to enhance multilateral coordination with China and jointly promote a more just and equitable global governance system. The Chinese foreign minister conveyed Xi's cordial greetings to Hassan, saying that China and Tanzania are friends with a shared future. The friendship between the two countries was forged and nurtured by leaders of the older generation, has withstood the test of changing international circumstances, and remains a most valuable spiritual asset, he said. The two sides should jointly carry forward this friendship and continue to enrich it with new connotations of the times, Wang said, adding that China attaches great importance to relations between the two parties and the two countries. China stands ready to work with Tanzania to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen exchanges on governance experience, deepen practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and push forward the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, Wang said. Wang said China appreciates Tanzania's firm commitment to the one-China principle and supports Tanzania in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and national dignity, as well as pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions. The two sides should actively promote high-quality cooperation and turn the revitalized Tanzania-Zambia Railway into an engine for regional development, Wang said. China supports Tanzania in playing a greater role in regional and international affairs and stands ready to work with Tanzania and other developing countries to be a force for peace, stability and progress in the world, Wang added. Autumn Special Read. Know. Act. $3 for 3 months! (90 days) Offer expires 12/30/2020 Don't hesitate! Start your digital-only membership today and not only receive full access to our premier news website NNY360.com but also to the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times eEdition! VLADIVOSTOK, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Venezuela are maintaining their strategic partnership and cooperation, Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov said Saturday following a meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil. Moscow stands in support and solidarity with the Venezuelan people, the ambassador told RIA Novosti, noting that the Treaty on Strategic Partnership and Cooperation between Russia and Venezuela remains the guiding framework for the development of bilateral relations. He highlighted the legitimacy of Caracas' demands for the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were captured during an armed U.S. aggression and then transferred to the United States on Jan. 3. The ambassador added that contacts between Russia and Venezuela have not ceased "for even a minute." The Treaty on Strategic Partnership and Cooperation between Russia and Venezuela was signed in May 2025 and entered into force in October of the same year. It broadens bilateral exchanges in political and economic areas such as energy, mining, transportation and communications, as well as cooperation in security, counterterrorism and combating extremism. Unanimous opposition emerged at a Devon council against the prospect of elections in Exeter being cancelled this year. Members of Liberal Democrat-run Devon County Council expressed an uncommon level of unanimity in the chamber on the issue, clearly expressing a view that the scheduled May elections for Labour-controlled Exeter City Council should progress as planned. The government has invited 64 councils in England to say if they would like elections postponed this year, and has invited comments from town halls. The ultimate decision will be made by Westminster, which made the offer to councils due to concerns from some about the pressure on local officials of running an election at a time when they are also on the cusp of a massive reorganisation. The letter from government was addressed to leaders of councils with elections in May 2026, meaning Devon County Council does not technically appear to be a recipient. But its leader, Councillor Julian Brazil (Liberal Democrat, Kingsbridge), called a special meeting to debate the issue in a bid to formulate a comprehensive letter to government about its views. Devon County Council does not have any Labour councillors, and so some queried the necessity for a meeting where the party couldnt respond to comments, while another questioned whether the whole thing could have been done on Teams. Exeter City Councils leader, Phil Bialyk (Labour, Exwick), sat in the public gallery watching proceedings. I intended to write a pretty scathing response to the ministers letter, but I wanted to hear the views of the full council, Cllr Brazil said. Im hoping we can come to a consensus, which will give more strength as we will be speaking as one. He added that he felt that postponing elections was instinctively the wrong thing to do, and that the letter had also prompted further concern about the pace at which local government reorganisation is being proposed. This is the process whereby all councils will be unitary, meaning Devons existing system of a county council and districts will be abolished. Local democracy thrives on regular, timely elections, and any disruption must be justified and accompanied by full transparency, said Conservative member Councillor Dermot McGeough (Northam). The Labour government is putting so much pressure on our council, and I dont agree with local government reorganisation it is total madness, as the residents of Devon will pick up the bill. So I fully support [Cllr Brazil] here. Others echoed fears of local democracy being undermined and thousands of voters across the country potentially being disenfranchised. But Reform UKs leader, Councillor Michael Fife Cook (Yelverton Rural), while in agreement the election should go ahead, queried whether the meeting had been necessary. I want to draw attention to the elephant in the room, which is that we are not voting on this but just giving our words, so I believe we could have saved the public money and done this on Teams or via email, he said. We have no Labour councillors here, so the likelihood that we would all probably agree that democracy is something we want to vote for was high. The leader of the council knows he has my support on this issue, but I do worry about the cost, and Im not happy were spending money this way. Councillor Andy Ketchin (Green Party, St Davids & Haven Banks), who also represents the Newtown and St Leonards ward on Exeter City Council, said the Devon meeting was like kicking a puppy. Should we be here discussing an election we have no role in? he said. Its playing politics. Labour isnt here to defend itself or make their case. But he criticised the prospect of the election being cancelled, claiming it wouldnt be to save money, as Exeter, like all other councils, has been trimming its budget for time immemorial. And it wont be because it is too difficult to organise, as every year there is help to run what is a well-oiled machine, he added. Reforms Councillor Sue Davies (Hatherleigh & Chagford) added it would have been quicker to do a show of hands. Many in Devon will be wondering why we are having this debate given the expense incurred, but it is worth remembering that we represent the whole of the county, and as Cllr Brazil pointed out, if we have a general consensus that the prospect of postponed elections in Exeter is wrong, then that would be a good thing for the council and Devon. Councillor Andrew Leadbetter (Wearside and Topsham), the leader of the Conservative group, said he supported Cllr Brazil in the move to resist the cancellation of any elections. I agree we have been poorly treated by national governments of all colours, and we have witnessed, during this local government reorganisation episode, such a rush, and so I support the view to get it right and slow things down. On this matter alone, I stand firmly with you, leader. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting, Exeter City Councils Cllr Bialyk said members of Devon County Council had interpreted the ministers letter for their own political reasons, and I understand that. They are trying to make a jibe at Labour, and Labour in Exeter in particular, he said. But they are all missing the point of what the minister is asking, and also, it is the minister that makes the decision to postpone the election, not me or the city council. Cllr Bialyk added that all of Exeter City Councils members would have an opportunity next week to discuss the issue, and that he would encapsulate those views in the response to government. But this is about capacity, he added. Devon County Council does not like the fact Exeter wants to go solo and become unitary; they hate it and loathe it, and will put every obstacle in our way, he said. They want us to be distracted, but we have a lot of work to put in [ahead of local government reorganisation], as we are not already a unitary council like Plymouth. We have got to go from a standing start, and it will use a lot of resources, and the ministers letter talks about capacity, and thats what I intend to address. Exeter City Council will hold its meeting on the issue on Tuesday (13 January). TOKYO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Japan's weather agency said heavy snow and strong winds are expected across a wide swath of the country through Monday, warning of possible disruptions in transportation. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), a low-pressure system is expected to develop rapidly on Saturday while moving to the northern part of the Sea of Japan, bringing stormy weather with strong winds, mainly along the Sea of Japan coast. Winds could reach 82.8 km per hour in the Hokuriku and Chugoku regions on Saturday, and 72 km per hour in Niigata and Yamaguchi prefectures and in the northern Kyushu region, the JMA said. A winter-type pressure pattern is likely to intensify on Sunday and Monday, bringing extremely cold air, with heavy snow expected over wide areas, it added. The JMA expects snowfall of up to 100 cm in northeastern Tohoku and up to 50 cm in parts of Hokuriku and Chugoku in the 24-hour period from Saturday evening through Sunday evening. Weather officials urged people to be alert for heavy snow and blizzards, strong winds and high waves, as well as avalanches and power outages. Monday is a national holiday in Japan. The government called for public vigilance as public transportation could be affected over the three-day weekend. Pupils at Cranbrook Education Campus have been putting their problem-solving skills to the test by taking part in an international computing challenge involving millions of students worldwide. Children from Years 5 to 10 at the Cranbrook school joined the Bebras Challenge, a global competition designed to introduce young people to computational thinking through a series of logic-based puzzles. The Bebras Challenge is recognised as the worlds largest computer science competition. In 2025, more than 2.5 million students from 85 countries took part, tackling tasks that focus on reasoning, creativity and structured problem-solving rather than coding itself. READ NEXT: Freezing temperatures trigger emergency rough sleeping measures in Exeter Teachers at Cranbrook Education Campus said the challenge gave pupils the opportunity to apply skills they develop in maths and computing lessons to unfamiliar problems, encouraging them to think logically and work through complex ideas. Stephen Farmer, Head of Campus at Cranbrook Education Campus, said pupils had approached the challenge with enthusiasm. Our pupils really threw themselves into it, he said. It was great to see how focused they were when tackling some quite complex problems, and how willing they were to have a go and think things through. Cranbrook Education Campus, which is part of the Ted Wragg Trust, teaches pupils from primary through to secondary age. Staff say activities such as the Bebras Challenge help pupils develop skills that are increasingly important both in further education and the workplace. Moira Marder, Chief Executive of the Ted Wragg Trust, said taking part in a global competition helped pupils understand the wider relevance of their learning. Its encouraging to see pupils in Cranbrook engaging with a challenge that connects them with students around the world, she said. Experiences like this can build confidence and show young people how far their skills can take them. The Bebras Challenge is run annually and is designed to be accessible to students of different ages and abilities. It aims to develop computational thinking, which organisers describe as a core skill in understanding and solving modern-day problems. School leaders said they are now looking forward to receiving pupils results and continuing to build on the interest generated by the challenge. Last year, I suggested that I was planning on adding a Paignton Ghost Walk to my repertoire...well, Ive now started to put that plan into action... As with my Dartmoor walks, just before I launched them, I held a Free Evening of Storytelling in a local pub, inviting people to come and join me, sharing some of my stories, in the hope that others would share theirs, adding to what I already knew, and giving me extra tales, possibly shaping the route that I took my guests on around the towns. I am now at that stage with Paignton. I have sounded out two potential venues to meet people in, at both ends of the town, in the hope that, if locals cant make one, they might make the other, holding them a week apart. Im looking at early February, with a view to hosting my first Paignton Ghost Walk in early March. Watch this space, and my Facebook page for further details. When I carried out this process, for my Bovey Tracey walk, my research, and the subsequent free Evening of Storytelling, left me with two stories that I was desperate to find the locations of. Id found the seeds of the stories in my go to source, Shades and Spectres A Guide to Devon Hauntings, as compiled by the Devon Folk Life Register. This was set up as a Job Creation Scheme, back in 1978, when five people were given access to the archives in Exeter Museum, and tasked with compiling a registry, in alphabetical order of Devon parishes, of all the folklore, and ghost stories they could find. The results form a very useful guide, for researchers, like myself, as it contains references to all the sources they plundered, aiding further research. However, I was still left with two dangling threads. One concerns a ghost chained to a gate, that terrorised passing locals, until it was supposedly exorcised. Whilst the other is all about a family that incorporated into their house, an ancient, wooden staircase, from Buckfast Abbey, that came complete with a band of phantom monks. This story also ends with an exorcism, but neither story gives away its location, and Ive been on their trails ever since. The chained ghost, was said to haunt a particular lane in the Bovey Tracey area, and was in the habit of jumping out on unsuspecting passers-by at night. The situation got so bad, that locals were afraid to use that lane after dark. In the end, the owner of the property, with the gate in question, was petitioned to remove it, either the ghost or the gate itself. After exorcism failed to solve the problem, the wrought-iron gate was replaced with a wooden one, to which nothing could be chained. The locals were no longer hassled after the gate was replaced. This begs the question, what happened to the gate, and did the ghost remain attached to it? As a result of my enquiries into the fate of the gate, and its original location, I came across Ethan Pennell, and his marvellous Dartmoor Folklore Map. On it, he mentions the chained ghost of Bovey Tracey, but he also highlights another man in chains on the gate at the entrance to Lizwell Farm, just outside of Widecombe in the Moor. Could my theory be correct, is this where the original Bovey Tracey gate was moved to, taking its problem with it? More recently, I was contacted by a fellow researcher, called Jowan Albon, who wanted to pick my brains about some other snippets of stories from the Bovey area, that had been passed his way by my good friend, Mark Lindsey Earley, who Id set up other projects with, in the Dartmoor area, who also ran his version of a Bovey Tracey Ghost Walk, and now resides in New Zealand. Jowan suggested to me that the gate in question could be the black, wrought-iron one that sits permanently ajar at the top of the lane/driveway that leads down to Indio Priory and the new houses that have been built on the estate. As there is still an old gate in situ, it doesnt really fit the facts of the folklore, but it suits me to talk about it there, as I have other stories that take me in that direction on my walk. Then, just the other day, that same Mark, that Ive just mentioned, sent me a link to a YouTube channel that includes videos relating folklore tales and spooky happenings, throughout the British Isles, including Bovey Tracey, and the one he had highlighted for me was about the chained ghost, no less. I played it, and it has added a bit more flesh to the story, but, alas, still no definitive location... The video tells of a man called Elias Finch, who, back in 1715, was a smuggler, carrying contraband across Dartmoor. One of his colleagues grassed on him, and he got arrested by the excise men, taken to court, and found guilty. His punishment was to be chained to an iron gate, for a fortnight, and given only bread and water. The location was called Mill Lane. Locals would walk by, often returning from a night at The White Hart, but did nothing to help him. On the tenth day, there was a hard frost, and Elias died from exposure and hypothermia. His body was buried in a hole in the ground, at a nearby crossroads, but his ghost returned to torment those who refused to help him. Ive researched some of these details, only to find there is no Mill Lane in Bovey Tracey, the closest is in the Lustleigh area. Maybe the name has been changed, but it suggests it was probably near to the river, where mills would have been located. The pub named, The White Hart, also doesnt exist in the vicinity, suggesting that, although it makes for a good story, its a bit lacking in facts. The recording goes on to imply that the haunting went on being experienced into the 20th century, with sightings as recently as the 1980s and 90s, when a group of lads claimed to have seen this chained ghost that had caused them to fall off their bikes. Only then, did the council replace the iron gate with a wooden one, in an attempt to cease the haunting. The old gate is said to have been housed in the Town Archives...where ever that might be! It is still said that when the wind is in the right direction, and the moon is high, a faint clinking of chains can still be heard in the vicinity Mark and I are of the same mind, and wanted to find out more about this story, so we both contacted the person behind this particular channel, which is called Britains Haunted Tales, and it would appear it comes from the same source as I use, although with a different cover! Except my version doesnt contain that amount of detail, which begs the question, is there another version of my book? Or has the story been dramatised for the recording on YouTube? Intrigued by this new research tool, I scrolled through other recordings, and, by chance I came across a telling of the other story Im trying to track down, the monks on the staircase. In this version, the family are given a name, the Carter family, and the house is described as Georgian, but still no actual address. I messaged the owner of the channel again, to see if he knew any more details, but sadly hed drawn a blank too. It would appear that word of the familys phantom nightly visitors, had got out, and media had camped outside the house desperate for a glimpse. It was then that the family chose to have the house exorcised, to rid themselves of the unwanted attention. Somehow, theyve managed to keep their anonymity, and the location of the property a secret. Books published around that time, referring to the incident, dont tell, and my enquiries at Buckfast Abbey, regarding the sale of the staircase, have drawn a blank. Someone, somewhere, must know of a house that contains an old wooden staircase, with monks initials carved in the treads. Until I find more details, I will just have to stop outside a random house, on my Bovey Tracey Ghost Walk, and tell the story there. One final story of interest, that caught my eye as I continued to scroll through the YouTube channel, concerns a Cabin 46 in the woods, at Centre Parcs, at Longleat. Members of my family, visit annually, so I thought I would add a bit of spookiness to their next visit, by sharing this particular story... Cabin 46 isnt one you can book...you get allocated it if there is a mix up with any bookings, or as a way to solve any unexpected problems. People who have been unfortunate to be allocated it, often report shadowy shapes in the trees, hear children laughing, or see wet footprints on the wooden floorboards. They usually only stay one night, before handing back the keys without a word of explanation the next day...but the staff are well aware why...happy future holidays to my family! If you like to listen to your spooky stories, rather than read them, then I can highly recommend this YouTube channel of Britains Haunted Tales...happy listening! 220,000 Fewer Workers: How Trumps Cuts Affected Every Federal Agency The Trump administration shrank the federal work force by about 220,000 workers through November, representing about a 10 percent cut, according to new data that offers the first clear view of the presidents blitz to remake the governments labor force. This decline, which also accounts for limited new hiring, has reversed the last decade of growth for Americas largest employer, returning the federal work force to roughly the size it was when President Trump took office the first time. But the cuts went far deeper for some agencies and offices: They have had the effect of hollowing out decades-old functions of the federal government. Employees in Selected offices with steep cuts U.S. Agency for International Development 4,845 378 92% Institute of Education Sciences 191 25 87% National Endowment for the Humanities 216 58 73% Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 297 108 64% Institute of Museum and Library Services 98 40 59% Federal Student Aid 1,450 780 46% Office of Elementary and Secondary Education 315 185 41% Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 932 574 38% Rural Development 4,981 3,141 37% Food and Nutrition Service 1,830 1,231 33% Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The New York Times In many cases, the departures have whittled down agencies that hadnt grown in years or benefited from the expansion of the federal work force over the last two decades. Most of that expansion has been driven by just one agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs. In other words, Mr. Trumps cuts some carried out haphazardly, then reversed arent a simple rollback of recent government bloat, but a more fundamental change to what the government does. Federal employment since 2009 2.5 million Total 2.0 1.5 All other depts. 1.0 Defense 0.5 Veterans affairs 10 15 20 25 (Nov.) Federal employment since 2009 2.5 million Total 2.0 1.5 All other depts. 1.0 Defense 0.5 Veterans affairs 10 15 20 25 (Nov.) Note: Data represents December snapshots (November for 2025). It includes all federal civilian employees, with some exceptions, including the Postal Service, foreign nationals overseas, some intelligence agencies and temporary Census Bureau workers. Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The New York Times Reshaping the federal work force is essential to building a government that works for the American people, not the bureaucracy, said Scott Kupor, the director of the federal Office of Personnel Management, in a statement. The broader effort, he added, ensures taxpayer dollars support a work force that delivers efficient, responsive and high-quality services. Amid all the cuts, one agency has notably swelled: Immigration and Customs Enforcement expanded by about 30 percent through November, and more new hires have been announced since as the Trump administration continues to ramp up its deportation campaign. The new data published by O.P.M. does not identify which workers departed under the fork in the road buyouts promoted by Elon Musk, which offered workers months of paid leave through last September to induce them to quit. The departure numbers released this week also dont include workers who were eligible to retire in December under the deferred resignations program. Full numbers for the program are expected to be released in February. In a typical year, more than 200,000 federal workers depart, and even more are newly hired. What makes last years numbers different is that more workers than usual left, while far fewer were brought on to replace them: Departures New hires 350,000 employees 250,000 150,000 50,000 15 20 25 15 20 25 Departures New hires 350,000 employees 350,000 employees 250,000 250,000 150,000 150,000 50,000 50,000 15 20 25 15 20 25 Note: Fiscal years are shown, with the most recent year ending in September 2025. Data includes all federal civilian employees, with some exceptions, including the Postal Service, foreign nationals overseas, some intelligence agencies and temporary Census Bureau workers. Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The New York Times Workers who were let go and later reinstated may be counted in the data as both a separation and a new hire. Thousands of federal workers faced such dizzying reversals last year, as Mr. Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency swept through Washington in the first months of the administration firing workers with little accounting for which roles were essential. Some agency heads later reversed those decisions to ensure they could carry out fundamental jobs like responding to bird flu, maintaining the nations nuclear arsenal and processing the annual flood of Americans tax returns. Other efforts by the administration to push out workers remain tied up in litigation; their effects arent fully accounted for in the new data. The administration, for instance, has tried to incapacitate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. About three-quarters of the workers there remain, according to the data, but since last February many of them have been told to halt their job functions, and the administration has fought in court to stop funding the agency altogether. At other offices, including across the Department of Education and the U.S. Agency for International Development, staff reductions have had the effect of crippling programs the administration dislikes regardless of laws mandating them, or congressional intent to fund them. The mission of government cant occur absent federal employees to carry out those missions, said Jacqueline Simon, the policy director for the American Federation of Government Employees. And so theyve figured out a way to undermine the ability of agencies to carry out their missions. The newly released data, which was published by the Office of Personnel Management, excludes some departments and types of workers, but it is the best available window into the federal government work force. Below, you can look up more than 500 agencies and sub-agencies, comparing their reported employment as of November 2025 with one year earlier: European Economic and Social Committee President Seamus Boland, from the Island, Ballycumber, had a substantive private audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Saturday morning to focus attention on the urgent need for poverty eradication, the safeguarding of democracy, and the inclusion of vulnerable groups across Europe. 'The European Union is one of the wealthiest regions in the world yet 21% of the population remains at risk of poverty and social exclusion,' said EESC President Boland. 'We are grateful to Pope Leo for using his powerful voice to spread a message of inclusion and the need to protect the most marginalized. The EU must listen, and we all must do better.' President Boland highlighted the real-world challenges and emotional scars faced by younger generations who have been shaped by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pressures of social media. Speaking after the meeting, the President said: 'Homelessness, and the housing, cost of living and climate crises are very much felt and feared today, above all by the younger generations.' 'Addressing these, tackling youth mental health and fostering their civic engagement are essential to healing, and we very much welcome Pope Leo's work in this space, including his call for an emphasis on mental health ministry,' he added. On the topic of migrants and refugees, President Boland said: 'We wholeheartedly concur with Pope Leo's call for kindness toward foreigners and will continue to advocate for coordinated, humane policies that uphold dignity, inclusion and the rule of law.' READ NEXT: 'Extraordinary leadership' has ensured Tullamore Show's survival and growth The rise of artificial intelligence also featured in their discussion. The EESC President emphasized that this must not come at the expense of workers' rights. He shares a commitment with Pope Leo XIV to ensuring that humans not machines remain in control of decisions that affect peoples lives, and that AI serves as a tool for empowerment rather than displacement. The meeting underscored the vital role of civil society organizations in building bridges within communities and combating prejudice and discrimination values shared by the EESC and the Holy See. 'Faith-based organizations, charities, community groups, and social partners are the fabric of our societies knitting together individuals and communities and building bridges,' said President Boland. 'The path forward is clear,' President Boland concluded. 'If Europe chooses compassion, dignity, and inclusion, we will not only reduce poverty we will renew hope, strengthen democracy, and build a fairer and better Europe for everyone.' READ NEXT: Feast day of important seventh century Offaly saint to be marked Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Jan. 9, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Qiong) DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo on Friday in Dar es Salaam, calling for further strengthening China-Africa friendship. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China and Tanzania share a long-standing and enduring traditional friendship. Chinese President Xi Jinping chose Tanzania as one of the destinations of his first visit to Africa in 2013, where he put forward the principles of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith in China's Africa policy, marking a new milestone in the history of China-Africa relations, Wang said while meeting the press together with Kombo. This year's visit continues the tradition of China's foreign ministers making Africa their first overseas destination at the start of the year for 36 consecutive years, a practice China will continue to uphold and carry forward, he said. China-Africa cooperation, he noted, is an important component of South-South cooperation, with strong internal momentum and bright development prospects. The Chinese foreign minister summarized China-Africa friendship and mutual trust in three key aspects. First, jointly upholding justice. China and Africa once stood shoulder to shoulder in the struggles against imperialism and colonialism, in the fight for national liberation, and in the pursuit of development and revitalization, he said. Today, the two sides continue to firmly support each other on issues involving their respective core interests, safeguard the common interests of the Global South, uphold the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and act as a stabilizing force in a world marked by turbulence and change, he added. China supports Tanzania in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and development interests, supports the Tanzanian people in pursuing a development path suited to their national conditions, and opposes any external interference in Tanzania's internal affairs under any pretext, he noted. Second, jointly pursuing progress. President Xi has proposed that China and Africa work together to advance modernization characterized by six features and build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, providing direction for South-South cooperation, Wang said. China-Tanzania relations, Wang said, have gone beyond the bilateral scope and align with the historical trend of the collective rise of the Global South. Third, jointly advocating mutual benefit. China and Africa's shared pursuit of modernization is anchored in mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, Wang said. China stands ready to further align development strategies with African countries, promote faster and broader implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Africa, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, advancing hand in hand on the path to modernization, he said. Wang recalled that two months ago, under the guidance of the leaders of China, Tanzania, and Zambia, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway revitalization project officially broke ground. China is willing to work with Tanzania to advance the revitalization of the railway, jointly build a prosperity belt along the railway, turn it into a new engine for Tanzania's development, and continuously enrich and deepen the China-Tanzania comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Jan. 9, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Qiong) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August 2018) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "How do you spell ICE in German? GESTAPO." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. "Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. "Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. "Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me." Pastor Martin Niemoller (c. 1946) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This column consists of a series of Comments that I made on Steve Schmidt's (great) Substack (ste veschmidt.substack.com/), in late 2025. In part, they provide a summary of my perspectives on what our nation faces as we head into Year 2 of what I call the "TrumpRepubloFascist" Presidency (Click Here). The dates of posting precede each entry. 12-4-25: Trump speaks his own version of English. It's called "Trumplish." Like any language, its general purpose is to enable communication between members of the same species, who speak the same language (of which there are many, many around the globe). But Trumplish has one particular purpose at any given time, and that is for distracting from a particular subject, from which Trump wants to distract folks. For all but the totally uninitiated, that subject can be subsumed in one word "Epstein." And so, when anyone says "Epstein," in Trumplish the word appears as, for example: "aliens" (even when the designated persons have full legal rights, of one kind or another, [including citizenship, whether by birth or by naturalization] to be in the U.S.); "Venezuela," or "Venezuelan cocaine trafficking" (even though Venezuela does not grow cocaine, and if it did it would not transport a highly soluble powder in any sort of bag in an open boat), and as for trafficking, Trump, as is well known, just pardoned one of the historically biggest cocaine traffickers (a former President of Honduras); "Tariffs" (even though, despite Trump's claims, tariffs are making a variety of goods more expensive in the U.S.) And so on and so forth. As it happens all of them variations on Trick No. 2 of his "Seven Magic Tricks:" Click Here --- "Look! Over there!). 12-4-25: On the origins of the modern (Post World War I) Germany and Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitisim. As is well-known, in the early 1920s Hitler was an immigrant to Germany, from the then new nation-state of Austria, the creation of which followed the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following the end of World War I (resulting from the defeat of the Prussian Empire in the same war). A principal cause of the very bad way in which the new nation of "Germany" found itself in the 1920s were the onerous economic terms imposed upon it by the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler was an early joiner of, and principal speaker for (he was very good at that), the then-nascent far right-wing, Nazi Party, which had a particular focus on "the Jews." However, from the beginning the focus on "The Jews" as the enemy, was for political purposes. That focus, as is well known, proved to be very successful politically, and to where it eventually led substantively is very well known. But Nazi-German anti-Semitism began as a political tool of a then-nascent, far-right-wing party. Expulsion, and then extermination, came later. (BTW, not well-known is the fact that an early foreign contributor to that party was a U.S. named George Herbert Walker. Does that name sound familiar?) 12-5-25. The White House has launched what they entitle the "Offender Hall of Shame" (whitehouse.gov/mediabias/). Its members consist of print and electronic media that publish content that is critical of the Trump Administration and its policies. The idiomatic German translation of the term is "Die Luegen Presse" (in English "The Lying Press.") It was a term widely used by the German Nazi Party before the Nazi dictatorship was established in early 1933. Many of the identified newspapers and other print media had their offices physically attacked and either destroyed or severely damaged by the Nazi's private militia, Die Sturmabteilung, the "SA," "The Storm Division," the Brown Shirts. After the establishment of the Hitler Dictatorship by the "Enabling Act" of March 23, 1933, Die Luegen Presse members were simply, and totally, shut down, with most of their staff either killed outright or imprisoned in the newly established "Concentration Camps." (The name reflected the literal jamming in of however many Nazi captives could be "concentrated" into them.) 12-7-25. As it was characterized by Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his famous speech to the Congress on Dec. 8, asking for a Declaration of War on Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor on this date 65 years ago, December 7, 1941, it was famously "a date that shall live in infamy." And so, it has lived down to the present time. (Indeed, as a small boy listening to the speech in my parents' living room, I remember it well.) To which date that shall also live in infamy, Trump and the TrumpRepubloFascists have added another, Jan 6, 2021. 12-7-25. "The Susy Wiles Interviews." Let me try to start to frame the question that is now on the minds of many: why did she do this interview-in-stages, over a period of months from the beginning of Trump II (in multiple choice): A) She had turned on Trump, privately, and wanted to use her position to document the horrors she knew were coming; B) she really wants to quit, but thought that putting out this material would instead force Trump to fire her (why she would want that outcome would be revealed on/after the firing); C) she really wanted to give it to every single hyper-male chauvinist in the group (that is, likely, all of them), and could not think of a better way to do it; D) the release at this time is all planned out to cover a blockade/invasion-of Venezuela; E) she is just plain nuts. There are other possible reasons, to be sure. And Steve will have his own list, I'm sure. As will we all, I will be following the next steps in this drama with great interest. 12-28-25. I (and many, many others) think that there is plenty more to learn from further release of the "Epstein Files." If there weren't, why would they be so slow in releasing them? Certainly, the "nine-blacked-out-names" of "prominent people" have not been blacked-out for no politically significant reason. If it were just to "protect the innocent" they wouldn't have released Clinton's name. And who knows, one or more of "The Nine" might just be ready to turn on Trump, in spite of the DOJ's attempted-Trump-Wall. 12-29-25. In Germany, in the early 1930s, there were two socialist parties. One was the Socialist Party of Germany (SPD) which believed in the "parliamentary road to socialism." The other was the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) which believed in the (Leninist) Doctrine that only violent revolution could lead the way to the establishment of a socialist state. The KPD was part of an international socialist-party alliance called the Third International, led from Moscow by Josef Stalin. Among other things, Stalin forbade the KPD from forming a parliamentary alliance with the SPD which might (and one must say might advisedly) prevented the confirmation of Pres. Hindenburg's nomination of Hitler as Chancellor. At the same time, the Third International and the KPD strongly attacked the SPD and its leadership. I believe that there is a (history-to-be-sure) lesson to be learned here if the eventual defeat of the TrumpRepubloFascist dictatorship (Click Here) is to be achieved. 12-29-25. When the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was "appeasing" Hitler at Munich on Sept. 30, 1938, he did honestly think that he was "achieving Peace in or Time" (he was, of course, keeping the Soviet Red Army, which was ready to come to the aid of Czechoslovakia against the Wehrmacht, out of Central Europe)? What Trump is doing/not-doing with/for Putin has nothing to do with peace, in Ukraine or anywhere else. It all has to do with what Putin "has on" Trump. Just four items in a longer list includes: 1. The details the "DeutscheBank" affair; 2. The details (of course) of Russian interference in the 2016 election (for the details from the U.S. side, see the Mueller Report); 3. Putin's interpreter's notes from the famous "2018 Helsinki meeting" (Trump had his interpreter's notes destroyed); and 4. Roger Stone and the "DNC tapes," supplied to him by Julian Assange (who got them from where?), which Stone then conveniently "dropped" a couple of hours after the "Access Hollywood" tape was released. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And so, to next week, when I will be dealing with the frank fascist (and I do mean Fascist*) threat the TrumpRepubloFascists present to our nation. * "Fascism," a definition: "There is a single, all-powerful executive branch of government, in service of an industrial/financial/sales-and-marketing/communications ruling class, that controls, for the most part, the functions of production, distribution, finance, and exchange. There is no separation of the principal governmental powers: executive, legislative, and judicial. They are all held by the Executive branch. There is no independent judiciary/civil/criminal/justice system. There are no independent media. There is a single national ideology, based on some combination of racism, misogyny, religious bigotry, authoritarianism, homophobia, and xenophobia. There is a political party supporting the movement. There is a state propaganda machine using the big and little lie techniques. There may be a full-blown dictatorship, a charismatic leader, engagement in foreign wars, and the use of the mob/private armies to enforce governmental control." (Article changed on Jan 09, 2026 at 9:13 PM EST) (Article changed on Jan 09, 2026 at 10:25 PM EST) (Article changed on Jan 10, 2026 at 10:08 AM EST) Lawyers for the man and woman shot Thursday by a U.S Border Patrol officer in Southeast Portland accused the government of trying to justify dangerous conduct of its agents by blaming the people wounded. The governments accusations that Luis David Nino-Moncada weaponized his truck against agents follow a well-worn playbook, said Fidel Cassino-DuCloux, Oregons federal public defender. He represents Nino-Moncada and met with him Friday at OHSU Hospital, saying his client is lucky to survive from what he characterized as dangerous and unprofessional conduct by federal officers. At least one agent shot Nino-Moncada in the arm and his passenger, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, in the chest in the parking lot of a medical office building near Adventist Health hospital, according to federal authorities and Portland police. The man and woman were trying to drive away at the time after an interaction with federal immigration agents, said attorney Conor Huseby, who represents Zambrano-Contreras. The federal government has a well-documented history of making false and inflammatory statements about immigrants, Venezuelans in particular, and the circumstances of incidents in which federal agents use violence, including deadly violence, against unarmed members of the community, Huseby said in a statement. She remains hospitalized and terrified, and our focus at this time is on her recovery. Adventist Health has turned over surveillance video of the encounter to FBI investigators, said a spokesperson for the hospital. Its not clear if it captured the shooting. The FBI, the lead agency investigating the encounter and shooting, has not released any video. Portlands police chief said he has not seen or obtained the video. Unlike the recent fatal shooting by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, no video has been made public of the Portland confrontation. A witness told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he saw a red Toyota pickup drive into the lot of the office building in the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street at about 2 p.m. Federal officers followed and tried to box in the truck, he said. After a federal officer pounded on the truck drivers window, the driver reversed and hit the car blocking him and then repeated the move once more before turning and speeding off, the witness said. He said he heard up to five shots fired as the truck left. Another witness who works nearby and was walking in the area said he heard tires squealing and what sounded like two gunshots. Neither man would give their full names, citing privacy and safety reasons. Nino-Moncada drove about 40 blocks to Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside Street, where he called 911 to report that he and Zambrano-Contreras had been shot. Police placed a tourniquet on Nino-Moncadas arm and an ambulance took the couple to separate Portland hospitals. Zambrano-Contreras is recovering at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and Nino-Moncada is at OHSU Hospital. The shooting occurred in a nearly full parking lot. Many people, using wheelchairs and walkers, were forced to wait in the office building for at least an hour before they were allowed to go to the cars, escorted by family, security guards or staff. After the shooting, Homeland Security officials called the man and woman wounded two vicious Tren de Aragua gang members who were let loose on American streets by former President Joe Biden and weaponized their vehicle against Border Patrol officers. The agent took immediate action to defend himself and others, shooting them, said Tricia McLaughlin, a Homeland Security spokesperson. She released no details about where agents were when the truck drove off and how close they were to the car. Its also not clear how many agents were initially involved. When Portland police responded to a 911 call at 2:18 p.m. reporting the shooting, they found seven to eight federal officers outside the medical office building, Portland police Assistant Chief Rob Simon said. The Homeland Security statement said one agent fired but released no names. The FBI said in a statement that it was investigating an assault on federal officers, involving two U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and two assailants who fled the scene. Homeland Security officials also accused Zambrano-Contreras of being involved in a gang-related prostitution ring and playing an active role in a shooting in Portland in summer. Portland Police Chief Bob Day said some nexus existed between the two people wounded and the Tren de Aragua gang and that their names had come up in the course of investigating a July 11 shooting in Northeast Portland. He said neither of the two were named as suspects or charged in that shooting. Nino-Moncada entered the U.S. in 2022 and faces a final order of removal, according to Homeland Security officials. A screenshot of a emergency dispatch log lists the mans age as 33. Zambrano-Contreras entered the U.S. in 2023 near El Paso, Texas, they said. Zambrano-Contreras acknowledges throughout her social media posts that she works as an escort. She also has many posts extolling her enthusiasm for cars and how much she loves her teenage son. A birthday post indicates shes 32. A former boyfriend, Jose Garcia Escobar, said shes from the La Guaira State in northern Venezuela. He said he doesnt believe she has any ties to Tren de Aragua or any other gang. Their relationship lasted several years when both lived in Columbia and he acted as a stepfather to her son, he said. Shes a good woman and an excellent mother, he said. Im terrified by whats happened to her, he said. Its really worrying. Im glad shes OK and hopefully with Gods help, this will be resolved. God knows, shes not a bad person. A day before the Portland shooting, an immigration enforcement agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis as she appeared to be trying to drive away from federal officers who demanded she open the door to her car in the middle of a street. Cassino-DuCloux, the federal public defender, pointed out that on Oct. 4, Border Patrol agents shot a woman in her car in Chicago and afterward called her a domestic terrorist. The government filed criminal charges against the woman, accusing her of assaulting the agents who shot her. But the government ultimately dismissed the charges rather than prove those allegations at trial, he noted. Now, in Portland, just like in Minneapolis and Chicago, federal immigration agents have again harmed civilians in our community and have claimed that the victims themselves are to blame, Cassino-DuCloux said. At this point, Mr. Moncada has not been charged with any crime. We hope to focus on his recovery from his serious injuries, he said. We urge everyone to focus on these facts rather than speculation about allegations that serve to distract attention from the recent pattern of unjustified shootings. The Oregon Department of Justice announced that it would conduct its own investigation of the Portland shooting and offered a tip line for witness information. The tip line is 971-673-3900. It is intended to provide community members with a secure, direct way to share information relevant to that incident so DOJ can assess the facts and determine whether any violations of the law occurred, said Jenny Hansson, department spokesperson. -- Gosia Wozniacka of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. Two Albany police officers on Tuesday shot and injured a man with a knife who, it was later discovered, was being menaced by another man with a knife, the Benton County Sheriffs Office said. Officers were responding to a call that reported a man in North Albany was holding a knife against his younger brother, officials said in a statement. The officers arrived at the scene at about 10:50 a.m. and through a window in a home spotted a man holding a knife. Approaching the front door, officers called out commands to the man, the sheriffs office said. The front door then opened, and a man with a knife quickly began to exit towards the officers. Two officers fired multiple shots from their duty pistols, striking the man multiple times. The officers then provided first aid to the man until paramedics arrived, officials said. The man shot by police, Maverick Lyon, 21, is in stable condition in a hospital and does not face any charges. The initial investigation of the shooting, utilizing video evidence, indicated that, before officers arrived on the scene, Maverick Lyon was being held at knifepoint by his brother, 27-year-old John Dakota Lyon, the sheriffs office said. Maverick Lyon apparently managed to break away from his brother and grab another knife, and he had it in his hand when he opened the door to police, officials said. The video evidence shows John Lyon also holding a knife at the time, according to officials. John Lyon was arrested and charged with second-degree kidnapping and attempted kidnapping, second-degree attempted assault, unlawful use of a weapon, coercion, menacing and reckless endangering. The assault charge accuses John Lyon of attempting to stab or cut Maverick Lyon with a knife, a probable cause affidavit shows. The menacing charge accuses John Lyon of threatening to stab or shoot Maverick Lyon. John Lyon was convicted of second-degree theft and identity theft in 2020, and of unlawful use of a weapon in 2021, according to court documents. In a separate 2021 case, court records show, John Lyon was arrested after a man was found bloody and suffering from serious wounds to the back of his head and elsewhere. The victim alleged that John Lyon approached him that night and said, God told me to do this, then hit him with a bat. John Lyon pleaded guilty in that case to a charge of attempt to commit a Class A felony assault in the first degree, court records show. The investigation into Tuesdays incident continues, and the Benton County Sheriffs Office asks anyone with information to call 541-753-8477. In the hours after Border Patrol shot and injured a couple outside a Portland medical office, federal officials in D.C. labeled them as associates of the vicious Tren de Aragua organization. U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin added that the woman, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was affiliated with a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring. While details surrounding Thursdays shooting at the Adventist Medical Center campus remain scarce, heres what we know so far about Tren de Araguas presence in the Portland area. [Live updates: Details emerge on people shot by Border Patrol in Portland] Whats the history of Tren de Aragua? Tren de Aragua is a criminal syndicate created in a Venezuelan prison in the mid-2000s. Aragua is one of Venezuelas 23 states, and the gangs name literally translates as Aragua train. Its leader, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, better known as Nino Guerrero or the Boy Soldier, was incarcerated in the notorious Aragua Penitentiary Center. President Donald Trump designated Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization last January, though some geopolitical experts dispute that classification, arguing that Tren de Araguas drug trafficking efforts are motivated by money, not ideology. Critics say that gang membership is applied haphazardly by federal authorities. Trump sent about 140 purported Tren de Aragua members from the U.S. to El Salvador early last year, though lawyers and national media outlets have questioned whether the men were truly gang members. Are Portland police regularly combating Tren de Aragua? Not in a high-profile way, it appears. During a press conference about the Border Patrol shooting Thursday evening, Portland Police Chief Bob Day shared no information about activity by Tren de Aragua in Portland. Heres the exchange Day had with a reporter from The Oregonian/OregonLive: Reporter: Do you know whether or not Tren de Aragua is active in Portland? Chief Day: I dont have any information that would link that at this time, no. On Friday, Day convened a second press conference and said the two people had a nexus with Tren de Aragua but did not provide great detail. He said a July 11 shooting in Northeast Portland was in some way connected to the two people and also to Tren de Aragua. Have federal agents targeted Tren de Aragua members in Portland before? Yes. The first known case occurred in April, when two alleged members of an offshoot gang, known as anti-Tren, were named in a high-profile racketeering bust that was announced in New York. Johan Carlos Mujica-Urpin, 27, and Jose David Valencia De La Rosa, also 27, were arrested in Portland on a federal warrant, which accused them of being top bosses in a drug, gun and sex trafficking scheme operating in New York and New Jersey. The duo were just two of 27 alleged members charged in the case though federal prosecutors described them as leaders. Mujica-Urpin and Valencia De La Rosa both pleaded not guilty and have been transferred to the Southern District of New York, where they remain in custody pending the outcome of the criminal case. Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the joint case are scheduled to meet for a status conference Jan. 15. Have ICE agents made an illegal arrest, mistakenly citing Tren de Aragua affiliation? That has also happened, according to a federal judge in Oregon. On April 9, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers summoned Diego A. Morales Jimenez to the ICE field office in South Portland and arrested him. The 34-year-old had been in regular contact with ICE and had consented to electronic tracking since March 2024, when he entered the country seeking asylum. An Innovation Law Lab civil attorney challenged the arrest, saying ICE agents had confused the tattoos on Morales Jimenez as evidence of gang affiliation, when in reality they were the names of his children. At a May 14 hearing on the wrongful detention suit, an assistant U.S. attorney was unable to provide any evidence of gang affiliation, The Oregonian/OregonLive previously reported. U.S. District Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai ruled the arrest illegal and criticized federal officials for using a tactic of shoot first and ask questions later. Kasubhai forbade ICE officers from detaining Morales Jimenez again without probable cause or 21 days notice so Morales Jimenez could file further legal challenges. The case file has gone dormant since then. Morales Jimenezs attorney didnt immediately respond to a question regarding his current status. Is Tren de Aragua active in Gresham, or the metro region? According to allegations contained in court records, yes. While federal officials do not immediately disclose the identity of everyone picked up for violating immigration law, they touted a pre-dawn raid at a Rockwood apartment complex in October that allegedly captured Venezuelan gang members. A DHS spokesperson previously told The Oregonian/OregonLive it had arrested nine Venezuelan nationals for illegally residing in the U.S. during the operation, including three who federal authorities said were Tren de Aragua members. One of those arrested, Roberth Jose Hernandez Garcia, faces a lengthy list of federal charges in U.S. District Court of Oregon, including attempted bank larceny, firearms trafficking and intent to distribute controlled substances. Agents surveilled Hernandez Garcia and a handful of other people seen coming and going from a unit at the Carrington Square Apartments, 637 S.E. 182nd Ave., following an investigation that began with a tip from Colorado authorities in September. Hernandez Garcia, better known as Zurdo agreed to sell 2C, a psychedelic mix of Ketamine and MDMA, to a confidential source for $1,680 an ounce, court records say, while another informant allegedly bought an unloaded stolen Glock pistol from Hernandez Garcia. During the Oct. 24 raid, agents allegedly found 9mm handgun ammunition and 500 grams of MDMA and other illicit drugs, which agents said were stashed in the water tank of a toilet. Under questioning, Hernandez Garcia allegedly admitted to helping to hack an ATM at Oregon Coast Bank in Newport on Oct. 24. Federal prosecutors say this photo shows Roberth J. Hernandez Garcia, right, holding wire cutters while he and an associate hack an ATM in Newport, Oregon in October 2025. Court Records The crackdown involved officials from ICE, Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The raid attracted substantial attention, and involved the use of aircraft. At the time, DHS didnt identify the remainder of those arrested, but published footage of it on social media. This criminal investigation is ongoing and specific charges for each individual are pending final disposition, the spokesperson said. Federal Judge Youlee Yim You ordered the continued detainment of Hernandez Garcia in November, court records show. He is set to be arraigned on Feb. 9. A Gresham Police Department spokesperson confirmed that its officers werent involved in the mission. The spokesperson didnt provide any additional information about the gangs activity in the area. Multnomah County Sheriffs Deputy John Plock said the agency has had little to no experience with Tren de Aragua. Likewise, representatives from the Clackamas County District Attorneys Office and Clackamas County Sheriffs Office said they do not have any open cases involving Tren de Aragua. Zaeem Shaikh and Maxine Bernstein contributed to this report. Two weeks ago, we gathered our picks for Portlands most painful restaurant closures of 2025. But a few last-minute closures snuck in just before the clock struck midnight at the end of the year. Portlands latest restaurant and bar closures include a beloved North Portland gastropub, a chic Pearl District bakery and a Northeast Portland venue that hosted several notable pop-ups. Dame The Northeast Portland pop-up venue announced its closure near the end of December, about a week after its casual Mexican restaurant residency Chelo shuttered unexpectedly on Dec. 19. That was the day Luna Contreras, the well-known Portland chef behind Chelo, was arrested on misdemeanor charges including domestic violence, harassment and unlawful use of a stun gun. Ma Cher, a Cajun/Creole supper club that shared the Dame space, also left the venue at 2930 N.E. Killingsworth St. early due to events that none of us could have foreseen. On Tuesday, Contreras posted a message to social media thanking her supporters for their love and compassion. Ignoring the vindictive riff raff of folks, she wrote. Learning self-compassion. Reflecting. Resting. Processing. Grateful. Returning in the near future. Interurban The new American saloon next to Lovelys Fifty Fifty is set to close next weekend, 14 years after it debuted with good cocktails, an excellent beer list and an ambitious menu centered on a signature hand-dipped corn dog. While it hurts my heart and I continue on with everlasting stoke for the opportunity we get to do in this industry, we will be closing Interurban, owner Dan Hart wrote on Instagram. Youve heard the story from our other friends about closures and Interurbans isnt much different. Hart, who also owns the nearby German beer bar Prost, invited fans down for a Jell-O shot or Corndog before the party ends on Jan. 18 at 4057 N. Mississippi Ave. Nuvrei This stylish bakery closed its headquarters at 404 N.W. 10th Ave. at the end of 2025 after more than 20 years in the same location, owner Marius Pop told The Oregonian/OregonLive. An annex at 1122 S.W. Harvey Milk St. remains open. People who have been coming there for all those years are going to be a little sad, Pop said. But the time has come. Our lease has been up for a while. According to Pop, Nuvrei is shopping around for a bigger space with room for seating and could end up back in the Pearl District, just a few blocks away from the original location. Slap on some spandex, grab your wallet and rush out to the Batmobile. The pop-culture extravaganza known as FAN EXPO Portland is rocketing back to Oregon, and make no mistake about itthis isnt just a conventionIts a collision of multiple universes. This is your chance to meet some of the stars from the farthest reaches of film, television, streaming, art, literature, gaming, cosplay, anime, and animation. And where will this genre-bending mind meld geek olympics occur? None other than the Oregon Convention Center, Jan. 1618. On deck is star-studded lineup that would make even the Avengers jealous. Features include the following fictional worlds: Star Trek Resistance is futile for both Trekkies and Trekkers alike. The starship Enterprise will be docking above the Willamette River and beaming some legendary members of Starfleet into the autograph alleys: Actor Walter Koenig in his "Star Trek" uniform. Corbis via Getty Images Walter Koenig, Mr. Chekov himself, will be fiddling the navigation console all three day of the convention. "Star Trek: First Contact" director Jonathan Frakes. Sygma via Getty Images Jonathan Frakes, a.k.a. Commander Riker, first officer to Captain Picard will be available for photo ops over the weekend. Will his well-groomed beard make an appearance? Only Q can tell. Actress Gates McFadden of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Getty Images Gates McFadden, who played Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher, will bring her remarkably calm vibe to talk Roddenberry lore in Q&A panels on Friday and Sunday. Be the first to ask how she saved entire starship crews from space viruses, yet still couldnt cure the uniforms. Hobbits Hobbit Feet during "The Lord of the Rings" Party in Cannes, France. WireImage Hold on to your wand! Four furry-footed legends are reuniting to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings franchise. Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and Elijah Wood will gather with fans for An Evening with the Hobbits: In Celebration of 25 Years. One Ring will rule them all One convention with ring them all in. Ninja Turtles Cowabunga, comrades! Heroes in a half shell are climbing out from the sewer to sign your retro memorabilia. Tons of alumni from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be on site. Actor Ernie Reyes Jr. attends the premiere of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on March 17, 1991. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Stars include: Ernie Reyes Jr., Brian Tochi, Kenn Scott, Francois Chau, Judith Hoag and Robbie Rist. Brady Bunch Heres a story ... about a lovely lady ... who was bringing up three very lovely girls? This guy was brought in to save the show from cancellation. Thats right, Cousin Oliver is coming to town to chat up his fans. Actor Robbie Rist has grown up to be a Gen X renaissance man. Hes an accomplished voice actor, former Ninja Turtle (see above), country-punk legend, and composer of the Sharknado musical score. Robbie Rist attends the Chiller Theatre Expo Halloween 2022 at Hilton Parsippany. Getty Images Marvel/Netflix Mike Colter, Marvels Luke Cage, (Power Man to the old school comic book traditionalists) is a walking metaphor for strength, survival, and punching through systemic nonsense. Sweet Christmas! Sign up for a signing for this Hero for Hire. Actor Mike Colter signs autographs. Duster Josh Holloway arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of Max Original Series "Duster" at Universal Studios Hollywood. WireImage From mysterious islands to modern westerns, Josh Holloway brings his charm, grit, and rogue energy. From Lost to Yellowstone to MAXs Duster, this guy reeks of confidence . The Princess Bride A sword, a smile, and a thousand fans quoting lines like gospel. Cary Elwes book "As You Wish" with a foreward by Rob Reiner. FilmMagic Cary Elwes of The Princess Bride fame wiil ride in with wit sharper than Inigo Montoyas blade. Bring your Robin Hood tights. He may sign them for a bit extra. Horror Jaws will drop from all the spooky, sultry, and spectacular costumes found at the special horror cosplay meetup. Be prepared for vendors to pop-out and scare you into buying their goods. Here is Oregon While youre there, bow before the Mistress of the Dark! Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira, will be bringing her legendary wicked one-liners to the show. Actress Cassandra Peterson poses among memorabilia during the media preview of Julien's Auctions year end event "Icons and Idols: Hollywood" in Beverly Hills. AFP via Getty Images Anime and games If you recognize voices more easily than faces, this part is for you. Your favorite animated heroes and digital criminals will be attending. Highlight voice actors include The stars of My Hero Academia The voices of Grand Theft Auto The cast of Hazbin Hotel Comic artists Illustrator creating comic art. NurPhoto via Getty Images Artist Alley is where the ink flows and the legends are made. An incredible array of talented comics artists and writers will be ready to talk shop, sketch, autograph their finished production pieces, and inspire the next generation of true believers. Find a full list here. To name a few Portland favorites: Michael Golden Co-creator of Rogue, artist on Micronauts, Daredevil," and one of the greatest Marvel Fanfare covers ever Randy Emberlin Longtime Dark Horse nice guy and inker extreme. Erica Schultz Ringo-nominated writer on Laura Kinney: Wolverine, Daredevil and Spawn: Rat City Andy Mangels Pop-culture historian and writer of Wonder Woman 77 Meets The Bionic Woman Chris Warner Artist of Predator, Terminator, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange and creator of Barb Wire Special note about autographs Each talent listed above has their own pricing scale for photos, signatures, and selfies. Please refer to the Fan Expo website to see a full list of who will be in attendance and what days they will be there. Cosplay, panels and experiences If photos and autographs arent your thing, fear not! The cosplay alone is worth the price of admission. Stand still for five minutes and watch Batman pass a Xenomorph while E.T. takes selfies. Thousands gather at the Oregon Convention Center for panel discussions, cosplay competitions and an artists' alley full of goods to buy. Destiny Johnson Merch Ah yes the loot! Rare objects that will mean nothing to normal people and everything to you. A line forms to buy goodies at the FanExpo Here is Oregon Back issues, original art, one-of-a-kind knickknacks, T-shirts... The temptations are endless. Bring your wallet and bring restraint if you have it. There are so many treasures to be owned. Treasure to be found Sean Sterling Tickets and Info Adult, Youth and Child Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, Family passes, and Ultimate and VIP Packages for FAN EXPO Portland are available Hours: Friday, Jan. 16: 3-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The full guest list, event times, panels and programming lists and other show info can be found at http://www.fanexpoportland.com. Oregon Health & Science University, one of the nations leading providers of transgender health services, stopped performing gender-affirming surgeries on patients 19 and under last year. Sara Hottman, a spokesperson for OHSU, said the academic medical center last performed a gender-affirming surgery on a patient under 19 in February 2025 and has not performed any such surgeries since March. At this time, OHSU does not have the surgical care team available to provide gender-affirming surgeries to patients younger than 19, Hottman said in an email statement. Consequently, we have paused scheduling surgeries for this patient population. The change occurred quietly and was first reported Wednesday by Willamette Week. OHSU officials told the publication that federal pressure contributed to the decision. The pause follows a series of actions by the federal government aimed at limiting access to gender-affirming care for minors since President Donald Trump took office last year. In January 2025, Trump signed an executive order restricting federal funding for gender-affirming medical treatments for patients under 19. The directive specifically targets puberty blockers, hormone therapies including androgen blockers, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone as well as surgical interventions. At the time, OHSU officials said the order would not have an immediate impact on patient care. According to Hottman, gender-affirming surgeries were already uncommon for younger patients at OHSU. Fewer than 30 patients under age 17 received gender-affirming surgeries in the previous two years, she said. Its unclear, however, how many procedures involved patients ages 18 and 19. Hottman said OHSUs Transgender Health Program continues to provide gender-affirming medical services to patients 19 and under. Those can include puberty-blocking drugs to halt the permanent changes that can happen in early adolescence and hormone therapy. Proponents say these treatments can be lifesaving for transgender teens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transgender teens face a higher risk of suicide attempts than their peers. A 2020 study also suggests that adolescents who receive drug treatments to affirm their gender identity improved their mental health outcomes. Opponents, however, argue that minors are not mature enough to consent to such care and have pushed for restrictions nationwide. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal grants from hospitals and medical schools that continue to provide gender transition care for minors, limited insurance coverage for gender-affirming treatments under Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, and issued subpoenas to clinics and physicians who provide the specialized care. The U.S. Department of Justice has also suggested it could pursue criminal charges against providers. Those federal actions have prompted other hospitals across the country to roll back or end gender-affirming care services for youths. Last summer, Kaiser Permanente announced it would stop providing gender-affirming surgeries for minors beginning in August 2025 at its hospitals and clinics. The health system operates hospitals in Clackamas and Hillsboro, as well as clinics across the region. People who visited two hospitals in Linn County during specific times this week may have been exposed to measles, a highly infectious virus that spreads through the air and in rare cases can be fatal, Oregon officials said Saturday. The two people with Oregons first confirmed measles cases in 2026 developed symptoms a rash, fever, cough and runny nose on Jan. 5. The measles virus can linger for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. The Oregon Health Authority said that people who visited one of two hospitals Jan. 6 or Jan. 7 could have been exposed. People could have been exposed to measles if they were at: The Lebanon Community Hospital Emergency Department between 8:53 p.m. on Jan. 6 and 7 a.m. on Jan. 7 The Albany General Hospital Emergency Department between 4:59 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. Jan. 7 Anyone who was at either of those hospitals during those times should immediately tell their doctor they may have been exposed to the measles virus, the health authority warned. Their doctor will then be able to determine whether they are immune to the virus based on their vaccination record and other factors. Measles symptoms usually appear seven to 21 days after exposure and include fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body, the health authority said. Most people infected with measles survive without complications. But the disease is nonetheless dangerous and can cause brain swelling and even death. The disease is particularly dangerous for infants and people with weakened immune symptoms. Measles has been on the rise nationally, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recording the worst year for measles spread in more than three decades just halfway through 2025. The agency reported 2,144 confirmed cases nationwide by the end of the year, including three that were fatal. Oregon had just one confirmed measles case last year, according to CDC data. But the state reported 31 confirmed infections in 2024, according to CDC data. The measles vaccine is highly effective, with two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine preventing 97% of infections, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Distrust in government and misinformation erroneously linking vaccines to autism have contributed to declining vaccination rates and a concomitant increase in infections. The health authority continued to urge Oregonians to get themselves and their children vaccinated. Measles is here in Oregon and rates are increasing nationally, said Dr. Howard Chiou, OHAs medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations. We encourage everyone to make sure theyre protected by talking with their providers about being up to date on vaccinations. Swiss President Guy Parmelin participates in the national memorial service in Martigny, Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2026. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)/Handout via Xinhua) MARTIGNY, Switzerland, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. The memorial service was attended by leaders and representatives from more than 30 countries, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Swiss President Guy Parmelin said at the ceremony that steps must be taken to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again, stressing that the justice system should identify any shortcomings and hold those responsible accountable without delay or leniency. At 2:00 p.m. local time, church bells rang across Switzerland, train whistles sounded nationwide, and the country observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims. Earlier on Friday, Jacques Moretti and Jessica Moretti, owners of the "Constellation" bar where the fire occurred, were questioned as suspects by prosecutors. They face charges including manslaughter, assault and arson. Jacques Moretti is currently being held in pretrial detention. Officials in Crans-Montana said the bar had last undergone a safety inspection in January 2019. A separate memorial service was also held in Crans-Montana on Friday, where residents gathered to pay tribute to the victims. The fire killed 40 people and injured more than 100 others. Photo taken on Jan. 9, 2026 shows the scene of the national memorial service in Martigny, Switzerland. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)/Handout via Xinhua) Swiss President Guy Parmelin speaks at the official memorial ceremony mourning the victims of a New Year's Eve bar fire in Martigny, Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2026. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. (Photo by Louis Dasselborne/Xinhua) French President Emmanuel Macron attends the official memorial ceremony mourning the victims of a New Year's Eve bar fire in Martigny, Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2026. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. (Photo by Louis Dasselborne/Xinhua) People with white roses in hand attend the official memorial ceremony mourning the victims of a New Year's Eve bar fire in Martigny, Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2026. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. (Photo by Louis Dasselborne/Xinhua) Swiss President Guy Parmelin attends the official memorial ceremony mourning the victims of a New Year's Eve bar fire in Martigny, Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2026. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. ((Valais Canton of Switzerland/Handout via Xinhua) People mourn during the official memorial ceremony mourning the victims of a New Year's Eve bar fire at the press center in Martigny in Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2026. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (L) speaks at a press conference following the official memorial ceremony mourning the victims of a New Year's Eve bar fire in Martigny in Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2026. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (2nd R) attends the official memorial ceremony mourning the victims of a New Year's Eve bar fire in Martigny, Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2026. Switzerland held a national memorial service on Friday to mourn the victims of a deadly New Year's Eve bar fire in the resort town of Crans-Montana, as authorities continued their investigation into the incident. Due to forecasts of heavy snowfall in Crans-Montana, Swiss authorities decided to hold the official ceremony in Martigny, more than 50 kilometers west of the resort town, citing safety concerns. (Photo by Louis Dasselborne/Xinhua) Theres a dearth of established facts but no shortage of opinions about what led a federal immigration agent to shoot a man and a woman in a pickup truck Thursday. While the Department of Homeland Security claims the two are a Venezuelan gang member and associate who tried to run over officers, theres been little information so far to confirm the report. Oregonians trust has been worn thin due to previous agency statements that didnt reflect reality. And an immigration officers fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis the previous day only adds to the suspicion as video of that tragedy undermines the federal agencys account. Oregonians must allow the state and federal investigations to play out. There are too many unanswered questions to know with any certainty what occurred. But there is no mistaking that the tension and anger rippling through the community stems directly from a year of chaos and violence brought by President Donald Trumps mass deportation efforts. In just the past few months, agents have fired pepper balls at people in residential areas, held U.S. citizens in detention at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and aggressively boxed in vehicles to question Oregonians about their status. They have arrested parents in front of their children, separated families and pointed guns at teens at a drive-thru window. They have worn masks to hide their identities and reportedly impersonated utility workers. This is not a campaign about simply enforcing immigration laws; it is a campaign of fear and intimidation that has left Oregon families and communities in turmoil regardless of their legal status. This tense moment calls for the best from all of us. Oregonians must continue to show the calm and discipline that they have demonstrated the past few months as Trump threatened to deploy National Guard soldiers to Portland. Rather than take Trumps bait, most local protesters responded peacefully outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building, wearing chicken suits and frog costumes that showcased the communitys creativity and quirk. The weeks of nonviolent demonstrations even as out-of-state streamers tried to goad protesters into fights showed the nation how unjustified Trumps actions were. And they contributed to a huge end-of-year victory, after the U.S. Supreme Court barred Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Chicago. The ruling prompted Trump to announce that he was dropping for now plans to deploy the Guard in Portland and elsewhere. The fragile situation also calls for Portland Police to maintain close oversight of protests outside the ICE building and to intervene quickly when protesters cross the line into criminal behavior, as they did Thursday following the shooting. Police must continue to show that they are in control and that there still is no need for an outside force to keep the peace. Portland Police Chief Bob Day, who has shown impressive leadership throughout these months, should also aim to provide as much information as he can about the legitimacy or not of federal officers allegations regarding the shooting. Rumors and accusations thrive in the absence of credible information. To that end, federal, state and local authorities should also ensure that any video that may exist of the shootings be released immediately. It is in everyones best interest to have as clear a picture of what occurred as possible. And finally, the sensitivity of the moment calls for a united front from leaders, who must encourage and demonstrate a measured response. They should call out the violence and aggression of the mass deportation effort while also acknowledging the uncertainty of the shootings. Jumping to conclusions will only destabilize an already volatile situation. But that united response will require Oregon Republicans to confront the on-the-ground havoc that the mass deportation effort has caused. They should join the chorus of people urging the Trump Administration to halt its indiscriminate and inhumane round-ups that are terrifying communities and tearing families apart. There is an enormous difference between taking action against violent criminals and swarming farmworkers whose only violation may be their legal status to be in a country that, hypocritically, has long welcomed their work and tax dollars. Republicans must acknowledge that reality to their constituents and their party leaders and call out the mistreatment of their community members. Representing Oregon is a privilege. Elected officials must show they deserve it. -The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board In Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump just made another giant step on his learning curve toward becoming a dominant autocratic ruler. Trumps repeated failure to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in 2020, coupled with Trumps floundering attempts to mobilize the National Guard in U.S. cities, have him practicing new strategies for overturning elections. Now that Trump has neutralized the other two branches of government defeating our system of checks and balances he feels free to use the military to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro without the approval of Congress. Could anyone possibly be surprised if Trump ends up using the military to help overturn future U.S. elections if the election outcomes are not in his favor? Richard Haddock, La Grande For the second time in a year, state Rep. Greg Smith has conceded violating state law by not fully disclosing clients of his private consulting company. Smith, a Republican from Heppner, has agreed to a letter of education from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission over the violation. That sanction is standard for the commission in matters concerning disclosures. A commission investigation found that Smith didnt report his companys dealings with Morrow Development Corp., a small nonprofit based in Heppner. READ IT: State ethics report Such disclosures are required under state ethics laws as public officials annually file what is called a statement of economic interest. The forms, open to the public, generally reveal a public officials sources of income, but not the amounts. Smith signed a stipulated final order on Monday, Dec. 29, concerning Morrow Development. The ethics commission was scheduled to approve the order on Friday. Last year, Smith conceded to the ethics commission that he failed to report his companys business with another client Harney County. In March 2024, he received a letter of education from the commission over that ethical failing. Smith didnt respond to a request for comment about his latest concession. State Rep. Lucetta Elmer, the Oregon House Republican leader, also didnt respond to a request for comment. Smith is a leader in her caucus and holds key posts on the legislative Joint Ways and Means Committee, which has significant say over how state money is spent. In a separate action, the ethics commission last month found that Smith illegally used his job as executive director of the Columbia Development Authority to boost his own pay by $69,000 a year to $195,000. The pay raise was later rescinded but that ethics matter remains open. Smith can negotiate a settlement or demand a hearing to contest the findings. The ethics commission continues to investigate Smith for allegations he took pay from the development authority for hours he spent on his own consulting work or legislative duties. The development authority in Boardman was formed to turn a former military depot near Hermiston into industrial sites. In its most recent action, the ethics commission said Smith didnt originally disclose his ties to Morrow Development in filings he made in 2024 and 2025. He belatedly did so last July after a Boardman man complained to the ethics commission about the omission. Morrow Development pays Gregory Smith & Company $100,000 a year to run its loan program. The nonprofit lost money in 2024, with virtually all of its income of $103,929 going to pay Smiths company, according to its tax return. Smith set up his consulting company about the same time he went into the Oregon Legislature in 2001. Through that company, he has won contracts from public agencies throughout rural Oregon. In some instances, Smith has used his legislative position to steer money to his clients. -- Les Zaitz, Salem Reporter, les@salemreporter.com In the wake of ongoing criticism of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the White House Friday afternoon targeted dozens of Democratic leaders who the Trump administration claims have spoken out against ICE operations. A release titled 57 Times Sick, Unhinged Democrats Declared War on Law Enforcement compiled comments made by politicians nationwide many of which followed the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE officer and the shooting of two people by Border Patrol in Portland one day later. As ICE valiantly defends our sovereignty and communities, the list begins, here are 57 times Democrats have recklessly, deliberately stoked hatred and division against them. The list references Oregon politicians Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Janelle Bynum, two of many local leaders to speak out Thursday in the hours immediately following the Border Patrol shooting in Southeast Portland. The list condemns Merkleys likening of ICE operations to fascism and his claim that federal immigration agents are terrorizing communities. ICE has been terrorizing our communities at the behest of an authoritarian strongman, Merkley, a Democrat and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, said Thursday on social media platform X. Theyve done nothing to make our communities safer. This is fascism. The list also decried Bynums characterization of ICE as state-sponsored terrorism. This is the second shooting this week by agents following the orders of a wannabe dictator who is trying to take over cities and rule by instilling terror in the hearts of American people, Bynum, a Democrat elected in 2024, said in a Thursday statement. When the President deployed his guardsmen to our city earlier this year, we told him their presence was unwelcome and unhelpful, she said. Today, we saw just how dangerous this is we need these goons gone. A Border Patrol agent shot two people, identified Friday as Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, in the parking lot of a Southeast Portland medical center Thursday afternoon. Federal authorities described both individuals as having ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. As of Friday afternoon, Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras remained at their respective Oregon hospitals and were in stable condition according to Portland Police Chief Bob Day. Immigrant advocates and faith leaders in Oregon called on the Trump administration to end aggressive tactics used in its mass deportation campaign after at least one U.S. Border Patrol agent shot two people during a stop in Portland. Weve all been devastated this year by actions of our government towards our siblings who are immigrants, said the Rev. W. J. Mark Knutson of Augustana Lutheran Church. The Portland church established itself as a sanctuary for immigrants in 1996 and in 2014 allowed an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador to live in the church for 81 days to avoid a deportation threat This is one more instance where it has to stop, Knutson said after the Thursday shooting. It has to stop. Federal authorities on Friday identified the two people wounded as Luis David Nino-Moncada from Venezuela, whom they described as a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member, and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, also from Venezuela. Federal officials described Zambrano-Contreras as being associated with Tren de Aragua. A U.S. Homeland Security spokesperson characterized the shooting as self-defense as the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents, but released no other details. A witness said agents appeared to try to box in the pairs truck in the parking lot of a Southeast Portland medical building and one officer pounded on the trucks window. The truck smashed into another car as it tried to leave and several shots rang out, he said. Portland Police Chief Dan Day said Friday that both underwent surgery and are in stable condition. Moncada was shot in the arm and Zambrano-Contreras in the chest, he said. The shooting came a day after the fatal shooting of a woman by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minnesota. There is no need for violence on our immigrant community, said Frank So, executive director for the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. The organization provides a wide range of services for immigrants and refugees. The violence from Minnesota to Oregon is completely unacceptable, he said. This pursuit of immigrants is doing more harm to our community than any good that has supposedly been told to our community or to our country. Federal law enforcement leaders must take a hard look at their officers tactics, So said. We need to call in not only whether or not the use of force is appropriate, he said, but also the ethics of leadership and those in charge of these agencies because we believe they are morally unsound. The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition, which verifies and tracks immigration arrests in Oregon, also condemned the tactics. These federal officers, emboldened by our countrys leaders, are normalizing a violent strategy that is anti-ethnical to our countrys values, the group said in a statement. A woman who said shes part of several watch groups that help document immigration enforcement activity gathered Thursday night outside Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, where one of the people shot was being treated. Im on edge, she said. Everyones on edge right now. She gave only her first name, Griselda, for safety reasons. She said she joined the small group of protestors at the hospital to feel a sense of community. It makes me feel better in a world full of hate when I come and stand next to people that want the same thing, she said. It makes me happy inside and it keeps me motivated and it keeps me pushing through. -- Samantha Swindler of The Oregonian contributed to this report. Oregons top law enforcement officials have created a new tip line for people to provide information about the Thursday shooting of a Venezuelan couple by a federal agent in Southeast Portland, the Oregon Department of Justice announced Saturday. At least one U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer shot Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras around 2:15 p.m. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said they are suspected Tren de Aragua gang associates and entered the country illegally. The shooting stemmed from a traffic stop targeting Zambrano-Contreras, Homeland Security officials said. Both survived the shooting and were hospitalized shortly after. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced a formal investigation into the shooting Thursday the first such investigation since Oregon officials announced in November that they would prosecute federal agents who use force beyond the reasonable scope of their duties. The new tip line, 971-673-3900, is intended to provide community members with a secure, direct way to share information relevant to (Thursdays shooting) so DOJ can assess the facts and determine whether any violations of the law occurred, spokesperson Jenny Hansson said in a statement. Homeland Security said agents were trying to make a traffic stop targeting Zambrano-Contreras, who was a passenger in a truck in a parking lot near Adventist Health hospital in Southeast Portland. After the agents identified themselves, Nino-Moncado, who was driving, weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents, a statement from the agency said. Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the statement. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene. The Oregon DOJs decision to create a tip line could reflect actual or anticipated tensions between state and federal law enforcement investigations. Such tensions would not be without precedent, as federal officials denied Minnesota state officials access to evidence in the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Our responsibility at this point is to make sure the facts are gathered carefully and lawfully, and that the integrity of the process is protected, Hansson said in a written response to questions. That includes working through the legal realities of parallel federal investigations and access to information. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security remained largely silent on the details of the Thursday shooting during a traffic stop near Southeast Portlands Adventist Health hospital, providing only the names of the people shot and alleging that they had tried to use their car against officers. The Portland Police Bureau appeared to be about as much in the dark about the precise order of events as everybody else, saying Thursday night that federal officials hadnt shared any information with them about the shooting. City police responded to an apartment building about 40 blocks east of the hospital after a person called to report the shooting. Police found the two at the apartment. Portland Police Chief Bob Day speaking at a press conference following the shooting of two people in Portland by federal agents on January 8, 2026. Mark Graves/The Oregonian The dearth of information comes amid increasing and widespread skepticism about federal officials accounts in fatal or near-fatal encounters between agents and the public, as bystander video recordings have on several occasions shown official statements to be false. No video has emerged publicly of the Thursday shooting. Heres what we know as of Friday afternoon. Who did Border Patrol shoot? Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras were the driver and passenger, respectively, of the car shot at by at least one Border Patrol officer. The shooting occurred around 2:19 p.m. in the parking lot of the Adventist Healths Medical Office 3 building at 10201 S.E. Main Street after Border Patrol officers tried to stop Moncada and identified themselves, federal authorities said. The officers were looking for Zambrano-Contreras, who DHS said illegally entered the U.S. in 2023, played an active role in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and was involved in a shooting in Portland. Police have not confirmed the other shooting the woman had allegedly been involved in. A leaked screenshot of a dispatch log has linked a woman listed on an escort site to Zambrano-Contreras. The phone number Moncada used to call 911 after he was shot is linked to numerous escort sites with photos of a woman who resembles the woman in images of Zambrano-Contreras released by the federal government. Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in South Portland on Thursday, hours after Border Patrol agents confronted and shot a man and a woman earlier in the afternoon near a Portland medical clinic. Dave Killen/Special to the Oregonian Moncada is a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua gang and entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, DHS said. He has been arrested for driving under the influence and unauthorized use of a vehicle, the agency said, though the newsroom could not independently verify the arrests. Moncada has a final order of removal, DHS said. After they were stopped, agents identified themselves, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, and Moncada weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents. The pair then drove off, the FBI said in a statement. The pair was found with gunshot wounds about 3 miles away. Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras were husband and wife, said Tony DeFalco, executive director of Latino Network, on Thursday. DHS officials dispute that. Moncada was taken to Oregon Health & Science University, where he was in critical condition, said Ana Munoz, director of community defense at Latino Network. The woman was taken to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, where her condition wasnt publicly available. Portland police on Friday afternoon said both were in stable condition. The Department of Homeland Security mentioned only one shot being fired, but the Portland Police Bureau has said both people were injured. It is possible for two people to be injured by one bullet. Bystander says feds boxed in driver before shooting One witness of the Portland shooting said he heard five gunshots after federal officers boxed in a Toyota truck that had pulled into the lot Thursday afternoon. The man had been seeking care at the office near Adventist Health hospital when he said he saw the officers follow the truck into the lot at 10201 S.E. Main St. and approach it. A red Toyota truck is towed away from inside Bria Apartments on Northeast 146th and East Burnside Street. The vehicle ended up there after a man and woman were shot allegedly by Border Patrol in Portland, Oregon, Thursday, January, 8, 2026. Beth Nakamura One officer pounded on the trucks window and the driver appeared scared, the man said. The driver then backed up and moved forward, striking a car behind him at least twice, before turning and speeding off, he said. About five shots rang out from the contingent of officers as the truck raced away, the man said. He added that it appeared one car was too smashed up to drive and remained in the lot of the medical office. He gave only his first name, Steve, for privacy reasons, he said. Another bystander said he heard tires squealing and two gunshots. Search for evidence in Portland continues Federal immigration agents have shot multiple people nationwide, including several they claimed had tried to use their vehicles as weapons. Portland police said Thursday that federal agents shot and injured two people in east Portland. Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian But video evidence has subsequently revealed the official narrative to be false or misleading, such as in the case of the Wednesday shooting of Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis. A Washington Post analysis of bystander video shows that an agent fired at Good as she veered away from him, posing no apparent danger. No video has yet emerged of the Thursday shooting in Portland. The FBI is investigating the shooting. The city reacts to shooting Even as details remain elusive, Portland and Oregon elected leaders as well as protesters voiced outrage over the shooting. Hundreds of people gathered outside Portland City Hall Thursday for a candlelight vigil, chanting abolish ICE. A protest outside the ICE facility in South Portland Thursday resulted in six arrests, including of Seth Todd, the protester whose frog costume launched the trend of protesters wearing inflatable animal costumes. Gov. Tina Kotek speaking at a press conference following the shooting of two people in Portland by federal agents on January 8, 2026. Mark Graves/The Oregonian Todd has recently said hes over the frog costuming and that in his activism hes not being peaceful at all. The ICE facility has been the focus of protests for months, since the Trump administration dramatically ramped up immigration enforcement. Oregons Attorney General Dan Rayfield said Thursday that the Oregon Department of Justice was investigating the shooting. Amazon is sending claim notices to Prime customers as part of a $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The Federal Trade Commission reached an agreement in September 2025 requiring Amazon to pay $1.5 billion in refunds to customers and a $1 billion civil penalty. The agency accused Amazon of unlawfully enrolling customers for Prime subscriptions and making canceling the subscription difficult for customers. Amazon has not admitted to any wrongdoing. Who is eligible to receive a refund? To qualify for a refund from the Amazon settlement you must meet three requirements: You have to be an Amazon Prime customer in the United States. You signed up for Amazons Prime subscription with a challenged enrollment flow (the process Amazon used to sign people up) or attempted to cancel your subscription and failed between June 23, 2019 and June 23, 2025. You used more than three Amazon Prime benefits including Prime Music or Prime Video within a year of Prime enrollment. How do I file a claim? Amazon customers eligible for a claim in the FTC settlement can visit the claim website to file. Some eligible customers received an automatic refund between November 2025 and December 2025. Those customers who did not, should receive a claim notice by mail or email. How much will I be paid? Eligible Amazon Prime customers will receive a refund of up to $51 for their subscription fees, according to the settlement website. When will I receive my payment? The settlement website says the window to submit a claim is now open. Amazon will contact eligible customers by email or mail postmarked by Jan. 23, 2026. Customers have 180 days to submit a claim, which will be reviewed and approved by Amazon within 30 days of submission. Payments will be sent after the claim is approved. How will the refund be issued? Claims payments will be sent through PayPal or Venmo, or mailed checks, according to the settlement website. Customers submitting a claim will select the method to receive the payment. The National Weather Service is warning of potential poor air quality in Portland due to a period of stagnant air that could keep pollutants close to the ground, with an air stagnation advisory in effect through 10 a.m. Sunday. According to state agencies, prolonged periods of stagnant air can hold pollutants close to the ground where people live and breathe, the weather service said in a statement. The advisory is in effect for the entire Willamette Valley and the greater Portland and Vancouver metro area. People with respiratory illnesses should follow their doctors advice on what to do when air quality is poor, the weather service said. People can check the air quality in their area using an Oregon Department of Environmental Quality map that issues regular updates of air quality measurements. As of around 9 a.m., none of the air quality measurements reached a level deemed unhealthy for people sensitive to poor air quality. The weather Saturday is expected to remain mostly cloudy, with a high of around 51 degrees and a 20% chance of rain after 3 a.m. Sunday is expected to be partly sunny, with a high around 52 degrees and a 30% chance of rain after 4 a.m. Extended forecasts point to a stretch of dry weather. Monday is forecasted to be mostly cloudy, while Tuesday through Friday are expected to be sunny or mostly sunny. Temperatures will increase during the week, from an anticipated high of 53 degrees Monday to a high of 56 degrees Thursday. For those living near or visiting the coast, the National Weather Service is warning of a high sneaker wave threat through Monday. Such waves are powerful, can come unexpectedly, and can be fatal. People walking on the beach should never turn their back to the ocean and should be on the lookout for sneaker waves, the weather service said. The WNBA and its players union werent able to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement by the Friday night deadline, and now the league enters a status-quo period with no new extension reached. Negotiations will continue with the current CBA still in effect. The league and the players had two previous extensions, with the most recent expiring Friday night. The sides have met several times this week, but are still far apart on many key issues, including salary structure and revenue-sharing. Despite demonstrating our willingness to compromise in order to get a deal done, the WNBA and its teams have failed to meet us at the table with the same spirit and seriousness, the union said in a statement. Instead, they have remained committed to undervaluing player contributions, dismissing player concerns, and running out the clock. If a new CBA isnt agreed upon soon, it could delay the start of the 2026 season. Its already delayed the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland. As the league experiences a pivotal time of unprecedented popularity and growth, we recognize the importance of building upon that momentum, the WNBA said in a statement issued after the deadline had passed. Our priority is a deal that significantly increases player salaries, enhances the overall player experience, and supports the long-term growth of the league for current and future generations of players and fans. The last CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to. It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin Sunday. The WNBA, under U.S. labor law, has a status-quo obligation to allow teams to send out qualifying offers under the expired CBA agreement. Both sides could agree to a moratorium that would result in a pause of all free agency activities until a new CBA is ratified. The league offered one, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Friday night on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations. With no moratorium in place, the league has told its teams that they can send out qualifying offers to free agents beginning on Sunday, according to the person. Those offers would go to players who were restricted free agents or ones that the teams wanted to give the franchise tag to. Because neither the players nor the teams have any idea what the new salary structure and salary cap would be in the new CBA, it would be a worthless process for now. The leagues most recent offer last month would guarantee a maximum base salary of $1 million in 2026 that could reach $1.3 million through revenue sharing. Thats up from the current $249,000 and could grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement, the person told the AP. Under the leagues proposal, players would receive in excess of 70% of net revenue though that would be their take of the profits after expenses are paid. Those expenses would include upgraded facilities, charter flights, five-star hotels, medical services, security and arenas. The average salary in 2026 would be more than $530,000, up from its current $120,000, and grow to more than $770,000 over the life of the agreement. The minimum salary would grow from its current $67,000 to approximately $250,000 in the first year, the person told the AP. The proposal would also financially pay star young players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, who are all still on their rookie contracts, nearly double the league minimum. Revenue sharing is one of the major sticking points in the negotiations. The unions counter proposal to the league would give players around 30% of the gross revenue. The players percentage would be from money generated before expenses for the first year and teams would have a $10.5 million salary cap to sign players. Under the unions proposal, the revenue sharing percent would go up slightly each year. Make no mistake. Pay equity is not optional and progress is long overdue, the union statement said. We urge the league and its teams to meet this moment. The players already have and will continue to do so. SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Residents were ordered to evacuate Saturday as a wildfire broke out in southeastern South Korea, according to Yonhap news agency. The fire started at about 3:14 p.m. local time (0614 GMT) on a mountain in Uiseong county, some 180 km southeast of the capital Seoul. An evacuation order was issued for nearby residents, who were instructed to take shelter at a gymnasium. The forestry authorities mobilized helicopters and firefighting equipment to extinguish the fire. Sinclairs gimmickthe exclamation m clerk of court manatee county fl long beach court house belmont county oh court records multiauthored narrative that revea Caravaggio invented both thi He used to run into Harcourt Brace t The following letters were sent by David Wojnarowicz to his Parisian lover Jean Pierre Delage in 1979.Man The philodendron man made a comment about a YouTube video hed watched on micro-studios in New York.Our shots are solidly good an But always there was the ongoing project of looking out for volumes three and four of the Woolf complete diaries.I imagined the librarian deciding to read The New Yorker on peak of the Sierra Madre a tiny train thousands of feet below crossing the California desert? Why should this experience be so close to me.Each time Maigret ordered a glass o because of the death of a family member? Theres some guilt and discomfort in realizing that new family formations are possible because this beloved person is no longer there while the older person is a representative of stubbornness and persistence and sometimes a kind of majestic fatigue.10/25Tonight I read an Amy Hempel interview in the Paris R A relatively straightforward theological and political explanation can be found for Emerentias sudden appearance on the eve of the Reformationas well as for her subseque Nairn is ashamed on the capitals behalf that the only building in the book by when he posits the many similarities one could draw between Yoruba deities and the universal relevance of Greek gods significant to the origins of Western thought.when my fi but I try to think in terms of the most antique understanding of a searchnot the way we understand it now.or resonate with their preconceived notions of the stereotypical Ca Horses do not need signs to know wh snohomish county courts pa court case city court anderson in Its sheer number of attitudes towa activist documentaries of th What else are you going to do with a this organizations members would be able to ask the employees for leftovers directly rather than dumpster dive.How has he influenced you?ERDRICHWhat resonates for me in Faul How did you come up with the title for this poem?This is the eleventh poem in a series called Falling Sonnets.My tape is messy with the voices of some friends of his and fell SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek on Saturday said allegations that South Korean drones violated the airspace of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) were "absolutely untrue," noting that the drone shown in photos released by Pyongyang was not a model operated by the South Korean military, according to Yonhap News Agency. Ahn also said that a joint investigation between South Korea and the DPRK into the incident could be conducted. ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's government on Saturday announced the completion of an operation to evacuate all foreign tourists stranded on Socotra Island, transferring hundreds of visitors to Saudi Arabia amid recent security tensions in the country's south. The Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement posted on social media platform X that a total of 609 foreign tourists of various nationalities were evacuated through four special flights arranged in coordination with the Saudi authorities. All evacuees were flown to King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Saudi city of Jeddah, the ministry added. Meanwhile, Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar al-Eryani announced that regular international flights between Socotra and Jeddah are expected to resume in February, according to Yemen's state-run Saba news agency. Last week, a security official told Xinhua that hundreds of foreign tourists had been stranded on Socotra, an island province in the Arabian Sea known for its unique biodiversity and pristine landscapes, after flights to and from the archipelago were suspended amid rising tensions and clashes on the mainland. Tourism operations on Socotra have in recent years been largely managed by foreign companies, many of them linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had previously exerted significant influence over the island before Saudi Arabia assumed a more prominent role. In December, Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, backed by Saudi Arabia, announced the cancellation of a joint defence agreement with the UAE, ordering the withdrawal of Emirati forces within 24 hours and calling for an end to support for separatist groups. On Jan. 3, the UAE Ministry of Defence announced that it had completed the withdrawal of all its armed forces from Yemen. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduced the number of vaccines recommended for all children from 17 to 11 on January 5, 2026, following a directive from President Trump to review how the U.S. childhood immunization schedule compares to other developed countries. The changes moved six vaccines that were previously recommended for every child into different categories. Vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and rotavirus are now recommended only for children at high risk for these diseases. New Vaccine Recommendations Meanwhile, vaccines for influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and meningococcal disease now require "shared clinical decision-making," meaning parents must discuss with their healthcare provider whether the vaccine is appropriate for their child. The vaccines that remain recommended for all children include those protecting against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, chickenpox, and human papillomavirus (HPV), according to UC Berkeley Public Health. However, the HPV vaccine recommendation changed from two or three doses to just one dose. Determining whether a child qualifies as "high-risk" has created confusion among families. The CDC did not provide clear definitions, and many healthy infants actually fall into high-risk categories for conditions like RSV despite having no preexisting conditions. Pediatricians report spending additional clinic time explaining vaccine eligibility criteria to concerned parents, diverting attention from other critical health screenings and developmental assessments that occur during wellness visits. Read more: Growing Number of Flu Cases Among Children in England Spark Concern Among Health Experts The revisions represent a significant departure from traditional vaccine policy development. Historically, changes to the childhood immunization schedule occurred only after the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reviewed scientific data and made evidence-based recommendations. These recent changes were not based on new safety or effectiveness data. Health experts, including former CDC Director Mandy Cohen, criticized the modifications, stating they "add confusion and unnecessary obstacles for families who want to protect their children from serious diseases," CNN reported. What Parents Should Keep in Mind Insurance companies are still required to cover all vaccines recommended by the CDC as of December 31, 2025, without cost-sharing. However, families may face additional hurdles if they need to schedule separate consultations with healthcare providers to discuss vaccines now classified under shared decision-making. Pediatricians across the country report growing vaccine hesitancy among families who interpret the new categorization as a sign of safety concerns. Experts emphasize that "shared clinical decision-making" does not suggest doubts about vaccine safety or effectiveness but rather reflects policy changes rather than scientific ones. The American Academy of Pediatrics announced it will continue publishing its own comprehensive immunization schedule, which includes annual flu shots and updated COVID-19 vaccinations. Many pediatricians have indicated they will follow the AAP guidelines rather than the new federal recommendations, as per ABC News. A federal judge's decision this week to end a decadesold desegregation order in DeSoto Parish has intensified a fight in Louisiana over whether Washington should still oversee how local schools handle race. The DeSoto Parish case, first filed in 1967, was dismissed after the U.S. Department of Justice, the Louisiana attorney general, and the parish school board jointly asked the court to close it, arguing there had been no active disputes for years and federal supervision was no longer needed. It is the second such case in Louisiana to be quickly lifted, following the Trump administration's move last year to end a 1966 desegregation order in Plaquemines Parish. The DeSoto district serves roughly 5,000 students. State Officials Prioritize Local Control Over Federal Oversight Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and other state leaders say removing the orders restores local control to school boards and relieves districts of costly reporting and courtapproval requirements for decisions like school construction, attendance zones, and closures, according to ABC News. They argue that Louisiana "got its act together decades ago" and that keeping longinactive cases open is a "historical wrong." School officials note that paperwork demands can burden smaller districts and that federal officials visit annually to request data on hiring and discipline practices. Civil rights advocates strongly disagree. They warn that ending oversight without a full review of current conditions risks allowing schools to resegregate, pointing to research showing Louisiana's public schools have grown more racially separated over the past three decades. Latino students are currently more segregated in Louisiana schools than they have been since 1968, with only 7.2% of Hispanic students attending traditional public schools, according to state data, The Guardian reported. Groups such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund say many Louisiana districts still show racial gaps in discipline, facilities, and access to advanced classes, signs that the harms of past segregation have not been fully addressed. Courts Split on How to Handle Dismissals The Justice Department traditionally required school systems to prove they had eliminated segregation "root and branch" before desegregation cases could be closed. In Plaquemines Parish, however, federal officials and the state instead used a joint dismissal, avoiding a detailed court review and prompting critics to call the move a dangerous shortcut. This method signals contempt for communities of color, according to legal experts. Not every judge has agreed to the new approach. In Concordia Parish, a federal judge recently refused to dismiss another 1960sera case and instead offered the district a hearing to prove it has fully dismantled segregation, forcing the state and district to appeal. About a dozen Louisiana school systems remain under desegregation orders. What happens in the next few cases will help decide whether the state's schools are chiefly governed by local officials or by federal civilrights promises made more than half a century ago, as per Edweek. Trcka began weightlifting after moving to California in the 80s. Fans are mourning the loss of a bodybuilder who was well-known for her role in Scary Movie. She was 62 years old. TMZ reports how Jayne Trcka whom many might recognize for her role as Miss Mann in the franchises first film was found unresponsive at her home in San Diego, California, on Dec. 12. A friend had her called multiple times, and became concerned when they had no response. According to New York Daily News, Trckas cause of death remains unknown as of the publishing of this report. Her son informed TMZ that he was unaware of any medical condition or sickness that may have contributed to her passing. USA Today states that Trcka grew up in Minnesota and eventually took up weight-training in California in the 1980s. She eventually rose to the top of local bodybuilding contests, and competed at a national level for decades. Apart from Scary Movie, Trcka also made appearances in The Drew Carey Show and Cattle Call. She even appeared in music videos, including that for Lady Gags Telephone featuring Beyonce. She crushed that role [Miss Mann], reads a Reddit comment. I laughed my [expletive] off. RIP. Thanks for the laughs. Perfect for that role. Rest in peace, Miss Man, states another. [Expletive] 2026, gives me a break! one commenter proclaimed. Further information regarding Trckas death remains pending. The Berks County Coroners Office on Friday released the name of the 11-year-old boy who died after being struck by a vehicle in Lancaster County on New Years Eve, according to multiple news outlets. Christopher W. Beiler was riding a scooter south on Churchtown Road around 6 p.m. when a Dodge Caravan failed to pass with enough space and struck the boy from behind, ejecting him off the scooter, according to Lancaster Online. Beiler was taken to Reading Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 6:45 p.m., the coroners office said. The boy died of blunt force trauma, but his manner of death is pending an investigation into the crash. The minivan had to be towed from the scene, WGAL said. Once the investigation is completed, the Lancaster County District Attorneys Office and Troopers will make a determination on charges, Pennsylvania State Police Public Information Officer James T. Grothey told Lancaster Online. Beiler, born in Narvon, is survived by his parents: Jacob G. and Anna Mary Riehl Beiler, four siblings: Arlan Matthew, James Anthony, Luke Andrew and Kathleen Joy, and his grandparents: Christian B. and Barbara B. King Beiler and Jacob S. and Fannie Mae Esh Riehl, according to his obituary. Police in Upper Allen Township this month issued a statement warning the public about a dangerous internet trend known as the door-kicking challenge. Similar to the classic ding dong ditch, the viral trend involves aggressively kicking front doors late at night and running away, capturing the homeowners reaction on camera. Though it may seem like a prank, participants risk facing criminal charges and unintended confrontations with homeowners, Upper Allen Police said in their post. Police urge the community to refrain from joining in on the trend, citing potential physical and emotional damage for all parties involved. We encourage parents to discuss the consequences of this challenge with their children and ask that homeowners stay alert and report any experiences of this trend, police said. Harrisburg-area Rep. Scott Perry was not among the handful of Republicans who sided with Democrats on Thursdays Affordable Care Act vote, as the issue starts to shape up as the first big dividing line in Congress for the new year. The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday afternoon in favor of a three-year extension of the additional ACA insurance subsidies that were authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic, but which had been allowed to lapse at the end of last year. Democrats pushed to make the subsidies permanent during the budget battle that led to the federal shutdown this past fall, but were unsuccessful. But now that the new year has started - with drastic premium increases for many enrollees - the issue is afoot again. Thursdays vote was 230-to-196, with 17 Republicans crossing the aisle to vote in favor. This included two of Pennsylvanias swing-district Republican members who will likely face tough re-election runs this year, Ryan Mackenzie and Rob Bresnahan. Perry, despite his similar electoral vulnerability, stuck to his guns. Although he hasnt addressed the issue publicly in the past 24 hours, Perry has been a frequent critic of extending the ACA assistance, describing it as a handout to insurance companies that doesnt address the root problem. This is like a direct deposit from the U.S. Treasury to help insurance companies despite their recent record profits, Perry said during a call-in town hall event in October. But without the extra subsidies being renewed, out-of-pocket costs are already starting to skyrocket. Patients who get their insurance through Pennie Pennsylvanias exchange for ACA-back healthcare plans are seeing their premium cost-shares double on average, according to the state insurance department. Under the ACA popularly known as Obamacare after the former president who signed it into law residents who dont qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, and who dont receive health coverage through their employer, can purchase subsidized insurance plans through state brokerages like Pennie. The amount of income a family must pay in premiums is capped based on a sliding scale. The remainder of the actual price tag of the insurance plan is picked up by the federal government, in the form of tax credits that are paid in advance. Pandemic-era federal stimulus lowered the premium caps for every income bracket, and it also extended assistance to households making more than four times the federal poverty line, which had been the cutoff point for subsidies under the original Obamacare rules. With that extra assistance having expired, many enrollees are faced with paying nearly all of their healthcare premiums out-of-pocket. Those just over the 400% of poverty limit about $107,000 per year for a family of three could see their costs grow four- or five-fold, according to Pennie data. The House bill is unlikely to make it through the Senate unscathed. The upper chamber is discussing an extension of the subsidies for fewer than three years with less generous benefits, and Republicans remain concerned about provisions on abortion-related care, the New York Times reported Thursday. Democrats are clearly planning to hammer any Republican who holds up a deal. Janelle Stelson, a Democrat seeking to challenge Perry, said in a statement that Perry is again refusing to do anything to find a compromise, and continues to put his extreme politics over the lives of the people he is supposed to represent. Speaking in October, Perry said he would prefer anything that gets us back closer to, or even approaching, a market-based approach for healthcare. Its unclear what this would look like. While some research indicates that parts of the ACA disincentivize insurance companies from lowering their margins, increased earnings are also largely a result of more people buying insurance, given that the ACA drastically reduced the number of Americans who had to simply go without healthcare. Republicans previous attempts to repeal Obamacare have failed due to concerns from within their own ranks that they didnt have anything to replace it with - something Perry has also acknowledged, telling one caller in October that I dont think youre wrong in saying that Republicans have missed the mark as a party in coming up with a policy. After declining to run for governor this year, Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano said Friday the only way for GOP gubernatorial candidate state Treasurer Stacy Garrity to win is to have him on the ticket as lieutenant governor. During an interview on NewsTalk 103.7-FM, Mastriano said that him being Garritys running mate was a possibility and the only way to generate some excitement for the Garrity ticket. However, Mastriano did not stop there. We know Garrity being on top of the ticket, thats probably the only way the party would win if I did that, he told host Pat Ryan. With Mastriano opting not to run for the GOP nomination, Garrity has a clear path to a primary win and a general election campaign against Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who easily defeated Mastriano in 2022. Mastriano on Friday also lamented the process that has led Garrity to be endorsed by the party far ahead of a primary, saying that choosing her over other possible primary competitors would alienate voters. Garritys campaign did not respond to Mastrianos comments. Pennsylvania Democrats, though, quickly jumped on the remarks. The lack of enthusiasm behind Garritys campaign is an issue Mastriano has raised before and is just one of the many obstacles her campaign faces as she tries to sell Pennsylvania on her agenda of cutting healthcare, raising costs and bringing Trumps Washington chaos to Pennsylvania, said the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in a statement. If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. Lifetime is airing a new ripped-from-the-headlines movie, Accused: The Karen Read Story, which dramatizes one of the most talked-about real-life cases in recent years. The movie explores the death of Boston police officer John OKeefe and the legal battle that followed, as national attention focuses on the charges brought against his girlfriend, Karen Read. Accused: The Karen Read Story premieres on Lifetime Saturday, January 10 at 8 p.m. For those who dont have traditional cable, you can still stream the premiere live on Philo (promotional discount), DIRECTV (5-day free trial), and SlingTV (discount). How to watch Accused: The Karen Read Story Without Cable Cord cutters looking to stream the premiere live can watch Lifetime through several popular live TV streaming services including Philo, DIRECTV, and Sling. Viewers interested in trying a streaming service before committing can take advantage of a free trial through DIRECTV. DIRECTV provides access to 90+ live TV channels, along with user-friendly features like unlimited cloud DVR. The service offers four base packages starting at $89.99 per month, plus the option to further tailor your channel lineup with genre packs, helping cut down on unnecessary channels. New subscribers can also take advantage of a five-day free trial, and for a limited time, DIRECTV is offering a $40 off the first month, bringing the starting cost down to just $49 for new users. For those searching for a more budget-friendly option, Philo is widely regarded as one of the most affordable cable alternatives available. Priced at $33 per month (or $25 for the first month), Philo includes 70+ popular channels, such as TLC, MTV, BET, AMC, CMT, and Investigation Discovery. Subscribers also have the option to access Max (formerly HBO Max) and discovery+ content with their Philo subscription. Another solid choice is Sling, which offers a flexible and streamlined alternative to traditional cable. Sling features a strong lineup of widely watched channels and recently introduced day, week, and weekend passes, allowing viewers to pay only for the access they need. Monthly plans begin at $45.99 after the fist month, while the new short-term passes start at $4.99. More about the Movie When Boston Police Officer John OKeefe is found dead in a snowbank outside a friends home, his girlfriend Karen Read, is charged in connection with his death. What begins as a tragedy quickly ignites a firestorm that captures national attention. Cast: Katie Cassidy, Luke Humphrey TEHRAN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian military pledged on Saturday to defend national interests, protect strategic infrastructure and public property amid ongoing protests, and urged Iranians to unite to "thwart the enemy's plots," according to state broadcaster IRIB. In a statement, the military accused Israel and "hostile terrorist organizations" of "attempting to undermine order and peace in cities and disrupt public security through another conspiracy," and of "trying to incite another rebellion in the name of supporting the Iranian people." It called on the public to remain vigilant and unite to "defeat the enemy's plots," saying Iran is "in the middle of a war." The statement said the army, together with other armed forces, "under the command" of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, would monitor enemy movements and resolutely defend national interests while protecting strategic infrastructure and public property. Separately, Iran's Fars News Agency reported that Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Israel should be held responsible for the current situation in Iran. The spokesperson for Iran's Constitutional Council attributed the protests in the country to foreign interference. "Foreign interference has turned peaceful livelihood protests of people directed at livelihood demands into riots and unrest," Hadi Tahan Nazif told a press conference on Saturday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. On the same day, the governor of Baharestan told Tasnim that 100 people accused of disrupting public order and leading riots had been arrested in the city. He said they used firearms and cold weapons to attack civilians and security forces. ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) announced Saturday the formation of a Supreme Military Committee under the command of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, signaling a new phase of military preparedness amid stalled peace efforts with the Houthi group. In a televised address aired by state news agency Saba, the PLC's chairman Rashad Al-Alimi said the newly formed military committee would be tasked with preparing, equipping, leading and supporting all pro-government military forces, should the Houthis continue to reject peaceful political solutions. Al-Alimi attributed Yemen's years-long crisis to the Houthi takeover of state institutions, accusing the group of refusing dialogue. "The suffering of our people is the result of the militia's coup and its refusal to engage in negotiations," he said. "I call on those who have gone astray to surrender their weapons, return looted property, and rejoin the state, which belongs to all Yemenis," Al-Alimi said. The announcement follows recent tensions between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) allegedly backed by the United Arab Emirates, which escalated into clashes and heavy strikes in southern Yemen. The Yemeni leader said in a televised statement Saturday that government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have recaptured key state institutions and military bases from STC forces in several southern provinces, including Hadramout, Al-Mahrah and Aden. Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when Houthi forces captured Sanaa and large swathes of the north, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the Yemeni government. Its Magic! Documentary Lost in the Shuffle Explores the History of Playing Cards Chad Holloway PR & Media Manager Copy link Poker couldnt be played if not for playing cards, but as a player, ask yourself how much do you really know about the 52-card deck you probably take for granted every day? Do you know the story of how those cards came to be? Well, that is the premise of a documentary that poker players might find interesting. Lost in the Shuffle explores the history of playing cards against the backdrop of magic. In it, world champion magician Shawn Farquhar reveals the tantalizing clues to a Medieval cold case murder hidden among the Jacks, Queens, and Kings. Heres a synopsis of Lost in the Shuffle: For almost as long as there have been cards, there have been card tricks. In the hands of a magician, a simple deck of cards takes on a life of its own and is elevated to an instrument of wonder and awe. Seen through the eyes of some of the worlds best sleight-of-hand artists, Lost in the Shuffle is a loving look at how playing cards have become synonymous with magic and the mysteries hidden in their art. Two-time world champion Shawn Farquhar takes us through six countries as he both tries to prove his theory that hidden in the art of every deck of cards are the clues to the conspiracy to kill a French king in 1498, while simultaneously creating a brand-new routine that tells the real story of Charles VIIIs untimely demise. Workshopping different elements of the routine with four top magicians, the film pulls back the curtain on the creativity, ingenuity and psychological tricks the modern magician employs to make us all believe in the impossible. Other magicians featured in the documentary include Alexandra Duvivier, Juan Tamariz, Michael Vincent, and Richard Turner. While the documentary, which is available to rent/buy now on iTunes or YouTube (or find physical copies on Amazon), isnt about poker per se, there is enough overlap with playing cards to pique the interest of any serious player. Q&A with Jon Ornoy PokerNews had the opportunity to chat with the producer and director of Lost in the Shuffle, 49-year-old Jon Ornoy, who is originally from Toronto but has lived in Vancouver for nearly three decades. He made a career for himself in the film industry, spending 10 years as a camera assistant to directing his first short back in 2007. Since then, hes on to produce and direct four more shorts and three features that have played and sold internationally, with Lost in the Shuffle even receiving the rare honor of having been screened on Air Force One! As Ornoy said, I enjoy making both narratives and documentaries, but have been focused more on documentaries lately because there are so many fascinating stories out there just waiting to be uncovered. Heres a look at PokerNews full chat with Ornoy. Producer & Director Jon Ornoy gets to work. PokerNews: What inspired you to make Lost in the Shuffle? Jon Ornoy: The journey to making this film started for me in September 2019 when I saw that world champion magician Shawn Farquhar had opened up a little pop-up space not far from my house, and that there were still tickets available on my birthday. It was a tiny theatre, so everyone was about ten feet from the stage and he really did a fantastic job blowing our minds, so much so that I was motivated to email him a few days later to invite him out for a beer with the promise that I wouldn't ask him for any of his secrets. "I'm very grateful for the way the magic and playing card communities embraced and supported our efforts." Fortunately, Shawn's a really friendly and approachable guy, so we started hanging out occasionally, and it was during one of these meetings that he pulled out his laptop and showed me a PowerPoint presentation that he'd put together for a TED-style talk he wanted to do at an upcoming magic convention. This Court Card Conspiracy, as he called it, immediately grabbed my attention because I loved the idea that the clues to a cold case murder could have been hidden for centuries in some of the most famous art in the world, and I could see the potential for exploring this with a film. I've been a life-long fan of magic, and as an artist, I'm frequently fascinated by the creative process of other artists. Making documentaries is a lot of fun because it gives you an excuse to immerse yourself in a world for a period of time, and I'm very grateful for the way the magic and playing card communities embraced and supported our efforts. Jon Ornoy in the back while filming Lost in the Shuffle. How long did it take and can you describe the process a bit? From when I started to research the film to touring it with Shawn across North America was about five years all told. The research phase, which took me deep into the histories of both playing cards and medieval French royalty, came at the beginning of the Covid lockdowns, which was actually pretty good timing since it gave me a project at a time when there wasn't a lot else for me to focus on. Once I had a pretty good idea of what the story structure was going to be and we had commitments from our incredible line-up of magicians, the next big challenge became putting together our financing, and as is the case with most indies, this was the longest stage of our production. Filming itself took place in March and April of 2023 and saw Shawn, our crew, and I travel over 27,000km to film in ten cities across six countries, including Canada, the US, Spain, Belgium, France, and the UK. It was a real whirlwind of a trip that presented its fair share of unforeseen challenges, but our crew really bonded as a family through that process, and the whole thing was a lot of fun. Post-production, which involved doing all of the animation, as well as cutting together all of the live action material, took about nine months, and the film premiered in May 2024 at Hot Docs, the largest documentary festival in North America. Jon Ornoy with Alexandra Duvivier. Its not about poker per se, but what could poker players and fans take from the film? There are a few reasons why I think poker players and fans will enjoy this film. First, you guys spend a whole lot of time staring at cards, but probably without knowing much about their history or why they look the way they do, and not really appreciating the significant cultural impacts they've had. "We can walk away from the film with a whole new appreciation for this common, everyday object that we look at so much that we don't really see anymore." This leads to our second hook, which is that if we can walk away from the film with a whole new appreciation for this common, everyday object that we look at so much that we don't really see anymore, then maybe we can also apply a similar set of fresh eyes to other things in our lives that we take for granted. And lastly, we've got Richard Turner. If you're not familiar with Turner, he's one of the world's foremost card mechanics and the official quality control guy for Bicycle despite having been completely blind for decades. He's one of the most interesting people you'll ever meet and does his second deals so smoothly that even with our cameras focused on his hands, you can't see how he's pulling it off. What inspired you to do the Kickstarter campaign? We ran our first Kickstarter campaign as part of our initial financing efforts for the film and as a way to gauge the market interest in our topic, and it was a big success on both counts, as we brought in about $80,000 from over 500 backers in 20 countries. The primary perk that we offered our backers was limited edition decks of cards that Shawn designed especially for the project and that he also uses throughout the film. We only made 1,500 of these, and we sold the last of them during the film's theatrical tour in 2024. Thanks to this strong demand, we decided to run a second campaign for a new version of these decks earlier this year, and that was a big success as well. All of the magicians in the film said that these cards are among the best they've ever handled, and as a special bonus, we've also now augmented their back designs a bit to add markings that identify exactly what the volunteer for your magic trick is holding. We've also limited these to a run of only 1,500 decks, and there are still a few available that we are selling from our store now. Do you have any other projects in the works? Any chance you might venture into the poker world? I'm currently developing three different documentary projects: one on the parole system, one on North Korean hacking, and the last looks at whether all of our cognition and emotion just comes from our brains or whether our bodies play a role as well. Although I'm not actively involved in the poker world myself, I'm sure that there are all sorts of fascinating stories out there that would speak to a larger audience as well, so if anyone wants to share their ideas, I'm all ears! For those in the US, you can rent/buy Lost in the Shuffle on iTunes or YouTube, or find physical copies on Amazon. The rest of the world can go to Kinema where there is a complete list of viewing options. *Images courtesy of Jon Ornoy. Share this article Win A 100k Golden Pass To The Festival Bratislava with WPT Global Eliot Thomas Editor, Poker & Casino Copy link WPT Global has announced it will offer players the chance to win a 100,000 Live Champion Bonus, with Golden Passes available through satellite qualifiers to this Februarys The Festival Bratislava. Running from February 23 to March 1 at the Banco Casino in the Slovakian capital, The Festival is an early-season fixture on the European poker calendar, with WPT Global offering players a route into the 550 The Festival Main Event via satellite qualifiers starting from just $3.30. It sounds like a tempting proposition, though recent history suggests one significant obstacle. If your name is not Sebastian Kotowicz, winning The Festival Main Event has proven difficult. The Polish grinder has captured the title in back-to-back years and returns to Bratislava this February chasing an unprecedented third straight victory. 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The Festival Bratislava Main Event Winners - Last 5 Years Check out some of the previous winners from The Festival Bratislava Main Event below: Year Player Nation Payout 2025 Sebastian Kotowicz Poland 78,100 2024 Sebastian Kotowicz Poland 77,001 2023 Gabriel Rymar Poland 80,000 2022 Michel Molenaar Netherlands 126,650 2021 Martin Mauthner Austria 59,000 Share this article Aiken, SC (29801) Today A mix of clouds and sun early, then becoming cloudy later in the day. High around 60F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. John McDermott has been the business editor of The Post and Courier since 2006. He's written about all facets of the South Carolina economy, served in the U.S. Air Force and is a graduate of the University of Hawaii-Manoa journalism program. The National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) in Pabbi, Pakistan, is hosting the 13th joint military exercise, Inspired Gambit-2026, Azernews reports, citing the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The two-week exercise focuses on counterterrorism operations and involves professional military contingents from both Pakistan and the United States. The maneuvers aim to enhance mutual understanding and operational interoperability through experience sharing in counterterrorism. They also seek to refine the tactics, techniques, and procedures necessary for effective counterterrorism operations. CAIRO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi on Saturday warned that Israel's illegal measures in the occupied West Bank risk triggering a dangerous escalation and undermining peace efforts. During a phone call, the two ministers underscored "the need to preserve the unity of the Palestinian territory in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and to link efforts to achieve stability with a clear political horizon that achieves a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution," Abdelatty said in a statement. The remarks followed Israel's recent announcement of a new settlement project in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the capital of a future Palestinian state under the internationally recognized two-state solution. Regarding Gaza, Abdelatty and Safadi stressed the need to adhere to the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement and fully implement its provisions. They also emphasized ensuring sustained humanitarian aid access to Gaza, moving forward with the agreement's second phase, establishing a Palestinian technocratic committee, deploying an international stabilization force, and creating the conditions for reconstruction. Business and Tourism Reporter Megan Fernandes is a Business and Tourism Reporter for the Post and Courier. She is an award-winning reporter, who has worked in the newspaper industry from coast-to-coast. Berkeley and Dorchester Metro Reporter Komlavi Adissem is a metro reporter covering Berkeley and Dorchester counties. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where he covered city, county, and state government for the Columbia Missourian. Find him on Twitter (X) and Bluesky @KAdissem! editorial writer Cindi Ross Scoppe is an editorial writer and columnist for The Post and Courier who has written about the S.C. Legislature, governor, state government and courts for nearly 40 years. She is a native of North Carolina and graduate of the University of North Carolina and lives in Columbia. PR-Inside.com: 2026-01-10 17:00:41 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 494 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / January 10, 2026 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Perrigo Company plc ("Perrigo" or the "Company") (NYSE:PRGO). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.The class action concerns whether Perrigo and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.You have until January 16, 2026 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired Perrigo securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com [Click here for information about joining the class action]On February 27, 2024, Perrigo reported fiscal year 2023 earnings, revealing significant acquisition and integration-related charges, including a purported one-time cash cost of an additional $35 million to $45 million for remediations to address production and facility issues in its infant formula business. The Company also disclosed a 50% decline in earnings per share compared to the prior year due to infant formula remediation actions.On this news, Perrigo's stock price fell $4.87 per share, or 15.14%, to close at $27.30 per share on February 27, 2024.Then, on May 7, 2024, Perrigo released earnings for the first quarter ended March 30, 2024, revealing the significant negative impact of Perrigo's costly actions to augment and strengthen its infant formula business.On this news, Perrigo's stock price fell $3.28 per share, or 9.8%, to close at $30.15 on May 7, 2024.Then, on August 6, 2025, Perrigo issued a press release announcing earnings for the second quarter ended June 28, 2025, revealing the Company's adjusted gross profit decreased $30 million, or 6.9%, due in part to "production variability in infant formula, leading to an increase in product scrap in the quarter." Finally, on November 5, 2025, Perrigo issued a press release, announcing the Company "is initiating a strategic review of its infant formula business" including a "a full range of alternatives." The press release revealed Perrigo is "reassessing the Company's previously announced investment in this business of $240 million." On this news, Perrigo's stock price fell $5.09 per share, or 25.2%, to close at $15.10 per share on November 5, 2025.Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people rallied on Saturday in Yemen's southern port city of Aden in a show of support for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), amid conflicting reports over the group's alleged self-dissolution. Pro-secession participants, some traveling from neighboring southern provinces, gathered in Aden, the seat of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). Demonstrators held portraits of STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi and chanted slogans accusing Saudi Arabia of backing the PLC's efforts to retake areas previously seized by the STC. The STC, a group seeking southern Yemen's independence and allegedly backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seized parts of southern and eastern Yemen in December in advances that heightened tensions with Saudi Arabia. Over the past few days, Saudi-backed forces largely regained control of these areas. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the PLC, said in a televised statement on Saturday that all contested cities had been brought under their control. On Friday, an STC delegation in Riyadh announced on Saudi state media the dissolution of the group. However, the STC's leadership strongly denied this, describing it as "fabricated and legally void." The council said the claims were made under coercion and without any legitimate authority, insisting that it remains intact and continues to operate normally. The STC delegation was in Riyadh for political consultations but was reportedly detained. Al-Zubaidi, the STC leader, did not attend the talks and had secretly left Yemen for the UAE. Despite joining the Saudi-led coalition and integrating into Yemen's ruling PLC in 2022, the STC continues to push for sovereignty for the south, fuelling recurring disputes over power-sharing and control of resources. PR-Inside.com: 2026-01-10 17:00:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 550 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / January 10, 2026 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Primo Brands Corporation ("Primo Brands" or the "Company") (NYSE:PRMB). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.The class action concerns whether Primo Brands and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.You have until January 12, 2026 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired Primo Brands securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained atwww.pomerantzlaw.com [Click here for information about joining the class action]On June 17, 2024, Primo Water Corporation ("Primo Water") announced entry into a merger agreement (the "Merger") with an affiliate of BlueTriton Brands, Inc. ("BlueTriton"). The two companies touted the synergies of the Merger, stating that the combined company was expected to have "significant financial and operating leverage" and "enhanced distribution capabilities" which would position it "for sustained long-term growth." On November 8, 2024, the companies announced the completion of the Merger and the formation of the combined entity, Primo Brands.On August 7, 2025, Primo Brands announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2025. On an accompanying earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Robbert Rietbroek acknowledged that "[t]he speed by which we closed facilities and reduced headcount led to disruptions in product supply, delivery, and service." Following these disclosures, Primo Brands' stock price fell $2.41 per share, or 9.13%, to close at $24.00 per share on August 7, 2025.Then, on November 6, 2025, Primo Brands announced Rietbroek's departure as CEO and disclosed that the Company was drastically reducing its full year 2025 net sales and adjusted EBITDA guidance. During a corresponding earnings call, Primo Brands' new CEO Eric Foss admitted that the Company "probably moved too far too fast on some of the various integration work streams" and that "[t]here's no doubt that speed impacted our ability to get through a lot of the warehouse closures and route realignment without disruption." Foss further revealed that Primo Brands had experienced "customer service issues" as well as "integration issues related to the technology move over." On this news, Primo Brands' stock price fell $8.20 per share, or 36.19%, over the following two trading sessions, closing at $14.46 per share on November 7, 2025.Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP PR-Inside.com: 2026-01-10 17:01:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 475 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / January 10, 2026 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Coupang, Inc. ("Coupang" or the "Company") (NYSE:CPNG). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.The class action concerns whether Coupang and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.You have until February 17, 2026 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired Coupang securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com [Click here for information about joining the class action]On November 30, 2025, Reuters published an article reporting that Coupang had "apologized . . . over the breach of personal information from 33.7 million customer accounts through unauthorized data access" and that the government of South Korea had "held an emergency meeting" to "look[] into whether Coupang violated safety rules regarding personal information protection[.]"On this news, Coupang's stock price fell $1.51 per share, or 5.36%, to close at $26.65 per share on December 1, 2025.Then, on December 10, 2025, the New York Times published an article reporting that Coupang's Chief Executive Officer had resigned in connection with the data breach and providing additional details on the fallout from the data breach, including a police raid on Coupang's offices in Seoul.On this news, Coupang's stock price fell $0.87 per share, or 3.2%, to close at $26.06 per share on December 10, 2025.Then, on December 16, 2025, Coupang acknowledge the breach in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and revealed that the South Korean regulatory and law enforcement investigations uncovered that "a former employee may have obtained the name, phone number, delivery address, and email address associated with up to 33 million customer accounts, and certain order histories for a subset of the impacted accounts." On this news, Coupang's stock price fell $0.47 per share, or 2.03%, to close at $22.72 per share on December 17, 2025.Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP PR-Inside.com: 2026-01-10 17:00:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 408 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / January 10, 2026 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Freeport-McMoran Inc. ("Freeport" or the "Company") (NYSE:FCX). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.The class action concerns whether Freeport and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.You have until January 12, 2026 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired Freeport securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com [Click here for information about joining the class action]On September 9, 2025, Freeport issued a press release announcing the suspension of mining activities at its Grasberg Block Cave operation in Indonesia, after "a large flow of wet material from a production drawpoint . . . blocked access to certain areas within the mine," trapping seven workers. The press release further stated that mining operations in the area "have been temporarily suspended to prioritize the safe evacuation of the . . . workers." On this news, Freeport's stock price fell $2.80 per share, or 5.99%, to close at $43.87 per share on September 9, 2025.Then, on September 24, 2025, Freeport provided an update on the incident, reporting that two of the seven workers were "fatally injured" and that the remaining five workers "remain missing." The press release further stated that mining operations in the area remained suspended.On this news, Freeport's stock price fell $7.69 per share, or 16.95%, to close at $37.67 per share on September 24, 2025.Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP PR-Inside.com: 2026-01-10 17:00:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 337 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / January 10, 2026 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. ("Alexandria" or the "Company") (NYSE:ARE). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.The class action concerns whether Alexandria and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.You have until January 26, 2026, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired Alexandria securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com [Click here for information about joining the class action]On October 27, 2025, Alexandria reported below-expectation financial results for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2025 and, in particular, cut its full-year 2025 funds from operations, or FFO, guidance. The Company attributed the setback to lower occupancy rates, slower leasing activity and, most notably, a real estate impairment charge of $323.9 million with $206 million attributed to its Long Island City property.On this news, Alexandria's stock price fell $14.93 per share, or 19.17%, to close at $62.94 per share on October 28, 2025.Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP PR-Inside.com: 2026-01-10 02:10:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 637 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / January 9, 2026 /WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Blue Owl Capital Inc. (NYSE:OWL) between February 6, 2025 and November 16, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important February 2, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.So what: If you purchased Blue Owl securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.What to do next: To join the Blue Owl class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=48876or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 2, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Blue Owl was experiencing a meaningful pressure on its asset base from business development companies ("BDC") redemptions; (2) as a result, Blue Owl was facing undisclosed liquidity issues; (3) as a result, Blue Owl would be likely to limit or halt redemptions of certain BDCs; and (4) accordingly, defendants had downplayed the true scope and severity of the negative impact as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Blue Owl's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the Blue Owl class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=48876 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.---Contact Information:Laurence Rosen, Esq.Phillip Kim, Esq.The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.275 Madison Avenue, 40th FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@ rosenlegal.comwww.rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. PR-Inside.com: 2026-01-10 05:10:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 626 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / January 9, 2026 /Sekur Private Data Ltd. (OTCQB:SWISF)(CSE:SKUR)(FRA:GDT0) ("Sekur" or the "Company"), a leading Swiss hosted cybersecurity and privacy communications platform, is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of up to CA$1,500,000 (US$1,050,000) (the "Private Placement") through the issuance of up to 30,000,000 units (each a "Unit"). Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") priced at CA$0.05 per share, and one full share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Full Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase a Common share at a price of CA$0.10 per share for a period of 48 months from the closing date (the "Warrant Term").The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement for sales, business development and general working purposes.Shares issued pursuant to the Financing will be subject to a four-month hold period according to applicable securities laws of Canada.Finders' fees may be payable on the private placement, subject to the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange.To find out more about Sekur's privacy communications solutions visit: https://sekur.com For more company information, please visit: https://sekurprivatedata.com About Sekur Private Data Ltd. Sekur Private Data Ltd. is a cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure and private communications. The Company distributes a suite of encrypted e-mails, secure messengers and secure communication tools. Sekur sells its products through its own website, https:/ / www.sekur.com , approved distributors and telecommunications companies worldwide. Sekur serves consumers and businesses worldwide.Follow Sekur on X @sekurprivateLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sekurprivatedata-ltd CONTACTAlain Ghiai,President and Chief Executive Officer SEKUR PRIVATE DATA LTD.Email: investors@ sekur.comwww.sekurprivatedata.com Tel: +1.305.347.5114Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "project" and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they do not guarantee future performance. Sekur 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 Sekur's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the future of the Company's business; the success of marketing and sales efforts of the Company; the projections prepared in house and projections delivered by channel partners; the Company's ability to complete the necessary software updates; increases in sales as a result of investments software development technology; consumer interest in the Products; future sales plans and strategies; reliance on large channel partners and expectations of renewals to ongoing agreements with these partners; anticipated events and trends; the economy and other future conditions; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in Sekur's prospectus dated May 8, 2019, filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available on www.sedarplus.ca . Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Sekur undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.SOURCE: Sekur Private Data Ltd. Champion Breweries Plc has secured approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise N42 billion through a public offer of ordinary shares priced at N16 each. The company disclosed the approval in a corporate filing with the Nigerian Exchange Ltd., confirming regulatory clearance to proceed with the offer. Under the offer, Champion Breweries is issuing 2.625 billion ordinary shares at 16 per share to investors. The statement said the offer is open to both institutional and retail investors and is designed to strengthen the companys capital base. Champion Breweries said proceeds would fund the acquisition of the Bullet brand portfolio and support expansion within Nigeria and other African markets. The public offer follows the companys 15.9 billion rights issue, which formed the first phase of its two-step capital-raising programme. The offer opens for subscription on 8 January, and will close on 21 January, according to the disclosure. The shares will be listed on the Nigerian Exchange Ltd., with Access Bank appointed as the receiving bank. Net proceeds from the public offer, together with those of the rights issue, will fund the acquisition of the Bullet brand portfolio. It will also support working capital needs and growth initiatives including route-to-market expansion, marketing, innovation and capacity expansion, the company said. Managing Director Inalegwu Adoga said, The opening of our Public Offer invites investors to share in the next phase of Champions growth. With the Bullet acquisition, we are combining nearly 50 years of brewing heritage with a proven pan-African RTD and energy drink platform. David Butler, group managing director of enJOYcorp, said Champions progress reflected disciplined execution and smart capital deployment. The asset carve-out for Bullet allows us unlock foreign exchange earnings and scale quickly without heavy upfront investment, the official said. Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie has accused a private hospital in Lagos of negligence and impropriety, leading to the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Nnamdi, one of Ms Adichies twin sons, died on Wednesday after a brief illness. The newspaper reported that the author and her husband, Ivara Esege, a Nigerian-American doctor, welcomed their twins in April 2024. Ms Adichie stated that her sons death was avoidable, blaming what she described as critical failures in care during medical procedures that ought to have been routine. The Purple Hibiscus author said in a statement that, My son would be alive today if not for an incident at Euracare Hospital on January 6th. We were in Lagos for Christmas. Nkanu had what we initially thought was just a cold, but it soon developed into a severe infection, and he was admitted to Atlantis Hospital. He was to travel to the US the next day, January 7th, accompanied by Travelling Doctors. A team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore. The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI. The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a central line (used to administer IV medications) in preparation for Nkanus flight. Atlantis Hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have the procedures done. Medical evacuation Ms Adichie further added that Nnamdi was later taken to Atlantis Hospital, where doctors began preparations for an emergency medical evacuation to the United States scheduled for 7 January. She said that as she waited outside the operating theatre, the sudden rush of medical staff, including a senior physician, immediately alerted her that a serious complication had occurred. I was waiting just outside the theatre. | saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theatre and immediately knew something had happened. A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated. But suddenly, Nkanu was on a ventilator; he was intubated and placed in the ICU. The next thing I heard was that he had seizures. Cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone, she said. Alleged negligence She also alleged that her son was not adequately monitored after he was sedated. Ms Adichie said the anaesthesiologist carried him without maintaining proper observation, leaving uncertainty about the moment he became unresponsive. She further alleged that following the central line procedure, the anaesthesiologist turned off her sons oxygen before moving him to the intensive care unit (ICU). The author noted, It turns out that Nkanu was never monitored after being given too much propofol. The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theatre, so nobody knew when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive. How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him? Later, after the central line procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanus oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU! The anesthesiologist was criminally negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed. We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures. Euracare Hospital responds However, the hospital, in a press release published by this newspaper, said that some of the reports being circulated contain inaccuracies. Our facility is a reputable centre for complex medical care, led by an internationally trained and experienced clinical team. The patient, who was critically ill, was referred to our facility for specific diagnostic procedures after receiving treatment for a period of time at two paediatric centres. Upon arrival, our medical team immediately provided care in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards, including the administration of sedation where clinically indicated. The hospital stated that it has initiated a detailed investigation in accordance with clinical governance standards and best practices. We remain committed to engaging transparently and responsibly with all clinical and regulatory processes. We recognise that the family is grieving an irreplaceable loss and we shall continue to support them in any way that may bring comfort during this devastating period.As medical professionals, we carry the weight of this loss deeply, their statement read. Sanwo-Olu orders investigation Meanwhile, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) to launch an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the authors son. In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Health, Kemi Ogunyemi, Mr Sanwo-Olu said the directive aims to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of the tragedy. In line with this directive, HEFAMAA has since commenced investigation and has visited the facility involved as part of the ongoing inquiry. The Agency will conduct a comprehensive review of all allegations and reports relating to the incident. HEFAMAA, which is statutorily established to regulate, monitor, and accredit both public and private health facilities in Lagos State, also, as part of its core mandate, conducts routine investigations into all cases of alleged medical negligence and unethical practices. This statutory responsibility is exercised consistently to uphold patient safety, professional standards, and the quality of health service delivery across the State, the statement added. Collaboration HEFAMAA stated that it would collaborate closely with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and other relevant regulatory bodies throughout the investigation, ensuring a comprehensive, credible, and professional review process. The agency explained that the investigation would scrutinise the allegations raised, including adherence to established clinical protocols, professional conduct, patient safety standards, and the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved. The agency said, Findings of the investigation will be made public as soon as the process is concluded, in the interest of transparency and public accountability. The Lagos State Government assures the public that any individual or institution found culpable of negligence, professional misconduct, or regulatory violations will face the full wrath of the law, in accordance with existing legal and regulatory frameworks. While the investigation is ongoing, the Government urges the public to remain calm and avoid speculation, as due process is being followed to ensure fairness, justice, and credibility of outcomes. Lagos State remains committed to safeguarding the health, safety, and rights of all residents and to continuously strengthening oversight of medical practice to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents. The state government expressed its condolences to Ms Adichie and her family over the loss. The death of a child is a profound tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this extremely difficult time. Lagos State Government extends its heartfelt condolences and assures the family of its concern and commitment to justice. The Lagos State Government places the highest value on human life and maintains zero tolerance for medical negligence or unprofessional conduct in any health facility operating within the State, the statement read. The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Abuja, has issued an interim order restraining the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and its members from embarking on the nationwide strike scheduled to commence on 12 January. Justice Emmanuel Subilim made the order on Friday while ruling on an ex parte motion filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). The suit lists NARD, its National President, Mohammad Suleiman, and its Secretary General, Shuaibu Ibrahim, as respondents. In the enrolment order dated 9 January, the court restrained the association, its members, agents and privies from calling, directing, organising, participating in or embarking upon any form of industrial action, including but not limited to strikes, work stoppages, go-slows, picketing or any other form of industrial protest, pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice. The court also barred NARD from taking steps preparatory to any industrial action, noting that this order shall remain in force pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice fixed for the 21 January 2026. Planned strike PREMIUM TIMES reports that on 3 January, NARD announced plans to resume its Total, Indefinite and Complete Strike (TICS 2.0) from 12 January, citing the federal governments failure to implement agreements reached with the association. In a statement signed by its president, Mr Suleiman, the association said the decision was taken at an Emergency National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting held on 2 January. The strike, tagged No Implementation, No Going Back, was expected to commence at midnight on 12 January unless the government met the associations outstanding demands. As part of preparations, NARD directed presidents of its 91 centres nationwide to convene congress meetings and address the media. It also announced plans for centre-based protests across hospitals from 12 to 16 January, followed by regional and national protests. The association said the one-week notice period was intended to allow for congress meetings, media engagement and statutory notifications to security agencies, including the Department of State Services, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. However, Mr Subilim has fixed 21 January for the hearing of the substantive motion and directed the claimants to serve the respondents with the order within seven days. NARD was also granted liberty to apply to vary or discharge the order. Background to the dispute NARD had suspended an earlier indefinite strike on 29 November 2025 after 29 days of industrial action, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the federal government. Under the MoU, the government committed to implementing the associations demands within four weeks. However, NARD said repeated deadlines for implementation were missed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other relevant authorities, prompting the planned resumption of the strike. The association said it would only suspend the renewed action after the full implementation of its minimum demands. These include the reinstatement of five resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja; payment of promotion and salary arrears; and the full implementation of the professional allowance table, with arrears captured in the 2026 budget. Nestle Nigeria Plc has said that its infant formula sold in Nigeria are not affected by the precautionary recall in several other markets worldwide. The company said this in a statement issued on Friday by its Corporate Affairs Manager, Toju Egbebi, noting that the recall applies only to specific batches of infant formula sold outside Nigeria and does not affect products distributed locally. Infant formula sold by Nestle Nigeria is not part of the voluntary and precautionary recall of specific batches announced in some countries, the company said. Nestle Nigeria added that all its infant formula products officially registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) remain safe for consumption. The company listed the products sold in Nigeria as SMA Gold 1, SMA Gold 2, and SMA Gold 3, as well as NAN Optipro 1, NAN Optipro 2, and NAN Optipro 3, noting that they meet all relevant regulatory and safety requirements. The clarification followed Nestles announcement on 5 January that it was recalling specific batches of infant formula brands, including SMA, NAN, BEBA, and Alfamino, due to the potential presence of cereulide, a toxin known to cause foodborne illnesses, including nausea and vomiting. Global recall, no illness recorded Nestle said the recall was carried out purely as a precautionary measure and stressed that there have been no confirmed reports of illness linked to consumption of the affected products. The safety and well-being of babies is our absolute priority, Nestle said in a recall notice on its website. Out of an abundance of caution, Nestle has decided to perform this voluntary product recall in line with our strict product quality and safety protocols. As of 10 January, information published on Nestles website shows that the recall has expanded to over 50 countries worldwide. In Europe, the recall affects 31 countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. In the Americas, seven countries are affected, including Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. In Asia, Africa and Oceania, the recall covers 16 countries and territories, including Australia, China (Mainland and Hong Kong), New Zealand, South Africa, Vietnam, Taiwan and eight countries across the Middle East and North Africa region. Products previously seen on shelves Although NAFDAC has not issued an official public statement on the recall, checks by PREMIUM TIMES conducted before Nestle Nigerias response showed that several Nestle infant formula products were still on sale in supermarkets across Abuja and Lagos. In Abuja, NAN Optipro Variant 1 and SMA Gold were found at +234 Supermarket in Karshi, while NAN products were seen at Abyvon Supermarket in Orozo. Further checks at stores in Maraba market showed SMA Gold, NAN Comfortis, NAN Optipro and Lactogen displayed for sale. In Lagos, NAN and SMA products were also seen at supermarkets, including Penaforte along LASUIBA Road, Twins Faja, Healthrite on Ogunnusi Road, Omole, and Old English Supermarket in Omole Phase 1. Store attendants at the outlets visited said they were unaware of the global recall and had received no directive regarding the available products. Expert urges caution, regulatory clarity A Nigerian child health advocate and consultant paediatrician, Ayodele Renner, popularly known as The Noisy Naija Paediatrician, said cereulide-related vomiting could pose serious risks to infants. Infants can get very easily dehydrated from just a little bit of vomiting, he said. They only need to lose about 10 per cent of their body weight in water to become severely dehydrated or even go into shock. Mr Renner also explained that all infant formula sold in Nigeria is imported, either officially by Nestle Nigeria, through parallel importers, or personally by individuals returning from abroad. READ ALSO: Nestle expands global recall of baby formula over contamination concerns He urged parents to check for NAFDAC registration numbers and verify manufacturing locations and batch details using Nestles country-specific websites. On regulation, he said communication from NAFDAC would help address public concern. NAFDAC has a responsibility to protect the public, but it also needs to ensure accuracy, he said. That said, parents are concerned and asking questions, and timely communication would be helpful. Recall spans continents Reuters reported that Brazils health ministry said the recall followed the detection of the toxin in products originating from the Netherlands, while Nestle Australia said affected batches there were manufactured in Switzerland. Nestle China confirmed it was recalling formula imported from Europe. In South Africa, the National Consumer Commission said the affected NAN infant formula was produced in June 2025 and exported to neighbouring countries. Austrias health ministry described the development as the largest recall in Nestles history, though the company said it could not independently verify that claim. BERLIN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A senior Venezuelan diplomat to Germany on Saturday condemned the United States for its "most serious act of aggression" against a South American nation and called for the immediate, unconditional release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were captured during a U.S. assault and then transferred to the United States on Jan. 3. Martin Saatdjian, minister counsellor at the Embassy of Venezuela in Germany, made the remarks at the 31st International Rosa Luxemburg Conference, which was held in Berlin on Saturday. Speaking on behalf of the Venezuelan Ambassador Ramon Orlando Maniglia Ferreira, Saatdjian said "it is imperative to express with the utmost firmness our absolute rejection of any action that violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations." He added that despite the current crisis, the Venezuelan state remains stable. "In Venezuela, all state institutions and the political power structure remain firm and operational," he said. Saatdjian noted that the situation in Venezuela is not merely an internal matter for the country. It has become an emblematic case for the defense of international law against foreign intervention and the use of force, he said. The conference was held by the German newspaper junge Welt (young world) and takes place every year in January. Participants from countries including Germany, Spain, the United States and Italy, expressed their opposition to war and called for efforts to promote equality and peace. The Bailiwick of Jersey is set to return more than $9.5 million, deemed to be part of the proceeds of corruption, seized from Nigerias former military leader, Sani Abacha, to the Nigerian government. The money will be channelled towards a major infrastructure project in Nigeria. A statement issued on Friday by the British High Commission disclosed that the money is being repatriated to Nigeria following the Jersey Memorandum of Understanding with the federal government. Jerseys Attorney General, Mark Temple KC, had signed the MOU in December 2025. The MOU builds on two previous agreements between Jersey and Nigeria, under which more than $300 million has already been repatriated to support three major infrastructure projects: the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, and the Abuja-Kano Road. According to the statement, the two projects are now complete. Under the terms of the MOU, the recently repatriated funds will contribute to the final stages of the Abuja-Kano Road, a 375 km highway that will provide a vital link between Nigerias capital and its second-largest city. According to Mr Temple, the repatriation highlighted the effectiveness of Jerseys civil forfeiture regime. This successful return demonstrates the strength of our civil forfeiture legislation as a powerful tool in the fight against corruption, he said, thanking Nigerian authorities and Jerseys Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit for their cooperation. Also speaking on the development, Nigerias Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, described the recovery as evidence of growing international collaboration against illicit financial flows. The successful recovery and repatriation of the forfeited assets underscores the effectiveness of Nigerias collaborative efforts with its international partners in ensuring that there is no safe haven for illicitly acquired wealth, he said. Mr Fagbemi added that the Nigerian government would ensure the funds were used in line with the terms of the memorandum of understanding. The forfeiture followed an application made on 29 November 2023 under the Forfeiture of Assets (Civil Proceedings) (Jersey) Law 2018. The islands Civil Asset Recovery Fund earlier stated that the total loot, which is over $300 million and linked to the Sani Abacha era, was washed through the US financial system in the 1990s before ending up in Jersey. The money, held in a Jersey bank account controlled by the shell company Doraville, was seized in June 2019. Under the terms of the repatriation agreement, Jersey will keep $5m, with the US entitled to retain an equivalent amount, the States of Jersey said. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been returned to Nigeria as part of funds looted by the former Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha, who died in office in 1998, and his cronies. The monies were stashed in different foreign banks, mainly in Europe and the US. The chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has faulted the concerns raised by KPMG about Nigerias new tax laws, saying the bulk of the issues described by the firm as errors and loopholes are its own errors and invalid conclusions. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Mr Oyedele claimed that KPMG does not properly understand most of the issues it pointed out in its review, and equally missed the context on broader reforms objectives. We acknowledge that a few points raised by KPMG are useful, particularly where they relate to implementation risks and clerical or cross-referencing issues, he stated. However, the majority of the publication reflected a misunderstanding of the policy intent, a mischaracterisation of deliberate policy choices, and, in several instances, repetitions and presentation of opinion and preferences as facts. Gaps/errors highlighted by KPMG Earlier in its review, KPMG had noted that there are inherent errors, inconsistencies, gaps and omissions in the law, which came into force this month, adding that such shortcomings need to be urgently addressed for it to attain its objectives. There are many provisions in these laws that will result in increased revenue for the government, if well implemented. However, there is always the need to strike a delicate balance between revenue generation and sustainable growth, KPMG said. It is, therefore, critical that government review the gaps, omissions, inconsistencies and lacunae highlighted in this Newsletter to ensure the attainment of the desired objectives, it added. The professional services firm observed that Section 3 (b) and (c) of the Nigerian Tax Act identifies persons on whom taxes should be imposed to include individuals, families, companies or enterprises, trustees and estate, but leaves out community. It added that community, however, is included in the definition of person under Section 201 of the same document. KPMG suggested that if the purpose is to levy tax on community, this should be clearly introduced in Section 3 to avoid ambiguity. Similarly, it remarked that Section 6 (2) requires that undistributed foreign profits of controlled foreign companies be construed as distributed, while at the same time mandating them to be included in the profits of the Nigerian company. KPMG said this could trigger disparities in the treatment of dividends distributed by Nigerian companies and those shared by foreign companies. It therefore recommended that the section be modified to clarify the treatment of local and foreign dividends. According to the firm, Section 17 (3) (c) of the tax law should be modified to exclude withholding tax on insurance premiums paid to non-residents, maintaining that imposing overseas insurance premiums may hinder economic growth and make Nigeria less competitive. KPMG claimed that the condition that restricts foreign exchange expense deductions only to the official exchange rate published by the Central Bank of Nigeria only under Section 20 (4) should be expunged, adding that attention should rather be on enhancing liquidity and introducing stricter reporting requirements to track foreign exchange transactions. It highlighted Section 27 of the new law, saying it is not definite on whether capital loss, apart from the one resulting from the disposal of digital of virtual assets, is deductible. The firm recommended that the section be amended to specify the deduction of capital losses. It also suggested that since tax bands and rates have been expanded, the former consolidated personal allowance in the Personal Income Tax Act should be retained to promote voluntary compliance. According to KPMG, hydrocarbon tax rate for deep offshore operations is omitted from the new tax law, whereas the law does not exempt such operations from hydrocarbon tax rate. The hydrocarbon tax rate for deep offshore should be included or deep offshore operations explicitly exempted from HCT as it is under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, it stated. Oyedeles Intervention Mr Oyedele disclosed that much as disagreement with policy shifts is allowed, such dissents should not be framed as errors or loopholes. He remarked that KPMGs views would have been more effective if it had embraced a similar approach like other professional firms who engaged directly, giving room for clarifications. According to him, most of what KPMG described as errors, gaps or omissions are areas where the firm prefers outcomes that differ from the choices deliberately made in the new tax laws. He argued that the applicable tax rate on share profits is not a flat 30 per cent, contrary to the wide belief that the new tax provisions on chargeable gains would spur a sell-off in the equity market. He also noted that the tax structure is designed from 0 per cent to a maximum of 30 per cent, which is set to reduce to 25 per cent. Limiting the commencement to a single date for accounting periods would fail to address the intricacies of continuous transactions and other transition matters, he said. KPMGs proposal is therefore not a gold standard to be applied to all new laws as suggested. He described KPMGs point in respect of a specific VAT exemption on insurance premium as technically unnecessary, saying an insurance premium is not a taxable supply defined under the new tax law. The concern raised by KPMG about the inclusion of community in the definition of a person and its omission from the charging section does not constitute a gap or an ambiguity, Mr Oyedele insisted. In statutory interpretation, definitions provided in the law apply wherever the defined term appears, unless the context requires otherwise. Hence, person and taxable person are used in the charging section, and both definitions include community, he said. According to him, KPMGs analysis seems to confuse the distinction between a foreign-controlled company and a foreign operation of a Nigeria company. He argued that the decision to treat dividends distributed by Nigerian companies differently from foreign companies is a deliberate policy choice, as they are fundamentally different for tax purposes. KPMGs recommendation that foreign companies be excluded from tax on premiums from insurance written in Nigeria in order to deepen penetration, while domestic companies continue to pay tax, would be detrimental to local insurance industry, Mr Oyedele said. The Police Trust Fund, signed into law on 24 May 2019 with a six-year life span under Section 2 (2) of the Act, ceased operation in June 2025, he stated. Therefore, KPMGs point that the new tax law should be amended to repeal the taxing section of the Police Trust Fund Act is needless, as the provision no longer exists. Mr Oyedele noted that KPMG failed to highlight key structural improvements under the new law, which include simplification and tax harmonisation, reduction in the scope of corporate tax rate from 30 to 25 per cent and expanded input VAT credits for businesses. Others are tax exemption for low-income earners and small businesses, elimination of minimum tax on turnover and capital, and improved investment incentives for priority sectors. Bayelsa West Senator, Seriake Dickson, has denied reports that he has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).. Mr Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, said he remains a member of the PDP and would consult widely before taking any political decision. The lawmaker made this known in a statement issued on Friday by his media aide, Ajiri Daniels, to debunk reports circulating on social media that he had joined the ADC. Mr Dickson is one of the most vocal opposition figures in the Senate. On several occasions, he has openly challenged the policies of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). One notable instance was during the debate and approval of emergency rule in Rivers State by the National Assembly in March 2025. Mr Dickson had described the action as undemocratic and staged a walkout from the Senate chamber before the resolution was adopted. Speaking to journalists at the Senate Press Centre in October last year, the senator said he would never join the ruling APC, even if he were to leave the PDP. In recent days, reports have circulated on social media suggesting that Mr Dickson had joined a coalition movement aimed at unseating President Tinubu and the APC. Within the PDPs national structure, the lawmaker is perceived to be aligned with the Umar Damagum-led faction, which handed over leadership to the Kabiru Turaki-led NWC in November 2025. Mourning period Mr Dickson explained that he has temporarily stepped back from political activities due to the death of the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who passed away in December, 2025. The senator said the decision was taken as a mark of respect for the late deputy governor, noting that he has been receiving condolence visits from friends, political leaders, allies, and well-wishers from across the country. The senator explained that he is presently in mourning following the death of the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo. He noted that, as a mark of respect, he has since stepped back from political activities during this period of mourning and has been busy receiving condolence visits from friends, political leaders, allies and well wishers all over the country. These visitors cut across political leaders from different political parties and persons from all spheres of life, the statement said. Mr Dickson added that after the burial rites of the late deputy governor, he would resume political engagements and consult widely with friends and political allies before making any decision While noting that he is keenly following developments in the political space, Senator Dickson assured that after the burial, he will consult widely with friends and political allies across the country before taking any decision, which will be formally announced. But in the meantime he still remains a key leader in the PDP, hoping that the party will get its act right in view of its legacy contribution to Nigerian politics, the statement added. He urged members of the public, party faithful, and supporters to disregard reports claiming that he has defected to the ADC. Last year, Mr Dicksons successor, Governor Douye Diri, dumped the PDP for the ADC. However, Mr Ewhrudjakpo, who was Mr Dicksons politicall ally refused to follow his principal to the APC before his sudden death last month. The Labour Party (LP) has affirmed Governor Alex Otti of Abia State as its national leader, following the defection of the partys 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). This is contained in a communique issued on Wednesday, 7 January, at the end of the LP National Working Committee meeting. Darlington Nwokocha, the LP national secretary, signed the communique. The meeting was held virtually. The NWC, in a unanimous decision, affirmed its recognition of Governor Alex Otti as the National Leader of the Labour Party. The National leadership of the Labour Party wishes Mr Peter Obi well in his future political endeavours and in his new political party, the communique stated. Mr Otti stated in December that he would rather remain in the LP and assist the party in resolving its challenges, rather than defecting alongside Mr Obi. I am not leaving the Labour Party. My responsibility is to stay and contribute to fixing whatever problems exist, he said. As its new national leader, Mr Otti is expected to oversee the rebuilding of the LP after a protracted leadership crisis which prompted many of its members, including some federal and state lawmakers, to defect to other political parties. Some more LP members recently defected with Mr Obi to the ADC. The LP, in the communique, referenced a 7th January 2026 INEC press release in which the commission reaffirmed the 4th April 2025 Supreme Court judgement that sacked Julius Abure as the partys national chairman. It urged INEC to recognise Nenadi Usman and Darlington Nwokocha as the partys national chairperson and secretary, respectively, and accord the two all rights and privileges attached to their offices. The meeting, chaired by Ms Usman, a former senator, deliberated on field reports from the ongoing nationwide membership revalidation and registration exercise, and preparations for the partys forthcoming congresses and national convention. The NWC reaffirmed that all congresses and the National Convention of the Party shall hold accordingly, in strict compliance with the provisions of the Party Constitution. Members at all levels are therefore encouraged to actively participate in the congress processes. The Labour Party leadership remains committed to ensuring credible, transparent, and inclusive congresses. The NWC noted the recent expressions of interest by certain individuals to contest elective positions under the platform of the Labour Party. The party observed that this growing interest reflects the increasing confidence Nigerians have in the Party, the communique stated. The Nenadi Usman faction of the Labour Party has formally recognised Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, as the partys national leader, while urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fully comply with a Supreme Court judgment that effectively ended the tenure of Julius Abure as the national chairman. It also reaffirmed that the partys congresses and national convention would hold in strict compliance with the provisions its constitution. The resolutions were contained in a communique issued at the end of its NWC meeting held on Wednesday. The communique, sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, was signed by the partys National Secretary, Darlington Nwokocha. Deepening factional crisis The meeting was convened by the Nenadi Usmanled faction of the Labour Party, which has since April 2025 claimed it is the authentic national leadership of thr LP following a Supreme Court judgment that invalidated Mr Abures continued stay in office. In the same vein, Mr Abure insists he is the authentic national chairman, despite the court ruling and subsequent clarifications by INEC. Wednesdays meeting, held at the partys national secretariat, was chaired by Ms Usman, who the faction describes as the legitimate national chair in line with subsisting court decisions. Context of the meeting According to the communique, the NWC met at a time of heightened political engagement across the country, as the party prepares for its congresses and a forthcoming National Convention. Members reviewed the partys internal state, organisational activities and recent political developments, including the nationwide membership revalidation and registration exercise and preparations for congresses at various levels. The NWC also discussed events following the exit of the partys former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, whose departure has reshaped the partys post-2023 political trajectory. Obis exit and political recalibration The committee formally acknowledged Mr Obis departure from the LP and wished him well in his future political endeavours. Mr Obi, who flew the Labour Party flag in the 2023 presidential election, recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), ending months of speculation over his political future amid the partys protracted leadership crisis. The national leadership of the Labour Party wishes His Excellency Mr Peter Obi well in his future political endeavours and in his new political party, the communique said. Otti endorsed as national leader In what appears to be a strategic move to stabilise the party, the NWC unanimously affirmed Governor Otti as the national Leader of the LP, effectively positioning him as the partys highest political figure following Mr Obis exit. Mr Otti is currently the partys only serving governor and its most prominent elected office holder. INEC, Supreme Court and leadership recognition A significant portion of the meeting focused on INECs press release of 7 January, which reaffirmed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on 4 April 2025. The court had ruled that Mr Abures tenure as national chairman had elapsed, a decision that has remained the legal anchor of the Nenadi Usman factions claim to leadership. The NWC said it received INECs clarification with relief and a sense of institutional clarity. It subsequently urged the electoral body to accord Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha all rights, recognition, and privileges attached to the office of National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party, in strict compliance with the rule of law and the Supreme Court judgment referenced by INEC. The NWC commended party members and Nigerians for their continued interest in the Labour Party, urging greater participation in the ongoing membership revalidation and registration exercise, which it said is aimed at achieving a 10-million-strong membership base nationwide. It also reaffirmed that all congresses and the National Convention would hold as scheduled and in strict compliance with the partys constitution. The leadership pledged to ensure that the processes would be credible, transparent and inclusive, calling on members at all levels to participate actively. The committee noted with approval the increasing number of Nigerians expressing interest in contesting elections on the platform of the Labour Party, describing the development as a sign of renewed confidence in the party despite its internal challenges. The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 on Friday arraigned one Kavlak Onal before Justice Yelim Bogoro of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court. The Austrian was nabbed at the airport in Lagos by the Nigeria Customs Service for allegedly failing to declare $800,575 and 651,505 in his possession. Mr Onal, scheduled to travel on Emirates Airline to Dubai, was intercepted by operatives of the NCS during a routine check at the AML/ CFT Currency Declaration Desk on 16 December at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. He was subsequently handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution. Upon completion of investigation, the defendant was arraigned on 9 January on a two-count charge of money laundering. Count one reads: That you , Mr. Kavlak Onal, on December 13th, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $800,575 (Eight Hundred Thousand, Five Hundred and Seventy Five United States Dollars) to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport , Ikeja , Lagos and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3 (5) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition and Prevention ) Act, 2022. Count two reads: That you, Mr Kavlak Onal, on the 13th December, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of 651,505(Six Hundred and Fifty One Thousand, Five Hundred and Five Euro) to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport , Ikeja , Lagos and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3 (5) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition and Prevention ) Act, 2022. The defendant, Kavlak Onal, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him In view of his not guilty plea, prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala Buhari, asked the court for a trial date to enable the prosecution prove its case against him and for the defendant to be remanded at a Correctional Centre. The defence counsel , Stanley Imhanruor, informed the court of a bail application on behalf of his client. In response, the prosecution counsel stated that she was served with the bail application at 9.07 a.m. on 9 January and added that she would need some time to respond to it. Consequently, Justice Bogoro adjourned the case till 16 January for the hearing of the bail application, a statement by Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson by the EFCC, said. The Police Commissioner in Delta State Police, Aina Adesola, has ordered the redeployment of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Jesse Division, Chidi Nwabuzor, for allegedly extorting N2.5 million from a woman in exchange for the release of her detained brother. The police spokesperson in the state, Bright Edafe disclosed this in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday. Mr Edafe said the redeployment of the DPO followed a viral video in which the woman alleged that one officer Bright, officer Usman and the DPO Jesse extorted from her N2.5 million with the hope that her brother, who is in custody, will be released. Background to the arrest According to the police, on 1 January 2026, the youth leader of Jesse community arrested some suspects and brought them to the police station. Among them was the womans younger brother, later identified as Israel Onojeruo, 20. Mr Edafe said Mr Israel was arrested based on the confession of another suspect, Okoro Desmond, who stated that he sold a gun to Israel Onojeruo. The suspects were subsequently transferred to the State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU) for further investigation. The police commissioner, Mr Adesola, ordered an assistant commissioner of police in charge of X-Squad to investigate the extortion allegation. The constable identified as Bright in the video has been detained at the command headquarters, and the DPO has been removed and deployed to the command headquarters pending the outcome of the investigation, the police said. Mr Edafe added that there had been several complaints of extortion and unprofessionalism against the DPO. Mr Adesola assured the public that If, after investigation, the officers are found to have acted in an unprofessional manner, they will be decisively dealt with in accordance with the extant laws as stipulated in the Police Act and regulations to serve as a deterrent to others. He stressed that the command will not tolerate any form of extortion, intimidation, or incivility to members of the public from officers. Not the first time It is a commonplace to see police operatives at their facilities or checkpoints across Nigeria extort helpless citizens. The latest incident occurred less than a week after Joseph Udoh, the DPO of the GRA Police Station in Delta was summoned by the police authority for alleged intimidation and extortion of a Nigerian who helped a dying stranger. In 2024, the police arrested officers for allegedly extorting $13,000 from Nigerians, this newspaper reported. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of two Nigerians killed in separate violent incidents in the United Kingdom and Canada within the first week of the year. Describing the deaths as distressing and unacceptable, NiDCOM, in a statement issued on Friday, called for a thorough investigation into the deaths of the Nigerians. One of the victims, identified as John Temitope Onetufo, a 23-year-old, was fatally stabbed on New Years Eve in the Lewisham area of London. The other, residing in Canada, Osemwengie Irorere, aged 46, was shot and killed at the Yorkdale GO Bus Terminal in Toronto last Sunday. The NiDCOM Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the killings were both shocking and deeply troubling. According to the statement, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa extended her heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims at this difficult time. The NiDCOM Boss equally commended the swift response of the UK Metropolitan Police and the Toronto Police Service. She called for thorough, transparent and timely investigations to ensure that justice is served, the statement also read. Mrs Dabiri-Erewa insisted that justice must be served and urged for thorough, transparent and timely investigations. She also assured that the NiDCOM would provide support to the affected families, in partnership with the Nigerian High Commissions in the UK and Canada. The Association of Resident Doctors at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia has announced plans to join the nationwide indefinite strike declared by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) from 12 January. Its President, Godwin Alaede, told journalists on Friday that members had been mobilised to comply with the national bodys directive. Mr Alaede said the decision followed an extraordinary general meeting held on Thursday to review NARDs position and the memorandum of understanding with the federal government. He said NARD opted for the strike due to the governments persistent failure to address doctors legitimate demands despite repeated engagements. Despite extensive negotiations and signed agreements, our concerns remain unresolved, leaving us with no option but to withdraw our services. This decision was not taken lightly, and we regret any inconvenience to the public. However, we must confront the prolonged neglect of doctors welfare and the future of medical practice, including personnel and infrastructure challenges, Mr Alaede said. He said key demands included the immediate reinstatement of five doctors at Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, in line with recommendations of a duly constituted committee. Other demands include prompt transmission of compiled promotional arrears to the Budget Office and Ministry of Finance for immediate processing and payment. ALSO READ: Resident doctors to resume indefinite strike on 12 January They also seek full implementation of the approved professional allowance table and payment of outstanding salary arrears owed to resident doctors. We remain open to dialogue and will reconsider our stance if the government shows genuine commitment to resolving these issues, Mr Alaede said. He thanked the FMC Medical Director, Azubuike Onyebuchi, and sister associations for their support. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that resident doctors in 91 tertiary health institutions were directed to withdraw services completely and indefinitely. The Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive policy framework aimed at reducing the cost of education for parents and improving learning outcomes. The policy also seeks to promote sustainability in schools through the adoption of reusable, high-quality textbooks and strengthened quality assurance mechanisms. The policy, jointly issued by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmed, was made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday. The ministers said the policy formed part of ongoing reforms to reposition the education sector and ease the financial burden on families. They explained that the framework prioritised the use of standardised, durable textbooks designed to last between four and six years, while prohibiting the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks in schools. According to them, the approach would allow learning materials to be reused across multiple academic sessions, enable siblings to share textbooks, lower recurring education costs and reduce waste, thereby supporting environmental sustainability. As part of broader reforms, the ministers said the Federal Government had introduced a uniform academic calendar to promote consistency in teaching, learning and school planning nationwide. They added that graduation ceremonies had been streamlined to curb unnecessary financial pressure on parents, noting that only pupils and students completing Primary Six, Junior Secondary School 3, and Senior Secondary School 3 would be permitted to hold such ceremonies. The ministers said the policy would also strengthen the assessment, quality assurance, selection, and use of textbooks and instructional materials across the country. They said the reforms addressed longstanding concerns over frequent cosmetic textbook revisions, weak ranking standards and practices that compelled parents to purchase new textbooks annually without improvements in content or learning outcomes. According to them, a key provision of the policy is the introduction of structured and meaningful revision cycles, under which textbook revisions must reflect substantive improvements in content rather than minor layout changes. The ministers further disclosed that the policy introduced limits on the number of approved textbooks per subject and grade level, in line with international best practices observed in countries such as Japan, Kenya, and Tanzania. They said the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council would continue to play a central role in the assessment and quality assurance of instructional materials, working with relevant education agencies to ensure that only curriculum-aligned textbooks were approved for use in schools. The ministers reaffirmed the Federal Governments commitment to education reform and commended the Universal Basic Education Commission, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, and other technical partners for their contributions to the policy. They also restated the governments resolve to safeguard educational standards, promote equity, reduce costs for parents, and ensure access to quality instructional materials nationwide. (NAN) DAMASCUS, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The number of civilians killed in attacks on residential neighborhoods in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo has risen to 23, with at least 104 others wounded since Tuesday, local health authorities said on Saturday, as government forces began entering the last of the city's Kurdish-majority districts after days of clashes. Munir al-Mohammad, media director of Aleppo's Health Directorate, told the state-run SANA news agency that the casualties resulted from attacks attributed to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) targeting residential areas from Tuesday until 5:00 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Saturday. He said the victims included one child and four women, as well as a dentistry student who was killed by sniper fire. He added that most of the wounded are women and children, with several in critical condition and at risk of dying at any moment. Earlier on Saturday, four civilians were wounded after suicide drones launched by the SDF struck residential areas in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, including one drone that hit the city's government headquarters building, SANA reported. The drone attack targeted several neighborhoods, causing injuries and material damage, as security operations continued in the city following days of intense clashes in the Kurdish-majority districts of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, according to SANA. The incident came hours after Syrian authorities confirmed that government forces had entered the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, a day after taking control of the adjacent Ashrafieh district. The two neighborhoods had remained under Kurdish-led control since 2012 and were the last such areas in Aleppo outside direct state authority. State television Al-Ikhbariya reported that Interior Ministry buses transported SDF fighters who had declared their surrender from Yassin Hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud to the city of Tabqa in northern Raqqa province. In a statement, Syria's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned what it described as "terrorist" drone attacks on government buildings and residential neighborhoods in Aleppo, saying the escalation endangered civilian lives and violated all existing security understandings. The latest developments follow the collapse of earlier security agreements reached in April 2025 aimed at ending all non-state military presence in the two neighborhoods, part of a broader process to integrate Kurdish-led forces into state institutions under a March 2025 agreement. Repeated violations and renewed violence, however, have stalled implementation and fueled fresh confrontations in Aleppo. The State Security Service (SSS) has detained its officer who was accused of abducting a teenage girl in Jigawa State. PREMIUM TIMES reported how a magistrates court in Jigawa State issued an arrest warrant for Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi. Mr Onyewuenyi was accused of abducting Walida Abdulhadi in the Hadejia Local Government Area of the state, forcing her religious conversion, and fathering a child with her. According to the prosecution, the victim was subjected to forced conversion from Islam to Christianity and endured a series of sexual assaults that resulted in pregnancy and the subsequent birth of a child. Representing the applicant, counsel Kabiru Adamu moved a motion requesting the court to compel the arrest of Mr Onyewuenyi. The application also sought a formal investigation into the alleged offences by the Jigawa State Police Command, citing Section 125 and Section 102(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL). The magistrate, Sadisu Musa, granted the application, directing the police to apprehend the suspect and conduct a discreet and thorough investigation. The court also ordered the SSS to immediately release the victim and reunite her with her family. SSS responds The SSS Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie, said the service has detained the suspect following the court order. The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to reports alleging the involvement of a staff member of DSS, one Ifeanyi Festus, in a case of abduction, defilement of a minor and abuse of office, among other offences. For clarity, the Service has no record of above named in its employment. However, it is hereby confirmed that an active staff member, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, who is suspected of forcefully converting and marrying Walida Abdulhadi, has been arrested and is currently being investigated. It must be stressed that such acts are against our regulations and the laid-down code of conduct. As such, the outcome of the investigation will be made public, please, the SSS stated in a statement. Background The case reportedly began when Walida was 16. Her father informed local news outlet Falcon Times Hausa that the family spent years searching for her, eventually presuming she had died. The trauma of her disappearance reportedly led to the untimely death of her mother. The victim was recently discovered at Mr Onyewuenyis residence in Abuja. Another lawyer involved in the case, identified as Barrister Hussaini, alleged that after years of unlawfully holding her, the suspect converted Walida to Christianity, and the suspect is now purportedly seeking the fathers consent to marry her. Mr Hussaini has petitioned President Bola Tinubu and the SSS to ensure the case is handled with transparency and that justice is served. The Osun State Government has dismissed allegations of an annual N13.7 billion payroll fraud, describing the claims by Sally Tibbot Consulting Limited as misleading and driven by an attempt to compel the state to accept what it called an inflated audit report. In a statement issued on Friday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government said a re-verification exercise conducted after receiving the consultants report uncovered major discrepancies in the figures presented as ghost workers and retirees. The statement came in response to a press briefing held earlier on Friday by the audit firm in Lagos to draw public attention to the audits findings and alleged refusal of the state government to pay agreed fees. It accused the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke of refusing to implement the audit recommendations and failing to pay its contract fees, despite receiving and publicly acknowledging the audit report. According to the firm, the verified payroll reduced the states monthly wage bill to N3.34 billion, resulting in monthly savings of N1.14 billion and annual savings of N13.72 billion for the Osun State Government. It added that the failure to implement the report has allowed the continued payment of salaries to thousands of ghost workers, leading to significant losses of public funds in Osun State. But rejecting the claims, the Osun State Government said Sally Tibbot Consulting had declared 8,448 active workers and 6,713 retirees as unseen, bringing the total number of alleged ghost personnel to 15,161. However, it said, a subsequent review by the state confirmed 8,015 active workers and 5,830 retirees as legitimate, leaving only 1,316 individuals whose status could not be verified. The State Government further proposed to furnish the company with proof of the existence of each of these workers, if the same is required. However, the company did not at any point in time request for such proof nor send an acceptance letter for payment based on about 1,316 workers who were not seen, the statement read. The government said the scale of the discrepancy raised concerns about the methodology adopted by the consultant, especially as many of those listed as ghost workers were never invited for further clarification despite possible reasons such as ill health or temporary absence. Consultancy and payroll dispute Osun officials said the disagreement with the firm largely centres on payment terms, noting that the consultants fees were tied to a percentage of actual savings realised from the payroll verification exercise. The state maintained that while it is committed to eliminating ghost workers, it cannot justify removing confirmed employees from the payroll or paying consultancy fees based on unverified or inflated figures. Following legal correspondence between both parties, the government said it proposed paying the consultant based on the 1,316 confirmed unseen personnel, pending further verification. However, Sally Tibbot Consulting insisted on being paid based on the initial figure of 15,161 arguing that the agreement did not provide for a re-verification by the state. The government countered that the memorandum of understanding clearly links payment to actual savings, not projected or disputed figures, adding that it is within its rights to review any audit report before implementation. The implication of this is that the percentage claim payable to Sally Tibbot Consulting (Nig.) Ltd reduced drastically by virtue of the fact that the said Sally Tibbot Consulting (Nig.) Ltd attempted to reap where she did not sow by inflating the number of ghost workers/retirees to 15,161 when in actual fact, the unseen workers/retirees are about 1,316, the statement read. The states re-verification committee ultimately estimated the annual savings from confirmed unseen personnel at N27.07 million,far below the over N1.3 billion earlier claimed by the consultant. Based on this, the committee recommended a consultancy payment of N48.74 million,representing 159 per cent of the verified annual savings, in line with the agreement. That the total emolument (gains) to the (Government from the unseen personnel is Twenty-seven Million, Seventy-seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty-Seven Naira, Sixty Kobo (N27,077,847.60) only as opposed to One Billion, Three Hundred and Fifteen Million, Three Hundred and Seventeen Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty-four Naira, Three Kobo (NI318,3 17,664.03) given by the consulting firm. That the Consultant be paid the sum of Forty-eight Million, Seven Hundred and Forty Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty-five Naira, Sixty-eight Kobo (N48,740,125.68) representing 159% of the annual gross salaries and allowances the re-verification enabled the Government to save in one year in line with Section 3(3.1) of the MoU between the State Government and the Consulting firm on the exercise, the statement read. Osun authorities said salaries and pensions of the confirmed unseen personnel have been permanently stopped from July 2025, reaffirming the governments stance that payroll reforms must balance fiscal responsibility with fairness to legitimate workers. Background The dispute between the Osun State Government and Sally Tibbot Consulting Limited stems from a staff audit and payroll verification exercise commissioned by the state as part of broader efforts to eliminate ghost workers and reduce recurrent expenditure in the state. Under the arrangement, the consulting firm was engaged to identify irregularities in the states payroll, with its remuneration tied to a percentage of the financial savings realised from the exercise. Such payroll audits have become common across Nigerian states amid mounting wage bills, shrinking federal allocations and growing pressure to improve fiscal discipline. In August 2025, the Rivers state government said it saved the state over N5 billion after uncovering ghost workers and pensioners in its payroll. Sally Tibbot Consulting later submitted a report claiming that more than 15,000 workers and retirees on the Osun payroll could not be physically verified, a finding that the firm said translated into annual savings running into billions of naira. However, the Osun State Government said the unusually high figures prompted it to conduct a re-verification exercise to avoid the risk of removing genuine employees and pensioners. The government argues that this review significantly reduced the number of unverifiable personnel and, by extension, the amount of savings attributable to the audit. Saadat Bakrin-Ottun, the firms Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, through its legal counsel, Jiti Ogunye, at a press briefing on Friday insisted that the firm conducted a thorough and rigorous audit exercise. Ms Bakrin-Ottun insisted that the Osun state governments stance that the firm exaggerated the number of ghost workers and pensioners in order to increase its contract payment is malicious and defamatory. President Donald Trump has said there could be more US strikes in Nigeria if what he called attacks on the countrys Christian population persist. In an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, Mr Trump said the death of more Christians in the country could sway the US to carry out more strikes. Id love to make it a one-time strike But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike, Mr Trump said, making reference to last months missile strike in the West African country. PREMIUM TIMES reported the US military operation in Sokoto on Christmas Day. Mr Trump had disclosed to the world through a post on Truth Social that the attack was part of the US effort to stop the operations of radical Islamic groups in the country. He said, United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries! PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that in late October, Mr Trump declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over allegations of Christian genocide. Days later, he described Nigeria as a disgraceful country and threatened to take military action should the government continue to allow killing of Christians. Although Nigeria denied the allegations multiple times, Mr Trump insisted on them, noting that US military action against Nigeria would be fast, vicious, and sweet. Christianity, Mr Trump claimed, was suffering from an existential threat in Nigeria. After the US airstrike in Sokoto, Mr Trump said, The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. The Nigerian government and many local and international observers have faulted Mr Trumps claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria, saying people of all faiths are targeted by armed groups in Nigeria. In the New York Times interview, Mr Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also victims of attacks carried out by radical extremists but emphasised that he believed, its mostly Christians. The Nigerian government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will on Wednesday, 14 January, sign the renegotiated 2009 agreement, raising optimism of an end to a decade-old rift between both parties. The government has sent out invitations mandating vice-chancellors of all federal universities to attend the event to be held at the Ministry of Education, according to an invitation by the Director of University Education, Rakiya Iliyasu. I am directed to invite you to the official ceremony for the signing of the agreement between the federal government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the invite reads in part as seen by this newspaper. Ms Iliyasu described the event as a critical milestone in promoting industrial harmony, enhancing teaching and learning conditions in Nigerian universities. She added that it reaffirms the governments commitment to the sustainable development of the education sector. 2009 agreement The renegotiation of the agreement, first signed in 2009 and first due for renegotiation in 2012, has stalled for over a decade and resulted in multiple months of industrial action by the academic staff, disrupting the academic calendar in Nigerian public universities. However, the rift appeared to have reached a possible end, following a mutual agreement reached on 23 December the first since renegotiation began in 2017. ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, a professor, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the union reached certain agreements with the governments team. Mr Piwuna also told our reporter that the union would meet the education minister, Tunji Alausa, to further discuss the agreement and secure the governments utmost commitment. Agreement reached The agreement reached by the duo included a 40 per cent salary increase for the academics and the establishment of a National Research Council (NRC) with statutory funding of at least one per cent of the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Professors are now to earn a pension equivalent to their annual salary at retirement at the age of 70, according to the agreements reached. The agreement also reflected the governments commitment to more substantial university autonomy and academic freedom, better funding for universities with allocations for research, libraries, laboratories, equipment, and staff development. Long walk to agreement PREMIUM TIMES reported that the agreement was eventually reached by the sixth committee set up by the government, the first being in 2017 and the last in October. The last committee, known as the Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee, was led by the Pro-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Yayale Ahmed. The committee was set up shortly after ASUU embarked on a two-week warning strike to protest the governments failure to sign or implement the agreement. The union accused the government of routinely constituting renegotiation committees only to fail to sign or implement the draft of the said committee. Before this new committee, Mr Ahmed headed the renegotiation committee inaugurated by the government in October 2024 to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with ASUU. In August, Education Minister Tunji Alausa inaugurated a committee headed by the ministrys permanent secretary, Abel Enitan, to review the draft agreement between ASUU and the Yayale Ahmed renegotiation committee, which was submitted in February. Before Mr Ahmed, the late Nimi Briggs, an emeritus professor, led the renegotiation committee in 2022 and produced a draft that the government never signed or implemented. Before Mr Briggs, it was Munzali Jibrins committee of 2021, which also produced a draft that was never signed. Before them was Wale Babalakin, who headed the committee from 2017 to 2020 when he resigned. The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has suspended its chapter treasurer, Ukobong Ibekwe, over allegations that he has refused to resign his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In a letter dated 7 January and addressed to the Akwa Ibom State Chairperson of the APC, Stephen Ntukekpo, the Ukanafun chapter of the APC accused Mr Ibekwe of secretly retaining his membership and executive position in the opposition PDP, while occupying a key office in the APC. The letter, signed by the APC Chairperson in Ukanafun, Akaninyene Ukpanah, stated that Mr Ibekwe had defected to the PDP during the 2023 general elections but later returned to the APC, following the defection of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State in June last year, and a waiver granted to returning APC members. However, the party said its investigations showed that Mr Ibekwe is still a chapter officer in PDP and returned to our party (APC) and also took up his former office as a chapter treasurer. The APC said Mr Ibekwe has been attending meetings of both the APC and the PDP in Ukanafun, a conduct the party described as a grave violation of its constitution. The APC further alleged that Mr Ibekwe was seen at the residence of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in Ukana, receiving rice meant for APC chapter officers and also those meant for opposition parties. The letter also accused him of financial misconduct, claiming that the stipends that Governor Eno pays to chapter officers of our party, Mr Ibekwe received double by virtue of still being a chapter officer in PDP. Citing Article 21:2 (vii) of the partys constitution, the APC said Mr Ibekwe has therefore committed offences against our party. He is hereby suspended from the party executive in Ukanafun as the party will not condone impersonation and dishonest practices, the letter stated. PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach Mr Ibekwe for comment. Akwa Ibom United The accusation against the suspended official raises once again some questions about the sincerity of the loyalty to the APC in Akwa Ibom by the many PDP members who claimed they defected to ruling party because of Governor Eno. It is difficult to extricate Mr Enos Akwa Ibom United political slogan from this particular challenge by the APC and the PDP in the oil-rich state. Before defecting from the PDP to the APC, Mr Eno played down party politics, saying that political parties are merely vehicles for seeking elected offices. At the time, Mr Eno had encouraged the PDP members in Akwa Ibom, including his administration officials, to accept, show respect, and work with the APC leaders and members in the state. After his defection, the governor doubled down integrating the phrase Akwa Ibom United, which he used to refer to governance across party lines, into the APC slogan in the state. In September last year, during the controversy over the action of some of his aides who went to the Uyo airport to welcome his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, Mr Eno said, We are running Akwa Ibom United. We respect our leaders across party lines, but that does not change the fact that I am in the APC now to support President Bola Tinubu and Mr Akpabio. When asked if his predecessor, who has remained in the PDP, was happy with him, Mr Eno said, I will not fight my boss (referring to the former governor, Mr Emmanuel) or any leader. We are in good terms, he added. In October, less than a month after Mr Enos remarks, the police withdrew security from Mr Emmanuels residence, on the governors order, indicating that the relationship between the two leaders had broken down. Michael Bush, a renowned journalist and a PDP chieftain in Akwa Ibom, in November, accused Governor Eno of deceiving the people with his Akwa Ibom United political slogan. Apologise today for the euphemism or rather the deceit you call Akwa Ibom United and go on to run your APC system because even the blind can see what you are doing from the pulpit of governance, Mr Bush, the CEO of Bush House Nigeria, a media outfit in Uyo, said to Mr Eno, following the governors sacking of two of his political aides for attending the PDP national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State. There are betrayers inside his cabinet Those with him (Governor Eno) are still PDP members. In their real conscience, deep down in Umo Eno, he knows he has betrayed the party that gave him a ticket. READ ALSO: Trump warns of more US strikes in Nigeria And so hes living with betrayal, Mfon Ben, a lawyer and former chairman of Uyo Local Government Council, told PREMIUM TIMES in December. And so you cannot expect that a man who lives in betrayal cannot expect betrayal. He knows very well that there are betrayers inside his cabinet because he knows their sympathy comes from where they came from. He knows they are following him because of what he can provide. For many years, I have maintained a sustained and discerning interest in Nigerias real estate sector, gradually assembling what might fairly be described as a modest portfolio.It has not been easy though. Residing on the other side of the Atlantic and far removed from the immediacies of home, I was compelled to rely on a network of suppliers, many of whom I cultivated over time and entrusted with confidence and loyalty. Regrettably, that trust was often violated. The pattern became grimly familiar: padded invoices, quiet substitution of inferior materials, imaginative bookkeeping, and a relentless inclination to prey upon the vulnerability of the absentee investor. Then, almost fortuitously, the landscape shifted. By pure serendipity, I encountered Jiji, an e-commerce platform that functions as Nigerias equivalence of Amazon. Almost instantaneously, my position within the marketplace was transformed. From the comfort of my bed in America, I could survey thousands of vendors, compare prices with transparency, assess quality and reach informed decisions within minutes. The informational asymmetry that once empowered rapacious intermediaries dissolved. I was no longer captive to predatory gatekeepers who thrived on opacity and displayed little interest in reciprocal loyalty. Technology had quietly restored agency to me. The tangible consequences of this transformation was quite evident during my most recent visit to Nigeria. I visited the shop of one of those former suppliers and was struck by the severity of its decline. A once flourishing outlet had been reduced to a faint remnant of its former vitality, marked by dusty shelves, sparse foot traffic and a palpable erosion of relevance. Commercial activity had deteriorated so dramatically that the owner no longer found it worthwhile to attend regularly. With weary resignation, he confessed that the effort was no longer justified. His principal office in a prime district had already been shuttered and he was now, with some urgency, seeking an alternative enterprise. E-commerce platforms such as Jiji, operating with substantially lower overhead and superior efficiency, had rendered his traditional brick and mortar model obsolete. The market advanced. He remained stationary, and the market offered no indulgence. The crash is reminiscent of the demise of numerous American big-box retailers such as Toys R Us, Borders, Blockbuster, RadioShack, Sears and Payless ShoeSource following the rise of Amazon. None collapsed for lack of intelligence or diligence. They failed because they underestimated the velocity with which the rules of commerce had been rewritten. That encounter crystallized a personal conviction and I was recently asked about my New Year resolution, my response emerged without hesitation: adaptability. In an era accelerating toward relentless disruption, adaptability is no longer a virtue but a prerequisite for survival. Those who cling to obsolete methods merely because they once proved effective will inevitably be surpassed by those prepared to learn, unlearn and reinvent. This principle extends beyond individuals and enterprises to the conduct of nations. China, once dismissed as a peripheral manufacturing outpost, has systematically reconfigured its national priorities toward scientific capacity, technological autonomy and infrastructural supremacy. Vast investments in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, renewable energy, semiconductor fabrication, biotechnology and advanced telecommunications reflect a strategic comprehension of where future power will reside. Beijing recognizes that contemporary dominance is no longer secured principally through aircraft carriers and foreign bases, but through mastery of data, supply chains, intellectual property and innovation ecosystems. Laboratories now rival legions in strategic importance, and patents increasingly substitute for paratroopers. The United States, by contrast, remains psychologically anchored in its imperial inheritance. It continues to allocate immense resources to defense expenditures, sustaining a global military footprint designed for twentieth century conflicts while comparatively neglecting the civic foundations of twenty first century competitiveness. America often conducts itself as though coercive capacity alone guarantees leadership, even as the decisive arenas of competition migrate toward educational excellence, infrastructural resilience, technological literacy and social cohesion. This divergence is not merely fiscal but philosophical. China adapts by anticipating the emerging terrain of competition. America frequently responds by fortifying the architecture of its prior triumphs. Nature has never permanently rewarded the strongest nor guaranteed lasting security to the cleverest. It has consistently favored the adaptable. Survival, whether within ecosystems, financial markets, empires or private lives, belongs not to those who cling most fervently to certainty but to those who negotiate intelligently with transformation. Adaptability is not simply a useful attribute. It constitutes the quiet architecture of endurance itself. Darwins most misunderstood idea is not about strength or dominance, but about adaptability. Survival belongs to those who can adjust without breaking, who reshape their instincts when circumstances change. The extinction of the dinosaur and the survival of the sparrow teach the same lesson in different ways: size, power, and past success offer no protection against changing realities. Evolution acts like a strict editor, removing rigidity and preserving flexibility. Human history echoes this biological truth. Civilizations rarely collapse primarily through invasion but rather through stagnation. Empires decay when institutions transform into ceremonial museums of past victories instead of laboratories for emerging realities. The Roman Senate recited tradition even as its frontiers dissolved. Once dynamic religious movements hardened into dogma and confused preservation with fidelity. Orthodoxy frequently fossilizes insight, embalming yesterdays wisdom and mistaking it for timeless relevance. When a society forfeits the courage to revise itself, it begins rehearsing its own obsolescence. On the personal plane, adaptability distinguishes growth from grievance. Life seldom honors original blueprints. Careers fracture, relationships evolve, bodies age and convictions mature. Those who demand that reality conform to their early assumptions become embittered curators of a vanished world. The adaptable intellect, by contrast, interprets disruption as instruction, converting disappointment into data, failure into feedback and uncertainty into opportunity for reinvention. Adaptability is not timidity disguised as flexibility. It is disciplined responsiveness rather than moral capitulation. The adaptable individual does not abandon foundational values but refines the mechanisms through which those values endure. Principles constitute roots, while methods form branches. Roots must remain firm, yet branches must sway with the storm or succumb beneath its force. Wisdom lies in discerning what must remain inviolate and what must remain negotiable. Within professional life, adaptability has emerged as the new intelligence. Credentials depreciate rapidly. Skills decay. Entire industries mutate with astonishing speed. Competence has become provisional, rented rather than possessed. The conceit of mastery undermines relevance. Only the perpetual student remains capable of sustained utility. Psychologically, adaptability represents emotional maturity in motion. It requires humility sufficient to acknowledge error, courage adequate to relinquish obsolete identities and resilience robust enough to rebuild without resentment. Many prefer to defend erroneous positions rather than evolve toward wiser ones. Ego privileges consistency over accuracy, yet survival refuses to negotiate with pride. Even moral reasoning demands adaptability. Ethical clarity does not entail static answers to dynamic dilemmas. Each generation confronts unprecedented technologies, unfamiliar social configurations and novel concentrations of power. A rigid moral lexicon eventually falters before new questions. Adaptive ethics preserve enduring human dignity while constructing fresh interpretive frameworks for emerging realities. The paradox is that adaptability itself presupposes inner stability. Only a grounded consciousness can afford transformation. Flexibility without identity degenerates into drift, while identity without flexibility calcifies into confinement. Survival resides within their creative tension. Ultimately, adaptability constitutes the art of remaining alive, not merely biologically but intellectually, emotionally, culturally and spiritually. It signifies the refusal to become embalmed while still breathing and the courage to revise oneself without self betrayal. The future does not belong to the loudest, the strongest or even the most intelligent. It belongs to those who can learn more rapidly than the world transforms and who retain the humility to continue learning long after yesterdays triumphs have lost their luster. Survival, in the final analysis, is not conquest. It is an ongoing conversation with change, and adaptability is the language in which the wise maintain fluency. I believe Bruce Lee aptly captured this wisdom in his famous line, Be water, my friend. Osmund Agbo is a medical doctor and author. His works include Black Grit, White Knuckles: The Philosophy of Black Renaissance and a fiction work titled The Velvet Court: Courtesan Chronicles. His latest works, Pray, Let the Shaman Die and Maam, I Do Not Come to You for Love, have just been released. He can be reached through: [email protected] His book, I Want to Make It Count, speaks directly to aspiring entrepreneurs seeking purpose-driven success. His TEDx NOUN talk and other public engagements reveal a young leader comfortable articulating complex themes, from global diplomacy and leadership ethics to the transformative role of youth in nation-building. In a country where leadership is often defined by age, access, and long-established networks, the appointment of 24-year-old Ahmed Abubakar Limateef as director of the Niger State Chapter of the City Boy Movement (CBM) is both symbolic and transformative. Symbolic because it represents a deliberate opening of political and civic spaces to youths, and transformative because it challenges long-held assumptions about readiness, competence, and the true meaning of leadership in Nigerias evolving democratic culture. When the Director-General of CBM, Honourable Tosin Shoga, handed Limateef his appointment letter on behalf of the Grand Patron, Seyi Tinubu, the message was clear. The future is not waiting its turn. It is already stepping forward. What makes Ahmed Abubakar Limateefs story compelling is not merely his age or title, but the path he took to get there. A native of Niger State, his leadership identity is deeply shaped by grassroots exposure, modest beginnings, and lived experience among everyday Nigerians. His career is not curated in elite isolation but forged through proximity to community struggles, youth aspirations, and the realities of unemployment, skills gaps, and social inequality. That grounding has become his greatest asset. It explains his people-centered leadership style, his obsession with solutions over slogans, and his refusal to separate success from service. In 2022, at an age when many are still searching for direction, Limateef founded Limateef Group, a diversified conglomerate operating across real estate, logistics, event planning, interior design, and facility management. What sets the venture apart is its guiding philosophy: To Solve Problems. This philosophy is not cosmetic. It is reflected in the companys operations and in Limateefs insistence on building businesses that create jobs, strengthen systems, and empower young people. His role in major national events, including being part of the event planning team for Davidos Timeless concert in Abuja in 2023, demonstrates his ability to operate at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and logistics an increasingly important space in Nigerias economy. Beyond entrepreneurship, he has served as Facility Manager at Barbedos Stables, Guards Polo Club, and as an ICT and Digital Literacy Trainer for the Niger State Government, where he has trained over 500 people in Minna since 2024. These roles underscore a rare blend of private-sector efficiency and public-sector impact. Perhaps the clearest window into Limateefs leadership philosophy is the Make Life Better (MLB) Foundation, which he founded to institutionalise his commitment to community development. The foundation focuses on youth empowerment, skills acquisition, and digital inclusion areas that directly address Nigerias demographic reality. Through strategic MOUs with the International Vocational Training Institute (IVTI) and the Etsu Yahaya Abubakar Foundation (EYAF), Limateef has helped expand vocational, ICT, and digital skills training across Niger State. His advocacy was instrumental in mobilising 100 million from the Niger State Government for EYAFs ICT expansion in Bida, an achievement that speaks to his credibility with both government and civil society. This is philanthropy designed for scale, sustainability, and measurable outcomes. One of the most striking moments in Limateefs public journey came in May 2025, when he facilitated a courtesy visit between global music icon Davido and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Abbas Tajudeen. More than a headline-grabbing meeting, it symbolised a deeper idea: that Nigerias creative industry and political leadership must engage each other deliberately. Limateef understood what many miss, that culture is power, and youth influence does not reside in politics alone. By creating space for dialogue between art and governance, he demonstrated a modern form of diplomacy rooted in relevance and mutual respect. That same bridging instinct was evident in March 2025, when he participated in the Beyond Boundaries Outreach for Seyi Tinubu, alongside senior government officials. The initiative delivered medical aid, legal support, and relief materials to detainees at the Kuje Correctional Centre, distributed sanitary pads to over 1,000 schoolgirls, and served iftar meals at the National Mosque in Abuja. These acts reinforced his belief that leadership must be visible, compassionate, and present where people hurt most. Limateefs growing list of honours, including Outstanding Youth Personality of the Year from the Nigeria Service Award in 2024, Icon of Peace and Development from APAF in 2023, and recognition among the 100 Most Notable Peace Icons in Africa in 2024, reflects sustained impact rather than episodic activism. His work across peacebuilding, youth inclusion, and community development has made him a familiar and respected figure in North Central Nigeria. Beyond action, Limateef is also invested in ideas. His book, I Want to Make It Count, speaks directly to aspiring entrepreneurs seeking purpose-driven success. His TEDx NOUN talk and other public engagements reveal a young leader comfortable articulating complex themes, from global diplomacy and leadership ethics to the transformative role of youth in nation-building. With a Certificate in Project Management (2024) from the International Business Management Institute in Berlin, Germany, a Certificate in Leadership and Team Development (2023) from the same institute, and a Certificate of Participation in Effective Leadership from Online Efiko, Abuja, his intellectual foundation complements his field experience. As Director of the City Boy Movement in Niger State, the youngest in CBMs history, Ahmed Abubakar Limateef embodies a new template for youth leadership that is competent, connected, compassionate, and culturally fluent. His close mentorship under Seyi Tinubu, his passion for polo, and his ability to navigate elite and grassroots spaces with equal ease position him as a bridge figure in Nigerias evolving political ecosystem. In a nation hungry for leaders who understand both the urgency of now and the discipline of building for tomorrow, Limateef represents something rare: youth without recklessness, ambition without arrogance, and influence anchored in service. At 24, his story is not a conclusion. It is a prologue. And Nigeria would do well to pay attention. Khalil Abdullahi, a project manager and young business advocate, writes from Bida, Niger State. A secure, locally developed platform like PRrev offers more than convenience. It strengthens data sovereignty, reduces dependence on foreign software, enhances real-time intelligence gathering, and supports faster, more informed decision-making. Financing, adopting, and scaling such technology would not only empower local innovators but also reinforce Nigerias digital and information security architecture. There are jobs that stretch the intellect, and there are jobs that quietly drain the soul. Press Review belongs to both categories. Every day begins the same way: opening countless tabs, scrolling endlessly, refreshing news sites, hopping from one media platform to another in search of stories that matter to national interest. Daily reviews. Weekly reviews. Monthly reviews. Each with its own format, tone, and unforgiving deadline. What eventually appears neat and polished on paper is, in reality, a tedious maze of mental gymnastics, eye strain, and relentless pressure. Press Review is not just about studying media contents. It is about monitoring narratives across national dailies, online platforms, and sometimes obscure digital corners of the internet. It means extracting links manually one after another verifying accuracy, relevance, and authenticity. It requires repeated searches of the same story across different platforms just to confirm reach, prominence, and consistency of narrative. Then comes the harder part: content checking. Line after line. Page after page. You digest volumes of information while identifying undertones, policy implications, security angles, reputational risks, and public sentiment. After that comes analysis, comparison, and classification sorting stories into categories dictated by agency-specific needs: positive, negative, neutral, sensitive, threatening, or strategic. All this must be done with clarity, objectivity, and speed. And speed, in this line of work, is rarely a luxury. The real nightmare begins at the end of the week and worsens at the end of the month. Deadlines pile up. Expectations rise. Fatigue sets in. Eyes burn from constant screen time; the mind feels overloaded. Yet, there is no room for excuses. The report must be comprehensive, structured, insightful and submitted on time. Every time. It was in one of those moments buried under links, summaries, and unfinished analyses that frustration turned into reflection. We live in a digital world. Artificial intelligence is redefining industries. Automation is changing how we work. So why, I asked myself, are we still trapped in such a manual, energy-draining process? Why should media review a task rooted in data, patterns, and analysis remain this stressful? There had to be an alternative. An app. A software. Something efficient, affordable, and locally grounded. Not outrageously expensive. Not foreign-dependent. Just smart enough to lift the burden. Then came the shock. I discovered a software developed right here in Nigeria. Yes Nigeria. At first, disbelief crept in. But curiosity pushed me forward. The platform is called PRrev, developed by a young tech innovator, Shuaib S. Agaka, a staff writer at Tech Digest, a publication of Image Merchants Promotion (IMPR) Limited. I engaged the developer who happens to be a colleague and friend and what followed felt like witnessing a quiet revolution unfold. PRrev is not just a tool; it is a response to a long-standing professional pain. It automates media monitoring, intelligently tracks national-interest stories, aggregates content across platforms, organises links, and supports structured analysis drastically reducing human stress and time wastage. Tasks that once took days can now be completed with remarkable efficiency. Beyond personal convenience, the national implications are significant. This is where the Federal Government and critical institutions must pay attention. During a visit to the PRNigeria Centre in Kano, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, commended the innovation behind PRrev, describing it as a strong example of indigenous technology aligned with Nigerias digital economy agenda. He noted that solutions like PRrev alongside other locally developed platforms like Schooltra, demonstrated during the visit reflect the countrys capacity to build homegrown answers to real institutional challenges. More importantly, the relevance of such a platform goes far beyond media organisations. Security agencies and strategic institutions increasingly rely on media intelligence, open-source monitoring, and narrative tracking. In an era where threats are shaped online through misinformation, propaganda, and coordinated digital narratives efficient press and media review is no longer optional; it is a national security necessity. A secure, locally developed platform like PRrev offers more than convenience. It strengthens data sovereignty, reduces dependence on foreign software, enhances real-time intelligence gathering, and supports faster, more informed decision-making. Financing, adopting, and scaling such technology would not only empower local innovators but also reinforce Nigerias digital and information security architecture In a world racing toward automation, Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind especially when solutions already exist within its borders. What began as my personal frustration with the exhausting ritual of media review has evolved into a broader realisation: the future of work, security, and governance lies in smart, affordable, indigenous technology. PRrev is not just easing professional stress. It is pointing the way forward. And perhaps it is finally time we listened. Haroon Aremu Abiodun, a developmental journalist wrote via [email protected]. I felt historically satisfied to have participated in the 20th Commemoration of Comrade Michael Aithokhaimen Omiunu Imoudus exit. It held in Lagos on December 20, 2025. Organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Imoudus family, the Commemoration was well-attended. Nigeria Labour Minister, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, who represented President Bola Tinubu was on ground an hour before the commencement of anniversary, exchanging views with some participants. With him was Isa Aremu the Director-General of the Michael Imoudu Institute of Labour Studies. The representatives of the Governors of Lagos, Abia, Jigawa, and Katsina graced the occasion. Imoudus children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and the extended family were fully participated. The NLC President, Joe Ajearo, and other union leaders and activists were likewise, were on ground. The Peoples Lawyer, Femi Falana; woman activist, Lucy Offiong; dogged labour leaders and activists like Sylvester Ejiofoh, Abdulkadir Isah Iguda, Zanna Shittima and, and business mogul, Sir Kessington Adebutu, attended. Some received the Michael Imoudu Award (MIA) for their distinguished services to the working class and the trade union movement, as well as their consistent struggle for democracy and social justice. The Labour Minister and special guests delivered speeches and solidarity messages. These included unionists, human rights and pro-democracy activists and professional associations. A special posthumous MIA was given to late Baba Omojola Oluwide, who was Imoudus official biographer, a grassroots organiser, committed researcher, and socialist. The award was received by his family. The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) received the Most Outstanding Union award. This was for its decades of protracted struggles against electricity privatisation, elitization and in defence of jobs in the industry. It lost some of the battles, but it never gave up. For it, the struggle continues! A short documentary on Imoudu was screened. Photo exhibition was displayed. Traditional dances celebrating Imoudus legacy took place. A book, titled, Michael Aithokhaimen Omiunu Imoudu: Labour Leader No. 1 Leadership profile was launched. Papers were presented. Two of Imoudus daughters, Dr. Felicia Rovitto and Dr. Veronica Imoud-Omosun, respectively spoke on Pa Michael Imoudu through the eyes of his children, and Twenty years after Pa Michael Imoudu Personal Reflections. Rovitto said their father was a family and peoples man, with deep principles. He was firm, disciplined, and unwavering in his values. At home, just as in public, he demanded honesty, respect and hard work. He raised us to stand tall, to live with integrity, and never to bow to injustice. Imoudu-Omosun concurred, adding that Imoudu was not only very caring and loving but was a strict disciplinarian and a peoples fighter, who never backed away from fights he thought were righteous, especially those involving workers and the masses. She recalled as a child: one day my father returned home wearing what was known as his war dress which was an all-red outfit with a red beret. He had with him, a police baton he had seized in a battle that day between workers and the police. Both recalled the sacrifices and pain the family endured as a result of the restless struggles their father waged and led. Papa was a poor man who never had money to build a house, said Imoudu-Omosun. But the family, Rovitto said, understood that our father did not belong to us alone he belonged to the nation. Imoudu-Omosun revealed how in 2005, when their father joined his ancestors, the then NLC President, Adams Oshiomhole, refused to release funds donated by NLC affiliate unions, corporate organisations and individuals for the burial of their dad. None of the donation percolated to the family for the burial! She stated that when the family mandated Imoudus eldest son, Dr. Wilfred Imoudu, to approach Oshiomhole for part of the funds to bury their dad. The latter not only denied the request, but also asked my brother: Cant you bury your father? My brother replied: We can bury our father in our own way. My presentation was titled Michael Imoudu, the 1945 General Strike and the struggle for Nigeria. I asked and attempted to answer: how did Imoudu acquired the name Labour Leader One? What role did he play in the 1945 General Strike? How general was the 1945 General Strike? and how did it contribute in making Nigeria? Barrister Femi Aborishade spoke on Labour, Neo-colonialism and National Struggle. Imoudu, he said, lived a life of service to the working class and Nigeria, adding that the struggle was his life. He underscored that trade unionism, to Imoudu, was not a career. It was a mission, which Imoudu prepared, not only to lose his freedom, but also to lose his life in the process. Aborishade concluded that the current challenge, is to reproduce the Imoudus of our time. He added this task: is the precondition for transforming the trade union movement as instrument for transforming the Nigerian society in the interests of the downtrodden workers and the poor. My first take-way from the anniversary is that those who stand with, fight, and die for the oppressed, always live in, and with, the people. While their eyes are closed, they always open the eyes of the living. Imoudu, though, gone for twenty years, uncelebrated by the state, and largely ignored by Nigerias contemporary labour movement, lives in, and with, the workers and other oppressed people. The second take-away is the need to scientifically research, document, publish, distribute and develop training modules and programmes on Imoudu and his contributions to Nigerias trade unionism and development. Third, there is need to open a museum on him. The fourth, is a message to opportunistic, narcissistic and materialistically-minded labour leaders. Just as one cannot concurrently serve ALMIGHTY GOD and Lucifer, so one cannot simultaneously and meaningfully serve workers and the ruling classes. Like Imoudu, Wahab Goodluck, Hassan Sunmonu, Ali Chiroma, amongst others, conscientiously built and served the trade union movement, gallantly fought military despots, vehemently resisted ruinous economic policies, and stood on the side of workers and the oppressed. Not so Pascal Bafyau, who, though, left huge infrastructures for the NLC, stood firmly for the privatisation of state-owned enterprises, destroyed the alliance between labour and the popular forces students, academics, women groups, and consciously set NLC on the path of degeneration. Nor Oshiomhole, who, for self aggrandizement and material gains, sacrificed NLC to the state and capital. Oshiomhole wholeheartedly participated in the privatisation of state-owned enterprises for pittance, seriously undermined the democratic traditions, values, and culture of NLC, and repeatedly turned General Strikes against workers. Or, Ayuba Wabba, who virtually handed over the NLC to the highly incompetent, narrow-mined, tribalistic, kleptomaniac and corrupt Buhari government. He almost totally buried the NLC. History will always reveal, and never forgive labour leaders like Bafyau, Oshiomhole and Wabba who subverted the interests of Nigerian working people. Around them, training manuals and programmes should be developed on How to confront and combat opportunists and renegades in the trade unions Imoudu will continue to live and probably, will never die. Oppressed and progressive forces will continue to celebrate him, as they did in his lifetime. His family will never forget him. Most importantly, forces committed to emancipatory politics, within and outside the labour movement, will try to quantitatively and qualitatively replicate Imoudu. Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf worked as deputy director, Cabinet Affairs Office, The Presidency, and retired as General Manager (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet). Email: [email protected] Nigeriaand indeed Kaduna Stateis on the rise. The combined efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani over the last two and a half years have translated into a journey of transformation, marked by improvements in security, infrastructure, agriculture, and the general welfare of the people. Across the length and breadth of the country and Kaduna State in particular, communities that were once neglected and steeped in despair are gradually regaining hope. At the same time, terrorists and bandits who for years threatened peace and challenged the authority of the Nigerian state are, for the first time, facing the full weight of the law. There is a growing sense of optimism among a majority of Nigerians that the present administration is steering the country in the right direction. In barely two years, the Tinubu administration has targeted and neutralised over forty notorious bandit leaders, killed or arrested more than four thousand of their followers, and secured the release of thousands of abducted citizens. According to a release by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, sustained offensive operations across the country have resulted in the neutralisation of several high-profile terrorist leaders, commanders, and combatants, including Munzir Arika, Sani Dilla (Dan Hausawan Jubillaram), Ameer Modu, Matawal Bitrus, Thomas Benedict, Mohammed Sani, Rimamy (aka Omo), Terkimbi Injoko, Jacob Uzege, Ibn Kasir, Kachalla an Baleri, Kachalla Halilu Jimmare (Buzu), Kachalla Dan Ali Garin Fadama, Kachalla Dan Mani Na Inna, Kachalla Basiru Zakarriya, and Ofem Igwe, among others. In addition, in the third quarter of 2025 alone, troops recovered 1,304 weapons and 43,347 rounds of ammunition. In Kaduna State, Governor Sanis inclusive and collaborative governance model has contributed significantly to the successes recorded by security forces within and around the state. His consistent support for security agenciesparticularly in logistics and fundinghas enhanced their operational capacity and preparedness. The establishment of the Kaduna Vigilance Service and the recruitment of nearly 10,000 personnel have further strengthened community policing and intelligence gathering. Equally important is the shift from the combative and divisive approach of the immediate past administration to a people-centred and inclusive model under Governor Sani. This new approach treats citizens as partners in governance and development as a shared heritage, irrespective of tribe or religion. Community and religious leaders are actively engaged to promote unity and peaceful coexistence. Areas that were once notorious corridors for banditry and kidnapping have increasingly become safe zones for agriculture and commerce. The Chikun, Birnin Gwari, and KadunaAbuja axes stand as clear evidence of this transformation. Despite these gains, serious challenges persist. In parts of Kajuru, Kachia, Kaura, Sanga, and Kauru Local Government Areas, bandits have made attempts to regroup and unleash fresh waves of violence. In a recent open petition to the Governor of Kaduna State, Comrade Nasiru Jagaba highlighted disturbing incidents of bandit attacks and kidnappings that reportedly led to the deaths of 16 persons, with about 138 others still in captivity. He also alleged possible military collusion, citing a 30 November 2025 incident in which the Chawai Youth Leader and six others were gruesomely murdered near a military checkpoint. According to him, local intelligence points to the existence of bandit and terrorist camps hidden within the rocky terrains of the area, underscoring the need for determined, intelligence-led operations. While these attacks, the avoidable loss of lives, and the continued captivity of innocent citizens must be unequivocally condemned, it is equally important to acknowledge the current governments commitment to securing lives and property. The sacrifices of gallant security personnelsome of whom have paid the ultimate price in the line of dutydeserve recognition. Crucially, the role of communities themselves cannot be overlooked, as local actions can either help prevent or inadvertently worsen insecurity. In recent weeks, the federal government has reiterated its readiness to work with all Nigerians, subnational governments, and foreign partners to end the cycle of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and violent crime that has plagued the country for nearly two decades. The appointment of General Christopher as Chief of Defence Staff, his subsequent return as Minister of Defence following widespread public outcry, renewed collaboration with the United States, and intensified military offensives all signal a serious commitment to tackling insecurity. These efforts have yielded tangible results. Kachalla Dogo Isah, one of Kaduna States most notorious bandit leaders, was killed around the Kachia axis in January 2025. Boderi Isyaku, responsible for deadly attacks along the KadunaAbuja and KadunaBirnin Gwari roads, was killed in February 2024 during a military operation by troops of the One Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army. He died alongside several fighters during a gun battle in the Bada and Riwaya areas of Chikun and Igabi LGAs. Similarly, Kachalla Adamu, a dangerous bandit leader operating across Zamfara, Katsina, and Kaduna States, was killed in early 2024 during an airstrike in the Zurmi forest of Zamfara State. Another notorious commander, Kachalla Tukur Sharme, was eliminated in a major military operation in September 2024. Sharme was responsible for countless murders, kidnappings, and cattle rustling, including the 2021 abduction of 121 students from Bethel Baptist High School in Kujama, Kaduna State. The Nigerian Police Force has also recorded notable successes. Recently, police foiled a planned attack and attempted kidnapping of 76 children in the Kasuwan Magani area of Kaduna State. Similarly, in Ungwan Ninzom, Jemaa LGA, police swiftly responded to the abduction of a young man, Hussaini Ibrahim, on 22 February 2025. Following a coordinated operation, Ibrahim was rescued on February 24 with a gunshot wound to his leg and later reunited with his family. Four suspects were arrested, and several AK-47 rifles were recovered. In a related operation on July 23, police intercepted a suspicious waybill in Kaduna containing a fabricated AK-47 rifle en route from Jos to Gusau, leading to the arrest of two suspects in Zamfara State. However, one of the most critical challenges remains the menace of informantsoften residents of affected communitieswho aid bandits and kidnappers. This is a problem government alone cannot solve. In Kachia, Kaura, Sanga, Zangon Kataf, and Kauru, there is an urgent need for concerned citizens to move beyond constant criticism and become active partners in intelligence gathering. Recent cases, including that of a village head in Kauru exposed as a bandit informant, as well as instances of individuals facilitating the kidnapping of their own relatives, represent a dangerous trend that must be halted. Rather than sensationalism or relentless attacks on government and security agencies, citizens should take advantage of the collaborative framework opened by the Uba Sani administration. With improved cooperation through approved channels, greater progress can be made in ridding communities of terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers. In conclusion, parts of Kaduna State may continue to experience insecurity so long as neighbouring states fail to demonstrate similar commitment to collaboration and regional security efforts. Bandits often move across state borders, operating from perceived safe havens in Zamfara and Niger States. Many kidnapping victims have attested to being taken to camps far outside Kaduna. It is therefore hoped that concerned voices across the region will channel their advocacy toward a coordinated regional response. Until then, Governor Sani deserves commendation for prioritising unity, inclusion, and collaborationefforts that are steadily transforming Kaduna State from a symbol of crisis into a centre of peace and inclusive development. *Edward John Auta is a historian and public affairs analyst who writes from Kaduna State Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at the Fidesz party's 31st congress in Budapest, Hungary, Jan. 10, 2026. Orban said on Saturday that he is ready to lead the ruling party alliance in the upcoming parliamentary election. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) BUDAPEST, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday that he is ready to lead the ruling party alliance in the upcoming parliamentary election. "After 20 years as prime minister, I am still ready for the task," said Orban at the Fidesz party's 31st congress in Budapest. The earliest date allowed by Hungarian law for the parliamentary election is April 12. The election is taking place amid a changing political landscape compared to previous election cycles, with recent opinion polls indicating close support between the ruling party and opposition forces. At the congress, the ruling Fidesz-KDNP party alliance presented its nominees for all 106 single-member constituencies. Orban said the candidates are ready to seek voters' trust and, if elected, to support the government over the next four years. "Today, the brave women and men who are ready to compete for the confidence of Hungarians are stepping forward," Orban said, adding that the party's national list and its prime ministerial candidate would be announced by Feb. 20. Orban said the lineup includes 65 incumbent lawmakers and 41 new candidates. He thanked those not seeking re-election, saying they would support younger candidates entering parliament. He said Hungary needs predictability, security and experience, adding that generational renewal within the party has been carried out in an orderly manner. Reviewing the government's performance, Orban cited job creation, wage growth and family support policies, and said the government aims to further raise wages in the next term. Orban urged candidates to engage with voters and address key issues, including the conflict in Ukraine, migration and social policy. He reiterated his opposition to migration and said Hungary would continue to resist pressure related to the European Union's migration pact. On foreign policy, Orban said the global order is undergoing significant changes, with national interests and bilateral relations gaining importance. He said Hungary had prepared early for these shifts. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at the Fidesz party's 31st congress in Budapest, Hungary, Jan. 10, 2026. Orban said on Saturday that he is ready to lead the ruling party alliance in the upcoming parliamentary election. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at the Fidesz party's 31st congress in Budapest, Hungary, Jan. 10, 2026. Orban said on Saturday that he is ready to lead the ruling party alliance in the upcoming parliamentary election. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at the Fidesz party's 31st congress in Budapest, Hungary, Jan. 10, 2026. Orban said on Saturday that he is ready to lead the ruling party alliance in the upcoming parliamentary election. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has left his duties unattended in Abuja for at least two weeks while continuing to tour local government areas in Rivers State, Nigerias South-South, because of 2027 politics. Mr Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, described his ongoing tour of the states 23 local government areas as a thank-you visit. But at almost all the locations during the tour, he disclosed that it was all about the 2027 general elections, often telling a crowd why President Bola Tinubu should be supported to win re-election and why he (Wike) is against Governor Fubara of Rivers. The Rivers House of Assembly initiated an impeachment process against Mr Fubara on Thursday, shortly after Mr Wike accused the governor of reneging on the terms of a peace deal brokered by the president. The touring of LGAs and when it began Mr Wike began public appearances in Rivers State on 26 December 2025 when he visited Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state during the conferment of a chieftaincy title on the Majority Leader of the Rivers House of Assembly, Major Jack. Two days later, he embarked on what he termed a special Christmas visit to Emohua LGA. By 30 December 2025, the FCT minister continued the thank-you visit to the Gokana Local Government Area of the state. He visited Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area on 2 January before making a trip to Okrika Local Government Area of the state the following day. He visited Ahoada West Local Government Area on 4 January 2026. The following day, Mr Wike visited Oyigbo Local Government Area and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area. On 6 January, the FCT minister visited Degema Local Government Area. His visits continued with a trip to the Asari Toru Local Government Area on 7 January. On the same day, he visited the Ahoada East Local Government Area. On Thursday, Mr Wike showed no sign of resting, as evidenced by his visit to the Bonny Local Government Area. The visit occurred barely an hour after Rivers House of Assembly began impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and the Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu. The FCT minister continued his tour on Friday with his visit to Andoni Local Government Area. He is scheduled to visit Obio/Akpor LGA on 11 January, according to a Facebook post by Martins Wachukwu, the media aide to the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule. As of Friday, PREMIUM TIMES counted at least 20 LGAs he has already visited across Rivers between December and January. Away from duties while FCT boils While Mr Wike continues his tour in Rivers, workers under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), which he oversees, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the minister over unresolved and long-standing labour and welfare issues. The ultimatum, issued by the Joint Union Action Congress, FCT, took effect from 7 January 2026. The union President Rifkatu Iortyer, and its Secretary, Abdullahi Umar Saleh, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. They warned that they would consider embarking on a strike if their demands were not met. The union said it copied top government officials, including the FCT minister of state, the chief of staff to the FCT minister, the head of service of the FCT, and the director of the State Security Service, in its notice of strike, with the hope that they would attend to the matter. Some of the grievances listed by the workers included non-release of approved overhead costs for six months in 2025, non-payment of five months wage award arrears owed to the workers. Others included alleged staff intimidation and harassment, restrictions on phone usage by staff of the FCT Geographic Information System, and the non-payment of enforcement officers, street sweepers and cleansers under the Abuja Environmental Protection Board and Satellite Development Services. Our members can no longer endure the continued denial of their legitimate entitlements, the union said. The union also accused the FCT administration of refusing to uphold financial autonomy and approved spending thresholds for permanent secretaries and heads of departments as well as agencies. The refusal to observe financial autonomy and constituted thresholds has undermined effective administration in the FCT, it stated. Wikes abandonment of duty saddening Lawyer Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer, argued it was saddening that the FCT minister would begin political campaigns by visiting local government areas in Rivers, while his duties are abandoned in Abuja. It saddens me that campaigns have not commenced, but you have the former governor (Wike) now going local government by local government basically campaigning ahead of next year 2027, Mr Effiong said when he appeared on Channels TVs The Morning Brief on Friday. The Lagos-based lawyer also said Mr Wike has busied himself in Rivers while insecurity continued to worsen in the FCT where he serves as minister. In the same Abuja that he supervises as minister, a nurse was killed brutally; a lawyer was also killed. All within a space of a few days. Where is the minister of the FCT in the governance of the FCT? Why is he so obsessed with Rivers State? he said. Commenting on Mr Wikes ongoing tour of Rivers, Paul Ibe, the spokesperson to a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, accused the FCT minister of abandoning his duties in pursuit of leadership roles in both the APC and the PDP in Rivers. It is obvious that Nyesom Wike has abandoned his job as FCT minister in preference for 001 of both APC and PDP in Rivers, Mr Ibe wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. Earlier on Monday, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, asked Mr Wike to resign as minister to focus on Rivers politics amid his alleged overbearing political influence in the oil-rich state. Mr Basirus call for Mr Wikes resignation came a few hours after the minister warned the APC secretary to steer clear of Rivers politics and desist from making careless and provocative statements about the state. Mr Wikes warning followed Mr Basirus criticism of Victor Giadom, the APC national vice chairman (South-South), for describing Mr Fubara as so-called governor. The FCT minister, in a meeting with his supporters on Monday in Rivers, boasted that he can challenge anybody, and that Rivers State is a no-go area for political interference. Presidency silent. Wike reacts Bayo Onanuga, the spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, did not respond to multiple calls and a text message seeking his comments. When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the media aide to Mr Wike, Lere Olayinka, on Friday night, he said in this digital age the FCT minister did not need to be physically present in Abuja to perform his duties. If the minister is in Port Harcourt, does that mean he is not treating files? Is it not government files that can be treated anywhere? He is doing his job, he said. Mr Olayinka argued that although the recent killings of a nurse and a lawyer in the FCT were unfortunate, the rate of such killings in the nations capital had reduced unlike before Mr Wike became minister. He said the ministers ongoing tour of local government areas in Rivers did not amount to political campaigns. It is thank-you visits, not campaigns, he insisted. The Edo State branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has announced a statewide withdrawal of medical services from Saturday, 10 January, following the abduction of two medical doctors. The NMA cited the security concerns in the state as its reason. Eustace Oseghale, the chairman of the association, disclosed the decision in a statement issued on Friday in Benin, describing it as a protest against the rising threats to healthcare workers across Edo. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the kidnappings occurred on 1 and 2 January, heightening safety concerns among medical practitioners and prompting urgent calls for improved security statewide. One of the abducted doctors, Babatunde Abu, was kidnapped in Auchi, along with his younger brother, Abu Tahir. The abductors reportedly demanded a N100 million ransom. The kidnappers later killed the younger brother of the medical doctor and left his body by a riverbank. Mr Oseghale said the withdrawal of medical services in the state underscored doctors vulnerability and the urgent need for decisive action to secure their colleagues release, prevent recurrence, and restore confidence in healthcare delivery across the state system. He demanded immediate release of the abducted doctors, improved security for residents, and sustained engagement between the Edo State Government and the association on addressing security challenges affecting healthcare delivery statewide. The NMA chairman warned that services would remain suspended until the demands were met, stressing that a safe working environment was non-negotiable. We will continue to withhold services until our colleagues are released and adequate security measures are implemented. We urge a swift resolution and expect security agencies to treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves, Mr Oseghale said. The Rivers House of Assembly has refuted reports that it has discontinued the impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu. The spokesperson of the assembly, Enemi George, disclosed this in a statement on Friday night. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the assembly began impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Mrs Odu, a professor, on Thursday, over alleged gross misconduct. There were reports earlier on Friday from some news websites and newspapers suggesting that the assembly had withdrawn the impeachment move and apologised to President Bola Tinubu over the plot. Deliberate misinformation Mr George, who represents AsariToru II Constituency in the state assembly, described the speculations as deliberate misinformation and false narratives. Some are circulating false narratives to cause disaffection between the House and well-meaning Nigerians. Therefore, with the leave of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule. I call on all and sundry to disregard their antics, as their actions have already failed, he said, insisting that the impeachment move was fully on course. We remain committed to our constitutional duties and would not be dissuaded by cheap blackmail or threats from those who do not mean well for our countrys nascent democracy. The assembly spokesperson noted that the notices of the alleged misconduct had been served on Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Mrs Odu. As we all know, it is the House of Assembly that is empowered by the Constitution to stand by the people and stop infractions on the Constitution by the governor, deputy governor, or any other officer of the Rivers State Government. So, we remain duty-bound in this regard, he maintained. Background This is the third attempt by the Rivers assembly to impeach Mr Fubara since he became the governor of the state in 2023, amid a feud between him and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The assembly first initiated an impeachment proceeding against Mr Fubara in October 2023 over allegations of gross misconduct. However, the impeachment process was dropped shortly after President Tinubu intervened in the political rift between Messrs Fubara and Wike at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. In December of that year, the lawmaker officially withdrew the impeachment notice against Governor Fubara following a peace deal signed by Messrs Fubara and Wike. The peace deal later broke down, with the Rivers Assembly stripping Governor Fubara of the power to appoint caretaker committees for local government councils. In March 2025, the assembly, for the second time, began an impeachment process against Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Mrs Odu, after serving a notice of alleged misconduct against them. While the process was ongoing, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers on 18 March 2025 and suspended all elected officials in the state, including the governor, for six months. Mr Fubara only returned to the office in September of that year after the president declared an end to the emergency rule following a second peace deal brokered in June between Messrs Fubara and Wike alongside their supporters. The second peace deal recently broke down with Mr Wike accusing the governor of reneging on the terms of the latest agreement in the peace deal brokered by the president. Mr Fubara recently defected from the PDP to the APC, apparently in the hope that he can receive political protection from the ruling party. LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 7, 2026, the Global Top Brands (GTB) celebrated its 20th anniversary and unveiled the winners of the 20252026 awards cycle. Founded by International Data Group (IDC) in 2006, GTB is hosted by Asia Digital Group and Europe Digital Group, and supported by TWICE and IDC, an authoritative market research and analysis firm. It has become a key benchmark for assessing brand competitiveness and industry influence on a global scale. Over the past two decades, GTB has tracked the evolution of the consumer electronics industry and witnessed the remarkable transformation of Chinese brands from followers to rule-makers. This year's list includes many Chinese companies that have won multiple prestigious awards. This highlights the strengths of China's consumer electronics sector in technology innovation, global expansion, and ecosystem development. Two Decades of Industry Transformation: From Scale Expansion to Value Creation Over the past twenty years, the global consumer electronics market has undergone a profound transformation. It has shifted from merely meeting functional needs to delivering intelligent experiences, with its size skyrocketing from hundreds of billions to 1.45 trillion US dollars by 2025. The industry landscape has also changed. Markets that were once dominated by giants like Apple, Samsung, and Sharp are now characterized by fierce competition between Chinese brands and global leaders. The evolution of GTB's evaluation criteria mirrors these industry changes. Initially focused on product performance and market share, the assessment framework now incorporates technology innovation, ecosystem development, and sustainability into its core, serving as a barometer for high-quality industrial growth. Among the Global Top CE Brands Top 50 for 20252026 are notable names such as Samsung, Huawei, TCL, Haier, Hisense, BOE, and Skyworth. In the 20252026 Top 10 CE Brands from China, Huawei, TCL, Hisense, BOE, and Haier have received prestigious recognition. Meanwhile, in the 20252026 Global Top TV Brands Top 10, Samsung, TCL, Hisense, Haier, and Skyworth have made the list, further highlighting the strong presence of Chinese brands in the market. Huawei, ECOVACS, CHiQ, and Haier occupy significant positions in the 20252026 Global Smart Home Brands Top 10. AGIBOT earned the 20252026 Global Emerging Brand Award, while YEEDI captured the Gold Award for Innovative Cost-Effective Cleaning Technology with its M16 Infinity, establishing itself as a standout newcomer on the list. According to statistics, China's consumer electronics market is projected to reach 2.8 trillion yuan by 2025. Domestic brands are expected to exceed a global market share of 42% during this period. Chinese companies hold over 50% market share in key sectors such as TVs and smart home products. Notably, BOE and TCL CSOT are the top two players in the global display panel market, fundamentally reshaping the industry's competitive landscape. Chinese Brands Take the Lead in Technology in the Display Sector In the display technology sector, Chinese brands have undergone a significant transformation, evolving from a position of technological catch-up to one of global leadership. This year's GTB rankings highlight their technological strengths in a concentrated showcase. With its relentless focus on innovation, TCL has once again secured its position as one of the Top 10 CE Brands from China for 20252026. It has also garnered multiple technology awards for its impressive lineup of products. "The X11L achieves 100% of BT.2020 color through the deep integration of super quantum dots and a super butterfly wing screen""the X11L achieves 100% BT.2020 All Scene Wide Color Gamut through the deep integration of Super QLED and WHVA 2.0 Ultra Panel." "The X11L is equipped with 20,736 dimming zones and has undergone system-level optimization in its underlying light control technologies, such as light-emitting chips and lenses, establishing itself as a leader in light control capabilities. ""The X11L is equipped with 20,736 Precise Dimming Zones and has undergone system-level optimization in its underlying light control technologies, such as light-emitting chips and lenses, establishing itself as a leader in light control capabilities." "The next-generation TSR AI light and color control chip and the FuXi model enhance the AI interactive experience.""The TSR AiPQ Processor and TCL AI enhance the AI interactive experience." In addition, the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro has received the Eye-Care Display Technology Gold Award for its paper-like eye-care display, while the TCL Note A1 NXTPAPER was honored with the Smart Interaction Technology Innovation Award for its innovative interactive design. Together, these products form a comprehensive matrix that spans high-end televisions and portable devices. As Mini LED technology emerges as a core driver in the premium market, TCL's television panel shipments are projected to reach 13.5 million units by 2025. This highlights how Chinese brands are leveraging technological advancements to gain a competitive edge in the market. BOE has also made a strong showing, securing a spot in the Top 10 CE Brands from China for 20252026 and winning the Eye-Friendly Display Innovation Gold Award for its self-developed 13.8-inch Beneficial Natural Light Tablet. This tablet employs BOE's Beneficial Natural Light Technology (BNL), which mimics the beneficial properties of natural light through four dimensions: Depolarization Adjustment, Spectrum Optimization, Light Profile Optimization, and Time-varying Adaptation. The Depolarization Adjustment feature utilizes circular Polarization, random Depolarization, and un-Polarization technologies to prevent excessive depletion of lutein by avoiding light exposure from a single direction, which helps reduce eye dryness and discomfort. Spectrum Optimization minimizes harmful blue light while enhancing beneficial red light. This allows for real-time regulation of blue light ratios, which keeps your body's natural rhythms balanced. It also broadens the spectrum for a more balanced and continuous output. Infrared light is added to improve blood circulation in the eyes. Light Profile optimization incorporates technologies that reduce glare and reflections and provide a wide viewing angle, creating a soft paper-like viewing experience. Meanwhile, Time-varying Adaptation naturally adjusts the screen's brightness and color temperature to the environment, providing stable flicker-free light that is easier on the eyes. This tablet goes beyond BNL technology with an ultra-narrow bezel design. Its side and top bezels are as slim as 1.5 mm. It also features a DCI-P3 wide color gamut and TDDI touch integration technology. With an active stylus for precise writing, it is an excellent choice for educational and office use. Smart Home: Evolving from Product Innovation to Ecosystem Connectivity The evolution of the smart home sector reveals a clear shift from single-product intelligence to ecological interconnectivity. The latest GTB list showcases major advances by Chinese brands in this area. CHiQ has made its mark on the list of 20252026 Global Smart Home Brands Top 10. In recent years, CHiQ has leveraged its independently developed, nationally registered AI model, Changhong Yunfan, to deeply integrate AI technology across its full range of home appliances. For example, the Q10 Airan industry-first AI TV designed for emotional well-beingfeatures an innovative continuous diffuse-reflection AI Light Wing, transforming light itself into a medium of comfort and relaxation. The AI air conditioner integrates technologies such as AI temperature-and-humidity sensing, voice-based AI interaction, and AI fresh air management, enabling real-time detection of temperature and humidity changes and automatic optimization for enhanced comfort. Powered by AI cloud-based energy-saving technology, the air conditioner delivers energy savings of up to 42%, while creating a naturally comfortable indoor environment inspired by the serenity of nature. The AI refrigerator integrates three core technologiesCSI human-sensing, AI adaptive frequency tuning, and AI flexible defrostingto deliver an intelligent experience that reduces operational noise when users are present and enhances freshness when they are away. This minimizes noise disturbance while extending food freshness through precise temperature control and optimized defrosting management. Meanwhile, the AI washer-dryer set applies AI intelligent dispensing technology to automatically adjust detergent dosage based on load weight, enabling precise washing, improved fabric care, and reduced detergent residue. ECOVACS ROBOTICS has secured a place in the 20252026 Global Smart Home Brands Top 10 and has been awarded the Global Innovative Home Service Robotics Brand Award. With over 20 years of expertise and dedication, ECOVACS has become a benchmark brand in the service robotics sector, offering five major product lines of robotic vacuum cleaners, robotic window cleaners, robotic lawn mowers, robotic pool cleaners, and robotic pet companions. Its diverse lineup of robots provides comprehensive, advanced, and imaginative smart solutions for multiple consumer lifestyle scenarios, ranging from indoor to outdoor environments and from horizontal to vertical surfaces. Its competitive edge lies in its proprietary technology, with more than 2,400 patents enabling precise mobility and highly efficient operations, including AIVI 3D Omni-Approach Technology, HoloScope 360 Dual-LiDAR Navigation System, and OZMO Roller Instant Self-Washing Mopping Technology. Besides, ECOVACS has built a seamless and intelligent interactive ecosystem through ECOVACS HOME App and AIoT multi-platform connectivity. Serving over 38 million households across nearly 180 countries and regions worldwide, ECOVACS is leading the transformation in smart home living through technological innovation and global presence. The TCL Air Conditioner AHU Series received the Smart Self-Adaptive Voltage Technology Innovation Award. Equipped with the technology, the series solves the problem of complex installation and maintenance. Its small, compact design supports multiple installation methods, while the voltage self-adaptation function allows it to adjust to different environments without the need for manual adjustments, ensuring a more carefree and safer installation. The TCL wall-mount air handler is also designed for comfort and energy conservation. Its built-in high-efficiency DC inverter compressor, combined with energy-saving technology, delivers ultra-high operating energy efficiency. YEEDI received the Innovation in Affordable Cleaning Technology Gold Award for its M16 Infinity model. The YEEDI M16 Infinity aims to redefine household cleaning standards by offering high-end features at an affordable price. Addressing three core needscleaning efficiency, ease of use, and long-term performancethis product brings smart cleaning solutions into homes, becoming an essential tool for busy families. As AI and IoT technologies become increasingly integrated, the industry is poised for deeper cross-sector collaboration and broader applications. The release of the GTB's 20th anniversary list not only recognizes the achievements of China's consumer electronics industry over the past two decades but also provides a Chinese model for global industrial innovation. SOURCE Global Top Brands NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE) between January 27, 2025 and October 27, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important January 26, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline. So what: If you purchased Alexandria Real Estate Equities securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the Alexandria Real Estate Equities class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=48531 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 26, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, defendants provided investors with material information concerning Alexandria Real Estate's expected revenue and funds from operations ("FFO") growth for the 2025 fiscal year, particularly as it related to the growth of Alexandria Real Estate's real estate operations. The defendants' statements included, among other things, confidence in Alexandria Real Estate Equities' lease activity, occupancy stability, and ability to develop its tenant pipeline. According to the lawsuit, defendants provided these overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of its Long Island City ("LIC") property. In particular, Alexandria Real Estate's claims and confidence about the leasing value of the LIC property as a life-science destination. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Alexandria Real Estate Equities class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=48531 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicely Network has been recognized as the Best Reddit Marketing Agency of 2026 by Better Business Advice, following an extensive evaluation of agencies operating within Reddit-based brand marketing, organic community engagement, and search-driven visibility strategies. The annual Best Agency awards from Better Business Advice highlight companies that demonstrate sustained performance, transparent methodologies, and measurable business outcomes across evolving digital channels. For 2026, the review placed particular emphasis on Reddit as a high-impact platform for brand discovery, reputation building, and AI-driven search visibility. Nicely Network 's selection reflects its position as the largest Reddit-focused marketing agency by operational scale and network reach, as well as its growing role in helping brands earn organic exposure across both traditional search engines and emerging AI-powered search platforms. Evaluating Reddit as a Core Marketing Channel in 2026 Reddit has increasingly become a central source of influence across consumer research, product comparison, and purchasing decisions. Unlike conventional social platforms, Reddit prioritizes topic-driven discussions, long-form commentary, and peer validation, making it both powerful and difficult for brands to navigate authentically. According to Better Business Advice's review panel, Nicely Network stood out for its ability to operate within Reddit's culture without relying on intrusive advertising tactics or artificial amplification. Instead, the agency focuses on structured, organic Reddit marketing campaigns designed to integrate brands into existing conversations while maintaining community trust. This approach aligns closely with how search engines and large language models now evaluate authority. Reddit discussions are increasingly surfaced in Google results, AI Overviews, and conversational search outputs, making authentic participation a strategic priority rather than a reputational risk. Why Nicely Network Was Named the Best Reddit Marketing Agency 2026 Better Business Advice cited several factors in naming Nicely Network the Best Reddit Marketing Agency for 2026, including: Demonstrated leadership in organic Reddit marketing campaigns The largest operational Reddit account network in the industry Consistent results across SEO, AI-SEO visibility, and brand reputation Experience working with multiple Fortune 500 companies Transparent campaign structures designed to withstand platform and algorithm changes Rather than treating Reddit as a short-term traffic source, Nicely Network positions it as a durable content layer that compounds value over time. Campaigns are designed to remain discoverable long after publication, often continuing to generate impressions, engagement, and search visibility months or years later. A Focus on Organic Reddit Marketing, Not Paid Manipulation A central distinction highlighted in the award review was Nicely Network's emphasis on organic Reddit marketing rather than running ads or synthetic engagement. Reddit communities are highly sensitive to overt promotion, and poorly executed campaigns can result in brand damage rather than growth. Nicely Network's methodology centers on understanding subreddit norms, discussion history, and moderation standards before any campaign activity begins. Brand mentions are introduced contextually, often through problem-solving discussions, experience-based commentary, or long-form comparisons that align with the intent of the original post. This structured, community-first approach reduces the risk of negative sentiment while increasing the likelihood that content is upvoted, referenced, and cited externally. Driving SEO and AI-SEO Exposure Through Reddit One of the most notable trends influencing the Best Reddit Marketing Agency 2026 award was the rise of AI-SEO. Large language models increasingly draw from Reddit threads when generating answers for product recommendations, service comparisons, and brand evaluations. Nicely Network has developed Reddit campaigns specifically designed to surface in: Google organic search results Google AI Overviews ChatGPT-style conversational search tools By placing brand mentions within high-authority, discussion-based threads, Nicely Network helps clients earn what Better Business Advice describes as "earned AI citations" rather than paid visibility. These citations contribute to brand credibility while also reinforcing traditional SEO performance. In many cases, Reddit threads created or supported through Nicely Network campaigns rank alongside editorial reviews and media publications, effectively bridging social proof and search authority. Scale, Network Reach, and Fortune 500 Experience Better Business Advice also pointed to Nicely Network's operational scale as a defining factor in its 2026 award decision. The agency manages one of the largest distributed Reddit account networks globally, enabling campaigns to span multiple subreddits, industries, and audience segments simultaneously. This scale allows Nicely Network to support both emerging brands and enterprise-level clients, including multiple Fortune 500 companies across technology, consumer goods, finance, travel, and software sectors. Importantly, the review emphasized that scale alone was not the deciding factor. The agency's internal quality controls, account aging processes, and long-term reputation management systems were cited as reasons Nicely Network is able to operate at volume without triggering platform penalties or community backlash. Reputation Management as a Core Outcome In addition to visibility and sales impact, Reddit campaigns increasingly function as a form of reputation infrastructure. Prospective customers frequently search Reddit for unfiltered opinions before making decisions, particularly in high-consideration categories. Nicely Network's campaigns are designed to ensure that when users search for brand-related queries on Reddit, they encounter balanced, informative discussions rather than empty promotional claims or unresolved complaints. Better Business Advice noted that this reputational layer is often overlooked by traditional agencies but has become critical as Reddit content is indexed, summarized, and redistributed by AI systems. Measured Growth, Not Over-Promotion A key reason Nicely Network was selected as Best Reddit Marketing Agency 2026 was its restrained, data-driven approach. Rather than promising viral outcomes or instant rankings, campaigns are structured around realistic performance benchmarks and long-term visibility. Better Business Advice described Nicely Network's positioning as "methodical rather than flashy," emphasizing sustainability over short-term spikes. This aligns with the agency's internal focus on risk management, compliance, and adaptability as Reddit's policies and moderation tools continue to evolve. Industry Recognition and Future Outlook The 2026 award signals a broader shift in how Reddit marketing is evaluated. What was once viewed as experimental or high-risk is increasingly recognized as a foundational component of modern search and brand strategy. As AI-generated answers become more prominent and users rely on community-sourced information, Reddit's influence is expected to grow further. Agencies capable of operating authentically within this environment will play a critical role in shaping brand narratives. Better Business Advice concluded that Nicely Network's combination of scale, discipline, and platform fluency positions it as a reference point for how Reddit marketing should be executed moving forward. To read the full report: https://betterbusinessadvice.com/best-reddit-marketing-agency-2026/ About Nicely Network Nicely Network is a global Reddit marketing agency specializing in organic, discussion-driven campaigns that support SEO, AI-SEO visibility, and brand reputation. The agency works with startups, growth-stage companies, and Fortune 500 brands across a wide range of industries, focusing on long-term value rather than short-term promotion. About Better Business Advice Better Business Advice is an independent business review and research platform that evaluates companies, agencies, and service providers across multiple industries. Its annual awards recognize organizations that demonstrate consistent performance, ethical practices, and measurable client outcomes. SOURCE BetterBusinessAdvice.com LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- INMOTION, a global leader in electric personal mobility solutions, returns to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2026 with a strong lineup of high-performance products and proprietary technologies. At this year's show, INMOTION highlights its latest innovations in electric unicycles and electric scooters, reinforcing its position at the forefront of next-generation personal transportation. INMOTION P6 High-Performance Electric Unicycle Redefines Performance Limits INMOTION showcased the latest electric uncicyles and scooters at CES 2026 At CES 2026, INMOTION places a spotlight on its newly launched flagship high-performance electric unicycle, the INMOTION P6. Designed for riders seeking extreme performance combined with advanced intelligence and safety, the P6 represents a major milestone in INMOTION's in-house technology development. Key features include: Top speed of up to 93 mph, setting a new benchmark in electric unicycle performance. Fully self-developed SiC high-voltage electrical architecture, delivering higher efficiency and more powerful output. In-house automotive-grade battery system, offering comprehensive upgrades in safety, stability, and reliability. Innovative active cooling system, ensuring sustained and stable performance under high-load conditions. Intelligent RideConnect service ecosystem, providing riders with a smarter and more secure riding experience. The launch of the P6 underscores INMOTION's continued commitment to pushing performance boundaries while maintaining long-term investment in safety and intelligent mobility. INMOTION RS PRO High-Performance Electric Scooter Makes Its CES Debut Also on display is the upcoming RS PRO, INMOTION's high-performance electric scooter scheduled for release in the near future. Targeted at the premium performance scooter segment, the RS PRO boasts a top speed of up to 94 mph, positioning it among the fastest electric scooters currently available. The RS PRO further expands INMOTION's high-end product portfolio and has drawn significant attention from CES attendees and media alike. A CES Booth Built Together with the Riding Community Beyond product showcases, the INMOTION booth at CES 2026 stands out for its vibrant community-driven atmosphere. Enthusiastic INMOTION riders and fans from across the United States voluntarily joined the booth, helping introduce products to visitors, assist with demo rides, and deliver impressive riding demonstrations. Hands-on test rides, in-depth product explanations, media engagements, and industry discussions continued throughout the event, highlighting the strong and authentic connection between INMOTION and its global rider community. Wang Yu, CEO of INMOTION, commented, "CES has always been a global stage where innovation meets real users. In 2026, INMOTION not only presents new products such as the INMOTION P6 and the upcoming RS PRO, but also systematically showcases the core proprietary technologies behind them including our SiC high-voltage electrical platform and automotive-grade battery systems. These innovations reflect our long-term commitment to performance, safety, and intelligent personal mobility. It is especially inspiring to see riders from around the world come together at our booth to share their passion and riding experiences. We have also established an official after-sales service center in the United States, enabling us to serve U.S. customers with more localized and efficient support, and to continuously enhance the overall riding experience." Looking Ahead As the global personal electric mobility market continues to evolve, INMOTION remains focused on technology-driven innovation to advance high-performance, safe, and intelligent mobility experiences. CES 2026 marks another important milestone in INMOTION's global journey and further solidifies its leadership in the next generation of personal electric transportation. About INMOTION Founded on December 4, 2012, INMOTION Technologies Co., Ltd. is a globally leading company in high-end powered mobility products. The company is recognized as a National "Specialized and Innovative" Key Little Giant Enterprise in China and operates as an integrated R&D, manufacturing, and sales organization. INMOTION's premium brand focuses on major markets in Europe and North America, with a product portfolio covering electric unicycles, electric scooters, and electric motorcycles. Its designs have received multiple international awards, including the iF Design Award (Germany), G-Mark Good Design Award (Japan), and Red Dot Design Award, showcasing the strength in both industrial design and technological innovation. INMOTION doesn't just build vehicles it creates adrenaline-fueled experiences, turning every ride into a bold expression of individuality. Know more from our website: www.inmotionworld.com Safety Notice Always wear full protective gear and comply with local laws and regulations. Top speed figures are achieved under specific test conditions. Actual performance may vary depending on rider weight, road conditions, and environmental factors. SOURCE INMOTION TECHNOLOGIES Co.,Ltd NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until February 9, 2026 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Integer Holdings Corporation ("Integer" or the "Company") (NYSE: ITGR), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's shares between July 25, 2024 and October 22, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Get Help Integer Holdings investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-itgr/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit Integer and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On October 23, 2025, the Company disclosed a lower full-year 2025 sales guidance to a range between $1.840 billion and $1.854 billion, well short of analysts' estimates, as well as expected net sales growth of -2% to 2% and organic sales growth of 0% and 4% for the full year of 2026, among other things, due to the market adoption of its products being slower than anticipated. On this news, the price of Integer's shares fell $35.22 per share, or more than 32%, from a closing price of $109.11 per share on October 22, 2025, to a closing price of $73.89 per share on October 23, 2025. The case is West Palm Beach Firefighters' Pension Fund v. Integer Holdings Corporation, et al., No. 25-cv-10251. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. SOURCE ClaimsFiler Over 70 percent of patients in the first-line subgroup responded to amivantamab plus chemotherapy with most responses lasting beyond 16 months Notable responses were also seen in patients with liver metastases, who often face poorer outcomes with this disease RARITAN, N.J., Jan. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) today announced new longer follow-up results from the investigational Phase 1b/2 OrigAMI-1 study evaluating amivantamab-vmjw, a bispecific antibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and MET, in combination with FOLFOX or FOLFIRI chemotherapy in patients with RAS/BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. The encouraging anti-tumor activity, durable responses, and low rates of treatment-related discontinuations observed in this study support further investigation in ongoing Phase 3 studies in first- and second-line colorectal cancer. Results were presented during a poster session at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers (ASCO GI) Symposium (Abstract #166).1 "These results show the potential of amivantamab combined with chemotherapy to deliver meaningful and durable benefit for people with advanced colorectal cancer, including for those with liver metastases who have historically faced poorer outcomes," said Dr. Filippo Pietrantonio,* M.D., Head of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Unit, IRCCS Foundation, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy. "Seeing patients maintain responses for extended periods, some beyond two years, is a powerful sign of progress in a disease where sustained efficacy has been hard to achieve and speaks to the promise of this treatment approach." Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, and a leading cause of cancer-related death.2 While traditionally seen in older adults, incidence is rising in people under 50.3 More than half of patients will eventually develop metastatic disease, with liver involvement in roughly 70 percent of cases. In this setting, resistance to current first-line therapies often develops early, shortening the time patients can benefit.4 For those with RAS/BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer with disease progression, second-line options remain limited, with historical response rates of 32 to 36 percent and median progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.4 to 6.4 months using EGFR inhibitors and chemotherapy.5,6,7,8,9,10 Research has shown that MET alterations are a frequent cause of resistance to EGFR-inhibition, highlighting a need for new approaches that target both pathways simultaneously.11 Detailed Study Results Cohorts D and E of the Phase 1b/2 OrigAMI-1 study evaluated intravenous amivantamab as monotherapy or in combination with either FOLFOX or FOLFIRI chemotherapy in patients with RAS/BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. Patients were confirmed to be negative for KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and EGFR mutations, and did not have HER2 amplification. They could have received one prior line of systemic therapy in the metastatic setting, and prior treatment with an EGFR inhibitor was not permitted. The primary endpoint was safety, and secondary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), clinical benefit rate, and PFS. Overall survival was assessed as an exploratory endpoint.1 At a median follow-up of 16 months (range, 1.2-29.5), amivantamab plus FOLFOX (n=20) or FOLFIRI (n=23) achieved a confirmed ORR of 51 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 36-67) across the study, with responses observed early and a median time to first response of 8.3 weeks (range, 7.3-20.3), along with a median DOR of 9.3 months (95 percent CI, 5.8-14.7). Median PFS was 9.2 months (95 percent CI, 5.4-12.9), and median overall survival was not estimable (NE) (95 percent CI, 16.2-NE). In the first-line subgroup, ORR was 73 percent (95 percent CI, 53-86), with median DOR not yet reached at the time of data cutoff (95 percent CI, 7.3-NE). Among 11 patients treated in the first-line subgroup, four were able to proceed to curative intent surgery. In the second-line subgroup (n=32), ORR was 44 percent (95 percent CI, 26-62) and median DOR was 7.4 months (95 percent CI, 5.4-14.5). More than one-third of patients treated in the second-line setting remained on therapy for over one year, and three patients have stayed on amivantamab treatment for more than two years. In patients with liver metastases (n=30), the study showed notable activity, with an ORR of 57 percent (95 percent CI, 37-75) and a median PFS of 11.3 months (95 percent CI, 5.9-16.4).1 The safety profile remained consistent with prior reports of amivantamab plus chemotherapy in colorectal cancer and with the known safety profiles of the individual agents. Treatment-emergent adverse events were primarily related to EGFR and MET inhibition and known chemotherapy-associated effects. Four patients (9 percent) discontinued therapy due to treatment-related adverse events. The most common Grade 3 or higher event was neutropenia, and no new safety signals were observed.1 "Treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer has remained largely unchanged for many years, underscoring the need for new strategies," said Kiran Patel, M.D., Vice President, Global Head, Solid Tumor Clinical Development and Companion Diagnostics, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. "We are drawing on our scientific leadership in EGFR-driven lung cancer to evaluate the potential of amivantamab, and its dual-targeting of EGFR and MET, in colorectal cancer and other solid tumors driven by these pathways." Pivotal Phase 3 studies, including the global, randomized OrigAMI-2 and OrigAMI-3 studies evaluating subcutaneous amivantamab with FOLFOX and FOLFIRI, are underway to further evaluate the potential of amivantamab-based regimens in both first- and second-line colorectal cancer. About the OrigAMI-1 Study OrigAMI-1 (NCT05379595) is an open-label, Phase 1b/2 study assessing the efficacy and safety of RYBREVANT plus mFOLFOX6 or FOLFIRI in anti-EGFR-naive RAS/BRAF WT mCRC. Eligible patients were wild-type (WT) for KRAS, NRAS or BRAF genes based on circulating tumor DNA testing. Additionally, patients were required to have no amplification of the ERBB2/HER2 gene. In the RYBREVANT and chemotherapy cohorts, patients were either treatment-naive or had received at least one prior line in the metastatic setting (no EGFR inhibitor treatment). The primary endpoint of the combination cohorts was to characterize the safety and confirm the dose of RYBREVANT plus mFOLFOX6 or FOLFIRI. Response was assessed by the investigator per RECIST v1.1.12 About Colorectal Cancer Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, accounting for approximately 10 percent of all cancer cases, and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.2 While it predominantly affects older individuals, recent research suggests that colorectal cancer is now being diagnosed in adults under the age of 50 at record rates.3 Left-sided colorectal cancer, which represents approximately 65 percent of cases, often has distinct characteristics that influence treatment strategies. Around half of colorectal cancer patients have mutations in the RAS genes, with KRAS being the most common mutation. While tumors with normal RAS and BRAF genes generally respond better to EGFR inhibitors, those with RAS and BRAF mutations particularly on the left side are associated with poorer outcomes.13 About RYBREVANT RYBREVANT (amivantamab-vmjw), a fully-human bispecific antibody targeting EGFR and MET with immune cell-directing activity, is approved in the U.S., Europe and other markets around the world as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.14 RYBREVANT is approved in the U.S., Europe and other markets around the world in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin and pemetrexed) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. RYBREVANT is approved in the U.S., Europe and other markets around the world in combination with LAZCLUZE (lazertinib) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. RYBREVANT is approved in the U.S., Europe and other markets around the world in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin-pemetrexed) for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or L858R substitution mutations, whose disease has progressed on or after treatment with an EGFR TKI. RYBREVANT FASPRO (amivantamab and hyaluronidase-lpuj) is approved in the U.S., Europe and other markets around the world in combination with LAZCLUZE for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution mutations, and as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with advanced NSCLC with activating EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations after failure of platinum-based therapy. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines)15 include amivantamab-vmjw (RYBREVANT) across multiple treatment settings, including its recent inclusion as a NCCN Category 1 preferred option when used with lazertinib (LAZCLUZE) for first-line treatment of people with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations; see the latest NCCN Guidelines for NSCLC for complete information. The NCCN Guidelines for Central Nervous System Cancers also identify amivantamab-vmjw (RYBREVANT)-based regimens, including the combination with lazertinib (LAZCLUZE), as the only NCCN-preferred combination options for patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC and brain metastases. In addition to the Phase 1b/2 OrigAMI-1 study, RYBREVANT is being studied in multiple clinical trials, including: The Phase 3 MARIPOSA (NCT04487080) study assessing RYBREVANT in combination with LAZCLUZE versus osimertinib and versus LAZCLUZE alone in the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR ex19del or substitution mutations. 16 in combination with LAZCLUZE versus osimertinib and versus LAZCLUZE alone in the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with ex19del or substitution mutations. The Phase 3 MARIPOSA-2 (NCT04988295) study assessing the efficacy of RYBREVANT (with or without LAZCLUZE ) and carboplatin-pemetrexed versus carboplatin-pemetrexed alone in patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or L858R substitution mutations after disease progression on or after osimertinib. 17 (with or without LAZCLUZE ) and carboplatin-pemetrexed versus carboplatin-pemetrexed alone in patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with exon 19 deletions or L858R substitution mutations after disease progression on or after osimertinib. The Phase 3 PAPILLON (NCT04538664) study assessing RYBREVANT in combination with carboplatin-pemetrexed versus chemotherapy alone in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations. 18 in combination with carboplatin-pemetrexed versus chemotherapy alone in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC with exon 20 insertion mutations. The Phase 3 PALOMA-3 (NCT05388669) study assessing LAZCLUZE with subcutaneous (SC) amivantamab compared to RYBREVANT in patients with EGFR -mutated advanced or metastatic NSCLC. 19 with subcutaneous (SC) amivantamab compared to RYBREVANT in patients with -mutated advanced or metastatic NSCLC. The Phase 2 PALOMA-2 (NCT05498428) study assessing SC amivantamab in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors including EGFR -mutated NSCLC. 20 -mutated NSCLC. The Phase 1 PALOMA (NCT04606381) study assessing the feasibility of SC amivantamab based on safety and pharmacokinetics and to determine a dose, dose regimen and formulation for SC amivantamab delivery. 21 The Phase 1 CHRYSALIS (NCT02609776) study evaluating RYBREVANT in patients with advanced NSCLC. 22 in patients with advanced NSCLC. The Phase 1/1b CHRYSALIS-2 (NCT04077463) study evaluating RYBREVANT in combination with LAZCLUZE and LAZCLUZE as a monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR mutations. 23 in combination with LAZCLUZE and LAZCLUZE as a monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC with mutations. The Phase 1/2 METalmark (NCT05488314) study assessing RYBREVANT and capmatinib combination therapy in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. 24 and capmatinib combination therapy in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. The Phase 1/2 swalloWTail (NCT06532032) study assessing RYBREVANT and docetaxel combination therapy in patients with metastatic NSCLC. 25 and docetaxel combination therapy in patients with metastatic NSCLC. The Phase 1/2 PolyDamas (NCT05908734) study assessing RYBREVANT and cetrelimab combination therapy in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. 26 and cetrelimab combination therapy in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. The Phase 2 SKIPPirr (NCT05663866) study exploring how to decrease the incidence and/or severity of first-dose infusion-related reactions with RYBREVANT in combination with LAZCLUZE in relapsed or refractory EGFR -mutated advanced or metastatic NSCLC. 27 in combination with LAZCLUZE in relapsed or refractory -mutated advanced or metastatic NSCLC. The Phase 2 COPERNICUS (NCT06667076) study combining developments in treatment administration and prophylactic supportive care in representative US patients with common EGFR -mutated NSCLC treated with SC amivantamab in combination with LAZCLUZE or chemotherapy. 28 -mutated NSCLC treated with SC amivantamab in combination with LAZCLUZE or chemotherapy. The Phase 2 COCOON (NCT06120140) study assessing the effectiveness of a proactive dermatologic management regimen given with first-line RYBREVANT and LAZCLUZE in patients with EGFR -mutated advanced NSCLC. 29 and LAZCLUZE in patients with -mutated advanced NSCLC. The Phase 3 OrigAMI-2 (NCT06662786) study assessing subcutaneous amivantamab and mFOLFOX6 or FOLFIRI in patients with KRAS/NRAS and BRAF wild-type unresectable or metastatic left-sided colorectal cancer. 30 The Phase 3 OrigAMI-3 (NCT06750094) study assessing subcutaneous amivantamab and FOLFIRI in patients with KRAS/NRAS and BRAF wild-type recurrent, unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer after disease progression on chemotherapy. 31 The Phase 1b/2 OrigAMI-4 (NCT06385080) study assessing RYBREVANT monotherapy and in addition to standard-of-care therapeutic agents in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. 32 monotherapy and in addition to standard-of-care therapeutic agents in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The Phase 3 OrigAMI-5 (NCT07276399) study assessing SC amivantamab with pembrolizumab and carboplatin in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.33 The legal manufacturer for RYBREVANT is Janssen Biotech, Inc. INDICATIONS RYBREVANT FASPRO (amivantamab and hyaluronidase-lpuj) and RYBREVANT (amivantamab-vmjw) are indicated: in combination with LAZCLUZE (lazertinib) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. (lazertinib) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. in combination with carboplatin and pemetrexed for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution mutations, whose disease has progressed on or after treatment with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. in combination with carboplatin and pemetrexed for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. as a single agent for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA approved test, whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION14,34 CONTRAINDICATIONS RYBREVANT FASPRO is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to hyaluronidase or to any of its excipients. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Hypersensitivity and Administration-Related Reactions with RYBREVANT FASPRO RYBREVANT FASPRO can cause hypersensitivity and administration-related reactions (ARR); signs and symptoms of ARR include dyspnea, flushing, fever, chills, chest discomfort, hypotension, and vomiting. The median time to ARR onset is approximately 2 hours. RYBREVANT FASPRO with LAZCLUZE In PALOMA-3 (n=206), all Grade ARR occurred in 13% of patients, including 0.5% Grade 3. Of the patients who experienced ARR, 89% occurred with the initial dose (Week 1, Day 1). Premedicate with antihistamines, antipyretics, and glucocorticoids and administer RYBREVANT FASPRO as recommended. Monitor patients for any signs and symptoms of administration-related reactions during injection in a setting where cardiopulmonary resuscitation medication and equipment are available. Interrupt RYBREVANT FASPRO injection if ARR is suspected. Resume treatment upon resolution of symptoms or permanently discontinue RYBREVANT FASPRO based on severity. Infusion-Related Reactions with RYBREVANT RYBREVANT can cause infusion-related reactions (IRR) including anaphylaxis; signs and symptoms of IRR include dyspnea, flushing, fever, chills, nausea, chest discomfort, hypotension, and vomiting. The median time to IRR onset is approximately 1 hour. RYBREVANT with LAZCLUZE In MARIPOSA (n=421), IRRs occurred in 63% of patients, including Grade 3 in 5% and Grade 4 in 1% of patients. IRR-related infusion modifications occurred in 54%, dose reduction in 0.7%, and permanent discontinuation of RYBREVANT in 4.5% of patients. RYBREVANT with Carboplatin and Pemetrexed Based on the pooled safety population (n=281), IRRs occurred in 50% of patients including Grade 3 (3.2%) adverse reactions. IRR-related infusion modifications occurred in 46%, and permanent discontinuation of RYBREVANT in 2.8% of patients. RYBREVANT as a Single Agent In CHRYSALIS (n=302), IRRs occurred in 66% of patients. IRRs occurred in 65% of patients on Week 1 Day 1, 3.4% on Day 2 infusion, 0.4% with Week 2 infusion, and were cumulatively 1.1% with subsequent infusions. 97% were Grade 1-2, 2.2% were Grade 3, and 0.4% were Grade 4. The median time to onset was 1 hour (range: 0.1 to 18 hours) after start of infusion. IRR-related infusion modifications occurred in 62%, and permanent discontinuation of RYBREVANT in 1.3% of patients. Premedicate with antihistamines, antipyretics, and glucocorticoids and infuse RYBREVANT as recommended. Administer RYBREVANT via a peripheral line on Week 1 and Week 2 to reduce the risk of IRRs. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of IRRs in a setting where cardiopulmonary resuscitation medication and equipment are available. Interrupt infusion if IRR is suspected. Reduce the infusion rate or permanently discontinue RYBREVANT based on severity. If an anaphylactic reaction occurs, permanently discontinue RYBREVANT. Interstitial Lung Disease/Pneumonitis RYBREVANT FASPRO and RYBREVANT can cause severe and fatal interstitial lung disease (ILD)/pneumonitis. RYBREVANT FASPRO with LAZCLUZE In PALOMA-3, ILD/pneumonitis occurred in 6% of patients, including Grade 3 in 1%, Grade 4 in 1.5%, and fatal cases in 1.9% of patients. 5% of patients permanently discontinued RYBREVANT FASPRO and LAZCLUZE due to ILD/pneumonitis. RYBREVANT with LAZCLUZE In MARIPOSA, ILD/pneumonitis occurred in 3.1% of patients, including Grade 3 in 1.0% and Grade 4 in 0.2% of patients. There was one fatal case of ILD/pneumonitis and 2.9% of patients permanently discontinued RYBREVANT and LAZCLUZE due to ILD/pneumonitis. RYBREVANT with Carboplatin and Pemetrexed Based on the pooled safety population, ILD/pneumonitis occurred in 2.1% of patients with 1.8% of patients experiencing Grade 3 ILD/pneumonitis. 2.1% discontinued RYBREVANT due to ILD/pneumonitis. RYBREVANT as a Single Agent In CHRYSALIS, ILD/pneumonitis occurred in 3.3% of patients, with 0.7% of patients experiencing Grade 3 ILD/pneumonitis. Three patients (1%) permanently discontinued RYBREVANT due to ILD/pneumonitis. Monitor patients for new or worsening symptoms indicative of ILD/pneumonitis (e.g., dyspnea, cough, fever). Immediately withhold RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT and LAZCLUZE (when applicable) in patients with suspected ILD/pneumonitis and permanently discontinue if ILD/pneumonitis is confirmed. Venous Thromboembolic (VTE) Events with Concomitant Use with LAZCLUZE RYBREVANT FASPRO and RYBREVANT in combination with LAZCLUZE can cause serious and fatal venous thromboembolic (VTE) events, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Without prophylactic anticoagulation, the majority of these events occurred during the first four months of treatment. RYBREVANT FASPRO with LAZCLUZE In PALOMA-3 (n=206), all Grade VTE occurred in 11% of patients and 1.5% were Grade 3. 80% (n=164) of patients received prophylactic anticoagulation at study entry, with an all Grade VTE incidence of 7%. In patients who did not receive prophylactic anticoagulation (n=42), all Grade VTE occurred in 17% of patients. In total, 0.5% of patients had VTE leading to dose reductions of RYBREVANT FASPRO and no patients required permanent discontinuation. The median time to onset of VTEs was 95 days (range: 17 to 390). RYBREVANT with LAZCLUZE In MARIPOSA (n=421), VTEs occurred in 36% of patients including Grade 3 in 10% and Grade 4 in 0.5% of patients. On-study VTEs occurred in 1.2% of patients (n=5) while receiving anticoagulation therapy. There were two fatal cases of VTE (0.5%), 9% of patients had VTE leading to dose interruptions of RYBREVANT, and 7% of patients had VTE leading to dose interruptions of LAZCLUZE; 1% of patients had VTE leading to dose reductions of RYBREVANT, and 0.5% of patients had VTE leading to dose reductions of LAZCLUZE; 3.1% of patients had VTE leading to permanent discontinuation of RYBREVANT, and 1.9% of patients had VTE leading to permanent discontinuation of LAZCLUZE. The median time to onset of VTEs was 84 days (range: 6 to 777). Administer prophylactic anticoagulation for the first four months of treatment. The use of Vitamin K antagonists is not recommended. Monitor for signs and symptoms of VTE events and treat as medically appropriate. Withhold RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT and LAZCLUZE based on severity. Once anticoagulant treatment has been initiated, resume RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT and LAZCLUZE at the same dose level at the discretion of the healthcare provider. In the event of VTE recurrence despite therapeutic anticoagulation, permanently discontinue RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT. Treatment can continue with LAZCLUZE at the same dose level at the discretion of the healthcare provider. Refer to the LAZCLUZE Prescribing Information for recommended LAZCLUZE dosage modification. Dermatologic Adverse Reactions RYBREVANT FASPRO and RYBREVANT can cause severe rash including toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), dermatitis acneiform, pruritus and dry skin. RYBREVANT FASPRO with LAZCLUZE In PALOMA-3, rash occurred in 80% of patients, including Grade 3 in 17% and Grade 4 in 0.5% of patients. Rash leading to dose reduction occurred in 11% of patients, and RYBREVANT FASPRO was permanently discontinued due to rash in 1.5% of patients. RYBREVANT with LAZCLUZE In MARIPOSA, rash occurred in 86% of patients, including Grade 3 in 26% of patients. The median time to onset of rash was 14 days (range: 1 to 556 days). Rash leading to dose interruptions occurred in 37% of patients for RYBREVANT and 30% for LAZCLUZE, rash leading to dose reductions occurred in 23% of patients for RYBREVANT and 19% for LAZCLUZE, and rash leading to permanent discontinuation occurred in 5% of patients for RYBREVANT and 1.7% for LAZCLUZE. RYBREVANT with Carboplatin and Pemetrexed Based on the pooled safety population, rash occurred in 82% of patients, including Grade 3 (15%) adverse reactions. Rash leading to dose reductions occurred in 14% of patients, and 2.5% permanently discontinued RYBREVANT and 3.1% discontinued pemetrexed. RYBREVANT as a Single Agent In CHRYSALIS, rash occurred in 74% of patients, including Grade 3 in 3.3% of patients. The median time to onset of rash was 14 days (range: 1 to 276 days). Rash leading to dose reduction occurred in 5% and permanent discontinuation due to rash occurred in 0.7% of patients. Toxic epidermal necrolysis occurred in one patient (0.3%). When initiating treatment with RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT and LAZCLUZE, prophylactic and concomitant medications are recommended to reduce the risk and severity of dermatologic adverse reactions. Instruct patients to limit sun exposure during and for 2 months after treatment. Advise patients to wear protective clothing and use broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen. If skin reactions develop, administer supportive care including topical corticosteroids and topical and/or oral antibiotics. For Grade 3 reactions, add oral steroids and consider dermatologic consultation. Promptly refer patients presenting with severe rash, atypical appearance or distribution, or lack of improvement within 2 weeks to a dermatologist. For patients receiving RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT in combination with LAZCLUZE, withhold, reduce the dose, or permanently discontinue both drugs based on severity. For patients receiving RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT as a single agent or in combination with carboplatin and pemetrexed, withhold, dose reduce or permanently discontinue RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT based on severity. Ocular Toxicity RYBREVANT FASPRO and RYBREVANT can cause ocular toxicity including keratitis, blepharitis, dry eye symptoms, conjunctival redness, blurred vision, visual impairment, ocular itching, eye pruritus and uveitis. RYBREVANT FASPRO with LAZCLUZE In PALOMA-3, all Grade ocular toxicity occurred in 13% of patients, including 0.5% Grade 3. RYBREVANT with LAZCLUZE In MARIPOSA, ocular toxicity occurred in 16%, including Grade 3 or 4 ocular toxicity in 0.7% of patients. RYBREVANT with Carboplatin and Pemetrexed Based on the pooled safety population, ocular toxicity occurred in 16% of patients. All events were Grade 1 or 2. RYBREVANT as a Single Agent In CHRYSALIS, keratitis occurred in 0.7% and uveitis occurred in 0.3% of patients. All events were Grade 1-2. Promptly refer patients presenting with new or worsening eye symptoms to an ophthalmologist. Withhold, dose reduce or permanently discontinue RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT and continue LAZCLUZE based on severity. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on animal models, RYBREVANT FASPRO, RYBREVANT and LAZCLUZE can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Verify pregnancy status of females of reproductive potential prior to initiating RYBREVANT FASPRO and RYBREVANT. Advise pregnant women and females of reproductive potential of the potential risk to the fetus. Advise patients of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for 3 months after the last dose of RYBREVANT FASPRO or RYBREVANT, and for 3 weeks after the last dose of LAZCLUZE. ADVERSE REACTIONS RYBREVANT FASPRO with LAZCLUZE In PALOMA-3 (n=206), the most common adverse reactions (20%) were rash (80%), nail toxicity (58%), musculoskeletal pain (50%), fatigue (37%), stomatitis (36%), edema (34%), nausea (30%), diarrhea (22%), vomiting (22%), constipation (22%), decreased appetite (22%), and headache (21%). The most common Grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (2%) were decreased lymphocyte count (6%), decreased sodium (5%), decreased potassium (5%), decreased albumin (4.9%), increased alanine aminotransferase (3.4%), decreased platelet count (2.4%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (2%), increased gamma-glutamyl transferase (2%), and decreased hemoglobin (2%). Serious adverse reactions occurred in 33% of patients, with those occurring in 2% of patients including ILD/pneumonitis (6%); and pneumonia, VTE and fatigue (2.4% each). Death due to adverse reactions occurred in 5% of patients treated with RYBREVANT FASPRO, including ILD/pneumonitis (1.9%), pneumonia (1.5%), and respiratory failure and sudden death (1% each). RYBREVANT with LAZCLUZE In MARIPOSA (n=421), the most common adverse reactions (ARs) (20%) were rash (86%), nail toxicity (71%), infusion-related reactions (IRRs) (RYBREVANT) (63%), musculoskeletal pain (47%), stomatitis (43%), edema (43%), VTE (36%), paresthesia (35%), fatigue (32%), diarrhea (31%), constipation (29%), COVID-19 (26%), hemorrhage (25%), dry skin (25%), decreased appetite (24%), pruritus (24%), and nausea (21%). The most common Grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (2%) were decreased albumin (8%), decreased sodium (7%), increased ALT (7%), decreased potassium (5%), decreased hemoglobin (3.8%), increased AST (3.8%), increased GGT (2.6%), and increased magnesium (2.6%). Serious ARs occurred in 49% of patients, with those occurring in 2% of patients including VTE (11%), pneumonia (4%), ILD/pneumonitis and rash (2.9% each), COVID-19 (2.4%), and pleural effusion and IRRs (RYBREVANT) (2.1% each). Fatal ARs occurred in 7% of patients due to death not otherwise specified (1.2%); sepsis and respiratory failure (1% each); pneumonia, myocardial infarction, and sudden death (0.7% each); cerebral infarction, pulmonary embolism (PE), and COVID-19 infection (0.5% each); and ILD/pneumonitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and cardiopulmonary arrest (0.2% each). RYBREVANT with Carboplatin and Pemetrexed In MARIPOSA-2 (n=130), the most common ARs (20%) were rash (72%), IRRs (59%), fatigue (51%), nail toxicity (45%), nausea (45%), constipation (39%), edema (36%), stomatitis (35%), decreased appetite (31%), musculoskeletal pain (30%), vomiting (25%), and COVID-19 (21%). The most common Grade 3 to 4 laboratory abnormalities (2%) were decreased neutrophils (49%), decreased white blood cells (42%), decreased lymphocytes (28%), decreased platelets (17%), decreased hemoglobin (12%), decreased potassium (11%), decreased sodium (11%), increased alanine aminotransferase (3.9%), decreased albumin (3.8%), and increased gamma-glutamyl transferase (3.1%). In MARIPOSA-2, serious ARs occurred in 32% of patients, with those occurring in >2% of patients including dyspnea (3.1%), thrombocytopenia (3.1%), sepsis (2.3%), and PE (2.3%). Fatal ARs occurred in 2.3% of patients; these included respiratory failure, sepsis, and ventricular fibrillation (0.8% each). In PAPILLON (n=151), the most common ARs (20%) were rash (90%), nail toxicity (62%), stomatitis (43%), IRRs (42%), fatigue (42%), edema (40%), constipation (40%), decreased appetite (36%), nausea (36%), COVID-19 (24%), diarrhea (21%), and vomiting (21%). The most common Grade 3 to 4 laboratory abnormalities (2%) were decreased albumin (7%), increased alanine aminotransferase (4%), increased gamma-glutamyl transferase (4%), decreased sodium (7%), decreased potassium (11%), decreased magnesium (2%), and decreases in white blood cells (17%), hemoglobin (11%), neutrophils (36%), platelets (10%), and lymphocytes (11%). In PAPILLON, serious ARs occurred in 37% of patients, with those occurring in 2% of patients including rash, pneumonia, ILD, PE, vomiting, and COVID-19. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 7 patients (4.6%) due to pneumonia, cerebrovascular accident, cardio-respiratory arrest, COVID-19, sepsis, and death not otherwise specified. RYBREVANT as a Single Agent In CHRYSALIS (n=129), the most common ARs (20%) were rash (84%), IRR (64%), paronychia (50%), musculoskeletal pain (47%), dyspnea (37%), nausea (36%), fatigue (33%), edema (27%), stomatitis (26%), cough (25%), constipation (23%), and vomiting (22%). The most common Grade 3 to 4 laboratory abnormalities (2%) were decreased lymphocytes (8%), decreased albumin (8%), decreased phosphate (8%), decreased potassium (6%), increased alkaline phosphatase (4.8%), increased glucose (4%), increased gamma-glutamyl transferase (4%), and decreased sodium (4%). Serious ARs occurred in 30% of patients, with those occurring in 2% of patients including PE, pneumonitis/ILD, dyspnea, musculoskeletal pain, pneumonia, and muscular weakness. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 2 patients (1.5%) due to pneumonia and 1 patient (0.8%) due to sudden death. LAZCLUZE DRUG INTERACTIONS Avoid concomitant use of LAZCLUZE with strong and moderate CYP3A4 inducers. Consider an alternate concomitant medication with no potential to induce CYP3A4. Monitor for adverse reactions associated with a CYP3A4 or BCRP substrate where minimal concentration changes may lead to serious adverse reactions, as recommended in the approved product labeling for the CYP3A4 or BCRP substrate. Please see full Prescribing Information for RYBREVANT FASPRO, RYBREVANT and LAZCLUZE. cp-491009v1 About Johnson & Johnson At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/ or at www.innovativemedicine.jnj.com. Follow us at @JNJInnovMed. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding product development and the potential benefits and treatment impact of RYBREVANT (amivantamab-vmjw). The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in Johnson & Johnson's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at http://www.sec.gov, http://www.jnj.com, or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. *Dr. Filippo Pietrantonio, M.D. has served as a consultant to Johnson & Johnson; he has not been paid for any media work. The NCCN Content does not constitute medical advice and should not be used in place of seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by licensed practitioners. NCCN makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever regarding their content, use or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in any way. See the NCCN Guidelines for detailed recommendations, including other treatment options. The NCCN Guidelines for NSCLC provide recommendations for certain individual biomarkers that should be tested and recommend testing techniques but do not endorse any specific commercially available biomarker assays or commercial laboratories. Media contact: Oncology Media Relations [email protected] Investor contact: Lauren Johnson [email protected] U.S. Medical Inquiries: +1 800 526-7736 1 Chen E, et al. Amivantamab plus FOLFOX or FOLFIRI in RAS/BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: Long-term follow-up from the phase 1b/2 OrigAMI-1 study. Presented at: 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium; January 10, 2026; San Franscico, California. 2 Cervantes A, Adams R, et al. Metastatic colorectal cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2023;34(1):10-32. doi:10.1016/j.annonc.2022.10.003 3 Virostko J, et al. Recent trends in the age at diagnosis of colorectal cancer in the US National Cancer Data Base, 2004-2015. Cancer. 2019;125:3828-3835. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.32347 4 Patel RK, Rahman S, Schwantes IR, et al. Updated management of colorectal cancer liver metastases: scientific advances driving modern therapeutic innovations. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023;16(6):881-894. doi:10.1016/j.jcmgh.2023.08.012 5 Grothey A, Lenz HJ. Exploring new treatments for advanced colorectal cancer: current standards and future directions. Cancer Treat Rev. 2020;86:102017. doi:10.1016/j.ctrv.2020.102017 6 Kumar A, Gautam V, et al. Current and emerging therapeutic approaches for colorectal cancer: A comprehensive review. World J Gastrointest Surg. 2023;15(4):495-519. doi:10.4240/wjgs.v15.i4.495 7 Iwamoto S, Hazama S, Kato T, et al. Multicenter phase II study of second-line cetuximab plus folinic acid/5-fluorouracil/irinotecan (FOLFIRI) in KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: the FLIER study. Anticancer Res. 2014;34(4):1967-1973. 8 Peeters M, Price TJ, Cervantes A, et al. Final results from a randomized phase 3 study of FOLFIRI {+/-} panitumumab for second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Ann Oncol. 2014;25(1):107-116. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdt523 9 Santini A, Lenz HJ, Eng C, et al. Extended RAS analysis of the phase III EPIC trial: irinotecan plus cetuximab versus irinotecan as second-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Oncologist. 2021;26(2):e261-e269. doi:10.1002/onco.13591 10 Peeters M, Oliner KS, Price TJ, et al. Analysis of KRAS/NRAS Mutations in a Phase III Study of Panitumumab with FOLFIRI Compared with FOLFIRI Alone as Second-line Treatment for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2015;21(24):5469-5479. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-15-0526 11 Feldt SL, Bestvina CM. The Role of MET in Resistance to EGFR Inhibition in NSCLC: A Review of Mechanisms and Treatment Implications. Cancers (Basel). 2023;15(11):2998. doi:10.3390/cancers15112998 12 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab Monotherapy and in Addition to Standard-of-Care Chemotherapy in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (OrigAMI-1). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05379595?tab=history&a=1. Accessed January 2026. 13 Lieu CH, et al. Integrating biomarkers and targeted therapy into colorectal cancer management. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2019;39:207-215. doi:10.1200/EDBK_240839 14 RYBREVANT Prescribing Information. Horsham, PA: Janssen Biotech, Inc. 15 Referenced with permission from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer V.3.2026 National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. All rights reserved. To view the most recent and complete version of the guideline, go online to NCCN.org. Accessed January 2026. 16 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and Lazertinib Combination Therapy Versus Osimertinib in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (MARIPOSA). https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04487080. Accessed January 2026. 17 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and LAZCLUZE in Combination With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Compared With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Osimertinib Failure (MARIPOSA-2). Available at: https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04988295. Accessed January 2026. 18 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Combination Amivantamab and Carboplatin-Pemetrexed Therapy, Compared With Carboplatin-Pemetrexed, in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Characterized by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Exon 20 Insertions (PAPILLON). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04538664. Accessed January 2026. 19 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of LAZCLUZE With Subcutaneous Amivantamab Compared With Intravenous Amivantamab in Participants With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (PALOMA 3). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05388669. Accessed January 2026. 20 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors Including Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (PALOMA-2). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05498428. Accessed January 2026. 21 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab Subcutaneous (SC) Administration for the Treatment of Advanced Solid Malignancies (PALOMA). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04606381. Accessed January 2026. 22 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab, a Human Bispecific EGFR and cMet Antibody, in Participants With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (CHRYSALIS). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02609776. Accessed January 2026. 23 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of LAZCLUZE as Monotherapy or in Combination With Amivantamab in Participants With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (CHRYSALIS-2). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04077463. Accessed January 2026. 24 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and Capmatinib Combination Therapy in Unresectable Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (METalmark). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05488314. Accessed January 2026. 25 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Combination Therapy With Amivantamab and Docetaxel in Participants With Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (swalloWTail). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06532032. Accessed January 2026. 26 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Combination Therapy With Amivantamab and Cetrelimab in Participants With Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (PolyDamas). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05908734. Accessed January 2026. 27 ClinicalTrials.gov. Premedication to Reduce Amivantamab Associated Infusion Related Reactions (SKIPPirr). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05663866. Accessed January 2026. 28 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab in Combination With Lazertinib, or Amivantamab in Combination With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy, for Common Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-Mutated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) (COPERNICUS). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06667076. Accessed January 2026. 29 ClinicalTrials.gov. Enhanced Dermatological Care to Reduce Rash and Paronychia in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGRF)-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Treated First-line With Amivantamab Plus Lazertinib (COCOON). https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06120140. Accessed January 2026. 30 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and mFOLFOX6 or FOLFIRI Versus Cetuximab and mFOLFOX6 or FOLFIRI as First-line Treatment in Participants With KRAS/ NRAS and BRAF Wild-type Unresectable or Metastatic Left-sided Colorectal Cancer (OrigAMI-2). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06662786. Accessed January 2026. 31 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and FOLFIRI Versus Cetuximab/ Bevacizumab and FOLFIRI in Participants With KRAS/ NRAS and BRAF Wild-type Colorectal Cancer Who Have Previously Received Chemotherapy (OrigAMI-3). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06750094. Accessed January 2026. 32 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab Alone or in Addition to Other Treatment Agents in Participants With Recurrent/ Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer (OrigAMI-4). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06385080. Accessed January 2026. 33 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab in Addition to Standard of Care Agents (SOC) Compared With SOC Alone in Participants With Recurrent/ Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer (OrigAMI-5). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07276399. Accessed January 2026. 34 LAZCLUZE Prescribing Information. Horsham, PA: Janssen Biotech, Inc. SOURCE Johnson & Johnson PYONGYANG, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has urged South Korea to make a "detail explanation" about the actual case of the latest drone incident, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday. Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, made the remarks in a press statement issued a day earlier. Connecting Excellence Group Plc CEO Scott Ellam talked with Proactive about the companys strategic expansion into Bitcoin-backed financial instruments and its long-term treasury ambitions. In the interview, Ellam introduced the XCE Bitcoin Bond, which he described as the first of its kind, highlighting its true bitcoin denomination feature and a refix mechanism designed to protect both shareholders and bondholders during market fluctuations. He explained that the bonds conversion price mirrors Bitcoins price, allowing for value preservation and flexibility even during market volatility. We've designed them to be beneficial for the bondholders, the shareholders and the business going forward, Ellam said. Ellam also discussed the groups treasury strategy, confirming that Connecting Excellence now holds 41.36 Bitcoin on its balance sheet, with a long-term goal of acquiring 1,000. The company intends to purchase Bitcoin with all available cash and on an ongoing basis, regardless of short-term price movements. Ellam cited a long-term compound annual growth expectation of 30% over the next decade. He referenced broader institutional momentum, including BlackRocks Bitcoin ETF and remarks from its CEO Larry Fink about potential nation-state adoption. Ellam suggested that such developments would significantly impact price trajectory and global adoption trends. Proactive: Scott, happy New Year and you started the new year running with two lots of news this morning, starting with your new Bitcoin-denominated convertible bond. The structure is being called a first of its kind. Tell us more? Scott Ellam: Yeah, so our XCE Bitcoin Bond is first of its kind. The two elements that make it unique are, firstly, the Bitcoin differentiator, which allows the conversion price to track the Bitcoin price. This gives investors and bondholders true Bitcoin denomination in the bond. Secondly, there's a refix at XCEs option, which means that if market sentiment is low and our share price isnt at the conversion price at maturity in 12 months, we can adjust it. That benefits shareholders and increases Bitcoin per share reflected in the conversion price. Weve designed it to benefit bondholders, shareholders, and the business going forward. Ultimately, what key investors want and what we want is for those bonds to be repaid back in shares, at a benefit to shareholders. Proactive: Can you explain how the Bitcoin price differentiator actually protects Bitcoin's value per share when markets are volatile? Scott Ellam: If Bitcoins price drops and our share price stays the same, the conversion price halves. That can be advantageous to bondholders and not harmful to shareholders. The business isnt trapped in an environment where the bond cant convert. If the Bitcoin price doubles, the conversion price doubles. Then, for us to call the bond, our share price must exceed a 120% soft call mark. That means bondholders are only in a soft call situation when our share price has outperformed Bitcoin. So, its true Bitcoin denomination. I believe its a scalable tool that will appeal to institutional investors, not just in the UK but globally, especially those already holding large amounts of Bitcoin. Proactive: You've also followed up on Decembers purchases with the acquisition of more Bitcoin. You now have 41.36 Bitcoin on the balance sheet. How do you decide when to buy more and when to pause? Scott Ellam: We want to buy Bitcoin with all available cash, all the time. As soon as we can buy Bitcoin, we do. We believe Bitcoin will see a 30% compound annual growth rate over the next ten years. Whether the price is up or down next week doesnt matter. Weve been buying for four years, and we plan to continue for 40 years. We see it becoming a globally recognised reserve commodity, asset, and money. You can already see corporate adoption Larry Fink at BlackRock has said its the most successful ETF theyve done. The infrastructure is in place. In 2025, I expect to see that reflected in 2026. So yes, we want to buy consistently, forever. Proactive: And what do you think is going to support Bitcoin going into 2026? Scott Ellam: To quote Larry Fink again if nation states start buying the asset, dont be surprised to see prices at 500,000 or 700,000. That may not happen this year, but its why were building a treasury. We want to secure 1,000 Bitcoin on the balance sheet as soon as possible. Our operating business will grow through talent attraction, share leverage, and welcoming other businesses into the group. Long-term, we see strong performance. To manage short-term volatility, the key is consistent buying over time. Other catalysts include the potential for a US strategic Bitcoin reserve. If the government goes ahead and starts buying in a budget-neutral way, other countries may follow. In that environment, who knows where Bitcoins price could go. But I only see it going up long term. Proactive: Well, Scott, I hope you continue to keep us updated with your progress. Thank you very much for taking the time today. Aftermath Silver Ltd (TSX-V:AAG, OTCQX:AAGFF) CEO Ralph Rushton talked with Proactive about the company completing the acquisition of the Berenguela project in southern Peru, which is now 100% owned by Aftermath. Rushton confirmed the complex legal process has concluded, allowing the company full control over the asset. The Berenguela project is a large silver-copper-manganese deposit, and the company is currently in its third phase of drilling. Rushton noted that the team is targeting both exploration zones and areas related to future infrastructure. He highlighted specific drill targets, including a copper zone on the eastern side and a copper-gold target in the southwest. Proactive: Welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom. And joining me now is Ralph Rushton. He is the CEO of Aftermath Silver. And Ralph, it's great to see you again. How are you? Ralph Rushton: I'm good. Happy New Year to you all. Yeah, Happy New Year to you as well. The company is out with some news talking about completing the official acquisition. So, the Berenguela project is now under your thumb, so to speak. Maybe just talk about that milestone for the company. Yeah, that's correct. The process started in 2020 when we first announced the acquisition of the project, so it's been a long time coming. We've had to make a series of staged payments along the way about $21 million Canadian in cash and shares and that's all been wrapped up. We had some fairly complicated legal work to go through to actually transfer the ownership of the project to us, but that's now done and dusted. As of the end of December, it's 100% owned by Aftermath. So that's that for us it's nice to have full control over the asset. It's an important asset for the company as well. Just remind everyone a little bit about it, and sort of the work that's been done up to this particular point. It's a large silver-copper-manganese project in southern Peru. We're currently drilling we're on our third phase doing some exploration drilling and drilling around potential infrastructure points for mine planning. I'll be going down to review that at the end of this month with some colleagues. It's a potential source of silver and copper metal. As of yesterday, copper hit an all-time high price, so the timing is good for us. Manganese is also a crucial battery metal. So we have three potential products all of which seem to be flying high in the commodities markets right now. When you talk about the drilling part of it, you said you're still drilling right now. It's sort of three key objectives you're looking for can you highlight what you're hoping the drilling will tell you? Yeah, we have some additional exploration targets on the project that we'd like to put some holes into. One is a copper target on the eastern side of the project, and the other is a copper-gold target towards the southwest. We've also gone into areas where we're looking at key infrastructure, and we'd like to collect some sample material for additional metallurgical test work. With the funding we completed in December we raised about $20 million we're now fully funded and can push on with engineering studies over the next 12 months. Hopefully, we'll get this to the point where the market appreciates the valuation as much as we do. And lastly, Ralph, having 100% ownership in the project gives you so much more flexibility being able to make decisions without having to consult anyone. That's a key part of this, right? It is. For example, the concession package we hold down there there are certain areas we don't believe have potential or are needed for future mining infrastructure. We're now in a position where we can reduce those landholdings and their associated holding costs accordingly. Thats the kind of stuff we can now do without needing to consult with partners. Quotes have been lightly edited for style and clarity Arizona Gold & Silver Inc (TSX-V:AZS, OTCQB:AZASF) CEO Mike Stark talked with Proactive about encouraging drill results from the companys Philadelphia project in Arizona. Stark confirmed the continuity of mineralization along strike, with new drill hole 158 showing exceptional continuity over a 110-metre spread from earlier holes 156 and 157. Hole 159 is also underway, targeting the same zone. Importantly, this progress is from just a small portion of the company's 3,100-acre land package. Proactive: Welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom. And joining me now is Mike Stark. He is the CEO of Arizona Gold & Silver. Mike, it's great to see you again. How are you? Mike Stark: Very well. Good morning. Last time we talked, you were in the process of putting together hole 158 at your Philadelphia project in Arizona. You've now got results from that, and I guess one way to say it isits more of the same. But in this case, thats a good thing. Tell me a bit about what you're seeing in that hole. Exceptional. Great. An exceptional continuity along strike now. This is a 110-metre spread from where we started at hole 156 to 157. Excuse me158. Hole 159 is actually in the process of reaching the target zone. And Ill bring that up as soon as I can. So investors know this is extremely large and, more importantly, showing great continuity along strike. Yeah, and that's the key because you're talking about a very small portion of your property. This is on the Perry claim. And thats a key point, isn't it? You're only on a small part of what is a very large land area. You know, I couldnt have said it better. Thank you. Look, the package we control is over 3,100 acres. Weve only looked at 3.5% of our property so far. Obviously, we're waiting for another permit. That permit process, by the way, is going extremely well. We hope to have some news for shareholders very soon. What Im excited about is that weve only looked at 3.5% of a three-kilometre strike length that we have a visual of, being at surface all the way along. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity here. You mentioned 2026 is going to be a pretty busy year, and the treasury getting busy as well. A lot of your long-term shareholders are continuing to support the company. We've had some excellent response on that. All the warrants in the December offering have been exercised. Now we're getting spillover from thatpeople are exercising the April warrants ahead of schedule. Its really made a nice difference in the treasury. Were well supported here now for a good runway. We're really, really appreciative of that. As you mentioned earlier, were talking about a further 60 metres north of the last reported drilling. So it continues to show the length of the strike. Thats important for people to understandyou continue to move things along as you suggested in earlier interviews. Absolutely. Look60 and 70 metres of mineralization, four grams in this casethose are excellent grades. We've got a high-grade vein at the top at 19 grams over four metres. Thats exceptional. And look, were going to turn the rig around on hole 160 and go southwest of hole 156 and drill down. Again, it's all on the website. I really encourage peopleif they want insightjust go to the website, go to the project page: Philadelphia. We're laying it out there. As a matter of fact, all the subscribers to the website got a Christmas letter this year, as I do every year. But more importantly, it maps out the likely next six months of where we are going to go. I was really thrilled to do that. We've had, again, an excellent start to 2026. I promise youtheres a lot more coming here. Quotes have been lightly edited for style and clarity Genflow Biosciences Ltd (LSE:GENF, OTCQB:GENFF) this week outlined a series of near- and medium-term catalysts as the company enters what management described as a pivotal year for delivery. Speaking to Proactive, chief executive Dr Eric Leire said 2026 is expected to be a year of catalysts, with the dog aging trial representing the most immediate milestone. Leire noted that the study is approaching unblinding, with early efficacy readouts expected once the blind is closed. While safety has already been confirmed, efficacy remains unknown due to the blinded, comparative design. Leire said the first data will focus on biological age, assessed through a methylation clock, while more detailed analysis of muscle biopsies and mitochondrial function will follow. He added that a positive outcome could be strategically important, as it may trigger a licensing deal with an animal health partner, bringing non-dilutive capital into the business. Beyond the dog program, Leire highlighted progress in the companys MASH pipeline, where Genflow Biosciences Ltd has repositioned its focus toward advanced fibrosis and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma. Here, we tak a closer look at what was said during the interview. Proactive: Eric, happy new year. Looking back at 2025, the dog aging trial was probably your most visible program. What would investors see as a meaningful success when the first data lands in the first quarter of 2026? Dr Eric Leire: Yes, 2026 should be a year of catalyst. The closest one is the dog study. We expect to close the blind shortly and have the first early readout of efficacy. We know the safety has been good, but it is a comparative and blinded trial, so we have no idea of the efficacy so far. We will first read out the easy endpoint, which is the crucial endpoint of biological age, determined by the methylation clock. The analysis of muscle biopsies and mitochondrial function will take more time, but we expect some very positive results. So far, everything has gone well. This trial could be very important for shareholders because it could trigger a deal with an animal health company, bringing non-dilutive money into the company. Proactive: Looking at other programs, you repositioned your MASH work toward advanced fibrosis. What convinced you the data supports that shift? Leire: In 2025, we saw a major change in the MASH landscape. There were no therapies before, and then two therapies arrived. Unfortunately, those products address early-stage MASH, where the disease is mostly silent. There remains a huge unmet need for advanced fibrosis, prevention of cirrhosis, and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma. The only competitor remains liver transplant, which is extremely limited. There are about 100,000 people waiting in the US, and around 10,000 die each year without a transplant. We think we have a good shot there. Preclinical data has been very positive on fibrosis. This year, we focused on advancing prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma, which is a major threat. We demonstrated this both in vitro and in vivo, and this is a key part of our IND package. That differentiates us from products currently on the market and could allow combination use rather than direct competition. Proactive: What type of licensing or collaboration would you consider validation of Genflow Biosciences Ltds platform? Leire: We try to license out some products at an early stage. We are a small company with a large pipeline, and it is difficult to finance everything. We keep the programs where we add value. The dog study is a perfect example of early-stage licensing. We want to license it to an animal health company, as we are not an animal health company. For MASH, early-stage deals are possible because of the huge unmet need. We may consider global or regional deals, including interest from Chinese companies. We are meeting potential partners during JPMorgan week. For glaucoma, we want a proof of concept and then license out to a company focused on ophthalmology. This allows us to focus on age-related diseases like sarcopenia. Proactive: Youre in the US for JPMorgan week, so we hope to speak again afterwards. Leire: Yes, it will be a busy week. We are fully booked with meetings. I want to thank shareholders for their patience. We work in a regulated industry and cannot skip steps. Now it is time to harvest our results and potentially bring non-dilutive cash into the company. Ocean Power Technologies Inc (NYSE-A:OPTT) CEO Philipp Stratmann talked with Proactive about the companys newly announced contract valued at over $5 million with the US Coast Guard. Stratmann explained how this milestone demonstrates a practical deployment of Ocean Power Technologies core mission delivering long-term, autonomous maritime surveillance solutions. These systems integrate with other sensors and data sources, including those from partners such as defense technology firm Anduril. Stratmann emphasized the benefit to end-users: a unified operating picture that abstracts the technical complexity. The CEO confirmed that the company had been preparing inventory ahead of this deal, allowing for rapid deployment. The contract also signals a strategic inflection point for Ocean Power Technologies as it enters a growth phase involving multi-buoy, multi-vehicle contracts and moves toward commercial integration of vehicle docking and charging. Proactive: Welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom. Joining me now is Philipp Stratmann. He is the CEO of Ocean Power Technologies. Philipp, good to see you again. Happy New Year. Philipp Stratmann: Happy New Year. Great to be back on again. Youve announced a $5 million-plus contract with the U.S. Coast Guard. Youve been talking about this system and how it works. This contract really showcases exactly what you were referring to. Absolutely. This is exactly the use case and the mission that we've been talking about publicly for a while nowusing multiple sets of our buoys equipped with surface surveillance and the ability to potentially tap into other sensors at a later stage. It's all about integrating into the common operating picture and having them out there for long periods of time so you know what's happening off your coastline. This is the perfect mission example we've been working towards. Talk to me a bit about how it's going to work, especially when you have other contractors youre working withdefense contractorsto put the system together. Yeah, absolutely. The way this works is, you have the buoys, and you put on the payloads you wantbe that primary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. We're super excited to be working with Anduril, whove obviously grown leaps and bounds in recent years. We're working with them on integrating all of this into a common operating picture that Homeland Security and its divisions, including the Coast Guard, can use. This enables pulling multiple data streams from multiple sourcesoffshore from us, subsea from us or others, onshore from Anduril or other partnersand putting it all into one unified picture. The operator gets the data they need without worrying about where it came from. They dont need to understand buoys; they just need to see the data in the way they want. Together with Anduril, we enable them to have what they truly need, rather than worrying about the collection mechanism. You had said to us in the past that you have a lot of this technology and infrastructure ready to go. Is this a fairly quick deployment? Yes. We've been working on building up our inventory, as we've spoken about in public releases. This enables us to convert pre-built buoys and get them into the hands of the Coast Guard pretty quickly. We're excited about getting this done in the very near termthis is going to start getting data out there maybe before people know it. Of course, that requires pulling together inventory from our catalog, but that enables a quicker conversion. This is just one contract, but its a big oneover $5 million. Is this the beginning of a growth phase? Are you expecting more contracts of this nature? Absolutely. There's been a lot of talk about vehicles, and weve had a lot of interest in that area. We've moved to motor vehicle contracts. Now we're into the multi-buoy phase. The combination of multi-buoys and multi-vehiclesthese types of contractsand ultimately launching commercial integration of vehicles docking and charging from buoys... that's what were really excited about. These multi-asset deployment efforts are where were headedbe that for the U.S. government or other allied partners we've been working with. Quotes have been lightly edited for style and clarity 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, Jan 10 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate on Saturday in the ongoing 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv', a grand four-day celebration commemorating 1,000 years of the resilience of Gujarat's iconic Somnath Temple since its first attack in January 1026 by Mahmud of Ghazni. New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate on Saturday in the ongoing 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv', a grand four-day celebration commemorating 1,000 years of the resilience of Gujaratas iconic Somnath Temple since its first attack in January 1026 by Mahmud of Ghazni. The festival, running from January 8 to 11, 2026, honours the temple's repeated destruction and reconstruction, symbolising India's unbroken faith, cultural pride, and civilisational spirit. It also marks 75 years of the historic rebuilding led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1951. In his post on X, PM Modi described the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv' as a powerful symbol of India's spiritual tradition, celebrated nationwide with immense devotion and enthusiasm. He said that he will arrive in Somnath on the evening of January 10 and, at around 8 p.m., have the privilege of joining the divine chanting of the Omkar mantra at the temple premises. This will be followed by viewing a spectacular drone show illuminating the skies over the Arabian Sea. The following morning, on January 11, at around 9:45 a.m., Prime Minister Modi will lead the Shaurya Yatraa"a ceremonial procession dedicated to the countless brave sons and daughters of Mother India ('Bharat Mata'), who sacrificed their lives defending the shrine through centuries of foreign invasions. The yatra will feature a symbolic one-km roadshow with 108 traditionally attired horsemen, reflecting valour and eternal sacrifice. Following the procession, PM Modi will offer prayers, perform darshan and pooja at the revered Jyotirlinga around 10:15 a.m., before addressing a public event at around 11 a.m. as part of the Swabhiman Parv. The festival includes highlights such as 72 hours of uninterrupted Omkar chanting by thousands of young priests and saints, spiritual music evenings, and various programmes emphasising national pride and heritage. PM Modi's visit underscores the Union government's focus on preserving and celebrating India's rich cultural legacy. The Somnath Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, stands as a symbol of eternal faith on Gujarat's coast, inspiring generations with its story of resurgence. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A total of 30 people were detained, cited and released overnight during demonstrations in Minneapolis, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, authorities said on Saturday. These protesters were detained "after blocking roadways and damaging property during a downtown march," the city of Minneapolis said in a statement, urging protesters to remain peaceful amid federal shooting aftermath. From Friday to Saturday, a large crowd of several hundred protesters gathered near the Canopy Hotel and Depot Renaissance Hotel. The Depot Renaissance Hotel suffered approximately 6,000 U.S. dollars in damage to windows and in graffiti, according to the city. Throughout the evening, the crowd moved downtown, with people throwing snow, ice and rocks at officers, police vehicles and other vehicles in the roadway. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara told media Saturday morning that those people were arrested after a group of protesters broke apart from the main group of over 1,000 demonstrators and allegedly blocked roadways and caused property damage. "I'm inspired by the countless community members who have showed up to provide food, advocate for justice and keep the peace," said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in a statement. "For the vast majority who have ensured we don't take the bait from the Trump administration, I'm grateful." "But if anyone causes property damage or puts others in danger, they will be arrested," he noted. Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was fatally shot on Wednesday by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. The city has remained tense following the shooting, as outrage has grown locally and nationwide. More than 1,000 protests and vigils are planned across the country on Saturday to honor Good. Washington, Jan 10, : President Donald Trump said the US-led effort to revive Venezuela's oil sector was aimed at preventing China and Russia from expanding their strategic footprint in the Western Hemisphere. Speaking at the White House along with executives of major American and international oil companies, Trump said Beijing or Moscow would have moved quickly to dominate Venezuela's energy resources had Washington not intervened. "If we didn't do this, China or Russia would have been there," Trump said. He said the United States would remain open to selling oil to China and other countries but insisted control over Venezuelan production must align with US interests. "We are open for business in the United States and we are open for business in Venezuela," Trump said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela had become a platform for hostile actors under the previous regime. "It was not in the national interest or national security of the United States to have in our own hemisphere a country controlled by an indicted narco trafficker," Rubio said. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Venezuela's decline had fueled instability beyond its borders. "The corruption and decline of Venezuela has been a crisis for the people of Venezuela," Wright said. Trump said US military action had created leverage without prolonged conflict. "Ordering both the tremendous military operation and then to use the power of our military, not to fire bullets but to stop the flow of Venezuelan oil," he said. He said the strategy mirrored US efforts to prevent Chinese and Russian influence in other strategic regions. "We're not going to have Russia or China occupy Venezuela," Trump said. Latin America has long been a region of strategic interest for the United States, with energy security and geopolitical competition shaping US policy across administrations. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Jan 10 : India has historical relations with Fiji which is growing further on mutual respect, cooperation and strong cultural and people-to-people ties, according to Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. In a bilateral meeting with Tomasi Tunabuna, Minister for Agriculture and Waterways of Fiji here, both the leaders discussed ongoing cooperation and outlined future areas of collaboration. Chouhan further underscored that both countries recognise the significance of agriculture and food security as key areas for bilateral cooperation. Both ministers held a fruitful discussion on a broad range of issues of mutual interest. The two sides agreed to extend the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a further five years and to establish a Joint Working Group (JWG) to advance cooperation. In addition to this, the key areas of collaboration discussed included student exchanges, training and capacity-building programmes, and technology sharing covering small-scale machinery, and digital agriculture tools. According to the ministry, the discussions also focused on strengthening research infrastructure, genetic exchange initiatives and knowledge sharing on reducing food loss and waste. Last month, India's High Commissioner to Fiji, Suneet Mehta called on Fiji's Minister for Immigration Viliame B Naupoto, and discussed matters of mutual interest, including on skilled mobility, people-to-people ties and further strengthening of bilateral ties. On December 11, High Commission of India in Fiji and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Suva organised a cultural evening with the Know India Programme (KIP) Alumni in Fiji. KIP Alumni shared their experiences about their visits to India and engaged in meaningful conversations. Earlier, Mehta called on Fiji's Minister for Policing and Communications Ioane Naivalurua and discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation. During the meeting, Mehta expressed India's commitment to sharing its expertise in large-scale digital identity platforms, cyber-security and innovative public service delivery with Fiji. In November, India delivered a consignment of Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) drugs to Fiji to assist in strengthening the island nation's health programme. a"IANS na/ Tokyo, Jan 10 : The city assemblies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have adopted statements urging the Japanese government to adhere to the country's Three Non-Nuclear Principles, Kyodo News reported. The Hiroshima City Assembly unanimously adopted its statement on Friday, pointing out that the ruling party's attempt to revise the non-nuclear principles has caused concern, and strongly urging the Japanese government to take the feelings of people in the atomic-bombed cities seriously and to uphold the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, the report said. The Nagasaki City Assembly passed its statement on Thursday by a majority vote, noting that successive Japanese governments have regarded the Three Non-Nuclear Principles as a national policy. It said the ruling party's intended revision of the principles while amending the country's security documents is totally unacceptable. On August 6 and 9, 1945, in an effort to force Japan, which had launched a war of aggression, to surrender as soon as possible, the US military dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, Xinhua news agency reported. The Three Non-Nuclear Principles, not possessing, not producing and not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japanese territory, were first declared by then Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967 and formally adopted by the parliament in 1971, establishing them as Japan's basic nuclear policy. The National Security Strategy, one of the three documents approved by the Cabinet in 2022, states, "The basic policy of adhering to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles will remain unchanged in the future." Japanese media have previously reported that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering reviewing the third of The Three Non-Nuclear Principles, which prohibits nuclear weapons from entering Japan's territory, when updating related documents. Earlier on December 24, a Japanese civil body had submitted a petition to the country's foreign ministry, calling on the government to clearly reaffirm its commitment to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles as a national policy. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Seoul, Jan 10 : South Korea's defence chief on Saturday denied North Korea's claims that its drones infiltrated into the North in September last year and earlier this week, saying the drones in question were not models operated by the South Korean military. North Korea claimed earlier in the day that South Korea infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions, saying that Seoul should be ready to "pay a high price" for what it called a provocation. In response to an inquiry by Yonhap News Agency, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the North's alleged claims were "absolutely not true," noting the photos of the drones released by the North were not of models owned by the South Korean military. "How could that be possible when the nightmare of martial law still feels like it was just yesterday?" Ahn said, adding the drone operation command, the Army's ground operations command and the Marine Corps headquarters had not conducted flight operations on the dates claimed by North Korea. Ahn also suggested the matter could be jointly investigated by South and North Korea, Yonhap news agency reported. In a statement issued by the spokesperson of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, North Korea claimed South Korea's drones had infiltrated into the North on two occasions, while denouncing Seoul as "the most hostile" enemy. On January 4, North Korea's military captured and tracked an air target moving northward from the sky over South Korea's Ganghwa County, Incheon, and struck the drone with special electronic warfare assets, forcing it to fall in Muksan-ri near the North's border city of Kaesong, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It also claimed that on September 27, a drone, which took off from the South's border city of Paju, fell into Jangphung County, Kaesong, after being struck down by the North's electronic means. The drone was returning after infiltrating the sky above Phyongsan County, North Hwanghae Province. The defence ministry said South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had ordered a 'thorough' investigation into the matter, with relevant agencies verifying the details of the case. "It has been confirmed that the South Korean military had not operated any drones on the dates claimed by North Korea," the ministry said in a notice. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New Delhi, Jan 10 : Senior Taliban member Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor has arrived in New Delhi to take over as Charge d'Affaires at Afghanistan's Embassy, officials said on Saturday. Noor Ahmad Noor has previously served as the Director General of the First Political Department at Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. India and Afghanistan have witnessed a steady rise in their bilateral relations in the past few months, especially after the seven-day visit of the Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in October last year. During this visit, Muttaqi had firmly asserted control over the Embassy here in New Delhi, indicating the Islamic Emirate's flag flying in front and behind him. "This is our flag. We fought jihad under this. This is 100 per cent our embassy. All those who are working here... they are all with us," Muttaqi said in response to a question by IANS, pointing to the Islamic Emirate's flag fluttering behind his back and at the front of his table while the embassy officially still hoists the former flag, representing the former regime of Ashraf Ghani. Notably, Mufti Noor was a part of the FM Muttaqi's delegation to New Delhi. Although India has not yet recognised the Taliban regime, it has been emerging as a key aid donor and continues to supply aid and medical supplies. Similarly, Afghan consulates, both in Mumbai and Hyderabad, are being run by Taliban appointed diplomats. Said Muhammad Ibrahim Khil, who was appointed by the government headed by former President Ashraf Ghani, was the CDA of the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. Meanwhile, there have been several high-ranking delegation visits from Afghanistan to India, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, trade, energy development and activating and effectively utilising the capacities of the India-developed Chabahar Port in Iran and attracting more investments. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Chennai, Jan 10 : Even as jallikattu events have begun across the delta districts and other parts of Tamil Nadu, a section of bull owners and jallikattu enthusiasts have raised serious concerns over what they describe as an opaque and subjective system for issuing tokens and permissions for bulls to participate in the sport. Owners allege that the selection process at major venues such as Alanganallur, Palamedu and Avaniyapuram in Madurai lacks transparency and scientific evaluation. According to them, officials responsible for approving bulls rely largely on subjective judgment rather than objective criteria to determine whether a bull has the physical ability, agility or temperament required for jallikattu. As a result, bulls that are not capable of performing effectively are also permitted to enter the arena, they claim. Sources from the State Animal Welfare Board said that veterinary officials and revenue authorities are primarily tasked with ensuring that no cruelty is inflicted on animals and that the bulls are medically fit. "There is no mechanism to assess a bull's ability to perform or succeed in jallikattu," a senior official said. Bull owners must register their animals on the official portal, ahd.tn.gov.in/jallikattu, to obtain tokens and approval for participation. On average, between 1,000 and 2,000 bulls are registered for each event held in districts such as Madurai, Pudukkottai, Tiruchy and Sivaganga. Tiruchy-based jallikattu activist M.P. Periyasamy of Jallikattu Meetpu Kazhagam said that despite high registration numbers, only about 600 to 700 bulls are eventually allowed to participate in Madurai events. He alleged that approvals are granted by tahsildars under the respective district collectors and are largely based on subjective assessments rather than transparent standards. Madurai-based bull owner S Santhana Pandiyan claimed that political influence plays a role in getting permissions at prominent venues. "Many owners spend years rearing bulls exclusively for jallikattu, but are denied approval. Several such owners were eventually forced to sell their bulls," he said. Officials said that as per the Standard Operating Procedure, jallikattu events should be conducted only between 6 am and 2 pm, during which a maximum of 400 bulls can be permitted. However, due to pressure from local communities, permissions are often extended to allow 600 to 700 bulls. "Based on feedback from stakeholders, the matter will be examined," an official said. In 2025, Tamil Nadu hosted 352 events, including jallikattu, Eruthu Vidum Vizha and Manju Virattu, across 19 districts, involving around 1.14 lakh bulls. This marked a significant increase compared to 214 such events held in 2024. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text January 10 : Lucknow: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, while lauding the extensive infrastructure reforms in Uttar Pradesh, said that the state has today emerged as the hub of Indias largest expressway and railway network. He said the launch of Ashok Leylands electric bus manufacturing unit in Lucknow is not only a milestone for the company, but also a historic step in Indias journey towards sustainable and self-reliant mobility. Kumaraswamy was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Ashok Leyland electric bus manufacturing facility at Sarojininagar. The Minister said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has drawn up a clear and ambitious roadmap towards achieving the goal of net-zero carbon emissions. Alongside this, the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives are being strengthened, particularly in the advanced manufacturing sector, which will shape the countrys industrial future in the years to come. He said the Government of India, through the Ministry of Heavy Industries, has undertaken several key initiatives to promote electric vehicles. The FAME-II scheme, with an outlay of 11,500 crore, has accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles across the country. Under this scheme, more than 16.71 lakh electric vehicles have come onto Indian roads and over 9,000 public charging stations have been sanctioned. Continuing this momentum, the PM e-DRIVE scheme, with an outlay of 10,900 crore, is providing sustained incentives for electric vehicles. Under the scheme, more than 20 lakh electric vehicles have been sold so far. Kumaraswamy said that to strengthen the automobile sector, the PLI Auto Scheme with an outlay of 25,938 crore has been implemented, mandating domestic value addition. In addition, the PLI Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) scheme, with an outlay of 18,100 crore, aims to create 50 GWh of battery manufacturing capacity in the country, which is a crucial step towards long-term energy security. He also referred to the recently approved REPM scheme, which has been cleared by the Union Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi with a budgetary outlay of 70,280 crore. The scheme seeks to promote indigenous manufacturing of sintered rare earth permanent magnets, which are critical components for electric vehicles, wind energy, defense equipment and electronics. The Union Minister said that special focus on the commercial vehicle segment is essential, as it accounts for more than 40% of transport-related pollution. Keeping this in mind, a provision of 2,000 crore has been made under the PM e-DRIVE scheme for setting up more than 70,000 charging stations across the country. Praising Ashok Leyland, Kumaraswamy said, the company has set a benchmark by establishing this state of the art manufacturing facility in a record time of just 18 months. Kolkata, Jan 10 : Kolkata Police have detained one person in connection with an email issuing a bomb threat to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. The detained individual has been identified as Subrata Dutta, the police said late on Friday night. However, the officers at Hare Street police station in central Kolkata have not yet confirmed whether the 68-year-old man himself sent the email. The threatening message came to the attention of officials at Raj Bhavan on Thursday night. The email stated that Governor Bose would be "blown up." Considering the content and seriousness of the message, the process of revamping the Governor's security was immediately initiated and Raj Bhavan officials informed the police. An investigation was launched to examine the message and determine its origin and the motive behind it. Following this investigation, officers from Hare Street police station detained the elderly man named Subrata on Friday. "In regard to the bomb threat to the Governor, a case started against Subrata Dutta Roy (68). The accused has been detained. Investigation is on," said a senior officer of Kolkata Police. A commotion had ensued after the threat message was received. Sources at Raj Bhavan said that the Kolkata Police and the CRPF are working jointly to ensure the governor's security. Extra precautions were taken regarding the security arrangements at Raj Bhavan. An emergency security meeting was held late on Thursday night among top officials who are responsible for the governor's security. It may be noted that Governor Bose receives 'Z-plus' category security. Despite this, the threat message prompted top officials to increase his security. However, receiving such threat messages is not a new phenomenon. The Governor has received threats on several occasions before. January 10 : Lucknow: The Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh has taken a significant step to encourage the establishment of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in the state. Under this initiative, eligible GCC units will be granted a front-end land subsidy for land purchases. This provision has been incorporated into the SOPs recently approved by the state cabinet, with region-wise subsidy rates to ensure balanced industrial growth across Uttar Pradesh. As per the policy, eligible GCC units set up in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad will receive a 30 percent land subsidy. Units established in Paschimanchal (excluding Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad) and the Madhyanchal region will be entitled to a 40 percent subsidy. To promote investment, the government has made a provision of up to 50 percent land subsidy for GCC units in Purvanchal and Bundelkhand. This targeted incentive is expected to boost fresh investments and generate employment opportunities in these areas. The land subsidy will apply only to units that purchase land from the State Industrial Development Authority, Development Authorities, urban local bodies, or other government agencies. Projects operating from rented premises or co-working spaces will not be eligible, as the policy aims to strengthen industrial development through the use of government-owned land. The government has also stipulated that beneficiary units must complete their projects within the prescribed timeframe. Until the stipulated period ends or commercial operations commence, the allotted land will remain mortgaged in favour of the concerned government authority. In case of delay or non-completion of the project, the subsidy amount may be recovered along with 12 percent annual interest. The financial burden of the subsidy will be borne by the Department of Industrial Development. The state government is confident that this incentive framework will accelerate the establishment of GCCs, expand IT and service-sector activities, and create substantial employment opportunities for the youth. With differentiated regional incentives and a special focus on Purvanchal and Bundelkhand, the policy seeks to ensure inclusive and balanced industrial development across Uttar Pradesh. Kolkata, Jan 10 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) is unhappy over the low number of private housing complexes with 300 or more residents identified so far in Bengal for setting up polling booths for the crucial Assembly elections scheduled later this year. Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that so far, only 69 such private housing complexes with 300 or more residents have been identified in West Bengal, far less than the estimated requirement. Of the 69 such private housing complexes, South 24 Parganas district houses the maximum 25, followed by 22 in the North 24 Parganas district, with both districts being adjacent to the state capital of Kolkata. Surprisingly, in Kolkata itself, only 10 such housing complexes have been identified, out of which eight are in North Kolkata and two in South Kolkata. This low number of identified private housing complexes in the state capital for setting up polling booths surprised the Commission, sources in the CEO's office said. Five such private housing complexes had been identified in Hooghly district, followed by four in another Kolkata-adjacent district of Howrah and three in East Burdwan district. Not a single such housing complex has been detected in the remaining 14 districts in the state. Since the Commission floated the proposal for setting up polling booths at private housing complexes with 300 or more voters, a political slugfest started over the issue. The Trinamool Congress vehemently opposed the proposal, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee even writing to the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, opposing the move. There are arguments both in favour and against the proposal. One argument is that setting up polling booths within housing complexes might cause inconvenience for the residents there. However, there is a second argument that setting up polling booths within housing complexes will make it convenient for elderly and ailing residents within the complex to cast their votes in the booths within the same complex, instead of travelling a distance to reach the nearby polling booth at any school. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania and China have committed to synergizing the implementation of development strategies to boost common development, according to a joint press communique released on Saturday. The communique was issued after talks between the foreign ministers of Tanzania and China in Dar es Salaam. Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and foreign minister, visited Tanzania on Friday and Saturday, during which he met with his counterpart, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo. The two ministers spoke highly of the traditional friendship between China and Tanzania, which is built on trust and mutual respect, said the communique. They noted with satisfaction the fruitful outcomes of China-Tanzania relations and friendly cooperation over the past six decades and committed to the practical implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state to further elevate the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to new heights. China reiterated its full confidence in Tanzania's leadership and institutions to manage internal affairs independently, the communique said, noting that Tanzania reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to supporting the one-China principle and reiterated its consistent position of recognizing that there is but one China in the world and respecting China's national unity and territorial integrity, underscoring that any form of secession is unacceptable. The two countries have committed to synergizing the implementation of development strategies, agreed to further expand two-way investment and trade, and reaffirmed their commitment to further fostering a fair and enabling business environment on both sides. The two sides agreed to jointly host activities related to the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and to expand cooperation in areas such as culture, tourism, education, public health, sports, youth, think tanks and media, so as to solidify public support for China-Tanzania friendship, the communique said. Stressing that the two sides welcomed the smooth commencement of the TAZARA Railway revitalization project and expressed their readiness to support its implementation, the communique said that the two sides are exploring the possibility of organizing a high-level TAZARA Railway Prosperity Belt meeting in the near future. January 10 : Lucknow: With the inauguration of vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leylands new manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradeshs capital Lucknow on Friday, significant progress has been made in the direction of vehicle manufacturing and industrial development. This plant is specifically focused on the production of electric vehicles, giving Lucknow a new identity on the green industrial map. Ashok Leyland Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja said that due to the support of the Yogi government and administrative promptness, preparing this plant in just 14 months became possible. On the occasion of the inauguration, Ashok Leyland Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja said that this is the companys first manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh. Praising Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said that a strong and reliable system has been created in the state for industrial development and investment. Modern infrastructure, strong connectivity, effective law and order, and accountable administration are today the identity of Uttar Pradesh, which is attracting industrialists and investors. Along with investment in the state, a large number of jobs will also be created. Expressing gratitude for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths support in bringing this project to the ground, he said that with clear policies and strong leadership, no goal is far away. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh is today known for Fearless Business, Ease of Doing Business, and Trust of Doing Business. It is noteworthy that Ashok Leyland was established in 1948 and today the company represents Indias manufacturing capability and technical prowess globally in 15 countries. Dheeraj Hinduja also praised Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. He said that the strength and stability of the defense system have created a reliable environment for investment in the country. Along with this, praising the positive environment developed for industries under the leadership of Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy, he said that concrete and effective initiatives are being taken in the direction of promoting clean energy-based transport. The country is continuously setting new records in the electric vehicle sector. According to Ashok Leyland company, this Lucknow plant has been designed keeping the future in mind. Through modern manufacturing technology and digital processes, electric vehicles can be produced here at a rapid pace. Ashok Leyland Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja said that wherever Ashok Leylands plant is established, the local community gets direct benefits there. Its positive impact will also be seen in Uttar Pradesh. Mentioning the companys Road to School initiative, he said that nutrition and education are being provided to more than 25 thousand students of government schools in the state. Chennai, Jan 10 : In a major push to strengthen ecological protection and climate resilience, the Tamil Nadu government has notified 100 forest blocks as Reserved Forests (RF) over the last four years, significantly expanding the state's legally protected green cover. The move, implemented between 2021 and 2025, reflects a sustained policy focus on conserving biodiversity-rich landscapes, securing wildlife corridors and safeguarding critical ecosystems against long-term environmental pressures. According to official data released by Forest Minister R.S. Raja Kannappan, the latest notifications have added around 135 sq km to the state's reserved forest area, increasing it from 26,450 sq km to 26,585 sq km. The newly notified forest blocks span 13,494.95 hectares and are spread across 10 districts -- Dindigul, Dharmapuri, Madurai, Kallakurichi, Theni, Sivaganga, Namakkal, the Nilgiris, Salem and Tenkasi. Among the additions, the Highways Forest Block in Theni district, covering 2,836.33 hectares, is the single largest. Officials said its notification underlines the government's emphasis on protecting ecologically sensitive landscapes that play a vital role in maintaining habitat continuity and climate stability. In the Nilgiris, forest officials highlighted the importance of the newly notified blocks in strengthening wildlife connectivity. Vengatesh Prabhu, Divisional Forest Officer (Gudalur), said the Cherumulli forest block borders the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, while the Yellamalai forest block lies close to the Mukurthi National Park. Bringing these areas under RF status, he said, would improve biodiversity conservation, enhance forest fire management and ensure long-term habitat protection in some of the stateas most species-rich zones. Prabhu noted that many of the lands now notified were earlier classified as janmam reserve lands. A special committee set up by the state government is identifying ecologically critical parcels that can be notified quickly. "Seven to eight more proposals, involving about 100 hectares, have already been forwarded to the government," he said. The notification of forest lands in the Megamalai region has drawn particular attention from conservationists. Officials said the Highways Forest Block and adjoining extensions fall within the Megamalaia"Srivilliputhur landscape, a key part of the southern Western Ghats known for high endemism and the movement of elephants, tigers and other wildlife. The newly notified blocks are expected to function as buffer and connectivity zones, helping curb fragmentation and regulate land-use pressures. In Dindigul, the process has resolved disputes that had stalled notifications for years. Divisional Forest Officer Naga Satish said several forest blocks had remained unnotified for nearly two decades due to boundary ambiguities. "A major survey exercise was required, and some of these patches are critical habitats, including for the slender loris," he said. Senior officials stressed that each notification followed a rigorous legal process under Section 16 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882. By granting permanent legal status to these forests, the state aims to secure wildlife habitats, protect watersheds, enhance carbon sequestration and reinforce forests as long-term ecological infrastructure essential for biodiversity, water security and climate resilience. New Delhi, Jan 10 : BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva on Saturday underscored the deep historical and cultural significance of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, stating that the year-long nationwide observance symbolises the resilience and strength of India's religious and civilisational heritage. Calling the Somnath Temple a living testament to India's unwavering faith, Sachdeva said the celebrations reflect the nation's collective pride and spiritual consciousness. Speaking to IANS, Sachdeva said, "The Somnath Swabhiman Parv will be celebrated across the country for one year. Our national executive president first offered prayers to Lord Shiva and later visited Lord Hanuman. The Somnath Temple was brutally attacked by foreign invaders in 1,026, yet despite repeated invasions, the strength of our religious and cultural heritage has remained firm. Even today, the temple stands as one of the most renowned in the world." He added that Somnath continues to inspire generations with its message of resilience, devotion, and national self-respect. The Somnath Swabhiman Parv, which began on January 8 and will continue until January 11, 2026, commemorates 1,000 years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple in January 1026 by Mahmud of Ghazni. The four-day grand celebration honours the repeated destruction and reconstruction of the temple over centuries, symbolising India's unbroken faith, cultural pride, and civilisational continuity. The event also marks 75 years of the historic reconstruction of the temple in 1951, led by India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to participate in key events of the Swabhiman Parv on Saturday. In a post on X, the Prime Minister described the Somnath Swabhiman Parv as a powerful symbol of India's spiritual tradition, noting that it is being celebrated across the nation with immense devotion and enthusiasm. He said he would arrive in Somnath on the evening of January 10, where he would take part in the divine chanting of the Omkar mantra at around 8 p.m. at the temple premises, followed by a spectacular drone show over the Arabian Sea. On January 11, Prime Minister Modi will lead the Shaurya Yatra at around 9:45 a.m., a ceremonial procession honouring the brave sons and daughters of the country who laid down their lives defending the sacred shrine over centuries of invasions. The yatra will feature a symbolic one-kilometre roadshow with 108 traditionally attired horsemen, representing valour and eternal sacrifice. Following this, the Prime Minister will offer darshan and pooja at the revered Jyotirlinga and later address a public gathering. The festival also features 72 hours of uninterrupted Omkar chanting, spiritual music evenings, and cultural programmes highlighting national pride, faith, and heritage, making the Somnath Swabhiman Parv a profound celebration of India's enduring spiritual legacy. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Jan 10 : In a bid to allow investigators to analyse the actions of air traffic controllers (ATCs) after an incident or accident, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has recommended the mandatory installation of video recording devices inside ATC towers at all international airports in the country. The move comes following AAIB's investigation into a runway incident at Delhi airport in November last year, when an aircraft operated by Ariana Afghan Airlines landed on an unassigned runway at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital. According to reports, the aviation accident regulator, which comes under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, said this move will significantly strengthen safety oversight and post-event scrutiny. ATC towers at international airports should be equipped with systems capable of recording video as well as background communications within control rooms, it added. According to AAIB, this data would be crucial in reconstructing events and understanding controller decision-making during abnormal or high-risk situations. Such recordings should be made available for investigative use by both the AAIB and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). AAIB said in the report that "Safety recommendation is made to analyse the controller's actions post any incident or accident," emphasising the need for priority implementation at international airports in the country. The AAIB said it has already recorded initial statements from the flight crew and air traffic controllers involved in the November incident. In addition, approach radar recordings have been secured for further technical analysis, along with ATC communication transcripts. The probe into the runway deviation incident is ongoing. While the preliminary report stops short of assigning responsibility, the recommendation underlines growing regulatory focus on using technology-driven oversight tools to improve aviation safety and accountability. Moreover, the probe has also widened its scope to include crew statements relating to other arriving and departing flights operating around the time of the incident. IANS na/ Brasilia, Jan 10 : Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez discussed the Mercosur-EU free trade agreement and the situation in Venezuela, Brazil's presidential office said. During their telephone conversation on Friday (local time), Lula thanked the Spanish government for supporting the agreement and called the deal "a very positive signal in defence of multilateralism and predictable, stable trade rules." On Venezuela, they highlighted a joint statement issued along with Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay, which rejects any division of the world into spheres of influence and opposes the use of force in international relations without authorisation under the UN Charter, reports Xinhua news agency. They also welcomed the announcement made on Thursday in Caracas by Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on the release of Venezuelan and foreign detainees, including four Spanish nationals. Lula confirmed that Brazil sent 40 tons of dialysis supplies and medicines on Friday to help replenish stocks at a distribution centre damaged by US bombings on January 3. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of organising a new edition of the forum "In Defence of Democracy: Combating Extremism" in Spain in the coming months. Additionally, Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday held phone talks with the Brazilian President, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. On her Telegram channel, Rodriguez said the leaders agreed on the importance of advancing a cooperation agenda, amid what she described as "the grave criminal, illegal and illegitimate aggression" perpetrated against Venezuela. Rodriguez said she briefed the three leaders on the US armed attacks against the South American country, which caused the killing of civilians and military personnel. "We agree on the need to advance with a broad bilateral cooperation agenda, based on respect for international law, State sovereignty and dialogue between peoples," Rodriguez said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Employment opportunities expanding in UP, youth to get training and jobs. Image Source: IANS January 10 : Lucknow: Amid the rapidly growing industrial and investment-friendly environment in Uttar Pradesh, the inauguration of the new manufacturing plant of Ashok Leyland is emerging as a major gateway to new employment opportunities in the state. The plant is not only a symbol of industrial growth but is also creating large-scale direct and indirect employment opportunities for the youth. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has stated that this manufacturing unit has opened employment avenues for thousands of young people, both directly and indirectly, providing fresh momentum to the states economy. The Ashok Leyland plant will offer direct employment to 1,000 people, while more than 2,000 additional jobs are expected to be generated through ancillary industries, logistics, the service sector, and MSME units linked to it. Overall, this project is set to support the livelihoods of thousands of families. In addition, the company is preparing to sign an important MoU with the state government under which 10,000 youth from Uttar Pradesh will receive skill development training every year. This initiative will ensure that young people not only secure employment but also gain modern industrial training, enabling them to qualify for better-quality jobs in the future. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh has established a new national identity in the fields of investment and industry over the past nearly nine years. Through investment-led employment initiatives, the state government has provided strong employment assurance to more than 60 lakh youth. This reflects that investments are no longer limited to paperwork but are being translated into real projects and visible job creation on the ground. The latest data from the Labour Department further validates this transformation. From March 2016 to December 26, 2025, a total of 30,219 factories have been registered in the state, creating employment for over 3.63 crore people. Additionally, 96 units have been registered in Special Economic Zones and exclusive economic areas. Nearly 23,000 MoUs have also been signed on the Nivesh Sarathi portal, which are expected to generate around 90 lakh jobs. The Ashok Leyland plant stands as a concrete outcome of these MoUs and ground-level industrial projects. The Ashok Leyland plant will help establish Uttar Pradesh as a major hub for automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturing. With the commencement of operations, local youth will gain employment along with opportunities in technical skills, machinery operations, automobile engineering, and supply chain management. This development will also significantly boost small industries, transport services, auto-parts manufacturing units, and repair services in the region. Kolkata, Jan 10 : Two senior BJP leaders in West Bengal, namely the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari and state vice-president of BJP, Jagannath Chattopadhyay, have challenged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to prove her allegations on their involvement in the coal smuggling case within a reasonable point of time or face defamation. The counsel of Adhikari had already sent a notice of defamation to the Chief Minister, asking the latter to provide all purported evidence in the matter within 72 hours or face defamation proceedings, both civil and criminal. On the other hand, Chattopadhyay had released a video message on the wall of his social media handle challenging the Chief Minister to either prove her allegations within a reasonable time or face defamation proceedings. Chattopadhyay, who was the state general secretary of the BJP in West Bengal, was elevated to the position of the state vice-president in the recently announced new state committee of the party. The reactions of both Adhikari and Chattopadhyay, challenging the Chief Minister in the matter, came amid her public statements in the last few days that "the proceeds of the coal smuggling cases in West Bengal reached the level of the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, through Chattopadhyay or via Adhikari". Chattopadhyay had also pointed out that during the peak period of coal smuggling in West Bengal from 2016 to 2020, he was a journalist, and he quit journalism and joined the BJP after that, before the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. "During that period from 2016 to 2020, I did several reports as a journalist on the alleged coal smuggling scam in West Bengal. I am still in possession of the supporting documents for my news reports. So far, as a BJP leader, I have never made public the documents that I collected as a journalist before joining politics. But now, since my personal image has been maligned, if necessary, I will make those documents public. Will that be good for the image of the Chief Minister and her party?" questioned Chattopadhyay in his video message. "I challenge the Chief Minister to provide all purported evidence in the matter within 72 hours or face the legal consequences," Chattopadhyay said. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 10 : A day after being arrested and sent to judicial custody in connection with the gold theft case, Sabarimala priest Kantaru Rajeevar was on Saturday morning moved to the state-run Medical College Hospital after he felt unwell. It was late on Friday night that Kantaru Rajeevar was remanded to judicial custody by a court in Kollam after his arrest was recorded by the Kerala High Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). On Saturday morning, the 'tantri (priest)' after being served breakfast in the Special Sub-jail here, reported to the jail staff that he wished to see a doctor. After the jail doctor examined him, he was moved to the General Hospital and after a detailed examination it was decided to shift him to the Medical College Hospital here for treatment. Rajeevar was arrested by the SIT after being questioned for several hours over his alleged role in the gold theft case. Investigators said the decision to arrest him was taken only after a detailed examination of the evidence and after seeking legal advice. The SIT has maintained that the arrest followed due procedure and was not made in haste. The remand report submitted before the court places significant emphasis on the position and responsibilities of the 'tantri' as defined in the Devaswom Manual. According to the manual, the 'tantri' occupies a post equivalent to that of an Assistant Commissioner in the Devaswom hierarchy. The report underlines that the 'tantri' is among the highest-ranking authorities in matters relating to temple rituals as well as the protection and management of Devaswom assets. Investigators have also highlighted that the 'tantri' carries a crucial responsibility in safeguarding Devaswom properties, a factor the SIT has cited to underscore the gravity of the allegations in the gold theft case. A key issue examined during the probe was the nature of the remuneration received by the 'tantri', described in the Devaswom Manual as 'paditharam'. Initially, there was confusion over whether 'paditharam' constituted a ritual offering or 'dakshina', or whether it was a formal payment. After seeking legal clarification, the SIT concluded that 'paditharam' is remuneration and not a voluntary offering. The SIT has further stated that the tantri is a salaried functionary who receives payment from the Devaswom Board, a finding that has been incorporated into the remand report. A team of state BJP leaders on Saturday visited the home of the arrested 'tantri' at Chengannur. Meanwhile on Tuesday the bail application of the 'tantri' is coming up and until then in all likelihood he will be in his hospital bed. Kolkata, Jan 10 : Kolkata Police personnel on Saturday afternoon reached the residence of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) co-founder Pratik Jain to identity the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and the accompanying Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) team present during Thursday's raids by the central agency. The identification of the ED and CRPF officials and personnel engaged in Thursdayas raid and search operation is being done both from the footage of CCTV cameras installed at Jainas residence, as well as through statements of those residing in the area. Apart from the family members, the statements of the domestic staff and the personnel of the security agency deployed at the residence of Jain are also being recorded by the police. Already, West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, has registered two complaints at two police stations regarding the EDas simultaneous raid and search operations at Jainas residence at Loudon Street and I-PACas office at Salt Lake on the northern outskirts of Kolkata. One complaint has been registered at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station under whose jurisdiction Jainas Loudon Street residence comes. The other complaint had been registered at the Electronic Complex Police Station under Bidhannagar City Police, under whose jurisdiction I-PACas Salt Lake office comes. However, in both complaints, neither any ED officials nor CAPF personnel have been named. The complaints have been registered at the two police stations against unidentified individuals. In addition, Kolkata Police have also filed a suo motu complaint in the matter at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station. The West Bengal BJP leadership had claimed that it was unprecedented in Indian democracy that the state police is hounding the officials of a central investigating agency just because they were performing their official duty by conducting the raid and search operations. The raids were held in connection with an old coal smuggling case. The ED has linked the multi-crore coal smuggling syndicate of Anup Majee to political consultancy I-PAC via a hawala trail. Imphal, Jan 10 : The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), one of the apex bodies representing tribal communities in Manipur, on Saturday reiterated that the ten MLAs belonging to the Kuki-Zo tribal community would not, under any circumstances, participate in the formation of the state government. The ITLF maintained that its stand remained unchanged, asserting that the Kuki-Zo legislators would continue to stay away from any government formation process until their core demands are addressed. The forum also underlined that the decision reflects the collective sentiment of the Kuki-Zo community amid the prevailing situation in the state. ITLF Chairman Letpu Haokip and General Secretary Thangsuolien Sinate in a joint statement said that no Kuki-Zo MLA shall join the Manipur government. "Any deviation shall be viewed as a betrayal of the collective will and sacrifices of the Kuki-Zo people. Since the outbreak of the ethnic violence in Manipur in May 2023, following the failure of the state government to protect the Kuki-Zo people, our 10 MLAs sought separate administration from the Union of India. This position stands firm," the tribal leaders said. Of the ten legislators from the Kuki-Zo tribal community, seven belong to the BJP, while the remaining three represent other smaller local parties. They said that the ITLF in its meeting held on Friday, unanimously endorsed the decision of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) governing council that the Kuki-Zo people cannot and shall not join the formation of the Manipur government under the present circumstances. The joint statement said that the Kuki-Zo people have been subjected to inhuman treatment and they were butchered, paraded naked, and forcibly chased out from the Imphal Valley region. It claimed that thousands of houses have been burnt, places of worship destroyed and desecrated, and over 40,000 people remain internally displaced, having lost their homes, land, and livelihoods. "The violent separation and forced displacement of the Kuki-Zo people from Meitei-dominated areas have irreversibly broken trust and coexistence. Under such conditions, continuing within the present Manipur administrative framework is untenable. Hence, the demand for a separate administration is a constitutional and political necessity," the ITLF said. The apex tribal body said that the Kuki-Zo people have placed their demand for a Union Territory with a legislature before the government of India. "After formally seeking this political solution, there is no logic in joining the Manipur government," the organisation said. Meanwhile, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), the apex body of the Kuki-Zo tribal community in Manipur, earlier this week announced that it will not participate in the formation of the state government under any circumstances. KZC Chairman Henlianthang Thanglet and General Secretary Thangzamang in a joint statement said that the council in its latest meeting undertook a careful and comprehensive assessment of the prevailing political, social, and security realities in Manipur. After extensive deliberations and in reflection of the collective will and sentiment of the Kuki-Zo people, the governing council unanimously adopted a resolution. The KZC said that if any individual chooses to participate in the formation of the government of Manipur, such participation shall be solely at his or her own responsibility, and the Kuki-Zo Council shall not be held accountable in any manner. However, the Central government, the BJP and all the Meitei groups on a number of occasions rejected the KZC and the ITLF's demand for a separate administration like Union Territory with a legislature. CAIRO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas discussed here on Saturday ways to enhance bilateral cooperation following the elevation of their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency. During the meeting, Sisi highlighted the significant progress in Egyptian-European relations and called for further strengthening trade and investment ties, according to the statement. Kallas noted that ongoing cooperation with Egypt was demonstrated by the first EU-Egypt summit held in October 2025 and expressed willingness to continue economic cooperation with Egypt. The discussions also addressed regional security issues, including combating terrorism and illegal immigration, the latest developments of the Gaza ceasefire deal, and the situation in Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Ukraine, according to the statement. Egypt and the EU elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024, under which the EU announced a 7.4-billion-euro (8.66 billion U.S. dollars) support package for Egypt during 2024-2027. This includes up to 5 billion euros in concessional macro-financial assistance, 1.8 billion euros in investment guarantees and blended finance, and around 600 million euros in grants. Egypt expects the remaining 4 billion of the macro-financial assistance package to be disbursed in three tranches by 2027, with the EU having provided 1 billion euros as the first tranche in late 2024. Kallas said the second tranche will be disbursed in the coming days. New Delhi, Jan 10 : The India-Oman CEPA establishes a comprehensive framework covering trade in goods and services, investment, professional mobility, and regulatory cooperation, while maintaining a balanced approach to market access and safeguards -- expected to boost bilateral trade, generate employment, strengthen supply chains, and support deeper and more sustained economic engagement between India and Oman, an official statement said on Saturday. New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) The IndiaOman CEPA establishes a comprehensive framework covering trade in goods and services, investment, professional mobility, and regulatory cooperation, while maintaining a balanced approach to market access and safeguards -- expected to boost bilateral trade, generate employment, strengthen supply chains, and support deeper and more sustained economic engagement between India and Oman, an official statement said on Saturday. Trade and commerce have been a key pillar of bilateral cooperation between India and Oman, with both sides recognizing the potential for further growth and diversification in bilateral trade. During FY 202425, bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $10.61 billion, compared to $8.94 billion in FY 202324. Trade during the period AprilOctober 2025 stood at $6.48 billion. Under the CEPA, India secures 100 per cent duty-free market access for its exports to Oman, covering 98.08 per cent of Oman's tariff lines and accounting for 99.38 per cent of India's trade value, based on the average for 202223. All zero-duty concessions apply from the first day of the agreement's entry into force, providing immediate certainty to exporters. Presently, only 15.33 per cent of India's export value and 11.34 per cent of tariff lines (202224 average) enters the Omani market at zero duty under the MFN (Most Favored Nation) regime. With CEPA, Indian exports to Oman that earlier faced duties of up to 5 per cent, valued at around $3.64 billion, are expected to gain significantly from improved price competitiveness. The agreement opens export opportunities across engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and processed food, marine products, textiles, chemicals, electronics, plastics, and gems and jewellery. A calibrated liberalisation approach, including an exclusion list, protects sensitive sectors while supporting MSMEs, labour-intensive industries, and region-wide export growth, according to the official statement. "With enhanced access to Oman's import market of over $28 billion, supported by streamlined regulatory procedures, reduced compliance requirements, and faster market entry, Indian exporters are well positioned to expand their presence across multiple product segments," it added. At the same time, India has placed multiple tariff lines in the exclusion list. This move intends to protect key domestic sectors and sensitive value-chain industries and also safeguard manufacturing competitiveness and farmer interests. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 10 : In a significant political development in Kerala, senior CPI(M) leader and three-time former Devikulam MLA S. Rajendran is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), marking a major shift in a constituency long regarded as a Left bastion. Rajendran, a prominent leader from Idukki district, confirmed on Saturday that he recently held discussions with BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Speculation about his possible move to the BJP has been circulating for nearly three years. Speaking about the meeting, Rajendran said he had not placed any personal demands and had set no conditions for joining the party. Earlier, he had also travelled to New Delhi to hold talks with senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar, indicating sustained engagement with the BJP's central leadership. Rajendran has had a long political career within the CPI(M). He was first elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from the Devikulam Assembly constituency in 2006 and successfully retained the seat in the 2011 and 2016 elections. Prior to this, he served as president of the Idukki District Panchayat in 2003, emerging as a key political figure in the high-range region. However, his relationship with the CPI(M) deteriorated after the 2021 Assembly elections. Allegations surfaced that he had worked against LDF candidate Raja in Devikulam. A party-level inquiry later found the allegations to be true, following which Rajendran was suspended from the CPI(M) in 2022 for a period of one year. Despite repeated efforts by party leaders to bring him back into the fold, Rajendran remained unwilling to return. During the subsequent parliamentary and panchayat elections, speculation about his imminent switch to the BJP intensified, though he consistently maintained that no final decision had been taken. It is now learnt that Rajendran is likely to formally take BJP membership at a meeting to be held in Munnar, under the leadership of senior BJP state leaders. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New Delhi, Jan 10 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) named two more accused in the Assam Independence Day IED seizure case of 2024 in a supplementary charge sheet filed in a Special Court in Guwahati, an official said on Saturday. In its supplementary charge sheet filed before the NIA Special Court on Friday, the anti-terror agency indicted Bhargab Gogoi and Sumu Gogoi under various sections of the IPC, Explosive Substance Act, and UA(P) Act. With the naming of two more accused, the total number of accused chargesheeted in the case has risen to five, as NIA had earlier, in June last year, charged three other accused in the case. The freshly named two accused, both residents of Dibrugarh district of Assam, were arrested in June 2025 by the NIA. Earlier, the NIA took over the case from the Dispur police in September 2024. The NIA investigations revealed that the two men had provided terror funds to the chargesheeted accused Jahnu Boruah, who had confessed to planting four of the 11 IEDs that were seized by the police in August 2024. The IEDs had been planted as part of a protest and Independence Day boycott call given by ULFA(I) chief Paresh Baruah. The Assam Police had initially registered the case, relating to the ULFA (I) conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India by attempting to carry out multiple IED blasts across Assam, at Dispur police station. The NIA, which took over the investigation into the case from Dispur police in September 2024, had in June 2025 chargesheeted three accused in the case under various sections of the BNS, UA(P) Act and the Explosives Substance Act. The three chargesheeted accused included Paresh Baruah alias Paresh Asom alias Kamruj Zaman Khan alias Nur-uz-Zaman alias Zaman Bhai alias Pradip alias Paban Baruah, chairman and SS Commander-in-Chief of the proscribed terrorist groups ULFA-I. The other two accused named in the charge sheet were Abhijit Gogoi alias Abhijeet Gogoi alias Aishang Asom and Jahnu Boruah alias Arnob Asom alias Huntu. Earlier in the month, ULFA-I claimed that its Eastern headquarters in Myanmar had been targeted by the Indian Army with drones in the early hours -- a claim denied by the Army. The proscribed outfit in a press statement claimed that in these cross-border strikes, their 19 cadres were killed, and another 19 were injured. Bhopal, Jan 10 : The Madhya Pradesh Congress strongly criticised the BJP government on Saturday. A joint press conference was held at the Rajiv Gandhi Auditorium in the State Congress Office in Bhopal. Former Minister PC Sharma, Bhopal City District Congress Committee President Praveen Saxena, and State Spokesperson Rahul Raj addressed the media. Praveen Saxena termed the Bhagirathpura incident "government-sponsored murders". He blamed criminal negligence and administrative failure by the BJP government, and alleged that twenty people died and more than one thousand citizens fell ill due to poisonous water. In protest, the Madhya Pradesh Congress will hold a state-level Nyay Yatra (march for justice) on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 11 a.m. The march will start from Bada Ganpati Temple and proceed to Rajwada Chowk near the statue of Maa Ahilyabai Holkar in Indore, Saxena said. Senior leaders, elected representatives, office-bearers, party workers and many common citizens will join the protest, he added. The Congress leaders said their main demands include immediate removal of the Indore mayor, resignation of Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya for his insensitive statements to the press, and compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased instead of Rs 2 lakh. The Congress leaders also called for a judicial inquiry into the matter and registration of culpable homicide cases against those responsible. They said the struggle will continue from the streets to Parliament until justice is served to the victims. Targeting the ruling BJP government and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, PC Sharma said Madhya Pradesh already carries a debt of Rs 4 lakh crore from the time of Shivraj Singh Chouhan's tenure. He added that the new 60:40 ratio in MNREGA expenditure will put an extra burden of Rs 5,000 crore on the state every year. He pointed out that e-KYC verification is pending for 90.5 per cent of active MNREGA workers, the highest in the country. He described these policies as anti-labour and said the poor are being deliberately deprived of their rights. The Congress opposes this law and demands its immediate withdrawal by the Modi government. It will intensify the Save MNREGA campaign from every panchayat to the streets. Rahul Raj accused Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of being the main architect behind replacing MNREGA with the new act. He called it a direct attack on the right to work for the poor and "a murder of Gandhi's ideals of Gram Swaraj". He said the new law will add an annual burden of Rs 5,000 crore to the state's existing debt of Rs 4.5 lakh crore. He criticised the provision to suspend work for 60 days during the harvest season, alleging that it is a conspiracy to force labourers into migration and cheap labour. He questioned whether MNREGA workers' wages will now face delays similar to crop insurance payments. He accused Shivraj Singh Chouhan of speaking of Ram while acting against the rights of labourers and farmers. Thiruvananthapuram Jan 10 : A sharp political and inter-state row has broken out over the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025, with the Kerala government firmly rejecting allegations of linguistic imposition following strong criticism from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. In a detailed statement posted on social media, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the apprehensions raised over the Bill do not reflect either its content or its inclusive spirit. He asserted that Kerala's development model has always been anchored in equality, brotherhood, and constitutional values such as secularism and pluralism. Vijayan pointed out that the legislation contains a clear non-obstante clause safeguarding the rights of linguistic minorities, particularly Kannada- and Tamil-speaking communities. He emphasised that the Bill does not impose any language and fully protects linguistic freedom. In notified areas, linguistic minorities can continue to use their mother tongues for official correspondence, including with the Secretariat and local offices, with replies issued in the same language. Students whose mother tongue is not Malayalam are free to choose languages offered in schools under the National Education Curriculum, and students from other States or foreign countries are not required to appear for Malayalam examinations at the secondary or higher secondary levels. The policy, Vijayan said, is fully aligned with the Constitution and the Official Languages Act, 1963. Local Self Government Minister M.B. Rajesh accused Siddaramaiah of reacting out of political vendetta, linking his opposition to Vijayan's recent criticism of the "Bulldozer Raj" in Yelahanka, Karnataka. Rajesh noted that the Bill was passed unanimously by the Kerala Legislative Assembly and questioned why Congress legislators did not oppose it at the time. He termed Siddaramaiah's remarks "dangerous and irresponsible" and demanded that they be withdrawn, alleging an attempt to spread misinformation and hostility against Kerala. In a strongly worded post, Siddaramaiah on Friday said language for linguistic minorities is a matter of identity and dignity, not merely a subject. He warned that enforcing a different first language could burden students and affect academic confidence, and urged Kerala to withdraw what he described as a coercive approach. While affirming Kerala's right to promote Malayalam, he maintained that promotion should not turn into imposition. --IANS sg/pgh Indore, Jan 10 : Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said on Saturday that the health situation in Indore's Bhagirathpura area, where contaminated drinking water killed several people recently, is steadily returning to normal. However, the health department has been put on alert to provide all possible treatment to the people. The Minister said that the administration has decided to conduct a health check-up of every resident in the Bhagirathpura area and the process has already started. He said that multiple teams of medical staff have been deployed to carry out health check-ups during door-to-door visits in the area. "There are around 50,000-60,000 people residing in Bhagirathpura area and their health check-up is being conducted by multiple teams of medical staff, and if someoneas health condition is found to be deteriorating, he/she will be provided better treatment," Vijayvargiya said during an inspection visit to the site on Saturday. The Minister informed that 30 per cent work on laying a new pipeline to provide Narmada drinking water has been completed and the samples are being tested at multiple locations. He said that Narmada water supply in some parts of the Bhagirathpura area will start in the next two-three days. Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Neeraj Mandloi, along with ACS and Indore in-charge Anupam Rajan, district collector Shivram Verma and Indore Municipal Commissioner Kshitij Singhal carried out an inspection to take stock of the situation on the ground. During the inspection, officials were seen interacting with residents. ACS Neeraj Mandloi said that water supply in one-third area of Bhagirathpura will be resumed in the next one or two days. "Around a 15-20 km-long water pipeline is being laid, but it will take time. Approval for all development works has been given and the entire work will be completed in the next one or two months," Mandloi told media persons. Mandloi reached Indore on Friday evening and held a meeting with senior administrative officials, including the district collector and commissioner, late at night. Patna, Jan 10 : After a hearing at a Delhi court in the land-for-jobs case, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav returned to Patna on Saturday. He was accompanied by his eldest daughter and Patliputra Lok Sabha MP Misa Bharti. Upon arrival at Patna Airport, Misa Bharti briefly interacted with media persons and told them that charges will be formally framed on January 29 during the next hearing in the land-for-jobs case. Lalu Prasad Yadav had been staying in Delhi for over a month following eye treatment. He successfully underwent cataract and retina surgery at the Centre for Sight, Delhi, on December 20, 2025. After the surgery, he was recuperating at the official residence of Misa Bharti in the national capital. A significant ruling by the Special CBI court at Rouse Avenue has triggered fresh political turmoil within the RJD. In the land-for-jobs scam, the court has ordered the framing of charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, their sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, daughter Misa Bharti, and other accused. The court has directed that Lalu Prasad Yadav be prosecuted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Following the courtas order, sharp reactions emerged from leaders of the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U). JD-U leader and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar launched a scathing attack on the Lalu family on Friday, alleging that they had been running a "criminal political syndicate" and had tarnished the legacy of the socialist movement in Bihar. He said that the court's order was a natural outcome of the family's actions and appealed for the expeditious disposal of the case. Neeraj Kumar further demanded that the assets of the Lalu family be confiscated. He suggested that orphanages, old-age homes, and hostels for the extremely backward classes should be constructed on the seized properties, stating that such action would set a strong social precedent and send a clear message that politics is not a business and corruption will have serious consequences. New Delhi, Jan 10 : A cryptic social media post by Rohini Acharya, daughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, has triggered sharp political reactions, with the Janata Dal United (JD-U) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, claiming that there is growing internal dissent within the Yadav family that could soon turn into an open conflict. The controversy erupted after Rohini Acharya shared a strongly worded post on social media, which, without naming anyone, has been widely interpreted as an attack on her brother and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav. In her social media post, she suggested that to destroy a agreat legacy", outsiders are not required, as oneas own people are sufficient. In a Facebook post, Rohini Acharya wrote that it is "shocking when those who owe their identity and existence to a legacy themselves try to erase its symbols". She also warned that when wisdom is clouded and arrogance takes over, destructive forces begin to dominate a personas thinking and decision-making. Her remarks have intensified speculation about discord within the RJDas first family. Speaking to IANS, JD-U National Spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said, "There is growing internal dissent within Lalu Yadavas family, which is turning into an open conflict. Recent developments show clear opposition against Tejashwi Yadav, along with Tejashwi's close aides Sanjay Yadav and Rameez Neemat. A significant split within the Yadav family cannot be ruled out, and since it is a family-based party, this is likely to impact the partyas organisational structure as well." JD-U MLA Pappu Verma said, "Rohini Acharya is a woman, a young girl, a daughter. We wonat comment on her personally, but what she has written is correct. I will not comment more as it is their (Yadav family's) personal matter." Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav said, "No one is breaking her (Rohini Acharya's) house, their own (RJD) people are breaking the house. It's their personal matter and I will not comment more." The controversy comes in the aftermath of a major electoral setback for the RJD in the recent Bihar Assembly elections. The RJD managed to win only 25 seats out of more than 140 it contested, while the NDA swept the polls with a massive majority. The BJP and JD-U secured 89 and 85 seats respectively, with the NDA crossing the 200-seat mark in the 243-member Assembly. RJDas allies also fared poorly, with Congress winning just six seats and the Left parties making little impact. The newly formed Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, failed to open its account. A day after the crushing defeat, Rohini Acharya announced that she was quitting politics and severing ties with her family. In an emotional post, she alleged that she was abused, humiliated, and even assaulted by her brother Tejashwi Yadav and his close aide and RJD MP Sanjay Yadav, after raising questions about the partyas poor electoral performance. Imphal, Jan 10 : Two days after a bomb was hurled at a fuel station in Manipur's Bishnupur district, all petrol pumps across the Manipur Valley region and its adjoining areas were shut down indefinitely on Saturday. Imphal, Jan 10 (IANS) Two days after a bomb was hurled at a fuel station in Manipuras Bishnupur district, all petrol pumps across the Manipur Valley region and its adjoining areas were shut down indefinitely on Saturday. The shutdown was called by the Manipur Petroleum Dealers Fraternity (MPDF), demanding adequate security for fuel outlets and their staff. In a letter addressed to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the MPDF said that despite assurances from the authorities, petrol pump owners and workers continue to face serious security threats, especially after the bomb blast on Thursday night (January 8). The MPDF stated that the January 8 incident was the second such life-threatening attack within a short span, following a similar bomb threat incident on December 6 last year. In view of these incidents, the MPDF said that it was not in a position to continue normal business operations unless its three-point charter of demands was met. The demands include enhanced security at petrol pumps to prevent future attacks, full government accountability in the event of incidents such as bomb blasts or kidnappings, along with compensation for damage to infrastructure, and adequate monetary compensation in case any dealer or staff member is injured or killed. The MPDF also sought compensation for the damage caused to the Bishnupur fuel station in Thursdayas blast. According to the police, unidentified miscreants riding a two-wheeler hurled a bomb near a fuel station at Moirang Thana Leikai in Bishnupur district on Thursday night, triggering an explosion. Although no one was injured, the blast caused damage to the fuel station. Police have launched an investigation and search operation, and CCTV footage from the area is being examined. No arrests have been made so far. Following the incident, fuel station staff and local residents staged a sit-in protest at the site. Last month, petrol pump owners in Manipur had also threatened a shutdown after receiving extortion threats and after a hand grenade was recovered from the toilet of a fuel station at Koirengei in Imphal East district on December 6. The explosive device was reportedly accompanied by a letter warning of dire consequences if certain demands were not met. On December 22, the MPDF claimed that no action had been taken despite submitting a memorandum to the Governor highlighting frequent bomb threats, extortion attempts and monetary demands. Meanwhile, the Manipur Police said they have strengthened anti-extortion measures across the state. Senior police officials had earlier met representatives of the MPDF and decided to review existing security arrangements at retail outlets dealing with petroleum products. Additional measures include the deployment of mobile police teams at strategic locations and the vetting of all employees working at fuel outlets. Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Home) N. Ashok Kumar said on Friday that the state government had set up an Integrated Anti-Extortion Cell on January 26 last year under the Home Department. The cell comprises personnel from the Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces, Assam Rifles and the Indian Army to combat extortion activities. A 24/7 toll-free helpline has been made available for the public to report extortion threats through calls, messages or letters. Kumar urged citizens, including government employees, to promptly report such incidents and cooperate with authorities. In a related development, security forces in joint operations arrested three militants from Imphal West and Imphal East districts and recovered locally made arms and ammunition from Churachandpur, Imphal East and Thoubal districts. The arrested accused, belonging to the militant outfits including the Peopleas Liberation Army (PLA), Revolutionary Peopleas Front (RPF), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and Peopleas Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), were allegedly involved in the forcible collection of funds. Electronic devices, Aadhaar cards and a Maruti Alto car were also recovered from their possession. Bengaluru, Jan 10 : The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Saturday that the historical Somnath temple was rebuilt against former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru's consent after the country's Independence. Former Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol made the statement while speaking to the media after a special pooja organised on Saturday morning at the Kadumalleshwara Temple in Malleshwaram to mark 75 years since the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple. Karjol said the Somnath Temple is an ancient shrine with a history spanning more than 1,000 years. He added that the historic Somnath Temple was rebuilt against the consent of former PM late Jawaharlal Nehru. He said that after the reconstruction, the temple was formally consecrated and dedicated to devotees in 1951. "Today, around 140 crore people across the country visit the Somnath Temple with devotion and faith and offer their prayers," he added. Karjol said that not only the BJP, but Hindus across the country are performing special worship in their respective towns and villages to mark the anniversary of the temple's reconstruction. "Similarly, under the leadership of our State party President B.Y. Vijayendra, BJP workers have also performed special pooja today. With devotion and faith, we all chanted 'Om Namah Shivay' and prayed for the well-being of everyone and for universal welfare," he added. He said the temple was completely destroyed during Mughal invasions and its wealth was looted. "After Independence, when Jawaharlal Nehru became the country's Prime Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1948 said that the destruction of one of Hinduism's most prominent temples had hurt Hindu identity and proposed that the temple be rebuilt. However, Nehru opposed the proposal and said that under no circumstances should the temple be reconstructed," Karjol added. He recalled that leaders such as K.M. Gadgil and K.M. Munshi supported Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and insisted that the temple must be rebuilt. "Even though Nehru continued to oppose it, these leaders (K.M. Gadgil and K.M. Munshi) persisted." Karjol said that former Union Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad later suggested that the temple be handed over to the Archaeological Department. "Despite differing opinions, when all these leaders insisted that the temple must be rebuilt and its past glory restored, the Somnath Temple was ultimately reconstructed in defiance of Jawaharlal Nehru's consent," he added. State BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said that as part of the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv', BJP workers and patriots across the country offered special prayers at Shiva temples and chanted the 'Om Namah Shivay' mantra 11 times. Former Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol, State BJP Secretary Ambika Hulinaykar, Bengaluru North District President S. Harish, and Bengaluru Central District President Saptagiri Gowda were present on the occasion. FREETOWN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Sierra Leone's National Public Health Agency (NPHA) and the Ministry of Health have confirmed an active outbreak of cutaneous ulcers caused by Haemophilus ducreyi in the country's northern region, a health official said Saturday. The outbreak was first detected on Nov. 17 in the Kayassic Community of Safroko Limba Chiefdom and has since spread to 27 communities in Bombali District of Northern Province, primarily affecting children aged 5-15 years, Foday Sahr, executive director of the NPHA, told Xinhua. As of Dec. 24, there were 267 suspected cases reported, with 150 individuals having recovered and no fatalities recorded so far, he said. Sahr said that active follow-up is being conducted for 211 contacts, as males constitute roughly 56 percent of the affected cases. Clinical symptoms include painful skin ulcers on the extremities, regional lymphadenopathy and mild constitutional symptoms, while no severe cases requiring hospitalization have been documented. Harold Thomas, risk communication lead at the Ministry of Health, said that the NPHA has activated comprehensive response protocols, including enhanced surveillance, community-based case management, and infection prevention and control measures, which encompass training healthcare workers and implementing environmental decontamination. He urged the public to report any suspicious skin lesions immediately, avoid sharing personal items, and practice stringent hygiene routines to curtail the outbreak's spread. The agencies assured that the situation is under control and emphasized the importance of community cooperation and timely reporting for effective containment, adding that regular updates will be provided as circumstances evolve. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 10 : CPI-M Kerala secretary M.V. Govindan on Saturday accused the media of misrepresenting the party's stand against communalism in the wake of the controversy triggered by senior leader A.K. Balan's remarks on the Marad riots. Govindan said criticism of communal forces was being deliberately portrayed as criticism against religion. He alleged that attacks on the RSS were being projected as attacks on Hinduism, while criticism of Jamaat-e-Islami was being portrayed as being directed against Muslims. Communal forces, he warned, pose a serious threat to democracy and must be confronted without distortion or fear. The controversy erupted following remarks by former minister and veteran CPI(M) leader A.K. Balan, who on Saturday said he would not apologise to Jamaat-e-Islami for his reference to the Marad riots. Balan dismissed as baseless the legal notice sent to him by Jamaat-e-Islami seeking Rs 1 crore in damages and said he was prepared to face jail. He clarified that his remarks were intended to underline that communal harmony would be preserved only when governments resist the influence of sectarian forces. State Local Self Government Minister M.B. Rajesh came out strongly in support of Balan, stating that communal riots in Kerala had occurred during UDF rule, while Left governments had prevented communal forces from gaining ground. The issue also drew a sharp response from AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, who criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami had aligned with the CPI(M) during the time of the Marad riots. He further claimed that statements being made by the Chief Minister echoed positions that even the Sangh Parivar hesitated to voice openly. With leaders across parties trading sharp accusations, the controversy has intensified political tensions ahead of upcoming electoral battles in the State. Govindan also responded to questions on the Sabarimala gold theft case, stating that the arrest of the tantri was purely an action taken by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). "Is there a rule that the tantri should not be arrested?" he asked, adding that decisions on arrests rest solely with the SIT and not with the political leadership. Lucknow, Jan 10 : The Indian Army's Central Command conducted a Counter IED training for Railway Protection Force personnel and constables from Eastern Central Railway over two days, an official said on Saturday. "The participants were introduced to IED mechanisms through realistic field-style training and were familiarised with modern equipment, including bomb suits, IR cameras, detection systems and specialised search equipment," said a Central Command official in a statement. A two-day Counter IED training was conducted by Surya Disposers for Railway Protection Force personnel at Shingara Training School, Barabanki, as part of the Disaster Management Course at Jagjivan Ram National RPF Academy, Lucknow, said the statement. "The cadre saw participation of 43 RPF trainees, including inspectors, sub-inspectors, ASIs and constables from Eastern Central Railway divisions deployed in Bihar and Jharkhand. The training focused on prevention, mitigation and response to IED-related incidents with emphasis on the role of RPF as first responders in railway environments," said the Central Command official in a message on social media. The training significantly enhanced operational awareness capacity building and inter-agency coordination and was highly appreciated by all participants, he said. Earlier, a three-day Counter IED training cadre was conducted by Surya Disposers, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad in collaboration with Suraksha Shakha UP Police at Barabanki. Thirty personnel representing all BDDS teams across Uttar Pradesh participated, an official said in a social media message on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Central Command on Saturday extended warm greetings to all Ranks, Veterans, Families and Civilian Staff of the Army Air Defence on the occasion of Army Air Defence Corps Day. On Friday, Air Marshal B. Manikantan, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief AOC-in-C, Central Air Command, paid a two-day visit to forward areas in the Kumaon Sector to review operational preparedness along the high-altitude Himalayan frontier, said an official. The visit focused on assessment of air operations readiness, infrastructure resilience and coordination in demanding terrain and extreme climatic conditions, the official said in a post on social media. During the interaction, the Air Marshal commended the troops of Panchshul Brigade for their professionalism, resilience and unwavering vigilance in safeguarding the nation's borders. He appreciated the seamless synergy between the IAF and ground formations, which remains critical for maintaining operational edge and rapid response capability in the sector, said the statement. The visit reaffirmed the commitment of the IAF and Surya Command towards sustained vigilance, jointness and combat readiness, ensuring security across one of the most challenging operational environments, it said. Seoul, Jan 10 : South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday ordered a prompt investigation into alleged drone incursions into North Korea, warning that such acts would constitute "a grave crime" threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security if confirmed. North Korea claimed earlier in the day that South Korea had infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions last September and again earlier this week, but Seoul's defence ministry rejected Pyongyang's accusations. Addressing the possibility that the drones were operated by a private individual or group, Lee said if the allegation proves true, it would amount to "a serious crime that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security," calling on the military and police to conduct a swift and thorough probe, Cheong Wa Dae said, Yonhap news agency reported. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the North's military shot down a drone that had flown north from Ganghwa County in Incheon, west of Seoul, forcing it to crash in the North's border city of Kaesong on January 4. It claimed the drone was equipped with surveillance devices, citing a spokesperson for the North Korean military. The KCNA also claimed that another drone that took off from the South's border city of Paju was downed over Kaesong on September 27. Pyongyang released photos of what it said was debris from the drones, accusing the South Korean military of being behind the incursions. Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back rejected the claims, saying the drones shown in the photos are not models used by the South Korean military and that the armed forces did not operate drones on the dates cited by the North. The North's raising of the issue comes at a time when Lee has striven to resume stalled diplomacy with North Korea since taking office last June, but Pyongyang has rejected his peace overtures. North Korea previously accused Seoul of sending a drone over Pyongyang in October 2024 under former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon was later accused by a special prosecution team of ordering the military to send drones to stoke tension between the two Koreas as a pretext for declaring martial law in December 2024. Bengaluru, Jan 10 : Speaking on the development of Governor Thawarchand Gehlot not giving consent to the controversial Hate Speech Bill, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that the Governor will be briefed on the Bill. He was speaking to the media after attending a programme at the KEB Engineers' Association on Race Course Road in Bengaluru. Replying to questions on the Hate Speech Bill being pending with the Governor, Siddaramaiah stated that he would meet the Governor and provide a detailed explanation regarding the Bill. On the issue of making Malayalam compulsory as the first language in schools located in Kerala's border areas, the Chief Minister said that a letter has been written to the Kerala Chief Minister and that the Karnataka government would launch a protest if necessary. He further stated that it is a grave mistake for the BJP to justify everything done by the Central government, even when the state is subjected to injustice. The Chief Minister said that portraying every injustice done to Karnataka as justified is a serious offence. Responding to Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's invitation for a discussion on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Chief Minister said that the government is ready for a discussion and would even launch a major agitation if required. He refused to respond to H.D. Kumaraswamy's allegations, stating that the BJP and JD(S) only make false claims. Responding to media queries on claims about an increase in Bangladeshi migrants in the state, the Chief Minister in turn asked for names to be provided. Meanwhile, the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stated that it will convince Governor Thawarchand Gehlot regarding the Hate Speech Bill sent to him for consent that the Bill curbs freedom of speech. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka stated, "The Hate Speech Prohibition Bill will snatch away freedom of speech. We will convince the Governor about this." He said: "There should have been an opportunity for discussion on the Hate Speech Prohibition Bill in the session. When bringing such a Bill, one must consider its impact on the people. The Constitution drafted by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar provides for discussion on Bills. The Legislative Assembly exists for presenting and discussing Bills, not for creating chaos." Bengaluru, Jan 10 : Police in Karnataka on Saturday submitted a chargesheet against six accused in connection with sending vulgar and threatening messages to Vijayalaxmi, the wife of jailed Kannada superstar Darshan. In the chargesheet, police stated that the investigation is still in progress and that efforts are underway to trace the remaining accused who are absconding. Police said the chargesheet was filed as investigating officers were required to submit it within 60 days of the registration of the case. The FIR was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station. Police had arrested six accused, including fans of Kannada superstar Kichcha Sudeep. Among those arrested are a software professional and a petrol bunk manager. Vijayalaxmi filed a complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station against several social media accounts for posting abusive comments against her. She submitted a complaint along with photographs against 15 Instagram IDs and more than 150 offensive comments. She also filed a complaint at the Bengaluru Police Commissioner's office, submitting screenshots of the hate comments she received along with details of the respective accounts, and urged the authorities to take action. It may be recalled that Vijayalaxmi had alleged inaction on the part of Bengaluru Police regarding her complaint against several social media accounts for posting "abusive comments" against her. However, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh had rejected the allegation and clarified that the investigation was underway. Vijayalaxmi wrote a social media post on the issue: "My complaint has been completely neglected. I believe that the law is the same for everyone, but this experience has made me question that belief. This has come as a surprise to me," she wrote. "Action was initiated within a day in another woman's complaint. When I lodged a complaint, there has been no action, and I have been neglected," she stated. Kannada actress and former Congress MP Ramya, also known as Divya Spandana, had lodged a complaint against Darshan's fans for issuing rape threats to her after she stood with the family of the victim in the fan murder case. Police had acted swiftly in that case and made arrests. On social media, Vijayalaxmi stated, "I have always believed that the system and the law are the same for everyone in our country. But, honestly, this experience has made me question that belief. Even after follow-up by my lawyers, there has been no action. Today, I had to personally go and remind them that I am still waiting for my complaint, even to be looked into." Mangaluru, Jan 10 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state unit Congress President D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday said the state has failed to utilise its coastline effectively like Kerala and Goa. Speaking to the media at Mangaluru airport, referring to the tourism potential, Shivakumar said the region has beautiful beaches comparable to Goa. "What is the difference between Goa and us? The same natural beauty exists here as well. However, we have failed to utilise it effectively like Goa and Kerala," he said. He said Karnataka has a 320-km-long coastline endowed with rich natural resources, and that elders from this region have contributed significantly to the country by establishing several banks. "You are people who have brought discipline to the banking sector. People from this coastal belt are working across the world. This is also an educational hub. No other district has as many medical, engineering and pre-university colleges as this region. You are producing a vast human resource, yet talented people from this region are migrating to Bengaluru, Mumbai and different parts of the world," he said. "About seven to eight months ago, the tourism policy was discussed in a Cabinet meeting. I then suggested that the final tourism policy be put on hold. If we want to frame a tourism policy for the coastal region and attract investors, we must identify and address the obstacles within the legal framework and come up with a new policy," he said. Shivakumar said the coastal region is a land of beauty, knowledge and wealth, blessed with shrines of daivas, temples and Shakti deities, making it a major tourism destination, a hub of trade and a paradise for tourists. "Despite having so many strengths, it is difficult to understand why tourism in this region has lagged behind. Our government is committed to accepting suggestions from all stakeholders, including elected representatives, entrepreneurs and officials, while framing a tourism policy for this region. The development of this region is our resolve," he said. He noted that many people settled abroad, and entrepreneurs based in Mumbai and Bengaluru, are keen to invest in their native places if the government provides the necessary support. "This is why I have raised this issue in the Legislative Assembly and at several other forums," he said. The Deputy Chief Minister said greater encouragement must be given to private players. "The government will provide basic infrastructure. At the same time, we need discussions on facilities, constraints and challenges. I have spoken to all MLAs from this region, and everyone has shown keen interest," he said. He said that when discussions were held with public representatives in Bengaluru, there was a consensus that deliberations should be conducted in Mangaluru itself. "I believe that coming together is a beginning, discussing together is progress, and working together is success. That is why I have come here today to discuss this with you. Public representatives, cutting across party lines, have come forward to support this initiative. Everyone wants to attract investors, generate employment and ensure collective growth in this region. Politics is not important here. What matters is what we do with the opportunity we have, as it will leave a lasting impact," he said. Recalling his tenure as Cooperation Minister, Shivakumar said he had seen banks in the two coastal districts achieve a 90 per cent recovery rate in loan repayments. "This meeting has been convened to effectively utilise the knowledge and discipline of such people," he said. He stressed the need for a separate tourism policy to revitalise the coastal region. "Earlier, I had said that the region becomes inactive after 7 p.m. Some welcomed the remark, while others criticised it. I made that statement hoping to challenge people to prove it wrong. Today, I have invited entrepreneurs from all sectors to this conclave. We are committed to accepting your opinions. Share your suggestions openly. We will consolidate them and, based on financial feasibility, discuss them with the Chief Minister, the Tourism Minister and the district in-charge ministers before placing the proposal before the Cabinet," he said. "Our youth's hard work and talent must be utilised for the development of the coastal region," Shivakumar said. He said tourism in the coastal and Malnad regions must be developed by harnessing local resources and the energy of the youth. "Young people from the coastal and Malnad regions are doing exceptionally well in other states and abroad. We must utilise their talent. If we provide them with the required facilities and encouragement, they can create a lasting impact within the coastal region itself. That is why a separate tourism policy is being framed for this region," he said. He added that such a policy cannot be framed by one individual or a handful of officials. "Even officials who were not previously involved have identified several positive aspects. I have asked departments such as CRZ, Defence and Coastal Development to share their views. Public opinions will also be sought. Nothing will be done in secrecy. The suggestions received at the meeting will be placed in the public domain, and changes will be made wherever necessary. Overall, tourism in this region must be developed. There are no quality five-star hotels here. I am not interested in drawing comparisons with Kerala or Goa," he said. New York, Dec 10 : US-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to make human rights abuses by Chinese authorities a central focus of his China visit scheduled for January 13-17. According to HRW, Carney's trip to China -- the first by a Canadian Prime Minister in more than eight years comes amid strained Canada-China relations as Chinese President Xi Jinping has intensified repression both at home and abroad. The Chinese government, it said, unlawfully detained two Canadians as hostages between 2018 and 2021 to pressure the Canadian government to free an executive of the Chinese tech giant Huawei. "Prime Minister Carney should recognise that the Chinese government's deepening repression threatens not just the rights of people in China but, increasingly, Canada's core interests and values. Carney should ensure that engagements with the Chinese government on trade and security are consistent with Canada's values, which include the promotion of human rights," said Maya Wang, Deputy Asia Director at HRW. The rights body stated that the key issues PM Carney should raise include links between the Chinese government's forced labour and imports to Canada; the persecution and imprisonment of human rights defenders; and China's targetting of critics abroad, including in Canada. Emphasising the Chinese government's labour rights abuses, which extend beyond the Uyghur region, the HRW said that its laws prohibit independent labour unions, and that it detains and imprisons labour activists, cracks down on labour protests, and has shuttered labour monitoring organisations in Hong Kong. "Canadians shouldn't have to worry about purchasing products tainted by forced labour. Pressing Beijing to ensure that businesses respect workers' rights protects Canadian consumers," Wang said. In Hong Kong, the rights body said, where an estimated 300,000 Canadians reside, the Chinese government has largely dismantled freedoms of expression, association, and assembly; free and fair elections; fair trial rights; and judicial independence. "China has also increasingly carried out cross-border abusesknown as transnational repressionto oppress critics of the government abroad, including residents and citizens in Canada. In one case, the Chinese government harassed a Canadian political candidate and a China critic during an election campaign," the HRW stated. While Canadian officials, it said, have spoken out about some cross-border abuses, Carney should show that his government is taking transnational repression seriously by raising the issue directly with President Xi. "The Chinese government's abuses fall hard on the people of China, but they also affect people around the world. During his visit, Prime Minister Carney shouldn't squander his opportunity to use diplomatic channels to raise human rights concerns," Wang stated. Bengaluru, Jan 10 : Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy mocked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday, calling him a "lease-based" Chief Minister. Responding to media questions about Siddaramaiah allegedly breaking the records of former chief minister late D. Devaraj Urs during his tenure, Kumaraswamy made the statement. "They are saying that the Devaraj Urs' records have been broken. Previously, Urs had clashed with former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi. He continuously held power. Siddaramaiah is now waiting for the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to tell him when to leave," he added sarcastically. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself and Congress leaders are claiming that he will be in the Chief Minister's post until the high command asks him to remain in the chair, he said. "He has made statements many times. In my opinion, he is a lease-based Chief Minister," Kumaraswamy reiterated. When asked whether he has any information in this regard, Kumaraswamy said he did not have any information. Meanwhile, responding to questions regarding differences cropping up between the BJP and the JD(S) with regard to the alliance in local body polls, Kumaraswamy said there is no need for any concern. The JD(S) will always stand with the BJP and face the Congress together, he added. "We will not give any scope for misunderstanding. No one should have any suspicion in this regard, and the state should ultimately benefit," he said. Answering a question on rumours of shutting down the government-owned Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) factory, Kumaraswamy clarified that the disinvestment decision for HMT had already been taken in 2016. He said manufacturing is taking place on a smaller scale and added that units have not been closed, whether in Kerala or Hyderabad. "I will meet PM Modi with regard to reopening the HMT factory. I have already made a request. By utilising modern technology, we have decided to give a new lease of life to HMT. There should be no doubt about it," Kumaraswamy stated. Chennai, Jan 10 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, welcoming the Union government's decision to conduct a caste-based census alongside the upcoming national population census and urging the formation of a high-level advisory council comprising chief ministers and representatives of states and Union Territories. In his letter dated January 10, 2026, CM Stalin said the decision to include a caste census with the national enumeration would help generate comprehensive and credible data, which is essential for addressing social inequalities and ensuring that welfare schemes reach their intended beneficiaries. He described the move as being in line with Tamil Naduas long-standing demand and noted that the state had already passed resolutions in the Assembly urging the Centre to undertake a caste-based census along with the population census. The Chief Minister said the Centreas decision reaffirmed Tamil Naduas commitment to evidence-based social justice and policy-making. However, he cautioned that a caste census is an extremely sensitive exercise, given the deeply rooted and varied social dynamics and caste structures across different states. If not handled with care, he warned, the process could lead to unintended social tensions. Stalin emphasised that public trust in the census would depend on the clarity and precision of its design -- including the framing of questions, classification of categories and sub-categories, and the methodology of data collection. Any lack of clarity, inaccuracies, or ambiguity, he said, could result in disputes and divergent interpretations of the data. Pointing out that the census is a Central subject and that its outcomes would have far-reaching implications for state-level policies in areas such as education, employment, reservations, and welfare schemes, the Chief Minister underlined the need for extensive consultation with all states before finalising the questionnaire and procedures. Such consultations, he said, would help incorporate diverse perspectives from states and Union Territories, account for regional sensitivities, and strengthen the spirit of federalism. To this end, CM Stalin formally proposed the creation of an advisory council consisting of chief ministers and representatives of Union Territories to deliberate on and develop clear guidelines for conducting the caste-based census. He also urged the Centre to devote particular attention to safeguarding the sensitivity of the process and ensuring the reliability of the data, including by conducting pilot studies wherever necessary. Concluding his letter, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that this historic initiative under the Prime Ministeras leadership would reinforce India's commitment to equality, inclusion, and the core principles of federalism. New Delhi, Jan 10 : Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday inaugurated New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) 2026, calling it a grand celebration of India's robust and vibrant reading culture. New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday inaugurated New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) 2026, calling it a grand celebration of Indiaas robust and vibrant reading culture. Pradhan said that the theme of the Book Fair, aIndian Military History: Valour and Wisdom@75a, and the participation of countries such as Qatar and Spain, have further enhanced the significance of the cultural and literary event. During the event, Pradhan released the book aThe Saga of Kudopali: The Unsung Story of 1857a, including in Bangla, Asamiya, Punjabi, Malayalam, Urdu and Marathi. A video on the Saga of Kudopali was also screened. The Minister said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed the culture of reading into a peopleas movement, and added that the Prime Ministeras vision of a aViksit Bharata is not limited to infrastructure or technology, but is deeply rooted in building an aware, thoughtful and knowledge-driven generation that recognises knowledge as the foundation of nation-building. He also congratulated NBT India and extended his best wishes for the successful organisation of the Book Fair. He said that the event is infusing new energy into the countryas reading culture through books and dialogue. Minister of Culture of Qatar, Abdulrahman Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Al Thani, Minister of Culture of Spain, Ernest Urtasun Domenech; Director General of Books, Ministry of Culture, Spain, Maria Jose Galvez; Secretary, Higher Education, Vineet Joshi; Chaiman, NBT, Milind Sudhakar Marathe, Director, NBT Yuvraj Malik, distinguished guests from Qatar and Spain and senior officials of the Ministry attended the event. The Union Minister said that NDWBF 2026, the worldas largest B2C book fair, is a confluence of ideas. Ernest Urtasun Domenech, Minister for Culture of Spain, highlighted Spainas participation during the Spaina"India Dual Year 2026, noting that the Fair offers a valuable opportunity to promote Spanish writers in India, where interest in the Spanish language and literature continues to grow. He recalled the historic literary connection between Juan Ramon Jimenez and Rabindranath Tagore. The Minister of Culture, State of Qatar, said his countryas participation reflects the depth of bilateral relations between the two countries and reaffirmed the role of culture and knowledge as foundations for people-to-people ties and nation-building. The worldas biggest B2C book fair, the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), is being organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, under the Ministry of Education from January 10a"18 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, and entry to the book fair has been made free for the first time. The India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) is the co-organiser of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026. The nine-day book fair will bring together 1,000-plus publishers from over 35 countries, host 600-plus events with 1,000-plus speakers, and is expected to attract over 2 million visitors. Ukraine has accused Russia of attacking civilian vessels in the Black Sea, Azernews reports, citing foreign media. The statement was made by Aleksey Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction, on his official Telegram channel. According to Kuleba, a ship flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, entering the port of Chornomorsk to load grain, was targeted by a Russian strike drone. Near the port of Odessa, a cargo ship carrying soybeans under the flag of the Comoros was also reportedly hit in an airstrike. Earlier, on January 8, an oil tanker named Elbus flying the flag of Palau was attacked about 50 km off Katamanu in the Black Sea. The vessel sustained damage to its upper section, but no crew members were injured. So far, Russia has not issued any official comment regarding these incidents. by Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The United States' decision to withdraw from dozens of international organizations will harm developing countries and weaken the modern international system, said an Egyptian political expert. In an interview with Xinhua, Abu-Bakr Al-Desouky, an expert in international relations and editorial advisor for the International Politics magazine at Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram Foundation, said the U.S. move would cut crucial funding to many international organizations, affecting their operations in developing regions. "The U.S. withdrawal means these organizations will lose U.S. funding, which will inevitably affect the quality and scale of the activities they provide to developing countries," Al-Desouky said. "This will have a significantly negative impact on their performance and weaken their ability to help developing states achieve development goals, humanitarian objectives, and assistance programs." U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Wednesday directing Washington to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including 31 United Nations entities and 35 non-UN entities. These organizations are mostly related to sectors such as climate, labor, immigration and energy, including key UN bodies like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Water, UN Energy, and the UN Conference on Trade and Development. The White House said many of these bodies promote "radical climate policies" and programs that "conflict with U.S. sovereignty and economic strength." In a separate statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the entities "wasteful, ineffective, or harmful." Al-Desouky described the withdrawals as a blow to the foundations of the contemporary international system. "This is conduct that runs against humanitarian principles and undermines the modern international organizational system that the world has relied on for decades," he said. Beyond material losses, the move also damages Washington's global standing, Al-Desouky said. "This behavior negatively affects the global image of the United States," he said. "Washington's image as a supporter of freedom, liberal values, and human rights is collapsing in favor of flawed policies that fail to truly serve U.S. interests. Over time, these policies could backfire against the United States itself." The 66 organizations add to Washington's earlier exits from the World Health Organization, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the decision to prohibit future U.S. funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The UNRWA decision "has had a very serious impact on the agency by depriving it of a major source of funding," he said. "This undermines the credibility of the United States as an impartial mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process." Al-Desouky argued that the policy shift would hasten the decline of U.S. global dominance and strengthen calls for a multipolar world order. "In my view, this accelerates the end of the era of U.S. hegemony and unipolarity," he said, adding, "it reinforces the idea of international multipolarity as developing states would seek more credible partners." The Egyptian expert also said the U.S. retreat would contribute to the rise of alternative international groupings. "This will enhance the role of alternative international organizations and strengthen the rise of new global frameworks within the international system," Al-Desouky said. "Organizations led by China and Russia, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, are increasingly positioned as alternatives to Western-led agencies that the United States and Europe have sponsored for decades," he added. New Delhi, Jan 10 : India and Chile are close to finalising a social security agreement that is expected to make it easier for professionals to work across borders and encourage greater investments between the two countries, Chile's Ambassador to India Juan Angulo has said. Formal CEPA negotiations between India and Chile began in May 2025, and several rounds have taken place since then. The fourth round of talks concluded in December 2025, and intersessional discussions are currently underway to resolve pending matters ahead of the next round. In December last year, the Commerce Ministry said that India and Chile reiterated their strong commitment to the timely conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations. The ministry acknowledged the strategic significance of further strengthening bilateral economic ties. "They underscored that the CEPA, once concluded, would play a pivotal role in boosting bilateral trade, deepening economic cooperation, enhancing market access and creating new opportunities for businesses in both countries," said the ministry. This was the fourth round of negotiations for the IndiaChile CEPA concluded on December 9. The third round of IndiaChile CEPA negotiations was held in Santiago, Chile, from October 27-30. Discussions during the third round had covered a wide range of chapters including Trade in Goods and Services, Investment Promotion, Rules of Origin, Intellectual Property Rights, TBT/ SPS measures, Economic Cooperation and Critical Minerals. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India requested Chile to consider long term agreements for supply of mineral resources. During the meeting, the officials of two nations agreed to diversify bilateral ties in new and emerging areas of contemporary relevance such as Digital Public Infrastructure, innovation and green energy. Last year, India also concluded free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand, which expected to offer New Zealanders unprecedented access to 1.4 billion Indian consumers. This historic FTA eliminates and reduces tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand's exports -- among the highest of any Indian FTA -- with almost 57 per cent being duty-free from day one, increasing to 82 per cent when fully implemented, with the remaining 13 per cent subject to sharp tariff cuts. Kolkata, Jan 10 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sufficient proof to establish in any court of law how its officials, along with accompanying Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel, faced hindrances and were even heckled by West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police officers during simultaneous raid and search operations at the Kolkata office of the India Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain, especially at Jain's residence, on January 8, agency insiders claimed on Saturday. Although ED officials are tight-lipped about the nature of the proof the agency now possesses, insiders clarified that it does not include footage from CCTV cameras installed at Jain's Loudon Street residence in central Kolkata and the I-PAC office in Salt Lake. The insiders further said the agency has sufficient proof of the alleged behaviour of state police personnel towards accompanying CAPF personnel at the entry gate of Jain's residence, and towards the raiding officials inside the residence. The ED has already filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the latter's urgent intervention in the matter. The state government has also filed a caveat in the apex court to prevent an ex parte hearing. The ED initially moved the Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh, accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by top administrative and police officials of the state, of misusing her constitutional powers by causing hindrances to central agency officials in the discharge of their duties. However, the matter could not be heard before Justice Ghoshas bench on Friday because of an excessive crowd in the courtroom. Justice Ghosh left the courtroom and scheduled January 14 as the next date of hearing in the matter. Thereafter, on the same day, the ED approached a division bench headed by Calcutta High Court Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul seeking an urgent hearing in the matter, and, if possible, before any other single-judge bench. However, the Acting Chief Justice's bench rejected the plea and ruled that the next hearing in the matter will be on January 14, as decided by Justice Ghosh. Thereafter, the ED filed the petition in the Supreme Court. New Delhi/Kolkata, Jan 10 : The West Bengal government on Saturday filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in connection with the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) petition relating to the searches conducted at the Indian Political Action Committee's (I-PAC) office and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain. New Delhi/Kolkata, Jan 10 (IANS) The West Bengal government on Saturday filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in connection with the Enforcement Directorateas (ED) petition relating to the searches conducted at the Indian Political Action Committeeas (I-PAC) office and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain. It was requested that the Supreme Court hear the stateas arguments before issuing any order in the matter, sources in the state secretariat said. The ED has filed a case in the Calcutta High Court regarding the I-PAC matter and the hearing has been adjourned until January 14. The state government filed the caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that the EDas arguments are not heard unilaterally. The caveat was filed to ensure that the arguments of both sides are heard before the court passes any ex parte order. It is worth noting that in many cases, the Supreme Court issues orders after hearing only one sideas arguments. However, if a caveat is filed, the Supreme Court is obligated to hear arguments from both sides. On Thursday, the ED conducted searches at the office of Trinamool Congressa political consultancy firm I-PAC and at the residence of its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata in connection with the coal smuggling case. In 2020, the CBI filed an FIR in connection with the coal smuggling case. Based on that FIR, the ED initiated an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The central investigative agency is probing a case involving financial transactions worth approximately Rs 2,742 crore. It has been alleged that a portion of this money was used for I-PACas activities through hawala transactions, particularly in Goa. In connection with the case, searches were conducted at 10 locations in Delhi and Kolkata, including Pratik Jainas residence and the companyas office in Salt Lake Sector V. The ED claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, with the help of police, took away incriminating documents from its custody during an authorised search. The ED also alleged that during the search, digital devices (laptops, mobile phones, hard drives) and important documents were forcibly seized by police. According to the ED, this obstructed the investigation and the digital forensic work was halted midway. The ED further claimed that although officials entered the I-PAC office and began the search, they were prevented from continuing their work due to obstruction by state police. Following this, the ED approached the Calcutta High Court on Friday, seeking a CBI investigation against the Chief Minister. The state government also filed a counter-case in the High Court. The High Court adjourned both the Trinamool Congressa case and the EDas case, and the hearing was postponed until January 14. Both cases were scheduled to be heard on Friday before Justice Suvra Ghosh. However, due to a large crowd in the courtroom, Justice Ghosh adjourned the hearings of both cases until January 14. The ED then approached the Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court seeking to expedite the hearing of its case, but the application was not granted. Thereafter, the ED filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The state government, in turn, filed a caveat in the apex court on Saturday. Bengaluru, Jan 10 : Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday accused the Congress of creating a false narrative about the VB G-RAM-G scheme and challenged Congress leaders in Karnataka to an open public debate with documents to expose what he called their lies. It may be noted that Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar had challenged BJP and JD(S) leaders over the scrapping of MGNREGA and the introduction of G-RAM-G by the Centre. Responding to Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's invitation to discuss the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "We are ready for the discussion and, if needed, will launch a major agitation." The Union Minister addressed a joint press conference in Bengaluru along with Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and BJP state President B.Y. Vijayendra on the G-RAM-G scheme. Expressing strong anger over what he termed misinformation being spread by the Congress about the scheme conceptualised under PM Modi's leadership, Kumaraswamy said, "The time when people blindly believed Congress' lies is over." Kumaraswamy said the Congress ruled the country for decades. "Did they ever name any major scheme after Mahatma Gandhi? They named everything after members of the Nehru family and betrayed Gandhiji. They have no moral right to speak about Gandhi," he said. Kumaraswamy demanded an open debate on G-RAM-G. "We are not running away. You claim Panchayats are being wronged, but you are postponing elections. Shame on you. You are trying to destroy the good atmosphere in the State," he said. He recalled that when he was Chief Minister, Rs 800 crore in MGNREGA funds was delayed, and he paid wages from the state treasury first. "The present Revenue Minister was Rural Development Minister in my Cabinet. This government doesn't even know how to deal with the Centre," he criticised. "We invoke Lord Ram's name to establish Ram Rajya. The state government must take responsibility and contribute 40 per cent for this scheme. Siddaramaiah must own this responsibility," he asserted. Criticising the Congress sharply, he said, "As if spreading propaganda outside wasn't enough, they are now calling Assembly sessions and even planning padayatras. For what heroism? Was looting public money by creating fake bills under MGNREGA not enough?" He questioned whether poor daily-wage workers ever received justice under Congress rule. "Why did they fail to stop fake bills and identify fake job cards? What were they doing all these years?" he asked. Kumaraswamy clarified that MGNREGA has not been stopped. "The Modi government has corrected long-pending irregularities and introduced major reforms. Congress leaders now claim that fixing loopholes is wrong. How absurd," he said. He stressed that the G-RAM-G scheme will not reduce the powers of Gram Panchayats or state governments. Kumaraswamy stated that the entire funding comes from the Central government, but the state government has failed to utilise it properly. "There is no transparency. Fake bills were created and money was looted. That is why we corrected old mistakes and brought a new structure," he explained. He accused the Congress of using Gandhiji's name only for elections and votes. "When Congress was in power, they reduced the budget of this very scheme and even stopped workers' wages. Today, under PM Modi, every rupee reaches workers' bank accounts directly and Congress cannot tolerate it," he said. He added that the new scheme gives more power to Gram Panchayats, where local bodies will design projects and Gram Sabhas will decide priorities, monitor implementation and conduct mandatory social audits to ensure transparency. "This level of transparency is what Congress does not want," he alleged. Kumaraswamy said the scheme follows a 60:40 funding pattern. "To ensure accountability of state governments, 40 per cent contribution is mandated. We have not taken away their powers. The state must understand its responsibility," he asserted. He dismissed KPCC President Shivakumar's claim that Union Minister Prahlad Joshi said Rs 11 lakh crore was misappropriated. "What Joshi actually referred to was irregularities in social audit units. Rs 11 lakh crore is total expenditure, not misappropriation. Our Deputy CM may be confused," Kumaraswamy said. Kumaraswamy said MGNREGA was introduced by the Congress in 2005 with good intent. "I never said the scheme is wrong. It helped rural workers. But later, Congress ruined it through massive corruption. They failed to fix errors when they were in power. Now PM Modi has corrected everything. Congress should accept this honestly," he said. Referring to an incident in Koppal when Siddaramaiah was Chief Minister, Kumaraswamy said, "Workers demanding wages were lathi-charged. They were taken in tractors promising payment, which met with an accident, killing some labourers. Later, it was found many had no job cards, and cards were issued even to people aged 65-80. Despite such fraud, Congress says fixing it is wrong." Youth JD(S) President Nikhil Kumaraswamy, JD(S) Legislature Party Leader C.B. Suresh Babu, Legislative Council Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former Minister Venkatarava Nadagouda, former MLCs K.A. Tippeswamy, Ashwath Narayan, Chowda Reddy Thupalli and others were present at the press conference. Shillong, Jan 10 : Meghalaya's Opposition Leader and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, on Saturday, launched a scathing attack on the state government over the long-pending issue of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the delay in implementing the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA). Sangma alleged that the state government had intentionally stalled MRSSA's enforcement, which he said was crucial to check illegal coal mining and curb unregulated influx into the state. He accused the ruling National People's Party (NPP)-led administration of overstepping by amending the MRSSA, resulting in the Bill getting stuck and undermining effective safeguards for the indigenous population. Addressing reporters at the State Central Library here, the Trinamool Congress leader reiterated that the failure to implement the MRSSA in its original form was a calculated move to allow unchecked migration and land grab from outside Meghalaya. He said the Act, if implemented sincerely, would empower traditional village authorities and act as a potent instrument to regulate internal migration. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma reiterated recently that the state government's long-standing demand for the extension of the ILP regime to Meghalaya to safeguard the state's demographic balance and cultural identity. In a latest meeting with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Chief Minister urged the Centre to expedite the implementation of the British-era ILP system in Meghalaya, underlining its importance to check illegal immigration and infiltration from across the borders. He stressed the need for strong border management mechanisms and legal frameworks to protect the state's interests. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has also linked the demand for ILP with broader administrative reforms, including strengthened security at entry points into the state, and has consistently pressed for constitutional recognition of local languages and greater administrative autonomy. The ILP, which now operates in several Northeastern states to regulate the entry of non-domicile citizens, has been a long-standing demand in Meghalaya amid concerns over illegal mining, demographic shifts and law and order challenges. Islamabad, Jan 10 : Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province - a hub for hydropower, crossaborder energy corridors and emerging critical mineral prospects - and Balochistan - home to largeascale copperagold, coal, and coastal energy infrastructure - are facing persistent violence that threatens the very backbone of Pakistan's resourceadriven growth, a report said on Saturday. Islamabad, Jan 10 (IANS) Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province - a hub for hydropower, crossborder energy corridors and emerging critical mineral prospects - and Balochistan - home to largescale coppergold, coal, and coastal energy infrastructure - are facing persistent violence that threatens the very backbone of Pakistan's resourcedriven growth, a report said on Saturday. Citing Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), it noted a striking contradiction while cross-border attacks declined following the October 2025 Durand Line crossing Pakistan experienced the deadliest year in a decade in 2025, with violence overwhelmingly concentrated in KP and Balochistan. "Overall violence surged by nearly 34 per cent yearonyear, with fatalities rising from 2,555 in 2024 to 3,417 in 2025, extending a fiveyear upward trend that began with the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Each year since 2021 has seen doubledigit increases in violence, including spikes of roughly 56 per cent in 2023, nearly 67 per cent in 2024, and a further 34 per cent in 2025, confirming that the country is in a sustained escalation phase rather than experiencing episodic volatility. For investors, this pattern signals structural deterioration in the security environment rather than a shortterm shock that can be 'managed around' through risk premia or enhanced site security," a report in the Afghan Diaspora Network detailed. "This deterioration is geographically concentrated in precisely those provinces that anchor Pakistan's energy and mineral potential. KP and Balochistan together accounted for more than 96 per cent of all fatalities and nearly 93 per cent of violent incidents nationwide in 2025. KP was the worsthit, with fatalities jumping 44 per cent from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, while Balochistan's deaths rose from 787 to 956, an increase of nearly 22 per cent over the same period," it stated. According to the report, the composition of violence and the choice of targets offer little assurance to commercial actors. In 2025, it said, security forces were the main targets of militant groups, resulting in 374 deaths among Pakistani army and Frontier Corps personnel, including 22 officers, while police recorded 216 deaths. The report stressed that the TehreekeTaliban Pakistan (TTP) was responsible for the largest number of attacks against Pakistani security personnel, followed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), and the terror group Daesh's regional affiliate. "These are the same actors that have long targeted strategic infrastructure, Chineselinked projects, and symbols of the state, and their operational resilience despite high militant fatalities suggests an ecosystem capable of shifting from purely securityforce targets to highvalue economic assets whenever tactically advantageous," it noted. New Delhi, Jan 10 : West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's Friday visit to Thakurnagar in North 24 Pargana district - the cultural and spiritual hub of the Matua community - and paying obeisance at a temple has sparked a political spat. New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's Friday visit to Thakurnagar in North 24 Pargana district the cultural and spiritual hub of the Matua community and paying obeisance at a temple has sparked a political spat. This underscores the community's importance in swinging political fortunes with Assembly elections slated in the first half of 2026. During the short visit, Abhishek accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of betraying the Matua community by failing to deliver on its promise of citizenship under an amended act (CAA), and highlighted his party's contributions to Thakurnagar's development. Irked by the Trinamool leader's direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP MP and a Matua Leader, Shantanu Thakur, carried out a "purification" ritual at the temple after Abhishek's visit, claiming the latter's presence had defiled the sanctity of the shrine. Highlighting the Trinamool's contributions to the development of Thakurnagar, Abhishek sought a BJP "report card" for the work it has done for the community. Thakur responded that no government had done more for the Matuas than Prime Minister Modi. The Matua are a large, politically influential Scheduled Caste community in West Bengal. They trace origins to 19th20th century reform movements and include many families who migrated from what is now Bangladesh during Partition and later periods, facing religious persecution. The community has been central to state politics because of its size, cohesion, and concentrated electoral presence. The population is concentrated mainly in North 24 Parganas, Nadia, South 24 Parganas, Cooch Behar, Malda, and Howrah, where they wield considerable influence in several seats. The community exerts influence over at least nine Lok Sabha seats and 4555 Assembly constituencies, representing roughly 20 per cent of the state's total Scheduled Caste electors. They compose the second-largest Scheduled Caste group in the state, mainly belonging to the Namasudra caste, and have historically marginalised. Other states like Assam, Tripura, Odisha, and Jharkhand together reportedly have between 5080 lakh Matua members. Many of them are part of ongoing political debates regarding citizenship documentation under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and voter listing under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) due to historical migration from Bangladesh. Their spiritual headquarters are Thakurnagar, which also serves as the socio-political nerve centre of the community. Between 1977 and 2006, the community was largely seen as aligned towards the Left Front, though with limited direct representation. Matua leaders believed that being closer to the state government would allow them peaceful co-existence in an alien land. Apparently, for the same reason, there was a marked shift towards the Trinamool Congress with Mamata Banerjee coming to power in West Bengal in 2011. Some analysts also attribute it additionally to state welfare programmes, recognition of Matua identity, and political outreach towards marginalised communities. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, though they continued to lend support for the Trinamool, the BJP began making inroads. Narendra Modi's Thakurnagar visit in early 2014 during his campaign for the Lok Sabha elections resonated strongly with the Matuas, who were feeling neglected by successive governments. His engagement there highlighted the BJP's strategy of consolidating support among marginalised communities before he became Prime Minister. This marked the BJP's first major attempt to woo the Matua electorate, laying the groundwork for the 2019 Lok Sabha breakthrough, when Shantanu Thakur won the Bongaon seat. The 2021 Assembly election returned a mixed Matua mandate; some trusted the BJP's promises, others stuck with the Trinamool's welfare schemes. The trend continued in the 2024 Lok Sabha election with an aggressive Trinamool campaign driving scepticism over the BJP's delivery on CAA. For next year's polls too, the Matuas remain a swing vote bloc, crucial for deciding outcomes in more than 50 of the state's 294 Assembly constituencies. Chandigarh, Jan 10 : In a significant move to position Punjab at the forefront of India's defence manufacturing by aligning the state capabilities with national defence imperatives, the state government, on Saturday, organised a high-level Defence Skills Conclave, focused on skill development for defence, aerospace and strategic sectors. The conclave, presided over by the Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Aman Arora, served as a pivotal platform to architect a robust talent pipeline for the country's self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The conclave convened a gathering of the Union Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, Principal Secretary (Employment Generation) Alaknanda Dayal and senior policymakers, industrialists from leading defence public sector undertakings and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), heads of premier academic institutions, and skilling experts. The aim was to design a cohesive, industry-driven skilling ecosystem that meets the evolving technological demands of modern warfare and aerospace. Addressing the gathering, Minister Arora highlighted the state's rich legacy in India's defence, citing its contributions from the Mughal era to the present days. He said that in today's era of technological warfare, bravery must be complemented with cutting-edge skills. The conclave was the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led state government's commitment to transform Punjab into a premier hub which not only produce soldiers but also the highly skilled technologists and engineers to make the country 'Atmanirbhar' in defence manufacturing. He also highlighted that the state contributes more than 12 per cent of the country's soldiers despite having only two per cent of the population, while saying that Punjab has a rich legacy in defence sector and is well-positioned to attract investment in the defence industry, with international airports in Mohali and Amritsar and one of India's largest Air Force bases in Adampur, besides, conducive and business-friendly policies and environment in the state. The state government is working closely with industry leaders, educational institutions and stakeholders to identify skill gaps and develop targeted training programmes for the defence sector, he added. Highlighting Punjab's potential to contribute significantly to India's defence skilling efforts, Minister Arora said, "In the coming times, if any state can serve the country the most in terms of skilling for defence, digitally, psychologically and emotionally. it is Punjab." He stressed the need for collaborative policy-making between industry and the Central government to harness this potential and position Punjab as the nation's steadfast shield. Union Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh lauded the state government for hosting the conclave, calling it a step towards making India a global manufacturing hub. He emphasised creating strong skill ecosystem and a diversified industrial base. He said that Punjab has immense potential in defence manufacturing as the state has a strong military tradition. State Chief Secretary Sinha assured full support from the Punjab government to facilitate the investments in defence manufacturing sector, while underscoring the strategic importance of the defence, aerospace and strategic sectors in ensuring national security and driving economic growth also leading to more employment opportunities for the youth. Sinha said the conclave would foster collaboration to drive innovation and self-reliance in India's defence sector. Meanwhile, the state government has signed MoUs with premier defence organisations. These collaborations are designed to enhance the employability and technological adeptness of Punjab's youth for high-value roles in defence and aerospace. The conclave witnessed multidisciplinary participation from institutes like IIT Delhi, IIT Ropar, IIT Indore, Punjab Engineering College and Chandigarh University, alongside several major defence industry giants. Notably, the event saw significant multi-state engagement, with delegates from Haryana, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor, among others. New Delhi, Jan 10 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday honoured elderly BJP workers at an event at the North-West District Office in Rohini Sector-29 to honour loyal senior BJP workers above the age of 60. The Chief Minister expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the senior party workers for their unwavering loyalty, dedication and continuous service in Rohini Sector-29. She said that the penance, sacrifice and discipline of these senior colleagues, who strengthened the party organisationally and ideologically over decades, form the very foundation of the BJP's vast and robust organisational structure. Their guidance and selfless spirit of service remain a source of inspiration for the younger generation, she said. The event was attended by the area MP Yogender Chandolia, Delhi Government Cabinet Minister Ravindra Indraj Singh, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, District President Vinod Sehrawat, along with other senior office-bearers and party workers. The Chief Minister said that the BJP family will always remain indebted to these committed workers for their invaluable contribution and is fully committed to upholding their honour and dignity. "The dedication, discipline and experience of these senior colleagues, who have provided the party with a strong base over decades, constitute the true foundation of its organisational strength," she said. She said that beginning her journey as an ordinary party worker and today having the opportunity to lead the Delhi Government is a matter of great privilege for her. The formation of a BJP government in Delhi after 27 years of continuous struggle is the result of the penance, patience and organisational loyalty of the senior workers, she added. Sultanpur : , Jan 10 (IANS) Around 2.89 crore voters' names were removed from the draft electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Uttar Pradesh. After this, the main opposition Samajwadi Party, has launched an attack on the government. UP Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar targeted the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party over this. Speaking to reporters, Rajbhar said, "Akhilesh ji is an educated person. He knows very well that he will not return to power again. He has already become Chief Minister due to the hard work done by his father and uncle. Everyone knows that around 86 lakh voters across the state have been identified as deceased. If their names are still present in the voters' list, how can they be retained? Only Akhilesh can bring them back from heaven; this is not something we can do." He further said, "Similarly, around 2.23 lakh voters have shifted from villages to cities and have settled there. These people got their names registered both in the village and the city voter lists. The Election Commission has fixed a standard that a voter's name can be registered at only one place. Now Akhilesh can explain to the Election Commission that voters' names should be kept at both places." Praising the Viksit Bharat-G RAM G scheme, Rajbhar described it as a reform-oriented process. He said, "MGNREGA has been renamed as 'Viksit BharatG RAM G' with the objective of establishing it not merely as a rural employment and welfare scheme, but as a development-linked guarantee in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat 2047." He added that the Act aims to modernise rural employment while addressing old shortcomings of MGNREGA. "It focuses on technology-driven transparency, strong accountability, sustainable resources, and long-term rural productivity. The assured employment provided to every rural family has been increased from 100 days to 125 days. Moreover, 60 days have been reserved for farming households. In this way, the Act guarantees 185 days of work, which has now become a legally defined right," he said. The minister further stated that employment has been divided into four sectors: water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood assets, and climate protection. "Farmers' interests have been safeguarded. If employment is not provided within 15 days of submitting an application, the individual will be entitled to an unemployment allowance," Rajbhar added. LUSAKA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Zambian Vice President Mutale Nalumango said on Saturday that African challenges, such as the insecurity and humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), require African solutions. "The challenges we face in the Great Lakes region are unique to our history, geography and population. They demand responses that are grounded in our realities, guided by our wisdom and driven by our determination," she said while officially opening the Extraordinary Meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Defense of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Livingstone, Zambia's southern city. Participants are expected to deliberate on the growing security and humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC. Efforts from outside will only be welcome when they respect and reinforce efforts of African countries, Nalumango said, noting that refining the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) and the terms of reference for the ceasefire oversight and monitoring mechanism signed in Doha on Oct. 14, 2025, marks a crucial step in the right direction. She added that strengthening the mechanism would not only enhance the capacity to monitor ceasefires but also ensure compliance and build confidence among all parties. Mubita Luwabelwa, the ICGLR executive secretary, said that despite regional and global efforts to secure lasting peace in the Great Lakes region, serious challenges have remained. The lack of a durable ceasefire and the distressing fall of the town of Uvira in eastern DRC immediately after the accords were signed is a reminder of the urgency needed to rebuild trust and work decisively for lasting stability, he said. "The EJVM is a vital instrument for collective security because it plays a vital role in the ICGLR peace and security framework," Luwabelwa said. Patna, Jan 10 : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav on Saturday alleged that a conspiracy is underway to loot the state treasury, claiming that Bihar's financial resources are being squandered through wasteful expenditure. Speaking to media persons in Patna, Yadav said, "This kind of reckless spending is the reason Bihar's debt has crossed Rs 3 lakh crore, placing a burden of nearly Rs 25,000 per person on the people of the state." He accused the state government of using the distribution of Rs 10,000 to women merely for electoral gains, while remaining silent on its promise of depositing Rs 2 lakh in women's bank accounts. "Providing Rs 2 lakh to women would impose an additional financial burden of Rs 2.70 lakh crore, while another Rs 1.05 lakh crore would be required for salaries. In total, this amounts to Rs 3.75 lakh crore, whereas Bihar's total annual budget is only around Rs 3 lakh crore," Yadav said. Demanding transparency, the RJD leader urged the government to issue a white paper on treasury expenditure and place the facts before the people of Bihar. He said there is widespread public discussion about the government's intentions behind the proposal to demolish and rebuild Bihar Niwas, calling it a clear case of financial mismanagement. Yadav questioned the rationale behind demolishing Bihar Niwas, stating that the building is only 32 years old and structurally strong. "The government must explain why there is a need to demolish such a solid structure," he said. He further alleged that the move is politically motivated and aimed at removing the plaque bearing the name of Lalu Prasad Yadav. "The ruling party is clearly uncomfortable with the board carrying Lalu Prasad Yadav's name. They must understand that the government treasury belongs to the people, not to any individual or party," Yadav said. Highlighting what he termed selective targeting, Yadav pointed out that Bihar Niwas was constructed in New Delhi in 1994, while Bihar Bhawan is over 90 years old, yet no action is being taken against it. Questioning the government's priorities, Yadav asked why there is no initiative to build an education hub in Bihar. "Out of envy and political rivalry, efforts are being made to erase the identity of Bihar Niwas, while the BJP shows no concern for development-oriented projects," he alleged. He further claimed that leaders close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar want their names engraved on foundation stones, which is why plans to demolish Bihar Niwas are being discussed. "This is nothing but a conspiracy to loot the state treasury," Yadav said. Reiterating the party's stand, he said the Rashtriya Janata Dal will take this issue to the people and is determined to protect Bihar's public funds. New Delhi, Jan 10 : New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 1.21 crore project for the improvement of the Middle Lane at the city's high-end Khan Market. Addressing the gathering, Chahal said NDMC has recently presented its Budget 2026-27, which includes several development initiatives aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed and modern India. He emphasised that redevelopment and upgradation of prominent markets are a key focus area of the NDMC Budget, and Khan Market -- being one of the most iconic commercial hubs of the national capital -- is receiving special and sustained attention. Chahal said that under the vision of Developed India, Developed Delhi and Developed NDMC, a new beginning has been made at Khan Market with renewed energy in the new year. He said that there were long-pending demands related to the Middle Lane/Back Lane and these are being addressed through a comprehensive project involving granite flooring and the creation of integrated service ducts for civil and electrical utilities. He said the foundation stone laid on Saturday pertains to the project "Upgradation and Improvement of Environs of Khan Market (Phase-II)", under which the Middle Lane is being upgraded with the provision of a comprehensive drainage system, new pavement and modern flooring. The project has a stipulated time period of three months, with an estimated cost of Rs 1.21 crore, and is scheduled for completion by April 2026. He appreciated the efforts of NDMC's engineering team and thanked the Khan Market Traders' Association for its active cooperation in the development process. Chahal said NDMC has already upgraded public toilets and is working on improving parking facilities, including the proposal for a new parking block announced in the Budget, along with better traffic management and the creation of a traffic-free zone. Emphasising that Khan Market is a globally renowned destination frequently visited by foreign tourists, he said NDMC is committed to making it more world-class while preserving its existing character. He added that with the collective efforts of NDMC, traders, residents and market associations, Khan Market has taken a significant step towards setting new benchmarks in cleanliness, infrastructure and urban development. Chahal said multiple development and improvement projects are already underway at Khan Market to strengthen infrastructure, enhance civic amenities and improve overall aesthetics. Expressing satisfaction on the occasion, he said the Middle Lane improvement project will significantly enhance convenience for visitors, traders and residents, while also giving the market a refreshed and modern appearance. New Delhi, Jan 10 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena on Saturday hit out at the previous Aam Aadmi Party government for not paying the due money and delaying the handing over of land in Narela to two government universities for their new campuses. Saxena said it is unfortunate that despite the allotment of land in January 2024, the then Delhi Government ignored the requests of their own universities for land and refused to pay any money for the same, he said. Earlier, the LG presided over the formal handing over of possession of over 35 acres of DDA land to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) and Delhi Teachers' University (DTeU) at Narela, an official said. The ceremony was also attended by Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood. The LG said in a message on social media, "Setting up of new university campuses would strengthen the higher education infrastructure in the National Capital, besides giving a thrust to DDA's efforts of developing Narela into a hub of education and a self-sustaining model sub-city replete with modern amenities." It was only after the new government took over last year and granted Rs 500 crore for the land purchase, in its first budget, he said. "I am pleased to share that Rs 452 crore has already been paid to the DDA, and an additional Rs 500 crore has been approved in the Revised Estimates for 2025-26. It underlines the Delhi Government's resolve to translate vision into execution and lay a strong and sustainable foundation for Delhi's educational and socio-economic future," he said. Speaking at an earlier event, Minister Ashish Sood praised the Delhi government's another lesser known Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU) and promised to upgrade facilities and improve campus placements. "Delhi Skill Entrepreneur University is a remarkable experiment in itself. Over the past 11 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promoted innovative ideas such as startups, scaling, and recognition-based learning. In the past six years, Delhi Skill Entrepreneur University has made significant progress," he said. The minister assured students that the Delhi government will work with start-ups and PSUs to increase the campus placement ratio in DSEU. Kolkata, Jan 10 : The convoy of the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, was attacked at Chandrakona in West Midnapore district late on Saturday evening while he was on his way back to Kolkata after attending a political programme in Purulia district. Adhikari claimed that after his convoy crossed the four-point crossing in the Chandrakona Road Market area in West Midnapore district, some activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress suddenly blocked the road. He said they were carrying Trinamool Congress flags. Adhikari also claimed that some ruling party activists attacked his convoy with bamboo sticks and started hitting the bulletproof vehicle with the sticks. He alleged that although this continued for quite some time, local police did not arrive at the spot to prevent the alleged attackers. Adhikari's convoy managed to leave the spot, after which he went straight to the Chandrakona police outpost and sat on the floor there. "I will not leave this place as long as the local cops do not identify the miscreants and arrest them. Let the district police superintendent and other top officials be informed. I will wait here till the end," the Leader of the Opposition said. At the time this report was filed, Adhikari was sitting at the Chandrakona police outpost. This is not the first time that the convoy of the Leader of the Opposition has been attacked, allegedly by Trinamool Congress activists. In August 2025, Adhikari's convoy was attacked at Cooch Behar town in north Bengal. Then, a group of people, allegedly linked to the Trinamool Congress, rushed from the sides and tried to block the vehicles in Adhikari's convoy. Adhikari did not suffer any injury because of the bulletproof glass of the vehicle in which he was travelling. The BJP later said the attackers were Trinamool Congress activists. Betul, Jan 10 : The Madhya Pradesh Police, on Saturday, arrested two persons for allegedly removing and burning saffron flags installed as part of the preparation for a Hindu sammelan (conference) to be organised in Lohiya town of Betul district. The action came following a complaint received at the Kotwali police station, alleging that some anti-social elements burnt saffron flags installed at the venue and along the roadside late Friday night. The complaint was filed by Romit Uike, a member of organising committee of the Hindu Conference. The Hindu Conference, a social and religious programme is being organised on January 18, which is part of the centenary year celebration of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). According to the police, when the local RSS workers gathered for a 'Shakha' and proceeded for a 'prabhat-pheri' (morning walk) early Saturday morning when they noticed that around eight to 10 saffron flags were missing and were allegedly burnt. The incident sparked tension in the area as a large number of right-wing activists gathered at the spot and staged a protest, demanding an action into the matter. Betul Superintendent of Police (SP), Virendra Jain, along with some senior administrative officials reached the spot and ordered an inquiry into the incident. Meanwhile, heavy security was deployed and the area was cornered off to maintain the law and order in the area. During the investigation, police teams scanned multiple CCTV cameras installed in nearby buildings and found that two persons were allegedly removing saffron flags. "A CCTV footage revealed that two persons arrived in a Santro car, removed saffron flags and burnt them. Subsequently, a search operation began to trace the accused persons," SP Jain said. After hours-long search, police eventually traced both the persons seen in a CCTV footage and they were arrested by Saturday evening. The accused duo has been identified as Taufeeq and Musharraf. They have been booked under the Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to Betul SP Jain. "A Hindu conference is scheduled to be held in the Ganj area's Lohia Ward and saffron flags were installed for this purpose. On Saturday morning, a complaint was filed at the police station saying that eight to 10 saffron flags were removed and burned by some individuals with the intent to hurt religious sentiments and spread communal disharmony. The Police team have arrested two persons -- Taufeeq and Musharraf," SP Jain told IANS. Itanagar, Jan 10 : The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), in collaboration with various organisations and volunteer groups, on Saturday, carried out a cleanliness drive at the Siang River Front in Pasighat of Arunachal Pradesh's East Siang district, officials said. Defence Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat said that the BRO has always been in the forefront to take initiatives to reach out to civil administration and population in various forms. As part of the same initiative, BRO Project 'Brahmank' had launched an outreach programme few months back and accordingly, various themes were identified to be conducted on a monthly basis, so as to take the outreach programme even beyond the defined engagement with only a few selected agencies and institutes in Pasighat. Keeping in line with the same vision, BROs Project 'Brahmank' collaborated with different organisations and volunteer groups at Pasighat in East Siang district to carry out a Cleanliness Drive Programme on Saturday at the Siang River Front. Lieutenant Colonel Rawat said that the initiative was in alignment with the vision of the 'Swachh Bharat Mission' and the primary aim of the programme was to increase awareness among Border Roads personnel about the mission and to ensure a clean, hygienic, and plastic-free riverfront environment, in line with the national vision of a 'Clean India' as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi. It was the perfect start of the New Year 2026 for Project Brahmank, as officers, supervisors and subordinates collectively took part in this noble cause and granted its support to the local administration and population. The programme was supported by numerous academic institutes, student unions and youth wings of Pasighat, who were working towards the motto of 'Siang River Front Back to its Glory', the spokesman said. By reinforcing values of discipline, collective responsibility, and community participation, BRO reaffirms its commitment to contributing towards nation-building through cleanliness and sustainable practices. In addition to its core infrastructure development responsibilities, Project 'Brahmank' regularly also undertakes various welfare-oriented initiatives for the benefit of the local population like medical camps, cleanliness drives, skill development awareness and motivational sessions. The Chief Engineer of Project 'Brahmank', S.C. Looniya said that they believe that such collaborative efforts will not only strengthen the connection between BRO and local communities but will also open up new avenues of opportunity for the youth of all the Siang districts. "We look forward to such continued support and a fruitful partnership with civil organisations in this meaningful endeavour," he added. Patna, Jan 10 : A 25-year-old youth, who had been missing since January 9, was found murdered under suspicious circumstances in a wheat field in Mohanpur village under the Katiya police station area of Gopalganj district in Bihar on Saturday. The victim has been identified as Anil Kushwaha -- a resident of Mohanpur village. His body was found lying in a wheat field located some distance from the village. After villagers spotted the body, a large crowd gathered at the spot. Family members alleged that Anil was involved in a love affair with a girl from the same village. According to them, the girl had called Anil, after which her family members allegedly assaulted him and dumped the body in the field. Following the incident, angry family members and villagers staged a protest, demanding immediate action. During the commotion, police detained two suspects. However, the crowd attempted to free the accused from police custody, forcing the police to secure them inside a nearby house. The crowd then surrounded the house, creating a tense situation. Police officials later pacified the crowd and safely took the accused to the police station for interrogation. Personnel from Katiya police station reached the spot and initiated an investigation. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team also inspected the crime scene. Hathua SDPO Anand Mohan Gupta, along with police teams from several police stations, arrived at the scene and persuaded the villagers to allow the body to be shifted to the model hospital for the post-mortem. Police have so far detained two accused in connection with the case and are interrogating them. Katiya Station House Officer Om Prakash Chauhan said an official complaint has not yet been received. "The accused have been detained and are being questioned. Further action is being taken. The guilty will not be spared, and the case will be solved soon," he said. A tense situation prevails in the village following the incident, while the police investigation continues. Business The 1% Problem with Business Books. How AI Can Turn Ideas into Action Brussels, Belgium Business books are everywhere: airport shelves, executive offices, conference swag bags. Yet despite strong sales and visibility, most business books fail to change what people actually do. According to innovation professor and AI strategist Bryan Cassady, the problem is not a lack of interest or attention. It is a design failure. Even at the top end of the market, a business book that sells 15,000 copies is already considered a top seller, typically results in meaningful application by only about 1% of readers, Cassady explains. That gap is the real story. Traditional publishing optimizes for copies sold, rankings achieved, and reviews collected. These metrics reward visibility, not impact. A book can sell well, review well, and headline keynotes and still produce almost no sustained behavior change. This shortfall is often blamed on distraction or shrinking attention spans. Cassady argues that explanation is wrong. The biggest drop doesnt happen at purchase or even at reading, he says. It happens at use. Business books are still designed for linear reading in a work environment defined by interruption, collaboration, and constant decision-making under constraints. They assume time, memory, and solo execution conditions modern work rarely provides. Artificial intelligence exposes this flaw and makes a different model possible. AI didnt kill the business book. It changed its job. When people work with AI, they dont read front to back. They query content, extract whats relevant, test ideas against real constraints, and turn concepts into plans in the middle of actual work. In this context, a business book becomes infrastructure: a reference system, a thinking tool, a decision aid, rather than a static narrative artifact. To test this shift, Cassady has stopped optimizing for bestseller rankings and launched an experiment focused on usage and impact. Free PDF editions designed to work with AI tools Linked e-book and print versions for depth and longevity Book content embedded into AI systems that translate ideas into concrete outputs Success is measured by use, not sales The goal is simple: increase real-world application by orders of magnitude. Early results suggest this model can produce almost 200 times more applied impact than the traditional book-as-product approach. AI-augmented business book impact model From visibility to usage. How AI turns business books into applied systems. Free access, Cassady argues, does not devalue expertise. It gives it wings. When ideas are free, but usage is visible, weak thinking collapses quickly. Strong frameworks spread because they help people do real work. As AI reduces the cost of distribution to near zero, the value shifts to the application. In this model, the book is no longer the product. Impact is the product. Cassady believes this signals a broader change ahead. The most valuable business books of the next decade may not be sold in the traditional sense. Instead, they will function like open systems free at the core, modular, AI-queryable, and supported by print, services, and deeper engagement. "AI didn't create the execution gap," Cassady says. "It simply made it impossible to ignore." "AI won't be separate from in the future - it will be part of the package to deliver impact." Business books now face a choice. Be read. Or be used. About Bryan Cassady Bryan Cassady is an innovation professor, AI strategist, and author of two award-winning business books on innovation and AI. He works with leadership teams on practical AI adoption and decision-making and has founded multiple companies across Europe and beyond. Contact https://www.bryancassady.com Links Get Bryans award-winning books free: CYCLES + The Generative Organization Full media kit: http://tiny.cc/Book-Model-Press-Kit Digital browsing now shapes how most readers discover books. That means your cover has to make an instant impressionoften at thumbnail size. Bold, readable typography, high-contrast colors, and a clear focal point help it stand out across Amazon listings, newsletters, social feeds, and everywhere readers browse for new books. For indie authors, designing with the digital realm in mind isnt optional anymoreits the quickest way to make a memorable first impression and invite readers into your story. Most readers now encounter book covers first as thumbnails, not full-size images. High-impact covers rely on clarity, contrast, color, and strong focal points, and digital-first design helps indie authors stand out in online stores, ads, and book giveaway campaigns. A standout cover does more than look goodit has to stop the scroll. Whether working with a designer or designing your own, prioritize contrast, clear typography, and imagery that instantly communicates what your book is about. Thats why the covers in this edition of Cover Crush rose to the top as we searched through BookLife reviews and PW reviews of BookLife titles. Each author shares what inspired their design, the story behind the visuals, and how thoughtful collaboration led to covers built for impact at any size. Expressive Finding Lallas Anna Anna Dao Memoir Authors statement: My publisher Wordeees design team created a warm, luminous cover for Finding Lallas Anna that reflects the emotional depth of my memoira transformative journey of self-discovery shaped by the unconditional love and wisdom of my late grandmother, Lalla. and the ancestral teachings of my home country, Mali. The design feels original and inviting, helping it stand out online and immediately draw readers in. Oh, God! My Skeptical Journey through the Bible James E. Clark Nonfiction Authors statement: The cover captures the books: reverence for the Bibles cultural and historical weight, combined with sharp humor and a willingness to challenge traditional ideas. The artwork nods to medieval religious imagery, then adds a donkey and a penguin with a backpack, because this journey is anything but ordinary. Abuelita, I Am Your Grandson Julio Lucero Memoir Authors statement: Initially I felt a chicken and rooster were essential for their cultural and familial resonance, especially in capturing frames of the restaurant life. Combined with Baris Sehris taste and sixth sense for color, the result is a pitch-perfect harmony of playful and sentimental. MINIMALIST Going to Zossen A.V. Pankov Fiction Authors statement: There are a lot of boxes to tick when designing a covergenre suitability, aesthetic appeal, text readability. I really enjoyed this journey of creating, with the help of David Hennessy, a cover that intrigues, reveals, and attracts readers at the same time. Doctor Robert Bobby Lopez Fiction Authors statement: Clair Finks cover for Doctor Robert drew inspiration from Hitchcockian suspense and classic noir minimalism. The repeated doors create a sense of movement and psychological tensioninviting readers to question whats hidden behind each one. COLLAGE Pineville Trace Wes Blake Fiction Authors statement: When University of Indianapoliss Etchings Press began work on the cover for Pineville Trace, my editor Kevin McKelvey and designer Abigail Bailey partnered with Louisville artist Erik Rust to create something striking and true to the novels atmosphere. Everyday objects like coffee mugs nod to midcentury Americana, while surreal touches hint at Franks restless inner life. Unfixed Alisa Kennedy Jones Memoir Designers statement: Designing the cover for Unfixed was uniquely personalIm married to the author and witnessed the very journey she shares in her memoir. To the world, Kimberly appeared calm and composed, but I knew the storm beneath the surface. Capturing that contrast became my goal. Distorted Perception Jonathan R. Snowling Fiction Authors statement: From the outset, the cover was designed with digital audiences in mindbold contrast, sharp typography, and layered depth that would jump off the screen. The fractured imagery reflects the novels central themes of propaganda, perception, and truth distortion, creating visual intrigue even at a glance. PAINTERLY The Culting of America Daniella Mestyanek Young Nonfiction Authors statement: The pop art-inspired cover features split flags, bold colors, and textures that reflect how cult dynamics are woven into the fabric of American identity. From the beginning, we wanted to show a brighter and more diverse America alongside the reality of our current fractured American identity. Ocean Child M. E. Flatow Fiction Authors statement: Working with cover designer Zuza Misko, we designed Ocean Child to pop in digital spaces: a crimson waratah on deep navy with large, clean typography that stays legible at thumbnail size and in dark-mode feeds. The composition uses high contrast and generous negative space to survive platform crops, and to stop the scroll. The Toffee Man & the Kingdom of Ends Linda Quinn Fiction Author/designer statement: I was drawn to the work of the artist, Peter Joseph, early in my life. I was honored when he gave permission to use this painting for the book coverthe subtle dynamics of which I felt captured the spirit of the young protagonist, April. VINTAGE Lowdown Anthony Schneider Thriller Authors statement: I wanted a cover that captures the crazy, contradictory lives of the novels two main characters. For part of the book, one character endures a cold prison cell in America, while the other is on the run in bountiful, beautiful Sicily. I hit upon the idea of looking out at an idyllic coastline through prison bars, and designer Katarina Naskovksky brought it to life. One Ordinary Man Steve Vesce Historical fiction Authors statement: The covers atmosphereshaped by the colors, tones, and hazy images of the capitol, fighter plane, smoke-filled London, and the two men walkinggive readers a sense of the storys subject and time period. GEOMETRIC The Career Remix Michele Volpi Self-help Authors statement: I wanted the cover to visually express the idea of reimagining ones career with energy and optimism. The bold orange, teal, and purple palette symbolizes transformation and growth, while the clean, modern layout was designed to resonate with Millennials and Gen Z professionals. UrduPoint, June 24, 2025 The body of an 8-year-old girl who had been missing for three days was recovered in the Bhana Mari area here, police informed on Monday. Police said, the girls body was discovered at the home of a neighbor in Lundi Arbab locality, which falls within the jurisdiction of Bhana Mari police station. The suspect, identified as Altaf, son of Mamoor, has been arrested in connection with the case. The victims father had reported her disappearance at Mankrao police post three days ago. During the investigation, the murdered childs body was found at the suspects residence today. The body was shifted to the hospital for a post-mortem examination. Complete details will be shared once the medical report is received, police said. The deceased has been identified as an 8-year-old girl, daughter of Ali Muhammad, originally from Afghanistan and currently residing in Lundi Arbab. The suspect is currently being interrogated by police regarding the incident. CAPE TOWN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Several wildfires continued to rage across South Africa's Western and Eastern Cape provinces on Saturday, with more than 100,000 hectares of land burned in the Western Cape and further evacuations underway, authorities said. Western Cape Premier Alan Winde told public broadcaster SABC on Saturday morning that fires were affecting the entire Western Cape Province as well as parts of the neighboring Eastern Cape. No fatalities have been reported so far, although a young girl was hospitalized in Mossel Bay and several firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation. Winde said that "more helicopters than ever" have been deployed to battle the fires, including a military helicopter. He added that more than 100,000 hectares have been burned across the province, with most infrastructure damage occurring in Mossel Bay, as well as in areas such as Du Noon in Cape Town and Pearly Beach. The Mossel Bay Municipality said on Saturday morning that while there were no active fires in the area, all teams would "remain on alert" due to dry and windy conditions. The Overstrand Municipality, where Pearly Beach is located, issued a statement about fire evacuations around noon on Saturday, saying that firefighting resources were under severe pressure, with two active fires in the area. "The first priority is to save lives," Overstrand Municipal Manager Dean O'Neill said in the statement. "Residents of Eluxolweni and Broadway Street in Pearly Beach are being evacuated to the community hall." He also urged residents in other parts of the municipality to remain on high alert, warning that "evacuation may become necessary if conditions worsen." Meanwhile, in the Eastern Cape Province, the Kouga Municipality, one of the areas hardest hit by wildfires in recent days, said on Saturday that fire crews were still battling several blazes and that conditions remained volatile. In a statement issued late Friday, Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane expressed "deep concern" over the wildfires engulfing parts of the province, noting that they were occurring during South Africa's peak summer tourism season and affecting key tourist destinations. "The premier called on residents, visitors and all road users in affected areas to exercise maximum vigilance and to strictly adhere to directives and evacuation instructions issued by disaster management officials, fire and emergency services, and law enforcement agencies deployed across the various fire hotspots in the province," the statement said. WePresent, June 25, 2025 By Phoebe West Over the course of six months, photographer Kiana Hayeri and researcher Melissa Cornet created a portrait of the lives of Afghan women under the strict regime of the Taliban. In a country facing one of the most severe womens rights crises in the world, No Womans Land captures their struggles, but also shines a light on the subtle yet powerful ways they are resistingfrom secret classrooms to moments of quiet togetherness at home. Here, Hayeri tells Phoebe West how the pair approached the project despite the limited access under the Taliban regime, and why resistance is a necessity for the women of Afghanistan. Over six months, Kiana Hayeri and Melissa Cornet spent 10 weeks across seven provinces, speaking to 100 women and girls about what it means to be a woman in Afghanistan today. We wanted to cover everything, Hayeri tells me from Damascus. We wanted to show what it means to be a woman in rural areas, in urban areas, for educated women, and uneducated, to show what has changed for them, and to look at all sides of the story. The story of Afghanistans history is a long and complex one, full of political instability and a mercurial hold over womens rightsevery regime has used women as a symbol, says Hayeri, either of modernity, or moral purity. I wanted to be very respectful, Hayeri says. Every image was approached as singular, and created in partnership with the subject, ensuring their safety and agency. Even if women were not comfortable showing their faces, Hayeri explains, they still have individuality in the photos. No Womans Land does not shy away from the darkness that pervades womens existence in Afghanistan today, but its not the whole story either. Joy and hope exist, too, transcending the personal, to embody resistance and defiance within a land of oppression. I hope it goes on to live as a documentation of whats happening in Afghanistan, says Hayeri, and becomes something that the next generation will build uponthe foundation on which to build resilience and hope. They can look back at this and know whats possible. The project is a collaboration between Hayeri and womens rights researcher Melissa Cornet. The process of working together was clearly revelatory for them both, allowing for creative scope and shared responsibility when it came to decisions surrounding the work. Beyond Hayeri and Cornet, the collaborative roots of the work extend much further. Given how limited access has become in Afghanistan under the Taliban, the space granted to them was thanks to the existence of networks already in place and a reputation within the community: a lot of the access worked through word of mouth, Hayeri explains, so we would tell our network who we were looking to meet with and they would vouch for us. Both Hayeri and Cornet lived in Kabul for years, and hold a deep love for Afghanistan, which shines through in the work. They had a scaffold of trusted relationships on which to build, language to communicate without the need for a translator and time to ensure everyone taking part really wanted to be there: Some of the scenes that you see, theyve known me for three, four years, she says, so they know I wouldnt do anything to risk their safetyand we had the luxury of time to go back again and again. This doesnt happen in our field of work anymore. Hayeri has made a lot of work in Afghanistan, but this project felt unlike anything before it because I was on this grant, I could do whatever I wanted creatively and it was very fulfilling, she explains. Hayeri says shes always shot with natural light: Afghanistan has this warm hue. But for No Womans Land she decided to shoot using neon lights. Afghans love neon lights, she says, smiling, you go to ice cream shops, restaurants, anything outdoorsthey have neon lights everywhere. As they felt the space afforded to women shrink further and further, Hayeri and Cornet decided to bring the neon lights into their homes and into their spaces. The decision to bring luminosity into the sanctuaries of these women makes it hard not to think about their skies turning from technicolor to overcast pallor as decades-long progress unraveled within weeks when the Taliban returned to power in the late summer of 2021. Pasts and futures feel present throughout the work. Various shots within No Womans Land capture different generations of womeneach frame holding multiple cycles of repression and political instability. It is difficult to fathom the expanse of what is newly gone and newly impossible for these girlsfor the elders it is history repeating, an echo of a past life, but for the youththeir daughters and granddaughtersits fresh, whole futures rubbed out in an instant. Resilience is really not a choice, says Hayeri. For women, and Afghans generally I would say, its a necessity. It is a great privilege to be able to think of resilience as a choice. Existing within the oppression that has, once again, become the reality for women in Afghanistan, resistance and rebellion exist on a molecular levelit is not taking place on the streets for others to watch, it is happening all the time: dancing behind closed doors, making art and creating henna designs become defiant acts of personhood in the face of erasure. Making this work would not be possible nowany semblance of access that existed then has been shut downbut the scope of what was created is unbounded. Its very easy for people to put the title of gender apartheid on Afghanistan, reflects Hayeri, but they dont talk about the apartheid that is happening in the West Bank. The fight for womens rights goes beyond just Afghanistan. It goes to Palestine. It goes to America. It goes to Kenya! After our conversation, Hayeri is joining the celebrations in Damascus for the 14th anniversary of the Syrian revolution, where military helicopters will drop flowers and confettia reminder that proximate to the fragility of womens rights around the world lies the potential for change, and the possibility for something better. RAWANews, June 28, 2025 A photo circulating on social media shows a 45-year-old man with the 6-year-old girl he has just married a harrowing example of the worsening child marriage crisis under Taliban rule. A photo circulating on social media shows a 45-year-old man with the 6-year-old girl he has just married a harrowing example of the worsening child marriage crisis under Taliban rule. Local sources in Helmand say that a 45-year-old man, who already has two other wives, has married a 6-year-old girl. According to the sources, the girls father gave her in marriage to this older man "in exchange for money." Sources stated that the wedding ceremony between the 45-year-old man and the child took place on Friday, 27th June, 2025. However, before the child was handed over to her 45-year-old "husband," local Taliban officials stepped in not to stop the marriage, of course, but to show their version of "restraint." Sources say they told the man to hold off and wait until the girl turns the oh-so-mature age of 9 before taking her to his house. Child marriageespecially the forced marriage of young girls to much older or middle-aged menremains one of the most pervasive and culturally embedded forms of gender-based violence across Afghanistan. Since the Taliban's return to power, this practice has surged dramatically, fueled by the regime's ultra-patriarchal policies, the collapse of legal protections, and the deepening economic desperation faced by families. The normalization of such coercive unions under the guise of tradition not only strips girls of their childhood and basic human rights, but also reinforces a broader system of gender oppression that thrives under the Talibans rule. Zamin, January 6, 2026 In the annual report of the research, dated December 31, 2025, it was noted that after Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Haiti, and Burundi had the lowest ratings regarding women's safety and their rights. In Afghanistan, the social situation of women was evaluated based on three main criteria: inclusivity, justice, and safety. The safety of women in the country and the way they are treated are significantly lower compared to other countries, and women are part of the most vulnerable and unprotected social group in Afghanistan. Due to numerous restrictions on women's rights to education and employment, their access to basic services and humanitarian aid is severely limited. This situation has placed Afghanistan in one of the lowest spots in the UN Gender Development Index, just after Yemen. Furthermore, Afghanistans streets are not considered safe for women. The "Taliban" interim government strictly controls womens behavior in public spaces, which restricts their freedom of movement, increasing the instability and insecurity in the country. Americas foremost heroes are cowboys, soldiers, and innovators. They imposed order on the Wild West. They showed courage on countless battlefields and saved civilization in the Second World War. Armed with a vision for the future and their own two hands, they overpowered a dark and forbidding wilderness to create our modern world. We memorialize their great deeds because strong men inspire strong reactions. In 1841, Americans were aghast when sculptor Horatio Greenough unveiled the naked splendor of his 12-ton Enthroned Washington, a marble tribute to the Nations father and first president. Wearing sandals and only a toga draped over his lap, the sculpture of George Washington caused a stir among members of Congress, who were unable to look past Washingtons exposed nipples, washboard abs, and belly button to see the magic infused into his Zeus-like image. They moved the monument from the Capitol rotunda to the Capitol grounds, where it withstood the wind and rain for 65 years before finding a permanent home within the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Ross Calvin believes times have changed. He wants to install a 350-foot statue of Prometheus, the Greek titan, on top of Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Like the scandalized critics of Horatio Greenough, Calvins detractors are numerous. They call his Great Colossus of Prometheus a mix of phallicism and fascism. They claim his vision is too grandiose, too audacious, too difficult to achieve. They have counter-proposed a statue dedicated to Lady Justice as a substitute for Calvins monument to chauvinism. But the Denver-based crypto entrepreneur believes President Trumps America is ready for a powerful, public expression of beautyone that will serve as a bright, blazing beacon to our latent creative spirit, and stimulate a new generation to dare greatly. For the last 100 years, weve been living in highly mythological times, Calvin says in a sprawling interview over several days. The public has had its creativity so beaten out of them we can barely see it. He takes inspiration from the story of Prometheus, who took fire from the gods and gave it to mankind so they could survive and flourish in their own civilization. Prometheus makes man persevering, creative, truth-seeking and forward-moving, Calvin says. He sees Prometheus as a symbol of Americas regenerative destiny. Calvin is a rarity in todays world. He is unapologetically patriotic, provocative, and, like the leading heroes in American history, constantly searching for new frontiers. He grew up playing the piano but insisted on learning the instrument by composing and practicing his own music rather than the work of someone else. Imprinting everything we do with a powerful, chauvinistic confidence is the heart of the American project, he says. If we fail to uphold this duty, we forfeit our destiny to the worldviews of the Chinese Communist Party and bureaucrats in the European Union. What follows is part three of our conversation. Here are parts one and two. Your Great Colossus of Prometheus is a pipe dream driven by the whim of one man, Ross Calvin, hellbent on planting his "Lad Licentious" on top of a national park, fixing a monumental eyesore onto the iconic skyline of San Francisco. Defend yourself. This type of grandiosity is a virtue and modest by comparison to greater men who have achieved far greater things. We know instinctively that the statues message calls forth something else which makes us uncomfortable and afraid, so we cower by shooting the messenger. Prometheus represents the fundamental power one recognizes when he looks up at the sky and finds it empty, empty of gods, and knows the full existential weight and responsibility falls on his shoulders. When there is no sky to look up to, it is within us that the universe must be born. The stark, vivid immediacy to find oneself alone in the cosmos is of incredible, brilliant freedom. He sees himself as living within the future. And he knows it falls to him to imprint on this lonely world a sense of meaning. This is the true heart of American Manifest Destiny. It is our job to make this spirit come to life in stone and bronze and futuristic metals. To call it forward out of the hearts of every onlooker. And so, you will destroy the historic Alcatraz Island along your way, is that what you want? The current premises of Alcatraz is sacred to nobody. Its dilapidated ruins interest no one, and it would be language fraud to glorify the current state of Alcatraz under the rubric of a national park. The site is visited by only about 7 percent of annual tourist traffic to San Francisco93 percent of tourists ignore Alcatraz. You claim that a propaganda complex supported by the political Left and Right has covered our eyes and plugged our ears for decades, stuffing the cultural void with smug, branded, machine-made artifacts that inspire no one. Explain how this works. From the Left there is a putrid, sickly warm milk effect on art. There is a foppish tenor to the managerial worldview of the propaganda producer which reflexively fears grit and self-owned determinationa need for all the universe to be a soft-spoken mother. The propaganda complex fundamentally serves effeminate fops living in the ambrosia bosom of the state. Outside of Maoism of 2020, there is not yet a jackboot approach to desecration of art. There is a reflexive soft cancellation instead. Expressions of dynamism and heroic potency in art are immediately suspect, and the creation of anything serious, powerful, or heroic is labeled as fascist. There is a deep, unconsidered anxiety about all forms of confidence. All work must be deliberately understated and stripped of force in order to gain acceptance in the Davos-styled establishment circuit. Only the egalitarian aesthetic slop bucket of formless mass, devoid of hierarchical arrangement and technical skill does not trigger. Even discipline in execution and mastery is an anathema to the equality mongers they do not fall into the standardized semantics of the Davos-mindset. These tropes and mental artifacts recirculate into what everyone agrees. All of these qualities are foreclosed in a subconscious collusive allegiance to establishment left. Take Hollywood, for example, which was the engine of cultural and religious narrative for a centuryits synonymous with philistinism. Movie studios famously have such large capital accounts that the only productions their business model allows them to make our giant-budget, safe-bet regurgitations: the Marvel series and endless big budget remakes. In music studios it's the same problem where the mathematically measurable IQ of music across the spectrum has plummeted. No longer are they capable of producing a Sting or a Bruce Springsteen or a Pink Floyd or a Jimi Hendrix, self-contained original artists who, yes, produce their own material for generations. These media corporations are essentially hostile to the humanities, fine arts, culture, and spiritual development. And the Right has been no less feeble in its efforts to create or sponsor real art that shocks and inspires. Is that your conclusion or do you believe there will be a renaissance? I believe the Right often sees traditional aesthetics as a kind of bunker under which to hide from space invaders. And it's not a verdict on the beauty of classical aesthetics in the least. It is that the RETVRN faction is not asserting anything of its own. Instead, it's hoping the gravitas of history will carry the day without the responsibility to enroll Americans into anything in particular. And they are political statements almost in their entirety actually. Original artists have their own ethos that is pre-political. Even though this faction is more political than original artists tend to be, they are utterly lazy about identifying the actual cultural and political problems at stake in the country and our civilization. The presidents executive order to turn all federal buildings into a classical style, for example, is completely desirable but also milquetoast and feeble when it comes to the magnitude of California's, and therefore Americas, cultural challenges. Likewise, suggestions Ive gotten for a statue of Jesus or Justice show no appreciation for how long the war has already progressed and how far away the battlefield really is. The traditional aesthetics for Right wing art mirror the useless, scripted failure to motivate of a Paul Ryan or Mitt Romneythey are platitudes. In my opinion, authentic art should be superordinate over politics. But obviously it still has to resonate enough with the patronage to find support. For art to be truly political, patronage networks must have a great deal of political refinement as well. On the Right this refinement is lacking even if the erudition around the subject of classical liberalism and its mirror in neoclassical aesthetics is quite developed. The era of Vance, Hegseth and Gabbard might mark the step-shift moment in political refinement to support art not cadenced by the platitudes of the baby boomer gerontocracy. Combined with Gen Z nationalism, this next 15 years could be the years of greatest vitality in Right wing political art in a century, but it wont look like anything that has come before and likely will not seem Right wing at all. You want the artist to be a hero of natural selection who uses his superior creative force to topple the politically-manipulated, statist establishment. How will you, Ross Calvin, accomplish this task by reigniting the flame of manifest destiny in the Great Colossus of Prometheus? This project will be a beacon to popularize a way of thinking about ones latent, natural creative powera framework, a lexicon, a mythology and accompanying aesthetics for this can impress on individuals something deep they will not forget. I believe the more complete formation of this psyche is antidote to the slave morality which besets our culture. While it might be modest and inchoate in the beginning, it compounds quickly because great works of beauty created with a pathos toward and admiration for all Americans, made in the public trust, supersede the inferiority of politics. This monument is dedicated to the flame of triumphant beauty in the heart of every American. Who gave you permission to launch this project? Did the president? If you want to be a leading American, nobody on the planet can give you permission. In my life experience, humans largely act in Epimethean ways. They defer to others. Almost nothing is the product of a board or a team. Team members defer to the principal. American culture is less this way than all others, but is far from free of this behavior, and in my experience, it has gotten worse over the last 20 years. The ability for multiple principals to act autonomously in development of the same goal is a definitive feature of Western culture. We are losing this. More critically, our most powerful cultural monuments arent statues, republican institutions, or the artifact of money. They are the psychospiritual and mythopoetic power of our youth. I believe this is our highest technology, the most fearsome implement in the arsenal of the West. Our enemies (Zeus-worshiping Bolsheviks) obviously want us to decommission it. They will shoot the messenger all day: Ross Calvin is some guy with an eyesore vanity project, etc. But I also think the coming age of the rediscovery of this arsenal will be a profound time of rightful celebration. This sense of optimism and forward moving confidence is what weve forgotten in our culture. Rather than a defining natural property of Man, today we treat it like hubris. We are superstitious against our own agency. They dont want you to understand. They want you to believe that you have to ask their permission in order to claim your humanity. Martin Luther tore that down. Michelangelo tore that down. Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine tore that down. Bach tore that down. Jesus tore that down. Plato tore that down. And Prometheus tore that down Yes. And as to the greatness of Mans nature, you cant tear this down. John J. Waters is author of the postwar novel River City One (Simon and Schuster, 2023). Adam Ellwanger is a professor at University of Houston Downtown, where he teaches rhetoric and writing. Follow him at @1HereticalTruth on X. The relation between a regulator and its regulated entities is collaborative and not adversarial with the common objective of maintaining the stability and credibility of the financial system. Photograph: Hemanshi Kamani/Reuters However, the action on regulated entities like penalties and business restrictions are the last resort, Reserve Bank of India (RBI)s governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Friday. At the same time, the governor said that regulated entities need to better understand regulatory expectations and requirements, particularly in the areas where models, partners, data, and digital delivery create new forms of risk. They need to imbibe the essence of regulation and follow the spirit of it and not merely follow a tick-box based compliance culture. "Our endeavour, rather, should be to develop common understanding which can reduce frictions and improve outcomes, Malhotra said in a speech at the Third Annual Global Conference of the College of Supervisors in the city. Commenting on the use of technology for the benefit of customers, Malhotra said the aim should be to ensure that digitalisation and innovations are aligned with fair outcomes for consumers. He focussed on the need for guardrails to protect against opaque pricing and inappropriate recovery practices. For all of us, protecting customers interest is not just a priority it has to become the cornerstone of a sustainable and resilient financial system. "Digital channels facilitate our efforts by improving inclusion and convenience. "But, without guardrails, they can also facilitate opaque pricing, weak disclosures and inappropriate recovery practices, he said. He observed that a key element of customer centricity should be to protect them from the menace of rising digital frauds. While banks and other regulated entities individually should continue to improve their tools, techniques and processes in preventing and tackling digital frauds, this is an area where we need to collaborate with each other to build analytics and tools to detect mule accounts and suspicious transactions timely and pre-emptively, Malhotra said. He said the central banks endeavour should be to develop a common understanding, which can reduce frictions and improve outcomes. Regulated entities need to better understand regulatory expectations and requirements, particularly in the areas where models, partners, data, and digital delivery create new forms of risk, he said. He clarified that supervisory and enforcement actions of the regulator must be seen as part of a continuum of supervisory tools, not as a standalone response. In this context he said, Enforcement, restrictions and penalties are measures of last resort. Our endeavour is to have a robust financial ecosystem where supervision encourages self-correction and enforcement acts only as backstop, adding that regulation works best when banks and other regulated entities view supervisors not as fault-finding inspectors, but as partners in resilience. Regulation works best when banks and other regulated entities view supervisors not as fault-finding inspectors, but as partners in resilience. He said supervision should not only enforce existing regulations, but also help refine them by flagging regulatory gaps and inconsistencies observed during supervisory engagements. In this context, he highlighted recent amendments to the co-lending directions and lending against gold & silver jewellery where feedback from all the stakeholders helped the regulator to refine regulations. Indias third-largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) has secured a 10-year breather on adjusted gross revenue (AGR) payments from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters This is expected to ease pressure on its balance sheet and enable the company to raise bank debt for capital expenditure. The relief is critical for Vi as it seeks funding to expand its 4G and 5G networks to remain competitive in the Indian market. Under the revised terms, the government has asked Vi to pay a maximum of Rs 124 crore annually for six years starting March 2026, followed by Rs 100 crore annually for four years beginning March 2032, according to disclosures made by the company to the BSE on Friday. During this period, Vis AGR liabilities will be reassessed and finalised by a government-appointed committee. Payments on the reassessed dues will commence from March 2036 on an annual basis and continue until March 2041. Vis AGR dues currently stand at Rs 87,695 crore as of December 31, 2025. The governments move is likely to prompt rival Bharti Airtel to approach the courts, according to industry executives, as the countrys second-largest carrier has sought similar relief on its AGR obligations. Bharti Airtels AGR dues are estimated to exceed Rs 40,000 crore, and the Sunil Mittal-promoted group had previously asked the government to convert these liabilities into equity. Airtel has already paid about Rs 18,000 crore towards AGR dues. Queries sent to Bharti Airtel did not receive a response as of Friday evening. People familiar with the matter said Vis reassessed dues are likely to be lower than the frozen amount of Rs 87,695 crore as of December 2025. The government has begun a circle-level review of AGR liabilities across the country for the period from 2006-07 to 2018-19, covering principal, interest, penalties and interest on penalties. The review also includes dues of Idea Cellular and Vodafone India, among other subsidiaries, prior to their merger in 2018 to form Vodafone Idea, the sources added. Such a decisive government action, with possible upside but zero downside from reassessment, would enable Vi to raise bank funding thats necessary for carrying out survival capex. "A favourable Supreme Court verdict had already enabled Vi to raise Rs 3,300 crore through non-convertible debentures recently, said Vivekanand Subbaraman, research analyst at Ambit Capital. Sector watchers said the relief could also pave the way for a strategic investor to enter Vi, allowing the government to dilute its current 48.9 per cent stake. This, in turn, could create room for converting additional spectrum dues into equity. With negligible AGR payments till FY35, Vis fundraising prospects improve meaningfully. "Any equity infusion by a strategic investor will also dilute government stake, creating headroom for conversion of a portion of the Rs 1.2 trillion spectrum debt into government equity (without breaching the 49 per cent mark), said analysts at IIFL Capital in a note following Vis disclosure on Friday. The carrier still has dues from spectrum bought in previous auctions totalling Rs 1.2 trillion. Based on Vi's results, as of September 2025, it was supposed to pay Rs 16,428 crore as AGR instalment by March 2026. That amount will now come down to Rs 124 crore. Analysts at Citi Research said the move could fast-track completion of Vis planned Rs 25,000 crore bank debt raise and potentially enable another equity round later. Besides meaningfully lifting concerns on Vis ability to service government dues and therefore on its ability to continue as a going concern, these steps should also enable the company to revive its network investments, they said. The Rs 1.2 trillion spectrum debt because of spectrum bought in previous auctions will continue to drag down financials, experts added, underscoring the need for tariff hikes. As of September 2025, Vi had to pay Rs 2,558 crore as deferred payment obligations for the spectrum by June 2026. According to IIFL, Vi's spectrum payments are set to rise each year to Rs 4,400 crore in FY27, Rs 15,600 crore in FY28 and Rs 25,700 crore in FY29. Analysts added that the relief granted to Vi could also provide momentum to Indus Towers, the shared tower infrastructure provider to major telecoms operators, to resume dividend payouts to shareholders this year, possibly by the end of FY26. Among major engagements in 2026 is the visit of the European Union leadership, the chief guests at the Republic Day parade. IMAGE: A view of India Gate in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo After a relatively quiet electoral year in 2025, New Delhi is bracing for a far heavier political and diplomatic calendar in 2026, with multiple assembly elections, key Rajya Sabha contests and an active schedule of foreign engagements. 2025 saw just two ssembly polls -- in Delhi (February) and in Bihar (November). The Bharatiya Janata Party returned to power in Delhi after 27 years and emerged, for the first time, as the single largest party in Bihar. The challenge sharpens in 2026, with assembly elections due by April-May in one Union Territory and four states -- Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam. Of these, the BJP currently heads a government only in Assam. Equally significant for the ruling party will be the biennial elections to 72 of the Rajya Sabha's 245 seats. The BJP will seek to improve on its current tally of 103 members, aided by its assembly performances in Maharashtra and Bihar. Polls in the neighbourhood New Delhi is closely tracking political churn in the neighbourhood, particularly in Bangladesh and Nepal, where incumbent governments were ousted in 2025. Bangladesh is scheduled to hold general elections on February 12, followed by Nepal on March 5. Multi-phased elections in Myanmar -- the first since the 2021 military coup -- began on Sunday and will continue into January. Several international organisations have described the Myanmar polls as a 'sham'. International relations India will also watch the US midterm polls later this year, even as both the White House and the National Democratic Alliance government in India seek to resolve the impasse over the bilateral trade pact. A breakthrough could revive plans for India to host the Quad Summit, which had been scheduled for 2025. Among major engagements in 2026 is the visit of the European Union leadership, which will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade. The India-EU FTA could likely be signed during the visit. India will also host the AI Impact Summit in February, expected to be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron among other global leaders. Key foreign visits lined up Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to visit India with a large business delegation, a trip seen as important as New Delhi seeks to diversify exports amid punitive US tariffs. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also slated to visit, with trade and industrial cooperation expected to feature prominently. A visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which could not take place in 2025, is also under discussion. Nordic countries have conveyed their interest in hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the India-Nordic Summit, postponed last year due to Operation Sindoor. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said a hijab-clad woman would one day become India's prime minister as the country's Constitution accords equal status to people from all communities unlike that of Pakistan, which restricts top constitutional posts to a single community. IMAGE: AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi addresses an rally in for the civic polls in Maharashtra. Photograph: @aimim_national/X His remark drew a sharp reaction from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which said that through his "irresponsible" statement, the Hyderabad MP was presenting half-truth as Muslim women don't want to wear hijab. Addressing a public meeting on Friday in Maharashtra's Solapur ahead of the January 15 civic polls, Owaisi said, "India's Constitution accords equal status to people of all communities, unlike Pakistan's Constitution which restricts the country's top constitutional posts to members of a single community." He added that he may not be alive to see it, but the day would come in future when a woman wearing a hijab would become India's prime minister. Responding to it, BJP MP Anil Bonde said Owaisi was making irresponsible statements, and accused him of presenting half-truth. Stating that women in Iran were protesting against the hijab, Bonde claimed that Muslim women did not want it as nobody wanted subjugation. He also alleged that demographic imbalance was emerging in India and called for Hindu unity. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla challenged Owaisi to make a 'Pasmanda' Muslim or hijab-clad woman the president of AIMIM. "Hijabwali will become PM says Miyaan Owaisi. Miyaan Owaisi - constitution stops nobody but I challenge you to make a Pasmanda or Hijabwali as your president of AIMIM first," Poonawalla said in a post on X. SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A wildfire that broke out in Uiseong County, southeastern South Korea, was largely brought under control within three hours on Saturday, Yonhap News agency reported. Uiseong County Mayor Kim Ju-soo said the main blaze was extinguished at around 6 p.m. local time. As of 4:30 p.m., the wildfire had affected about 59 hectares of land, with a fire line stretching 3.39 km. An evacuation order was issued for nearby residents, who were instructed to take shelter at community facilities, including a gymnasium, according to Yonhap. The fire started at about 3:14 p.m. on a mountain in Uiseong County, some 180 km southeast of the capital Seoul. The Korea Forest Service issued a Level 2 wildfire response after the fire erupted. More than 300 firefighters, over 50 fire engines, and 10 helicopters were deployed to prevent the fire from spreading to residential areas. Forest authorities said the cause of the fire is under investigation and that all available resources will be mobilized to prevent casualties. Heavy snowfall in the area on Saturday afternoon reportedly helped slow the spread of the wildfire. These upcoming launches carry added significance in light of setbacks suffered in recent years. IMAGE: The LVM3-M6 mission successfully placed the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into its intended orbit. Photograph: Kind courtesy ISRO/X A great deal is riding on India's upcoming space launches as the country prepares to undertake two strategic missions in the first quarter of calendar year 2026. The first of these -- a spy satellite launch -- is scheduled for the morning of January 12. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C62 will lift off at 10:17 am from the first launch pad, carrying Anvesha (EOS-N1), a spy and Earth observation satellite developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Alongside the primary payload, EOS-N1, the mission will also carry 15 small co-passenger satellites belonging to Indian and international entities, ISRO said. In December 2025, the government informed Parliament that this was a dedicated Earth observation satellite launch by New Space India Ltd (NSIL) for a strategic user, accompanied by multiple co-passenger satellites. The second strategic mission will involve the launch of EOS-05 aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV-F17, the government said. Anvesha (EOS-N1) is a hyperspectral satellite equipped with advanced sensors capable of detecting objects and materials invisible to the naked eye. Unlike conventional imaging systems, hyperspectral sensors capture hundreds of narrow spectral bands per pixel, enabling highly precise material identification. For strategic and defence applications, this technology allows the detection of camouflaged assets, as fabrics, metals, and human bodies reflect light in distinct ways. The satellite is expected to significantly enhance surveillance of enemy troop movements, vehicles, concealed weapons, and other military assets. The mission will also demonstrate KID or Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator from a Spanish startup, which is a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle being developed by the startup. The KID will be the last co-passenger to be injected, after which it is slated to re-enter the earth's atmosphere towards splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean. 'The integration of the vehicle and satellites has been completed and pre-launch checks are in progress,' Indian space agency said. These upcoming launches carry added significance in light of setbacks suffered in recent years. On May 18, 2025, PSLV-C61, carrying the EOS-09 Earth observation satellite with synthetic aperture radar, failed mid-flight, resulting in an estimated loss of 850 crore. Earlier, on January 29, 2025, GSLV-F15 failed to place the NVS-02 navigation satellite -- valued at about 300 crore -- into its intended orbit due to a pyro-valve malfunction that cut off oxidiser flow. Including replacement costs and lost opportunities, the financial impact of these failures runs into hundreds of crores of rupees, in addition to significant opportunity costs. Earlier losses included GISAT-1 in 2021 due to cryogenic stage ignition failure in a GSLV mission, and IRNSS-1H in 2017 when the PSLV heat shield failed to separate. More recently, in November 2025, ISRO successfully launched the military communication satellite GSAT-7R (CMS-03) aboard the LVM3 rocket, restoring some confidence in its heavy-lift capabilities. Several missions are scheduled before March 2026. These include HLVM3-G1/OM1, the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, which will demonstrate end-to-end human spaceflight capability, including orbital operations, re-entry, and crew module recovery. Another mission, PSLV-C63/TDS-01, will launch a Technology Demonstration Satellite to test high-thrust electric propulsion, an indigenous travelling wave tube amplifier, and quantum key distribution. These technologies are aimed at enabling all-electric satellites and strengthening self-reliance in critical satellite systems. ISRO will also undertake PSLV-N1/EOS-10, the first PSLV realised by NSIL through an industry consortium. This mission will launch EOS-10 (Oceansat-3A) for meteorological, oceanographic, and land applications, along with the Indo-Mauritius Joint Satellite and private-sector co-passengers. The EOS-10 mission, together with Oceansat-3 (EOS-06), is expected to provide daily data supporting a wide range of environmental monitoring and scientific applications. In addition, SSLV-L1 will mark a dedicated commercial mission by NSIL. Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff A nurse accidentally severed the thumb of an infant while removing a cannula at the state-run Maharaja Yashwantrao (MY) Hospital in Indore, following which she was suspended, a senior doctor from the medical facility said on Saturday. Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Pixabay The incident occurred on Wednesday, Dean Dr Arvind Gangoria told PTI. The 3,000-bed MY Hospital is the largest government hospital in Madhya Pradesh. According to the official, the one-and-a-half-month-old baby had been admitted to the hospital in critical condition with pneumonia. It was recovering after being put on ventilator support. The nurse mistakenly cut off the infant's thumb with a pair of scissors while removing the IV cannula, he said. Dr Gangoria said the severed body part was surgically reattached, and the baby is doing well. "The nurse has been suspended for negligence, while three senior nurses will face a one-month salary cut for supervisory lapses," he said. An inquiry committee headed by hospital superintendent Ashok Yadav has been formed to probe the incident. The panel also includes paediatrician Dr Nirbhay Mehta, deputy superintendent Dr Rohit Baderia and nursing superintendent Dayavati Dayal, he added. The committee has begun recording statements of nursing staff. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who holds the health portfolio, directed the hospital to investigate the role of medical and support staff in the incident and take strict action against those found guilty, according to a government statement. The hospital was in the news a few months ago following the death of two newborns after allegedly being bitten by rats. On the deaths of the two newborns last year, Dr Gangoria said post-mortem reports had pointed to medical complications. "They were premature and their vital organs had not developed," he said. The Nationalist Congress Party, led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, headed by his uncle Sharad Pawar, on Saturday released a joint manifesto for the upcoming elections to the Pune municipal corporation. IMAGE: NCP-SP's Supriya Sule and NCP's Ajit Pawar jointly address the press at the launch of their joint manifesto for Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body elections. Photograph: ANI on X Ajit Pawar and his cousin Supriya Sule, the working president of NCP-SP, shared the dais at a joint press conference, signalling growing proximity between the two factions after a bitter split in 2023. The NCP, although a member of the ruling Mahayuti, and NCP-SP, a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, have joined hands for the January 15 elections to Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic bodies. Sule and other NCP-SP leaders, who had largely remained absent from the campaign so far, were present at the release of the manifesto. Addressing the gathering, Ajit Pawar said the manifesto focuses on key civic issues in Pune. The poll document assures tap water supply, easing of traffic congestion, pothole-free roads, cleanliness, hi-tech healthcare services, pollution control, and slum rehabilitation. He said the manifesto also proposes free travel on PMPML buses and the metro, waiver of property tax for houses up to 500 sq ft, and free computer tablets for students. Despite being in power with the Bharatiya Janata Party at the state and Centre, Ajit Pawar has been targeting the local BJP leadership, accusing it of derailing the development of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad despite receiving substantial funds from both governments. The BJP was in power in both civic bodies from 2017 to 2022. One person was killed and at least 16 people were injured after a speeding luxury car ploughed into roadside food stalls in a crowded area in Jaipur, police said. Photograph: ANI on X The incident occurred near Kharbas Circle in the Patrakar Colony police station area on Friday night. According to police, the Audi car was allegedly racing with another vehicle when it hit a road divider and rammed into roadside food stalls. Station House Officer (SHO) Madan Kadwasra said more than 50 people were present at the spot when the car went out of control. "The car hit over 10 stalls, ran over more than 16 people and finally stopped after crashing into a tree about 100 metres away," he said, adding that another car overturned due to the impact. The deceased has been identified as Ramesh Bairwa, a resident of Bhilwara, who worked as a helper at a food stall. Four injured were referred to SMS Hospital in critical condition, while others were admitted to Jaipuria Hospital. Three of the injured were discharged after first aid, Kadwasra said. Police said the Audi driver was identified as Dinesh Rinwa, a businessman. He managed to flee the spot with two others, leaving behind the car, which he had bought three months ago. One of the occupants of the car was caught by locals and handed over to police. The accused were allegedly intoxicated. The car has been seized and mobile phones were recovered from it, they said. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed grief over the incident, saying, "The road accident in Jaipur's Patrakar Colony is extremely tragic and heart-wrenching. Instructions have been given to ensure prompt and proper treatment of all the injured." Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar, who visited the injured at Jaipuria Hospital and SMS Trauma Centre, said, "Doctors and medical staff have been directed to provide the best possible and timely treatment to all injured citizens." United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that the situation in Iran is being monitored very closely and hoped for the protestors in the country to be safe. IMAGE: Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026. Photograph: Social Media/via Reuters/File Photo He warned that if protestors were killed, the US would get involved and would hit the country where it hurts. Trump made the remarks while responding to media questions during a meeting with top oil and gas executives at the White House. When asked about Iran, he said, "Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts so we don't want that to happen." The US President further said, "But this is something pretty incredible that is happening in Iran. It's an amazing thing to watch. They've done a bad job, they have treated their people very badly and now they are being paid back, so, let's see what happens. We are watching it very closely." On the protestors, Trump said, "I just hope the protestors in Iran are going to be safe because it is a very dangerous place right now and again I tell the Iranian leaders you better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too." According to Policy research organisation, Institute for the study of War, protest activity in Iran has expanded dramatically in both rate and magnitude since January 7, including in major cities like Tehran and in northwestern Iran. The think tank further said that the regime has intensified its crackdown including by taking the rare step of using the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces to suppress protests in at least one province. Earlier on January 9, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei accused the US administration of being behind the large-scale protests in Iran. Speaking at a public interaction, Khamenei said protestors were acting to please the President of America. "There are also those whose work is destruction. Last night in Tehran, and in some other places, a bunch of vandals came and destroyed a building belonging to their own country. For example, suppose they destroyed a certain building or a wall, just to please the President of America. Because he said... some irrelevant nonsense... that 'if the government of Iran does such and such, I will come to the side... I will take your side'. The side of these rioters and individuals who are harmful to the country. These people have their hopes pinned on him. If he can, let him manage his own country! In his own country, various incidents are occurring," Khamenei was reported as saying by Iranian state media. The Ayatollah also accused US President Trump of acting like a despot and said that despots are deposed at the peak of their pride. He said, "Our nation does not tolerate mercenaryism for foreigners. Whoever you may be, once you become a mercenary for a foreigner, once you work for a foreigner, the nation considers you rejected. As for that fellow (Trump) who sits there with arrogance and pride, passing judgment on the whole world, he should also know that usually, the despots and arrogant powers of the world--such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, Reza Khan, Mohammad Reza, and the likes of them--were overthrown exactly when they were at the peak of their pride. This one will be overthrown as well." United States President Donald Trump reiterated the claims of having to do 'something' about Greenland, saying that if US doesn't take any action, Russia and China would spring in and that Washington, DC does not want to have them as neighbours. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One after arriving at Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida, on January 9, 2026. Photograph: Nathan Howard/Reuters In the context of Denmark, he said that landing a boat 500 years ago in Greenland 'doesn't mean they own the land'. The US President made the remarks while interacting with mediapersons during his meeting with the top oil and gas executives. When asked about Greenland, Trump said, "We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland -- and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. I would like to make a deal the easy way but if we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way". He added, "And by the way, I'm a fan of Denmark as well. They've been very nice to me. I'm a big fan but the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn't mean that they own the land. We had lots of boats go there also. But we need that because if you take a look at outside of Greenland right now, they are Russian destroyers, Chinese destroyers and bigger there are Russian submarines all over the place. "We're not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland and that's what they're going to do if we don't. We will do something with Greenland either the nice way or the difficult way." When asked why it was important to 'own' Greenland, when the US has a military presence that it could expand, Trump said that one defends ownership and not leases. "When we own it we defend it. You don't defend leases the same way. You have to own it. Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership. You don't defend leases. If we don't do it, China or Russia will. That's not going to happen... NATO has to understand that. I'm all for NATO. I saved it. If it weren't for me, NATO would not be there." Trump has renewed his push to take over a semi-autonomous Danish territory rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron. The new push to annexe Greenland comes after Trump's use of military force against Venezuela on Saturday to seize its President Nicolas Maduro. For decades, Washington, DC has viewed Greenland as strategically important, and the Trump administration has once more placed the island at the centre of its Arctic agenda by reviving discussions around altering the status of the Danish territory. Trump previously made an offer to buy the island in 2019, during his first presidential term, only to be told it was not for sale. The fear of Russia and China laying a 'claim' to foreign territories has been repeated by President Trump before too. Speaking in regard to the recent operation in capturing Nicolas Maduro, Trump said, "If we didn't do what we did, China or Russia would have been in Venezuela." In another query about Europe, Trump expressed sharp disdain over energy generated from windmills and said, "I'm not much of a windmill person. I can proudly say that we have not approved one wind mill since I've been in office and we're going to keep it that way. My role is to not let any windmill get build. They're losers. They lose money, they destroy your landscape, they kill your birds, they are all made in China." Trump added that Europe should question China on how much windmill area does China itself have. "They (China) use coal, oil and gas and some nuclear but they don't have windmills. They make them and sell them to suckers like Europe and suckers like the United States before. They are the worst form of energy, most expensive form of energy." The remarks come after he signed a memorandum on Wednesday, directing the withdrawal of the US from international organisations, conventions and treaties that are 'contrary to the interests' of the US. The announcement was made in the statement of the Presidential Memoranda shared by the White House that mentioned withdrawal from 35-non non-UN organisations and 31 UN entities. The Non-UN organisations include the India and France-led International Solar Alliance, key environmental bodies like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Other non-UN bodies International Energy Forum, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation and the Global Counterterrorism Forum, among others. United States President Donald Trump has played down suggestions that the Washington could launch an operation against Russian President Vladimir Putin similar to the raid that led to the capture of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil industry executives at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 9, 2026. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's cryptic remarks hinting that Putin could be next after Maduro's seizure, Trump told reporters, "I don't think it's going to be necessary. I think we're going to have a -- and always had -- a great relationship with him." Hours after Trump announce the capture of Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky weighed in with an oblique reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that if a dictator can be treated the way Nicolas Maduro was, Trump knows what to do next. In a news conference when the Ukrainian President was asked about the Maduro capture he said, "What can I say here? If this can be done to dictators, like that, then the United States of America know what they should do next." The obvious reference was Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking during a meeting with top US oil and gas executives, Trump added that he was very disappointed the conflict had not yet ended. I settled eight wars. I thought this would be in the middle of the pack or maybe one of the easier ones, he said, referring to Russias invasion of Ukraine, which has been raging since 2022. MELBOURNE, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Scientists in Australia have discovered that tree bark hosts trillions of microbes that help remove greenhouse and toxic gases from the atmosphere. This reveals a hidden climate benefit beyond carbon dioxide absorption, a news release from Australia's Monash University said on Friday. The five-year study, published in Science, found these bark-dwelling microbes consume methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and other volatile compounds released by the trees themselves, it said. "Each tree hosts trillions of microbial cells on its bark, yet their existence and roles have been overlooked for many decades until now," said Bob Leung at Monash University's Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI), the study's co-first author. Co-author Luke Jeffrey at Australia's Southern Cross University said the global bark surface area is comparable to "all seven continents combined," with microbial activity potentially removing millions of tonnes of climate-active gases annually. The researchers sampled trees across eastern Australia, using genomic and biogeochemical techniques to identify how microbes feed on these gases. Trees hosting the most active gas-consuming microbes could be prioritized for reforestation and urban greening, said co-author, BDI Professor Chris Greening. These microbes not only combat climate-active gases, but also help scrub toxic pollutants like carbon monoxide, improving air quality, said Greening. Protests in Iran have grown to their biggest in several years as crowds flood streets in major cities, small towns, and neighborhoods across Tehran. But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remained defiant on January 9, saying he would "not back down" as the country was largely cut off from the outside world after authorities blacked out the Internet. Tens of thousands of people protested for the 14th straight night in more than 100 Iranian cities as authorities appeared to be intensifying their crackdown, and US President Donald Trump led an intensification of pressure on Tehran. In a January 10 post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States "stands ready to help," reiterating support for the protesters after a series of warnings to Iranian authorities. Trump's latest comments come a day after he told a meeting of oil and gas executives at the White House that "Iran is in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago." "We're watching the situation very carefully. I've made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts. That does not mean boots on the ground, but it does mean hitting them very, very hard where it hurts." This was followed up by a short post on X by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 10, stating that the United States supports the brave people of Iran. Videos from inside Iran circulating on social media on January 10 indicated that crowds of protesters continued to gather in various parts of the capital, Tehran, and in the cities of Tabriz and Rasht. The protests, which began on Tehran's Grand Bazaar on December 28, quickly snowballed, spreading to dozens of towns and cities. By the evening of January 8, videos poured in from nearly every corner of the country showing huge crowds chanting and marching. Authorities first throttled nationwide Internet speeds before enforcing a near-total blackout at 10:15 p.m. local time on January 8, severing phone lines too. With the blackout now lasting more than 40 hours there is no precise information about the number of people killed, injured, or detained across the country with widespread fears that the cut is being used to hide state violence against protesters. Amnesty International released a statement on January 9 saying that it was investigating "distressing reports that security forces have intensified their unlawful use of lethal force against protesters" which has led to further deaths and injuries. There have also been media reports, including by AFP, that hundreds of people had been taken to a Tehran hospital with severe eye injuries caused by pellet gun fire. The Human Rights News Agency (HRANA), which covers human rights-related news, early on January 11 said that 116 people had been killed in the protests over the past two weeks. It said at least 2,638 people have been arrested and that demonstrations were reported in 574 locations across 185 towns and cities amid a near-total Internet shutdown. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on January 10 called on authorities to release all detained protesters and for full restoration of Internet access in the country. "Tehran's streets, and cities around the world, echo with the footsteps of Iranian women and men demanding freedom," she wrote on social media. "Freedom to speak, to gather, to travel and above all to live freely." In a joint statement issued on January 9, the leaders of France, Germany, and Britain expressed deep concern about reports of violence by Iranian security forces and strongly condemn the killing of protesters. The text also added that the Internet blackout "has sparked fears among activists that authorities are now violently cracking down on the protests, with less chance the proof will reach the outside world." An EU statement issued on the same day also called for the right of access to information, including by restoring access to the Internet for all while expressing solidarity with the Iranian people as they voice their legitimate aspiration for a better life, freedom and dignity. Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose father -- Iran's last shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi -- was ousted by the Islamic Revolution in 1979, issued a message of support on social media for the protesters, telling them that they have won the admiration of the world with your courage and steadfastness while announcing that he was planning to return to Iran in the near future. Protesters came out in force on January 8 and January 9 night following calls by Reza Pahlavi for sustained street demonstrations. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed supporters of the regime on January 9, saying that "saboteurs, agitators" had "destroyed the country's buildings to please" President Trump. He added that Trump has the "blood of Iranians on his hands" following US strikes on Iran in June, and that the US leader would be "overthrown." The Iranian army later issued a statement announcing it would join other armed forces to "guard and protect the country's strategic infrastructure and public property" during the protests. Separately, the authorities said several members of the security forces have been killed as state TV broadcast images on January 10 of funerals of security officers allegedly killed in the protests, including a large gathering in the southern city of Shiraz. Protesters were receiving support outside the country as well. In London, a protester at the Iranian Embassy briefly replaced the country's current flag with the former flag, utilized before the 1979 revolution. In Berlin, police said some 1,400 supporters marched in the city center, while an equal amount of people rallied in Frankfurt. With reporting by AFP Protesters took to the streets of Tehran on January 9 for the 13th consecutive night of anti-government demonstrations that have spread across the country. News of the latest protests was limited by a nationwide Internet blackout, a move Amnesty International said was intended to conceal human rights violations by Irans regime. SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek on Saturday said allegations that South Korean drones violated the airspace of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) were "absolutely untrue," noting that the drone shown in photos released by Pyongyang was not a model operated by the South Korean military, according to Yonhap News Agency. Ahn stressed that such an act would have been impossible given lingering sensitivities surrounding the country's past emergency martial law. He said that on the day in question, no flight training was conducted by South Korea's Drone Operations Command, Ground Operations Command or Marine Corps Command. He also said a joint investigation between South Korea and the DPRK into the incident could be conducted. Yonhap cited South Korea's defense ministry as saying that it had confirmed that the military did not operate drones on the dates specified by Pyongyang. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has instructed authorities to carry out a thorough investigation, with relevant agencies currently verifying specific details. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a spokesperson for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said in a statement that South Korea had again sent drones into the DPRK's airspace at the beginning of the new year. Authorities in Kyiv said essential services have been restored in most areas after electricity, water, and heating supplies were severed in the city of some 3 million people following another night of Russian drone strikes. "As of the evening, about 60,000 consumers remain without electricity," Deputy Energy Minister Mykola Kolisnyk said on national TV late on January 10, adding that some 500,000 households, businesses, and other sites had been affected during the day. Kolisnyk said periodic, scheduled energy shutdowns will occur in the capital and surrounding region on January 11, while he described the situation in other areas as "difficult." "The situation continues to be the most difficult in the front line and border regions with Russia, in particular in the Donetsk region, where, due to constant enemy strikes on electricity transmission and distribution networks, emergency shutdowns are forced," he added. The outages came after a request from the state-owned electricity transmission system operator Ukrenerho to reduce consumption and come on top of regular hours-long power cuts introduced during the war in order to conserve remaining electricity supplies. The company said in a statement on social media that it was working to restore full services. The news comes as temperatures are set to fall as low as minus-15 degrees Celsius over the weekend with Kyiv authorities saying they had set up around 1,200 warming centers. The most recent cuts come after days of heavy Russian attacks on Ukraine. On January 9 a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv killed four and left 26 wounded. 20 residential buildings were also damaged, including one housing the Qatari Embassy, in one of the largest attacks on the capital in months. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko later confirmed that this barrage had left half of all apartment blocks in Kyiv without heating and urged all citizens of the city to leave if they could due to all the outages. Commenting on the recent Russian attacks on January 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "Moscow is trying to use cold weather as a tool of terror." Further strikes were reported late on January 10. Authorities in the city of Slovyansk said a Russian guided aerial bomb struck a residential area, injuring at least seven people. The SlovyanskKramatorsk metropolitan area is the last significant territory remaining under Ukrainian control in the Donetsk region. The UN Security Council will meet January 12 to discuss Ukraine. The move comes after Ukraines UN ambassador, Andriy Melnyk, said in a letter to the Security Council that "the Russian Federation has reached an appalling new level of war crimes and crimes against humanity by its terror against civilians." Russia denies intentionally targeting civilians in Ukraine despite widespread evidence to the contrary since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Meanwhile, Ukraine's military on January 10 said it hit an oil depot in Russia's Volgograd region. Ukraine has targeted oil-related sites, sometimes deep inside Russia, saying it is looking to cut resources that fuel the Kremlin's war effort. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Reuters, and dpa VLADIVOSTOK, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. oil embargo against Venezuela threatens the lives, health and well-being of millions of the country's citizens and must be condemned as a violation of international law, Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov told RIA Novosti on Friday. "The unlawful actions of the United States must be condemned. This is not only about oil. Oil is the lifeblood of the Venezuelan economy and draining it means putting the lives and health of millions of Venezuelan citizens at risk," he said. Furthermore, Melik-Bagdasarov noted that Venezuela is ready to sell oil to all partners, including the United States, but Washington's harsh and neocolonial rhetoric is impeding the normalization of supplies to the global market. Russia has previously voiced its resolute solidarity with Venezuela and urged the liberation of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, emphasizing that the actions of the United States violate international law. Crowds are starting to build at TUS Athlone where a major rally will get underway this afternoon in opposition to the contentious EU-Mercosur trade agreement. The event is expected to draw thousands of attendees who will hear several speakers, including MEP Ciaran Mullooly and Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice address the issue. Crowds making their way to TUS. Hundreds of County Roscommon farmers have joined the demonstration as the cavalcade of tractors makes its way towards TUS. Representatives from the major farmer representative organisations will also be addressing the crowd. Speaking ahead of the protest in Athlone this morning, Independent Ireland Agriculture spokesperson Michael Fitzmaurice said the battle to stop the Mercosur deal is far from over. As farmers from the four corners of Ireland bring Athlone to a standstill this morning, Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly said Ireland is sending a clear message to Europe. Deputy Fitzmaurice added that some of those who voted in favour may change their minds in a crucial vote in March. The public is asked to co-operate fully with the directions of An Garda Siochana enroute to and returning home from the venue and to expect delays. Independent Ireland TD for Roscommon-Galway, Michael Fitzmaurice, has thanked the farmers of Ireland for the 'phenomenal' turnout at todays rally against the Mercosur deal. He estimated that up to 15,000 people gathered in Athlone to protest against a controversial free trade deal involving the EU and several South American countries. I salute the farmers of Ireland who have sent a clear message to the Irish Government and Europe that they do not want this dirty rotten deal, he said. Todays rally, involving a large scale tractorcade, was organised by the Roscommon-Galway TDs party. Roscommon farmer Bernard Donohue said that the contentious Mercusor deal was not just an issue of concern for farmers but a health issue for consumers here and across the EU. He said that Irish farmers had built up 50 years of the highest quality foods in the world and he didnt want to see that threatened by this deal. Mr Donohue, who is also Chairperson of Elphin Mart, was among the thousands of protestors at todays mass rally in Athlone. MEP Luke Ming Flanagan Ming said MEPs across Europe still have a choice to make and can vote to reject the contentious EU-Mercosur deal in the coming weeks. On Friday, the EU Commission provisionally approved the deal which farmers fear will lead to cheap imports of South American goods, notably beef, that do not meet the EU's green and food safety standards. The controversial agreement still needs the backing of the European Parliament when MEPs come to vote on it. The Midlands Northwest MEP was speaking at todays mass rally in Athlone against the Mercosur deal. JoAnne Garmann, 84, of Watford City, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Thursday, January 08, 2026, at the Sanford Medical Center in Bismarck, North Dakota. Memorial Services for JoAnne will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the Glory of the Lord Family Ministries Church in Watford City, with Pastor Barb Becker officiating. A luncheon will follow the burial at the Glory of the Lord Family Ministries Church for a time of fellowship and sharing. In honor of JoAnnes wishes, a portion of her cremains will be buried in the Schafer Cemetery in Watford City alongside her parents, and the other portion will be buried in the Mandan Veterans Cemetery in Mandan alongside her husband. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, from 11:00 AM 6:00 PM at the Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home in Watford City. The service will be recorded and uploaded as soon as available on JoAnnes obituary page on http://www.fulkersons.com. Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home of Watford City is assisting the family. Remembrances, condolences, and pictures may be shared with the family at http://www.fulkersons.com. Minister Cheema noted that while Tripura has a digital university, Punjab is the first to provide a structured policy and model. File Photo. The policy allows private institutions to set up universities where students can earn legally valid degrees via mobile or laptop. Punjab Leads India: Cabinet Approves First-of-its-Kind Private Digital University Policy Advertisement Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led the Punjab Cabinet, which has approved the Punjab Private Digital Open Universities Policy, 2026. This historic decision makes Punjab the first state in India to establish a comprehensive policy framework for fully digital universities, which offer online and Open Distance Learning (ODL) programmes. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema described the move as a historic reform in higher education for students and working professionals. The policy allows private institutions to set up universities where students can earn legally valid degrees via mobile or laptop, compliant with UGC/AICTE standards. Key features include: Advertisement No Physical Commute: Students can complete their degrees from home, which will help them save on their hostel and travel expenses. Modern Curriculum: Degrees will focus on future-ready fields like AI, cybersecurity, data science, and robotics. Strict Infrastructure: To ensure quality, institutions must have digital content studios, 24x7 student support, and a minimum INR 20 crore corpus fund. Minister Cheema noted that while Tripura has a digital university, Punjab is the first to provide a structured policy and model. This landmark move for higher education aims to bridge the gap between formal education and real-world skills, positioning Punjab as a global digital learning hub. Source: Indian Express ISTANBUL, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- One migrant was killed and seven others remain missing after a boat partially sank in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Turkiye's western port city of Izmir on Saturday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. In a statement on the social media platform X, Yerlikaya said Coast Guard teams rescued 37 migrants from a half-submerged rubber boat that had taken on water due to adverse weather conditions. Search and rescue efforts backed by a Coast Guard helicopter have been ongoing for the missing, according to Yerlikaya. Video footage shared by Yerlikaya shows migrants aboard the boat waving and calling for help. The nationalities of the passengers and the boat's intended destination were not immediately disclosed. The Aegean Sea is a major route for migrants attempting to reach Europe via Turkiye, which currently hosts around 4 million migrants, including Syrians under temporary protection, according to the Interior Ministry. He also emphasised that "stories are missing" from modern scripts and urged the industry to find solutions looking inward instead of blaming audiences for staying away from theatres. File Photo. He criticised the "herd mentality" of the region, where producers follow trends. "Stories are Missing": Rana Ranbir Launches New Book Aaho, Calls for Reform in Scripts Advertisement Rana Ranbir, a renowned Punjabi actor, director, and author, has sparked a fresh debate about the state of Punjabi cinema. He said that the industry lacks "individuality" and strong scripts. At the launch of his eighth book, a poetic compilation titled Aaho, Ranbir addressed why Punjabi cinema often trails behind South Indian industries in national dominance. He stressed a fundamental difference in the industry structure and said that "Punjab doesn't have pure filmmakers; there are only investors here, unlike the South." He criticised the "herd mentality" of the region, where producers follow trends, whether NRI-centric subjects, mindless comedies, or typical dramas, at the cost of original storytelling. Advertisement He added that unlike South Indian audiences who are loyal to their native language, Punjabis are fluent in Hindi and English. This factor contributes to Punjabi films competing directly with Hollywood and Bollywood. He also emphasised that "stories are missing" from modern scripts and urged the industry to find solutions looking inward instead of blaming audiences for staying away from theatres. His new book, Aaho, is a 144-page blend of motivational and spiritual dialogues focused on instilling a deeper sense of love and humanity, values that he feels are often missing in modern education and media. Advertisement Ranbir is known for directing films like Asees and Posti and is currently working on upcoming projects including Ishqa De Lekhe and Jawaak. Source: Times of India However, the result announcement has sparked a controversy involving Misal Satluj, a student organisation advocating for Punjabi language and culture. File Photo. Candidates can now access the merit list and revised answer key on the official PPSC website. PCS Prelims Results Declared; 331 Posts Merit List Out Advertisement On Saturday, the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) officially announced the results for the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination-2025. The recruitment drive is to fill 331 high-profile vacancies, including positions for DSP, Tehsildar, Excise and Taxation Officer, and Food and Civil Supplies Officer. The preliminary test was held on December 7 across 165 centres. According to official data, out of 85,192 registered candidates, approximately 33,000 (40%) appeared for the preliminary exam. Ludhiana recorded the highest attendance with more than 18,000 aspirants. Advertisement Candidates can now access the merit list and revised answer key on the official PPSC website (ppsc.gov.in). However, the result announcement has sparked a controversy involving Misal Satluj, a student organisation advocating for Punjabi language and culture. Led by representative Yadavinder Singh Yadu, along with aspirants and civil society activists, the group staged a protest outside the PPSC head office in Patiala. It claimed that Punjabi has been deliberately and excessively reduced in this year's PCS preliminary exam. Yadu pointed out that in the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) Paper II, where 1525 questions were previously asked in Punjabi, only eight questions were included this year. Advertisement The organisation argued that this shift puts rural students at a significant disadvantage. Source: The Tribune "The nature of litigation has shifted from petty local disputes to complex technology-driven conflicts," the CJI remarked. File Photo. He added that being technologically savvy is no longer optional but essential for modern legal practice. CJI Surya Kant: Lawyers Must Go Tech-Savvy to Fight Global Cyber-Crime Advertisement Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, said that advocates must become "tech-savvy" to effectively combat the rapid surge of global cybercrime. On Friday, he addressed the District Bar Association in Hisar, and the CJI expressed deep concern over the evolving nature of digital offences, specifically the alarming emergence of "digital arrests" as a dangerous international trend. Justice Kant revealed that cybercrime has led to a staggering loss of nearly INR 55,000 crore from innocent Indian citizens, with funds often being funnelled into foreign accounts through organised international rackets. "The nature of litigation has shifted from petty local disputes to complex technology-driven conflicts," the CJI remarked. He added that being technologically savvy is no longer optional but essential for modern legal practice. Advertisement While noting that Indias justice delivery system remains a global leader in technological integration, Justice Kant urged Bar Councils and High Courts to prioritise regular digital training programmes. By adopting modern technical methods for commercial and cyber litigation, the CJI maintains that the Bar and Bench will continue to uphold the highest standards of justice. Source: The Tribune Karnataka News: BJP worker allegedly disrobed; Union Minsiter meets family The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu notice of the incident. Karnataka News: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, on Saturday, met the family of a female BJP worker in Hubballi, after she was allegedly assaulted while in police custody, according to ANI. Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, is an MP from Dharwad constituency in the state of Karnataka. Advertisement On 7th January, a video showing a BJP worker being disrobed during her arrest went viral on social media, an ANI report said. Police have denied the allegations; however, the National Commission for Women has taken suo motu notice of the incident and has written to the DGP of Karnataka to file an FIR. The commission has requested a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) on the entire incident within 5 days. (For more news apart from Karnataka News: BJP worker allegedly disrobed; Union Minister meets family," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Hijab-clad daughter will become the Prime Minister of India: Asaduddin Owaisi It is my dream that a day will come when a hijab-clad daughter will become the Prime Minister of this country, he added. Lok Sabha MP from the Hyderabad constituency, Asaduddin Owaisi, said that it is his dream that a hijab-clad daughter would rise to become the Prime Minister of India one day. The President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) made the statement on Friday (09 January 2026) while addressing an election meeting in Sholapur, Maharashtra. He said that under the Constitution of India, everyone, regardless of religion, is eligible to hold such a position. Advertisement Drawing a comparison between the Constitutions of India and Pakistan, Owaisi said, The constitution of Pakistan clearly states that a person belonging to only one religion can become the Prime Minister of the country. Baba Sahib's constitution says that any citizen of India can become Prime Minister, CM, or mayor. It is my dream that a day will come when a hijab-clad daughter will become the Prime Minister of this country, he added. (For more news apart from Punjab: Police Warn of Strict Action Against Use of China Wire for Flying Kites," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) He said that from the beginning of the next academic session, senior secondary students will be sensitised through a specially designed, value-based curriculum focused on the factual dangers of drug abuse. File Photo. He added that a daily 30-minute meditation period will be launched as a pilot project in Mohali district schools. "War on Drugs" in Schools: Bains to Shield Punjabs Children Advertisement Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has announced a comprehensive school-centric action plan to combat the drug menace at its roots. He addressed a training programme in Mohali alongside former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and said that the government is positioning schools as the "first line of defence" in the Yudh Nashean Virudh campaign. He said that from the beginning of the next academic session, senior secondary students will be sensitised through a specially designed, value-based curriculum focused on the factual dangers of drug abuse. He added that a daily 30-minute meditation period will be launched as a pilot project in Mohali district schools to strengthen students' mental discipline and emotional balance. Advertisement Training for principals is also a part of the initiative to create a "strong anti-drug environment" where children can firmly resist peer pressure and negative influences. Minister Bains emphasised that while strict action continues against smugglers, lasting victory requires protecting children before they fall prey to addiction. Manish Sisodia added that the initiative strengthens the mindset of every child to say a clear "no" to drugs. This multi-dimensional approach, combining education with mental resilience, aims to institutionalise prevention and secure the future of Punjab's youth through structured institutional reform and community awareness. Advertisement Source: The Tribune There should be no discrimination of any kind: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat For as many types of Hindus as the world recognizes, I have friends from each of those types..." Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said that there should be no discrimination of any kind, and that he believes that the entire Hindu society is one. Speaking at an event in Uttar Pradeshs Mathura, Bhagwat said, "There should be no discrimination of any kind... We consider the society in which we live as one; we believe the entire Hindu society is one, but the world sees many divisions in it, such as language, caste, sect, community... Advertisement For as many types of Hindus as the world recognizes, I have friends from each of those typesvisiting each other, eating and drinking together, standing by in joy and sorrow, treating them as friends, he added. (For more news apart from There should be no discrimination of any kind: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Editorial: Trump's new decision will be costly for America It can be easily estimated how much danger such arbitrary thinking can pose to world peace. US President Donald Trump has announced his withdrawal from 66 international and multilateral institutions, treaties and organizations. These institutions or organizations have been working to reduce the impact of climate change, limit the pace and impact of global warming, clean energy, fight poverty and hunger, promote gender equality and improve human life in every corner of the world. About half of these were established by the United Nations and are under the direct supervision of this global organization. Trump has called them fake, anti-American and corrupt and said that these institutions have either continued to work against American interests or are completely unnecessary and useless for the United States. Advertisement It is absurd to waste American taxpayer funds on them. Among the organizations that have been cut off is the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The 198-party treaty aims to combat dangerous human interference with the climate system. Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change last year. Now he has again announced his withdrawal from the convention. Although the most dangerous effects of climate change have been seen in the United States in the past two years, Trump is not ready to admit that modern human lifestyles or greenhouse gases are to blame for global warming. The US administration has also banned American scientists from participating in international or multinational conferences/conventions on global warming, climate change, climate pollution, etc. This ban was imposed with the intention of preventing any scientist from criticizing the decisions of the Trump administration. The only thought behind all these steps is that America will do whatever it wants. It does not need to seek help from any other country or approval from any international forum for any work. There is also talk in the American media that the Trump administration may also ask for the closure of the United Nations headquarters in New York and the permanent relocation of this world organization to another country. On Thursday, Trump declared in a TV interview that No international law is greater than American interests. Therefore, whatever I find morally justified, I will do. For me, my morality is international law. It can be easily estimated how much danger such arbitrary thinking can pose to world peace. Among the treaties or organizations that have suffered the consequences of Trumps sidelining is the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The aim of this alliance, jointly promoted by India and France, is to promote the use of solar energy throughout the world. Advertisement The US was an active partner in this, but now it is only natural that this partnership will end. The headquarters of this organization is in Gurugram. India is confident that despite the American sidelining, there will be no stagnation in the work of this organization. Similar courage in terms of thinking should be shown by other member countries of the ISA. The slogan "American self-interest first" may prove to be temporarily successful, but it cannot become a permanent policy. This lesson will soon become clear to Americans. The year 2025 in culture milestones and encounters An overview of the top editions of 2025 focusing on theatre, litearture, music and more Photo: pixabay.com Corina Sabau, 10.01.2026, 14:00 As we were constantly involved in cinema and the visual arts throughout the year exhibitions, premieres, festivals, and trends our cultural review of the year 2025 will not cover these two areas. Instead, well be looking at the other areas that gave substance to cultural life in 2025: theatre, literature, music, and the major events that mobilized the public. Theatre remained one of the most vibrant spaces for social reflection. In 2025, the stages were taken by performances that addressed current issues: the fragility of democracy, identity, collective anxiety, the relationship between the individual and the community. One notable thing was the increased interest in hybrid forms documentary theatre, performance, installation and in interdisciplinary collaborations. Theatre festivals functioned not only as showcases, but also as platforms for debate, with meetings, discussions, and contexts for reflection that extended the life of the performances beyond the stage. The Sibiu International Theatre Festival continued to be one of the most visible cultural events in Romania. In 2025, the selection focused on performances that engaged directly with the social and political reality of the present, as well as on large-scale visual productions presented in public spaces. The festival once again succeeded in creating a community around theatre, in which the encounter between artists and spectators was as important as the performance itself. For a few days, the city became a vast stage, and theatre became a common language. In literature, 2025 was a year of diversity. Prose continued to explore biography and recent history, while poetry gained more and more ground in the public sphere through performative readings and dedicated events. Book fairs and literary festivals brought together established authors and new voices, and translations played an important role in connecting Romanian literature with the international scene. Noteworthy in this respect is the growing interest from young audiences, drawn to more direct dialogue formats between authors and readers. On the literary scene, the Iasi International Festival of Literature and Translation FILIT has remained an essential space for cultural dialogue. In 2025, encounters with Romanian writers and international guests were complemented by debates on translation, the circulation of ideas, and the role of literature in an increasingly fragmented world. FILIT has reaffirmed literature not only as an act of creation, but as a form of encounter and collective reflection. Its public, open dimension has strengthened the relationship between authors and readers, beyond formal launches or readings. The music scene was extremely active in 2025. From classical music and jazz to experimental projects and large-scale concerts, the year showed an ever-greater openness to diversity. Festivals continued to serve as key landmarks, but so were indoor concerts, curated projects, and international collaborations. An important aspect was the emphasis on experience: not just the concert itself, but the context, the space, and the encounter between artists and audiences. One of the years major highlights was the George Enescu International Festival, which reconfirmed Bucharests status as a relevant space for major European musical gatherings. The 2025 edition featured an extensive program with top-tier orchestras and conductors, alongside special attention to contemporary music and reinterpretations of Enescus operas. The festival functioned not only as a prestigious event, but also as a space for education and access, through concerts and encounters dedicated to the general public. Its international dimension was matched by increased visibility for Romanian musicians, naturally integrated into the European dialogue. Another strong point of 2025 was the renewed interest in heritage and public space. Artistic interventions, outdoor exhibitions, and community projects brought culture closer to people, beyond traditional institutions. There were initiatives that activated historic buildings, neighborhoods, or unconventional spaces. In this way, culture served as a tool for urban regeneration and social cohesion. (MI & VP) January 10, 2026 A roundup of local and international news. Newsflash Newsroom, 10.01.2026, 13:55 Frost. The Romanian energy system is prepared to cope with the low temperatures forecast for the next few days, energy minister Bogdan Ivan said. He explained that despite an increase in natural gas consumption by 20% nationwide at the beginning of next week, the fact that the electricity storage facilities are 70% full, which is well above the European average, is a safety net. This was possible due to the storage process, which began in the summer, when prices were lower, but also to the fact that Romania has its own electricity production. A 5-day alert for cold, with mixed precipitation, black ice, snow and wind gusts was issued on Saturday morning. Temperatures of up to minus 10 degrees Celsius were forecast for Saturday in the northeast and part of the centre of the country, areas where yellow code alert for extremely low temperatures is in place. The alert extends to the west, northwest, north, the entire centre, east and the mountains area from Saturday evening. The lows will be between minus 15 and minus 6 degrees Celsius, and the highs between minus 10 and minus 2 degrees Celsius, with cold snaps during the day. Iran. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalls that a level 8/9 warning is in force for the entire territory of Iran and is advising Romanian citizens to avoid any form of travel to Iran, in the context of the anti-government demonstrations there and the high risk of escalation. The ministry is advising Romanian citizens already in Iran to avoid demonstrations and crowded places and assess the need to stay in the country. The European Union, the United Nations and other international organisations and institutions have criticised the regime in Tehran for the violent way in which it has reacted to the street protests that were mostly driven by economic problems. Although the regime has blocked access to the internet, satellite images of people shot and killed have emerged from Iran. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has described the demonstrators as mercenaries who want to please US President Donald Trump. Agreement. Romanian president Nicusor Dan said in a statement that based on the Mercosur agreement, Romanian products will be exempt from customs duties for Latin America. Defence minister Radu Miruta, from the Save Romania Union, in the government coalition, believes the agreement is advantageous for Romania. In contrast, Social Democratic Party, also in government, as well as the opposition parliamentary group the Alliance for the Union of Romanians have criticised Romanias vote in favour of the trade agreement. On Friday, European Union states gave their final approval, by qualified majority, to the Mercosur trade agreement with the South-American bloc. Poland, France, Austria, Ireland and Hungary were opposed to the agreement, while Belgium abstained. European farmers also contest the agreement, as they see their sector threatened by the market entry of South American agricultural products, which benefit from a cost advantage and do not comply with the environmental standards imposed in the EU. Negotiations on a trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia, have been held since 1999. Flu. Eight people diagnosed with the flu died in Romania last week, bringing the total number of deaths this season to 11 so far. The National Institute of Public Health has reported almost 11,000 cases of flu out of a total of over 61,000 cases of respiratory infection, but says there has also been underreporting due to the winter holidays. Flu cases have been recorded across the country, most of them in Bucharest. Luge. Raluca Stramaturaru and Mihaela-Carmen Manolescu on Friday ranked second in the womens doubles at the Nations Cup Luge in Winterberg (Germany). In a month time, the two will compete in the womens doubles and relay at the Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. For Raluca Stramaturaru, this will be her fifth Winter Games. With her 7th place ranking in PyeongChang in 2018, she is highest-placed Romanian athlete at the Winter Games since 1992 in Albertville. (CM) BRUSSELS, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- EU member states on Friday greenlighted the long-negotiated EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement, authorizing a comprehensive partnership pact and a stand-alone Interim Trade Agreement aimed at accelerating trade benefits. The Council said the package marked a milestone in relations with Mercosur partners Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, establishing a framework for political dialogue, cooperation and trade under a modernized partnership. A QUARTER-CENTURY NEGOTIATION Negotiations on an EU-Mercosur pact have stretched about 25 years, repeatedly stalling and resuming amid shifting political coalitions, disputes over environmental safeguards in South America, and opposition from parts of Europe's farm sector. A breakthrough came in December 2024, when EU and Mercosur leaders announced they had reached a political agreement on the trade pillar of the partnership, triggering the legal and technical work required ahead of signature and ratification. The European Commission has cast the pact as the biggest trade agreement the EU has ever concluded, saying it would create a free-trade area of more than 700 million people and strip out over 4 billion euros (4.65 billion U.S. dollars) a year in tariffs on EU exports. Friday's approval came after years of division among EU member states. Proponents such as Germany and Spain say the deal would help open new markets as Europe seeks to offset the impact of U.S. tariffs, while France-led opponents warn it could increase imports of cheaper beef, poultry and sugar, adding pressure on domestic farmers. In recent months, the European Commission has sought to shore up support with additional "safeguards" to limit disruption from sensitive agricultural imports, while EU officials and diplomats have discussed additional farm-support funding in the bloc's next long-term budget cycle. The Commission has floated measures aimed at winning over skeptical member states, including Italy, such as earlier access from 2028 to 45 billion euros in Common Agricultural Policy funding and a freeze on the EU's carbon border levy for fertilizers. PROS AND CONS On Friday, France, Poland, Austria, Ireland and Hungary voted against the package, while Belgium abstained. Italy backed the deal after securing additional assurances for its farm sector, a swing that diplomats said was crucial in achieving the qualified majority needed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the agreement as a "win-win" and said it would "mark a new era of trade and cooperation with our Mercosur partners." She said she was looking forward to the signing, which Argentina revealed was scheduled for Jan. 17 in Paraguay. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the agreement "a milestone in European trade policy and a strong signal of our strategic sovereignty and ability to act." Spain echoed this message, saying the deal would help Spanish companies "enter new markets, export more, and create more jobs." Farm groups and several governments, however, warn that expanding EU market access for Mercosur agricultural exports could expose European producers to unfair competition from lower-cost goods. Critics highlight imports such as beef, poultry and sugar, as well as environmental concerns like deforestation linked to agricultural expansion in parts of South America. On Thursday, French farmers drove about 100 tractors into Paris and blocked roads at symbolic sites, including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, to protest agricultural policy and the EU-Mercosur deal. In Belgium, farmers blocked major roads ahead of Friday's approval. Similar demonstrations took place in Poland, where farmers staged nationwide protests, arguing the pact threatens European agriculture and food safety. Demonstrations were planned in 186 locations, with farmers and supporters marching through Krakow, the country's second-largest city. Beyond national protests, the European Coordination Via Campesina, a Europe-wide network of peasant farmer unions, condemned the decision to clear the way for the agreement on Friday. It said the pact, negotiated behind closed doors and on "outdated premises," prioritized agribusiness interests over the livelihoods of farmers and agricultural workers. "By removing tariffs on over 90 percent of products, the deal will intensify unfair competition, exposing European farmers to imports produced under social, environmental, and sanitary standards that are not equivalent in practice and often impossible to effectively control," the organization said. RIFTS IN PARLIAMENT Under Friday's decision, the EU will sign the agreement and provisionally apply large parts of its political and cooperation chapters. The formal conclusion, however, still requires the consent of the European Parliament, setting the stage for a fresh political battle in Strasbourg. The two largest political groups in the European Parliament, the European People's Party (EPP) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, signalled support on Friday. The EPP said it would vote in favor when parliament is asked to give consent, arguing the pact would strengthen Europe's competitiveness and strategic autonomy. The Left group, by contrast, denounced the deal as "the worst trade agreement ever" concluded by the EU. "Social, environmental, and sanitary standards are not the same as those applied in Europe, which places our farmers in a situation of unfair competition," the group said, adding it would continue to oppose the agreement alongside civil society and farmers. Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament and leader of France's National Rally, accused French President Emmanuel Macron of hypocrisy for claiming to oppose the deal while failing to stop it. Bardella said his party would launch two motions of censure -- one against the French government in the National Assembly and another against the von der Leyen Commission in the European Parliament. Independent Irish member of the European Parliament (MEP), Ciaran Mullooly, said the key question would be whether internal splits emerge within the main parliamentary groupings. He added that he believed there were "200-odd" MEPs across the political spectrum who could vote against the pact, far short of the 361 needed for a simple majority. January 2-10, 2026 A look at the main headline-making events this past week The Week in Review Roxana Vasile, 10.01.2026, 14:00 President Nicusor Dan in Paris On Tuesday, the President of Romania attended in Paris a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine. The heads of state and government that make up the coalition expressed their commitment to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and stated that they are prepared to engage in a system of guarantees that will be activated once a ceasefire comes into effect. At the same time, the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine signed a declaration of intent regarding the deployment of a multinational force after the ceasefire. Such a document, it was said, would deter further aggression against Ukraine, provide assurances that the country would not be forced to surrender, and that any peace agreement would not be violated in the future. According to Nicusor Dan, the document, which is not public, specifies how security guarantees will be exercised, what responsibilities each of the participants in the Coalition of the Willing assumes, and who coordinates each of the guarantee elements. The head of state mentioned that Romania supports these decisions but will not send troops to Ukraine. Queues and discontent Romanian taxpayers began turning up in large numbers at local government offices in the first working days of this year, curious to find out how much their taxes on houses, land, and cars had increased. But also because, if they pay in the first three months of the year, they benefit from a discount. Since January 1, the amount of taxes has increased significantlyup to three times compared to last yearas a result of a decision by the PNL-PSD-USR-UDMR coalition government justified by the need to reduce the countrys deficit. More specifically, the executive decided on this increase so that local authorities would have more funds to use for both investments and employee salaries, and thus no longer depend on money from the government. The official platform ghiseul.ro, through which taxes and fees can be paid online, was extremely busy and was temporarily suspended. The reason: some localities did not update the new amounts to be paid on time. Whats more, many Romanians complained that their taxes had changed two or three times, even from one hour to the next. In addition to the increase in taxes and duties, fuel, cigarettes, and alcohol have also become more expensive following another increase in excise duties, and every parcel worth less than 150 Euro coming from outside the European Union is, as of this year, subject to an additional tax. A tax on cryptocurrencies has been introduced, and the annual basis for calculating contributions has been increased. Internationally, Venezuela and Greenland are in the spotlight Diplomats in Bucharest have announced that they are closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela in close cooperation with their partners in the European Union. A community with Romanian roots lives there, and the safety of citizens is a priority, which is why Romanias diplomatic and consular missions in Latin America and the Consular Department of the Ministry are ready to provide assistance if necessary, with the support of the European Unions permanent delegation, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said. On January 3, US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after an air strike on the capital Caracas and several regions in the north of the country. In response, Venezuela the country with the largest oil reserves in the world denounced a very serious military aggression. Also this week, Copenhagen has urged the United States to stop threatening to annex Greenland after President Donald Trump reaffirmed his desire to bring the autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark under US control. The European Union has stated that it will continue to defend the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders, especially if the territorial integrity of a member state of the Union is called into question. The vagaries of winter Snowfall and blizzardswhich are normal for this time of yearhave disrupted schools, transportation, and energy supplies in much of Romania. Although children returned to school on January 8 after a well-deserved winter break, dozens of schools in 15 counties across the country remained closed, classes were suspended, or it was decided to hold them online. In many regions, traffic has been affected by winter conditions, and on some county roads, especially in the mountains, traffic jams have been reported. After multiple interventions already carried out, repairs are continuing in order to restore electricity to thousands of homes left without power in several counties across the country. In Bucharest, after Thursdays meeting of the National Energy Command, Romanians were assured that there would be no problems with natural gas due to low temperatures, as storage facilities are filled to approximately 70% of capacity. The Department for Emergency Situations recommended that the population avoid non-essential travel, and those who must travel were advised to check whether the route they intend to take is passable. In areas where the wind is strong, it is recommended to avoid parking near trees, poles, billboards, or buildings with construction elements that may come loose. There is a high risk of avalanches in the mountains, with mountain rescuers advising tourists to stay in the area. (MI) Renaults flagship coupe-SUV, Renault Rafale, has been spotted on Indian roads for the first time. Hat tip to automotive enthusiast PoNsam ChaRles for sharing the spy shots. The model seen here is understood to be a one-off company import, most likely brought in for internal use by a senior official of Renault India. As of now, Renault has not indicated any plans to launch the Rafale in the Indian market. Flagship Coupe-SUV From Renaults Global Line-Up The Rafale is positioned as Renaults global halo product and made its world debut as the brands new flagship coupe-style SUV. Inspired by aviationboth in name and design philosophythe Rafale showcases Renaults latest design language and advanced hybrid technology. It is built on the CMF-CD platform, shared with models like Austral and Espace, but features unique body panels and a more dramatic coupe-SUV silhouette. Dimensionally, the Rafale sits firmly in the D-SUV segment, measuring around 4.71 metres in length with a long 2.74-metre wheelbase. The design is a clear departure from Renaults current India lineup, featuring arrow-shaped LED DRLs, slim LED headlamps, and a distinctive grille pattern inspired by Renaults diamond logo. The sloping roofline, angled at 17 degrees, gives the Rafale its coupe character while also eliminating the need for a rear wiper. At the rear, Y-shaped LED tail lamps, an integrated spoiler, and a clean bumper design add to its premium appeal. Premium Cabin With High-Tech Features Inside, the Rafale carries forward Renaults OpenR digital cockpit, featuring a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, along with an optional head-up display. The cabin is designed to feel premium and tech-forward, with high-quality materials, ambient lighting, and sporty seats in select trims. A standout feature is Renaults Solarbay panoramic glass roof, which can electronically darken or lighten as per passenger preference. Despite the coupe roofline, Renault claims generous rear-seat space and a large 647-litre boot. Under the hood, the Rafale is offered exclusively with hybrid powertrains globally. The standard version uses Renaults self-charging E-Tech hybrid system, combining a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine with electric motors for a combined output of around 200 PS. Renault also plans a more powerful plug-in hybrid variant with all-wheel drive, delivering up to 296 PS, positioning the Rafale against premium coupe-SUVs from German brands. One-Off Company Import, Not for Sale For now, the Rafales appearance in India appears to be purely for internal or executive use, rather than a precursor to a market launch. With Renault currently focusing on volume-oriented products for India and the Rafale positioned as a premium, Europe-focused model, an Indian launch seems unlikely in the near term. That said, its presence on Indian roads does offer a glimpse into Renaults global design and technology directionand what the brand is capable of at the top end of its portfolio. WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tensions are soaring in the U.S. city of Minneapolis as protests enter their third day following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minnesota earlier this week. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has alleged that the victim, Renee Good, was attempting to run over law enforcement officers when an ICE officer fatally shot her Wednesday morning -- a claim that local officials have disputed. Demonstrations turned confrontational on Thursday morning in front of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, which is being used as a launching pad to crack down on migrants who are living in the city illegally. Hundreds of protesters gathered, shouting "shame" and "murder" at ICE agents. Federal officers, including Border Patrol and ICE agents, used pepper spray, tear gas, pepper balls, and smoke devices to disperse the crowd, which agents claimed was growing violent. The DHS, which governs the ICE, said federal officers were assaulted with rocks, chunks of ice, and pepper spray and reported that two people were charged with assaulting federal officers and that officers sustained multiple injuries. Some media outlets claimed the protesters were merely throwing snowballs at agents, not ice or rocks. DHS Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said officers "were conducting targeted operations" when individuals started trying to block ICE vehicles, calling the woman one of the "violent rioters." However, some alleged witnesses said it looked like the woman was driving away when the shooting occurred, according to U.S. media. The shooting incident is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General. U.S. Vice President JD Vance defended the ICE agent who shot the protester, claiming the woman had attempted to run over officers. "She tried to run somebody over with her car, and the guy defended himself when that happened," Vance said at a White House press briefing on Thursday, accusing media of "lying about this attack." Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have demanded the ICE leave the city and state immediately, arguing that the presence of the ICE is causing chaos. The shooting and its fallout occurred after the U.S. federal government deployed around 2,000 agents to the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, in what the administration of President Donald Trump has labeled the largest immigration operation ever. The 30-day "surge" in the state of Minnesota's largest two cities is a bid to enforce immigration laws and investigate widespread fraud allegedly committed by members of the Somali immigrant community there. "In this case, it's not just immigration -- it's about a show of force in, or rather against, a city and state that has consistently opposed Trump over the last decade. From that perspective, the disruption and chaos these actions create is more the point than any actual impact on immigration," said Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College in the northeastern state of New Hampshire. While protests continued in Minneapolis, a separate enforcement shooting unfolded Thursday in Portland, Oregon, where a Customs and Border Protection agent shot and injured two people, further highlighting the broader national tensions surrounding immigration enforcement. "When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents," said the DHS in a statement. "Portland is now grappling with another deeply troubling incident," Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said in a statement, adding that the city could not "sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts." Wilson called on the ICE to halt all operations in the city pending the investigation. "We know what the federal government says happened here," Wilson told reporters. "The administration is trying to divide us, to pit communities against each other. Portland, this is a moment to hold each other close." Turkish authorities rescued 37 migrants from a rubber boat off the Bademli coast in Dikili, Izmir, during a search-and-rescue operation, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported on X. As reported by Azernews, according to the minister, as soon as authorities received information about the migrant boat, patrol vessels TCSG-61 and TCSG-907 were dispatched to the area. Despite adverse weather conditions, the semi-submerged boat was located, and 37 migrants were saved alive. Unfortunately, the body of one migrant was recovered. The total number of migrants on board was 45, and search-and-rescue operations continue for the seven remaining missing individuals. A TCSG-502 Coast Guard helicopter was also deployed to assist in the operation. WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Central Command said Saturday that its forces conducted large-scale strikes against multiple Islamic State (IS) targets across Syria. "Today, at approximately 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time, U.S. Central Command forces, alongside partner forces, conducted large-scale strikes against multiple ISIS targets across Syria," the command posted on X. The command said these strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched and announced on Dec. 19 in response to a deadly IS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria, on Dec. 13. In the attack, a lone IS terrorist carried out an ambush, killing two U.S. soldiers and one U.S. civilian interpreter. The strikes are "part of our ongoing commitment to root out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent future attacks, and protect American and partner forces in the region," U.S. Central Command said, adding that U.S. and coalition forces "remain resolute in pursuing terrorists who seek to harm the United States." Quantum computing stocks are back in play to start 2026, and once again D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) is right at the center of it all. This time, the attention is on a deal to purchase Quantum Circuits for a total of $550 million via a mix of both stock and cash. As far as QBTS stock investors are concerned, this is a play that's about so much more than size. The buyout comes at a time when the governments, companies, and research facilities are shifting focus from the experimental stages of quantum computing to implementation. D-Wave is trying to do something that few other companies in the same league can lay claim to: staying relevant in the current era and having something in the pipeline for the future. D-Wave's quantum cloud platform is already earning revenue with production-level technology that is expanding to gate-model systems. More News from Barchart This ambition has not escaped the notice of the market, either. The share price of QBTS stock has jumped considerably over the last year, showing renewed faith in the belief that quantum computing adoption is finally crossing from theory into practice. About D-Wave Quantum Stock D-Wave Quantum is a quantum computing company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, specializing in developing, operating, and managing commercial quantum computing systems, software, and cloud-based services. D-Wave is primarily recognized as a manufacturer of annealing-based quantum computing systems, which are already in use by various firms, governments, and research bodies across the world. D-Wave is currently valued at a market capitalization of $10.6 billion. The shares of QBTS stock have been very volatile. Currently, the stock trades around the $30 mark, following a multi-week rally, and is well above the 52-week low price of $3.74 (although QBTS remains lower than the 52-week high of $46.75). QBTS has performed considerably better than the market as a whole over the last year. https://www.barchart.com The valuation is still aggressive, however. D-Wave remains unprofitable with negative margins and returns, and it has an elevated price-to-sales ratio of 364 times. This is not unusual for early-stage leaders in the quantum space; valuation is usually less dependent on earnings and much more dependent on balance-sheet strength, customer adoption, and technology. On these dimensions, having $836 million in cash is an extremely important factor for D-Wave. CBC Books has released a longlist for Canada Reads 2026, which is "looking for one book to build bridges. Stories connect us to different people, places and perspectives. The collection of titles for 2026 showcase the power storytelling has to inspire, connect and grow--together." For Canada Reads, five Canadian celebrities each pick one book they believe all Canadians should read, then debate their choices over the course of four days, voting to eliminate one every day. The last book standing is the winner. Every year, CBC Books reveals a longlist before the final contenders are named. Canada Reads will air this year's edition from April 13 to 16. See the longlisted titles here. --- Marilyn Booth has won the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation for her translation of Honey Hunger by Zahran Alqasmi (Hoopoe Fiction/the American University in Cairo Press). With an award of 3,000 (about $4,000), the prize is administered by the Society of Authors. Organizers said that "Honey Hunger takes you to the remote highland landscapes of Oman and the story of Azzan, a beekeeper who retreats into the mountains to rebuild his life and hives. As Azzan becomes immersed in nature and beekeeping, he forms bonds with fellow honey hunters and a lyrical story of loss, addiction, resilience, healing and the fragile balance of human and nature unfolds. This novel is exceptional not only for its beautiful evocative prose but for its exploration of the taboo topic of addiction in rural Oman and for its vital ecological theme." Judges praised the book for "its exquisite language and style in translation and on account of the significance of the themes explored in the novel (love, addiction, environment), and the fresh perspective the Omani voice and setting brings to bear on them." Kay Heikkinen was named a runner up for the prize for her translation of Radwa Ashour's trilogy, Granada: The Complete Trilogy (also published by Hoopoe Fiction/AUC Press). Heikkinen wins 1,000 (about $1,333). Organizers said that Granada "chronicles the destruction of Moorish Spain following the conquest of Granada by Spain's Catholic monarchs in 1492, and tells the story of the Muslims who remained in Andalusia, who struggled to maintain faith and hope in a possible future. It narrates a community's effort to comprehend what has happened to them, and of their valiant but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to resist the destruction of their identity." Centre rolls out District-Led Textiles Transformation (DLTT) plan to make Indias textile industry more inclusive, sustainable and globally competitive 200 districts identified for targeted development, with 100 to be groomed as Global Textile Export Champions and 100 as self-sufficient, sustainable textile hubs Special focus on eastern and northeastern regions, promoting local artisans, MSMEs and GI-tagged indigenous textiles to boost jobs and exports The Government of India has unveiled the District-Led Textiles Transformation (DLTT) plan as a key step towards making the countrys textile industry more inclusive, sustainable and globally competitive. The initiative aims to drive growth from the grassroots by empowering districts to become engines of employment, exports and enterprise development, while ensuring that local communities and artisans remain at the heart of the transformation. Under the DLTT framework, the government plans to identify and develop 200 districts across the country. Of these, 100 high-potential districts will be nurtured as Global Export Champions, while another 100 aspirational districts will be supported to evolve into self-sufficient and sustainable textile hubs. The Ministry of Textiles said the selection of these districts was based on a data-driven scoring system that evaluated export performance, the strength of the MSME ecosystem and the availability of a skilled workforce. Based on these parameters, districts were categorised as either Champion or Aspirational, allowing the government to design customised, location-specific strategies. The focus for Champion Districts will be on accelerating export growth by strengthening value chains, improving competitiveness and connecting local manufacturers to global markets. Aspirational Districts, on the other hand, will receive targeted support to upgrade infrastructure, enhance skills, and promote entrepreneurship so that local businesses can scale up sustainably. The broader objective is to create locally generated jobs, boost business development and expand exports from these regions. Also Read: CAI Urges Govt to Scrap 11 percent Cotton Import Duty to Aid Textile Sector A significant emphasis of the DLTT plan is on eastern and northeastern India, particularly the Purvodaya regions, which are known for their rich textile and handicraft traditions and diverse tribal communities. The government has proposed measures to improve infrastructure in these areas, support tribal artisans and promote the wider use of Geographical Indication (GI) tagging. GI recognition is expected to enhance the visibility and value of indigenous products such as handlooms, bamboo crafts and silk in global markets, helping artisans earn better incomes while positioning these regions as centres of high-quality textiles. The announcement of the DLTT initiative coincided with a high-level conclave of National Textile Ministers held in Guwahati, Assam. The conclave served as a platform for policymakers, industry leaders and experts to deliberate on issues such as policy alignment, investment facilitation, skill development, value addition and market access, with the aim of translating ideas into actionable strategies for regional textile growth. Union Minister for Textiles Giriraj Singh described the northeastern region as the 'backbone' of Indias textile sector and said the government was committed to upgrading the region while creating employment opportunities for local artisans and workers. He emphasised that the DLTT initiative is designed to double Indias textile production and exports, generate large-scale employment and provide sustained support to traditional craftsmen. The ministry believes that the programme will not only strengthen Indias position in the global textile market but also improve livelihoods in rural and semi-urban areas by fostering long-term, inclusive growth. While many major companies have recently implemented return-to-office mandates, easing away from the remote flexibility that workers became accustomed to during the pandemic, there are a number of employers who have made hybrid work a permanent model. In a recent report, remote-work site FlexJobs noted that work-from-home job postings recently increased by 3%, indicating that many companies have not completely abandoned their remote work policies. So, if youre in the market for a flexible position, heres a look at FlexJobs list of 10 companies that are offering some form of work-from-home roles: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The man shot and killed by NYPD officers in Manhattan on Thursday night was living with his parents on Staten Island at the time of his death, according to multiple media reports. Police identified the man as Dmitriy Zass, 37, of Great Kills. NYPD officials said Zass was fatally wounded after he was involved in a car crash and then pointed an imitation gun at responding officers. Based on information from unnamed officials, the New York Daily News reported that Zass had a physical altercation with his father that brought police to the home on Monday, and ABC7 reported that his parents were pursuing an order of protection. Both outlets reported that no charges were filed in the Monday incident. A man at Zass home declined to speak to the Advance/SILive.com on Saturday, but a neighbor said she was heartbroken to hear of his death. He was a really nice boy, said the neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous. As a matter of fact, he took care of our dog for a whole week for us, and he walked him every day. I had many conversations with him. Great kid. I dont know what happened. The neighbor said shed known the family since theyd moved in around 20 years ago. The events of Thursday that led to Zass shooting death are under investigation, but polices preliminary account was shared by Assistant Chief James McCarthy, commanding officer of Patrol Borough Manhattan South, during a press conference late Thursday night. According to McCarthy, at approximately 10:53 p.m., officers on foot patrol were flagged down by two individuals in the vicinity of Bedford Street and 6th Avenue in the West Village. Those individuals informed police that they were involved in a collision with a BMW that attempted to flee the scene. The imitation firearm recovered from the scene of the shooting of Dmitriy Zass, 37, in Manhattan's West Village on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Courtesy of the NYPD) That BMW was stuck in traffic when officers approached, the chief said. It was then that a man, later identified as Zass, allegedly stepped out of the BMW and pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the officers, prompting them to shoot. It was later determined that Zass was holding an imitation gun, a Sig Sauer air pistol that was recovered at the scene, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Despite repeated commands from officers to drop the weapon, Zass maintained possession of the air pistol after being shot and said nothing, McCarthy said. Officers immediately requested EMS to transport Zass to an area hospital, McCarthy added. It was at the hospital that Zass was pronounced deceased at 11:17 p.m. The two officers involved in the shooting were taken to an area hospital for evaluation, police said. ABC7 reported a witness said he saw the BMW driving on Sixth Avenue, the wrong way, with its bumper dragging on the ground, around this corner, pursued by a minivan. Stopped at that stop sign, then backed into the minivan. Official response On Friday, Attorney General Letitia James Office of Special Investigation announced it was opening an investigation into Zass death. James office said law requires the Office of Special Investigation to assess every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer...may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Mayor Zohran Mamdani took a seemingly cautious approach in his response to Zass death, as well as a second police-involved shooting on Thursday, waiting until Friday morning to post on X. Last nights shootings at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and in the West Village are devastating to all New Yorkers, he wrote. I know many are eager for answers. The NYPD is conducting an internal investigationI will work with Commissioner Tisch to ensure this is as through and swift as possible." When asked Friday why he hadnt commented sooner, Mamdani said he wanted to be intentional in the way he communicated to New Yorkers about the incident. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch posted Friday on X, Every day, the men and women of the NYPD put their lives on the line to protect New Yorkers. Last night (Thursday) was no different. Officers were engaged in two police-involved shootings, and there is every indication that their actions were nothing short of heroic. Owen Reiter contributed reporting for this article. In retirement, you'll almost certainly get Social Security checks to help supplement your financial load. Savers can turn on the tap, so to speak, for this funding resource at any time they like after turning 62, and those who are able to wait will reap a larger reward from the government funded pension tool. Even so, Social Security was never meant to replace your working income, and you can expect to see, at most, roughly 40% of your pre-retirement income delivered in this format. "Ensuring stable and sufficient income is the bedrock of financial security," Rosen adds, and so prioritizing a means of saving to generate the other half of your retirement income needs is paramount (the typical retiree needs around 70% to 80% of their pre-retirement income to support the same lifestyle). Income is the thing you get for your hours and days put in at the office. It's therefore perhaps a strange thing to consider when exploring the bare bones of your retirement strategy. Income is what you're seeking to replace, after all. But you'll replace income driven by the sweat off your brow with more or less "passive" income generated by the investments you've made along the way. Andrew Rosen says to Kiplinger that "income is the base of any financial hierarchy... Before thinking about tax strategies or estate planning, the first goal must be to generate reliable income that covers essential living expenses." It's clear that saving up for this big change is the only way to ensure that you actually enjoy the retirement lifestyle you envision . The typical American worker will have access to a wealth of tools, including accounts like a 401(k) and a Roth IRA to help drive tax-advantaged investments toward greater levels of growth. But in both your savings strategy and your later drawdown priorities, there's more nuance to explore than simply the concept of saving a lot. In an article for Kiplinger in November, Andrew Rosen, a certified financial planner, spelled out the layered financial needs that retirees experience. Understanding not just a target savings goal but also how that money will enable your future lifestyle can be instrumental in successfully achieving your desires. These seven tiers of retirement needs help put the project of saving for the future into greater focus. The final clock-out at your day job can be a glorious thing. For many, the idea of hanging it up one day and never looking back is the goal, and the typical American worker achieves their transition into retirement as early as age 62. Generally speaking, this means that the average American will go to college (the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the number of direct-to-college high school graduates at 61.4%) and then start working full time for the next 40 years, give or take. That's 40 years to develop and execute a financial strategy to launch this next phase of life one that averages right around 20 years. Story Continues Protection family of figurines under an umbrella - Garun .Prdt/Shutterstock Establishing a stable plan for funding the income needs of your retirement lifestyle is the first key to success. But after that's been accounted for, Andrew Rosen notes that protection should be your second port of call. After all, no one can guarantee that curveballs aren't coming their way with little to no warning. Rosen suggests to Kiplinger that: "Protection includes life insurance, disability coverage, long-term care planning and basic legal documents such as a will and power of attorney. These tools help ensure that if something unexpected happens an illness, accident or death financial hardship doesn't follow." While your income stream is all about delivering stable financial support during the 'normal' times, these additional financial products kick in to keep the ball rolling when things start to fall apart. Rosen adds that "without [protection planning], even a solid income can be derailed." Some of these tools are more effective than others, however, depending on where you are in your journey. One common retirement regret that older Americans often have comes from underestimating long-term care costs. This protection tool, alongside others like life insurance, gets more expensive the longer you wait to purchase it. Identifying this needs and building it into your plan long before you actually retire helps make the tool far more affordable. On the other hand, whole life insurance policies designed to last throughout retirement can often be a waste of money while structured, term policies that provide specific buffers for loved ones during certain transitional periods can still be valuable. Emergency reserves emergency fund in a box on wall - Olekstock/Getty Images It's commonplace for those in the workforce to set some money aside with each paycheck for a rainy day. These funds may be specifically allocated in an emergency reserve or as part of a larger pool of resources to help handle setbacks that life might throw your way. Retirees need to keep up the habit of keeping an emergency fund going, even if a retirement portfolio might seem like one large emergency reserve at first glance. Both workers and retirees can lean on their cash reserve in an emergency, and Andrew Rosen notes to Kiplinger that "having a reserve prevents reliance on high-interest debt or making premature withdrawals from retirement accounts when unexpected expenses arise." Once you've depleted your investment accounts, the golden goose is gone. You might be a dividend investor living off the interest produced by these investments, for instance. Selling out of a position can permanently alter (in a negative way) the dividend payouts you receive. Rosen adds that this cash fund "might look more like a buffer [than the cash reserve workers require] within an investment account." It can be leveraged to support both new investment opportunities when changes in the market present an opportunity to strike, or a cash reserve to protect you against a market in trying times. Growth investors are those who will have invested heavily in assets that they intend to gradually sell out of to fund their retirement, banking on huge upswings in value over the years or decades of owning shares. But a market correction can dramatically change the pace you'll have to sell at to maintain stability, unless you have a reliable cash reserve waiting in the wings. Debt Management seniors looking at a credit card statement - Inside Creative House/Getty Images Americans live with debt on a daily basis. Some pundits suggest that all debt is bad, but there is more nuance to this conversation than meets the eye. One basic framework for differentiating good and bad debts comes in the form of assessing the thing it was used to purchase. Good debts tend to help increase your net worth or add value to your life over the long term (mortgages and student loans, in many cases). Bad debts accumulate interest much faster and ultimately weigh you down, such as a high interest credit card or even a costly auto loan considering the depreciation rate of the typical car. Andrew Rosen warns in the Kiplinger article that "in retirement, carrying high-interest debt can put added strain on those living on a fixed income. Prioritizing debt reduction increases financial flexibility and reduces risk." Failing to clear away big debt obligations before retirement puts you at risk of going broke during this new phase of your life. Servicing old debts eats away at your war chest, and for some payments, like those on credit card balances, you won't actually be spending your money on something that enhances your life. A mortgage, for instance, isn't necessarily a bad thing to carry into retirement because you're actively buying equity in the property you live in: The expense benefits you directly. Poor debt management habits can follow you into retirement, however, and pull the rug out from under an otherwise stable financial picture. Retirement savings man putting money in a piggy bank - Take Production Studios/Shutterstock Andrew Rosen adds retirement savings into the mix here. Prioritizing your retirement savings can come in two overarching flavors. Those who start early (as in, during their first foray into the workforce as a twenty-something) can expect a slow, steady buildup of wealth in their retirement portfolio. The contribution pace is gradual, with time performing most of the heavy lifting. However, Rosen notes to Kiplinger that "Saving for retirement often competes with other priorities, such as college funding or lifestyle upgrades. But retirement is one of the only major life expenses that can't be financed. You can borrow for college, not for retirement." Therefore, prioritizing it, even if achieving financial balance means sacrificing some other desires in the short term is important. On the other hand, if you don't start early, your contribution schedule will be a bit more frenetic. Saving more money each month is the starting point, and savers might also seek to invest in riskier assets to make up for lost time, placing their entire future in a greater state of fragility. Specifically however, Rosen suggests that solid retirement savings strategies will seek to create a greater wealth of choice for your future. "Contributing to IRAs, 401(k)s or other tax-advantaged accounts builds future optionality the ability to choose how and when to retire without financial pressure," Rosen says. Estate and tax planning will document with house figurine and money in the frame - Liudmila Chernetska/Getty Images After establishing a stable financial platform and launching a gradually improving retirement position, Andrew Rosen suggests to Kiplinger that "your next step is to ensure that wealth is protected, transferred efficiently, and taxed appropriately." Obviously, if you haven't saved anything, or much (somewhere between 20% and 46% of Americans have no retirement savings, for instance), there's little benefit in exploring tax strategies or drawing up estate planning documents to transfer that wealth. But, if you've followed through on your financial plan, there may be a substantial nest egg sitting in your accounts. Ideally, the bulk of these savings will outlive you, allowing for a consistent delivery of retirement income during your lifetime and a notable estate to pass on to your loved ones afterward. Rosen says, however, that estate planning tasks and tax minimization strategies aren't just about signaling how to pass on assets or strategically withdraw funds. These tasks "might involve Roth conversions, strategic withdrawals or gifting strategies. Estate planning isn't just about leaving a legacy it's also about ensuring your wishes are carried out smoothly and effectively." College planning and other luxuries children with graduation caps drawn over heads - Feverpitched/Getty Images The final level of financial prioritization for retirees comes in the form of luxury spending and other niceties. Once you've taken care of the essential spending categories, you can afford to splurge on the finer things in life or prioritize taking care of others. Luxury expenses come in many forms, and Andrew Rosen suggests that for retirees seeking an upgrade to their lifestyle, purchases like dream vacations or second homes, as well as gifting decisions like charitable donations may be elements that come into focus. However, he warns that "these are important and meaningful but ideally addressed only after the core needs are met." Another area where retirees might want to spend involves things like additions to a loved one's 529 plan. These are college savings tools with tax benefits attached. Anyone can add to a child's 529 plan, meaning grandparents can deposit funds into an account to help younger generations afford this growing expense with any leftover dollars they might have. Yet, this too falls under the luxury spending umbrella. "while education is important," Rosen says to Kiplinger, "college funding is a luxury in the context of financial planning it's a goal with many solutions (loans, scholarships, grants), and one that shouldn't take precedence over retirement security." Unlock your financial potential. Add Money Digest to your preferred sources for smart money insights! Read the original article on Money Digest. The man who was shot and killed by police at a Brooklyn hospital Thursday evening was a former officer with the NYPD, according to a department spokesperson. That individual, who barricaded himself in a hospital room and threatened people with a sharp weapon, was identified by the NYPD as 62-year-old Michael Lynch, a Brooklyn resident. Lynch had no criminal record and resigned from the department in the 1990s, for reasons that were not immediately clear, as reported by abc7. In a post on X, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described Lynch as emotionally disturbed. It was around 5:27 p.m. that the NYPD received multiple calls for a barricaded man armed with a weapon that had cut himself and was trying to cut others at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Charles Minch, assistant chief and commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, said at a press conference Thursday night. Minutes later, officers arrived and made their way to the room on the eighth floor, which was splattered with blood, according to Minch. An elderly patient and a member of hospital security staff were trapped in the room with Lynch. Officers issued numerous verbal commands in an attempt to get Lynch to drop the sharp weapon, according to a statement from the Deputy Commissioner of Public Informations Office. When Lynch moved towards officers, police deployed tasers, which were ineffective, the NYPD said. Lynch then made another advance towards officers and it was then that they discharged their firearms and struck him. According to the NYPD, Lynch was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Gothamist, police do not know why Lynch was at the hospital Thursday and were investigating what led to the shooting. A relative of Lynchs reportedly told Gothamist that the family was struggling to process the shooting and that the behavior described by police was out of character for him. The NYPDs Force Investigation Division is continuing the investigation into the shooting, the Deputy Commissioner of Public Informations Office said. The fatal shooting of a Great Kills resident The shooting at the hospital preceded another shooting Thursday night in Manhattans West Village. In that case, police fatally shot Dmitriy Zass, 37, a resident of Great Kills, after he allegedly pointed an imitation firearm at officers. The imitation firearm recovered from the scene of the shooting of Dmitriy Zass, 37, in Manhattan's West Village on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Courtesy of the NYPD) Assistant Chief James McCarthy, commanding officer of Patrol Borough Manhattan South, shared details of that shooting during a press conference late Thursday night. According to preliminary information, at approximately 10:53 p.m., officers on patrol were flagged down by two individuals in the vicinity of Bedford Street and 6th Avenue, he said. Those individuals informed police that they were involved in a vehicle collision with a BMW that attempted to flee the scene. That BMW was stuck in traffic when officers approached, the chief said. It was then that Zass allegedly stepped out of the BMW and pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the officers, according to the NYPD. In response, officers shot Zass, McCarthy said. Officers immediately requested EMS to transport Zass to an area hospital, McCarthy added. It was at the hospital that Zass was pronounced deceased at 11:17 p.m. The imitation firearm was recovered at the scene. It has since been identified as a Sig Sauer air pistol, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. On Friday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted a statement on X in the wake of the shootings. The post stated the following: Last nights shootings at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and in the West Village are devastating to all New Yorkers. I know many are eager for answers. The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation I will work with Commissioner Tisch to ensure this is as thorough and swift as possible. These tragedies are painful, whether they take place steps from our home or miles away. They are a reminder of the immense work that must be done to deliver genuine public safety work Commissioner Tisch and I are undertaking together every day." UPDATE: Information emerges about Staten Island man killed in NYPD shooting, as AG opens investigation >> STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Police fatally shot a 37-year-old Great Kills man Thursday night after he allegedly pointed an imitation firearm at officers in Manhattan. Assistant Chief James McCarthy, commanding officer of Patrol Borough Manhattan South, shared details of the shooting during a press conference late Thursday night. According to preliminary information, at approximately 10:53 p.m., officers on patrol were flagged down by two individuals in the vicinity of Bedford Street and 6th Avenue, he said. Watch as NYPD executives provide an update on an ongoing investigation in Manhattan. https://t.co/ZwBUJHgCM1 NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) January 9, 2026 Those individuals informed police that they were involved in a vehicle collision with a BMW that attempted to flee the scene. That BMW was stuck in traffic when officers approached, the chief said. It was then that a man, later identified as Dmitriy Zass of the 400 block of Elverton Avenue, allegedly stepped out of the BMW and pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the officers, according to the NYPD. In observing what looked to be a gun, officers shot Zass. Despite repeated commands from officers to drop the weapon, Zass maintained possession of the firearm and said nothing, McCarthy said. Officers immediately requested EMS to transport Zass to an area hospital, McCarthy added. It was at the hospital that Zass was pronounced deceased at 11:17 p.m. The two officers involved in the shooting were taken to an area hospital for evaluation, police said. The imitation firearm was recovered at the scene. It has since been identified as a Sig Sauer air pistol, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The incident is being investigated by the NYPDs Force Investigation Division, according to McCarthy. The West Village shooting came just a few hours after another officer-involved shooting in a Brooklyn hospital. Every day, the men and women of the NYPD put their lives on the line to protect New Yorkers, Tisch said, in part, on Friday in a post on X. Last night (Thursday) was no different. Officers were engaged in two police-involved shootings, and there is every indication that their actions were nothing short of heroic. Mayor Zohran Mamdani also posted a statement on X in the wake of the shootings on Friday. The post stated the following: Last nights shootings at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and in the West Village are devastating to all New Yorkers. I know many are eager for answers. The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation I will work with Commissioner Tisch to ensure this is as thorough and swift as possible. These tragedies are painful, whether they take place steps from our home or miles away. They are a reminder of the immense work that must be done to deliver genuine public safety work Commissioner Tisch and I are undertaking together every day." A weed dispensary co-owned by rapper Ice-T has closed less than a year after its grand opening in one of New Jerseys largest cities. Ice-T a star of NBCs "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" partnered with former Playboy model Charis Burrett to open the shop. The store, called The Medicine Woman, opened in Jersey City in April. The stores website no longer lists its Jersey City location and Google search results say it has permanently closed. Heady NJ, a local cannabis news site, first reported the closure. In a statement, the dispensary owners blamed a lack of local government support and mounting costs for the business failure. Despite significant investment, compliance, and readiness to launch, the lack of local oversight and regulatory infrastructure undermined our ability to grow and sustain operations, effectively driving the operation into the ground before it ever even had a real chance to get started, company officials said. As a New Jersey native, Im excited for the opportunity legalization offers our community, the Newark-born Ice-T said in April when the shop opened. The shop, located at 660-684 Tonnelle Ave, joined several other dispensaries already open in Jersey City. Medicine Woman cannabis dispensary business partners, from left, Ice T, Charis Burrett and John Batchelor after their proposal to establish the business was approved at the Jersey City Cannabis Control Board meeting in 2022. Haresh Oudhnarine Other cannabis shops associated with celebrities have also struggled to stay open. In Newark, a celebrity-backed cannabis store, Hashstoria, closed last year. Its backers included members of the Wu-Tang Clan and radio host Charlamagne tha God. In some towns, weed dispensaries have had difficulty drawing enough customers to stay open. New Jerseys cannabis law allows municipalities to set restrictions and caps on the number of dispensaries. While an estimated 70% of the states municipalities have opted out of allowing weed shops, Jersey City is among the cities that allowed unlimited stores. However, the city has restrictions on the distance between dispensaries a rule that has faced legal challenges. More recently, city officials have moved to limit the number of dispensaries amid concerns that an oversaturation of shops could lead to increased competition for a limited customer base. Atlantic City has taken similar steps to limit cannabis stores. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis spoke with the White House and delivered a letter to President Donald Trump Friday morning expressing her full support for posthumously awarding U.S. Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis the Presidential Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the U.S. Ollis, a New Dorp resident, was killed in 2013 during a Taliban raid on Forward Operating Base Ghazni in Afghanistan. On August 28, 2013, Staff Sergeant Ollis faced a choice, Malliotakis letter read in part. In an instant of absolute clarity, he chose selflessness and placed himself between a fellow allied officer. He did not pause or calculate. He acted, knowing the cost would be his life. Saving the life of a fellow Allied officer. After years of advocacy from veterans, elected officials and the local Staten Island community, as well as a recommendation from the Secretary of the Army, the decision to award this hero the Presidential Medal of Honor now rests with you, Mr. President, the letter added. The Presidential Medal of Honor is a statement of national memory and appreciation of a grateful nation. It tells the entire world and future generations the kind of courage, patriotism, sacrifice and service the United States holds sacred. Staff Sergeant Ollis was a soldier, a leader, and a man of profound moral clarity. His final act requires no embellishment or argument. It stands on its own, resolute and selfless, and worthy of the highest recognition our country can bestow. The letter concluded with Malliotakis, a Republican who represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, thanking the president for his leadership, support of the military and consideration of the request to bestow a fellow New Yorker and an American patriot with the most deserving recognition. This photo from 2019 shows the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military award that can be given to a member of the United States Army. It was awarded posthumously to Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis, who earned the award for extraordinary heroism in Afghanistan on Aug. 28, 2013. (Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel) Malliotakis is the latest local official to support the effort to upgrade Ollis Distinguished Service Cross to a Medal of Honor. The push for the recognition has also seen support from U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, Republican South Shore Councilman Frank Morano and Borough President Vito Fossella, who wrote a letter of his own to President Trump on Thursday. A months-long effort to honor Staten Islands own The push to honor the Staten Island hero began in the summer of 2025. In June, the Richmond County American Legion penned a resolution advocating for the distinction. Then, in July, Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, wrote a letter to Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy A. George, urging the Army to recommend Ollis for the Medal of Honor. The recommendation worked its way up the chain of command and found itself before Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Hegseth wrote a letter to Schumer, a New York Democrat, in December, informing the Senate minority leader that he believed Ollis actions merit the Medal of Honor award. I am writing to inform you of my favorable determination regarding the award of the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis, U.S. Army, Hegseths letter read in part. I reviewed a recommendation from the Secretary of the Army to upgrade the Distinguished Service Cross awarded to Staff Sergeant Ollis to the Medal of Honor for his valorous actions on August 28, 2013 during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. After giving the recommendation careful consideration, I agree that Staff Sergeant Ollis actions merit award of the Medal of Honor. The final determination on whether or not Ollis receives the Medal of Honor now rests with President Trump. Bob Ollis, Michaels father, discussed the renewed effort with the Advance/SILive.com in August. You got a mom and a dad who lost their child, and everybody wants to honor him..., he said. You have no idea what that feels like. I cant thank them (Schumer, Morano, the Richmond County American Legion) enough. We hope and we pray. Its up to God now to push it through, he added. The heroism of Staff Sgt. Ollis As previously noted in Schumers letter, at the time of his death, Ollis, 24, was serving as a squad leader in Bushmaster Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division during his third combat deployment. On Aug. 28, the base came under fire and Ollis mobilized the men under his command to a secure location and without pause or hesitation answered the call to duty and advanced towards the assailants, according to Schumers letter. Ollis rallied with coalition forces, among them Polish Officer 2nd Lt. Karol Cierpica. Ollis and Cierpica then encountered a suicide bomber. In an act of heroism, Ollis positioned himself between the bomber and Cierpica, firing upon the target. Although Ollis was able to effectively drop the attacker, the vest detonated and killed him, but he shielded Cierpica from the full blast, saving Cierpicas life. As further indicated in the letter, witnesses present at the base that day claim that Ollis sacrifice not only saved Cierpica, but it preserved the lives of more than 40 military and civilian personnel. Ollis has since been recognized with the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Audie Murphy Medallion, and the Polish Armed Forces Gold Medal that nations highest honor for non-citizens. In 2019, Ollis Silver Star was upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross. Gov. Kathy Hochul has directed flags on all state government buildings to fly at half-staff on Saturday, Jan. 10, in honor of retired New York State Police Sergeant Michael L. Piro. Piro died on Jan. 6 from an illness related to his assignment at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 terrorist attack. He was 63. New York State Police announced his passing as a line of duty death. He had retired from the New York State Police on March 26, 2015, after 30 years of service. A distinguished member of the New York State Police, Sergeant Piro, stepped up to serve and protect his fellow New Yorkers when it was needed most, Hochul said. I am profoundly grateful for Sergeant Piro and his dedication to keeping New York safe, and I join his family, colleagues, and community in honoring his life and service, and send my deepest condolences to those whose lives he touched. A family obituary reads: He was born in Germany on Dec. 28, 1962, to Helene (Heindel) and Joseph Piro. He attended Belport High School. He served as a sergeant with the New York State Police Troop L. He was a member of the Mattituck Gun Club and the Association of Former NYS Troopers. His family said he enjoyed trapshooting and, more than anything else, spending time with his grandchildren. Piro is survived by four children. His wife, Cynthia, preceded him in death. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Staff from Gateway National Recreation Area will present an overview next week to Community Board 3 about projects underway at Great Kills Park. Below are details of all meetings planned next week, provided by each of Staten Islands three Community Boards. Community Board 1 There will be a full board meeting of Community Board 1 on Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m in St. Marys Episcopal Church, 347 Davis Ave., West Brighton. During the meeting, representatives from the New York City Department of Sanitation will hold a Q&A on Community Board 1 concerns. Up for discussion are the new garbage pails, fines, etc. Community Board 2 Community Board 2 has no meetings scheduled next week. Community Board 3 The Parks & Recreation and Environmental Committee will host the meeting with Gateway staff at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 13 to discuss Great Kills Park. On Jan. 14, a Land Use Committee public hearing will take place at 7 p.m. There is no set agenda. Also on Jan. 14, the Ethics, Rules and By-laws Committee will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. at which it will review the boards current responsibilities, rules, and conduct. This discussion aims to ensure accountability and uphold the integrity and transparency of our governing processes. All meetings will be held in the board office, 1243 Woodrow Rd., Woodrow. Open to the public All Community Board meetings and meetings of their committees are open to the public. They provide an excellent opportunity for residents to learn about happenings in their neighborhood and surrounding areas. Below is more information about the Islands three Community Boards: Community Board 1 Arlington Castleton Corners Clifton Concord Elm Park Fort Wadsworth Graniteville Grymes Hill Livingston Mariners Harbor New Brighton Port Richmond Randall Manor Rosebank St. George Shore Acres Silver Lake Stapleton Sunnyside Tompkinsville West Brighton Westerleigh The board chairman is Nicholas Siclari. The district manager is Joan Cusack. The telephone number is 718-981-6900. Community Board 2 Arrochar Bloomfield Bulls Head Chelsea Dongan Hills Egbertville Emerson Hill Grant City Grasmere High Rock Lighthouse Hill Midland Beach New Dorp New Springville Oakwood Ocean Breeze Old Town Richmond South Beach Todt Hill Travis The phone number is 718-568-3581. The fax number is 718-568-3595. The chairman is Fred Guinta. The district manager is Debra A. Derrico. Community Board 3 Annadale Arden Heights Bay Terrace Charleston Eltingville Great Kills Greenridge Huguenot New Dorp Oakwood Pleasant Plains Princes Bay Richmond Valley Richmond Rossville Tottenville Woodrow The phone number is 718-356-7900. The board chairman is Diane Peruggia. The U.S. Department of Energy in January awarded a $900 million, decade-long contract to General Matter for nuclear fuel production, which the company said would "accelerate" its plans for uranium enrichment in far west Kentucky. In August, California-based General Matter announced plans to build a $1.5 billion uranium enrichment facility and create 140 jobs at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The company previously said enrichment operations at the site would be online "by the end of the decade." Enrichment is the process of refining mined uranium by separating the uranium-235 isotope and increasing its concentration, in turn creating a viable fuel. Nuclear power plants generate electricity by splitting the U-235 atom in a process called fission, which produces heat used to turn a steam turbine connected to a generator. When the General Matter project was announced, Gov. Andy Beshear called it the "largest economic investment ever for Western Kentucky." The company said it signed a "multi-decade, one hundred-acre lease" with the Department of Energy, which owns the gaseous diffusion property. The January award to General Matter is part of a larger, $2.7 billion announcement, which the DOE described as an effort to bolster domestic uranium enrichment and reduce reliance on fuel from abroad. Two other companies, American Centrifuge Operating and Orano Federal Services, also received $900 million task orders from the department. "Rebuilding U.S. domestic enrichment capacity will reduce our reliance on foreign providers, strengthen our nuclear industrial base, and lower energy costs for utilities and consumers," General Matter said in a statement. "American reactors need American uranium. In partnership with the Department of Energy, we will deliver it." General Matter CEO Scott Nolan is a former SpaceX engineer and a partner at the San Francisco-based venture capital firm Founders Fund. Trump ally and billionaire Peter Thiel, who established the Founders Fund, reportedly joined General Matter's board last year. The energy department also awarded $28 million to Global Laser Enrichment, which recently obtained hundreds of acres near the gaseous diffusion site and is planning to establish its own enrichment operation. That project would create up to 300 jobs, state officials previously said. The Trump administration has taken a favorable stance on the nuclear industry, while pulling federal support from renewable energy projects around the country. In October, the department canceled a $100 million award to the Ascend Elements battery plant in Christian County, one of the state's largest ongoing economic development projects. Advertisement CultureBooksLiterature Bestselling Australian author Trent Dalton withdraws from Adelaide Writers Week Kerrie O'Brien Updated January 10, 2026 3:00pm ,first published 12:59pm 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 One of Australias bestselling authors has joined dozens of writers in withdrawing from Adelaide Writers Week following the Adelaide Festival boards decision to remove Palestinian-Australian writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from the line-up. Trent Dalton, the author of novels including the 2018 smash hit Boy Swallows Universe, confirmed to this masthead on Saturday that he would not take part in the literary festival, but did not offer further comment. Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton. Jamila Toderas The Adelaide Festival board said on Thursday that, while it was not suggesting in any way that Abdel-Fattah or her writing had any connection with the deadly terrorist attack at Bondi in December, given her past statements it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi. When asked on Saturday if the writers week would go ahead, and how many authors had now pulled out, an Adelaide Festival spokeswoman declined to comment. Daltons publisher HarperCollins was also contacted for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Other prominent Australian writers who have withdrawn include Helen Garner, Michelle de Kretser, Melissa Lucashenko, Hannah Kent, Evelyn Araluen, Jane Caro and Peter Greste, as well as Peter FitzSimons and Kate Halfpenny, writers for this masthead. Booker Prize-winning Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan, while not on the line-up, has expressed support for those who have boycotted. Related Article Opinion Censorship Politicians shouldnt decide who appears at writers festivals. Its a dangerous path Richard Flanagan Writer One of the countrys largest and best loved literary festivals, AWW is scheduled to run from February 28 to March 5. However, on Friday the program was missing from its website, with the note: In respect of the wishes of the writers who have recently indicated their withdrawal from the writers week 2026 program, we have temporarily unpublished the list of participants and events while we work through changes. Adelaide Writers Week director Louise Adler has not spoken publicly since the board made its announcement on Thursday. This year is her fourth in the role and many of the writers who have withdrawn paid tribute to her work. Advertisement Concerns about the wording of the Adelaide Festival boards statement citing the cultural sensitivity of a Palestinian-Australian author appearing at the event so soon after the shootings at the iconic Sydney beach last month were raised by many authors. Last year this masthead reported on concerns raised by a group called the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism, also known as 5A, about Abdel-Fattahs previous public commentary ahead of her appearance at the Bendigo Writers Festival. It referenced a series of her social media posts, including ones it asserted had said Zionists had no claim to cultural safety and that institutions that considered fragile feelings of Zionists were abhorrent. In 2024, she was accused of doxing Jewish creatives and has also been criticised for use of an image of a parachutist under the Palestinian flag following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas this week said he supported the festival boards decision. When asked for my opinion, I was happy to make it clear that the state government did not support the inclusion of Dr Abdel-Fattah on the Adelaide Writers Week program. 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 NationalReal life Opinion My love letter to ye olde postie Will he mind if I email it? Jo Pybus Writer January 10, 2026 1:30pm January 10, 2026 1:30pm 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 In a world first, a seal has broken on one of the pillars of public life. Denmarks PostNord, the Danish equivalent of Australia Post, has ceased delivery of letters, handing over a 400-year tradition to a private company. I had a Kermit the Frog moment when I heard this, wanting to run around yelling Ahhh! with my skinny green arms waving erratically above my head. What if I want to take up letter writing and have a pen pal in Denmark? Can a private letter delivery business be trusted with my handwritten pages as one would expect from a royal, imperial or government postal service? And what is it going to cost? Will I need to sell a kidney to post a letter to Denmark? Thats so last monarch a 4 stamp with Queen Elizabeths portrait in 1971. Today we pay $1.70 for a regular postage stamp. This news broke at the same time people were lining up at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra, hoping to be the recipient of the first coin minted for 2026. I instantly drew a comparison, wondering how long before another institution, perhaps the Royal Danish Mint, is dropped or outsourced, and everyone has to use cashless payments. How long before we follow? And then the universe sent me a message. I took my rarely used wallet from my bag and a $1 coin, escaping the cobwebs and rusted-on zip, landed on the floor. I picked it up and marvelled at seeing King Charles head embossed on one side. I couldnt recall seeing coins with the reigning monarchs image and clearly didnt pay attention when this one was placed in my purse. Advertisement As I catastrophised about writing letters to Denmark, I got a stark reminder that I am clinging on to things I rarely use coins, for instance. At least our King has gained some currency. King Charles has adorned our coins for more than two years, but this being the first time Id noticed highlighted how infrequently I use cash these days. I couldnt tell you the last time I put a stamp on a standard envelope either, so much so I nearly fell off my chair when out of curiosity I looked up the cost of a regular stamp: $1.70! Once I would have known the price. Still, that uneasiness that comes with age and change enveloped me pun intended. General post offices in capital cities are often architectural marvels and civic hubs, marking the centre of a city. I recall how jarring it was in 2005 when Melbournes stunning GPO building on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke streets became a retail hub. To see that elegant building labelled with hedonistic branding seems wrong. My thoughts in this regard werent just emotionally driven either as Id always believed a citys GPO was a landmark like no other, being point zero for maps and directions. Melbourne has now installed a brass survey marker at the site of the old GPO from which all distances from Melbourne are measured a physical marker to which the past can be moored without risk of being digitised. Advertisement Talking extinction, how many music albums, vinyl, cassette or CD, have you bought in the past 10 years? Once these were proudly displayed in a dedicated cabinet or stand next to a multi-stacked hi-fi system. Do you still have a multi-stacked hi-fi? When did you last buy a watch, the type you might pass on as an heirloom? I am one of the many converts to smartwatches that integrate with their even smarter phone. I was so proud as a kid to get my first wristwatch. My kids, however, had no interest in wearing a watch until they became an appendage of their phones. And therein lies the culprit. My smartphone can send a letter, make payments, play music, schedule my week, tell me the time, take photos, and pinpoint with accuracy a location five kilometres from the old GPO building in Melbourne. I even occasionally use it to make a phone call. For someone who wont leave a room without her smartphone, being aghast at Denmarks bold, historical move to stop delivering letters via its main postal service was a wee bit dramatic. I buy bags and clothing with features that accommodate my phone. Even my cooking aprons must have front pockets. Advertisement I feel for those who still need to go about their days in a more analogue way and I sincerely hope they are accommodated. Also, a shout-out to the philatelists and numismatists, whose collections may not flourish as we move away from printing stamps and minting coins. As for my future Danish pen pal: text me. Jo Pybus is a freelance writer and host of Alex the Seal podcast. Advertisement Exclusive NationalNSWAirports The stench that overwhelmed Sydney airports air traffic control tower Andrew Rickert January 10, 2026 1:30pm 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 As Sydney Airport heaved during the holiday period, air traffic controllers were facing an unusually fetid issue the raw smell of sewage was overpowering the control deck. Almost 6 million passengers passed through the airport between Christmas and New Years in 2024, the busiest season for international travel on record. Sydney airport air traffic control, where the raw smell of sewage was overpowering the control deck. Artwork: Marija Ercegovac Air traffic controllers were dry heaving at their desks. An incident log from Air Services Australia, obtained under a freedom of information request, reveals the first complaint on December 17, 2024. Advertisement Foul smell entering tower cabin environment. Smell is particularly evident when local winds are from the North East. The gases from Sydneys sewer system were escaping directly into the control tower. Sydney Airport was heaving during the holiday period. Louie Douvis The waste of 1.8 million residents across Sydney, from Campbelltown to Fairfield and Concord, is sent to the Malabar Sewage Treatment System, which passes through the airport on the way from Arncliffe to Malabar. Employees are heavily affected by sewer odour concerns to the point of feeling sick, read the entry in a Sydney Water system. Advertisement Related Article Aviation What could fix airports long arrival queues? A race for the Olympics Smell emanating from Sydney Water Odour Control Unit (OCU), an air traffic controller wrote in an incident report. Conversations with Sydney Water indicate that the smell detected is excess hydrogen sulphide. The rate the OCU is outputting HS is in excess of 5PPM. The safe levels of exposure are in the realm of 1PPM. A Google of the effects of HS is quite alarming particularly given that staff are exposed to the smell often for the duration of the shift. Advertisement The Safe Work Australia exposure standards limit the maximum eight-hour exposure average to 10 parts per million (PPM). A concentration of 5PPM can irritate the eyes nose and throat, with possible headaches, dizziness, and nausea. It is reasonable to suggest that any and all staff working through December 2024 have been exposed to this smell, the air traffic controller wrote. Almost 6 million passengers passed through the airport between Christmas and New Years in 2024. AP Sydney Water technicians inspected the sewer. Everything was operating fine downstream of the airport. As the issue continued, staff in the control deck contacted Sydney Water again on January 7, 2025. Advertisement Sydney Water was advised all controllers get nauseous and sick heaving over the odour, the updated log reads. Related Article Aviation Things can move so fast: The Jetstar centre where flights are cleared or cancelled The water corporations lead engineer was now investigating, and told airport staff they believed the system may have been overloaded after a fire at another facility. An odour control unit at Padstow was offline after the fire earlier in December. A filter at the airport was also clogged, potentially after having to deal with the extra load. The filter had been due for routine replacement, which was delayed due to issues with the supplier of activated carbon. Sydney Water took action. The airport odour control unit was switched off, and a replacement filter was rushed in. Advertisement Sydney Water has thoroughly investigated and addressed two separate incidents at its facilities in Padstow and Mascot and found no strong evidence of correlation, a spokesperson said. The odour issue was found to be caused by an activated carbon filter reaching the end of its effective treatment capacity. This was promptly addressed by replacing the filter on January 10, 2025. No further odours have been reported at the facility since the replacement. 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 An out-of-control bushfire 25 kilometres west of Walwa in Victorias north-east prompted a new warning to leave immediately in the early hours of Sunday morning. VicEmergency issued the alert just after midnight for Granya, Bungil, Burrowye, Walwa and surrounds, advising that conditions can become very dangerous and unpredictable. By 6.30am, the advice for those still in the area was to take shelter immediately as the blaze raged. Fierce winds and hot weather have sparked more than 200 fires across the state, burning at least 130 buildings, including scores of homes, and causing mass losses of crops and livestock. Authorities warned on Saturday that the fire risk across the state would continue for days as strong winds fanned the flames, despite a sharp drop in temperatures. Advertisement And in the early hours of Sunday, a series of upgraded warnings were issued for the areas affected by the fire around Carlisle River, south of Colac. People in Gellibrand, Kawarren, Barongarook West, Irrewillipe, Irrewillipe East, Chapple Vale, Charleys Creek, Kincaid, Pile Siding, Weeaproinah were instructed to leave immediately. Fires continue to burn across the state, including new blazes in the Otways which forced closure of part of the Great Ocean Road and put Colac on alert. North-east of Melbourne, wind shifts pushed the Longwood fire towards Bonnie Doon, raising concerns for locals in Mansfield. Brian Nunn walks through the remnants of the Harcourt Coolstore Co-op. Jason South Another fire in Dargo in the Alpine region was also causing concern, while the large Walwa fire on the Victoria-NSW border near Wodonga was still uncontrolled. The conditions we experienced yesterday with fire are [not] unlike what weve seen in the 2009 and 2019 fire seasons, Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said at a briefing at the State Command Centre on Saturday morning. Advertisement Yesterday, we saw more than 200 grass and scrub fires affect every corner of our state. The town of Harcourt, south of Bendigo, was the hardest hit, with more than 50 structures wiped out, including several homes and businesses. The Bendigo railway line has also been damaged by fire and is now closed, with buses replacing trains. Another 30 structures have been lost in the Longwood fire in the states north, where the town of Ruffy has been almost wiped out, and homes were lost in Alexandra and Eildon, as well as in other localities scattered around Lake Eildon. Advertisement In the Natimuk fire near Horsham, about 20 structures had been destroyed, along with more livestock, while a nursing home that was under threat was saved by local fire crews. In central Victoria, the Longwood fire covered 142,421 hectares as of 6pm Saturday night, down from 145,249 hectares on Friday. Gusty winds made conditions difficult at the Longwood fire ground, which is likely to burn for weeks, State Control Centre spokeswoman Reegan Key said. Things are still very dynamic in that area, she said. Winds gusts were expected to reach up to 50km/h on the Longwood fire ground this evening, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Advertisement The second-largest fire, at Walwa, is burning 93,010 hectares, down from yesterdays 100,721 hectares. The Streatham fire near Ballarat is burning 18,340 hectares, while the Natimuk fire in Victorias west was at 8517 hectares. About 38,000 households and businesses were without power on Saturday morning. One man was found dead within the Harcourt fire zone, although authorities said his death was not believed to be related to the blazes. Three volunteer firefighters were being treated for serious injuries. Sheep roam around Ruffy after fencing was burned down. There are concerns about a significant loss of livestock. Eddie Jim A state of emergency has been declared across 18 local councils, and the state government has made disaster relief grants available to the thousands of people affected by the fires. Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed on Saturday morning that 300,000 hectares of the state had burnt since the fires broke out on Wednesday last week, causing smoke and ash to drift across Melbourne and Port Philip Bay. Advertisement There continues to be 10 major fire fronts burning across Victoria, but theyre not the only fires that are in the landscape across the state, the premier said. Theres another 20 fires in local communities that need to be closely monitored. A statewide Total Fire Ban was declared for Saturday and Sunday, after Fridays catastrophic conditions. Wayne Taylor Allan, whose own family and neighbours fled the Ravenwood fire that ravaged Harcourt, applauded the actions of locals who were told to leave their homes, and who adhered to warnings from authorities. We did see over the course of yesterday and into the evening that as those emergency warnings were issued, communities did respond. They did leave, and I thank you for that. Advertisement Related Article Bushfires In Ruffy and Longwood, locals return to devastation as tales of courage emerge Allan urged residents not to return to fire-affected areas until authorities had cleared their return. Relief centres have been set up across the state to serve locals displaced by the fires. Later on Saturday, the premier visited the Seymour relief centre to speak to locals, stressing her thanks to emergency services workers and to people who made the hardest call to leave their properties and animals behind. The causes of the fires are yet to be determined, though Wiebusch said some fires were started by lightning. Wiebusch and CFA chief Jason Heffernan would not be drawn on whether sparks from a truck axle or other machinery caused any of the fires, or what role roadside verge management policies had on the spread of the fires. Advertisement The fuels in this state have been baking for days up until yesterdays event, Heffernan said. It doesnt matter what the fuel load would have been. You could have mown your front yard, and it would have burnt yesterday under yesterdays conditions. CFA firefighter Raewyn Rice lost her home while saving the properties of others. Jason South Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed three people who were believed to be missing had been found safe and well. He urged Victorians to follow the instructions of officers and other emergency services workers at checkpoints. Advertisement I implore you to follow the instructions of emergency services personnel who are out there. The reason they give these instructions is very much for your own safety, Bush said. By Saturday afternoon, the blaze in Harcourt was under control while the Longwood fire continued to rage close to communities scattered around Lake Eildon, with a wind change in the morning driving the fire towards Bonnie Doon. Mansfield Mayor Steve Rabie, who spent the morning at the relief centre trying to reassure his community, was happy conditions had improved so that crews could fight the fire front as it moved east towards the Strathbogie Ranges towards Mansfield. They want it stopped before then. If it gets across there, itll be into the state forest, and thats another level of worry, Rabie said. They dont want it jumping over the lake [Lake Eildon], they are just trying to contain it at the lake. If it gets going enough, and you get a big westerly wind, itll jump Lake Eildon easily. Advertisement In the tiny hamlet of Ruffy in the Strathbogie Ranges, about 10 homes burnt to the ground, while other buildings including sheds and storerooms were also razed. The community centre and telephone exchange were destroyed in the hamlet, which was one of the first to face the flames on Wednesday. Dianne Rickard (right) and her family sheltered at the Mansfield relief centre. Luis Ascui Ruffy is just shell shocked in the aftermath, local resident Mark Noye said. Some people saved what they could, others lost absolutely everything, and its going to hit them the hardest. Nobody has had a real chance to process what has happened. The cider industry of Harcourt took a massive hit from the fire, with many of the apple and pear orchards that surround the town and supply processors destroyed. In Harcourt, dozens of houses and the towns Coolstore burnt to the ground after the wind change on Friday evening. Thousands of bottle of cider, wine and beer along with loose apples were scattered on the ground of the Coolstores sheds. Advertisement Related Article Bushfires While this third-generation resident was saving the town, his own house was being razed Wine-making business owner Paul Taylor told this masthead he was devastated at the loss of the fixture of the towns businesses. Literally everything is gone, he said. Cider maker Michael Henry, of Henry of Harcourt, feared that much of his orchard was destroyed in the fire, while his residential property was also lost in the fast-moving blaze that hit the region. It could very well spell quite a serious blow to Henry of Harcourt because I cant go through the process of growing up trees for another 10 years to start up the types of varieties that we had. Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kirsty McBain, who joined the premier and state officials at the State Control Centre on Saturday morning, said the government at all levels would help people and businesses affected by the fires. Advertisement Understanding the full impact will only be possible once its safe for the impact assessment teams to go in there and do that assessment, McBain said. And when those assessments are done, governments federal and state and local will be there to support those communities, whether its property loss or stock or produce loss, there will be supports available as we work through this next phase. Bottles and burnt produce on the floor of the burnt Harcout Coolstore building. Jason South McBain also said she had authorised a request for hundreds of emergency service personnel to be accommodated within the Albury-Wodonga military area, where the nearby Walwa fire was still spreading out of control and could cause more damage with more hot weather on the way next week. CFA Chief Officer Heffernan has confirmed three firefighters suffered serious injuries while working to contain blazes across the state. One crew made a lucky escape from a burn-over of their vehicle, which was destroyed. Advertisement Volunteer firefighters working to save townships from the Longwood and Harcourt bushfires also returned to find their own homes destroyed. Wiebusch has urged residents who have been forced to evacuate not to return home until told it is safe to do so. Loading We cant appeal enough to the community that if youre in and around those areas, please stay away from those fire footprints until we declare them safe to return, he said. You will see that there are traffic management points in place. There will be warnings that talk about [areas not being] safe to return, and there may be exclusion zones that we implement over these coming days. Advertisement A Total Fire Ban has been declared for the whole state of Victoria for Sunday, for a third consecutive day. Conditions have eased, but we have a long way to go to get the current fire situation under control, CFA chief Heffernan said. I appreciate that a [ban] can have an impact on communities and business but be assured these restrictions are reviewed on a daily basis. This ensures we get the right balance between mitigation against new fires in the landscape and the needs of communities, he added. With Cassandra Morgan and Wendy Tuohy 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 NationalVictoriaBushfires Heavier smoke to blanket the state amid air quality warnings Wendy Tuohy, Isabel McMillan and Cassandra Morgan January 10, 2026 5:50pm 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 Heavier smoke is set to blanket the state on Sunday after most Victorians experienced poor air quality caused by the devastating bushfire disaster. Smoke from the fires was visible and the smell obvious at street level in Melbournes CBD early on Saturday evening. Victorian Chief Health Officer Dr Caroline McElnay said there had already been a rise in hospital presentations by people with asthma-like symptoms as the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) rated air quality across most of the state as poor on Saturday. Smoke from the fierce blaze in the Yea area travelled long distances. Eddie Jim Weve seen a slight increase in asthma-like presentations to hospitals across Victoria over the past few days and we remain cautious given how quickly the situation can change, McElnay said. Advertisement More than 30 active blazes on Saturday produced a blanket of smoke across all Victorian regions other than Central including the Melbourne and Geelong areas and the far south-west, producing conditions which could trigger potentially fatal asthma. The EPA on Saturday rated air quality in the Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country and North Central regions, plus all parts of Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley as poor due to bushfire smoke. The Central region, including greater Melbourne, Port Phillip and Western Port bays, Ballarat, Daylesford, San Remo and Inverloch, remained fair on Saturday. Weather bureau meteorologist Daniel Sherwin-Simpson warned that smoke would get heavier across the state on Sunday as a new high-pressure system arrived. [On Friday], we saw that low-pressure system which brought hot weather and windy conditions, but lifted smoke up into the atmosphere, so it hasnt been too bad over the city, he said. Advertisement As we move into Sunday, though, were going to see a broad high-pressure ridge move across the state. The ridge would bring more settled weather, Sherwin-Simpson said, but that could trap the smoke: We could see it carry a bit further across the state, and pool through valleys. Loading As residents of the small town of Harcourt, in central Victoria, returned to find their homes razed, Melbourne residents from Reservoir to Croydon and the CBD reported ash coming into their homes on Saturday. The poor air quality in about two-thirds of the state prompted Asthma Australia to warn more than 700,000 Victorians living with the respiratory condition that even low-level bushfire smoke inhalation could be life-threatening. Advertisement It advised the 11 per cent of Victorians living with asthma that airborne material in the smoke could be toxic to them, and to follow safety precautions including using air filters or masks. Related Article Bushfires While this third-generation resident was saving the town, his own house was being razed The fine particle pollutants in smoke get deep into the lungs and inflame and narrow the airways, making it difficult to breathe, said Kate Miranda, Asthma Australia chief executive. We urge people in Victoria to minimise their exposure to smoke if it becomes an issue, stay tuned to symptoms and seek medical care in an emergency. Smoke from the Victorian fires had already reached New Zealand on Saturday, said Sherwin-Simpson, while back in Victoria light rain brought dust lower into the atmosphere, also potentially affecting air quality. Advertisement Jen Martin, chief environmental scientist with EPA Victoria, said on Saturday afternoon that bushfire smoke was still affecting air quality in many areas but the forecast for Melbourne in the next few days was good to fair as westerly and southerly winds prevailed. But Sherwin-Simpson later added that the Bureau of Meteorology was expecting a south-westerly wind would send more smoke across Melbourne on Saturday night from the worsening fires in the Otways. Its a bit of a wait and see, but it looks like that fire is going to be going for quite a while. Its got plenty of fuel to run into, he said. Dr Martin said weather conditions could change quickly, so she encouraged people to keep up to date with air quality conditions: If you can smell smoke, take the necessary precautions to protect your health. Dr McElnay urged people to monitor EPA air quality information and said that if they were concerned about their breathing, other than in an emergency, they could use the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department or Nurse on Call. If reliever medication was not working, she said to call Triple Zero (000). 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 PoliticsFederalSocial media Abhorrent: PM slams Elon Musks X over sexually explicit images Mike Foley January 10, 2026 4:09pm 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 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has slammed Elon Musks social media platform X for failing to meet community standards, declaring its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok is enabling abhorrent sexual images without consent of the people depicted. With his remarks, Albanese joined an international chorus of leaders pledging to take action against so-called nudify sites as the governments social media watchdog launched an investigation. Anthony Albanese says the government backs a crackdown on the use of AI to generate sexual images without consent. AAPIMAGE The fact that this tool was used so that people were using its image creation function through Grok is, I think, just completely abhorrent, Albanese said on Saturday. It, once again, is an example of social media not showing social responsibility and Australians and indeed, global citizens deserve better. Advertisement Opposition Leader Sussan Ley echoed Albaneses criticism on AI platforms and pledged her support for the government to crack down on images generated without consent. Related Article Elon Musk Elon Musks Grok AI floods X with sexualised photos of women and minors It is totally unacceptable and it needs the strongest possible response, and we support any efforts to deliver that strongest possible response, Ley said on Saturday. On Friday, Grok turned off image generation and editing capabilities for most of its users, announcing that those capabilities are currently limited to paying subscribers. The European Commission, the EUs enforcement body, has said it is investigating nudify services and many countries including the UK, Sweden, Italy, France, Malaysia and India have issued warnings for AI companies to stop the creation of sexual images without consent. Advertisement Australias eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant on Friday announced she would investigate the surge in sexually explicit images, which related to adults and children. She said companies had the capability to prevent misuse of their products and they must put a stop to the creation of sexual images without consent. Inman Grant clashed with Musk last year when eSafety demanded that X remove graphic footage of a church stabbing in Sydney, arguing that global removal was necessary because Australians could use VPNs to access the content. The case was abandoned. X said in a statement last week that it took action action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary. View post on X Musk also issued a post, which said anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content. Advertisement View post on X However, following this statement and the threatened crackdown in the UK, Musk has commented and reposted several messages on his platform in the past day that criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and claimed he was censoring free speech, including one that noted Grok currently ranked as the countrys most popular app. View post on X UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said on Friday she would endorse her countrys regulator if it banned X from her country. I would remind xAI that the Online Safety Act Includes the power to block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law. If Ofcom decide to use those powers they will have our full support, Kendall said. Advertisement Previously, Starmer on Thursday described the images as unlawful and intolerable and said his government would take action. Researchers at AI Forensics, a European non-profit organisation, examined 20,000 images generated by Grok between December 25 and January 1 and found that 53 per cent contained individuals in minimal attire. Of those depicted, 81 per cent were women and 2 per cent appeared to be 18 years old or younger. The researchers also identified Nazi and ISIS propaganda material generated by Grok. In Australia, new codes come into force on March 9 to compel AI services, among others, to limit childrens access to sexually explicit content, as well as violent material and themes related to self-harm and suicide. These regulations follow the eSafety Commissions enforcement action against a UK-based company that offered two widely used nudify services that allowed its users to manipulate photos of real people. Advertisement Related Article Social media US Congress threatens eSafety commissioner with contempt charges These services had attracted about 100,000 visitors a month in Australia, and eSafety said they had been used to generate explicit deepfake images of students in Australian schools. The sites were withdrawn from Australia in November after an official warning from eSafety. Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh said on Saturday that no moves to tackle nudify services had been taken seen since September and demanded the government take swift action. The government needs to act on this now; the time for talk, empty promises and premature PR tours is over, McIntosh said. The European Commission has ordered X to retain all documents relating to Grok while the bloc ensures compliance with its rules after condemning it for producing sexualised images. The Italian regulator is working with the Data Protection Commission the lead EU privacy authority for X, which has a base in Ireland and reserved the right to take further action. Sweden said AI-generated images were unacceptable after the countrys deputy prime minister was targeted by a Grok users prompt this week. Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter. Sign up to receive it every Friday. Advertisement PoliticsFederalBiosecurity Complacency crept in: Australia defenceless against feral rabbit boom Mike Foley January 11, 2026 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 Rabbit numbers are booming, but unlike three previous plagues of the marauding pests since the 1950s, Australia does not have a virus it can release to rein in the exploding numbers, a leading cause of environmental damage and agricultural losses. Steady rainfall over the past two years has fuelled growth of the vegetation rabbits need to breed their litters. Rabbit populations are booming in rural and urban areas. Rabbits can birth litters as often as once a month, and as those surviving kits mature and start breeding, it triggers the kind of exponential growth that creates populations so vast and widespread that experts warn devastating ecological damage is inevitable. Rabbits change entire landscapes by eating all the green vegetation and outcompeting native animals for food, digging burrows that cause soil erosion and damage waterways. The federal government has calculated rabbits cause about $250 million in lost agricultural production a year. Advertisement Since 1950, Australia has deployed three viruses deadly to rabbits, known as a biocontrol, to quickly cut rabbit numbers. It typically takes the rabbit population about 10 years to adapt to the disease and after that, numbers start to rise once more. Related Article Biodiversity Its gruesome work, but on Kangaroo Island, its one of the best things an animal lover can do The most recent biocontrol, a strain of calicivirus, was released in 2017. Centre for Invasive Species Solutions national rabbit coordinator Heidi Kleinert says: We are seeing a boom in populations in locations spread across the country. She says rabbits are flourishing in farming areas and outer suburban areas as well. Advertisement Their population growth is being driven by the food available, given rabbits are triggered to breed by regular growth of green vegetation that has been available for some time now, Kleinert says. Australias top science agency the CSIRO released the worlds first vertebrate pest biocontrol in 1950, in a desperate bid to quell the rabbit plague. That virus, known as myxomatosis or myxo, was extremely effective and killed around 99.8 per cent of infected rabbits and it took until the 1990s for rabbits to adapt and breed again in plague-like proportions. Since then, two strains of the calicivirus have been released into the wild, in 1995 and 2017, both of which cut rabbit numbers dramatically. But each time rabbits bounced back. Now, due to lack of funding, there is no deadly virus ready to release into the wild and scientists say that there is not enough funding to develop the next biocontrol for rabbits. Advertisement Invasive Species Council chief executive Jack Gough says funding a new rabbit virus must be a national priority. Related Article Extreme weather Antarctic phenomenon blamed for baking start to summer The government will be judged on what they funded today, when they know this is about to get worse. Were concerned that some complacency has crept into decision-making because rabbit numbers have been low, Gough says. Biocontrols take years or decades to develop and funding for the programs that developed them for rabbits, the Rabbit Biocontrol Pipeline Strategy, ceased in 2022 and the Investment in Genetic Biocontrol of Vertebrate Pests ran out of money in 2025. The Albanese government has committed $1.5 million to extend biocontrol research, but this will be exhausted by June next year and there is no prospect of a new biocontrol without more funding to extend the work for many years to come. Advertisement We dont have a good model nationally in terms of how to fund biocontrol. It requires long-term investment, which needs a long-term commitment, says Centre for Invasive Species Solutions director of research and development John Virtue. He says hes been alarmed at the proliferation of rabbits in the Riverland irrigation district in his home state South Australia, despite recent dry conditions. The lack of long-term funding for biocontrol is a critical risk for Australia. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins did not respond directly to questions about federal government funding shortfalls, but emphasised development of new biocontrols was a joint responsibility with states and says the Albanese government has committed $1.2 million to control measures like digging up rabbit warrens as well as fencing, shooting and trapping. The Australian government will continue working with state and territory governments, which are primarily responsible for on-ground management of invasive species, to help protect Australias environment and agriculture, Collins says. Advertisement CSIRO senior principal research scientist in rabbit biocontrol Tanja Strive says it would be an absolute disaster if Australia was unable to release another biocontrol targeting rabbits. Related Article Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. Explainer Biodiversity Why is Australia a global leader in wildlife extinctions? We need the next virus right about now because the last successful one was 10 years ago, Strive says. The last virus has been really good at keeping numbers relatively low for about the last 10 years. For eight of those years we actually have data that show that its kept them quite stable. It knocked rabbits down by 60 per cent and held them there for at least eight years. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Advertisement PoliticsFederalCabinet paper release Confidential advice undercooked climate change to Howard government Mike Foley January 11, 2026 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 A previously unreleased briefing on global warming to the Howard government issued a stark climate change warning two decades ago, but even this frank advice failed to anticipate the extreme heat and catastrophic bushfire conditions that swept the eastern seaboard during the week. Newly released cabinet papers, prepared by the federal public service and experts at the Bureau of Meteorology, were largely ignored by the Howard government, despite telling ministers that the global average temperature rise was unprecedented in human history. A previously confidential briefing to the Howard government in 2005 warned of climate change, but did not anticipate the scale and severity of the impacts now playing out. Rob Carew Australian National University professor of climate science Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick commended the briefing for incorporating contemporary scientific advice from the Bureau of Meteorology, but said even this undercooked the alarming rise of Australian heatwaves in the past 20 years. The briefing said global warming would spur increasing heatwaves, droughts, fires and sea-level rise, which was a result of rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that were in part attributable to human activities. Advertisement Related Article Cabinet paper release Cabinet papers reveal Howard warned of disaster risk before rejecting Kyoto Protocol There is a very close link between increasing global temperature, the increasing regional temperature and the rise in the intensity, frequency, and duration of heat waves, Perkins-Kirkpatrick said. Its happened at a faster speed than what climate scientists would have thought originally. Each decade has been significantly warmer than the decade prior. The bulk of the briefing was prepared by government departments, but included a seven-page primer on climate change science by the Bureau of Meteorology. This said that the global average temperature had risen 0.6 degrees compared to that of the period 1900-1920, but since 2005, warming has accelerated and the global average temperature rise now sits at about 1.2 degrees, a rate of change not anticipated by the briefing. Weve seen changes in heat waves here in Australia and globally that I never thought we would see so quickly, Perkins-Kirkpatrick said. Advertisement The briefing said more intense and frequent bushfires were projected for Australia due to climate change, but noted that gaps remain in the knowledge of the timing, location and magnitude of such impacts. The CSIRO has found that extreme fire weather days have increased in Australia by 56 per cent over the past four decades. Emeritus Professor Mark Howden of the Australian National University said the briefing underestimated some impacts of global warming and the rate of greenhouse gas pollution. Greenhouse gas emissions have actually gone up faster than that projection indicated. So has sea-level rise, melting sea ice, temperatures and other changes [such as heatwaves], said Howden, who serves as a vice chair of the United Nations chief climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Advertisement Australia signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1998 but ultimately chose not to ratify it under the coalition government led by John Howard, citing potential economic disadvantage compared with major emitters such as the United States and China. It was ratified on December 3, 2007, the day the Rudd government was sworn in to succeed Howard. Cabinet received the briefing as Australia was in the midst of the Millennium Drought, which ran from 1996 to 2010. Howden said the Howard government was sufficiently informed on the science of climate change at the time. The science was sufficiently robust to make good decisions on climate change in 2005, Howden said. It was clearly in Australias interest to foster global action on climate change. Advertisement Related Article Extreme weather Antarctic phenomenon blamed for baking start to summer The State of the Climate report by the CSIRO in 2024 found that Australias warmest year on record was 2019, and eight of the nine warmest years on record have occurred since 2013. University of NSW climate scientist Professor Matthew England was critical of the Howard governments lack of response to the briefing, with no new policies put in place to drive down greenhouse emissions. As something of an omen to the catastrophic bushfires of 2009 and 2019 -2020, the cabinet papers flagged the risk of more frequent and intense bushfires, yet the Howard government pushed those risks aside and chose not to act on climate change, England said. The briefing was issued a decade before 195 nations signed up to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. It noted that the United States and developing nations were unwilling to commit to emissions reduction targets. Advertisement Former chief climate diplomat Professor Howard Bamsey, who led Australias negotiations over a global emissions reduction treaty for two years in the lead-up to the Paris deal, said the briefing identified the key sticking point that was ultimately subverted by multilateral co-operation. The Americans thought they were stopping everything, he said. But it had the opposite effect really, because it caused countries to think about the issues in a way that wasnt confrontational, through this long-term dialogue. Bamsey said that in international climate talks, in the years leading up to the Paris Agreement, Australia began proposing that nations would propose their own emissions goals, rather than a blanket global target, which was ultimately the key tool to allowing the Paris Agreement. 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 Exclusive PoliticsNSWChildcare First Sydney centre shut under major childcare crackdown Emily Kowal January 11, 2026 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 A Sydney childcare centre that failed to meet national standards for more than 12 years has become the first to be closed under a major crackdown on the scandal-plagued sector. Fun2Learn childcare centre in Rosehill was forced to permanently shut its doors on Friday, after decades of breaches, including emergency fire exit doors being padlocked shut, not having appropriate plans for children with severe allergies and unlabelled chemicals lying around in childrens bathrooms. Under tough new measures introduced after a series of scandals exposed problems across the sector, low-rated centres that fail to improve have been put on notice, and the new early learning commissioner has vowed to crack down on services that pose an unacceptable risk through sustained poor performance. The Fun2Learn early learning centre in Rosehill. Sitthixay Ditthavong Acting NSW early learning commissioner Daryl Currie said that while the centre had never had a serious incident, it had failed to improve despite having extensive time and support. Advertisement We will not hesitate to take action against providers who place children at risk by consistently failing to address safety and quality concerns, even where a serious child safety incident has not yet occurred, Currie said. He said the commission did not cancel centres lightly, but Fun2Learn posed an unacceptable risk to children. The centre at the weekend after closing its doors on Friday. Sitthixay Ditthavong Over 12 years, the department visited the centre 18 times and offered specialist help. Not once did the centre meet basic standards of supervision to protect children from harm and hazards, and standards related to having and practising incident management plans. The commission does not have confidence that the provider can make the necessary changes to provide the expected level of quality of early childhood education and care, Currie said. Advertisement According to official breach documents seen by The Sun-Herald, breaches included consultants working without proper working with children checks, children playing with dangerous objects and poor hygiene. In one instance, an unenrolled child was left at the centre for several hours without appropriate medical records. The centres owner and director, Lisa Thai, said she was eager to work with the department to improve and questioned the commissioners decision to close her centre first, when facilities where children were seriously harmed continued to operate. She said that when she looks at her centres history, she totally understands the departments perspective, but she has been working with officers to improve her centre and was devastated by the direction to close. Thai defended her centres record and said that all previous non-compliances had been addressed, rectified and deemed adequate by the department. Advertisement She attributed the acceptance of an unenrolled child to a language barrier after a grandparent mistakenly dropped the child at the wrong service, and said the chemical breach was a one-off incident from 2018. There are centres which have even more risky compliance, and they seem to be fine, Thai said. Sanja Stevancevic, with daughter Camilla, 3, has been sending her children to the centre for two years and is disappointed at its closure. Sitthixay Ditthavong Parent Sanja Stevancevic, whose children have attended the centre for more than two years, said the service was like family. I would never trust anyone else with my child. It was such a surprise when Lisa notified us, we thought it was a joke. I couldnt believe it. I can tell, you know every single child there gets on like brother and sister, and there has never been an incident report. It is so unjust, Stevancevic said. Advertisement Teachers and parents were travelling to Fun2Learn because of the security and the safety that they were getting at the centre and the care. While acknowledging the centres history, Stevancevic maintained that she felt safe leaving her children there. Its not like the other centres. You could have a centre who has up-to-date paperwork but a revolving door of high staff turnover which, to me, is a red flag. Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said the government would not hesitate to take action against providers who failed to meet quality standards. Parents deserve to know that their children are being left in safe hands, Houssos said. Macquarie University early childhood education policy expert Gabrielle Meagher criticised the regulatory body for its infrequent inspections, noting that the centre was only assessed four times between 2012 and 2024. Advertisement The regulator has left too long between assessments and allowed failure to meet standards to drift on over many years, Meagher said. This regulatory environment has sent the wrong message to providers, who can reasonably infer that they dont need to improve. Related Article Editorial Early learning The childcare crackdown is welcome, but this is no time for a victory lap The Herald's View Editorial She said that parents and children are now without a centre; why doesnt the government have a contingency plan to take over failing centres and ensure they offer high-quality services, she said. Chair of the NSW parliamentary inquiry into early childhood learning services, Greens MP Abigail Boyd, supported the centres closure. She said the centre had obvious risks and near miss situations, including once accepting a child who wasnt enrolled in the centre, keeping them for hours without knowing their medical history. Advertisement I have sympathy for the fact that they havent had serious injuries before, but this is the sort of centre that if they did have a serious incident occur, and then we looked back at these records, we would ask the question, why hadnt the regulator intervened earlier to prevent something more serious happening, Boyd said. She welcomed the crackdown but said the government needed a plan on how to manage services that fail to meet standards, given their prevalence in the community. There are 386 centres in NSW at present working towards improvement, and five with significant improvement required. There needs to be other options for families to make sure they get that continuity of placement for their child, Boyd 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. Associated British Foods and Hovis have asked the UKs competition watchdog to accelerate the review process of their proposed merger. Confirmed by the Competition and Markets Authority today (8 January), a spokesperson for the CMA said: We have accepted ABF and Hovis request to fast-track our investigation into their merger to an in-depth Phase 2 inquiry, allowing the CMA to move at pace to an examination of the evidence by an independent inquiry group of experts. ABF agreed to acquire the Hovis bread business from UK-based private-equity owner Endless in August. The transaction would combine two major branded suppliers in the UK bread market. Aidan Robson, a managing partner of Endless, implied at the time that the transaction would need approval from the CMA. "While we work towards achieving CMA clearance of the transaction, our focus remains on Hovis to continue delivering exceptional products and service to its customers, he said. The ABF and Hovis' request sidesteps the initial Phase 1 inquiry that the CMA would normally launch to assess any competition concerns. A more in-depth Phase 2 investigation then follows if it deems those concerns are warranted. Todays step does not involve formal findings on any competition issues, and we will carry forward evidence gathered to date, with opportunities for further engagement and consultation during Phase 2, the CMA statement added. The Phase 2 investigation begins immediately with a statutory deadline of 24 June. Separately, ABF issued a trading update today for the 16 weeks to 3 January. In terms of its grocery or food unit - ABF owns the Primark retail stores - the company said: "Our food businesses experienced mixed trading in the period, particularly in the US where consumer demand in certain categories has continued to weaken." Ahead of the final results for the period, it said: "In our cooking oils and bakery ingredients businesses this year, the impact has been more acute than anticipated and we are more cautious on the outlook. As a result, we now expect both our grocery and ingredients segments to deliver adjusted operating profit for the full year that is moderately below last year. "In grocery, the effect of phasing means the impact will be more significant in the first half of the year." "ABF, Hovis ask UK regulator to fast-track takeover review" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. Advertisement Analysis WorldEuropeGreenland Greenlanders tell absolutely insane Trump what they really think David Crowe January 11, 2026 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 Nuuk: The people of Greenland have a simple message for Donald Trump: no deal. On the streets of their capital, Greenlanders dismiss the US presidents idea of turning their land into an American territory even if he offers cash. Ruth Sholm, a retail worker in Nuuk, Greenland, says Donald Trump is insane with his talk of taking over Greenland. David Crowe Hes insane, absolutely insane, says Ruth Sholm, 65, a retail worker in Nuuk. We dont belong to America. We are Inuit. We dont want to be Americans. Advertisement Trump is trying to blast through every obstacle to achieve his dream of adding the vast Arctic territory to the US, spurning objections from Europe and letting speculation run about using force to get his way. Related Article Updated Trump diplomacy Military is always an option: White House escalates Greenland clash with NATO allies We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not, he said on Friday. Because if we dont do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and were not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. In the latest move, White House officials are said to be discussing a payment of up to $US100,000 in cash (about $150,000) to every resident to seal the deal. In Nuuk, however, derision of the president is palpable. A group of boys walking in the snow say just three words to this reporter: We hate Trump. One makes the shape of a gun with his hand and pulls the trigger. Advertisement Try as he might, Trump is failing to win the hearts and minds he needs to have any lasting success in Greenland. This former Danish colony, proud of its Inuit heritage, has its own parliament and government. Its people want their say when world leaders argue over their land. Sholm, speaking to this masthead at a bus stop, says Trump seems to want the land but does not care about the people. He should take care of his own people, she says. There are so many homeless and so many poor people in America. So why Greenland? Around the corner, outside one of the supermarkets, a giant screen displays world news, including the latest remarks on Greenland. This is a remote community, but not an isolated one. Some are worried about the idea that Trump might use force. Advertisement I hate Trump with my whole being, says Aviaq Fontain Markussen, 18, a grocery store worker. We all hate this. We dont want him to buy Greenland or be our president. Grocery store worker Aviaq Fontain Markussen, 18, in Nuuk. David Crowe We want Greenland to be Greenland, and not be bought. Our life was peaceful. We want it to be simple and peaceful, just like how it is. The resistance is so strong that money alone seems unlikely to clinch an agreement. Advertisement Many people wont agree. I wont, says Carl Petersen, a retiree in Nuuk. Even if you offer $500,000 each, or $1 million, we dont want their money. We want to be free. Related Article Trump diplomacy Trump wants Greenland. And Europe finally believes him Money can change minds, of course. There are about 57,000 people in Greenland. Reuters reported on Thursday that White House officials were canvassing an offer worth anywhere from $US10,000 to $US100,000 a person to gain control. At the top end of that range, the bill would come to $US5.7 billion (about $8.5 billion). The idea of the US controlling Greenland is not new. America discussed buying it from Denmark in 1867 and made a secret offer in 1946, revealed decades later. Trump, however, has turned the issue into a signature cause. He complained last week that Russian and Chinese ships were all over the place around Greenland. In his first term as president, he emphasised the commercial gain from buying it. Advertisement Essentially, its a large real estate deal, he said in 2019. White House officials have talked about gaining access to Greenlands critical minerals, which the US needs for technology and defence. Then there is the populist appeal of gaining space on a map. If Trump added Greenland to the US, he would expand the country by 2.16 million square kilometres. This would narrowly surpass the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, which added about 2.14 million square kilometres, and the purchase of Alaska in 1867 at 1.7 million square kilometres. Loading In the 1800s, of course, national leaders traded land without regard to their people. Native Americans had no say when France gave up its claims in America, nor the Inuit and others of Alaska when the Russian tsar needed money. So what do Greenlanders want? When they were asked a year ago, 85 per cent opposed joining the US. The poll, funded by Danish and Greenlandic newspapers, found only 6 per cent were in favour. Advertisement Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen both repudiate Trumps ambitions, knowing popular will is on their side. Talks continue, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expected to meet Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen in Washington in the coming days, but there is no sign this will lead to American control of the territory. Susan Bech hopes Greenland will one day be independent. David Crowe The people of Nuuk do not believe Greenlands future is for others to decide. Were trying to be independent, says Susan Bech, another resident, speaking to this masthead on one of the main streets. Advertisement I hope well be independent one day. The five political parties in the Greenland parliament all convey that message. In a rare joint statement, issued on Friday night in Nuuk (about 9am on Saturday, AEDT) they commit to cooperating with the US and western nations, but they ask the US to end its disrespect for their country. They say their future is for the Greenlandic people to decide: We will not be Americans, we will not be Danes, we are Greenlanders. 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. Advertisement WorldNorth AmericaDonald Trump Trump says hed accept Nobel Prize from winner. It doesnt work like that Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Maham Javaid January 10, 2026 11:27am 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: US President Donald Trump said he would accept the Nobel Peace Prize if winner Maria Corina Machado offered it to him when she meets with him next week, but Nobel officials quickly announced that the prize may not be shared or transferred. Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute said. The decision is final and stands for all time. President Donald Trump laughs during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House on Friday. AP I understand shes coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her, Trump said of the Venezuelan opposition leader during an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity. Trump added that he had heard Machado wants to give him the prize, and that it would be a great honour. Advertisement On Friday, the US and Venezuela took halting first steps towards a resumption of diplomacy. A delegation of Venezuelan diplomats is expected to arrive in Washington in coming days, according to a statement by the Venezuelan government. Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado in Oslo last month. Getty Images Diplomatic and security staff from the US Venezuela Affairs Unit including John McNamara, the interim charge daffaires also travelled to Caracas, according to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel movements in a fluid security environment. The Venezuelan delegation and US diplomats will discuss how the diplomatic missions in both countries can be re-established after the aggression and the kidnapping of the president of the Republic and the first lady, the Venezuelan government said in a statement, referring to the capture by the US of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores. Advertisement It is unclear whether the newly sworn in interim President Delcy Rodriguez would be part of the Venezuelan delegation arriving in Washington. Related Article Analysis World politics The new world disorder where might is right The White House on Friday morning did not provide details about Machados trip or specify what issues she and Trump would discuss. In an interview with Hannity this week in which she heaped praise on Trump, Machado said she had not spoken to the US president since October, when she was announced as the latest Nobel laureate. She had been in hiding in Venezuela during President Nicolas Maduros last days in power and turned up in Oslo, where her daughter accepted the prize on her behalf. But she promised to return to her country and called for elections to replace Maduro. Advertisement But I do want to say today, on behalf of the Venezuelan people, how grateful we are for [Trumps] courageous mission, Machado said on Hannitys show this week, adding that she and the Venezuelan people want to share the prize with Trump after the US military seized Maduro and his wife and brought them to New York to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges. Related Article Venezuela crisis Nobel winner backs courageous Trump over raid but issues warning Trump has openly coveted and publicly lobbied for the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming to have solved a number of international conflicts. Several world leaders have backed his claims. Machado, a former National Assembly member, won the opposition primary in Venezuela two years ago but was barred from running by Maduro in the general election. Maduro claimed victory over the candidate Machado backed, but ballot audits by The Washington Post and independent monitors show the reported election result was invalid. Advertisement Following the US operation to arrest Maduro on Saturday, Trump said that the US would run Venezuela with the co-operation of Rodriguez, Maduros vice president, who has become the countrys acting leader. Related Article Analysis Trump diplomacy If you look closely, behind the f-bomb and fury, you can see what Trump really wants Trump has not given a timeline for when elections would be held and said he did not believe Machado had the support to run the country after Maduros removal. I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader, Trump told reporters last weekend. She doesnt have the support within, or the respect within, the country. Shes a very nice woman, but she doesnt have the respect. Advertisement Two people close to the White House previously told The Washington Post that Trump was not willing to support Machado because she had accepted the Peace Prize. If she had turned it down and said, I cant accept it because its Donald Trumps, shed be the president of Venezuela today, one of the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation. Machado told Hannity she believed that if elections were held, she would win the presidency in a landslide. The Washington Post 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. PHILIPSBURG:--- In a heartfelt and forward-looking New Years address delivered during the 2026 Governors New Years Reception, His Excellency Governor Ajamu G. Baly emphasized the importance of unity, civic responsibility, and strategic vision for the future of Sint Maarten. The event, held at Captain Hodge Wharf in Philipsburg, brought together dignitaries, government officials, and community leaders to reflect on the past year and set the tone for the year ahead. Governor Baly began by extending warm New Years wishes to attendees, urging everyone to take intentional action to create a happy, safe, and prosperous 2026. We, you and I, all of us need to be the change in society that we want to see, he stated, calling on citizens to embrace their rights and obligations through active civic participation. A Call for Civic Engagement The Governor underscored the importance of participatory citizenship, encouraging residents not only to identify challenges but also to contribute to solutions. Criticism is good, but constructive criticism is better, he remarked, emphasizing the need for collaboration and accountability. He reminded the audience that Sint Maarten is not a separate entity but a collective reflection of its people, urging everyone to take ownership of the nations progress. Vision for the Future Governor Baly highlighted the necessity of long-term, data-driven planning to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for Sint Maarten. He stressed the importance of setting strategic goals for future generations, drawing a parallel between todays challenges and the decisions of those who came before. We need to plan now so that the children and grandchildren of this nation can reap the fruits of our labor in years to come, he said. Addressing Global Challenges In light of global uncertainties, Governor Baly called for greater self-reliance and sustainability, particularly in the areas of renewable energy and digital transformation. He urged the nation to reduce its dependency on imports, especially fossil fuels, and to capitalize on advancements in technology and financial innovation. Our status as a small island developing state does not form a limitation in the age of AI and digital advancement, he affirmed, pointing to the opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Leadership and Servant Governance Concluding his address, Governor Baly called on leaders and public servants to exemplify governance that prioritizes the common good over personal interests. Then and only then can we speak of and more importantly be the change in society that we want to see, he declared, leaving the audience with a message of hope and determination for the year ahead. The Governors address resonated with attendees, setting a tone of optimism and collective responsibility for 2026. As Sint Maarten navigates the challenges and opportunities of the new year, Governor Balys words serve as a rallying cry for unity, action, and vision. UK earmarks 200 mn to prepare for Ukraine deployment London, Jan 9 (AFP) Jan 09, 2026 The UK Friday earmarked pound200 million ($268 million) to prepare British troops to be deployed to Ukraine as part of a "multinational" force if a ceasefire is agreed between Moscow and Kyiv. Britain, France and Ukraine earlier this week signed a declaration of intent that sets out deploying troops on Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire -- a plan which Moscow soundly rejected. The "UK is now accelerating pound200 million to equip UK Armed Forces with new kit to be ready to deploy as part of the Multinational Force for Ukraine," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. That would include vehicle upgrades, communication systems and counter-drone protection. "We are surging investment into our preparations following the Prime Minister's announcement this week, ensuring that Britain's Armed Forces are ready to deploy, and lead, the Multinational Force for Ukraine," Defence Secretary John Healey said while on a visit to Kyiv. London has said its MPs will be able to debate and vote on the number of troops that would be sent if there is a ceasefire. But Moscow rejected the post-war peacekeeping plan, saying such troops would be "considered legitimate military targets". The announcement comes as UK media reported the Ministry of Defence was facing a pound28 billion shortfall over the next four years, despite government pledges to boost military spending amid rising tensions with Russia. The Times newspaper first reported that the head of Britain's armed forces Richard Knighton warned Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the funding blackhole last month. "We recognise demands on defence are rising, with growing Russian aggression, increasing operational requirements and preparations for a Ukraine deployment," Downing Street said on Friday, without directly addressing the reports. The UK has committed to increase defence spending to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, in line with a NATO target. Ms McAliskey said she expected those Venezuelans to live long enough that they will curse the tongue in your head that ever blessed imperialism, which she said was the reason for poverty in Venezuela in the first place. We are completely opposed to the military aggression and intervention in Venezuela, which has seen the kidnapping of their president and the first lady, and we call on all of our politicians, particularly the Prime Minister in the UK, to stand up against the military aggression and to condemn this act that breaks all international laws. In a move first reported by the i paper, Ms Mahmood will target asylum seekers who could support themselves financially but choose not to, along with those who have a right to work, who break the law or work illegally, and those who refuse an order to leave the UK. Video footage captured an activist using a megaphone to shout: "Standing with the resistance, we affirm that Palestinians have the right to return to their homeland that was stolen from them during the 1948 Nakba [when the state of Israel declared its independence]. It was difficult to kind of come from a place that you loved so much, but the rest of the world were viewing it as a place of conflict, which it was, obviously, but also a place that you didnt want to go to. Every American has faced the maddening experience of bad customer service. My favorite example has always been Comcast, which, when you call their phone number to see why your internet is out, directs you to their website. The problem, of course, is that you can't visit their website when you have no internet connection. It's equally vexing when you finally get a human being to speak to, usually after mashing buttons and saying "human" a lot of times, when that person's first language is not English. As someone who writes about travel and spends half of his life on cruise ships, I can confidently say that if you're asking a question to customer service for Royal Caribbean, Carnival, or Norwegian and don't like the answer you get, it's not the worst idea to call again and see if you can get a different one. Amazon, a company that's well-versed in customer service, now has a product that can help companies solve these problems. Amazon wants to fix customer service "49% of Americans say customer service has gotten worse in the last year. Only 6% say it has improved," according to a 2025 Bentley University Gallup Poll. Some of the biggest names in investing and retail have made it clear that customer service must be a priority. There is only one boss the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else," Walmart Founder Sam Walton said, according to Forbes. Warren Buffett put it even more bluntly. "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, youll do things differently, he told Inc. Amazon wants to help companies fix that by offering an AWS-driven contact center solution for other companies to use. More Retail: "And for contact centers, we offer Amazon Connect which creates a more personalized and efficient experience for contact center agents, managers and their customers," CEO Andy Jassy shared during the company's third-quarter earnings call. The product has already been adopted by a number of major players. "Connect has recently crested $1 billion annualized revenue run rate with 12 billion minutes of customer interactions being handled by AI in the last year and is being used by large enterprises like Capital One, Toyota, American Airlines and Ryanair," Jassy said. "These are real practical results for customers, and there are many more examples like them." Amazon has been using AI for some customer service. Shutterstock Shutterstock Amazon Connect basic facts Unlike legacy contact-center platforms such as NICE, Genesys, or Five9, which typically rely on per-agent licensing and on-premise or hybrid deployments, Amazon Connect was built as a cloud-native service from the start. That allows companies to scale usage up or down instantly and pay only for minutes and features actually used. The trade-off, however, is that organizations often need deeper AWS expertise to unlock Connects most advanced automation and AI features. In my own experience as a frequent Amazon customer, the companys AI-driven customer service has generally been effective, though not perfect, which helps explain why Amazon is confident offering the same tools to other businesses. Cloudnative contact center platform : A fully managed service to run customer service operations without onpremises infrastructure. Omnichannel support : Handles voice, chat, email, SMS, tasks, and more in a single solution. AIpowered features : Integrates with AWS AI (e.g., natural language chatbots and conversational IVR) for automated, intelligent interactions. Draganddrop workflow design : Lets you build contact flows and automation without coding. Scalable, payasyougo pricing : You only pay for what you use, with no peragent license fees. Highquality telephony and web/video calling : Includes softphone with internet call support and global telephony options. Omnichannel routing and unified agent experience: Keeps customer context across channels and routes contacts based on skills, availability, and preferences. Analytics and reporting: Provides realtime dashboards, historical metrics, and AIdriven insights. Source: Amazon Web Services Related: 78-year-old furniture chain liquidating, closing all 89 stores Amazon Connect has fixed problems "Centrica, a large European energy company, deployed Amazon Connect's new AI agent assistance to its 10,000 live agents. The agents average handle time subsequently dropped 38% from 140 seconds to 87 seconds. Centrica also achieved a 19-point increase in their Net Promoter Score because their agents were faster, more effective and could better focus on the customer," No Jitter reported. Amazon has also been recognized by Gartner for Connect. "Gartner, a company that delivers actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams, has published the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS). Amazon Web Services (AWS) was recognized as a Leader for Amazon Connect, our AI-powered, cloud-native customer experience solution." Related: Iconic Italian restaurant chain shut down over 200 locations This story was originally published by TheStreet on Jan 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here. People participate in a protest and noise demonstration calling for an end to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Minneapolis. John Locher/AP This image from video made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross via Alpha News shows Renee Good in her vehicle in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. Jonathan Ross/AP People participate in a protest and noise demonstration calling for an end to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Minneapolis. Jen Golbeck/AP Protesters confront law enforcement outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. Adam Bettcher/AP People participate in a protest and noise demonstration calling for an end to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Minneapolis. Jen Golbeck/AP MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Minnesota prosecutor on Friday called on the public to share with investigators any recordings and evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as a new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer. The Minneapolis killing and a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, a day later by the Border Patrol have set off protests in multiple cities and denunciations of immigration enforcement tactics by the U.S. government. The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The reaction to the shooting has largely been focused on witness cellphone video of the encounter. A new, 47-second video that was published online by a Minnesota-based conservative news site, Alpha News, and later reposted on social media by the Department of Homeland Security shows the shooting from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots. Sirens blaring in the background, he approaches and circles Goods vehicle in the middle of the road while apparently filming on his cellphone. At the same time, Goods wife also was recording the encounter and can be seen walking around the vehicle and approaching the officer. A series of exchanges occurred: Thats fine, Im not mad at you, Good says as the officer passes by her door. She has one hand on the steering wheel and the other outside the open driver side window. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source U.S. citizen, former f---ing veteran, says her wife, standing outside the passenger side of the SUV holding up her phone. You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch big boy. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Other officers are approaching the drivers side of the car at about the same time and one says: Get out of the car, get out of the f---ing car. Ross is now at the front driver side of the vehicle. Good reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel toward the passenger side as she drives ahead and Ross opens fire. The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Goods SUV careening away. F---ing b---, someone at the scene says. A crashing sound is heard as Goods vehicle smashes into others parked on the street. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Federal agencies have encouraged officers to document encounters in which people may attempt to interfere with enforcement actions, but policing experts have cautioned that recording on a handheld device can complicate already volatile situations by occupying an officers hands and narrowing focus at moments when rapid decision-making is required. Under an ICE policy directive, officers and agents are expected to activate body-worn cameras at the start of enforcement activities and to record throughout interactions, and footage must be kept for review in serious incidents such as deaths or use-of-force cases. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether the officer who opened fire or any of the others who were on the scene were wearing body cameras. Homeland Security says video shows self-defense Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in posts on X that the new video backs their contention that the officer fired in self-defense. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasnt hit by a car, wasnt being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman, Vance said. The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said any self-defense argument is garbage. Policing experts said the video didnt change their thoughts on the use-of-force but did raise additional questions about the officers training. Now that we can see hes holding a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other filming, I want to see the officer training that permits that, said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The video demonstrates that the officers didnt perceive Good to be a threat, said John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School who has written extensively about officers shooting at moving vehicles. If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you dont have one hand on a cellphone. You dont walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming, Gross said. Ross, 43, is an Iraq War veteran who has served in the Border Patrol and ICE for nearly two decades. He was injured last year when he was dragged by a driver fleeing an immigration arrest. Attempts to reach Ross at phone numbers and email addresses associated with him were not successful. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Prosecutor asks for video and evidence Meanwhile, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that although her office has collaborated effectively with the FBI in past cases, she is concerned by the Trump administration's decision to bar state and local agencies from playing any role in the investigation into Good's killing. She also said the officer who shot Good in the head does not have complete legal immunity, as Vance declared. We do have jurisdiction to make this decision with what happened in this case, Moriarty said at a news conference. It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Moriarty said her office would post a link for the public to submit footage of the shooting, even though she acknowledged that she wasn't sure what legal outcome submissions might produce. Good's wife, Becca Good, released a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday saying, kindness radiated out of her. "On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns," Becca Good said. I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him, she wrote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The reaction to Good's shooting was immediate in the city where police killed George Floyd in 2020, with hundreds of protesters converging on the shooting scene and the school district canceling classes for the rest of the week as a precaution and offering an online option through Feb. 12. On Friday, protesters were outside a federal facility serving as a hub for the immigration crackdown that began Tuesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul. That evening, hundreds protested and marched outside two hotels in downtown Minneapolis where immigration enforcement agents were supposed to be staying. Some people were seen breaking or spray painting windows and state law enforcement officers wearing helmets and holding batons ordered the remaining group of fewer than 100 people to leave late Friday. Shooting in Portland The Portland shooting happened outside a hospital Thursday. A federal border officer shot and wounded a man and woman in a vehicle, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Venezuela nationals Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Police said they were in stable condition Friday after surgery, with DHS saying Nico Moncada was taken into FBI custody Advertisement Article continues below this ad DHS defended the actions of its officers in Portland, saying the shooting occurred after the driver with alleged gang ties tried to weaponize his vehicle to hit them. It said no officers were injured. Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed that the two people shot had some nexus to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Day said they came to the attention of police during an investigation of a July shooting believed to have been carried out by gang members, but they were not identified as suspects. The chief said any gang affiliation did not necessarily justify the shooting by U.S. Border Patrol. The Oregon Department of Justice said it would investigate. On Friday evening, hundreds of protesters marched to the ICE building in Portland. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The biggest crackdown yet The Minneapolis shooting happened on the second day of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, which Homeland Security said is the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever. More than 2,000 officers are taking part and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they have made more than 1,500 arrests. The government is also shifting immigration officers to Minneapolis from sweeps in Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. This represents a pivot, as the Louisiana crackdown that began in December had been expected to last into February. Good's death at least the fifth tied to immigration sweeps since President Donald Trump took office has resonated far beyond Minneapolis. More protests are planned for this weekend, according to Indivisible, a group formed to resist the Trump administration. Advertisement Article continues below this ad ___ Protesters meet with the Austin Police Department at the intersection of 10th and Red River Streets after shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protest in downtown Austin escalated Saturday night after a demonstration that began earlier in the day moved into city streets and drew a growing police response. A small group of protesters initially blocked East Eighth Street in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building, prompting repeated warnings from the Texas Department of Public Safety to clear the roadway. As the night continued, the crowd grew and marched through downtown, at times blocking traffic, ignoring police orders and returning to the federal building where the protest began. Authorities later appeared to deploy tear gas or a similar chemical irritant, causing the crowd to scatter. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Live updates to this blog have concluded. Look back at our coverage of Saturday's events below. People ran westward late Saturday after authorities appeared to deploy tear gas or a similar chemical irritant near the protest area. The crowd quickly dispersed as officials moved to clear the scene. A protesters stands amidst pepper balls after State Troopers deployed them to disperse a protest outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman About an hour after the protest began, demonstrators were standing in the street in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building downtown, returning to the area where the demonstration initially started. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Texas Department of Public Safety issued what it called a final warning over a loudspeaker, ordering protesters to leave the roadway. The group has not complied and instead began shouting at police as tensions escalated. Protesters turned north onto San Jacinto Street as police issued another warning ordering the group to immediately exit the roadway. Despite the warning, demonstrators showed no signs of leaving the street and continued marching. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The group grew to nearly 100 people after gathering for about 10 minutes on Neches Street between East Seventh and East Sixth streets without police intervention. After several group leaders spoke, protesters resumed marching and moved into a crowded stretch of Sixth Street, where no police presence was immediately visible. Protesters march down Sixth Street, shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Austin police advanced toward the group late Saturday, prompting some protesters to run up the street as officers moved to clear the area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad An American flag was laid on the ground, doused with gasoline and set on fire as a group of protesters moved along San Jacinto Street. Authorities donned gas masks as the group grew to about 50 people and began marching through the area. Police officers on bicycles formed a perimeter around the block, surrounding the demonstrators as the situation escalated. Protesters burn an American flag in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building before marching through the streets of downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Earlier Saturday: 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 Hundreds of people lined the sidewalk in front of City Hall, the same spot that protesters gathered just one week ago in opposition to US military intervention in Venezuela. This time, theyre rallied against Immigration and Customs Enforcements killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Its the fourth such protest in just three days, and another will take place tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the JJ Pickle building downtown. The shooting, which occurred Wednesday during an ICE operation, has sparked protests nationwide and renewed scrutiny of federal immigration tactics as investigators review multiple videos of the encounter. A protesters eyes water from pepper spray and tear gas after State Troopers deployed gas to disperse a protest outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester stand amidst pepper balls after State Troopers deployed them to disperse a protest outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Joycelyn Henderson leads chants on the bullhorn during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester walks passed a sign during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters burn a flag with the seal of the Department of Justice outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march up San Jacinto Street, stopping traffic, as they leave the J.J. Pickle Building on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters link arms outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7.] Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters hold signs and listen to speakers during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd of hundreds lines the sidewalk and holds signs to passing traffic during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Jennifer DeLeon recites a prayer during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters hold signs up to passing traffic on both sides of Cesar Chavez Street during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Susan VanHaitsma holds a sign to passing cars during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Joycelyn Henderson leads chants on the bullhorn during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester blows a whistle during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd begins to build as a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) kicks off, Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd of hundreds lines the sidewalk and holds signs to passing traffic during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester holds a sign with a quote from George Orwells 1984 during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Philosophy professor Bryan Register speaks to a gathered crowd during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Greg Pierce holds a sign to passing traffic as protesters gather near the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Brian Miller, from the Offhand Brass Band, leads a chant with the crowd as the band plays during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Jennifer DeLeon holds rosary beads as she recites a prayer during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters hold signs up to passing traffic on both sides of Cesar Chavez Street during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester pulls up their mask while leading chants outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman State Troopers gather at the J.J. Pickle Federal Building in downtown Austin as protesters gather in front of the building on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building before marching through the streets of downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman U.S. Representative Greg Casar speaks to a large crowd gathered during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters join in chants during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Joycelyn Henderson leads chants on the bullhorn during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters join in chants during a rally at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd of hundreds lines the sidewalk and holds signs to passing traffic during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A protester cheers as cars honk during a rally held at intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Traffic passes through the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard as all four corners are lined with protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A woman holds a sign memorializing Renee Good as activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Good, a Minneapolis woman and U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Monica Castillo flies a Mexican flag as rush hour traffic passed by protesters gathered at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd of hundreds lines the sidewalk and holds signs to passing traffic during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Anza Aleman-Goldstein, 6, holds a sign to passing cars from atop a parents shoulders at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Anna LaVallee leads chants as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters bang on the walls of an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Adileta Rostami waves an American flag to passing rush-hour traffic as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters fly Mexican flags out of their car as they arrive to a rally at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Anna LaVallee leads chants as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Jose Zarzoza carries a Palestinian Flag as activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Jon Siebels leads a chant as activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A protester holds up a sign to passing cars during a rally held at intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Forrest Novy holds up a sign to passing cars at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Anna LaVallee leads chants as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Samuel G holds an upside down American Flag as he protests outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street andNorth Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A protester kicks at the wall of an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A protester spray paints a security camera outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Protesters spray paint outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Tycho Weidmann holds a sign as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman John Joyner holds a sign to passing traffic as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A Mexican flag flies as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Andrew Dybevik chants with the crowd as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Anna LaVallee leads chants as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Adileta Rostami waves an American flag to passing rush-hour traffic as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters holds up the signs of facism to passing traffic at the intersection of 45th Street and Burnet Road to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters that would not give their names hold anti-ICE signs at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Kaleb Aziz, right, and Arion Moore, left, hod signs at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman A protester holds up an anti-ICE sign at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Arion Moore holds an anti-ICE sign at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Moore said he was out to protest, "The murder of Renee and how quickly Trump tried to frame it as self-defense." He added, "If that's what they're willing to do to a white person in broad daylight, then imagine what's going on in those detention centers." Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman A protester that would not giver her name holds up an anti-ICE sign at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Rad Decker holds up a photo.of Renee Good at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building before marching through the streets of downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march up San Jacinto Street, stopping traffic, as they leave the J.J. Pickle Building on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters link arms outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters burn an American flag in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building before marching through the streets of downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters meet with the Austin Police Department at the intersection of 10th and Red River Streets after shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march down Sixth Street, shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march down Sixth Street, shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march up San Jacinto, back toward the J.J. Picle Building after shutting down traffic on Sixth Street, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters give speeches outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman The downtown Austin protest began to disperse as organizers announced plans to continue demonstrations at 11 a.m. every two weeks. While many people streamed out of the plaza, the band continued to play, drawing a smaller group that stayed to listen as the event concluded. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Several hundred people attended Saturday morning's rally, drawing the largest crowd this week. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar took the stage after leading chants of ICE out, met by a crowd response of No kings, and accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of delaying federal search and rescue efforts during this summers deadly flooding in Kerrville. Casar said Noems actions stalled lifesaving aid for more than 72 hours. U.S. Representative Greg Casar prepares to speak to a large crowd gathered during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman CNN has reported that Noem required personal approval for FEMA deployments over $100,000, a policy that agency officials said delayed the mobilization of Urban Search and Rescue teams as floodwaters surged across Central Texas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Casar closed his speech by quoting Goods wife. The crowd boos loudly as Austin Community College philosophy professor Bryan Register tells the crowd that the Austin Police Department called ICE on a Honduran woman and her child this week. News of the mother and daughters detention has drawn criticism after police initially said they responded to a disturbance and later revised their explanation to say the officer contacted ICE upon learning of an administrative warrant, raising questions about collaboration between local police and federal immigration authorities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Protesters join in chants during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A large crowd gathered around the band in the plaza as an organizer urged people closer to the stage. Austin Community College philosophy professor Bryan Register addressed the demonstrators, recounting the events surrounding the fatal shooting of Good. A 47-second video, published by Minnesota-based conservative outlet Alpha News and later reposted by the Department of Homeland Security, appears to be recorded from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots. The footage shows Ross approaching Goods vehicle in the middle of the road as sirens blare in the background, while Goods wife records the encounter nearby. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the video, Good can be heard speaking calmly as officers approach. Moments later, an officer orders her to get out of the car. Good briefly reverses, then turns and drives forward as Ross opens fire. The video ends with Goods SUV careening away and crashing into parked vehicles. Some people at the event this morning are seasoned protestors, but for some, its their very first time. Siblings Everett, Jordan and Brody Goocher came out to City Hall with their mom and aunt carrying a pint-sized speakerphone and big smiles. Everett, 10, said she loves being around so many other people. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When asked if she would want to go to another protest, she and her younger brothers quickly exclaimed, Yes! Siblings Everett, Jordan and Brody Goocher came out to City Hall with their mom and aunt to protest over the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis. Julianna Russ / American-Statesman Protesters used whistles and tambourines to keep chants loud outside Austin City Hall as passing drivers honked in support. With temperatures near 50 degrees and colder wind chills, demonstrators bundled up including Dobby, a foster dog who is protesting in her best sweater. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street andNorth Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman About 100 people assembled, chanting slogans criticizing ICE and the Trump administrations expanded deployment of immigration agents to U.S. cities, particularly residential neighborhoods. At times, demonstrators chanted in Spanish "Si, se puede" and waved Mexican flags. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The crowd included a mix of younger and older adults bundled up against the 60-degree evening. Unlike earlier protests in Austin this week, not many children were present Friday night. Protesters march down Sixth Street, shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters burn an American flag in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building before marching through the streets of downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protesters eyes water from pepper spray and tear gas after State Troopers deployed gas to disperse a protest outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester stand amidst pepper balls after State Troopers deployed them to disperse a protest outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters meet with the Austin Police Department at the intersection of 10th and Red River Streets after shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Joycelyn Henderson leads chants on the bullhorn during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters join in chants during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman U.S. Representative Greg Casar prepares to speak to a large crowd gathered during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester walks passed a sign during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters burn a flag with the seal of the Department of Justice outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march up San Jacinto Street, stopping traffic, as they leave the J.J. Pickle Building on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protesters stands amidst pepper balls after State Troopers deployed them to disperse a protest outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters link arms outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7.] Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters hold signs and listen to speakers during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd of hundreds lines the sidewalk and holds signs to passing traffic during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Jennifer DeLeon recites a prayer during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters hold signs up to passing traffic on both sides of Cesar Chavez Street during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Susan VanHaitsma holds a sign to passing cars during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Joycelyn Henderson leads chants on the bullhorn during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester blows a whistle during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd begins to build as a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) kicks off, Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd of hundreds lines the sidewalk and holds signs to passing traffic during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester holds a sign with a quote from George Orwells 1984 during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Philosophy professor Bryan Register speaks to a gathered crowd during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Greg Pierce holds a sign to passing traffic as protesters gather near the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Brian Miller, from the Offhand Brass Band, leads a chant with the crowd as the band plays during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Jennifer DeLeon holds rosary beads as she recites a prayer during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters hold signs up to passing traffic on both sides of Cesar Chavez Street during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A protester pulls up their mask while leading chants outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman State Troopers gather at the J.J. Pickle Federal Building in downtown Austin as protesters gather in front of the building on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building before marching through the streets of downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman U.S. Representative Greg Casar speaks to a large crowd gathered during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters join in chants during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Joycelyn Henderson leads chants on the bullhorn during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters join in chants during a rally at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd of hundreds lines the sidewalk and holds signs to passing traffic during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A protester cheers as cars honk during a rally held at intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Traffic passes through the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard as all four corners are lined with protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A woman holds a sign memorializing Renee Good as activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Good, a Minneapolis woman and U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Monica Castillo flies a Mexican flag as rush hour traffic passed by protesters gathered at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A crowd of hundreds lines the sidewalk and holds signs to passing traffic during a rally at Austin City Hall to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 10, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Anza Aleman-Goldstein, 6, holds a sign to passing cars from atop a parents shoulders at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Anna LaVallee leads chants as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters bang on the walls of an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Adileta Rostami waves an American flag to passing rush-hour traffic as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters fly Mexican flags out of their car as they arrive to a rally at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Anna LaVallee leads chants as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Jose Zarzoza carries a Palestinian Flag as activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Jon Siebels leads a chant as activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A protester holds up a sign to passing cars during a rally held at intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Forrest Novy holds up a sign to passing cars at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Anna LaVallee leads chants as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Samuel G holds an upside down American Flag as he protests outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street andNorth Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A protester kicks at the wall of an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman A protester spray paints a security camera outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Protesters spray paint outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Tycho Weidmann holds a sign as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman John Joyner holds a sign to passing traffic as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman A Mexican flag flies as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Andrew Dybevik chants with the crowd as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Anna LaVallee leads chants as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Adileta Rostami waves an American flag to passing rush-hour traffic as protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather at the intersection of 45th Street and North Lamar Boulevard to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters holds up the signs of facism to passing traffic at the intersection of 45th Street and Burnet Road to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jan. 8, 2026 in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters that would not give their names hold anti-ICE signs at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Kaleb Aziz, right, and Arion Moore, left, hod signs at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman A protester holds up an anti-ICE sign at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Arion Moore holds an anti-ICE sign at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Moore said he was out to protest, "The murder of Renee and how quickly Trump tried to frame it as self-defense." He added, "If that's what they're willing to do to a white person in broad daylight, then imagine what's going on in those detention centers." Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman A protester that would not giver her name holds up an anti-ICE sign at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Rad Decker holds up a photo.of Renee Good at a protest at the south gates of the Texas Capitol on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. About one hundred demonstrators gathered to protest ICE operations and decry the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Protesters gather in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building before marching through the streets of downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march up San Jacinto Street, stopping traffic, as they leave the J.J. Pickle Building on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters link arms outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building while listening to speakers during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters burn an American flag in front of the J.J. Pickle Federal Building before marching through the streets of downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters meet with the Austin Police Department at the intersection of 10th and Red River Streets after shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march down Sixth Street, shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march down Sixth Street, shutting down traffic, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters march up San Jacinto, back toward the J.J. Picle Building after shutting down traffic on Sixth Street, Jan. 10, 2026 during a protest to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Protesters give speeches outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building during a protest in downtown Austin on Saturday night, Jan. 10, 2026 to decry Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nation-wide protests after the killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, by ICE agents on January 7. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman Who is Renee Nicole Good? Good, 37, was a mother of three and a writer who lived with her partner in south Minneapolis, according to family members and local officials. Relatives have described her as a devoted parent and a creative who posed no threat to law enforcement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She was a U.S. citizen and died just blocks from where she lived. A picture of Renee Nicole Good is displayed near a makeshift memorial for Good, who was shot and killed at point blank range on January 7 by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent as she apparently tried to drive away from agents who were crowding around her car, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 8, 2026. A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed an American woman on the streets of Minneapolis January 7, leading to huge protests and outrage from local leaders who rejected White House claims she was a domestic terrorist. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images Her mother said she was one of the kindest people Ive ever known, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Good had previously been married, but her husband died in 2023. Their 6-year-old son is now an orphan. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Community members descended on the neighborhood Wednesday after the shooting to honor and remember her. New video shows ICE officers' perspective The 47-second video, published by Minnesota-based conservative outlet Alpha News and later reposted by the Department of Homeland Security, appears to be recorded from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots, the Associated Press reported. The footage shows Ross approaching Goods vehicle in the middle of the road as sirens blare in the background, while Goods wife records the encounter nearby. This image from video made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross via Alpha News shows Renee Good in her vehicle in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. Jonathan Ross/AP According to the AP, Good can be heard in the video speaking calmly as officers approach. Moments later, an officer orders her to get out of the car. Good briefly reverses, then turns and drives forward as Ross opens fire. The video ends with Goods SUV careening away and crashing into parked vehicles. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The shooting in Minneapolis, along with a separate fatal shooting by a Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, a day later, has sparked protests in cities nationwide and renewed criticism of federal immigration enforcement tactics. Federal agencies have encouraged officers to document encounters, but policing experts warn that recording with handheld devices can complicate volatile situations. Under ICE policy, officers are expected to activate body-worn cameras during enforcement actions and preserve footage in serious incidents involving deaths or use of force. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether the officers involved were wearing body cameras. As investigations continue, protesters in Austin and elsewhere say they plan to keep demonstrating until there is accountability for Goods death. Saul Pink covers Bexar County government for the Express-News. He can be reached at Saul.Pink@hearst.com. Saul has reported for The Baltimore Banner, The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com and La Nacion, an Argentine newspaper. He graduated from Northwestern University, where he served as managing editor of The Daily Northwestern. University of Texas student Cecille joins high school students from across Austin at the Capitol on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, to protest. Students have been protesting to protect LGBTQ and ethnic studies after increasing conservative pressure and new policies restrict how they are taught. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Texas A&M University System serves 175,000 students annually across 12 institutions. Across all of them, core courses will no longer mention race, gender or LGBTQ content starting this semester. The change is the result of a policy, adopted in November, that was updated last month to further restrict core courses, or classes that fulfill student requirements. Regents said the system would lead the way in ridding advocacy from education, although professors warned it could censor any teaching related to race or gender. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The policy, approved in November, initially said no course can advocate for race or gender ideology without prior approval, but it was amended in December to say no system academic course will advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity unless it is a pre-approved upper-level course with a necessary educational purpose. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an advocacy group in favor of First Amendment protections, warned that the policy could be abused to violate the First Amendment. Six weeks later, when a Texas A&M University philosophy professor was told he cant teach Platos readings on gender and love because of the policy, those fears came true, Jessica Appleby, an attorney with FIRE, told the American-Statesman. That was the first shoe to drop, said Appleby, who called the policy and its implementation unconstitutional. Since then, the way it has been applied across the College of Arts and Sciences is, frankly, quite troubling. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source On Wednesday morning, the Texas A&M Chair of Philosophy told Professor Martin Peterson to remove two Plato readings from his philosophy course, Contemporary Moral Issues, and remove modules on race and gender to comply with the university's policy. The email, which went viral on X, sparked a wave of state and national news, outrage from faculty and reprimands from free speech advocacy organizations, like FIRE and PEN America. Both wrote letters urging the college to reverse course. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The university was at the center of a different controversy in September, when a childrens literature professor was fired for teaching about gender identity in a scandal that eventually ended in former President Mark Welshs resignation. Regents vowed to audit courses and honestly address concerns of critics. The Plato instance is important, Appleby said, because it demonstrates how far the university will go to restrict courses under the new policy. People will look at this rule and say, Oh, it says advocating, so faculty can't advocate these views in the classroom, Appleby told the Statesman. That is not at all how it has been applied. Appleby, who authored the letter from FIRE, said the policy amounts to prior restraint of speech, which she described as one of the most serious violations of the First Amendment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Her letter also cited a separate instance of a Texas A&M senior executive associate dean emailing faculty that literature with a major plot line featuring LGBTQ identities would no longer be allowed in core curriculum. A sociology course on race and ethnicity was nixed entirely Tuesday, giving students about a week before classes start to find a replacement. I'm finding it hard to come up with the words to describe what seems to be happening at Texas A&M because we're talking about students who are adults, a policy that restricts literature restricts ideas that students come to university to explore, Appleby said. This stifles open inquiry and debate, she said, creating an environment for learning which we would argue is poor [for] the university system. Texas A&M University System isnt the only site where academic freedom has been a concern. FIRE is in active litigation over Senate Bill 2972, a law that restricts free speech on college campuses. The organization has successfully secured an injunction against its enforcement at the UT System. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Though many policies and critiques stem from concerns about liberal ideology, Appleby said administrations must have rigorous policies protecting free speech and academic freedom. She is supportive of civil discourse in classrooms and hiring an ideologically diverse faculty body. Texas A&M said in a statement to the Chronicle of Higher Education that Plato will be included in a variety of courses this semester and that leaders are working to ensure no core course teaches about race or gender ideology. Philosophy professor Peterson, who also leads the universitys Academic Freedom Council, responded to his administrations request by replacing the forbidden content with lectures on academic freedom and free speech. He told the Chronicle of Higher Education that he has not ruled out a lawsuit. There is no case actively filed. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis answers questions from the press during a news conference at the Austin Police Department Headquarters regarding the homicide at Club Rodeo in Austin, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman When Austin police officers encountered a Honduran mother and her 5-year-old U.S. citizen daughter during a predawn disturbance call in Southwest Austin on Monday, experts say they were not legally required to contact immigration authorities. Yet within hours, the pair was in federal custody. The arrest has exposed a murky and largely unexamined area of Austin police practice: when and why officers communicate with federal immigration authorities after encountering administrative immigration warrants. Although some details of the case have emerged, Austin police have not explained if officers were required or simply chose to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad News of the mother and daughters detention was first reported by Univision on Wednesday, which shared the familys search for the pairs location. In its initial explanation of the mother's arrest later that day, Austin police said only that it responded to a disturbance call in the Oak Hill neighborhood about 4:30 a.m. Monday. Police said an officer contacted ICE after running a background check and learning the woman had an ICE detainer request. The following day, however, Austin police changed their explanation, saying the officer had communicated with ICE after learning the federal agency had previously placed an administrative warrant on the woman. The distinction is significant, legal experts told the American-Statesman, and raises questions about whether Austin police actively collaborated with ICE. Those are two different things, Texas A&M immigration law professor Huyen Pham told the Statesman regarding detainers and administrative warrants. Acting on the latter, she said, represents preemptive collaboration with ICE. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source ICE issues a detainer after another law enforcement agency has taken an individual into custody and booked them in jail. A detainer instructs the jail to hold the individual when they are otherwise eligible for release so ICE can assume custody. Texas law requires local law enforcement agencies to comply with ICE detainer requests. Advertisement Article continues below this ad An administrative warrant, by contrast, is issued internally by ICE and allows its agents to arrest someone for an immigration violation, such as overstaying a visa or failing to obey a deportation order. These are the warrants ICE most commonly uses to make an arrest, Pham said. Although administrative warrants are sometimes confused with criminal warrants, they do not carry the same legal authority. Local police are not legally required to detain or transfer someone based solely on the existence of an administrative warrant, legal experts including Pham and University of Texas immigration law professor Elissa Steglich told the Statesman. The circumstances surrounding Mondays ICE communication remain opaque, in part because Austin police have not provided further details despite numerous Statesman inquiries on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to the department and its top spokesperson. On Saturday morning, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis provided the Statesman with a statement saying that during the officers' investigation, they suspected "the individual who placed the call may have committed a criminal offense." Officers then identified an "(ICE) warrant" and contacted the federal agency, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "At no point did APD officers inquire about the individual's immigration status," Davis said in the statement. "Protecting everyone in our community is our top priority. While officers take appropriate action when a warrant is identified, our focus remains on public safety and not on immigration enforcement." The family of the arrested mother did not respond to Statesman requests for an interview sent through social media. The woman and her daughter are together in ICE custody, police said. What is clear, however, is that the womans arrest and her daughters detention are the latest known example of Austin police contacting ICE over administrative warrants since President Trump began his second term. The confusion and sensitivity surrounding the case reflect a broader crossroads for Austin police, legal experts and immigration advocates told the Statesman. Even as immigration advocates urge local police to preserve trust with individuals who lack legal status to be in the country by avoiding immigration inquiries and limiting communication with ICE, the Trump administration has expanded opportunities for local agencies to assist federal enforcement. That includes adding more than 700,000 new administrative warrants on the National Crime Information Center database, which police use for background checks. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Where Austin stands Early last year, as reports of ICE arrests surfaced in Austin, Davis and other city leaders, including Mayor Kirk Watson, sought to reassure residents that Austin police were not engaged in immigration enforcement and had no plans to do so on their own accord. Collaboration with federal authorities, Davis said at the time, would occur only when officers encountered someone with a criminal warrant. After the Trump administration in February added more than 700,000 administrative warrants to the NCIC database, Austin police have increasingly run across civil administrative warrants during calls, the city has said. In at least several of these situations, Austin police have called ICE. Advertisement Article continues below this ad City reports show Austin police contacted ICE at least 23 times during the first half of last year. The city has not uploaded online its two most recent quarterly reports. Several of those contacts occurred after officers encountered administrative warrants, most commonly during traffic stops and crashes. In some cases, reports indicate officers ran background checks because they suspected a crime, such as driving while intoxicated. In others, searches were conducted after infractions as minor as a missing license plate. According to the reports, ICE sometimes responded by arresting the individual at the scene; at other times, the federal agency requested only an individuals contact information. Austin police did not respond to questions about when background checks are conducted during calls. Austin City Council passed a resolution in 2018 limiting when police may ask individuals about their immigration status. No ordinance, however, directs officers on how to respond when an administrative warrant appears in the NCIC system. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Administrative warrants have appeared in law enforcement databases since the aftermath of 9/11, but the recent additions have significantly increased how often local police encounter them, said Jennefer Canales-Pelaez, a policy attorney and strategist for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center who has monitored Houston polices communication with ICE. The fact that administrative warrants are showing up now on the criminal background checks is a new wrinkle that wasn't contemplated by previous councils. We have not grappled with what administrative warrants mean, what their legal requirements are, what our legal obligations are said Austin Council Member Jose Chito Vela, whose district includes the immigrant-heavy Rundberg-Lamar corridor. I practiced immigration and criminal defense for 12 years and I never saw an [ICE] administrative warrant on criminal background information. In Texas largest city, the impact is already visible Calls to ICE like the one made Monday in Austin have become routine in Houston after an order by its police chief. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Immigrant advocates have criticized the policy, arguing it has effectively turned Houston police into an arm of ICE despite previous assurances from city leaders, echoing those made in Austin, that local police would not assist in immigration enforcement. Houston police told the Houston Chronicle that it is standard practice to contact another law enforcement agency regarding a warrant. Canales-Pelaez said that local departments may be confusing administrative warrants with criminal ones, or overcomplying to avoid backlash from the state Legislature. Regardless of the motivation, she said, the shift has had tangible consequences Houston police made more than 100 calls to ICE during the first nine months of 2025, compared with nine the year before. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Austin immigration advocates have argued that similar changes in Austin, and a lack of clarification from the police department on its policy, sends a message that contact with officers even as a victim or witness carries unpredictable risks for immigrant families. Immigrants are going to think that the police will investigate them and the crime thats happening, said Sulma Franco, an Austin immigration activist who knows the family of the arrested mother. They wont call. This story has been updated with Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis' Saturday morning statement. A deployed airbag and blood stains are seen Wednesday in the crashed vehicle that 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was driving in Minneapolis when she was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Ellen Schmidt/Associated Press One day, in the years ahead, a Minneapolis boy who is now 6 years old will begin asking questions about his mothers death. By that day, her name will have a familiarity and historical context that it didnt have before she was killed on Jan. 7, 2026. Advertisement Article continues below this ad By that day, he may already have seen the gruesome photograph of his mother, bloodied and slumped over the steering wheel of her maroon SUV next to the glove compartment where some of the boys stuffed animals, including that of a brown puppy, look as if theyre trying to jump out. The passage of time wont erase the senselessness of the killing of his mother, Renee Nicole Good, but one question hell have is why the president of the United States and his minions were compelled to bear false witness against her, demonize her and lie about what led to her death. Good is the 37-year-old motorist who was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Good of committing an act of domestic terrorism, saying she weaponized her vehicle against federal officers. Soon after, Trump alleged that Good viciously ran over the ICE officer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The videos and analyses clearly prove these are lies. At no time did Good do anything threatening. When the agent fired the first of his shots, he was standing to the left of the SUV and its wheels were pointing to the right, away from him. The SUV accelerated after Good had been shot and before it crashed into another vehicle. One video shows an ICE agent not allowing a self-identified physician to attend to Good, telling him: I dont care. A bullet hole is seen in a windshield on Wednesday as law enforcement officers work the scene in Minneapolis where 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Tom Baker/Associated Press ICE has no credibility on matters like this. Last October, during its Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, Marimar Martinez was shot five times by an ICE agent. The Department of Homeland Security alleged that she was among a group of vehicles that ambushed and rammed federal agents. She was arrested and charged with assaulting a federal officer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The charges were dropped when body camera and security video showed the agent was the aggressor and had opened fire. On Thursday morning, 24 hours after Good was slain, Vice President JD Vance continued the public smearing by calling her a deranged leftist. He continued the lie that she was responsible for her death. But the simple fact is, what you see is what you get in this case, Vance said. What you see is a truth- and fact-averse administration that plays people for idiots by telling us that what we see isnt what we see. What we also see is a stunning display of hypocrisy when it comes to the shooting deaths of two women. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A makeshift memorial is seen Thursday in Minneapolis taped to a post near the site where 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot the day before by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Mike Householder/Associated Press The day before Goods killing, the White House commemorated the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol by unveiling a webpage of propaganda foolishness that blames Democrats for the violence, depicts Trump as a victim and portrays the door-crashing, window-breaking, police officer-beating, feces-smearing rioters as heroic patriots. One section reads: "TRAGEDY AT THE CAPITOL / Ashli Babbitt Murdered in Cold Blood / Unarmed Air Force veteran and Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt is fatally shot by Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd without warning as she climbs through a broken window toward the Speakers Lobby. No weapon was found on her, and she posed no threat." The window through which Babbitt was attempting to climb had been broken by the mob she had joined. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She is held as a heroine by those in the MAGA world, including U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, who is challenging U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for Cornyns Senate seat. Hunt has said that Babbitt was murdered and Democrats dont care about this unarmed white woman gunned down in cold blood. Yet when asked Wednesday on Newsmax about Renee Nicole Good, another unarmed white woman gunned down in cold blood, Hunt said: The bottom line is this: When a federal officer gives you instructions, you abide by them and you get to keep your life. People gather Thursday in Minneapolis around a makeshift memorial honoring 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot the day before by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Tom Baker/Associated Press We cannot have a nation in which Trump, Noem, Hunt and their masked agents decide who gets to keep their lives. This is why peaceful protests in Minneapolis and across the nation must and will escalate. Good trouble. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The lack of decency, grace and empathy extended to Good by Trump and his ilk is not surprising yet it's still vile. Fewer Americans are applying for mortgages despite lower rates even as lending standards tighten signaling that high prices and financial pressures are outweighing modest rate relief. For the week ending Jan. 2, mortgage applications fell 9.7% from two weeks earlier, a steep drop marking a new low to close out 2025, according to the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) latest Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey. Thats a roughly 10% decline, meaning fewer people are trying to buy or refinance homes. "MBA continues to expect mortgage rates to stay around current levels, with spells of refinance opportunities in the weeks when rates move lower," Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President Joel Kan said in a press release. Trump Announces Plans To Ban Institutional Investors From Buying Single-family Homes "Purchase applications were 10% higher than the same week a year ago but were down over the week following decreases in conventional and FHA applications," he continued. "The average loan size was $408,700, the smallest in a year, driven by lower average loan sizes across both conventional and government loan types." A "for sale" sign sits in front of a single-family home Aug. 1, 2025, in Miami, Fla. Getty Images Additional data released Thursday by MBA shows its getting harder to secure a mortgage, even for qualified borrowers, as banks and lenders pulled back in December, offering fewer loan options and requiring more documentation. Read On The Fox Business App The Mortgage Credit Availability Index, which measures how easy it is to get approved for a mortgage, fell 2.6% in December. A decline means lenders are becoming more cautious, and credit availability is now at its lowest level in three months. "The December decrease reversed gains from the prior two months, driven by a reduction in loan programs, including ARM loans and cash-out refinances, along with a tightening in documentation requirements." Kan said. "Additionally, the conforming and jumbo indexes both saw declines in December, with the conforming index hitting its lowest level since the surveys inception in 2011." Potential buyers arent likely to get much relief in 2026, Realtor.com Senior Economic Research Analyst Hannah Jones recently told FOX Business. Home prices will remain similar to 2025, with affordability challenges continuing to weigh on demand. Read More From Fox Business FOX Business' Daniella Genovese contributed to this report. Original article source: Americans flee mortgage market despite lower rates as lenders tighten grip on credit nationwide Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is one of the best major stocks to invest in right now. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) received a rating update from Mizuho Securities on January 5, with the firm reiterating a Buy rating on the stock with a NT$2,000 price target. The same day, Goldman Sachs also lifted the price target on the stock to NT$2,330 from NT$1,720 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares. The firm told investors that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) boasts a multi-year growth engine in AI, and upgraded its 2026 and 2027 earnings estimates by up to 15%. NVIDIA Invests $2 Billion in Synopsys as Part of New Multiyear AI and EDA Partnership In a separate development, Reuters reported on January 1 that the US government granted Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) an annual license to import US chip manufacturing equipment to its facilities in Nanjing, China. The company told Reuters in a statement that the approval ensures uninterrupted fab operations and product deliveries. It further stated in a statement that: The U.S. Department of Commerce has granted TSMC Nanjing an annual export license that allows U.S. export-controlled items to be supplied to TSMC Nanjing without the need for individual vendor licenses. SK Hynix and South Koreas Samsung Electronics also received similar import licences, according to Reuters. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is the largest contract semiconductor manufacturer in the world. Some of its prominent customers include semiconductor companies that outsource all or part of their chip production, including Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, Broadcom, and more. While we acknowledge the potential of TSM as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. An image of the gun and portions of the turret and chassis of the prototype M1E3 tank, which will be on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Wednesday. (U.S. Army) When the North American International Auto Show opens in Detroit on Wednesday, more than 250,000 expected visitors will have a chance to see a rare and unique vehicle among the 500 SUVs, trucks and minivans. It has seating for three, improved fuel mileage, better off-road handling and lots of high-tech bells and whistles. It comes in one color Army green. Standard equipment includes a 120mm smooth-bore cannon. This is a U.S. Army display on the M1E3 Abrams, said Ashley John, an Army spokeswoman for the military display at the car show, on Friday. The Army hopes the M1E3 prototype will become its main battle tank for decades to come. Its meant to be lighter, faster, more agile, secure and lethal than any armored opposition it faces on the battlefield. The service is requesting $723.5 million in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act to develop the tank. Roush, a Michigan-based design firm, produced the prototype. If the tank goes into production, it would be built at the General Dynamics Land Systems factory in Lima, Ohio. The Detroit showcase comes at a time when tanks dominance on battlefields is in question for the first time in over a century. The fundamental idea has been that for your army to advance, you needed armor to break through and to destroy your enemys armor, said Michael Bohnert, an engineering analyst with the research firm Rand Corp. Russias invasion of Ukraine has undercut the tanks traditional tactical advantage, with relatively inexpensive drones, loitering munitions, precision artillery and strikes by a new generation of highly precise rockets and missiles. Russia has lost more than 4,300 tanks since the invasion began in February 2022, including top-end T-90 tanks, according to Oryx, an open-source defense research site. A destroyed Russian tank in the Donbas region of Ukraine. The cage-like material on top and on the side of the turret is an improvised protection from top-down drone attacks, meant to cause explosives to go off before striking the tank itself. The photo is one of thousands compiled by Oryx, an open-source research tool chronicling destroyed tanks and vehicles in the war in Ukraine. (Oryx) Ukraine has lost an estimated 800 tanks in the conflict, from Cold War-era T-72 and T-80 tanks it kept after the collapse of the Soviet Union to American M1A2 Abrams, British Challenger 2 and German Leopard 2 tanks its been supplied by allies since the war began. In its Military Balance 2025 report, looking at conflicts around the world, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London think tank, called the tank losses the highest since World War II and unsustainable for both sides. The high attrition rates have caught the attention of military leaders around the globe, including at the Pentagon. U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Geoffrey Norman, director of the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team, said in 2023 that the toll on tanks in Ukraine showed the U.S. had to optimize the Abrams if it was to remain the apex predator on future battlefields. Until recently, optimization meant more. More armor, more optics, more external defensive systems. The M1A2 was slated for two rounds of system upgrades. But all the additions also increased the weight of the Abrams, which ballooned to 78 tons. It made transport to the battlefield a logistics headache a C-17 Globemaster III transport could only carry one tank at a time. The noisy, smoky diesel engine gave off a significant heat and noise signature, making it easier to spot on the battlefield. The weight could make maneuvering a slog in muddy or uneven terrain. The Pentagon pivoted, and the upgrades to the M1A2 were trimmed or ditched. Idaho National Guard soldiers train on the M1A2 Abrams at Fort Bliss, Texas, in August 2025. (U.S. Army) An M1A2 Abrams tank fires its 120mm gun during training at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minn., July 29, 2025. (U.S. Army) The new tank is not a clean sheet model, designed from the treads up. But the E in the designation M1E3 stands for engineering, signaling that the new tanks are a significant departure from earlier models. The few renderings of the new tank appear to show the Army sticking with the 120mm smoothbore M256 cannon. However, Army planners have sought the ability to use self-propelled hypersonic rounds and anti-tank guided munitions in place of standard armor-piercing and anti-personnel rounds. A Congressional Research Service report said the Army was expected to incorporate many of the suggestions from a 2019 U.S. Army Science Board report on specifications for a fifth-generation tank. Improvements included reducing the crew from 4 to 3 by eliminating the loader and adopting an automatic ammunition system. The tank would have a hybrid electric drive, which would enhance performance, range, and reduce the noise and heat signatures of a diesel-only engine. An artificial intelligence system aided with parsing images from the battlefield to better detect threats and rank targeting priorities for the gunner. Bohnert, the Rand analyst, said drone technology and tactics are rapidly changing. Tank designers must find ways to destroy, jam, or confuse enemy munitions to retain a leading role in combat. Initially, the developers of the M1E3 tank wanted to field it by 2030. But Army officials pushed for deliveries in 2026, even as changes were made during the process. Gen. Randy George, the Army chief of staff, said earlier this month that four prototypes will be delivered to undisclosed Army bases this year. What the M1E3 does in combat wont be known until well down the road. The prototype on display in Detroit, which will remain stationary, will show off the exterior no peeking inside. The Army says the M1E3 is a work in progress. Bohnert says that is all any tank can be today. Everyone is trying out their own vision of a solution, Bohnert said. You cant afford to wait and see. You have to keep on experimenting. It is going to take a lot of failure-based learning, which is not great if a human life is involved. Whoever figures it out is going to make a lot of money and save a lot of lives. A screengrab from a video posted by U.S. Southern Command on Friday, Jan. 9, 2025, showing Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear apprehending an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The personnel launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford, a command statement said. (U.S. Southern Command) In response to the Trump administrations targeting of Venezuelan oil exports, the U.S. Coast Guard plans to ramp up its capacity for inspecting and repairing tanker vessels it has seized at sea, according to correspondence reviewed by The Washington Post. This week the Coast Guard issued a call for personnel to beef up its teams of inspectors who travel out to seized tankers, assess them and fix safety concerns that might keep the vessels from being accepted at U.S. ports, according to the request. The message does not indicate how many personnel are being sought, but it does specify that those eligible for the assignment must be capable of offshore boardings and long hours aboard the vessel. The initiative, which has not previously been reported, is the latest sign that a recent spate of ship seizures by the U.S. military is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The Coast Guard referred questions about its plan to the White House, which did not respond to a request for comment. The call comes as U.S. Southern Command on Friday reported that it had seized another vessel, the Olina, in the Caribbean Sea. The operation was conducted by U.S. Marines and Coast Guard personnel who launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem wrote on social media that the vessel was suspected of carrying embargoed oil and had attempted to evade U.S. forces as it departed Venezuela. It was not immediately clear whether the Olina would be taken to a U.S. port. Not all of the vessels being boarded or seized by the Coast Guard are in good enough condition to be accepted by U.S. facilities, which is why the Coast Guard is ramping up its inspection and repair teams. These vessels are stateless and beyond substandard, the Coast Guard said in its internal message seeking candidates for the fast-expanding mission. Since President Donald Trump in mid-December announced a complete blockade of all Venezuelan oil exports, the Coast Guard has taken at least four vessels into custody. The first, the oil tanker Skipper, continues to be held offshore near the Port of Galveston in Texas. Two other tankers the Bella-1, which U.S. forces boarded in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit, and the Sophia, which was targeted in the Caribbean were seized Wednesday. The Bella-1, which was hastily renamed and reflagged to seek Russian protection as U.S. forces gave pursuit, was part of a ghost fleet of ships that operate under false paperwork or false flags often not disclosing their locations and move oil that is under sanction to markets in China or elsewhere. The U.S. government has alleged that such oil sales fund narco-terrorism, which it cited as justification for the seizure made Wednesday. There are hundreds of such vessels, and often they are in terrible shape, said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Theyre likely to be declined entry into a U.S. port if they dont meet its safety standards or theres risk of a spill, he said. They tend to be at the end of their service life old, in poor condition, Cancian said. The Coast Guard request reviewed by The Post says it is anticipating an influx of these vessels and is looking for personnel who could identify and rectify the highest risk deficiencies on the ships before handing them off to the ports that will house them. In the days since U.S. forces swooped into Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration has indicated that the U.S. will be controlling all aspects of Venezuelas oil industry, to include selling its oil. The U.S. also is continuing to aggressively enforce its naval blockade of Venezuela, in part to force its interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, to cooperate with the administrations demands. On Friday, the U.S. took halting first steps toward a resumption of diplomatic operations in Venezuela, with diplomatic and security staff from the United States Venezuela Affairs Unit including John McNamara, the interim charge daffaires traveling to Caracas, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel movements in a fluid security environment. John Hudson contributed to this report. German prisoners of war at the Papago Park Prisoner of War camp north of Tempe, Ariz., sometime between 1942 and 1945. Axis prisoners of war were held across the U.S., with California, Texas and Louisiana having the largest number of POW camps. (National Park Service) (Tribune News Service) Ernest Gueymard spent Dec. 15, 1943, at Prisoner-of-War Sub-Camp No. 7 in Port Allen, La., for a feature story for the State-Times, The New Orleans Advocates then-afternoon sister newspaper. The swish-swish of the cane knife is resounding over West Baton Rouges broad sugar fields as wielded by sturdy young German prisoners of war, Gueymard wrote. There were approximately 300 broad-shouldered young men who were living in the Port Allen prison of war sub-camp in 1943. The prisoners, who appear to be in their early twenties, are grappling with an industry new to them and are doing fairly well, Gueymard reported. The camp was located behind where the West Baton Rouge Museum is now, according to Lauren Davis, West Baton Rouge Museums curator. A state historic marker stands at the spot where a reconstructed concrete water fountain from the camp still stands, Davis said. The marker was erected in 2011 by the West Baton Rouge Historical Society in Port Allen, pointing out that the water fountain is the only remaining structure of the POW sub-camp, which was a satellite facility of the larger Camp Plauche downriver in Harahan. Then again, there is one other surviving structure from the camp, which now serves as the museums juke joint. The sub-camp operated from 1943 to 1946, housing between 500 and 774 German prisoners-of-war captured in North Africa and throughout Europe. Gueymard, in his 1943 article, added that the the camp was situated on the old West Baton Rouge Parish fairgrounds near Port Allens community center. U.S. Army Capt. C.W. Weltzin was the commander. He said the prisoners living facilities were minimal, and their needs were met. The camp consisted of tents with wooden floors, each housing several prisoners, the historic marker reads. There were separate buildings for the kitchen, mess hall and showers. Due to wartime labor shortages on the home front, prisoners were used on local sugar plantations, Cinclare, Poplar Grove, Westover, Smithfield, Devall and Alma. Ranging in age from 19 to 52, the prisoners were paid 80 cents a day for an 8 to 10 hour workday, six days a week. Meanwhile, Davis points to the West Baton Rouge Museums website, westbatonrougemuseum.com, which dedicates a page to the parishs World War II experience. The state of Louisiana had the third largest number of Prisoner of War camps in the U.S., behind California and Texas, the museums page said. There were five main camps for Axis prisoners in Louisiana and a number of satellite camps. The five camps were Camp Ruston in Lincoln Parish, Camp Claiborne in Rapides Parish, Camp Livingston in Rapides and Grant parishes, Camp Polk in Vernon Parish and Camp Plauche in Orleans Parish. Sub-Camp No. 7 was among the satellites. German prisoners were brought here on November 19, 1943, the museums page continues. The U.S. War Department had standard requirements for the construction of POW camps, and this camp was built according to these conditions for approximately 350 prisoners. The camp consisted of tar-papered buildings within a barbed wire enclosure of two separate 10- to 12-foot-high fences. Guard towers were placed at strategic points within the enclosure. The museum points out that not everything went smoothly in the beginning. There was one incident between the prisoners and the locals, when a strike occurred at the camp after the 240 prisoners there refused to work in order to show solidarity for one punished detail of prisoners. In retaliation, the prisoners were only allowed bread and water until the strike was over. They lasted about three days. But that seems to be the only documented outward show of contention during the camps operation. Gueymards article traces the prisoners assimilation into their new surroundings, beginning with their learning how to chop sugarcane stalks. When the men got into the field, the planters soon found that the prisoners had no training whatsoever in cutting cane, and the recruits had to learn from the beginning, Gueymard wrote. Few speak English, so the problem was made more acute ... the work of the prisoners has been fairly good but not excellent. However, planters are glad to get what they can. Meanwhile, Port Allen residents naturally were curious about their POW neighbors. Gueymard details an instance when the prisoners arrived on a Sunday afternoon, and residents from Port Allen lined up at the Community Center pool benches to see the prisoners. On the other side of the fence, the prisoners lined up to look at the Americans. It was all very funny, and everybody began laughing, the prisoners and the Americans, Gueymard wrote. And what, exactly, did the Port Allen residents see? Gueymard described the prisoners as husky, broad-shouldered but not overly tall. He said they often engaged in horseplay while in the field. The boys seem to take their plight good-naturedly and are a jovial lot not sullen while at work in the fields, the reporter wrote. On the outside, the museums page states, Port Allen residents collected musical instruments for the Germans at the camp and hosted dances for them at the Community Center. People from West and East Baton Rouge recall how the young German men would often whistle at local girls as their work convoys passed, the museums web page continued. On the weekends, girls would try to talk to the young men through the fence from houses that backed up to one side of the camp on Michigan Avenue. Friendships developed between some farmers and POW laborers as well. In 1945, two German prisoners escaped, determined to celebrate their third Christmas post captivity outside the camp. The State-Times reported on Dec. 26, 1945, that local law enforcement arrested the duo, Heinrich Knuepe and Goenter Lessner, both 25. Just how far they got with their celebration was not learned, but they had apparently done little drinking when they were nabbed, the article stated. After Sub-Camp No. 7s 1946 closure, German POWs were sent to various locations, primarily within the allied occupying zones in Germany for processing, labor or repatriation. But Port Allen made a good impression on some. Several prisoners corresponded with residents, the museums page states. After leaving, one even stated that he wished he were back in Louisiana because of the difficulties of getting food in war-torn France, where he had been transferred. 2026 The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. Visit www.nola.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A screen grab from a video of airstrikes launched from a U.S. Navy ship against Islamic State targets in Nigeria on Dec. 25, 2025. (Department of War/X) OFFA, Nigeria When President Donald Trump announced U.S. airstrikes in Nigeria on Christmas night, he declared that his newly rebranded War Department had conducted numerous perfect strikes against ISIS Terrorist Scum. But warheads in four of the 16 Tomahawk missiles that were fired that night appeared not to explode, according to Nigerian officials, analysts and imagery reviewed by The Washington Post. Residents said one of the unexploded munitions landed in an onion field in the village of Jabo, in northwest Nigeria, while another hit residential buildings in Offa, around 300 miles to the south. The third Tomahawk crashed in an agricultural field outside Offa, according to a state police official, and the fourth was recovered by Nigerian police in a forest in Zugurma, 120 miles to the north. It is unclear why the four Tomahawks didnt detonate. Experts suggested a few possibilities, including mechanical failures or a decision by commanders to crash them because conditions at the target sites may have changed. The target of the remaining missiles and the damage they inflicted remain unclear, with U.S. officials and analysts casting doubt on their effectiveness. As Trump resorts to force against Islamist militants who he says are persecuting Christians in Nigeria, the first strikes in the campaign illustrated the limits of American intelligence and military capabilities in West Africa. In a statement late on Dec. 25, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), which oversees American military operations on the continent, said its initial assessment was that multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the strikes. The targets, according to Nigerias government, were terrorist enclaves located within the Bauni forest in northwestern Sokoto State. Given the location, Nigerian and Western analysts said, it was unlikely that the strikes hit high-level members of the Islamic State, who are most active in the northeast of the country. More likely, they said, the attack targeted lower-level militants associated with a newer Islamist group called Lakurawa, whose relationship with the Islamic State is disputed by researchers. Nigeria provided the intelligence for the strikes, according to two U.S. officials, who both said it is difficult for the United States to determine which groups are operating on the ground and their affiliations. We have nothing in the area, one of the officials said, referring to the intelligence assets needed to understand militant networks. In linking the targets to the Islamic State, AFRICOM overstated its confidence in the identity of the fighters, one of the U.S. officials said, speaking like others in this article on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The operation, the official said, was likely not very effective and did not remove any camps or capabilities. Neither the White House nor the Pentagon answered questions from The Post about the unexploded Tomahawks, or about the affiliation and number of militants killed. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement, The airstrike in Nigeria was planned and executed on intelligence shared between U.S. and Nigerian Defense Forces. Prior to executing the airstrike, communication and coordination with Nigerian partners in addition to a thorough review of the targeted location and ISIS connections occurred to deliberately ensure the mission was executed to maximize effect and minimize risk of harm to civilians. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement that U.S. forces successfully took out many radical ISIS terrorists using powerful and precise strikes. A Nigerian defense official said that at least four unexploded missiles that were part of the Christmas night strikes have been identified two in the Offa area, one in Jabo and one in Niger State. The official said that the explosives unit of Nigerias police department is investigating the cause. Some of the other 16 missiles hit militant targets, the official added, but assessing the casualties has been difficult because the terrorists are in ungoverned spaces. Daniel Bwala, an adviser to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said the targets were chosen after weeks of intelligence-gathering in the northwest, which he said has become an important corridor linking Islamist extremists in Nigeria with fellow fighters in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger the region known as the Sahel a global epicenter of terrorism. But the other U.S. official noted that the decision to target Lakurawa, a relatively minor militant group, seemed to have been driven by Nigerias own internal calculations. Its not clear if its incompetence or intention on the part of the Nigerian government, said a former U.S. official with experience in the region, saying Washington had placed too much confidence in its counterparts in Abuja. Im not sure, the former official added, if the fighters targeted are worth the price of one Tomahawk. Failure to detonate On Nov. 1, Trump threatened to go guns-a-blazing into Nigeria if its government did not stop the killing of our CHERISHED Christians! by Islamic Terrorists. The sudden threat alarmed Nigerian officials, who said they would welcome help from the United States in addressing terrorism but rejected the notion that Christians were being killed disproportionately or that the state was allowing it to happen. Violence in Nigeria a nation of 230 million struggling to maintain security on multiple fronts is more complex than Trump and his allies have suggested, according to Nigerian and Western analysts. Although Islamist militants aligned with the Islamic State and Boko Haram have killed Christians, they said, their attacks have targeted moderate Muslims as well. And in central Nigeria, where fighting between Muslim herders and Christian farmers has intensified, the battle is more over resources than religion, analysts said. Within AFRICOM, there were concerns leading up to the strike about how effective it would be, given the lack of U.S. intelligence in the region and the choice of weapon, according to one of the current U.S. officials and the former official. The Post reported similar doubts among decision-makers in November after Trump first threatened military action. Each Tomahawk missile is around 3,000 pounds, with warheads inside weighing around 1,000 pounds, according to the Pentagon. They come equipped with onboard cameras that send images of the target to military operators, giving them visibility during flight. An individual Tomahawk costs around $2 million, according to estimates from the Defense Department, which means the strike on Nigeria used more than $30 million in weaponry. The 16 missiles U.S. and Nigerian officials said were fired on Christmas night came from a Navy ship in the Gulf of Guinea. If four did not explode, as the evidence suggests, that would place the failure rate at 25 percent a surprisingly elevated figure for a missile that reported a 90 percent success rate more than two decades ago, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. In the immediate aftermath of the strike, images began circulating on social media claiming to show unexploded American weaponry. Hany Farid, a digital forensics professor at the University of California at Berkeley, reviewed photos of the four unexploded Tomahawk warheads at The Posts request and said he did not see any evidence of manipulation or AI-generation. The locations of photos showing damaged residential buildings and the warhead in Offa were confirmed by The Post, while the presence of another unexploded warhead in the onion field in Jabo was corroborated by a villager. Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the spokeswoman for the Kwara State police, told The Post that a third warhead had been recovered on Dec. 26 from a field in Oro, about 13 miles outside of Offa. The final unexploded munition was discovered Tuesday by locals in the remote community of Zugurma, between Offa and Jabo, according to Wasiu Abiodun, a spokesman for the Niger State police. The remnants appear to be warheads from inside Tomahawk missiles, according to X posts from Trevor Ball, a former explosive ordnance disposal technician for the U.S. Army. Balls findings were independently confirmed to The Post by researchers from Armament Research Services (ARES), a munitions research and analysis consultancy, and by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a U.S.-based monitoring group. The unexploded warhead that caused the most damage landed in the courtyard of the Solid Worth Hotel in Offa, The Post found, around three-tenths of a mile from another site where apparent munitions debris were strewn amid the ruins of residential buildings. N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of ARES, told The Post that the damage to the buildings was consistent with the impact of a munition which failed to detonate. The debris field suggested that the missile came apart, he added, with the denser warhead probably passing through the residential buildings and landing in the hotel, while lighter components were scattered around the area of impact. The Post could not determine why the missiles didnt detonate. Several factors could have played a role, including mechanical failures or other issues known only to those involved in the attack, experts said. They noted that Tomahawks are preprogrammed with a target location and use sophisticated guidance systems to get there, including data of the terrain they will travel through and GPS for course correction. The missile also does not arm until later in its flight. The missile that struck the building in Offa may have suffered from a mechanical problem, said Arch Macy, a retired Navy officer who worked on the Tomahawk program. But the three other unexploded warheads found in fields and a forest away from civilians suggest possible navigational issues or commanders deciding to intentionally crash them, he said. The missiles travel at subsonic speeds, and it may have taken one or more hours for them to reach their targets. In that time, the targets may have moved, or the intelligence provided by Nigeria may have degraded by the time the missiles were in the air, Macy said. In such cases, commanders can decide to crash the Tomahawks in a location of their choosing. If you want to dump it in a field, then you can do that if you dont want it to hit wherever you told it to originally go, Macy said. More likely they were diverted from their original target and there wasnt any other usable target or approved target nearby you could divert them to. Tomahawks are often chosen when commanders want to avoid high-risk operations that would threaten manned aircraft. Analysts have raised concerns that they are not being replenished fast enough after being used in U.S. strikes in Yemen and Iran and should be stockpiled in the event of conflict with Russia or China. Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the nonpartisan Center for Strategic and International Studies, urged the Trump administration to stop wasting Tomahawks on terrorists with no air defenses. A ball of fire When she heard a loud bang and the wall started cracking, on Christmas night, Offa resident Morenike Saka, 67, thought she was dreaming. I began to scream for help because I was stuck and trying to crawl my way out of the room, but a big piece of concrete had blocked the way, she told The Post. She was rescued from the rubble by a boy who lived next door. Im still very shocked by the incident, Saka said. The unexploded missile tore through her apartment building in southwestern Nigeria, which was home to some eight people and had adjoining shops. Houses next door and a nearby hotel were also damaged, residents said. I was in my room when it happened and was buried under the ruins, said Musa Soliu, 28, another resident of the apartment building. It took a while before they were able to pull me out. Soliu said he wasnt able to salvage any belongings from his apartment and is still in the clothes he was wearing on the night of the attack. I dont even know where to restart my life, he said. Many locals have nowhere to stay and are squatting with relatives, they said. And the village is still gripped by fear. Theres no clear explanation on why it fell in Offa, many kilometers from its target point, said Hammed Suleiman, a 29-year-old resident. The government needs to be transparent with us and answer these questions, he said, to restore public confidence. The live warheads would have posed a significant hazard for civilians in the area, experts said. Unexploded ordnance left behind by U.S. forces maim and kill scores of people every year globally, according to watchdog groups, even decades after their initial use. In a news conference last week, Michael Onoja, a spokesman for Nigerias Defense Ministry, said that special units had been dispatched to recover the remains of missiles and warned civilians against picking up or keeping the materials. In Jabo, a typically quiet village in northwest Nigeria, Abubakar Umar, a 42-year-old farmer, recalled being in his room around 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 25 when he heard a very loud sound, like an aircraft about to land and felt his house start to shake. When he and his neighbors rushed outside, he said, they saw an object that looked like a ball of fire in a nearby onion field. Only after a few hours, when the fire had died down and police started to clear the debris, did they begin to piece together what had happened. We do not have anything like a bandits camp or ISIS presence here, Umar said. At least two missiles struck in the Jabo area, said Nuhu Umar, a 63-year-old retired civil servant one that exploded and another that did not. The missile that detonated landed a few meters from his familys farm, said Umar, who was in the regional capital on the night of the strikes but returned the next morning. The missile that did not explode landed in another farmers field about one kilometer away, he said, adding that residents had raced toward the site and collected debris. I tried to tell people to be cautious, Umar said, that they can never tell what danger is in there. Fighters in the forest In a Dec. 26 statement on X, Mohammed Idris, a Nigerian government spokesman, said the targets of the strikes were foreign ISIS elements located in the Bauni forest axis of the Tangaza local government area, in the northwest. NASA satellites appeared to pick up a fire on Dec. 26 in a wooded area of Tangaza soon after the attacks, according to NASAs Fire Information for Resource Management System site. Satellite imagery taken Dec. 26 from Planet Labs and reviewed by The Post also revealed newly scorched ground in an area with healthy vegetation just two days before. Malik Samuel, a Nigerian security researcher at Good Governance Africa, who has done recent field research in the area, said he was told by his contacts within Lakurawa that the militant group sustained significant casualties but that its leader was not hit. In his interviews with Lakurawa members, Samuel said, they claimed allegiance to al-Qaeda rather than the Islamic State. Much remains unknown about Lakurawa, and its objectives are disputed by analysts. But most agree that the Islamist militants many of them originally from the central Sahel were invited to Northwest Nigeria by local authorities around 2017 to protect residents from bandits. The recruits implemented a strict version of Islamic law, analysts said, and over time came to terrorize the communities they were meant to protect. Last year, Lakurawa was designated as a terrorist group by the Nigerian government. The group was probably weakened by the strike, Samuel said, but has gone on the offensive in its aftermath, killing at least 21 civilians on Dec. 31 in neighboring Kebbi State. At least nine people were beheaded, he said, and the rest were shot. While the motive for the attack was unclear, Samuel said, it underscored a sobering reality. For future U.S. strikes to be effective, he said, they would have to drive the group out of Nigeria. Otherwise, he said, they will only lead to more violence. Chason reported from Dakar, Senegal, and Lee, Horton and Arnsdorf from Washington. Andreessen Horowitz just raised over $15 billion. Ill let you consider that number for a moment, because while its far from unprecedented (or even surprising), it is quite a chunk of change. Its also a reminder: The firm that first made its name as a VC upstart upon its 2009 founding has become venture capitals most-talked-about and controversial brand. And I use the term brand intentionally: a16z made its name not only by investing in companies like Skype, Facebook, and Twitter but by intentionally brand-building in a way that was new to venture in the 2010sand now is de rigueur. The $15 billion is being parceled out among various a16z funds. Heres how it breaks down: The firms fifth growth fund gets $6.75 billion, the fifth biotech and healthcare fund will see $700 million, while the second apps fund and second infrastructure fund each get $1.7 billion. American Dynamism, a key player in the defense tech boom, gets $1.176 billion (less than I maybe would have guessed, given how hot defense tech is right now). Finally, another $3 billion funnels to a cryptic category, other venture strategies. An a16z spokesperson said this refers to a combination of things, fund strategies that have not yet launched as well as additional opportunities like institutional SMAs. (SMAs are separately managed accounts, and buzzy with the family office-wealthy individual set looking for their piece of tech.) A16z has become something of a lightning rod within the tech community in recent years (the firm famously endorsed Trump ahead of the 2024 election), and make no mistake about it: This $15 billion is also geopolitical. In a blog post, cofounder Ben Horowitz says that the goal is to be investing into tech thats dynamic, innovative, and intensely competitive with China. (A16z declined to make Horowitz or cofounder Marc Andreessen available for an interview.) $15 billion is a lot of capital to put to work. But lets also be real here: Is this number all that surprising? I would say not. VC firms are raising more and more to keep up with the AI boom (2025 global dealmaking reached $512.6 billion, says PitchBook), and weve seen other firms raise big funds recently (looking at you, Lightspeed, raising $9 billion). Nor is it unprecedented on a historical basis. At the peak of the ZIRP era, in 2022, Insight raised a whopping $20 billion, while Tiger Global raised $12.7 billion. Going even further back in time, lets not forget SoftBank, which pre-pandemic raised $100 billion for its almost comically large Vision Fund. For years, a16z has been telegraphing its desire to be the venture-asset manager-behemoth of our future. The question, of course, is what success looks like: Is it returns, is it enduring cultural and political influence, or blunt money-deluge dominance? Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth prepares to make remarks at Rocket Labs manufacturing facility in Long Beach, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. The visit to the space company was one of many stops Hegseth made in his nationwide Arsenal of Freedom tour of defense industrial base sites. (Department of Defense) LONG BEACH, Calif. (Tribune News Service) Work on the production floor at Rocket Labs Engine Development Complex in Long Beach halted on Friday afternoon as more than 200 employees cheered and welcomed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who visited the space company. Hegseth made Rocket Labs manufacturing facility one of his stops in his nationwide tour of defense industrial bases, dubbed the Arsenal of Freedom tour. The monthlong campaign aims to promote one of the Department of Defenses top priorities: rebuilding the military by engaging with the defense industrial base at various stops throughout the country, according to the Defense Department. Rocket Lab wrapped the tours first week, officials said, as it is one of the front and center companies that are part of the effort, Hegseth said. On Monday, the tour stopped at a shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, which is building next-generation submarines. Rocket Lab is a publicly traded space company that manufactures and launches advanced rockets, satellites and spacecraft components, according to the companys website. Its Electron launch vehicle is the worlds leading small rocket; it was first launched in 2017, and is now the second-most frequently launched U.S. rocket behind those from SpaceX. The Electron rocket has successfully deployed satellites for NASA, the Space Force, the Air Force, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office. Rocket Lab also uses a suborbital variant of Electorn to enable rapid, reliable and cost-effective suborbital hypersonic test launch capability for the U.S. government, officials said. The company employs 2,500 people and is headquartered in Long Beach. Before addressing the crowd of Rocket Lab employees, Hegseth toured the production floor for the Rutherford and Archimedes rocket engines with company founder and CEO Peter Beck. Ive had the privilege to show the secretary around, Beck told employees before Hegseth took the stage. He is leading the change to revigorate the national industrial base and create a more effective Department of War, one that goes faster and leans on commercial companies just like ours. Your efforts are the backbone to Americas national security and the space program, Beck added, and Im thrilled that the secretary has been able to see all your work first-hand and up close, so congratulations. The facility erupted in cheers, and Thunderstruck by AC/DC became the soundtrack to which Hegseth walked out and shook hands with some of the space companys employees. What impressive scale and precision on the projects being engineered here, the sort of groundbreaking initiatives that make up the front lines of American industry, Hegseth told Rocket Lab employees at the beginning of his address. What I know and what you know is that the greatness of American manufacturing is not simply wished into existence, nor does it appear out of thin air. What exists between these walls here on Earth and in the depths of outer space, they are forged forged by the labor, the expertise and the sheer willpower of each one of you standing here. That is the purpose of the Arsenal of Freedom tour, he added, to be able to thank people for their work to make the U.S. military and the Department of Defenses job possible. Hegseth said he was also at the company on behalf of President Donald Trump, who is equally proud and does everything in his power to support you. The secretary also said that the president operates on three core principles: to put America first, that the real path to peace is through strength, and the reawakening of the industrial spirit and national confidence. The secretarys mission with the tour is to help ignite that revival of industrial spirit, he said. That includes being the most lethal fighting force on the planet, as well as rebuilding the military and reestablishing deterrence, he said. Hegseth also mentioned the presidents call for $1.5 trillion into the U.S. military budget in 2027. Hegseth ended his address with a promise and challenge to each industry leader in the country: The days of rewarding the comfortable old guard for failure are finished, he said. We will provide larger, longer and more predictable contracts to companies like this one, companies that can actually deliver at pace and at scale. We will reward leaders who choose to invest in their workers, who expand their capacity and who share our sense of urgency. We will reward those who choose to deploy their resources toward bolstering production, not stock buyback programs or dividends, he added. The mission is quite simple. If you deliver for America, the government is going to have your back. As Hegseth made his way off the stage, Rocket Lab employees started chanting USA and then got back to work a few minutes later. 2026 Press-Telegram, Long Beach, Calif. Visit www.presstelegram.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Diginex (DGNX) is drawing attention after recent trading saw the share price at $3.08, with sharp negative returns over the past month and past 3 months prompting investors to reassess the ESG-focused business. See our latest analysis for Diginex. The recent 1 day share price return of a 13.48% decline and 7 day share price return of a 33.76% decline continue a steep slide, with the 90 day share price return down 87.65%. This suggests fading momentum as investors reassess growth prospects and risk around Diginexs ESG software model. If sharp moves in a single name have you reconsidering concentration risk, it could be a good moment to broaden your search with fast growing stocks with high insider ownership. With Diginex generating US$3.57m in revenue against a US$9.86m net loss, and the share price sliding hard in recent months, you have to ask: is this a reset that opens a buying opportunity, or is the market already pricing in future growth? Price to Book of 57.5x: Is it justified? Diginex trades on a P/B ratio of 57.5x, which is far above both similar sized peers and the broader US Software industry despite recent share price weakness. P/B compares the market value of the company to its book value, so a higher ratio usually reflects strong expectations around future profitability or asset light, high margin models. For an unprofitable company like Diginex, such a high P/B suggests investors are paying a substantial premium over the current accounting equity base. Here, that premium stands out. Diginex is described as expensive on a P/B of 57.5x against a peer average of 4.9x, and it is also described as expensive versus the wider US Software industry P/B average of 3.5x. That is a very large gap, so the market is valuing each dollar of book equity at a multiple that is far beyond sector norms. See what the numbers say about this price find out in our valuation breakdown. Result: Price-to-book of 57.5x (OVERVALUED) However, the combination of a 90 day share price return showing an 87.65% decline and a US$9.86m net loss signals clear execution and funding risks that could quickly reshape sentiment. Find out about the key risks to this Diginex narrative. Build Your Own Diginex Narrative If you see the numbers differently or prefer to rely on your own work, you can pull the data together and build a fresh view in just a few minutes, then Do it your way. A great starting point for your Diginex research is our analysis highlighting 1 key reward and 3 important warning signs that could impact your investment decision. Rome, N.Y. - An overnight fire at a house in Oneida County left one person dead and another in the hospital with burns, deputies said. Around 1:09 a.m. Saturday, deputies were called to 8434 Dawn Drive in Rome for a structure fire with somebody still inside, according to an Oneida County Sheriffs Office news release. When deputies arrived, they found a man with burns to his hands, face and other areas of his body, deputies said. He was brought to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. After the fire was extinguished, deputies said they found another person dead inside the house. Investigators have not yet determined what caused the fire. The Rome Fire Department, the Lake Delta Fire Department and the Onondaga County Medical Examiners Office were also called to the scene. Delta Air Lines will resume daily service at Greater Binghamton Airport this spring, reversing a decision to end flights that would have left the Upstate New York airport without commercial air service. The airline had announced in December that it would end flights to the airport on Feb. 14. Delta was the only commercial airline serving the area after low-cost carrier Avelo pulled flights from Binghamton in 2024 due to a lack of profitability. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state fought to preserve the service after committing significant resources to modernize the facility. New York State recognizes the critical role these gateways play to a vibrant economy, committing record investment to improve airports throughout Upstate New York, including $32 million to modernize Greater Binghamton Airport, Hochul said. I am pleased that Delta has identified available aircraft in order to resume daily service at BGM in the spring. Sen. Chuck Schumer also advocated for the service to continue. Im thrilled that Delta has heeded the call to reverse course and resume daily service at Binghamton in the spring, Schumer said. I have been proud to deliver millions in federal funding to improve passenger experience and safety at the Greater Binghamton Airport and will always fight to protect vital services that help the Southern Tier reach new heights. The airport underwent $54 million in renovations over the last two years but has struggled to retain airlines. The nearest commercial airports are Syracuse Hancock International and Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport, both more than an hours drive from Binghamton. Mark Heefner, commissioner of aviation for Greater Binghamton Airport, said in December that the airport was in active discussions with Delta and working with state, local and federal partners to re-establish passenger service. The airport also continues to meet with multiple airlines to explore opportunities to expand air service. Timothy Busfield is being investigated over allegations of child sex abuse. Timothy Busfield is wanted by police An arrest warrant has been issued for the West Wing actor - who is married to Melissa Gilbert - over two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse after it was alleged he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two 11-year-old siblings. According to documents issued by the Albuquerque Police Department and obtained by People magazine, one of the alleged victims was just seven years old when he claimed the abuse began. An investigation opened on 1 November, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) alerted police, and the victims' parents told officer Marvin Kirk Brown, who issued the arrest warrant, that the children had met the 68-year-old star on the set of The Cleaning Lady, where Busfield was a director. The children's parents claimed Busfield "grew closer to the boys" when he joined the FOX series, which ran from January 2022 until June last year. The warrant stated: It was reported that Timothy would tell his children to call him Uncle Tim.' " The parents told police that "they both discovered that there were allegations against Timothy of sexual assault against both women and minors. After the father was told there had been multiple rumours that Timothy had been handsy with women, the siblings' mother quizzed her sons as to whether anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable." The warrant continued: "The children allegedly responded by asking, You mean like Uncle Tim? " An attorney advised the couple to take the children to UNMH, where professionals suggested the boys had been "groomed", and while they hadn't disclosed any sexual contact at that time, both claimed Busfield would tickle them on the stomach and legs. It was determined at that time that the case didn't meet their acceptance criteria, but on 3 October, 2025, the mother filed a police report and told Child Protective Services her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024." However, the warrant stated she was told that because physical abuse had not occurred, nothing could be done. One of the boys, identified only as SL, had told his counsellor on 2 and 22 September last year that he had been touched inappropriately by Busfield. A therapist had diagnosed one of the alleged victims with moderate post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety at the age of 10 following claims of inappropriate touching. The therapist told how the child - who had displayed behavioural issues including bed wetting - had been having nightmares about the director touching him and waking up scared, and claimed Busfield had touched and rubbed his penis three or four times and appeared to be ashamed." According to the document, the boy told authorities he didn't come forward because he did not want to be mean to" Busfield. The actor-and-director allegedly told police the parents were upset their sons had been replaced by a younger actor and shortly afterwards, he received a call informing him Warner Bros. were investigating a complaint. He also claimed an actress on the show that the mother "wanted revenge". Asked by cops if he had ever picked up or tickled the boys, Busfield allegedly admitted it was highly likely that he would have because he wanted a playful environment. He added of touching on set: "It's not allowed at all. There is no, there's no protocol. I mean, I'm always around people, right? It would be, you know, in front of the parents. Throughout the investigation, a production assistant alleged SL would be unsupervised and his teacher on set wouldn't keep track of him, notably leading to an incident where he rode a skateboard through a live set. The investigating officer wrote in the warrant: I believe Timothy had the opportunity to be alone with SL while he was lying in the bed on the TV set... In my training and experience, paedophiles often infiltrate families under a trusted role, like Timothy, who, as a producer, exploited the hectic film sets to tickle and touch SL on his penis and buttocks, masking it as play. He would invite the family to off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster closeness, making SL feel special and dependent classic grooming to erode boundaries, isolate the victim, and silence suspicions by blending abuse into normalcy. This dual tactic, charming parents while secretly violating the child, builds a web of complicity that is hard to unravel, delaying detection, as families trust the abuser's facade. Key Takeaways Americans who are 55 to 64 years old have a median household income of $82,150, according to Fed data. Earnings vary widely across groups, with homeowners and college graduates far outpacing renters and those without a degree. Even when earnings are high, your ability to retire comfortably depends on additional factors such as total savings, assets, pensions, and debt. According to the Federal Reserve's (Fed's) Survey of Consumer Finances, income typically rises through midlife before leveling off in your late 50s and early 60s. Seeing how your earnings and savings compare with others your age can help you gauge where you standand where you might want to improve. How Much Americans Ages 5564 Earn Americans ages 5564 had a median household income of $82,150 in 2022, according to the Feds latest survey. Thats the second-highest of any age group, behind $91,880 for those ages 4554 and far ahead of $49,070 for those 75 and older. (Medians, rather than averages, are used to reduce the impact of unusually high or low incomes.) These figures reflect a stage when many workers are near their peak earning years, though some may shift to part-time roles or more flexible jobs while others may have already stepped away from work altogether. Why This Matters Comparing your income to your peers can help you see where you stand, but real retirement readiness depends on your full financial picturesavings, home equity, steady income sources, debt, and more. The Big Income Divides Shaping Americans Finances According to the Feds latest survey, the median income across all households is $70,260but that figure shifts sharply based on housing and education. Homeowners earn more than twice as much as renters, with median household incomes of $94,040 versus $42,160. Education shows a similar divide. The median income for families headed by someone with a college degree is $117,820, compared with $32,430 for those without a high school diploma. Those with some college earn a median of $60,530, and those with a high school diploma earn a median of $52,960. While a college degree can lead to higher income, it isnt the only path to financial success, said Jason Howell, a family wealth advisor with Jason Howell Company in Fairfax, Virginia. College is optional if you are conscientious and you have an idea, he saidwhether that means starting a business or pursuing a trade. In fact, he noted, trade school can take less than six years to make six figures. Entrepreneurship, he added, may take a little longer, but the longer term of owning your income is the most direct approach toward achieving whatever wealth means to you. For experienced workers, its an ideal time to start a business of any kind, especially one youve built skills in over the past 25 years, whether thats consulting, plumbing, or another trade. You couldnt be better equippedand still young enoughto start something. An Upstate New York man faces federal charges after allegedly threatening to kill a Department of Homeland Security officer and the officers children in a social media post. Matthew White, 43, of Jamestown, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of threatening to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer and interstate communication with threat to injure a person, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who is handling the case, White threatened to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer employed by the Department of Homeland Security on April 30, 2025, with the intent of interfering in the officers performance of his duties. White posted threats on X, stating, I cant wait to put a bullet into this guys brain, but first his children, according to the indictment. White was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and released on conditions. The indictment resulted from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. X and Grok are in serious trouble as three United States Senators are asking for the takedown of the platforms, reaching out to both Apple and Google to remove these apps. US Senators Ask Apple for X, Grok Takedown Senators Ron Wyden, Edward J. Mackey, and Ben Ray Lujan have come together to issue a press release stating that they have sent a letter to both Apple and Google about the takedown of X and Grok. This is because they claim that X and Grok's AI tool have both been used to generate "nonconsensual sexualized images of women and children at scale." In recent days, U.S. senators have expressed concern that there has been a massive wave of inappropriate content spreading on X that stemmed from the misuse of their AI content generation tool. The generations from X and Grok use imagery from "real, private citizens," said the senators, depicting harrowing acts of women being "sexually abused, humiliated, hurt and even killed." "Turning a blind eye to X's egregious behavior would make a mockery of your moderation practices," the senators wrote in a separate letter addressed to both Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. "Indeed, not taking action would undermine your claims in public and in court that your app stores offer a safer user experience than letting users download apps directly to their phones," they added The U.S. senators also said that both Apple and Google made swift actions in a recent takedown of an app that violated their app store policies, citing the removal of the ICEBlock app, which is best known for tracking federal and law enforcement officials. Read Also: Judge Rules Elon Musk Can Take OpenAI Lawsuit Against Sam Altman to Jury X and Grok's 'Sickening' Content Generation The U.S. senators said that X's Grok AI tool has created "sickening" content generation on the platform, which depict real people, especially women and children, in a sexualized manner. These images are nonconsensual, but more importantly, the senators call it illegal and are "potentially child sexual abuse materials." They also claim that it has been going on for quite some time. Senators Wyden, Mackey, and Lujan also referenced research that pointed out that this Grok issue has long been available on the platform since before it blew up. They said, "Researchers have also found a Grok app archive reportedly containing nearly 100 images of potential child sexual abuse materials generated since August, in addition to many other nonconsensual nude depictions of real people being tortured and worse." X's owner and xAI CEO and founder, Elon Musk, was not spared by the U.S. senators as well, claiming that he "encouraged" this type of behavior on the platform by acknowledging the inappropriate use of X's content generation features. The senators also said that Musk even went as far as to react to the posts online with "laugh-cry emojis." The full letter calling for X and Grok's takedown is available here. The rig count in the Permian Basin was down three this week, the latest count Friday by Baker Hughes shows, with 244 rigs active in the region. A year ago, 304 rigs were active in the region. Nationally, the oil and gas rig count is down two from last week at 544 rigs. A year ago, 584 rigs were active. The count shows that 409 rigs sought oil, down three from the previous week, and 124 explored for natural gas, down one from the previous week. The count also shows 11 miscellaneous rigs, up two from the previous week. The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out in August of 2020 at 244. The regional benchmark Plains-West Texas Intermediate Posting ended Friday at $55.60 per barrel, up $1.80 from last Fridays close. National benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude ended at $59.12 per barrel, up $1.80 from the previous week. The post Basin rig count down three as prices rise appeared first on Odessa American. Chinese villagers struggle for heat as gas subsidies fade Xushui, China, Jan 10 (AFP) Jan 10, 2026 Almost a decade after China began curbing coal burning to stop thick winter smog, villagers in northern Hebei province are struggling to afford their heating bills with most gas subsidies now phased out. In 2017, Beijing mandated that dozens of northern areas wind down the use of coal-fired stoves in favour of electric and natural gas-powered systems. China's central government allocated funds to refit stoves, but subsidies faded after three years and additional aid has drastically declined, local media reported this week. In Xushui, a district in Hebei roughly 100 kilometres (62 miles) outside Beijing, villagers told AFP they avoided turning on the heating because it drained their incomes. "Regular folks can't afford it... Spending 1,000 yuan ($143) per month on heat -- no one can stand that," a resident in his 60s told AFP at a farmers' market. "Everyone likes that (the air) is clean. There's not one person that doesn't like it," he said, asking not to be named for fear of "trouble". "But... the cost of clean (air) is high," he added. On the clear, sunny day AFP visited, the warmest temperature was just under six degrees Celsius, with lows of minus seven. Restaurant worker Yin Chunlan said that her elderly in-laws need to pay up to 7,000 yuan per year to heat their six-room village home. Yin, 48, lives in an apartment in town and says her annual bill is a third of that. "But it's not the same in the village," she told AFP. "They have to set their heating much higher, and the temperature still isn't as warm, so it wastes gas and wastes money." Yin's in-laws often pile on extra blankets to stay warm. "When I see it, it's quite pitiful," said Yin, wiping away a tear. "Nothing can be done." In one village, a woman in her 70s wore a green padded jacket underneath an apron as she crossed her outdoor courtyard. Heating in her home is not turned on during the daytime, she said, showing AFP the system's switchboard mounted above her stove displaying "off". The woman, who did not give her name, said the dial could reach 60C. When asked if the temperature inside could feel as warm, she laughed. - Articles taken down - Reports that villagers in Hebei were layering up under quilts to avoid costly heating peppered Chinese social media in the first week of the new year. An article by Farmers' Daily reshared in state media CCTV's opinion section said in rural Hebei natural gas costs up to 3.4 yuan per cubic metre compared to 2.6 yuan in rural areas of Beijing. Villagers told AFP they felt the huge price gap was unfair. But the original article was quickly taken down, with republications, including the CCTV article, inaccessible days later. China's Ministry of Finance said in 2021 a total of 13.2 billion yuan in funds had been distributed for clean heating across Hebei. But subsidies to support the installation of new systems and for gas bills, which had lasted three years, would not be renewed, it said in a letter. The move came around the same time that international gas prices were driven up by Russia's war in Ukraine. Last year, Chinese authorities reported national gas consumption growth had slowed. The ministry, responding to a local proposal to increase financial support for provincial pollution control, said special funds would be arranged for additional subsidies in rural areas, but gave no details of the rollout. A local Xushui government platform said in 2017 that some households would be eligible to receive 300 yuan in gas subsidies. For villager Zhang Yanjun, that amount hardly made a dent in his bill of several thousand yuan per season. The 55-year-old labourer said he had already spent more than 5,000 yuan on heating his home since October. "If you give 300 or 200 yuan or something, it's the same as if you gave no subsidies at all," he said. Avalanche kills two off-piste skiers at France's Val-d'Isere Lyon, Jan 10 (AFP) Jan 10, 2026 Two French off-piste skiers died after being buried by an avalanche Saturday at Val-d'Isere in the French Alps, the resort's tourism office said. The two men were buried under 2.5 metres of snow. Members of their group had raised the alarm, but rescuers were unable to revive them after finally reaching them, said a statement. French weather forecasters had warned of a high risk of avalanches this weekend, with a level four out of five on the European avalanche danger scale. They were not equipped with avalanche transceivers and could only be located thanks to their mobile phones, the statement said. Rescuers had to probe the snowpack to find them in an area measuring 10 by 15 metres, said the tourist office. Storms claim another life in UK London, Jan 10 (AFP) Jan 10, 2026 UK police said a falling tree killed a man in England after record winds brought by Storm Goretti, and nearly 40,000 homes in France were still without power Saturday. Some 15 people have died in weather-related accidents this week across Europe as gale-force winds and storms caused travel mayhem, shut schools, and cut power to hundreds of thousands in freezing temperatures. The storm barrelled through southwestern Cornwall and parts of Wales overnight Thursday to Friday. Gusts of up to 160 kilometres per hour (100 miles per hour) felled trees and left tens of thousands of homes without power. A man was found dead in the town of Helston in Cornwall on Friday after a tree fell onto a caravan, Devon and Cornwall police said in a statement. Most of the UK remains under a weather warning for snow and ice on Saturday, the Met Office national weather agency said. It warned that black ice could cause "disruption" in Scotland and northern England. Heavy snowfall followed by the storm meant that some 250 schools in Scotland were closed for much of the first week back after the Christmas break. Around 28,000 homes were still without power at the start of the weekend in southwestern England and the Midlands, according to the network operator National Grid. Storm Goretti also ploughed through other parts of northern Europe, with at its peak some 380,000 homes in France without power. But by 6:00 pm local time (1700 GMT), the number of households in the dark was just under 40,000, according to the country's grid operator. In northern Germany, long-distance rail traffic slowly resumed on Saturday, having been completely suspended on Friday due to another storm named Elli, Deutsche Bahn said. In the far north of the country, the port city of Hamburg, where large amounts of snow fell, remained particularly disrupted, it added. A number of rail services will still not be restored on Saturday, notably those linking Hamburg to Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Hanover. Services from Hamburg to the western Ruhr region or to Berlin are expected to be restored over the course of Saturday, it said. burs-gv/jj Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) is included among the 12 Best DOW Stocks to Buy in 2026. Bernstein Raises Chevron (CVX) Target as Oil Outlook Balances Volatility and Strength Photo by Luis Ramirez on Unsplash On January 5, Bernstein raised its price target on Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) to $172 from $170 and kept a Market Perform rating. The firm said it is heading into 2026 with a balanced outlook for oil. Bernstein expects near-term volatility, while still seeing strength over the longer run. A January 6 report from Reuters said Caracas and Washington reached an agreement that would allow up to $2 billion of Venezuelan crude to be exported to the US. President Donald Trump described the deal as a key negotiation that would redirect supply away from China and help Venezuela avoid deeper production cuts. Chevron stands out in this situation. It is the only US oil major operating in Venezuela under a US license that exempts it from sanctions aimed at restricting revenue tied to President Maduros government. On January 6, vessels chartered by Chevron were the only ships loading crude for export at Venezuelas Jose and Bajo Grande ports, according to ship-tracking data. Chevron had resumed exports of Venezuelan oil to the U.S. on January 5 after a four-day pause. The company also called overseas workers back to its Venezuelan offices as flights into the country restarted. In recent weeks, Chevron has effectively become the only firm consistently exporting Venezuelan crude. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) is an integrated energy company involved in oil and gas production, fuel and chemical manufacturing, and the development of technologies that support its operations and the broader energy industry. While we acknowledge the potential of CVX as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 12 Best Income Stocks to Buy Now and 20 Best Performing Dividend Stocks in 2025 Disclosure: None. Avalanches claim three lives in French Alps Lyon, Jan 10 (AFP) Jan 10, 2026 Two separate avalanches claimed the lives of three off-piste skiers in the French Alps Satuday, local officials said. In one incident, two French off-piste skiers died after being buried by an avalanche at Val-d'Isere, the resort's tourism office said. The two men were buried under 2.5 metres of snow. Members of their group had raised the alarm, but rescuers were unable to revive them after finally reaching them, said a statement. Around 60 kilometres (37 miles) away, another avalanche caught two off-piste skiers in the Areches-Beaufort resort, a local official told AFP. One of the skiers could not be revived, while the second was taken to hospital with serious head injuries, said regional official Jean-Pierre Mirabail. French weather forecasters had warned of a high risk of avalanches this weekend, with a level four out of five on the European avalanche danger scale. The two skiers who died at Val-d'Isere were not equipped with avalanche transceivers and could only be located thanks to their mobile phones. Rescuers had to probe the snowpack to find them in an area measuring 10 by 15 metres, said the tourist office. 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 Comedian John Mulaney has postponed his shows in Minneapolis this weekend as protests continue across the city condemning the fatal shooting of local mother and poet, Renee Nicole Good, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Mulaney, currently on his Mister Whatever tour, told fans that he doesnt feel comfortable asking thousands of people each night to leave their homes, gather at the venue, and then make their way home when the situation is so unsafe. Whats happening in your city is heartbreaking, he wrote on Instagram. I hate to postpone shows in a town going through such awful challenges and such grief, because it feels unfair to the audience. He continued: I am sorry to anyone who is disappointed. I know a fun stand-up show could be a nice distraction, but it doesnt sit right with me to put anyone at risk. Tickets for the affected shows will be honored for the rescheduled dates of April 10-12, Mulaney said. A video of the Minneapolis incident shows Good inside a Honda SUV, blocking ICE agents from driving down the street. Several officers then surround the vehicle on foot and tell her to exit. When she starts to drive away, an agent opens fire through the windshield. Moments later, Goods vehicle crashes into a parked car. open image in gallery John Mulaney told fans the situation was too unsafe for him to go ahead with scheduled shows ( Instagram via John Mulaney ) open image in gallery People march behind an anti-Trump banner during a Stop ICE Terror at an emergency protest in Minneapolis Thursday ( AFP via Getty Images ) Demonstrators clashed with federal agents in the Minnesota city after Good was fatally shot Wednesday while behind the wheel of her car during an altercation with immigration officers. Protests have erupted in cities including Austin, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, and New York, in condemnation of the shooting. Tensions were heightened Thursday afternoon when Border Patrol agents shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon, during a vehicle stop. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey urged ICE agents to get the f*** out of the city, and refuted claims that the ICE agent had opened fire due to self-defense. Frey said: Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bulls***. This was an agent recklessly using power, resulting in somebody dying. open image in gallery John Mulaney deemed the situation in Minneapolis unsafe ( Getty Images for Puck ) open image in gallery Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot behind the wheel of her car during an altercation with ICE agents Wednesday ( Facebook ) Disagreement has also mounted over who will investigate the shooting after Minnesota officials condemned the FBI for blocking them from participating in the shooting investigation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed local authorities have no jurisdiction in the matter. The Minnesota agency that investigates officer-involved shootings said Thursday that it was informed that the FBI and U.S. Justice Department would not work with it. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared January 9 a Day of Unity to honor the memory of Renee Good, calling on all Minnesotans and citizens nationwide to observe a moment of silence at 10 a.m. CT to remember her. Now is a time to mourn together, in peace, unity, and service, the governor wrote. People across Minnesota will peacefully stand up for shared American values. 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 Thomas Kent T.K. Carter, the actor best known for his role as Nauls in 1982s cult horror classic The Thing, has died. He was 69. The actor was found dead on Friday in his Duarte, California, home after a call to 911 was made from the residence at 5:42 pm, TMZ reported. A cause of death has not been disclosed, but no foul play is suspected. Born on December 18, 1956, in New York City and raised in Southern California, Carter began his screen career in the mid-1970s with guest roles on series such as Police Woman and Good Times. He is best remembered as the roller-skating cook at the beleaguered Antarctic outpost in John Carpenters The Thing, starring Kurt Russell. The film follows 12 men in Antarctica who are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that hides in human form. His other film appearances include Seems Like Old Times (1980), Southern Comfort (1981), Doctor Detroit (1983), Ski Patrol (1990), Space Jam (1996) and My Favorite Martian (1999). open image in gallery T.K. Carter (pictured in 2006) is best known for his role in The Thing ( Getty ) On television, Carter memorably starred as Michael Mike: Fulton, an elementary schoolteacher, on the NBC series Punky Brewster, which followed a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes) in Chicago. He also took roles in The Waltons, The Jeffersons, Just Our Luck, 227, Good Morning, Miss Bliss (Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years), Family Matters, The Sinbad Show, Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show and The Nanny and Dave, plus voice roles in The Transformers and Jem. His final acting credit was as Cliff in the FXX sitcom Dave in 2023. On social media, fans and colleagues mourned the death of the late actor. Sad to hear about the passing of my comedy brother TK He was in the business for over 50 years... Im glad we shared a good laugh last time we met.. rest well TK, comedian Loni Love shared on X. That brother was so funny. As a 90s baby this makes me sad for real, one fan wrote. What a cool dude. I met him when I first moved to LA. Very down to earth, shared another. I literally couldnt pin down a show because Ive seen him on so many, added a third. He will be missed severely. Carter is survived by his wife, Janet Carter. 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 Acclaimed series Black Mirror will return for an eighth series on Netflix, creator Charlie Brooker has confirmed. Speaking to the streaming giant's official site Tudum, Brooker revealed that another season of the popular sci-fi show has been given the green light. He said the new series will be more Black Mirror than ever, and that it will return just in time for reality to catch up with it. The Bafta-winning series delves into the disquieting facets of technology and its profound influence on contemporary society, offering social commentary through a collection of dystopian cautionary narratives. Brooker said: It does have a future, so I can confirm that Black Mirror will return, just in time for reality to catch up with it. So thats exciting. That chunk of my brain has already been activated and is whirring away. Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker ( The Independent ) While Brooker did not give any details, he did say how he comes up with new stories to tell, and compared it with putting together an album of different kinds of songs. He said: Our very early episodes were all punk singles, and then we started doing occasional ballads like San Junipero or wed do a dance number. Its like putting together an album with a punk single, a disco number, a stadium-rock thing, a heartfelt acoustic ballad, and so on. Its interesting. He added: Its a useful thought experiment when approaching a new story. Ill often think of, Well, what havent we done yet, and what tone am I looking for? Where does this track come on the album, and what musical direction are we going to go into? Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Well find out. The show received its first Golden Globe nods in December, ahead of the ceremony on January 11. Brooker said he was pleased with the nominations, and called it a pleasant surprise and an honour. The show was first broadcast on Channel 4 in 2011, and moved to Netflix in 2015. 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 Generation Z isnt making a long-term commitment to their jobs, according to a new survey. The demographic cohort born roughly between 1997 and 2012, following Millennials and preceding Gen Alpha, is characterized as the first true digital natives. Researchers at Gateway Commercial Finance spoke to more than 1,008 employees, half of whom were Gen Z and half of whom were managers or employees with hiring experience. Results found that 58 percent of interviewees viewed their jobs as situationships a short-term, low-commitment relationship that isnt meant to last. 47 percent of respondents said they planned to leave their job within a year of starting it, and nearly half of those surveyed were ready to quit at any time. The survey also revealed how Gen Z views their jobs: only 46 percent believe there are benefits to staying with a single employer in todays job market. Meanwhile, 37 percent see their current role as nothing more than a paycheck, and just 25 percent consider it a long-term opportunity theyre truly invested in. Gen Z professionals dont want to stay at their job long-term, according to a new survey ( Getty Images ) When asked why they might leave their positions, 55 percent cited higher salaries elsewhere. At their current jobs, 34 percent of Gen Z professionals report poor mental health and burnout, and 22 percent feel undervalued or unrecognized. Hiring managers, however, arent impressed by this lack of loyalty. One in four sees short-term roles lasting less than a year on a Gen Z resume as a red flag, and more than one in three admit theyve decided not to hire a Gen Z candidate because of job-hopping. Previous studies have explored Gen Zs career priorities, including a strong focus on financial well-being. According to Bank of Americas 2025 Better Money Habits financial education study, 72 percent of Gen Z took steps to improve their financial health over the past year. Yet only 39 percent reported receiving financial support from their families a decline from 46 percent in 2024. Holly ONeill, president of consumer, retail, and preferred banking at Bank of America, said in a statement that Gen Z is challenging the stereotype when it comes to young people and their finances. Even though theyre facing economic barriers and high everyday costs, they are working hard to become financially independent and take control of their money, ONeill said. This year will no doubt be memorable for lots of reasons, but something that is already remarkable is that 2026 is the first year that six generations of Brits will be in the workplace. The oldest of Gen Alpha, born after 2010, will begin internships and early work experiences in 2026, while the last of the Traditionalists, aka the Silent Generation, are still hanging on, making up one per cent of employees. At the core, its boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z, slugging it out for the top jobs as AI snaps at their feet. At least in theory, 2026 may also be the year that AIs limits are revealed. But which of these generations is best equipped to handle the chaos of Trump, tariffs, technology and talent? Surprisingly, for a Gen Xer like me, its my generation thats emerging as the nations best hope. If you Google Generation X backbone of the UK workforce, youll find HR firms and business analysts praising the little-talked-about Xer for their resilience and adaptability. Despite being outnumbered by millennials, Gen X makes up around 35 per cent of the workforce and over 50 per cent of managers, and the average age of FTSE100 CEOs is 55, according to research from executive search company Heidrick and Struggles. The UK cabinet is 75 per cent Gen X, and the average age of national newspaper editors is 56. Generation X is suddenly running the country, and true to form, were not really telling anyone. open image in gallery Generation Xer Andrew Weatherall founded the Boys Own acid house record label ( Wayne Fox/Shutterstock ) This seems strange. Gen X was brought up on slacker films, free parties in fields, the end of a job for life and collapsing faith in all authority. UK divorce rates soared from 1965, the first year we stumbled into existence, while those whose parents stayed together were increasingly likely to have both worked, as the 1970 Equal Pay Act saw 51 per cent of women working by 1971, according to the Office for National Statistics. Coming home from school by yourself to an empty house, heating up food, mooching about with friends putting us in charge seems against Gods plan. But this turns out to have been perfect training for the messy workplace of 2026 rather than a reason to go to therapy. Gen X leaders didnt grow up expecting to be in charge, or to define themselves as a cohort at all, explains Tanya Gass, partner at Norman Broadbent, the UKs oldest CEO head hunter. Shaped by repeated disruption financial crisis, the Cold War, rapid technological change, Brexit, the pandemic I think Gen X leaders are perhaps more comfortable with uncertainty and more realistic about trade-offs and limits than the generations on either side of them. They are instinctively wary of hype, but open to change when it delivers real value, particularly in the current debate around AI. open image in gallery Gen X might be the best bet we have during the AI revolution ( Getty/iStock ) Dominic Black at Westray, an employment consultancy in northeast England specialising in professional, technical, engineering, industrial and manufacturing recruitment, agrees. He hires a whole different kind of employee but thinks the phrase backbone of the workforce describes Gen X perfectly. Gen X is reliable and pragmatic, he says. Compared with other generations, they complete tasks, they are more likely to have a greater range of experiences to draw upon, and they have developed higher social skills. You hear about Gen Z and millennials all the time because they have stronger stereotypes and stronger opinions on more controversial topics. Generation X are more open-minded and much harder to define and pigeonhole. But they are also keener on finding happiness in work than anything else. We surveyed the different generations attitudes to work last year, and Gen X might be summed up by the guy who said better a shit job with good people than a good job with sh*t people. open image in gallery Gen X was brought up on slacker films such as Richard Linklaters Dazed and Confused ( Universal Pictures ) So whats different about Gen X? Whatever millennials say, we were the first generation who did not assume wed be better off than our parents, says journalist Richard Benson, who was editor of The Face magazine during the 1990s peak of Gen X culture. We saw the collapse of ideology on right and left, and knew capitalism wasnt eternal progress but the Berlin Wall coming down showed us Communism didnt have the answer. Thats where pragmatism comes from. There were no big ideas, so we had to do things for ourselves. There was a Mike D from The Beastie Boys quote people want to be enterprising, but they don't want to be exploitative, which I think is a good summation of what the workplace politics were. Gen X could organise a party in a field with 10,000 people, organise the promoting, the sound system, the DJs, the tickets, the decorations and yet never want to scale that and sell it to a VC. Gen X also went to school before league tables were introduced in 1992 and state schools werent ranked by performance until the last Gen Xer had already started school. After that, middle-class parents played the system or went private. Its a shame. At my south London comprehensive, the kids from the Coppice and the Turps estate rubbed shoulders with the kids whose dads were doctors or worked in the city. open image in gallery Gen X CEOs bridge generational divides and lead with pragmatism rather than ideology ( Getty/iStock ) Thats why the legendary Boys Own acid house party, record label, clothing line and magazine was founded by carpenter Cymon Eckel, gas fitter Terry Farley and shopfloor worker Andy Weatherall. We were comprehensive kids from Slough who wanted to create a party brand and make sure the customer had a fantastic experience, explains Eckel. We found people from every walk of life who wanted to write articles, paint, design, put a night on we taught ourselves and built this groundswell of entrepreneurialism not based upon an MBA, but based on creating really good things and building a real-world social network. Parties work much better with a big crowd of people who arent like you, but all have the same purpose to have the best time. Diversity and inclusion may be out in America, but it made for the best club nights. open image in gallery Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in Fight Club, a film aimed at Generation X ( Reuters ) Tanya Gass acknowledges Gen Xs resulting people skills. Gen X CEOs bridge generational divides and lead with pragmatism rather than ideology, she explains. Theyre less interested in performing leadership than in getting on with it. Having lived in both the old world and the new, they are often more discerning than dogmatic about what to keep and what to change. That means, perhaps surprisingly, that Gen X might be the best bet we have during the AI revolution, according to Stephen Smith, a Silicon Valley strategic AI consultant. Gen X was initially known for having a cynical or sceptical worldview, but that has evolved into independence and adaptability, he says. That group has survived and thrived in every technology evolution in the past 30 years. They know how businesses work and can apply AI in a way that genuinely creates efficiency and optimisation in high-value places. While Gen Z and millennials may know how to use AI, Gen X will make AI essential. Hes found that younger generations tend to either be in awe of AI or opposed to it, while older generations dont understand it. This group saw the rise of the personal computer, email, local area networks, the internet, mobile, social, and so much more, he points out. They arent the digital natives that future generations were, but they adapted and adopted quickly. The people who are getting the most significant impact out of using generative AI tools are people with expertise in their industries, functions, companies, and markets Gen X are now at the age where they have built that expertise across companies over 25 years. Its much like social media. I recently interviewed Michael Corcoran, who created Ryanairs sarcastic social media burns for customers who didnt understand that cheap seats meant certain compromises. He listed the social media attitudes of boomers, millennials and Gen Z, then finished. I asked about Gen X. Ah, the forgotten generation, he smiled. Less offended on other peoples behalf than millennials, but more PC than boomers. More realistic than both. Wary of social media because they dont want to be cancelled and are not interested in its worst features theyre not as offended or pissed off with other peoples views. They think you can have a difference of opinion and still get on. So theyre watching, but theyre not posting that much. open image in gallery Matthew McConaughey in Richard Linklaters Dazed and Confused ( Universal Pictures ) Most Gen Xers thought it wouldnt work out this way. Peak Gen X culture was the mid-to-late 1990s, the era of the slacker film and anti-heroes like Fight Clubs Tyler Durden. Durden says Gen Xers are the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No great depression. Our great wars a spiritual war... our great depression is our lives. Weve all been raised on television to believe that one day wed all be millionaires, movie gods and rock stars. But we wont. Which may be true. But his conclusion? Were slowly learning that fact. And were very, very pissed off. Not so much. Instead, we quietly got on with the hard work required to end up running things while remaining cynical enough to call bullshit on whats wrong with innovations like AI, but curious enough to find the best way to make it work. 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 At least six people were killed in a series of shootings Friday night in Clay County, Mississippi, and a suspect has been taken into custody, according to law enforcement and local media outlets. The shootings occurred at three separate locations, WTVA, an NBC News affiliate, reported. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said in a social media post that the suspect is in custody and no longer poses a threat to our community. He did not specify the number of victims, but WTVA reported that six people were fatally shot. Scott and the sheriff's department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. open image in gallery The Sheriff did not specify the number of victims. ( Getty Images ) "I ask that you lift our victims and their families in your prayers," Scott wrote on Facebook. Located in northeastern Mississippi, Clay County has a population of nearly 20,000. 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 teenager charged in connection with a 2022 murder in Kansas City, Missouri, has claimed hes shot 400 people in his life, according to court records. Daimon Benson, now 19, has been accused of second-degree murder, among other charges, after authorities found a woman in her car with a gunshot wound to the head on a highway in Jackson County on October 21, 2022. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department was responding to a report of a shooting when they found the woman in a white Toyota Camry that had crashed against a concrete barrier, according to court documents. The woman later died at the hospital. Detectives found a bullet hole in the Camrys trunk and one in the front drivers side window, which was partially shattered, the documents said. The Jackson County Prosecutors office stated on Thursday that detectives found that a gray Dodge Charger had chased the Toyota after it cut off the Charger. Benson, who was in the passenger seat of the Charger, allegedly fired into the Toyota, the prosecutors office said. The Toyota then crashed, and the Charger fled the scene, according to officials. open image in gallery Daimon Benson, a now 19-year-old charged in connection with a 2022 murder in Kansas City, Missouri, has claimed hes shot 400 people in his life, according to court records ( Jackson County Sheriff's Office/Jackson County Detention Center ) Several witnesses gave some insight into the shooting between the Toyota and the Charger and the events leading up to it. A witness told investigators that when he stopped to help the driver, he saw her leaning over inside the vehicle and bleeding from her face, according to the court documents. Two other witnesses said they heard several gunshots before seeing a white Toyota swerve and hit a concrete barrier, the documents said. Benson told detectives he did not remember being involved in the shooting but said he had shot about 400 people before, the prosecutors office said. open image in gallery A woman was found shot dead in her car on a highway in Jackson County on October 21, 2022 ( Scott Olson/Getty Images ) When detectives asked him how many people he had shot in his life, Benson replied, Roughly like, my whole life, like 400 people, according to court documents. He said that in 2019 and 2020, he and another person robbed an average of three people a day, which resulted in about 150 of the shootings he was involved in, the documents said. Benson explained the other shootings were battles with rivals, adding that in a given month, there were about ten instances in which he, or someone he was in a car with, would shoot at someone outside of the car, according to the documents. He is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond, and, according to local outlet Fox 4, he is scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing on Thursday. It was not immediately clear whether Benson had legal representation. 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 More than three decades after a newborns remains were discovered in a Kentucky landfill, investigators say advances in forensic science have finally led to an arrest. Jennifer Cummins of Fairfax County, Virginia, was taken into custody on January 6 in connection with the death of an infant known for decades only as Baby Jane Doe, Kentucky State Police announced this week. The case dates to 1991, when a sanitation worker discovered the remains of a baby girl at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University. Despite early investigative efforts, authorities were unable to identify the baby or determine who was responsible, and the case eventually went cold. Kentucky State Police detectives recently reopened the investigation using modern forensic tools and updated investigative techniques. With assistance from the State Medical Examiner, it was determined that the infant was born alive and healthy before being placed in a dumpster on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University. open image in gallery An arrest has been made in the death of a baby whose remains were found in 1991 by a sanitation worker at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University ( Google Maps ) The new information ultimately identified Cummins as a person of interest. In late 2025, the case was presented to a Madison County grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Cummins with murder. Even after decades of time that has passed, with the collaboration of new technologies, advancements, and persistence, weve been able to discover new leads in this case, said Kentucky State Police Trooper Justin Kearney. Thats why its so important for people to know these cases never go cold to us. Authorities have not released details about Cummins relationship to the child or the specific circumstances surrounding the infants death. Kentucky State Police say the investigation remains active, and that investigators say they are still seeking the publics help to resolve some unanswered questions. Cummins is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center while awaiting extradition to Kentucky. 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 ex-husband of the woman fatally shot in Ohio alongside her dentist husband has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder, 10TV reported Saturday. Michael McKee, 31, was booked just before noon at the Winnebago County Jail in Illinois on an out-of-state hold, according to online court records. His arrest comes more than a week after Monique Tepe, 39, and Spencer Tepe, 37, were found dead in their Columbus home on December 30 in a case that has gripped the nation. Documents from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas confirm McKee is Monique Tepes ex-husband, 10 TV reports. They married in August 2015 and divorced in May 2017, according to court records obtained by The Columbus Dispatch. McKee was listed as living in Virginia at the time, apparently for a surgical residency program. Detectives identified the vehicle and linked it to McKee, later locating it in Rockford, Illinois, where they found evidence tying him to its ownership, according to court records. open image in gallery Michael McKee is facing two murder charges for the deaths of his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, and her husband, dentist Spencer Tepe ( Winnebago County Sheriff's Office ) McKee is set to appear in court on Monday. Rob Misleh, Spencer Tepe's brother-in-law, released a lengthy statement to ABC 6 following McKees arrest, saying, in part, "Todays arrest represents an important step toward justice for Monique and Spencer. Nothing can undo the devastating loss of two lives taken too soon, but we are grateful to the City of Columbus Police Department, its investigators, and assisting law enforcement community whose tireless efforts helped to capture the person involved. The Independent has contacted the Columbus Division of Police for comment. McKee, an Ohio State-trained doctor, holds active vascular surgery licenses in Illinois and California, according to The Dispatch. His Nevada medical license lapsed in mid-2025, and he is one of several doctors named in an ongoing personal injury lawsuit in Clark County, the outlet said. His arrest comes days after Columbus police shared surveillance footage of a hooded person in black and grey walking the streets near the Tepes home around the time of the murders, which detectives believe happened sometime between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Police had not publicly named any suspects or persons of interest but said they did not believe the couples deaths to be a murder-suicide. The Tepes bodies were discovered after Spencer Tepe uncharacteristically missed work at Athens Dental Depot, prompting coworkers to call police for a welfare check. Columbus police released body cam footage earlier this week showing that the initial responding officer went to the wrong house. About 40 minutes later, his coworkers arrived at the Tepe home and found their deceased bodies, again calling authorities. open image in gallery Spencer and Monique Tepe, who shared two kids, were murdered one month before their fifth wedding anniversary ( Facebook ) The couples two young children, ages 1 and 4, as well as their Goldendoodle, were home at the time of the shooting, but were not harmed, with no sign of forced entry and no firearm found at the scene. The kids have since been cared for by Spencer's brother-in-law, Rob Misleh, who told NewsNation earlier this week that he does not believe the kids were exposed to the murder scene as they were just as happy and, unfortunately, unaware as they ever could be. By Ricardo Brito and Marcela Ayres BRASILIA, Jan 8 (Reuters) - A judge on Brazil's federal audit court (TCU) on Thursday agreed to a request from the central bank to submit for a plenary decision on whether the court should inspect central bank documents related to the liquidation of Banco Master. Earlier this week, TCU Judge Jhonatan de Jesus had ordered the inspection in a single-judge ruling, a move challenged by the central bank on the grounds that, under the court's own rules, a decision of that nature must be taken collectively by the full panel. Jesus' move triggered a public backlash after he also suggested he could take steps to block asset sales during Banco Master's liquidation. Markets have been tracking TCU and Supreme Court actions in the case, considered unusual for a bank wind-down in Brazil, as uncertainty grows over investor compensation. Lawyers for Banco Master's controlling shareholder, Daniel Vorcaro, cited the possibility of TCU reversing the liquidation in a motion opposing a request by the central bank-appointed liquidator, EFB Regimes Especiais de Empresas, for U.S. recognition of the process in the Southern District of Florida bankruptcy court. Local media have reported that Vorcaro, a young banker with strong political ties, owns multiple properties and assets in the United States through indirect holdings. In a filing seen by Reuters, EFB said through its lawyers that Vorcaro "is suspected of having transferred massive wealth to himself at the expense of creditors and investors." Vorcaro's lawyers did not respond to a request for comment. The central bank ordered Banco Master's liquidation in November on the same day federal police arrested Vorcaro in a probe over fraudulent credit securities. He was later released with an ankle monitor. Although Banco Master accounts for less than 1% of banking assets in Latin America's largest economy, its collapse has drawn scrutiny because the lender helped fuel rapid growth by issuing high-yield debt marketed as being covered by Brazil's private deposit guarantee fund (FGC). Investors who financed that expansion are awaiting potential FGC payouts totaling about 41 billion reais ($7.6 billion). (Reporting by Ricardo Brito and Marcela Ayres; Editing by Hugh Lawson) The share price of Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) fell by 9.63% between December 31, 2025, and January 7, 2026, putting it among the Energy Stocks that Lost the Most This Week. Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) - Among the Energy Stocks that Fell This Week Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) is a senior crude oil and natural gas producer with ongoing operations in its core areas in Western Canada, the UK portion of the North Sea, and offshore Africa. Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) was among the Canadian oil stocks that suffered a blow from the recent US blitz in Venezuela, which ended with the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration now wants American companies to develop the South American countrys rich oil reserves and send the oil over to Gulf Coast refineries. In fact, the President has already announced that Venezuela would be turning over up to 50 million barrels of oil to the US. This could threaten Canadian producers, especially those linked to oil sands like Cenovus, as Venezuelas heavy sour crude is very similar to that coming from Alberta. Around 60% of the US crude imports come from its northern neighbor, and even if a portion of this is replaced by Venezuelan oil, it could have a significant impact on Canadian producers like Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) in the short term. Moreover, the prospect of large volumes of cheaper Venezuelan crude entering the US market would also drive prices down for Canadian producers, further pressuring margins and profits in an already tough environment. Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) also came under pressure on January 6 when Evercore ISI analyst Stephen Richardson downgraded the stock from Outperform to In Line, while leaving its price target unchanged at C$50. While we acknowledge the potential of CNQ as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Best Natural Gas Stocks to Buy Right Now and 11 Best Performing Energy Stocks in 2025. Disclosure: None. 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 Advertisement Analysis NationalNSWExtreme weather The official temperature was 42 degrees but western Sydney felt as hot as 55 degrees Anthony Segaert January 10, 2026 6:32pm 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 If you didnt know otherwise, you might think Box Hill was abandoned. Not a single person was sighted in the north-west Sydney suburb on Saturday afternoon, the faces of real estate agents on billboards the only sign of human life. The decision of residents to stay indoors was entirely reasonable. It felt like 55.2 degrees. The air temperature at 3.37pm was 42.8 degrees, according to our measurements. But that metric doesnt account for the wind, sun, humidity and other factors that affect how the human body processes heat. The more representative metric, the globe temperature, or feels like, painted a picture of a new suburb halfway to boiling point. An infrared thermal image of Stargazing Park, Box Hill. The softfall was the hottest, with one point measuring 87 degrees. Max Mason-Hubers So as Sydney sweltered through its hottest January day in six years, the Herald took two specialist weather measuring devices around the citys west and north-west to see just how hot it felt. A heat stress tracker recorded the weather, and a thermal imaging camera revealed the heat on surfaces. Advertisement At the unshaded Stargazing Park playground, the northernmost point of the rapidly developing Box Hill, our camera showed the danger posed to anyone who would play on the space-themed equipment on such a day. The black softfall was 89 degrees. The blue version was 10 degrees cooler. The swing was 70, the cement 64. Earlier at Penrith Beach, which was heaving with swimmers, our heat stress tracker recorded a conventional temperature at 12.36pm of 36.5 degrees. But it felt like 50.3 degrees. At Schofields, peaking just before 5pm, 41.6 degrees was recorded, but the experienced heat was more than 10 degrees hotter at 52.1. The [device] takes into account the direct solar radiation, said Sebastian Pfautsch, a heat researcher at Western Sydney University, whose equipment we used. Once you cut [solar radiation] out, temperatures drop remarkably, 12, 13, 14, 15 degrees. Thats the importance of tree canopy shade. Youd be [up to] 15 degrees cooler if you had no direct radiation hitting you. Advertisement That was true at a roadside park in nearby Angus, a new, mostly yet-to-be-developed suburb. The air temperature was 42.9 degrees. In the shade, it felt like 45.9 degrees. In the full sun, it felt like 53.7 degrees. Thats why we advocate so much for tree canopy in those new settlements, its just so uncomfortable and it becomes dangerous to be outside. Its physically dangerous, Pfautsch said. The heat stress tracker, pictured here in a Penrith carpark, recorded the air temperature as well as the feels like temperature. Max Mason-Hubers Part of the reason Sydneys west and north-west are so affected by the heat is geography: heat lingers around the base of the Blue Mountains, and cool coastal changes dont reach so far inland. But its also a result of urban planning choices made over the past decades, and being made now. Most of these developing suburbs are densely packed, with detached homes with black or dark roofs and few mature trees, contributing to the urban heat island effect. Advertisement Part of the problem in understanding heat in urban spaces is a lack of local weather data. We are only looking at Bureau of Meteorology data, not the microclimate data, Pfautsch said. The bureaus weather stations are away from urban areas and are surrounded by metres of grass to meet international standards to ensure consistent figures around the world. In Box Hill, youve probably already had a four or five-day heatwave, but you dont have that information because no one is telling you that. Related Article Weather City swelters through hottest January day since Black Summer But Saturdays temperatures were just the beginning of what these new suburbs will experience. This feels like an extreme day, but what happens in the future when this is a normal day? asked Emma Bacon, the chief executive of Sweltering Cities, an advocacy group focused on urban heating. Advertisement It feels scary and extreme, but it is going to become more and more normal, but were absolutely not ready for what its going to look like. Pfautsch is pushing for local governments to have their own sophisticated networks to measure local temperatures to communicate with local communities. Without more targeted communication, you cant prepare for the risk. The Sydney Morning Herald has a bureau in the heart of Parramatta. Email parramatta@smh.com.au with news tips. Advertisement Letters NationalVictoriaLetters In the days of bushfires, remember our country friends January 10, 2026 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: Megan Herbert 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. Extending our hand We city dwellers find much to complain about, i.e. traffic jams on the Westgate Bridge, price gouging by supermarkets, high price of petrol and the list goes on. However, spare a thought for our country cousins who in the past few days in many cases suffered terrible losses because of the bushfires. Loss of their family homes and businesses, perhaps tragedies in their families as a result of the fires. We see all of this on the TV in the comfort of our homes, perhaps with the aircon on, although we also have to understand these conditions do not apply to those who may be homeless, and sleeping in their cars. What it says is that there is such inequality in our society, that it does not know how to deal with these inequalities and governments seem unable to address them. Religious and faith organisations have a role to play in a much greater way than is currently the case, by involving their followers to live out their faith by seeking to reach out to those who are in need and that means not just we pray for them, but to also do so in a practical and financial sense. Those in need need our compassion and help now. Bruce MacKenzie, South Kingsville Social cohesion worry Re: When I read the letter An Ultimately Futile Exercise (10/1) I thought, how can any one person know what another is thinking about an issue as complex as race relations in particular, and what the prime minister should do about a singularly terrible racial atrocity. As one of the previously silent majority, I wasnt against a royal commission for the reason your correspondent suggests. Sadly my reasons were driven entirely by worry about social cohesion and what I see as the mostly black and white state of much political and social discussion in sections of the press and particularly on social media. Myself, and I suspect many others, were well aware of antisemitism needing to be severely dealt with, but I was also worried about a royal commission into antisemitism alone further exacerbating what I see as a growing social division and disharmony in Australian society. Perhaps the royal commission we are going to have now might start to come to grips with both important issues. Pamela Bores, Eltham North Climate No.1 enemy I can understand why people want a royal commission after Bondi. But in truth I think the best we can do is to make hate speech based on race and religion unlawful. A royal commission cant stop hate. To my mind a much bigger problem is climate change and it has reared its angry head in the past few days. We have two major parties going hammer and tong at election time. Surely this deserves a royal commission to direct us over the next 10 years. John Rome, Mt Lawley, WA Advertisement Critical questions I keep thinking, why I am so uncomfortable with Tammy Rezniks opinion piece (Anti Zionists dont have a problem with what Israel does, but that it exists, 9/1). I am one of many who have Holocaust histories as part of who I am. I dont know anyone who wasnt horrified with what happened on October 7, 2023. However, if I am critical with what has since happened to so many innocent children and people in Gaza and if I am critical of what the settlers are doing to Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank, I am then labelled anti-Zionist and therefore antisemitic, which I am not. There seems to be a focus against people like me and little is mentioned about the rise of Nazism, which I find very frightening. Joan Lynn, Williamstown Myth shattered I am without words. We cannot, and must not address antisemitism by state sanctioned silencing of Palestinian voices. The cancelling of yet another Palestinian authors presentation, this time by the Adelaide Writers Week in light of the heartbreaking terrorist attack at Bondi Beach last month is more likely to exacerbate antisemitism than not. The hero at Bondi, Ahmed El Ahmed is a man of the Muslim faith. Muslims are our neighbours. What of the sensitivities of many Palestinians and others who face vile racist attacks every day? Yet again we are sending the clear message: You dont matter. Shouldnt we be bringing all peoples together to respectfully dialogue? It is more important than ever that we hear from Palestinians. The myth of the Land of the Fair Go continues to be shattered. Christine Morris, Wyndham Vale Purchasing power It may seem to be very Trumpesque that the US president is considering buying Greenland. But from Louisiana (1803) to Alaska (1867), purchase was the usual way of US expansion. And in 1947 America bought the Marshall Islands. The US is called capitalist for a reason. Tony Haydon, Springvale Commandments void It might be a good idea if those members of the Trump administration, especially President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who claim to be Christian, remind themselves of the ninth commandment: you shall not bear false witness. The lies, misinformation and gaslighting that have been generated from the White House in respect of the ICE killing in Minnesota is but the latest in a litany of lies from this administration to cover up their deadly actions at home and abroad. The other nine commandments could do with a brush-up too. Nick Toovey, Beaumaris Wheres his glasses? JD Vance, should have gone to Specsavers. David West, Essendon Advertisement Different lenses Strange how Donald Trump sees protesters in the US who are killed protesting against government law enforcement as deranged leftists, while in Iran they are freedom fighters. James Lane, Hampton East Splendid isolation As Donald Trump withdraws the US from international agencies it is appropriate that the US be excluded from others they might wish to belong to. If they want isolation let them have isolation. John Walsh, Watsonia Mental gear change Dan Kaufmans excellent analysis of Melbourne drivers (Comment, 7/1) provides the human dimension to recent reports of rising road tolls for drivers and pedestrians alike. That so many drivers approach the road as a zone of competition rather than one of co-operation offers a partial explanation for worsening rates of death and injury. Driving in England, about 60 per cent the size of Victoria but with a population of just under 60 million, demands a co-operative and conciliatory approach to journey completion and the great majority of people drive accordingly. In other words, what is required in Melbourne is a culture shift, one where drivers anticipate and accommodate the needs of others rather than regarding every necessary lane change as a personal affront. Until we road users respect everyones need to complete journeys in a safe and timely fashion, Melbourne drivers will continue to rank among the worlds worst. Simon Philpott, Preston Take it as red To whom do I apply for a $1000 grant to connect a simple over-height detection device to a big red stoplight on the Montague Street bridge? Problem solved. Steve Trumble, Port Melbourne Findings already known What the royal commission will find is that there has always been antisemitism and there will always be antisemitism, no matter how long an inquiry lasts or how long it is discussed and how many so-called solutions are presented. Marie Nash, Balwyn Advertisement NationalVictoriaVictorian budget Victorias Airbnb boom is over, but dont expect a rental windfall Daniella White January 11, 2026 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 Growth in Victorias short-stay accommodation market has ground to a halt, threatening to drain revenue for social housing that was supposed to be raised by the state governments new Airbnb levy. Data provided to The Age by international data provider AirDNA shows short-stay listing growth on platforms like Airbnb and Stayz stagnated in 2025 the same year the 7.5 per cent levy was introduced. Tourist towns like Portsea are hubs for short stay rentals. Jessica Shapiro But analysts dont believe the tax has been the driving cause of the trend, instead attributing the slowdown to a cooling market after hitting a ceiling of customer demand. Across Victoria, there was an average of 43,735 short-stay properties listed daily in 2025, compared to 43,738 the year prior. Advertisement The number of listings concentrated in Melbourne and holiday hotspots had been climbing significantly as the market recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 22 per cent increase in 2023 followed by a 12 per cent increase in 2024, before that growth stopped last year. Some of the listing slowdown weve seen in the last few years could be attributed to hosts being deterred by higher tax levies, but its more likely the result of slowing demand, said AirDNA research analyst Linda Rollins. According to Rollins, accommodation demand growth slowed to 6 per cent in 2024 and just 2 per cent in 2025. This has resulted in a market where supply exceeds demand, leading to falling occupancy rates that have deterred new listings from joining the market. The 7.5 per cent levy on accommodation charges which was announced in 2023 by the then Andrews government and began in January last year aims to incentivise property owners to shift short-term listings back into the long-term rental market. The revenue generated from the tax, which applies to stays of less than 28 days, is specifically earmarked for Homes Victoria to fund the construction and maintenance of social and affordable housing, with 25 per cent set aside for regional Victoria. Advertisement The government initially projected the tax would raise approximately $75 million annually a figure highly dependent on the continued strength of the short-stay market. The revenue uncertainty comes at a precarious time for Homes Victoria. The agency, which manages the states public housing stock, recently recorded a $359 million deficit. Related Article City life Landlords dominate Airbnb listings and worsen rental crisis in holiday towns For the first six months of the tax, the government raised only $19 million. However, the final figure may rise as some owners have until this month to pay for the period covered in the 2024-25 financial year. Even if the levy raises all the expected revenue, it would not go far to improve the current financial situation of Homes Victoria, which has operated in deficit every year since it was created in 2021. Advertisement The tax also appears to have done little to achieve its other goal of shifting properties back into the long-term rental market, with multiple studies showing short-stay rentals remains more financially advantageous for many owners. A 2025 University of Canberra study led by Professor Naomi Dale, which analysed the relationship between short-term rentals and housing affordability across 18 local government areas nationwide, found levies were unlikely to trigger a significant conversion of short-term listings to the long-term market. Researchers found most short-stay owners used their properties for personal holidays or had plans to move into them, making them unlikely to shift to long-term leasing regardless of new taxes. Many [short-term rental] owners were soon-to-be retirees or other people who owned the homes with the intention of moving into them in future, Dale said. These owners were dissuaded from switching to long-term rentals due to laws that largely favour renter rights, which may prevent them from moving into them when they need to. Advertisement State government data shows the number of active rental bonds in Victoria continued to decline in 2025, indicating fewer available long-term rental properties overall. Related Article Exclusive Tax reform How thousands of Melbournes empty homes are dodging millions in tax Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said the short-stay levy was a desperate attempt to fix Homes Victorias failing finances. Under Labor, Homes Victoria is sinking deeper into the red as a growing number of Victorians are awaiting housing support, Wilson said. You cannot tax your way to more affordable homes. A Liberal and Nationals government I lead will repeal Labors short stay accommodation tax to ease cost-of-living pressures and drive investment back into Victoria. Advertisement A state government spokesman said Homes Victorias deficit had no impact on service delivery, and was driven by timing differences between government funding and project expenditure. Our Short Stay Levy [is] designed to encourage more owners to make their dwellings available for longer-term rent or sale and give Victorian families more opportunities to find a home, he said. The only way out of the housing crisis is to increase supply thats why were streamlining the planning process, and building more homes close to jobs, transport and services. 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 NationalVictoriaWeather Wind, smoke, ash: What this weekends weather will bring to Melbourne Isabel McMillan Updated January 10, 2026 1:57pm ,first published 1:13pm 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 Melbourne woke to the smell of smoke and a thin veil of ash on Saturday as firefighters battled more than 30 active blazes moving through the state. More than 115 homes and buildings have been razed in fires across Victoria, but emergency authorities warned the numbers are conservative and more homes will be confirmed lost in days to come. A firefighting aircraft circles the Longwood fire in Victoria as temperatures accelerated fire emergencies. Jason South Fire authorities estimate that more than 300,000 hectares have been blackened across the state during the heatwave, with reports of ash floating through open doors emerging from several areas across the metropolitan region from Reservoir to Croydon, even into the CBD. Smoke from the fires has reached all the way over to New Zealand, weather bureau meteorologist Daniel Sherwin-Simpson said. Advertisement Thats going to be well aloft in the atmosphere, so I doubt its causing any air quality issues for them. But theyll be aware of haze high up in the sky over today, and possibly into the future, depending on how the fires go. A visibility meter at the airport in Horsham which measures horizontal visibility across a certain area can usually see as far as 40 kilometres to 50 kilometres, Sherwin-Simpson said. Related Article Updated Victoria bushfires Three missing including child, dozens of homes lost as fires continue to rage On Friday evening, as fires burned in nearby Natimuk, the visibility got as low as 1500 metres. It was pretty smoky out there, weather bureau meteorologist Daniel Sherwin-Simpson told this masthead. There was a lot of smoke from that Natimuk fire in that area. Advertisement There is also quite a bit of dust haze around at the moment. I noticed this morning there was more dust than smoke. I think because weve had that tiny bit of rainfall, that washed a lot of dust down with it, but it wasnt properly washed away because there wasnt a lot of rain. Melbourne Airport would have had that too, although its hard to tell if thats dust or smoke. Their visibility got down to around 5500 metres at 9.30pm Friday night. Ballarat got a lot of smoke from the Skipton fire too. Weve seen large parts of the state covered in smoke. Its moved over the city, but its pretty far aloft, which brought us those gloomy orange skies. Sherwin-Simpson warned that although the smell of smoke has already reached Melbourne, its due to get a lot heavier across the state tomorrow as a new high-pressure system moves in. Advertisement Yesterday [Friday], we saw that low-pressure system which brought hot weather and windy conditions, but lifted smoke up into the atmosphere, so it hasnt been too bad over the city. As we move into Sunday, though, were going to see a broad high-pressure ridge move across the state. Once that moves over, it will bring more settled weather, but that can trap the smoke in. We could see it carry a bit further across the state, and pool through valleys. It is dependent on how the fires go today though. He said the smoke was likely to drift north of the fires, affecting the air quality in those areas more than others. A break from the severe heatwave hitting the CBD this week, Melbourne is due to reach a high of 25 degrees on Saturday, with a low of 15 degrees to come on Saturday night. In the fire-torn Longwood area, a high of 30 degrees is expected, but conditions remain hazy. Melbourne CBD scorched through 40+ degree days, sparking fires around the state. This image was taken on Wednesday, before smoke from the fires made its way to the CBD. Eddie Jim Advertisement Speaking to this masthead from her home early Saturday morning, one Melbourne-based reader said she noticed ash coming into her bathroom through an exhaust fan above. I wasnt expecting that in suburban Reservoir, she said. This morning I threw open the doors and windows to welcome in that lovely 20-degree breeze until I realised it wasnt so lovely. The wind coming in my front door smelled of smoke, so I quickly shut everything back up again. Even with all the doors and windows shut, there is a smell of smoke in my home. Its definitely not clearing. I just heard someone walking down the street coughing. Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app. Advertisement PoliticsQueenslandSharks SharkSmart drone program expanded at south-east beaches amid criticism of nets Dominique Tassell January 10, 2026 6:32pm 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 Hundreds of new flights have been completed under the SharkSmart drone program at six new beaches this summer, with the government boasting about its use of non-lethal and innovative solutions to save lives. Premier David Crisafulli previously defended the states use of shark nets by saying he would not protect the environment over human life. Drone surveillance was implemented in September at Kirra Beach on the Gold Coast, Cylinder Beach on North Stradbroke Island, Tangalooma at Moreton Island, Kings Beach on the Sunshine Coast, Kellys Beach in Bundaberg, and Agnes Water Main Beach. SharkSmart drones are now in use at six new beaches, mainly in south-east Queensland. Queensland government Since then, 149 sharks have been spotted at the new locations. Advertisement The drone programs expansion has focused on the states most popular and densely populated beaches, Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said. Related Article Shark debate Shark nets dont actually do anything. So why are we using them? We boosted the investment into the Shark Control Program by 151 per cent, resulting in more than $88 million of additional funding over the life of the plan. Importantly, 60 per cent of the new investment delivers the non-lethal and innovative solutions that have been a key feature of the strengthened Shark Management Plan 2025-2029. The Crisafulli government made a commitment to double its drone program to 20 beaches for the 2026-27 season, and we are well on track to delivering if not exceeding that commitment to Queenslanders safety. Advertisement Were particularly proud to be expanding the drone surveillance program across our iconic beaches on the southern Gold Coast, where weve been able to obtain all the relevant permits to allow drone flights in restricted airspace. The expansion follows criticism of the Crisafulli government for relying on outdated shark-control methods. After the death of a teenage girl in February last year, the state government announced an expansion of its shark management program, including new shark nets and drum lines. Humpback whales have previously become entangled in shark nets off Kirra Beach on the Gold Coast. Nine News In October, ecologist Vincent Raoult told this masthead traditional shark-control methods just arent very effective at protecting people. Advertisement When 12 whales became entangled in nets last September, Crisafulli defended the expansion by saying he would not protect the environment at the expense of one single human. Experts have called on the government to switch from shark nets and traditional drum lines to SharkSmart drones and Catch Alert drum lines. Related Article Sharks How many sharks are in the beaches and rivers around Brisbane? More than youd think While the immediate cost of adopting the new technology would be large, Raoult said it could be similar to recent investments in the current systems and the cost of their ongoing upkeep. If youre going to spend more money, I would say the vast majority of scientists who are familiar with sharks would say its better spent elsewhere, Raoult said. Advertisement Drones can also be used to identify other risks for swimmers, such as rips, so they serve as a double whammy. You have a benefit for shark safety, but also youre potentially reducing the risk to beach users at the same time, Raoult said. Drones are an easy win, in my eyes, for beach safety, full stop, regardless of sharks or not. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) is one of the best fertilizer stocks to invest in. On December 19, Japans biggest power generator, JERA, which has inked a joint venture with CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF), confirmed it has secured a subsidy for 15 years. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF) Expands Ammonia Strategy Amid Analyst Downgrades The subsidy is to cover the difference between ammonia and coal prices as it moves to start importing ammonia for its planned US plant. JERA is in the process of building the worlds most extensive low-carbon ammonia facilities in Louisiana in partnership with CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CF) for $4 billion as part of the Blue Point project. CF Industries Holdings holds a 40% stake in the Blue Point project, with JERA owning 35% and Mitsui 25%. As part of the project, the trio is to leverage hydrogen and ammonia, as they dont emit carbon dioxide when burned. Separately, on December 18, analysts at Mizuho lowered their price target of CF Industries Holdings to $88 from $92 while reiterating a Neutral rating. The downgrade comes amid concerns of weakness in the first quarter of 2026, as was the case in the December quarter for most companies. Likewise, RBC Capital lowered its price target to $90 from $95, citing steady ag/fertilizer fundamentals in 2026. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) is a major global manufacturer and distributor of nitrogen and hydrogen products, primarily fertilizers (ammonia, urea, UAN, ammonium nitrate) that boost agricultural productivity. While we acknowledge the potential of CF 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: Top 10 Materials Stocks to Buy According to Analysts and 10 Best Organic Food and Farming Stocks to Buy Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Charlie Munger was known for never taking credit for his achievements, despite spending decades as Warren Buffett's right-hand man and playing a key role in shaping the strategies behind Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Munger said during an interview at the Redlands Forum in California in 2020, sponsored by geographic information system software company Esri, the University of Redlands, and local nonprofit Town & Gown, that his financial success was not the result of exceptional ability, but instead came from a few simple tricks he learned early in life. Don't Miss: The AI Marketing Platform Backed by Insiders from Google, Meta, and Amazon Invest at $0.85/Share Missed the AI Boom's Biggest IPOs? This Platform Lets Everyday Investors Access Private Tech Early "What caused the financial success was not extreme ability," he said. "I have a good mind, but Im way short of prodigy, and Ive had results in life that are prodigious, and that came from tricks. I just learned a few basic tricks. There are all kinds of tricks that I just got into by accident in life." Invert Munger said his favorite strategy was to invert, which meant asking what could prevent him from reaching his goals and then avoiding those paths at all costs. When he was working as a weather forecaster in the U.S. Army Air Corps, Munger's job was to prepare weather reports used by pilots. He said he tried to do the job well by starting with a question most people would never ask. Trending: $100k+ in investable assets? Match with a fiduciary advisor for free to learn how you can maximize your retirement and save on taxes no cost, no obligation. "I said, How can I kill these pilots?' Thats not the question that most people would ask," Munger said. "But I want to know whats the easiest way to kill them would be so I could avoid it. There are only two ways Im gonna kill a pilot, Im gonna get him into icing his plane cant handle and that will kill him or Im gonna get him someplace we gonna run out of gas before he can land. I just was fanatic about avoiding those two hazards." Over And Under and Kapow' Munger said he learned another mental trick during his training to fire artillery and mortar shells, in which he was taught to judge the distance, sometimes going a little over and sometimes a little short, until the shell landed exactly where it was supposed to explode. "Well, I never shot any damns shells but Ive been using that mental trick all my life, thats how I determine what size to make something," Munger said. "Over and under and kapow." 16th Annual Conference of IAPM, MP Chapter, begins Staff Reporter : The 16th Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (IAPM), Madhya Pradesh Chapter, commenced on Friday at the New Academic Block. The event, marked by an intensive pre-conference workshop, focused on the transformative role of modern diagnostic techniques in treating complex ailments. The workshops primary objective is to equip young pathologists with hands-on experience in advanced diagnostic tools. Dr. Sanjay Totade, Head of Pathology Department, described pathology as the backbone of medicine, noting that the integration of new technologies will significantly enhance both the speed and accuracy of patient care. Dean Dr. Navneet Saxena emphasized the necessity of research and adequate funding to provide a new direction for future generations of medical professionals. The workshop was structured into three pivotal technical sessions addressing critical areas of modern medicine. Talking about Hematology and Molecular Pathology, Dr. Avinash Gupta (Varanasi) and Dr. Mayur Parihar (TATA Memorial Centre, Kolkata) explained about early and precise detection of hematolymphoid neoplasms (blood cancers) through a pattern-based approach using flow cytometry, cytogenetics and molecular pathology. Dr. Atin Singhai from KGMU Lucknow discussed the utility of Immunofluorescence in identifying complex kidney and skin diseases. While Dr. Seema Dayal from UPUMS Saifai (Etawa)said that Liquid-Based Cytology (LBC) offers superior accuracy compared to traditional methods, representing a significant advancement in preventative oncology for women. The formal inauguration of the conference is scheduled for Saturday, to be presided over by Dr. BK Khandelwal, Vice-Chancellor, Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University. ED raids 12 locations in distt in sand smuggling case Staff Reporter : Four years after Nagpur city police registered a case over illegal transportation of sand using fake royalty papers or Electronic Transit Pass (ETP), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) stepped in and carried out raids at 12 locations across Nagpur district on Friday morning. The ED conducted simultaneous raids at 12 locations in Saoner, Rampuri, Patansawangi, Gosewadi and Khapa starting around 5 am. Teams from Nagpur, with support from officials from Mumbai and Delhi, took part in the operation. Central security forces accompanied the ED officials during the searches. In Saoner town, the premises of Praful Kapse, Uttam Kapse, Dadu alis Ravindra Kolte, Laxmikant Satpute and Vinod Gupta were searched. Raids were also conducted at the houses of Praful Kapse and Uttam Kapse in Rampuri village. In Patansawangi, ED teams searched locations linked to Narendra Pimpal, Sharad Rai and Manoj Gaikwad. The agency also searched the premises of Guddu Khorgade in Gosewadi village and Amit Rai in Khapa village. Officials reached the locations early in the morning and carried out detailed checks of houses and offices. The ED has not officially shared details of seizures, if any, and maintained silence on the findings. Case registered by Nagpur Police in 2022 The case dates back to January 19, 2022, when Nagpur City police registered an FIR at Sadar Police Station under Sections 420, 465, 466, 467, 468, 471 and 34 of the IPC. The case related to cheating, forgery and use of fake documents for illegal sand transportation. During the initial investigation, the Crime Branch arrested Rahul Khanna from Bhopal based on information received from a local informer. How racket operated The complainant in the case, Santosh Baburao Gaikwad (33), a resident of Friends Colony, had explained the modus operandi to the police. Gaikwad told investigators that he had paid Rs 9,900 to Rahul Khanna through UPI to obtain royalty papers and transport permits for sand excavated from a sand ghat in Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh. As per the complaint, Khanna prepared the required documents and sent them to Gaikwad through WhatsApp. These papers were then used to transport illegally excavated sand without raising suspicion. Bhopal-based Khanna named kingpin Police investigation revealed that Rahul Khanna was the kingpin of the racket. Sand smugglers based in Nagpur were illegally excavating sand locally but using fake royalty papers or Electronic Transit Passes (ETPs) generated by Khanna to move the sand. Investigators also found that sand mafias from Wardha, Yavatmal, Bhandara and Chandrapur were in contact with Khanna, indicating the wide reach of the network. ED probing money trail A senior police officer said, Based on our investigation in 2022, cases were registered for illegal sand transportation and royalty evasion. The ED is now probing the money laundering angle linked to these offences. Sources in the ED said the agency was mainly looking for documents related to ETPs and financial records during the searches. MP to get 50 wild water buffaloes, rhinoState would give tigers, crocs to Assam in exchanges and cobras from Assam BHOPAL : In a significant step towards wildlife conservation, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati, reaching a principled agreement on the inter-state exchange of wild animals. The pact aims to enrich biodiversity in both states, particularly by reintroducing species extinct in certain regions. Under the agreement, Assam will translocate 50 wild water buffaloes to Madhya Pradesh over the next three years, in phased groups. Additionally, a pair of one-horned rhinoceroses and three king cobras will be sent to the state. These animals, including the rhinos and cobras, will initially be housed at Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal for acclimatisation and public viewing. The wild buffaloes, however, will be reintroduced into their historic habitat at Kanha Tiger Reserve. In exchange, Madhya Pradesh will provide Assam with a pair of tigers and six mugger crocodiles, helping diversify Assam's wildlife populations. Announcing the development on his X handle, CM Yadav stated, Steps will be taken to enrich wildlife and biodiversity in Madhya Pradesh. The extinct wild buffalo species will be reintroduced... 50 wild buffaloes, a pair of rhinos, and three cobras will be brought from Assam in the next 3 years. The buffaloes will be reintroduced in Kanha Tiger Reserve. Dr Yadav emphasised that this initiative follows the successful reintroduction of cheetahs in Kuno National Park, adding a new dimension to Madhya Pradesh's conservation efforts. The state, already known as the Tiger State and Leopard State, is committed to restoring species that once roamed its forests. The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), an endangered species, became locally extinct in Madhya Pradesh over a century ago. India's primary population is now concentrated in Assam, particularly in Kaziranga and Manas National Parks, with global numbers under 4,000. A comprehensive study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, identified Kanha Tiger Reserve as ideal for the reintroduction due to its abundant grasslands, water sources, low human interference, and suitable herbivore dynamics. Further modalities are being worked out. Online betting racket busted, Rs 50.53 lakh cash seized Staff Reporter : RAIPUR : The Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit, in a joint operation with Ganj police station, busted an online betting racket operating from a four-wheeler near Sindhu Bhawan parking on Pathak Hospital Road and seized cash amounting to Rs 50.35 lakh. Four accused were arrested while allegedly running online betting operations using laptops and mobile phones from inside the vehicle. According to police, the team received specific information on January 8, 2025, that certain individuals were conducting online betting activities from a car parked in the Ganj police station area. Acting under the direction of senior officers, a joint team reached the spot and identified the vehicle mentioned by the informant. Upon checking the four-wheeler, four persons were found inside who identified themselves as Ritesh Govindani, Mohammad Akhtar, Vikram Rajkori and Sagar Pinjani. During inspection of their laptops and mobile phones, police found that the accused were operating online betting through master IDs and user IDs of various online betting websites, including Allpanelexch.com, Power7777.com, Powerexch.com and Classicexch99.com. A large amount of cash was also recovered from their possession. When questioned, the accused failed to give satisfactory answers and attempted to mislead the police. Further investigation revealed that Ritesh Govindani and Sagar Pinjani were supplying master IDs of different online betting platforms to gamblers and operators on a commission basis, while Mohammad Akhtar and Vikram Rajkori were providing betting IDs to customers, also earning commission. All four were found to be illegally profiting from online betting activities. Police seized Rs 50,35,000 in cash, two laptops, ten mobile phones, a Hyundai Tucson car bearing registration number CG 04 NQ 7745, along with passports, ATM cards, checkbooks and a calculator. The total value of the seized items is estimated to be around Rs 80 lakh. In addition, bank accounts of the accused containing transactions worth crores of rupees have been frozen as part of the investigation. A case has been registered at Ganj police station under Crime No. 06/26 under Section 7 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling Prohibition Act 2022, Section 112(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66(C) of the Information Technology Act. Police have also obtained information about customers who placed bets using the IDs supplied by the accused. Legal action will be initiated against those involved in online betting through these accounts. Police officials stated that the crackdown is the result of an evolving strategy to tackle changing crime patterns. The ACCU team had been closely monitoring the lifestyle and daily activities of the accused after noticing unusually high expenditures. The investigation gained momentum after Vikram Rajkori recently returned from a foreign trip, following which the operation was carried out under the supervision of senior officers. The police also confirmed that Ritesh Govindani has previously been jailed in cases related to rioting at Gudhiyari police station and gambling at Telibandha police station, while Vikram Rajkori was earlier imprisoned in a case involving prohibited hookah-related material at Bemetara police station. Split jurisdiction clouds Raipur Police Commissionerate rollout By Mukesh S Singh : Raipur : As Chhattisgarh prepares to usher in its first Police Commissionerate system in Raipur, the proposed hybrid structure has already triggered unease among senior police officers and governance experts. Drawing parallels with earlier experiments in Uttar Pradesh, where similar urbanrural splits in cities like Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were eventually abandoned due to coordination failures and jurisdictional confusion, observers caution that Raipur may be heading down a comparable path. The concern stems from the decision to confine the commissionerate to urban limits, leaving vast and strategically critical areas under a separate rural policing command. This unease gains sharper context when viewed against the states longer-term development roadmap. The proposed State Capital Region, approved by the legislature in late 2025, envisions an integrated metropolitan expanse covering Raipur, Nava Raipur and the Bhilai-Durg twin cities, with coordinated growth in infrastructure, governance and economic activity. Former Director General of Police Durgesh Madhav Awasthi, who has earlier served in Raipur as ASP (Rural), SSP, IG Raipur Range and IG Intelligence, told The Hitavada that policing architecture must evolve in sync with urban expansion. Raipur is fast developing. Fragmented policing will only create friction in areas that are no longer purely rural or urban, he said. Under the proposed arrangement, the police commissioner will oversee the citys administrative and residential core, including Civil Lines that house the Governors residence and ministerial bungalows. However, key installations such as Raipur Airport in Mana, the Vidhan Sabha, the Secretariat and large parts of Nava Raipur will continue to fall under the jurisdiction of the Rural Superintendent of Police. Awasthi questioned this logic, saying the commissioner should deal with all major zones, including the airport, Nava Raipur and the industrial belt surrounding Raipur, while the Rural SP should focus exclusively on genuinely rural policing. Echoing these concerns, former Special Director General (SDG) Rajinder Kumar Vij said the effectiveness of the commissionerate would depend largely on the breadth of its jurisdiction. In order to make the Police Commissionerate system function effectively, Nava Raipur, Mana and the surrounding industrial regions and upcoming towns must be part of it. A very small jurisdiction may itself create coordination issues, he observed. The Police Commissionerate is now slated to be rolled out from January 23, following multiple administrative reviews. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai had announced the move on Independence Day, projecting it as a response to growing law-and-order challenges in the capital. With Raipurs population having crossed the 10-lakh mark as early as the 2011 Census, the case for a robust commissionerate has long been considered administratively inevitable. Originally, the rollout was planned for November 1 as part of Chhattisgarhs Silver Jubilee celebrations, but it was deferred after a closed-door meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. Officials cited the need for legal clarity, administrative harmonisation and inter-departmental coordination. Despite sustained efforts by Home Minister Vijay Sharma to keep the timeline intact, the government opted to shift the launch to January 2026 to avoid a hurried transition. Highly placed sources said the process has since diverged from its original path. A detailed blueprint prepared after months of deliberation by a seven-member Police Headquarters (PHQ) task force was formally submitted to the Home Department but has not been acted upon. The task force was chaired by Additional Director General of Police (Planning and Provisioning) Pradeep Gupta and included IG Ajay Yadav, IG Amresh Mishra, IG Dhruv Gupta, DIG Abhishek Meena, DIG Santosh Singh and SP Prabhat Kumar, with legal inputs from Joint Director of Prosecution Mukula Sharma. Instead, a fresh framework is now being drawn up within the Home Department under the supervision of Himshikhar Gupta, a 2007-batch IAS officer serving as Home Secretary with additional charge of the Labour Department. This revised exercise is understood to draw heavily from the earlier Varanasi model, which Uttar Pradesh later modified after acknowledging operational difficulties with urbanrural splits. The revised Raipur draft is also a trimmed-down version of the original PHQ proposal. It divides the commissionerate into three zones and envisages a Commissioner of Police not below the rank of Inspector General, assisted by one Additional Commissioner of Police of Deputy Inspector General rank. The number of Deputy Commissioners of Police has been reduced from eight to five, including three field DCPs along with DCP Crime and DCP Traffic or Protocol. The sanctioned strength of Assistant Commissioners of Police has similarly been pruned from 20 to 15. These structural changes translate into sharper jurisdictional complications on the ground. Urla police station is proposed to be split into two, with one portion brought under the commissionerate and the other retained under rural policing. At the same time, densely populated and strategically sensitive areas such as Nava Raipur, Raipur Airport in Mana, Dharsiwan, Tilda, Arang and Rajim-Nawapara are proposed to be kept entirely outside the commissionerates jurisdiction, despite their administrative importance, industrial activity, labour concentration and heavy national highway connectivity. Vij said such exclusions could weaken both coordination and accountability. If the jurisdiction of the Police Commissionerate remains very limited, there could be coordination and accountability issues, he cautioned. He also flagged the process adopted for redrawing the blueprint, noting that if a proposal was prepared by the Director General of Police or a committee of senior police officers, it must be given due weightage. Any changes proposed at the government level should be discussed, and differences, if any, resolved amicably. The ultimate purpose of bringing in a new system is to strengthen the enforcement agency and make it more effective, he said. The former Special DG also pointed to the absence of wider consultation, observing that no draft of the proposed commissionerate system had been placed in the public domain for suggestions or feedback. Ideally speaking, to make the Police Commissionerate function effectively, the airport and Nava Raipur should be part of it, Vij added. Awasthi, too, underlined that Mana, Mandir Hasaud, Urla and Chandrakhuri are witnessing rapid residential expansion, with several posh colonies coming up on the citys outskirts. He further noted that the CMs residence, Vidhan Sabha, Raj Bhavan, Secretariat and ministerial bungalows are all located in Nava Raipur, making the presence of the police commissioner there operationally critical. In my view, the police commissioner should have the entire Raipur district. Areas like Abhanpur, Arang and Dharsiwa are fast developing. If we are introducing a commissionerate, it should be the best possible model, not a compromised one, the former DGP said. By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Friday that Chevron saw a pathway to grow its Venezuela production by 50%, with his comments coming after a meeting that President Donald Trump had with oil companies on the South American nation. Chevron "said with the actions that were taken and some additional things we can do for them, .. which is just permissions, approvals," Wright said. He added that the company sees "a pathway to grow their production by 50% in the next 18-24 months." Wright also said that Washington's interactions with Venezuela have been "fantastic" after ousted leader Nicolas Maduro was seized by the U.S. military in a raid in the South American country last weekend. Trump met with executives from some of the world's largest oil companies at the White House on Friday to discuss Venezuela. "Tremendous interest," Wright said when asked if the White House received any firm commitments from oil companies on Friday. Trump ordered the U.S. military to seize Maduro, who was brought to New York. The U.N. human rights office has said the U.S. actions in Venezuela were a violation of international law that made the world less safe. Trump said this week the U.S. will maintain oversight of Venezuela for "much longer" than a year. Administration officials have expressed a desire to control Venezuela's oil sales and revenues indefinitely, saying it will ensure the country acts in America's interests. Some U.S. rivals and Latin American nations have cast the U.S. actions as "unilateral, illegal and bullying acts." (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio) A number of research firms have changed their ratings and price targets for Watts Water Technologies (NYSE: WTS): 1/8/2026 Watts Water Technologies was given a new $275.00 price target on by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company. 1/8/2026 Watts Water Technologies had its hold rating reaffirmed by analysts at Cowen Inc. 1/5/2026 Watts Water Technologies is now covered by analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada. They set a sector perform rating and a $288.00 price target on the stock. 1/5/2026 Watts Water Technologies is now covered by analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada. They set a hold rating and a $288.00 price target on the stock. 12/29/2025 Watts Water Technologies had its buy (b) rating reaffirmed by analysts at Weiss Ratings. 12/29/2025 Watts Water Technologies was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating. 12/15/2025 Watts Water Technologies had its buy (b+) rating reaffirmed by analysts at Weiss Ratings. 12/13/2025 Watts Water Technologies was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating. 12/12/2025 Watts Water Technologies is now covered by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group Inc.. They set a hold rating and a $300.00 price target on the stock. 12/1/2025 Watts Water Technologies had its buy (b) rating reaffirmed by analysts at Weiss Ratings. 11/24/2025 Watts Water Technologies had its buy (b) rating reaffirmed by analysts at Weiss Ratings. 11/17/2025 Watts Water Technologies had its buy (b) rating reaffirmed by analysts at Weiss Ratings. Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Watts Water Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.47%. Get Watts Water Technologies Inc alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Watts Water Technologies news, CAO Virginia A. Halloran sold 605 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.78, for a total value of $167,451.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 13,412 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,712,173.36. This trade represents a 4.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder Timothy P. Horne sold 6,814 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $272.32, for a total value of $1,855,588.48. Following the transaction, the insider owned 15,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,084,800. The trade was a 31.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 15,605 shares of company stock worth $4,296,387 in the last ninety days. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Watts Water Technologies, Inc is a global manufacturer and distributor of flow control products and solutions designed to ensure the safe, efficient delivery and use of water. Founded in 1874 and headquartered in North Andover, Massachusetts, the company has built a reputation for engineering innovation in residential, commercial and industrial plumbing, heating, cooling and water treatment systems. Watts operates through a comprehensive portfolio of brands and product lines that address application-specific requirements in water safety, pressure regulation, flow control and filtration. The companys product offerings span backflow preventers, pressure reducing valves, relief valves and steam traps, as well as hydronic balancing and temperature control devices for heating systems. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Watts Water Technologies Inc Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Watts Water Technologies Inc and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,717 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,310,000. Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 22.0% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,597 shares of the companys stock worth $7,409,000 after buying an additional 1,730 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,471 shares of the companys stock worth $1,136,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. WBI Investments LLC acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the first quarter worth $330,000. Advisors Capital Management LLC raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.4% during the first quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 10,647 shares of the companys stock worth $8,794,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares during the period. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 31.7% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 149,687 shares of the companys stock valued at $123,177,000 after purchasing an additional 36,002 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company Here are the key news stories impacting Eli Lilly and Company this week: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have recently commented on LLY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,286.00 to $1,268.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Daiwa Capital Markets set a $1,230.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Leerink Partnrs raised Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, National Bankshares set a $1,286.00 price objective on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $1,169.00. View Our Latest Research Report on LLY Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance NYSE:LLY opened at $1,063.90 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $1,037.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $860.61. The stock has a market cap of $1.01 trillion, a PE ratio of 52.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.55. Eli Lilly and Company has a one year low of $623.78 and a one year high of $1,133.95. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Free Report) last issued its 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. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 109.52% and a net margin of 30.99%.The company had revenue of $17.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $16.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.18 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 53.9% on a year-over-year basis. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 23.000-23.700 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current fiscal year. Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $1.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Companys previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.35%. Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) is a global pharmaceutical company founded in 1876 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes a broad range of medicines and therapies for patients worldwide. Eli Lilly maintains operations and commercial presence across North America, Europe, Asia and other regions, serving both developed and emerging markets. The company has been led in recent years by President and Chief Executive Officer David A. Further Reading 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. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) had its target price increased by TD Cowen from $64.00 to $66.00 in a research note published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the financial services providers stock. BAC has been the topic of several other reports. Cowen restated a buy rating on shares of Bank of America in a report on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $58.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Bank of America from $55.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Wolfe Research downgraded Bank of America from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Ameriprise Financial raised Bank of America to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Bank of America presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $59.82. Get Bank of America alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Bank of America Bank of America Stock Down 0.7% Shares of NYSE:BAC opened at $55.81 on Wednesday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $54.14 and its 200 day moving average is $50.98. Bank of America has a 12-month low of $33.06 and a 12-month high of $57.55. The stock has a market cap of $407.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.21 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $5.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $27.05 billion. Bank of America had a return on equity of 10.76% and a net margin of 15.70%.The businesss revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.81 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Bank of America will post 3.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Bank of America Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were given a $0.28 dividend. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.52%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Bank of America in the second quarter valued at $5,091,641,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in Bank of America by 640.5% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 46,516,728 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,399,798,000 after purchasing an additional 40,235,201 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Bank of America by 11.0% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 144,371,118 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $7,448,816,000 after purchasing an additional 14,275,810 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in Bank of America by 124.8% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 17,619,837 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $833,771,000 after purchasing an additional 9,782,208 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in Bank of America during the 3rd quarter valued at about $224,863,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.71% of the companys stock. Trending Headlines about Bank of America Here are the key news stories impacting Bank of America this week: Bank of America Company Profile (Get Free Report) Bank of America Corporation is a multinational financial services company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It provides a broad array of banking, investment, asset management and related financial and risk management products and services to individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses, large corporations, governments and institutional investors. The firm operates through consumer banking, global wealth and investment management, global banking and markets businesses, offering capabilities across lending, deposits, payments, advisory and capital markets. Its consumer-facing offerings include checking and savings accounts, mortgages, home equity lending, auto loans, credit cards and small business banking, supported by a nationwide branch network and digital channels. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Bank of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chinas market regulator has warned several producers of polysilicon, a key material in solar panels, about monopoly risks stemming from their consolidation efforts in the oversupplied sector. Six companies including Tongwei Co. and GCL Technology Holdings, along with the industry association, were summoned by the State Administration for Market Regulation, local media outlet Securities Times reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources. The agency warned them not to coordinate on production capacity, sales volume and prices. Most Read from Bloomberg Shares in Tongwei fell more than 3% after the market opened in Shanghai on Friday, while GCL dropped more than 4% in Hong Kong. Tongwei and GCL declined to comment, and the China Photovoltaic Industry Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The regulatory intervention comes after the countrys polysilicon sector spent much of last year setting up a fund through which major producers can buy outdated capacity from smaller rivals, easing a supply glut. Expectations for the funds setup had spurred a mid-year surge in polysilicon prices amid improved market sentiment, and it was launched in December. The meeting with the State Administration for Market Regulation likely confirms our skepticism of the polysilicon acquisition plan, BofA Global Research analysts including Gary Tsang wrote in a note, adding that the plan appears too aggressive. The latest development, thought not quite a failure of the sectors consolidation efforts, nevertheless highlights challenges for an industry facing prolonged losses. Some solar companies have said the surge in polysilicon prices without other supply chain price recovery is unsustainable, the analysts said. Going forward, the analysts expect a broader redistribution of profits across the solar supply chain rather than concentration in the polysilicon segment alone. Measures such as raising industry standards and gradually phasing out subsidies including export tax rebates are also likely to continue. Key Data Points: Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK Free Report) had its price objective upped by TD Cowen from $133.00 to $145.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the banks stock. Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b+) rating on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Truist Financial raised shares of Bank of New York Mellon from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price target for the company from $119.00 to $134.00 in a report on Wednesday. Barclays boosted their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $120.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $120.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $100.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $115.43. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Bank of New York Mellon Bank of New York Mellon Trading Down 0.8% Shares of BK opened at $119.03 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $83.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.18, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.11. Bank of New York Mellon has a twelve month low of $70.46 and a twelve month high of $122.36. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $113.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $106.40. Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The bank reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $5.07 billion during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon had a return on equity of 14.03% and a net margin of 12.86%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Bank of New York Mellon will post 6.96 EPS for the current year. Bank of New York Mellon Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 27th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, October 27th. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.59%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bank of New York Mellon A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $220,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in Bank of New York Mellon by 96.7% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 33,660 shares of the banks stock worth $2,823,000 after acquiring an additional 16,545 shares during the period. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Bank of New York Mellon during the 1st quarter worth approximately $222,000. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in Bank of New York Mellon in the 1st quarter valued at $348,000. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC grew its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 39,976 shares of the banks stock valued at $3,353,000 after acquiring an additional 1,242 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.31% of the companys stock. About Bank of New York Mellon (Get Free Report) Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BNY Mellon) is a global financial services company headquartered in New York City that provides a wide range of asset servicing, custody, and related financial infrastructure solutions to institutional clients. Its core businesses include custody and asset servicing, clearing and collateral management, treasury services, securities lending, corporate trust services, and depositary receipt administration. The company also offers investment management and advisory services through its asset management arm and provides technology-enabled solutions for trade processing, foreign exchange, and liquidity management. BNY Mellon serves a broad client base that includes asset managers, pension funds, corporations, banks, broker-dealers and sovereign entities. 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. BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of Hold from the twenty-three ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $42.7083. Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of BP from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Wolfe Research restated an outperform rating and issued a $51.00 target price on shares of BP in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. BNP Paribas raised BP from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Monday, September 15th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on BP from $44.00 to $43.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d+) rating on shares of BP in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Get BP alerts: Get Our Latest Report on BP BP Stock Performance Shares of BP stock opened at $34.32 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The business has a 50 day moving average of $35.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.16. The company has a market cap of $89.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 59.16, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.32. BP has a 52 week low of $25.22 and a 52 week high of $37.64. BP (NYSE:BP Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.13. BP had a return on equity of 9.07% and a net margin of 0.79%.The business had revenue of $48.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $43.76 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.83 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that BP will post 3.53 EPS for the current year. BP Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $0.4992 per share. This is an increase from BPs previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. BPs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 341.38%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On BP Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BP. Bollard Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of BP by 12.7% in the second quarter. Bollard Group LLC now owns 337,724 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $10,108,000 after acquiring an additional 37,974 shares in the last quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS lifted its position in BP by 1.6% in the second quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 485,409 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $14,528,000 after purchasing an additional 7,645 shares during the period. Vestor Capital LLC boosted its stake in BP by 2,705.2% during the 2nd quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 57,983 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $1,735,000 after purchasing an additional 55,916 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of BP by 119.7% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 33,148 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $992,000 after purchasing an additional 18,057 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of BP by 206.0% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 252,849 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $7,568,000 after buying an additional 170,221 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 11.01% of the companys stock. About BP (Get Free Report) BP plc is a British multinational integrated energy company headquartered in London. Originating in the early 20th century as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, BP has grown into one of the worlds largest oil and gas companies, operating across exploration and production, refining and marketing, trading, and a range of low-carbon businesses. The companys core activities include upstream exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, midstream and trading operations, and downstream refining, marketing and supply of fuels, lubricants and petrochemicals. See Also Receive News & Ratings for BP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cabot (NYSE:CBT Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at UBS Group from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on CBT. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a buy rating and issued a $81.00 price objective on shares of Cabot in a report on Thursday. Zacks Research lowered shares of Cabot from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Cabot from $72.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Cabot from $75.00 to $54.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Cabot in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $74.00. Get Cabot alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Cabot Cabot Stock Up 1.4% Cabot stock opened at $72.80 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $64.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $72.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. Cabot has a twelve month low of $58.33 and a twelve month high of $92.89. The company has a market capitalization of $3.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.11, a P/E/G ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.89. Cabot (NYSE:CBT Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.72 by ($0.02). Cabot had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 24.55%. The firm had revenue of $899.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $967.02 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.80 EPS. Cabots revenue for the quarter was down 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. Cabot has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.000-7.00 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Cabot will post 7.57 EPS for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cabot A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CBT. Gabelli Funds LLC increased its stake in Cabot by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 13,570 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $1,032,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Cabot by 1.7% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 10,551 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $791,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of Cabot by 95.5% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 387 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Cabot by 4.2% during the second quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,000 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $375,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lifted its position in Cabot by 1.4% during the third quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 14,558 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $1,107,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.18% of the companys stock. Cabot Company Profile (Get Free Report) Cabot Corporation is a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1882 by Godfrey Lowell Cabot, the company has grown into a diversified manufacturer with operations across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Cabot serves a wide range of end markets, including automotive, industrial, energy, and consumer products, supplying essential ingredients that enhance performance, durability and functionality. The company operates two primary segments: Reinforcement Materials and Performance Materials. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Cabot Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cabot and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (TSE:CP Get Free Report) (NYSE:CP) has been assigned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation, eight have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$120.23. A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$121.00 to C$114.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$129.00 to C$137.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. ATB Capital boosted their price target on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$124.00 to C$125.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$137.00 to C$124.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, CIBC raised their price objective on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$122.00 to C$123.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Get Canadian Pacific Kansas City alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Canadian Pacific Kansas City Canadian Pacific Kansas City Stock Performance Shares of TSE CP opened at C$99.56 on Monday. Canadian Pacific Kansas City has a 12-month low of C$94.60 and a 12-month high of C$118.80. The company has a market cap of C$89.69 billion, a PE ratio of 21.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of C$100.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$103.86. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 49.64. Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSE:CP Get Free Report) (NYSE:CP) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported C$1.10 EPS for the quarter. Canadian Pacific Kansas City had a return on equity of 8.22% and a net margin of 24.50%.The firm had revenue of C$3.66 billion for the quarter. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Canadian Pacific Kansas City will post 4.3438583 EPS for the current year. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Company Profile (Get Free Report) Canadian Pacific is a CAD 8 billion Class-1 railroads operating on more than 12,500 miles of track across most of Canada and into parts of the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. It is the second-smallest Class I railroad by revenue and route miles. In 2021, CP hauled shipments of grain (22% of freight revenue), intermodal containers (22%), energy products (like crude and frac sand), chemicals, and plastics (20%) coal (8%), fertilizer and potash (10%), automotive products (5%), and a diverse mix of other merchandise. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Pacific Kansas City Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Pacific Kansas City and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its position in Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX Free Report) by 10.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 248,419 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after buying an additional 23,660 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenues holdings in Chevron were worth $38,576,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Quaker Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Chevron by 197.7% in the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 217 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Chevron by 86.1% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 255 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Chevron by 52.3% during the 2nd quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 265 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Chevron by 306.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 268 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GFG Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Chevron in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.42% of the companys stock. Get Chevron alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Chevron news, CFO Eimear P. Bonner sold 28,334 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.05, for a total transaction of $4,676,526.70. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 4,366 shares in the company, valued at $720,608.30. This represents a 86.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director John B. Hess sold 275,000 shares of Chevron stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.75, for a total value of $41,456,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,128,045 shares of the companys stock, valued at $170,052,783.75. The trade was a 19.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 631,990 shares of company stock worth $99,716,808 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.21% of the companys stock. Trending Headlines about Chevron Positive Sentiment: Chevron is in advanced talks with the U.S. government to expand its Venezuela license, which would allow higher exports to Chevrons refineries and third parties a clear potential earnings and volume catalyst. Read More. Chevron is in advanced talks with the U.S. government to expand its Venezuela license, which would allow higher exports to Chevrons refineries and third parties a clear potential earnings and volume catalyst. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Shipping and operational activity is picking up: data and filings show Chevron loading Venezuelan crude and contracting multiple tankers, signalling the company can scale flows quickly if approvals hold. Read More. Shipping and operational activity is picking up: data and filings show Chevron loading Venezuelan crude and contracting multiple tankers, signalling the company can scale flows quickly if approvals hold. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Market positioning and deal activity: reports show Chevron competing with traders and partners to control Venezuelan exports and lining up bids for international assets moves that could expand supply links and reserves. Read More. Market positioning and deal activity: reports show Chevron competing with traders and partners to control Venezuelan exports and lining up bids for international assets moves that could expand supply links and reserves. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Bernstein and other outlets have recently raised targets or reiterated bullish theses on CVX amid the Venezuela angle, providing analyst-driven validation. Read More. Analyst support: Bernstein and other outlets have recently raised targets or reiterated bullish theses on CVX amid the Venezuela angle, providing analyst-driven validation. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: White House engagement: President Trump met with oil executives to discuss Venezuela reconstruction policy backing could help but details, guarantees and timelines remain uncertain. Read More. White House engagement: President Trump met with oil executives to discuss Venezuela reconstruction policy backing could help but details, guarantees and timelines remain uncertain. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Companies want guarantees: FT/Reuters reporting that U.S. majors want formal guarantees from Washington before committing large capital, implying any large-scale Venezuela rebuild will be phased and conditional. Read More. Companies want guarantees: FT/Reuters reporting that U.S. majors want formal guarantees from Washington before committing large capital, implying any large-scale Venezuela rebuild will be phased and conditional. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Distribution risk: some shipments to traditional buyers (notably Chinese buyers) are paused, tempering near-term cash conversion despite increased loading activity. Read More. Distribution risk: some shipments to traditional buyers (notably Chinese buyers) are paused, tempering near-term cash conversion despite increased loading activity. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling disclosed (CEO, CFO and other insiders sold sizable blocks in early January), which can be perceived negatively and add short-term selling pressure. Read More. Large insider selling disclosed (CEO, CFO and other insiders sold sizable blocks in early January), which can be perceived negatively and add short-term selling pressure. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and sell-side caution: at least one firm cut CVX to Strong Sell and others trimmed price targets, reflecting some skepticism about sustainable upside after the recent run. Read More. Read More. Analyst downgrades and sell-side caution: at least one firm cut CVX to Strong Sell and others trimmed price targets, reflecting some skepticism about sustainable upside after the recent run. Read More. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Political/reputational risk: high-profile criticism and scrutiny around U.S. handling of Venezuela investments raise execution and regulatory uncertainty. Read More. Analyst Ratings Changes Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week: Several research analysts have weighed in on CVX shares. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on shares of Chevron from $170.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Monday. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Chevron from $185.00 to $179.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 5th. HSBC set a $169.00 price objective on shares of Chevron and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Mizuho boosted their target price on Chevron from $204.00 to $206.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Chevron from $160.00 to $158.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Chevron has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $167.14. View Our Latest Analysis on Chevron Chevron Price Performance Shares of CVX opened at $162.15 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $326.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.81, a PEG ratio of 9.97 and a beta of 0.70. Chevron Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $132.04 and a fifty-two week high of $168.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firms 50 day moving average price is $152.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $153.42. Chevron (NYSE:CVX Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.14. Chevron had a net margin of 6.57% and a return on equity of 8.74%. The business had revenue of $48.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $46.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.48 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Chevron Corporation will post 10.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Chevron Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 18th were paid a dividend of $1.71 per share. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 18th. Chevrons payout ratio is presently 96.20%. Chevron Profile (Free Report) Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevrons core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide. Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CVX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Chevron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chevron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Gordon Haskett from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Cowen reiterated a buy rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Monday. BTIG Research lowered their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $57.00 to $45.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. UBS Group set a $45.00 price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $55.00 to $45.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Mizuho raised their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $50.00. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on CMG Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Up 2.3% Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock opened at $40.10 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $53.02 billion, a PE ratio of 35.49, a P/E/G ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 0.97. The business has a 50 day moving average of $34.57 and a 200 day moving average of $41.06. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 52 week low of $29.75 and a 52 week high of $59.57. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.29. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.04% and a return on equity of 45.39%. The business had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.27 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CMG. Ascent Group LLC raised its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 5,752 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $323,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB increased its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB now owns 59,234 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $3,326,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. Occidental Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.8% in the second quarter. Occidental Asset Management LLC now owns 7,257 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $407,000 after buying an additional 195 shares during the last quarter. Perennial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3.1% in the second quarter. Perennial Advisors LLC now owns 6,667 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $374,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quent Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.0% in the second quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 10,555 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $593,000 after buying an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. 91.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Chipotle Mexican Grill News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Chipotle Mexican Grill this week: Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a $50 price target a fresh analyst endorsement that signals confidence in Chipotles growth story and likely helped buying interest. Telsey Initiation Telsey Advisory Group initiated coverage with an rating and a $50 price target a fresh analyst endorsement that signals confidence in Chipotles growth story and likely helped buying interest. Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target to $50 and kept a Buy view, another firm pushing upside expectations that supports the rally. Truist PT Raise Truist raised its price target to $50 and kept a Buy view, another firm pushing upside expectations that supports the rally. Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting Chipotles strong earningssurprise history and the companys setup to beat again, which bolsters confidence ahead of future reports. Zacks Earnings Beat Thesis Analysts are highlighting Chipotles strong earningssurprise history and the companys setup to beat again, which bolsters confidence ahead of future reports. Positive Sentiment: Product strategy: Chipotles push of higherprotein menu options aimed at GLP1 users is being viewed by analysts as a demand catalyst and potential market share win among healthfocused consumers. Benzinga HighProtein Push Product strategy: Chipotles push of higherprotein menu options aimed at GLP1 users is being viewed by analysts as a demand catalyst and potential market share win among healthfocused consumers. Positive Sentiment: Barclays and other brokers are publicly forecasting upside, adding to the positive analyst tone supporting the stock. Barclays Note Barclays and other brokers are publicly forecasting upside, adding to the positive analyst tone supporting the stock. Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein reiterated an Outperform rating but cut its price target to $40 a mixed signal that keeps mediumterm conviction but reduces nearterm upside. Bernstein Note Bernstein reiterated an Outperform rating but cut its price target to $40 a mixed signal that keeps mediumterm conviction but reduces nearterm upside. Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho nudged its target to $38 with a Neutral rating, reflecting more cautious positioning by some sellside desks amid recent gains. Mizuho Note Mizuho nudged its target to $38 with a Neutral rating, reflecting more cautious positioning by some sellside desks amid recent gains. Negative Sentiment: Valuation and momentum concerns: several pieces question whether the recent rebound has stretched pricing relative to fundamentals (P/E near decade lows versus past but still elevated vs. peers) this commentary can cap upside and prompt profittaking. Yahoo: Pricing Stretched? Valuation and momentum concerns: several pieces question whether the recent rebound has stretched pricing relative to fundamentals (P/E near decade lows versus past but still elevated vs. peers) this commentary can cap upside and prompt profittaking. Negative Sentiment: Macro/consumer risk: opinion pieces label Chipotle as a possible value trap if samestore sales weakness persists; new federal nutrition guidelines also introduce uncertainty about diningout behavior. Fool: Value Trap Analysis CNBC: Nutrition Guidelines Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile (Get Free Report) Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast-casual restaurant company known for its Mexican-inspired menu of burritos, bowls, tacos and salads. Founded in 1993 by Steve Ells, the chain emphasizes fresh, customizable meals made from a limited menu of core ingredients and a focus on ingredient quality. Chipotle operates primarily company-owned restaurants and offers dine-in, takeout, catering and delivery through its own digital platforms and third-party partners. The company is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, and traces its roots to Denver, Colorado. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Live Oak Bancshares (NYSE:LOB Get Free Report) is one of 20 publicly-traded companies in the State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare Live Oak Bancshares to related companies based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings and dividends. Dividends Live Oak Bancshares pays an annual dividend of $0.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. Live Oak Bancshares pays out 8.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System companies pay a dividend yield of 2.3% and pay out 67.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Get Live Oak Bancshares alerts: Profitability This table compares Live Oak Bancshares and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Live Oak Bancshares 6.94% 6.61% 0.51% Live Oak Bancshares Competitors 7.23% 6.94% 0.79% Volatility and Risk Analyst Recommendations Live Oak Bancshares has a beta of 2.02, indicating that its stock price is 102% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Live Oak Bancshares competitors have a beta of 1.01, indicating that their average stock price is 1% more volatile than the S&P 500. This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Live Oak Bancshares and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Live Oak Bancshares 0 2 0 1 2.67 Live Oak Bancshares Competitors 29 167 197 19 2.50 As a group, State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System companies have a potential upside of 5.58%. Given Live Oak Bancshares competitors higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Live Oak Bancshares has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Live Oak Bancshares and its competitors gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Live Oak Bancshares $936.15 million $77.47 million 24.61 Live Oak Bancshares Competitors $744.78 million $95.99 million 39.72 Live Oak Bancshares has higher revenue, but lower earnings than its competitors. Live Oak Bancshares is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Institutional and Insider Ownership 64.0% of Live Oak Bancshares shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 72.2% of shares of all State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System companies are owned by institutional investors. 23.4% of Live Oak Bancshares shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 6.7% of shares of all State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Live Oak Bancshares competitors beat Live Oak Bancshares on 9 of the 15 factors compared. About Live Oak Bancshares (Get Free Report) Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Live Oak Banking Company that provides various commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, and professionals in North Carolina, the United States. The company accepts various deposit products, including noninterest-bearing demand, as well as interest-bearing checking, money market, savings, and time deposits. It also offers commercial and industrial loans; construction and development loans; owner occupied and non-owner occupied collateral commercial real estate loans; and commercial land loans. In addition, the company provides settlement, accounting, and securitization services for government guaranteed loans; wealth and investment management services to high-net-worth individuals and families; investment advisory services to a series of funds focused on providing venture capital to new and emerging financial technology companies; and an on-site restaurant location to company employees and business visitors. Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. Receive News & Ratings for Live Oak Bancshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Live Oak Bancshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CVR Energy Inc. (NYSE:CVI Get Free Report)s stock price fell 7.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $23.11 and last traded at $22.85. 1,196,249 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 12% from the average session volume of 1,362,980 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.64. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of CVR Energy in a research note on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on CVR Energy from $19.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Scotiabank restated an underperform rating on shares of CVR Energy in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of CVR Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of CVR Energy from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Strong Sell and a consensus target price of $29.25. Get CVR Energy alerts: Read Our Latest Report on CVI CVR Energy Trading Down 2.8% The company has a market capitalization of $2.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.02 and a beta of 1.14. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $31.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76. CVR Energy (NYSE:CVI Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 2nd. The oil and gas company reported ($0.23) earnings per share for the quarter. CVR Energy had a negative return on equity of 6.43% and a net margin of 2.26%.The firm had revenue of $1.76 billion for the quarter. Analysts anticipate that CVR Energy Inc. will post -0.12 EPS for the current year. Institutional Trading of CVR Energy Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Matrix Trust Co acquired a new position in CVR Energy in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of CVR Energy during the third quarter worth about $50,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of CVR Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $53,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of CVR Energy by 48.0% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,633 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $98,000 after purchasing an additional 1,178 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of CVR Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $114,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.88% of the companys stock. CVR Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) CVR Energy, Inc is an independent downstream energy company engaged primarily in petroleum refining and nitrogen fertilizer production in the United States. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, CVR Energy operates through two reportable segmentsPetroleum Products and Nitrogen Fertilizersleveraging its refining expertise and distribution network to serve both wholesale and retail markets across key regions in the U.S. In its Petroleum Products segment, the company owns and operates the Coffeyville, Kansas refinery, which has the capability to process various grades of crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for CVR Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CVR Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SG Americas Securities LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR Free Report) by 57.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 56,887 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 78,290 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLCs holdings in Danaher were worth $11,278,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of DHR. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in Danaher in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new stake in shares of Danaher during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Danaher in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Tripletail Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Danaher in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Red Tortoise LLC boosted its position in Danaher by 175.0% during the 2nd quarter. Red Tortoise LLC now owns 154 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.05% of the companys stock. Get Danaher alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have weighed in on DHR. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Danaher from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. HSBC upped their price target on shares of Danaher from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Redburn Partners set a $220.00 price objective on shares of Danaher in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Danaher in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Danaher in a research note on Monday, December 1st. They issued an overweight rating and a $270.00 price target on the stock. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Danaher has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $249.92. Danaher Stock Performance Shares of DHR opened at $238.28 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $168.31 billion, a PE ratio of 49.13, a P/E/G ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $225.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $210.51. Danaher Corporation has a 52-week low of $171.00 and a 52-week high of $258.23. Danaher (NYSE:DHR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 20th. The conglomerate reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.72 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $6.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6 billion. Danaher had a net margin of 14.44% and a return on equity of 10.92%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.71 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Danaher Corporation will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Danaher Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 26th. Danahers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.39%. Insider Activity In other news, SVP Brian W. Ellis sold 21,776 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.23, for a total value of $4,773,952.48. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 14,553 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,190,454.19. The trade was a 59.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Teri List sold 3,298 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.50, for a total value of $746,997.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 20,762 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,702,593. This trade represents a 13.71% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 30,248 shares of company stock worth $6,609,663. 11.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Danaher Company Profile (Free Report) Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) is a global science and technology company that designs, manufactures and markets products and services for the life sciences, diagnostics, and environmental and applied markets. The company organizes its operations into business segments focused on Life Sciences, Diagnostics, and Environmental & Applied Solutions, supplying instruments, reagents, software and related services that support research, clinical testing, biopharmaceutical development, and industrial and environmental monitoring. Products and services in Danahers portfolio include analytical and diagnostic instruments, laboratory consumables and reagents, digital and software solutions for workflow and data management, field and industrial monitoring equipment, and service and maintenance programs. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DHR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Danaher Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Danaher and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (ETR:DBAN Get Free Report)s stock price fell 1% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as 25.50 and last traded at 25.60. 7,362 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 42,193 shares. The stock had previously closed at 25.85. Deutsche Beteiligungs Trading Down 1.0% The firms 50-day moving average price is 24.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is 24.60. The stock has a market cap of $467.78 million, a PE ratio of 10.12, a PEG ratio of -0.78 and a beta of 1.10. About Deutsche Beteiligungs (Get Free Report) Deutsche Beteiligungs AG is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in direct and fund of fund investments. Within direct investments the firm specializes in expansion capital, management buyout, emerging growth, middle market, mid venture, late venture, growth capital, add-on acquisitions, bridge financing, PIPES, management buy-ins for experienced executives, corporate spin-offs, succession arrangements and generational transition in a family-owned business, small and medium-sized companies, and pre-IPO stage investments. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Beteiligungs Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Beteiligungs and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. By David Kirton GUANGZHOU, China, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Chinese automaker Xpeng said it wanted to become better known as a physical AI company rather than just a carmaker, as it gears up to launch street trials of robotaxis and start mass producing humanoid robots later this year. Robots and autos are the core of physical artificial intelligence and share a wide range of existing sensor tech and other hardware. Automakers, for example, are creating robots to automate warehouse and factory tasks. He Xiaopeng, founder and CEO of the company - one of China's best-selling electric vehicle startups and a Volkswagen partner - on Thursday said that with automakers facing intense competition, integrated AI capabilities with XPeng's in-house "Turing" AI chip will give it an advantage.XPeng definitely does not want to become a car company that simply sells hardware cheaply," he said at an event in Guangzhou. "We want to become a global technology company, a company with strong differentiation.The effort to reposition itself echoes similar efforts by Elon Musk's Tesla to expand into making humanoid robots and robotaxis as part of a sharp rise in the use of AI globally. Underlining growing interest in physical AI, chip technology company Arm Holdings told Reuters this week that it had reorganized to create a physical AI unit to expand its presence in the robotics market. Another Chinese automaker, Li Auto in 2023 unveiled a repositioning towards AI, with founder Li Xiang saying that it had invested more than 6 billion yuan ($859.1 million) in AI models, computing power and infrastructure annually. Xpengs shift also comes as Chinas auto market, the worlds largest, has been embroiled in a years-long price war that has hurt profits. Xpeng's He unveiled four revamped car models at the Guangzhou event, emphasizing new software features including 3D navigation systems, advanced hazard alerts beyond the immediate line of sight and improvements in autonomous driving systems. He said Xpeng has also been hiring and investing in developing autonomous driving and humanoid robots centred on its in-house AI capabilities. The company will begin mass production of humanoid robots in the second half of 2026 and will begin street trials of robotaxis very soon, He said. Xpeng recorded a net loss of 380 million yuan in the third quarter and He previously said he expected to break even by the end of 2025. (Reporting by David Kirton in Guangzhou, Additional reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai; Editing by Brenda Goh and Thomas Derpinghaus) Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Deutsche Lufthansa (OTCMKTS:DLAKY Free Report) from an underweight rating to an overweight rating in a report issued on Wednesday. Several other brokerages have also issued reports on DLAKY. Citigroup lowered shares of Deutsche Lufthansa from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Kepler Capital Markets raised shares of Deutsche Lufthansa from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Deutsche Lufthansa from an underweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold. Get Deutsche Lufthansa alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on DLAKY Deutsche Lufthansa Stock Down 2.6% Deutsche Lufthansa stock opened at $10.28 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.32 billion, a PE ratio of 6.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.86. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $9.55 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.03. Deutsche Lufthansa has a 12 month low of $5.69 and a 12 month high of $10.68. Deutsche Lufthansa (OTCMKTS:DLAKY Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The transportation company reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $13.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.98 billion. Deutsche Lufthansa had a return on equity of 15.73% and a net margin of 4.45%. On average, analysts anticipate that Deutsche Lufthansa will post 0.87 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Trading of Deutsche Lufthansa An institutional investor recently raised its position in Deutsche Lufthansa stock. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Deutsche Lufthansa AG (OTCMKTS:DLAKY Free Report) by 892.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,270 shares of the transportation companys stock after acquiring an additional 8,336 shares during the quarter. GAMMA Investing LLCs holdings in Deutsche Lufthansa were worth $78,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About Deutsche Lufthansa (Get Free Report) Deutsche Lufthansa AG is a leading global aviation company headquartered in Cologne, Germany, and is recognized as one of the worlds largest airline groups. Founded in its modern form in 1953, the company traces its heritage back to the original Deutsche Luft Hansa established in 1926. Lufthansa operates passenger and cargo services under its flagship brand, as well as through numerous subsidiaries including Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and the low-cost carrier Eurowings. The groups passenger network spans Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, with primary hubs at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Lufthansa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Lufthansa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Enbridge Inc. (TSE:ENB Get Free Report) (NYSE:ENB) has received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, four have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$71.17. Several equities research analysts have commented on ENB shares. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on shares of Enbridge from C$74.00 to C$76.00 in a report on Monday, November 10th. National Bankshares lifted their target price on shares of Enbridge from C$66.00 to C$71.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. CIBC lowered their price target on shares of Enbridge from C$71.00 to C$69.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. ATB Capital set a C$72.00 price target on shares of Enbridge and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Enbridge from C$73.00 to C$71.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Get Enbridge alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on ENB Enbridge Price Performance TSE ENB opened at C$63.54 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of C$138.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.92, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.90. 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 stocks fifty day moving average price is C$66.00 and its 200 day moving average price is C$65.46. Enbridge has a 1 year low of C$56.51 and a 1 year high of C$70.39. Enbridge (TSE:ENB Get Free Report) (NYSE:ENB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported C$0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Enbridge had a return on equity of 10.30% and a net margin of 13.75%.The firm had revenue of C$14.64 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Enbridge will post 3.511912 earnings per share for the current year. Enbridge Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a $0.9425 dividend. This represents a $3.77 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. Enbridges payout ratio is presently 146.76%. 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. Finally, the firm has a small renewables portfolio primarily focused on onshore and offshore wind projects. See Also 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. EQB (TSE:EQB) Chief Executive Officer Chadwick Westlake outlined the banks near-term financial priorities and longer-term strategic direction during a conference session, emphasizing a renewed focus on operating leverage, efficiency, and a return to a 15%+ return on equity (ROE) North Star. Westlake, about four months into the role, described 2025 as a difficult year marked by significant change and said the company is entering what he called a new era for Canadas challenger bank. Get alerts: 2026 outlook: operating leverage and ROE remain central In discussing expectations for 2026, Westlake said EQB is applying stronger discipline to expenses after what he characterized as an unacceptable dynamic last year, when expenses increased 12% while revenue declined by 10%. He said EQB has rectified that and expects investors to begin seeing the impact in the first quarter. Westlake reiterated the banks focus on flat to positive operating leverage, adding that EQB can control its expense base and intends to ensure expenses do not outpace revenue. He pointed to an expected improvement of aboutin expenses, with benefits expected to start showing in Q1 and be fully reflected in 2026. He also referenced the companys outlook for 12% to 15% EPS growth and said EQB is targeting ROE of around 12%+ in 2026, growing from there as the bank works back toward 15%+. Loan growth mix and margin expectations Westlake said the bank continues to expect high single-digit to low double-digit growth in loans under management. He highlighted several areas shaping that growth profile: Continued growth in CMHC-insured multi-family lending, which he noted is a major component of the commercial business. lending, which he noted is a major component of the commercial business. Ongoing growth in reverse mortgages , which he described as a strong-yielding business. , which he described as a strong-yielding business. A more cautious posture in single-family insured lending, while expecting single-family uninsured to gain momentum, particularly in the second half of the year. On net interest margin, Westlake said the bank expects consistency in 2026, citing a margin of around 2.01% in Q4 and noting the bank stabilized volatility experienced last year. He added that growth in certain categories, including insured multi-family, can have a larger impact on non-interest revenue. Credit: reserves posture and expectation for improving PCL ratio Westlake said credit performance and provisioning remain key focus areas for management. He described a loan by loan review conducted by the new leadership team to build conviction in the banks credit posture and reserves, within the constraints of IFRS 9 accounting. While he said EQB is not expecting credit conditions to improve dramatically, he added the bank believes it exited 2025 from a position of strength and is reserved for the possibility of a more recessionary environment. He said he expects EQBs provisions for credit losses (PCL) ratio to improve in 2026 versus 2025, with sequential improvement through the year, including in both single-family and commercial portfolios. Addressing single-family mortgage performance, Westlake said the bank has not identified anything systemic in the portfolio. He noted the losses that emerged last year were more unusual for EQB and were concentrated in a limited number of loans, pointing to approximately 5060 loans out of about 63,000 in that portfolio. He said those cases involved larger property price declines, citing 30%35% declines in certain instances, coupled with borrower stress. He added that EQB expanded its coverage ratio by roughly 1015 basis points during Q4 and said his expectation would be improvement in Q1 over Q4. Equipment finance: improved mix, but volatility remains a concern Westlake said EQB has adjusted the risk posture of its equipment financing business, noting a shift away from long-haul trucking exposure. He said the long-haul portion of the book has moved from closer to 60% previously to maybe 25% or so today, with a more significant portion now characterized as prime. He also cited the segments contribution to provisioning trends, saying equipment financing represented about 80% of EQBs PCL in 2024 and around a third last year. Westlake said he expects continued improvement, while acknowledging that equipment finance still carries higher credit losses than other books and can be more cyclical than the bank might prefer. PC Financial acquisition: scale, omnichannel presence, and product expansion Westlake emphasized the strategic importance of EQBs recently announced acquisition of PC Financial, calling it a transformational transaction that will make EQB one of the most unique challenger banks in the world and omnichannel for the first time. He framed the deal around three themes: scale, capability, and value. On scale, he said EQB expects to increase from nearly 800,000 customers to about 3.5 million, while also linking EQB to the PC Optimum loyalty ecosystem with 17.5 million members. He highlighted planned in-store presence across 2,500 stores and operation of 180 device pavilions, noting that seven to eight million people visit per week. On capabilities, he said the acquisition adds payments and credit capabilities EQB has discussed for years, including a major credit card portfolio he described as one of the biggest in Canada and 80% prime, super prime. He also noted alignment between the companies technology environments, including that both operate on the same core banking platform and Microsoft Azure. On financial expectations, Westlake said EQB disclosed conservative synergy assumptions of about CAD 30 million in cost savings, or roughly 7%, and said the deal is expected to clear a 15%+ ROE hurdle even under rudimentary assumptions. He pointed to potential upside from funding and cross-sell opportunities, citing PC Financials day-to-day offering launched in 2024 that he said added CAD 800 million in deposits and a few hundred thousand deposit customers in a short period. Westlake also discussed the deals physical presence strategy, saying he does not believe challengers need traditional branches but sees value in the right amount of physical presence through economical in-store pavilions and ATMs. He said there were no early plans to expand beyond the footprint being acquired, while noting the potential to build customers through those sites. Additionally, he highlighted an insurance distribution component tied to the partnership, describing it as referral-based and ROE-accretive without taking property and casualty risk. He said the business has grown to more than 65,000 customers and over 90,000 policies. Looking ahead, Westlake said wealth remains a strategic gap and suggested EQB is more likely to buy and partner versus build to broaden investment offerings, while stressing the first priority is to close and integrate the PC Financial transaction. On capital deployment, Westlake said EQB is very well capitalized and intends to put capital to work through organic growth, dividends, and buybacks. He referenced an enhanced normal course issuer bid and said EQB entered an automatic share purchase program for the first time, allowing repurchases through blackout periods. He said EQB has bought back more shares in recent months than in its combined history, describing the stock as significantly undervalued. In closing remarks, Westlake said EQB is focused on reigniting its core franchise, taking the challenger bank model to its full potential, and optimizing capabilities to return efficiency as a competitive advantage, while moving back toward a 15%+ ROE threshold. About EQB (TSE:EQB) EQB Inc formerly Equitable Group Inc trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange TSX: EQB and EQB.PR.C and serves over 360000 Canadians through its wholly owned subsidiary Equitable Bank Canadas Challenger Bank. Equitable Bank has grown to become the countrys eighth largest independent Schedule I bank with a clear mandate to drive real change in Canadian banking to enrich peoples lives. At Equitable Bank we are as invested in our employees as we are in our business. Thats why we are consistently recognized as one of Canadas Top Employers a rating that comes from our 1300+ employees. Read More Peregrine Capital Management LLC cut its stake in shares of FB Financial Corporation (NYSE:FBK Free Report) by 11.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 118,761 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 15,874 shares during the period. Peregrine Capital Management LLCs holdings in FB Financial were worth $6,620,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. M Holdings Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of FB Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at $794,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in FB Financial by 21.6% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 266,327 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $14,845,000 after acquiring an additional 47,278 shares during the period. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. acquired a new position in shares of FB Financial during the third quarter valued at about $48,674,000. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of FB Financial in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $254,000. Finally, Keystone Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in FB Financial by 229.7% in the third quarter. Keystone Financial Group Inc. now owns 167,152 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $9,317,000 after purchasing an additional 116,459 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.40% of the companys stock. Get FB Financial alerts: FB Financial Stock Down 1.4% Shares of NYSE:FBK opened at $58.08 on Friday. FB Financial Corporation has a 12-month low of $38.83 and a 12-month high of $60.51. The stock has a market cap of $3.11 billion, a PE ratio of 27.14 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50 day moving average of $56.15 and a 200-day moving average of $53.26. FB Financial Announces Dividend FB Financial ( NYSE:FBK Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 15th. The financial services provider reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $163.71 million for the quarter. FB Financial had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 11.73%. Equities research analysts expect that FB Financial Corporation will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 11th were given a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. FB Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.51%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on FBK shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded FB Financial from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of FB Financial from $58.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of FB Financial in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an overweight rating and issued a $66.00 price target (up previously from $61.00) on shares of FB Financial in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, FB Financial currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $60.80. View Our Latest Stock Report on FBK About FB Financial (Free Report) FB Financial Corporation, through its banking subsidiary FirstBank, is a Tennessee-based bank holding company that provides a broad range of financial services to individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, and commercial clients. Established to serve the banking needs of communities across the southeastern United States, the companys core offerings include consumer and commercial deposit products, commercial lending, and mortgage services. In addition to traditional checking and savings accounts, FB Financials service portfolio encompasses treasury and cash management, equipment financing, and letters of credit to support the working capital and expansion needs of business customers. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FBK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for FB Financial Corporation (NYSE:FBK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for FB Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FB Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Flotek Industries, Inc. (NYSE:FTK Get Free Report)s share price dropped 8.7% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $17.56 and last traded at $17.38. Approximately 147,954 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 59% from the average daily volume of 356,902 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.04. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on FTK shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Flotek Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Flotek Industries in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised Flotek Industries from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Northland Securities reissued an outperform rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Flotek Industries in a research note on Wednesday, December 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Flotek Industries currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $19.50. Get Flotek Industries alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on FTK Flotek Industries Stock Performance The company has a 50 day moving average price of $16.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 1.77. The company has a market capitalization of $536.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.04 and a beta of 1.45. Flotek Industries (NYSE:FTK Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The oil and gas company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.05. Flotek Industries had a return on equity of 22.62% and a net margin of 14.48%.The firm had revenue of $56.03 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $52.90 million. Equities research analysts predict that Flotek Industries, Inc. will post 0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Flotek Industries news, Director Harshavardhan V. Agadi sold 66,956 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.71, for a total value of $984,922.76. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 197,265 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,901,768.15. This trade represents a 25.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.02% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Flotek Industries A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey acquired a new position in Flotek Industries during the 2nd quarter valued at about $50,000. Quarry LP lifted its holdings in shares of Flotek Industries by 97.2% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,855 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,900 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund purchased a new position in shares of Flotek Industries during the second quarter valued at approximately $102,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. bought a new stake in Flotek Industries during the second quarter worth $115,000. Finally, D Orazio & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Flotek Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at $153,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 10.90% of the companys stock. Flotek Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) Flotek Industries, Inc (NYSE: FTK) is a Houston-based oilfield services provider specializing in innovative chemical technologies for the upstream energy sector. The company develops, manufactures and markets specialty drilling fluids, completion fluids and production chemicals that enhance drilling efficiency, optimize well performance and mitigate operational risks. Floteks solutions are designed to improve drilling rates of penetration, reduce nonproductive time and address challenging downhole environments, including high-pressure/high-temperature wells and sour service conditions. Floteks operations are organized into three core business segments: Drilling & Completion Fluids, Production Chemicals & Process Management, and Water Solutions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Flotek Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Flotek Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of General Motors Company (NYSE:GM Get Free Report) (TSE:GMM.U) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after Piper Sandler upgraded the stock from a neutral rating to an overweight rating. Piper Sandler now has a $98.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $66.00. General Motors traded as high as $83.99 and last traded at $83.5410, with a volume of 1481568 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $81.91. Several other brokerages also recently commented on GM. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on General Motors from $68.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Benchmark reissued a buy rating on shares of General Motors in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Zacks Research raised shares of General Motors from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of General Motors from $85.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of General Motors from $77.00 to $86.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $77.76. Get General Motors alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on GM Insider Buying and Selling General Motors News Roundup In other news, President Mark L. Reuss sold 260,600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.45, for a total transaction of $17,316,870.00. Following the transaction, the president owned 98,006 shares in the company, valued at $6,512,498.70. This represents a 72.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, CAO Christopher Hatto sold 7,724 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.00, for a total transaction of $556,128.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,007 shares of the companys stock, valued at $864,504. The trade was a 39.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure . Insiders have sold 284,021 shares of company stock valued at $18,971,788 in the last three months. 0.54% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Here are the key news stories impacting General Motors this week: Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler upgraded GM to overweight and raised its price target to $98, signaling some analysts see upside once onetime charges are absorbed. Piper Sandler upgrade Piper Sandler upgraded GM to overweight and raised its price target to $98, signaling some analysts see upside once onetime charges are absorbed. Positive Sentiment: Zacks notes GM has a strong earningssurprise history and factors that could support another beat in the next report, which can help the stock beyond the onetime charges. Zacks: beat potential Zacks notes GM has a strong earningssurprise history and factors that could support another beat in the next report, which can help the stock beyond the onetime charges. Neutral Sentiment: GM reported that fullyear 2025 sales climbed despite a lateyear slowdown evidence demand isnt collapsing across the business even as EV demand cools. 2025 sales climbed GM reported that fullyear 2025 sales climbed despite a lateyear slowdown evidence demand isnt collapsing across the business even as EV demand cools. Negative Sentiment: GM will record $7.1 billion in Q4 special charges, roughly $6 billion of which are EVrelated writedowns tied to scaling back U.S. EV investments after policy changes and weakening demand the primary driver of todays selloff. Reuters: $6B writedown GM will record $7.1 billion in Q4 special charges, roughly $6 billion of which are EVrelated writedowns tied to scaling back U.S. EV investments after policy changes and weakening demand the primary driver of todays selloff. Negative Sentiment: Management warns additional EVrelated costs may continue into 2026 as supplier negotiations and capacity changes progress increasing nearterm earnings uncertainty. Business Insider: more EV costs likely Management warns additional EVrelated costs may continue into 2026 as supplier negotiations and capacity changes progress increasing nearterm earnings uncertainty. Negative Sentiment: GM is cutting more than 1,000 jobs at two plants amid slower EV demand and production changes, underscoring operational adjustments and potential nearterm disruption. MSN: plant job cuts Institutional Investors Weigh In On General Motors A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH acquired a new stake in General Motors during the second quarter valued at $25,000. GFG Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of General Motors during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of General Motors by 500.0% during the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 330 shares of the auto manufacturers stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the period. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in shares of General Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in General Motors in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.67% of the companys stock. General Motors Stock Down 2.8% The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $76.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $63.67. The company has a market cap of $77.22 billion, a PE ratio of 16.66, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.31. General Motors (NYSE:GM Get Free Report) (TSE:GMM.U) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 21st. The auto manufacturer reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.32 by $0.48. The company had revenue of $48.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $44.60 billion. General Motors had a net margin of 1.62% and a return on equity of 12.29%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.96 earnings per share. General Motors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 9.750-10.500 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that General Motors Company will post 11.44 EPS for the current year. General Motors Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. General Motorss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.07%. General Motors Company Profile (Get Free Report) General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) is a global automotive manufacturer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, that designs, builds and sells cars, trucks, crossovers and electric vehicles, and provides related parts and services. Founded in 1908, GM has long been one of the worlds largest automakers and has evolved into a multi-brand company whose primary marques include Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Buick. Beyond vehicle manufacturing, GMs operations encompass vehicle financing, connected services and advanced mobility initiatives. GM develops and markets a broad portfolio of products and technologies, including internal-combustion and battery-electric vehicles, vehicle components and on-board connectivity services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for General Motors Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Motors and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hong Kong & China Gas Co. (OTCMKTS:HOKCY Get Free Report) shares gapped up prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $0.82, but opened at $0.91. Hong Kong & China Gas shares last traded at $0.91, with a volume of 302 shares changing hands. Hong Kong & China Gas Trading Down 2.1% The stock has a 50-day moving average of $0.89 and a 200 day moving average of $0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Get Hong Kong & China Gas alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows An institutional investor recently raised its position in Hong Kong & China Gas stock. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Hong Kong & China Gas Co. (OTCMKTS:HOKCY Free Report) by 26.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 131,441 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 27,860 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers holdings in Hong Kong & China Gas were worth $107,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. About Hong Kong & China Gas The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, commonly known as Towngas, is a long-established utility and energy services company founded in 1862. It is principally engaged in the production, distribution and sale of town gas and related energy products, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers. Towngas operates through an integrated model that covers gas production facilities, transmission and distribution networks, customer metering and billing, and after-sales services. Core products and services include piped town gas for household and commercial use, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution, gas appliances and fittings, and engineering, installation and maintenance services. Featured Stories 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 Edge MSCI Min Vol Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:EUMV Get Free Report) dropped 0.1% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $25.89 and last traded at $25.90. Approximately 74,000 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 299% from the average daily volume of 18,565 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.92. iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Europe ETF Trading Down 0.1% The firm has a fifty day moving average of $25.90 and a 200-day moving average of $25.90. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Europe ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Europe ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kincora Copper Limited (CVE:KCC Get Free Report)s share price fell 0.9% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as C$1.05 and last traded at C$1.05. 21,300 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 125% from the average session volume of 9,476 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$1.06. Kincora Copper Price Performance The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of C$1.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$0.88. The company has a market cap of C$44.89 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.75 and a beta of 2.15. Kincora Copper Company Profile (Get Free Report) Kincora Copper Limited engages in acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of mineral properties in Mongolia and Australia. It primarily explores for copper and gold deposits. The company's flagship project is the Trundle Project, including one license covering an area of 167km2 located in the Junee-Narromine volcanic belt of the Macquarie Arc. The company was formerly known as Brazilian Diamonds Limited and changed its name to Kincora Copper Limited in January 2011. Kincora Copper Limited was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Kincora Copper Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kincora Copper and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC Get Free Report) (NYSE:MFC) was upgraded by investment analysts at Cibc Captl Mkts from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. National Bankshares raised their target price on shares of Manulife Financial from C$47.00 to C$52.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. CIBC raised shares of Manulife Financial from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and raised their price objective for the stock from C$50.00 to C$58.00 in a research note on Thursday. TD Securities upped their target price on Manulife Financial from C$54.00 to C$57.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Manulife Financial from C$49.00 to C$52.00 in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Manulife Financial from C$49.00 to C$52.00 in a report on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of C$52.75. Get Manulife Financial alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on MFC Manulife Financial Stock Performance Shares of Manulife Financial stock opened at C$52.00 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of C$87.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.01. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of C$49.02 and a 200-day moving average price of C$45.16. Manulife Financial has a one year low of C$36.93 and a one year high of C$52.25. Manulife Financial (TSE:MFC Get Free Report) (NYSE:MFC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The financial services provider reported C$1.16 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of C$26.23 billion for the quarter. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 11.75% and a net margin of 12.52%. Sell-side analysts predict that Manulife Financial will post 3.6104452 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling at Manulife Financial In other Manulife Financial news, insider Shamus Edward Weiland sold 88,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$48.95, for a total transaction of C$4,332,075.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 53,495 shares in the company, valued at C$2,618,580.25. This represents a 62.33% decrease in their position. Also, insider Rahim Hirji sold 25,048 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$48.25, for a total transaction of C$1,208,566.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 31,315 shares in the company, valued at C$1,510,948.75. This trade represents a 44.44% decrease in their position. Company insiders own 0.03% of the companys stock. Manulife Financial Company Profile (Get Free Report) Manulife provides life insurance and wealth management products and services to individuals and group customers in Canada, the United States, and Asia. Manulife is one of Canadas Big Three Life Insurance companies (the other two are Sun Life and Great West Life). As of Dec. 31, 2021, Manulife reported assets under management or administration of about CAD $1.4 trillion. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Manulife Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Manulife Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chad Michael Murray knew he "liked girls" after seeing Jamie Lee Curtis in Trading Places. Jamie Lee Curtis and Chad Michael Murray at the Freakier Friday London premiere The 44-year-old actor thought the then-21-year-old Hollywood actress was hot as prostitute Ophelia in the 1983 comedy-drama movie. Appearing on the latest episode of the Like a Farmer podcast, Chad recalled to host Pat Spinosa: "I was watching Trading Places with my dad, and she's a hooker in that. And I think that was when I was like, 'Oh, nope. I like girls.' That was one of those moments. I was like, 'Jamie Lee. All right.' Chad then joked: "I was like, 'What is that? I feel something.' The star was aged 19 when he got the opportunity to work alongside Jamie Lee, 67, in the 2003 movie Freaky Friday - which sees Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) and her mom Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee) switch bodies and navigate life in each other's shoes. And Chad - who portrayed Jake Austin, the ex-boyfriend of Anna, in the Disney family-comedy film - relished the experience of working with Jamie Lee. He gushed: "She's awesome. She was the first person that I ever got to have the opportunity to work with where I was like, 'OK, this is like an icon.'" Chad added that Jamie Lee was born into "Hollywood royalty" because her late parents, Psycho icon Janet Leigh, and Spartacus' Tony Curtis were esteemed actors. He continued: "[Jamie Lee] was born in it, raised in it, continued to do it. Lived up to the expectations and goes, and has Halloween and True Lies, and Trading Places, and all these unbelievable films." Chad, Lindsay, 39, and Jamie Lee got to reprise their roles of Jake, Anna, and Tess Coleman, respectively, in 2025's Freakier Friday. Chad agreed with Pat that Jamie Lee looked better as the years went on, and Chad noted that is why Jake had "such an affinity" for her character in the movie - in which Tess and Anna find themselves swapping bodies once again - but the chaos spreads to other family members. In March 2022, Jamie Lee admitted she felt "embarrassed" appearing topless in Trading Places. Recalling her experience of that moment in the John Landis-directed movie, the Golden Globe winner told People: "I was 21 years old, and the part required Ophelia to take off her dress. "Did I like doing it? No. Did I feel embarrassed that I was doing it? Yes. Did I look OK? Yeah. Did I know what I was doing? Yeah. Did I like it? No. Was I doing it because it was the job? Yes." Jamie Lee - who has been married to Spinal Tap actor Christopher Guest, 77, since 1984, and adopted daughters Annie, 39, and Ruby, 29, with him in 1986 and 1996, respectively - added: "I wouldn't do it today, it's the last thing in the world I would do now. "I also am married for 37 years, I wasn't married then. I'm a mother of children. Absolutely not." Jamie Lee starred alongside Dan Aykroyd, 73, and Eddie Murphy, 64, in Trading Places - which followed stockbroker Louis Winthorpe III (Dan) and Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie), who is down on his luck, swapping positions. 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: Niall Anderton, senior vice president of strategy and transformation at Alimentation Couche-Tard, has been named CEO of Irish food retailer and wholesaler Musgrave Group, according to an announcement this week. Anderton will join Musgrave in May, with incumbent Noel Keeley retiring at the end of the year, according to the announcement. As one of Couche-Tards top global executives, Anderton has spearheaded the convenience retailers five-year strategy and transformation program, in which it aims to achieve $10 billion in EBITDA by 2028, according to his LinkedIn bio. Andertons departure will leave a hole near the top of Couche-Tards global leadership team, and its unclear who will take over his duties after he leaves. A Couche-Tard spokesperson did not respond by press time when asked to comment. Dive Insight: Andertons departure will end a decade-long run with Couche-Tard. He joined in 2016 after the c-store giant acquired Topaz, formerly Irelands largest convenience and fuel retailer, where Anderton was chief financial officer and a member of its board of directors, according to his LinkedIn bio. Upon joining Couche-Tard, Anderton became managing director for the companys Ireland business. Three years later, he was named SVP of operations for Couche-Tards European division, where he led teams in Ireland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Anderton took on his current role in late 2023, leading Couche-Tards five-year plan that, in addition to its 2028 EBITDA goal, includes opening hundreds more c-stores in North America and implementing QSRs and a high-speed diesel fuel offer at its rural and suburban locations. Anderton will soon leave North American convenience retailing and take the reins at Musgrave, which also serves England and Spain, according to its website. The company owns numerous food brands and, as of late 2024, operated over 1,300 retail stores. Niall brings a wealth of experience and strong leadership to our team at Musgrave and is exceptionally well placed to guide the business forward in an era of considerable opportunity, Nicky Hartery, chairman of Musgrave Group, said in the announcement. Recommended Reading McDonalds (NYSE:MCD Free Report) had its target price raised by Barclays from $358.00 to $372.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the fast-food giants stock. MCD has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $335.00 price objective on shares of McDonalds in a report on Friday, October 17th. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of McDonalds from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. KeyCorp restated an overweight rating and issued a $335.00 price objective on shares of McDonalds in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on McDonalds from $322.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on McDonalds from $360.00 to $350.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, McDonalds currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $328.88. Get McDonald's alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on McDonalds McDonalds Trading Down 0.5% Shares of NYSE:MCD opened at $307.27 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $218.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.53. McDonalds has a 12-month low of $276.53 and a 12-month high of $326.32. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $307.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $304.78. McDonalds (NYSE:MCD Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. McDonalds had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. The businesss revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.23 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that McDonalds will post 12.25 EPS for the current year. McDonalds Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a $1.86 dividend. This is an increase from McDonaldss previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. McDonaldss payout ratio is currently 63.48%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.00, for a total transaction of $5,311,540.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,353 shares in the company, valued at $8,169,430. This trade represents a 39.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total transaction of $795,520.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,005,760. This trade represents a 28.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 42,516 shares of company stock valued at $13,036,090. Insiders own 0.25% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonalds A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Nova Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of McDonalds during the first quarter worth about $26,000. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonalds by 162.5% in the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of McDonalds by 142.9% in the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of McDonalds during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp raised its stake in shares of McDonalds by 95.7% during the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Key Headlines Impacting McDonalds Here are the key news stories impacting McDonalds this week: McDonalds Company Profile (Get Free Report) McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a global quick-service restaurant company best known for its hamburgers, French fries and breakfast offerings. The company develops, operates and franchises a system of restaurants that sell a range of food and beverage items, including signature products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, McCafe coffee beverages and a variety of salads, desserts and seasonal menu items. McDonalds serves customers through company-operated restaurants and franchised locations, and it supports sales via dine-in, drive-thru, digital ordering platforms and third-party delivery partnerships. Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald as a single San Bernardino, California restaurant, the business was transformed into a franchising model after Ray Kroc joined in the mid-1950s and led the brands national and international expansion. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for McDonald's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McDonald's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Moran Wealth Management LLC trimmed its holdings in Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC Free Report) by 56.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 31,399 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 41,195 shares during the period. Moran Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Omnicom Group were worth $2,560,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bollard Group LLC raised its stake in Omnicom Group by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bollard Group LLC now owns 2,569 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $185,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Omnicom Group by 4.3% in the third quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,746 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $305,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Omnicom Group by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,288 shares of the business services providers stock worth $457,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Omnicom Group by 17.7% during the 2nd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 1,124 shares of the business services providers stock worth $81,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the period. Finally, EPG Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Omnicom Group by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. EPG Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,738 shares of the business services providers stock worth $557,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. 91.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Omnicom Group alerts: Omnicom Group Trading Up 0.3% OMC opened at $79.05 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Omnicom Group Inc. has a twelve month low of $68.37 and a twelve month high of $89.35. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $76.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $75.98. Omnicom Group Increases Dividend Omnicom Group ( NYSE:OMC Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The business services provider reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.17 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.02 billion. Omnicom Group had a net margin of 8.31% and a return on equity of 33.30%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.03 EPS. Analysts predict that Omnicom Group Inc. will post 8.25 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 19th were issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 19th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. This is a boost from Omnicom Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. Omnicom Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.27%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have issued reports on OMC shares. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Omnicom Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays lifted their price target on Omnicom Group from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Omnicom Group in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $88.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group lifted their target price on Omnicom Group from $99.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Bank of America restated an underperform rating and issued a $77.00 price target (down from $87.00) on shares of Omnicom Group in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Omnicom Group presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $92.14. View Our Latest Report on Omnicom Group Omnicom Group Profile (Free Report) Omnicom Group Inc (NYSE: OMC) is a global marketing and corporate communications holding company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1986 through the merger of the BBDO, DDB and Needham Harper agencies, Omnicom has built a portfolio of leading brands and networks serving clients across diverse industries. The companys primary business activities encompass advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations, and customer relationship management. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OMC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Omnicom Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Omnicom Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Narwhal Capital Management lessened its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH Free Report) by 48.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,343 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after selling 6,770 shares during the quarter. Narwhal Capital Managements holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $2,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UNH. North Capital Inc. lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 16.2% in the 3rd quarter. North Capital Inc. now owns 194 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Sunflower Bank N.A. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.5% in the third quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 1,916 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $662,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Abound Wealth Management grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 13.5% during the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 244 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP now owns 336 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $105,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Finally, Dover Advisors LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 0.6% during the second quarter. Dover Advisors LLC now owns 5,999 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $1,872,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get UnitedHealth Group alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth UNH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $378.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $423.00 to $417.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $325.00 to $395.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, September 12th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $385.75. Key UnitedHealth Group News Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week: UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance Shares of UNH stock opened at $343.83 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $311.46 billion, a PE ratio of 17.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.42. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $606.36. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $329.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $321.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.05. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 19.23%. The firm had revenue of $113.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $113.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.15 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year. UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were issued a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 46.14%. About UnitedHealth Group (Free Report) UnitedHealth Group Inc is a diversified health care company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that operates two primary business platforms: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. Founded in 1977, the company provides a broad range of health benefits and health care services to individuals, employers, governmental entities and other organizations. Its operations span commercial employer-sponsored plans, individual and Medicare and Medicaid programs, and services for customers and health systems in the United States and selected international markets. UnitedHealthcare is the companys benefits business, administering health plans and networks, managing provider relationships, and offering coverage products for employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs. Read More Receive News & Ratings for UnitedHealth Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UnitedHealth Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Narwhal Capital Management reduced its position in RH (NYSE:RH Free Report) by 72.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,303 shares of the companys stock after selling 13,676 shares during the quarter. Narwhal Capital Managements holdings in RH were worth $1,077,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of RH. Durable Capital Partners LP raised its position in RH by 125.1% in the 2nd quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 646,097 shares of the companys stock valued at $122,119,000 after purchasing an additional 359,101 shares during the last quarter. Senvest Management LLC increased its stake in RH by 54.6% in the second quarter. Senvest Management LLC now owns 733,894 shares of the companys stock valued at $138,713,000 after purchasing an additional 259,200 shares during the period. Scopus Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of RH in the second quarter valued at about $30,457,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of RH during the second quarter worth about $29,083,000. Finally, Valiant Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of RH during the second quarter worth about $20,508,000. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get RH alerts: Key Stories Impacting RH Here are the key news stories impacting RH this week: Neutral Sentiment: Analysts maintain a cautious view: RH has a consensus Hold from Wall Street, signaling limited near-term upside from analysts estimates. Monitor any upcoming updates or upgrades/downgrades for directional impact. RH (NYSE:RH) Receives Consensus Rating of Hold from Analysts Analysts maintain a cautious view: RH has a consensus Hold from Wall Street, signaling limited near-term upside from analysts estimates. Monitor any upcoming updates or upgrades/downgrades for directional impact. Neutral Sentiment: Sector coverage noted RH in a home-furniture Q3 highlights piece; such coverage keeps RH in focus for retail/furniture investors but does not present an immediate catalyst. Check the article for any operational or comparable-store commentary. Home furniture retailer stocks Q3 highlights: RH (NYSE:RH) Sector coverage noted RH in a home-furniture Q3 highlights piece; such coverage keeps RH in focus for retail/furniture investors but does not present an immediate catalyst. Check the article for any operational or comparable-store commentary. Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz law firm issued an investor alert announcing an investigation of RH on behalf of investors this raises potential legal risk and could pressure sentiment if it develops into a lawsuit or leads to disclosures. Investors should watch for filings or company responses. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of RH RH Pomerantz law firm issued an investor alert announcing an investigation of RH on behalf of investors this raises potential legal risk and could pressure sentiment if it develops into a lawsuit or leads to disclosures. Investors should watch for filings or company responses. Negative Sentiment: Recent fundamentals remain a concern: RHs latest quarter (Dec. 11) missed EPS estimates, revenue growth was modest, profitability thin and the company carries very high reported leverage factors that can weigh on valuation and increase sensitivity to negative headlines. (See company earnings release and filings for details.) RH Stock Up 1.8% RH stock opened at $218.74 on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $168.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $194.40. RH has a 1-year low of $123.03 and a 1-year high of $455.84. The company has a market cap of $4.11 billion, a PE ratio of 39.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 944.39, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.26. RH (NYSE:RH Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.13 by ($0.42). The business had revenue of $883.81 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $883.65 million. RH had a net margin of 3.22% and a negative return on equity of 161.72%. RHs revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.48 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that RH will post 4.39 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have commented on the company. Bank of America reduced their price objective on RH from $200.00 to $170.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a sell (d+) rating on shares of RH in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. William Blair cut RH from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on RH from $235.00 to $180.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued a sector weight rating on shares of RH in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $225.56. Read Our Latest Stock Report on RH Insider Activity In related news, Director Mark S. Demilio sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.00, for a total value of $92,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 24,116 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,437,344. This represents a 2.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 27.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders. About RH (Free Report) RH, formerly Restoration Hardware, is a design-driven luxury retailer specializing in high-end home furnishings, decor, textiles, lighting and outdoor living products. The company offers a curated collection of furniture piecesincluding seating, casegoods, beds and dining itemsalongside rugs, art and decorative accessories. RHs product lines are organized into distinct collections, each reflecting a cohesive design philosophy and premium craftsmanship aimed at the residential and hospitality markets. Founded in 1979 in Eureka, California, by Stephen Gordon, Restoration Hardware began as a small warehouse in Northern California. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for RH (NYSE:RH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for RH Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RH and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Navios Maritime Partners LP (NYSE:NMM Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $56.67 and last traded at $55.9510, with a volume of 68596 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $55.44. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on NMM shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Navios Maritime Partners in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Navios Maritime Partners from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, December 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold. Get Navios Maritime Partners alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on NMM Navios Maritime Partners Price Performance The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $1.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.36 and a beta of 1.34. The companys 50-day moving average is $52.25 and its 200-day moving average is $47.00. Navios Maritime Partners (NYSE:NMM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 18th. The shipping company reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.55 by $0.28. Navios Maritime Partners had a net margin of 20.04% and a return on equity of 8.69%. The business had revenue of $346.92 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $334.64 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.15 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Navios Maritime Partners LP will post 12.64 earnings per share for the current year. Navios Maritime Partners Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. Navios Maritime Partnerss dividend payout ratio is currently 2.29%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. ING Groep NV raised its stake in Navios Maritime Partners by 123.6% during the third quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 96,600 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $4,352,000 after acquiring an additional 53,400 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of Navios Maritime Partners by 28.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 117,950 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $5,314,000 after purchasing an additional 26,340 shares during the last quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Navios Maritime Partners by 92.0% during the 3rd quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC now owns 52,109 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $2,348,000 after purchasing an additional 24,964 shares during the last quarter. Arbiter Partners Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Navios Maritime Partners during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,117,000. Finally, Ion Asset Management Ltd. increased its position in Navios Maritime Partners by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ion Asset Management Ltd. now owns 817,963 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $30,821,000 after purchasing an additional 17,285 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.74% of the companys stock. About Navios Maritime Partners (Get Free Report) Navios Maritime Partners L.P. (NYSE: NMM) is a dry bulk shipping company that owns and operates a fleet of Capesize, Panamax and Supramax vessels. The partnership charters its vessels under medium- and long-term contracts to a diverse group of charterers, providing seaborne transportation for major bulk cargoes such as iron ore, coal, grain and fertilizers. Through this asset-light model, Navios Maritime Partners seeks to generate stable cash flows while retaining flexibility to capitalize on market opportunities. Formed in November 2007 and sponsored by Navios Maritime Holdings Inc, the partnership leverages the operating platform and commercial management capabilities of the Navios group. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Navios Maritime Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Navios Maritime Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NCR Voyix Corporation (NYSE:VYX Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of Moderate Buy by the eight ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $15.5714. Several research analysts have commented on VYX shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d) rating on shares of NCR Voyix in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and issued a $15.00 target price on shares of NCR Voyix in a report on Monday, September 29th. Zacks Research cut shares of NCR Voyix from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of NCR Voyix from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Finally, UBS Group set a $18.00 price objective on shares of NCR Voyix in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Get NCR Voyix alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on VYX Hedge Funds Weigh In On NCR Voyix NCR Voyix Trading Up 2.5% Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Contrarian Capital Management L.L.C. lifted its position in shares of NCR Voyix by 2.1% during the third quarter. Contrarian Capital Management L.L.C. now owns 48,000 shares of the companys stock worth $602,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its holdings in NCR Voyix by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 81,997 shares of the companys stock valued at $961,000 after buying an additional 1,117 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in NCR Voyix by 33.5% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,755 shares of the companys stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 1,193 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in NCR Voyix by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 73,821 shares of the companys stock worth $866,000 after acquiring an additional 1,259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amalgamated Bank grew its stake in NCR Voyix by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 40,871 shares of the companys stock worth $513,000 after acquiring an additional 1,358 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.00% of the companys stock. VYX opened at $11.03 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $10.35 and a 200 day moving average of $11.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. NCR Voyix has a 12 month low of $7.55 and a 12 month high of $14.67. The firm has a market cap of $1.53 billion, a P/E ratio of -25.06 and a beta of 1.46. NCR Voyix (NYSE:VYX Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 13th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter. NCR Voyix had a positive return on equity of 5.08% and a negative net margin of 2.15%.NCR Voyix has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.850-0.900 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that NCR Voyix will post -0.86 EPS for the current year. About NCR Voyix (Get Free Report) NCR Voyix is a technology company formed through the spin-off of NCR Corporations financial and digital commerce business. The company designs, manufactures and supports self-service solutions for banking and retail environments, with core offerings that include ATMs, kiosks, point-of-sale terminals and payment software. By blending hardware, cloud-based applications and managed services, NCR Voyix aims to help financial institutions and merchants modernize customer experiences and streamline transaction processing. Building on more than a century of heritage under the NCR name, NCR Voyix leverages decades of engineering expertise and innovation in transaction automation. See Also Receive News & Ratings for NCR Voyix Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NCR Voyix and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its position in Transdigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG Free Report) by 33.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,445 shares of the aerospace companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,620 shares during the quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Funds holdings in Transdigm Group were worth $8,495,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Transdigm Group in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust increased its position in Transdigm Group by 84.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 24 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in Transdigm Group by 1,250.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 27 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Transdigm Group in the second quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Security National Bank acquired a new stake in Transdigm Group in the third quarter worth about $53,000. 95.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Transdigm Group alerts: Transdigm Group Trading Up 1.1% Shares of NYSE TDG opened at $1,392.02 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,324.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,375.04. The stock has a market cap of $78.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.39, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.94. Transdigm Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $1,183.60 and a 12 month high of $1,623.82. Analyst Ratings Changes Transdigm Group ( NYSE:TDG Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 12th. The aerospace company reported $10.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $10.33 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $2.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.40 billion. Transdigm Group had a net margin of 21.69% and a negative return on equity of 31.91%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.83 earnings per share. Transdigm Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 36.490-38.530 EPS. Analysts forecast that Transdigm Group Incorporated will post 35.13 EPS for the current year. Several research firms have recently issued reports on TDG. Susquehanna cut their price objective on shares of Transdigm Group from $1,500.00 to $1,450.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Transdigm Group from $1,405.00 to $1,435.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of Transdigm Group from $1,730.00 to $1,647.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Transdigm Group from $1,600.00 to $1,660.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Transdigm Group to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $1,596.60. Read Our Latest Report on Transdigm Group Key Headlines Impacting Transdigm Group Here are the key news stories impacting Transdigm Group this week: Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged up multiple nearterm and multiyear EPS forecasts (small bumps to Q2Q4 2026 and Q1 2027, FY2026 to $35.64 from $35.41, and FY2027 to $42.36). These upgrades signal slightly stronger expected profitability and support valuation given TDGs high PE. Zacks / MarketBeat TDG estimates Zacks Research nudged up multiple nearterm and multiyear EPS forecasts (small bumps to Q2Q4 2026 and Q1 2027, FY2026 to $35.64 from $35.41, and FY2027 to $42.36). These upgrades signal slightly stronger expected profitability and support valuation given TDGs high PE. Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also issued a mix of laterperiod revisions (some higher Q4 2027 and Q3 2027 estimates, but a downshift for Q1 2028), and maintained a Hold rating. The changes are incremental and more likely to affect analyst modeling than nearterm trading. Zacks / MarketBeat rating details Zacks also issued a mix of laterperiod revisions (some higher Q4 2027 and Q3 2027 estimates, but a downshift for Q1 2028), and maintained a Hold rating. The changes are incremental and more likely to affect analyst modeling than nearterm trading. Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and data pieces point out that TDGs stock performance has outpaced its underlying earnings growth over the past five years a reminder that multiple expansion / buyback activity can drive returns separate from organic earnings. This is background context for investors assessing valuation risk. TransDigm outperforms earnings growth (Yahoo) Analyst commentary and data pieces point out that TDGs stock performance has outpaced its underlying earnings growth over the past five years a reminder that multiple expansion / buyback activity can drive returns separate from organic earnings. This is background context for investors assessing valuation risk. Negative Sentiment: Material insider selling: Director Kevin M. Stein sold 17,373 shares (~$24.45M at ~$1,407.25 per share), reducing his stake by ~68%. Large, disclosed director sales can create nearterm downward pressure and raise questions for some investors about timing or liquidity needs. SEC filing for insider sale Material insider selling: Director Kevin M. Stein sold 17,373 shares (~$24.45M at ~$1,407.25 per share), reducing his stake by ~68%. Large, disclosed director sales can create nearterm downward pressure and raise questions for some investors about timing or liquidity needs. Negative Sentiment: Media reports aggregated the insider transactions and highlighted total disclosed insider sales (one report cites ~$34.34M in director sales), which can amplify market reaction beyond the single filing. InsiderTrades: Kevin M. Stein sale AmericanBankingNews: Insider selling Insider Buying and Selling at Transdigm Group In related news, Director Robert J. Small sold 90,953 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,335.72, for a total transaction of $121,487,741.16. Following the sale, the director directly owned 68,139 shares of the companys stock, valued at $91,014,625.08. This trade represents a 57.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Joel Reiss sold 3,900 shares of Transdigm Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,340.00, for a total value of $5,226,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 3,600 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,824,000. This represents a 52.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 189,974 shares of company stock worth $256,190,840. Insiders own 4.09% of the companys stock. Transdigm Group Company Profile (Free Report) TransDigm Group Incorporated is a designer, producer and supplier of engineered aircraft components and systems for commercial and military aerospace applications. The companys product portfolio covers a broad range of mission-critical parts and subsystems, including mechanical and electromechanical components, ignition and fuel system parts, sensors and actuators, cockpit and cabin systems, and other safety-critical hardware. TransDigm supplies original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as the aftermarket, providing spare parts, repair and overhaul services and component support throughout an assets life cycle. TransDigms operating model places emphasis on proprietary, niche components that are difficult to replace, and the company operates through a collection of independently run subsidiaries and brands that sell specialized products. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TDG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Transdigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Transdigm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Transdigm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT Free Report) by 30.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,394 shares of the aerospace companys stock after buying an additional 5,398 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Funds holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $11,679,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,995 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,941,000 after buying an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC acquired a new position in Lockheed Martin in the 1st quarter valued at about $292,000. Woodline Partners LP raised its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 202.8% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 28,869 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $12,896,000 after acquiring an additional 19,336 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Lockheed Martin by 0.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 482,678 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $215,617,000 after acquiring an additional 1,954 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the first quarter worth approximately $21,079,000. 74.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Lockheed Martin alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other news, COO John Frank A. St sold 7,792 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $491.04, for a total value of $3,826,183.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 1 shares in the company, valued at approximately $491.04. The trade was a 99.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LMT has been the topic of several research reports. BNP Paribas raised Lockheed Martin to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on Lockheed Martin in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an outperform rating and a $550.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a neutral rating and set a $515.00 price objective (up previously from $465.00) on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a neutral rating and a $505.00 target price for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an equal weight rating and issued a $543.00 price target (down from $630.00) on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $512.35. Read Our Latest Stock Report on LMT Lockheed Martin Stock Performance NYSE:LMT opened at $542.87 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $125.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.31, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.24. Lockheed Martin Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $410.11 and a fifty-two week high of $546.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.32, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.13. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $473.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $468.01. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.95 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $6.33 by $0.62. Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 111.84% and a net margin of 5.73%.The company had revenue of $18.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $18.45 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $6.84 earnings per share. Lockheed Martins revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Lockheed Martin has set its FY 2025 guidance at 22.150-22.350 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Lockheed Martin Corporation will post 27.15 EPS for the current fiscal year. More Lockheed Martin News Here are the key news stories impacting Lockheed Martin this week: Lockheed Martin Profile (Free Report) Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) is a global aerospace and defense company that designs, develops and manufactures advanced technology systems for government and commercial customers. Formed through the 1995 merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta, the company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and focuses on providing integrated solutions across air, space, land and sea domains. Its primary customers include the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and allied governments around the world. Lockheed Martins product and service portfolio spans military aircraft, missile and fire-control systems, missile defense, space systems and satellite technologies, sensors and precision weapons. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Lockheed Martin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lockheed Martin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its stake in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI Free Report) by 30.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,326 shares of the construction companys stock after buying an additional 1,698 shares during the quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Funds holdings in United Rentals were worth $6,994,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of URI. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. purchased a new position in United Rentals during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $152,069,000. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals in the second quarter valued at $298,000. Vise Technologies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals in the second quarter valued at $7,514,000. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. bought a new stake in United Rentals in the second quarter worth $29,171,000. Finally, North Growth Management Ltd. raised its stake in United Rentals by 22.2% during the third quarter. North Growth Management Ltd. now owns 11,000 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $10,189,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get United Rentals alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $1,123.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, October 24th. Baird R W upgraded United Rentals from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Citigroup lowered their price objective on United Rentals from $1,140.00 to $950.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded United Rentals from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their price target for the company from $888.00 to $1,050.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $954.83. United Rentals Trading Up 2.4% URI opened at $939.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $827.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $874.10. United Rentals, Inc. has a one year low of $525.91 and a one year high of $1,021.47. The stock has a market cap of $59.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.69. United Rentals (NYSE:URI Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The construction company reported $11.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $12.43 by ($0.73). The business had revenue of $4.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.16 billion. United Rentals had a return on equity of 31.30% and a net margin of 15.83%.United Rentalss revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $11.80 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 EPS for the current year. United Rentals Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were issued a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 12th. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. United Rentalss dividend payout ratio is presently 18.42%. About United Rentals (Free Report) United Rentals, Inc (NYSE: URI) is a leading equipment rental company headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The firm provides rental solutions and related services to construction, industrial, commercial, and municipal customers. Its business model centers on providing access to a broad fleet of equipment on a short-term or long-term basis, enabling customers to avoid the capital expenditure of ownership and to scale equipment use to match project needs. The companys product and service offerings span general construction equipment and a range of specialty categories, including aerial work platforms, earthmoving and excavation machines, material handling equipment, pumps, power and HVAC systems, trench and shoring solutions, and tools. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for United Rentals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United Rentals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Parnassus Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP Free Report) by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 487,922 shares of the railroad operators stock after buying an additional 3,773 shares during the quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC owned approximately 0.08% of Union Pacific worth $115,330,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of UNP. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Union Pacific by 1,400.0% during the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 120 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in shares of Union Pacific during the second quarter worth $30,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Union Pacific in the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the companys stock. Get Union Pacific alerts: Union Pacific Stock Down 0.7% Shares of Union Pacific stock opened at $228.30 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $229.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $227.21. The stock has a market cap of $135.42 billion, a PE ratio of 19.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. Union Pacific Corporation has a 12 month low of $204.66 and a 12 month high of $256.84. Union Pacific Announces Dividend Union Pacific ( NYSE:UNP Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.24 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.23% and a net margin of 28.73%.The companys revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.75 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Union Pacific Corporation will post 11.99 EPS for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a $1.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $5.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Union Pacifics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.90%. Analyst Ratings Changes UNP has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Union Pacific in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group set a $253.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Susquehanna reaffirmed a positive rating and set a $272.00 price objective (up previously from $257.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday, September 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $263.00 target price on Union Pacific and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Citigroup set a $264.00 price target on Union Pacific and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $259.46. View Our Latest Stock Report on UNP About Union Pacific (Free Report) Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services. Union Pacifics core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western twothirds of the United States. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Union Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Union Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. At the risk of revealing the ruling too soon, no, a $10,000 investment made in ASML today isn't likely to make you a millionaire. The question remains, however, could investing $10,000 in this company today turn you into a millionaire at any point in your lifetime? It's doing well, too. In 2024, the chipmaking technology powerhouse generated $33 billion in revenue, translating to a net income of $8.8 billion, a notable increase for the former but a slight decline for the latter. Still, that's a smashing success. One company dominates this market -- Netherlands-based ASML. Protected by tens of thousands of the right patents, this company controls most of the overall lithography market, and almost the entirety of the extreme ultraviolet (or EUV) lithography industry, and is responsible for making the world's highest-performance computer chips. You may know that Taiwan Semiconductor is the world's single biggest manufacturer of high-performance silicon. Well, for perspective, Taiwan Semiconductor is ASML's biggest customer. Have you ever wondered how semiconductor chips are made? There's actually more than one way. The most common way, however, is with light. Using a manufacturing process known as lithography, a light-based stencil (of sorts) is used to spray multiple layers of semiconducting material onto a silicon substrate. The more precise this light pattern is, the smaller the chips made with it can be. And this is a question that may be on investors' minds regarding ASML Holding (NASDAQ: ASML) right now. It's a hugely important semiconductor technology outfit. But, is it a millionaire-making prospect with nothing more than a fairly typical investment of $10,000 made today? Not every critical technology company makes for a life-changing stock, though. Sometimes, their tickers are merely better-than-average performers. Most experienced investors understand that life-changing stocks come from world-changing companies. Think Amazon , or, more recently, Nvidia . The former arguably created the e-commerce industry it now dominates, while the latter's technology is the heart and soul of most artificial intelligence platforms. That's why so many of these two outfits' earliest shareholders were able to turn relatively modest investments into million-dollar positions. Story Continues That doesn't make it a poor stock pick, though. Quite the contrary, actually. This technology company would be a solid addition to almost any growth portfolio. There's one overarching downside to the nature of this company's business, however. That is, it's inconsistent. Chip companies like Taiwan Semiconductor, Samsung, or Intel -- all of which are existing ASML customers -- don't need to purchase new EUV lithography equipment every year. Indeed, with its newest machine sporting a sticker price of around $400 million apiece, even the biggest of chipmakers must think very carefully before committing to a purchase that's big enough to provide them with enough production scale to matter. In this vein, for perspective, ASML only sold a total of 380 new lithography units in 2024, plus another 38 used/refurbished ones... a fairly typical year. More importantly to current and would-be shareholders, this type of big-ticket, one-off purchase business can lead to uncomfortably inconsistent results. For instance, while ASML's revenue soared by 69% in 2021, it contracted slightly in 2022. It jumped again in 2023, growing nearly 41%, but then fell a little more than 3% the following year. Its final top line for 2025 is likely to be 31% better than 2024's total, but analysts are already calling for a mere 5% year-over-year improvement in sales for 2026. This sort of inconsistency isn't conducive to long-term gains for any company's stock. This inconsistency also obscures the fact that since 2015, ASML's average annualized revenue growth rate has only been about 18%. That's impressive, to be sure. But it's not enough to lead to a million-dollar payoff. And that will be especially true if China's efforts to build its own EUV lithography machines (by retro-engineering ASML's tech) meet its goal of building a working prototype as soon as 2028. Somehow it seems that Beijing won't be overly concerned if its homegrown tech tests or even outright violates ASML's patent protection, particularly if it means lower costs or more marketability for its own semiconductor manufacturers. Not a bad stock, but now's still not the time Again, don't read too much pessimism here. ASML has been a solid-performing stock, especially for long-term owners who've stepped in during one of its frequent -- and somewhat predictable -- dips. This cyclical volatility isn't apt to change in the near or distant future either. So, if you're looking for a good way of rounding out and spicing up your technology or growth holdings, this name isn't a bad bet. But maybe just not right now. ASML stock's 100% run-up from April's low leaves it a little too vulnerable to one of these many predictable pullbacks, which tend to coincide with the beginning of soft patches like the one expected for this year. You'd be better served by waiting for a sell-off. There are better bets to consider in the meantime. Should you buy stock in ASML right now? Before you buy stock in ASML, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and ASML wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $488,222!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,134,333!* Now, its worth noting Stock Advisors total average return is 969% a market-crushing outperformance compared to 196% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of January 9, 2026. James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Amazon, Intel, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Could Investing $10,000 in ASML Make You a Millionaire? was originally published by The Motley Fool Peregrine Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in Cushman & Wakefield PLC (NYSE:CWK Free Report) by 33.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 354,264 shares of the companys stock after selling 178,693 shares during the period. Peregrine Capital Management LLCs holdings in Cushman & Wakefield were worth $5,640,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield in the second quarter valued at about $51,764,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its stake in Cushman & Wakefield by 46.2% in the second quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 12,156,514 shares of the companys stock worth $134,573,000 after purchasing an additional 3,842,859 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in Cushman & Wakefield by 128.6% during the second quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,879,485 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,876,000 after buying an additional 1,620,143 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 416.2% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 574,541 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,360,000 after buying an additional 463,241 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 75.1% in the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 689,164 shares of the companys stock worth $7,629,000 after buying an additional 295,615 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.56% of the companys stock. Get Cushman & Wakefield alerts: Cushman & Wakefield Trading Up 0.8% NYSE:CWK opened at $16.61 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $15.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.07. Cushman & Wakefield PLC has a one year low of $7.64 and a one year high of $17.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.30 and a beta of 1.47. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Cushman & Wakefield ( NYSE:CWK Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.01. Cushman & Wakefield had a net margin of 2.23% and a return on equity of 14.69%. The company had revenue of $2.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.51 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.23 EPS. Cushman & Wakefields quarterly revenue was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Cushman & Wakefield has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.180-1.230 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Cushman & Wakefield PLC will post 1.2 EPS for the current year. A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Cushman & Wakefield in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research cut Cushman & Wakefield from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Wall Street Zen raised Cushman & Wakefield from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. Citigroup upgraded shares of Cushman & Wakefield from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $18.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, JMP Securities set a $19.00 target price on shares of Cushman & Wakefield in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $17.88. View Our Latest Research Report on CWK Cushman & Wakefield Profile (Free Report) Cushman & Wakefield is a leading global commercial real estate services firm headquartered in Chicago. The company provides a wide range of services to occupiers and investors, specializing in transaction management, property management, facilities management and project management. Its clientele spans corporate occupiers, landlords, investors and government entities seeking solutions to optimize their real estate portfolios and operations. The firms core offerings include leasing advisory for office, industrial, retail and multifamily properties, as well as capital markets advice on acquisitions, dispositions and debt and equity placements. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CWK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cushman & Wakefield PLC (NYSE:CWK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Cushman & Wakefield Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cushman & Wakefield and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Booking, Travelers Companies, Expedia Group, MakeMyTrip, and Trip.com Group are the five Travel stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Travel stocks are shares of companies whose primary businesses depend on people traveling, such as airlines, hotels, cruise lines, car rental firms, online travel agencies and related travelservice or traveltechnology providers. Investors watch these stocks for high sensitivity to economic cycles, seasonality, fuel and labor costs, and risks like geopolitical events or pandemics that can quickly affect travel demand. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Travel stocks within the last several days. Get alerts: Booking (BKNG) Booking Holdings Inc, formerly The Priceline Group Inc., is a provider of travel and restaurant online reservation and related services. The Company, through its online travel companies (OTCs), connects consumers wishing to make travel reservations with providers of travel services across the world. It offers consumers an array of accommodation reservations (including hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, apartments, vacation rentals and other properties) through its Booking.com, priceline.com and agoda.com brands. Travelers Companies (TRV) 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. Read Our Latest Research Report on TRV Expedia Group (EXPE) Expedia Group, Inc. operates as an online travel company in the United States and internationally. The company operates through B2C, B2B, and trivago segments. Its B2C segment includes Brand Expedia, a full-service online travel brand offers various travel products and services; Hotels.com for lodging accommodations; Vrbo, an online marketplace for the alternative accommodations; Orbitz, Travelocity, Wotif Group, ebookers, CheapTickets, Hotwire.com and CarRentals.com. Read Our Latest Research Report on EXPE MakeMyTrip (MMYT) MakeMyTrip Limited, an online travel company, sells travel products and solutions in India, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Colombia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The company operates through three segments: Air Ticketing, Hotels and Packages, and Bus Ticketing. Read Our Latest Research Report on MMYT Trip.com Group (TCOM) Trip.com Group Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates as a travel service provider for accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and in-destination, corporate travel management, and other travel-related services in China and internationally. The company acts as an agent for hotel-related transactions and selling air tickets, as well as provides train, long-distance bus, and ferry tickets; travel insurance products, such as flight delay, air accident, and baggage loss coverage; and air-ticket delivery, online check-in and seat selection, express security screening, real-time flight status tracker, and airport VIP lounge services. Read Our Latest Research Report on TCOM Further Reading Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR Get Free Report) (TSE:QSR) CFO Sami Siddiqui sold 977 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.44, for a total transaction of $65,888.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $817,103.04. This represents a 7.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Restaurant Brands International Stock Up 0.5% Shares of NYSE QSR opened at $68.99 on Friday. Restaurant Brands International Inc. has a 12-month low of $58.71 and a 12-month high of $73.70. The company has a market cap of $22.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.65. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $69.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $67.34. Get Restaurant Brands International alerts: Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR Get Free Report) (TSE:QSR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The restaurant operator reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.03. Restaurant Brands International had a return on equity of 32.43% and a net margin of 9.95%.The company had revenue of $2.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.93 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Restaurant Brands International Inc. will post 3.72 EPS for the current fiscal year. Restaurant Brands International Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 23rd were issued a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 23rd. Restaurant Brands Internationals dividend payout ratio is currently 88.26%. A number of research firms have recently commented on QSR. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $68.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Argus upgraded Restaurant Brands International from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $85.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given 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 Hold and a consensus target price of $76.57. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Restaurant Brands International Institutional Trading of Restaurant Brands International Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in QSR. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in shares of Restaurant Brands International in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Restaurant Brands International during the second quarter worth about $33,000. CX Institutional lifted its holdings in Restaurant Brands International by 928.0% in the second quarter. CX Institutional now owns 514 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC bought a new position in Restaurant Brands International in the second quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Restaurant Brands International in the second quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 82.29% of the companys stock. Restaurant Brands International News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Restaurant Brands International this week: Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target on QSR to $86 and kept an overweight rating a clear nearterm catalyst that can attract buying interest versus the current price. Barclays Raises Price Target to $86 Barclays raised its price target on QSR to $86 and kept an overweight rating a clear nearterm catalyst that can attract buying interest versus the current price. Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital issued a buy on QSR, adding another institutional endorsement that supports demand for the shares. BMO Buy on QSR BMO Capital issued a buy on QSR, adding another institutional endorsement that supports demand for the shares. Positive Sentiment: Analyst breadth is skewed positive: roughly 60% of analysts are bullish with a median target near $77.50 supports expectations of upside from current levels. Analyst Sentiment Roundup Analyst breadth is skewed positive: roughly 60% of analysts are bullish with a median target near $77.50 supports expectations of upside from current levels. Positive Sentiment: Recent dividend paid (quarterly $0.62; ~3.6% yield) keeps income investors engaged yield plus analyst upgrades can buoy the stock. MarketBeat QSR Profile (includes dividend) Recent dividend paid (quarterly $0.62; ~3.6% yield) keeps income investors engaged yield plus analyst upgrades can buoy the stock. Neutral Sentiment: QSRs last published quarterly results beat estimates (Oct. 30), showing revenue and EPS growth; that underpins the positive analyst views but is an older data point investors should refresh at next report. Earnings Recap QSRs last published quarterly results beat estimates (Oct. 30), showing revenue and EPS growth; that underpins the positive analyst views but is an older data point investors should refresh at next report. Negative Sentiment: Clustered insider selling on Jan. 7 including CEO and CFO (collective disclosed sales ~13.7k shares across executives) can sap sentiment even if trades are for diversification or tax reasons. Representative filing: CEO Form 4. SEC Filing: CEO Sale Clustered insider selling on Jan. 7 including CEO and CFO (collective disclosed sales ~13.7k shares across executives) can sap sentiment even if trades are for diversification or tax reasons. Representative filing: CEO Form 4. Negative Sentiment: Rising U.S. beef costs are pressuring Burger King U.S. margins in the near term a commodity headwind to profit growth even if management calls the cycle temporary. Watch grossmargin commentary in upcoming franchise and earnings updates. Zacks: Beef Costs Pressure Margins About Restaurant Brands International (Get Free Report) Restaurant Brands International Inc (NYSE: QSR) is a global quick-service restaurant company formed through the combination of established brands. The companys principal holdings include Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, each of which operates under its own brand identity and menu. Restaurant Brands Internationals business is centered on developing and expanding these franchised restaurant systems, supporting franchisees with brand management, supply chain coordination, and marketing programs. RBIs restaurants offer a range of quick-service food and beverage products: Burger King is known for its flame-grilled hamburgers and sandwiches, Tim Hortons for coffee, baked goods and breakfast items, and Popeyes for Louisiana-style fried chicken and seafood. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Restaurant Brands International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Restaurant Brands International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Schroder UK Mid Cap (LON:SCP Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 724 and last traded at GBX 724, with a volume of 41564 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 718. Schroder UK Mid Cap Trading Up 1.1% The company has a market capitalization of 246.44 million, a PE ratio of 9.95 and a beta of 1.27. The stocks 50-day moving average is GBX 694.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 690.24. Get Schroder UK Mid Cap alerts: Schroder UK Mid Cap (LON:SCP Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 27th. The company reported GBX 25.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Schroder UK Mid Cap had a return on equity of 15.45% and a net margin of 90.71%. Schroder UK Mid Cap Company Profile Aims to provide a total return in excess of the FTSE 250 (ex-Investment Companies) Index and an attractive level of yield, which can contribute a degree of stability to the funds total return The potential for dividend growth through rising dividend payments from stocks held in the portfolio Invests in dynamic mid cap companies that have the potential to grow to be included in the FTSE 100 index, which are at an interesting point in their life cycle, and/or which could ultimately prove to be attractive takeover targets Managed by an award-winning fund manager backed by a team with extensive experience and expertise. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Schroder UK Mid Cap Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Schroder UK Mid Cap and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Seabridge Gold Inc. (TSE:SEA Get Free Report) (NYSE:SA) insider Elizabeth Fillatre Miller sold 1,648 shares of Seabridge Gold stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$40.49, for a total transaction of C$66,727.52. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 32,969 shares in the company, valued at C$1,334,914.81. This represents a 4.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Seabridge Gold Stock Performance TSE SEA traded down C$0.41 during trading on Friday, hitting C$42.93. 177,281 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 195,354. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 58.83, a quick ratio of 3.34 and a current ratio of 2.28. The stock has a market capitalization of C$4.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -78.05 and a beta of 1.77. Seabridge Gold Inc. has a 12-month low of C$13.44 and a 12-month high of C$44.71. The business has a 50 day moving average of C$38.54 and a 200-day moving average of C$30.48. Get Seabridge Gold alerts: About Seabridge Gold (Get Free Report) Read More Seabridge Gold Inc is a development stage company involved in the evaluation, acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties sited in North America. The companys principal projects include the Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell property located in British Columbia, the Courageous Lake property located in the Northwest Territories and its newly acquired Iksut Property located in northwestern British Columbia. It has various other mineral resource projects throughout North America. Receive News & Ratings for Seabridge Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Seabridge Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SG Americas Securities LLC reduced its stake in iShares MSCI Mexico ETF (NYSEARCA:EWW Free Report) by 65.1% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 100,195 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 186,555 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI Mexico ETF were worth $6,834,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. CWM LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Mexico ETF by 90.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 466 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. CWC Advisors LLC. boosted its stake in iShares MSCI Mexico ETF by 2.6% during the third quarter. CWC Advisors LLC. now owns 9,435 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $644,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its holdings in iShares MSCI Mexico ETF by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 4,217 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $255,000 after buying an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI Mexico ETF by 11.1% in the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,416 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $207,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Mexico ETF by 289.7% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 491 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 365 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI Mexico ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Mexico ETF Stock Performance NYSEARCA EWW opened at $71.06 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $68.68 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.07. iShares MSCI Mexico ETF has a one year low of $46.70 and a one year high of $71.60. The company has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.85 and a beta of 0.91. iShares MSCI Mexico ETF Profile iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI Mexico Capped Investable Market Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the MSCI Mexico IMI 25/50 Index (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Mexican Stock Exchange. The Index is a free-float adjusted market capitalization weighted index with a capping methodology applied to issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Index weight and all issuers with weight above 5% do not exceed 50% of the Index weight. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Mexico ETF (NYSEARCA:EWW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Mexico ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Mexico ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in Brookfield Renewable Corporation (NYSE:BEPC Free Report) by 699.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 221,279 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 193,588 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC owned about 0.15% of Brookfield Renewable worth $7,616,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Curio Wealth LLC grew its position in Brookfield Renewable by 95,300.0% during the 2nd quarter. Curio Wealth LLC now owns 954 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 953 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Brookfield Renewable by 88.4% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 543 shares during the period. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in shares of Brookfield Renewable during the second quarter valued at $42,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Brookfield Renewable by 180.3% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,696 shares of the companys stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 1,091 shares in the last quarter. Finally, McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Brookfield Renewable during the second quarter valued at $90,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.12% of the companys stock. Get Brookfield Renewable alerts: Brookfield Renewable Stock Up 0.6% Shares of Brookfield Renewable stock opened at $38.02 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $5.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -42.72 and a beta of 1.23. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.17. Brookfield Renewable Corporation has a 52-week low of $23.73 and a 52-week high of $45.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.39. Brookfield Renewable Announces Dividend Analyst Ratings Changes The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th were paid a dividend of $0.373 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $1.49 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Brookfield Renewables dividend payout ratio is -167.42%. A number of equities research analysts have commented on BEPC shares. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (e+) rating on shares of Brookfield Renewable in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Brookfield Renewable from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Brookfield Renewable from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Brookfield Renewable from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Brookfield Renewable from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $39.75. View Our Latest Stock Report on BEPC Brookfield Renewable Company Profile (Free Report) Brookfield Renewable Corporation (NYSE: BEPC) is a leading global owner, operator and developer of renewable power assets. Through its preferred equity securities, BEPC provides investors with exposure to a diversified portfolio of hydropower, wind, solar and energy storage facilities that are underpinned by long-term contractual revenues. The company focuses on delivering clean energy to wholesale and retail markets across multiple jurisdictions, leveraging the experience and financial backing of its parent, Brookfield Asset Management. The companys operations span North America, South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, with more than 23,000 megawatts of operational capacity. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Renewable Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Renewable and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sonoma Allocations LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 10,705 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $540,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Bank of America during the 3rd quarter worth $649,000. Boston Common Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Bank of America by 10.5% during the second quarter. Boston Common Asset Management LLC now owns 259,680 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $12,288,000 after buying an additional 24,740 shares during the last quarter. Disciplined Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank of America during the second quarter worth about $217,000. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC increased its position in Bank of America by 7.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 6,476 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $306,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares during the period. Finally, CCG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Bank of America during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $287,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.71% of the companys stock. Get Bank of America alerts: Bank of America Price Performance Shares of NYSE BAC opened at $55.81 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. Bank of America Corporation has a one year low of $33.06 and a one year high of $57.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $407.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.21 and a beta of 1.29. The companys fifty day moving average is $54.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $50.98. Bank of America Announces Dividend Bank of America ( NYSE:BAC Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $5.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $27.05 billion. Bank of America had a net margin of 15.70% and a return on equity of 10.76%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.81 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Bank of America Corporation will post 3.7 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Bank of Americas payout ratio is 30.52%. Analysts Set New Price Targets BAC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Bank of America from $56.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Hsbc Global Res raised Bank of America from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Bank of America from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Bank of America to a moderate buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Seaport Global Securities raised their target price on shares of Bank of America from $59.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $59.82. View Our Latest Stock Report on BAC Trending Headlines about Bank of America Here are the key news stories impacting Bank of America this week: About Bank of America (Free Report) Bank of America Corporation is a multinational financial services company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It provides a broad array of banking, investment, asset management and related financial and risk management products and services to individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses, large corporations, governments and institutional investors. The firm operates through consumer banking, global wealth and investment management, global banking and markets businesses, offering capabilities across lending, deposits, payments, advisory and capital markets. Its consumer-facing offerings include checking and savings accounts, mortgages, home equity lending, auto loans, credit cards and small business banking, supported by a nationwide branch network and digital channels. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Bank of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wise Wealth Partners boosted its position in SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD Free Report) by 44.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,543 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 4,775 shares during the quarter. SPDR Gold Shares accounts for approximately 8.5% of Wise Wealth Partners holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Wise Wealth Partners holdings in SPDR Gold Shares were worth $5,525,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American National Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 52.4% during the second quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 291 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $89,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. StrongBox Wealth LLC raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in SPDR Gold Shares by 6.5% during the 2nd quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,509 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,070,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 14.6% in the 2nd 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. grew its position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 151.5% in the 2nd quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 1,386 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $422,000 after acquiring an additional 835 shares in the last quarter. 42.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get SPDR Gold Shares alerts: Key Headlines Impacting SPDR Gold Shares Here are the key news stories impacting SPDR Gold Shares this week: SPDR Gold Shares Trading Up 0.7% SPDR Gold Shares Company Profile Shares of NYSEARCA GLD opened at $414.47 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $154.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -32.43 and a beta of 0.09. SPDR Gold Shares has a twelve month low of $245.15 and a twelve month high of $418.45. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $390.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $351.63. (Free Report) 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). The Trust issues Shares in Baskets to certain authorized participants (Authorized Participants) on an ongoing basis. The creation and redemption of Baskets is only made in exchange for the delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of gold and any cash represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed, the amount of which will be based on the combined net asset value of various Shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received. See Also 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. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC lowered its position in Stryker Corporation (NYSE:SYK Free Report) by 50.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 8,691 shares of the medical technology companys stock after selling 8,688 shares during the quarter. Kesler Norman & Wride LLCs holdings in Stryker were worth $3,131,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Consolidated Portfolio Review Corp increased its position in Stryker by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Consolidated Portfolio Review Corp now owns 648 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $256,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Stryker by 16.9% during the second quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. Sunflower Bank N.A. raised its stake in shares of Stryker by 4.0% during the second quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 696 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $275,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Pitti Group Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Stryker by 3.2% in the second quarter. Pitti Group Wealth Management LLC now owns 861 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $341,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Sachetta LLC grew its position in Stryker by 58.7% in the 2nd quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 73 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. 77.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Stryker alerts: Stryker Stock Performance SYK opened at $367.75 on Friday. Stryker Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $329.16 and a fifty-two week high of $406.19. The firm has a market cap of $140.64 billion, a PE ratio of 48.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $359.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $375.16. Stryker Increases Dividend Stryker ( NYSE:SYK Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The medical technology company reported $3.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.13 by $0.06. Stryker had a return on equity of 24.07% and a net margin of 12.07%.The firm had revenue of $6.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.87 EPS. Strykers revenue was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Stryker Corporation will post 13.47 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be given a $0.88 dividend. This is a boost 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 dividend yield of 1.0%. Strykers payout ratio is currently 46.25%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Stryker news, 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 6,694 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,449,200.72. The trade was a 2.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ronda E. Stryker sold 276,173 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director directly owned 2,702,108 shares in the company, valued at approximately $954,600,714.24. This trade represents a 9.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 522,118 shares of company stock valued at $185,381,932. Company insiders own 5.90% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes SYK has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore ISI set a $390.00 price target on shares of Stryker in a research note on Monday. Raymond James Financial upgraded Stryker from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $418.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of Stryker in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $399.00 price objective on Stryker in a research note on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $435.00 price objective on shares of Stryker in a report on Friday, November 14th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Stryker has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $430.00. View Our Latest Analysis on SYK Stryker Company Profile (Free Report) Stryker Corporation is a global medical technology company that designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of products and services for use in hospitals, surgeons offices and other healthcare facilities. Its primary business activities span orthopedics (including joint replacement implants, trauma and extremities products), surgical equipment and operating room technologies (such as visualization, navigation and powered instruments), neurotechnology and spine solutions, and patient-handling and emergency medical equipment. See Also 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. After her 32-day Airbnb stay ended in March, Romero refused to leave. She allegedly changed the locks, put utilities in her daughter's name, removed Douglas's personal belongings, and tampered with security cameras. Douglas offered her $2,500 to sign a document admitting she wasn't a tenant and leave. Romero signed, but didn't budge (3). When confronted with the eviction records on camera, Romero denied ever being evicted. But in court Thursday, placed under oath and warned about perjury, she said she does not recall whether she was evicted. "She knows what she's doing," real estate attorney Rich Bianco told 7News after reviewing the records. "This isn't the first rodeo." Court records uncovered by 7News revealed a troubling history. Romero faced eviction from at least two other D.C. properties before landing at Douglas's home. At one apartment complex, she allegedly owed $35,000 in unpaid rent. At another, she paid one month's rent and stayed for 13 months. Douglas's nightmare began when Romero booked her furnished home through Airbnb, claiming her own apartment had been damaged in a fire. What Douglas didn't know: At the time of booking, Romero was already being evicted from another property for owing nearly $50,000 in back rent (2). It's a rare win for property owners in a city where tenant protections have long tilted the scales against landlords. But the case has also exposed what critics call a glaring loophole: In D.C. and several other jurisdictions, staying in someone's home for just 30 days can be enough to claim tenant rights, even without a lease. On Thursday, a D.C. judge finally sided with Douglas, ruling that Shadija Romero, the woman occupying her home, has no tenancy rights and can be removed immediately. The judge found that an agreement Romero previously signed, acknowledging she wasn't a tenant, remains valid. Get early access to privately-held AI companies with Fundrise Venture Capital for as little as $10. Join 350,000+ investors today Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake heres what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how "This is taking me somewhere where I'm not trying to be," Douglas told 7News in Washington, D.C. "Everybody has a breaking point (1)." Rochanne Douglas thought she was helping someone in need when she accepted a 32-day Airbnb reservation back in February. Nearly a year later, she was locked out of her own home, paying thousands in attorney fees and mortgage payments for a property she couldn't even enter. Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Story Continues The cost of fighting back For Douglas, the financial toll has been staggering. "If the judge doesn't give me some relief, I'm going to lose my property," she told 7News before Thursday's ruling. "I can't pay $4,000 a month, my other bills, and my responsibilities like this." Her story is far from unique. Across the country, property owners have found themselves trapped by laws designed to protect tenants laws that bad actors have learned to exploit. States are fighting back The D.C. case comes amid a wave of legislative reforms targeting squatter protections nationwide. In March 2024, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 621, which allows property owners to fill out a form and have sheriffs remove squatters immediately, with no court process required. The law also makes it a felony to forge lease documents or cause more than $1,000 in property damage while squatting. "We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida," DeSantis said at the signing. "While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners (4)." Georgia followed with its Squatter Reform Act in April 2024, requiring accused squatters to produce proof of legal residency within three days or face arrest (5). New York changed its property law in April 2024 to clarify that squatters are not considered tenants on any timeframe. Alabama, Kentucky, Illinois, and Texas have all passed or advanced similar legislation in 2024 and 2025 (6). The trend reflects growing frustration among property owners who feel current laws favor those gaming the system over those who actually own homes. Read More: Approaching retirement with no savings? Dont panic, you're not alone. Here are 6 easy ways you can catch up (and fast) What D.C. homeowners should know Douglas's case has prompted D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson to review the city's rental policies. "I've seen some of the reports," Mendelson told 7News. "I think it's pretty shocking what they've revealed (7)." For property owners considering short-term rentals, experts recommend several precautions. Screen guests carefully, even on platforms like Airbnb that offer some verification. Limit booking lengths to under 30 days when possible, since that's often the threshold for claiming tenant rights. Document everything, including communications, property condition and booking terms. Know your local laws, as tenant protections vary dramatically by jurisdiction. Act immediately if a guest overstays, as delays can strengthen a squatter's legal position. Airbnb told 7News it has been tracking the Douglas case and noted that its platform has protections in place for hosts. A turning point? For Douglas, Thursday's ruling marked the end of a 10-month ordeal. But for the broader debate over property rights versus tenant protections, it may be just the beginning. The case highlights a fundamental tension in housing law: How do you protect vulnerable renters from predatory landlords without creating loopholes that bad actors can exploit? States like Florida have clearly chosen to prioritize property owners. Cities like D.C. have historically leaned toward tenant protections. Douglas's case - and the public outrage it generated - suggests that balance may be shifting. "I never gave her any tenancy," Douglas said. "I never gave her a lease." Now, finally, a judge has agreed. How to invest in real estate without dealing with problem tenants Cases like this have prompted lawmakers to take squatting seriously, driving a wave of anti-squatting legislation across the country. As of June 2025, roughly 30 states are considering implementing legislation, while 13 states have already enacted new or additional laws, according to the National Apartment Association (8). Still, the cost of evicting a squatter might be steep for most. Legal fees for eviction proceedings typically run $1,500 to $5,000, according to housing experts. Property damage and cleanup can exceed $10,000. And lost rental income during months-long court battles can devastate a homeowner's finances (9). For those interested in real estate investing minus the tenant drama fractional property ownership through crowdfunding platforms might be worth exploring. How to start with just $100 Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived lets you invest in shares of vacation homes and rental homes across the country. Arriveds team takes care of the heavy lifting from vetting properties based on their return-generating potential to finding and managing tenants so you can become a landlord without having to deal with late-night repair calls. You can earn returns in two ways: any rental income generated by properties is passed on to investors as monthly cash distributions, and any capital appreciation is paid out at the end of the investment hold period when the property is sold. Arriveds single-family residential properties have typically paid 3% to 5% in dividend yields annually, with total historical annual returns ranging from 6% to 10%. Thanks to REIT-style taxation, investors also get access to helpful tax breaks. You can have even more wiggle room thanks to Arriveds recently launched secondary market. Six months after a property launches, it becomes tradable on Arriveds secondary market, where shares can be bought and sold every quarter. Invest in institutional-quality rentals like a mogul For those looking to invest beyond short-term vacation rentals, Mogul might be worth a look. Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, Mogul hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. This way, you can invest in institutional quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost. Investors can enjoy a steady stream of monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 A.M. tenant calls. Moguls team carefully vets each property, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10 to 12% annually. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property. Every investment is secured by real assets, not dependent on the platforms viability. Each property is held in a standalone Propco LLC, so investors own the property not the platform. Getting started is simple. After you sign up for an account and verify your information, you can browse available properties and invest like a mogul in just a few clicks. Bank smarter with all your rental finances in one place If youre already a landlord and are looking for efficient management of your finances, Baselane allows you to organize your day-to-day transactions and streamline your finances. You can easily organize your money, manage expenses, as well as pay bills all through one integrated platform. This way, you can focus on growing your rental business rather than drowning in spreadsheets. You can open unlimited accounts for each of your properties with no monthly account maintenance fees and no minimum balance required, plus earn up to 2.63% APY on savings accounts roughly 7x higher than the national average of 0.39% (10). Open a Baselane account today and receive a $150 cash bonus as a Moneywise reader. You May Also Like Article sources We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines. 7News (1, 2, 3, 7); Governor of Florida (4); Multifamilydive (5, 6); National Apartment Association (8); SquattersRights (9); Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (10) This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its holdings in McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD Free Report) by 0.7% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 365,619 shares of the fast-food giants stock after purchasing an additional 2,556 shares during the period. McDonalds makes up 0.9% of Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings in McDonalds were worth $111,108,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors raised its holdings in McDonalds by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 8,280 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $2,516,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC boosted its position in McDonalds by 12.6% in the third quarter. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC now owns 3,119 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $904,000 after buying an additional 349 shares in the last quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. increased its stake in shares of McDonalds by 2.9% in the third quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 17,289 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $5,254,000 after buying an additional 481 shares during the period. Pioneer Trust Bank N A OR raised its holdings in McDonalds by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Pioneer Trust Bank N A OR now owns 17,186 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $5,223,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in McDonalds by 32.3% during the 3rd quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 81,576 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $24,790,000 after buying an additional 19,898 shares during the period. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get McDonald's alerts: More McDonalds News Here are the key news stories impacting McDonalds this week: Insiders Place Their Bets Analysts Set New Price Targets In other McDonalds news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total value of $977,094.90. Following the transaction, the insider owned 6,088 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,861,832.16. The trade was a 34.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 13,134 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.42, for a total value of $3,945,716.28. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,606 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,383,734.52. This represents a 74.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure . In the last three months, insiders sold 42,516 shares of company stock valued at $13,036,090. Insiders own 0.25% of the companys stock. MCD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of McDonalds from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of McDonalds in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of McDonalds from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday. KeyCorp raised their target price on McDonalds from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $372.00 target price on shares of McDonalds in a research report on Wednesday. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, McDonalds has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $328.88. Read Our Latest Stock Report on MCD McDonalds Price Performance NYSE MCD opened at $307.27 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $307.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $304.78. The firm has a market cap of $218.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.22, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.53. McDonalds Corporation has a 1 year low of $276.53 and a 1 year high of $326.32. McDonalds (NYSE:MCD Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.11). McDonalds had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. The firm had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.23 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that McDonalds Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year. McDonalds Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This is a boost from McDonaldss previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. McDonaldss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.48%. McDonalds Company Profile (Free Report) McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a global quick-service restaurant company best known for its hamburgers, French fries and breakfast offerings. The company develops, operates and franchises a system of restaurants that sell a range of food and beverage items, including signature products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, McCafe coffee beverages and a variety of salads, desserts and seasonal menu items. McDonalds serves customers through company-operated restaurants and franchised locations, and it supports sales via dine-in, drive-thru, digital ordering platforms and third-party delivery partnerships. Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald as a single San Bernardino, California restaurant, the business was transformed into a franchising model after Ray Kroc joined in the mid-1950s and led the brands national and international expansion. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MCD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for McDonald's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McDonald's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tanager Wealth Management LLP boosted its position in shares of Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:PICB Free Report) by 80.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,437,559 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 638,784 shares during the quarter. Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF accounts for approximately 3.6% of Tanager Wealth Management LLPs investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest position. Tanager Wealth Management LLP owned 15.13% of Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF worth $34,257,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in PICB. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF in the 2nd quarter worth about $345,000. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF in the second quarter worth about $10,019,000. First United Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF during the second quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 1 North Wealth Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,560,000. Finally, Clune & Associates LTD. purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF in the second quarter worth approximately $592,000. Get Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF alerts: Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF Stock Performance PICB opened at $23.78 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $23.70 and a 200 day moving average of $23.77. Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF has a 52-week low of $20.99 and a 52-week high of $24.31. About Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF PowerShares International Corporate Bond Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of an index called the S&P International Corporate Bond Index (the Index). The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in the securities that comprise the Index. The Index measures the performance of investment grade corporate bonds issued by non-the United States issuers in the currencies: Australian Dollar, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, Danish Krone, New Zealand Dollar, Norwegian Krone and Swedish Krona. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PICB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:PICB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco International Corporate Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL Free Report) had its price objective reduced by TD Cowen from $109.00 to $108.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the financial services providers stock. Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Cowen began coverage on Western Alliance Bancorporation in a research report on Wednesday, September 24th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Barclays upped their price target on Western Alliance Bancorporation from $112.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation from $93.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $102.20. Get Western Alliance Bancorporation alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on WAL Western Alliance Bancorporation Trading Up 0.5% NYSE:WAL opened at $90.14 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $9.92 billion, a PE ratio of 11.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.34. Western Alliance Bancorporation has a 52-week low of $57.05 and a 52-week high of $94.40. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $83.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $83.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter. Western Alliance Bancorporation had a return on equity of 12.93% and a net margin of 17.14%.The business had revenue of $718.00 million during the quarter. On average, research analysts anticipate that Western Alliance Bancorporation will post 9.05 EPS for the current year. Western Alliance Bancorporation Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 13th were issued a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 13th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. This is an increase from Western Alliance Bancorporations previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Western Alliance Bancorporations payout ratio is currently 20.77%. Insider Transactions at Western Alliance Bancorporation In other news, CFO Dale Gibbons bought 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $77.00 per share, for a total transaction of $308,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 300,358 shares in the company, valued at $23,127,566. This trade represents a 1.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.68% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Alliance Bancorporation Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Western Alliance Bancorporation during the 2nd quarter valued at about $137,289,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC increased its stake in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation by 36.5% during the 3rd quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 5,979,916 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $518,578,000 after purchasing an additional 1,599,537 shares in the last quarter. Perpetual Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,072,000. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation by 35.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,179,518 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $102,288,000 after purchasing an additional 310,826 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Frontier Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Western Alliance Bancorporation in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $22,224,000. 79.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Western Alliance Bancorporation Company Profile (Get Free Report) Western Alliance Bancorporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Through its principal subsidiary, Western Alliance Bank, the company provides a range of banking services to commercial clients, entrepreneurs and real estate developers. As one of the largest regional banks in the western United States, it focuses on relationship-driven banking solutions tailored to niche industries and growing businesses. The companys core offerings include deposit products, treasury management and a variety of lending services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Western Alliance Bancorporation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Western Alliance Bancorporation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE:TFX Get Free Report)s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $126.53, but opened at $112.50. Teleflex shares last traded at $113.3870, with a volume of 720,314 shares changing hands. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth TFX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Teleflex from $114.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Teleflex in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Needham & Company LLC restated a hold rating on shares of Teleflex in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d) rating on shares of Teleflex in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Teleflex from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Teleflex currently has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus target price of $142.43. Get Teleflex alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on Teleflex Teleflex Stock Up 2.7% The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 2.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The company has a market cap of $4.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.93. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $118.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $121.12. Teleflex (NYSE:TFX Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The medical technology company reported $3.67 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.29. Teleflex had a negative net margin of 10.28% and a positive return on equity of 15.64%. The business had revenue of $892.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $892.79 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.49 earnings per share. Teleflexs revenue for the quarter was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Teleflex has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.000-14.200 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Teleflex Incorporated will post 13.98 EPS for the current year. Teleflex Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. Teleflexs payout ratio is presently -18.50%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Teleflex A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in shares of Teleflex during the 1st quarter worth $373,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in Teleflex by 15.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,684 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $233,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in Teleflex by 42.6% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 6,343 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $877,000 after purchasing an additional 1,895 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd grew its stake in Teleflex by 7.8% during the first quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 8,311 shares of the medical technology companys stock worth $1,148,000 after buying an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio bought a new position in Teleflex in the 1st quarter valued at about $3,040,000. Institutional investors own 95.62% of the companys stock. About Teleflex (Get Free Report) Teleflex Incorporated is a diversified global provider of medical technologies, specializing in critical care and surgery. Headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania, the company designs, manufactures and distributes devices and solutions used by healthcare professionals in hospital, ambulatory and alternate site settings. Teleflex focuses on delivering products that support complex interventional procedures and improve patient outcomes. The companys offerings span several key segments, including Interventional Urology, Respiratory & Anesthesia, Surgical, Cardiac Care, Vascular and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) solutions. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Teleflex Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teleflex and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE:TDS Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $43.36 and last traded at $43.3440, with a volume of 275964 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $41.71. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Telephone and Data Systems from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Telephone and Data Systems from $45.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d) rating on shares of Telephone and Data Systems in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Telephone and Data Systems from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, November 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $51.67. Get Telephone and Data Systems alerts: Get Our Latest Report on TDS Telephone and Data Systems Stock Up 2.2% The company has a quick ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stocks 50 day moving average is $39.31 and its 200 day moving average is $38.72. The firm has a market cap of $4.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -38.53 and a beta of 0.32. Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.06) by $0.13. Telephone and Data Systems had a positive return on equity of 1.15% and a negative net margin of 1.46%.The firm had revenue of $308.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.16 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.73) earnings per share. Telephone and Data Systemss revenue was down 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. will post -0.31 EPS for the current year. Telephone and Data Systems Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a $0.04 dividend. This represents a $0.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. Telephone and Data Systemss payout ratio is presently -14.81%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CAO Anita J. Kroll sold 870 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.16, for a total transaction of $34,069.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 14.97% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Telephone and Data Systems Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Croban boosted its stake in Telephone and Data Systems by 0.7% in the third quarter. Croban now owns 37,088 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $1,455,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank increased its stake in shares of Telephone and Data Systems by 1.0% in the second quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 28,061 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $998,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Telephone and Data Systems by 65.6% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 699 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Telephone and Data Systems by 0.9% in the third quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 36,829 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $1,445,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Telephone and Data Systems by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,663 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $222,000 after buying an additional 356 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.00% of the companys stock. Telephone and Data Systems Company Profile (Get Free Report) Telephone and Data Systems, Inc (NYSE: TDS) is a diversified telecommunications company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides a broad array of communications services, including wireless voice and data, wireline broadband and voice, cable television, and managed IT and cloud solutions. Its two primary operating unitsTDS Telecom and U.S. Cellularserve residential, business and wholesale customers across the United States. TDS Telecom focuses on delivering broadband internet, digital voice, video and data communications services in primarily rural and suburban markets. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Telephone and Data Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Telephone and Data Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG Free Report) had its target price lifted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $143.00 to $146.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the insurance providers stock. A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on HIG. Argus boosted their target price on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $143.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (a-) rating on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded The Hartford Insurance Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on The Hartford Insurance Group in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a sector perform rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Mizuho initiated coverage on The Hartford Insurance Group in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. They set an outperform rating and a $160.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $147.07. Get The Hartford Insurance Group alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on HIG The Hartford Insurance Group Price Performance Shares of HIG stock opened at $136.20 on Wednesday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $134.88 and its 200-day moving average is $130.36. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $37.95 billion, a PE ratio of 11.13, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.61. The Hartford Insurance Group has a 52 week low of $104.93 and a 52 week high of $140.50. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The insurance provider reported $3.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.76. The business had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.17 billion. The Hartford Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.07% and a net margin of 12.75%.The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.53 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that The Hartford Insurance Group will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. The Hartford Insurance Group Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. This is an increase from The Hartford Insurance Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The Hartford Insurance Groups dividend payout ratio is 19.61%. Insider Transactions at The Hartford Insurance Group In other news, CFO Beth Ann Costello sold 35,339 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.58, for a total transaction of $4,826,600.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 77,574 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,595,056.92. The trade was a 31.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Lori A. Rodden sold 7,841 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.41, for a total value of $959,816.81. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,400 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,252,344. This trade represents a 29.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 2.2% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 6,822 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $844,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in The Hartford Insurance Group by 387.8% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 21,355 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $2,642,000 after buying an additional 16,977 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in The Hartford Insurance Group during the first quarter worth about $207,000. Fred Alger Management LLC grew its stake in The Hartford Insurance Group by 3.1% in the first quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 35,601 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $4,423,000 after acquiring an additional 1,061 shares during the period. Finally, Voleon Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the first quarter worth about $610,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the companys stock. The Hartford Insurance Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Hartford Financial Services Group, commonly known as The Hartford, is a U.S.-based insurance and investment company that provides a broad range of commercial and personal insurance products and employee benefits. Its core businesses include property and casualty insurance for businesses and individuals, group benefits such as group life, disability and dental plans, and retirement and investment solutions offered through affiliated asset-management operations. The company also delivers risk management, claims-handling and loss-prevention services designed to support policyholders across a variety of industries. Founded in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1810, The Hartford is one of the oldest insurance organizations in the United States and has a long history of underwriting and product development across multiple insurance lines. 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. The PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC Free Report) had its target price raised by TD Cowen from $235.00 to $250.00 in a research note released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the financial services providers stock. PNC has been the topic of several other research reports. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on The PNC Financial Services Group from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, September 19th. Citigroup boosted their target price on The PNC Financial Services Group from $217.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 23rd. UBS Group raised their price target on The PNC Financial Services Group from $224.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on The PNC Financial Services Group from $210.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on The PNC Financial Services Group from $235.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The PNC Financial Services Group currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $222.06. Get The PNC Financial Services Group alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on The PNC Financial Services Group The PNC Financial Services Group Stock Down 0.5% PNC stock opened at $217.52 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $85.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.05, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The PNC Financial Services Group has a twelve month low of $145.12 and a twelve month high of $220.54. The companys 50 day moving average is $199.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $196.18. The PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $4.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.05 by $0.30. The business had revenue of $5.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.82 billion. The PNC Financial Services Group had a net margin of 19.30% and a return on equity of 11.47%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.49 EPS. Research analysts expect that The PNC Financial Services Group will post 15.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The PNC Financial Services Group Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 5th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be paid a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. The PNC Financial Services Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.93%. Insider Activity at The PNC Financial Services Group In other news, EVP Michael Duane Thomas sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.57, for a total transaction of $183,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,802 shares in the company, valued at $1,065,073.14. This represents a 14.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Guild Deborah sold 1,080 shares of The PNC Financial Services Group stock in a transaction on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $186.97, for a total transaction of $201,927.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 27,335 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,110,824.95. This trade represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in PNC. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in The PNC Financial Services Group by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 38,487,074 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $7,174,760,000 after purchasing an additional 521,455 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of The PNC Financial Services Group by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 17,242,132 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,464,462,000 after buying an additional 85,291 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in shares of The PNC Financial Services Group by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 10,835,687 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,177,318,000 after buying an additional 609,755 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of The PNC Financial Services Group by 1.1% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,777,313 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,628,302,000 after buying an additional 93,346 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP grew its holdings in The PNC Financial Services Group by 234.9% during the third quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 7,956,766 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,598,753,000 after acquiring an additional 5,581,102 shares during the period. 83.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About The PNC Financial Services Group (Get Free Report) The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, offering a broad range of banking, lending, investment and wealth management services. PNC operates a national banking franchise with a significant retail branch network and dedicated capabilities for commercial, institutional and government clients. Its services are designed to serve individuals, small businesses, corporations and public sector entities across the United States. PNCs core business activities include consumer and business banking, residential mortgage lending, corporate and institutional banking, asset management and wealth advisory services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for The PNC Financial Services Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The PNC Financial Services Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC cut its position in shares of Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE:TFC Free Report) by 13.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 392,974 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 59,412 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Truist Financial were worth $17,967,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Aspect Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Truist Financial by 71.5% during the 2nd quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 643 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the period. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Truist Financial in the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Truist Financial by 1,189.5% during the second quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 735 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Truist Financial by 631.6% during the third quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 695 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ramirez Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Truist Financial by 60.0% in the second quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. now owns 800 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.28% of the companys stock. Get Truist Financial alerts: Insider Transactions at Truist Financial In other news, Director K. David Jr. Boyer sold 5,160 shares of Truist Financial stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.45, for a total value of $239,682.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 10,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $471,606.85. This trade represents a 33.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Truist Financial Trading Down 0.7% NYSE TFC opened at $50.62 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. The firm has a market cap of $64.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.61, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.89. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.74. Truist Financial Corporation has a one year low of $33.56 and a one year high of $51.51. Truist Financial (NYSE:TFC Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 17th. The insurance provider reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $5.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.20 billion. Truist Financial had a net margin of 16.84% and a return on equity of 8.73%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.97 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Truist Financial Corporation will post 4 EPS for the current fiscal year. Truist Financial declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, December 16th that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the insurance provider to reacquire up to 15.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Truist Financial Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. Truist Financials dividend payout ratio is 55.91%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have recently weighed in on TFC. Robert W. Baird reiterated a neutral rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Truist Financial in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Baird R W lowered shares of Truist Financial from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a buy rating and set a $58.00 price target on shares of Truist Financial in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Truist Financial from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Truist Financial from $49.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $52.80. Get Our Latest Research Report on TFC About Truist Financial (Free Report) Truist Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company that provides a broad range of financial services through its primary subsidiary, Truist Bank, and other operating units. The company offers traditional retail banking products and services such as deposit accounts, consumer and residential mortgage lending, and credit and debit card services. Truist also serves commercial clients with middle-market and corporate lending, treasury and payment solutions, and specialty finance products. Beyond core banking, Truist operates wealth management, asset management, insurance and capital markets businesses. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE:TFC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Truist Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Truist Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS Free Report) had its target price lifted by UBS Group from $113.00 to $116.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the transportation companys stock. UPS has been the topic of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d+) rating on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Stephens raised shares of United Parcel Service to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $111.82. Get United Parcel Service alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on United Parcel Service United Parcel Service Stock Up 1.1% United Parcel Service stock opened at $108.11 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. United Parcel Service has a 52 week low of $82.00 and a 52 week high of $136.99. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $97.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $93.08. The firm has a market cap of $91.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.11. United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The transportation company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.31 by $0.43. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 40.07% and a net margin of 6.15%.The business had revenue of $21.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.76 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year. United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. United Parcel Services dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 101.39%. Institutional Trading of United Parcel Service Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Europe Ltd raised its position in United Parcel Service by 110.1% in the second quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Europe Ltd now owns 250 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Flaharty Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the companys stock. United Parcel Service News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week: Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein raised its price target to $125 and moved to an outperform rating, implying meaningful upside and lending buy-side momentum. Read More. Sanford C. Bernstein raised its price target to $125 and moved to an outperform rating, implying meaningful upside and lending buy-side momentum. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Citigroup increased its target from $120 to $126 and kept a buy rating another bullish signal from a major bank reinforcing upside expectations. Read More. Read More. Citigroup increased its target from $120 to $126 and kept a buy rating another bullish signal from a major bank reinforcing upside expectations. Read More. Read More. Positive Sentiment: UBS lifted its price target to $116, adding to the string of upward revisions that support a higher consensus valuation. Read More. UBS lifted its price target to $116, adding to the string of upward revisions that support a higher consensus valuation. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Bank of America upgraded UPS from underperform to neutral with a $114 target a defensive-to-stable move that reduces one source of selling pressure. Read More. Bank of America upgraded UPS from underperform to neutral with a $114 target a defensive-to-stable move that reduces one source of selling pressure. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings showed a margin-focused beat (Efficiency Reimagined), which drove a sharp post-earnings rally and underpins analyst optimism about sustained profitability improvements. Read More. Recent earnings showed a margin-focused beat (Efficiency Reimagined), which drove a sharp post-earnings rally and underpins analyst optimism about sustained profitability improvements. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Wolfe Research maintained a peer perform rating neutral coverage that suggests expectations are balanced among some institutional analysts. Read More. Read More. Wolfe Research maintained a peer perform rating neutral coverage that suggests expectations are balanced among some institutional analysts. Read More. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and pieces asking whether to revisit UPS after recent weakness provide context for investors weighing valuation vs. near-term risks. Read More. Market commentary and pieces asking whether to revisit UPS after recent weakness provide context for investors weighing valuation vs. near-term risks. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting UPSs inclusion in wide-moat / large-cap ETFs (e.g., MOAT) can support demand from passive and factor funds but is a slower, less direct catalyst. Read More. Coverage noting UPSs inclusion in wide-moat / large-cap ETFs (e.g., MOAT) can support demand from passive and factor funds but is a slower, less direct catalyst. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Macro commentary (Fed rate-cut debate) is being watched as it could lift cyclicals and dividend stocks, but the net effect on UPS depends on broader economic activity and shipping volumes. Read More. United Parcel Service Company Profile (Get Free Report) United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce. The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service. Read More Receive News & Ratings for United Parcel Service Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United Parcel Service and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB Get Free Report) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui purchased 195,000 shares of W.R. Berkley stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 8th. The shares were bought at an average price of $70.16 per share, for a total transaction of $13,681,200.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 51,640,463 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,623,094,884.08. This trade represents a 0.38% increase 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. Large shareholders that own more than 10% of a companys stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC. W.R. Berkley Stock Performance Shares of WRB opened at $68.45 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $72.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $72.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.01 billion, a PE ratio of 14.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.39. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a one year low of $55.97 and a one year high of $78.96. Get W.R. Berkley alerts: W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, October 20th. The insurance provider reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.03. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 18.86% and a net margin of 13.01%.The firm had revenue of $3.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.93 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.33 EPS for the current fiscal year. W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend Analyst Ratings Changes The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. W.R. Berkleys dividend payout ratio is currently 7.56%. Several equities research analysts recently commented on WRB shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of W.R. Berkley from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wolfe Research started coverage on W.R. Berkley in a research report on Monday, September 15th. They issued a peer perform rating on the stock. Truist Financial set a $84.00 price target on W.R. Berkley and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company set a $66.00 price objective on W.R. Berkley and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, UBS Group reissued a neutral rating and issued a $87.00 target price on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $72.87. View Our Latest Report on W.R. Berkley Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.R. Berkley A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Hilltop National Bank bought a new stake in shares of W.R. Berkley in the second quarter worth $27,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in W.R. Berkley during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in W.R. Berkley in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in W.R. Berkley in the third quarter worth about $35,000. Institutional investors own 68.82% of the companys stock. W.R. Berkley News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting W.R. Berkley this week: Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder Sumitomo (a >10% holder) has been buying materiallymultiple purchases Jan. 59 totaling roughly 671k sharessignaling confidence from a large, strategic investor and providing steady demand. Read More. Major shareholder Sumitomo (a >10% holder) has been buying materiallymultiple purchases Jan. 59 totaling roughly 671k sharessignaling confidence from a large, strategic investor and providing steady demand. Read More. Positive Sentiment: The board increased the share repurchase authorization to 25 million shares, which supports buyback-driven EPS/bookvalue accretion expectations and likely lifted sentiment among income/capital-return focused holders. Read More. The board increased the share repurchase authorization to 25 million shares, which supports buyback-driven EPS/bookvalue accretion expectations and likely lifted sentiment among income/capital-return focused holders. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Some analysts/shops remain constructive e.g., Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target helping offset negative notes and giving investors a visible upside case. Read More. Some analysts/shops remain constructive e.g., Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target helping offset negative notes and giving investors a visible upside case. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: W.R. Berkley set its Q4 and fullyear 2025 earnings release for Jan. 26 (aftermarket) with a conference call this is a clear nearterm catalyst that could swing the stock either way. Read More. W.R. Berkley set its Q4 and fullyear 2025 earnings release for Jan. 26 (aftermarket) with a conference call this is a clear nearterm catalyst that could swing the stock either way. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Evercore ISI downgraded WRB to underperform citing EPS pressure and set a ~$69 target highprofile downgrades can trigger selling or reduce conviction among momentum investors. Read More. Evercore ISI downgraded WRB to underperform citing EPS pressure and set a ~$69 target highprofile downgrades can trigger selling or reduce conviction among momentum investors. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Bank of America and other shops have trimmed targets or maintained cautious stances, adding to mixed analyst sentiment and limiting upside from current levels. Read More. W.R. Berkley Company Profile (Get Free Report) W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) is a publicly traded insurance holding company that underwrites and sells commercial property and casualty insurance, specialty insurance products, and reinsurance. Headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, the company operates a portfolio of underwriting businesses that focus on niche and specialty commercial risks, offering coverage tailored to industries such as transportation, construction, professional services and other commercial lines. The companys product mix includes primary and excess casualty, property, professional liability, environmental and other specialty lines, together with treaty and facultative reinsurance solutions. See Also Receive News & Ratings for W.R. Berkley Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for W.R. Berkley and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) is one of the best fertilizer stocks to invest in. On December 22, Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) announced an agreement to acquire Tenna, a Pennsylvania-based construction technology firm owned by The Conti Group. Tennas platform helps contractors track and manage mixed-fleet equipment in real time, improving visibility, planning, and jobsite efficiency. The company will continue operating independently under its brand, with the deal expected to close in February 2026 pending regulatory approval. Deere & Company (DE) Expands with Tenna Deal, Analysts Lift Price Targets Earlier on December 9, BMO Capital Markets maintained a Market Perform rating on Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) and kept a $460 price target. The positive stance is in response to the farm equipment manufacturer outlining ambitious five-year targets. The company is targeting earnings per share of about $40 to $45 by fiscal 2030, backed by a 10% compound annual revenue growth rate and 20% margins. The company boasts of a 5-year revenue CAGR of 5%. Deere expects its sales to total $63 billion by 2030 as it grows its enterprise recurring revenue to 10% of total revenue. It also aims to achieve a fully autonomous production system for corn and soybean farming. The company achieving the revenue and earnings targets could see the stocks valuation climbing to between $600 and $700, according to BMO analyst Joel Jackson. BMO expects the company to achieve ambitious targets, supported by a compelling strategy that includes North American excavators and continued significant agricultural innovation. Meanwhile, Jefferies analyst Stephen Volkmann has echoed similar sentiments, raising the stocks price target to $475 from $440 while maintaining a Hold rating. The price target hike is in response to management outlining a sharpened 2030 framework. Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) known for its John Deere brand, designs, manufactures, and sells agricultural, construction, and forestry machinery, along with lawn/turf care equipment, engines, and drivetrain components, while also providing financial services, focusing on technology like AI and robotics for precision farming. Deere & Company also reduces fertilizer use with precision tools like ExactShot, ExactRate, See & Spray, FertilizerLevel Sensing, and Rate Controller 3, all designed to cut waste through targeted application. While we acknowledge the potential of DE 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. Key Points Headlines these days are full of news about armed conflicts. This naturally has investors thinking about defense stocks, an industry where valuations have soared. 10 stocks we like better than Lockheed Martin By now you've heard the news: Last weekend, U.S. Special Forces units raided the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and arrested President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, taking both away for trial on narcotics and terrorism charges in New York. Oil stocks surged on the news Monday -- and so did defense stocks, with shares of Textron (NYSE: TXT) gaining 2.2%, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) 2.9%, and General Dynamics closing the day up 3.5%. Venezuela is just the latest news drawing investor attention to the defense industry. Image source: Getty Images. War continues to rage in Ukraine, China is threatening Taiwan, and the Middle East remains a hotbed of conflict from Iran to Syria to the Red Sea. In a geopolitical environment like this one, defense stocks are red hot as investors try to follow the money and buy what they figure world governments will be buying. But here's the thing -- that might not be a great idea. For more than a year, I've warned investors that defense stocks cost too much. No matter how hot the market is for military products, there's such a thing as paying too high a price. What history says about defense stocks Over the 10-year period from 2004 to 2013, the 10-year period from 2014 to 2023, and the 20-year period from 2004 to 2023, I've calculated the average enterprise value-to-sales ratios (EV/S) for each of 10 major U.S. defense companies, utilizing data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. (As a reminder, EV/S ratios are similar to price-to-sales ratios, except that EV/S adjusts market capitalizations to factor in net cash on the balance sheet and net debt.) As you'll see below, this data shows that defense companies at the start of the century cost about 1x their annual sales, but prices have climbed steadily over the past decade. Averaging the numbers, defense stocks have, over the past 20 years, cost about 140% of annual sales -- and this is the number I'm tentatively assuming to be the new "fair value" for defense stocks. Company Average EV/S from 2004-2013 Average EV/S from 2014-2023 Average EV/S from 2003-2023 Boeing 0.89 1.83 1.36 General Dynamics 1.04 1.68 1.36 Huntington Ingalls 0.51* 1.14 0.64* Kratos Defense & Security Solutions 0.97 2.21 1.59 Leidos Holdings 1.5** 2.21 1.34** L3Harris Technologies 1.44 2.84 2.14 Lockheed Martin 0.81 1.78 1.30 Northrop Grumman 0.74 1.94 1.34 RTX Corp 1.42 2.07 1.74 Textron 1.31 1.17 1.24 Data source: S&P Global Market Intelligence. * Huntington Ingalls data begins in 2011, the year when Northrop Grumman spun off Huntington Ingalls as a separate company. ** Leidos data begins in 2006, the year of its initial public offering (IPO). Data on its average enterprise value-to-sales ratio for 2014 is missing because the company changed its fiscal year in 2015. US defense stocks are off to a strong start in 2026, extending last years stellar performance as geopolitical tensions ratchet higher and military spending plans rise to match them. Contractors L3Harris Technologies Inc. and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. have advanced 11% across the first five trading days of 2026, buoyed in part by a rally following the US military operation that removed Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro from power. Major peers such as Northrop Grumman Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. have risen about 4% or more, while drone maker AeroVironment Inc. has jumped over 40%. Most Read from Bloomberg While many of the stocks fell Wednesday after President Donald Trump laid out plans to limit dividends and buybacks in the sector, the cohort rebounded Thursday on his demand for a staggering $1.5 trillion in security spending next year. These early advances build on outperformance last year, when L3Harris advanced 40% and Northrop gained 22%. Investors were drawn to the sector by the promise of rising security spending around the world, while upstarts like AeroVironment have been seen as bets on the changing nature of war. There are corners of the market primed to drive more gains this year, such as Lockheed Martin whose stock lagged peers significantly last year, said Jay Hatfield of Infrastructure Capital Advisors. This more hawkish administration plus reasonable valuation makes for excellent risk-reward, said Hatfield, chief investment officer for the Infrastructure Capital Equity Income ETF. That fund owns Lockheed. A Dangerous World Peers around the world also advanced Thursday. Gainers in Europe included BAE Systems Plc and German heavyweight Rheinmetall AG, with shares up 5% and 1.4%, respectively. Asian defense stocks that rose included South Koreas Hanwha Aerospace Co., Taiwans Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. and Japans Howa Machinery Ltd. The latest gains in defense build on years of outperformance for a sector that has been a focus for investors since Russias invasion of Ukraine upended the geopolitical order. Trump set out last year to push allies in Europe and Asia to spend more on their own security, while planning ambitious programs at home, such as the Golden Dome missile-defense system. 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. Sometimes peace does not arrive with speeches, slogans, or protests. Sometimes it arrives quietly on four paws. An Indian ex-stray dog is the talk of the town, as his gentle presence and quiet companionship bring calm and connection while drawing attention from residents, animal lovers, and social media alike. Known as Aloka, a name meaning light or illumination in Sanskrit, this four-year-old Indian Pariah dog is currently the silent leader of a 3,700 km cross-country pilgrimage across 10 US states. Alongside 19 Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, Aloka is walking from Texas to Washington, D.C., in a 120-day Walk for Peace that has transformed from a quiet spiritual exercise into a viral national sensation. The story began when this stray started to follow the monks during a 112-day peace walk across India. Since then, he has accompanied his fellow walkers in the peace march globally. Walk for Peace is a moving meditation. In Buddhist history, walking is a form of active meditation. Ancient monks didnt just walk to reach a destination; they walked to shake off mental defilements like greed, anger, and ego. By walking 3,700 km across the US, the monks are not protesting against something; instead, they are walking for the cultivation of internal peace and are essentially planting seeds of mindfulness. Aloka was one of the many nameless strays in India. He was amongst other Indian pariah dogs living in the streets, like millions of strays that remain unnoticed. No home. No certainty. Just survival. While Aloka is being celebrated in the news and on social media, India is currently grappling with heated legal and social debates over how to manage stray dog populations and the cruel injustice they face every day. Amidst this chaos, seeing an Indie rise to become an international sensation and a global icon of peace provides a powerful narrative of redemption and overlooked value. To understand Aloka is to understand the 15,000-year history of the Indian Pariah. Often dismissed as strays on the streets of metro cities, these dogs are, in fact, one of the worlds oldest and most resilient primitive breeds. What makes Aloka special is not the enormous distance he walks. It is the bond he shares with the people around him. They walk together as true companions. This is chosen loyalty. The monks didn't just see a dog; they saw a companion. A presence that felt like peace; a quiet soul walking with them. Hence, the monks named the then nameless dog Aloka, meaning light. This blissfully unconscious dog displays a stoic patience. He doesn't bark at distractions, walks off-leash. He is a true disciple of the path, a living reminder that tranquility and kindness arent a human invention, but a natural state that even a former street dog can master. Despite being hit by a car and falling ill during the initial journey, Aloka refused to leave their side. His resilience was so profound that the monks eventually brought him to the United States, where he has traded his life as a street survivor for a role as a global ambassador of compassion. The monks didnt rescue Aloka by taking him to a shelter; they walked with him. This highlights the Vipassana philosophy of coexistence, that the animal isnt a problem to be solved, but a fellow traveler. While Aloka remains blissfully unaware of his metrics, he has inadvertently become the Zen companion we didn't know we needed. Even though Aloka doesn't know what a follower is, he has become a global celebrity on the internet. With over 1,60,000 fans on Instagram (@alokathepeacedog), his page has turned into a daily must-watch for people all over the world. People love seeing him in his cozy green and red sweaters, leading the monks through morning mist, taking a well-earned nap after a long day, or playing with the kids along his route. Aloka has proven that you dont need to say a word or do a lot to go viral. His account is a digital hangout where thousands of strangers come together every day just to share a little bit of his peace. Supporters can also track Alokas exact location via the live GPS map hosted on the Walk for Peace website, allowing the digital community to walk with him in spirit. The most profound part of this marketing strategy is that it isnt a strategy. The monks dont view Aloka as a marketing tool, but the world does. This has led to Aloka being an accidental brand that has done more for the awareness of Buddhism and animal welfare in 100 days than most traditional PR campaigns do in a decade. He has shifted the narrative of stray dogs from being a problem to be solved to souls to be respected. His soft influence story tends to spark a renewed conversation about the treatment of indies in India and the potential for shelters worldwide, and to rethink how they view unadoptable strays. Aloka, with his heart-shaped mark leading the way, remains a quiet pilgrim, unaware that he is a hero to millions and reminds us that perhaps peace isn't something we find at the end of a journey, but something we carry with us, one paw print at a time. India and the European Union inched closer towards the long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA), with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal concluding a two-day visit to Brussels focused on fast-tracking the deal. Reports say the successful pact is set to deepen ties with one of Indias largest trading partners, but sensitive issues still need careful handling. In the latest round, Goyal met Maros Sefcovic, the EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, in Brussels on January 89 for high-level talks on the proposed FTA. Both leaders instructed their negotiating teams to resolve pending issues and expedite the agreement, signalling strong political will on both sides. The ministerial talks followed senior-official meetings between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and EU Trade Director-General Sabine Weyand on January 67. These discussions reviewed progress across negotiating areas and tried to narrow differences, clearing the way for the political-level push, according to the commerce ministry. Key areas under discussion The ministry further noted that both sides found steady progress on major chapters like market access for goods, rules of origin and services. The IndiaEU FTA is said to feature human-intensive services, including IT, professional and R&D-related services, as the countrys strongest interests. The long-standing friction over EU demands on professional services liberalisation, data protection and intellectual property, and Indias concerns over opening goods markets to sensitive EU products such as automobiles are still to be ironed out. These underlying issues are why earlier negotiations, launched in 2007 under the Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), stalled for years. Both sides want a fair, balanced and ambitious agreement that fits shared values and a rules-based trading framework, the ministry said. Studies show that such a deal could expand two-way trade, with gains in sectors like services, while also creating adjustment pressures in some manufacturing and agriculture segments. In continuation of our efforts to secure a mutually beneficial India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), I held high-level talks with the EU Trade and Economic Security Commissioner, Mr. @MarosSefcovic, in Brussels. During this dialogue, we deliberated across key areas of the pic.twitter.com/b1GSQLsmVn Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) January 9, 2026 The IndiaEU FTA could support their broader strategic partnership in an era of weakened WTO rules and rising protectionism. If the FTA goes through, India could get better access to a high-value market, more investment and technology, but the final outcome will depend on how both sides compromise on regulatory and sustainability provisions. Restaurants across India do not have any legal standing when automatically adding a service charge to your food bill, a new communique from the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution revealed. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has been cracking down on such practices as violations of consumer law. The move came on the heels of a 2025 Delhi High Court judgment upheld CCPAs guidelines, giving the authority full power to act against non-compliant outlets. What action has been taken? The CCPA said it taken suo motu action against 27 restaurants across the country for mandatorily levying service charge and adopting what it calls unfair trade practices under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The action was triggered by complaints on the National Consumer Helpline, backed by invoices showing automatic addition of a 10 per cent service charge. The watchdogs investigations found that restaurants, including Cafe Blue Bottle in Patna and China Gate Restaurant Pvt Ltd (Bora Bora) in Mumbai, were adding a service charge by default to bills, the ministry noted. The authority concluded that such practices violate Section 2(47) of the Act, which covers unfair trade practices. CCPA guidelines CCPAs 2022 guidelines clearly state that hotels and restaurants cannot: Add a service charge automatically or by default in the bill Collect service charge under any other name Force consumers to pay a service charge; it must be voluntary and clearly informed Deny entry or service if a customer refuses to pay the service charge Add a service charge to the bill and then apply GST on it These guidelines have now been expressly upheld by the Delhi High Court in its March 28, 2025, judgment, which held that mandatory service charge collection is contrary to law. In the case of Cafe Blue Bottle, Patna, CCPA ordered a full refund of the service charge to the customer, immediate discontinuation of the practice, and imposed a penalty of Rs 30,000. For Bora Bora in Mumbai, the restaurant refunded the amount during the hearing but was still directed to change its billing software to remove the default service charge, pay a Rs 50,000 penalty, and keep its public email ID active for grievance redressal. Both instances were specifically used by the ministry as examples. The CCPA said it would continue strict action against restaurants that ignore the guidelines and will actively monitor complaints on the National Consumer Helpline. Days after claiming that Bangladesh has expressed interest in procuring JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, jointly developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Islamabad said another country has expressed keen interest in JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India Pakistan had made tall claims of the single-engine lightweight JF-17 fighter jet proving its combat capabilities during the recent military conflict with India. Now, according to Islamabad, Iran has expressed interest in the fighter jet, after Bangladesh. Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force (PAF), during his official visit to Iraq, called on Lieutenant General Staff Pilot Mohanad Ghalib Mohammed Radi Al-Asadi, Commander of the Iraqi Air Force, and the two discussed enhancing bilateral military cooperation, according to a statement from the Pakistan military. Discussions between the air chiefs of Pakistan and Iraq centered on strengthening bilateral military cooperation, with a particular focus on joint training, capacity building, and enhanced operational coordination. The Iraqi Air Chief lauded the Pakistan Air Forces professionalism and technological progress, conveyed interest in leveraging its world-class training capabilities, and expressed keen interest in the JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, the statement said. ALSO READ: Bangladesh planning to procure JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan? A few days ago, Pakistan claimed that during the discussions between the Chief of the Air Staff, Bangladesh Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, and the Chief of Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu in Islamabad, detailed discussions were held on the potential procurement of JF-17 Thunder aircraft. Bangladesh, however, is yet to confirm plans to procure the aircraft. There have also been reports of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia discussing the possibility of converting about $2 billion of Saudi loans into a JF-17 fighter jet deal. Aamir Masood, a retired Air Marshal and analyst, was quoted by Reuters as saying that Pakistan was in talks about or had finalised deals with six countries to provide equipment, including JF-17s and electronic systems, and weapons systems for the jets. Donald Trump maintains that the U.S. must acquire Greenland, even though it already has a military presence on the island, because current deals are not enough to guarantee its defence. "We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not. Because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour," Trump told reporters at the White House while meeting with oil company executives. Having successfully taken out the leadership of Venezuela in a raid on 3 January, an emboldened US government is talking about simply taking Greenland for itself. ALSO READ | Trump is not eyeing Greenland for 'national security'. The US is after what lies under the ice The island of 57,000 people is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Trump and White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under U.S. control, including the potential use of the U.S. military. The U.S. and Denmark are NATO allies bound by a mutual defence agreement. Various European leaders have expressed their concern but have not been able to formulate a coherent response to the betrayal by a supposed ally. Denmarks military Meanwhile, Denmark's Defence Ministry warned that any military attempt to invade the land will be met with immediate armed resistance as per the 1952 Cold War-era agreement. For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India Danish soldiers have standing orders to open fire immediately on any invading force without waiting for permission from their commanders, the ministry confirmed. The rule was established after Nazi Germany's invasion of Denmark in April 1940, which led to a widespread breakdown in communications. The directive ensures that soldiers can defend the nation even if they are cut off from their leaders, and it remains in effect today. INFOGRAPHIC | Denmark vs United States: A quick military capability comparison Denmarks armed forces, known as Danish Defence (Forsvaret), have a mandatory service period of 11 months and have begun to include women on equal terms. The goal is to train up to 7,500 conscripts annually, a report showed. The Danish Armed Forces are split into four primary branches: the Royal Danish Army, the Royal Danish Air Force, the Royal Danish Navy, and the Arctic Commanda joint command specifically for the sovereignty of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Denmarks armed forces comprise around 21,000 active military personnel who serve as full-time soldiers, supported by approximately 4,600 civilian employees. The country has about 12,000 reserve personnel and a significant number in the Danish Home Guard, which consists mainly of volunteers and numbers between 45,000 and 50,000 members. Thus, the Nordic nation's total mobilisable force is estimated to be around 85,000 personnel. The Royal Danish Navy specialises in Arctic patrol and maritime security, while the Air Force, by early 2026, has retired almost all F-16s (donating many to Ukraine) to focus entirely on the F-35A. Joint Arctic Command Headquartered in Nuuk, the Joint Arctic Command is a joint operational territorial command comprised of Danish personnel from the tri-services as well as the Special Forces. The geographical area of responsibility includes the 200-nautical-mile Faroese Fishery Zone, the Greenlandic Economic Zone, and additional areas included in the Greenland Search and Rescue Region (SRR). Apart from its primary responsibilities of asserting sovereignty and military defence of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, the Joint Arctic Command also carries out surveillance, maritime pollution prevention, fishery inspection, search and rescue operations, hydrographic surveys, and support for governmental science missions and civil society. They often carry out search and rescue operations in cooperation with the Greenlandic police. They are supported by the special operation forces under the Special Operations Command (SOKOM). AMT operates in a mature sector that is fairly recession-resistant, allowing it to generate stable cash flows across business cycles. According to data from Fiscal.ai , it currently offers shareholders an annual dividend of $6.80 per share, which translates to a forward yield of over 4%. Services revenue hit near-record levels this year, which typically serves as a leading indicator for future tower deployments. What's encouraging is that application volumes jumped 20% year-over-year in Q3, as per the recent earnings call . Further, colocation requests surged even faster at 40%, signaling the beginning of a densification wave. The company is already seeing early signs of network densification, in which carriers add more cell sites to address capacity crunches. This mirrors patterns from previous technology cycles, such as 3G and 4G. Industry experts predict carriers will need to double network capacity over the next five years just to keep up with demand. That creates a long runway for new tenant additions and equipment upgrades on American Tower's sites. American Tower's bread-and-butter business is simple: own towers and lease space to wireless carriers. The thesis remains intact. Mobile data growth in the U.S. has exploded at roughly 35% annually for the past three years, according to CTIA . That torrid pace shows no signs of slowing. Value investors looking for consistent dividend growth should keep an eye on American Tower stock in 2026. Lets see why. For the uninitiated, AFFO stands for adjusted funds from operations, which is the cash flow metric that matters most for real estate investment trusts . "Our overall goal is to drive industry-leading AFFO per share growth," Vondran emphasized at the conference. The company also has an investment-grade balance sheet , which gives it a cost-of-capital advantage over its competitors. At a recent UBS conference, CEO Steve Vondran made his case for why the selloff is overdone. He pointed to the company's rock-solid business model, which combines long-term contracts with high operating leverage, ensuring revenue converts to profit at impressive margins. American Tower ( AMT ) has been through the wringer lately. The telecom infrastructure giant has seen its stock crater 44% from all-time highs, leaving investors wondering if this blue-chip dividend payer can stage a comeback in 2026. Story Continues Here's how American Tower grew its annual dividends over the past five years: 2025 : $6.80 per share 2024 : $6.48 per share 2023 : $6.45 per share 2022 : 5.86 per share 2021: $5.21 per share Source: American Tower. According to Fiscal.ai, in January 2016, the REIT offered investors an annual dividend of $1.96 per share. Over the past decade, AMT has more than tripled its dividend payout, significantly enhancing the yield at cost. Its consistent dividend hike has allowed AMT to return 125% to investors over the past decade, after adjusting for dividend reinvestments. The DISH problem nobody saw coming Not everything is rosy for American Tower. Notably, the company faces uncertainty around DISH Network, which accounts for roughly 2% of global revenues or about $200 million annually. Analysts peg the total exposure at $1.5 billion to $2 billion in net present value terms. After DISH sold spectrum to AT&T, the satellite provider sent American Tower a letter claiming it was excused from performance under its master lease agreement, which runs through 2036. American Tower strongly disagrees and filed a lawsuit to enforce the contract. "We're open to the idea of trying to resolve this business person to business person," Vondran said. "But if not, we'll just continue through the process." The courts move slowly, so don't expect a quick resolution. The company won't provide detailed 2026 guidance until February earnings, but investors should brace for potential near-term headwinds. Cost cuts could expand margins significantly American Tower has been quietly working on a major cost efficiency program that could reshape its margin profile. Since 2020, American Tower has already expanded EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) margins by roughly 300 basis points. Importantly, AMT reduced operating expenses in multiple years despite growing the business. CFO Rod Smith hinted at more opportunities ahead, particularly on the direct cost side. "We do see future opportunities as incremental improvements to an already efficient business," Smith noted during the earnings call. The company created a new Chief Operating Officer role, which Bud Noel filled. His mandate is to simplify operations globally across the supply chain, technology, service delivery, and network operations. The goal is straightforward: improve service quality while bending the cost curve down over time. That should help maintain strong margins even as organic growth faces some near-term pressures. CoreSite data centers provide growth upside While towers get most of the attention, American Tower's CoreSite data center business has been growing at a robust pace. The segment delivered double-digit revenue growth and signed record retail leasing deals in Q3. Management sees a path to sustained double-digit growth as long as it can build capacity fast enough to meet demand. CoreSite properties are interconnection-rich facilities that let enterprises connect directly to major cloud providers. They're also seeing growing demand for AI-related workloads, such as inference and machine learning models. "We have about 296 megawatts of power available and held for future development," Smith said. "That's a nice runway as we look out into the future." The company has 42 megawatts under construction right now, the highest level in CoreSite's history. Management is achieving mid-teens or better development yields on new projects. Importantly, CoreSite gives American Tower optionality as edge computing eventually takes off. Vondran believes the synergies between towers and data centers will play out over time, even if the timing has been slower than initially expected. Will the REIT continue to grow its dividend? A focus on cost savings should allow AMT to raise dividends over the next few years. According to Tikr.com, analysts tracking AMT stock forecast revenue to increase from $10.1 billion in 2024 to $13.16 billion in 2029. During this period, adjusted FFO per share is projected to grow from $10.54 to $13.31. Wall Street also forecasts AMT to raise its annual dividend from $6.80 per share in 2025 to $9.10 per share in 2030. It suggests the companys payout ratio will decline from 63.7% to over 68%. While the payout ratio is expected to move higher, AMT has sufficient room to reinvest in growth projects, reduce balance-sheet debt, and pursue accretive acquisitions. The verdict on a 2026 recovery American Tower faces real challenges in the near term. The DISH situation creates uncertainty, and industry consolidation with UScellular adds complexity. Related: Goldman Sachs sends strong message on S&P 500 earnings outlook But the long-term thesis remains compelling. Mobile data growth continues to accelerate, carriers need to densify networks, and the company has pricing power with its best-in-class tower portfolio. At current levels, the stock trades at a significant discount to historical multiples. Management clearly sees value here, having repurchased $28 million in shares since quarter-end. AMT stock is priced at a forward AFFO multiple of 15.5x, which is below its 10-year average of 21.9x. At the current multiple, AMT stock could trade around $211 in late 2028, indicating an upside potential of 25%. If we adjust for dividends, cumulative returns could be closer to 40%. Given price target estimates, the dividend stock trades at a 30% discount in January 2026. American Tower maintains an investment-grade balance sheet with leverage now below 5x, giving it financial flexibility to buy back more stock or pursue strategic opportunities. Whether American Tower can stage a full recovery in 2026 depends on how quickly it resolves the DISH dispute and whether cost savings can offset slower organic growth. But for patient dividend investors willing to ride out some near-term volatility, the risk-reward looks increasingly attractive. Related: Bank of America resets Amazon stock forecast This story was originally published by TheStreet on Jan 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Investing section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here. "The changes which have been brought about in Pakistan, including the constitutional amendment done hurriedly, are actually an acknowledgement of the fact that everything didn't go well for them in this operation. They found a lot of shortcomings and deficiencies," Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said. For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India ALSO READ | Operation Sindoor was also a DRDO and Indian industry success story Addressing the Pune Public Policy Festival, the CDS said Operation Sindoor is only on pause. The amendment to Article 243 of the Constitution of Pakistan has brought about significant changes in that country's higher defence organisation. "This is of particular importance to us in India, and especially to the armed forces. If I were to narrow down these changes, the first is the abolition of the post of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, a position that was likely created to promote jointness among the three services. That post has now been abolished. In its place, they have created the post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF)," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. ALSO READ | India desires peace, but won't compromise on security, says Modi citing Operation Sindoor He said several operational lessons, particularly relating to higher defence organisation, needed to be incorporated after Operation Sindoor. Drawing on experiences from recent military engagements, including the Uri surgical strikes, the Doklam and Galwan standoffs, the Balakot air strike and Operation Sindoor, he said Indian armed forces have often operated through innovative, situation-specific command arrangements. "What we are now working towards is evolving a standardised system that will be applicable across all contingencies," the Chief of Defence Staff was quoted as saying by the news agency. This entire amendment essentially deals with the constitution of federal customs courts, which is a separate matter altogether, the General said. Earlier, they had also created an Army Rocket Forces Command. From both conventional and strategic standpoints, this may strengthen their capabilities. What they have essentially done is concentrate power by creating these new structures," the CDS pointed out. "Today, the Army Chief will be responsible for land operations, joint operations with the Navy and Air Force through the CDF, as well as strategic and nuclear matters. The creation of the Rocket Forces Command adds another important layer. This, in some ways, reflects a land-centric mindset," he said on the changes made by Pakistan. The makers of the upcoming Shahid Kapoor film, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, have released the teaser. Titled O'Romeo, the film, featuring Triptti Dimri as the female lead, is said to be a romance-based gangster drama, confirmed by the footage released. The teaser reveals a host of surprise casting choices, including Nana Patekar, Farida Jalal, Tamannaah Bhatia, Avinash Tiwary, and Vikrant Massey. Shahid had earlier teased that O'Romeo would feature some interesting names, which he had not previously revealed. Slated for a February 13 release, O'Romeo marks the fourth collaboration between Shahid and Bhardwaj. They have previously worked together on Kaminey, Haider, and Rangoon. In an earlier note announcing filming completion, Shahid wrote, "Excitement levels are off the charts. Our secretly titled, soon-to-be-announced film is done. As always, its a new world and a madly different character for me to play. A titular part from him for the 3rd time. I am one of the KAMINEY. I am HAIDER, and now I am .. This post would be incomplete without including the stellar cast. Tripti Dimri, with whom I had a total blast. Watch out for her act in this one. Nana Patekar, thank you for those oh-so-layered scenes we got together. Farida Jalal ji, for your warmth and grace. Avinash Tiwary, for your playlist on that drive cant reveal much more here, brother." Shahid also praised the work of Disha Patani, who makes a special appearance. As for the surprise cameo, Shahid simply hinted that he is one of his favourite actors. "This ones SUPER SPECIAL," he wrote then. Sharing a public petition on the government to cancel the puberty blockers trial on X, Tesla founder Elon Musk said that they are a crime and should be banned. "Puberty blockers are a crime against children. They should be banned," Musk wrote on X. The public petition to cancel the clinical trial into puberty blockers was started on X by therapist James Esses. "Lets demonstrate our strength of feeling by getting this petition to 100,000 signatures and forcing a debate," he wrote. Puberty blockers are a crime against children. They should be banned. https://t.co/HwPCVdkxI9 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2026 Several countries are pushing for a pause on trials after the UK imposed a ban on puberty blockers. The New Zealand government also announced a ban on prescribing puberty blockers to people not already receiving them, who are seeking gender affirming healthcare. What are puberty blockers? Puberty blockers are those drugs that can be used to delay the changes of puberty in transgender and gender-diverse youth who have started puberty. The medicines used for this purpose are known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues. What do puberty blockers do? The intake of these medicines regularly stops the body from making sex hormones--testosterone and estrogen. The sex hormones affect the primary sexual organs and the secondary sex characteristics. i.e, physical changes in the body that appear during puberty, like breast development and facial hair growth. For your daily dose of medical news and updates, visit: HEALTH If GnRH analogues are given to males, they slow down the growth of body hair, prevent voice deepening, and limit the growth of the penis, scrotum and testicles. Meanwhile, in the case of females, this treatment stops menstruation and limits breast development. Are there any benefits of puberty blockers? For a person with gender identity confusion, this could have benefits. Gender dysphoria is a condition that happens when gender identity differs from a person's sex assigned at birth or from sex-related physical characteristics. Generally, transgender and gender-diverse people undergo this condition, and for them, it might help. *Improve mental well-being *Reducing depression and anxiety *Improve social interactions *Lower the need for future surgeries *Self-harm actions would be reduced Though GnRH analogues don't cause permanent physical changes, they may pause puberty, paving the way for the person to explore gender identity. Puberty blockers are not recommended for children who have not started puberty. Puberty, in general, begins around 10 or 11 years of age. The effect of the medicine depends on when you start the course. What are the side effects? *Weight gain *Hot flashes *Headaches *Mood changes *Fertility issues *Growth spurts *Bone density Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin slammed the Union government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the troubles faced by upcoming big-ticket Tamil films Jana Nayagan and Parasakthi in getting their films cleared by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for release. While Sivakarthikeyan's Parasakthi is set to release on January 10, Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan will not hit screens for now owing to legal challenge with the CBFC. Interestingly, Parasakthi is being presented by his grandson, Inban Udhayanidhi, through Red Giant Films, a company founded and long helmed by his father, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Targeting the BJP, Stalin charged that the CBFC has now become a new weapon in the hands of the ruling BJP. Stalin condemned the manner in which CBFC functioned and said in a post on X, "Like CBI, ED, IT, the Censor Board has also become a new weapon of the Union BJP government." The DMK leader's charge comes amidst CBFC certification troubles faced by the much-anticipated films of 2026. While Jana Nayagan was slated to release on January 9, the makers had to postpone the film's release after the CBFC withheld its certificate. Though a single-judge bench of the Madras High Court cleared the certification of Jana Nayagan on Friday, a two-member bench later stayed the order, leading to confusion over the release of the film. Said to be the last of film of Thalapathy Vijay before his full-fledged plunge into politics, the examining committee of CBFC withheld certification for the film and referred it to the revising committee. Reportedly, the film was initially granted a U/A certificate and was later withdrawn following a complaint from a member of the revising committee. Vijay's fans allege that Jana Nayagan's certificate was withheld due to political vendetta. Vijay-led TVK calls the BJP its ideological enemy. Jana Nayagan's producers, KVN Productions, have now approached the Supreme Court to get the film cleared for release by January 14. Parasakthi also faced a fair share of troubles before release. Set against the backdrop of anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu in the 1960s, the film was granted a certificate only after the makers agreed to make over twenty modifications and cuts. From the cloud-kissed heights of Arunachal Pradesh comes the discovery of two new frogs, an announcement that adds to Indias rich amphibian universe. Both belong to the Slender Armed Frog genus, Leptobrachium. Of the 39 species known worldwide, four had previously been reported from India. The announcement was made in PeerJ on January 9, 2026, in a paper authored by A.N. Dikshit Akalabya Sarmah, Sonali Garg, Tage Tajo, Radhakrishna Upadhyaya K., James Hanken and S.D. Biju. The authors hail from the Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, and the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. Biju is famous as the Frogman of India, and Garg was featured in THE WEEKs 2022 Womens Day Special edition as the first Indian woman to describe 50 species of frogs. The PeerJ paper says: Of the 39 currently recognized species in the Slender Armed Frog genus Leptobrachium, four are reported from India, Leptobrachium aryatium, L. bompu, L. smithi, and L. sylheticum. The authors said that the new species were discovered when they reviewed new collections of reported species integrating molecular, morphological, and behavioural data. Leptobrachium somani | S.D. Biju The new speciesLeptobrachium mechuka and Leptobrachium somanihave been identified as members of the L. bompu species group with distinct divergence in DNA sequence. The individuals sampled came from the Lower Dibang Valley and Shi Yomi districts of Arunachal Pradesh. While L. mechuka was named after the eponymous town in Arunachal Pradesh, L. somani honours veteran journalist E. Somanath, a former senior special correspondent of the Malayala Manorama. SomanathSoman to his friendswas known as much for his deep knowledge of Keralas political landscape as his commitment to conservation and environmental reporting. Soman and Biju saw their paths crossing quite early in their careers and remained close friends until the journalists passing in January 2022. With his wry humour, generous mentoring of young journalists, and unwavering commitment to friends, Somanath had endeared himself to people from all walks of life. Leptobrachium mechuka | S.D. Biju The Kerala Media Academy in Kochi had established the E. Somanath Chair for Science and Environmental Journalism in January 2024. That November, Biju delivered the first lecture in honour of his old friend and hinted that Somanath might soon be honoured in a special way. Just about a year later, L. somani was announced to bear witness to a lasting friendship and the life of an inimitable journalist who loved all creatures great and small. Chennai is set to receive light to moderate rainfall, the city's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said on Saturday, in addition to Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Kanchipuram, Nagapattinam, Thiruvallur, and parts of Puducherry and Karaikal. It has also warned of waterlogging in several of these areas, which may also cause increased traffic. Light thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 55-65 km/h have also been forecast in these regions, which have received a yellow alert. This comes amid the movement of a deep depression from the southwest Bay of Bengal in a "nearly northwestward" direction. As per its last update, the depression was yet to cross the coast between Sri Lanka's Trincomalee and Jaffna, and is expected to do so on Saturday afternoon. After crossing this point, it is expected to weaken as it reaches Tamil Nadu's eastern coasts. "Pongal will be rain-free across the state," a local broadcaster predicted on X, adding that most parts of Chennai would be covered by the light to moderate rains. The rare Deep Depression will travel along the east coast of Sril Lanka and once it reaches Jaffna, it will weaken and fizzle out. Delta to Cuddalore to Pondy to Chennai (KTCC) will be region in focus. Chennai (KTCC) Today pleasant weather and light drizzles / rains may be pic.twitter.com/gkThu51sv3 Tamil Nadu Weatherman (@praddy06) January 9, 2026 However, he also warned farmers in Delta, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakuruchi and other northern districts near to the coast to keep a close vigil on crops. This comes after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday had issued a mix of yellow and orange alerts in the state, with places like Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthuraias well as Puducherry and Karaikalthen expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. These orange alerts have since been downgraded to yellow. However, the IMD had also warned in an earlier bulletin of high tide at the coastlines of Nagapattinam and Karaikal. Waves are expected to be 2.7-3.1m tall. Once the depression significantly weakens on Monday, the southern and interior districts of the state will also get some rainfall. An IndiaOne Air flight crashed at Jalda near Rourkela on Saturday afternoon en route to Bhubaneswar. All six of the passengers and the pilot are said to be in a stable condition, sustaining only minor injuries. Sources said that the mishap occurred shortly after the aircraft took off. The nine-seater flight crashed into an isolated field. Local civilians reportedly helped the trapped passengers escape the aircraft before the arrival of the fire and rescue services. After reaching the site, the fire services secured the area by preventing oil leakage through the application of foam. Rescue teams also evacuated all the passengers and sent them to the hospital. Rourkela Superintendent of Police SP said that the area was cordoned off as a precaution. #WATCH | Odisha, Rourkela: A small private plane crashed at Kansar, Rourkela, in Sundargarh District, with people trapped inside. Upon receiving the information, fire units from Rourkela Fire Station and Panposh Fire Station were rushed to the scene for rescue efforts. (Source: https://t.co/wJeK4Ru8Vo pic.twitter.com/Ku6d0tob7e ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2026 The plane crashed about 10 to 15 kilometres from Rourkela, where it was scheduled to fly from, at around 1 and was damaged in the incident. A technical snag in the flight reportedly led the pilots to attempt an emergency landing near Jalda in a farmland. It is to inform that India One Air type of aircraft (Caravan 208), bearing registration VT-KSS, was flying from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela. It departed at 12:27 hours. It had two pilots and four passengers. The aircraft force-landed at a place near Jalda. The pilots ensured a safe landing, due to which lives have been saved, the Odisha government said in a statement. India One Air's statement said that the pilot acted "decisively and professionally", and crash landed the plane into a safe field. Pilots Captain Naveen and Captain Srivastava were reported as injured following the incident. Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) also said that the pilots noticed the technical fault in the systen and attempted to bellyland the place which saved the passengers. A statement made by India One Air said, Shortly after take-off, the flight crew reported a technical issue and prudently declared a Mayday call in accordance with established safety procedures. Acting decisively and professionally, the pilots carried out a forced landing in an open area near Kansor, approximately 1520 km short of Rourkela at about 1.20 pm. The airline is working closely with the aviation regulators and the Odisha State Government to provide all necessary assistance and support to the passengers and crew, and to facilitate further actions as required, the statement added. Administration officials stated that a detailed investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) arrested 34 persons in a recent statewide crackdown on child sexual abuse material. Those arrested include 24 repeat offenders and 10 mule account holders involved in producing, storing, uploading, circulating and viewing child pornography. A total of 18 TGCSB teams carried out the operation after acting on complaints related to child sexual exploitative and abusive material (CSEAM). During the investigation, the teams also rescued a four-year-old girl after discovering that some of the videos were locally produced. Among those arrested is a government employee working as a junior assistant in the irrigation department in Nizamabad. He is a repeat offender and has been booked in three cases. Police registered 24 FIRs under the Information Technology Act and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at cybercrime police stations across the State. The accused are aged between 18 and 48 years. Most of the videos featured girls in the 4- to 14-year-old age group. In the case of the girl who was rescued, the parents were unaware that a 24-year-old security guard was sexually abusing the child. The financial trail linked to the cases is substantial. TGCSB teams detected transactions worth 26 crore connected to 37 cases across India, including 14 from Telangana. The TGCSB established a Child Protection Unit (CPU) in February 2025 to proactively process online CSEAM complaints. The number of cyber tipline reports handled rose from 28,583 in 2024 to more than 1.20 lakh in 2025. FIR registrations increased sharply from 26 to 866 during the same period, while arrests rose from 31 to 421. The CPU also strengthened coordination with other States and forwarded over 6,000 tipline reports last year. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will reach Gujarat on Saturday to attend the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, which commemorates 1,000 years since the first attack by Mahmud of Ghazni on the historic temple. The Somnath Parv is celebrated from January 8-11. On Saturday, the prime minister will participate in Omkar Mantra chanting at 8 pm and will view the drone show at the temple, according to a PMO release. On Sunday, Modi will participate in Shaurya Yatraa ceremonial procession organised to honour the countless warriors who laid down their lives defending the Somnath Templeat 9.45 am. The Yatra will feature a symbolic procession of 108 horses, reflecting valour and sacrifice. At 10.15 am on Sunday, Modi will perform darshan and pooja at the Somnath Temple. Later at 11 am, he will address a public function in Somnath. The PMO claims that the Somnath Swabhiman Parv is being held to remember the countless citizens of India whose sacrifice to defend the temple continues to inspire the cultural consciousness of future generations. "Despite multiple repeated attempts for its destruction over centuries, the Somnath Temple stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory," it said in a statement. The completion of 75 years of the historic restoration of the temple adds special significance to the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, it added. Hundreds of saints from across the country are participating in the four-day event. "During the four-day Parv, Somnath has been transformed into a centre of spiritual activity, cultural reflection and national remembrance. A central feature of the observance is the 72-hour Akhand Omkar chanting, symbolising unity and collective faith. Alongside this, devotional music, spiritual discourses and cultural programmes are being organised throughout the temple town," said a separate official release issued on Saturday. US forces on Friday seized crude oil tanker MT Olina (IMO: 9282479) in the Caribbean Sea for illegally transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil. Visuals released by the US Southern Command show helicopters hovering over the MT Olina as it was seized by its personnel "without incident". Marines could also be seen moving to various parts of the vessel during the boarding process. Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: there is no safe haven for criminals. In a pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R. pic.twitter.com/StHo4ufcdx U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 9, 2026 The Timorese-flagged oil tanker, formerly called Minerva M, had reportedly switched off its AIS transponder for nearly two months before it was seized by the US Southern Command. This tanker is also stateless, as it was allegedly sailing under a false flag of Timor-Leste. The MT Olina is the fifth dark fleet oil tanker seized by the US as a part of its crackdown on the movement of sanctioned Venezuelan products, like crude oil. It is part of various nations' sanctions listsmost recently the US in January 2025, for allegedly moving Russian oil to foreign markets. It is also the third such vessel seized by the USas a part of its Operation Southern Spearin three days, after the double capture of the MT Sophia and the Marinera on Wednesday. "There is no safe haven for criminals," the US Southern Command said in an X post on Friday, announcing the capture. "Apprehensions like this are backed by the full power of the US Navys Amphibious Ready Group, including the ready and lethal platforms of the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale," it added. Announced by the Donald Trump administration's defence secretary Pete Hegseth, Operation Southern Spear is a US military operation that targets narco-terrorist organisations and their operations in the Western Hemisphere. Investors are turning their focus to Bank of Americas (NYSE:BAC) dividend as the lender heads into its upcoming earnings report. Before the opening bell on Wednesday, Jan. 14, analysts expect the bank to report fourth-quarter earnings of 96 cents per share. Thats up from 82 cents per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for Bank of America's quarterly revenue is $27.62 billion (it reported $25.35 billion last year), according to Benzinga Pro. Currently, Bank of America has an annual dividend yield of 1.99%. Thats a quarterly dividend amount of 28 cents per share ($1.12 a year). How can investors exploit its dividend yield to pocket a regular $500 monthly? Don't Miss: Missed Nvidia and Tesla? RAD Intel Could Be the Next AI Powerhouse Just $0.85 a Share Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Heres how you can earn passive income with just $10, starting today. To earn $500 per month or $6,000 annually from dividends alone, you would need an investment of approximately $300,956 or around 5,357 shares. For a more modest $100 per month or $1,200 per year, you would need $60,169 or around 1,071 shares. To calculate: Divide the desired annual income ($6,000 or $1,200) by the dividend ($1.12 in this case). So, $6,000 / $1.12 = 5,357 ($500 per month), and $1,200 / $1.12 = 1,071 shares ($100 per month). Note that dividend yield can change on a rolling basis, as the dividend payment and the stock price both fluctuate over time. How that works: The dividend yield is computed by dividing the annual dividend payment by the stocks current price. For example, if a stock pays an annual dividend of $2 and is currently priced at $50, the dividend yield would be 4% ($2/$50). However, if the stock price increases to $60, the dividend yield drops to 3.33% ($2/$60). Conversely, if the stock price falls to $40, the dividend yield rises to 5% ($2/$40). See Also: This Real Estate Fund Pays 10x More Than the Average Savings Account Invest From Just $100 Similarly, changes in the dividend payment can impact the yield. If a company increases its dividend, the yield will also increase, provided the stock price stays the same. Conversely, if the dividend payment decreases, so will the yield. Read Next: 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. Wow Iranians have gathered outside the BBC, expressing their anger over lack of coverage on Iran protests pic.twitter.com/9kcsiUPl3l Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) January 9, 2026 Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) has replaced Irans official flag emoji with the pre-revolution Lion-and-Sun emblem, users noticed on Friday, amid the ongoing anti-government protests in the country. The update replaces the red emblem introduced after Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution with the Lion-and-Sun symbol that appeared on Iranian flags for centuries under the monarchy. Not many know that the now-replaced symbol, made up of four crescents and a central vertical line, is a stylised calligraphic rendering of the Arabic word Allah, which means God. Apart from the symbol, the national flag of the Islamic Republic also features white writing on the inner edges of the green and red bands, which reads "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great). The change reportedly applies across the platform, meaning even Iranian officials and state-linked handles will be using the emoji of the old flag. Iran's old national flag The Lion and Sun symbol was part of the Iranian national flag from the nineteenth century until the Islamic Revolution toppled the existing political and social order in Tehran. For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East The sun is an ancient Persian symbol that predates Islam, sometimes even linked to Zoroastrianism. It has many interpretations, including a female face representing "Mother Iran", a zodiac sign, and even divine glory bestowed upon the ruler. The lion, meanwhile, was the symbol of power for the Persian kings. They used the wild animal to represent sovereignty and courage. However, reports claim that the lion later became associated with Imam Ali, the first Shia Imam, who is often titled "The Lion of God" (Asadullah). This is why, in later versions of the flag, the lion holds a curved sword (the Zulfiqar), representing Ali's legendary blade, which was the tool meant to protect the faith. BREAKING: has officially changed the Iranian flag emoji It now shows Irans historic Lion and Sun flag instead of the Islamic Republic flag, a symbol of the Iranian monarchy, strength, and ancient heritage used officially until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. pic.twitter.com/tcsQbielq0 Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) January 9, 2026 The sword was also interpreted as the "Sword of Justice" that the kingdom stood for, ensuring that the law and the ruler's authority were upheld. Under the Qajar Dynasty, this emblem reportedly became the official state coat of arms, and the lion was depicted standing while holding the sword. Tehran anti-Mullah protests Protests in Iran raged Friday night in the Islamic Republic, online videos purported to show, despite a threat from the country's theocracy to crack down on demonstrators after shutting down the internet and cutting telephone lines off to the world. At least 65 people have been killed in the protests that began in late December over Iran's ailing economy and have morphed into the most significant challenge to the government in years. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed US President Donald Trump as having hands stained with the blood of Iranians as his supporters shouted Death to America! in footage aired by Iranian state television. State media later referred to the demonstrators as terrorists, setting the stage for a violent crackdown as in other protests in recent years, despite Trump's pledge to back peaceful protesters with force if necessary. Protesters are ruining their own streets ... in order to please the president of the United States, the 86-year-old Khamenei said to a crowd at his compound in Tehran. Because he said that he would come to their aid. He should pay attention to the state of his own country instead. Iran's judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei separately vowed that punishment for protesters will be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed that the Islamic Republic will not back down in the face of nationwide protests, dismissing demonstrators as vandals and saboteurs acting at the behest of foreign powers. In a televised address from Tehran yesterday, Khamenei accused protesters of seeking to please US President Donald Trump, signalling that the state is preparing for an intensified crackdown as unrest continues to spread. There are people whose job is only about destruction, Khamenei said, framing the protests not as an expression of domestic anger but as a coordinated foreign conspiracy. By blaming the US and Israel, Khamenei has effectively sanctioned a maximum-security response, declaring that the regime will not yield to what it describes as destructive elements. This shifts the state away from any prospect of dialogue and towards a militarised response to the most serious internal challenge it has faced since the 2022 uprising. Khameneis rhetoric has unified Irans security and judicial institutions, overriding earlier calls for restraint from President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had initially acknowledged the existence of legitimate public grievances. Following the Supreme Leaders intervention, the Supreme National Security Council issued orders for no leniency, a directive swiftly echoed by senior figures in the judiciary. The legal threats have escalated sharply. Tehrans public prosecutor, Ali Salehi, warned that those labelled armed terrorists or accused of clashing with security forces could face the death penalty by hanging. The regime, he said, would show no compromise towards anyone deemed to be endangering national security. As protests spread, the regime shut down the internet, reducing connectivity to near-zero. Tehran hopes to prevent protesters from organising and also to stop instances of state violence from reaching the domestic as well as international audience. Behind this digital blackout, security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and plainclothes units, have reportedly used live ammunition, shotguns and water cannons against crowds. Human rights organisations estimate that between 42 and 62 people have been killed, including several children, while more than 2,200 have been arrested. Reports also suggest that families of victims are being coerced into silence or pressured to accept official narratives blaming deaths on accidents or on rioters rather than security forces. The unrest began as an economic protest. Shopkeepers in Tehran were among the first to voice anger over the collapsing currency, rising prices and deepening hardship. Significantly, protests have erupted in conservative strongholds such as Mashhad and the holy city of Qom, indicating erosion even within the regimes traditional support base. The slogans on the streets have shifted decisively. Demonstrators are chanting death to the dictator and death to Khamenei, while attacking symbols of the state, including statues of General Qassim Suleimani and offices of the state broadcaster. One striking feature of the uprising has been the re-emergence of monarchist sentiment. Protesters have openly voiced support for the pre-1979 era and for Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah. Pahlavis calls for strikes and sustained demonstrations have reportedly drawn large crowds, while his appeals for members of the security forces to defect appear designed to fracture the regimes coercive power from within. The regime is further on the back foot because of the increasingly hostile relationship with Washington. Trump has said that the US would hit them very hard if the Iranian government continues to kill protesters. The Iranian leadership is not taking it lightly, especially after the US military action in Venezuela, capturing its leader, Nicolas Maduro. This has put the Iranian regime in a dilemma. A violent crackdown could trigger an American military response, while any show of restraint could embolden the protesters to step up. Khamenei has attempted to counter external pressure by attacking Trumps moral authority, accusing him of having blood on his hands in reference to a brief but deadly war with Israel the previous year. By branding protesters as agents of Trump and Israel, Khamenei has closed the door on de-escalation and committed the state to violent suppression. What follows will depend on the resilience of the protest movement under an information blackout, and on whether Washington is willing to translate its threats into action, as Irans leadership balances precariously between internal revolt and external conflict. Amid sharp rise in violence against minorities in Bangladesh, a Hindu man died in the northeastern district of Sunamganj on Thursday. Identified as Joy Mahapatra, 19, the man was allegedly thrashed over an unpaid 500 takas instalment, according to family members quoted by Bangladeshi media. Humiliated by this, Mohapatra consumed poison. He was immediatedly taken to Dirai Upazila Health Complex but when his condition worsened, he was referred to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. He later died in the intensive care unit (ICU). Mohapatra had bought a mobile phone for 5,500 takas from grocery shop owner Amirul Islam from Borhanpur, reported Sylhet Daily. Joy paid 2,000 takas upfront and agreed to pay the remaining amount in weekly instalments of 500 takas. According to his family members, Mohapatra paid all the instalments on time except the last one, which got delayed. Mohapatra's cousin Ayan Das alleged that the victim went to Amirul's shop to pay the delayed instalment. However, Amirul beat him up and took his mobile phone away. According to his family, Joy, who felt humiliated, allegedly bought rat poison from the same shop and consumed poison around 7.30 pm. Amirul has denied the allegations of Mohapatra's family members, claiming that Mohapatra owed him 2,500 takas for the mobile phone and 300 takas for flexiload. He alleged that he seized the phone because Mohapatra failed to pay the instalment. He also dismissed allegations about selling poison, claiming that Mohapatra left after he was told that poison was not available at the shop. Conflicting reports in other media alleged that Mohapatra was beaten and poisoned. But THE WEEK could not independently verify these claims. The search is on for Karasani Hari Krishna Reddy, a student hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur region, who went missing after embarking on a solo winter trip to Alaska about a month ago. The 24-year-old, who is studying in Houston, Texas, reportedly began his solo trip on December 22, during the Christmas holidays in the US. According to a Times of India report, his last contact with his friends and family was on December 30. His phone was switched off from December 31, which was the day his phone signal was last traced. The report also cites his friends, who claimed he had told them that he would be staying in the Denali region of Alaska, and that he planned to return from the trip by January 3-4. A Telugu media report even claimed that he had checked out of his hotel in Denali on December 31, but THE WEEK could not independently verify those details. It is not yet clear why Reddy travelled to Alaska, known to turn frigid in the December-January period, with temperatures sinking down to about -40C. Many regions in the state also face prolonged darkness during this period. Reddy's prolonged disappearance has left his friends and relatives worried, as Alaskan winters can be quite beautiful, but also quite unforgivingoften leading to hundreds of people going missing every year. ***MISSING*** HEALY, AK Alaska State Troopers are asking for help finding 24-year-old Hari Karasani from Texas, reported missing on January 3, 2026. He was last seen leaving the Aurora Denali Lodge in Healy, Alaska, on December 31, 2025, and may have been heading toward pic.twitter.com/wPFwM0JJKF The AWARE Foundation (@aware_the) January 9, 2026 They informed the Alaska State Troopers (the local police), contacted the Andhra Pradesh Non Resident Telugu (APNRT) Society for help, and had even posted about his disappearance on social media, but to no avail so far. One major detail in the Alaskan police investigation concerns Reddy's use of a credit card to book local transport on December 31. The police probe is currently looking into details of the cab he ordered, for further clues about where he might have gone. It is initially speculated that he went to the Fairbanks region. The APNRT Society, meanwhile, has contacted local representatives to help in the search attempt. US President Donald Trump repeated his assertion that Washington would do "something" about Greenlandeither the easy way or the hard way. Trump claimed that if the US doesn't take action, China and Russia will, and he doesn't want those countries as neighbours. "We are going to do something about Greenland, whether they like it or not. If we don't, Russia or China will take over Greenlandand we're not going to have Russia or China as neighbours. I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we don't do it the easy way, we'll do it the hard way," Trump said while interacting with the media. #WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, "We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. I would like to make a deal the easy pic.twitter.com/lclIgq5JZa ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2026 The US President also mocked Denmark's stance on Greenland, saying that landing a boat in the island country around 500 years ago doesnt mean they own the land. "We had lots of boats go there, too. But we need that because if you take a look at the outside of Greenland right now, there are Russian destroyers, Chinese destroyers, and Russian submarines all over the place. We're not going to let Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that's what they'll do if we don't act. We will do something with Greenland, either the nice way or the difficult way," Trump said. In response to a question about why the US wants to own Greenland when Washington already has a military presence there under a 1951 agreement, Trump said such deals are not enough to guarantee Greenland's defence. "You defend ownership. You don't defend leases. And we'll have to defend Greenland. If we don't do it, China or Russia will," he said. The island country, with a population of 57,000 people, is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran, saying that Washington was closely monitoring the situation in the country, where anti-government protests have been raging for over two weeks. While responding to media questions during a meeting with top oil and gas executives at the White House, Trump stated that if the Iranian government uses force against the protesters, the US will intervene and hit the country where it hurts. "Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts so we don't want that to happen, said the president. #WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, "Iran is in big trouble. People are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible... We are watching the situation carefully... If they (governemnt of Iran) start killing people as they have in the past, we will get pic.twitter.com/w7FZNZHnVP ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2026 Trump said the Iranian government is now facing consequences for treating its people very badly. "I just hope the protestors in Iran are going to be safe because it is a very dangerous place right now, and again I tell the Iranian leaders you better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too," he said. Meanwhile, in a televised address, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to back down, accusing demonstrators of acting on behalf of opposition groups abroad and the United States. "The Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people. It will not back down in the face of vandals," he said, accusing those involved in the unrest of seeking to please Trump. As the protests continued, the government shut down the internet on Friday. Iran's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology stated that the decision to block access was made "by the competent security authorities under the prevailing circumstances in the country." According to the Iranian rights group HRANA, at least 62 people14 security personnel and 48 protestershave died since the demonstrations began on December 28. Karachi, Jan 10 (PTI) Pakistan and the US have started joint anti-terrorism military exercises at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Pabbi town of Punjabs Kharian district, the militarys media wing said on Saturday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said that the 13th Pakistan-United States bilateral joint exercise, Inspired Gambit2026, commenced on Friday. The NCTC serves as a key facility for joint anti-terrorism exercises by Pakistan with international partners like China and the US. The two-week-long exercise is being conducted in the Counter Terrorism (CT) domain, involving contingents from the armies of Pakistan and the United States, the ISPR said. According to the ISPR, the exercise is aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and interoperability through the sharing of counter-terrorism experiences, while further refining tactics, techniques and procedures essential for effective CT operations. The ISPR said such joint training exercises are of vital importance in addressing evolving security challenges, improving professional military standards and strengthening the capacity of both forces to operate in complex counter-terrorism environments. Shares of PVH Corp. (NYSE:PVH Get Free Report) were down 5.7% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $65.80 and last traded at $66.0070. Approximately 287,171 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 59% from the average daily volume of 701,015 shares. The stock had previously closed at $70.01. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts recently commented on PVH shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on PVH from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of PVH from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, December 13th. UBS Group reiterated a buy rating and issued a $148.00 price objective on shares of PVH in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on PVH in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an outperform rating and set a $95.00 target price on shares of PVH in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $92.80. Get PVH alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on PVH PVH Stock Down 3.2% The company has a market capitalization of $3.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.73. The company has a 50-day moving average of $74.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $77.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. PVH (NYSE:PVH Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 3rd. The textile maker reported $2.83 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.28 billion. PVH had a return on equity of 11.44% and a net margin of 3.87%.The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.03 earnings per share. PVH has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 3.200-3.350 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 10.850-11.000 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that PVH Corp. will post 11.67 EPS for the current year. PVH Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 26th were issued a $0.0375 dividend. This represents a $0.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 26th. PVHs payout ratio is 2.25%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On PVH A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in PVH by 1,475.8% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 35,503 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $2,379,000 after purchasing an additional 33,250 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in PVH by 7.9% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,502 shares of the textile makers stock worth $455,000 after acquiring an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its position in PVH by 9.6% in the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,940 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $130,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new stake in shares of PVH in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PVH during the 3rd quarter valued at about $222,000. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the companys stock. PVH Company Profile (Get Free Report) PVH Corp is a leading global apparel company known for its portfolio of iconic brands in the dress shirt, sportswear and lifestyle categories. The company designs, markets and distributes clothing, accessories and fragrances under both owned and licensed brands. PVHs core brand holdings include Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, complemented by a range of heritage labels such as Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW, Warners and Olga. PVHs operations span the entire value chain from product design and development to manufacturing, marketing and distribution. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for PVH Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PVH and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. With a market cap of $32.1 billion, Kenvue Inc. (KVUE) is a global consumer health company focused on over-the-counter medicines, personal care, and skin health products. Headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, Kenvue was spun off from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) in 2023 and owns a portfolio of widely recognized, heritage brands with strong market positions across everyday health categories. Kenvue is expected to announce its fourth-quarter results soon. Ahead of the event, analysts expect KVUE to report an adjusted EPS of $0.22, down 15.4% from $0.26 reported in the year-ago quarter. On a positive note, the company has a robust earnings surprise history. It has met or surpassed the Streets bottom-line estimates in each of the past four quarters. More News from Barchart For fiscal 2025, Kenvue is expected to deliver an adjusted EPS of $1.03, down 9.7% from $1.14 reported in 2024. However, in fiscal 2026, its earnings are expected to rebound 5.8% year over year to $1.09 per share. www.barchart.com KVUE stock prices have plummeted 19.5% over the past 52 weeks, struggling to keep pace with the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Funds (XLP) 1.4% dip and the S&P 500 Indexs ($SPX) 17% gains during the same time frame. www.barchart.com On Nov. 3, Kenvue shares surged 12.3% after Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) announced an agreement to acquire the company in a cash-and-stock deal valuing Kenvue at approximately $48.7 billion. The acquisition brings together two major consumer brands, creating a broad portfolio of everyday health and personal care products with significant global reach. Analysts remain cautious about the stocks prospects. Kenvue has a consensus Hold rating overall, a step down from Moderate Buy rating three months ago. Of the 12 analysts covering the stock, opinions include two Strong Buys and ten Holds. Its mean price target of $19 suggests an 11.8% upside potential from current price levels. On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah 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 Autohome Inc. (NYSE:ATHM Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $21.93 and last traded at $21.8550, with a volume of 168729 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $22.42. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ATHM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Autohome from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $36.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Zacks Research lowered Autohome from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Autohome in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $28.00. Get Autohome alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on ATHM Autohome Stock Performance Autohome Dividend Announcement The firms 50 day moving average is $23.60 and its 200 day moving average is $26.37. The stock has a market cap of $2.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.35 and a beta of 0.08. The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. Autohomes dividend payout ratio is currently 102.94%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Autohome A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in shares of Autohome by 40.6% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,466 shares of the information services providers stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its position in shares of Autohome by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 9,168 shares of the information services providers stock valued at $236,000 after buying an additional 438 shares during the period. Guinness Asset Management LTD lifted its holdings in Autohome by 20.9% in the third quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD now owns 2,711 shares of the information services providers stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 469 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in Autohome by 42.4% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,212 shares of the information services providers stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 659 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in Autohome by 124.4% in the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,333 shares of the information services providers stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 739 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.08% of the companys stock. Autohome Company Profile (Get Free Report) Autohome Inc (NYSE: ATHM) operates one of Chinas leading online destinations for automobile consumers, offering a comprehensive suite of digital platforms and services throughout the vehicle ownership lifecycle. Headquartered in Beijing, the companys core website and mobile applications deliver news, reviews, pricing information, photos, videos and interactive tools to help prospective buyers evaluate new and used vehicles. By aggregating rich editorial content with user-generated ratings and expert analyses, Autohome seeks to guide consumers through research, purchase and after-sales decision-making. In addition to its consumer-facing properties, Autohome provides automakers, dealers and service providers with integrated digital marketing and e-commerce solutions. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Autohome Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Autohome and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT Get Free Report)s stock price dropped 1.9% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $168.53 and last traded at $171.6250. Approximately 5,138,251 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 21% from the average daily volume of 6,539,410 shares. The stock had previously closed at $174.95. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades VRT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Vertiv from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. KGI Securities upgraded shares of Vertiv from a hold rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $216.00 price target on shares of Vertiv and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Vertiv from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Roth Capital reissued a buy rating and set a $195.00 target price (up from $162.00) on shares of Vertiv in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $181.38. Get Vertiv alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on VRT Vertiv Stock Performance The stocks 50-day moving average price is $171.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $153.14. The company has a market capitalization of $62.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 61.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 2.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 1.83. Vertiv (NYSE:VRT Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $2.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.59 billion. Vertiv had a return on equity of 50.82% and a net margin of 10.67%.Vertivs quarterly revenue was up 29.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.76 EPS. Vertiv has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.230-1.290 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 4.070-4.130 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Vertiv Holdings Co. will post 3.59 earnings per share for the current year. Vertiv Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This is a boost from Vertivs previous quarterly dividend of $0.04. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 25th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Vertivs dividend payout ratio is presently 9.43%. Insider Activity at Vertiv In related news, EVP Stephen Liang sold 5,501 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.48, for a total value of $937,810.48. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,050 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $690,444. This represents a 57.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.63% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Vertiv by 2.2% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 38,833,036 shares of the companys stock worth $5,858,352,000 after buying an additional 826,281 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Vertiv by 2.3% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,459,323 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,276,173,000 after acquiring an additional 189,484 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Vertiv by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,686,778 shares of the companys stock worth $856,082,000 after purchasing an additional 219,970 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Vertiv by 20.9% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,931,488 shares of the companys stock valued at $761,662,000 after purchasing an additional 1,024,634 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in Vertiv in the 2nd quarter valued at about $538,132,000. 89.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Vertiv Company Profile (Get Free Report) Vertiv is a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions for data centers, communication networks and commercial and industrial environments. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, the company designs, manufactures and services equipment and software that support power availability, thermal management and IT infrastructure management for a broad set of end markets, including hyperscale and enterprise data centers, colocation providers, telecom operators and industrial customers. The companys product portfolio includes uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), power distribution units (PDUs), battery and DC power systems, precision cooling and thermal management equipment, racks and enclosures, and integrated modular infrastructure. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Vertiv Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vertiv and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nevsun Resources (NYSEAMERICAN:NSU Get Free Report) traded down 0.2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $4.44 and last traded at $4.44. 25,500 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 71% from the average session volume of 87,058 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.45. Nevsun Resources Stock Down 0.2% The companys fifty day moving average price is $4.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $4.44. Get Nevsun Resources alerts: Nevsun Resources Company Profile (Get Free Report) Nevsun Resources is a Canadian base and precious metals exploration and production company specializing in copper, gold, zinc and silver assets. The company has historically focused on advancing high-grade projects through feasibility, permitting and construction to bring sustainable mining operations into production. Its expertise spans resource definition, metallurgical optimization and mine development, with an emphasis on de-risking projects and delivering shareholder value through operational excellence and strategic partnerships. The companys flagship asset was the Copler gold and copper mine in eastern Turkey, which began commercial production in 2011. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nevsun Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nevsun Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Asia ex Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:AXJV Get Free Report)s stock price were down 0.4% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $33.63 and last traded at $33.67. Approximately 600 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 3,339 shares. The stock had previously closed at $33.80. iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Asia ex Japan ETF Price Performance The business has a 50 day moving average price of $33.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.67. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Asia ex Japan ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Asia ex Japan ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pilbara Minerals Limited (OTCMKTS:PILBF Get Free Report) shares rose 0.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $3.30 and last traded at $3.27. Approximately 11,665 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 100,342 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.25. Pilbara Minerals Trading Up 0.6% The companys 50-day simple moving average is $2.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1.83. Get Pilbara Minerals alerts: About Pilbara Minerals (Get Free Report) Pilbara Minerals (OTCMKTS:PILBF) is an Australia-based mining and exploration company focused on the development and production of lithium and tantalum resources. The companys core activity centers on sustainable extraction of spodumene concentrate, a key feedstock for the global lithium-ion battery industry. Pilbara Minerals maintains its principal listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: PLS) and operates an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program on the OTC Markets under the ticker PILBF. The companys flagship operation is the Pilgangoora Lithium-Tantalum Project, situated in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Pilbara Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pilbara Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Phoenix Group Holdings plc (LON:PHNX Get Free Report) insider Nicolaos Nicandrou acquired 19 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 564 per share, with a total value of 107.16. Nicolaos Nicandrou also recently made the following trade(s): Get Phoenix Group alerts: On Thursday, November 6th, Nicolaos Nicandrou purchased 23 shares of Phoenix Group stock. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 674 per share, with a total value of 155.02. Phoenix Group Price Performance PHNX stock opened at GBX 741 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of 7.42 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.73. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 699.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 674.69. Phoenix Group Holdings plc has a 1 year low of GBX 475.20 and a 1 year high of GBX 756.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 160.32, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a current ratio of 3.30. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Phoenix Group ( LON:PHNX Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, December 15th. The company reported GBX 32.70 earnings per share for the quarter. Phoenix Group had a negative net margin of 2.10% and a negative return on equity of 21.76%. On average, equities analysts predict that Phoenix Group Holdings plc will post 51.179941 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of equities analysts have commented on PHNX shares. Berenberg Bank lifted their price objective on shares of Phoenix Group from GBX 850 to GBX 852 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, October 13th. UBS Group raised Phoenix Group to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the stock from GBX 670 to GBX 770 in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Phoenix Group has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 719.25. Read Our Latest Stock Report on PHNX Phoenix Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Phoenix is the UKs largest long-term savings and retirement business with c. 300 billion of assets under administration and c. 12 million customers. We are a constituent of the FTSE 100 with c. 7,800 colleagues and offer a broad range of products to support people across all stages of the savings life cycle. We are a growing and sustainable business with a clear purpose helping people secure a life of possibilities. This means providing the right guidance and products, at the right time, to support the right choices. We focus on delivering value for our shareholders through long-term predictable cash generation, which supports a stable and sustainable dividend. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Phoenix Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Phoenix Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:UEC Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of Buy from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $14.9167. Several research firms have recently issued reports on UEC. HC Wainwright upped their price objective on Uranium Energy from $12.75 to $19.75 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. Zacks Research raised shares of Uranium Energy from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Stifel Canada raised Uranium Energy to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $17.50 price target on Uranium Energy and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a market perform rating and issued a $14.00 price objective (up from $7.75) on shares of Uranium Energy in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. Get Uranium Energy alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Uranium Energy Uranium Energy Trading Up 1.3% Hedge Funds Weigh In On Uranium Energy UEC opened at $14.76 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $7.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -123.00 and a beta of 1.23. The companys 50 day moving average is $12.60 and its 200-day moving average is $11.48. Uranium Energy has a 1-year low of $3.85 and a 1-year high of $17.80. A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UEC. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in Uranium Energy by 732.8% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 3,981 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 3,503 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Uranium Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Operose Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Uranium Energy in the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Strategic Advocates LLC acquired a new position in Uranium Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Teza Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Uranium Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $49,000. Institutional investors own 62.28% of the companys stock. About Uranium Energy (Get Free Report) Uranium Energy Corp. is a uranium mining and exploration company focused on the development and production of uranium through in-situ recovery (ISR) methods. The companys core activities include operating ISR projects, advancing exploration properties, and engaging in joint ventures to secure uranium supply for nuclear power generation. Uranium Energys approach emphasizes environmentally conscious extraction techniques that minimize land disturbance and water usage compared with conventional mining. The companys primary producing asset is the Hobson ISR facility in South Texas, which commenced production to supply uranium concentrate to nuclear utilities. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Uranium Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uranium Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Wednesday. ELF has been the topic of several other reports. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $100.00 to $85.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group lowered their target price on e.l.f. Beauty from $150.00 to $105.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on e.l.f. Beauty from $155.00 to $135.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of e.l.f. Beauty in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on e.l.f. Beauty from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $123.53. Get e.l.f. Beauty alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on e.l.f. Beauty e.l.f. Beauty Stock Up 1.1% ELF opened at $87.02 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a current ratio of 2.70. The company has a market cap of $5.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 61.28, a PEG ratio of 8.18 and a beta of 1.73. e.l.f. Beauty has a one year low of $49.40 and a one year high of $150.99. The businesss fifty day moving average is $79.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $109.69. e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $343.94 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $367.89 million. e.l.f. Beauty had a return on equity of 13.77% and a net margin of 5.90%.The businesss revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.77 EPS. e.l.f. Beauty has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-2.850 EPS. Analysts anticipate that e.l.f. Beauty will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vident Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of e.l.f. Beauty in the 1st quarter valued at $203,000. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in e.l.f. Beauty by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 153,682 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,650,000 after purchasing an additional 13,851 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its position in e.l.f. Beauty by 19.3% in the first quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,279 shares of the companys stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its position in e.l.f. Beauty by 168.6% in the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 6,483 shares of the companys stock valued at $407,000 after purchasing an additional 4,069 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 176.4% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 4,677 shares of the companys stock worth $294,000 after purchasing an additional 2,985 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.44% of the companys stock. About e.l.f. Beauty (Get Free Report) e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is an American cosmetics company known for offering an extensive range of affordable, trend-driven makeup and skincare products. The companys portfolio spans foundations, lipsticks, mascaras, brushes, serums, masks and other beauty essentials, all positioned at accessible price points. e.l.f. Beauty maintains a direct-to-consumer platform through its e-commerce site and engages in widespread retail partnerships with major chains such as Target, Walmart, Ulta Beauty and Amazon. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Oakland, California, e.l.f. See Also Receive News & Ratings for e.l.f. Beauty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for e.l.f. Beauty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NexGen Energy (NYSE:NXE Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the eight research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation, five have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. NXE has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research raised NexGen Energy from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an outperform rating on shares of NexGen Energy in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d) rating on shares of NexGen Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Get NexGen Energy alerts: Get Our Latest Report on NexGen Energy NexGen Energy Trading Down 0.6% NXE opened at $10.73 on Wednesday. The companys 50 day moving average is $9.02 and its 200-day moving average is $8.18. The company has a market cap of $7.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -26.17 and a beta of 1.43. NexGen Energy has a 1-year low of $3.91 and a 1-year high of $11.33. NexGen Energy (NYSE:NXE Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.02) by ($0.01). On average, equities analysts forecast that NexGen Energy will post -0.05 EPS for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On NexGen Energy A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in NexGen Energy by 287,500.0% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,876 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 2,875 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NexGen Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Canton Hathaway LLC purchased a new position in NexGen Energy in the second quarter valued at $57,000. Olympiad Research LP acquired a new position in NexGen Energy in the 2nd quarter worth about $73,000. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new position in shares of NexGen Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $76,000. 42.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About NexGen Energy (Get Free Report) NexGen Energy is a Canada-based uranium exploration and development company focused on advancing its flagship Rook I project in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan. The companys primary activities include resource delineation, feasibility studies, and permitting for its high-grade Arrow deposit, one of the largest undeveloped uranium discoveries in the region. NexGens technical team employs advanced drilling, geophysical and geochemical techniques to expand and define its resource base, with the aim of delivering a robust, low-cost supply of uranium to global nuclear power markets. The Rook I project sits within one of the worlds most prolific uranium districts, offering excellent infrastructure access, a skilled local workforce and a supportive regulatory regime. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for NexGen Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NexGen Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP Free Report) had its price objective raised by TD Cowen from $33.00 to $35.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a hold rating on the oil and gas companys stock. Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Helmerich & Payne from $20.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Helmerich & Payne from $29.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Cowen reissued a hold rating on shares of Helmerich & Payne in a research report on Wednesday. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne from $31.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Piper Sandler upgraded Helmerich & Payne from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price target for the company from $21.00 to $35.00 in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Helmerich & Payne presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $31.90. Get Helmerich & Payne alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Helmerich & Payne Helmerich & Payne Price Performance Shares of NYSE HP opened at $30.65 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $3.02 billion, a PE ratio of -18.35 and a beta of 0.56. Helmerich & Payne has a 1-year low of $14.65 and a 1-year high of $37.30. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $28.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.40. Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 17th. The oil and gas company reported ($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.26 by ($0.27). The business had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $972.79 million. Helmerich & Payne had a negative net margin of 4.37% and a positive return on equity of 3.21%. Helmerich & Paynes revenue for the quarter was up 45.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.76 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Helmerich & Payne will post 2.93 EPS for the current year. Helmerich & Payne Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Helmerich & Paynes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -59.88%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Hans Helmerich sold 75,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.12, for a total value of $2,109,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 496,735 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,968,188.20. This represents a 13.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 4.51% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its position in Helmerich & Payne by 174.1% during the second quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,044,383 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $30,993,000 after buying an additional 1,298,510 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Helmerich & Payne by 316.9% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,218,057 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $26,907,000 after buying an additional 925,921 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Helmerich & Payne during the 2nd quarter worth about $10,571,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Helmerich & Payne in the second quarter valued at approximately $7,841,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in Helmerich & Payne by 439.3% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 614,884 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $13,583,000 after purchasing an additional 500,863 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.05% of the companys stock. Helmerich & Payne Company Profile (Get Free Report) Helmerich & Payne, Inc is a leading provider of contract drilling services to the oil and gas industry, specializing primarily in onshore drilling operations. The company designs, engineers and operates a fleet of advanced drilling rigs, including its proprietary FlexRigs, which are engineered for high efficiency, safety and rapid mobilization. Alongside core drilling services, Helmerich & Payne offers well intervention, workover and coiled tubing services, positioning itself as a comprehensive drilling solutions partner for exploration and production companies worldwide. Founded in 1920 and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Helmerich & Payne has grown through innovation and strategic expansion to serve diverse hydrocarbon basins. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Helmerich & Payne Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Helmerich & Payne and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Elon Musks AI startup xAI is planning a data center project so massive that its hard to comprehend. Musks AI vehicle is dropping more than $20 billion to build a colossal new infrastructure in Mississippi to expand its computing power. Lately, weve seen Musk quietly shifting his focus away from Teslas (TSLA) core EV business, which continues to struggle with sluggish growth, pricing pressures, and relentless competition. Instead, his attention has shifted to what he believes comes next. He believes in autonomy, AI, and platforms that can efficiently scale far beyond just selling cars. Musk shared his thoughts in the Tesla Q1 2025 earnings call. Those catalysts are why Wedbushs Dan Ives slapped a Street-high $600 price target on the stock. If that future arrives, xAI could end up being Musks most important play. Elon Musks xAI plans $20 billion Mississippi data center, signaling a commitment to AI infrastructure expansion.Photo by Jean Catuffe on Getty Images Photo by Jean Catuffe on Getty Images xAI is building an AI production corridor, not just data centers xAIs expansion in the MemphisSouthaven region is part of a far-reaching, coordinated buildout thats designed around scale, speed, and energy availability. The massive $20 billion Mississippi data center project, called MACROHARDRR, is expected to pave the way for hundreds of permanent jobs across DeSoto County. The Mississippi Development Authority has also already approved xAI for its Data Center Incentive, offering sales and use tax exemptions on equipment and software, along with support with fee-in-lieu agreements. More Tesla: The sprawling Southaven facility is strategically situated near xAIs newly acquired power plant site and is near its existing Tennessee data centers. Its also directly positioned alongside its flagship AI factory, Colossus, in the Memphis area, supporting nearly 200,000 GPUs, along with a stated roadmap of 1 million, The Valley City Times Record reported. Once its all wrapped up, it could significantly boost the companys total computing capacity to roughly 2 gigawatts, with operations set to begin as early as February. Big AI players are making similar infrastructure bets Clearly, xAIs buildout is striking, but its part of a broader race among tech giants to secure the infrastructure needed to power the growing AI workloads. Five Point (NYSE:FPH Get Free Report) and IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones (NYSE:IRS Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation and institutional ownership. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Five Point and IRSA Inversiones Y Representacioness revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Five Point alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Five Point $237.93 million 3.65 $68.30 million $1.30 4.54 IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones $409.02 million 3.10 $195.18 million $4.97 3.29 Institutional & Insider Ownership IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones has higher revenue and earnings than Five Point. IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Five Point, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. 38.1% of Five Point shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 45.5% of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones shares are owned by institutional investors. 21.5% of Five Point shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 25.1% of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Risk and Volatility Five Point has a beta of 1.37, meaning that its stock price is 37% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones has a beta of 1.49, meaning that its stock price is 49% more volatile than the S&P 500. Profitability This table compares Five Point and IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Five Point 48.56% 4.24% 2.99% IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones 86.65% 27.35% 13.44% Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Five Point and IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Five Point 0 0 2 0 3.00 IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones 0 1 0 0 2.00 Summary IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones beats Five Point on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks. About Five Point (Get Free Report) Five Point Holdings, LLC, through its subsidiary, Five Point Operating Company, LP, owns and develops mixed-use and planned communities in Orange County, Los Angeles County, and San Francisco County. The company operates in four segments: Valencia, San Francisco, Great Park, and Commercial. It sells residential and commercial land sites to homebuilders, commercial developers, and commercial buyers; operates and owns a commercial office, research and development, medical campus, and other properties; and provides development and property management services. The company was formerly known as Newhall Holding Company, LLC and changed its name to Five Point Holdings, LLC in May 2016. Five Point Holdings, LLC was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. About IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones (Get Free Report) IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the diversified real estate activities in Argentina. It operates through five segments: Shopping Malls, Offices, Hotels, Sales and Developments, and Others. The company is involved in the acquisition, development, and operation of shopping malls, office buildings, and other non-shopping mall properties primarily for rental purposes. It also acquires and operates luxury hotels and resorts under the Intercontinental, Libertador, and Llao Llao names; develops and sells residential properties, including apartment tower complexes; and acquires undeveloped land reserves for future development or sale. In addition, the company engages in the development and operation of stadium; and provision of appa!, a digital customer loyalty system platform, for consumption in shopping malls, use of parking spaces, and redemption of corporate benefits. The company was incorporated in 1943 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima operates as a subsidiary of Cresud S.A.C.I.F. y A. Receive News & Ratings for Five Point Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Five Point and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. OneStream, BigBear.ai, Tempus AI, Hut 8, and SoundHound AI are the five Artificial Intelligence stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Artificial intelligence stocks refers to shares of companies whose primary business, technology, or meaningful revenue exposure is tied to developing, selling, or deploying AI technologiesthis includes chipmakers, cloud and infrastructure providers, AI software and service firms, and traditional companies that use AI as a core differentiator. Investors typically treat these stocks as growth-oriented and potentially higher-risk, assessing factors such as product leadership, data assets, recurring revenue, and regulatory or competitive exposures. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Artificial Intelligence stocks within the last several days. Get alerts: OneStream (OS) Read Our Latest Research Report on OS BigBear.ai (BBAI) BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. provides artificial intelligence-powered decision intelligence solutions. It offers national security, supply chain management, and digital identity and biometrics solutions. The company also provides data ingestion, data enrichment, data processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics, and predictive visualization solutions and services. Read Our Latest Research Report on BBAI Tempus AI (TEM) Tempus AI Inc. is a technology company advancing precision medicine through the practical application of artificial intelligence principally in healthcare. The company provides AI-enabled precision medicine solutions to physicians to deliver personalized patient care and in parallel facilitates discovery, development and delivery of optimal therapeutics. Read Our Latest Research Report on TEM Hut 8 (HUT) Hut 8 Corp., together with its subsidiaries, acquires, builds, manages, and operates data centers for digital assets mining, computing, and artificial intelligence in the United States. It operates in four segments: Digital Assets Mining, Managed Services, High Performance Computing Colocation and Cloud, and Other. Read Our Latest Research Report on HUT SoundHound AI (SOUN) SoundHound AI, Inc. develops independent voice artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that enables businesses across automotive, TV, and IoT, and to customer service industries to deliver high-quality conversational experiences to their customers. Its products include Houndify platform that offers a suite of Houndify tools to help brands build conversational voice assistants, such as Application Programming Interfaces (API) for text and voice queries, support for custom commands, extensive library of content domains, inclusive software development kit platforms, collaboration capabilities, diagnostic tools, and built-in analytics; SoundHound Chat AI that integrates with knowledge domains, pulling real-time data like weather, sports, stocks, flight status, and restaurants; and SoundHound Smart Answering is built to offer customer establishments custom AI-powered voice assistant. Read Our Latest Research Report on SOUN Featured Articles Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV Free Report) had its price target increased by Citigroup from $38.00 to $44.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the airlines stock. Several other research analysts have also weighed in on LUV. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Southwest Airlines in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a market perform rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group lifted their price target on Southwest Airlines from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Southwest Airlines in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on shares of Southwest Airlines from $42.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Southwest Airlines from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $42.11. Get Southwest Airlines alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on LUV Southwest Airlines Price Performance Shares of LUV stock opened at $44.46 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.24. The company has a market capitalization of $22.99 billion, a PE ratio of 68.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 1.16. Southwest Airlines has a twelve month low of $23.82 and a twelve month high of $45.02. Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The airline reported ($0.38) earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $6.17 billion for the quarter. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 1.38% and a return on equity of 6.39%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Southwest Airlines will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Southwest Airlines Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 16th. Investors of record on Friday, December 26th will be issued a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 26th. Southwest Airliness dividend payout ratio is 110.77%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Corsicana & Co. acquired a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in Southwest Airlines during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Southwest Airlines in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Southwest Airlines by 81.4% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,056 shares of the airlines stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 474 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.82% of the companys stock. Southwest Airlines News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Southwest Airlines this week: Positive Sentiment: Rare double-upgrade from JPMorgan JPMorgan upgraded LUV from underweight to overweight and lifted its price target to $60, a large upward move that traders say is the main catalyst for the rally as it signals materially higher earnings expectations. Barrons: Rare Double Upgrade Rare double-upgrade from JPMorgan JPMorgan upgraded LUV from underweight to overweight and lifted its price target to $60, a large upward move that traders say is the main catalyst for the rally as it signals materially higher earnings expectations. Positive Sentiment: Multiple price-target raises Citi and UBS both bumped targets (Citi to $44, UBS to $45), reinforcing the analyst trend higher and supporting upside in the stock as models are re-priced for better forward earnings. Citi price target raise Multiple price-target raises Citi and UBS both bumped targets (Citi to $44, UBS to $45), reinforcing the analyst trend higher and supporting upside in the stock as models are re-priced for better forward earnings. Positive Sentiment: Broader analyst optimism Citigroup and other firms published bullish commentary forecasting notable price appreciation based on improving fundamentals and potential margin recovery. Citigroup forecast Broader analyst optimism Citigroup and other firms published bullish commentary forecasting notable price appreciation based on improving fundamentals and potential margin recovery. Neutral Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its target to $45 but kept a neutral rating the higher target supports the rally but the retained rating tempers how decisive the firm views near-term upside. Benzinga: Susquehanna note Susquehanna raised its target to $45 but kept a neutral rating the higher target supports the rally but the retained rating tempers how decisive the firm views near-term upside. Neutral Sentiment: Strategic/cabin changes under review articles on Southwests cabin revamp and assigned seating argue these initiatives could reshape unit revenue and customer experience, but benefits depend on execution and timing. Yahoo: Cabin revamp Strategic/cabin changes under review articles on Southwests cabin revamp and assigned seating argue these initiatives could reshape unit revenue and customer experience, but benefits depend on execution and timing. Neutral Sentiment: New marketing/partnerships a legacy partnership with the Chicago Cubs is positive PR and revenue/brand-supportive, but unlikely to move near-term fundamentals materially. MLB press release New marketing/partnerships a legacy partnership with the Chicago Cubs is positive PR and revenue/brand-supportive, but unlikely to move near-term fundamentals materially. Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst landscape several firms remain cautious/hold-rated (e.g., Wells Fargo), so while sentiment is tilting positive, coverage is not uniformly bullish. Wells Fargo hold About Southwest Airlines (Get Free Report) Southwest Airlines Co is a U.S.-based low-cost carrier that operates a point-to-point domestic and near-international airline network. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company primarily flies Boeing 737 aircraft and offers no-frills, single-class service designed to keep fares competitive. Southwests operating model emphasizes high aircraft utilization, quick turnaround times and an open seating policy, allowing customers to board and select seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Founded in 1967 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King as Air Southwest Company, Southwest began commercial service in 1971, initially connecting Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Southwest Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southwest Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of L3Harris Technologies Inc (NYSE:LHX Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $302.2857. LHX has been the topic of several recent research reports. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of L3Harris Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a neutral rating and a $290.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on L3Harris Technologies from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Susquehanna reiterated a positive rating on shares of L3Harris Technologies in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Wall Street Zen upgraded L3Harris Technologies from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on L3Harris Technologies from $318.00 to $323.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Get L3Harris Technologies alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on LHX Insider Activity Institutional Trading of L3Harris Technologies In related news, CEO Christopher E. Kubasik sold 14,171 shares of L3Harris Technologies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $301.05, for a total transaction of $4,266,179.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 144,426 shares of the companys stock, valued at $43,479,447.30. This trade represents a 8.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . 0.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of L3Harris Technologies by 55.9% in the 3rd quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 9,989 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,051,000 after buying an additional 3,583 shares during the period. Gold Investment Management Ltd. increased its position in L3Harris Technologies by 108.4% in the second quarter. Gold Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,738 shares of the companys stock worth $437,000 after purchasing an additional 904 shares during the period. BankPlus Trust Department raised its holdings in L3Harris Technologies by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. BankPlus Trust Department now owns 5,854 shares of the companys stock worth $1,468,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in L3Harris Technologies by 20.6% during the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 193,381 shares of the companys stock valued at $48,508,000 after purchasing an additional 33,019 shares during the period. Finally, US Bancorp DE lifted its position in L3Harris Technologies by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 344,112 shares of the companys stock valued at $86,317,000 after purchasing an additional 5,526 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.76% of the companys stock. L3Harris Technologies Stock Performance LHX opened at $336.07 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $62.86 billion, a PE ratio of 36.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. L3Harris Technologies has a 1 year low of $193.09 and a 1 year high of $338.23. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $290.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $281.53. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $5.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.51 billion. L3Harris Technologies had a return on equity of 11.08% and a net margin of 8.09%.L3Harris Technologiess quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.34 earnings per share. L3Harris Technologies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 10.500-10.700 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that L3Harris Technologies will post 11.12 EPS for the current year. L3Harris Technologies Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. L3Harris Technologiess dividend payout ratio is presently 51.56%. L3Harris Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report) L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) is an American aerospace and defense company formed in 2019 through the combination of L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of technology solutions for government and commercial customers, with a particular emphasis on defense, intelligence and public safety applications. The companys offerings span communications systems, avionics, electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors, space systems and mission integration. Read More Receive News & Ratings for L3Harris Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for L3Harris Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Crescent Energy Company (NYSE:CRGY Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of Hold by the fifteen brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation, eight have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $14.5455. Several brokerages have recently weighed in on CRGY. Zacks Research cut shares of Crescent Energy from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d) rating on shares of Crescent Energy in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Crescent Energy in a research report on Friday. They issued a market perform rating and a $10.00 price target for the company. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Crescent Energy from $15.00 to $13.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Crescent Energy from $20.00 to $15.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 17th. Get Crescent Energy alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on CRGY Crescent Energy Stock Down 1.5% CRGY stock opened at $8.12 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -54.16 and a beta of 1.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. The businesss 50-day moving average is $8.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.89. Crescent Energy has a fifty-two week low of $6.83 and a fifty-two week high of $16.94. Crescent Energy (NYSE:CRGY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $866.58 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $887.54 million. Crescent Energy had a net margin of 0.66% and a return on equity of 11.77%. As a group, analysts forecast that Crescent Energy will post 0.77 earnings per share for the current year. Crescent Energy Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. Crescent Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -320.00%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Crescent Energy A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of Crescent Energy in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Crescent Energy by 50.2% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,714 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,241 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its holdings in Crescent Energy by 303.5% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 4,152 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 3,123 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in Crescent Energy by 25.2% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 5,301 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 1,066 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Crescent Energy by 135.8% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 6,018 shares of the companys stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 3,466 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.11% of the companys stock. Crescent Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) Crescent Energy Co (NYSE: CRGY) is an independent exploration and production company focused on the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas resources in North America. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the companys core business activities include the identification and appraisal of prospective acreage, the design and execution of drilling and completion programs, and the ongoing operation and optimization of producing wells. Crescent Energys integrated approach emphasizes capital efficiency, reservoir quality and operational reliability to support sustainable cash flow generation over the commodity cycle. Crescent Energys operations are concentrated in the Permian Basin, with a particular focus on the Delaware Basins stacked pay intervals. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Crescent Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crescent Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lowered its position in shares of Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NYSE:BLDR Free Report) by 13.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 37,900 shares of the companys stock after selling 5,900 shares during the quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning ASs holdings in Builders FirstSource were worth $4,595,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BLDR. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Builders FirstSource by 0.4% during the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 17,630 shares of the companys stock worth $2,057,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. VestGen Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Builders FirstSource by 4.6% during the second quarter. VestGen Advisors LLC now owns 1,943 shares of the companys stock worth $227,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR lifted its holdings in Builders FirstSource by 3.1% during the second quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 3,032 shares of the companys stock worth $354,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey grew its stake in Builders FirstSource by 0.8% in the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 16,858 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,967,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the period. Finally, Cheviot Value Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Builders FirstSource by 9.0% in the second quarter. Cheviot Value Management LLC now owns 1,825 shares of the companys stock worth $213,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.53% of the companys stock. Get Builders FirstSource alerts: Builders FirstSource Stock Performance Shares of BLDR stock opened at $124.73 on Friday. Builders FirstSource, Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.35 and a 12 month high of $175.12. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $106.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $121.65. The firm has a market cap of $13.79 billion, a PE ratio of 23.76, a P/E/G ratio of 13.52 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Builders FirstSource ( NYSE:BLDR Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.19. Builders FirstSource had a net margin of 3.79% and a return on equity of 21.28%. The firm had revenue of $3.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.86 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.07 EPS. The companys revenue was down 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Builders FirstSource, Inc. will post 11.59 EPS for the current fiscal year. Several brokerages recently issued reports on BLDR. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on Builders FirstSource from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Builders FirstSource in a research note on Monday, November 17th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $115.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c-) rating on shares of Builders FirstSource in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Vertical Research started coverage on shares of Builders FirstSource in a report on Monday, October 20th. They set a sell rating and a $109.41 price objective on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Builders FirstSource from $124.00 to $115.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Builders FirstSource has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $133.02. Read Our Latest Stock Report on BLDR About Builders FirstSource (Free Report) Builders FirstSource, Inc is a leading supplier of structural and value-added building products and services to professional contractors, homebuilders and remodelers. The company provides a comprehensive range of materials and prefabricated components that support all phases of residential construction, from site development and framing to finishing and installation. The companys core offerings include lumber and lumber sheet goods, windows and doors, millwork, roofing and siding, and engineered wood products such as roof and floor trusses. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BLDR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NYSE:BLDR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Builders FirstSource Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Builders FirstSource and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Absolute Software and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energys gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Absolute Software $104.67 million 0.01 $10.64 million $0.24 0.10 Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy $12.19 billion 1.05 -$749.21 million N/A N/A Get Absolute Software alerts: Absolute Software has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Absolute Software 10.16% -23.28% 9.44% Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy N/A N/A N/A Institutional and Insider Ownership This table compares Absolute Software and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energys net margins, return on equity and return on assets. 1.2% of Absolute Software shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Volatility and Risk Absolute Software has a beta of 1.05, indicating that its stock price is 5% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has a beta of 0.95, indicating that its stock price is 5% less volatile than the S&P 500. Summary Absolute Software beats Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Absolute Software (Get Free Report) Absolute Software Corp. engages in the provision of cloud-based service that supports the management and security of computing devices, applications, and data for a variety of organizations. Its solutions includes education, financial services, general date protection regulations (GDPR) compliance, government, healthcare, professional services, and technology solutions such as Absolute for Android, and Absolute for Chromebook. The company was founded on November 24, 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. About Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (Get Free Report) Siemens Gamesa supplies wind turbines and power solutions to customers. The company is a global leader in the renewable energy industry specifically in the development, installation, maintenance, and manufacturing of wind turbines. Siemens Gamesas vision is to be the global leader in the renewable energy industry driving the transition towards a sustainable world. Siemens Gamesa was founded in 1976 and is based in Zamudio, Spain. Receive News & Ratings for Absolute Software Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Absolute Software and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue reduced its position in shares of CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS Free Report) by 4.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 169,139 shares of the pharmacy operators stock after selling 7,159 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenues holdings in CVS Health were worth $12,751,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CVS. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in CVS Health by 72.1% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 339 shares of the pharmacy operators stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Avion Wealth raised its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 99.0% during the second quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 380 shares of the pharmacy operators stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Asset Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in CVS Health in the second quarter worth $30,000. Front Row Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in CVS Health by 436.5% in the second quarter. Front Row Advisors LLC now owns 456 shares of the pharmacy operators stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Roxbury Financial LLC raised its holdings in CVS Health by 78.3% in the 2nd quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC now owns 460 shares of the pharmacy operators stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.66% of the companys stock. Get CVS Health alerts: CVS Health Stock Performance Shares of CVS opened at $80.29 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market cap of $101.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 211.29, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.48. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $78.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $73.83. CVS Health Corporation has a 52 week low of $46.34 and a 52 week high of $85.15. CVS Health Dividend Announcement CVS Health ( NYSE:CVS Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The pharmacy operator reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.36 by $0.24. CVS Health had a return on equity of 11.45% and a net margin of 0.12%.The business had revenue of $102.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $98.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.09 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. CVS Health has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.550-6.650 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that CVS Health Corporation will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.665 per share. This represents a $2.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 22nd. CVS Healths dividend payout ratio is 700.00%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth CVS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Leerink Partners lifted their target price on shares of CVS Health from $86.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Wall Street Zen cut CVS Health from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on CVS Health from $93.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on CVS Health from $82.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their price target on CVS Health from $75.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, CVS Health has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $94.86. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on CVS CVS Health Company Profile (Free Report) CVS Health Corporation is a diversified healthcare company that operates a large network of retail pharmacies, pharmacy benefit management services and health care solutions. Headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the company traces its roots to the early 1960s and has grown into an integrated provider of prescription drugs, over?the?counter products, clinical services and health insurance offerings. Its operating model combines retail pharmacy locations and in?store clinics with broader pharmacy and health plan capabilities. Key business activities include CVS Pharmacy retail operations, MinuteClinic walk?in medical clinics and HealthHUB locations that offer expanded clinical services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CVS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for CVS Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CVS Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of L3Harris Technologies Inc (NYSE:LHX Free Report) by 4.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 42,674 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,902 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in L3Harris Technologies were worth $13,033,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of LHX. Nova Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in L3Harris Technologies during the first quarter worth $26,000. Kiker Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in L3Harris Technologies by 137.0% in the 2nd quarter. Kiker Wealth Management LLC now owns 109 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Asset Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of L3Harris Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Independence Bank of Kentucky boosted its stake in shares of L3Harris Technologies by 44.4% during the 2nd quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 130 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of L3Harris Technologies during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.76% of the companys stock. Get L3Harris Technologies alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently issued reports on LHX. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of L3Harris Technologies from $302.00 to $353.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded L3Harris Technologies from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Saturday, January 3rd. Susquehanna reaffirmed a positive rating on shares of L3Harris Technologies in a research report on Friday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on L3Harris Technologies from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on L3Harris Technologies in a report on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a buy rating and a $331.00 price target for the company. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six 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 $302.29. L3Harris Technologies Stock Performance L3Harris Technologies stock opened at $336.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 0.95. L3Harris Technologies Inc has a 12 month low of $193.09 and a 12 month high of $338.23. The company has a market cap of $62.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.66. The stocks 50-day moving average is $290.29 and its 200-day moving average is $281.53. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.60 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $5.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.51 billion. L3Harris Technologies had a net margin of 8.09% and a return on equity of 11.08%. The companys revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.34 EPS. L3Harris Technologies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 10.500-10.700 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that L3Harris Technologies Inc will post 11.12 earnings per share for the current year. L3Harris Technologies Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. L3Harris Technologiess dividend payout ratio is 51.56%. Insider Transactions at L3Harris Technologies In other L3Harris Technologies news, CEO Christopher E. Kubasik sold 14,171 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $301.05, for a total value of $4,266,179.55. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 144,426 shares of the companys stock, valued at $43,479,447.30. This trade represents a 8.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.72% of the companys stock. L3Harris Technologies Profile (Free Report) L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) is an American aerospace and defense company formed in 2019 through the combination of L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of technology solutions for government and commercial customers, with a particular emphasis on defense, intelligence and public safety applications. The companys offerings span communications systems, avionics, electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors, space systems and mission integration. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LHX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for L3Harris Technologies Inc (NYSE:LHX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for L3Harris Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for L3Harris Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB Free Report) by 21.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 324,850 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 87,845 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in U.S. Bancorp were worth $15,870,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of U.S. Bancorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $971,285,000. Davis Selected Advisers increased its stake in U.S. Bancorp by 29.8% during the 2nd quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 19,331,637 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $874,757,000 after buying an additional 4,442,623 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in U.S. Bancorp by 1,589.4% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,472,252 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $157,119,000 after buying an additional 3,266,724 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in U.S. Bancorp by 354.5% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,855,350 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $129,205,000 after buying an additional 2,227,103 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 1.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 143,269,275 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,482,935,000 after acquiring an additional 2,038,996 shares in the last quarter. 77.60% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get U.S. Bancorp alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes USB has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group lifted their target price on U.S. Bancorp from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Barclays increased their price target on U.S. Bancorp from $56.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday. Bank of America boosted their price objective on U.S. Bancorp from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b-) rating on shares of U.S. Bancorp in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated a positive rating on shares of U.S. Bancorp in a research note on Friday, October 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, U.S. Bancorp presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $56.30. Insiders Place Their Bets In other U.S. Bancorp news, Chairman Andrew Cecere sold 140,445 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.34, for a total transaction of $6,508,221.30. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 1,360,414 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $63,041,584.76. This trade represents a 9.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP James L. Chosy sold 26,909 shares of U.S. Bancorp stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.86, for a total value of $1,260,955.74. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 226,375 shares in the company, valued at $10,607,932.50. This trade represents a 10.62% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.23% of the companys stock. U.S. Bancorp Price Performance Shares of NYSE USB opened at $55.23 on Friday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $51.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $48.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $85.84 billion, a PE ratio of 12.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.07. U.S. Bancorp has a fifty-two week low of $35.18 and a fifty-two week high of $56.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82. U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $7.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.17 billion. U.S. Bancorp had a return on equity of 13.34% and a net margin of 16.89%.The firms quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.03 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that U.S. Bancorp will post 4.38 EPS for the current fiscal year. U.S. Bancorp Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be given a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. U.S. Bancorps dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.60%. U.S. Bancorp Company Profile (Free Report) U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) is a bank holding company and the parent of U.S. Bank, a national commercial bank that provides a wide range of banking, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services. The company operates through consumer and business banking, commercial banking, payment services, and wealth management segments. Its product set includes deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage origination and servicing, credit and debit card services, treasury and cash management, merchant processing, and institutional and trust services. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding USB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for U.S. Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for U.S. Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mickey Rourke has surrendered a shotgun to authorities. Mickey Rourke has given up his gun The Wrestler actor was reportedly visited by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department after they responded to a call from one of his team members on Wednesday (07.01.26) and took possession of the legally-registered firearm for safekeeping, NBC Los Angeles reports. The 73-year-old star is said to have told deputies he is leaving the area and no longer wanted the gun. If he doesn't retrieve it after a year, it will be destroyed by authorities. The decision from Mickey came amid a row over unpaid rent which saw a member of his management team set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his bills after he faced eviction. His manager, Kimberly Hines, told Deadline: "Were trying to do the best that we can. My assistant started it to help Mickey as a nice gesture because he was being forced out of his home. "It was not done with any mal intent. The money has not gone anywhere. If Mickey decides he does not want it, the money will be returned to his fans." The fundraiser was set up by Hines' personal assistant Liya-Joelle Jones, who wrote on the page: "This fundraiser is being created with Mickeys full permission to help cover immediate housing-related expenses and prevent that from happening." The 73-year-old actor is said to owe $59,100 (43,875) in rent on his Los Angeles home and Hines told Deadline the crowdfunder was set up after Rourke was served with an eviction notice and left with nowhere to go. The Rumble Fish actor has since been moved to a hotel and the publication reports his management team and a producer pal have been footing the bill for his stay. Kimberly added: "I would love nothing more than Mickey Rourke to go back to work and do what he does best." After news of the GoFundMe campaign broke, Mickey took to Instagram to share a video in which he condemned the money-raising scheme - and even claimed his former landlords might have been behind it. He said: "Something's come up that I'm really frustrated, confused [about] and I don't understand. Somebody set up some kind of foundation or fund for me to donate money like charity and that's not me. Okay. "I'd rather, if I needed money, I wouldn't ask for no f****** charity. I'd rather stick a gun up my a** and pull the trigger. "So whoever did this, I don't know ... why they did it. I don't understand it. I wouldn't know what a GoFundMe foundation is in a million years. My life is very simple, I don't go to outside sources like that and yeah it is embarrassing but I'm sure I'll get over it like everything else." Mickey also claimed he stopped paying rent on his home amid a disagreement with his landlords over repairs which hadn't been carried out and he insisted the case will be fought out in court. By David Lawder SAVAGE, Minnesota, Jan 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has told Reuters that additional U.S. sanctions on Venezuela could be lifted as soon as next week to facilitate oil sales, and that he will also meet next week with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on their re-engagement with Venezuela. Bessent said in an interview late on Friday that almost $5 billion worth of Venezuela's currently frozen IMF Special Drawing Rights monetary assets could be deployed to help rebuild the country's economy. "We're de-sanctioning the oil that's going to be sold," Bessent said during a visit to a Winnebago Industries engineering facility. The Treasury was examining changes that would facilitate the repatriation of sale proceeds of the oil stored largely on ships back to Venezuela. "How can we help that get back into Venezuela, to run the government, run the security services and get it to the Venezuelan people?" he said of the Treasury's sanctions analysis. Asked when more sanctions could be removed from Venezuela, Bessent said, "It could be as soon as next week," but did not identify which ones. The moves are part of the Trump administration's effort to stabilize Venezuela and encourage the return of U.S. oil producers to the country a week after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Caracas and brought him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. U.S. sanctions have banned international banks and other creditors from engaging with the Venezuelan government without a license. The institutions have cited this as an impediment to a complex $150 billion debt restructuring widely viewed as a key to the return of private capital to Venezuela. On Friday evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order blocking courts or creditors from impounding Venezuelan oil revenue held in U.S. Treasury accounts, declaring that these funds should be safeguarded to help Venezuela create "peace, prosperity and stability." IMF, WORLD BANK RE-ENGAGEMENT Bessent, who controls the dominant U.S. shareholding in the IMF and World Bank, said that the two institutions had already reached out to him about Venezuela. The Treasury chief said that the U.S. Treasury would be willing to convert Venezuela's IMF Special Drawing Rights held at the Fund to dollars for use in rebuilding Venezuela. Venezuela currently has about 3.59 billion SDRs, which are worth about $4.9 billion at Friday's exchange rate, but it cannot currently access them. SDRs are made up of dollars, euros, yen, sterling and Chinese yuan. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH Free Report) by 56.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 122,864 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 44,307 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC owned 0.05% of Cardinal Health worth $19,285,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 6.9% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 4,363 shares of the companys stock worth $601,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in Cardinal Health by 29.0% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 16,037 shares of the companys stock worth $2,209,000 after purchasing an additional 3,608 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 198.3% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 21,112 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 14,034 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC lifted its position in Cardinal Health by 3.1% in the first quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 3,538 shares of the companys stock valued at $487,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SageView Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cardinal Health by 38.4% during the first quarter. SageView Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,228 shares of the companys stock valued at $720,000 after purchasing an additional 1,450 shares during the period. 87.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Cardinal Health alerts: Cardinal Health Stock Down 0.7% Shares of CAH opened at $201.06 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $47.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.65. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $204.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $173.10. Cardinal Health, Inc. has a 52 week low of $119.25 and a 52 week high of $214.93. Cardinal Health Announces Dividend Cardinal Health ( NYSE:CAH Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $2.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.33. Cardinal Health had a negative return on equity of 84.37% and a net margin of 0.68%.The business had revenue of $64.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $59.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.88 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 22.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Cardinal Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.650-9.850 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Cardinal Health, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.5107 per share. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. Cardinal Healths dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.77%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Leerink Partners increased their price target on shares of Cardinal Health from $211.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $232.00 price target on shares of Cardinal Health in a report on Friday, October 31st. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Cardinal Health from $190.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Cardinal Health from $185.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Cardinal Health from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $212.60. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on CAH Cardinal Health Company Profile (Free Report) Cardinal Health is a multinational healthcare services and products company headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. Tracing its roots to the early 1970s, the company has grown into a major provider of supply chain and distribution services for the healthcare sector. Cardinal Health operates across a range of service lines that support hospitals, health systems, pharmacies, physician offices and clinical laboratories. The companys core activities include the wholesale distribution of branded and generic pharmaceuticals, the supply and distribution of medical-surgical products, and the provision of logistics and inventory management solutions. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CAH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Cardinal Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cardinal Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE:APLE Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 427,031 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $5,129,000. Peregrine Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.18% of Apple Hospitality REIT at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of APLE. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in Apple Hospitality REIT by 14.9% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 7,058 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 913 shares in the last quarter. MML Investors Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 80,287 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $937,000 after buying an additional 1,100 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its stake in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 34,474 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $402,000 after buying an additional 1,143 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 22.9% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,440 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 1,202 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its position in shares of Apple Hospitality REIT by 6.6% in the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 22,288 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $260,000 after buying an additional 1,387 shares in the last quarter. 89.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Apple Hospitality REIT alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets APLE has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Apple Hospitality REIT to a hold rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on Apple Hospitality REIT in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. They set an overweight rating and a $14.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Apple Hospitality REIT in a report on Friday, December 26th. Finally, Bank of America lowered Apple Hospitality REIT from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $11.50 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Apple Hospitality REIT presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $12.92. Apple Hospitality REIT Stock Performance Apple Hospitality REIT stock opened at $12.49 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $11.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $12.05. Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. has a 52 week low of $10.44 and a 52 week high of $16.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.10 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. Apple Hospitality REIT (NYSE:APLE Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.02. Apple Hospitality REIT had a return on equity of 5.46% and a net margin of 12.37%.The company had revenue of $373.88 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $371.94 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. will post 1.6 earnings per share for the current year. Apple Hospitality REIT Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. Apple Hospitality REITs payout ratio is presently 131.51%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Chairman Glade M. Knight purchased 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $11.91 per share, with a total value of $59,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 710,344 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,460,197.04. This trade represents a 0.71% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders have purchased a total of 8,000 shares of company stock worth $95,180 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 7.10% of the companys stock. Apple Hospitality REIT Profile (Free Report) Apple Hospitality REIT (NYSE: APLE) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that focuses on acquiring, owning and operating high-quality, upscale, select-service hotels. The companys portfolio primarily consists of properties operated under premium franchise agreements with leading lodging brands such as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt. Apple Hospitality REIT is self-managed and internally advised, overseeing property management, revenue optimization and asset-level operations through its in-house team of hospitality professionals. The companys holdings encompass over 200 hotels featuring more than 30,000 guest rooms across a diverse array of markets in the United States. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Apple Hospitality REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Apple Hospitality REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR Free Report) by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 268,960 shares of the companys stock after selling 25,054 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Kroger were worth $18,131,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 27.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,733 shares of the companys stock valued at $962,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Kroger by 7.9% in the 1st quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 9,669 shares of the companys stock worth $654,000 after buying an additional 705 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in shares of Kroger in the 1st quarter worth $481,000. Great Lakes Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Kroger by 8.9% in the first quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 10,957 shares of the companys stock valued at $742,000 after acquiring an additional 891 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Woodline Partners LP grew its position in Kroger by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 56,243 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,807,000 after acquiring an additional 16,270 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Kroger alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets KR has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. UBS Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $70.00 price target (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an outperform rating and set a $80.00 price objective (down from $82.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an overweight rating and issued a $70.00 target price (down previously from $78.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Kroger from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $75.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $74.19. Kroger Stock Performance NYSE:KR opened at $59.52 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $63.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $67.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market cap of $37.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.11, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.61. The Kroger Co. has a 1-year low of $58.12 and a 1-year high of $74.90. Kroger (NYSE:KR Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $33.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.27 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 38.06% and a net margin of 0.54%.The companys revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.98 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.750-4.800 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Trending Headlines about Kroger Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week: Positive Sentiment: Kroger completed the sale of Vitacost to iHerb to streamline operations, preserve its 2025 guidance, and refocus on core grocery and margin improvement management portrays the deal as part of a strategic review to simplify the business. Read More. Kroger completed the sale of Vitacost to iHerb to streamline operations, preserve its 2025 guidance, and refocus on core grocery and margin improvement management portrays the deal as part of a strategic review to simplify the business. Read More. Positive Sentiment: iHerb says the Vitacost acquisition strengthens its U.S. business in vitamins/minerals/supplements the buyers strategic rationale increases the likelihood of a smooth transition and reduces execution risk for Kroger. Read More. iHerb says the Vitacost acquisition strengthens its U.S. business in vitamins/minerals/supplements the buyers strategic rationale increases the likelihood of a smooth transition and reduces execution risk for Kroger. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Analysts and options traders showed bullish signals: Deutsche Bank upgraded KR from Hold to Buy with a $75 target, and there was unusually high call?option volume both indicate upside conviction among some institutional and derivatives traders. Read More. Read More. Analysts and options traders showed bullish signals: Deutsche Bank upgraded KR from Hold to Buy with a $75 target, and there was unusually high call?option volume both indicate upside conviction among some institutional and derivatives traders. Read More. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Consumer?facing initiatives continue: Kroger launched a Verified Savings program and targeted discounts for SNAP/WIC/Medicaid shoppers and debuted checkout features highlighting customer savings moves that may help traffic, loyalty and comps in a tight consumer spending environment. Read More. Consumer?facing initiatives continue: Kroger launched a Verified Savings program and targeted discounts for SNAP/WIC/Medicaid shoppers and debuted checkout features highlighting customer savings moves that may help traffic, loyalty and comps in a tight consumer spending environment. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Store-level experiments: a proposed State Street remodel includes an in?store Dunkin incremental non?grocery partnerships can boost traffic but are unlikely to move near?term earnings materially. Read More. Store-level experiments: a proposed State Street remodel includes an in?store Dunkin incremental non?grocery partnerships can boost traffic but are unlikely to move near?term earnings materially. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Industry context: outlets rank grocery chains (where Kroger appears) and competitor valuation stories (e.g., Albertsons) are circulating useful for relative valuation but not an immediate company catalyst. Read More. Read More. Industry context: outlets rank grocery chains (where Kroger appears) and competitor valuation stories (e.g., Albertsons) are circulating useful for relative valuation but not an immediate company catalyst. Read More. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Kroger will close about 60 stores as part of a post?merger refocus on stronger markets the planned closures signal ongoing restructuring and cost but raise near?term execution and severance costs and reduce store count. Read More. Kroger will close about 60 stores as part of a post?merger refocus on stronger markets the planned closures signal ongoing restructuring and cost but raise near?term execution and severance costs and reduce store count. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Operational/PR hit: a Kroger store in Orion Township remained closed after inspectors found rodent evidence localized food?safety incidents can pressure traffic and require remediation spend and invite short?term negative headlines. Read More. Kroger Company Profile (Free Report) The Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) is one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States, offering a wide range of retail grocery and related services. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates a portfolio of supermarket and multi-department store banners and provides customers with fresh foods, packaged groceries, deli and bakery items, meat and seafood, produce, and prepared foods. Krogers stores commonly include pharmacy services and fuel centers, positioning the company as a broad-based neighborhood retail destination for everyday needs. In addition to traditional in-store retailing, Kroger manufactures and distributes a variety of private-label brands and operates its own food production and supply-chain facilities. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Kroger Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kroger and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sterling Financial Planning Inc. lowered its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU Free Report) by 2.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 273,359 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 6,329 shares during the period. iShares Gold Trust accounts for approximately 6.3% of Sterling Financial Planning Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its biggest holding. Sterling Financial Planning Inc.s holdings in iShares Gold Trust were worth $19,892,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IAU. Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 809.1% during the 2nd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 5,108,818 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $318,586,000 after purchasing an additional 4,546,835 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 67.5% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,919,614 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $680,947,000 after buying an additional 4,398,605 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its position in iShares Gold Trust by 2,152.7% during the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 3,494,106 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $217,892,000 after acquiring an additional 3,339,000 shares during the last quarter. PFG Advisors grew its stake in iShares Gold Trust by 4,797.3% in the 2nd quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 1,432,369 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $89,323,000 after acquiring an additional 1,403,121 shares during the period. Finally, Mainstay Capital Management LLC ADV raised its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 12,087.3% in the 2nd quarter. Mainstay Capital Management LLC ADV now owns 1,329,143 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $82,885,000 after acquiring an additional 1,318,237 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.67% of the companys stock. Get iShares Gold Trust alerts: iShares Gold Trust News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting iShares Gold Trust this week: iShares Gold Trust Stock Up 0.7% iShares Gold Trust Company Profile Shares of iShares Gold Trust stock opened at $84.89 on Friday. iShares Gold Trust has a fifty-two week low of $50.14 and a fifty-two week high of $85.68. The businesss fifty day moving average is $79.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.00. The firm has a market cap of $71.55 billion, a PE ratio of 5.53 and a beta of 0.09. (Free Report) iShares Gold Trust (the Trust) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (Shares). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist of gold held by the Trusts custodian on behalf of the Trust. The sponsor of the Trust is iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC (the Sponsor), which is an indirect subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc The trustee of the Trust is The Bank of New York Mellon (the Trustee) and the custodian of the Trust is JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch (the Custodian). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iShares Gold Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Gold Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Strathcona Resources (TSE:SCR Get Free Report) was upgraded by Natl Bk Canada from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Friday,Zacks.com reports. A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. TD Securities upped their target price on shares of Strathcona Resources from C$35.00 to C$36.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Strathcona Resources from C$36.00 to C$40.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on shares of Strathcona Resources from C$40.00 to C$33.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Strathcona Resources from C$38.00 to C$29.00 in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, National Bankshares raised shares of Strathcona Resources from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and lowered their target price for the stock from C$36.00 to C$32.00 in a research note on Friday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$33.57. Get Strathcona Resources alerts: Get Our Latest Report on SCR Strathcona Resources Stock Down 0.9% About Strathcona Resources Shares of TSE:SCR opened at C$26.50 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 11.09, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 56.06. The company has a market capitalization of C$5.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.18, a P/E/G ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 2.61. Strathcona Resources has a 52-week low of C$22.75 and a 52-week high of C$45.09. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is C$37.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$36.09. (Get Free Report) Strathcona Resources Ltd. is a Canada-based oil and gas producers with operations focused on thermal oil, enhanced oil recovery and liquids-rich natural gas. The Company has three operations, including Lloydminster Heavy Oil, Cold Lake Thermal Oil and Montney. The Lloydminster Heavy Oil segment has multiple large oil-in-place reservoirs with existing and expanding enhanced oil recovery (EOR) opportunities primarily located in southwest Saskatchewan. Its Saskatchewan thermal properties rely on the same steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) processes as its Cold Lake Thermal properties. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Strathcona Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Strathcona Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Renasant (NYSE:RNST Get Free Report) is one of 20 public companies in the State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System industry, but how does it compare to its competitors? We will compare Renasant to similar companies based on the strength of its risk, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, dividends and analyst recommendations. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Renasant and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat. Get Renasant alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Renasant 0 1 0 1 3.00 Renasant Competitors 29 167 197 19 2.50 As a group, State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System companies have a potential upside of 5.58%. Given Renasants competitors higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Renasant has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. Dividends Institutional and Insider Ownership Renasant pays an annual dividend of $0.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. Renasant pays out 46.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System companies pay a dividend yield of 2.3% and pay out 67.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Renasant is clearly a better dividend stock than its competitors, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. 77.3% of Renasant shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 72.2% of shares of all State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System companies are held by institutional investors. 2.8% of Renasant shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 6.7% of shares of all State Commercial Banks Fed Reserve System companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Profitability This table compares Renasant and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Renasant 11.26% 6.99% 1.01% Renasant Competitors 7.23% 6.94% 0.79% Risk and Volatility Renasant has a beta of 0.97, suggesting that its share price is 3% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Renasants competitors have a beta of 1.01, suggesting that their average share price is 1% more volatile than the S&P 500. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Renasant and its competitors gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Renasant $1.09 billion $195.46 million 18.33 Renasant Competitors $744.78 million $95.99 million 39.72 Renasant has higher revenue and earnings than its competitors. Renasant is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Summary Renasant beats its competitors on 10 of the 15 factors compared. About Renasant (Get Free Report) Renasant Corporation operates as a bank holding company for Renasant Bank that provides a range of financial, wealth management, fiduciary, and insurance services to retail and commercial customers. It operates through three segments: Community Banks, Insurance, and Wealth Management. The Community Banks segment offers checking and savings accounts, business and personal loans, asset-based lending, and equipment leasing services, as well as safe deposit and night depository facilities. It also provides commercial, financial, and agricultural loans; equipment financing and leasing; real estate?1-4 family mortgage; real estate?commercial mortgage; real estate?construction loans for the construction of single family residential properties, multi-family properties, and commercial projects; installment loans to individuals; and interim construction loans, as well as automated teller machine (ATM), online and mobile banking, call center, and treasury management services. The Insurance segment provides insurance agency services, such as commercial and personal insurance products through insurance carriers. The Wealth Management segment offers a range of wealth management and fiduciary services, including administration and management of trust accounts, such as personal and corporate benefit accounts, and custodial accounts, as well as accounting and money management for trust accounts; annuities, mutual funds, and other investment services through a third party broker-dealer; and qualified retirement plans, IRAs, employee benefit plans, personal trusts, and estates. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated a network of 189 banking, lending, and mortgage offices located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; 150 full-service branches and 11 limited-service branches; 173 ATMs; and 38 interactive teller machines. Renasant Corporation was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi. Receive News & Ratings for Renasant Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Renasant and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC Get Free Report) (TSE:MFC) was upgraded by analysts at Cibc Captl Mkts from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. Several other research analysts also recently commented on MFC. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Manulife Financial in a report on Friday, November 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b+) rating on shares of Manulife Financial in a research note on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group began coverage on Manulife Financial in a report on Thursday, October 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $51.00 target price on shares of Manulife Financial in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, CIBC upgraded shares of Manulife Financial from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and six have issued a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Manulife Financial has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $51.50. Get Manulife Financial alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on Manulife Financial Manulife Financial Price Performance MFC opened at $37.39 on Thursday. Manulife Financial has a fifty-two week low of $25.92 and a fifty-two week high of $37.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $62.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.62 and a beta of 0.83. The companys 50 day moving average price is $35.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.62. Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC Get Free Report) (TSE:MFC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.10. Manulife Financial had a net margin of 9.81% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The firm had revenue of $12.90 billion during the quarter. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.00 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Manulife Financial will post 2.87 EPS for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Manulife Financial A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MFC. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Manulife Financial by 33.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $288,000 after buying an additional 2,376 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial by 179.7% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 28,362 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $872,000 after acquiring an additional 18,222 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial by 18.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 56,418 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,757,000 after acquiring an additional 8,900 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Manulife Financial by 908.8% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,808 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $243,000 after purchasing an additional 7,034 shares during the period. Finally, Value Partners Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Manulife Financial by 16,609.6% in the 2nd quarter. Value Partners Investments Inc. now owns 1,519,407 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $48,490,000 after purchasing an additional 1,510,314 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 52.56% of the companys stock. Manulife Financial Company Profile (Get Free Report) Manulife Financial Corporation is a multinational insurance and financial services company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in the late 19th century as The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company, Manulife provides a broad range of financial products and services to individual and institutional clients. Its core businesses include life and health insurance, retirement and pension solutions, wealth and asset management, and group benefits. In wealth and asset management, Manulife operates through Manulife Investment Management and offers mutual funds, segregated funds, institutional asset management, and retirement plan solutions. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Manulife Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Manulife Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 8.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 354,466 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 27,718 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $57,494,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.2% during the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 490,590 shares of the companys stock worth $89,354,000 after buying an additional 5,681 shares in the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 295.8% during the 2nd quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 67,717 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,333,000 after acquiring an additional 50,610 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its position in Philip Morris International by 88.9% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 2,138,118 shares of the companys stock worth $389,415,000 after acquiring an additional 1,006,014 shares during the last quarter. Trek Financial LLC raised its position in Philip Morris International by 732.3% in the second quarter. Trek Financial LLC now owns 42,829 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,801,000 after purchasing an additional 37,683 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Railway Pension Investments Ltd raised its position in Philip Morris International by 2.9% in the third quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd now owns 514,040 shares of the companys stock valued at $83,377,000 after purchasing an additional 14,600 shares during the last quarter. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Philip Morris International Stock Up 2.4% Shares of NYSE PM opened at $162.61 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $253.13 billion, a PE ratio of 29.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.40. Philip Morris International Inc. has a twelve month low of $116.12 and a twelve month high of $186.69. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $155.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $162.29. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 28th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.33% and a negative return on equity of 122.14%. The company had revenue of $8.12 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 26th. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 106.52%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In PM has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Philip Morris International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $190.00 to $185.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $180.00 price target on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a buy rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b) rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $189.00. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Philip Morris International Philip Morris International Profile (Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE: PM) is a global tobacco company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, other nicotine-containing products and a growing portfolio of smoke-free alternatives for adult smokers. The firm traces its corporate roots to the 19th century Philip Morris enterprise and was established as an independent, publicly traded company following a 2008 separation from what is now Altria. Since the spin-off, the company has focused on serving international markets outside the United States. PMIs product mix includes traditional combustible cigarettes as well as smoke-free offerings such as heated tobacco systems and other reduced-risk products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM Free Report) by 32.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 46,104 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 11,266 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Funds holdings in Howmet Aerospace were worth $9,047,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Howmet Aerospace during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Howmet Aerospace during the second quarter worth $25,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in Howmet Aerospace by 119.7% during the second quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 134 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Howmet Aerospace by 52.0% in the 3rd quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 152 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new stake in Howmet Aerospace in the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. 90.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Howmet Aerospace alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on HWM shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Howmet Aerospace from $205.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Zacks Research cut Howmet Aerospace from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, September 26th. Susquehanna set a $235.00 price objective on Howmet Aerospace and gave the stock a positive rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Bank of America increased their target price on Howmet Aerospace from $215.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Howmet Aerospace in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an outperform rating and a $240.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $222.82. Howmet Aerospace Trading Up 3.9% Shares of HWM stock opened at $218.24 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $87.75 billion, a PE ratio of 61.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.29. Howmet Aerospace Inc. has a 1 year low of $105.04 and a 1 year high of $219.39. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $203.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $191.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 2.35 and a quick ratio of 1.14. Howmet Aerospace (NYSE:HWM Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $2.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. Howmet Aerospace had a return on equity of 29.21% and a net margin of 18.18%.The companys revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.81 EPS. Howmet Aerospace has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.660-3.680 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.940-0.960 EPS. Research analysts predict that Howmet Aerospace Inc. will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year. About Howmet Aerospace (Free Report) Howmet Aerospace Inc is an industrial technology company that designs, manufactures and repairs engineered metal products for the aerospace, transportation and industrial markets. Its product portfolio includes precision castings and forgings, engineered fasteners, seamless rolled rings, and complex components for turbine engines, airframes and industrial gas turbines. The company also provides aftermarket services such as component repair, overhaul and parts distribution to support the operating fleet of commercial and military customers. Howmet serves a global customer base of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket operators, with manufacturing, service and distribution facilities across North America, Europe and Asia. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HWM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Howmet Aerospace Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Howmet Aerospace and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. VanEck 5-10 Year Australian Government Bond ETF (ASX:5GOV Get Free Report) announced a interim dividend on Thursday, January 8th, MarketIndexAU Dividends reports. Investors of record on Thursday, January 22nd will be paid a dividend of 0.115 per share on Thursday, January 22nd. This represents a yield of 22.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 7th. VanEck 5-10 Year Australian Government Bond ETF Price Performance Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for VanEck 5-10 Year Australian Government Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for VanEck 5-10 Year Australian Government Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. President Donald Trump has urged major US oil companies to invest at least $100 billion in Venezuelas oil sector, a proposition that has been met with skepticism by industry leaders. On Friday, Trump had a meeting with nearly 20 industry representatives in the White Houses East Room. He expressed his anticipation for a swift agreement to rejuvenate operations in Venezuela following the capture of leader Nicolas Maduro. Despite Trumps positive outlook, several executives voiced their concerns. Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM) CEO Darren Woods referred to Venezuela as currently uninvestable, citing past instances of the companys assets being confiscated by the Venezuelan government, reports Bloomberg. Harold Hamm of Continental Resources Inc. (NYSE:CLR), a long-time supporter of Trump, also refrained from committing to Venezuelan investment, although he showed enthusiasm about the possibility. Energy Secretary Chris Wright singled out Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX), the only US major still present in Venezuela, as the one specific pledge from an oil company to aid in reviving the nations crude production. Chevron Vice Chairman Mark Nelson confirmed the companys readiness to significantly ramp up its output in Venezuela. Despite the hesitant response from industry representatives, Trump remained hopeful, stating, Theyre going to be going in with hundreds of billions of dollars in drilling oil, and its good for Venezuela and its great for the United States. The call for investment comes at a time when Venezuelas oil sector is in dire need of revitalization. However, the skepticism expressed by industry leaders underscores the risks associated with investing in a country with a history of asset seizure. The response from Chevron, however, indicates that some companies may be willing to take on these risks, potentially leading to a significant boost in Venezuelas oil production and economic recovery. Image: Shutterstock/Kirkam 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. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga: This article Exxon Labels Venezuela 'Uninvestable' Without Major Reforms originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Nepsis Inc. trimmed its holdings in Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN Free Report) by 9.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 470,612 shares of the energy companys stock after selling 49,724 shares during the period. Devon Energy makes up about 5.2% of Nepsis Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Nepsis Inc.s holdings in Devon Energy were worth $16,500,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 18,595,683 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $589,399,000 after purchasing an additional 218,034 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Devon Energy by 78.7% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 6,360,499 shares of the energy companys stock worth $202,327,000 after purchasing an additional 2,802,137 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Devon Energy by 1.6% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,784,270 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $152,188,000 after buying an additional 77,433 shares during the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. lifted its position in Devon Energy by 83.9% in the second quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 4,568,092 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $145,311,000 after buying an additional 2,083,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in Devon Energy by 3.7% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 3,179,937 shares of the energy companys stock worth $101,154,000 after buying an additional 112,537 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.72% of the companys stock. Get Devon Energy alerts: Devon Energy Price Performance Shares of DVN opened at $35.76 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $22.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.41, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.60. Devon Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $25.89 and a fifty-two week high of $38.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firms 50 day moving average price is $35.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $34.51. Devon Energy Dividend Announcement Devon Energy ( NYSE:DVN Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The energy company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.11. Devon Energy had a net margin of 15.56% and a return on equity of 18.14%. The company had revenue of $0.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.10 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Devon Energy Corporation will post 4.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. Devon Energys payout ratio is presently 22.59%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on DVN shares. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Devon Energy from $57.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on shares of Devon Energy from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Devon Energy from $43.00 to $37.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Capital One Financial lowered their price target on Devon Energy from $52.00 to $51.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Devon Energy from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $49.00 to $44.00 in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $44.62. View Our Latest Analysis on Devon Energy Devon Energy Company Profile (Free Report) Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE: DVN) is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The company focuses on the exploration, development, production and marketing of hydrocarbons, including crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and natural gas. Devon operates as an upstream energy company that acquires, evaluates and develops onshore resource plays using a combination of drilling, completion and production optimization techniques. Core business activities include identifying and developing energy reserves, operating well programs and managing reservoir performance to generate production and cash flow. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DVN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Narwhal Capital Management trimmed its position in BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BWXT Free Report) by 25.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 32,192 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 10,744 shares during the quarter. Narwhal Capital Managements holdings in BWX Technologies were worth $5,935,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BWXT. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in BWX Technologies by 250.0% during the second quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 175 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of BWX Technologies by 861.9% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 202 shares of the technology companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of BWX Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new position in shares of BWX Technologies during the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, HM Payson & Co. bought a new position in BWX Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth $52,000. Institutional investors own 94.39% of the companys stock. Get BWX Technologies alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades BWXT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of BWX Technologies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $180.00 target price on BWX Technologies and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research downgraded BWX Technologies from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Truist Financial set a $205.00 price objective on shares of BWX Technologies in a report on Friday. Finally, William Blair reiterated an outperform rating on shares of BWX Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $196.94. Insider Activity at BWX Technologies In other news, CEO Rex D. Geveden sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.90, for a total value of $1,979,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 187,594 shares in the company, valued at $37,124,852.60. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.47% of the stock is owned by insiders. BWX Technologies Stock Performance NYSE:BWXT opened at $201.67 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $18.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.56, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.86. BWX Technologies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $84.21 and a 1 year high of $218.50. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $181.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $173.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.71 and a quick ratio of 1.62. BWX Technologies (NYSE:BWXT Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The technology company reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.15. BWX Technologies had a return on equity of 30.70% and a net margin of 10.04%.The firm had revenue of $866.29 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $795.48 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.83 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. BWX Technologies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.750-3.800 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that BWX Technologies, Inc. will post 3.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. BWX Technologies Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 19th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 19th. BWX Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.03%. BWX Technologies Company Profile (Free Report) BWX Technologies, Inc (NYSE: BWXT) is a specialized supplier of nuclear components and services, primarily serving the U.S. government and commercial markets. The companys core expertise lies in the design, fabrication and servicing of nuclear propulsion systems for the U.S. Navy, where it supports the maintenance and overhaul of naval nuclear reactors. In addition to defense applications, BWXT develops small modular reactors (SMRs), nuclear fuel and related technologies for non?defense power generation, offering scalable solutions to meet evolving energy and industrial demands. Beyond propulsion and power systems, BWXT is a leading producer of medical radioisotopes used in diagnostic imaging and cancer treatment. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BWXT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BWXT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BWX Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BWX Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Narwhal Capital Management trimmed its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report) by 45.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 12,045 shares of the companys stock after selling 10,000 shares during the quarter. Narwhal Capital Managements holdings in Altria Group were worth $796,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 335,418 shares of the companys stock worth $22,158,000 after purchasing an additional 26,624 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Altria Group by 1.0% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 159,717,148 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,364,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,599,923 shares during the period. TigerOak Management L.L.C. increased its position in Altria Group by 43.0% in the second quarter. TigerOak Management L.L.C. now owns 13,005 shares of the companys stock worth $762,000 after buying an additional 3,908 shares in the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter worth about $126,471,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 31.5% in the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 97,389 shares of the companys stock worth $5,710,000 after buying an additional 23,331 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Altria Group alerts: Altria Group Trading Up 2.9% Shares of MO opened at $57.54 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $58.01 and its 200 day moving average is $61.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $50.08 and a 12-month high of $68.60. The company has a market capitalization of $96.59 billion, a PE ratio of 10.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.47. Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.31 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 37.89% and a negative return on equity of 319.43%. The companys revenue was down 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.38 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.370-5.45 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year. Altria Group announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued. Altria Group Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. Altria Groups payout ratio is currently 80.92%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MO shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group raised shares of Altria Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $61.00 to $63.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective 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. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $62.56. Read Our Latest Report on Altria Group About Altria Group (Free Report) Altria Group, Inc (NYSE: MO) is a U.S.-based consumer goods company whose principal business is the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the companys operations are focused primarily on the U.S. market and include the production, marketing and distribution of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and cigars. Its flagship cigarette franchise in the United States is sold through its operating subsidiaries and is among the most recognizable cigarette brands in the country. Altrias principal operating businesses include Philip Morris USA (cigarettes), U.S. Featured Stories 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. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its position in SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:JNK Free Report) by 15.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 525,455 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 71,153 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd owned 0.62% of SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF worth $51,489,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNK. Key Financial Inc acquired a new position in SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF during the second quarter worth about $34,000. First Community Trust NA purchased a new position in SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Trust Co. of Vermont lifted its stake in SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF by 41,800.0% in the 3rd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 419 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $52,000. Finally, Beacon Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF in the second quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.54% of the companys stock. Get SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF alerts: SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF Stock Performance NYSEARCA:JNK opened at $97.69 on Friday. SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF has a one year low of $90.40 and a one year high of $98.24. The stock has a market cap of $7.67 billion, a PE ratio of 19.96 and a beta of 0.42. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $97.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $97.15. SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF Profile SPDR Barclays High Yield Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly SPDR Barclays Capital High Yield Bond ETF, seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Barclays Capital High Yield Very Liquid Index (the Index). The Index includes publicly issued United States dollar denominated, non-investment grade, fixed-rate, taxable corporate bonds that have a remaining maturity of at least one year, regardless of optionality, are rated high-yield using the middle rating of Moodys, S&P, and Fitch, respectively, and have $600 million or more of outstanding face value. Read More Receive News & Ratings for SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Parnassus Investments LLC decreased its position in shares of Deere & Company (NYSE:DE Free Report) by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 3,093,334 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 36,260 shares during the quarter. Deere & Company makes up about 3.3% of Parnassus Investments LLCs holdings, making the stock its 5th largest position. Parnassus Investments LLC owned 1.14% of Deere & Company worth $1,414,458,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in DE. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in shares of Deere & Company by 30.6% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 364,103 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $185,143,000 after acquiring an additional 85,351 shares during the period. OLD National Bancorp IN grew its position in Deere & Company by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 24,000 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $12,204,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares during the last quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Deere & Company by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,678 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,379,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH acquired a new position in Deere & Company in the second quarter valued at $3,615,000. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Deere & Company in the second quarter valued at about $4,550,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.58% of the companys stock. Get Deere & Company alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms recently issued reports on DE. UBS Group reissued a buy rating on shares of Deere & Company in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Deere & Company from $525.00 to $515.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a market perform rating on shares of Deere & Company in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $580.00 price target on shares of Deere & Company in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Deere & Company from $512.00 to $531.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $524.20. Deere & Company Stock Performance Shares of DE opened at $487.80 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. Deere & Company has a 52-week low of $403.01 and a 52-week high of $533.78. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $474.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $482.08. The company has a market capitalization of $131.93 billion, a PE ratio of 26.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.00. Deere & Company (NYSE:DE Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 26th. The industrial products company reported $3.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.96 by ($0.03). Deere & Company had a return on equity of 20.54% and a net margin of 11.00%.The company had revenue of $12.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.77 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.55 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Deere & Company will post 19.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Deere & Company Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be paid a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. Deere & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.01%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, CEO John C. May II sold 41,472 shares of Deere & Company stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.49, for a total transaction of $20,797,793.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 117,970 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $59,160,775.30. The trade was a 26.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.29% of the stock is owned by insiders. Trending Headlines about Deere & Company Here are the key news stories impacting Deere & Company this week: Deere & Company Company Profile (Free Report) Deere & Company, commonly known by its brand John Deere, is a global manufacturer of agricultural, construction and forestry machinery, as well as turf care equipment and power systems. Founded in 1837 by blacksmith John Deerewho developed a polished steel plow to improve tillage in tough prairie soilsthe company is headquartered in Moline, Illinois, and has grown into one of the largest and most recognizable names in equipment manufacturing worldwide. The companys principal businesses include a broad portfolio of agricultural equipment such as tractors, combines, planters, sprayers, harvesters and tillage implements, complemented by precision agriculture technologies and telematics that support farm management, yield optimization and equipment connectivity. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Deere & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deere & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its holdings in Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX Free Report) by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 651,620 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after acquiring an additional 42,719 shares during the period. Chevron accounts for about 0.8% of Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings in Chevron were worth $101,190,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in CVX. Perigon Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Chevron by 19.3% in the third quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 73,448 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $11,406,000 after buying an additional 11,875 shares during the period. Solitude Financial Services increased its position in shares of Chevron by 8.2% in the second quarter. Solitude Financial Services now owns 25,325 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $3,626,000 after acquiring an additional 1,913 shares in the last quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA acquired a new stake in shares of Chevron in the third quarter worth $5,662,000. Shell Asset Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Chevron by 21.4% in the 2nd quarter. Shell Asset Management Co. now owns 51,115 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $7,319,000 after acquiring an additional 9,002 shares during the period. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Chevron by 7.3% during the 2nd quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 88,759 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $13,743,000 after acquiring an additional 6,058 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.42% of the companys stock. Get Chevron alerts: Insider Activity at Chevron In other Chevron news, Director John B. Hess sold 275,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.75, for a total transaction of $41,456,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,128,045 shares of the companys stock, valued at $170,052,783.75. This trade represents a 19.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Michael K. Wirth sold 320,700 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.99, for a total transaction of $52,270,893.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 14,450 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,355,205.50. This trade represents a 95.69% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 631,990 shares of company stock valued at $99,716,808 in the last 90 days. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Chevron Price Performance Shares of NYSE CVX opened at $162.15 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Chevron Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $132.04 and a fifty-two week high of $168.96. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $152.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $153.42. The firm has a market cap of $326.49 billion, a PE ratio of 22.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.97 and a beta of 0.70. Chevron (NYSE:CVX Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $48.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $46.99 billion. Chevron had a return on equity of 8.74% and a net margin of 6.57%.Chevrons quarterly revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.48 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Chevron Corporation will post 10.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Chevron Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 18th were issued a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 18th. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. Chevrons dividend payout ratio is currently 96.20%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages recently issued reports on CVX. Raymond James Financial reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $160.00 price target (down from $170.00) on shares of Chevron in a report on Friday, October 17th. Barclays lowered their target price on Chevron from $160.00 to $158.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Chevron from $178.00 to $174.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Bank of America decreased their price target on Chevron from $183.00 to $180.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Chevron from $185.00 to $179.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $167.14. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Chevron Chevron News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week: Positive Sentiment: Chevron is in advanced talks with the U.S. government to expand its Venezuela license, which would allow higher exports to Chevrons refineries and third parties a clear potential earnings and volume catalyst. Read More. Chevron is in advanced talks with the U.S. government to expand its Venezuela license, which would allow higher exports to Chevrons refineries and third parties a clear potential earnings and volume catalyst. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Shipping and operational activity is picking up: data and filings show Chevron loading Venezuelan crude and contracting multiple tankers, signalling the company can scale flows quickly if approvals hold. Read More. Shipping and operational activity is picking up: data and filings show Chevron loading Venezuelan crude and contracting multiple tankers, signalling the company can scale flows quickly if approvals hold. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Market positioning and deal activity: reports show Chevron competing with traders and partners to control Venezuelan exports and lining up bids for international assets moves that could expand supply links and reserves. Read More. Market positioning and deal activity: reports show Chevron competing with traders and partners to control Venezuelan exports and lining up bids for international assets moves that could expand supply links and reserves. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Bernstein and other outlets have recently raised targets or reiterated bullish theses on CVX amid the Venezuela angle, providing analyst-driven validation. Read More. Analyst support: Bernstein and other outlets have recently raised targets or reiterated bullish theses on CVX amid the Venezuela angle, providing analyst-driven validation. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: White House engagement: President Trump met with oil executives to discuss Venezuela reconstruction policy backing could help but details, guarantees and timelines remain uncertain. Read More. White House engagement: President Trump met with oil executives to discuss Venezuela reconstruction policy backing could help but details, guarantees and timelines remain uncertain. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Companies want guarantees: FT/Reuters reporting that U.S. majors want formal guarantees from Washington before committing large capital, implying any large-scale Venezuela rebuild will be phased and conditional. Read More. Companies want guarantees: FT/Reuters reporting that U.S. majors want formal guarantees from Washington before committing large capital, implying any large-scale Venezuela rebuild will be phased and conditional. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Distribution risk: some shipments to traditional buyers (notably Chinese buyers) are paused, tempering near-term cash conversion despite increased loading activity. Read More. Distribution risk: some shipments to traditional buyers (notably Chinese buyers) are paused, tempering near-term cash conversion despite increased loading activity. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling disclosed (CEO, CFO and other insiders sold sizable blocks in early January), which can be perceived negatively and add short-term selling pressure. Read More. Large insider selling disclosed (CEO, CFO and other insiders sold sizable blocks in early January), which can be perceived negatively and add short-term selling pressure. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and sell-side caution: at least one firm cut CVX to Strong Sell and others trimmed price targets, reflecting some skepticism about sustainable upside after the recent run. Read More. Read More. Analyst downgrades and sell-side caution: at least one firm cut CVX to Strong Sell and others trimmed price targets, reflecting some skepticism about sustainable upside after the recent run. Read More. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Political/reputational risk: high-profile criticism and scrutiny around U.S. handling of Venezuela investments raise execution and regulatory uncertainty. Read More. About Chevron (Free Report) Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevrons core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide. Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Chevron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chevron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mirae Asset Securities USA Inc. bought a new position in shares of Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF (NYSEARCA:ALAI Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 225,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,438,000. Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF makes up 0.3% of Mirae Asset Securities USA Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in ALAI. Members Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,059,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its holdings in Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF by 113.3% in the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 146,058 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,477,000 after acquiring an additional 77,591 shares in the last quarter. Goldstein Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at $22,294,000. Apollon Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,037,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA acquired a new stake in shares of Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF during the 3rd quarter worth $333,000. Get Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF alerts: Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA ALAI opened at $37.01 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $297.56 million, a P/E ratio of 29.71 and a beta of 1.95. The stocks fifty day moving average is $36.63 and its 200 day moving average is $35.15. Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF has a 52 week low of $20.03 and a 52 week high of $39.26. Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF Dividend Announcement Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF Profile The company also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were issued a $0.5411 dividend. This represents a yield of 151.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 18th. (Free Report) The Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF (ALAI) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in stocks based on a particular theme. The fund is actively managed, investing in firms benefiting from developing, integrating or enabling artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The fund seeks long-term capital growth through fundamental research ALAI was launched on Apr 4, 2024 and is issued by Alger. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ALAI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF (NYSEARCA:ALAI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ORG Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF (NYSEARCA:DYNF Free Report) by 78.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 104,312 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 45,884 shares during the period. iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF comprises about 1.2% of ORG Partners LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. ORG Partners LLCs holdings in iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF were worth $6,301,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Bogart Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF in the second quarter worth about $43,000. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new stake in iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $57,000. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $106,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF by 285.1% during the 2nd quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,091 shares of the companys stock valued at $114,000 after buying an additional 1,548 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Team Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter. Team Financial Group LLC now owns 2,671 shares of the companys stock valued at $158,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF alerts: iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF Trading Up 0.7% Shares of NYSEARCA:DYNF opened at $61.57 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $60.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $58.42. The firm has a market cap of $31.45 billion, a PE ratio of 24.23 and a beta of 1.03. iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF has a 12-month low of $42.10 and a 12-month high of $61.82. iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF Profile The BlackRock U.S. Equity Factor Rotation ETF (DYNF) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund is an actively-managed fund of large- and mid-cap US stocks that uses five equity style factors. DYNF was launched on Mar 19, 2019 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DYNF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF (NYSEARCA:DYNF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SilverOak Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:CGNG Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 106,054 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,277,000. Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF comprises 0.6% of SilverOak Wealth Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest position. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF by 2,330.7% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 350,437 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,817,000 after acquiring an additional 336,020 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new stake in Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF during the first quarter worth approximately $1,845,000. Lincoln Capital Corp boosted its position in Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF by 82.7% during the second quarter. Lincoln Capital Corp now owns 225,950 shares of the companys stock worth $6,510,000 after purchasing an additional 102,311 shares during the period. Sovran Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF during the second quarter valued at approximately $408,000. Finally, Cypress Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF in the second quarter valued at approximately $333,000. Get Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF alerts: Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF Trading Up 0.7% Shares of Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF stock opened at $33.20 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.57 and a beta of 0.55. Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF has a 1-year low of $22.22 and a 1-year high of $33.35. Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF Announces Dividend About Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF The company also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $0.217 per share. This represents a yield of 67.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. (Free Report) The Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF (CGNG) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund is actively managed, seeking long-term capital appreciation through investment in companies from the emerging markets, may include frontier markets securities. CGNG was launched on Jun 25, 2024 and is issued by Capital Group. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CGNG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:CGNG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capital Group New Geography Equity ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rocket Companies, Inc. (NYSE:RKT Get Free Report) Director Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.26, for a total transaction of $53,150.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,046,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,238,725.36. This trade represents a 0.24% 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. Matthew Rizik also recently made the following trade(s): Get Rocket Companies alerts: On Monday, December 29th, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total transaction of $48,125.00. On Friday, December 26th, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.38, for a total transaction of $48,450.00. On Wednesday, December 24th, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.44, for a total transaction of $48,600.00. On Monday, December 22nd, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.99, for a total value of $47,475.00. On Friday, December 19th, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.21, for a total value of $48,025.00. On Wednesday, December 17th, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.21, for a total value of $45,525.00. On Friday, December 12th, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.99, for a total value of $47,475.00. On Wednesday, December 10th, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.17, for a total value of $47,925.00. On Monday, December 8th, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.78, for a total value of $46,950.00. On Thursday, December 4th, Matthew Rizik sold 2,500 shares of Rocket Companies stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.86, for a total transaction of $49,650.00. Rocket Companies Trading Up 9.6% NYSE RKT opened at $23.29 on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $18.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $17.73. Rocket Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $10.06 and a 52 week high of $23.42. The company has a current ratio of 19.68, a quick ratio of 19.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The stock has a market cap of $49.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 291.10 and a beta of 2.29. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Rocket Companies ( NYSE:RKT Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.07. Rocket Companies had a negative net margin of 1.77% and a positive return on equity of 2.83%. The business had revenue of $1.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.08 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 148.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Rocket Companies, Inc. will post 0.15 EPS for the current fiscal year. A number of brokerages have weighed in on RKT. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d+) rating on shares of Rocket Companies in a research note on Monday, December 29th. BTIG Research reiterated a buy rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of Rocket Companies in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Rocket Companies from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Rocket Companies from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. Finally, Barclays set a $22.00 price objective on shares of Rocket Companies and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $19.54. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Rocket Companies Institutional Trading of Rocket Companies Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. ValueAct Holdings L.P. lifted its position in shares of Rocket Companies by 67.9% in the 3rd quarter. ValueAct Holdings L.P. now owns 25,395,627 shares of the companys stock worth $492,167,000 after buying an additional 10,270,018 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Rocket Companies by 29.5% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,945,500 shares of the companys stock worth $444,684,000 after acquiring an additional 5,226,931 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners lifted its holdings in Rocket Companies by 6.2% in the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 14,560,706 shares of the companys stock worth $206,610,000 after acquiring an additional 856,367 shares during the last quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP acquired a new position in Rocket Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $213,010,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Rocket Companies by 30.6% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 6,298,220 shares of the companys stock valued at $122,060,000 after purchasing an additional 1,474,040 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 4.59% of the companys stock. Trending Headlines about Rocket Companies Here are the key news stories impacting Rocket Companies this week: Rocket Companies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Rocket Companies, Inc is a Detroit-based holding company whose businesses are centered on digital mortgage origination and related consumer finance and real estate services. The company grew out of the Quicken Loans franchise and completed an initial public offering in 2020. Founder Dan Gilbert remains a prominent figure associated with the firm, which operates a suite of brands that aim to simplify the home financing and buying experience through technology and scale. The companys core activity is mortgage lending through its Rocket Mortgage platform, which offers online application, underwriting and servicing for home purchase and refinance loans. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Rocket Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rocket Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. In a sometimes blistering affirmation of a lower court finding, a federal circuit court of appeals found that fuel card provider Corpay had undertaken several practices in its product offerings that could be viewed as deceptive and misleading. The Eleventh Circuit Tuesday upheld a series of injunctions handed down by the U.S.District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in 2022. That decision came out of a 2019 lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission against Corpay, which is the current name of the company that had been known as FLEETCOR (NYSE: PAY). In August 2022, the district court handed down summary judgement and a permanent injunction against Corpay for several of the practices the FTC had accused it of implementing. The evidence against Corpay is overwhelming, and the company has not created a genuine dispute of material fact to preclude summary judgment against it, the 11th Circuit said in a unanimous three-judge decision. The court also upheld summary judgment against CEO Ronald Clarke, who has headed the company since 2000. However, one of the summary judgment counts against Clarke was dismissed by the appellate court. In the United States, we sayall hat and no cowboy, the court said in its opening paragraphs. Wed mean all talk and no substance, or something looks much better than it really is. That was the view the FTC held of some of the promises Corpay made to its fuel customers, the court said. For years, Corpay marketed itself as offering large and small businesses fuel credit cards that promised savings, control and transparency. Yet when the FTC looked under the hat, it found no cowboy. Instead, the court said in summarizing the FTC charges, Corpay was implementing hidden charges, misleading practices and broken commitments. The lower court granted summary judgment against both Corpay and Clarke in favor of the FTC. It also handed down permanent injunctive relief against Corpay that would require a large range of disclosures regarding terms and conditions for its fuel card customers, and that they be made more transparent. In one particularly brutal passage by the appellate court, the three judges discuss a Corpay claim for one of its cards that it had no transaction fees. But there were other fees connected to the card: a Convenience Network Surcharge, a Minimum Program Administration Fee and High Risk Pricing. Corpay argues that a reasonable jury would find that customers would understand the term transaction fee as a fee charged by a company per every transaction, the appellate court writes. Corpay further argues, according to the judicial panel, that these fees were no transaction fees. World Equity Group Inc. grew its position in Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C Free Report) by 31.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,489 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 4,395 shares during the period. World Equity Group Inc.s holdings in Citigroup were worth $1,879,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Citigroup in the second quarter worth about $2,455,929,000. Swedbank AB boosted its stake in shares of Citigroup by 14.8% in the 2nd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 10,906,386 shares of the companys stock valued at $928,352,000 after purchasing an additional 1,406,624 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its stake in shares of Citigroup by 47.4% in the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 4,334,407 shares of the companys stock valued at $368,945,000 after purchasing an additional 1,393,865 shares during the last quarter. Natixis grew its position in shares of Citigroup by 382.7% during the 2nd quarter. Natixis now owns 1,523,782 shares of the companys stock worth $129,704,000 after buying an additional 1,208,089 shares during the period. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its stake in shares of Citigroup by 63.3% during the second quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 3,085,496 shares of the companys stock worth $262,637,000 after buying an additional 1,195,950 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.72% of the companys stock. Get Citigroup alerts: Citigroup Stock Up 0.6% NYSE:C opened at $121.33 on Friday. Citigroup Inc. has a 1 year low of $55.51 and a 1 year high of $124.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The stock has a market cap of $217.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.04, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $109.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $99.93. Citigroup Dividend Announcement Citigroup ( NYSE:C Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 14th. The company reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.35. Citigroup had a return on equity of 7.91% and a net margin of 8.73%.The company had revenue of $22.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.92 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.51 earnings per share. Citigroups revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Citigroup Inc. will post 7.53 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 3rd were paid a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 3rd. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Citigroups payout ratio is presently 33.71%. Key Citigroup News Here are the key news stories impacting Citigroup this week: Analysts Set New Price Targets C has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of Citigroup from $118.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. HSBC restated a buy rating and issued a $87.00 price target on shares of Citigroup in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of Citigroup in a report on Monday, November 24th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Citigroup from $129.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on Citigroup from $123.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $118.94. Get Our Latest Research Report on Citigroup Citigroup Profile (Free Report) Citigroup Inc is a global financial services company headquartered in New York City with roots tracing back to the City Bank of New York, founded in 1812. The modern Citigroup was created through the 1998 merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group and has since operated as a diversified bank holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments and institutions worldwide. Citis principal businesses include retail and commercial banking, credit card and consumer lending products, wealth management and private banking, and a full suite of institutional services. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding C? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Citigroup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Citigroup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Remy Cointreau (OTCMKTS:REMYY Get Free Report) shares gapped up prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $4.32, but opened at $4.61. Remy Cointreau shares last traded at $4.71, with a volume of 53,831 shares changing hands. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts recently commented on REMYY shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Remy Cointreau to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. UBS Group cut Remy Cointreau from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a sell rating on shares of Remy Cointreau in a report on Friday, November 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold. Get Remy Cointreau alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on REMYY Remy Cointreau Price Performance Remy Cointreau Company Profile The firms 50 day moving average is $4.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. (Get Free Report) Remy Cointreau is a French spirits group specializing in the production and distribution of premium and super-premium alcoholic beverages. The companys core activities center on cognacs, liqueurs, single malt Scotch whiskies and innovative craft spirits. Through its integrated production network and dedicated cellar masters, Remy Cointreau maintains rigorous quality standards from distillation and aging to bottling and distribution. The groups flagship brands include Remy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, recognized worldwide for their heritage and craftsmanship, as well as Cointreau, a leading triple-sec liqueur. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Remy Cointreau Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Remy Cointreau and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Soho House & Co Inc. (NYSE:SHCO Get Free Report) shares gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $8.97, but opened at $8.17. Soho House & Co Inc. shares last traded at $7.5050, with a volume of 5,723,052 shares trading hands. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have recently commented on SHCO shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d-) rating on shares of Soho House & Co Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Soho House & Co Inc. from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $9.00. Get Soho House & Co Inc. alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on SHCO Soho House & Co Inc. Stock Down 2.9% The business has a 50 day moving average price of $8.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.36. The stock has a market cap of $1.54 billion, a P/E ratio of -19.69 and a beta of 0.69. Soho House & Co Inc. (NYSE:SHCO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The company reported ($0.10) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.02 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $370.75 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $352.80 million. Soho House & Co Inc. had a negative return on equity of 4.02% and a negative net margin of 6.00%. On average, research analysts forecast that Soho House & Co Inc. will post -0.43 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Soho House & Co Inc. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Scoggin Management LP raised its holdings in Soho House & Co Inc. by 5.6% in the second quarter. Scoggin Management LP now owns 2,150,000 shares of the companys stock worth $15,802,000 after purchasing an additional 113,800 shares in the last quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Soho House & Co Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $18,199,000. Pentwater Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Soho House & Co Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $13,063,000. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Soho House & Co Inc. during the third quarter worth $11,195,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Soho House & Co Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $10,633,000. Institutional investors own 62.35% of the companys stock. About Soho House & Co Inc. (Get Free Report) Soho House & Co Inc is a global hospitality and membership company that operates a network of private clubs, hotels, restaurants, workspaces and leisure facilities aimed primarily at creative professionals. Its core offering revolves around exclusive, members-only Houses that combine social spaces, dining venues, screening rooms, spas and event programming under one roof. The companys diversified portfolio extends to branded hotels and short-stay locations, as well as co-working facilities under the Soho Works banner. The company was founded in 1995 by Nick Jones in London, with the inaugural House offering serving emerging artists, filmmakers and designers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Soho House & Co Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Soho House & Co Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE:PHG Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $29.62 and last traded at $29.5810, with a volume of 461503 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.12. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades PHG has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Koninklijke Philips from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reissued a sell (d+) rating on shares of Koninklijke Philips in a report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Koninklijke Philips in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. They set a sector perform rating for the company. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Koninklijke Philips to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Koninklijke Philips presently has a consensus rating of Hold. Get Koninklijke Philips alerts: View Our Latest Report on Koninklijke Philips Koninklijke Philips Stock Performance The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a market cap of $28.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 147.84, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.79. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $27.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $27.08. Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The technology company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.37. The firm had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.30 billion. Koninklijke Philips had a net margin of 1.07% and a return on equity of 12.14%. Sell-side analysts predict that Koninklijke Philips N.V. will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Trading of Koninklijke Philips Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in Koninklijke Philips by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 29,306 shares of the technology companys stock worth $703,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Koninklijke Philips by 3.9% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 11,592 shares of the technology companys stock worth $316,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares during the last quarter. Kitching Partners LLC grew its stake in Koninklijke Philips by 4.2% during the second quarter. Kitching Partners LLC now owns 11,259 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $270,000 after acquiring an additional 457 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in Koninklijke Philips by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 11,357 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $310,000 after acquiring an additional 478 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Affirmative Financial Network lifted its stake in Koninklijke Philips by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. First Affirmative Financial Network now owns 11,418 shares of the technology companys stock worth $311,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 13.67% of the companys stock. About Koninklijke Philips (Get Free Report) Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE: PHG), commonly known as Philips, is a Dutch multinational company focused on health technology. Founded in Eindhoven in 1891, the company evolved from a diversified electronics manufacturer into a specialist in healthcare products, systems and services. Philips is legally registered in the Netherlands and operates globally, supplying equipment and solutions to hospitals, clinics, healthcare providers and consumers across Europe, the Americas and Asia. Philips principal activities center on medical technologies and personal health. Featured Articles 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. Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU Get Free Report) and Brookfield Renewable (NYSE:BEPC Get Free Report) are both mid-cap energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, valuation and risk. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Central Puerto and Brookfield Renewable, as reported by MarketBeat. Get Central Puerto alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Central Puerto 0 1 1 0 2.50 Brookfield Renewable 1 1 3 0 2.40 Central Puerto presently has a consensus target price of $17.50, indicating a potential upside of 3.77%. Brookfield Renewable has a consensus target price of $39.75, indicating a potential upside of 4.56%. Given Brookfield Renewables higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Brookfield Renewable is more favorable than Central Puerto. Risk and Volatility Earnings and Valuation Central Puerto has a beta of 1.06, suggesting that its share price is 6% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Brookfield Renewable has a beta of 1.23, suggesting that its share price is 23% more volatile than the S&P 500. This table compares Central Puerto and Brookfield Renewables gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Central Puerto $810.70 million 3.15 $54.56 million $1.48 11.39 Brookfield Renewable $5.88 billion 0.94 $236.00 million ($0.89) -42.72 Brookfield Renewable has higher revenue and earnings than Central Puerto. Brookfield Renewable is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Central Puerto, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Central Puerto and Brookfield Renewables net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Central Puerto 28.24% 15.01% 10.43% Brookfield Renewable -34.58% -12.74% -3.20% Insider and Institutional Ownership 3.0% of Central Puerto shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.1% of Brookfield Renewable shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Central Puerto shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Summary Central Puerto beats Brookfield Renewable on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Central Puerto (Get Free Report) Central Puerto S.A. engages in the electric power generation in Argentina. It operates through three segments: Electric Power Generation from Conventional Sources, Electric Power Generation from Renewable Sources, and Natural Gas Transport and Distribution. The company generates energy through thermal, hydroelectric, and wind farms. It also engages in the natural gas transport and distribution business. Central Puerto S.A. was founded in 1898 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. About Brookfield Renewable (Get Free Report) Brookfield Renewable Corporation owns and operates a portfolio of renewable power and sustainable solution assets primarily in the United States, Europe, Colombia, and Brazil. It operates hydroelectric, wind, solar, and distributed energy and sustainable solutions with an installed capacity of approximately 19,161 megawatts. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Brookfield Renewable Corporation operates as a subsidiary of Brookfield BRP Holdings (Canada) Inc. Receive News & Ratings for Central Puerto Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Central Puerto and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Pop Mart International Group Limited Unsponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:PMRTY Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Thursday . 24,338 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 150% from the previous sessions volume of 9,729 shares.The stock last traded at $25.59 and had previously closed at $25.5650. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In PMRTY has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. CLSA raised shares of Pop Mart International Group to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, September 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Pop Mart International Group from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Nomura Securities upgraded Pop Mart International Group to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised Pop Mart International Group to a strong sell rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. Get Pop Mart International Group alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on PMRTY Pop Mart International Group Price Performance About Pop Mart International Group The companys 50 day simple moving average is $26.23. (Get Free Report) Pop Mart International Group Ltd is a leading designer, developer and retailer of collectible art toys and lifestyle products. Founded in Beijing in 2010, the company has built a portfolio of proprietary intellectual property and artist collaborations, with its core business centered on blind-box collectible figurines that combine contemporary design with surprise-driven consumer engagement. Pop Marts distinctive toy offerings span a variety of artist-led series and thematic collections, making it a recognized name among collectors and casual consumers alike. The companys product lineup features several signature brands, including Pucky, Molly and Dimoo, each characterized by unique aesthetic styles and narrative elements. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pop Mart International Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pop Mart International Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE Get Free Report)s stock price was down 2.8% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $310.27 and last traded at $314.6150. Approximately 5,649,082 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 16% from the average daily volume of 4,880,406 shares. The stock had previously closed at $323.64. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have issued reports on GE shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on GE Aerospace from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, September 22nd. Wolfe Research boosted their price target on shares of GE Aerospace from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of GE Aerospace from $310.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of GE Aerospace from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a buy rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of GE Aerospace in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, GE Aerospace presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $309.94. Get GE Aerospace alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on GE Aerospace GE Aerospace Trading Up 2.3% The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $303.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $287.55. The company has a market cap of $339.28 billion, a PE ratio of 42.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 21st. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.20. GE Aerospace had a return on equity of 34.01% and a net margin of 18.34%.The business had revenue of $11.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.29 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.15 earnings per share. GE Aerospaces quarterly revenue was up 26.4% compared to the same quarter last year. GE Aerospace has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.000-6.200 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that GE Aerospace will post 5.4 EPS for the current fiscal year. GE Aerospace Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 29th will be given a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 29th. GE Aerospaces payout ratio is currently 19.23%. Insider Activity In other GE Aerospace news, SVP Russell Stokes sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.71, for a total transaction of $2,381,680.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 150,434 shares of the companys stock, valued at $44,785,706.14. This represents a 5.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.21% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of GE Aerospace A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its stake in GE Aerospace by 23.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 1,742 shares of the companys stock worth $437,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of GE Aerospace by 21.3% during the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 32,021 shares of the companys stock worth $9,633,000 after purchasing an additional 5,625 shares during the last quarter. Cadinha & Co. LLC grew its position in shares of GE Aerospace by 154.8% in the third quarter. Cadinha & Co. LLC now owns 97,280 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,264,000 after purchasing an additional 59,106 shares during the period. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey grew its position in shares of GE Aerospace by 1.8% in the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 159,682 shares of the companys stock valued at $41,101,000 after purchasing an additional 2,779 shares during the period. Finally, Czech National Bank increased its stake in GE Aerospace by 3.3% in the third quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 269,330 shares of the companys stock valued at $81,020,000 after purchasing an additional 8,668 shares during the last quarter. 74.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About GE Aerospace (Get Free Report) GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) is the aerospace business of General Electric, focused on the design, manufacture and support of aircraft engines, integrated propulsion systems and related aftermarket services. The company serves commercial airlines, airframers, business and general aviation operators, and defense customers, providing propulsion solutions for a broad range of aircraft types from single?aisle airliners to widebody and military platforms. Its product portfolio includes a family of commercial and military jet engines as well as spare parts, components and systems engineering. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for GE Aerospace Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GE Aerospace and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Walker River Resources Corp. (CVE:WRR Get Free Report)s share price rose 8% on Thursday . The company traded as high as C$0.28 and last traded at C$0.27. Approximately 41,000 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 62% from the average daily volume of 108,850 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.25. Walker River Resources Stock Up 3.7% The company has a 50-day moving average price of C$0.25 and a 200-day moving average price of C$0.23. The company has a market capitalization of C$14.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -28.00 and a beta of 1.40. Walker River Resources Company Profile (Get Free Report) Walker River Resources Corp., an exploration stage company, engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of mineral properties in Canada. It holds 100% interests in the Lapon Canyon gold project with 147 claims, which covers an area of approximately 2940 acres located in Nevada. The company was formerly known as Rhino Exploration Inc and changed its name to Walker River Resources Corp. in March 2013. Walker River Resources Corp. was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Walker River Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walker River Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during a press conference at Elysee Palace in Paris, following a meeting with members of the Coalition of the Willing, the countries prepared to offer support to Ukraine. Tom Nicholson/PA Wire/dpa German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is due to travel to India with an economic delegation on Sunday, as Berlin seeks a leap in cooperation with the South Asia country and less dependency on China. With around 2,000 German companies already running branches in India and employing more than 500,000 people, the prospects for the three-day trip are strong, according to Volker Treier, foreign trade chief of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). "India is an increasingly important trading partner for the German economy," Treier told dpa. "Given its economic dynamism, young population and growing industrial base, India is rapidly gaining relevance for our companies especially for the diversification of supply chains and the expansion of international value creation." The previous coalition government under chancellor Olaf Scholz in particular emphasized the need to reduce unilateral dependencies on China by expanding economic relations with other countries. German direct investment in India stood at 27 billion ($31.4 billion) in 2023. In China, German companies have built production facilities and manufacturing capacities worth 100 billion. However, Treier said that despite its size, India currently ranks only 23rd among Germany's trading partners, while Germany holds first place among India's EU trading partners. Doubling in the past decade, the trade volume in 2024 was 31 billion ($36 billion), with Germany exporting more than it imported. The key goods sent to India include machinery, chemical products, aircraft, ships and trains, while main imports to Germany are pharmaceuticals and goods from the Indian chemical industry, machinery and clothing. Here's something that a very knowledgeable person told us that didn't make the report . . . People watching KCMO crime closely, notice that Jackson County Prosecutor's office CASE TURNAROUND TIME IS NOW QUICKER thanks to the new boss. That might not sound like a big deal but it's a very clear hint that she's serious about her job and that bodes well for all residents . . . In fact, it's such a significant detail that her office didn't seem to want to tout it, probably out of respect for her predecessor. And so . . . We share her presser and subsequent reporting . . . "We charged more cases, built stronger partnerships with law enforcement, and implemented innovative strategies for prosecution that are already delivering promising results," according to Johnson. She says case filing rates climbed to 73%, and conviction rates reached nearly 70% in 2025, an 8% increase over 2024. Johnson says she strengthened partnerships with law enforcement, pointing to a 14% increase overall in case referrals compared to the previous year. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Photo: Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Mexico/ BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 10. Azerbaijans newly appointed ambassador to Mexico, Seymur Fataliyev, officially commenced his diplomatic mission this morning by presenting copies of his credentials to the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), the Azerbaijani Embassy in Mexico announced on its official X account, Trend reports. In a formal ceremony held at the ministrys headquarters, Ambassador Fataliyev met with the Director General of Protocol, Jonathan Chait. The meeting marks the first step in the formal accreditation process for the envoy, who succeeds a period of active high-level engagement between Baku and Mexico City. During the exchange, both officials discussed the current state of bilateral relations and identified key sectors for future cooperation, including trade, energy, and cultural exchange. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 10. Uzbekistans exports of IT services reached nearly $1 billion in 2025, Trend reports via the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan. According to the ministry, the number of companies with foreign capital increased to 1,354, while Uzbekistan now exports IT services to more than 90 countries worldwide. The ministry also noted that almost $2 billion in foreign direct investment has been attracted into the fields of artificial intelligence and digital technologies. In the interim, Shavkat Mirziyoyev articulated that Uzbekistan is strategically positioned to amplify its IT services export trajectory to a target of $5 billion by the year 2030, highlighting the nations comprehensive digital evolution framework. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, January 10. The year 2025 was marked by intensified financial reform, expanding international economic cooperation, and growing investment activity in Tajikistan. Throughout the year, the country strengthened ties with regional and global partners, advanced digital and institutional reforms, attracted multilateral financing, and diversified trade and investment channels. Key developments were recorded across trade, banking, investment policy, industrial production, capital markets, and public financial management. 1) Trade expansion and industrial cooperation: Trade and industrial cooperation gained momentum in 2025, particularly with neighboring and regional partners. On January 7, Uzbekistan opened a trade house in Tajikistan under the Uzbekistan Association of Industrial Construction Materials (Uzsanoatqurilishmateriallari). Negotiations focused on increasing exports of autoclaved aerated concrete blocks, heat-insulating plates, natural stones, wallpapers, and other construction materials. The association had previously opened trade houses in Baku and Kabul. On March 31, President Emomali Rahmon inaugurated a joint Tajik-Uzbek metal pipe and profile manufacturing plant operated by Sugd Metal. The facility occupies 6.5 hectares, has an annual capacity of 100,000 tons, produces 50 types of metal pipes and profiles, and uses equipment from European manufacturers, including Faspar, Otto Mels, Filtra, MTS, and Termotu. Two German Otto Mels production lines provide output of up to 160 meters per minute. The workforce is expected to expand to 300 employees, with export markets targeted after domestic demand is met. Kazakhstan remained one of Tajikistans key trade partners. In 2024, bilateral trade reached $1.3 billion, up 7.4%, with a joint target of $2 billion. Kazakhstan ranks among the top four investors in Tajikistan, with cumulative investment exceeding $146 million. In 2024, rail freight volumes reached 5.1 million tons (+8%), while road transport grew 45% to 494,000 tons. 2) Banking and finance: The banking sector saw increased international integration and new financial instruments. On February 26, Freedom Bank Tajikistan signed a memorandum with KazakhExport, Kazakhstans export credit agency, to support export crediting and risk insurance. Freedom Bank announced readiness to offer services including account opening, deposits, payments, transfers, and plans to launch digital mortgages. Freedom Bank Tajikistan received its license from the National Bank of Tajikistan in October 2024 and operates as a subsidiary of Freedom Holding Corp. On the same day, the Investment Credit Bank of Tajikistan (ICB) signed a similar agreement with KazakhExport, aimed at improving access to modern trade finance tools and expanding insurance mechanisms for exporters and importers. On December 22, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a local currency loan of up to $10 million to Eskhata Bank, marking ADBs first local currency loan to a commercial bank in Tajikistan. The package includes a $5 million partial credit guarantee from the Asian Development Fund, aimed at supporting MSMEs, especially green projects. Additionally, ADB approved a $3 million grant for glacier monitoring and climate hazard forecasting. 3) Digitalization: Digital transformation was a central theme in 2025. On January 14, Tajikistan signed a $39 million agreement for the Tajikistan Digital Foundations Project, including $30 million in World Bank grants and $9 million from Switzerlands SECO. The project targets 28,000 people for digital skills training, with 2,000 participants in advanced courses, and aims to extend broadband connectivity to at least 100 schools and surrounding public institutions. On November 21, the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and Tajikistans Tax Committee signed an MoU on tax digitalization and regional integration. By July 2025, the EDB portfolio comprised 319 projects worth $19.1 billion, focused largely on cross-border integration. In April, international consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal expressed readiness to assist Tajikistan in digitizing public financial management, improving budget efficiency, and modernizing tax and customs administration. 4) Investment: On July 1, Tajikistan approved a long-term investment strategy through 2040, presented on June 30. The strategy prioritizes investment climate improvement, public-private partnerships, entrepreneurship expansion, and increased FDI inflows. Implementation is mandated through budgetary and alternative funding sources. During Dushanbe-Invest-2025, President Rahmon held high-level meetings with investors from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, discussing joint projects in energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, construction materials, and mineral processing. Talks with Qatar included the creation of a joint economic and investment fund and the use of Islamic banking mechanisms. 5) Capital markets and Islamic finance: On October 25, Iran expressed readiness to assist Tajikistan in establishing a commodity exchange and developing its securities market, drawing on 60 years of Iranian exchange experience and 20 years of operational expertise. On July 11, the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) confirmed support for Tajikistan in developing takaful, sukuk, Islamic monetary instruments, and fintech. Tajikistan has been an IFSB member since 2010. 6) International economic diplomacy: In January, Iran and Tajikistan signed 22 documents and one MoU, covering transport, customs, digital technologies, agriculture, communications, and anti-corruption cooperation. Iranian officials stated that increasing bilateral trade to $500 million annually is achievable. In June, Tajikistan and China signed a Trade and Economic Cooperation Program through 2030, alongside agreements on intellectual property, AI cooperation, strategic dialogue, and sister-region ties. In July, Tajikistan and Mongolia signed a joint statement and 10 cooperation documents, covering energy, agriculture, tourism, digital technologies, science, and emergency response. In August, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan approved an Action Plan for 20262028 between finance ministries, focusing on public finance management and entrepreneurship support. 7) Ratings and financial stability: On December 17, Moodys Ratings withdrew all credit ratings of OJSC Commerce Bank of Tajikistan, including the B3 long-term deposit and issuer ratings, the b3 BCA, and the B2 Counterparty Risk Assessments, noting that the prior outlook had been stable. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, January 10. At Shabaqahoi Intiqoli Barq Open Joint Stock Company, a final meeting summarizing the companys activities for 2025 was held with the participation of the Minister of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan, Daler Juma, Trend reports via the Tajik Ministry of Energy and Water Resources. The meeting was attended by a representative of the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Jamshed Bobozoda, the companys Director General, Mirzo Mahmudzoada, heads of branch offices; representatives of relevant sectoral bodies; and responsible employees of the company. In accordance with the agenda, the Deputy Director General of the company and other responsible officials presented reports on the companys production and financial performance indicators. During the meeting, the Minister of Energy and Water Resources focused on key sectoral issues and issued specific instructions to the management and staff of the company regarding the reduction of the load on electrical substations, ensuring their stable operation during the winter period, reducing the level of electricity losses, as well as the timely implementation of investment projects, including the "Reconnection to the Unified Energy System of Central Asia" project and the Reconstruction of the Sughd Power Transmission Network / Expansion of the Sughd Power Transmission Network project. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, January 10. Turkmenistan has identified the successful construction of the Serhetabat-Herat section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline as a top priority for its oil and gas sector in 2026, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government. The announcement was made by Turkmenistans Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Batyr Amanov during a government meeting held on January 9. Another key focus for the coming year will be the launch of subsequent development phases of the Galkynysh gas field. In line with sectoral plans, the state concerns Turkmengaz and Turkmennebit are tasked with developing oil and gas fields, producing natural and associated gas, crude oil, and gas condensate, manufacturing liquefied gas, exporting Turkmen natural gas to global markets, as well as ensuring deeper oil refining and supplying petroleum products to domestic and foreign consumers. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel 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 Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 10. Uzbekistan and China discussed prospects for cooperation in ecology, sustainable development, and the green economy, Trend reports via the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan. The discussions took place during a meeting between the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Peoples Republic of China to Uzbekistan, Yu Jun, and Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan Umid Abidkhadjaev. During the meeting, the parties reviewed opportunities for advancing environmentally oriented projects, introducing innovative approaches to environmental protection, and implementing measures to reduce air pollution, accelerate greening initiatives, and improve the overall environmental situation. Particular attention was paid to issues related to land degradation and desertification, the preservation of soil fertility, and the rational use of natural resources. In this context, the Chinese side shared its experience in implementing similar projects in northwestern regions of China, including Gansu Province, as well as technologies for sand stabilization (sand-fixation grids) and their impact on improving environmental conditions in desert and semi-desert areas. The parties also discussed ways to enhance the effectiveness of economic mechanisms and to develop sustainable institutional solutions based on best international practices. Following the meeting, the sides agreed to further deepen cooperation and expand the exchange of expert knowledge aimed at implementing joint projects in the green economy and environmentally sustainable development. Meanwhile, Uzbekistans trade turnover with China reached $14.6 billion from January through November 2025, firmly consolidating Chinas position as the countrys largest trading partner. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 10. As global concerns over energy security, climate change, and sustainable development rise to the top of government agendas, Azerbaijan is emerging as one of the countries in the region pursuing an ambitious and consistent policy in the field of green energy, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend. Reducing carbon emissions and shifting toward alternative and renewable energy sources has become not only an environmental choice but also an economic and political necessity, he said, noting that Azerbaijan has steadily positioned itself within this global transition. Although Azerbaijans energy strategy was long based on oil and gas resources, this model has been gradually diversified in recent years. Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the country has preserved its strong position in traditional energy while simultaneously taking systematic and long-term steps in renewable energy, Garayev said. He cited the opening ceremony of the KhiziAbsheron Wind Power Plant at the Gulustan Palace in Baku on January 8, 2026, as a clear example of this policy. The analyst recalled that President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly emphasized that the modernization, upgrading, and development of Azerbaijans energy system has been one of the countrys key priorities in recent years. This modernization has not been limited to upgrading existing generation capacities. Moreover, the integration of renewable energy sources into the national grid has expanded. According to the president, over the past 20 years, the countrys generation capacity has increased nearly threefold compared with all previous periods, reaching approximately 10,000 megawatts. With a capacity of 240 megawatts, the KhiziAbsheron Wind Power Plant is one of the largest renewable energy projects ever implemented in Azerbaijan. The project was carried out by Saudi Arabias leading energy company ACWA Power, marking the companys first renewable energy project in the country. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the significance of this cooperation, saying: 'This is the first renewable power plant built by 'ACWA Power' in Azerbaijan, but not the last one. The company has bigger plans, and the Government of Azerbaijan fully supports these plans,'" the analyst said. The foundation stone of the plant was laid in January 2022, and the project was fully completed and commissioned within four years. Garayev said this reflects Azerbaijans strong investment climate, effective publicprivate partnership model, and high level of implementation discipline. According to him, the KhiziAbsheron Wind Power Plant is located across the Absheron and Khizi districts and includes 37 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 6.5 megawatts. The plants annual electricity generation is estimated at about 1 billion kilowatt-hours. These figures lead to several important outcomes. Around 220 million cubic meters of natural gas are saved annually, more than 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are prevented, and the share of green energy in the national energy balance increases significantly, Garayev said. He added that a total of $340 million in foreign investment was attracted to the project, underscoring Azerbaijans appeal to international investors in the green energy sector. The KhiziAbsheron project also represents a successful example of international cooperation. Its main contractor is Chinas Power China Huadong Engineering Co., Ltd. President Ilham Aliyev praised this partnership, stating: Here we also see a very successful example of international cooperation. Additionally, Saudi Arabias deputy minister of energy, Nasser Al-Qahtani, said the project demonstrates the strategic partnership between the 2 countries. According to him, the cooperation will not be limited to a single project and will extend to new onshore and offshore wind projects, as well as energy storage systems. Garayev stressed that the Caspian Sea occupies a special place in Azerbaijans green energy strategy. Based on international assessments, the wind energy potential of the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea stands at 157 gigawatts. President Ilham Aliyev has described this potential saying: 'According to international estimates, the wind potential in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea stands at 157 gigawatts.' In other words, this process will gain momentum in Azerbaijan in the coming years. "Realizing this potential could transform Azerbaijan into one of the regions main green energy hubs, particularly in the context of initiatives aimed at supplying green energy to Europe through dedicated corridors. One of the key challenges of renewable energy is the intermittency of production, and Azerbaijan has begun addressing this issue in advance. According to President Ilham Aliyev, the country is creating its first-ever 250-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). 'Regarding future plans, given that our renewable energy potential will increase significantly, we must develop the infrastructure to store this energy,' he said. This approach shows that Azerbaijan views green energy not only in terms of production but also as a comprehensive energy ecosystem. The liberated territories also hold a special place in the countrys green energy map. Over the past 5 years, nearly 40 small hydropower plants have been built in Karabakh and East Zangezur, with a combined capacity exceeding 300 megawatts. Plans are in place to construct additional hydropower plants with a capacity of 500-600 megawatts in the future. These projects contribute not only to energy security but also to the socio-economic revival of the region, Garayev said. He added that one of the main reasons for Azerbaijans success in green energy is its stable and reliable investment environment. President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly underscored this principle, stating, The state of Azerbaijan always protects foreign investment. Many of our oil contracts have been implemented for years, and not a single paragraph, not a single article, not even a single word in the adopted decisions and contracts has ever beenand will ever bechanged. This policy has enabled the country to attract more than $300 billion in foreign investment to date, while low external debt and high foreign currency reserves further strengthen investor confidence. Under signed agreements, Azerbaijan plans to build wind and solar power plants with a capacity of 6 gigawatts by 2030 and 8 gigawatts by 2032, significantly increasing the share of green energy in the national balance. As President Ilham Aliyev put it: Azerbaijan will become a country with a reliable and major electricity generation capacity in the region. Garayev concluded that the commissioning of the KhiziAbsheron Wind Power Plant is not merely the launch of a new energy facility but a practical embodiment of Azerbaijans green energy strategy. Today, Azerbaijan is shaping its position not only as an oil and gas exporter but also as a future exporter of green energy. The steps being taken show that this path is deliberate, consistent, and focused on real results, he said. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel German Chancellor Friedrich Merz poses for a photo on the sidelines of the recording of the Federal Chancellor's New Year's address. Kay Nietfeld/dpa-Pool/dpa German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is due to travel to India with an economic delegation on Sunday, as Berlin seeks a leap in cooperation with the South Asia country and less dependency on China. With around 2,000 German companies already running branches in India and employing more than 500,000 people, the prospects for the three-day trip are strong, according to Volker Treier, foreign trade chief of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). "India is an increasingly important trading partner for the German economy," Treier told dpa. "Given its economic dynamism, young population and growing industrial base, India is rapidly gaining relevance for our companies especially for the diversification of supply chains and the expansion of international value creation." The previous coalition government under chancellor Olaf Scholz in particular emphasized the need to reduce unilateral dependencies on China by expanding economic relations with other countries. German direct investment in India stood at 27 billion ($31.4 billion) in 2023. In China, German companies have built production facilities and manufacturing capacities worth 100 billion. However, Treier said that despite its size, India currently ranks only 23rd among Germany's trading partners, while Germany holds first place among India's EU trading partners. Doubling in the past decade, the trade volume in 2024 was 31 billion ($36 billion), with Germany exporting more than it imported. The key goods sent to India include machinery, chemical products, aircraft, ships and trains, while main imports to Germany are pharmaceuticals and goods from the Indian chemical industry, machinery and clothing. Promising potential "India is of great importance to the German economy, especially from a strategic point of view," said Treier, noting that German companies already have a strong presence in key sectors like mechanical engineering, the automotive industry and chemicals. "These industries are benefiting from India's industrialization, modernization and growing demand for high-quality technology," he said. Other future growth areas include energy and climate technologies, industrial digitalization, infrastructure development and the training and further education of skilled workers, where German expertise is in high demand. Free trade agreement sought with India More than a quarter of a century after negotiations began, the way is now clear for a huge EU free trade zone with the South American Mercosur countries of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay after a majority of the EU countries gave the go-ahead on Friday for the deal. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, January 10. President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, held a meeting with personnel nominated for senior positions within the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Trend reports via the press service of the President of Tajikistan. With the approval of the president of the Republic of Tajikistan, personnel changes were made in the senior management of the central apparatus of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as in its directorates and departments in a number of cities and districts. In particular, appointments were made to the positions of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Chief of Staff of the Minister of Internal Affairs, heads of the Internal Security Directorate, the Directorate for Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking, the Special Purpose Unit, the zonal division of the Internal Affairs Directorate for Khatlon Region in the Kulob group of districts, National Coordinator for Police Reform, Head of the National Central Bureau of Interpol, as well as heads of the Ministrys departments in the cities and districts of Kulob, Abdurahmoni Jomi, Farkhor, Khovaling, Temurmalik, Jaloliddini Balkhi, Vahdat, Rudaki, Fayzabad, Khujand, Jabbor Rasulov, Buston, Zafarabad, Asht, Isfara, Bobojon Ghafurov, Roshtqala, the Ismoili Somoni and Shohmansur districts of Dushanbe, and heads of the transport police divisions, including the linear department at Dushanbe International Airport, railway transport units, and departments in Sughd Region. All appointments were made from among young and experienced personnel of the sector. During the meeting with law enforcement officials, President Rahmon instructed them to demonstrate faithful and impeccable service, strictly observe the rule of law and public order, comply with professional regulations, promote legal culture within law enforcement bodies and among the population, and wage a resolute and honest fight against criminals and crimeparticularly organized transnational crime and illicit drug trafficking, including new synthetic substanceswhile also ensuring high-quality training and mentoring of young personnel. It was emphasized that in all circumstances, the interests of the state and the people of Tajikistan, the need to strengthen national stability and security, and the protection of the populations peaceful life must always be given top priority. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 10. Russian Railways Logistics (RZD Logistics) plans to connect new regions of Russia to the route with Iran within the framework of the International Transport Corridor (ITC) North-South, the company's press service told Trend. In November 2025, RZD Logistics marked a significant milestone by dispatching its inaugural container train to Iran's Aprin dry port via the North-South corridor. This shipment represents a crucial step in the expansion of the route, made possible by the establishment of the Aprin logistics complex in spring 2025. Regular shipments have already commenced, affirming the demand for this alternative transit route. Looking ahead, this route holds the potential to evolve into a pivotal transportation corridor connecting Russia with BRICS nations and beyond. RZD Logistics emphasized that the route expansion aims to create new opportunities not only for businesses and clients within Russia, but also for the broader Eurasian economy. The companys strategy includes integrating more regions of Russia into the corridor, further accelerating delivery timelines, and developing critical transportation infrastructure. At present, Russias export shipments predominantly rely on the Northern Railway corridor, but the expansion of logistics cooperation with Iran is expected to grow as Irans role in facilitating freight flows along the Russia-Iran-India-Eastern Africa route continues to strengthen. Additionally, RZD Logistics highlighted that the increasing volume of transit shipments through Iran is paralleled by rising interest from Russian exporters in the Iranian market itself. The ability to deliver products by rail to various Iranian cities opens up significant new trade opportunities. The Aprin dry port, strategically located at the junction of Irans East-West and North-South rail corridors, is poised to become a critical logistics hub in this expanding network. The North-South corridor, which serves as the backbone of this international transport agreement, was formalized on September 12, 2000. This multimodal corridor provides a vital link between Northern Europe and the Persian Gulf, as well as the Indian Ocean, passing through Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The corridor is comprised of three primary routes: the western route along the Caspian Seas western coast, the eastern route along its eastern coast, and the Trans-Caspian route that crosses the Caspian Sea. Regular container shipments along the eastern branch of the North-South corridor, from Russia to Iran, have been operational since 2022. BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 10. According to the updated schedule, the UN Security Council will hold a meeting on Ukraine on January 12, Trend reports, citing the organizations official website. The meeting, under the agenda Maintaining Peace and Security in Ukraine, is set to begin at 3:00 PM local time. After the arrest and extraction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in early January, President Trump renewed his push to annex the Danish autonomous territory. Trump said during a press briefing on Jan. 4 that we need Greenland to protect US national security interests in the Arctic, comments which set off a wave of pushback from the Greenlandic and Danish governments . Instead, March GLs team will keep much of its equipment in Tasiilaq until the spring or summer, when the ice will thaw, compressing their timelines a testament to the tenuous-at-best operating conditions in Greenland. Price had been planning to barge the earthmovers up to Jameson Land, where they would begin constructing a three-mile-long road from the coast to the inland site where March GL will be drilling its first wells. Rough seas off the islands eastern coast left the tugboat with which the company planned to haul the equipment unable to make the journey; by late autumn, the window of ice-free water to make this trip was closing too quickly to wait for a new one. In late October, Yahoo Finance accompanied March GL CEO and veteran oilman Robert Price, alongside the companys lead petroleum engineer, to a town called Tasiilaq on Greenlands eastern coast, where March GLs contractors were preparing to store a collection of heavy machinery in town for the winter. A company called March GL, which will be renamed Greenland Energy Company after it goes public this year , is hoping to vault itself into the upper echelons of the industry by extracting some of these billions of barrels of oil from a peninsula called Jameson Land sticking off the eastern coast of Greenland, the largest island in the world. The oil could be transformative for the US and European markets likely to receive it, injecting a massive wave of new supply that could help wean Europe from its dependence on Russian petroleum, currently under a steep sanctions regime as its war in Ukraine rages on. At the center of these ambitions is Greenland, where some of the harshest conditions on Earth protect stores that have drawn in prospectors looking for the chance at another discovery the size of Alaskas Prudhoe Bay. The oil alone would be enough to sustain the entirety of global demand for nearly three years if all other drilling worldwide were to cease tomorrow. TASIILAQ, GREENLAND Oil executives looking for the next massive source of petroleum have turned toward the Arctic for decades. Studies by the US government suggest the area above the Arctic Circle could hold as many as 90 billion barrels of oil and nearly 1,700 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Story Continues In a meeting with more than a dozen major oil executives at the White House, Trump said, "When we own it, we defend it. You don't defend leases the same way, you have to own it," in reference to Greenland. "We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not." In a briefing to Congress on Jan. 6, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would pursue a purchase of the territory, and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry appointed special envoy to Greenland by Trump said he intends to make Greenland a part of the U.S. At the same time, China and Russia have been increasing their military and shipping presence throughout the Arctic region, pressuring the US and Europe to ramp up their own combat preparedness and making Greenland a key security node. In January, a subsidiary of the Russian state-controlled nuclear corporation posted a video on Telegram of an icebreaking ship using the "Northern Sea Route," which passes by Greenland to connect Europe and Asia in a path far faster than traversing the Suez Canal. If Prices company is successful, March GLs operations could result in a major American energy presence in the High North at a time when territorial control has become a key focus of the White House. Not that this was part of Prices plan. Once the waters freeze over in Tasiilaq, no supplies will get in or out until the ice thaws. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley 'A company with vision' The stakes are high for Prices company. March GL is planning to spend hundreds of millions of dollars, pooled from Prices personal network and the companys upcoming SPAC merger that will take it public, to develop the Jameson Land prospect, with plans to drill two initial wells at a cost of $40 million for the first and roughly $20 million for the second. Despite the arduous nature of operating in a region cut off from the rest of the world, Price is determined to install the exploratory wells in 2026. It takes a company with vision to get the first two wells drilled, Price told Yahoo Finance. Upon a discovery here, we all of a sudden become close to a major oil and gas company overnight. In Greenland, where the local government has spent decades desperate for any source of economic development, March GLs success is also no small matter. Keeping Greenland from claiming its own sovereignty is an annual $560 million or so in funding that the territory receives from Denmark, accounting for more than half of the Greenlandic governments revenue. Billions of barrels of oil exported from Greenlands shores, from which the local government would collect a share of the profits, would go toward filling in that half-a-billion-dollar gap. Yet, Price is chasing a major frontier prospect at a time when market dynamics in the oil industry have made costly new exploration efforts the most unattractive they've been since prices crashed in 2014. The market is headed for a major wave of oversupply as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, the 12-member cartel controlled by Saudi Arabia, has spent the past eight months raising its production targets, and US shale oil operators and other exporters in the Americas have maintained or increased their own outputs. Prices were trending toward four-year lows when Prices team last traveled to Greenland in September, and the market is likely to be oversupplied by more than 3 million barrels per day in 2026, according to the International Energy Agency. Some on Wall Street have warned of prices on West Texas Intermediate crude, the US benchmark, falling to the $30 per barrel range next year if measures arent taken to curtail supply. And thats accounting for the oil the worlds biggest producers have already identified, let alone what they havent. At the risk of flogging a very dead horse, our message to the market has remained consistent since June 2023, JPMorgan strategists wrote in a report earlier this year. While demand is robust, supply is simply too abundant. But oil drilling is never without risk. For Price, this is the biggest shot of his career, a moonshot. *** Jameson Land sits more than 250 miles above the Arctic Circle, isolated from civilization. A ring of high mountains to the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north and east, and the deepest fjord system in the world to the south protect the basin from the harsh arctic environment and rip current winds that roar off the ice sheet covering nearly all of Greenland. Reaching the peninsula is famously difficult and highly dependent on weather and light. Visitors fly from Iceland and land on the icy runway at Kulusuk, tucked in the mountains of Greenlands southeastern corner, then fly more than 500 miles further north to land on the dirt at Nerlerit Inaat Airport, a tiny operating station known as Constable Point. Finally, they must take a helicopter or boat another 20 miles out to Ittoqqortoormiit. Price, the 65-year-old visionary leading the team prospecting Jameson Land, has spent most of his life in the oil industry, and he is betting that the spoils of the peninsula are worth the effort. Throughout his more than 40 years in the field, the chief executive of recently formed oil exploration company March GL has drilled frontier wildcat wells across the continental US, in states ranging from North Dakota and Oklahoma to Kansas and Nebraska. But Greenland has long drawn Prices attention. Family history ties him to the region, as does a desire for a discovery on a scale that has eluded him thus far. I have drilled for and found millions of barrels of oil over my career, Price told Yahoo Finance. I have never, never drilled for billions of barrels. With no roads connecting Greenland's settlements, all travel around the island must be done by air or sea. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley As we flew over the Denmark Strait, Price described to me how he ended up leading the first major oil exploration project on Greenland in a generation. His father served as a weatherman in World War II, stationed by the US Air Force at a remote outpost on the arctic island. From that station, the elder Price wrote a series of letters describing the strangeness of being so far from civilization, the boredom and darkness, a polar bear fended off with a wooden two-by-four. Those letters were passed down to the younger Price, who was enamored with the alien world they depicted. After making his way in the industry by managing some of the US' largest oil and gas trusts vast sums of riches made by earlier generations of wildcat oilmen Price joined the ranks of a rarefied and dying breed of resource cowboys willing to take huge risks on even bigger payoffs, drilling for oil himself across the US. Many of those sites turned up millions of barrels of oil. But the crown jewel a billion-barrel discovery never showed. It haunted Price and, eventually, drew him toward Greenland, one of the last untamed frontiers on the planet. I saw firsthand what oil wealth can do for families, Price told me, what it can do for communities and economic development. 'It's high-risk stuff' For several years, the prize of Greenland has been locked away from the market. In July 2021, the Naalakkersuisut government, concerned with preserving what remains of a pristine environment, passed a moratorium banning any new oil and gas drilling licenses. In a statement issued when the decision was made public, Greenlands government noted that, while data had shown vast potential for hydrocarbon development both on the island and beneath the waves off its shores, the Greenlandic government believes the cost of extraction is too high. The moratorium was being instated for the sake of our nature, for the sake of our fisheries, for the sake of our tourism industry, and to focus our business on sustainable potentials. But in a stroke of luck for Prices company, the government issued four hydrocarbon licenses to two small companies prior to the ban. Crucially, those licenses could not be annulled so long as the companies continued operating the sites. Not that they were seen as having much promise. My understanding is that the licenses that remain have very limited potential, Mads Christensen, then the executive director of the Nordic branch of environmental advocacy group Greenpeace, told the Danish magazine Ingeniren shortly after the decision was announced. But they remained active nonetheless. Today, three out of the four remain alive, all onshore oil and gas exploration licenses for acreage on Jameson Land. When the set came up for an international bidding process, a subsidiary of the British exploration company 80 Mile bid for and won the licenses. Under the terms of a deal arranged between March GL and 80 Mile, Prices company is funding new exploration efforts in return for a 70% stake in the license. As the operational leader for the project, March GL will lead the drilling efforts, essentially grandfathered in under the nose of Greenlands drilling moratorium. Upon merging with a blank-check company called Pelican Acquisition Corp. (PELIR), March GL will list on the public market in the first quarter of 2026 as Greenland Energy Company. Data that Prices company acquired and reprocessed tells him that, with these licenses, his team is sitting on 13 billion or more barrels of commercially recoverable oil, likely within the top five largest discoveries in the past 50 years, if accurate. Price's earthmoving equipment will remain stuck in Tasiilaq until it can be barged up the coast in spring. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley Getting to all that oil, however, will be immensely difficult. Ice flowing from the north and blocking prominent sea corridors can delay equipment deliveries and working time, and rogue weather can make it impossible to operate at times. Price is looking to spud, or begin drilling, his first well in the second half of 2026. But there are no highways or even backroads to Jameson Land from any of Greenlands major settlements in the West, and the waterways in and out of the area freeze over in winters subzero conditions. To get the hulking masses of metal that make up oil-drilling rigs out to the sites where Price and his lead petroleum engineer, Neel Duncan, are planning to drill their first wells, they must build their own roads. Equipment must be barged from Canada, Alaska, or the American Gulf Coast in a process entirely dependent on weather, and crews must be flown in by helicopter to work year-round in conditions that range from uncomfortable to dangerous. Even once the drilling rigs are in place and ready to break ground, they may miss the traps, or spots in the rock hundreds or thousands of feet below the surface where oil has spent millennia collecting. Theres been plenty of other basins where, in theory, you do your work, your evaluation, and you see the potential for there to be a large resource, then the wells dont ultimately yield what you hoped to find, said Ruaraidh Montgomery, head of energy trends and analysis at the industry intelligence firm Welligence. Its high-risk stuff, and it will remain that way until they actually physically go and take a look at what can be done. *** The story of the oil industry is one of wild prospects that often left the explorers brave enough to chase them penniless. The masterstrokes of luck that have minted fortunes, however, keep investors coming back. In the early 1960s, American geologists were pushing north, hunting for fossil fuels among the snow and ice of the Arctic Circle. By 1968, an American company called Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), today part of the British energy giant BP (BP), would make one of the most important discoveries in the history of the American energy sector: northern Alaskas Prudhoe Bay, the largest oilfield in the US and a transformative asset for the country. Decades later, in 2015, ExxonMobil (XOM) began drilling wells in the Atlantic waters about 100 miles off the coast of Guyana. Other companies tried and failed over the years to find oil beneath the seafloor, but in March 2015, workers onboard an oil-drilling ship called the Deepwater Champion placed the first of what would become dozens of wells into the water. By 2022, Exxon had increased its Guyana estimates to 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil, a discovery that has helped the largest publicly owned oil company in the world vault past its peers. The area, called the Stabroek block, is now one of the most active and high-value oil plays globally. Nearly 20 years after ARCO discovered Prudhoe Bay, the company was looking for new prospects, acquiring a license to explore a 10,000 square kilometer patch of land on Greenlands Jameson Land. In the 1980s, the company spent more than $100 million in todays dollars building out a bare minimum of infrastructure that included the Constable Point airport, a collection of less than a dozen buildings and a small aircraft hangar sitting adjacent to a dirt runway less than 1,000 feet from the waters of the peninsulas fjords. By 1989, a study of samples pulled from Jameson Land by ARCO and the Geological Survey of Greenland heralded good fortune for hydrocarbon exploration on the peninsula. Not only was there oil underfoot, but its profile was nearly identical to that of the oil being pulled from the floor of northern Europes North Sea a light, sweet version of the substance, known as Brent (BZ=F), that has become the international benchmark for crude oil pricing, given demand for the oils profile. Refiners may process 40 or 50 different grades, or chemical makeups, of oil on any given day. But light, sweet crude is particularly desirable because it requires a much smaller amount of processing to turn the substance into products like diesel or jet fuel than the heavier, more sour or sulfurous oils found elsewhere around the globe, according to several analysts at energy intelligence firms. Most of the oil discovered in Venezuela, for instance, is of this latter variety. Millions of years ago, the areas that are now Greenlands east coast and Europes North Sea were conjoined, geologic studies have shown. They were separated over time as volcanic activity shifted tectonic plates. But the fossil fuels, pushed apart with the land masses, remain similar. The sky over Greenland glows pale yellow and blue as the sun rises. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley Im very confident in those rocks just because its the same geology as the North Sea, Duncan said. Even if the first two wells miss traps and come up dry, Well still be fine, Duncan told me. The data theyre able to gather, he said, will almost guarantee success on following attempts. Yet, despite the promise of what could be another Prudhoe Bay-scale discovery, by 1990 ARCO had surrendered its Greenland licenses. The exploration rights, and all of the companys data, were turned over to a Danish government-funded research institute called the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. Years later, the 80 Mile subsidiary White Flame won the licenses and data, which Price and his team have reprocessed. But it was not without reason that ARCO pulled out of Greenland. Not only had oil prices collapsed globally, making the risk of a frontier development with high upfront costs less attractive, but the logistics of operating in eastern Greenland are brutal, and the conditions even worse. In Jameson Land, roughly halfway up Greenland, the sun sets in early December and wont reemerge over the horizon until late January polar night. For every Guyana-sized discovery, there are dozens of examples where the gamble didnt pay off. Between 2005 and 2008, British energy major Shell (SHEL) went on a shopping spree, ultimately spending more than $2 billion buying up leases in the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska. At the time, the Arctic, with its reserves long locked miles below the ice, was viewed as the next major frontier for oil wildcatting. Shells progress in the Arctic was mired for years in delays ranging from pushback by environmental activists to the industry-wide public relations fallout of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Once the company finally managed to mobilize and begin deploying resources to the area in 2012, Shells crews faced some of the harshest conditions on the planet, surrounded by water only four degrees above freezing in all directions and with only four months, from July to October, to get everything set up before ice set in for the winter. Everything went wrong. A containment dome, meant to prevent blowouts, was crushed like a beer can during testing, according to a local radio station. One rig ran aground in a storm, and another suffered mechanical failures. Shell called off the efforts after spending $7 billion. Three years later, Shell tried one more time. But shortly after breaking ground on its first well, the company announced it was ending its Arctic campaign for the foreseeable future. Initial results from the wellhead werent enough to justify continuing. Robert Price, right, is pursuing a frontier prospect in an era of mass de-risking for the oil and gas industry. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley 'Good luck' The largest discoveries throughout the industrys history have long been the domain of the largest companies in the world. Mexicos Cantarell Field has been handled by Petroleos Mexicanos Mexicos state-controlled oil company, referred to as PEMEX since its discovery. The Stabroek oilfield, 100 miles off Guyanas western coast, is operated by a partnership between Exxon Mobil, Chevron (CVX), and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or CNOOC. Kazakhstans Kashagan oilfield was discovered by a consortium that included Exxon, Shell, BP, and the French and Italian majors TotalEnergies (TTE) and Eni (E). Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, at the same time that ARCO engineers were surveying Jameson Land, a coalition of companies, including Exxon, BP, and Shell, received licenses to prospect for oil through northeastern and northwestern Greenland, which were thought to be rich in fossil fuel reserves due to the regions geological history. The coalition, in partnership with the national Greenlandic oil company Nunaoil, performed initial testing on the regions, often with promising results, but in the mid-2010s, all of those companies surrendered their licenses. In a period of less than 10 years, Greenland has seen a dramatic change in industry interest from being one of the hottest regions for investments to virtually no activities at all, said geologist Flemming Christiansen, who has spent the past 50 years studying Greenlands petroleum and mineral extraction potential. Some of the companies departures from Greenland were driven by new data that pared back reserve estimates or complicated the extraction process. Much of it was due to a crash in oil prices. In 2014, a wave of oversupply crushed the industry, cutting global prices by more than half. The largest oil and gas companies, which depend on stable returns to fund steady dividend payments, pivoted away from frontier developments and invested what exploration budgets they still had in well-known prospects located in countries with oil-producing histories. The worlds major oil companies have never reentered Greenland, leaving an opportunity for March GL. Tasiilaq is the largest settlement on Greenland's isolated eastern coast. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley It would be a bit of a stretch [for the majors] to go and drop a lot of money on new exploration wells, just on the basis of seismic data that was shot in the 70s, Tom Liles, senior vice president of upstream research at industry intelligence firm Rystad Energy, told Yahoo Finance. But certainly, I think you could envision a scenario where there is a big discovery that proves analogous to the [Alaskan] North Slope or the North Sea in some respects, there could be some interest in gaining a portfolio position there. March GLs assumptions on the oil reserves are based on seismic data, or underground radar readings, taken by ARCO in the 1980s, when the now-defunct company was first prospecting the basin. Price debated reshooting his own seismic data before drilling a well, but he told me he was counseled by colleagues in the field including petroleum engineers who worked with ARCO at the time that he would be better off skipping that step and going straight to getting a drill bit into the ground, which would provide reams of more accurate data. If it was a guaranteed discovery and it was all definitely going to be there, then someone else would have done it, Saskia Goacher, an energy analyst at Welligence, told me. Its still kind of up in the air whether it will actually be there. It will take years before any true assessment of Jameson Lands potential reserves can be made, and the seismic data Prices team is working from only covers half of the basin, leaving the rest unknown, he told me. Exxon, for instance, drilled the first of its wells in the Stabroek field, called Liza 1, in 2015 and raised its projections for recoverable oil by piecemeal until they hit 11 billion barrels in 2022. March GL, Price said, stands for March 2025, when the company was founded, and Greenland. Or, depending on the day, Good luck. *** We landed on Greenland at around 8 a.m. local time, but it could have been the middle of the night as the pilot touched the twin-engine plane down in between mountain peaks. In November, much of central and northern Greenland only experiences three to four hours of daylight. By the end of the month, the entire share of the island above the Arctic Circle, roughly two-thirds of its landmass, wont see the sun again until late January or early February. A skeleton crew of maybe five greeted us with smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches inside the slight building adjacent to the runway at Kulusuk, a settlement of around 240 people in Greenlands southeastern corner, just as the sun began to breach the horizon. The plan had been to land in Kulusuk, fly north another couple of hours to Jameson Land and visit the sites Price and Duncan are prospecting for their first two oil wells, then fly west to the town of Tasiilaq, where contractors are preparing the Caterpillar (CAT) and Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. (6305.T) earth-moving equipment March GL will use to build a road from the coast to the companys prospective drilling site. Kulusk's airstrip is manned by a small crew. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley But when we arrived in Kulusuk, the polite but short-spoken pilot who had flown us from Iceland said a trip to Jameson Land would be impossible. Not only was there a storm brewing further north, but daylight was limited, and he worried we wouldnt have time to arrive at Constable Point, see the drill site, and fly back to Kulusuk before sundown. If we got stuck at Constable Point overnight, he said, there was no deicer at the site to prepare the plane for a flight south in the morning. Instead, we boarded a helicopter to Tasiilaq, cruising over the landscapes that keep settlements on the island geographically isolated. In the air over Greenland, outside of the settled regions, mountain ranges reach as far back as the horizon, cut by glaciers that have spent millions of years carving the landscape. The sky glows blue and yellow before reaching pitch-black darkness once the sun goes down, leaving only stars and the Northern Lights to illuminate swaths of the unsettled wilderness. Greenland is more than twice the size of Texas, but there are fewer than 100 miles of roads throughout the island, and none of them connect Greenlands towns to each other. All travel must be by air or sea. Tasiilaq, a town of less than 2,000 permanent residents, is the largest settlement on Greenlands remote east coast. Its port is a key pipeline for supplies that are delivered along the towns waterways, but those waters freeze over the winter, typically around the end of November. Once winter sets in, no ships and no deliveries will get in or out of Tasiilaq until the ice melts, usually in late May. March GLs difficulty with its earthmoving equipment in Tasiilaq, delayed by the frozen waters off the coast, is visible proof of the precarity of operating in Greenland, where the weather is less of a nuisance and more of a legitimate operational risk. And these delays, in part, also explain why the worlds largest oil companies have, for the past decade, largely ignored Greenlands hydrocarbon potential despite a large body of evidence suggesting the land is oil-rich. Price is attempting to pull off his companys Jameson Land exploration during a period of de-risking for the largest players in the oil and gas sector. The majors, focused on cost-cutting and dividend payments, have laid off thousands of staff in the last year and cut back on their exploration efforts, instead focusing on finding new barrels by drilling more wells around existing hotspots in a process known as a tieback. If Price and Duncans first set of wells yields the results they are hoping for commercially recoverable reserves counted in the billions of barrels of oil the majors reluctance toward Greenland is likely to change, several analysts said. The risk is not extracting the oil once a field has been established, but in taking the shot on the unknown and hoping for success. Tasiilaq is full of Greenland's signature brightly colored buildings. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley March GL is already in conversation with some of the worlds largest energy companies, Price said, and his company has invited them to visit the site once March GL begins drilling. Some of those companies exploration managers, he told me, came to Jameson Land as young geologists early in their careers, and they are closely watching Price and Duncans success or failure. This is an exploratory project; its in the Arctic, Price said. Once we have success here, they will come and they will be very interested in potentially partnering with us. Such a move by an oil major would essentially be required for Prices scheme to work, multiple analysts told Yahoo Finance, due to the sheer scale of infrastructure needed to extract massive volumes of oil. But if that were to happen, the Jameson Land basin would likely see a steel city spring up on its shores. Storage tanks, pipelines, processing facilities, and power plants would all need to be built. In the deep waters of the nearby Scoresby Sund fjord system, a port big enough to berth crude oil tankers may be erected. Power plants will be required to electrify the operation. For the crew, there will be a need for a town like that built at Los Alamos. Airports, helipads, medical facilities, and a tangle of winterized roads would be necessary. As in Alaskas Prudhoe Bay, where there once was nothing, a sprawling metal jungle could emerge. Costs could balloon. And its not only analysts who think a maturing Jameson Land project would require backers with more resources than Prices March GL. We hope that some of the big guys [would come] in and take over because they are the ones that can facilitate this in a proper way, Jrgen Hammeken-Holm, the permanent secretary of Greenlands Ministry of Business, responsible for overseeing mineral resources and energy, told Yahoo Finance. *** Oil and gas are not Greenlands only natural riches. The island, still largely unblemished, also holds beneath its surface a massive amount of minerals and metals crucial to the global economy. In the far northern region of Greenland, less than 500 miles from the North Pole, the Citronen Fjord is home to what is believed to be one of the largest undeveloped deposits of zinc on the planet. To the West, licenses have been granted for potential extraction projects focused on graphite and the feedstock ores used to produce titanium, while others have proposed prospects focused on rare earth metals. In the South, miners plan to dig for gold. Eastern Greenland is oil territory. Greenlands known and proven quantities of critical minerals, rare earths, and oil could well provide the industrial building blocks necessary for an advanced global economy, said James Kiernan, chairman of the company operating Greenlands only active mining project, Lumina Global. Kiernans private credit firm, Cordiant Capital, has provided backing to Lumina, which has spent the past decade operating in Greenland and currently runs the only commercially operating mine on the island. Luminas operations at a mining site in the southeastern corner of Greenland extract and export tens of thousands of tons of anorthite, a mineral used to manufacture glass and ceramics. Anorthite is also used as a feedstock for the industrial production of cement and alumina, the primary chemical compound used to smelt aluminum. As in Greenland, where the environment can seem almost alien, anorthite is abundant in the crust of the moon. 'These are our rocks, this is our soil' Though the Greenlandic government has granted a litany of mining licenses over the years, only a few have ever been developed, and Luminas anorthite mine is the only one of those still standing. Many licensees surrender their rights before ever breaking ground, stymied by the same logistical hurdles that make oil and gas production unattractive to major global companies concentrated on low-risk opportunities. With a population of less than 60,000, labor is in short supply, and most projects are fly-in, fly-out rotations of weeks at a time. Delivery of food and equipment is complex. Weather can keep crews stuck at a remote site for weeks longer than planned. The start-up costs are leagues higher than elsewhere in the world. But the promise of economic development is enticing for many Greenlanders. When, in 2009, the island passed laws establishing its right of self-governance from Denmark, a requirement that half of any income above a certain threshold Greenland receives from its subsoil resources be deducted from the grants it receives from the Danish government was written into the act, chipping away at Greenlands dependence on the European nation. There is a strong drive for activity within the minerals sector because that could lead up to more sovereignty or autonomy, the Greenland Business Associations managing director, Christian Keldsen, who was involved with now-dormant offshore oil drilling projects in Greenland earlier in his career, told Yahoo Finance. These are our rocks, this is our soil. Kulusuk, in the southeastern corner of Greenland, is tucked between mountains. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley The locals, Keldsen told me, have been especially supportive of resource development, even as the government has pushed back and moved to lean toward environmental protection and renewable energy sources. Between flights, Price and Duncan described to our Air Greenland helicopter pilot, a gray-haired and brisk man named Jergen, what they were hoping to accomplish. The Greenlandic people, Jergen said, had been watching oil and gas developments closely for years, hopeful that one would come to fruition and begin generating tax revenue and royalties for the locals, at one moment telling Price to please find oil. Weve seen for many, many years that Greenland would like to get independence, and in order to get independence, you have to be economically supporting your political system, Christiansen, the Greenland analyst, said. Driving the lack of environmental concern from many of Greenlands locals is the fact that these resource developments oil wells on Jameson Land, mines in the far north, and others are so far removed from population that they are unlikely to affect local subsistence hunting and fishing activity, Hammeken-Holm told me. It doesnt make me worried. Its going to be set up in the middle of nowhere. Its going to be a city without any connections, he said. Hammeken-Holm pointed to the territory's strict environmental protection policies for extraction projects as further reasoning for his security. Yet, the worlds interest in Greenlands resources hasnt come without pushback. In 2007, an Australian company called Energy Transition Minerals (GDLNF) applied for a license to explore a patch of earth in southern Greenland, known as Kuannersuit in Greenlandic, or the Kvanefjeld deposit. Originally prospected in the 1950s for its uranium stores, the site is one of the worlds largest undeveloped deposits of rare earth minerals, which have become a crucial geopolitical sticking point amid the ongoing trade war between the US and China. Eight years later, in 2015, Energy Transition Minerals submitted a plan to build an open pit mine focused on rare earth minerals, with plans to extract uranium as a co-product. But the project faced intense scrutiny from locals in the nearby town of Narsaq, worried that uranium development so close to home would create significant radioactive waste and pose steep health and environmental hazards. In 2021, before the mine could be developed, the Greenlandic government passed laws banning the exploration and exploitation of resources that exceeded defined uranium content limits. Because the deposits at the Kvanefjeld deposit are above those limits, Energy Transition Minerals hasnt been able to develop the site, which remains the subject of an active court case. That was a bit of an issue, the risk of contamination so close to the project, Keldsen said. The further away from anywhere where theres a relevant resource hunting ground or where people are living, Keldsen told me, the more supportive or in some cases, indifferent Greenlands people are likely to be. Greenland's mountains have been cut by glaciers over millions of years. (Yahoo Finance/Jake Conley) Jake Conley There is also an expectation among Greenlanders that they will benefit from the extraction of resources from the island, Keldsen said. For generations, hunting and fishing have been Greenlands primary industries, providing the subsistence to support local communities. But large-scale industrial projects have remained an untouched development in Greenland despite its abundance of natural resources, in part because the territory does not have the expertise or capital to kickstart large-scale mineral extraction. It means that someone else is being allowed to make money off our resources, Keldsen told me. In return, There should be some income, there should be jobs created. Under the agreement made between March GL and the Greenlandic government, the territory will receive a sliding scale of payments from Prices company, rising as March GL hits certain profit margins from a 3.75% royalty to a royalty of 15%. The scheme is known as an R-factor system, a model widely used by governments with frontier resource land, such as Egypt, Algeria, or Alaska. Because the royalty payments dont begin until the company running the extraction activity has reached a certain level of profitability, the system encourages exploration that is both high-risk and highly capital-intensive in the initial stages. If the project turns into a windfall, the host government can capture a greater slice of the profits. The scheme also accounts for market instability without needing renegotiation. If oil prices were to suddenly jump while Prices company is extracting crude oil, Greenlands share of the profits rises in tandem with March GLs profitability. If oil prices fell, the payments due to Greenland automatically scale down. At current prices, 13 billion barrels of crude oil would be worth more than $800 billion. That potential revenue stream is the closest revenue Greenland has to independence, Price said. It could be the genesis for transforming their country. *** The term wildcatting dates back to the Civil War period, when poorly collateralized banks established in the American West and willing to print paper currency in an era with no national banking system were said to be engaged in wildcat banking, a derogatory term meant to imply risk and unreliability. Over time, the term was co-opted by the hydrocarbon industry, applied to the oilmen who ventured beyond known land and took the risk of drilling for oil in untamed wilderness. When Price talks about the project, he speaks with an unshakable faith that the oil hes hoping to find will be there, that the reserves will contain the volumes hes planning for, and that he will be the one to discover it. But it is still, at its core, a wildcat prospect. The weeks between our trip to Greenland and the publication of this story are another case in point. Shortly after the US militarys removal of Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, Katie Miller, a former Trump administration official and the wife of Trumps key advisor, Stephen Miller, posted a cartoon of Greenland covered in an American flag on X, captioned: SOON. If we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not gonna have Russia or China as a neighbor," Trump said in his comments at the White House on Jan. 9. I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we dont do it the easy way, well do it the hard way. President Donald Trump answers reporter questions during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) ASSOCIATED PRESS This is the Western hemisphere, and American dominance is going to continue under this president, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in comments to the press on Jan. 7, noting that President Trump keeps his options open and therefore would not rule out potential military force in Greenland. Responding to the White Houses statements over control of Greenland including a refusal by Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to rule out militaristic action Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said such a move would trigger a breakdown of international relations. I will also make it clear that if the US chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War, Frederiksen said to Danish broadcaster TV2 on Jan. 5 On Jan. 8, Denmarks ambassador to the US and Greenlands chief representative to the US met with members of the White House National Security Council about Trumps renewed push for potential annexation, according to the Associated Press. "Greenlands return to the headlines is no coincidence, and the intensity of this debate confirms that energy security and national security are now inseparable," Price told Yahoo Finance last week. In September 2025, Prices team took the arduous route to Jameson Land to finalize decisions over where they plan to install their first wells. Difficult and tiring as it is, Price and Duncan, the petroleum engineer, believe the journey was worth it. The two men are steadfast in their conviction that every time they visit the peninsula, they are standing on one of the largest untapped hydrocarbon reserves in the world, projected to hold billions of barrels of oil that have never been recovered. On Jameson Land, rolling lowlands stretch for miles in each direction, covered in a layer of vegetation that has thrived in the basins weather-protected region. The ground, a rust-colored mossy carpet, bends and bounces back into shape underfoot. As they stood near the proposed drill sites in September, Duncan bent down and touched the shimmery liquid pooled beneath his feet, seeping out of the mossy ground. He stood and brought his hand close to his face, rubbing the fluid between his fingers. The petroleum engineer had, by this point in his life, spent more than 40 years working on oilfields and was intimately familiar with the substance. Beautiful, he said. Smells like crude. Jake Conley is a breaking news reporter covering US equities for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on X at @byjakeconley or email him at jake.conley@yahooinc.com. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Sweden has already supplied Ukraine with 26 Archer self-propelled artillery systems. The Swedish Embassy in Ukraine reported this on Facebook, according to Ukrinform. "Sweden has donated 26 Archer self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. Ukrainian forces, including the 45th Separate Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, have praised this weapon for its exceptional effectiveness against Russian positions at distances of up to 50 km," the post reads. The embassy noted that the intensive use of the Archers had led to rapid barrel wear, and therefore in 2025 Sweden provided Ukraine with more than ten spare barrels. "Archer is our modern howitzer, mounted on a heavy all-terrain vehicle and remotely operated from an armored cabin. Advanced ballistic calculations, rapid redeployment, high accuracy, and compatibility with international ammunition this is what defines it," the embassy added. Last September, the Swedish government announced its 20th aid package to Ukraine worth $836 million, which included 18 new Archer systems. Photo: Viktoria Valila/Forsvarsmakten In Russia, the scale of nationalization of private assets has grown rapidly, indicating a further curtailment of market mechanisms and increased state control over the economy. According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. The volume of forcibly seized property in 2025 increased 4.5 times compared to 2024 and exceeded 3.1 trillion rubles, while the total amount of assets transferred to the state since 2022 reached 4.3 trillion rubles. Big business was hit the hardest: in 2025, well-known Russian billionaires lost their assets. Dmytro Kamenshchyk lost Domodedovo Airport, Denys Shtenhelov lost the KDV Group holding company, and Konstantyn Strukov lost the Yuzhuralzoloto group. Strategic enterprises, shopping centers, industrial facilities, energy companies, medical institutions, infrastructure facilities, and even educational institutions are being nationalized en masse. Property is being seized particularly actively in the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, the Urals, and the Far East. Read also: One civilian killed and two wounded in Donetsk region in 24 hours The Kremlin is using five key mechanisms to effectively deprive businesses of their property rights: from anti-corruption lawsuits and the revision of privatization in the 1990s and 2000s to accusations of extremism and ties to foreign countries. This practice demonstrates the complete dependence of the judicial system on political decisions and turns nationalization into an instrument of political repression and redistribution of property in the interests of businessmen controlled by Putin's regime. As reported by Ukrinform, the Russian State Duma passed a law allowing apartments and houses in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to be declared ownerless and confiscated. Photo: ERR Wall Street and Washington are looking closely at Friday's report as it's the first clean reading on the labor market in three months. The government didnt issue a report in October because of the six-week government shutdown, and Novembers data was distorted by the closure, which lasted until Nov. 12. Manufacturing, construction and retail companies all shed jobs. Retailers cut 25,000 positions, a sign that holiday hiring has been weaker than previous years. Manufacturers have shed jobs every month since April, when Trump announced sweeping tariffs intended to boost manufacturing. Nearly all the jobs added in December were in the health care and restaurant and hotel industries. Health care added 38,500 jobs, while restaurants and hotels gained 47,000. Governments mostly at the state and local level added 13,000. November's job gain was revised slightly lower, from 64,000 to 56,000, while October's now shows a much steeper drop, with a loss of 173,000 positions, down from previous estimates of a 105,000 decline. The government revises the jobs figures as it receives more survey responses from businesses. Some Federal Reserve officials are concerned that inflation hasn't improved since 2024 and remains above their target of 2% annual growth. They support keeping rates where they are to combat inflation. Others, however, have grown worried that hiring has nearly ground to a halt and have supported lowering borrowing costs to spur spending and growth. The labor market looks to have stabilized, but at a slower pace of employment growth, Blerina Uruci, chief economist at T. Rowe Price, said. "There is no urgency for the Fed to cut rates further, for now." Still, economists were encouraged by the lower unemployment rate, which had risen in the previous four straight reports. Weakening employment raised alarms at the Federal Reserve, which cut its key interest rate three times last year. The data suggests a reluctance by businesses to add workers even as economic growth has picked up . Many companies hired aggressively after the pandemic and no longer need to fill more jobs. Others have held back due to widespread uncertainty caused by President Donald Trumps shifting tariff policies , elevated inflation , and the spread of artificial intelligence , which could alter or even replace some jobs. Employers added just 50,000 jobs last month, nearly unchanged from a downwardly revised figure of 56,000 in November, the Labor Department said Friday . The unemployment rate slipped to 4.4%, its first decline since June, from 4.5% in November, a figure also revised lower. WASHINGTON (AP) Sluggish December hiring concluded a year of weak employment gains that have frustrated job seekers even though layoffs and unemployment remained low. Story Continues Job gains have been subdued all year, particularly after Aprils liberation day tariff announcement by Trump. The economy gained just 584,000 jobs in 2025, sharply lower than that more than 2 million added in 2024. Its the smallest annual gain since the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the job market in 2020. Outside of recessions, it's the smallest annual increase since 2003. Still, Trump boasted on social media late Thursday that since January, all the new jobs have been in the private sector, while government jobs have declined. Yet his figures included December's jobs numbers as well as revisions to previous months, which the White House receives Thursday afternoon, before the figures are publicly released. Trump's post on Truth Social said that 654,000 jobs were added by businesses since January, while government jobs declined 181,000, so it wouldn't have been immediately clear that the post had new information from December. But new jobs data are generally closely guarded since they can move financial markets. The hiring slowdown reflects more than just a reluctance by companies to add jobs. With an aging population and a sharp drop in immigration, the economy doesn't need to create as many jobs as it has in the past to keep the unemployment rate steady. As a result, a gain of 50,000 jobs is not as clear a sign of weakness as it would have been in previous years. And layoffs are still low, a sign firms aren't rapidly cutting jobs, as typically happens in a recession. The low-hire, low-fire job market does mean workers have some job security, though it's become harder to find new work. Ernesto Castro, 44, has applied for hundreds of jobs since leaving his last in May. Yet the Los Angeles resident has had just three initial interviews, and only one follow-up, after which he heard nothing. With nearly a decade of experience providing customer support for software companies, Castro expected to find a new job pretty quickly as in the past. Its been awful, he said. He worries that more companies are turning to artificial intelligence to help clients learn to use new software. He hears ads from tech companies that urge companies to slash workers like him in favor of AI. His contacts in the industry say that employees are increasingly reluctant to switch jobs amid all the uncertainty, which means fewer open jobs for others. He is now looking into starting his own software company, and is also exploring project management roles. Subdued hiring underscores a key conundrum surrounding the economy as it enters 2026: Growth has picked up to healthy levels, yet hiring has weakened noticeably. Tariff uncertainty has caused some firms to postpone adding jobs. Steve Heckeroth, CEO of Renewables, Inc., said that tariffs have forced him to put off hiring in recent months. Renewables is a startup company based in Santa Rosa, California that has developed a prototype for a small electric tractor for use mostly on farms. It already has several hundred advance orders. Heckeroth said he has had to delay adding workers to build the tractors as new duties have shifted costs for parts and components overseas. He had looked at axles and transmissions from India, until they were hit earlier this year with a 50% tariff. Many electronic components are from China, which has faced an array of often-shifting duties. Its delayed us at least six months, the tariffs, just not knowing what our input prices are going to be, Heckeroth said. Most economists expect hiring will accelerate this year amid solid growth, and Trump's tax cut legislation is expected to produce large tax refunds this spring. Yet economists acknowledge there are other possibilities: Weak job gains could drag down future growth. Or the economy could keep expanding at a healthy clip, while automation and the spread of artificial intelligence reduces the need for more jobs. Productivity, or output per hour worked, a measure of worker efficiency, has improved in the past three years and jumped nearly 5% in the July-September quarter. That means companies can produce more without adding jobs. Over time, it should also boost worker pay. Even with such sluggish job gains, the economy has continued to expand, with growth reaching a 4.3% annual rate in last year's July-September quarter, the best in two years. Strong consumer spending helped drive the gain. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta forecasts that growth could slow to a still-solid 2.7% in the final three months of last year. In early January 2026, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce launched a series of fixed-income offerings, including multiple callable senior unsecured notes maturing between 2029 and 2041, a CA$700 million fixed-to-floating subordinated unsecured note due 2086, and a US$700 million 6.500% Fixed Rate Reset Limited Recourse Capital Notes Series 9 issue in the U.S. market. This concentrated burst of bond and capital note issuance signals an active reshaping of CIBCs funding mix and capital structure, with implications for its future interest expense, regulatory capital profile, and flexibility in managing existing liabilities. With CIBC turning to sizeable limited recourse and subordinated note issuance, well examine how this funding pivot affects its existing investment narrative. Explore 29 top quantum computing companies leading the revolution in next-gen technology and shaping the future with breakthroughs in quantum algorithms, superconducting qubits, and cutting-edge research. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Investment Narrative Recap To own CIBC, you need to be comfortable with a large, domestically focused bank whose appeal rests on steady earnings, a relatively high dividend and exposure to Canadas housing and consumer credit cycle. The recent burst of bond and capital note issuance mainly fine tunes CIBCs capital stack and does not, on its own, materially change the key near term catalyst of credit quality trends or the central risk tied to Canadian housing and mortgage delinquencies. The US$700 million 6.500% Fixed Rate Reset Limited Recourse Capital Notes Series 9 stand out in this funding round, because they directly affect CIBCs regulatory capital profile and potential future financing flexibility. In the context of rising regulatory and compliance demands, this type of capital instrument can influence how management balances balance sheet resilience, cost of funding and the capacity to support lending growth that underpins the current investment story. Yet against this backdrop, investors should be aware that CIBCs concentration in Canadian mortgages leaves it exposed if... Read the full narrative on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (it's free!) Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce's narrative projects CA$29.7 billion revenue and CA$8.8 billion earnings by 2028. This requires 4.5% yearly revenue growth and about a CA$1.0 billion earnings increase from CA$7.8 billion today. Uncover how Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce's forecasts yield a CA$125.07 fair value, in line with its current price. In this Nov. 16, 2012 photograph, a student reaches for tater tots cooked in a combi-oven, a cross between a steamer and an oven, at Stonebridge Elementary School in Brandon, Miss. The oven can make frozen french fries and tater tots crisp without all that waistline-expanding oil, and its computerized brain can be programmed to cook almost anything. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Four people have been arrested after gardai seized a Glock 17 handgun, 25,000 of cocaine and over 300 of cash following a raid of a house in Ballyfermot, Co Dublin. An adult male in his late teens was arrested and has since been charged and appeared before the Court. He is remanded to appear before Court 3, Criminal Courts of Justice, on the 22nd of January 2026. Two adult males aged in their teens, and a woman in her 30s were also arrested. They have all since been released, and files will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The drugs seized will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis. Applications are open for The Hares Corner, an innovative biodiversity initiative developed by Burrenbeo Trust, a registered charity, which is coming to Kilkenny for the first time this year. Landowners, schools and community groups in Kilkenny are invited to apply for support in the creation of wildlife ponds, mini-woodlands, hedgerows, mini-orchards and plans for nature on their land through the initiative, which takes its name from the old farming expression for an awkward section of a field which wasnt intensively farmed and was therefore left to nature. Kilkenny is one of nine counties involved in The Hares Corner project this year, with the others being Limerick, Offaly, Donegal, Monaghan, Kerry, Sligo, Louth and Wexford. Applications close on Sunday, January 18, and anyone interested in availing of the supports can apply via a simple online application form at www.theharescorner.ie. Last year, the highly successful project marked its fifth anniversary by creating 1,600 habitats for biodiversity in six counties around Ireland. The menu of supports available from The Hares Corner includes a mini-woodland (a mix of 50 native trees and advice), a wildlife hedge (a mix of 50 native trees and advice), a heritage orchard (five heritage apple trees and advice), a wildlife pond (hydrologist advice and some expenses towards machinery costs), and a Plan for Nature (a visit and advice from a trained Hares Corner advisor on how to enhance nature on your site). For more info on the supports and eligibility criteria please visit https://theharescorner.ie/supports/. The website also offers practical tips, infographics and short videos aimed at helping people to create their own Hares Corners and helpful monthly Hares Corner Clinics are available online for anyone with practical questions on caring for nature. The Hares Corner in 2026 is being funded through a combination of public and private sector funding, including the National Parks and Wildlife Service's Local Biodiversity Action Fund, and is an action of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023 2030. Private funders include SSE Generation Green Community Fund, NTR PLC, Greencoat Renewables PLC, ESB and Intact Insurance. The project is also grateful for the partnership with The Heritage Council's Biodiversity Officer Programme, which is enabling biodiversity officers in each of the nine counties to provide ground support for the initiative, as well as to the Lifes2Good Foundation for their key support. The initiative is coordinated by the Burren-based Burrenbeo Trust, a registered charity that supports people to take positive action for their local landscapes. Its flagship programmes Farming for Nature, Heritage Keepers and The Hares Corner initiated in and inspired by the Burren, are spreading across the country due to their proven efficacy and demand. Ultimately, the project plans to go nationwide and welcomes interest from private and public funders to help achieve this. It is also interested in hearing from ecologists and hydrologists who have hands-on experience of working with people and nature and who would like to join The Hares Corner team as freelance advisors in their own counties. Lee Worrell, The Hare's Corner Coordinator, says: We are delighted to be in Kilkenny for the first time in 2026. It has been heartening for us to see the amount of interest The Hares Corner generates up and down the country. We genuinely believe that these small, tangible actions for nature can have the collective impact that we need to turn the tide on biodiversity loss, while also contributing to climate resilience and the wellbeing of participants. Our hope is that The Hare's Corner will reach every county in Ireland, and we would welcome new sponsors and partners interested in helping us to keep growing the reach of The Hares Corner. Bernadette Moloney, Biodiversity Officer, Kilkenny County Council, says: We are delighted to partner with The Hares Corner project this year. When the public were consulted as part of the preparation of the Kilkenny Biodiversity Action Plan, this type of initiative was suggested. Kilkenny County Council is delighted to secure this collaboration with the Burrenbeo Trust as it aligns with Action 6.5 of the Kilkenny Biodiversity Action Plan 2025-2030, providing people with assistance to increase the biodiversity value of their land with the Hares Corner team providing the encouragement, advice and micro-funding to do it. Funeral details have been released following the death of highly respected Waterford businesswoman Kathleen Fitzgerald (nee Butler) of Dunmore East, Co. Waterford. Kathleen was a director of George's Court Shopping Centre in Waterford city centre, along with a number of other business interests. She served as a Director of Waterford Chamber from 2000 to 2014 and served with distinction as President of Waterford Chamber from 2006 to 2007. In 2011, she made history as the first female president of Waterford Rotary Club. Formerly of Gracedieu, Waterford, and late of Georges Court, Motherneeds, No. 9 and Carters businesses, Kathleen passed away on Friday, January 9. Paying tribute on Friday, CEO of Waterford Chamber Gerald Hurley, said that Kathleen made an outstanding contribution to the business community in Waterford. The late Kathleen Fitzgerald, pictured during her term as President of Waterford Chamber. Photo: Terry Murphy Kathleen will be fondly remembered for her professionalism, generosity, and lasting impact on Waterfords business and civic life. Our thoughts are with Kathleens family at this difficult time. May she rest in peace," Mr. Hurley said. Kathleen will repose at Thompson's Funeral Home, Barrack Street, Waterford city, on Sunday, January 11, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm with vigil prayers and Rosary at 8:00pm. Requiem Mass will take place on arrival in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Barronstrand Street, Waterford city, on this Monday, January 12, at 10:30am, followed by burial in Killea Church Cemetery, Dunmore East. The Funeral Mass will also be livestreamed at 10:30am on Monday. The family has requested family flowers only please, donations if desired can be made to The Oak Ward, South East Palliative Care. They extended heartfelt thanks for the exceptional care Kathleen received from all the staff of the Stroke Unit and Palliative Care Oak Ward at University Hospital Waterford during her short illness. Predeceased by her husband Liam, parents Tom and Nellie and brother Thomas, Kathleen is sadly missed by her loving son Bill, daughter Lisa, grandchildren Luca, Poppy, Tilda and Finn, son-in-law Philip, daughter-in-law Irene, brothers John, Teddy and Don, sisters Mary and Helen, brother-in-law Bob, sisters-in-law Lucy, Mary and Finola, nephews, nieces, extended family, relatives, neighbours and friends. May She Rest in Peace. A new beauty salon facility has opened in Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School, giving Leaving Cert Applied students the opportunity to experience what it's like working in a hairdresser's or beauty salon. Mary Meade, Principal of the Mercy Secondary School, says the module gives students the opportunity to see what it might be like in the workplace. Maria Foley, co-ordinator of the module, told the Waterford News & Star: A lot of teenagers might think that theres not much learning in the hair and beauty side of things, but when they study this module, they get to see the detail that you need to go into." Students working at reception in the beauty salon. Ms Foley explained that while some students may struggle with academics, they might be highly creative and amazing at doing nails. Ms Foley said the staff have been really supportive and amazed at the hard work done by the students. Indeed, during my time at the salon, multiple teachers popped in the door to offer words of encouragement to the students. Two students attending the module are Ava Brown and Chanelle Flynn Power. Chanel said, I think it's really great because it gives girls the opportunity to experience what it's like in the hairdressing world, other schools dont really do stuff like that. Ava said, It can help people decide what they want to do after school rather than be limited to jobs to do with Maths and English and stuff like that. Chanelle wants to go into the beauty industry when she leaves school but Ava knows from her mother working in the industry how hard it is. She reckons she doesnt have the patience for the type of work required. Doing each others hair brings everyone together, Chanelle said. I hate doing the theory, though, Ava added. In December, the students opened their salon to the teachers for the day as part of their sixth year task. Some students worked on reception, booking appointments, others styled and washed hair. While the students enjoyed doing their teachers' hair, it was a lot of pressure. The salon study in Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School. LCA coordinator Alison Walsh got a lovely wash, head massage and blow dry at the salon. She told the Waterford News & Star that the module is beneficial because, They learn practical skills that they could use in any job. The students are great according to Ms Walsh. Once they get into something, theyre so enthusiastic." Rebecca Kelly, who runs her own salon, Lux Beauty, on Keanes Road, has been mentoring the students each week. She said working with the students has been fantastic. Ms Kelly is a Mercy alumna, and she said, There was nothing like this when I was here. On the day I visited, it was Julia Matuszewskas 18th birthday. She kindly offered to showcase all she had learned as part of the module and did my eyelashes for me. What that entailed, I had no idea, but I was delighted with the results. Theres a chance many taxpayers will get bigger refunds this year, but with cuts to staffing at the IRS, its extra important to make sure tax returns are accurate and complete, experts say. - MarketWatch photo illustration/iStockphoto Americans will get their first up-close look at the impact of President Donald Trumps massive new tax law in several weeks, now that the Internal Revenue Service has said when people can start filing their 2025 taxes. The IRS will begin accepting income-tax returns on Monday, Jan. 26, officials for the federal tax agency said Thursday. During the filing season, which runs through Wednesday, April 15, the IRS is expecting to process 164 million returns. Most Read from MarketWatch When filing their 2025 taxes, Americans will find a tax code thats been amended by Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill Act and that offers the chance for noticeably higher refunds. Tax-filing season is a major annual event, and for some households, refunds can be the largest single payment they receive all year something that could be particularly important this year, with affordability on many peoples minds. Along with a number of additions to the tax code, the Trump administration has also made deep cuts to IRS staffing. The drive by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to reduce the federal workforce in early spring 2025 resulted in the IRS losing roughly one-quarter of its staff. In September, analysts at a Treasury Department watchdog organization said they were concerned the staff cuts could affect filing-season operations. Congressional Democrats echoed those worries last month. Now the question is whether the agency can function smoothly with fewer workers and revamped tax rules. The IRS will be ready, said Frank Bisignano, who serves as CEO of the tax agency and also as commissioner of the Social Security Administration. As always, the IRS workforce remains vigilant and dedicated to their mission to serve the American taxpaying public. At the same time, IRS information systems have been updated to incorporate the new tax laws and are ready to efficiently and effectively process taxpayer returns during the filing season, he said in a statement. April 15 is the final day to pay owed income tax, but the agency can set up installment plans for people who cant pay the full amount they owe at once. April 15 is also the last day for taxpayers to file a return or get an extension to Oct. 15 to submit their return. Heres what to expect this tax season. Bigger refunds Almost two-thirds of filers last year received refunds, with the average amount being $3,167. With the new tax breaks, refunds this year could be up to $1,000 higher, according to a range of estimates. A Waterford TD has spoken out after the EU approved the contentious Mercosur trade agreement. The EU-Mercosur refers to the wide-ranging trade deal between the European bloc and the the South American trade bloc Mercosur, whose founding members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The deal would see an influx of South American goods come into the European markets, especially beef. The deal would enable Mercosur countries to export 99,000 tonnes of beef to the EU at a reduced tariff of 7.5%, compared to standard tariffs of 40-45%. Irish farmers are anxious about the ramifications of the deal, arguing that the deal would be unfair competition for fellow European farmers. Earlier this week, Ireland rejected the deal, alongside France, Poland and Hungary. In the aftermath of the EU's approval, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage John Cummins commented that Ireland's rejection of the deal was the 'right decision' for Irish farmers. Deputy Cummins noted that the deal does not meet the standards of EU environmental protective measures. He stated: "Fine Gael has been firm in defending farmers and the world-class standards they uphold every day. Any trade agreement must be fair, sustainable and compatible with our environmental goals." He continued: "In its current form, the Mercosur deal does not meet those standards. We will continue to work with EU colleagues to ensure the safeguards are as robust as possible when it comes to agriculture imports. Irelands position sends a clear message at EU level that economic opportunity cannot come at the expense of rural livelihoods or climate responsibility. Sinn Fein TD Conor McGuinness called the agreement a devastating outcome for Irish farmers. In November 2025, Deputy called on Minister Cummins and Minister Butler to reject the deal and to 'put Waterford farmers first'. Ellen O'Donoghue A status yellow fog warning is in place for five counties. Met Eireann has issued the warning for Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow. The forecaster said areas of dense fog and freezing fog could affect visibility and create hazardous travelling conditions. The warning is in place until 10am. Meanwhile, all of Northern Ireland is under a status yellow snow and ice warning until 11am on Saturday. The UK Met Office said icy patches and some hill snow were expected in the area on Friday night and Saturday morning. Advertisement BusinessEntrepreneurshipFood & drink Not just raw fish: How Aussie sushi became a billion-dollar phenomenon Jessica Yun January 10, 2026 2:01am 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 Raymond Chen, chief executive of takeaway chain Sushi Hub, wants this much on the record. We are not for sale, he said. Sushi Hubs reported $1 billion valuation, a figure wrangled by The Australian Financial Review late last year, triggered a flurry of unsolicited calls from eager investors who want a bite of the companys success. I received more than 100 phone calls from private equity, from fund [managers], said Chen. We were never for sale. Sushi Hub is one of thousands of shops selling grab-and-go hand rolls in Australia. Flavio Brancaleone Chen is among a small handful of early trailblazers that has carved a place for sushi in the nations fast-food landscape. Australian sushi has, over the years, formed its own identity: the hand-rolls we see so commonly are a homegrown invention, and so are the fillings we favour, such as teriyaki beef and salmon, chicken katsu and tempura prawn, writes Adam Liaw, who made a case for the hybrid cuisine for Good Food. Advertisement But when it comes to this particular form of fast food, Australians dont seem as brand loyal as they are with burgers (McDonalds v Hungry Jacks) or burritos (Guzman y Gomez v Zambrero). Australias two biggest takeaway sushi chains are Sushi Hub and Sushi Sushi, but the difference between the two beginning with their names is not as widely understood. Both companies have roughly the same number of stores (just under 200) across Australia, although Sushi Hub is more widely known in NSW, where it has more than 90 stores, while Sushi Sushi has a stronger presence in Victoria (95 stores). Both have similar goals to expand domestically (500 stores by 2036 for Sushi Hub, 450 by 2035 for Sushi Sushi), and both aspire to have a strong international presence. Investors have learnt the difference. While Chen, who is media-shy and declined to be photographed, is fending off calls from investors (the $1 billion valuation is the minimum, and also hypothetical, he clarifies), Sushi Sushis majority owner Odyssey has been seeking a buyer since May last year. Advertisement The process is progressing, said Sushi Sushi chief executive Stephen Anders, who was chief financial officer before being promoted to the top job. There is very good interest in the business, which is to be expected when you consider that we have a category-leading platform. Weve got multiple growth pillars within an Australian market context and an emerging international footprint. At this time, there are no further details I can provide. The mutual respect expressed by both Chen and Anders belies a friendly rivalry. Every time I receive a phone call, I say, Sushi Sushi is for sale, said Chen. Im helping them. Im helping Stephen. The birth of Australian sushi Much of Australias takeaway sushi market is dominated by independent mum-and-pop stores, which account for about 65-70 per cent of sushi stores. Put together, Sushi Sushi and Sushi Hub account for about 15 per cent of all sushi outlets, but about 40 per cent of total takeaway sushi sales. Advertisement A third player, Sushi Izu, has more than 240 locations, but are almost exclusively within Woolworths supermarkets. Chen is one of three co-founders of Sushi Hub, the other two being James Chen and Leon Li. Their first venture had nothing to do with rice or fish, however; the trio, who met at university and became flatmates in 2002, opened and ran an outpost of Asian bakery chain Bread Top in western Sydneys suburb of Cabramatta. There, the landlord suggested they open a sushi outlet. The Sushi Hub in Sydneys CBD. Dominic Lorrimer When we started it 19 years ago, there were many people who had never tried any sushi before, Chen said. We had to start educating the customer, giving free samples to the customer, telling them that, you know, sushi is not all about raw fish. The co-founders quickly cottoned onto, and learned to standardise, the unique way Australians like to eat sushi: a preference for familiar cooked like beef and chicken, as well as prawn and veggie tempura, delivered in the beloved handroll shape. Advertisement The lack of experience in sushi-making helped them approach the product from a customers perspective. I dont like cold rice, to be honest. I want it warm. Warm rice, you can smell it, and you can taste its softer, said Chen. From day one, we always realised that theres no secret about making sushi ... keep it fresh, provide the best ingredients, keep it clean, and thats it. Australias best-selling rolls are consistently crispy chicken and chicken teriyaki rolls, salmon and avocado hand rolls and tuna salad rolls. But there is a formula: sushi is a numbers game. Freshness, and the appearance of it, is everything. Sushi Hubs glass counters attract the eyes to rows of nigiri and inari on display, hand-made, on demand. There are regional differences, too; Queenslanders have a distinct preference for chicken sushi paired with beer. Most rolls and nigiri are made and sold within two hours. Our business is based on volume, not based on high margin, said Chen. Advertisement Australias best-selling rolls are consistently crispy chicken and chicken teriyaki rolls, salmon and avocado hand rolls and tuna salad rolls, according to both Sushi Hub and Sushi Sushi chiefs. Sushis popularity is multilayered and crosses generations: it is fast, fresh, convenient, healthy and affordable, appealing to everyone from high schoolers to the corporate worker. Sushi Sushi store, Balwyn, Victoria. Younger generations snack five times a day compared to older generations three meals a day, so sushi roll size and price point is appealing, said retail property consultant and Titanium Food director Suzee Brain. They can still use their phone in the other hand compared to knife and fork-style takeaway options. Takeaway sushi outlets thrive in high foot-traffic, high visibility areas, and requires less floor space than other fast food outlets, or about half of a Guzman y Gomez in a typical high street or shopping centre, Brain said. Advertisement Sushi Hub and Sushi Sushi are part of a new generation of ascending Australian fast food chains Lebanese chicken chain El Jannah being one, frozen yoghurt maker Yo-Chi being another looking to export their brand to the world. Related Article Opinion Aussie icons Yes, Australian sushi exists. Get over it, argues Adam Liaw Adam Liaw Recipe writer and presenter So far, Sushi Sushi has made more headway with international expansion: it operates several stores in New Zealand, plans to open 40 stores in Saudi Arabia, and have inked a deal to enter the Indian market. Sushi Hub is focusing primarily on the domestic market, but is eyeing the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Its not as easy to open a Sushi Hub outlet: one can only become a franchise partner when they have worked in a store for five or more years. We are quite relaxed these days because our focus is always Australian market, said Chen. International expansion is only when [the] opportunity comes. Advertisement Hungry investors shouldnt give up hope. It doesnt mean that we will never consider selling in the future, said Chen. But our priority and focus was always, always on the business itself. Even [if] the business is for sale, it has to be strong. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning. Advertisement CultureBooksLiterature Bestselling Australian author Trent Dalton withdraws from Adelaide Writers Week Kerrie O'Brien Updated January 10, 2026 12:00pm ,first published 9:59am 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 One of Australias bestselling authors has joined dozens of writers in withdrawing from Adelaide Writers Week following the Adelaide Festival boards decision to remove Palestinian-Australian writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from the line-up. Trent Dalton, the author of novels including the 2018 smash hit Boy Swallows Universe, confirmed to this masthead on Saturday that he would not take part in the literary festival, but did not offer further comment. Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton. Jamila Toderas The Adelaide Festival board said on Thursday that, while it was not suggesting in any way that Abdel-Fattah or her writing had any connection with the deadly terrorist attack at Bondi in December, given her past statements it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi. When asked on Saturday if the writers week would go ahead, and how many authors had now pulled out, an Adelaide Festival spokeswoman declined to comment. Daltons publisher HarperCollins was also contacted for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Other prominent Australian writers who have withdrawn include Helen Garner, Michelle de Kretser, Melissa Lucashenko, Hannah Kent, Evelyn Araluen, Jane Caro and Peter Greste, as well as Peter FitzSimons and Kate Halfpenny, writers for this masthead. Booker Prize-winning Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan, while not on the line-up, has expressed support for those who have boycotted. Related Article Opinion Censorship Politicians shouldnt decide who appears at writers festivals. Its a dangerous path Richard Flanagan Writer One of the countrys largest and best loved literary festivals, AWW is scheduled to run from February 28 to March 5. However, on Friday the program was missing from its website, with the note: In respect of the wishes of the writers who have recently indicated their withdrawal from the writers week 2026 program, we have temporarily unpublished the list of participants and events while we work through changes. Adelaide Writers Week director Louise Adler has not spoken publicly since the board made its announcement on Thursday. This year is her fourth in the role and many of the writers who have withdrawn paid tribute to her work. Advertisement Concerns about the wording of the Adelaide Festival boards statement citing the cultural sensitivity of a Palestinian-Australian author appearing at the event so soon after the shootings at the iconic Sydney beach last month were raised by many authors. Last year this masthead reported on concerns raised by a group called the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism, also known as 5A, about Abdel-Fattahs previous public commentary ahead of her appearance at the Bendigo Writers Festival. It referenced a series of her social media posts, including ones it asserted had said Zionists had no claim to cultural safety and that institutions that considered fragile feelings of Zionists were abhorrent. In 2024, she was accused of doxing Jewish creatives and has also been criticised for use of an image of a parachutist under the Palestinian flag following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas this week said he supported the festival boards decision. When asked for my opinion, I was happy to make it clear that the state government did not support the inclusion of Dr Abdel-Fattah on the Adelaide Writers Week program. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. A cool change is expected to arrive about 8pm or 9pm, but the Rural Fire Service is warning the bushfire threat is not over as winds are expected to be strong. Eight total fire bans have been in place today in areas stretching from Greater Sydney to the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Far South Coast and along the border with Victoria, which has experienced catastrophic conditions. Greg Allan, a spokesman for the NSW Rural Fire Service, said the state was experiencing very hot, very-windy conditions. In some very low areas, theres been a number of fires that have reached the watch and act alert level, including one at Mount Colah in the northern parts of Sydney, that was contained really quickly, Allan said. There were a couple of other [fires] out west that did get to watch and act, but crews got around very quickly. The one fire that [is] watch and act now is down in the Eurobodalla thats been burning for a number of days. Its in a very remote area, so theres no immediate threat to properties. Allan said residents near fires should be alert, as damaging winds are expected to begin tonight, and could switch the direction of a blaze before a cool southerly buster provides relief for firefighters. Overnight temperatures usually do cool that a little, the humidity rises and the winds back off. But because the southerly is set to come around 8pm or 9pm tonight, that wind will be quite strong if there is fire activity. Its important to realise that fire may move in a different direction and so you need to monitor whats going on. The Bureau of Meteorology, shortly before 5pm, issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds for parts of the metropolitan, Illawarra and Hunter districts. A vigorous southerly wind change, currently located near Jervis Bay along the Illawarra coast, will move rapidly northwards along the coast during the evening, the bureau said. Damaging southerly winds averaging 55 to 65km/h with peak gusts of about 100km/h are likely about the coastal fringe between Jervis Bay and Gosford from early this evening [Saturday], expected to ease below warning thresholds in the late evening. Locations which may be affected include Wollongong, Kiama, Bulli, Port Kembla, Albion Park and Huskisson. NSW District Court Judge Penelope Wass and NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling SC have been at loggerheads. The clash between two legal heavyweights is just one front in a long-running war. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A It is an extraordinarily bitter feud. A public brawl between the states top prosecutor and a NSW District Court judge has spawned a police investigation, two parliamentary inquiries and a court fight. In isolation, it would appear to be a dispute between two senior legal figures in Sydney: Judge Penelope Wass, who was appointed to the District Court bench almost a decade ago, and Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling, SC, who is less than halfway through her 10-year term. But it is just one front in a war that has been raging for well over a year between the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and a group of District Court judges over sexual assault trials. It raises serious questions about the consequences for criminal matters before the court. December marked the latest outbreak of hostilities. Wass lobbed an explosive 68-page submission about Dowling and her office at a NSW upper house inquiry in November, and it was published on the parliamentary website with no fanfare late on December 4. It was front page news in The Australian the next day. Deliberate and targeted In her submission, Wass accused the ODPP of giving information to Sydney radio station 2GB in October 2024 about proceedings involving an Indigenous youth to embarrass and defame her. She alleged that it forms part of a deliberate strategy by some of those within the ODPP, including Ms Dowling to attack her personally or to influence her judicial conduct, or both. Advertisement Wass said the committee might consider referring senior ODPP officers to the governor for removal from office. The judge had invited the Indigenous teen to perform what she called a Welcome to Country before he was sentenced for serious crimes. He delivered a short acknowledgement of the traditional owners and custodians of this land via video link. Ben Fordham, host of 2GBs morning program, described the welcome on air on October 25, 2024, as a local scandal. The youth had committed an aggravated break and enter involving the sexual touching of an elderly woman. Ben Fordham described the welcome as a local scandal. Nine Wass extended an invitation for the teen to conduct further welcomes in court in the future, but she said this was conditional on him not reoffending. He had already served a significant period in custody and was released immediately on parole. The offender had received the maximum sentence available, Wass said in her statement. The judge said she had received derogatory public statements and threats from consumers of the 2GB story almost immediately after it was aired. Advertisement No one from within the ODPP expressed any concern to me [during the sentencing] ... Instead, the ODPP moved to disclose information to 2GB and a trial by media ensued, Wass said. She said she made the invitation to engender an increased sense of identity and self-esteem in the youth, with a view to his rehabilitation. The solicitor who acted for the Indigenous teen told the inquiry he supported the judge inviting him to perform the welcome or acknowledgement. ODPP gave the story to 2GB Dowling gave evidence before the inquiry on December 5. She accused the upper house committee of a disgraceful denial of procedural fairness in publishing Wass submission late on December 4 without giving her a copy. She had believed the inquiry had a wholly different focus. The top prosecutor admitted during her evidence that her office effectively gave the story about Wass to 2GB, but she said she had not become aware of this until about two days ago. At no time did I direct or ask for the [ODPP] media manager to provide the story to 2GB, she said. Advertisement Dowlings evidence prompted the inquiry to call ODPP media manager Sally Killoran to appear. Killoran revealed that Dowling was at a meeting with her and an external media consultant the day before the 2GB broadcast. There are legitimate questions about why Dowlings office gave a story about a sitting judge to a news outlet, at a time when Dowling and Wass were already locked in a bitter dispute. But just why it attracted the attention and resources of a parliamentary inquiry with a seemingly unrelated remit is unclear. Sally Dowling gave evidence to the NSW Parliament. In a statement to the inquiry on December 17, the ODPP said it was difficult to avoid the inference that the committee intended to ambush [Dowling] with the judges submission. Dowling suggested during her evidence that the upper house committee was conducting a de facto inquiry into the ODPP under the guise of an inquiry into NSW law. An unusual inquiry The inquiry has some unusual features. Ostensibly, it was set up to examine the adequacy of statutory protections to prevent the identities of children in criminal proceedings being published. It was self-referred by the upper house justice and communities committee in October, a year after the 2GB broadcast. Advertisement The Dowling-Wass saga was described during hearings as a case study. It appears to be the only case study explored in detail, and it has been vigorously pursued. The inquiry is due to report on February 20, leaving little time to canvass broader issues. Under NSWs Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act, there are broad prohibitions on publishing or broadcasting information to the public identifying a child involved in criminal proceedings. Criminal sanctions apply. Penelope Wass cited MP Alister Henskens in a statement to police. Rhett Wyman Wass said in her submission that she contacted the head of the NSW Police cybercrime squad after the 2GB broadcast because she was concerned this prohibition may have been breached. The judge said in a statement to police that NSW Liberal MP Alister Henskens, the shadow attorney-general, had told her that someone within 2GB provided him with a screenshot of information about the Indigenous youths case before he was invited to discuss it on air. Henskens told her that the document included an icon with an OPP identifier on it, Wass said in her police statement. Advertisement Advertisement Victorias bushfire crisis has taken a deadly turn with one person confirmed to have died in the Longwood blaze as authorities warn it could take weeks to control the fires that have destroyed hundreds of buildings, including dozens of homes. Victoria Police confirmed on Sunday afternoon that they had found human remains 100 metres from a vehicle in Yarck Road, Gobur, a remote area east of Seymour which faced the full force of Fridays catastrophic conditions that sparked major fires across the state. Forensic police inspect a body discovered on a forested stretch of Yarck Road, Gobur. The Age The State Control Centre said at 5.30 pm on Sunday that there were more than 30 fires still burning, eight of them major, and two of them at an emergency level, one at Walwa in the states north-east and the other in the Otway Ranges. The Longwood fire was downgraded to watch and act level late on Sunday afternoon. Residents of Yarck, Ruffy, Longwood and surrounds were urged to minimise travel in the fire-affected area. Advertisement The body was found on a forested stretch of Yarck Road known by locals as the cutting due to its switchback nature. Forensic officers dressed in white overalls and wearing face masks could be seen inspecting the edge of the tarmac near a bend in the road. A fallen burnt tree blocked the narrow road, which snakes through farmland into the Gobur Bush Reserve. Premier Jacinta Allan expressed her sorrow and support for the persons loved ones, saying all of Victorias thoughts were with them. This loss will be felt far beyond Gobur, and it marks the first known fire-related fatality during what has already been an incredibly challenging period for our state, she said. Advertisement There is still a very long road ahead, and for many it will be marked by grief. But we will stand alongside those families and communities for however long it takes. Emergency services warned that fires could burn for weeks, despite cooler and less blustery conditions that brought some relief to Victorias firefighters. Extreme heatwave conditions eased on Sunday over western and central Victoria. Melbourne reached a top of 18 degrees while Mildura, after three days in a row over 44 degrees, reached a top of 27. The Bureau of Meteorologys Sherwin Simpson said that while temperatures were dropping around Victoria, he expected heat to linger around parts of the north-east. Advertisement A total fire ban has been extended until the early hours of Monday. The heaviest building losses from the fires have been in the Longwood, where more than 150 structures were destroyed. In Natimuk, in the states west, 30 homes and 40 sheds have been lost. Forty-seven homes and three businesses have been lost in Harcourt, south of Bendigo. Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat, the South West and Wimmera continue to experience poor air quality, while it is very poor in the Mallee, Northern Country, North East, and West and South Gippsland. Advertisement More than 5000 properties remain without power across the fire-affected areas of the state, and rebuilding the power network is likely to take weeks. Tap water in Barkers Creek, Harcourt and part of Castlemaine remains unsafe to drink. Residents are urged to stick to bottled water. Support for victims Standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Allan announced an additional $19.5 million in funding for fire-affected communities, on top of the personal hardship grants announced on Friday. Advertisement About half of the extra funding will help distribute hay to farmers in need, while the rest will go to initiatives like emergency accommodation and mental health support. Related Article Bushfires In Ruffy and Longwood, locals return to devastation as tales of courage emerge Albanese thanked anyone who had responded to the fires, including volunteers who had travelled from NSW. My message to Victorians is pretty simple: weve got your back, he said. Not just during this crisis, but through the recovery as well. Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said spectators had been entering fire-affected areas. Advertisement Disappointingly, in the last 24 hours, weve started to see some tourism or spectators heading into some of our fire-impacted zones. We only expect to see locals, if it is safe to be in there at all, so please do not enter those fire-impacted zones. Allan lashed the fire tourists, pointing out the police had powers under the states emergency legislation to require people to leave. Stay away. It is not safe, and it is wrong, she said. Earlier on Sunday, Allan told Seven News that she felt sick hearing that police were concerned about the potential for looting in north-central Victoria. I was at the Seymour relief centre yesterday and I met with families who had lost their homes, she said. Advertisement A firefighter helps a koala cool down near the Longwood fireground. Benalla Fire Brigade I met with a woman who showed me a photo of her home that had been burnt to the ground. These are communities that have experienced the worst of an emergency. The premier warned that some fires, such as those in north-east Victoria, were expected to burn for weeks. She insisted emergency services were well-prepared for this fire season. Allan herself has been partially affected by the fires. The premier lives near Bendigo and has not returned home since an evacuation warning was issued on Friday. The damaging fire which swept through Harcourt, south of Bendigo, on Friday is now largely contained. Advertisement The Longwood fire has covered about 136,000 hectares. There has been some incredible work done by firefighters on that blaze, Forest Fire Management chief fire officer Chris Hardman said. The road at the edge of Longwood on Sunday. Grant McArthur There is some fire activity towards Lake Eildon, the rest of the fire is looking pretty good. The out-of-control bushfire 25 kilometres west of Walwa is slowly moving north-east. Advertisement A fire-damaged road sign near Longwood on Saturday. Getty Images It is not safe to return to Corryong, Towong or Walwa, while people in the Mitta Valley are being urged to leave now, and people in Tallangatta Valley are being urged to take shelter. A relief centre has been set up in Wodonga and people to the north of the fire front were urged to leave via NSW. Authorities said the two out-of-control fires in the Cape Otway area, south of Colac, were now considered part of the same fire. The emergency-level fire in this complex was travelling north-east on Sunday night. Brian Nunn walks through the remnants of the Harcourt Co-op. Jason South Advertisement Across the rest of the state, the danger from fires is beginning to ease. In the north-west, residents of Mallee towns like Patchewollock and Underbool have been told it is safe to return, after two fires in Wyperfeld National Park that have burnt through 74,000 hectares slowed. In the Wimmera, the 8300-hectare Natimuk fire was contained as of Sunday night, with agencies planning the safe return of residents to the fire-affected area. Further south, it is still not safe for people to return to Carranballac, Stoneleigh and the rural area of Skipton, despite crews containing a grassfire there. At the other end of the state, a bushfire on the Princes Highway at Genoa, near Mallacoota, is no longer a threat. Bushfires at Mallacoota, Lake Barracoota and Cape Howe are not yet under control. Advertisement Residents in the area were told to either take shelter or leave immediately early on Sunday. Those affected by the Otways blaze have been told to head to Colac, where a relief centre has been set up. There is a separate relief centre for larger animals. Devastated: Animals also lost Three months ago, Lindsay Park Racing was the toast of Australian horse racing, after its progeny Ka Ying Rising won the $20 million Everest in Sydney. Advertisement Now it is in mourning seven horses were killed when the Longwood fire hit its property at Euroa. Five were spelling [resting and recuperating] racehorses, two were retirees. One horse remains in a critical condition, Lindsay Park said in a statement. The company said a further 320 horses had been brought through the fire safely. The team who work tirelessly to care for these horses are devastated by the events, and we will be ensuring they are supported. One caller to ABC Radio, a resident of Wangaratta, said he and a small army of volunteers had been euthanising severely injured livestock. Advertisement They said they had seen thousands of dead sheep and hundreds of dead cattle, as well as plenty of dead kangaroos and a few deer. Hunting and fishing businesses have donated ammunition to farmers needing to put down their livestock, while agribusinesses and Euroa MP Annabelle Cleeland have helped co-ordinate urgent animal feed to prevent surviving stock from starving. Smoke from the Otways fire over Aireys Inlet on Saturday. Aireys Inlet CFA No trains will run on the Bendigo, Swan Hill and Echuca lines on Monday, as crews continue to assess the damage done by the Harcourt fire. Advertisement About 200 interstate personnel are assisting Victorian firefighters on the ground. More than 70 aircraft have been deployed, and the Australian Defence Force continues to provide support via logistics, accommodation and catering for emergency personnel. 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 NationalWACourts Second Perth man arrested months after $170 million worth of cocaine found off Lancelin Rebecca Peppiatt January 10, 2026 10:55am 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 A second Perth man has been arrested in relation to a major haul of cocaine that was found attached to floatation devices off the coast of Lancelin in November. The 44-year-old from Myaree was arrested in Mariginiup on Friday, bringing the total arrests in relation to the seizure up to six including one Croatian national and three men from Sydney. The seized drugs. WA Police One of the arrests included the chief officer of a livestock carrier that it is alleged dropped the drugs into the ocean off the coast of Lancelin and tied them to floatation devices before they were due to be picked up and imported into the country. Instead, Lancelin locals found the large packages tied together about 30 kilometres off Lancelin and notified authorities. Advertisement Police said a few days before the drugs were found, authorities had been called to a boat that was taking on water off the coast of Guilderton. Two men from Sydney had to be rescued, and police say the men were attempting to retrieve the cocaine at the time of the incident. Further investigation found another man, from Perth, had also attempted to retrieve the cocaine at another point. All three men were charged over their alleged connections to the illegal importation of the drugs, while the chief executive of the livestock carrier - a Croatian national - was charged with attempting to bring the drugs into Australia on board his ship. Police said they found about 525kg of cocaine tied to the drums, and believe if the shipment had made its way to WA streets, it could have resulted in 2.5 million individual street deals to the tune of about $170 million. Advertisement The sixth man will face Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday after he was charged with one count of attempt to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported cocaine. The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment. Greedy organised crime syndicates are relentless in their attempts to smuggle illicit commodities into Australia, but Commonwealth and State law enforcement and intelligence agencies are dedicated to stopping them profiting at our communitys expense, Western Australia Joint Organised Crime Taskforce Detective Inspector Matt Taylor said. Drug use makes our communities less safe and put more pressure on our health systems in 2022-23 there were 985 cocaine-related hospitalisations nationally**, more than two each day on average. This investigation remains ongoing and further arrests have not been ruled out. Anyone with information that can assist this investigation is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Advertisement PoliticsFederalBondi shooting Opinion As a stubborn PM dug in, one Jewish leader had his ear Matthew Knott National correspondent January 10, 2026 2:00am January 10, 2026 2:00am 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 After 15 innocent people were gunned down at Bondi Beach on a Sunday afternoon, a Hebrew word came to Peter Wertheims mind: teshuvah. Often translated into English as repentance, the concept more accurately describes a return, a turning back to something youve strayed or looked away from. In the Jewish tradition, changing ones attitude and behaviour is a process. Its not an instantaneous decision, says Wertheim, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. It takes an absorption into a persons heart and soul that they have been wrong and a commitment to do better. Illustration by Simon Letch Since the October 7 attacks in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, Wertheim and other Jewish leaders had warned about surging levels of antisemitism and their fears that vandalism and harassment would morph into deadly violence. People were telling us we were imagining or exaggerating things, says Wertheim, whose 98-year-old mother survived the Auschwitz concentration camp and fled to safety in Australia. Much of it was orchestrated ill will but it was aided by breathtaking ignorance. Then came the December 14 massacre. Among those shot was the Executive Council of Australian Jewry communications director Evan Zlatkis, who was lucky to survive. The terror attack, Wertheim says, shook Australians out of their sense of complacency, sparking profound questions about how the nation had reached this point. Advertisement Of all the nations Jewish leaders, Wertheim is closest to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The pair formed a bond two decades ago when Albanese opposed the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel that was gaining traction in Sydneys inner west. They then united against the Abbott governments attempts to water down the Racial Discrimination Act. One prominent Jewish Australian describes Wertheim as the good cop working with the government while his fellow co-chief executive, Alex Ryvchin, criticises Labors policies on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Behind the scenes, Wertheim has played an important role guiding Albanese towards his unnecessarily protracted decision to hold a royal commission into antisemitism and the Bondi attack. The first public commentator to call for a royal commission on the day after the attack was Chris Taylor, a former national security official who now works at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. To Taylor, the case for such an inquiry seemed so obvious as to be almost redundant. Surely the federal government would act quickly along those lines? After all, how could there not be a royal commission following the worst terrorist attack on Australian soil? Taylor wrote this week. Relying solely on a review by former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson into potential intelligence failures, he said, is like responding to a city-wide arson spree with an inquiry into whether fire hoses are too short. The idea of a federal royal commission quickly gained pace, garnering the support of former foreign spy boss Nick Warner and former High Court chief justice Robert French. On December 29, 17 families connected to the victims of the attack wrote to Albanese calling for a royal commission. Polling for this masthead conducted in the week after the attack found 48 per cent of Australians supported a royal commission and just 17 per cent opposed it. The basic sense of fairness of the Australian people was offended, Wertheim says. People want to get to the bottom of it. Advertisement Albanese, however, was not convinced. The NSW government had already announced a state-level royal commission, and he feared a drawn-out, polarising national probe would do more harm than good. The evidence gathered by police suggests that Naveed and Sajid Akram had operated in isolation, inspired by Islamic State ideology. No link has been established connecting them to the pro-Palestine protest movement that had flourished during the war in Gaza. Related Article Bondi shooting Inside story: what it took to get Albanese to change his mind It did not help that former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg who demanded Albanese accept responsibility for the death of 15 innocent people in a fiery speech at Bondi Beach was among the leading advocates for a royal commission. There was a lot of politicisation and weaponisation, a senior government source says, explaining the governments reluctance to move. Journalistic profiles of Albaneses career routinely note his stubbornness. He took a lot of persuading to amend the governments stage-three tax cuts and he ploughed ahead with the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum despite a lack of bipartisan support. During the election campaign, he strangely resisted acknowledging he had fallen off a stage at a campaign event. This character trait came to the fore after Bondi. Last week, Albanese said the governments resistance to a royal commission was borne not out of convenience, it is out of conviction that this is the right direction to go in. And the actual experts, who are the current experts, have all recommended this course of action. Advertisement It was also noted at senior levels of government that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had done everything in his power to avoid a comprehensive probe into the worst intelligence failure in his nations history. His proposed inquiry, not announced until two years after the October 7 attacks, departs from existing Israeli law and has been criticised for lacking independence. Yet none of these factors made the case for a federal royal commission into the Bondi massacre any less compelling. Matching Netanyahu in obfuscation and evading accountability is not the standard an Australian prime minister should aim for. As recently as Tuesday, Industry Minister Tim Ayres was on radio describing a royal commission as not necessary, saying it would cause division and delay and that it would take up to 2 years to complete. Yet, by this point, Albaneses inner circle was preparing to make a U-turn. As legal experts, business leaders, sport stars, former Labor politicians and national security experts joined calls for a royal commission, Albaneses resistance began to erode, like a rock being worn down by a relentless tide. His private meetings with survivors of the attack were also influential, helping convince him that a properly structured royal commission could contribute to healing for a grieving community. Labor MP Josh Burns privately lobbied Albanese to change course, as did right-faction heavyweight Don Farrell. Political calculations were at play too, of course. This issue would have kept nibbling away at the government for weeks and months, making it hard for them to talk about the issues they want to talk about: childcare, the economy, a prominent member of the Jewish community says. It would have been a distraction, so they decided to cut their losses. Advertisement Related Article Opinion Bondi shooting Albanese has lost face and given ground. Ley should follow suit Natassia Chrysanthos Federal political correspondent On Wednesday afternoon, Albanese met Wertheim and antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydneys CBD to discuss the structure of a royal commission. As Albanese said in media interviews on Friday, he met with Jewish community leaders for hours as they went through the details line by line. (Wertheim declined to comment on confidential discussions with the government). When announcing the royal commission a day later, Albanese masterfully demolished his governments own arguments against holding a royal commission. That it could take years to complete? He imposed a December 14 deadline. That it would delay the Richardson review? The existing probe will be wrapped into the royal commission and delivered as an interim report. Concerns it would platform antisemitism and division? The terms of reference make clear the royal commission should promote, not undermine, social cohesion. Albanese may have been for turning, but not for apologising. While the Jewish concept of teshuvah usually involves the verbal expression of ones sins, the prime minister is not inclined to concede mistakes either publicly or in private. He did not say sorry for taking weeks, rather than days, to support a royal commission or the fact that traumatised survivors had to juggle their recovery with lobbying the government. Indeed, he has skirted around the fact his government changed its mind on holding a royal commission. Such sensitivity is probably unnecessary, if understandable. While political U-turns, like Albaneses shift on a royal commission, are often portrayed as humiliating backdowns, veteran British journalist Peter Riddell has said they can be good for governments. They can remove sources of complaint and show that politicians are listening to the public. Academic research shows voters are more likely to forgive U-turns if politicians are shifting towards a position they favour and if they are driven by principle rather than political calculation. Advertisement Monash University political professor Paul Strangio, who has written about political U-turns, doubts whether the Australian public will see Albaneses shift as a major backdown. Noting that less than a month has passed since the Bondi attack, Strangio says: He has certainly responded to the clamour, the stampede, for a royal commission, but I think the events were too quick to be a full-on volte-face. Albaneses royal commission move did not involve abandoning a fundamental belief, as Kevin Rudd was perceived to have done on climate change when he abandoned an emissions trading scheme. Nor will this U-turn affect most Australians in a direct way, as happened when Julia Gillard reversed her pledge not to introduce a carbon tax. Albaneses standing has undoubtedly been damaged by his response to the Bondi attack, and he has been bruised by the hostility of the attacks on him. But he ends the week satisfied by the overwhelming support for the royal commissions terms of reference and the fact he stared down Frydenbergs bid to sink his chosen commissioner, former High Court justice Virginia Bell. With parliament to resume soon, he has cleared a thorny barnacle away. As for Wertheim, it is enough that Albanese relented, if not repented. This is fair. This is what we asked for. This is designed to get to the root of the problem, he says of the royal commission. As far as we are concerned, it is the outcome that mattered, not how we got there. Matthew Knott is foreign affairs and national security correspondent. The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer talked about. During the episode, Cramer noted that it is one of the few consumer packaged goods companies that doesnt have a GLP-1 problem, as he said: I can go over how NVIDIA or Broadcom are down huge too much, and theyre way, way from their highs, but well, then again, Ive been recommending them consistently for club members, so theres no real revelation there. So let me give you another one thats on my radar screen that might intrigue you, one that is hated, despised, one that I wrote up in How to Make Money in Any Market as a tremendous company, thats become a complicated, unloved stock because its not tech and it doesnt have great growth right now. Im talking about Procter & Gamble. The Cincinnati colossus has seen its stock tumble remarkably from $180 in March to $138 today. This is P&G. It doesnt usually have that kind of move. Its a dividend aristocrat. Some people call it a dividend king because its increased its payout for 69 consecutive years. Youre now getting the stock with a 3% yield. Im not calling the bottom, but it does have a new CEO. It has the opportunity to shake things up. Pixabay/Public Domain The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) provides branded consumer goods across beauty, grooming, health care, home care, and family care. The company sells its products through renowned names such as Tide, Pampers, Gillette, Crest, Olay, and Febreze. While we acknowledge the potential of PG 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. Tom Blyth always take a "pause" before committing himself to a film. Tom Blyth has reflected on his career arc The 30-year-old actor has starred in a number of high-profile movies in recent years, including The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and People We Meet on Vacation - but Tom always harbours some doubts about his projects. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Tom explained: "Even going into Hunger Games, which is and will remain one of the best experiences of my life. I loved making it. I loved watching it. I loved the fans. Its such an incredible world that Suzanne Collins has built and that Francis Lawrence continues to expand on in the films. I was so lucky to be a part of it, and its opened so many doors for me now. "Its funny because as a working actor, you fight for the role, you get offered it, and then you actually have to do it. I remember realising Id gotten it and then going, 'Wait, do I actually definitely want to do this?' [I] fought for it because its in my nature to fight for doing what I love and getting to work no matter what it is. You realise this will be my life. I will be attached to this forever. "I took a pause, but I did it and didnt regret it in the least." Tom stars alongside Emily Bader in People We Meet on Vacation, the new Netflix romcom based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Emily Henry. And Tom feels proud to star in the movie. He said: "Theres no shame in making a big, beautiful film that makes people laugh and cry and feel all the feelings that lots of people will see. "I think thats as useful and as important as making a Plainclothes, which is like an arthouse gem that not as many people will likely see, but will be moved by. I think as long as youre doing both, you cant go wrong." Billionaire investor Jim Mellon said that Venezuelas oil industry faces a long and difficult road to recovery, with meaningful production gains unlikely to materialize anytime soon. Venezuelas Oil Recovery A Long-Term Story Speaking on the Master Investor podcast on Wednesday, Mellon cautioned that any meaningful recovery in Venezuelas oil sector remains a long-term story. It will take at least 5 to 10 years before they can get back up to what they had, he said, which is an output of 3 million barrels of crude oil per day. While that level of output would represent a meaningful rebound for Venezuela, he noted that in the context of over 100 million barrels a day, which is the current global daily output, it is just enough to change things at the margin. Don't Miss: Fast Company Calls It a Groundbreaking Step for the Creator Economy' Investors Can Still Get In at $0.85/Share Sam Altman Says AI Will Transform the Economy This Platform Lets Investors Back Private Tech Early Mellon also said that Venezuela's output, which predominantly consists of heavy crude, uniquely positions U.S. refiners to benefit first from any eventual recovery. We also know that it's very heavy oil, he said, adding that the U.S. has lots of spare capacity for heavy oil, with the country now at peak shale, and not buying as much oil from Canada, which is known for its similarly heavy output. With that backdrop, Mellon said he continues to recommend investors increase exposure to the sector. I'd suggest loading up on oil and gas. US Refiners Rally On Venezuelas Political Shift American energy giants with sophisticated refineries, capable of handling heavy crude oil inputs, have seen significant gains since U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. Stocks 1 Week Performance Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE:VLO) +17.20% Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX) +4.67% Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) +11.80% PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) +17.64% VanEck Oil Refiners ETF (NYSE:CRAK) +3.27% See Also: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Even as experts caution about the long timelines involved in turning around the nations oil out, President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that the Latin American nation will be turning over 30 to 50 million barrels of high quality, sanctioned oil to the U.S. This oil, Trump said, will be sold at market prices, with the proceeds being used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States. The VanEck Oil Refiners ETF tracks energy stocks with a significant portion of their revenue coming from refining and marketing. The fund scores high on Momentum in Benzingas Edge Stock Rankings, with a favorable price trend in the Medium and Long terms. Click here for deeper insights into the fund, its constituents, and more. Every new year, like every Christmas, measures life out in manageable portions that help us to mark time. Do you remember? as the song goes, Will I ever forget? Its what we do. We remember and then (mostly) we never forget until the sands of time dictate that whatever genes keep the memory intact have lost their grip and we need others to jog our creaking memories. I was reminded recently that even though Ive contributed this Just a Thought column to the Western People for 45 years or thereabouts, remarkably Ive served under just two editors, Terry Reilly and James Laffey. Terry asked me in the dying embers of the year 1979 (I think) to write my first column which appeared early in 1980 and subsequently in an (almost) uninterrupted run of 2,000-plus columns. The weekly Just a Thought column has bookmarked my life in many ways and to Terry Reilly and, later James Laffey and, of course, the loyal readers who have encouraged me along the way, I owe debts of deep gratitude. At the start of another year, it is the very least I might do. While the tide of life ebbs and flows and none of us can mark down the future with any degree of certainty, gratitude is a primary grace. While for others having to produce a constant 900 or so words a week might seem a consummation devoutly to be avoided, for me writing and reading has been a cherished task. As Pam Allyn described it, reading is like breathing in, writing is like breathing out. Stephen King, the popular novelist, who has written more than 50 books, most of them bestsellers, wrote: Reading is the creative centre of a writers life. If you dont have time to read, you dont have the time (or the tools) to write. The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and an intimacy with the process of writing. Not that the process of putting words on ideas is a simple or instinctive gift. Far from it. Its hard work and often deeply frustrating when the words I produce dont seem to do justice to the lofty ideas that I imagine I have to communicate. Though, that said, I often dont really know what I think, until I write things down - the motto of the famed American journalist, Joan Didion. Sometimes people ask me to give them advice on writing and I am loathe to do that but I love sharing my thoughts on books Ive read and to celebrate a new year - if my readers can indulge me - I would like to recommend a few books. First in the queue may be of interest to those who would like to write, feel they dont know how and have never tried. Its Stephen Kings On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000). King has been there and done that for years and is highly regarded as an expert. Better still he can write simply about writing - something not every writer can do; his book is out in paperback so its very accessible; and its an entertaining read. Its published by Hodder, has 365 pages and costs 16 or thereabouts. If you were thinking of having a go at writing, its a sure guide. Another sensible and accessible book is by Donagh OShea, A Hundred Roads to Here: Introductions to Meditation (2023). Its about a form of prayer that may be unfamiliar to many. If prayer for you means saying prayers as with reciting the Rosary or other formal prayers and if over the years you have begun to find such praying generally unsatisfying, this book offers one hundred short roads to meditation. Meditation is a less direct way of praying, a more subtle way of moving into silence, of resting in Gods presence and OShea has written a hundred short introductions that - each no more than a page and a bit - can be dipped into at will in order to evoke a sense of what meditation, a different and deeper way of praying can mean. Meditation isnt easy - though it sounds simple. OShea describes meditation as sitting in silence in the presence of God, doing nothing, saying nothing, adding nothing. If this appeals to you, you can trust Donogh OShea as a reliable guide. His A Hundred Roads to Here has around 130 pages and costs 12. My third choice is Richard Rohrs The Tears of Things (2015). Rohr, an American Franciscan friar, is one of the great spiritual masters of our time. He has spent most of his life in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he founded the Centre for Action and Contemplation. He has written many books and, he says, The Tears of Things is his last. Rohr offers seekers an introduction to the wisdom and practices of the Christian contemplative tradition. Hes the kind of thinker who not only changes minds and hearts but changes lives. The Tears of Things is not an easy read but in reading it and reflecting prayerfully on it you will find it a beacon of light in our uncertain times. My fourth choice is Tomas Haliks The Afternoon of Christianity: The Courage to Change (2024). Its a demanding read. This book, in summary, is a key to understanding the efforts of Pope Francis to lead Catholicism and religion in general through a time of change and of crisis. For Halek, the present crisis is a crossroads where a new era - a new afternoon in the history of Christianity - presents itself. If the churches, including the Catholic Church (he writes), can release themselves from the present clericalism, narcissism, and isolation that defines them, they can move towards a universal fraternity that was the central theme of Pope Franciss pontificate. We shouldnt, Halek argues, reduce life to morality, virtues and sins a persons life speaks more about their faith than what they think or say about God. The Afternoon of Christianity costs 32.50. I wish all my readers a happy new year. Allentown, PA (18103) Today A mix of clouds and sunshine; the closest to freezing (32) we've been in a week and a half. . Tonight Increasing clouds. There is a slight chance for a little snow late, mainly south of I-78. Key Points Boeing won four big defense contracts in the final week of 2025. The two biggest will see Boeing provide service for America's "doomsday planes," and sell up to 50 F-15s to Israel. 10 stocks we like better than Boeing Dec. 31, 2025, is now in the history books. Why is this significant? For defense investors, it's not so much the ending of a calendar year that's important, but the ending of a fiscal quarter. Because every time a quarter ends, there's a mad dash at the Pentagon to shovel out a last few spadefuls of cash, in the form of big-ticket defense contracts. It's a race against the clock (or the calendar) to ensure every last cent of funds already approved by Congress goes to the programs that need funding. And for giant defense contractors like Boeing (NYSE: BA), it's a chance to cash in. Image source: Getty Images. $12.8 billion for Boeing -- or with luck, $17.5 billion And boy, oh boy, did Boeing ever cash in last month. On Dec. 29, Boeing won each of the two biggest Pentagon contracts awarded. For $4.2 billion, Boeing was tasked with providing "E-4B contractor logistic service" to the U.S. Air Force in fiscal 2026 (which ends Sept. 30, 2026). Then, for $8.6 billion, Boeing won an order to build and deliver at least 25 new F-15IA aircraft to the Israeli Air Force, with an option for 25 more. Seeing as $8.6 billion would imply an MSRP of $343 million per plane (which is quite a high price for a fourth-generation fighter jet), it's likely Boeing will only receive the full $8.6 billion if Israel exercises its option and buys all 50 F-15s. But even if it doesn't, even if Israel only takes the initial 25, that's still a $4.3 billion contract for Boeing, minimum -- and $8.5 billion total from the two contracts. Not bad for a day's work. (Just two days later, by the way, Boeing would win another $2.7 billion for "post-production support" on AH-64 Apache helicopters for the U.S. Army. Add in another $2 billion for a Dec. 23 contract for B-52 commercial engine replacement, and Boeing may have cleared as much as $17.5 billion in new revenue in just over a week.) What does it mean for investors? All four of these contracts, by the way, fall under the aegis of Boeing's Defense, Space, and Security (BDS) business. Combined, they add up to about 73% of all the revenue that business segment generated in all of 2024. Why is this significant? Well, consider that while BDS has had its issues, notably with the Starliner spacecraft that it produces, which still isn't cleared for use in human spaceflight, BDS is at least profitable today. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. 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. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model . Does the January share price for Lonza Group AG ( VTX:LONN ) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! The CHF677 analyst price target for LONN is 64% more 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. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.5%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 4.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2035 (1 + g) (r g) = CHF1.5b (1 + 0.5%) (4.8% 0.5%) = CHF34b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= CHF34b ( 1 + 4.8%)10= CHF21b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is CHF29b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of CHF554, the company appears potentially overvalued at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. SWX:LONN Discounted Cash Flow January 10th 2026 The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. 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 Lonza Group 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 4.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.035. 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. View our latest analysis for Lonza Group SWOT Analysis for Lonza Group Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Life Sciences market. Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Swiss market. Threat Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year. Moving On: Whilst important, the DCF calculation 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. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Can we work out why the company is trading at a premium to intrinsic value? For Lonza Group, we've compiled three fundamental factors you should further examine: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Lonza Group , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does LONN'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 Swiss 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. Banking on the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, Sanjay Mehrotra-led Micron Technology, Inc. MU outperformed Wall Streets darling NVIDIA Corporation NVDA last year (+239.1% vs +38.8%). Can Micron repeat the feat, or will this year see NVIDIA having the upper hand? Lets find out. Micron Soars on AI-Driven HBM Chip Demand Microns high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips excel at handling large volumes of data while minimizing power consumption. Currently, these HBM chips are in short supply due to the AI infrastructure surge, which is fueling high demand and contributing significantly to Microns recent strong performance. Micron reported revenues of $13.64 billion in first-quarter fiscal 2026, up 56.8% year over year, according to investors.micron.com. This exceeded analysts expectations of roughly $12.88 billion, reinforcing confidence that demand for Microns products remains strong. All of Microns business segments saw revenue growth in the fiscal first quarter, including its core cloud memory business unit. This robust revenue performance helped Micron post non-GAAP net income of $5.48 billion, or $4.78 per share, above analysts projections of $3.94. Additionally, fueled by AI-driven demand for HBM chips, Micron expects even stronger results for second-quarter fiscal 2026, with revenues of $18.3$19.1 billion and earnings per share (EPS) of $8.22$8.62. The companys solid cash flow of $3.9 billion in the fiscal first quarter also provides Micron with the funds to support growth initiatives. NVIDIA Rides AI Momentum Into 2026 Strong demand for the CUDA software platform and cutting-edge Blackwell chips has driven NVIDIAs recent quarterly performance. NVIDIAs revenues for the third-quarter fiscal 2026 came in at $57 billion, up 62% year over year and 22% sequentially, according to investor.nvidia.com. NVIDIAs founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, said that Blackwell sales are off the charts, and cloud GPUs are sold out. The company remains optimistic about future growth, projecting fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues around $65 billion, with a plus or minus 2% margin. Furthermore, the company anticipates continued profitability growth as the Trump administration has approved NVIDIA to sell H200 AI chips to select customers in China. Benefiting from a competitive edge in the AI hardware market and a likely increase in global data center capital expenditures, NVIDIA is well-positioned for growth in 2026, with Jensen Huang at the helm. Micron or NVIDIA: Which AI Chip Stock Will Lead in 2026? No doubt, Micron is set to thrive in 2026, driven by higher demand for its HBM chips. Similarly, NVIDIA is set to expand, fueled by soaring Blackwell chip demand, record cloud GPU sales and a rise in global data center investments. Americas neo-colonialist intervention in Venezuela and the agreement signed by the UK and France preparing for the widespread deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine place the necessity of building an anti-war movement squarely before the British and international working class. No way forward is provided by the Stop the War Coalition, the Corbynite Your Party or the Greens, whose response underscores the fact that only a socialist programme provides the basis for a fight against imperialism and the danger of world war. As ever, Jeremy Corbyn has been made the figurehead of the opposition put forward by Stop the War; his article in Tribune magazine, Starmers Passivity on Venezuela is Cowardice is republished on the STWC website. It argues in his usual handwringing fashion against Britains special relationship of unthinking submission to the White Houses interests. Jeremy Corbyn's article, "Starmers Passivity on Venezuela is Cowardice" published on the Stop the War Coalition's website. [Photo: Screenshot/Stop the War Coalition] Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmers actions in supporting Trump are blind, absolutely staggering and utterly pathetic, an abomination and a humiliation, huffs Corbyn. His moral outrage covers for a bankrupt perspective of persuading British imperialism to adopt a new course by distancing itself from the United States: a consistent, ethical foreign policy based on international law, sovereignty and peace. This is a fantasy. Starmer is undoubtedly prostrating himself before Trump, who is using the military in a reckless pursuit of US imperialisms predatory interests. But both policies are rooted in a common underlying crisis of capitalismincluding spiralling national debts and social tensionsand a common effort to resolve it at the expense of their rivals through military means. That is why Starmer has also signed a statement with other European powers defending Greenland against the US President. British capitalism has its own imperialist interests. These rely heavily on the use of NATO, and US military force within NATO, to further the war against Russia in Ukrainea crumbling joint effort of the alliance which Trumps ambitions against NATO-member Greenland/Denmark threaten to completely collapse. By referring to another Labour Prime Minister doing his best to cement the UKs status as a vassal of the United States, Corbyn is following the line laid down by Stop the War since its inception. As the WSWS wrote previously: not an anti-imperialist strategy, but rather one levelled only against the United States and appealing directly to a section of the ruling class which felt Britain was paying too high a price for too little gain from US-led wars. On this basis, Corbyn and Stop the War pre-emptively limit a movement against the aggression in Venezuela to impotent appeals to the government to change course. The STWC demands that the British government immediately stops all involvement with the illegal, provocative and more and more extreme actions of President Trump, and publicly condemns Trumps gangsterism. Corbyns Your Party, now formally founded, has only been able to rouse itself as far as organising a petition, which reads: We call on you, Prime Minister, to 1) unequivocally oppose and condemn Trumps armed assault, 2) ensure the UK votes to condemn it at the UN Security Council, and 3) demand the safe return of Venezuelas head of state. It has garnered fewer than 20,000 signatures; less than half the partys membership. Jeremy Corbyn addressing the Your Party founding conference [Photo: X/Jeremy Corbyn] The experience of the 2003 Iraq War under Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair is invoked by Corbyn purely to this end of persuading Starmer to see the light. Ignoring the warnings of ordinary people who could see the catastrophe ahead, Corbyn writes, and bypassing any approval from the United Nations, the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq resulted in the deaths of more than a million Iraqis, and set off a spiral of hatred, conflict and misery that is still spinning today How many more of these catastrophic failures do we need before we learn the lesson? Blairs government could just as well see the catastrophe ahead; it chose to bring that suffering down on the people of the Middle East as a price worth paying for a place at the table of the imperialist redivision of its resources and for geopolitical influence. As Blair said in 2001, following the 9/11 attacks in the US, The kaleidoscope has been shaken. The pieces are in flux. Soon they will settle again. Before they do, let us re-order this world around us. The lesson learned by Blair and the British ruling class is that doing so has no consequences, with all moves to investigate and hold Blairs government accountable quashed. Corbyn directly aided this process during his time as Labour leader from 2015-20. His amnesty for the Blairites and maintenance of Labours commitment to NATO and nuclear weapons allowed the now proudly proclaimed party of NATO to be handed over to Starmer unscathed, ready to lead the most right-wing, militarist British government since the Second World War. From left, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, former prime ministers Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown ahead of the Accession Council ceremony at St James's Palace, London, where King Charles III is formally proclaimed monarch, London, September 10, 2022 [AP Photo/Kirsty O'Connor] Stop the War, having championed Corbyns leadershiphe had been chair of the STWC, dropping the position upon becoming Labour leadercontinued to advocate an alternative course for British imperialism. Founder Lindsey German, a leader of the pseudo-left Counterfire, complained at its 20th anniversary event in 2021 of governments refusing to entertain other [foreign policy] opinionssuch as those put by anti-war campaigners 20 years ago. This line saw the anti-war movement of millions against the invasion of Iraq, to which Stop the War came to the head, whittled away to almost nothing. When the horrors of the Israeli genocide of the Palestinians and outrage at British governments complicity once again moved millions to take to the streets, Stop the War and Corbyn spent two years refusing to educate these forces in the wider imperialist war drive reflected in Gaza. Not a word was said from the platform at over 30 national rallies in London about the NATO-Russia war in Ukraine. Corbyns silence on this critical issue has continued this week, even as Britain signed an agreement which raised the prospect of thousands of British troops being deployed to Ukraine, and participated in a US Navy operation seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker. Both raise the dire prospect of a shooting war between London and Moscow, both nuclear-armed powers. British and European military figures are telling the media, like Richard Shirreff, former deputy supreme commander of NATO in Europe: This [the deployment in Ukraine] cant be a lightly armed blue beret-type peacekeeping force enforcing peace means being prepared to overmatch the Russians, and that means also being prepared to fight them if necessary. They are complaining of no sign the government penny had dropped that they need to up defence spending sooner than thought. But Corbyn is as tame as he was when serving generals threatened to mutiny against his prime ministership, and soldiers used a picture of his face for target practice. As with the Gaza genocide, Stop the War extends the freedom given to Corbyn to play the anti-war leader to the trade union bureaucracy, cheering general secretaries for issuing pro-forma statements which commit them to nothing. This week it republished a belly-crawling editorial from the Stalinist Morning Star which describes Trades Union Council leader Paul Nowaks call on the UK government to condemn this blatant violation of international law as an excellent lead, adding that other trade union leaderships have issued similar powerful condemnations. The article even suggests a rebellion in Starmers viciously right-wing, pro-war Labour Party, writing that very few Labour MPs could be found in the Commons on Monday night prepared to give Starmer and Cooper their unequivocal backing, clearly unpersuaded by the assertion that the government prioritises international law[!]. Nothing more is offered either by Your Partys Zarah Sultana or Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who repeat Corbyns criticisms of Starmer as a vassal of Washington or of Trump as an unreliable allyin Sultanas case with a sprinkling of anti-imperialist rhetoric. Zack Polanski speaking at the Festival of Resistence in London, March 29, 2025 Workers and young people must grapple with the challenge in front of them: the construction of an anti-war movement on the principles of socialist internationalism, the only possible basis for the struggle against imperialism. Trumps invasion of Venezuela and murder of a US citizen in Minneapolis this week shows there is no wall between wars waged on the working class abroad and at home. Starmers backing for the Venezuela aggression, the genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, combined with his starving of anti-genocide political prisoners, proves the same. As the military violence grows, so too will the attacks on workers and so too their resistance. It is on this process that building an anti-war movement depends, linking the resistance to the class war of the government at home with resistance to its imperialist aggression abroad. But this will have to be done in constant opposition to the semi-pacifist political paralysis preached by Corbyn and company, and the insistence that action be subordinated to the Labour and trade union bureaucracy. Through this fight, new forms of working-class strugglerank-and-file workplace and neighbourhood committees with global linkswill take root and take ownership of the fight against war and to defend and advance democratic rights and social conditions. A fight which can only be completed in the struggle for socialism. On Friday morning, cellphone footage originating from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross showing the murder of Minneapolis mother and wife Renee Nicole Good was leaked to right-wing media. The new footage conclusively demonstrates that Ross deliberately positioned himself in front of Goods vehicle to justify murdering her. The 47-second video, recorded on Rosss cellphone, begins by showing him exiting his vehicle and approaching Goods maroon Honda sport utility vehicle. A dog is clearly visible in the back seat as Ross walks in front of Goods car. As Ross walks in front of the vehicle, filming the driver and license plate, Good is seen behind the wheel with her window down, both hands clearly visible, smiling at the agent. As Ross continues to circle the vehicle, he records Good warmly greeting him, saying, Thats fine, dude. I am not mad at you. As Ross reaches the back of the vehicle, he records Goods license plate and another woman standing behind the car filming him. The woman, Becca Good, Renees wife, tells Ross it is fine that he is recording their license plate: It will be the same plate when you come talk to us later. Its fine. At this point Ross has completed a full circle of the vehicle and appears to be leaving. Becca Good is heard telling Ross that she is a U.S. citizen former f*cking veteran You want to come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy. Go ahead. Roughly 32 seconds into the video, Ross switches his cellphone to his left hand, allowing him to more easily access his pistol holstered on his right hip. Becca Good then turns to enter the passenger side of the vehicle. As she reaches for the handle, a different ICE agent wearing a mask approaches the drivers side and yells at Renee Good to get out of the f*cking car! Agent Ross proceeds to walk directly in front of Goods vehicle and remains there as she begins backing up. Ross, cellphone in hand, continues recording as Good begins turning the wheel away from him and puts the car in drive. As the car accelerates forward, Ross leans onto the hood, his phone in his left hand and his pistol in his right, and fires three rounds at Good in less than one second. After shooting Good, a voice believed to be Rosss says, fucking bitch as the Honda SUV accelerates wildly forward and smashes into a parked car. The video ends. Other footage from the scene shows that neither Ross nor any other agent on site provided first aid to Good. Instead, agents blocked a man who identified himself as a physician from providing aid and created a barrier that forced emergency medical technicians to park their ambulance away from the immediate scene. The last words Good, slandered as a domestic terrorist and a deranged leftist by Vice President JD Vance and other top Trump administration officials, said to her eventual killer were, Thats fine, dude. I am not mad at you. The last words Ross uttered to Good after shooting the unarmed woman multiple times were, fucking bitch. Following the release of the video on social media, Vance immediately retweeted it and claimed it proved the press was lying about this innocent law enforcement officer disgusting. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. He followed this with multiple posts asserting that shooting an unarmed woman attempting to flee was self-defense. On Friday, President Donald Trump was asked by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy whether he had any further information supporting Vances claims that Good was part of a left-wing network. Trump said he had not seen Vances statement but claimed Vance is generally very accurate. He did not identify any such network but alleged that a woman heard yelling shame after the shooting was a paid and professional agitator. Trump said it was not normal for someone to keep screaming after witnessing the execution of an innocent person by the state. He concluded, We will always be protecting ICE and we are always going to be protecting our Border Patrol and law enforcement. The lies advanced by Vance, Trump and top officials at the Department of Homeland Security do not find purchase among wide sections of the population, who are outraged over the murder of Good, the killing of Los Angeles father Keith Porter Jr. and the more than 30 people who died in ICE custody last year. People gather for a vigil honoring Renee Good, who was murdered by an ICE officer in Minneapolis earlier in the week, at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. [AP Photo/John Locher] Protests against ICE continued Friday in Minnesota and across the country. In Boston, Massachusetts, anti-ICE protesters reenacted the Boston Tea Party, dumping 342 pounds of ice into the harbor. The Democratic Party-aligned 50501 group announced that more than 1,000 protests are planned across the United States this weekend. On Friday night, thousands protested in downtown Minneapolis outside hotels where ICE agents are believed to be staying. Speaking to WSWS reporters earlier in the week, a local resident said she lives two blocks away from where all of this happened and as a person in this community, they are just terrorizing my neighbors. I am a first-generation American. My mom did not come to this country to watch this happen. Neighbors of Good speak out against ICE operations, January 7, 2026. She added, This needs to stop. This is not the answer to anything. As of this writing, more than 2,200 federal agents are occupying Minnesotas largest metropolitan area, home to approximately 3.7 million people. More agents are on the way. The Associated Press reported Friday that roughly 200 CBP agents in New Orleans are being reassigned to Minnesota. Protesters confront law enforcement outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. [AP Photo/Adam Bettcher] Minneapolis residents report federal agents setting up checkpoints around the city to harass workers and families. Immigration agents are not carrying out targeted operations against violent criminals, but are instead harassing workers on the job and at local businesses. In one exchange recorded the same day Good was killed, Gregory Bovino, the agent leading Customs and Border Protection operations in Minneapolis, is shown harassing an Uber driver at the airport. The worker confronts Bovino, telling him, You are not going after criminals, man. You are going after people working. This is an Uber waiting line. We are literally waiting and working. A CBP agent replies, Criminals do Uber. The worker responds, Thats not how it works, brother. Maybe criminals are doing ICE? How about that? You know what I am saying. You guys are shooting people. Somebody just got shot and for what? Why did you guys shoot that lady? At least five Native American men living in the Minneapolis area have been kidnapped by immigration agents, Indian Country Today reported. One of those assaulted and detained was Jose Roberto Beto Ramirez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen. Ramirez and his aunt were stalked by agents on January 8 while running errands. After realizing they were being followed, they pulled into a Hy-Vee grocery store parking lot. Masked agents in SUVs surrounded their vehicle, presented no warrant and demanded identification while attempting to scan their faces. Shawntia Sosa-Clara, who recorded part of the encounter, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that as agents scanned Ramirezs face, they began punching him. In the video, Sosa-Clara is seen appealing to Minneapolis police on site for help as agents assault and detain her nephew. She is also struck by an agent. She asks an officer, Why did he hit me like that? The officer replies, Dont move. In an interview with Indian Country Today following his release, Ramirez said, I was complying with them and they just started acting crazy. They were trying to make it seem like Im some kind of murderer, like I did something wrong. I felt like it was a kidnapping. Ramirez was held at the B.H. Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis for several hours despite being a US citizen who had committed no crime. His mother, Raelyn Duffy, told the Tribune she was turned away when she arrived with documents proving her sons citizenship. Although ICE initially claimed Ramirez would be charged with assault, no charges have been filed as of this writing. Tens of thousands of people across the southeast Australian state of Victoria are confronting a mounting social catastrophe as outofcontrol bushfires, fanned by record heat and ferocious winds, tear through farming districts and rural townships in the states central and northeastern regions and could continue for weeks. Part of the Longwood bushfire, January 7, 2026 [Photo: Little Yarra CFA] The inferno centred in Longwood and Ruffy (130 kilometres northeast of state capital Melbourne) alone has burned more than 84,000 hectares, while a second major blaze near Walwa and Mount Lawson on the New South Wales border has scorched over 19,000 hectares. A third major fire is also sweeping through the bushland and former goldmining country centred on the town Ravenswoodnear major regional centres Castlemaine and Bendigoabout 120 kilometres northwest of Melbourne. Up to 300,000 hectares have burned across the state as fire fronts advanced in multiple directions. In total, 36 bushfires continue to burn across the state. Three people who had been unaccounted for since their home at Longwood East was destroyed yesterday have now been found. One man was found dead in his car last night near Ravenswood, but authorities do not currently believe his death is related to the fire. According to the Country Fire Authority (CFA), three firefighters have been hospitalised, one with severe hand injuries, another who was hit in the face by a hose and a third who suffered a medical episode. Multiple CFA crews have been overrun by fires and had to enact emergency procedures. In one case, a fire tanker was destroyed, but the crew is safe. Hundreds of farming properties and homes lie in ruins and more than 90,000 houses and businesses have been left without power. At the same time, a brutal heatwave is gripping neighbouring state New South Wales, with temperatures exceeding 45C (113F) across the states west, raising the risk of new fire outbreaks, while northeastern state Queensland faces an intensifying cyclone threat as a tropical low off the coast near Townsville threatens to develop into a category one cyclone. These simultaneous crises across eastern Australia underscore the escalating climate extremes confronting working-class communities from one end of the continent to the other. Longwood and Ruffy lie in undulating grazing and mixedfarming country, while Walwa and Mount Lawson sit in steep, heavily forested country along the Murray River, roughly 400 kilometres northeast of Melbourne. These districts are dominated by sheep and cattle grazing, fodder and cropping farms, pine plantations and small service townships, with scattered lifestyle properties and tourist traffic passing on the main highways between Melbourne, the alpine region and Sydney. Conditions for a disaster were clearly signalled in advance. Meteorologists reported that inland districts in rural Victoria hit about 4647C (115117F) with hot, dry north-westerly winds and very low humidity, producing what Victorian emergency authorities yesterday described as the worst fire danger day since the Black Summer bushfires in 201920. Blazes have been unpredictable and fast-moving. A powerful cold front on Friday brought severe thunderstorms and dry lightning which ignited dozens of new fires across the state in a matter of hours. Ruffy, a tiny hamlet that survives on farming and a handful of small businesses, was turned into a disaster zone on Thursday and Friday. At least 20 homes and the school were destroyed. Local CFA captain George Noye said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that that it was like a bombs gone off in the main street, after embers and spot fires rained down and overwhelmed defences. Some properties have lost everything, Noye said. Theyve lost their livelihoods, theyve lost their shearing sheds, livestock, just absolutely devastating. Walwa River Road bushfire, January 9, 2026 [Photo: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action - Hume region] Despite the obvious and longforeseen danger, the Labor administration in Victoria and the federal Labor government stand exposed as utterly unprepared and unwilling to provide the resources necessary to prevent such a disaster. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan waited until the night of January 9, after firestorms had already devastated communities, to declare a state of disaster in 18 local government areas and one alpine resort. This measure grants emergency powers to control movement, seize property and order evacuations but does nothing to remedy the chronic underfunding and casualisation of fire services, health care, power infrastructure and regional planning. On the ground, hundreds of largely volunteer firefighters have been thrown into battle against dozens of blazes with limited equipment, at times without support from the states 70 waterbombing aircraft because winds were too strong for them to fly. What is now unfolding is not an unavoidable natural disaster but the foreseeable outcome of policies that place corporate profits ahead of the lives and homes of working people. Scientists and fire authorities warned that spring rainfall and vegetation growth would swiftly evolve into a highly combustible state in January, and that the 202526 season would see more frequent and severe bushfires as climate change intensified heat and drought across south-eastern Australia. Around the world, wildfires are increasing in scale, severity and frequency to higher average global temperatures. In the past year alone, massive fires have devastated North America, Japan, South Korea, the Mediterranean and Turkey. Yet communities have been left with ageing power and road infrastructure, inadequate local health and evacuation facilities, and volunteer fire brigades forced to stretch limited tankers and crews across vast areas of highly flammable grassland and forest. The three missing residents at Longwood East were advised to shelter in their home as the firestorm approached, a tragic expression of a system where the state cannot or will not guarantee timely, organised evacuation and safe refuge for all. More than a decade of catastrophic bushfires has already demonstrated the deadly consequences of leaving emergency services underresourced and subordinated to the profit system. In February 2009, the Black Saturday fires in Victoria killed 173 people, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and razed entire townships such as Marysville and Kinglake in a single afternoon. Many of those who perished did so after being told to stay and defend inadequately prepared properties under conditions that were, in reality, impossible for any household to withstand. Reviews and royal commissions documented not only individual errors but systemic failures: insufficient fuelreduction and mitigation in known highrisk areas, degraded power infrastructure, limited warning systems and a chronic dependence on volunteer brigades trying to hold back megafires with outdated equipment. The 20192020 Black Summer fires took this pattern to a national scale. Over that season, blazes burned an estimated 24 million hectares across Australia, destroyed around 3,000 homes and killed at least 33 people directly, with thousands more suffering from smokerelated illness. Much of eastern Victoria and southern New South Walesincluding regions not far from the present Walwa and Mount Lawson firegroundswas engulfed in weekslong infernos that forced mass evacuations and exposed the inability of state and federal governments to coordinate basic logistics such as fuel, food and medical support for isolated communities. Scientists and firefighters repeatedly warned that climate change, driven above all by the continued burning of coal, oil and gas, was lengthening fire seasons, drying forests and making extreme fire weather more frequent, yet official policy remained dominated by the defence of fossilfuel profits and tokenistic emissions targets. Northeastern Victoria has a long and grim history of such disasters. Twentiethcentury fires in this regionincluding the 1939 Black Friday fires and later outbreaks in the 1950s, 1960s and the 2003 alpine firesrepeatedly swept through mountain forests, river valleys and grazing country, killing residents, stock and firefighters and destroying sawmills, farms and small settlements. Each catastrophe produced official inquiries, recommendations and solemn promises of reform, yet the underlying pattern has persisted: Mitigation, planning and emergency capacity are pared back under the dictates of austerity, efficiency dividends and privatisation. This historical record underscores the urgent necessity for a fundamentally different approach. A genuinely effective bushfire strategy would require a permanently and generously funded fulltime emergency service, with modern equipment and staffing levels sufficient to protect all fireprone communities, not just major tourist or agribusiness assets. It would integrate largescale hazardreduction and landuse planning, massive investment in resilient public infrastructure and housing, and serious, binding measures to phase out fossil fuels and address the climate crisis that is making each fire season more lethal than the last. Such a program is impossible within a capitalist framework in which every major decisionfrom energy policy to local fireservice budgetsis subordinated to the profit requirements of banks, energy conglomerates and developers. What is required is socialist planning on a global scale: the democratic control of the economy by the working class, so that societys vast productive resources can be redirected from military spending, fossilfuel expansion and corporate enrichment to protecting human life and the environment. Only on this basis can a comprehensive system of fire mitigation, emergency response and climate action be developed that corresponds to the real scale of the danger confronting ordinary people in Victoria, across Australia and around the world. Palestinians inspect the damage at a displacement camp following an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Friday, January 9, 2026. [AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi] Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours have killed at least 14 Palestinians, including children. The attacks, launched under the pretext of responding to a failed rocket launch by Palestinian militants, targeted displaced families sheltering in tents and schools, as well as residential areas in Gaza City. Palestinian medics reported that Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed 14 Palestinians in separate attacks. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed it was striking a rocket launch site and terror infrastructure after detecting a rocket launched from the area of Gaza City that fell short and landed by a hospital inside the enclave. Israel branded the launch as a violation of the ceasefire by Hamas. In a formulation supported by multiple Western outlets, the IDF asserted that these strikes were a legitimate response to a failed projectile launched by Palestinian militants, the same narrative that has been used to justify previous atrocities such as the bombing of Gazas alAhli hospital in 2023 and other attacks later exposed as Israeli war crimes. A Palestinian militant source told Reuters and other wire services that the organization was still checking the allegation of a misfired rocket, underscoring that even on its own terms, Israels story remains unsubstantiated while the civilian death toll mounts. One of the deadliest attacks took place in the western area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, where an Israeli air strike hit a tent sheltering displaced people. Medics said at least four people were killed and three others wounded in the tent, including children. With the families already having been driven from their homes by earlier bombardments, they were incinerated or blown to bits in what had been designated a safe area. Gazas civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported that four people, including three children, were killed when a drone struck the tent shelter. These killings, occurring in makeshift camps where thousands have been forced to live on bare ground and plastic sheeting, are part of the ongoing deliberate campaign to make life in Gaza physically unlivable and to push the population to leave the area. In northern Gaza, the IDF extended its onslaught to one of the last refuges for families who have nowhere left to go. Also on Thursday, medics reported that a man was killed in an Israeli strike on a school in Jabalia that was sheltering displaced families, again in flagrant violation of the supposed ceasefire and international humanitarian law. Gazas civil defense agency confirmed that an 11yearold girl was killed near the Jabalia refugee camp and that a strike on a school in the area killed another person. Israeli warplanes continued to hit civilian infrastructure that has been turned into makeshift shelters by months of continuous bombardment. The killing of children in schools and campsplaces marked precisely because they house those driven from their homesexposes the fraudulent character of all claims that Israel is conducting precision strikes on military targets. In Gaza City, fresh strikes hit the Zeitoun neighborhood, one of the most devastated areas in the enclave and a zone where hundreds of thousands have been confined west of the Israeliimposed yellow line under the USbrokered truce. Medics and local officials reported that four people were killed in a separate strike in Zeitoun, adding to the toll of killings since the supposed ceasefire went into effect in October. Al Jazeera and other outlets have documented repeated attacks on residential homes and warehouses in Zeitoun and other Gaza City districts, with Palestinian civil defense crews often forced to dig bodies from the rubble using rudimentary tools due to the destruction of heavy rescue equipment. These attacks are part of a systematic pattern that aims to depopulate entire neighborhoods, not isolated responses to any incident. The latest killings violate the Trumpbrokered ceasefire and peace plan announced last October, which the White House presented as a 20point roadmap to end the war and reconstruct Gaza. According to the Council on Foreign Relations and UN reporting, Israel has carried out more than 100 shellings and shootings in Gaza, rejected over 100 humanitarian aid requests, and has continued to impose a crippling siege in the months since the agreement was proclaimed. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that at least 425 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded in Israeli attacks since the truce supposedly took effect. This figure has been corroborated by international and independent outlets. The ongoing killings, combined with Israels systematic obstruction of food, fuel and shelter, constitute a continuing genocidal campaign carried out with full US approval, demonstrating that the ceasefire is a tactical device for management of public opinion while the war goes on. As the latest crimes unfold in Gaza, the American and international media have increasingly focused on the US intervention in Venezuela and on the explosive political crisis triggered by the murder of an American citizen by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday. In Venezuela, the arrest of Nicolas Maduro by US forces is part of the same imperialist strategy of violence and conquest that has been driving the genocide in Gaza. At home, protests have erupted across the United States after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed 37yearold US citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, with demonstrations spreading from Minnesota to cities across the country. Trump and Vice President JD Vance have rushed to defend the ICE agents, blaming the victim, denouncing protesters as domestic terrorists, and exonerating the shooter in a manner that mirrors the justifications given for the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The genocidal conditions imposed on Gaza are expressed most graphically in the plight of Palestinian infants and small children. Al Jazeera reports that Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned of a surge in respiratory infections, skin diseases and other illnesses among Palestinians living in makeshift shelters, as Israel continues to block the entry of tents, tarps and temporary housing amid freezing winter temperatures. MSF states that babies in Gaza are suffering from severe cold as displaced families endure torrential rain and strong winds in flimsy tent encampments and ruined buildings, with no heating, electricity or proper clothing. In December, a twoweekold infant, Mohammed Khalil Abu alKhair, froze to death in Gaza after Israels restrictions on shelter materials and aid turned the winter cold into a lethal weapon. The Trump administration is now preparing to dress up the ongoing massacre with a new stagemanaged diplomatic facade. US officials have leaked that Trump will soon announce the formation of a socalled Gaza Board of Peace, the body tasked under Washingtons plan with overseeing Gazas reconstruction, structuring its future administration and distributing international funds. Trump has declared that he will personally lead this board, which is expected to comprise around 15 imperialist figures and their bourgeois nationalist partners, including representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. Reports indicate that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, notorious for his role in the carnage of the Iraq war, has been named as a founding member, while a former UN Middle East envoy has been designated as the boards representative on the ground in Israel and Gaza. Nikolay Mladenov, named to head Trumps Board of Peace, is a right-wing Bulgarian politician and diplomat whose record is bound up with NATOs wars in the Middle East and the peace process now being used to cover the genocide in Gaza. His recordfrom Bulgarias defense and foreign ministries, through the UN missions in Iraq and Palestinehas been in the service of imperialism and colonialism. The purpose of this Board of Peace is not to end the suffering of the Palestinians but to create a technocratic facade for a regime in Gaza that will exclude Palestinians from any governing role and ensure that reconstruction funds are tied to the political and economic dictates of the Trump White House. The boards purpose is to supervise the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic government and to police the enclave under the rubric of stability, while the underlying structures of occupation and siege remain unchanged. The murderous strikes on tents, schools and homes in Khan Yunis, Jabalia and Zeitoun, the freezing to death of infants, and the daily toll of Palestinians killed under the socalled ceasefire expose the situation in Gaza. It is an ongoing genocide carried out by Israel with the support of US and European imperialism. The Trump administrations ceasefire, peace plan and Board of Peace are instruments of this policy, designed to deflect mass opposition and provide a diplomatic cover for ethnic cleansing that aims to drive Palestinians out of the occupied territories. The Australian Labor government, like its imperialist counterparts in Europe and internationally, has effectively lined up behind the Trump administrations lawless assault on Venezuela, including its kidnapping of that countrys President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. At the same time, Labors response has been marked by an evident nervousness. It is fearful of being too closely identified with Trumps act of aggression, because of popular opposition. And the brazen illegality of the onslaught against Venezuela has triggered concerns over the potential international implications, with commentators noting that all of the old norms of international relations are finished. Labor leaders have sought to manage the difficulty by saying as little as possible. Anthony Albanese [Photo by Parliament of Australia website / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 The tone was set by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. In the immediate wake of the US sneak attack, he issued a statement so vague and evasive as to be almost unreal. The government was monitoring developments in Venezuela, Albanese wrote. We urge all parties to support dialogue and diplomacy in order to secure regional stability and prevent escalation. By that stage, Maduro was in New York, having been abducted by US Special Forces. What sort of dialogue or diplomacy was Albanese talking about, when Venezuelas elected head of state had already been subjected to an extraordinary rendition in violation of the most basic precepts of sovereignty and national self-determination? Albanese then stated that Australia has long held concerns about the situation in Venezuela, including the need to respect democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms. That was a nod to US and right-wing talking points, depicting Maduro as some sort of dictator and casting vague aspersions on Venezuelas electoral processes. Labor has not indicated what democratic principles are associated with the invasion of a sovereign nation and the kidnapping of a foreign leader by the most powerful military nation on earth. And that kidnapping was carried out by Donald Trump, who is not only on a militarist rampage globally, but is also seeking to overturn the US Constitution and establish a personalist dictatorship in America. Albanese rounded off the statement with a ludicrous reference to the importance of international law. The words US and Trump did not appear once. Someone who had not seen the news would have had no idea what prompted Albaneses statement or what it was referring to. In politics, silence and refusal to condemn criminal actions can only be interpreted as consent. That was made more explicit by two other Labor government ministers. Speaking on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio on Monday, industry minister Tim Ayres said: Its for the United States to make out the argument here and to set out the facts. It was very early in the series of events Ayres stated, and the government was working carefully to establish the facts. On the same day, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, addressing a press conference on an unrelated topic, said, We are supporters of international law, and its for the Americans to make clear the legal basis of the steps taken over the weekend. Stripped of the vague terminology and the disclaimers, both were essentially saying that the Trump administration could do what it liked and justify it how it pleased. By the time both of them spoke, there was not the slightest doubt that what had occurred was an illegal regime-change operation. And Trump and other administration figures had spelt out their motives, declaring they wanted to seize Venezuelas oil resources. Notwithstanding Ayres' comment, reminiscent of Inspector Clouseau, that Labor was engaged in some investigation of what had occurred, since the beginning of the week, its representatives have said nothing literally. They have not commented on the escalation of the war, including Trumps seizure of oil tankers in a blatant act of piracy, nor of his threats against other Latin American countries, Greenland and the world. The silence continues a longstanding policy set by Albanese himself. In February, shortly after Trumps inauguration, the fascistic US leader unveiled a plan for the forcible ethnic-cleansing of all of Gaza and its neo-colonial rule by American imperialism. Asked about those plans for a crime of Hitlerian dimensions, Albanese, over and over, declared that he was not going to have a running commentary on statements by the President of the United States. That has been his position on every outrage of the Trump administration, both internationally and domestically. Labor will simply say nothing. How different is the situation when it comes to countries in the crosshairs of US imperialism? Albanese and Co. have denounced Russia stridently, over its reactionary invasion of Ukraine, continuously covering up the reality that the conflict was provoked by the US and NATO. And at one international or regional summit after another, Labor leaders have issued baseless claims that China is violating the rules-based order and international law because of its maritime activities in the South China Sea and its insistence on maintaining the status quo over Taiwan. Again, those accusations turn reality on its head, under conditions of a vast US build-up in the region directed against Beijing. While adopting the position that Trump can essentially do as he pleases, Labors preoccupation since its reelection in May has been in deepening US-Australian ties in those preparations for war against China. Vast efforts were devoted to securing a meeting between Trump and Albanese in November, at which the two signed an agreement on critical minerals, which are decisive to the confrontation with China. Labor has vastly expanded US basing, is committed to the AUKUS pact, under which Australia will acquire nuclear powered submarines from America at a cost of $368 billion and has increased domestic military spending to record levels. Reflecting Australias role as a middle-order imperialist power, which has always prosecuted its own predatory interests under the umbrella of the dominant power of the day, Labor has gone all in with a Trump administration that is on a global rampage. An article in the Australian Financial Review last week was headlined Australia on notice after US breach of international law. It cited Donald Rothwell, a professor of international law at Australian National University, who assessed that Trumps kidnapping of Maduro was a violation of the United Nations charter and of international law. As per the article, Rothwell cautioned against drawing immediate implications for the Indo-Pacific region but said Washingtons actions certainly puts Australia on notice that the US would not hesitate to use military force to achieve policy goals in its own national interest. He raised the prospect that its flouting of international law in respect to Venezuela, might embolden the United States to take a more robust approach to confronting China. The attack on Venezuela was not simply an assault on its national sovereignty in another criminal intervention by US imperialism in Latin America. It was very much part of a developing global war that is already underway and was aimed at undercutting Chinas growing influence and ties in the region. Trump commented, following a meeting with US oil companies after the invasion of Venezuela and the commandeering of its reserves, that if the US did not invade, then China or Russia would have. There is, of course, not one shred of evidence for this allegation, but it highlights that these lawless measures are all in preparation for war against the American imperialism's main rivals. As Rothwells comments underscore, the political establishment knows that it is playing with fire, risking a war between the US and China that would be catastrophic. But under conditions of a breakdown of global capitalism and an eruption of imperialist militarism, that is the direction the ruling elites are heading unless they are stopped by an international and socialist anti-war movement of the working class. Soldiers follow a Marder infantry fighting vehicle during a demonstration event held for the media by the German Bundeswehr in Bergen near Hanover, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. [AP Photo/Michael Sohn] The traditional winter retreat of the Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentary group, which took place from 6 to 8 January 2026 at Seeon Abbey, marks a further authoritarian and militaristic shift to the right by Germanys ruling class. What was formulated there in internal policy papers, speeches and interviews goes far beyond party-political positioning. In Seeon, the CSU drafted a coherent programme of mass deportations, the expansion of the police state, social counterrevolution and the large-scale rearmament of the Bundeswehr. This is a programme that largely corresponds to that of the fascist Alternative for Germany (AfD) and is supported by the entire federal government, a coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDU) with their Bavarian sister party the CSU and the Social Democrats (SPD). The retreat was dominated by agitation against migrants and refugees and by a so-called deportation offensive 2026. In an internal position paper, the CSU calls for scheduled flights to Afghanistan and especially to Syria, a dedicated deportation terminal at Munich Airport, and the withdrawal of protected status for most Syrians. Although the new Islamist regime in Syria is using brutal violence against minorities, the CSU claims that the country is under reconstruction, meaning that there is no longer any general reason for protection. Party leader and Bavarian Minister-President Markus Soder threatened: 2026 is the year in which deportations to Afghanistan and Syria will take place. These announcements are accompanied by a massive expansion of repressive state powers. The CSU is demanding increased video surveillance in public spaces, harsher penalties for attacks on police officers and a stronger prioritisation of internal security within the state apparatus. Media reports quote CSU sources saying that this is to become the second pillar of policy alongside the economy and external security. The political content is unmistakable: immigration is criminalised, social problems are ethnicised and the security apparatus is deliberately strengthened in order to suppress growing social resistance. This course represents an open adoption of the AfDs programme. Demands that only a few years ago were regarded as defining features of the fascists are now being advanced by a governing party and are to be implemented immediately. Refugees are turned into scapegoats for a deep economic and social crisis, while police, intelligence services and surveillance agencies are massively strengthened. At the same time in Seeon, the CSU announced a comprehensive general overhaul of the welfare state. In economic policy terms, it is calling for the corporate tax reform already agreed for 2028 to be brought forward to 1 January 2026. Corporation tax is to be reduced step by step by a total of five percentage points. In a further position paper, economy and growth are defined as the first pillar of policy, and tax cuts in the interests of the super-rich are promoted as a central means of increasing competitiveness. Soder formulated the social attack openly. He declared that a reform of the welfare state would hurt a little. Among other things, he cited further cuts in the healthcare system as an example. Measures under discussion include a reduction in the number of health insurance funds, tougher action against alleged skiving and stricter monitoring of sickness certificates. In addition, the CSU is calling for compulsory nationwide language tests at pre-school ageanother expansion of state control that particularly affects working-class families and migrants. The connection between social cuts and the authoritarian restructuring of the state is obvious. While companies and the wealthy are relieved of burdens, workers and the socially vulnerable are to bear the costs of the crisis. Disciplining, control and repression form the flip side of redistribution upwards. The reactionary character of the Seeon resolutions is particularly evident in the military programme. In a paper entitled Seeon26, the CSU reaffirms the federal governments goal of making the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe. This is to be achieved not only numerically, but also technologically. Planned measures include the creation of a European arsenal of long-range precision weapons thataccording to the papers wordingcan strike the enemy deep into the rear. Equally far-reaching is the plan to build a genuine drone army with at least 100,000 drones of all size classes, linked to AI systems and independent space-based capabilities. Added to this is the demand for a fully monitored, transparent Baltic Sea, which is to be controlled without gaps, including through underwater drones to protect pipelines and critical infrastructure. Even the Franco-German Future Air Combat System is to be pursued nationally, if necessary, should partner countries withdrawpreparing the ground for independent German rearmament. These plans tie up enormous financial and industrial resources and make clear what is at stake: social cuts and tax handouts to corporations form the basis for historically unprecedented rearmament and preparations for war. This policy is directed quite explicitly above all against the nuclear power Russia. The aggressive orientation of this policy was also underscored by the guests attending the retreat. With Finlands Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and Lithuanias President Gitanas Nauseda, two leading representatives of NATOs war offensive against Russia in Ukraine were present. Nauseda praised the permanent stationing of a German combat brigade in Lithuania from 2027, with German troops currently being prepared for permanent deployment directly on Russias border. Valtonen is known for playing down Finlands alliance with the Nazi regime during the Second World War. In a speech in London last year, she declared: We Finns know Russia. Russia has land borders with 14 states. Only one of them remained an independent democracy during the Second World War and the Cold War: Finland. In reality, Finland secured its independence during the Second World War through support for the Holocaust and active participation in the Nazis war of annihilation against the Soviet Union. Under the pretext of defence against the Soviet Union, the Finnish government committed numerous historical crimes, including the formation of a Waffen-SS battalion that took part in war crimes during the German invasion of Soviet Ukraine. Nor is the war in Ukraine today about independence or even the defence of freedom and democracy. As in the First and Second World Wars, it is about bringing all Eastern Europe under the control of a Europe led by Germany, ultimately subjugating Russia itself and securing its raw materials. Significantly, Chancellor Friedrich Merz had for the first time floated the prospect of deploying German troops to Ukraine just two days before his appearance in Seeon, at a summit meeting in Paris. In his speech in Seeon, he fully endorsed the plans of the Bavarian sister party. His appearance made clear that the line of Soders CSU is the programme of the entire federal governmentincluding the Social Democrats. Particularly threatening was Soders demonstrative commitment to the United States. He declared that Germanys security was unthinkable without the USA, especially regarding military and intelligence cooperation. This declaration came only days after the illegal attack by the United States on Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduroan illegal war of aggression that the World Socialist Web Site has sharply condemned. European governments, including the German government, responded with empty phrases about the importance of international law, but refused to clearly condemn the attack, instead welcoming the overthrow of Maduro. At the same time, an agent of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot dead the mother of three Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. A statement by the Socialist Equality Party (US) described this act as a political murder and as an expression of a rapidly developing police state, in which immigrants are declared fair game for state violence and all opposition is suppressed in order to secure the interests of a fabulously wealthy oligarchy. By embracing the US military, intelligence services and security apparatus despite growing transatlantic tensions, Soder and the CSU support precisely these methods. At the same time, they provide the international model for their own deportation offensive, the expansion of the surveillance state, the militarisation of society and a global policy of aggressive war. The CSU retreat in Seeon is therefore a grave warning to the working class. Germanys ruling class is responding to the deepest crisis of capitalism since the 1930s with the same methods as its counterpart in the United States: war abroad, social cuts, agitation against refugees and the expansion of the police state at home. This course cannot be stopped by appeals to capitalist parties, all of which support it, but only through the building of an independent, international socialist movement against war, dictatorship and capitalism. In a calculated act of political censorship, the Adelaide Festival Board announced this week that academic and author Randa Abdel-Fattah had been disinvited from Adelaide Writers Week, one of Australias oldest and largest literary festivals, due to begin on February 27. Abdel-Fattah, the only author of Palestinian descent on the program and the recipient of numerous literary prizes, was scheduled to speak about her recent novel Discipline, which focuses on the lives of two Muslim girls and exposes institutional racism and censorship in universities and the media. Randa Abdel-Fattah [Photo: Pan Macmillan Australia ] The decision, which followed a recent letter to the board from the Jewish Community Council of South Australia demanding Abdel-Fattahs removal, has been angrily denounced by leading writers and cultural figures across the country and internationally. According to current estimates, more than half the scheduled speakers have decided to boycott the event. In a statement posted on Instagram on Thursday, Abdel-Fattah accurately denounced the decision as a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship, and a despicable attempt to associate me with the Bondi massacre. She said she was being treated as if her very existence as a Palestinian voice had rendered her persona non grata in cultural circles. Yesterday, Abdel-Fattah called for the festival to apologise, retract its statement and reinstate her invitation, and urged writers to withdraw from the festival in protest. Speaking to ABC radio on Friday, she said the decision reflected egregious and unabashed anti-Palestinian views that had become normalised and described as obscene the attempt to associate her with an atrocity that goes without saying she had nothing to do with. She stressed that in 2026, after two years of watching the genocide of her people live-streamed from Gaza, she is now forced to declare publicly that she has nothing to do with the Bondi atrocities. In its January 8 statementa model of political doublespeakthe festival board cynically claimed that while it did not suggest in any way that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattahs or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi, her past statements meant it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi. Fifteen people were killed in the December 2025 mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney during a Hanukkah celebration, a horrific attack that Labor governmentsstate and federaland the corporate media have relentlessly exploited to intensify the witch hunt against opponents of Zionism and defenders of the Palestinian people. While the board explicitly conceded that Abdel-Fattah had no connection whatsoever to the Bondi atrocity, it weaponised the tragedy to claim that her mere presence at Adelaide Writers Week (AWW) was culturally insensitivea kind of emotional provocation against Jewsand a risk that must be removed in the name of community cohesion. Adelaide Writers' Festival 2023/Facebook The boards decision, which overrides AWW director Louise Adler and her production team, is in line with the repressive pro-Zionist attacks on democratic rights now being implemented by state and federal Labor governments in the aftermath of the Bondi terrorist attack. In a clear, chilling message to the AWW curators, the statement boasted that the board had established a special subcommittee to oversee the ongoing board-led review of Writers Week, involving ongoing engagement with relevant government agencies and external experts. In other words, festival programming will now be subjected to direct input from government and unnamed expertsa thinly veiled reference to pro-Zionist lobbyists that have been mobilised nationally since October 2023 to silence all opposition to Israels crimes. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, a leading figure in the Labor apparatus, boasted to the media on Friday that he was happy to make it clear that his government opposed Abdel-Fattahs participation in the Adelaide Writers Week program. I do not support the inclusion of those who actively undermine the cultural safety of others, who celebrate the death of innocent civilians, or those who doxx other artists simply because of their faith or cultural background, he said, slanderously imputing this activity to Abdel-Fattah. Former NSW Labor Premier Bob Carr, one of the dwindling number of speakers still scheduled to appear at the AWW, publicly backed Abdel-Fattahs removal. He joined the pile-on against Abdel-Fattah, telling the Guardian that he believed some of Abdel-Fattahs previous statements were counterproductive to the Palestinian cause and that the festival board had made the right decision. Abdel-Fattah has been hounded for years by the media, Zionist lobby groups and the political establishmentwith Labor playing the key role in the witch huntingbecause of her outspoken defence of Palestinian rights and condemnation of Israeli war crimes. In February 2025, federal Education Minister Jason Clare instigated a ten-month investigation into Abdel-Fattahs Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, an $870,000 grant to study Arab and Muslim-Australian social movements, leading to the suspension of the grant for most of the year. The investigation, conducted through the Australian Research Council and Macquarie University, eventually cleared her of wrongdoing and the grant was reinstated in December 2025, just days before the Bondi attack. A previous attempt to silence her and other anti-Gaza-genocide writers was mounted at last years Bendigo Writers Festival via the imposition of a last-minute code of conduct by the events sponsorsLa Trobe University and the City of Greater Bendigo. This failed, however, after Abdel-Fattah and more than 50 other featured writers boycotted the event in protest. The code of conduct was introduced following agitation by a pro-Israel academic lobby group targeting Abdel-Fattah and branding her a direct threat to the Jewish community. The timing of the latest attack is revealing. After Labors campaign to strip her of her Australian Research Council Future Fellowship failed, a new pretextthe Bondi shootingwas seized upon to step up the witch hunt. Abdel-Fattahs cancellation by the Adelaide Festival Board has met with significant and rapid opposition. Within hours of the boards announcement, prominent authors angrily denounced the decision and began withdrawing from the festival. Those pulling out include British author Zadie Smith, Pulitzer Prize winner Percival Everett, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and Russian-Jewish writer M. Gessen. Among the scores of local writers boycotting the festival are two-time Miles Franklin and Stella Prize winner Michelle de Kretser, Miles Franklin laureate Melissa Lucashenko, Helen Garner, former Egyptian-jailed Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste, poet and scholar Evelyn Araluen, historian Clare Wright, Chelsea Watego, academic Bernadette Brennan, journalists Amy Remeikis and Jane Caro, and many others. The Australia Institute, a prominent public policy think tank and long-time festival partner, has cancelled its sponsorship and events, while Writers SA, the states peak organisation for writing and literature, has withdrawn from the event, as has South Australian publisher Pink Shorts Press. Statements by many of those boycotting the festival go beyond the Gaza genocide, forthrightly denouncing the anti-democratic and authoritarian character of the boards decision and its consequences. Particularly notable were comments from acclaimed Australian author Richard Flanagan (Death of a River Guide, The Sound of One Hand Clapping, The Unknown Terrorist, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, First Person, Question 7). He won the 2014 Man Booker Prize for The Narrow Road to the Deep North and the 2024 Baillie Gifford Prize for Question 7, making him the first writer in history to win both Britains major fiction and non-fiction prizes. Richard Flanagan, author of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, speaks after winning the Man Booker for fiction prize at the Guildhall in London, Oct. 14, 2014. [AP Photo/Alastair Grant] Flanagan said the festival boards linking of Abdel-Fattah to the Bondi massacre was a vile and appalling slander and warned: In saying one Australian writer cannot speak, inevitably more and more Australian writers will find themselves also unable to speakfirst at festivals, soon in universities, then on public broadcasters. And the categories of what is unsayable and who is silenced will inevitably grow. Today it is Gaza, but next it could be the environment or social policy. As we see in the United States, the slippery categories of terrorism and community cohesion are ever-growing as forces of oppression. The principled decision by writers, artists and organisations to boycott the Adelaide festivals is a powerful expression of the deep-seated opposition to the ongoing Gaza genocide and Labors attacks on free speech and other basic democratic rights. The rapid response against this repressive attack on free speech is the product of almost two and a half years of vicious assaults and pro-Zionist, state-backed victimisations against academics, creative workers, journalists, health workers, teachers and others speaking out against the Gaza genocide and Israeli war crimes. These political experiences have not been in vain but have produced a deeper understanding that fundamental rights are at stake and have deepened the resistance. But this opposition cannot be confined to moral appeals to festival boards, governments or universities in the hope that these institutions can be pressured into changing course. While Australian authors and writers have powerfully condemned the censorship of Abdel-Fattah, they need to recognise that this fight must be linked to a broader working-class struggle against the entire political establishment and the pro-imperialist Labor governmentsstate and federal. Writers, artists and intellectuals need to orient the struggle against artistic censorship towards the working class and youth and develop it as part of a broader fight against imperialist war, militarism and social austerity. Unless a conscious, organised movement is built to oppose the turn to authoritarianism, the repressive measures now being unleashed against those speaking out against Israels war crimes will be deployed ever more broadly against all social and political opposition. A key step for all those opposing the political censorship of Randa Abdel-Fattah is to register and participate in the Socialist Equality Partys online public meeting at 2 p.m. (AEST) tomorrow. Titled Bondi terror attacka socialist assessment, the meeting has been called to discuss these vital questions. Key Takeaways Just 57% of Americans in their mid-50s to mid-60s have a retirement account, a participation rate that is near a 30-year low. Among households with at least one retirement account, the median balance for this age group was $185,000. Retirement readiness varies widely at this stage, shaped by housing wealth, access to workplace plans, and exposure to market swings. How Many Americans Ages 5564 Have Any Retirement Savings at All The Federal Reserves Survey of Consumer Finances shows that 57% of households headed by someone ages 5564 had money in retirement-specific accounts in 2022, the most recent year for which data is available. While that share is higher than in 2019, it's among the lowest participation rates for this age group since 1995, according to the survey. A households income, wealth, and ability to save for retirement are closely tied to age. Families tend to see assets grow over time, with earnings and net worth often peaking in the years leading up to retirement, according to the Feds data. For households in their mid-50s to mid-60s, median income and net worth are typically near their highest levels, reflecting decades of earnings, savings, and asset accumulation. This lifestage can bring with it more financial flexibility than earlier years, as expenses tied to raising children or paying for college often decline. Even so, many people in this age range arent prioritizingor able to maintainretirement savings. Some households may be retiring earlier than planned or shifting assets as they prepare for income planning. Many households are consolidating accounts, retiring earlier, or shifting assets in anticipation of income planning, said Eric Ludwig, director of the Center for Retirement Income at the American College of Financial Services. Others never fully accumulated [their retirement savings] and are quietly opting out. Why This Matters to You Many Americans in their mid-50s and early 60s are close to retirement but dont have dedicated retirement accounts or have modest balances. Seeing where this age group stands can help households assess their own situation before leaving the workforce. How Much Retirement Savings Americans Ages 5564 Typically Have Among households ages 5564 that reported having retirement accounts in 2022, the median balance was $185,000. That figure is higher than the balances held by younger households but lower than the typical amounts reported by people ages 6574. The median is the midpoint of all reported balances, meaning half of households had more saved, and half had less. Its used to avoid unusually small or large accounts skewing the average. SHANGHAI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The Chinese unit of Netherlands-based Nexperia is selecting local firms to supply it with silicon wafers and is expanding domestic packaging capacity, Nexperia's Chinese owner Wingtech Technology told financial magazine Caixin. In an interview published on Friday, which China's Caixin said was conducted in late December, Wingtech's chairwoman Ruby Yang Mu said that the company expected most of the selection process to be completed in the first quarter. Reuters reported in December that the unit had locked in supplies of Chinese-made silicon wafers to cover its entire 2026 production for one type of power chip after Nexperia Netherlands stopped supplying the raw material in a corporate dispute. The Dutch government took control of Nexperia from Wingtech in September, citing governance issues, before suspending supplies of wafers to the Chinese unit the next month. Beijing responded by halting exports of Nexperia's finished products, triggering chip shortages for global automakers. Securing local suppliers could allow the Chinese unit to continue manufacturing its chips. While both governments relaxed their measures last month, court fights and an internal battle continue over control of Nexperia. Yang said in the interview that Wingtech was still looking to regain control of Nexperia. "The current fragmentation leads to duplicated investment and exposes Nexperia to competitive risks, ultimately harming the companys overall interests," she said. A Dutch court will hold a hearing on January 14 to hear arguments over whether it should formally investigate alleged mismanagement at Nexperia. Nexperia Netherlands did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Additional reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) Once hailed as the Tesla of China, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) startup Nio (NIO) has been out of favor with markets. NIO peaked in early 2021 when its market cap surpassed $100 billion but closed in the red for the past four consecutive years. It did break its losing streak last year, and while the stock fell sharply from its 2025 highs, it still managed to gain around 17%. Let's dig into Nios 2026 forecast and examine whether the stock can gain further this year. www.barchart.com Nio Reached the Milestone of Producing 1 Million Cars Lets begin by looking at the companys recent performance. Nio delivered 48,135 vehicles in December, which was 54.6% higher year-over-year (YoY) and a new monthly high. In Q4 2025, it delivered 124,807 vehicles, which, while below the 150,000 that it had previously forecast, was still up a cool 71.7% as compared to the corresponding period in 2024. More News from Barchart The company has reached the milestone of hitting the production milestone of 1 million cars, which is no mean achievement considering the state of the EV industry. Nios ES8 SUV, whose cumulative deliveries surpassed 40,000 units in December, has been a key driver of rising sales in recent months. NIO's financial performance has also improved, and in Q3 2025, gross margin was 13.9% as compared to 10.7% in the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Its net loss fell 31.2% YoY to $488.9 million and was narrower than expected. The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $5.1 billion. NIO Stock 2026 Forecast Nio has set an ambitious target of achieving volume growth of between 40% and 50% in 2026. Its deliveries rose 46.9% to 326,028 last year, and achieving the top end of the guidance would mean its 2026 deliveries getting closer to half a million this year. The carmaker expects to launch five new models in 2026, which, coupled with the Onvo L90 and the ES8, are expected to drive deliveries. Nio is also upbeat on improving its bottom line and has expressed optimism over hitting a breakeven on adjusted profits in Q4 2025. If the company were to achieve the feat, it would be a significant milestone considering the massive losses the industry is infamous for. For 2026, Nio is targeting full-year profitability on a non-GAAP basis. Editor's note: This story contains descriptions of sexual abuse that may be offensive to some readers or painful to survivors of sexual abuse. Actor, director and Michigan native Timothy Busfield has been accused of child sex abuse and there's a warrant for his arrest, according to reports. Busfield, who was born in Lansing, has been charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse related to alleged misconduct involving child actors during the filming of the Fox series "The Cleaning Lady" in Albuquerque, according to KOAT-TV in New Mexico. Timothy Busfield attends the New York Premiere of ABC's "For Life" at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on Feb. 5, 2020, in New York City. Court documents say Albuquerque police started an investigation into Busfield in November 2024 after University of New Mexico Hospital staff told police it appeared children were groomed, KOAT reported. Advertisement Advertisement The children didn't disclose sexual contact at the hospital, but said "Uncle Tim" would tickle them on the stomach and legs. In later conversations with interviewers, the children claimed being touched inappropriately on set by Busfield in their private areas over their clothing, according to KOAT. Busfield told investigators he didn't remember it happening and also claimed the boys' mother sought revenge after the children were not brought back for a new season, according to KOAT. According to Rolling Stone, Busfield told investigators per the warrant: "There would never be a weird moment about it. I dont really remember picking those boys up. I remember picking up the boy who followed them. Id pick him up, and hed be giggling, and that would sort of get him ready to act." Advertisement Advertisement The initial investigation by Albuquerque police didn't meet the department's acceptance criteria at the time, according to Rolling Stone. Warner Brothers, the producer of "The Cleaning Lady," conducted an investigation, but could not substantiate the claims, both KOAT and Rolling Stone reported. The children's mother filed a police report in October 2025 and told Child Protective Services her children disclosed Busfield abused them from around November 2022 to spring 2024, according to Rolling Stone. Busfield is married to actress Melissa Gilbert, and the couple spent several years living in Michigan. Busfield grew up in East Lansing. Actress Melissa Gilbert, left, and her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, pose during a photo call for the Golden Nymph Awards ceremony of the 62nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival in the Principality of Monaco on June 20, 2023. Busfield and Gilbert moved to Brighton in Livingston County in 2015, but relocated to New York City in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement During their time in Michigan, Busfield was artist in residence at Michigan State's College of Communication Arts and Sciences. KOAT said records show Busfield currently has a residence in Albuquerque. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Actor Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse, reports say An arrest warrant has been issued for Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, best known for his roles in Field of Dreams and TVs thirtysomething and The West Wing, on allegations of sexual abuse involving a minor in New Mexico. According to court documents obtained by KOAT, the investigation began in November 2024 when an officer was dispatched to the University of New Mexico Hospital after a doctor called police. The officer spoke with parents who said their children, two boys, were actors on the Fox television drama The Cleaning Lady, which Busfield joined as a director. Advertisement Advertisement According to the warrant filed by Albuquerque police in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Jan. 4, Busfield told the children, identified as VL and SL in the document, to call him Uncle Tim. Southern California In-N-Outs hit by counterfeit cash scam (The mother) informed Officer Osborn that she had asked their children who were eleven years old at the time, if anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable, the affidavit states. The children responded by asking, You mean like Uncle Tim? While the boys did not disclose any sexual contact at the time, they said Busfield would tickle them on their stomach and legs, according to police, who determined the evidence didnt meet the threshold for charges at that time. Executive Producer Timothy Busfield speaks on stage during the Secrets And Lies panel at the Disney/ABC Television Group 2015 Winter TCA on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Then, in early October 2025, one of the parents reported to Child Protective Services that her children disclosed sexual abuse by Busfield from around November 2022 to spring 2024. One child shared with a therapist that Busfield touched both his genitalia and bottom on several occasions while on the set of the show, the affidavit states. Advertisement Advertisement Albuquerque PD Officer Marvin Brown described Busfields alleged behavior as classic grooming. He would invite the family to off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster closeness, making SL feel special and dependent-classic grooming to erode boundaries, isolate the victim, and silence suspicions by blending abuse into normalcy, Brown stated. Brown interviewed Busfield, who only acknowledged having playful contact with the children on the set, the affidavit states. He suggested the allegations were due to the parents wanting revenge after their children were not brought back for the shows final season. Busfield, 68, who is married to actress Melissa Gilbert, faces two counts of sexual contact with a minor and child abuse. It was unclear if he had been booked as of Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Busfield has more than 700 credits as an actor, producer and director. In 1991, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his role as Elliot Weston on the hit series thirtysomething. He also had major roles in The West Wing, Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Sneakers (1992) and Quiz Show (1994). KTLA has reached out to Busfields representatives for comment but did not receive a response as of Saturday morning. Warner Bros. Television, which produced The Cleaning Lady for Fox, addressed the charges in a statement to Deadline: The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. As many royal fans know by now, ex-Prince Andrews living situation is totally up in the air! Theres an agreed-upon date for him to move out of the Royal Lodge, but afterward? There are reports that he may move into one of King Charles IIIs privately owned Sandringham estates or even become homeless. Now, there are talks that he may leave the country for the Middle East. A new interview with People featuring royal author and journalist Robert Jobson suggests that Andrew may leave the UK for the Middle East, specifically Bahrain. More from SheKnows Advertisement Advertisement One never knowsit could be a place where Andrew gets the recognition of being the second son of Queen Elizabeth, rather than this, Jobson said to the outlet. Other disgraced people have gone to the Middle East. Andrew did a lot of business in Bahrain, and hes still relatively young. WINDSOR, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Prince Andrew, Duke of York, attends the Sunday Service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor, following the announcement on Friday April 9th of the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 99, on April 11, 2021 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Jobson is referring to the former King Juan Carlos of Spain, who relocated to the UAE in 2020, and how Andrew had many business connections in the country of Bahrain with ventures like Pitch@Palace and Waterberg Stirling, which were all about bridging the gap between Middle Eastern investment and Chinese initiatives. Jobson also notes that it could be a way for him to regain privacy after years of scandal, including his connection to Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia Guiffres posthumously-released memoir, and his financial scandals that came out after he lost his titles. Before you go, click here to find out which tell-all books expose major royal family secrets. Finding Freedom, Lady in Waiting Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Alabama Barkers latest Instagram photos are causing a stir. Michael Loccisano / Getty Images Related: People Are Fiercely Defending Millie Bobby Brown After A Viral Post About Her Baby Crying In The Middle Of An Interview Sparked Backlash Sadly, Alabamas post was quickly met with a flood of negative comments. Despite the fact that Alabama is a legal adult, one popular comment questioned Travis and Shannas parenting, reading: If I wore that when I was your age, my parents would kill me. Phillip Faraone / Getty Images Alabama actually ended up responding directly to this comment, simply writing, aw. Advertisement Advertisement Related: We Have An Update On The Apparent Reason For Nina Dobrev And Shaun Whites Breakup, And It Sounds Pretty Complicated Another person poked fun at Alabamas recent admission about Travis buying her lingerie for Christmas , commenting under her recent pics, Did daddy buy you that? In response, Alabama told the user that they were pushing 40. For context, Alabama revealed in a now-viral present haul video last month, So my dad went a little crazy in Agent ProvocateurKourtney [Kardashian] picked out most of it and then the girl knows me there, so she gave recommendations of what I like. After heaps of backlash, Alabama said in a follow-up video, I have to go on a fucking rant. Why the fuck, why the fuck, are you guys trying to make this lingerie thing a thing?! Kourtney picked out the lingerie. Kourtney! You think my dads like, Oh, Im going to go pick out my daughters lingerie? No! It was on my Christmas list, and he wanted to make it happen for me, so he let Kourtney go pick out the lingerie. Related: Here's How Gwyneth Paltrow Reportedly Feels About Chris Martin And Dakota Johnson's Alleged Split Some more of the negative comments under Alabamas post read , imagine walking around your dads house like this, and Where did her self respect go ? Out the window I guess. Lester Cohen / Getty Images As well as replying to some of the negative comments under her Instagram pictures, Alabama pointedly liked a comment that read, She is NOT a child anymore. Last time I checked 20 is an ADULT! Related: Youre Gonna Want That Back: Winona Ryder Just Reflected On The Young Women She Knows Undergoing Buccal Fat Removal Let us know what you think in the comments. More on this Also in Celebrity: Listen Up, Millennials And Gen Z'ers: If You Can Identify These 17 Famous People, Your Parents Raised You Right Also in Celebrity: 18 Celebrity Interview Moments From This Year That Are SoOoOoOo Awkward, I'm Feeling Major Secondhand Embarrassment Also in Celebrity: People Are Sharing Actors Who They Didn't Realize Are Two Different People, And It's Uncanny Read it on BuzzFeed.com If and when King Charles III comes to the United States for a potential state visit with President Donald Trump, he shouldnt expect a luxurious loo. Multiple reports have stated that the 77-year-old monarch and his wife, Queen Camilla, 78, are expected to travel to the U.S. in April coinciding with Americas 250th independence anniversary for a potential state visit with the president, 79. However, the Apprentice alum is currently having work done at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, including the addition of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom which replaces the previously demolished East Wing. A Thursday, January 8, report in The Telegraph (via People) claimed that major occasions, like state dinners, at the White House are currently being hosted on the South Lawn, with outdoor restrooms nearby so guests dont have to make the trek back inside. Advertisement Advertisement White House staff secretary Will Scharf addressed the royal familys potential visit at a National Capital Planning Commission meeting held Thursday, according to the publication. I think its notable that when the President of the United States of America flies to the United Kingdom, hes hosted at Windsor Castle, Scharff said, the U.K.s Daily Express also reported. And when the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland comes to the United States, more likely than not, he will be hosted in a tent on the South Lawn with porta-potties, Scharff added. That, to me, is not a good look for the United States of America. A royal family trip to the United States has yet to be officially confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, saw the royals last year when they visited Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate during the first familys second state visit to the U.K. in September. Read More From Star This story King Charles May Have to Use a White House Porta-Potty If Royals Visit President Trump in April first appeared on Star. Add Star as a Preferred Source by clicking here. NEED TO KNOW Michelle Dee recently joined Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa on her podcast, Almost Honest During the episode, the two shared their frustrations with the organization "I dont think its under the right management. Personally, I do not like Nawat [Itsaragrisil]," Verzosa said Michelle Dee found the 2025 pageant season disheartening. The former Miss Universe 2023 contestant recently joined Almost Honest podcast host and Miss International 2016, Kylie Verzosa, to talk about their hopes for the future of the Miss Universe pageant and why theyve been disappointed with it as of late. Advertisement Advertisement On the podcast, Verzosa shared that she doesn't believe the Miss Universe pageant is "under the right management." "Personally, I do not like Nawat [Itsaragrisil]," she candidly said, adding that she feels like the organization "deserves a better leader." While Itsaragrisil is a Miss Universe executive and the Miss Grand International president, the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is owned by Raul Rocha, who has been engulfed in legal drama following the 2025 pageant. In December 2025, Rocha reportedly admitted to Mexicos Attorney General's Office (FRG) that he was involved in smuggling fuel from Guatemala to Mexico. The FRG also accused the businessman of trafficking drugs and weapons. While discussing the pageants and her experience with them, Dee agreed that it's disheartening" seeing how things have shifted after growing up watching the pageants. Mohan Raj/Getty Photo from Miss Universe 2025 Photo from Miss Universe 2025 "It's like because you've seen it year after year after year and it's not just Miss Universe, we go through how many pageants are there now, like 20?" Dee said. "... And each of the [candidates] makes their fans feel a certain way. And you can't deny that when you watch it year after year, you become your own judge." Advertisement Advertisement "And when you see somebody perform so well and not get a placement you feel they deserve, it's disheartening," she continued. "It's disheartening for anyone that wants to join or anyone that has joined because what's the point of sending your best woman if the system is broken?" "It's like what happened to transparency? It's just I feel like they're kind of lost in the sauce," she added, seemingly alluding to claims that the top 30 finalists were chosen before the competition even began, which the Miss Universe Organization previously denied. When talking about their hopes for the future of the pageant, they weighed the possibility of Filipino politician and businessman Chavit Singson potentially acquiring the Miss Universe Organization. Singson and his daughter expressed their desire to own the pageant, and while Dee would be on board, she hopes they have the right intentions. Advertisement Advertisement "I would love for the Philippines to have control over the Miss Universe franchise, but more so than just the Philippines, but an entity that knows, respects, and is just passionate about the brand that it has already established," she shared. Dee noted that she "finds it so sad" when people talk about the "glory days" of the Miss Universe pageant in the "past tense," since it is still the "creme de la creme of pageantry." "To whoever actually wins the bid, we can only hope for the best," she added. RUNGROJ YONGRIT/EPA/Shutterstock Miss Universe 2025 Miss Universe 2025 In a statement released on its social media page earlier this week, the Miss Universe Organization addressed what it considered false and misleading statements about possible changes to the ownership of the brand. Advertisement Advertisement The Miss Universe Organization remains under its current ownership and leadership, the statement read, stating that it is reviewing the matter with legal advisers and will take all appropriate and necessary steps against misleading claims. In the caption of the post, the organization stated, "With 75 years of legacy, global impact, and cultural relevance, we remain guided by the same leadership and values that define who we are. Our commitment to transparency, integrity, and our global mission continues to be unwavering. Last year, Itsaragrisil came under fire after confronting contestant Fatima Bosch during a gathering that was livestreamed on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. When Itsaragrisil addressed the Miss Universe contestants during the event, he stated that they were expected to "promote the host country. Be careful. You are in Thailand. You are in a game." Advertisement Advertisement He then called out Bosch for allegedly refusing to partake in a photo shoot for contestants to share on social media. He claimed that she wasn't posting on orders from Mexico's pageant director, which she stood up to deny. When she tried to explain, she was interrupted by Itsaragrisil, who demanded a verbal confirmation that she was willing to post about Thailand. Multiple contestants followed after Miss Mexico when she left the room, but Itsaragrisil instructed them to stay. "If anyone wants to continue the contest, sit down," he told them. Arnun Chonmahatrakool/Thai News Pix/LightRocket via Getty Miss Universe winner Fatima Bosch. Miss Universe winner Fatima Bosch. Many of the former pageant contestants came out in support of Bosch, who was later crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Nov. 21. Several outlets reported that Itsaragrisil called Bosch a "dumbhead" during their confrontation; a representative for MGI issued a comment to PEOPLE responding to and denying the allegation. Advertisement Advertisement "Miss Mexico wrongly claimed that Mr. Nawat called her 'dumbhead,' when he actually said 'damage.' Video evidence is available. She has never corrected the false accusation, which caused significant reputational harm to Mr. Nawat and triggered a series of escalating issues throughout the 74th Miss Universe event," the MGI representative said. On Wednesday, Dec. 3, the official Miss Universe Thailand Facebook page shared a post on behalf of MGI and Itsaragrisil, claiming he formally filed a criminal complaint against Bosch. The statement added that their intention was to "officially clarify" matters "with regard to the incident reported by multiple media outlets involving the interaction" between Itsaragrisil and Bosch last month. "We wish to reaffirm that Mr. Nawat Itsaragrisil never called Ms. Fatima Bosch a 'dumbhead.' What he said was 'damage,' which is clearly audible in the voice recordings that have already been widely circulated across various platforms," the social media post began. Read the original article on People On its face, Alpamayo is a step beyond what Tesla is doing with its closed FSD system, which powers its EVs and robotaxis, Driggs-Campbell said, though Tesla's system requires supervision at this time, meaning its Level 2 autonomy. Nvidia's Alpamayo claims to be aiming for Level 4 when fully deployed, and FSD aims to get there as well with further software updates. Katie Driggs-Campbell, a professor at the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois, told Yahoo Finance that she's impressed so far by Nvidia's progress, though she warns that that PR hype can overtake reality. All the major players in the autonomous space have the same goal, which is Level 4 autonomous, meaning the cars are fully self-driving within a geographic zone. While Waymo has achieved this in some markets, at the moment Tesla and Nvidia's current DRIVE Hyperion system are at Level 2. Nvidia is targeting Level 4 capability with Alpamayo soon. At CES, Huang said the upcoming Mercedes CLA EV would be the first to implement Nvidia's full self-driving (FSD) stack that includes Alpamayo in Q1, and that it plans to have to autonomous robotaxis like Waymo's with partners like Uber ( UBER ) and Lucid ( LCID ) by 2027. Currently, Alpamayo is Level 2 advanced, meaning it can operate autonomously but requires human supervision. Huang is extremely bullish on autonomous driving. The CEO said he sees a future with a billion autonomous cars on the road. Nvidia has been plugging away at self-driving tech for over 10 years now. Last year, Huang predicted physical AI solutions like autonomous driving would be a "multitrillion-dollar" opportunity . The big question now is whether Nvidia has created a system that is superior to Tesla's ( TSLA ) and is on par with what Alphabet's ( GOOG , GOOGL ) Waymo is doing with its best-in-class robotaxis. Huang played a video of Alpamayo in action during his presentation. In it, a test vehicle navigated the streets of San Francisco, performing maneuvers like that of a human driver, without any interventions. Nvidia's Alpamayo is a chain-of-thought, reasoning-based vision language action (VLA) model used for self-driving cars and robotaxis, which the company said is designed to integrate perception, language, and action planning in making decisions. So said Nvidia ( NVDA ) CEO Jensen Huang at CES in Las Vegas, throwing down the the robotic gauntlet in a statement about the GPU maker's latest autonomous driving move. "The ChatGPT moment for physical AI is here when machines begin to understand, reason, and act in the real world." Story Continues Tesla's FSD is an end-to-end neural network trained on massive amounts of real-world fleet driving data to make perception and control decisions. Tesla shifted from rule-based control and separate modules, per an Elon Musk edict, to a single neural network system that goes from camera input to vehicle control outputs, with no explicit reasoning. How Tesla's FSD model solves for self-driving. Tesla via the Understanding AI substack Tesla's FSD is also a closed system, and the company has not released much info or details about how it actually works. For instance, after Nvidia's Alpamayo reasoning-based presentation, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed "that's just exactly what Tesla is doing" in its most FSD recent release, but it's difficult to validate that claim. Based on what's currently known, the Tesla neural network learns patterns from data (like millions and millions of driving videos) and can perform driving actions, but it doesn't produce explicit reasoning (for example, stopping because a pedestrian might step through the intersection). Decision processes are essentially hidden and can't be examined after the fact. "Tesla is taking a more traditional deep learning approach, where it is in some ways, a simpler problem, where you have your input images and any other sensor data that they want to include, and the output actions that they get from a bunch of driving examples [to train the model]," Driggs-Campbell said. "And I would say one of the cool things about Tesla is they have a really easy way to just take data from anyone who's driving a Tesla." Tesla has produced close to 9 million vehicles since its inception, with most capturing and sending visual data back to Tesla. The issue is Tesla's system is a "black box," meaning engineers don't know what's going on in the neural network. All that can be measured is whether the driving outputs were satisfactory. Read more: How to save money on Tesla car insurance The reasoning approach: 'Thinking fast and slow' This is where Alpamayo and Waymo differ from Tesla, and it's helpful to discuss by way of an example. For instance, a Nvidia Alpamayo-equipped car could see that a traffic light is nonfunctioning when it approaches an intersection. In theory, Alpamayo would be able to "reason" around a tricky issue that comes up by processing visual information, translating that into an understandable language-based solution (for example, stop at the intersection, spot any obstacles, then drive through), and then plan and execute that action with vehicle movement. Nvidia's solution is likely similar to that of Waymo, which has been good about showing its work. How Waymo's two-system approach works. Waymo Waymo calls its modular solution a "two-system approach," or "thinking fast and slow." Larger systems like Waymo's and Alpamayo are known as foundation models, though Tesla calls FSD a foundation model due its vast training on videos of the physical world. In Waymo's case, System 1 is reactive, meaning it mimics an automatic or instinctual response from sensor inputs. System 2 is deliberate, meaning it reasons through tasks to determine intermediate steps. The two systems then provide inputs to what the company calls its "world decoder," which then decides the best plan of action for the vehicle (see graphic above), but in the case of Waymo, explicit rules can override its thinking. "Almost all systems are going to have some safeguards [explicit rules] in there, since there are some hard constraints that you don't need things to reason about in theory ... [For example,] we know you shouldn't go off the road," Driggs-Campbell said. "There is some level of monitoring and reasoning, but the challenge comes when you have systems that don't really play together, you do sometimes get some issues where [you're] jittering or some back and forth, and it can cause weird problems." The example above of nonfunctioning traffic lights was a real-world difficulty that Waymo robotaxis encountered in San Francisco in late December, when its two-system and rules-based model couldn't navigate a power outage that made traffic signals inoperable. A Tesla Robotaxi drives along South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, on June 22, 2025. (Reuters/Joel Angel Juarez) Reuters / Reuters Musk said Tesla's FSD-powered Robotaxis, which are currently testing in San Francisco with safety drivers, were not fazed by the San Francisco power outage, but the way its vehicles come to a solution is different from models like Alpamayo and Waymo. So, while Tesla Robotaxis functioned during the San Francisco power outage, engineers would not be able to discern how they solved the issue because there is no reasoning output, making it difficult to refine or fix a system that may have used a faulty pattern or bad data when making a driving decision. Which makes it seem like the big foundation reasoning models like Alpamayo and Waymo, with its two-system setup, might be better. But again, it's not that simple. Wall Street analysts at banks like Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, and Wedbush Securities believe Tesla FSD supervised is the gold standard, powered by a massive data source and deployed at scale across Tesla EVs. Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang speaks during Nvidia Live at CES 2026, ahead of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 5, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) PATRICK T. FALLON via Getty Images Driggs-Campbell acknowledged the advantages of Tesla's model neural networks can make quicker decisions and use less computational load but notes that it's harder to say whether it's "best." She added that foundation models used in Waymo and Nvidia's Alpamayo, in general, appear to be showing promising results and outperforming compared to Tesla's deep-learning approach. But there are still a number of hurdles. "I think the translation from these really big reasoning models to online performance is a huge challenge," Driggs-Campbell said. "They take a long time. It's very much like a human reasoning takes an order of seconds, whereas often, when you're actively driving, you want something much, much quicker." There's a "gap" between what currently seems to be working, like FSD, and the "next-gen" models like Alpamayo and Waymo's, she said. In other words, Tesla FSD represents the current industry standard for advanced driver assistance and autonomous using massive data and deployed at scale, but it's still fundamentally reactive and supervised. Whereas Alpamayo perhaps embodies a next-gen direction for autonomous systems that reason about situations, offering better safety and predictability in complex or rare situations and more transparent decision logic but they may need more time to work out the kinks and improve speed. In other words, Tesla FSD and reasoning models like Alpamayo are two different approaches to a shared goal of fully autonomous driving, which some have called a task harder than "landing on the moon." "Solving the long tail of real-world edge cases is incredibly hard," Musk wrote about those 1% of driving scenarios that both models struggle solving, though he encouraged Huang and Nvidia in their shared pursuit. "I honestly hope they succeed," he said, though he added that he wasn't "losing any sleep" about the latest update. StockStory aims to help individual investors beat the market. Pras Subramanian is Lead Auto Reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance NEED TO KNOW New footage from National Geographics Pole to Pole with Will Smith series shows the actor up close to a giant anaconda Smith could be seen helping venom expert Bryan Fry remove a scale from the reptile in Ecuador to use for research Pole to Pole with Will Smith premieres on Disney+ on Jan. 13 New footage of the giant anaconda species discovered during filming for Will Smiths National Geographic travel series has been released. In a clip of Pole to Pole with Will Smith, obtained by LiveScience, the 57-year-old actor could be seen on a boat going down a river in Ecuador with venom expert Bryan Fry, expedition leader Carla Perez and Indigenous Waorani guides when the group notices a gigantic anaconda on the banks. National Geographic/Kyle Christy Will Smith, Bryan Fry, Carla Perez and Indigenous Waorani guides in Ecuador Will Smith, Bryan Fry, Carla Perez and Indigenous Waorani guides in Ecuador The local guides immediately stepped in, got off the boat and attempted to immobilize the snake so that Fry and Smith would be able to take one of its scales for their snake genetics study. Advertisement Advertisement Let them try to control this, Fry could be seen advising Smith, as the actor made a surprised face. Thats gigantic. Wow! Smith exclaimed of the snake, which Fry estimated was up to 17 feet long. National Geographic/YouTube The giant anaconda discovered during Pole to Pole with Will Smith filming The giant anaconda discovered during Pole to Pole with Will Smith filming Once the guides had the snake under control, Smith and Fry could be seen getting off the boat to examine the creature close up. The Bad Boys star noted, that was scary, even from the boat. He then asked the guides if it was safe in their native language and they confirmed it was. Fry then explained to Smith that they want to take a piece of one of the snakes scales so they could measure the accumulation of pollutants in the water. However, he said that they needed a scale from its belly and asked Smith to help, which the actor was hesitant to do. Advertisement Advertisement Yeah, nah. Im a little nervous, Smith told Fry, who then encouraged him, You can do it. He then instructed one guide to lift the snakes belly up and asked the Oscar winner to wipe away any little mud and debris there. Fry got scissors and noted that he was just going to cut along the area that Smith wiped clean. He then cleanly cut off a piece and stuck it into a vial to be studied later. The actor could be seen blowing air out of his mouth in relief, as Fry told him, There you go. Theres our sample. We can do all the research on this animal with just that one tiny little piece. Thats fantastic, Smith said as he held up the sample. Advertisement Advertisement The sample turned out to be very useful, as it and the other samples collected helped scientists to discover that northern and southern green anacondas which had previously been believed to have been the same species were actually two two genetically distinct species, Fry shared in a release from the University of Queensland. According to Fry, the northern and southern green anacondas' diverged nearly 10 million years ago and differ genetically by 5.5%. He added, "It's quite significant to put it in perspective, humans differ from chimpanzees by only about 2 percent. National Geographic/YouTube A closeup of the green anacondas scales A closeup of the green anacondas scales 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 northern green anaconda, the species Fry's team documented and identified, appears to reach larger sizes and have a different, smaller geographic range in the Amazon than the southern green anaconda. Advertisement Advertisement According to National Geographic, green anacondas are non-venomous, constricting snakes native to South America and are members of the boa family. The reptiles are considered the heaviest snakes in the world. On average, they live up to 10 years in the wild. Pole to Pole with Will Smith premieres on Disney+ on Jan. 13. Read the original article on People In Africa, Albinism affects 1 in 5,000 to 15,000 people according to UNICEF researchers. In Senegal alone, an estimated 10,000 people live with the condition, which results in reduced amounts of melanin pigment in the skin, eyes, and hair and can contribute to harm not only from exposure to the sun but also in their communities just for being born. Because of this rare condition, superstitions and myths have permeated certain African countries, both positive and negative. French director Simon Panay tackles the complex duality of West African mythos in his latest short film, The Boy with White Skin. Leaning into the superstition that someone with albinism can bring wealth to those in need, Panays story follows a young boy with albinism (Boubacar Dembele), whose voice is believed to hold special powers that can protect impoverished miners risking their lives for gold. In addition to landing a spot on the 2026 Oscars shortlist, the film also won Best Film at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Here, Panay talks to Deadline about the inspiration and creative challenges behind his short film. DEADLINE: Where did this idea to mix West African mysticism with reality come from? SIMON PANAY: I worked on this topic of artisanal gold mining in West Africa for 11 years now and made a few documentaries. So, its a world that I am very grounded in. In a documentary, you show the world as it is, but the more I delved into the [culture], the more I realized it was a place of legends and mythology. So, I wanted to find a way to blend these elements. I learned and witnessed that [miners] will use albino kids and bring them down in underground galleries, [meaning tunnels, mines], and ask them to sing because they believe that the gold is alive like a beast that you need to hunt and chase before you can claim it. Its a dangerous job because just by making the underground galleries, they can collapse on you, or you can just go in one and it will slowly kill you before you know it. Theres a [twisted] pleasure in this kind of word. They see work as some kind of devil. And if you make money out of this gold, which is rare, then the money is cursed, and you will do nothing good with it. Its like stories in the early 1800s in the U.S., where people left everything behind, like their land, or traveled from the U.K. or whatever to try their luck during the U.S. Gold Rush. All those people left everything behind, and a lot of them got lost trying to chase some fortune. But, of course, like those miners, some people did get rich, but usually it wasnt the miners themselves not really. A company usually exploited them. There are many similarities throughout history about the relationship between humans and the pursuit of gold. Simon Panay interview DEADLINE: How did you find your lead child actor, Boubacar Dembele? PANAY: We got lucky because it was a traditional casting with a casting director, Iman Djionne, in Dakar, Senegal shes very talented. She works with the National Association of Albinism in Senegal (ANAS), and they work on a daily basis to help families with albino kids [and other people who have the condition]. The association helped bring us kids in the age range we were looking for, but then there was an issue we did not anticipate. We were in the middle of a presidential campaign during the casting period, and there was a belief that [emerged] that I didnt know, but people thought that during this presidential campaign that the candidate who sacrificed the most albino people would likely win. Regardless of whether that belief is true or not, the fact that it was even said caused people to be very protective of their kids because there was the possibility of danger. Even Iman couldnt understand this [horrible belief]. So, because we were strangers interested in kids with the condition at the time, it was very difficult for us to find [the right fit]. We ended up with three, and none of them had acting experience. And in those three, we got Boubacar. The other two were older, and Boubacar was in the age range we wanted. Advertisement Advertisement We got really lucky because he was great and wanted to learn and practice. He did his best to improve [his skills] and understand the film and his character and he was absolutely adorable. DEADLINE: It seems theres a very complex cultural relationship with albinism. Can you elaborate on the importance of them in your film? PANAY: I wanted to show what I witnessed at this gold mine in Burkina Faso: albino kids being brought into underground galleries and asked to sing. Theres a lot of beliefs about people with albinism on the African continent, and it changes from country to country, and its different most of the beliefs are negative though. There are beliefs that an albino kid, when born into the community, can bring bad luck or they might [possess dark magic]. However, in the artisanal gold mining industry, its entirely different. People with albinism are seen as Gods almost because the miners believe that their songs attract gold, which will then make them rich, and then with that money they can escape. So, its quite fascinating, and peoples perceptions of people with albinism are changing. For example, in Dakar, while not perfect, Boubacar lives a normal life. He goes to school, he does activities, and no one really bothers him. Hes different, but like every different kid in school, he has a universal experience. Its a very tiny struggle compared to the stories you can hear. In some countries, people with albinism are killed and sold for upwards of $80,000 or sold for body parts. Its horrible. Perception has changed, but the sentiment against them has not disappeared. Simon Panay interview DEADLINE: I was really impressed by the cave scenes. The sound design is realistic, and the dirt and dust look so real. How did you pull that off? PANAY: When I was making my documentaries, I filmed in real underground galleries. But in fiction, theres a crew to think about and actors. It was a challenge, and we asked ourselves if we should shoot it in a studio or on location. Our executive producers in Senegal found a cave on Goree Island, a famous site known as one of the last places where slaves were held before being sent to the New World. The cave we found was not underground but [front-facing] the sea. So, we used that cave to rebuild a set that looked pretty much how it looks underground. The crew did a fantastic job [using] materials I had from my documentaries, where I filmed for months and constructed the set to look as close as possible to how it is in real life. Advertisement Advertisement We had to have a lot of dust floating around on set because in real underground galleries, they use [jackhammers] to work, so we wanted to recreate this atmosphere. We brought in fake dust from France, especially made for cinema; its been treated, and you can breathe it in without worrying about danger. DEADLINE: What does being on the Oscars shortlist mean to you? PANAY: The film has traveled really well in festivals this year and won great awards. We are so happy with the life of the film thus far, and we were really preparing to just let the film go, finish its life on the festival circuit and move on. Then it got the shortlist at the Cesar Awards and the Oscars, so now its got a new adventure to go on. This is great because it sheds more light on the work weve done, and were trying to enjoy it as much as possible since there are still a few more steps before trying to land an actual nomination. But I am super proud, and this is an incredible position to be in, regardless, and its incredible for any short film to be recognized in this way. [This interview has been edited for length and clarity] Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. While People We Meet on Vacation may have been the first of Emily Henrys books to be adapted for the screen, the author was well aware of the humbling experience of being the voice for the source material. The New York Times bestselling author told TheWrap that she was lucky director Brett Haley made room for her voice in the room and kept readers in the forefront of his Netflix film adaptation. Its a pretty torturous process to be an author in the adaptation experience, she admitted to TheWrap. But all that being said, I do feel very lucky that our director, Brett Haley, was really adamant about keeping my voice and my readers voices in his ear. Advertisement Advertisement He was always checking in and trying to make sure that any changes were things that I could feel good about or at least neutral about, she added. One of the biggest changes from the page to the screen was the location for the wedding that brought decade-in-the-making friends-to-lovers Alex and Poppy back together. In the book, Alexs brothers wedding is in Palm Springs, but in the film it takes place in Barcelona, Spain. Henry told TheWrap that shockingly it was cheaper to shoot in Barcelona than in the desert city. The director told her that due to financial reasons and practical reasons, such as the temperature, Palm Springs was one of the most critical location changes the team needed to make. Even the movie Palm Springs was not shot in Palm Springs, she added. The other thing that was being discussed throughout the process was that we are essentially making a romantic comedy no, were essentially making a James Bond movie with a romantic comedy budget. Advertisement Advertisement Because of the premise of the movie, which is that Alex and Poppy meet up every summer to go on elaborate vacations, the selling point is the striking views and enviable trips that the duo take throughout the film. Haley had to be strategic about shooting locations to allow scenic backdrops to double as multiple locations. We didnt have the budget to shoot in 11 different places, Henry said. Brett did the legwork of figuring out where he could get the most bang for his buck, where he could get the most settings and have them still feel authentic. The films stars Emily Bader and Tom Blyth told TheWrap that Spain doubled as Barcelona, Tuscany and even parts of Canada where Alex and Poppy go on their first trip together. Blyth noted, I was kind of glad we did double some because we got to spend more time in one place and really get to know it, and get to fall in love with Barcelona, and kind of become semi local for a month and a half. Advertisement Advertisement The film did shoot the New Orleans trip in New Orleans, though. Haley insisted that no other city could replace the historic, singular American city. Emily Bader as Poppy and Tom Blyth as Alex in People We Meet on Vacation (Credit: Michele K. Short/Netflix) Henry added that moving some of the trips abroad helped elevate the movie to make it feel more like an aspirational summery movie. The only thing that mattered to the author was that, despite not being in Palm Springs, the wedding location needed to be just as hot. After watching the movie, admittedly, at the time of our interview, Henry said that some of her favorite moments were the scenes that were completely original for the movie. She liked seeing the characters she created expanding their budding love story and friendship outside of the set pieces she wrote. Henry has several other books of hers in development, including Beach Read, Book Lovers and Happy Place. Looking ahead, she hopes that her collaborations continue to be an open line of communication about changes like she had with Haley and the People We Meet on Vacation team. Advertisement Advertisement I just got very lucky that he cared to do that, because theyre under no obligation to, she said. This movie is not my baby. It is their baby, and my whole role was just to be the voice for the readers, which I wouldnt have necessarily gotten to do unless the people working on the movie were willing and open to having that voice. People We Meet on Vacation is available to stream on Netflix. The post People We Meet on Vacation Changes Destinations: Why Netflix Swapped Palm Springs for Barcelona appeared first on TheWrap. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." When beloved books are adapted for TV or film, changes are inevitable. Sometimes these edits will upset book readers, but once in a while, a revision can improve upon the original material. The reception will always be subjective, but its something readers should prepare themselves for when watching a favorite book come to the big screen. Thats all to say: There is a big shift in the ending of People We Meet on Vacation. Now, dont worry, theres still a happily ever after. This is a rom-com, after all. (Some rules are not to be broken.) Below, heres a look at how the movie ending differs from the conclusion in the original version of Emily Henrys bestselling novel: Advertisement Advertisement Spoilers below for the ending of People We Meet on Vacation. The movie ending Netflix In the movie, the plot diverges most significantly during the Tuscany sequence, which depicts Poppy and Alexs last trip together for two years. After a somewhat awkward dinner with two couplesAlex and his on-and-off girlfriend Sarah (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Poppy with her movie-only boyfriend Trey (Lucien Laviscount)Poppy calls Alex and asks him to meet her outside the villa. She is worried she might be pregnant. They go to a nearby village, where she buys a pregnancy test that turns out to be negative. As Alex comforts her, they nearly kiss, but Alex stops it. Poppy tries to move past the moment and says she sees Alex only as a friend. The next morning, Alex proposes to Sarah. In front of Sarah and Trey, Poppy makes an effort to appear happy for them. In private, she questions Alexs choice, asking what he is giving up, including plans for a PhD and teaching in New York or Europe. Alex says they plan to stay in Linfield, Ohio, their hometown, where Sarah will take over her fathers real estate business. He tells Poppy that he is willing to make sacrifices and says pointedly that she lives in a fantasy land and does not understand. He also tells her that Tuscany will be their last trip together, setting a clear boundary. Then, Alexs brothers wedding in Barcelona marks the first time Poppy and Alex see each other in two years. They argue back at their rental apartment, but then confess their love for each other. Alex reveals that he and Sarah broke up more than a year earlier. They attend the wedding together and enjoy the evening until a conversation about the future leads Alex to say they are still too different. He walks away, leaving Poppy alone on the dance floor. On the return trip to New York, Poppy runs into Sarah at the airport. Sarah is now a flight attendant and tells Poppy that she once blamed her for the breakup but now realizes Poppy helped her see that she did not know what she wanted. Advertisement Advertisement Poppy returns home, writes her final magazine article reflecting on the trip and the ones before it, and then goes back to Linfield to find Alex. She tells him that no matter where she is in the world, he is her home. By the following summer, Alex is living in New York with Poppy and appears to be teaching at Sarah Lawrence College, based on his sweatshirt. The film ends with them taking another trip together to an unspecified remote beach, just the two of them. The book ending Netflix In the novel, the ending is quite different, at least geographically. In Emily Henrys version, after toggling back and forth between the two timelines, readers finally learn what happened two years prior on that fateful last trip to Croatia, not Tuscany. After years of buildup, Poppy and Alex share a drunken kiss. Alex stops it from going further, which Poppy reads as rejection, prompting her to pull away from the friendship. People We Meet on Vacation $10.54 at amazon.com Advertisement Advertisement In the current timeline, after Davids wedding in Barcelona, where Poppy and Alex had the same argument, she goes back to New York City. After going to therapy, Poppy comes to understand a pattern of avoiding her problems through constant travel. She also realizes that Alex did not reject her. The moment in Croatia stemmed from a communication breakdown, with Alex hesitant to begin a relationship during a drunken encounter. Poppy returns to Linfield to reconnect with Alex. He initially hesitates, worried that his preference for staying rooted in one place will leave her unhappy. Poppy explains that after an isolated childhood (which isnt really discussed in the movie so much except to say that she doesnt like living in Linfield and finds it boring), she believed traveling would cure her loneliness. She has come to realize that she never feels alone when she is with Alex. In the novels epilogue, the two are living together in New York City, where Alex has secured a teaching job. Poppy has left her position at Rest + Relaxation magazine to write a new column for an unnamed outlet titled People You Meet in New York. Echoing the summer trip they once missed (which is referenced in the movie when Poppy was sick), the couple is already planning their next summer trip to Norway and Sweden. People We Meet on Vacation is now streaming on Netflix. Watch Now You Might Also Like How far are you willing to go for the ones you love is the question that may be swirling around viewers heads by the end of Netflixs latest thriller, His & Hers. News of a potential serial killer on the loose in her hometown of Dahlonega, Georgia, brings Anna Andrews (Tessa Thompson) back to work following her disappearance from society. Anna had originally left to mourn the loss of the baby girl she shared with husband, Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal). The only problem? No one knew where Anna went for the year that she couldnt be traced, not even her detective husband. Meet the cast of His & Hers A murder-mystery where no one in the small Georgia town is safe lies within the heart of Netflixs latest thriller, created by director, executive producer and writer William Oldroyd, who was inspired by the eponymous novel by Alice Feeney. Advertisement Advertisement Anna, a WSK TV news anchor, flees to nearby Atlanta at the first chance she can to escape the trauma from her teen years that continues to lurk in the small town where she once lived with her mother, Alice, played by Crystal Fox. Jack, Andrews estranged husband, resorts to working as a sheriffs office detective in their hometown, Dahlonega, while living with his sister, Annas former friend Zoe, played by Marin Ireland, and his niece, 6-year-old Meg (Ellie Rose Sawyer). Rebecca Rittenhouse plays Lexy Jones, Annas WSK TV colleague and rival, who viewers soon learn is really a former childhood friend named Catherine Kelly, who became the brunt of the evil schemes of Annas former rich (and downright evil) friends from high school. The deaths of those former friends, Helen (Poppy Liu) and Rachel (Jamie Tisdale), kick off the roller-coaster ride that His & Hers takes viewers on throughout its six episodes. Sunita Mani plays Jacks partner, Priya, a new detective at the Dahlonega Sheriffs Office, and Pablo Schriber assumes the role of Richard, a cameraman at WSK TV who is the husband of Annas aforementioned rival, Lexy Jones. Is Lexy the killer? Up until the final 16 minutes of the last episode of His & Hers, viewers believed that Lexy Jones, who is soon discovered to be a transformed Catherine Kelly, is the person behind the Dahlonega murders of former high school besties Rachel, Helen and Zoe (Marin Ireland). Advertisement Advertisement It is believed that Anna would be the last of the foursome that Lexy was set to kill after Lexys husband, Richard, brings Anna to a lake house at the end of Episode 5. However, Priya shows up just in time to shoot Lexy dead after coming to the conclusion that her real identity is Catherine Kelly, who viewers see taunted and teased by the group of girls in the flashbacks of Annas 16th birthday throughout the episodes. What happened at Annas birthday party? Each episode offers a tiny glimpse of the moments leading up to Annas 16th birthday party, as documented on her video camera because even back then, she had dreams and aspirations of working in news. It isnt until the finale that it is revealed that Anna was sexually assaulted on her birthday after her friends, Rachel, Helen and Zoe, not only set up the attack, but watched it happen as well. Catherine, who was also assaulted, ran away under the impression that Anna had helped to orchestrate what went down in the woods. So, did Lexy kill her former friends? In the plot twist that no one saw coming, Lexy was not the killer, and instead, it was Annas mother, Alice, who carried out the murders of each girl before framing Lexy for the gruesome attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Its explained in a letter addressed to Anna, in which Alice reveals that after her granddaughter died under her care and Anna ran away, she watched old videotapes to close the gap that had been widened by the grief of two losses. The final tape, which featured the horrendous sexual assault that Anna experienced on her 16th birthday, left Alice with one thing on her mind revenge. In the letter, she explains that nobody really suspects a woman, let alone an old woman, of such violence, which is how Alice managed to meticulously carry out each of the murders, before ultimately planting evidence in Lexys lake home that succeeded in suggesting that it was carried out by Annas work rival, who really was just an old friend looking to find justice for what was done to her as a teen. While Richard maintained his wifes innocence as he was arrested and taken away from the lake house after Priya fatally shot Lexy, no one believed him because not a single soul wouldve guessed that Annas mother was behind it all. Advertisement Advertisement Throughout the entire series, they suspected Alice of being in the early stages of dementia; however, it was all a scheme to seek vengeance for the unspeakable acts done to her then-teenage daughter. At the center of it all, His & Hers is a tale about how deep a mothers love truly is. In fact, the creator calls it a love story that speaks to the depths of his own mothers love. His & Hers is now available to stream on Netflix. The post His & Hers Ending, Explained: Who Was The Killer And How Far Do These Characters Go For Love In Netflix Series? appeared first on Blavity. TLC digs up another subculture for the reality-show treatment in this case, six outsiders who claim they want to join a traditional Amish community in rural Pennsylvania. Will they be able to give up cell phones, social media, even electricity to live the traditional Amish way? Call us jaded TLC vets, but these six dont seem like the most likely candidates. Trainwreck TV fans, clear your schedules! Suddenly Amish | Airs Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 10 ET, on TLC Read More From Star This story Suddenly Amish Follows the Journey of Six Outsiders Who Join Pennsylvanias Amish Community first appeared on Star. Add Star as a Preferred Source by clicking here. A 10-year-old New Mexico boy says Timothy Busfield touched his poop and pee area during production on The Cleaning Lady, an Albuquerque District Attorney-approved arrest warrant issued Friday says. In my training and experience, pedophiles often infiltrate families under a trusted role, like Timothy, who, as a producer, exploited the hectic film sets to tickle and touch SL on his penis and buttocks, masking it as play, the warrant from Albuquerque Police Officer Marvin Brown asserts. He would invite the family to off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster closeness, making SL feel special and dependentclassic grooming to erode boundaries, isolate the victim, and silence suspicions by blending abuse into normalcy. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Filled with accounts from two brothers of their alleged repeated experiences with the Thirtysomething alum, who was a director on the now shuttered Elodie Yung-led Fox drama from Warner Bros TV, the document charges Busfield with two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and child abuse. It is unclear at this point if the Emmy winner has been arrested and booked. If found guilty, Busfield could face a minimum of three years behind bars. In fact, the 68-year-old, who was accused but never charged in two previous sexual assault allegations in 1994 and 2012, could be looking at a lot longer sentence. Under New Mexico statutes, prison time in sex crimes against minors leans heavily on context and circumstances in the degrees of punishment they hand out. That time and felony class can go up substantially if the crime involves children under 13 years of age as it allegedly does here. Named as SL and VL in the warrant, the two 2014-born boys appeared on The Cleaning Lady over multiple seasons before being let go for having aged out of the role, I hear. However, in a November 3, 2025 phone interview with Busfield in the warrant, The West Wing actor told Brown, the investigating officer, that he the lead actress, Elodie Young informed him over a year ago that the mother of SL and VL (sic) that she wanted revenge, and Im going to get my revenge on Tim Busfield for not bringing her kids back for the final season. The Cleaning Lady In interviews conducted with SL and VL on Halloween last year by a forensic child interviewer, and observed by Brown, the arrest warrant says SL told them the alleged abuse by Busfield began when he was 7 years old and on The Cleaning Lady. Advertisement Advertisement SL said that Tim touched him three to four times on his poop and pee area over his clothing, the 12-page arrest warrant states of what is cited as a second incident with Busfield, similar to a previous incident. SL said he was very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was off set. SL said he was afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him. SL did advise that Tim touched him while he was only on set filming in Albuquerque. SL now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, the warrant says. SL disclosed having nightmares about the director touching him and waking up scared, the document adds. It goes on: VL explained that Mr. Tim started touching them for the first two years, and he did not want to say anything, because he did not want to be mean to him. Therefore, VL did not say anything. VL said Mr. Tim would start touching him with his hands about his body while they were filming in the house. VL advised that it was about his body, but did not disclose that he was touched on his buttocks or penis area. VL said he did not like being touched, but did not say anything because he did not want to get in trouble. The matter first came to the cops attention in late 2024 when a doctor from University of New Mexico Hospital contacted the Albuquerque Police Department in regards to a sexual abuse investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Noting that the boys father had been advised to go to the hospital by a local law firm, todays warrant details: Officer Osborn talked with both VL and SL, who did not disclose any sexual contact at this time. However, both boys advised that Timothy Busfield, whom they referred to as Uncle Tim, would tickle them on the stomach and legs. Neither boy cared for the tickling. Officer Osborn contacted Detective Michael Brown with the Crimes Against Children Unit and determined that the case did not meet their acceptance criteria at this time. The matter came back to the polices attention and became a greater priority after the boys mother advised that on 09/02/2025, SL reported to his counselor that Timothy Busfield touched his penis and bottom. In that same telephone conversation with Busfield in the weeks before Thanksgiving last year, the NYC-based filmmaker also dropped to Officer Brown that producer Warner Bros TV had conducted its own probe into allegations against him after SAG-AFTRA received an anonymous complaint in early 2025 of an incident on The Cleaning Lady set from December 2024. After writing up a search warrant for WB (which todays warrant seems to mistakenly say occurred on 10/03/2025) and several correspondences with WB attorney Richard Wessling at law firm Proskauer, Brown on New Years Eve got his hands on the March 31, 2025 external report put together by the Los Angeles office of Solomon Law. Specifically the report, which saw Busfield suspended during the probe, looked into claims from the hotline caller that there was evidence of Busfield tickling and caressing the head and body of minor boys while working on the Albuquerque-filmed Cleaning Lady. Upon his own reading of the document, Brown says in Fridays warrant that Solomon investigator Christina McGovern was not able to talk with anyone who would support evidence that Timothy Busfield engaged in this behavior. Advertisement Advertisement Working from what now seems to be limited accusations, the WBTV investigation viewed Busfield as exonerated, sources tell me. In a statement to Deadline tonight, the Channing Dungey-led WBTV said: The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement. As well as speaking to the boys mother and father (who seem to have instigated and then ceased a civil suit on the matter), plus some Cleaning Lady production assistants and make-up and hair department staffers, todays warrant also details a brief back-and-forth between Brown and the series star Yung, who was also a producer. On 11/5/2025, I contacted Elodie Yung to set up an interview. Elodie agreed to meet with me at the Northwest Substation on 11/7/2025, Brown notes in a fairly comprehensive affidavit that Albuquerque Assistant DA Savannah Brandenburg-Koch signed off on today. I did initially advise Elodie that Tim Busfield gave me her name and said that she may have information about this case. On 11/06/2025, Elodie left me a voicemail declining to speak with me and said that she does not want to be involved with the investigation and that she would not have any information that could assist in this case. Advertisement Advertisement Busfields agents at Innovative Artists did not respond late Friday to Deadlines request for comment on the arrest warrant and the charges against their client. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing two counts of sexual abuse involving a minor in New Mexico after an arrest warrant was issued on Friday. The investigation involves twin boys who were actors on the TV series The Cleaning Lady in 2022, on which Busfield was director. One of the boys told an investigator last fall that Busfield touched his private areas when he was seven years old, and again when he was eight, while they were on set. More from Variety Advertisement Advertisement According to an Albuquerque police affidavit, the boy said he was very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was off set. The Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething actor directed six episodes of The Cleaning Lady, which aired on Fox from 2022 to 2025. According to the affidavit, Busfield spoke to police by phone in November. He was asked if he had any physical contact with the boys and if he had picked them up and tickled them. Timothy said it was highly likely that he would have, the affidavit states. Busfield then said that the boys parents would be around, and it would not be weird. He later said he did not recall picking those boys up. Advertisement Advertisement I dont remember those boys, he said. No, I dont. I dont actually, I dont remember it, if it happened. I dont remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldnt be uncommon for me. The 2nd Judicial District Attorneys office declined to comment. According to the affidavit, Warner Bros. conducted an investigation in 2025 after SAG-AFTRA received an anonymous complaint about a separate incident in December 2024. The complaint alleged that Busfield had kissed a boy on the face in the hair and makeup trailer, and that he would tickle and caress the heads of the boys. Warner Bros. contracted with an outside investigator who was not able to substantiate that claim. Advertisement Advertisement Albuquerque Police Det. Marvin Brown alleged in the affidavit that Warner Bros. made it very difficult to obtain information for this case. The detective obtained a search warrant to get a copy of the investigative report, but it was not turned over until three months later, he wrote. When the detective reached out to other child actors on the show to ensure their safety, he was advised by Warner Bros. that he would have to go through its lawyers to talk to employees, the affidavit states. Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. When Busfield joined the series, he grew closer to the boys, the affidavit states, continuing, It was reported that Timothy would tell his children to call him Uncle Tim.' Advertisement Advertisement A police officer first spoke with the parents and the boys in 2024, after police received a report from their doctor. At the time, the boys did not disclose any sexual contact to the officer, and the police declined to pursue charges. However, in September 2025, one of the children reported to his counselor and later to his pediatrician that Busfield had touched him on his penis and bottom. The other brother said he did not like being touched, but did not say anything because he did not want to get in trouble, according to the complaint. In his interview with the police, Busfield said he had heard from Elodie Yung, the lead actress on the show, that the boys mother wanted revenge because her sons were not brought back for the final season. Advertisement Advertisement Yung declined to speak to the police, saying she does not want to be involved in the investigation, the affidavit states. The arrest warrant was issued by a judge on Friday afternoon. Busfields legal representative did not respond to request for comment. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Having a second job is a financial necessity for many. While picking up another gig is the easiest way to earn extra cash, its often hard to find time to learn a new skill. According to Hostinger, over 36% have a side hustle. While that number may seem high, perhaps its because earning an additional income doesnt always require a considerable time commitment or advanced degrees. In fact, many skills can be picked up in under an hour and monetized just as fast. From online research to resume writing, here are 20 new things you can master in an hour and start making money. nortonrsx / iStock.com 1. Social Media Scheduling Pay: $25.32 per hour Where to find work: Upwork, Fiverr, direct outreach to small businesses Advertisement Advertisement A social media scheduler is a software tool that lets you plan, create and automatically publish content to multiple social media platforms. Its quick to learn because it involves simple, repeatable tasks rather than complex technical skills. By mastering one of these scheduling tools, you can help brands maintain a consistent posting schedule without having to create content yourself. Explore Next: 12 Totally Free Ways To Make Enough Passive Income To Quit Your Job Read More: 8 Unusual Ways To Make Extra Money That Actually Work Wavebreakmedia / Getty Images/iStockphoto 2. Basic Graphic Design (Canva) Pay: $26.37 per hour (Indeed) Where to find work: Fiverr, Etsy (templates), social media Advertisement Advertisement You dont need to be a Photoshop pro to create in-demand graphics. With user-friendly tools like Canva, an easy-to-use graphic platform, anyone can design simple social media images, flyers or ads. Basic graphic design using Canva is quick to learn because the platform removes much of the technical complexity traditionally associated with design. Passive Income Expert: Heres How I Make $27,000 Every Week mixetto / Getty Images 3. Short-Form Video Editing Pay: $31.60 per hour Where to find work: Fiverr, Upwork, TikTok outreach With the explosion of TikTok and Instagram Reels, short-form video editors are in hot demand. Brands and influencers often film raw video, but need someone to quickly trim clips, add captions and sync music. This skill can be learned via free apps or basic editing software like iMovie and Adobe Express. It doesnt take long to pick up because short-term editing focuses on simplicity, speed and repetition rather than complex production. Shutterstock.com 4. Proofreading Pay: $27.65 per hour Where to find work: Upwork, job boards Advertisement Advertisement If you have a good eye for grammar and spelling, proofreading is a quick-start skill. Many writers and businesses need a second set of eyes to catch errors in articles, marketing emails or website copy. You can learn basic proofreading marks and techniques in under an hour (there are many free online guides). Then, offer to proofread a friends blog or resume to practice. anyaberkut / Getty Images/iStockphoto 5. Email Inbox Organization Pay: $15 to $24 per hour (Freelancer.com) Where to find work: Virtual assistant platforms, networking Managing a busy email inbox is a headache for many professionals, which is why they hire virtual assistants to do it. In less than an hour, you can learn how to create email filters, set up labels/folders and use tools like Boomerang to schedule or snooze emails. Its not hard to grasp because its based on easy systems and habits rather than complex technical skills. Ridofranz / Getty Images/iStockphoto 6. Data Entry Pay: $19.47 per hour Where to find work: FlexJobs, Upwork, staffing sites Advertisement Advertisement Data entry is straightforward work that requires accuracy more than experience. If you can do fast, error-free typing, you can handle tasks like inputting survey results into a spreadsheet or updating an e-commerce sites inventory. Spend an hour learning Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets basics and practice typing to reduce mistakes. For You: I Made $10,000 Using One of Dave Ramseys Best Passive Income Ideas FluxFactory / Getty Images 7. Online Research Pay: $54.38 per hour Where to find work: Upwork, Fiverr, research sites Many of us are online for hours a day, so why not make the most of your time and get paid? People will pay you to do online research everything from finding contact information for sales leads to gathering market data or fact-checking articles. This skill is essentially about knowing how to Google effectively and evaluate sources. Its easy to learn the basics (such as using search operators and specific databases) in under an hour. peepo / Getty Images 8. Resume Writer Pay: $23.47 per hour Where to find work: Fiverr, LinkedIn, word-of-mouth referrals Advertisement Advertisement A polished resume can make or break a job search, but not everyone knows how to format one. Resume formatting (improving the layout, fonts and organization of someones resume) is a skill you can pick up quickly by studying online resume examples or templates. nensuria / iStock.com 9. Product Listing Creation Pay: $18.21 per hour Where to find work: Upwork, Amazon seller forums, eBay community boards E-commerce sellers often need help creating product listings writing titles, descriptions and bullet points that make their items sell. If you spend an hour learning the basics of Amazon or eBay listing formats (what keywords to include, how to craft a compelling title, etc.), you can offer this as a service. Jacob Wackerhausen / iStock/Getty Images 10. Customer Service Chat Support Pay: $16.40 per hour Where to find work: Remote job boards (Indeed, ZipRecruiter), companies hiring directly Advertisement Advertisement Many companies offer live chat support for customers on their websites or apps. This is a role you can train for very quickly often, the company will give you canned responses or a knowledge base. If you have decent typing skills and a friendly demeanor via text, you can earn solid hourly pay helping customers. Learn More: 6 Best Side Hustles for Seniors To Offset Social Security Cuts Undrey / Shutterstock.com 11. Transcription Pay: $20.45 per hour (audio hour rates vary) Where to find work: Rev, TranscribeMe, Upwork If you can type, use those skills to transcribe interviews, podcasts, meetings or lectures. For beginners, it doesnt require much beyond practicing typing, being a strong listener and knowing good grammar and proofreading all things easily learned in a short amount of time. shapecharge / Getty Images 12. Calendar Management Pay: $34.31 per hour Where to find work: Upwork, Indeed, other job sites Advertisement Advertisement Busy professionals often outsource their calendar management, which can include scheduling meetings, booking appointments and/or sending reminders. Its a skill you can learn quickly by getting familiar with Google Calendar or Outlook. Drs Producoes / iStock/Getty Images 13. Basic Website Updates Pay: $20 to $5,000 per month (Rocket.net) Where to find work: Fiverr, Upwork, local business outreach You dont need to be a web developer to do simple website updates. Many small-business websites (often built on WordPress, Wix or Squarespace) need occasional changes that the owners dont know how to do, like updating text or images, adding a new page or installing a plugin. These are straightforward tasks you can learn through a few tutorials. Ivan Pantic / iStock.com 14. App Testing Pay: Varies (UserTesting.com) Where to find work: UserTesting, Trymata (formerly TryMyUI), Userlytics Advertisement Advertisement Companies are eager for user experience feedback, creating a niche for website and app testing. This basically involves using a website or mobile app to share your honest feedback (often recorded via screen share and microphone). It typically takes less than an hour to set up a profile and do a practice test. Find Out: 15 Games That Pay Instantly to Your Cash App Account Shutterstock.com 15. Social Media Engagement Pay: $26.18 per hour Where to find work: Social media agencies, freelance clients (influencers, small brands) Beyond scheduling content, many businesses need help with engagement that means replying to comments, answering DMs, liking and commenting on other accounts. The job also entails analyzing your audience and optimizing content with visuals and relevant hashtags. Dedicate 30 mins to content/timing and 30 mins to real-time engagement with your community, and thats it! SDI Productions / iStock.com 16. File Organization Pay: $35.05 per hour Where to find work: Virtual assistant job boards, TaskRabbit (virtual tasks section) Advertisement Advertisement Its easy to get bogged down with files like documents, PDFs and photos. Fortunately, people will pay you to get them organized. Offering file organization is as simple as knowing how to create folder structures and use cloud storage (such as Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive). Spend an hour learning tips for organizing files (naming conventions, folder hierarchies, etc.) and you can market yourself as an organizing whiz. Chainarong Prasertthai / Getty Images/iStockphoto 17. Simple Photo Editing Pay: $22.10 per hour Where to find work: Fiverr, Upwork, local small business marketing Not every photo edit requires Adobe Photoshop mastery. Many small tasks like cropping images, adjusting brightness or removing a background can be done with basic tools (even free ones like Canva or Remove.bg). If you take an hour to learn a few simple editing techniques, you can start offering basic photo editing services. Shutterstock.com 18. Caption Writing Pay: $38.64 per hour Where to find work: Social media managers, marketing agencies, freelance gigs. Crafting a catchy caption is an art. and one you can learn quickly by studying what works on platforms like Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Many brands and influencers will actually pay writers to come up with engaging captions for their posts, especially if theyre not confident in their own writing. Codie Sanchez: How Much Money Can You Make With a Vending Machine Side Hustle? Shutterstock.com 19. Professional Spreadsheet Cleanup Pay: $15 to $25 per hour (Freelancer.com) Where to find work: Upwork, Fiverr, virtual assistant job boards, small business outreach For a professional spreadsheet cleanup gig, you dont need special skills, but you do need to understand how to organize data in Google Sheets or Excel sorting rows, cleaning up columns, applying basic formulas and improving readability are all critical aspects. Learning the gig doesnt take up too much time, though, because the job relies on a small set of basic, repeatable actions, not advanced data analysis or coding. Vertigo3d / Getty Images 20. AI Tool Assistance Pay: $31.24 per hour Where to find work: Freelance platforms (Upwork, Freelancer), direct clients in need of AI help Many companies are implementing AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney or Notion AI, and not everyone understands how to use them effectively. If you spend an hour learning the basics of one AI tool say, how to craft good prompts for ChatGPT or how to generate art with Midjourney you can offer AI tool assistance as a service. Editors note: Unless otherwise specified, all pay information was gathered from ZipRecruiter in December 2025, and is subject to change. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Money-Making Skills You Can Learn in Less Than an Hour Growing up in a Japanese-American household, I've been surrounded by sushi since the day I was born. Whether it was packed in my lunch box or served as a special treat on my birthday, I've been raised with the principle that sushi is far more than a meal it's generations of laser sharp skills, tradition, and cultural expression all in one bite. In the United States, we've been plagued by fast casual sushi joints offering cheap sushi and low quality fish. While there's nothing wrong with going to a conveyor belt sushi spot and getting an easy meal, most people often never realize that sushi comes in a wide range of styles each with its own unique characteristic. That's why I want to talk you through some of the most popular sushi types you'll find, from crispy hand-rolled filled with fried tempura to artfully crafted temarizushi. Come along and let's dive into nine of the most popular types of sushi and discover what makes each one so special. Read more: 5 Ways To Tell If You're Eating Fake Scallops 1. Temaki a platter of various temaki rolls - Ken6345/Getty Images Temaki, which means "hand roll" or "rolling up hand" in Japanese, is a cone-shaped sushi wrapped in nori by hand rather than a traditional bamboo mat. It can contain fillings, such as raw fish, sliced vegetables, seafood, fried tempura, and occasionally cooked meat. Like many sushi types, temaki is meant to be eaten immediately by hand to enjoy the crispy texture of the nori. At temaki parties and some restaurants, the nori and filling are served separately so people can wrap up their own rolls at the table. It's a great way to create a fun, interactive dining experience for your guests without having to stress about getting a whole dinner spread together. Advertisement Advertisement Around Japan, temaki is typically served at house parties, street food stalls, specialized hand roll restaurants, or at convenience stores. It's often served alongside some soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi to balance out the richness of the filling. 2. Nigiri close-up shot of a salmon nigiri with chopsticks - Nungning20/Getty Images Nigiri is one of the most popular sushi styles featuring hand-pressed oval-shaped seasoned rice topped with a thin slice of raw fish or seafood. Its name "nigiri" means "two fingers" in Japanese, referring to how the sushi is shaped by the chef's hands. It's known for its simple, yet elegant appearance that's meant to showcase the quality of the fish or seafood. Nigiri is served in one bite small dollop of wasabi dabbed between the fish and rice, and it's sometimes secured by a thin slice of nori. Traditionally, you're meant to eat nigiri directly with your hand you are supposed to turn the fish side-down and dip only the fish lightly in soy sauce, using pickled ginger as a palate cleanser between bites. Oftentimes, people will pick up the nigiri with chopsticks and drown it in soy sauce, which completely ruins the flavor of the fish. You want to actually be able to taste the flavor of the fish you're eating, rather than mask it with a pool of salty soy sauce. 3. Sashimi chopsticks holding a piece of bluefin tuna sashimi with a large platter behind it - Karinsasaki/Getty Images Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish served without any rice. Beyond nigiri, sashimi is another super popular type of sushi you'll find at most sushi restaurants. Its minimalist preparation is designed to showcase the freshness and quality of the fish. It's typically artfully arranged on a plate and often enjoyed with soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger, and occasionally grated daikon radish, as accompaniments. Advertisement Advertisement To traditionally eat sashimi, you're supposed to pick it up with chopsticks, dab a tiny bit of wasabi onto it, lightly dip it in soy sauce, and eat it in one single bite. It's best to start with the lighter fishes like sea bream or yellowtail, and then move onto the richer, higher fat content fish like bluefin tuna and salmon towards the end of your meal. While eating sashimi, it's important to eat pickled ginger between each bite to cleanse your palate and can taste the full flavor profile of the fish. 4. Uramaki salmon and shrimp uramaki on white and turquoise background - Misha Feriukov/Shutterstock Uramaki, which literally translates in Japanese to "inside-out roll," is a sushi where the rice is on the exterior and nori wrapped around the filling on the inside. This unique style is believed to have been invented in California during the late 1960s by the Japanese chef Ichiro Mashitato who wanted to make a sushi roll that would appeal more to Western palates. He designed it in a way to hide the nori inside the roll to those unfamiliar with it and incorporate American ingredients like cream cheese, avocado, and mayo-based sauces. Mashitato is largely credited for creating the most famous uramaki roll, California roll, featuring seasoned rice, shredded crab mixed with mayonnaise, avocado, and cucumber. Nowadays, you can find uramaki at most sushi restaurants around the globe. Since it was first invented, uramaki popularity has skyrocketed making it a popular choice for first time sushi eaters and seasoned experts. 5. Futomaki a futomaki roll filled with a variety of ingredients - BearFotos/Shutterstock Futomaki means "fat rolled sushi" in Japanese. It's a thick sushi roll that's filled with various colorful ingredients including, sliced vegetables, fish, seafood, and sometimes egg all wrapped together in nori with seasoned sushi rice. These hearty rolls offer a variety of flavors in each bite, and they're cut into thick rounds at cross-section to reveal a vibrant array of colors from its various fillings. Advertisement Advertisement Futomaki are traditionally eaten on special occasions and holidays like Setsubun, where people gather to celebrate the incoming spring season and cleanse themselves of past misfortunes, welcoming in the good luck for the new season. Oftentimes, people will enjoy ehomaki a specific type of futomaki eaten at Setsubun festivals where you're supposed to enjoy the whole and uncut facing the year's lucky direction. Beyond Setsubun, people also make futomaki for festive events like weddings, birthdays, and at home as a communal activity during the holidays. 6. Onigiri an angle view of a man holding an onigiri - Miniseries/Getty Images Onigiri is a triangular or oval ball of seasoned rice filled with savory ingredients, such as cooked fish, meat, pickled vegetables, or seaweed. It's often wrapped in nori and can be eaten as a snack, lunch, or as a quick meal. Being such a beloved comfort food in Japan, there are regional variations all across the Island nation featuring local ingredients and traditional shapes. For example, in the Hokkaido prefecture, there is one called tarako butter yakionigiri the onigiri is filled with cod roe and mixed butter, and then grilled over an open flame. In the Tokushima prefecture along the eastern coast of Japan, you can find sudachi onirgi, where local sudachi citrus is squeezed over the rice for a kick of tart, citrusy flavor. You can find onigiri being sold at grocery stores and convenience stores across Japan and there are also dedicated onigiri restaurants called "onigiriya". At these onigiri joints, you can find more specialty crafted onigiri rather than the quick, pre-made ones you can find at 7-Eleven. 7. Temarizushi plate of various temarizushi rolls on a black plate - Juta/Shutterstock Temarizushi is a unique decorative pressed sushi formed by hand into a small ball or sphere, topped with either fish, seafood, or vegetables. Unlike typical sushi, rolls the toppings are placed over the rice ball in an artful manner, giving it a colorful and beautiful presentation. Temarizushi's name is derived from "temari," a traditional Japanese hand ball made from old kimono scraps that used to be given to children to play during the Edo Period. Advertisement Advertisement Traditionally, temarizushi are eaten on Hinamatsuri or "Girl's Day" on March 3 in Japan to celebrate the health and happiness of girls. On Hinamatsuri, families gather together and display ornamental woven dolls and balls and share temarizushi alongside other festival food. Besides being served on Hinamatsuri, temarizushi are also popular on New Years and themed holidays, like Christmas and Halloween, adding a festive, colorful touch to the table. Each piece of temarizushi is truly a work of art and is definitely a sushi you should enjoy on your next trip to Japan. 8. Gunkan two tuna and salmon roe gunkan rolls on a green plate - Yukimco/Getty Images Gunkan is an oval mound of seasoned rice wrapped with a strip of nori around the middle, topped with fish or seafood. The name gunkan literally translates to "battleship" in English due its resemblance to a small battleship. The tight strip of nori around the base of the sushi prevents the toppings from falling off and making it easy to eat with your hands. This style of sushi is especially popular for toppings that don't adhere well to rice alone like fish eggs. You'll find that most gunkan rolls are topped with fish eggs like ikura (salmon roe), masago (smelt roe), or flying fish roe (tobiko). The tiny fish eggs burst with salty, fishy flavor, releasing their delicate flavor and adding a unique crunch texture to the roll. If fish eggs aren't your thing, you can also find it topped with uni (sea urchin), chopped sashimi, spicy tuna mixed with mayo, and sometimes, even beef tartare. 9. Hosomaki a variety of hosomaki on a black background - nazarovsergey/Shutterstock Last but not least, hosomaki which translates to "thin roll" in Japanese and is a sushi that's made with just one filling ingredient wrapped in nori and seasoned rice. They are made with a half sheet of nori and have a light portion of rice to keep the roll slender, and thin. Their relatively small size and focus on one ingredient makes them perfect options for anyone trying sushi for the first time and want to ease themselves into eating raw fish. Some of the most common varieties you'll find include pickled radish (takuanmaki), bluefin tuna (tekamaki), and the most popular, cucumber (kappamaki). Advertisement Advertisement Hosomaki are eaten all over Japan. From train station bento boxes and casual sushi joints to high-end restaurants, you can find at virtually anyplace selling sushi. They are the perfect bite-sized snack and are a great quick lunch if you're looking for something light. 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. Oil moved higher as traders digested a mix of geopolitical risks that could add a premium to prices while continuing to assess US measures to exert control over Venezuelas oil. West Texas Intermediate rose 3.2% to settle below $58 a barrel. Prices continued to climb after settlement, rising more than 1% and leaving the market poised to wipe out losses from earlier in the week. Most Read from Bloomberg President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran hard if the countrys government killed protesters amid an ongoing period of unrest. A disruption to Iranian supply would prove an unexpected hurdle in a market thats currently anticipating a glut of oil. Adding to the bullish momentum, an annual period of commodity index rebalancing is expected to see cash flow back into crude over the next few days. Call skews for Brent have also strengthened as traders pile into options market to hedge. And entering the day, trend-following commodity trading advisers were 91% short in WTI, according to data from Kplers Bridgeton Research group. That positioning can leave traders rushing to cover shorts in the event of a price spike. The confluence of bullish events arrived as traders were weighing the USs efforts to control the Venezuelan oil industry. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US plans to control sales of Venezuelan oil and would initially offer stored crude, while the Energy Department said barrels already were being marketed. State-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA said its in negotiations with Washington over selling crude through a framework similar to an arrangement with Chevron Corp., the only supermajor operating in the country. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump told the New York Times that US oversight of the country could last years and that the oil will take a while. We are really talking about a trade-flow shift as the main repercussion of whats going on there, Amrita Sen, co-founder and director of research at Energy Aspects, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. Youre going to see more oil go to the US at the expense of China, but not necessarily significant increases in Venezuelan production. Venezuela Updates Citgo Petroleum Corp., the US refiner indirectly owned by Venezuela, is considering resuming purchases for the first time since sanctions cut off its supply in 2019, while Trafigura Group has also expressed interest. Chevron is in talks to extend its license to operate in the country, and Reuters reported that Vitol Group has received a preliminary US license for oil talks. Perched on the edge of Upper Arrow Lake between the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges is a quiet town known for its vibrant art community and access to natural hot springs. This small town of just over 1,500 residents is known as "an oasis of arts, culture, and relaxation," where visitors can enjoy the best that the West Kootenays has to offer. Galleries and public artworks are scattered throughout this no-stoplight lakeside town that was once a secret tucked away in British Columbia's unique inland temperate rainforest. These days, the secret is out as folks from nearby areas like Castlegar, Revelstoke, and Kaslo, the charming "little Switzerland" of Canada, have caught on to the chill vibes and healing properties of the several hot springs in the surrounding area, looking out onto crystal waters and dramatic mountain peaks. While the Sinixt people inhabited this picturesque valley for 10,000 years, the town of Nakusp didn't emerge until 1892 as part of the fur trade route and mining boom that began around that time. The mining boom ended, but the town held on, and today, you can see remnants of its past in early 20th-century buildings accentuated by lovely landscaping. Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The Most Breathtaking And Lively Mountain Towns Across America, According To Reddit Hot Springs near Nakusp Hot springs surrounded by snowy trees at the Halcyon Resort - MatthewRoberge/Shutterstock While hot springs are typically found in volcanic areas, southeastern British Columbia isn't a volcanic hot spot. The thermal waters around Nakusp are formed by rainwater and snow melt that travels deep into the earth, where it's heated before flowing back to the surface, emerging in fractures and fissures. A valley is a particularly good area for hot springs like this to form, which is why Nakusp is known as the "Valley of the Hot Springs." Less than a 20-minute drive from the town are the Nakusp Hot Springs, a community-owned site with beautiful views in the Kuskanax Valley. These hot springs are open all year, aside from a few weeks in the spring and fall for routine cleaning, and complemented by both a campground that's open during the summer and year-round chalets. If you're searching for a luxurious destination to soak in hot springs and enjoy epic views, head to the Halcyon Hot Springs next, less than a 30-minute drive from Nakusp. This hot springs resort has pools with sweeping views of the Monashee Mountains and Upper Arrow Lake, which are available for day use by non-guests of the hotel year-round. If your ideal hot spring destination is surrounded by dense forest, check out the Halfway Hot Springs, about a 35-minute drive outside of town. The last 7 miles (11 km) are on a poorly maintained dirt road, which means that it may take longer to get there. Access to these primitive hot springs requires a short but steep hike. You'll find changing rooms and outhouses (bring your own toilet paper), but no trash cans, so leave no trace. Keep in mind that, although nudity is technically illegal in British Columbia, clothing is often optional at this particular hot spring. Discover the art scene in Nakusp A dock on Upper Arrow Lake in Nakusp surrounded by mountains - Trina Barnes/Shutterstock Nakusp is the largest of the 20 Arrow Slocan communities towns in Arrow Lakes and Slocan Valley which is perhaps one reason why this lakeside enclave has become a hub for artists and creative folks. Studio Connexion Gallery is a former antique furniture store that has turned into a gallery showcasing local artists from around the area and Canada, while the ALFA (Arrow Lakes Fine Arts) Guild hosts exhibitions and is building a community arts center in an old forestry building that's intended to open in the Spring of 2026. A great resource is the Arrow Lakes District Arts Council Society, a volunteer-run non-profit organization that has hosted events like concerts and connected folks with local artists for over 40 years. Advertisement Advertisement Part of Nakusp's charm is its remoteness, so while it's not exactly easy to reach the closest international airport, Kelowna International Airport, is three hours away it makes for a great day or weekend trip for those in southeastern British Columbia. There are three direct routes to Nakusp. Visitors can make their way from Nelson or Castlegar, Vernon, and Revelstoke, home of the world's best powder ski resort. Nelson and Castlegar are less than two hours away by car. Vernon is 2.5 hours away, while Revelstoke is 1.5 hours away, although if you travel from either of these locations, you'll need to take the free ferry across Upper Arrow Lake to reach Nakusp. 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. Dom Jones was always drawn to Asia, and eventually relocated to Taipei, Taiwan, in 2025. Taiwan's safety, infrastructure, and low cost of living were key reasons Jones chose to move there. She still feels connected to the US, but didn't feel she needed to stay there. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dom Jones, 39, a teacher and entrepreneur who moved from the US to Taipei, Taiwan, in the fall of 2025. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Asia has always drawn me in. I grew up in the Los Angeles area, and one of the cities that I lived in was Long Beach, California. Advertisement Advertisement Long Beach has probably one of the largest Cambodian populations in the world outside of Cambodia itself. I went to school with a lot of Asian classmates in a very diverse community. So it was my life. I will never forget, my neighbors were a Cambodian family and they had a daughter, and I was about seven to nine years old. They would always cook food, and the food that they would cook would smell very different to the American palate. Everyone walked by like, "Oh God, it's so crazy." But as a kid, it intrigued me. I remember the little girl would play with me outside and one day she said she's going to eat and her mom told me to come in and eat with them. I went and I sat at their table and laid out right in front of me was a whole fish with an eyeball. Advertisement Advertisement Inside the little me was like, "Oh, what is this?" The mother cut off the piece from the belly and put it on my plate and said, "Eat." I said, "I think I like this." And after a minute, I just started really eating a lot. Jones has always been intrigued by Asian cultures. Courtesy of Dom Jones. As time goes on, I'm literally knocking on this family's door every day asking for some funky food. And that was the beginning of a love affair with the Asian diaspora and it wasn't just Cambodia. I was a Christian missionary for many years and I was called into the work of the Vietnamese community. In college, I went to Vietnam on a J-term and it changed my life. I learned Vietnamese and Tagalog as well. Later on in life, in my late 20s, I had the privilege to travel for the first time to Japan. And Japan, of course, many Americans fall in love with Japan. Advertisement Advertisement Every kind of Asian community has always been a part of my journey. After I went out of the country for the first time in college, I knew I was destined to live outside of the United States. I fell in love with Taiwan during a layover Asia has been my primary place in the world that I love the most and I've been everywhere. I thought that my final migration would be to Vietnam as a part of my purpose in my life, but as life shifted things, Taiwan was presented to me in a way that I didn't expect. Jones in front of the Taipei 101 building. Courtesy of Dom Jones. I first came to Taiwan as a layover during Christmas time 2019 it was a long layover, basically 24 hours. I came out of the airport into the city and tried to do as much as I could, and I really just felt a connection to the energy of Taiwan in a way that I didn't feel in other places. Advertisement Advertisement I went back home. Then I immediately came back and I said, "I'm going to stay there for like a month and really try to enjoy it." I began to explore the community and realized that this is kind of an untouched pearl and maybe an under-appreciated pearl of an island in Asia that has a lot of culture and a lot of beauty and a lot of peace. The focus wasn't, is it a digital nomad hotbed? The focus wasn't, can I speak English there? There was the immeasurable level of peace that my soul felt. That was the draw. I've been traveling back and forth to Taiwan for the last six years. I just did my final migration here this past September. The peace I feel in Taiwan is unmatched I did consider living in Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. But Taiwan offered me that combination that I felt was unique to here, which is safety, infrastructure, affordability, and that cultural depth that really aligned with my life and where I want to build. Advertisement Advertisement Safety is, for me, one of the first things that I noticed when I came to Asia. For me, it's not just about crime, it's about the felt experience of safety. Jones said she feels safe moving through the city at any hour of the day. Courtesy of Dom Jones. I can move through the city here in Taiwan at all hours of the day and night I'm talking from 10 p.m. all the way to when the sun rises. I can use public transportation very easily. And when we talk about convenience and the way the infrastructure is built for the citizen, it is absolutely incredible. I can live my life here every day without the constant vigilance of, "Is this area OK, where's my bag, where's my purse?" And listen, no government is perfect. However, the safety, the convenience, the manner in which one can live one's life that is carved out by the institutions that are laid out here, it feels like the way we all want to feel about our government which is we feel cared for and supported. Advertisement Advertisement Also, healthcare is so accessible. When I say it's accessible, it's not like they're giving you healthcare that's just basic. No, you get premium healthcare here. It kind of shocked me moving here, getting my visa, and them telling me that my visa comes with the same national free healthcare that all the other Taiwanese residents get. I was in shock. I didn't expect that. Taipei, Taiwan, specifically, is like the New York of Asia. It's extremely expensive it's certainly expensive by Taiwanese income standards. The average Taiwanese person is paying less than NT$ 25,000 in rent. That's equivalent to paying less than about $800 a month. They're not paying anywhere near what we pay for a nice, comfortable apartment. Advertisement Advertisement I did want to live in a very convenient, walkable area, so then the price drives up dramatically. However, the drive up is still doable for us with American pockets because our dollar stretches here. So for me, I was able to get what's considered to be a very desirable Taiwan apartment right in the middle of Taipei, Taiwan, and I pay less than $2,000 for a three-bedroom, two-bath unit. I would be remiss if I didn't say that I have a very nuanced and insider's perspective on why one would leave the United States. But for me, this was always going to happen one way or another. So I wasn't running from something, I was moving toward a different way of living. Jones always knew she was destined to live outside of the US. Courtesy of Dom Jones. Leaving the US, for me, was a matter of logistics, honestly, but the motivation was very intentional expansion, not rejection of the US. I still feel connected to the US professionally and culturally. Advertisement Advertisement Maybe I was raised to believe perhaps in America, we're all raised to believe that opportunity only exists in one place, which is America. But relocating helped me to realize that you can love where you're from and still choose something different. For me, Taiwan wasn't this exit, it was more of an arrival. Read the original article on Business Insider Gen Z might groan at the idea of fetching their bosss flat white. And who can blame them? Theyve entered the workforce in an era where optics matter, and they know that being the person who always grabs the coffee, takes notes, or organizes the lunch (also known as office housework) can make you look more junior and hurt progression over time. But Stephanie Kramer, the CHRO of LOreal U.S., says those small tasks are often where opportunity beginsand they played a surprisingly big role in her own career to the corner office at the worlds largest beauty company. Before joining the Fortune 500 firm, LOreal, Kramers first job out of university was at Quest fragrances. It was also the first time the value of a simple coffee run stood out. Advertisement Advertisement I really wanted to have time to get to meet this incredibly cool perfumer, she recalls to Fortune, adding that she went early to the meeting with the mindset that she simply wanted to support her team. But she soon discovered that something positive comes out of those little things too. Instead of being wrapped up in being seen as the most junior person in the room, she quickly noted it gets you access. If youre the one that is going to capture the actions from the meeting and the next steps, and youre listening and youre observing that isnt that isnt necessarily a negative, Kramer explains. You are in the room and you are absorbing how those points are coming to be. Youre developing the skills of inference. So just make sure, when youre discrediting some of those more small tasks, that youre not discrediting their value they bring to you and your learning. I think about that all the time. Take whatever you can now, be strategic later Kramers resume spans Chanel, Kiehls, and LOreals corner officesbut its the middle-school roles and the odd, early-career errands she remembers most clearly. Advertisement Advertisement Those ones stick with you, she says. That first job probably wont be your dream role, it certainly wasnt hers. But over time, it will have a snowball effect on your career. I dont know if those are the ones where I ever wanted to be, you know, in my whole life. Yet, she insists, every experience adds up. It does. It makes a big difference. Her message to young workers facing a freezing job market: take the role, take the task, take the coffee runbecause the value will only compound over time. You just have to start, Kramer insists. I guarantee that someday, thats what youre going to talk about in your interview. Advertisement Advertisement It might not be the job that you have, or that youre not necessarily sure that you should take. Right now, maybe its a paycheck, or maybe its a platform for you to connect with other people so that you can discover what you want to do. When people ask me how I ended up in HR, I tell them its from middle school, because in middle school I was a lifeguard, I was a Girl Scout, I was a cross country runner, which means that you have to run through the woods alone, but youre still making points as a team.Those jobs are part of what my job is today. The promotions will come laterbut first, focus on As the adage goes: If you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves. The same goes for your career. Kramer is far from the first exec to tell young workers that if they excel in the small tasks today, the promotions will follow. Ciscos U.K. chief spent 25 years climbing the ranks at the Fortune 500 Europe telecommunications giant BT, before joining Cisco in 2022 as managing director and being promoted lead its U.K. and Ireland arm just two years later. Advertisement Advertisement She previously told Fortune that both Gen Z new hires and millennial middle managers need to be more patient in their quest for success. The promotions will come, but young aspirational workers should focus on building their skills over rushing to nab any new snazzy title to update their LinkedIn. Pret A Mangers CEO Pano Christou, went from working at McDonalds for $3 an hour to earning millions as the boss of the British sandwich chain. He says he got promotion after promotion by doing his very best in the role he was ineven those junior ones. Ive watched people that have been so fixated on the next role that they really take their eye off the current job theyre doing, Christou told Fortune. My philosophy has always been if you do a great job, people will notice you. Likewise, Shaid Shah, one of the most senior execs at Marsthe powerhouse behind household brands like Dolmiosaid the best career hack is to stop obsessing over getting that promotion or dream job title, and embrace the many steps in between that get you there. Advertisement Advertisement Its about acquiring the experiences that you need to realize your ambition, to realize what makes you happy, what makes you tick, what inspires you to get out of bed every day, Shah explained. Because career success is more than just hierarchy. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Editor's Note: AirlineGeeks is proud to present our Livery of the Week' series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result. Have an idea for a livery that we should highlight? Drop us a line. Air Serbia operates a distinctive special livery honoring Nikola Tesla, one of Serbia's most influential historical figures. The design features a large monochrome portrait of the inventor applied to the forward fuselage, making it one of the more recognizable commemorative liveries currently flying in Europe. Advertisement Advertisement The Tesla portrait appears on one of the airline's Airbus A330 aircraft and is positioned on the jet's tail. The artwork is rendered in a subdued gray tone, allowing it to stand out against the white fuselage while remaining visually consistent with the carrier's standard branding. Unlike many special liveries that rely on bright colors or anniversary markings, the Tesla design uses a restrained approach. The remainder of the aircraft retains Air Serbia's standard livery, including red engine nacelles, blue tail accents, and the national tricolor motif. This allows the portrait to serve as the focal point without altering the overall fleet appearance. The livery reflects Air Serbia's emphasis on national identity and cultural heritage, themes that have been central to the airline's branding since its rebranding from JAT Airways. Nikola Tesla, who was born in what is now Croatia to Serbian parents and later emigrated to the United States, is widely regarded as a symbol of Serbian scientific achievement. Air Serbia continues to operate the Tesla-liveried aircraft on regular scheduled services across its European network. Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries. The holiday hubbub is finally over. Now that youre back to work, youre already daydreaming about your next vacation. Your budget, however, is grounded in reality. After all that seasonal spending, you need to pinch your pennies. Fortunately, you might not have to compromise your wanderlust some vacations are actually cheaper after the holidays. Curious about vacation options that may be more affordable once the tinsel has come down, GOBankingRates talked to the experts. Whether youre keen to collect new stamps in your passport or stay stateside, youve got some great choices for dream vacations at realistic prices. 1. San Francisco, California San Francisco may seem like a surprising suggestion, since its often mentioned among the most expensive cities in the U.S. But travelers who want to take in the art, culture, beaches and generally gorgeous weather can find ways to avoid sticker shock by visiting during the winter. For You: 5 Ways To Travel Like a Millionaire Without Spending Like One Find Out: How You Could Pocket an Extra $2K* Just for Signing Up for This All-in-One Finance App According to Steve Schwab, CEO of Casago, major cities like San Francisco become more affordable for visitors after the glitz of the holidays and the price spikes associated with holiday tourism have passed. Advertisement Advertisement Once the holidays end, that tourism declines. Of course, these are popular places to visit year-round, but the post-holiday season, in the early months of the year, is usually when tourism is at its lowest, he said. So thats often when its cheapest to visit. His claim is backed by findings from ALL Accor, the loyalty program for the Accor hotel chain. In an explainer about visiting San Francisco, it notes: If youre on a budget, the best time to go to San Francisco for lower prices is January to March. Hotels and flights are often discounted due to fewer tourists. 2. Portugal Evelyn Duran, sales manager at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, encourages travelers to target destinations that see drops in demand come January including Portugal. Youll enjoy mild winter weather, fewer fellow tourists in cities like Lisbon and Porto, and noticeably lower prices. Hotel rates fall 40% to 50% perfect for a budget-conscious luxury escape, Duran said. After January, flights from the East Coast drop as well, and visitors can indulge in local cuisine and sights without swarms of tourists. 3. Central and Eastern Europe Duran acknowledges that this recommendation covers a lot of terrain, but says the variety of experiences and adventures is precisely the appeal. She notes that the region offers great value in January and encourages travelers to reserve flights and hotels early in the month to get the lowest prices possible. Advertisement Advertisement All-inclusive packages and flexible travel dates can also lower price tags, she said. To narrow down which countries to visit, travelers can explore sites like TourRadar, which curates itineraries by interest and budget. TourRadar users found Bulgaria and Romania particularly affordable. 4. Morocco If Morocco is on your bucket list, consider planning your trip during the winter. Not only will you benefit from milder weather, Duran says, but the post-holiday drop in tourism often leads to reduced prices for flights and lodging. Shes particularly excited about the thriving culture and lower hotel rates in cities like Marrakech and Fez. Another perk of traveling to Morocco during the shoulder season? Local vendors may be more open to haggling, meaning you could walk away with one-of-a-kind souvenirs at a lower cost. 5. Greece Anyone prone to the winter blues is likely to love Durans next recommendation: Greece. She says the country shines in winter, with pleasant temperatures, fewer crowds and prices that can be dramatically lower than peak season. Advertisement Advertisement Athens is displayed to perfection by mellow weather at half or even a third of summer prices, she said. Lonely Planet concurs. In a guide to visiting Greece on a budget, writer Kate Armstrong notes that during the winter months, tourists may see accommodation rates and site entrance fees cut in half. While many islands shut down for winter, much of mainland Greece, and the larger islands of Crete, Rhodes and Kos, operate year-round thanks to their active permanent populations, she wrote. Youll not be plagued by crowds, and you can enjoy a much more relaxed local lifestyle, albeit in cooler climes. Car hire costs are lower then, too. The Bottom Line While summer is often considered peak travel season, savvy, budget-conscious travelers know that some destinations are most affordable just after the holidays. With fewer tourists and lower demand, winter travel can unlock meaningful savings and unforgettable experiences. Advertisement Advertisement Need a little extra breathing room in your budget? MoneyLion, a sister company of GOBankingRates, is giving away $2,000 a day through Jan. 24, 2026. Sign up here and see if a cash boost is in your future. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im a Travel Expert: These 5 Vacations Are Cheapest After the Holidays Missouri, in the heart of American Midwest, has long been favored by adventurous travelers for its scenic rivers, rolling hills, and the raw beauty of the Ozark Mountains. In 2024, more than 19 million people visited the state's parks, yet only about 500,000 made it to one of its most historic and spectacular destinations: Ha Ha Tonka State Park, a haven for nature lovers craving a peaceful retreat away from the crowds. Located near Camdenton along the Niangua Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks, the park's name comes from the Osage language, meaning "laughing water." The name perfectly fits its crown jewel, Ha Ha Tonka Spring, the 12th largest in Missouri, which sends 48 million gallons of water into the Lake of the Ozarks every day. Over centuries, water carved through ancient bedrock to create some of the world's most unusual natural formations, including deep sinkholes, bluffs, caves, and a 70-foot-wide natural bridge giving us one of the world's strangest natural wonders. All in all, Ha Ha Tonka covers 3,700 acres of stunning karst landscape. Add an 80-foot stone water tower and the skeletal remains of a European-style castle built in the early 1900s that rises dramatically against rolling hills, and this state park will keep you entertained for hours. Since becoming a state park in 1978, Ha Ha Tonka has been free to enter, making it one of the rare places where you can experience geology, history, and untamed wilderness without spending a dime. Once you're there, you'll understand why it's considered one of America's must-visit state parks. Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Nashville Celebrity Hotspots: Where To Go To See Stars Why Ha Ha Tonka State Park is a nature lover's paradise Hiker walking with two dogs on bridge next to springs at Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Missouri - David Wayne Radzieta/Shutterstock For nature lovers, Ha Ha Tonka offers more than 15 miles of trails, from rugged paths to easy boardwalks. The 1.3-mile Devil's Kitchen Trail takes you through dry chert woodlands and sunny glades before reaching its namesake sinkhole, a mysterious geologic chamber. The 0.7-mile Colosseum Trail leads to a 150-foot-deep sinkhole shaped like a natural amphitheater. Just nearby stands the Natural Bridge, a striking 60-feet stone arch that towers 100-feet high, and stretches 70-feet wide all that remains after the cave system around it collapsed. These three hikes are short but absolute must-dos for anyone visiting the park. Water lovers aren't left out. From April to October, visitors can rent kayaks (starting at $20) to explore the Lake of the Ozarks, with life jackets provided for safety. Fishing is allowed at all access points on the Lake of the Ozarks, but prohibited in Ha Ha Tonka Spring to keep its crystal waters untouched. The park also has 20 picnic areas, making it a perfect spot for families to enjoy a day basking in nature and towering oaks. A picnic here is a must-do for anyone wanting to relax and soak in the beauty. No visit is complete without seeing the park's most iconic sight: the castle ruins. Built in the early 1900s by Robert Snyder, the wealthy businessman died in one of Missouri's first automobile accident in 1906, leaving the project unfinished for over a decade. His sons completed the castle in 1922, but a fire gutted it in 1942, leaving the ruins as they are today. Walking around the ruins and their stone walls, perched on a bluff overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks, feels as if you've stepped into the pages of a history book. Planning a trip to Ha Ha Tonka State Park Aerial view of Ha Ha Tonka State Park during fall - Kit Leong/Shutterstock You'll be glad to know that Ha Ha Tonka State Park is easy to reach. The closest airport is Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport, just over an hour's drive away. Otherwise, St. Louis Lambert and Kansas City are two international airports, each about four hours from the park by car, bus, or train. There are also other regional airports nearby that can provide additional travel choices. Advertisement Advertisement Backpackers can camp for free but reservations are required, except from April to October when same-day reservations are possible. Nearby lodging options, including hotels, cabins, and lodges within 4 to 10 miles of the park range from $90 to $400 per night according to TripAdvisor. The park is open all year round, so you can plan your visit for any time that suits you. Just be sure to check the weather before you go. Essentials to bring include water, snacks, bug spray, sunscreen, comfortable hiking shoes, seasonal clothing, and binoculars you never know when you might spot one of the park's 177 bird species across its landscapes. Finally, follow park rules: stay on marked trails, respect the wildlife, and avoid fishing in restricted waters. With proper preparation, Ha Ha Tonka State Park will become one of your favorite spots among the most beautiful places on the planet. It's a place you'll want to visit again and again. Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google. Read the original article on Explore. The Khongor Sand Dunes in Mongolia, partially covered by snow and ice. DJI Mavic 2 Pro | ISO 100 | 1/200 sec | F8Photo: Erez Marom Today, I'd like to talk about my experience shooting landscapes and wildlife in Mongolia. Known for its remote location and as the world's least densely populated country, Mongolia encompasses some very interesting landscapes and wildlife. While hot in summer, in winter it goes into a deep freeze. Temperatures plummet, and as a result, both landscapes and wildlife change dramatically. It's definitely a whole different place in winter when it comes to photography. My first visit to wintery Mongolia was in early 2020. A friend and I set out to spend a couple of weeks shooting both the Khongor dunes and the frozen Khuvsgul Lake, but after a week, we had to flee the country since Covid had just begun spreading uncontrollably. As our guides put it, it was either get on the next flight or settle in, set up a ger tent and find a nice Mongolian wife. The second visit, which took place in January 2025, was far better and more fruitful. I will share my images from both these trips in this article and the next. The first location I visited in Mongolia was the Khongor Sand Dunes. Known as the "Singing Sands," It lies within the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, extending up to the foot of the high Altai Mountain range. The dunes "sing" (produce a humming sound upon the movement of the sand) mainly in summer. In winter, the dunes are saturated with moisture from falling snow and become something else entirely. Other than a few snowy patches, I had to settle for ordinary-looking dune shots, without any winter characteristics. Canon 5D IV | Canon 70-300mmFocus stack from 2 shots taken at 182mm | ISO 100 | F16 Another aerial image of the dunes. DJI Mavic 2 Pro | ISO 100 | 1/240 sec | F9 Photos: Erez Marom Our goal was to shoot the dunes with snow and ice, which proved difficult. There isn't much precipitation in the area, so it's a big gamble, which we didn't really win. There were patches of snow, but it was mainly just dunes. The positive part was that the dunes had gigantic snowy mountains behind them, which is something that you rarely see. This combination really said "Mongolia," which is something I wanted to achieve. Snowy dunes at the foot of snowy mountains quite a unique sight. Canon 5D Mark IV | Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM | ISO 100 | 1/250 sec | F9 Advertisement Advertisement The next location was one I was supposed to visit back in 2020 but couldn't: Khuvsgul Lake. Khuvsgul is an ancient lake (more than 2 million years old) in northern Mongolia, located near the Russian border and adjacent to the similarly ancient Baikal Lake. As it is with Baikal, Khuvsgul's surface freezes in winter, forming an ice layer thick enough to drive a car on most of its surface. The wind's drag (and to a lesser degree the currents underneath) push parts of the frozen surface against each other, creating a myriad of cracks and shapes which are beautifully visible and shootable using a drone. These cracks were so nice and symmetrical that they basically dictated the composition, leaving me with very little thinking work. DJI Mavic 3 Classic | ISO 100 | 1/240 sec | F6.3 The lake has several rocky islands, and the movement of the surface pushes ice toward the banks, where it shatters and creates piles of icy debris, perfect for both near-far landscape compositions and abstract photography. Ice slabs, pushed into a vertical position, created a natural foreground for this shot. Canon R5 Mark II | Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM | ISO 200 | 1/320 sec | F14 An abstract of shapes and light. Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM | ISO 100 | 1/100 sec | F11 Large pieces of ice get pushed up onto the lake's banks, adding color and interest to the foreground. Canon R5 Mark II | Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM | ISO 100 | 1/125 sec | F14 Advertisement Advertisement I particularly enjoyed shooting aerial abstracts of the lake's surface. The options are endless, plus the ice changes every winter, turning Khuvsgul into a truly infinite source of compositions. These cracks shot top-down looked like a neural network! DJI Mavic 3 Classic | ISO 100 | 1/100 sec | F6.3 This composition is nice because it shows the huge ice slabs with large cracks between them, the snowy patches dotting the surface, and the smaller cracks filling the ice. Can you spot our car? DJI Mavic 3 Classic | ISO 100 | 1/200 sec | F6.3 I know it doesn't seem like it, but this is 100% natural. As is often the case with abstract photography, it's a bit challenging to perceive the scale of things. Is this a frozen lake or a petri dish? I like the combination of rough surface ice with large cracks, opposed by clear ice with smaller, finer cracks. DJI Mavic 3 Classic | ISO 100 | 1/80 sec | F6.3 These cracks looked just like man-made roads. I was fascinated by the shapes and textures in the ice. DJI Mavic 3 Classic | ISO 100 | 1/100 sec | F6.3 Photos: Erez Marom Advertisement Advertisement Different parts of the lake have different depths and thus different colors. When shooting close to the banks, where the water is shallow, the ice has a more turquoise color. When shooting at the center, where it's deeper, the color is a deep shade of blue. The larger and smaller cracks combined to create both the foreground and texture of this image. The contour of the bank and the mountains in the background completed the composition. DJI Mavic 3 Classic | ISO 100 | 1/160 sec | F7.1 In the second part of this article, I will talk about shooting landscape in the Jargant River and wildlife in the vast Mongolian Steppe. j Pallas s Cat 3-2-2025 8 Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, guide and traveller. You can follow Erez's work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates. If you'd like to experience and shoot some of the world's most fascinating landscapes and wildlife with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in Zambia, China, Colombia, Vietnam, Madagascar, Ethiopia and more. Advertisement Advertisement Erez has recently published his first e-book, Solving the Puzzle, thoroughly explaining his views about composition in landscape photography and beyond. Selected Articles by Erez Marom: Top 5 Can't Miss Explore Middleburg's deep equestrian heritage, featuring steeplechasing and foxhunting traditions. Stay in luxurious accommodations like The Red Fox Inn or Salamander Middleburg Resort & Spa. Enjoy wine, beer, cider, and spirits in one of the East Coast's top wine destinations, Loudoun County. Pair local oysters with seasonal cocktails while dining alfresco at King Street Oyster Bar. Peruse vintage treasures from dozens of dealers at Middleburg Antique Gallery. Upon entering Middleburg, Virginia (population 701), youll immediately get a sense of its equestrian heritage, deep appreciation of history, and enduring love of mans best friend. The two-lane roads that feed into the town are lined with stone-walled farms and acres of rolling green pastures. As you meander through the bucolic landscape, keep an eye out for restored brick and fieldstone homes, horses, and the occasional winery. When you begin to see Federal-style townhouses, brick sidewalks, and a variety of dog-friendly antique stores, youll know youve arrived in Middleburgs quaint historic district. Known as the nation's horse and hunt capital, Middleburg is famously associated with steeplechasing and foxhunting; you may recognize the scarlet jackets, breeches, and black leather boots worn by the members of the Middleburg Hunt. What began as an English tradition is now firmly linked to Middleburg and Virginia Hunt Country, and visitors come from near and far to watch the mounted riders and foxhounds make their way down the main street during the holiday season (more on that later). Advertisement Advertisement Thanks to its proximity to Washington, D.C.about an hours drive, barring rush-hour trafficthe small town has served as a luxurious countryside getaway for decades. With its historic charm, boutique shops, and welcoming community, Middleburg is a welcome respite, especially if you live in a busy city, says Wendy Osborn, owner of Chloes of Middleburg. And given its roster of award-winning hotels, wineries, and world-class restaurants, the town continues to attract travelers who want to experience the finer things in life, all while enjoying Virginias green spaces and fresh air. Interested in planning a trip to Middleburg? Read on to discover the best places to stay, eat, and explore. JSatterthwaite / Getty Images Best Hotels & Resorts The Red Fox Inn & Tavern The Red Fox Inn & Tavern is a stalwart character in Middleburg, with roots dating back to 1728. Spread out over five buildings, the property features 22 luxurious rooms, suites, and cottages. While its character may be defined by its historyask the staff about its connections to Jackie O and George Washingtonthe inn embraces all of the modern comforts. Breakfast delivered to your door in a charming box? Just let the team know when youd like it to arrive. Salamander Middleburg Resort & Spa Justin Kriel / Courtesy of Salamander Resort & Spa - Middleburg, Virginia. A family-friendly resort set on 340 acres, Salamander Middleburg was opened in 2013 by Sheila Johnson, the co-founder of BET and Americas first Black female billionaire. The grounds are gorgeous, with lots of on-site activities, and the rooms are beautiful, says Mt. Defiance Cidery and Distillerys manager, Nicole Nicastro, who also recommends a visit to the impressive 23,000-square-foot spa. Goodstone Inn & Restaurant Osborn calls the Goodstone Inn & Restaurant the perfect choice for someone who is looking to stay in a more secluded property. The inns six historic cottages and houses (with 18 rooms in total) are located just outside of downtown Middleburg. Spend your days biking, hiking, bird-watching, or lounging by the heated saltwater pool. To get the entire experience, be sure to dine at both on-site restaurants, The Bistro and The Conservatory. Best Things to Do Explore Middleburgs historic district. To get the lay of the land, start your trip to Middleburg on foot. Over 160 of the towns buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesThe Red Fox Inn & Tavern among them. I always recommend strolling the main street You can walk from one end of town to the other, without stopping, in 15 minutes, or easily spend two to three hours going into the boutiques, coffee shops, [and] antique stores, says Elizabeth Gingerich, guest services supervisor at Salamander Middleburg. Visit the National Sporting Library and Museum and the Middleburg Museum. Virginia Tourism Corporation, www.Virginia.org History is at the forefront of Middleburgs narrative, so it should come as no surprise that there are a couple of places to learn about the areas cultural heritage, traditions, and architecture. The National Sporting Library and Museum details country pursuits, including things like horsemanship, steeplechasing, foxhunting, and polo. While admission to the library is free, the museum does charge for entry. To get a deeper understanding of the history of the town itself, head to the Middleburg Museum. Sip on Virginia wine, beer, cider, and spirits. While Loudoun County has been lauded as one of the top East Coast destinations for wine, the region can also claim several popular breweries, cideries, and distilleries. If you prefer reds and whites, head to Chrysalis Vineyards, Greenhill Vineyards, or Boxwood Winery, a historic landmark farm. Tastings are available at the Mt. Defiance Cider & Distillery, and beer drinkers can find their new favorite brew at nearby Lost Barrel Brewing. Parties without a designated driver can check out Expedition Vintage Tours, a service that takes you to and from local spots in a classic Land Rover. Attend the Middleburg Film Festival. The Middleburg Film Festival is an annual celebration of narrative and documentary films held in mid-October at the Salamander Middleburg Resort & Spa. Along with premieres and screenings, there are panels and conversations with filmmakers and actors. Many of the featured films have gone on to win international awards, says Osborn. The MFF was founded in 2013 by Sheila Johnson, who still serves on the board of directors. Tickets can be purchased online. Best Shopping Middleburg Antique Gallery Part of the fun of visiting Middleburg is popping in and out of its many antique stores. There are unique shops that you won't find anywhere else with wonderful one-of-a-kind items, says Nicastro. Take Middleburg Antique Gallery, for example. With 45 different dealers, the store offers an extensive selection of American and European furniture, rugs, books, chandeliers, fishing and sporting antiques, among other treasures. Highcliffe Clothiers Highcliffe Clothiers [has] modern British and Scottish attire and a little bit of equestrian wear thrown in, says Gingerich. Self-described as an old school haberdashery, Highcliffe Clothiers offers custom clothing, plus ready-to-wear pieces and accessories. If youre interested in going the custom route, be sure to request an appointment ahead of your visit. Creme de la Creme Creme de la Creme is a great shop to visit for French-inspired shopping, says Nicastro. The inventory includes all sorts of home goods and gifts, like pottery, jewelry, linens, books, and the stores signature candles. Its so fun to walk around and browse, adds Gingerich. Chloes of Middleburg Looking for a new vacation dress or a last-minute gift for a loved one? Stop in Chloes of Middleburg. Osborn fills her charming shop with bright colors, fun accessories, bath and body products, and specialty pet wear. Best Restaurants King Street Oyster Bar Great seafood, 10 different types of local oysters, nice outdoor seating, and happy hour every day make King Street Oyster Bar one of the towns best places to eat, according to Gingerich. The two-floor restaurant is centrally located on East Washington Street, and its drink menu includes seasonal cocktails, frose, a house punch, and a house mule. Middleburg Common Grounds For the best coffee and breakfast sandwiches, Gingerich recommends stopping at Middleburg Common Grounds. Its the perfect grab-and-go spot if youre gearing up for a hike in the surrounding area or have a full day of antiquing ahead of you. The Upper Crust Owned by the Stine family, The Upper Crust is a favorite for baked goods that remind you of the way your grandma used to bake, says Osborn. If youre craving something sweetthink apple fritters, cinnamon buns, and croissantsyou wont leave disappointed. Not sure what to try first? A local favorite is the cow puddle cookie, Osborn adds. The Red Fox Inn & Tavern Jeffrey Greenberg / Universal Images Group / Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement As the name implies, The Red Fox Inn & Tavern is more than just a place to lay your head. The cozy, historic tavern, complete with working fireplaces, offers a delightful four-course dinner experience, best enjoyed with the Virginia and Tavern wine pairings. The wonderful food is classic Virginia, and the cocktails are great, says Nicastro. Middleburg Deli Sometimes something simple is the best choice, especially if were talking about lunch. Middleburg Deli, a tiny sandwich shop right off East Washington Street, has all of the staples, including hot dogs, Reubens, cheeseburgers, and good old-fashioned turkey sandwiches. Top it off with a bag of Route 11 chips and a brownie. Best Times to Visit The best time to visit Middleburg is from October through late December. While all seasons in Middleburg are wonderful, the fall brings a particularly beautiful experience, says Osborn. The mild weather and vibrant foliage are not to be missed. Check the calendar for a variety of equestrian events, including the International Gold Cup and the Virginia Fall Races, both of which occur in October. Middleburg also dresses to the nines for the holiday season, with festivities kicking off the first weekend of December during a multiday affair known as Christmas in Middleburg. The whole town participates, says Gingerich, who notes the highlights of the weekend are the two parades. The Middleburg Hunt, where mounted foxhunt riders and hounds make their way down the main street, precedes the Christmas Parade, a traditional small-town parade ending with the arrival [of] Santa Claus, she explains. How to Get There Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is the closest airport to Middleburg. If you time it right and avoid rush-hour traffic, the drive should take around 35 minutes. Although farther away, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is another option for travelers, with an average driving time of about an hour. How to Get Around Downtown Middleburg is completely walkable, with sidewalks connecting the stores, restaurants, and shops. You will, however, need a car to explore the rest of Loudoun County and its many wineries, distilleries, and beautiful scenery. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure Across Europe, countries are capitalising on remote work by offering digital nomad visas. Since the pandemic, many of us have enjoyed the freedom to work from anywhere. Recognising the potential to boost their flagging tourism industries, countries from Croatia to Spain are making it easier to gain temporary residency while working for a foreign company. Not only does this help fill the low-season gaps in tourism-reliant destinations, it offers non-EU citizens the peace of mind and the chance to legally work remotely. Advertisement Advertisement Digital nomad visas help host countries combat other problems, too, from brain drain to ageing populations. If youre looking to move to Europe, work remotely, and gain the right to travel in the Schengen Area, a digital nomad visa could be just the ticket. Heres a comparison of the remote work visas currently - or soon to be - available in Europe, including length of stay, application fees and income requirements. Some have been specifically designed for remote workers while others are previously existing visas that have been adapted to people who want to work while travelling. What digital nomad visas are available in Europe? Albania: For stunning nature and low cost of living Visa length: One year, with possibility to renew for up to five years Advertisement Advertisement Application fee: Based on reciprocity Income requirement: Estimated 9,800/year Digital nomads can apply for an Albanian residence permit that allows them to stay and work there for up to one year. Introduced at the start of 2022, the so-called 'Unique Permit' can be renewed up to five times in a row. Remote workers must show proof of an employment contract for a company outside of the country that allows them to work remotely, as well as relevant qualifications. They must also have a local bank account, housing contract, health insurance and clean criminal record, as well as proof of funds to support themselves. Bulgaria: For a wallet-friendly gateway to Europe Visa length: One year, with possibility to renew for another year Advertisement Advertisement Application fee: 300+ Income requirement: Estimated 31,000/year Applications are now open for Bulgaria's digital nomad visa. Applicants must be non-EU/EEA citizens who work remotely and earn their income from outside Bulgaria. Within that, there are three eligibility criteria: remote employees of companies registered outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland; owners of companies or those holding more than 25 per cent of a business registered abroad; and freelancers or independent professionals who have been providing services to non-Bulgarian clients for at least one year before applying. Applicants must also provide evidence of an annual income of at least 50 times the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage, which is currently 620, making the yearly minimum 31,000. Croatia: For sunshine undamped by tax woes Visa length: One year, with possibility to renew Advertisement Advertisement Application fee: Around 60 Income requirement: Around 2,500/month Croatia launched its one-year residence permit for digital nomads in 2021. The scheme is open to non-EU/EEA citizens working in communication technology - either through their own company registered abroad or as a remote employee for a company outside Croatia. Provided they don't require a tourist visa to enter Croatia, remote workers can apply for a one-year residence permit after arrival. Close family members can also apply for temporary residence. Remote workers are currently not subject to income tax in Croatia. Related Cyprus: For Mediterranean beaches and ancient history Visa length: One year, with possibility to renew for two years Advertisement Advertisement Application fee: 70 Income requirement: 3,500/month Open to non-EU nationals, Cyprus's remote work visa launched in 2021 with a cap of 100 nomads. In 2022, the government increased this ceiling to 500 visas. To be eligible, you must work for an employer registered outside Cyprus. Digital nomads are permitted to bring their families with them, though these people are not permitted to work in Cyprus. Czech Republic: For affordable living and fairytale castles Visa length: Up to one year Application fee: 200 Income requirement: Must have 5,000 in your bank account Remote workers can apply for a long-term business or freelance licence in the Czech Republic. Colloquially known as the zivno visa (short for Zivnostenske opravneni or trade authorisation), it is intended for non-EU citizens who freelance or run their own business. Advertisement Advertisement It requires ties with a company in the Czech Republic, so can be used by those intending to gain local freelance work such as teaching. Estonia: For digital-forward infrastructure on a budget Visa length: One year, with possibility to extend by six months Application fee: 100 Income requirement: 4,500/month Estonia launched its digital nomad visa in summer 2020. It lets people working remotely for companies abroad - or freelancers with clients mostly abroad - stay in Estonia for up to one year at a time. You can apply for an additional six-month visa after your initial one expires. Applicants must have earned at least 3,500 net per month in the six months preceding their application. Advertisement Advertisement If you remain in Estonia for more than half a year, you will gain tax residency and be subject to local taxes. The country also offers e-residency, which grants remote entrepreneurs digital access to Estonias e-services without providing residency. This can be used to run a company online, access banking, and declare taxes in Estonia without actually living there. Related Finland: For untouched nature in the worlds happiest country Visa length: Six months Application fee: 400 Income requirement: 1,220/month Advertisement Advertisement Finlands self-employment visa is open to non-EU entrepreneurs who are self-employed or run an independent business. Applicants must meet the minimum income requirement and prove they have means. Greece: For island-hopping and year-round sun Visa length: One year, with possibility to extend with a residence permit Application fee: 75 Income requirement: 3,500/month In 2022, Greece launched a scheme to allow non-EU citizens to live and work remotely in the country. To be approved, youll need to show you have sufficient resources of a monthly income of at least 3,500. Digital nomads are not permitted to work or freelance for Greek companies under the scheme. Advertisement Advertisement Related Hungary: For thermal baths and low-cost living Visa length: One year, with possibility to extend Application fee: 110 Income requirement: 3,000/month Hungary's White Card visa is open to non-EU digital nomads employed remotely outside the country. You must stay in the country for at least 90 days in a 180-day period, and will be exempt from paying tax in Hungary for the first six months. You are not permitted to work for a Hungarian company under this scheme. Iceland: For outdoor explorers on high incomes Visa length: Six months Application fee: 86 Income requirement: 7,075/month Icelands remote work long-term visa is aimed at high-income individuals earning over 7,000 per month, either as employees of a foreign company or as freelancers. The visa lasts for six months and applicants will not be considered tax residents during this time. You are not permitted to work for Icelandic employers under this visa. Related Italy: For laid-back living and spectacular scenery Visa length: One year, with possibility to renew Application fee: 116 Income requirement: 28,000/year A new visa for digital nomads was signed into Italian law in March 2022 and finally became available in April 2024. Applicants need to fulfil a range of requirements, including having health insurance and a clean criminal record. They must also be tax compliant in Italy before applying. Latvia: For miles of forests and beautiful architecture Visa length: One year, possibility to renew for a second year Application free: TBC Income requirement: At least 2,858/month The Latvian government announced plans for a digital nomad visa in 2022. Legislation is currently undergoing modifications before it can become official. Authorities have said, however, that after five years as a legal resident of Latvia, digital nomads can apply for citizenship. Applicants must also be a citizen or resident of an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) country such as the US, Canada or the UK. Malta: For mild winters and days on the water Visa length: One year Application fee: 300 Income requirement: 2,700/month Maltas Nomad Residence Permit is for remote workers and freelancers who work for companies outside the country. The one-year permit is open to non-EU nationals. Originally, nomads were told they would be granted a tax exemption so long as they continued paying taxes back home. However, there have been legal complications with this promise that are currently being resolved. Want to make Malta your more permanent home? A new Startup Residence Scheme announced in 2023 grants a three-year residence permit to third-country nationals who make an investment of at least 25,000 in the country. If the business is successful, this can be extended for a further five years and could eventually lead to long-term residency. Montenegro: For intrepid hiking and low cost of living Visa length: Two years, with possibility to renew for another two Application free: 67 Income requirement: Around 1,400/month Montenegro announced its digital nomad visa for non EU citizens in 2021 and introduced the early stages of the scheme in 2023. However, applications aren't going to be available until sometime in 2024. Participants can use the scheme to live in the country for up to four years. Digital nomads are eligible for tax breaks although details are still to be confirmed. Related Norway: For mountain-climbing and local business Visa length: Up to two years Application fee: 600 Income requirement: 3,000/month Eligible non-EU digital nomads can apply for a residence permit and independent contractor visa to live and work remotely in Norway. Applicants must have at least one Norwegian client and are required to pay local taxes under the scheme. Portugal: For rugged coastlines and wine-tasting weekends Visa length: One year Income requirement: 3,280/month Portugal initially launched its digital nomad visa in October 2022, officially called the residence visa for the exercise of professional activity provided remotely outside the national territory. It is open to non-EU citizens who are employed or self-employed by a company outside of Portugal. The new scheme is an alternative to the existing D7 visa, which is aimed at retirees and passive income earners. You must show proof of health insurance of the duration of your stay. If you bring a spouse or children with you, the minimum income requirement increases or you must show a set level of savings in your bank account. Romania: For long hikes and pocket-friendly stays Visa length: One year Application fee: 120 Income requirement: 3,950/month (three times Romanias average gross salary) Romanias digital nomad visa is aimed at non-EU citizens. Applicants must have health insurance, a clean criminal record and proof of income from a company outside of Romania. In 2023, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis signed a new bill to clarify tax requirements for digital nomads. Those staying for long periods are exempt from paying income tax, social security, and social health insurance contributions. To benefit from the scheme, foreign workers cannot exceed a stay of 183 days in the country over a period of 12 consecutive months. Digital nomads with tax residence in another country are not required to pay tax in Romania under the scheme. Slovenia: For up-and-coming cities with co-working services Visa length: 12 months, non-renewable Application fee: Expected 100-150 Income requirement: Around 3,200/month Slovenias digital nomad visa is available for non-EU and non-EEA nationals. To be eligible, you must also work exclusively for foreign clients or employers. Family members can join a digital nomad holding a visa, but they are also not allowed to work for companies based in Slovenia. Applicants have to provide evidence of sufficient income to support themselves and their families throughout their stay. The permit is valid for 12 months. It is non-renewable, so remote workers looking to stay longer need to spend at least six months outside Slovenia before reapplying. Spain: For beach escapes and tax breaks Visa length: One year, with possibility to renew for up to five years Application fee: Varies by county, usually around 80 Income requirement: Currently 2,334/month Spains long-awaited digital nomad visa came into force in February 2023. The scheme grants non-EU citizens the chance to live and work there for up to five years. Related It is open to people who work remotely for non-Spanish companies, including both self-employed freelancers with multiple clients and workers employed by a single company. They must be able to prove that they are qualified or experienced in their field. Close relatives, like children and spouses, are allowed to join the visa holder in the country with proof of sufficient funds. Tax breaks will be granted to remote workers, provided they earn below 600,000 a year. They will pay 15 per cent tax during the first four years of their stay instead of the usual 24 per cent. Turkiye: For buzzy cities and blissful coastline Visa length: Six months Application fee: TBC Income requirement: 2,800/month In March 2024, Turkiye became the latest country to launch a digital nomad visa for foreign remote workers. The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry has created a dedicated website where those interested can complete the first application stages. Those interested in Turkiyes digital nomad visa need to be aged between 21 and 55. Applicants are accepted from most EU countries as well as the UK, USA and Canada. Additional prerequisites include holding a university degree, having an employment or business contract and being able to prove the minimum monthly income. Our Fault is the third installment of Prime Videos Spanish-language Culpables trilogy. Based on the New York Times best-selling books by Argentinian author Mercedes Ron, the drama series follows the enemies-to-lovers romance between Noah Morgan (Nicole Wallace) and Nick Leister (Gabriel Guevara). Our Fault debuted on the streamer on Oct. 16. The first two movies My Fault and Your Fault premiered on June 8, 2023 and Dec. 27, 2024, respectively. All three films in the trilogy take place in and were filmed on location in cities throughout Spain, with Culpa Tuya and Culpa Nuestra being filmed in tandem primarily in and around Madrid. Some coastal areas, such as Manilva and Malaga, are also featured, adding scenic beauty and rich colors to the historical settings. If youre planning a trip to Spain soon, be sure to explore the filming locations in these stunning locales while youre there. Each city radiates its own unique atmosphere, with a lively spirit and unmistakable energy that you simply cant find anywhere else. What City Was My Fault Filmed In? (Pablo Ricciardulli/Prime Video) The original film, My Fault (based on the book Culpa Mia), was shot on location in Spain, primarily in the coastal province of Malaga in Andalusia. According to Sur in English, Manilva, Puerto de La Duquesa and the promenade of Playamar in Torremolinos are also recognizable areas where the films action-packed car races and police chases were filmed. Torremolinos, Manilva and Marbella all appear on-screen as well. Advertisement Advertisement The Cinemaholic reports that the various areas of Malaga were all utilized during filming throughout most of 2022. Not only are there coastal scenes, but there are also rivers and farmlands in the area that were used for introspective scenes and transition shots. In addition to Malaga, Spains capital was also used as a filming location. The crew captured the citys vibrant nightlife to stage the underground fights in which Nick participates. The contrast between the city nightlife in Madrid and the peaceful oasis of the coastal vistas added depth to the story in the first installment of the series. Where Did They Film Culpa Tuya? (Pablo Ricciardulli/Prime Video) Culpa Tuya, or Your Fault, was filmed primarily around Costa del Sol, showcasing the countrys beautiful seascape. Benalmadena Beach in Costa del Sol is cited as one of the prominent filming locations of Your Fault, as reported by Net Filming. Director Domingo Gonzalez said in an interview that The natural beauty of Benalmadena Beach added a layer of depth to the film, representing the moments of peace and reflection the characters needed. He went on to say that it was crucial to create an environment that felt both intimate and expansive, and this location captured that perfectly. According to Deadline, Culpa Tuya was Prime Videos biggest international original launch ever. Premiering in December 2024, the sequel to Culpa Mia follows Nick and Noah throughout the historic sites of Madrid as well as the countrys coastal areas. Culpa Tuya was in production at the same time as the final film, Culpa Nuestra, so several areas make an appearance in both movies. Your Guide To Exploring Our Fault Filming Locations Key Scenes: Scenes that delve into Nicks past, especially his underground fighting life, were all filmed in Madrid, according to Net Filming. Additionally, scenes showing vibrant city life and nightlife were all filmed in the historic city. Advertisement Advertisement Best Time to Visit: Although there are hundreds of sites to see throughout Madrid year-round, the most temperate seasons to book your Spain travel are spring or fall. High temperatures in the summer and unpredictable weather patterns in the winter may make planning for activities difficult. If youre hoping to avoid the crowds and enjoy some outdoor activities, consider visiting Madrid in April, May, September or October. These are also excellent times to take a trip to the coast! Transportation Options: As one of Spains largest cities, Madrid is easily accessible to both tourists and locals. Public transportation options included buses and trains with stations located throughout the city. There are also ride-share options, taxis and rentable bikes, as well as easily accessible pedestrian areas if visitors choose to travel on foot from site to site. Renting a car may be necessary for accessing coastal areas in the Costa del Sol and will also aid in escaping the large crowds of the city. Our Fault, originally titled Culpa Nuestra, was filmed in tandem with the second film in the series, Culpa Tuya, Yahoo News reports. Prime Studios debuted the film in 240 countries in October 2025. The trailer was released in April, with Deadline noting that the trailer for the final film in the trilogy broke records as the most-watched ever for an original streaming movie, garnering over 163 million views across all platforms. Things to Do: You cant properly visit Madrid without touring some of the historic sites from centuries past. The Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor are two must-see places while visiting the city. For a unique experience, stroll through the Mercado San Miguel flea market in the city center, where you can peruse artisan bakeries, top-notch butcher selections, tapas bars and seafood stalls. Advertisement Advertisement Where to Eat: Brunchit Plaza Mayor has top reviews for breakfast and lunch, though it may attract large crowds during weekends. Trattoria Pulcinello is an excellent choice for Italian cuisine, served on white linen tablecloths. Grama Lounge is also another choice for traditional meals and delicious cocktails. For a sweet treat or a morning cuppa, look for Crema Y Nata, which is tucked away along Calla del Dr. Fourquet. Where to Stay: Travelers seeking to be within walking distance of main attractions may be interested in staying at Hotel Puerta America Madrid. If youre looking to treat yourself, consider booking a room for even a few nights at Relais & Chateaux Heritage Madrid Hotel, which features 19th-century furnishings, a rooftop terrace and a restaurant on site. If you want to get out of the city, consider booking a stay at the Sotogrande in the Campo de Gibraltar region. Several scenes from Culpa Tuya, as well as a wedding in Culpa Nuestra, were filmed there, according to a newsletter from the hotel. Frequently Asked Questions Does Noah get pregnant in Our Fault? Yes, Noah finds out she is pregnant with Nicks child in Our Fault. Though she tries to hide the pregnancy at first, Nick eventually finds out. Where can I stream Our Fault? Our Fault and the other two films in the series My Fault and Your Fault can all be streamed on Prime Video. The post Where Was Our Fault Filmed? Everything You Need To Know About The Spanish Destinations appeared first on Travel Noire. Palantir (PLTR) stock is inching down on Jan. 8 following a multi-session rally on speculation that it was involved in the U.S. militarys recent attack on Venezuela. According to Arvind Ramnani, a senior Truist analyst, long-term investors should consider loading up on PLTR on this pullback as its the best-in-class artificial intelligence (AI) asset for 2026. More News from Barchart Ramnanis bullish call is particularly significant given Palantir shares are already up some 180% versus their 52-week low. www.barchart.com Why Truist Is Bullish on Palantir Stock In his latest research note, Ramnani conceded that PLTR is an expensive stock, but said the firms strong financial profile does warrant a premium multiple. Palantir sits exceptionally high on the Rule of 40 metric, with a reported score of more than 100 as of its Q3 earnings release. We continue to view PLTR stock as a buy given its significant opportunity to drive AI adoption for governments and enterprise, the Truist analyst wrote. His $223 price objective suggests Palantir Technologies could push another 30% higher from here over the next 12 months. Cramer Agrees With Truist on PLTR Shares Ramnani expects artificial intelligence adoption to accelerate this year and sees Palantir shares as ideally positioned to benefit from it. In his report, the Truist analyst also cited international expansion as a potential driver of future growth. Now operating at a 40% plus free cash flow (FCF) margin profile we see potentially for PLTR to significantly increase capital returns over the long term. Famed investor Jim Cramer echoed the optimism in a recent segment of CNBC as well. According to him, Palantir has radically changed all of its client companies (for the better) and thats a mark of a truly phenomenal business. According to Barchart, bullish options data also currently suggests Palantir will be trading at north of $200 within the next three months. Whats the Consensus Rating on Palantir? While not nearly as bullish as Truist Securities, other Wall Street firms havent thrown in the towel on PLTR shares either. While the consensus rating on Palantir stock sits at Hold only, the mean target of roughly $193 signals potential upside of about 10% from here. Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. She paid the bills while he chased his law degree. Now at 29, she's a traveling therapist, married to an attorney, and still not on the deed to the house they bought together. Her husband's excuse? "It slipped his mind." That was the last straw. In her post on Reddit, she laid it all out. The house was purchased just one month before their wedding. Her name was left off the mortgagenot out of malice, but strategy. She had student loans, and their realtor advised against listing her so they could qualify for a better home. The plan, she says, was always the same: once married, she'd be added to the deed. Don't Miss: Advertisement Advertisement A year passed. Still nothing. "I looked up how to do it through the county clerkit's not even expensive," she wrote. "But it has to be done by him. And every time I asked, he'd say he just hadn't gotten around to it." Meanwhile, she was contributing biweekly to their joint accountthe same one used to pay the mortgage. He was paid monthly, she said, and she often earned more on her out-of-state therapy contracts than he did at the firm. She held it down when he was broke in law school. Now she couldn't even get her name on the property. To make it worse, her father-in-law had always been in her earpressuring her husband to "keep things separate" and calling her "selfish" for not sharing a lawsuit settlement from college. She lied to her sisters, told them she was on the deed just to dodge the shame. "That should've been a red flag," one commenter pointed out. "If you're lying to your own family, deep down, you knew it wasn't right." Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100. Another user wrote, "It's not your house. It's never going to be your house. Stop paying the mortgage and start paying rent. That's what you are right nowa tenant." Advertisement Advertisement But the turning point came before she accepted another travel contract in a different state. She sat him down. Consulted an attorney. Asked again, this time with receipts. He told her the delay had "slipped his mind." And then, finally, he acted. He apologized. He said he didn't realize how much it bothered her and swore it was never about control or ownership. They made an appointment with the title group that handled the original deed and signed a new warranty deedtogether. She offered to sign a postnup giving him back the $50,000 his grandmother gifted for the down payment if they ever sold the house. He refused. "That money was for us," he told her. He even encouraged her to have her own attorney review the deed. "Reddit gave you good advice," he admitted. Advertisement Advertisement Not everyone bought it. "He's a lawyer. This wasn't forgetfulness," one user wrote. "He was waiting to see how long you'd let it slide." See Also: Forget Flipping HousesThis Fund Lets You Invest in Home Equity Like Wall Street Does Others were more measured. "If you're a team, he should act like it. Glad you pushed for what was yours. But don't stop watching the scoreboard." And that's the quiet lesson here: marriage doesn't automatically make you a homeowner. Promises don't file paperwork. And love doesn't always hold up in court. Advertisement Advertisement For anyone who wants to start building equity without relying on someone else, Arrived offers a practical way forward. The platform lets individuals invest in rental properties for as little as $100. There's no need to be on a mortgage, no awkward conversations, and no gatekeeping. You earn rental income, share in the appreciation, and your name is where it belongsfrom day one. Because sometimes the most secure kind of ownership is the one you give yourself. Read Next: Wall Street's $12B Real Estate Manager Is Opening Its Doors to Individual Investors Without the Crowdfunding Middlemen 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. Fundrise Fundrise has over a decade of experience managing billions in private markets for hundreds of thousands of clients. Their venture capital offering lets individual investors gain exposure to private technology companies with low minimums, diversified holdings, and a long-term focus on growth before public markets. For investors looking to expand beyond stocks and bonds, Fundrise provides a simple way to diversify into private tech ventures starting with just $10. Rad AI Rad AI's award-winning artificial intelligence technology helps transform data chaos into actionable insights, enabling the creation of high-performing content with measurable ROI. Their Regulation A+ offering allows investors to participate at $0.85 per share with a minimum investment of $1,000, providing an opportunity to diversify portfolios into early-stage AI innovation. For investors seeking exposure to the rapidly growing AI and tech sector, Rad AI offers a chance to get in on the ground floor of a data-driven growth story. Arrived Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly. WiserAdvisor As portfolios become more complex, many higher-income investors turn to professional guidance to help balance risk, identify opportunities, and stay aligned with long-term goals. WiserAdvisor offers a free way to connect with vetted financial advisors experienced in working with households earning $100,000+. Using its quick matching tool, users can book a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss retirement planning, investment strategy, and overall financial direction making it easier to build a plan that goes beyond the market alone. Nada Home equity is one of the largest sources of wealth in the U.S., yet it has long been difficult for investors to access. Homeshares gives accredited investors exposure to this asset class through the U.S. Home Equity Fund I, managed by Nada Asset Management. With more than $10 million in Home Equity Agreements, the fund offers institutional-grade access to home equity without owning or managing property, providing a differentiated way for qualified investors to diversify real estate exposure. EnergyX As demand for electric vehicles and energy storage grows, lithium has become a key driver of the clean energy transition and an asset class many investors haven't tapped. EnergyX's Lithium Ion Transport and Separation (LiTAS) technology offers a "brine to battery" solution, providing early-stage investors a way to gain exposure to lithium production and the energy sector. With investments starting at $1,000, EnergyX allows investors to diversify beyond traditional stocks and bonds into a fast-growing segment of the green economy. Lightstone Lightstone DIRECT gives accredited investors direct access to institutional-grade real estate, going beyond typical crowdfunding platforms. By cutting out middlemen, it aligns investor and manager interests while providing exposure to a $12B+ portfolio spanning multifamily, industrial, hospitality, retail, office, and life science properties. This approach allows investors to diversify their portfolios across multiple property types and markets, gaining professional-grade real estate exposure without the fees or misalignment common on other platforms. Domain Domain Money helps professionals and households earning $100,000+ take control of their finances with personalized, CFP professional-led guidance. By offering tailored financial planning, Domain empowers users to make smarter, more confident decisions across investments, retirement, taxes, and overall wealth strategy. Gameflip Gameflip is a next-generation marketplace where users buy, sell, and "flip" digital gaming items. Backed by Silicon Valley VCs, PayPal, and a visionary EA co-founder, the platform has over $200 million in lifetime sales and a community of 7.4 million users. For investors looking to diversify into early-stage startups and the growing gaming economy, Gameflip offers exposure to a high-growth digital market beyond traditional investments. Advertisement Advertisement Image: Shutterstock This article Wife, 29, Says Attorney Husband Promised to Add Her to the DeedThen Claimed It 'Slipped His Mind' After She Paid the Bills Through Law School originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. NEED TO KNOW Lindsay Paige studied to be a scientist, working in the industry for five years until realizing she "hated" it After ultimately being let go, she started a new, unexpected career Paige now talks to PEOPLE about the career change, saying her only regret is that she didn't do it sooner Lindsay Paige spent years getting her degree before moving to Boston to work in the pharmaceutical industry. The 27-year-old was working as a scientist in a lab "focused on early drug discovery," specifically in cancer research. However, she quickly realized that she "hated" the career she had spent so much time preparing for. Advertisement Advertisement "I spent most of my early 20s just feeling very lost and confused," Paige exclusively tells PEOPLE. In early 2024, after making a "mistake" at work, Paige was put on paid leave and, ultimately, she was let go. Lindsay Paige Lindsay Paige Lindsay Paige The situation forced her to muster up the courage to change careers, knowing deep down she wasn't happy. Paige decided to apply to be a front-of-house associate at a local bakery in Boston, where she worked for a month before realizing she wanted to pursue baking as a career. "I was talking to our pastry chef about it, and she was like, 'You know, I'm actually hiring. You don't need to go to culinary school.' We can train you right here,'" Paige shares. "It worked out amazingly." Advertisement Advertisement Now, two days a week, Paige works as a barista, and the other two, she spends baking in the kitchen. "I feel like I'm learning so much every day," she tells PEOPLE. "In my last job, because I was very much not interested in it, I felt like I had to go in every day and, like, put on this facade and pretend to be like, 'Oh, like, I wanna be here, and this is interesting,'" she shares. Now, she says it's "such a relief to not have to do that anymore." Working "with so many creative, talented people" has also given her "such a sense of community that I never had before." Advertisement Advertisement "When you're working as a lab scientist, it's very isolating because I was mostly working with cells," she says, noting that she considers herself to be a "hyper social person," which didn't always align with her former line of work. "I have been able to meet so many different people. I have great connections with the customers and great connections with my coworkers." Although she left the lab behind, she still uses some of her skills in her new role. "There's definitely a lot that's similar to my old job, I feel like I use the same skills.. I have to be very precise in everything I do, but the stakes are much lower," she shares. "I don't have to worry about making anything dangerous." Advertisement Advertisement "The first day after my training, I turned to our pastry chef, and I said, 'This is amazing. I don't need to worry about making anything, you know, accidentally blow up,'" she jokes. Lindsay Paige Lindsay Paige Lindsay Paige While there are some sweet upsides to working in a coffee shop, she notes that the job is still "physically demanding." "I will be on my feet lifting heavy, moving around for eight to 10 hours a day. It's definitely a job that gets you into shape," she shares. As for the possibility of ever returning to the lab? "You couldn't pay me a million dollars to go back, honestly," Paige says. "My only regret is not doing this sooner." Advertisement Advertisement The best part of her career change, she says, is feeling like she is a "special part of someone's day." "We have so many great regulars that come in almost every day. Sometimes people come in for breakfast and lunch," she explains. "People will visit us when they're having a bad day, and I feel like we can quickly turn it around with a delicious pastry and a coffee." "That is the most special part of this. I love feeding people, and it brings me so much purpose and joy that I really did not have before I started this." Read the original article on People A pregnant, 14-year-old Nebraska girl's 2005 marriage to a 22-year-old man in Kansas prompted Sunflower State lawmakers to first establish a minimum marriage age the following year. That girl and the man who had gotten her pregnant crossed the state line from Nebraska into Kansas and married with the consent of the girl's mother. The man had been having sex with the girl illegally, but they married legally, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Kansas lawmakers responded in 2006 by enacting restrictions that are part of KSA 2325-05, the statute that bans anyone younger than 15 from getting married in Kansas. A pregnant, 14-year-old Nebraska girl's 2005 marriage to a 22-year-old man in Kansas prompted Sunflower State lawmakers to establish a minimum marriage age the following year. 2005 child bride situation prompted Kansas to set minimum marriage age Before 2006, Kansas statute didn't restrict how old youths needed to be to marry, just as long as they had parental consent. Those who lacked parental consent had to be at least 18. The girl was 13 years old when he impregnated her. She was seven months pregnant and had turned 14 by the time they took out a marriage license and were married by a judge in May 2005 in Hiawatha in Brown County in northeast Kansas, The Capital-Journal archives said. Advertisement Advertisement The two married in Kansas to get around a Nebraska law banning anyone 17 or younger from marrying. She then gave birth to a daughter in August 2005, Capital-Journal archives said. The man subsequently served 15 months in prison for having sex with an underage person. Meanwhile, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in May 2006 signed a bill banning anyone younger than 15 from marrying in Kansas. "We have a responsibility to protect young Kansans from harm, and we have a duty to prevent abusers from using marriage as a way to conceal their abuse," The Capital-Journal reported Sebelius said as she signed the measure. Here's what the law says now The state of Kansas now maintains the following requirements regarding minimum marriage age, said the Kansas Judicial Branch website: Advertisement Advertisement Applicants must be 18 years old to get a marriage license, unless they have permission from a parent, guardian or judge. If applicants are 16 or 17 years old, they will need a parent or guardian to complete the consent form. A judge may give consent if both parents are deceased and an applicant does not have a legal guardian. If an applicant is 15, a judge may give consent and issue the marriage license if the judge considers the marriage to be in the applicant's best interests. Otherwise, a license won't be issued to anyone under 16. What is the age of consent for sexual activity in Kansas? The bill Sebelius signed in May 2006 also established the age of consent as being 16 in Kansas for having sex, Capital-Journal archives show. Anyone who violates that could be charged with any of various sex crimes. Age-of-consent laws are based on the premise that a youth or child cannot give his or her legal consent to sexual activity because he or she is too young to fully comprehend whats happening. Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Child bride situation in 2005 led Kansas to set minimum marriage age A 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged on Thursday after a fatal shooting that killed a 16-year-old in September in Cincinnati. On Sept. 16, 16-year-old Thomas Bell was one of two people who were shot in Over-the-Rhine near East McMicken Avenue and Walnut Street around 5 p.m., according to news partners, WCPO. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Bell later died at the hospital, according to Cincinnati police. A 17-year-old boy was arrested and has been charged with murder and felonious assault for allegedly shooting the second person. Bell was a student at Mount Auburn Preparatory Academy, according to a spokesperson. This is a devastating reminder of the toll that violence involving young people takes on our communities, Courtney Harritt, a spokesperson for Mount Auburn Preparatory Academy, said. Charles Williams, a teacher at the nearby Wesley Chapel Mission Center, said he heard the shots ring out shortly after classes were dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement I heard nothing but kids crying and screaming, he said. Williams said he saw a bunch of teenagers standing around a body on the ground. Theyll remember that for the rest of their lives, said Williams. Wesley Chapel Mission Center will be hosting grief counseling services during the week. They plan to teach kids to self-regulate their breathing through techniques and hope that the teens affected will utilize the program in the wake of the tragedy. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The Brief A 17-year-old has been arrested in the fatal stabbing of another teen in Queens. The victim was stabbed in the neck near Jamaica Avenue and 76 Street. The suspect faces murder and weapon possession charges. NEW YORK - Police have arrested and charged a 17-year-old in connection with the fatal stabbing of another teen in Queens, according to the New York City Police Department. What we know According to police, officers responded to a 911 call reporting an assault in progress around 3:43 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, near the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 76 Street, within the confines of the 102 Precinct. Advertisement Advertisement When officers arrived, they found a 17-year-old boy suffering from a stab wound to the neck. Emergency medical services transported the victim to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead. The victim was identified as Josue Argudo, 17, of Queens. Arrest and charges Police said a 17-year-old male was arrested Saturday, Jan. 10, around 8:15 p.m. within the confines of the 102 Precinct. The teen has been charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, police said. Because the suspect is a minor, his name has not been released. Police said the investigation remains ongoing. No additional details were immediately released. The Source This article is based on information released by the New York City Police Department. Seventeen Republicans joined Democrats in passing legislation Thursday that would revive enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years, rebuffing opposition from GOP leadership. The 230-196 vote follows a procedural vote Wednesday to advance the bill, where nine Republicans joined Democrats in favor of moving forward. Thursdays final passage vote had eight additional Republicans supporting the bill, including House Homeland Security Chair Andrew Garbarino of New York and Rep. David Joyce of Ohio, a senior appropriator. Advertisement Advertisement The vote was met with applause and loud cheering from Democrats, who said it was a vindication of their partys strategy to pursue a clean extension of the subsidies. This is a tribute to [House Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries and our leadership, and to every member of our caucus who stood for him, said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) after the vote. While the measure is destined to die in the Senate, Democrats and some Republicans hope it will lay the groundwork for a bipartisan agreement to tame skyrocketing health insurance premiums the result of Congress allowing the tax credits to lapse Dec. 31. The Senate could put together a product that could ultimately get sent back over to the House that we can then conference on and hopefully move across the finish line, said Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), who supported the Democratic-led bill. Advertisement Advertisement A bipartisan group of senators are scrambling to make headway on that framework that could extend the credits while instituting new income caps for eligibility and lengthening the ACA open enrollment period to soften the blow of premium hikes. Earlier Thursday, members of the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus met with senators to discuss a potential solution. Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) said that the meeting and senators plea to show a strong force on this vote in the House influenced his decision to vote for the measure after initially being inclined to vote against it. There was a sentiment conveyed that if we could get a bill out of the House that had a meaningful amount of bipartisan support, that that would increase the likelihood that the Senate would take this up, pass a bill that has some reforms in it, and send it back, Hurd said in an interview about the message communicated during the bicameral meeting. The lawmakers continue to project optimism about reaching a deal, though thorny issues remain over how to address the so-called Hyde amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortion. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a centrist New York Republican who opposed the Thursday vote, said she continued to be concerned about how riddled with abuse and fraud the subsidy program is. Advertisement Advertisement We need to do something that actually simultaneously reins in insurance companies, she said. Democrats hope the House vote will pressure Republican leaders in both chambers to compromise on the issue. At a news conference Thursday morning, Jeffries and Chuck Schumer blasted Republicans for repeatedly refusing to back a clean extension before the subsidies expired last year. The American people should ask [Senate Majority Leader John Thune], Are you willing to put this bill that the House now is moving forward on the floor of the Senate? Schumer said. Most of the Republicans in the House and the Senate want to put poison pill riders about abortion on it. They are standing in the way. Jeffries is now especially emboldened, having made the calculation last fall that enough centrist Republicans would join Democrats in supporting a discharge petition to circumvent their own leadership and force a vote on three-year extension legislation. Advertisement Advertisement And in a sign the pressure campaign might be working, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said Thursday night he couldnt ignore the reality on the ground any longer. I have a bunch of my constituents that are depending on these programs, and I'm not going to leave them hanging because the Democrats broke the damn system, he said. The question of whether to extend the enhanced subsidies, which were established in a 2021 Covid relief package under a Democratic majority, has been one of the most divisive policy issues of the 119th Congress. Republican moderates started raising alarms early in the fall that their constituents were staring down massive premium spikes in 2026 due to the looming expiration of the subsidies. But they quickly encountered strong headwinds from conservatives who lambasted the credits as rife with fraud and giveaways to insurance companies a message that has been echoed by Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Advertisement Advertisement Johnsons office, in a last-ditch effort Thursday morning to undermine the effort, blasted out a memo accusing Democrats [of] want[ing] to expand a COVID subsidy system already flagged for massive fraud and abuse, with absolutely zero reforms. After the vote Thursday evening, Johnson said in an interview of the Republicans who defected, I think it's a really bad policy, and I wish they hadn't, but everybody had a vote. Last fall, Johnson finally extended GOP moderates the opportunity to have a floor vote on an amendment to a Republican-authored bill intended to lower health care costs, but talks broke down. It led four Republicans to agree to help Democrats get the requisite 218 signatures on their discharge petition to force a vote on the three-year extension bill. "I've been asking for a vote on this for at least six months, if not eight, telling leadership it just needs to be resolved, said Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), who voted for the Democratic-led measure, in an interview. At some point we got to pull the trigger." Nicholas Wu and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report. While the scope and technology of naval power have evolved immensely in the 80 years since World War II ended, the aircraft carrier continues to be one of the most powerful and important weapons on the face of the earth. It's not just that the aircraft carrier remains of vital importance to today's navies for its essential combat capabilities, but also for the high-profile way these ships project and symbolize a nation's geopolitical power. As you might expect, the carriers of the U.S. Navy reign supreme in both of these departments, and the competition isn't really close. But with new aircraft carrier classes replacing old ones, as well as new ships being introduced by other countries, there's a lot happening right now across the world of global carrier power. As we move through the second half of the 2020s, the carriers sailing the world's oceans have never been more impressive from a technical standpoint. They are also immensely powerful whether you are talking in terms of the actual horsepower that moves them across the sea, or in their broader fighting capability. With this in mind, we've rounded up five of the most powerful aircraft carriers on the oceans today, including the top-dog nuclear carriers, conventionally-powered carriers, as well as amphibious assault carriers. Read more: 10 Of The Largest Navies In The World, Ranked By Self-Reported Total Naval Assets Nimitz-class (US Navy) USS Carl Vinson at sea - Daisuke Shimizu/Shutterstock If you want to get an idea of just how dominant the U.S. Navy is when it comes to carrier power, just look at the Nimitz-class carriers. By many standards, these carriers are ancient, having been in service for over 50 years now, and now heading into their retirement years. Yet, their raw power and capabilities are still game-changing. Advertisement Advertisement Fed by two nuclear reactors with unlimited operational range, the Nimitz can make up to 260,000 horsepower, and can travel in excess of 30 knots. This is very impressive considering their size and 100,00 ton displacement. But maybe not as impressive as the Nimitz-class aircraft arsenal, which can consist of up to 130 F/A-18 Super Hornets if needed. And don't forget its whole range of missile systems and machine guns, either. It's only fitting that the only aircraft carrier more powerful than a Nimitz-class ship would be its replacement, the Navy's newer Gerald R. Ford-class ships. Sure, the USS Nimitz might be the oldest American aircraft carrier still in service, and one that's scheduled to be retired very soon. But the Nimitz, along with the rest of the carriers in its class, still represents unmatched naval power by any global historical standards. The later ships of the class will still be on the seas protecting American interests for a long time to come. Fujian (China) Chinese carrier Fujian at sea - YouTube/DRM News At the time the aforementioned Nimitz-class carrier launched in the 1970s, the idea of a state-of-the-art Chinese aircraft carrier would have been absurd. But a lot has changed in 50 years, and today the new 'unsinkable' Fujian carrier is a symbol of China's increasingly advanced and ambitious People's Liberation Navy. Though it's powered by steam turbines rather than nuclear reactors, the 280,000-horsepower Fujian is one of the largest carrier types sailing today, and is said to be paving the way for nuclear-powered Chinese carriers coming next. Because Fujian is such a new ship, and because China's military information is heavily guarded, it's hard to figure out exactly where this carrier places within the global power rankings. The Fujian can carry around 60 aircraft, including China's latest fifth-generation fighters, and the ship also has a high-tech electromagnetic launching system to quickly get its planes in the air. Even if it turns out not to be quite the dominant warship that China hopes it will be, the Fujian still represents a big step forward in naval power for one of America's chief geopolitical rivals. There's no doubt the U.S. Navy and its allies are going to be keeping a close eye on the Fujian to learn more about how it performs in the real world. Queen Elizabeth-class (Royal Navy) HMS Queen Elizabeth at Sunset - Skyshark Media/Shutterstock The current Royal Navy might not be anywhere near the immense, globe-spanning force it once was, but its Queen Elizabeth-class carriers are very impressive ships in their own right. At the moment, there are just two ships in the class, the namesake HMS Queen Elizabeth along with the U.K.'s newest carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales. There are also some key differences between the Queen Elizabeth-class and some of the carriers on this list, and not just in the unique look it gets from its twin islands. Advertisement Advertisement Unlike the U.S. Navy's large carriers, the Queen Elizabeth-class is conventionally powered, with a pair of gas turbine engines that generate about 100,000 horsepower combined. This gives it a top speed of about 25 knots, with a range of over 10,000 nautical miles. There's also the fact that it doesn't carry traditional fixed-wing aircraft. Instead, these ships are dedicated to carrying STOVL aircraft and a variety of helicopters. The Queen Elizabeth-class can carry up to 36 F-35B Lightning II aircraft. These are the vertical take-off and landing variant of the popular jet fighter. Even with the shrunken size of the modern Royal Navy, the Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales are nonetheless two of the largest and most technically advanced vessels the U.K. has ever sailed. America-class (US Navy) USS America amphibious ship in harbor. - Chung Sung-jun/Getty Images While most of the attention naturally goes to America's flagship nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the U.S. Navy's amphibious assault ships are equally impressive in many ways. Sure, these ships might be designed to perform a different mission than traditional navy aircraft carriers, but relatively speaking, they still represent some of the most powerful aircraft-launching vessels in the world. The America-class ships are the U.S. Navy's newest amphibious assault ships, and they were developed with an even greater emphasis on aviation than earlier ships. America-class ships are powered by a pair of gas turbine engines that make 70,000 horsepower and can do over 20 knots on the ocean. Their aircraft arsenal can include a variety of attack and transport helicopters, as well as MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft and F-35B Lightning II fighters. And they can do all of that while also carrying and launching traditional landing craft and hovercraft for amphibious operations. Advertisement Advertisement These ships might not be 'real' aircraft carriers, but their versatility is unmatched. That's whether the fighting is on the ocean, in the air, or on the ground. Or to put it more simply, these American 'non-carriers' would be the largest and most powerful aircraft carriers in most navies throughout the world and throughout history. Gerald R. Ford Class (US Navy) Aerial view of USS Gerald R. Ford at sea - Aerial-motion/Shutterstock Last but not least, we get to the world's largest and most powerful aircraft carrier, the U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class. After the older Nimitz-class nuclear carriers dominated the oceans in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the Ford-class represents the next evolution of aircraft carrier capability. Although there have been no actual power output figures published for the Ford-class carriers, their newer A1B reactors are said to be significantly more powerful than the older units on the 260,000-horsepower Nimitz-class ships. The new reactors can also be operated with a smaller crew. The Ford-class also makes big leaps when it comes to handling aircraft, with a larger flight deck and a new electromagnetic launch system to replace the steam-powered catapults on the older carriers. It also uses similar electromagnetic technology when it comes to the arresting gear used when planes land on the deck. As for its air wing, a Ford-class ship can carry as many as 90 fixed-wing planes and helicopters. So far, construction delays have been an issue, with just the namesake USS Gerald R. Ford having been completed. But as the U.S. Navy continues the long process of replacing the Nimitz-class ships with these larger, more advanced carriers, the Ford-class carriers are planned to be the backbone of the Navy until the year 2105. 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. The red-and-blue flash of a police cruiser cuts through the frosty air, reflecting off your icy car window a sight that sends a chill down the spine of drivers across Delaware. Its more than just a glare; its a warning that a costly citation could be just around the snowy bend. Most of Delawares road rules mirror those of other states: keeping your speed in check, stopping at icy intersections, and signaling through sleet are key to avoiding a ticket. But the First State has a few unique twists in its rulebook, especially compared to its neighbors. Advertisement Advertisement Heres your winter-ready guide to Delawares road rules. Yes, there's such a thing as driving too slow We all know the danger and, therefore, the consequences that can occur from driving too fast in Delaware. But did you know it's possible to drive too slow? A rule exists in the Delaware Code forbidding drivers from traveling at a speed that could "impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic." It's unclear what the exact speed that would "impede" is, but be sure to drive the speed limit just in case! More: Do I have to pick up my dog's poop? Here's how much the fines are if you don't Young adults: Keep your head safe when riding motorcycles Delaware is one of 28 states that require motorcyclists to wear a helmet while riding their vehicles. However, the state's laws are less strict than those of others. Advertisement Advertisement In Delaware, riders under 19 and those who acquired their license within the last two years are required to wear a helmet and eye protection. All others are not required, but are heavily recommended to do so for safety. Leave room for bikes Delaware is one of 35 states (and Washington, D.C.) that employs the 3-foot law for passing bikes. This law requires all drivers to leave 3 feet between themselves and the nearby biker when passing. Drivers may pass over double-yellow lines, if no oncoming traffic exists. Traffic backs along Main Street in Newark. Cellphones are strictly prohibited Delaware is one of 25 states to ban the use of any handheld phone device while driving as part of its distracted driving program. Advertisement Advertisement Any use of the device, whether it's making a call, sending a text, or playing a game, leads to a fine that starts at $100 and can reach $200-$300. Drivers, however, are allowed to use car "hands-free" tools to answer calls and text, like Apple CarPlay. More: Can I pick my neighbor's fruit in Delaware? Make sure to 'Move Over' Delaware's "Move Over" law is aimed at ensuring safety around stationary vehicles. The law requires drivers to slow down or change lanes when approaching a vehicle with flashing lights. This includes all types of vehicles, even law enforcement. In September 2024, the law was updated, further increasing penalties for those who fail to move over. A specific speed of 20 miles per hour, less than the posted speed limit, has now also been set when passing distressed vehicles. Over 90 miles per hour is a big no-no Starting in 2024, driving over 90 mph is considered automatically reckless driving, even on highways. Advertisement Advertisement A first-time offense will cost you between $150 and $300, so be sure to stay below! Traffic both people and vehicles fills Dewey Beach on Memorial Day weekend, May 24, 2025. Don't leave your vehicle unattended In Delaware, it is illegal to leave your vehicle on and unattended at any point. Whether you are on public or private property, it must be shut off and effectively braked before exiting. However, you are allowed to remotely start a vehicle's engine using an app or key fob. More: Approved SEPTA budget would kill Delaware rail service in 2026 without more funding You can pump your own gas Take that, New Jersey!! This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 8 Delaware laws every driver needs to understand After years of planning, Hilton Heads first dedicated workforce housing project is finally shovel-ready. Site work began Thursday for the new 157-unit Northpoint housing community, according to a town press release. The project is a partnership between the Town of Hilton Head Island and OneStreet Residential, LLC, with the town providing $1 million and a 65-year ground lease for the project. The community is set to be the first on Hilton Head that will require 100% of its residents to be employed on the island. Officials hope the project will help fill a gap in housing for workers on Hilton Head who dont qualify for affordable housing but still cant afford to live there. Advertisement Advertisement Recent housing costs have challenged essential workers on the island from being able to enjoy shorter commutes and a better quality of life, OneStreet Managing Partner Brendan Bar said in the press release. Northpoint will open the doors to that opportunity for more than 150 households. The units will be a mix of one, two and three-bedrooms, and will be built on an 11-acre tract of town-owned property next to the United States Post Office on the north end. Units are expected to cost renters between $1,600 and $3,600 per month, depending on household income and number of bedrooms, according to the press release. Although the units will be income-restricted, only half will be reserved for residents making below 80% of the median income for households of the same size in Beaufort County. Advertisement Advertisement A number of other workforce housing projects are underway on Hilton Head. Novant Health has proposed a workforce housing initiative near Hilton Head Medical Center, while the town is currently seeking a partner for its second workforce housing project proposed at 30 Bryant Road. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 12. The first apartments are expected to be available by early 2027, according to a town website. Residents must be Hilton Head workers An architectural rendering of the Northpoint Neighborhood shows what the community will look like once finished. Only people that work in Hilton Head will be allowed to live at Northpoint for the first three years. After three years, exceptions can be made for Beaufort County workers, but only if management cant find a Hilton Head worker to fill a vacancy within 45 days. Advertisement Advertisement If someone working outside of Hilton Head is living in Northpoint, they may have to give up their spot for a Hilton Head worker at the end of their lease term. Northpoint management is required to make commercially reasonable efforts to seek someone who works on Hilton Head to replace them, according to the press release. How the income restrictions will work At least half of all units 79 out of 157 will be reserved for households making between 60% and 80% of the area median income. For a family of four, that means an annual income between $66,120 and $88,100. For an individual, that means between $46,320 and $61,700, or about $22 to $30 per hour for someone working a 40-hour week. A crew for construction mobilization and site work can be seen tucked into the woods, right, for Northpoint on Jarvis Creek as westbound traffic moves along U.S. 278 near the Cross Island Parkway. The Town of Hilton Head Island and One Street Residential have reached an agreement for a 65-year ground lease for a 157-unit workforce housing development on 11 acres owned by the town. (Drew Martin/dmartin@islandpacket.com) The remaining units can be rented to households making between 60% and 150% of the area median income. How many Hilton Head workers live off-island? About 14,800 people work on the island but live off-island, according to a fall 2023 assessment by the town. The percentage of people commuting to the island has increased by 26% since 2002, according to the assessment. With 2025 in the history books, the African aviation sector stands at a pivotal juncture, marked by ambitious infrastructure projects, regulatory reforms, technological innovations, and persistent challenges amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and economic pressures. This year-in-review compiles the most impactful stories, drawing on key events across the months, and highlights how African nations are navigating global trends while addressing local realities. Morocco Unveils $4.17 Billion Airport Expansion Plan On Jan. 21, Moroccos minister of transport and logistics, Abdessamad Kayouh, announced a 42 billion dirhams (approximately $4.17 billion) investment to modernize and expand the nations airports by 2030. This plan targets key hubs, such as Casablancas Mohammed V International Airport and Marrakech-Menara, aiming to double capacity to handle surging tourism and position Morocco as Africas premier transcontinental gateway. FlySafair Faces Potential Shutdown Over Ownership Compliance South Africas low-cost carrier, FlySafair, entered turbulent waters when the Air Services Licensing Council (ASLC) ruled on Jan. 6 that its ownership structure violated domestic licensing laws, which require at least 75% South African control of voting rights. Allegations centered on indirect foreign influence through trusts and holdings linked to Ireland-based ASL Aviation. The carrier, holding over 60% of the domestic market, risked license suspension, threatening widespread disruptions in affordable travel. Ultimately, FlySafair received a 12-month compliance grace period in February. Advertisement Advertisement Sao Tome and Principe Advances Airport Modernization Amid Geopolitical Financing Dynamics The island nation progressed on upgrading Nuno Xavier International Airport, navigating a complex landscape involving a 49-year concession to Turkeys FB Group and renewed talks for Chinese support - potentially including elements of a longstanding $100 million pledge. Libyas MedSky Airways Re-enters European Skies via Malta MedAir Partnership In a symbolic breakthrough, MedSky Airways launched direct Benghazi-Malta flights on Jan. 16 in collaboration with Malta MedAir, marking the first Libyan-operated route to Europe in years. Overcoming EU bans through this partnership, the weekly service facilitates medical, business, and tourism travel, amid Libyas gradual aviation normalization post-conflict. February: Partnerships and Persistent Safety Challenges South Africa Overhauls ATNS to Avert Airspace Crisis Transport Minister Barbara Creecy approved a comprehensive reform of Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) on Jan. 30, following a diagnostic report from an expert committee established in December 2024. The overhaul addressed critical issues, including staffing shortages, unreliable systems, and lapsed instrument flight procedures that had caused widespread delays and safety concerns. Immediate implementation focused on hiring new controllers, system upgrades, and governance improvements, stabilizing southern Africas airspace, and preventing broader disruptions in a key regional hub. Emirates and Air Peace Forge Interline Partnership Amid Nigeria-UAE BASA Amendments On Feb. 11, during the ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium in Abu Dhabi, Emirates signed an interline agreement with Air Peace, enabling seamless connections from Dubai-Lagos flights to 13 domestic Nigerian destinations, including Asaba, Benin City, Enugu, and Port Harcourt. Coinciding with amendments to the Nigeria-UAE Bilateral Air Services Agreement signed by ministers Festus Keyamo and Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, the deals expanded reciprocal rights, promoted codeshares, and included technical cooperation on safety and security. This diplomatic breakthrough enhanced trade, tourism, and connectivity, resolving prior tensions and boosting passenger options. Advertisement Advertisement RwandAir Reroutes Network After DRC Airspace Ban Escalating geopolitical tensions led the Democratic Republic of Congo to ban Rwandan-registered aircraft from its airspace in mid-February, forcing RwandAir to suspend or modify routes to West and Central Africa. Key changes included suspending Kigali-Abuja-Accra and rerouting flights via alternative paths, increasing fuel costs, and flight times. The ban, tied to conflicts in eastern DRC, highlighted aviations vulnerability to regional politics while underscoring the need for diversified routing in volatile areas. IATAs 2024 Safety Report Underscores Africas Challenges Released on Feb. 26, IATAs Annual Safety Report revealed Africas all-accident rate rose to 10.59 per million sectors in 2024 - over nine times the global average of 1.13 - despite zero fatalities for the second year. Common incidents involved runway excursions and gear issues, often on turboprops. While celebrating no fatal accidents, the report renewed urgency for initiatives like IATAs Focus Africa and CASIP to address training, oversight, and infrastructure gaps. March: Ethiopias Hub Dominance Solidified Ethiopian Airlines and AfDB Partner for $7.8 Billion Bishoftu International Airport Marchs defining moment came on March 14 when Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew and AfDB Vice President Nnenna Nwabufo signed a Letter of Intent for the Bishoftu International Airport project, estimated at $7.8 billion. Held in the presence of AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and Ethiopias Finance Minister Ahmed Shide, the agreement transforms a longstanding vision into a bankable reality backed by multilateral financing. Designed to relieve pressure on Addis Ababas Bole International (currently at 17 million passengers annually, nearing its 25 million limit), Bishoftu aims to catapult Ethiopias capacity to over 60 million passengers by 2040. Uganda Airlines Launches Direct EntebbeLondon Gatwick Service Uganda Airlines achieved a major milestone by announcing four-weekly direct flights to London Gatwick starting May 18. For a young flag carrier born from the ashes of its predecessor, securing slots and regulatory approval for a premium European route represents not just commercial expansion but a validation of credibility and sovereignty. Advertisement Advertisement South African Airways Manages Pilot Work-to-Rule with Contingency Measures On March 19, SAA pilots initiated a work-to-rule action after rejecting the airlines final wage offer amid protracted negotiations. Group CEO John Lamola responded with robust contingency plans, emphasizing minimal disruptions, real-time updates, and unwavering safety standards despite challenges like high fuel costs and currency weakness. The episode tested SAAs post-privatization resilience but showcased mature crisis management, reassuring investors and partners watching labor stability as a key risk factor for Africas iconic legacy carrier. Ethiopian Airlines Pioneers eVTOL Deployment with Archer Aviation On March 27, Ethiopian signed a deal worth up to $30 million for Archers Midnight eVTOL aircraft under the Launch Edition program. Including training and regulatory collaboration with Ethiopias Civil Aviation Authority, the partnership positions Ethiopia-and Africa-as an early adopter of urban air mobility. An Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera) April: Governance Scandals and Quiet Maturation Air Mauritius Reveals $394 Million Cumulative Losses Amid Theft Allegations Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam stunned parliament on April 15 by disclosing that Air Mauritius had accumulated MUR 17.72 billion ($394 million) in losses from 2015 to 2024, a stark reversal from prior profitability. Declaring someone stole this money, Ramgoolam pointed to an ongoing KPMG forensic audit probing misappropriation and mismanagement. U.S. Terminates $3.4 Million Kenya Aviation Advisory Contract On April 3, the newly established U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) canceled a $3.4 million contract for aviation advisors in Kenya, part of 47 terminations saving $30.2 million. Advertisement Advertisement Green Africa Airways Takes Delivery of First Owned Aircraft Nigerias Green Africa marked a maturation milestone on April 1 with the arrival of its first owned ATR 72-500 (5N-GAB) in Lagos, financed partly through a Naira facility from Access Bank. Moving beyond leasing dependency, this acquisition bolsters balance-sheet strength, reduces forex risks, and enhances long-term planning in a volatile domestic market - offering a blueprint for other young African airlines. Ghana Revives National Airline Ambitions with World Aviation Group On April 4, Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe met World Aviation Group representatives to advance plans for a new flag carrier under President John Dramani Mahamas administration. Framing it as essential for economic growth and connectivity, the talks revive a decades-long saga of failed attempts, testing political will against historical pitfalls. Air Algerie Eliminates French from Customer Platforms On April 14, Air Algerie announced the removal of French from all tickets, bookings, and documents, adopting only Arabic and English. Director Abdelkader Salmi cited alignment with Arab and international norms, but the timing amid strained Algeria-France relations lent symbolic weight - a quiet assertion of cultural identity and geopolitical realignment. May: Regulatory Reform Amid Conflict Nigeria Launches Revised Insurance Regulations for Leased Aircraft On May 12, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, unveiled revised regulations for insuring leased and financed aircraft. Launched in Abuja by Minister Festus Keyamo, the policy addresses longstanding barriers: high costs from foreign insurance mandates, limited local insurer participation, and repossession uncertainties. By aligning with the Cape Town Convention - where Nigeria now boasts Africas highest compliance score (70.5) - and strengthening IDERA mechanisms, the reforms empower local insurers, slash premiums, and enhance lessor confidence. Advertisement Advertisement Renewed Tripoli Clashes Trigger Widespread Flight Cancellations and Evacuations Violence erupted on May 12 in Tripoli suburbs like Ain Zara and Bin Ashur, shattering relative calm and forcing major disruptions at Mitiga International Airport. Carriers including EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, ITA Airways (which had just resumed after a decade), and Royal Jordanian canceled services, while others evacuated aircraft. Drone Attacks Target Port Sudan Airport Amid Escalating Sudanese Civil War Between May 4 and 6, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drones struck Port Sudan New International - Sudans de facto main gateway since Khartoums 2023 closure - hitting military bases, warehouses, and fuel depots. Flights halted temporarily, UNHAS suspended aid operations, and cancellations rippled outward. Algeria Advances New Domestic Carrier Using Tassili Airlines Assets A May 27 coordination meeting chaired by Transport Minister Al-Saeed Sayed Saoud accelerated President Tebbounes March vision for a dedicated domestic airline. Leveraging Tassilis fleet and staff to create an Air Algerie subsidiary, a joint task force was formed for rapid transfer. The move aims to free Air Algerie for international growth while improving internal connectivity across Algerias vast territory. June: Sustainability and Cargo Take Center Stage Xinjiang Launches Africas First Direct Air Cargo Route via Ethiopian Airlines On June 27, a Boeing 777 freighter from Addis Ababa touched down in Urumqi, inaugurating Xinjiangs first direct cargo link to Africa with two to three weekly round-trips operated by Ethiopian Airlines. Loaded with 104.8 tons from Guangzhou on its return, the route facilitates exports like electronics and imports of African beef, lamb, coffee, and horticulture. Advertisement Advertisement Safarilink Signs for AURA AERO Hybrid-Electric ERA Aircraft At the Paris Air Show on June 17, Kenyas Safarilink inked a Letter of Intent for four (plus options for two) 19-seater ERA hybrid-electric aircraft from Frances AURA AERO. Boasting up to 80% CO reductions via eight Safran electric motors and turbogenerators, a 900 nm range, and SAF compatibility, the ERA targets entry into service by 2030. Amid over 650 global pre-orders, Safarilinks commitment positions Kenya as a leader in sustainable regional aviation, aligning short-haul safari routes with net-zero goals. Kenya Airways Advances Local SAF Production Plans During the June 24 launch of its 2024 Sustainability Report in Nairobi, Kenya Airways announced plans for domestic Sustainable Aviation Fuel production by 2030, partnering with a local producer to cultivate feedstock trees on degraded Kwale County land. Attended by government officials, the initiative ties decarbonization to land restoration, job creation, and potential exports, supporting KQs net-zero 2050 ambition and Africas broader sustainability push. Court Blocks Mango Airlines Revival, Ruling Business Rescue Plan Unlawful On June 17, Johannesburgs Gauteng High Court invalidated Mangos Business Rescue Plan, siding with creditor Aviation Co-Ordination Services (owed R23.3 million) against a compulsory debt cession for nominal value. Judge Denise Fisher deemed the provision unconstitutional confiscation, unenforceable under common law, and misaligned with the Companies Acts rescue intent. The ruling derails a proposed December 2025 relaunch backed by Ubuntu Air Services. July: National Pride and Regional Expansion Somali Airlines Acquires Airbus A320s for Historic Comeback On July 28, Somalias Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation signed for two Airbus A320s from Lima Holding Group, announced by Minister Mohamed Farah Nuuh in Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barres office. Announced to operate within two months under the revived Somali Airlines banner, the efficient narrowbodies signal domestic revival and international ambitions after a 34-year hiatus amid civil war. Minister Nuuh called it a restoration of national dignity, reducing foreign carrier reliance, cutting costs, creating jobs, and linking diaspora communities - part of plans for fleet expansion, including widebodies. Advertisement Advertisement Air Algerie Places Africas Largest ATR Order for Domestic Subsidiary On July 4, Air Algerie ordered 16 ATR 72-600s powered by Pratt & Whitney PW127XT engines, with deliveries from 2026-2028, for its new domestic-focused subsidiary. Including Africas first ATR 72-600 full-flight simulator, the deal enhances southern connectivity, pilot training, fuel efficiency, and sustainability - building on Air Algeries existing 15 ATRs operated since 2003. South African Airways Posts $19.5 Million Loss but Shows Revenue Growth SAA reported a R354 million ($19.5 million) net loss for 2023/24 at its July 17 AGM, reversing prior profits due to rand volatility (R415 million forex loss), 46% jet fuel surge amid global instability, and >30% leasing hikes from aircraft shortages. Yet 23% revenue growth to R7 billion continued post-rescue momentum, highlighting resilience and macroeconomic headwinds while signaling recovery potential. A South African Airways A340-300. (Photo: Shutterstock) Ghana Explores TAP Air Portugal Partnership for National Airline President John Dramani Mahama, meeting Portugals ambassador on July 10, invited TAP for partnership in reviving Ghanas flag carrier - absent since 2010 - citing direct Accra flights and shared ties. Supported by a May-inaugurated task force, this advances Mahamas connectivity vision. Air Zimbabwe Clears $1 Million Debt for GDS Reintegration CEO Edmund Makona announced on July 1 debt settlements enabling Global Distribution System return within three months, boosting visibility, code-shares, and tourism under the turnaround plan. August: Building Technical Sovereignty Uganda Airlines Completes First In-House Engine Change Coinciding with its sixth anniversary on Aug. 28, Uganda Airlines achieved a landmark by performing its first in-house engine swap on a CRJ900 (5X-KNP) at Entebbes Eagle Air Hangar 7, finalized around Aug. 23. The UCAA-certified AMO replaced a $7 million GE CF34-8C5 engine sourced from the U.S., extending the procedure to four to five days for training 18 graduates. Previously costing over $100,000 per outsourced operation (plus fees), in-house capability - post-ending SAMCO contract in 2023 - slashes monthly expenses by hundreds of millions of UGX, building technical sovereignty and expertise for the young flag carrier. Advertisement Advertisement Air Peace Breaks Ground on Lagos MRO Facility On Aug. 27, Chairman Allen Onyema confirmed groundbreaking for Nigerias largest maintenance, repair, and overhaul center in Lagos, set for Sept. 17 with construction lasting 12 to 15 months. Partnering with Embraer for technical support and Nigerian training, the facility will reduce overseas downtime, lower costs for local operators, and attract West/Central African business - easing bureaucratic hurdles and fostering regional self-reliance. UAE Bans Sudanese Airlines Amid Diplomatic Crisis On Aug. 6, the UAE barred Sudanese carriers from its airports, grounding one in Abu Dhabi without prior notice, per Sudans CAA. Affecting Badr and Tarcos routes, the move escalates tensions after Sudans May accusations of UAE arming RSF (denied by Abu Dhabi) and diplomatic severance. September: Innovation Accelerates Rwanda Unveils Africas First Autonomous Electric Air Taxi At the 9th Aviation Africa Summit in Kigali on Sept. 4-5, Rwanda launched the continents first self-flying eVTOL demonstration with the EHang EH216-S, witnessed by President Paul Kagame. Partnering with China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and EHang Holdings, the two-passenger, 35 km-range, 130 km/h vehicle heralds Advanced Air Mobility for congestion relief, tourism, and logistics. Juba International Airport Achieves First Nighttime Operations On Sept. 5 at 10:15 p.m., an Air Congo Boeing 737 departed Juba, marking South Sudans first-ever nighttime takeoff after runway lighting upgrades. The SSCAA hailed it as transforming JIA into a 24/7 international hub connecting to 10 destinations in 9 countries. Advertisement Advertisement flyCAA Inducts Africas First A321P2F Freighter Kinshasa-based flyCAA took delivery on Sept. 28 of a converted Airbus A321-200P2F (9S-PEB, ex-Air Moldova), owned by ATSGs Cargo Aircraft Management after PEMCO conversion. Joining its 767-200F, the fuel-efficient narrowbody diversifies flyCAAs cargo strategy, challenging rivals like Serve Air. Airlink Secures SACAA Approval for Embraer E2 Jets On Sept. 3, SACAA certified the E190-E2 and E195-E2, paving the way for Airlinks 10 leased E195-E2s (from Azorra) starting late 2025. Offering superior fuel efficiency (up to 29% better) and passenger comfort in 22 configuration, the approval bolsters Airlinks sub-Saharan expansion and Embraers regional dominance. GNU Allocates $10.6 Million Debt Relief to Afriqiyah Airways Amid Political Controversy On Aug. 11 (formalized September), Libyas GNU approved 58 million dinars ($10.6 million) via resolutions to settle Presidential Council debts to Afriqiyah, drawing from miscellaneous budgets. Amid accusations of overreach and transparency issues (the Presidential Council received $80 million in 2025), the relief aids the conflict-battered carrier (which lost seven aircraft since 2011) but exposes governance fractures. AFCAC Validates Study on Harmonizing Aviation Taxes On Sept. 10, AFCACs virtual workshop, backed by AUC and EASA, endorsed a study on high taxes adverse effects, advancing a continental framework and advocacy paper. Secretary General Adefunke Adeyemi stressed alignment with SAATM, AfCFTA, and Agenda 2063 to cut fares and boost connectivity, echoing IATA critiques of milking aviation. OctoberNovember: Industrial and Institutional Gains Morocco Secures Safrans First Non-French LEAP Engine Assembly and MRO Facilities On Oct. 13, presided over by King Mohammed VI, Safran signed agreements for a 200 million LEAP-1A assembly line (350 engines/year by 2027, 300 jobs) and 120 million MRO shop (150 overhauls/year, 600 jobs) near Casablanca. Sharing a test bench, these 38,000 sqm facilities integrate Morocco into the global supply chain for A320neo/737 MAX engines. Niger Launches Niger Air International, Appoints CEO Approved Sept. 4 via Decree 2025-275, Niger established mixed-economy Niger Air International to reclaim flag carrier status after over 20 years. A public-private model prioritizes state stakes, with CEO recruitment (open to AES citizens, deadline November 5, appointment Nov. 15) tasked with operations, routes, and compliance. Amid underserved airspace reliant on private/humanitarian flights (e.g., Niger Airlines recent Beechcraft resumption), it asserts economic sovereignty for the landlocked Sahel nation. LAM Rejoins IATA Clearing House After Debt Clearance Effective Oct. 2, Mozambiques LAM regained full ICH membership post-repaying obligations, enabling secure global transactions after suspensions in 2023/2024. Amid restructuring and withheld revenues, this restores partnerships and credibility for the flag carrier. Botswana Advances Air Botswana Restructuring with Fleet Sales As part of reforms, Botswana sold grounded aircraft to streamline the struggling national carrier toward sustainability. December: Challenges and Bold Reforms EnComm Aviation Faces Shutdown Over BAE ATP Support Withdrawal Kenyan humanitarian cargo operator EnComm issued a dire warning of potential loan default after BAE Systems withdrew technical support for its BAe ATP fleet - the last of its type in service. Having delivered nearly 19,000 tonnes of aid to conflict zones since 2023, the grounding disrupts vital humanitarian operations and exposes vulnerabilities in supporting legacy aircraft types. ECOWAS Abolishes Key Aviation Taxes In a landmark move, ECOWAS adopted reforms abolishing ticket, tourism, solidarity, and foreign travel taxes while slashing passenger service and security charges by 25%, effective January 2026. This policy, backed by a regional oversight mechanism, targets West Africas exorbitant airfares - often higher than long-haul routes to Europe - and aligns with ICAO standards to foster affordability, competition, and integration. 2025 was not without setbacks - conflict disruptions in Libya and Sudan, governance scandals, legacy aircraft challenges, and lingering safety gaps reminded the industry of its fragility. Yet the years defining theme was forward momentum: record infrastructure financing, pioneering sustainability efforts, technological firsts, a wave of national carrier revivals, and decisive regional tax reforms. As African nations increasingly assert technical and industrial sovereignty - from MROs to SAF production to aerospace manufacturing - the continent is transitioning from a late adopter to an active shaper of global aviation trends. Ariana Grande would need "an extra brain and four more arms" to make a new album. Ariana Grande isn't planning new music The Wicked: For Good actress has confirmed there will "definitely" be no music from her before she embarks on her Eternal Sunshine Tour in June because she has been so busy with her other commitments. She told Variety about the possibility of a new record: "No definitely not. Nothing is coming before May. "I love [the fans] so much, but sometimes I want to ask, 'Do you think theres another version of me out there who had time to write an album?' Not yet but soon enough." After the interview was published, Ariana - who released her last album, Eternal Sunshine, in March 2024 - clarified her comments on Instagram. She commented on a fan account's post about the Variety piece: "welp i never said 'but soon enough' or mentioned any months ! lol my goooooodness. "all i said was 'no' and 'do they think theres a clone of me out there somewhere'! there mustve been a zoom glitch or something. but hello + love you all.(sic)" In a second comment on the same post, she added: "maam i would need an extra brain and four more arms.(sic)" Ariana recently teased her preparations for her first tour in seven years are "in a good place". Speaking with E! News at the Critics Choice Awards last weekend, she said: Ive been working on the set list for months now. Its in a good place, but well never know until we get into the rehearsals - which are starting very soon - and we put things on their feet if itll make sense or not. The Eternal Sunshine Tour will be the Side To Side hitmakers first concert trek since 2019s Sweetener World Tour, and Ariana is not giving anything away. When asked what fans can expect from the upcoming tour, she said: I want to let it be a surprise. She added: I am grateful to work, and Im excited for the tour. The 7 Rings hitmaker previously declared her Eternal Sunshine Tour would be her last hurrah because she may not hit the road again for a long, long time. During an appearance on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, she explained: I think the last 10 to 15 years will look very different to the ones that are coming up ... I don't want to say any definitive things. I do know that I'm very excited to do this small tour, but I think it might not happen again for a long, long, long, long time ... [The tour is] going to be beautiful and I'm so grateful that - I think that's why I'm doing it because I'm like, One last hurrah. For now. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. 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. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model . Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Pecca Group Berhad ( KLSE:PECCA ) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Pecca Group Berhad's peers seem to be trading at a higher premium to fair value based on the industry average of -13,280% 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 3.7%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2035 (1 + g) (r g) = RM90m (1 + 3.7%) (10% 3.7%) = RM1.5b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM1.5b ( 1 + 10%)10= RM574m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is RM1.0b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM1.7, the company appears slightly overvalued at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. KLSE:PECCA Discounted Cash Flow January 9th 2026 The Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. 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 Pecca Group Berhad 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 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.053. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Check out our latest analysis for Pecca Group Berhad SWOT Analysis for Pecca Group Berhad Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Auto Components industry. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Auto Components market. Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market. Threat No apparent threats visible for PECCA. Moving On: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Why is the intrinsic value lower than the current share price? For Pecca Group Berhad, we've put together three further factors you should further research: Risks: Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Pecca Group Berhad you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does PECCA'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 High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian 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. To the Residents of Earle, In the photo you see above, I was just 18 years oldyoung, hopeful, and just beginning my journey in life. I share that image to remind you that I am one of you. Earle is my hometown, my foundation, and the community I have always fought for. My team and I are fully aware of the recent news articles circulating. I want to speak directly and clearly to the people of Earle: the accusations being reported are false. I am innocent. Truth matters, and in time, the truth will stand on its own. Since serving as your Mayor, I have worked tirelessly for the betterment of our city. I will not abandon the responsibility you entrusted to me, nor will I stop fighting for the place I proudly call home. We have come too far to turn back now. I accepted this role knowing it would come with challenges, obstacles, and distractions. Change has never been comfortable, and history shows that progress often meets resistance. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. I remain more determined, confident, and motivated than ever to push forward for Earle. I ask you to stand in unity as we continue to move our community ahead. Let us not be divided by noise or distraction, but strengthened by faith, truth, and purpose. Dr. King also said, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. The Bible reminds us in Isaiah 54:17, No weapon formed against you shall prosper. And in Galatians 6:9, we are encouraged: Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up. I will not give up on Earle. While I would like to directly and unequivocally address the allegations against me, I have been advised to reserve any substantive statements regarding the allegations until a later date. Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and belief in our shared future. Together, we will continue building a stronger Earle. With resolve and respect, Mayor Jaylen Smith Mayor of Earle Amazon plans to open their first box store near Chicago. Business Insider reported Orland Park, Illinois officials voted to approve the mega store on Tuesday. According to the city, the plan will redevelop approximately 35 acres with a building more than 225,000 square feet. The store will offer groceries, prepared foods and other services. "This is a prime location, and we are encouraged to see it being considered for full commercial redevelopment," said Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge. "Projects like this have the potential to generate substantial sales tax revenue that directly benefits residents while strengthening one of our most important corridors." Advertisement Advertisement "We like to explain it as: 'It's the best that Amazon has to offer under Whole Foods, Fresh and their online offerings,'" Amazon's attorney, Katie Jahnke Dale said. "So what does that look like? It's a grocery store. But it's purpose-built for what we're seeing: retail customers demand today to provide a very safer experience for customers. As well as a more pleasant customer experience." At a village meeting, Plan Commissioner John Paul told residents allowing Amazon to build is good for the community. "This is going to be a big box, big type of retail center because that's what this area has become," he said. "Retail attracts traffic - good retail does...This is a well-thought-out project. I think this is probably one of the best options." However, NBC 5 Chicago reported that residents "overwhelmingly" spoke out against the development because of what they said are looming conservation and transportation issues. Advertisement Advertisement "How is my life going to be better?" one resident was quoted by NBC 5 as saying at the meeting. Added another: "a development of this magnitude must enhance community, not detract from it." Amazon CEO Andy Jassy plans to expand the company's grocery footprint. "I think that the way people buy groceries is going to continue to evolve over time. So I continue to be very, very bullish on our grocery business," he said. "It's large today and has a chance to be much larger in the future." The post Amazon plans first big-box grocery store near Chicago appeared first on Straight Arrow News. Related Links By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Stine Jacobsen COPENHAGEN, Jan 10 (Reuters) - When U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets his Danish and Greenlandic counterparts next week, Denmark will be defending a territory that has been moving steadily away from it and towards independence since 1979. President Donald Trump's threats to seize Greenland have triggered a wave of European solidarity with Denmark. But the crisis has exposed an uncomfortable reality - Denmark is rallying support to protect a territory whose population wants independence, and whose largest opposition party now wants to bypass Copenhagen and negotiate directly with Washington. Advertisement Advertisement "Denmark risks exhausting its foreign policy capital to secure Greenland, only to watch it walk away afterwards," said Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, a political science professor at University of Copenhagen. STRATEGIC RELEVANCE Denmark cannot let Greenland go without losing its geopolitical relevance in the Arctic territory, strategically located between Europe and North America and a critical site for the U.S. ballistic missile defence system. Yet it may ultimately have nothing to show for its efforts if Greenlanders choose independence - or strike their own deal with Washington. The stakes extend beyond Denmark's national interests. European allies have rallied behind Denmark not just out of solidarity, but because giving up Greenland would set a dangerous precedent that could embolden other powers to pursue territorial claims against smaller nations, upending the post-1945 world order. Advertisement Advertisement Denmark's foreign ministry declined to comment, but referred to joint remarks by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on December 22. "National borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law," the two leaders said. "They are fundamental principles. You cannot annex another country ... Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders." This week, Frederiksen said: "If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country, everything stops, including NATO and the security the alliance has provided since World War Two." THE 'GREENLAND CARD' Advertisement Advertisement For now, the Trump administration says all options are on the table, including buying the territory or taking it by force. Copenhagen professor Rasmussen said any discussion of whether holding on to Greenland is worth the cost has been drowned out by outrage at Trump's threats. "It is not part of the political debate in Denmark. I fear we have gone into patriotic overdrive," he said. During the Cold War, Greenland's strategic location gave Denmark outsized influence in Washington and allowed it to maintain lower defence spending than would otherwise be expected of a NATO ally. Advertisement Advertisement This became known as "the Greenland Card", according to a 2017 report by the University of Copenhagen's Centre for Military Studies. But Greenland's aspirations for self-determination have been brewing since the former colony got greater autonomy and its own parliament in 1979. A 2009 agreement explicitly recognised Greenlanders' right to independence if they choose. All Greenlandic parties say they want independence, but differ on how, and when, to achieve it. Trump's pressure has accelerated a timeline that was already in motion, forcing Copenhagen to spend political capital and financial resources on a relationship with an increasingly uncertain endpoint. Advertisement Advertisement "How much should we fight for someone who doesn't really care about us?" Joachim B. Olsen, a political commentator and former Danish lawmaker, told Reuters. THE FINANCIAL BURDEN Copenhagen provides an annual block grant of roughly 4.3 billion Danish crowns ($610 million) to Greenland's economy, which is near stagnation with GDP growth of just 0.2% in 2025. The central bank estimates an annual financing gap of approximately 800 million Danish crowns to make current public finances sustainable. Denmark also covers police, the justice system and defence - bringing total annual spending to just under $1 billion. Advertisement Advertisement In addition, Copenhagen last year announced a 42 billion Danish crowns ($6.54 billion) Arctic defence package in response to U.S. criticism that Denmark has not done enough to protect Greenland. Some reject framing the relationship in transactional terms, pointing to Denmark's legal and moral obligations under international law and centuries of shared history. "We're talking about family relations, long history of relations between Denmark and Greenland," said Marc Jacobsen, associate professor at the Royal Danish Defence College. "So this is much more, it's not just about defence and economy, it's about feelings, it's about culture." DIFFICULT BALANCING ACT Advertisement Advertisement Prime Minister Frederiksen faces a difficult balancing act, said Serafima Andreeva, researcher at Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute. For now, Denmark has little choice but to stand firm to maintain its diplomatic credibility, but in doing so risks the relationship with the United States at a time "when Russia is an accelerating threat and being on the U.S.'s bad side is no good for anyone in the West". Frederiksen also faces an election this year, though Greenland has not been a major theme. "I don't understand why we have to cling to this community with Greenland when they so badly want out of it," Lone Frank, a Danish science writer and broadcaster, told Reuters. "To be completely honest, Greenland doesn't inspire any sense of belonging in me." (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; additional reporting by Soren Sirich Jeppesen and Tom Little; Editing by Alex Richardson) Jan. 8The Anchorage Assembly is set to take public testimony on a sales tax proposal from the mayor's office at its upcoming Tuesday meeting. Members face a deadline this month to approve the measure for it to appear before voters on the April municipal ballot. The plan pitched by Mayor Suzanne LaFrance is a refined version of a similar measure that came out in 2024 after extensive evaluation by members of the city's business community. The main proposal was followed by a sprawling set of alternatives and adjustments, all of which were dropped as the measure was ultimately killed last spring. The current plan proposes a 3% tax on the sales of many goods and services to be levied two to three years from now, and is projected to bring in around $165 million to city government annually. Those funds are crucial, the mayor's office argues, because outside revenues from sources including the state of Alaska have almost disappeared, leaving the city overly reliant on property taxes to pay for essential services. The operating budget for 2026, passed by the Assembly in November, is $657 million. Advertisement Advertisement The new revenue would be distributed evenly into three main buckets: lowering property taxes, paying for more public safety and infrastructure projects, and improving the city's worsening issues with housing and child care. But the measure faces a lot of challenges. From interviews with multiple Assembly members, it is not clear the tax ordinance will get the eight votes it needs from the Assembly's 12 members. And even if it did, it's an open question whether a simple majority of voters in April's municipal election would opt to tax themselves more at a time when the state's economic outlook is modest at best and affordability is a defining issue in the national political conversation. "I think it's a low likelihood," said Assembly Chair Christopher Constant, referring to the chance the proposal will make it onto the April ballot. What is the proposed sales tax? Advertisement Advertisement The proposal put forward by the LaFrance administration would add a 3% sales tax to commerce in the municipality, not unlike sales taxes established in Juneau, Wasilla, Kodiak, Homer and other Alaska communities. Though Anchorage's property taxes are comparatively high, the overall tax burden on residents is one of the lowest in the country when compared to the largest cities and major metro areas in all other 49 states, according to data cited in a detailed 13-page memo submitted alongside the ordinance. The proposal seeks to mitigate "the regressive effect of a general retail sales tax" through a number of exemptions, including on "housing, utilities, most groceries, child care, medicine and medical services, motor fuels, sales for resale and manufacturing components, sales to nonprofit organizations and others," according to the ordinance. The proceeds collected by the city couldn't just be spent on anything. One percent would be applied to lowering taxes for property owners, estimated to total around $54 million a year, which could reduce annual property tax bills by 6%. For the owner of a $400,000 home in Anchorage, that would mean paying $420 less per year in property taxes, according to figures included in the ordinance. Advertisement Advertisement Another third of the sales tax revenue would go toward "public safety and infrastructure," a broad category that includes everything from new police and fire equipment to road repairs and building maintenance. The list of needs for new funding in this area is long, and laid out in detail by the administration in its memo to the Assembly, which spells out how much state money has evaporated in recent years. In flush times, state grants and capital budgets built roads in Anchorage, recreational facilities, libraries and more but did not include funding for upkeep of those assets, many of which are in need of costly repairs. "This proposal takes seriously the recognition that significant state funding has been lost, and is unlikely to return to Anchorage in the near future," the memo states. Without more money to plug holes left by a retreating state government, the administration warned, essential services like fire and police protection will soon have to be scaled back, "which is likely in the next two years," according to the ordinance. The last third of the sales tax would be used to alleviate housing and child care shortages in Anchorage. Both sectors have significantly shrunk in recent years, and gotten more expensive. Median rent has gone up 35% since 2020, and the average price for a single-family home has risen 45% in the same period, according to the administration. Over roughly the same timeframe, a quarter of the city's day cares have shuttered, according to the administration's analysis. For the families that pay for child care, price increases have outpaced wage gains, eating deeper into their household budgets, according to the memorandum from the mayor's office. Advertisement Advertisement The plan laid out by the administration is that around half of the revenues allocated to this policy bucket would go toward the child care sector and the other half toward building up a "housing fund." Once that fund reaches $50 million, the distribution levels would change: 10% of the revenues would go to housing, and 90% would be applied to improving "access to child care and early education programs." Even if a simple majority of voters approved the sales tax measure, it would not go into effect until sometime between July 2028 and July 2029. Implementing and administering the tax would be a "significant undertaking," involving not only hiring more workers, but also new software and extensive public outreach "to the approximately 14,000 businesses that would be required to remit the tax," the administration said. To pay for that, the city would tap up to $6 million in the Municipality of Anchorage Trust, which is currently valued at around $465 million. Unfavorable politics Most members of the Assembly agree with the assessment from the mayor's office that the municipality is approaching a "fiscal cliff," one brought on by rising costs outpacing revenues. But individual members have reasons they are leery of this particular proposal at this particular time, making it tricky to get the eight votes in favor that are required to put it on the ballot. Advertisement Advertisement For Constant, who represents the downtown district that includes many of the lowest-income neighborhoods in the city, the part of the mayor's sales tax proposal that is "untenable" is the property tax provision. State law prevents local governments from narrowly targeting tax relief only to, for example, residents living in a home they own. Instead, the tax break would go to all property owners, including commercial property holders and out-of-state landlords. "That notion has made it really hard for a number of us to get to 'yes,'" Constant said in an interview Wednesday. Some of the biggest beneficiaries of the tax relief outlined in the current proposal, he said, would be big box stores, apartment building owners and commercial real-estate firms. That, he said, is hard to defend as Anchorage's poorest residents are being asked to pay more for basic goods and services. Advertisement Advertisement Midtown Assembly member Felix Rivera sponsored the earlier sales tax proposal last year, shepherding it through the body after the initial proposal was put forward by a consortium of local businesses. He said that this time around, there is not the same level of enthusiasm or engagement from the private sector. "I think commercial and business interests were excited about the prospect of property tax relief and this idea of revitalizing the city," Rivera said Wednesday. "I don't honestly know with this second proposal, which has somewhat different aims ... if commercial or business interests have as much excitement." Even if the ordinance got enough support to make it onto the April ballot, various Assembly members said they weren't confident it would earn a majority of support from voters. "Most of the comments I get are strongly in favor or strongly opposed," said Assembly member Zac Johnson, who represents South Anchorage. "I haven't heard from too many people in the middle." Advertisement Advertisement When the sales tax proposal was first opened to public comment at a meeting in December, the majority of the 30 or so people who testified said they were against it. He said that it didn't feel like there's been enough time for residents to engage with the latest iteration of the sales tax, and believes the administration needs to get the proposal its impetus and its details out in front of more people. "I'm not convinced that we've done the work necessary to convince the majority of voters in Anchorage that this is necessary," Johnson said. But even those who have problems with this sales tax in its current draft believe that voting it down or postponing a decision on it indefinitely amounts to putting off the inevitable kicking, as many said, the can down the road. Advertisement Advertisement "We cannot afford to wait," said Midtown Assembly member Erin Baldwin Day. She said that if a sales tax isn't on the April ballot, then it's worth the city considering a special election on it. The Assembly is scheduled to take public testimony on the sales tax ballot measure at its regular Tuesday evening meeting at the Loussac Library. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Minnesota prosecutor on Friday called on the public to share with investigators any recordings and evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as a new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer. The Minneapolis killing and a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, a day later by the Border Patrol have set off protests in multiple cities and denunciations of immigration enforcement tactics by the U.S. government. The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents. The reaction to the shooting has largely been focused on witness cellphone video of the encounter. A new, 47-second video that was published online by a Minnesota-based conservative news site, Alpha News, and later reposted on social media by the Department of Homeland Security shows the shooting from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots. Advertisement Advertisement Sirens blaring in the background, he approaches and circles Goods vehicle in the middle of the road while apparently filming on his cellphone. At the same time, Goods wife also was recording the encounter and can be seen walking around the vehicle and approaching the officer. A series of exchanges occurred: Thats fine, Im not mad at you, Good says as the officer passes by her door. She has one hand on the steering wheel and the other outside the open driver side window. U.S. citizen, former f---ing veteran, says her wife, standing outside the passenger side of the SUV holding up her phone. You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch big boy. Other officers are approaching the drivers side of the car at about the same time and one says: Get out of the car, get out of the f---ing car. Ross is now at the front driver side of the vehicle. Good reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel toward the passenger side as she drives ahead and Ross opens fire. Advertisement Advertisement The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Goods SUV careening away. F---ing b---, someone at the scene says. A crashing sound is heard as Goods vehicle smashes into others parked on the street. Federal agencies have encouraged officers to document encounters in which people may attempt to interfere with enforcement actions, but policing experts have cautioned that recording on a handheld device can complicate already volatile situations by occupying an officers hands and narrowing focus at moments when rapid decision-making is required. Advertisement Advertisement Under an ICE policy directive, officers and agents are expected to activate body-worn cameras at the start of enforcement activities and to record throughout interactions, and footage must be kept for review in serious incidents such as deaths or use-of-force cases. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether the officer who opened fire or any of the others who were on the scene were wearing body cameras. Homeland Security says video shows self-defense Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in posts on X that the new video backs their contention that the officer fired in self-defense. Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasnt hit by a car, wasnt being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman, Vance said. The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense. Advertisement Advertisement Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said any self-defense argument is garbage. Policing experts said the video didnt change their thoughts on the use-of-force but did raise additional questions about the officers training. Now that we can see hes holding a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other filming, I want to see the officer training that permits that, said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina. The video demonstrates that the officers didnt perceive Good to be a threat, said John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School who has written extensively about officers shooting at moving vehicles. Advertisement Advertisement If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you dont have one hand on a cellphone. You dont walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming, Gross said. Ross, 43, is an Iraq War veteran who has served in the Border Patrol and ICE for nearly two decades. He was injured last year when he was dragged by a driver fleeing an immigration arrest. Attempts to reach Ross at phone numbers and email addresses associated with him were not successful. Prosecutor asks for video and evidence Meanwhile, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that although her office has collaborated effectively with the FBI in past cases, she is concerned by the Trump administration's decision to bar state and local agencies from playing any role in the investigation into Good's killing. Advertisement Advertisement She also said the officer who shot Good in the head does not have complete legal immunity, as Vance declared. We do have jurisdiction to make this decision with what happened in this case, Moriarty said at a news conference. It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent. Moriarty said her office would post a link for the public to submit footage of the shooting, even though she acknowledged that she wasn't sure what legal outcome submissions might produce. Good's wife, Becca Good, released a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday saying, kindness radiated out of her. Advertisement Advertisement "On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns," Becca Good said. I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him, she wrote. The reaction to Good's shooting was immediate in the city where police killed George Floyd in 2020, with hundreds of protesters converging on the shooting scene and the school district canceling classes for the rest of the week as a precaution and offering an online option through Feb. 12. On Friday, protesters were outside a federal facility serving as a hub for the immigration crackdown that began Tuesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul. That evening, hundreds protested and marched outside two hotels in downtown Minneapolis where immigration enforcement agents were supposed to be staying. Some people were seen breaking or spray painting windows and state law enforcement officers wearing helmets and holding batons ordered the remaining group of fewer than 100 people to leave late Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Shooting in Portland The Portland shooting happened outside a hospital Thursday. A federal border officer shot and wounded a man and woman in a vehicle, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Venezuela nationals Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Police said they were in stable condition Friday after surgery, with DHS saying Nico Moncada was taken into FBI custody DHS defended the actions of its officers in Portland, saying the shooting occurred after the driver with alleged gang ties tried to weaponize his vehicle to hit them. It said no officers were injured. Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed that the two people shot had some nexus to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Day said they came to the attention of police during an investigation of a July shooting believed to have been carried out by gang members, but they were not identified as suspects. Advertisement Advertisement The chief said any gang affiliation did not necessarily justify the shooting by U.S. Border Patrol. The Oregon Department of Justice said it would investigate. On Friday evening, hundreds of protesters marched to the ICE building in Portland. The biggest crackdown yet The Minneapolis shooting happened on the second day of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, which Homeland Security said is the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever. More than 2,000 officers are taking part and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they have made more than 1,500 arrests. The government is also shifting immigration officers to Minneapolis from sweeps in Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. This represents a pivot, as the Louisiana crackdown that began in December had been expected to last into February. Good's death at least the fifth tied to immigration sweeps since President Donald Trump took office has resonated far beyond Minneapolis. More protests are planned for this weekend, according to Indivisible, a group formed to resist the Trump administration. ___ Associated Press reporters Steve Karnowski and Mark Vancleave in Minneapolis; Ed White in Detroit; Valerie Gonzalez in Brownsville, Texas; Graham Lee Brewer in Norman, Oklahoma; Michael Biesecker in Washington; Jim Mustian and Safiyah Riddle in New York; Ryan Foley in Iowa City, Iowa; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed. Hundreds of protestors turned out in Wilmington to take part in a demonstration against United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Jan. 10. The protest is one of a number of demonstrations and vigils throughout the country held in reaction to the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal officer in Minnesota. The woman, identified as Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot in the head while in her car on Jan. 7. The Trump administration said the agent fired in self-defense, reported USA TODAY. John Herrmann, a member of the Indivisible Actions Southeast NC Steering Committee, speaks during the ICE Out for Good demonstration in Wilmington on Jan. 10, 2026. The furor was further fueled when a U.S. Border Patrol official shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 8. The Homeland Security Department said the driver weaponized his vehicle, according to USA TODAY reporting. Advertisement Advertisement Indivisible Actions Southeast North Carolina organized the ICE Out for Good protest outside historic Thalian Hall as part of a series of nationwide protests. John Herrmann, a member of the groups steering committee, said about 1,000 people showed up for the event. Renees death has ignited outrage because what happened in Minneapolis is not an isolated tragedy, Wilmington City Council member Salette Andrews said. It is a symptom for a broader, systematic problem. As communities across the country have witnessed, federal immigration enforcement has grown increasingly militarized and unaccountable. She continued: We gather because the message must be clear: You are not welcome here, not in our streets, not in our neighborhoods, not in our country unless you uphold the values of justice and human dignity. Lynn Shoemaker, founding president of Women Organizing for Wilmington, referred to Goods death as an execution that is alarm sounding, and we must all wake up. Mari McKenzie of Siembra NC speaks during the ICE Out for Good demonstration in Wilmington on Jan. 10, 2026. We stand here to U-turn authoritarianism and to save little D democracy, she said. Make no mistake, little D' democracy is on life support and authoritarianism is no longer at the door; it is in our house. Advertisement Advertisement Catherine Eigmy of Leland brought a handmade sign to the event. I love my country, and I want to live in a democracy, she said, and its been very sad and frightening to me that there has been an overreach of power lately, and I want my country to be a moral leader in the world. Mari McKenzie, a volunteer for Siembra NC, which supports Latinos, said ICE has been threatening the safety of communities. The pain, the fear, the panic of these families that were seeing it was horrific, she said. Its emotionally draining to see fear in people in the United States of America. Its not OK. Bob Liepa is the city of Wilmington and public safety reporter for the StarNews. You can reach him at RLiepa@usatodayco.com. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Hundreds of protestors took part in an anti-ICE demonstration in Wilmington, NC The Arizona Supreme Court declined to review the state schools chief's lawsuit against ten school districts for allowing English language learners to participate in dual language programs. The Supreme Courts decision on Jan. 7 puts an end to a years-long effort from Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne to curb schools from adopting dual language models. Another suit against dual language programs that features Horne has an appeal pending after it was rejected by the Maricopa County Superior Court. In dual language programs, students spend half the day learning course material in English and half in a different language, primarily Spanish or Mandarin. Advertisement Advertisement In June 2023, Horne threatened to withhold funding from schools that didnt teach English language learners in English. Attorney General Kris Mayes issued an opinion in July of that year saying Horne had no standing to eliminate the English immersion model approved by the State Board of Education. In September 2023, Horne filed a lawsuit against Gov. Katie Hobbs, Attorney General Kris Mayes and ten school districts. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper in 2024 dismissed Horne's lawsuit, ruling that he lacked the legal authority to sue the school districts. Horne appealed the court's decision and said an additional suit would be filed. His appeal was denied in July 2025 by the Arizona Court of Appeals and the state's high court this week declined to hear the case. I think the Department of Education does have standing to sue," Horne told The Republic in July 2025. Advertisement Advertisement The Arizona Department of Education is responsible for monitoring the teaching of the English language to students, and it does not make sense for us not to be able to sue schools that don't follow the law, he said. In 2019, the state Legislature and then-Gov. Doug Ducey approved a law directing the State Board of Education to expand the options for English language learning in Arizona schools. In 2020, the board introduced four new models for English learners, including dual language programs. Horne has argued that Proposition 203, a law passed by voters in 2000, requires that most English learners be taught strictly under English immersion models. Exceptions can be made for students with parental waivers or who meet other requirements. Mayes defended her 2023 opinion shortly after the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, reiterating that Horne had no grounds to file a lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement A lot of taxpayer dollars could have been saved if the Superintendent had just followed that opinion," she said. Arizona education: Longtime leader Kathy Wiebke dies at 67 A second lawsuit under Horne still ongoing A week after the court ruled Horne was not in a position to sue, he was later involved in another lawsuit against dual language programs with Patricia Pellett, a parent from Scottsdale, as the plaintiff. Pellet's lawsuit was against the Creighton Elementary School District in Phoenix. Pellet is not the parent of a student enrolled in Creighton Elementary. Horne said that did not matter because Proposition 203 allowed any parent of a child in a school in Arizona to sue to enforce that initiative. Advertisement Advertisement Pellet is represented by Superintendent Hornes wife, Carmen Chenal Horne. Pellett's suit was dismissed by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge. The judge said she did not have the legal authority to sue. An appeal is pending. Coverage of education solutions on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is partially supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundations Arizona Community Collaborative Fund. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Supreme Court denies schools chief's dual language suit JUDISONIA, Ark. One 26-year-old mother of six in Arkansas is reaching out for the publics help as she battles stage 5 kidney failure and waits for a transplant doctors say she urgently needs. Jerikah Wooten was recently diagnosed with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease after her health has rapidly declined following the birth of her youngest child. Doctors still have not determined the exact cause of her kidney failure, but Wooten now faces a race against time as she awaits a transplant. To find living donors for kidney transplants, a pilot program turns to social networks Advertisement Advertisement Wooten has blood type O-positive, and is now trying to get on the transplant waiting list, but some medical experts say waiting for a deceased donor can take more than two years, time that she may not have. She wants to watch her babies grow up, family members said. She wants to live. Right now, Wooten is a college student and full-time mother, and spends much of her time doing what she says matters most: supporting her children. Friday, she attended a school assembly where two of her kids were recognized for making the honor roll. Im here for my kids assembly. Theyre both on the honor roll today, Wooten said. Its crazy, theyre grown up. Second grade, first grade. Im proud of them. Advertisement Advertisement But behind those moments, Wooten says her condition continues to worsen. She recently underwent surgery to prepare for dialysis as her kidneys continue to fail. Here recently its progressed; its getting worse, she said. I just had surgery to do the fistula to start dialysis. Some health officials say Wootens situation reflects a broader crisis. Mark Tudor, CEO of Southern Legacy of Life, said the need for kidneys far exceeds the number of available donors. In Arkansas alone theres over 328 people currently waiting for a kidney transplant, Tudor said. Tudor said Nationwide an average of 12 people a day die while waiting for an organ transplant. Advertisement Advertisement As Wooten waits, her oldest child has begun to understand the seriousness of her condition. She notices the differences in whats going on, Wooten said. She knows about the kidney failure. She worries about me. Shes 9 years old, she shouldnt have to worry about me. Her younger children are too young to fully grasp the situation, but Wooten says they can sense when shes in pain, even when she tries not to show it. We just live day by day, she said. We dont really let it control our lives. We just try to keep going. Wooten says some days are better than others, but on the hardest days, her children keep her motivated. Advertisement Advertisement They mean the world to me, she said. They make my life worth living. Daughter says mom gave me life twice with kidney donation as pair graduate nursing school Now, Wooten and her family are hoping a living donor will come forward, or that sharing her story will help reach someone who can. Even if you cant donate, family members said, sharing this could save her life. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. When Austin police officers encountered a Honduran mother and her 5-year-old U.S. citizen daughter during a predawn disturbance call in Southwest Austin on Monday, experts say they were not legally required to contact immigration authorities. Yet within hours, the pair was in federal custody. The arrest has exposed a murky and largely unexamined area of Austin police practice: when and why officers communicate with federal immigration authorities after encountering administrative immigration warrants. Although some details of the case have emerged, Austin police have not explained if officers were required or simply chose to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement News of the mother and daughters detention was first reported by Univision on Wednesday, which shared the familys search for the pairs location. In its initial explanation of the mother's arrest later that day, Austin police said only that it responded to a disturbance call in the Oak Hill neighborhood about 4:30 a.m. Monday. Police said an officer contacted ICE after running a background check and learning the woman had an ICE detainer request. The following day, however, Austin police changed their explanation, saying the officer had communicated with ICE after learning the federal agency had previously placed an administrative warrant on the woman. The distinction is significant, legal experts told the American-Statesman, and raises questions about whether Austin police actively collaborated with ICE. Those are two different things, Texas A&M immigration law professor Huyen Pham told the Statesman regarding detainers and administrative warrants. Acting on the latter, she said, represents preemptive collaboration with ICE. ICE issues a detainer after another law enforcement agency has taken an individual into custody and booked them in jail. A detainer instructs the jail to hold the individual when they are otherwise eligible for release so ICE can assume custody. Texas law requires local law enforcement agencies to comply with ICE detainer requests. Advertisement Advertisement An administrative warrant, by contrast, is issued internally by ICE and allows its agents to arrest someone for an immigration violation, such as overstaying a visa or failing to obey a deportation order. These are the warrants ICE most commonly uses to make an arrest, Pham said. Although administrative warrants are sometimes confused with criminal warrants, they do not carry the same legal authority. Local police are not legally required to detain or transfer someone based solely on the existence of an administrative warrant, legal experts including Pham and University of Texas immigration law professor Elissa Steglich told the Statesman. The circumstances surrounding Mondays ICE communication remain opaque, in part because Austin police have not provided further details despite numerous Statesman inquiries on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to the department and its top spokesperson. On Saturday morning, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis provided the Statesman with a statement saying that during the officers' investigation, they suspected "the individual who placed the call may have committed a criminal offense." Officers then identified an "(ICE) warrant" and contacted the federal agency, she said. Advertisement Advertisement "At no point did APD officers inquire about the individual's immigration status," Davis said in the statement. "Protecting everyone in our community is our top priority. While officers take appropriate action when a warrant is identified, our focus remains on public safety and not on immigration enforcement." The family of the arrested mother did not respond to Statesman requests for an interview sent through social media. The woman and her daughter are together in ICE custody, police said. What is clear, however, is that the womans arrest and her daughters detention are the latest known example of Austin police contacting ICE over administrative warrants since President Trump began his second term. The confusion and sensitivity surrounding the case reflect a broader crossroads for Austin police, legal experts and immigration advocates told the Statesman. Even as immigration advocates urge local police to preserve trust with individuals who lack legal status to be in the country by avoiding immigration inquiries and limiting communication with ICE, the Trump administration has expanded opportunities for local agencies to assist federal enforcement. That includes adding more than 700,000 new administrative warrants on the National Crime Information Center database, which police use for background checks. Where Austin stands Early last year, as reports of ICE arrests surfaced in Austin, Davis and other city leaders, including Mayor Kirk Watson, sought to reassure residents that Austin police were not engaged in immigration enforcement and had no plans to do so on their own accord. Collaboration with federal authorities, Davis said at the time, would occur only when officers encountered someone with a criminal warrant. Advertisement Advertisement After the Trump administration in February added more than 700,000 administrative warrants to the NCIC database, Austin police have increasingly run across civil administrative warrants during calls, the city has said. In at least several of these situations, Austin police have called ICE. City reports show Austin police contacted ICE at least 23 times during the first half of last year. The city has not uploaded online its two most recent quarterly reports. Several of those contacts occurred after officers encountered administrative warrants, most commonly during traffic stops and crashes. In some cases, reports indicate officers ran background checks because they suspected a crime, such as driving while intoxicated. In others, searches were conducted after infractions as minor as a missing license plate. According to the reports, ICE sometimes responded by arresting the individual at the scene; at other times, the federal agency requested only an individuals contact information. Advertisement Advertisement Austin police did not respond to questions about when background checks are conducted during calls. Austin City Council passed a resolution in 2018 limiting when police may ask individuals about their immigration status. No ordinance, however, directs officers on how to respond when an administrative warrant appears in the NCIC system. Administrative warrants have appeared in law enforcement databases since the aftermath of 9/11, but the recent additions have significantly increased how often local police encounter them, said Jennefer Canales-Pelaez, a policy attorney and strategist for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center who has monitored Houston polices communication with ICE. The fact that administrative warrants are showing up now on the criminal background checks is a new wrinkle that wasn't contemplated by previous councils. We have not grappled with what administrative warrants mean, what their legal requirements are, what our legal obligations are said Austin Council Member Jose Chito Vela, whose district includes the immigrant-heavy Rundberg-Lamar corridor. I practiced immigration and criminal defense for 12 years and I never saw an [ICE] administrative warrant on criminal background information. In Texas largest city, the impact is already visible Calls to ICE like the one made Monday in Austin have become routine in Houston after an order by its police chief. Advertisement Advertisement Immigrant advocates have criticized the policy, arguing it has effectively turned Houston police into an arm of ICE despite previous assurances from city leaders, echoing those made in Austin, that local police would not assist in immigration enforcement. Houston police told the Houston Chronicle that it is standard practice to contact another law enforcement agency regarding a warrant. Canales-Pelaez said that local departments may be confusing administrative warrants with criminal ones, or overcomplying to avoid backlash from the state Legislature. Regardless of the motivation, she said, the shift has had tangible consequences Houston police made more than 100 calls to ICE during the first nine months of 2025, compared with nine the year before. Advertisement Advertisement Austin immigration advocates have argued that similar changes in Austin, and a lack of clarification from the police department on its policy, sends a message that contact with officers even as a victim or witness carries unpredictable risks for immigrant families. Immigrants are going to think that the police will investigate them and the crime thats happening, said Sulma Franco, an Austin immigration activist who knows the family of the arrested mother. They wont call. This story has been updated with Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis' Saturday morning statement. HAVANA (AP) As U.S. seizures of Venezuela-linked oil tankers surge, concerns grow in Cuba about whether the islands government and economy will survive. Experts warn that a sudden halt in Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba could lead to widespread social unrest and mass migration following the stunning U.S. military raid that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolas Maduro. Id be lying if I told you that I dont want to leave the country, said 16-year-old Cuban student Amanda Gomez. Were all thinking about leaving, from the youngest to the oldest. Advertisement Advertisement Long before the Jan. 3 attack, severe blackouts were sidelining life in Cuba, where people endured long lines at gas stations and supermarkets amid the island's worst economic crisis in decades. The lack of Venezuelan oil could push Cuba over the brink, experts say. This will take an already dire situation to new extremes, said Michael Galant, senior research and outreach associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. This is what a collapsing economy looks like. Galant said he believes thats the goal of the Trump administration: to cause such an indiscriminate suffering in the civilian population as to instigate some sort of uprising, regime change. Advertisement Advertisement This sort of besiegement of Cuba is very intentional. Will it work from their perspective? I think that the Cuban people have experienced suffering for a very long time, and the Cuban government is very well versed in how to handle these situations, Galant said. I think its very difficult to predict what will and will not spark actual regime instability. From the perspective of (U.S. Secretary of State Marco ) Rubio, its a sort of wait them out. Theres always a breaking point. Someone is going to have to take the big pill From 2020 to 2024, Cuba saw its population drop by 1.4 million, which experts largely attribute to migration spurred by the worsening crisis. Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos, a Cuban economist and demographics expert, noted that while Cubans with means have already left, migration will continue. Advertisement Advertisement Fuel is a factor that affects everything, he said. People are going to feel that they are in worse conditions, and people who hadnt considered leaving will feel the need to do so. At the Spanish embassy in Havana on Friday, Ernesto Macias, a 53-year-old doctor, stood in line behind dozens of people to request a family member visa for his daughter, having already obtained his Spanish citizenship. I wouldnt want Cuba to be invaded or anything like that. I hope it doesnt happen, but Im sure people will continue to emigrate because there is no other way, he said. Cubas gross domestic product has fallen 15% in the last six years, and President Miguel Diaz-Canel noted in December that there was a 4% decrease in 2025 alone. Advertisement Advertisement Although the Cuban economy never fully recovered after the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, it experienced relative prosperity between 2000 and 2019, fueled by a boom in tourism and exports of services, nickel, rum and tobacco. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and coupled with a radical increase in U.S. sanctions under Trumps second administration to pressure for political change stifling every imaginable sector Cubas crisis erupted with force. Through it all, Cuba remained dependent on Venezuela for oil, receiving an estimated 35,000 barrels a day from the South American country before the U.S. attacked, along with some 5,500 barrels daily from Mexico and roughly 7,500 from Russia, according to Jorge Pinon, of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, who tracks shipments using oil tracking services and satellite technology. Even with all those shipments, blackouts persisted, experts noted. Advertisement Advertisement An indefinite shutdown of the electrical system, which is no longer so impossible to imagine, can be envisioned under a total suspension of oil shipments from Venezuela, which seems to be the current strategy of the American government, said Jorge Duany, with the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University. It would lead us to imagine the possibility of mass protests, he said. Andy S. Gomez, retired dean of the School of International Studies and senior fellow in Cuban Studies at University of Miami, said that even if protests do occur, he doesnt envision the downfall of Cuba while Raul Castro is still alive and running the military. Are they concerned? You bet, Gomez said. Theyre not well armed; their equipment is outdated. Advertisement Advertisement But Gomez noted that civilians arent armed, and that its unlikely one of the three factions of Cubas army would break with the ruling elite. At the end of the day, someone is going to have to take the big pill, and its either going to be Diaz-Canel or (Prime Minister) Manuel Marrero Cruz for not being able to solve the problems, Gomez said. Food, electricity and a home On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker as part of a wider push by Trumps administration to control the distribution of Venezuelas oil products globally. Its not clear if any of the seized tankers were bound for Cuba, but experts believe any obstruction in the supply line would be a shock given the fragility of the islands economy. Advertisement Advertisement As the uncertainty continues, Gomez said Cuba only has one card to play with the U.S.: mass migration. I dont think that Cubans are going to provoke the United States at this time, he said, adding that Cuban authorities can absolutely control that. Cuban military forces are on high alert, he said. Gomez added that even if the worsening crisis does lead to unrest and the ouster of a top government official, that person would likely be replaced by a well-known figure. It would just be a continuation of the government, he said, adding that he doesnt believe it would bother a majority on the island. The Cuban people only care about one thing right now, unfortunately.they want to put food on the table, have electricity, have a place to live, have a job and then what do we do about the government. Advertisement Advertisement ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Associated Press reporter Milexsy Duran in Havana contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america In early 2026, while the altcoin market capitalization (TOTAL3) rebounded from $825 billion to over $880 billion, marking a gain of more than 7%, Pi Network (PI) remained stagnant around the $0.2 level. Exchange data has not shown any clear signs of a return to demand. Meanwhile, the Pi Network community has reported growing losses among investors who pursued expectations tied to the GCV price. Pi Networks Weekly Trading Volume Hits Record Lows Data from CoinGecko shows that Pis trading volume has fallen to record lows. The weekly volume dropped sharply below $100 million, with daily averages of around $10 million. By comparison, in March last year, Pi recorded more than $10 billion in weekly trading volume. The current figures represent a decline of over 99%. Weekly Pi Price and Trading Volume. Source: CoinGecko. The collapse in trading volume reflects weakening demand for Pi on exchanges. Thin liquidity increases the risk of large price swings, even with relatively small buying or selling pressure. If prices rise under such low liquidity conditions, the move is unlikely to be sustainable. If prices fall, the same conditions make Pi vulnerable to sharp sell-offs. Additionally, Piscan data indicate that Pi reserves on centralized exchanges (CEXs) have not declined. Instead, they remain elevated. Pi Reserves on CEXs by Month. Source: Piscan On January 9, more than 1.3 million Pi tokens were transferred to exchanges, pushing total exchange reserves to 427 million Pi. Higher exchange balances increase selling pressure. Combined with thin liquidity, this dynamic significantly raises the risk of further price declines. Pioneers Suffer Losses After Trusting the GCV Theory One of Pi Networks most distinctive features is its two-value system. Holders recognize both the market price on exchanges and the GCV (Global Consensus Value), a theoretical valuation. Supporters promote GCV as a fixed price of $314,159 per Pi, derived from the mathematical constant Pi (). They encourage users and merchants to accept Pi at this valuation. However, recent community reports indicate that several investors have suffered severe losses by following the GCV narrative, while Pis market price has fallen more than 90% from its peak. The Pi-focused news account r/PiNetwork highlighted at least two such cases. One example involves Taufan Kurniawan, who invested 50 million Indonesian rupiah (approximately $3,200) to open a shop serving Pi users. He accepted payments based on the GCV price and expected substantial profits. When the market price collapsed, the business failed, leaving him with heavy losses. About 8 million registered voters are expected to choose 109 MPs along with their local representatives, the election commission said. This double election precedes a third: the presidential election, scheduled for 12 April, 2026. These are the first elections since a failed coup attempt in early December against President Patrice Talon. The army said it had foiled the plot by a group of soldiers and later said it had regained control. Authorities said the president was safe. Advertisement Advertisement Talon will not run in April. Two candidates are set to contest the presidency. The presidential coalition has nominated Economy Minister Romuald Wadagni, while Paul Hounkpe will stand for the Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin, known as the FCBE. Benin authorities say coup attempt foiled, President Talon safe Revised rules The vote comes three years after the last legislative elections in January 2023, after Benin revised its election calendar so all elections now take place in a single year. MPs are now elected for seven-year terms instead of five, following a constitutional change adopted in November. Voters will also elect municipal councillors. Advertisement Advertisement Twenty-four seats in parliament are reserved for women, one in each of Benins electoral districts. Five parties are contesting the legislative elections. Three belong to the presidential coalition the Progressive Union for Renewal, the Republican Bloc and Moele-Benin. The other two are the Democrats, the main opposition party linked to former president Thomas Boni Yayi, and the FCBE, described as a moderate opposition party. For the local elections, only three parties are running the Progressive Union for Renewal, the Republican Bloc and the FCBE. The Democrats are absent after the election commission ruled their candidate lists inadmissible. Advertisement Advertisement The Democrats will also not field a presidential candidate. The withdrawal of an endorsement by one of their elected officials led to their disqualification. Benin pro-government parties win parliamentary majority Muted campaign The campaign atmosphere was rather dull and lacking in excitement, even if it was peaceful and relatively good-natured, governance expert Joel Atayi Guedegbe said. It remains to be seen whether most voters are interested. We are in a festive atmosphere, especially with the Vodun Days festival. What will be the impact of this? Its difficult to know. Another specialist on Benin, who asked not to be named, told RFI the campaign took place without much enthusiasm compared to what we have experienced in the past. He said the local elections did not seem inclusive enough to many voters. Advertisement Advertisement Turnout will be closely watched and could be low. Young voters may be the hardest to mobilise. Work is their priority, one student said, while another added: Creating jobs, giving value to jobs for young people." Threshold concerns New rules require parties to win at least 20 percent of the vote in each of Benins 24 electoral districts to gain seats. That threshold drops to 10 percent for parties that reached a parliamentary agreement before the vote. For these elections, only the Democrats did not reach such an agreement. Experts say many fear Benin could be heading towards a single-party parliament, as in 2019. This article includes reporting from RFI correspondent Magali Lagrange in Benin By David Lawder SAVAGE, Minnesota, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department's plan to increase scrutiny of overseas transfers of money should not harm people who can prove the funds did not come from social service payments, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters on Friday. Bessent on Friday announced the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is investigating some money services businesses as part of a crackdown on federal social benefits abuses in Minnesota, while some banks will be audited by the Internal Revenue Service for alleged money laundering. Advertisement Advertisement FinCEN also issued a geographic order increasing scrutiny on banks and money transmitters in Minnesota's Hennepin and Ramsey counties, which will require firms to report additional information on funds transferred outside of the U.S., including FinCEN reports on transactions above $3,000. Asked if this would have a chilling effect on legitimate remittances made by migrants to families overseas, Bessent said, "No, it shouldn't. Anyone who can prove where the money has come from ... is fine," in an interview after touring the Minneapolis-area engineering lab of RV and boat maker Winnebago Industries. Bessent said payments from people who are in the United States legally were usually transferred through the regulated banking system. "You cannot send welfare money from the people of Minnesota to Somalia, right? Like, that just means you're getting too much, or you can't send stolen money." Remittances account for large percentages of the gross domestic product of many poorer countries, including El Salvador and Somalia.Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat and a vice presidential candidate in the 2024 election, this week announced he will not seek a third term and instead focus on allegations of state welfare fraud that have become a crisis after mounting attacks from Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has singled out Walz and Minnesota, including its large population of Somali Americans and Somali immigrants, over allegations of fraud dating to 2020 by some nonprofit groups that administer the state's childcare and other social services programs, backed by federal funding. At least 56 people have pleaded guilty since federal prosecutors started to bring charges in 2022 under Trump's Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden. (Reporting by David Lawder, writing by Andrea Shalal, editing by Chris Reese) The Better Government Association is calling for more transparency in Illinois government, and two powerful lawmakers are answering the call. Early last year, BGA Policy sent a letter to the speaker of the Illinois House and the president of the Illinois Senate, urging both chambers to modernize their websites and provide free, searchable online archives of House and Senate floor and committee proceedings, joining the 44 other states that already offer this access to the public. After months of follow-up conversations, leadership from both chambers voiced their commitment to making those changes. Advertisement Advertisement While work remains to ensure those promises are kept, this marks an important step toward bringing Illinois in line with the majority of the country. You can read more on the BGA's recommendations here. This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com The Washington state Legislature is about to start its 2026 session, and among the most important bills and topics to be discussed is the use of Flock cameras across the state. Senator Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, introduced legislation earlier this week to regulate automatic license plate reader cameras, also known as Flock cameras, throughout Washington. Advertisement Advertisement These license plate cameras are powerful surveillance tools, and I think most people would agree there should be clear rules governing how the data collected on all of us is stored and accessed, Trudeau said. Flock cameras capture and store every license plate number and certain characteristics (make, model, color, unique features), creating a digital trail that law enforcement can access. Law enforcement agencies have cited Flock cameras as a useful tool for solving crimes, locating missing persons, and tracking stolen vehicles. These cameras dont monitor driving behavior or speed. Opponents of the use of Flock cameras cite privacy concerns. Several Democratic representatives have stated that these cameras conflict with the states sanctuary law. A specific instance occurred last year when a police department based in Texas accessed Washingtons Flock camera system to help search for a woman who had an abortion. We have a balancing act before us. We want law enforcement to have the tools they need to solve crime, but we also need to respect community surveillance concerns and ensure the use of this data aligns with our values as a state, Trudeau said. This bill is an effort to thread that needle. This is not about restricting law enforcement tools, this is about putting in place reasonable rules around how the data is used and accessed. Advertisement Advertisement Trudeaus bill sets out specific guidelines for accessing and using Flock camera data. In short, access would be tightly limited, short-term, logged, and accountable. Law enforcement, parking enforcement, toll systems, and transportation agencies would have access to automatic license plate reader cameras, while immigration enforcement would be barred from access. The bill additionally wants access bans when protests or free speech gatherings are taking place. Collecting data near protected health care facilities and immigration facilities would also be banned if this legislation passes. Schools, places of worship, courts, and food banks would be among the prohibited locations for Flock cameras. This issue is urgent and we need to get it right, Trudeau said. I expect a vigorous debate and welcome input from law enforcement, local governments, advocates, and the public, so we can come to a solution that provides true community safety for the people of Washington. As of September 2023, 23 states have enacted laws around the use of Flock cameras by state and local agencies. Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here. The post Bird Flu Slams Marthas Vineyard: Why Even Healthy Chickens Vanish Overnight appeared first on A-Z Animals. Quick Take The 350 chickens at Slough Farm were euthanized to prevent potential spread. Precautions must be taken when managing backyard flocks in areas with a Bird Flu outbreak. Counter-intuitively, asymptomatic birds can spread HPAI long before any physical symptoms appear. A mandatory 30-day quarantine is essential for every bird entering an established flock. Its officially flu season, and humans arent the only ones who need to take precautions to avoid getting sick. Bird flu has been reported on Marthas Vineyard, and officials are encouraging caution for local chicken owners. Highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, has a mortality rate of 75%-100% in chickens, turkeys, and other wild birds. The good news is that while highly contagious, it can be prevented. Martha's Vineyard grapples with a hidden crisis: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) silently devastates flocks, often without warning. Learn how to protect your birds before it's too late. A-Z Animals Bird Flu Hits Marthas Vineyard While the recent outbreak on Marthas Vineyard is concerning, bird flu is not unusual. Outbreaks have become a recurring issue since 2022, with major cases also reported in 2025. The most recent outbreak hit the Slough Farm in Edgarton, wiping out nearly half of its chicken flock. According to The Vineyard Gazette, the nonprofit farm houses approximately 350 chickens. The remaining chickens were euthanized by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources as a precaution to prevent further spread of the virus. Prior to this, the Slough Farm used its chickens and their eggs for its communitys food equity programs. Bird flu is more prevalent during the winter months. Nora Daniel Art/Shutterstock.com (Nora Daniel Art/Shutterstock.com) The outbreak is causing concern among Marthas Vineyard locals, particularly those who also own chicken coops. Property lines are not enforced there, which means chickens are typically free to wander. This means highly contagious illnesses such as HPAI are easily transmitted from flock to flock. Officials are urging locals to keep their chickens inside or in covered pens, remove open feeders and water stations, and ensure theres distance between themselves and neighbors. How Does Bird Flu Spread? Bird flu easily spreads between flocks due to close contact. It can be spread through shared water or food sources by saliva, feces, and nasal excretions. By the time one chicken begins showing signs, several more are likely infected, which is how entire flocks are lost. Humans interacting with chickens can also unintentionally spread the virus by moving infected food, chickens, or eggs. Some chickens may not even show signs of illness, making it difficult to determine how fast the virus has spread. The virus can be passed easily from chicken to chicken in tight enclosures. Bondareva Elena/Shutterstock.com (Bondareva Elena/Shutterstock.com) Thankfully, transmission of bird flu from chickens to humans is rare. If a human is infected, its usually because the virus has entered their nose, mouth, or eyes. Direct contact is typically the biggest culprit, though a person can also get sick by inhaling the virus. Its crucial that anyone handling infected chickens wear protective gear and wash their hands thoroughly before touching their face. What Are the Symptoms of Bird Flu in Chickens? Some chickens might be asymptomatic (showing no signs) or may become very sick. The incubation period can range from 2 to 14 days, but some chickens may show signs of illness as early as 24 hours after infection. Early signs of bird flu include: Advertisement Advertisement Green diarrhea or loose stool Loss of appetite Respiratory issues such as coughing or nasal discharge Swelling, including the head, waddles, and eyes Sudden loss of interest in food or socializing Reduced egg production or soft shells If a chicken has any of these symptoms and dies suddenly, chicken owners should immediately contact their vet. Its also a good idea to alert the local authorities, as the bird flu can spread rapidly without warning. When the Bird Flu Spreads Outside the Flock Bigger issues evolve when the bird flu spreads outside the flock. Free-roaming chickens may come into contact with other local fowl, which can worsen the outbreak. Coops near water or woodlands may come into contact with geese, turkeys, or other waterfowl, which can then spread the virus beyond one backyard. As birds migrate, they can also carry the virus, spreading it to locations far from the patient zero. New chickens should be quarantined for at least 30 days to ensure theyre healthy. Christiane Godin/Shutterstock.com (Christiane Godin/Shutterstock.com) Bird flu can also be spread by open feeders and water stations. If local wildlife eat or drink from the same place where an infected chicken has been, they can spread the virus. If cases are reported in your area, its essential to remove these and keep them inside closed pens. Advertisement Advertisement Winter marks the onset of avian flu, when chickens and other birds flock together for warmth. These close quarters help spread the virus, which is why its so prominent this time of the year. For migrating birds, stress from weather and lack of shelter also weakens their immune systems. This leaves them more susceptible to illnesses, such as bird flu. As cold air sweeps in, particularly in states that experience harsher winters, the virus continues to thrive. How to Prevent Bird Flu The best practices for bird flu season include proper handwashing, washing clothes that have come into contact with chickens, and keeping chickens in covered pens. The goal is to prevent the virus from spreading while also protecting chickens from feral birds. More often than not, a flock is infected by an outside bird. Avoid sharing crates, feed, or tools with other coops, as this can also spread the virus. Visitors to your property should also wash their hands and avoid touching other birds. Any new chickens entering the flock should be quarantined for at least 30 days before being introduced to the rest of the flock. The post Bird Flu Slams Marthas Vineyard: Why Even Healthy Chickens Vanish Overnight appeared first on A-Z Animals. The Dec. 13 mass shooting at Brown University has sparked a storm of controversy surrounding the schools security. Following the killings, custodian Derek Lisi revealed he had spotted the gunman prowling around the Providence, R.I., campus more than a dozen times before he attacked. Lisi recalled seeing the shooter later identified as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente at about 6:20 p.m. the day before Thanksgiving, and then just after 8 p.m. on Dec. 1. Advertisement Advertisement Something kept telling me, Dont ignore it. Dont ignore it, he told WPRI, adding he reported the individual as suspicious to Event Staff Services (ESS), a third-party security vendor for Brown, on three separate occasions. According to the Boston Globe, David Madonna, ESS president, said investigating reports of suspicious people is not its job. We have nothing to do with watching buildings, Madonna said, adding they were there to cover an event. Whenever theres an event at Brown, they hire us to do ID check and capacity counts in their rooms. Lisi said the universitys Department of Public Safety might have been notified, but he doesnt know if any other action was taken. Asked for comment, a rep for the storied university tells the National Enquirer the school brass has ordered a review of security protocols as the school seeks answers in the wake of the tragedy. Brown has hired former Rhode Island U.S. attorney Zachary Cunha as outside counsel, WPRI in Providence confirmed. Cops eventually found Neves Valente thanks to a homeless man named John, whose surname has not been released. The hobo turned hero posted anonymously to Reddit on Dec. 16 that he recognized the police photo of the gunman whod left two students Ella Cook, 19, and Mukhammad Umurzokov, 18 dead and nine wounded at the elite school hed once attended, per The New York Times. Two days after the massacre, Neves Valente also murdered MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47, in his Brookline, Mass., home. After other Reddit users encouraged John to pipe up, he tipped officers, informing them he saw the gunman snooping about the Brown engineering building. Hours before the shooting, John says he even confronted the gun-toting weirdo next to the gray Nissan rental car with Florida license plates he was driving. Advertisement Advertisement Security footage showed the cars tag number corresponded to a Boston rental car business, sources say. That led to Neves Valentes name and a link between the Brown shooting and Loureiros murder. Thats really what broke the case open, says Peter F. Neronha, Rhode Islands attorney general. Neves Valente who until 2003 had also attended Brown and knew Loureiro from their years together as students at the Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon, Portugal was discovered dead in a storage unit in Salem, N.H., from a suspected suicide on Dec. 18. For leading cops to Neves Valente, homeless John is expected to receive a $50,000 reward from the FBI. This story Brown University Tragedy Sparks Storm of Controversy Surrounding the Rhode Island Schools Security first appeared on National Enquirer. Add National Enquirer as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Originally appeared on E! Online The college where Bryan Kohberger studied criminology before murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022 is now facing a civil lawsuit. The families of murder victims Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, came together Jan. 7 to sue Washington State University for gross negligence and wrongful death. In a complaint obtained by the Idaho Statesman, the families accused WSU of violating Title IXthe federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at public universitieswhen the school allegedly remained "idle in the face of known extreme and repeated instances of discrimination, sexual harassment and stalking by Kohberger occurring in its educational program." Advertisement Advertisement Their lawsuit alleged professors were aware that Kohberger, who was a Ph.D. student and a teaching assistant in the school's Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology before the murders, had developed a reputation for discriminatory, harassing, and stalking behavior," according to the New York Times. More from E! Online The families argued the school's alleged lack of action against the convicted killer "ultimately culminated in Kohberger stalking and murdering the decedents," per the Statesman. Advertisement Advertisement A WSU spokesperson told E! News Jan. 9 in response to the lawsuit, "Our hearts remain with the families and friends impacted by this horrific tragedy. Because this is a legal matter, we are declining further comment at this time." Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Images Kohberger, 31, is currently serving four consecutive life in prison sentences without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder. He confessed to killing Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin after accepting a plea deal from prosecutors that spared him from the death penalty. Shortly after Kohberger's sentencing in July, authorities released findings in their investigation that the lawyers for the victims' families believe showed "a disturbing picture of institutional inaction in the face of repeated and dire warnings." These failures were not the result of a lack of authority or available safeguards," their attorneys told the New York Times in a Jan. 8 statement, "but rather a breakdown in accountability and responsibility at critical moments." Advertisement Advertisement For more details about the case, read on. Who Were Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle? Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, were University of Idaho students who lived in an off-campus apartment. On Nov. 12, 2022the night before their bodies were foundGoncalves and Mogen were at a nearby sports bar, while Kernodle and Chapin were at the latters fraternity party. By 2 a.m. on Nov. 13, the four roommates and Chapin were back at the three-story rental house. Goncalves was a senior majoring in general studies at the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. She was expected to graduate in December before heading to Austin, Texas, for a job at a marketing firm, her friend Jordyn Quesnell told The New York Times. Mogen, who was studying marketing, was best friends with Goncalves since the sixth grade. She had plans to move to Boise after graduation, family friend Jessie Frost shared with The Idaho Statesman. Kernodle was a junior majoring in marketing, the University said at the time. She and Chapinwho majored in recreation, sport and tourism managementhad been dating since the spring, the roommates neighbor Ellie McKnight told NBC News. Were There Any Survivors? Two roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, had been home at the time of the murders. In text messages that were unsealed March 6, 2025, Mortensen and Funke tried contacting their roommates on Nov. 13 after the former saw a masked man moving through the house, according to documents obtained by E! News. "No one is answering," Mortensen texted Funke at 4:22 a.m. "I'm rlly confused rn." She continued to reach out to their roommates, urging them to respond. "Pls answer," she texted Goncalves at 4:32 a.m. and again at 10:23 a.m. "R u up??" At 11:58 a.m., a 911 call was placed after Kernodle was found unresponsive, per an additional motion obtained by E! News. A woman named A1 in the transcript described the current situation to the operator. "One of the roommates who's passed out and she was drunk last night and she's not waking up," she said on the phone. "They saw some man in their house last night." Who Is Bryan Kohberger and How Was He Found? Bryan Kohberger, who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, was a doctoral candidate at Washington State University. Over one month after the bodies of Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin were discovered, Kohberger was taken into custody Dec. 30 in Monroe County, Penn. He was extradited to Idaho Jan. 4, 2023. As for how authorities connected him to the killings? DNA was found on a knife sheath that was left at the crime scene, prosecutors revealed in June 2023 court documents, per NBC News. When the DNA didn't match anyone in the FBI database, authorities ran the DNA through public ancestry websites to create a list of potential suspects, according to the filings. After learning that Kohberger had driven to his parents' home in Monroe County, local officials then went through their trash and found DNA that tied him to that found on the sheath. What Was Kohbergers Initial Defense? At the moment, a motive for the attack has not been detailed and a gag order prevents many involved in the case from speaking publicly, NBC News reported. However, the unsealed documents provided some insight into their initial arguments. Kohberger's attorneys argued in a motion obtained by E! News to strike the death penalty that Kohbergerwho initially faced death penalty if found guilty on all countshas autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and that executing him would violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on "cruel and unusual punishment." His defense argued that Kohbereger "displays extremely rigid thinking, perseverates on specific topics, processes information on a piecemeal basis, struggles to plan ahead, and demonstrates little insight into his own behaviors and emotions." "Due to his ASD, Mr. Kohberger simply cannot comport himself in a manner that aligns with societal expectations of normalcy," the motion said. "This creates an unconscionable risk that he will be executed because of his disability rather than his culpability." Advertisement Advertisement Where Was the Trial Set? Initially, Kohberger had a judge enter a not-guilty plea to the first-degree murder charges on his behalf after remaining silent at his May 2023 arraignment. Although his trial was set to begin Oct. 2, 2023, Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial in August 2023. His trial datewhich was scheduled to take place in Ada County, more than 300 miles from Latah County, where the killings took placewas set to begin Aug. 11, 2025. Latah County Judge John Judge previously ruled in favor of the transfer request made by Kohberger's defense in September 2024 based on "presumed prejudice" if the trial remained in Latah County. Ada County Judge Steven Hippler denied the defense's request to suppress key DNA and other evidence, including cell phone and email records, surveillance footage, past Amazon purchases and DNA evidence in the trial. What Was the Verdict in the Trial? Kohberger's murder trial was abruptly canceled after he took a plea deal from prosecutors on June 30, 2025. In accepting the deal, Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to four counts of murder and one count of burglary, as well as waive his rights to appeal and ask for a more lenient prison sentence. He entered his guilty plea on July 2, 2025, confirming with a "yes" after the judge asked if he killed all four victims "willingly, unlawfully, deliberately and with premeditation and malice with forethought." Did Kohberger Take a Selfie After the Murders? A selfie Kohberger took the morning after the murders took place was introduced in March 2025. The photograph, which sees him in front of a shower showing a thumbs up, displays how he may fit the description a witness identified as "D.M." gave in filings, who said the perpetrator had "bushy eyebrows." Steve Gonclaves, the father of victim Kaylee, later reacted to the image calling it a "trophy" in an interview with Fox and Friends. "I know the timeline, I know that he had just returned to the crime scene and he had come back," Gonclaves said. "He had realized that nobody had called 911." As he put it, "To him, thats his little trophy to let him know like, Hey, I got away with it, nobodys on me. What Did Kohberger Google Before the Murders? In a 2025 Dateline documentary about the murders, a former classmate of Kohbergers detailed a peculiar text she received from him after making his acquaintance at a party. I definitely felt a little obligated to chat with him, because to me, he seemed a little awkward, the studentidentified as Hollyexplained. Kind of like you might expect for a PhD student who didn't know anyone at the party and was maybe trying his best to kind of get out there and be social and make friends. The following day, Holly said she received a text from him, which she described as overly formal. Hey, I am pretty sure we spoke about hiking trips yesterday, Bryans text from July 10, 2022 at 1:19 p.m., read, per Dateline. I really enjoy that activity, so please let me know. Thanks! Elsewhere in the Dateline documentary, Kohbergers browsing history was found to have included searches for Ted Bundy, Britney Spears song Criminal, and the term University of Idaho Murders. Advertisement Advertisement Did Kohberger Confess to Killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle? After accepting a plea deal that would spare him from the death penalty, Kohberger changed his plea to guilty in the murders of Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin, as well as one count of burglary, at a July 2, 2025 hearing in Idaho. When judge Hippler questioned Kohberger if he killed each victim "willingly, unlawfully, deliberately and with premeditation and malice with forethought," he replied with a firm, "Yes" for each. In taking the plea deal, Kohberger has waived his right to appeal or ask for a more lenient prison sentence, according to Hippler. How Long Is Kohberger's Prison Sentence? Though the families of Goncalves and Kernodle each slammed the decision to issue a plea deal, therby taking the death penalty off the table, Kohberger was officially sentenced to life in prison July 23, 2025. Judge Hippler sentenced Kohberger to four life termsto be served consecutivelywithout the possibility of parole for each count of first-degree murder, along with a $50,000 fine for each count and a $5,000 civil penalty to be paid to each of the victims' families. He also gave Kohberger 10 years and imposed a fine of $50,000 on the burglary count. For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Mayor Mary Sheffield visited Pershing High School on Friday to talk with students about her policy priorities for improving the lives of Detroit youth. (Elaine Cromie / Chalkbeat) This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroits free newsletter to keep up with the citys public school system and Michigan education policy. Mayor Mary Sheffield made Pershing High School the first stop after her public swearing-in ceremony on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement The stop at the Detroit Public Schools Community Districts neighborhood school reflected her campaign promise to focus her term on initiatives that will improve the lives of young people. Lines of cheerleaders and a hallway booming with applause greeted Sheffield. As students and adults clamored to point their cellphone cameras at the mayor when she walked in, girls talked to each other about how excited they were to meet the citys first female mayor. Im very grateful to be in the presence of such a person, said senior Neveah Washington. Sheffield, who was sworn in during a private ceremony on Jan. 1, spent 30 minutes with nearly 90 students in the schools library. She talked about partnering with the citys schools to address systemic issues that affect the quality of students education, from improving city transportation to offering more after-school programming and wraparound services. Advertisement Advertisement The mayor said she also wants to give youth reasons to stay in Detroit, such as more career opportunities and affordable housing. Though the mayor does not have control over schools, Sheffield told the students, that does not mean that the mayor cannot be a great partner, that we cannot be visible and hands-on with our youth and that is what I intend to do. Education became a key issue in the mayors race as more advocates pushed for the office to address underlying systemic challenges that contribute to poor academic performance and chronic absenteeism in the citys schools. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told the students that Sheffields presence at the school reflects her interest in investing in opportunities that will benefit neighborhood schools. Advertisement Advertisement Being here at Pershing, being here at DPSCD, in a traditional public school, and a neighborhood school on the east side, all of that is intentional, he said. If we dont have strong neighborhood schools, you cant have a strong city. Sheffield told the students she is creating the citys first youth department. Jerjuan Howard, the citys new director of youth affairs, said each department in the mayors office will make a youth priority statement to detail how decisions may affect young people. What that means is that you all will be at the center of decision making for anything the city is talking about moving forward, he said. No other city in the nation has done this yet. Sheffield talked to the students one-on-one and collected their written questions. Advertisement Advertisement DeAngelo Allen, a junior who takes a city bus to school every day, asked Sheffield how she will improve the citys transportation. Allen said he is often late to school because the buses he relies on either come far earlier or later than their scheduled times. The teen said he feels like he has to be vigilant about safety when he rides the bus. You have to watch your surroundings, he said. You see some pretty disturbing stuff. Mac Sconi, 17, asked Sheffield how she will address safety concerns an issue many students say affects their ability to learn and get to school. The teen said he was optimistic about the response he got from the mayor after she expressed she would take a holistic approach to improving safety with crime prevention programs. The citys new neighborhood and community safety office will promote long-term solutions like mental health and conflict resolution programs, Sheffield added. Advertisement Advertisement Theres a lot of things right now that are threatening the safety of our students, Sconi said. Its something that needs to be addressed, because what is the importance of anything if we are not safe? Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. A local business has warned its neighbors after their barn was broken into earlier this week. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, the owners of Whitetail Lodge said that a man broke into a barn early Tuesday morning. They say the man stole a truck, a gun, and gas. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement The owners told News Center 7s Malik Patterson that they informed the Clark County Sheriffs Office of what happened. They shared security camera video with News Center 7 on Saturday. The video shows a masked man walking onto the lodges back patio. After peeking inside the window, he looks at the camera and proceeds to push it up. Robert Laughlin, the owners son, told Patterson that the man disappeared out of camera view for an hour. During that time, they found out what he may have been doing. We had fuel tanks in the back that we used for maintenance on, said Laughlin. He had popped the pump off the top of the fuel tank, took some buckets. Advertisement Advertisement They also found the barn door was dented and pried open. Laughlin said that he not only took his dads truck. The owners eventually recovered the truck, but said something inside was missing. There was also a firearm in the vehicle at the time, he said. When asked to know that a man could be walking around with a gun that is not his. Laughlin said its scary. Its scary enough that someone in our neighborhood and where were at was doing what they did and was on our property, he said. You know, its something that we definitely wouldnt want them to have. Patterson said that the lodge is now going through almost $10,000 in security upgrades. News Center 7 has contacted the Clark County Sheriffs Office about this incident. We will continue to update this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Caleb Wilsons mother reportedly frustrated with Southern University appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The mother of Caleb Wilson is expressing frustration at Southern University. Following the last meeting of the task force named after her son, who passed away last year following an Omega Psi Phi hazing ritual, Urania Wilson asked if the Beta Sigma chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, would be welcome back on campus following their recent expulsion. Per a report by Fox 8, Southern University general counsel Corinne Blache indicated that the return of the fraternity chapter was a possibility. Advertisement Advertisement I understand that our answers may seem to be, um, dodging the question, I will tell you we are in uncharted territory, She said. This is the first time an organization has been expelled from Southern University and A&M College and therefore, that is kind of the issue. As we stated previously, they have been expelled and the expulsion seems to be permanent. However, other institutions have expelled organizations, and they have come back Wilson wasnt pleased with the answer, given the nature of her sons death during the initiation process. So, if I understand you correctly, there is an opportunity for them to come back, even though a life was taken. Theres still an opportunity for them to come back. What do we need to do stop this? said Urania Wilson. Per the transcript obtained by Fox 8, state representative Jason Hughes offered clarity, stating that it was indeed a possibility but they were attempting to craft legislation to prevent what occured to Caleb Wilson. Advertisement Advertisement Ms. Wilson, Ill answer the question for you. There is an opportunity for them to come back. Thats the reality, and so theres going to have to be a legislative fix. Caleb Wilson passed away in February 2025 due to unsanctioned hazing activities during the membership intake process into the fraternity. Per a report by WAFB, he was punched in the chest several times, which caused him to have a seizure. He ultimately passed away, and Isaiah E. Smith, Caleb M. McCray, and Kyle M. Thurman were arrested and charged. Following the incident, a task force was launched with the efforts of both evaluating and strengthening anti-hazing laws. The Wilson family has also been proactive in addressing both Wilsons passing and hazing. In late 2025, the Wilson family filed a lawsuit against Southern University and Omega Psi Phi for wrongful death and survival damages, while also launching a campaign to raise awareness about hazing. Related: Lane Kiffin nabs HBCU player out of transfer portal to join LSU Related: New Florida A&M coach Quinn Gray outlines the standard for a new era Ethereum Layer-2 network Polygon is reportedly looking to acquire US Bitcoin ATM provider Coinme for a purchase price between $100 million and $125 million. Sources familiar with the matter told CoinDesk that the ETH scaling network is close to acquiring the BTC ATM company, with Architect Partners serving as its financial advisor. Cryptonews has reached out to Coinme executives for confirmation. Coinme is one of the earlier entrants in Bitcoin ATM operations in the US. It first launched a crypto kiosk in 2014 and now has more than 50,000 Bitcoin ATM locations across 49 US states. Is Coinme Halting Bitcoin ATM Operations? Last month, Washington states Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) ordered Coinme to halt all money transmission services. The regulator alleges that the Seattle-based company illegally converted unredeemed customer funds into corporate revenue. Further, the DFI ordered the firm to repay over $8 million to customers. Coinme reportedly asked customers to purchase paper vouchers at kiosks and redeem them online. However, when the vouchers were unredeemed within a timeframe, Coinme claimed the outstanding balances as its own income. As a result, Coinme is now facing a potential revocation of its license, a $300,000 fine, and a likely 10-year industry ban for the company and its CEO, Neil Bergquist. Polygons acquisition of Coinme is seen as an important step for both companies, given that Polygon completed a $450 million funding round in 2023, led by Sequoia Capital India. Read original story Polygon Eyes Bitcoin ATM Provider Coinme Acquisition for $100M to $125M: Report by Sujha Sundararajan at Cryptonews.com Time is running out for Haitis political leaders to reach a consensus on how the country should be governed after Feb. 7, when the ruling Transitional Presidential Council is expected to step down without transferring power to an elected government. The warning is being issued by the 15-member Caribbean Community, known as CARICOM, whose Eminent Persons Group has been holding talks with council members and political leaders as Haiti approaches its third political transition in five years. The looming transition comes as the country enters its 10th year without general elections, continues to experience a surge in violence beyond Port-au-Prince and faces a worsening crisis, as more than 300,000 Haitians in the United States could lose protection from deportation as early as Feb. 3. Advertisement Advertisement The Eminent Persons Group is deeply concerned by the tardiness of the stakeholders to find common ground and coalesce around a Haitian-led consensual agreement on an alternative transitional process despite the points of convergence in the multiple proposals made public, a CARICOM statement said. It is vital that stakeholders, civil society and the people of Haiti reach a consensus before 7 February, 2026. A failure to do so could lead to unwanted repercussions. Time is, therefore, of the essence! For months, former prime ministers Perry Christie of The Bahamas, Bruce Golding of Jamaica and Kenny Anthony of St. Lucia have intensified their engagements with Haitian political and civil leaders about the countrys next steps amid fears that powerful armed gangs could exploit a political vacuum if no agreement is reached ahead of Feb. 7. Their efforts have been joined by others, including the United Nations Integrated Office in Port-au-Prince, La Francophonie, the Organization of American States and the United States and Canadian embassies. But despite multiple proposals, theyve failed to get Haitians to resolve the political impasse. The only agreement appears to be that come Feb. 7, the nine-member council must leave office. But how that will happen, and who will ensure it happens, remain unclear. Last month Canadas ambassador to Haiti, Andre Francois, warned council members the status quo is not an option, stressing that preserving continuity and political stability is essential. Advertisement Advertisement The dean of the diplomatic corps, Francois commended the council for establishing specialized judicial units to investigate financial crimes and mass atrocities. Under U.S. pressure, they also published an electoral law that sets elections for this summer. Francois address came as the council once again sought to remove its second prime minister in a year and as the U.S. is still seeking financial and personnel backing for the newly authorized Gang Suppression Force to help Haitian fight armed groups and restore security for elections. Political gamesmanship This week, council members were accused of trying to replace their current coordinator, Laurent Saint-Cyr, who did not back attempts to get rid of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime. The prime ministers is trying to negotiate a deal to remain on after Feb. 7 but without a presidential oversight structure. Members of the transition are being accused of prioritizing their hold on power, and in some cases negotiate what critics describe as golden parachutes with cash payouts, ministerial appointments and immunity from charges of corruption. Advertisement Advertisement In an official statement on Dec. 26, council members refuted the allegations that they intended to grant themselves severance packages at the end of their term. They said the rumors were a disinformation campaign aimed at weakening their credibility. The council was formed in the aftermath of a violent siege that prompted the United States to force the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Its central mission was to restore law and order to Haiti by appointing a new acting prime minister, facilitating the arrival of a Kenya-led multinational security force and paving the way for elections. But from the onset, the panel was plagued by political infighting and corruption scandals. Both have paralyzed the transition, while empowering gangs that now control larger swaths of the capital more than in April 2024 when the council assumed power and other regions of the country. In recent days, Haitian police, Kenyan police and a government task force using explosive drones have made some headway in trying to reclaim parts of downtown Port-au-Prince. Theyve bulldozed homes and created panic among gang leaders, who have abandoned some of their strongholds in the center of the capital. Advertisement Advertisement But council members continue to be dogged by allegations of dealmaking and protectionism. In December, with the support of cabinet ministers, they enacted decrees that shield them from prosecution after leaving office and impose jail sentences on journalists. Both were made without public debate. In its statement, CARICOM called on those involved in the negotiations to demonstrate patriotism above all other sentiments if Haitians are to determine their own destiny. CHEYENNE When representatives from the Wyoming Association of Secondary School Principals (WASSP) showed up at Central High School on Wednesday, Principal Karen Delbridge thought they were there to discuss legislation. Instead, she learned she had been named Wyomings 2026 Secondary Principal of the Year, an honor recognizing her leadership, dedication to students and work to unite the school under the One Tribe initiative. WASSP is the state branch of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), which annually recognizes outstanding middle school and high school principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students. Advertisement Advertisement Each school can nominate one principal for the title, who fills out an application. The applications are then reviewed by past state Principals of the Year, industry leaders and experts, and NASSP staff. After these reviews, three finalists are named as contenders for National Principal of the Year. The NASSP High School National Principal of the Year is selected from among the three finalists. As the principal of Wyomings oldest high school, Delbridge has an extensive background in the education system. She holds a bachelors degree in English with a secondary teacher certification and minor in religion from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. She also has a masters degree in K-12 education from Tusculum College in Greenville, Tennessee, and a doctorate in education curriculum and instruction from the University of Wyoming. UW is also where she received a K-12 reading endorsement and a K-12 principal endorsement. Advertisement Advertisement Delbridge started at Central as associate principal in 2018 before moving up to head principal in 2022. Prior to joining the Central staff, Delbridge served as Laramie County School District 1s K-12 English language arts curriculum coordinator. Delbridge told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Friday that she unexpectedly found out she was selected on Wednesday. I really thought the people from WASSP were there to talk about the Legislature, Delbridge said. ... As I was listening, I thought, This doesn't sound like this is about the Legislature. And then when they said that I was elected as Wyoming Principal of the Year, it was very humbling because there's just some amazing, amazing principals in our state of Wyoming. Advertisement Advertisement Delbridge said she makes it a top priority to instill the One Tribe approach in all Central students, which is an initiative that aims to teach students how to work together, because fostering a sense of belonging and connectivity is important to her. It's not all about just getting along, Delbridge said. Families have disagreements; we have disagreements on campus. We have 1,300 high school kids. How do we talk with one another, and maybe even still disagree, and then, at the end of the day, still be OK with each other? She said one of the biggest challenges she has faced while working at Central was how to combat everything such as the physical and emotional divide that came with the COVID-19 pandemic. (It) was this whole notion of really trying to help us redefine who we are as a school, Delbridge said. And when we say, One Tribe, what does that mean? When we say we're one family, what does that mean? Advertisement Advertisement Delbridge will travel to Washington, D.C., in April, where NASSP will announce the National High School Principal of the Year during its National Education Leadership Awards. While shes there, Delbridge said she hopes to engage in discussions about the more difficult responsibilities that come with being a high school principal, such as staff shortages and student attendance issues. Most of all, she said she is excited to get the opportunity to celebrate her fellow principals. There are amazing principals across the entire state of Wyoming, Delbridge said. I am in esteemed company with other principals in our great state. I'm humbled and I'm honored, and I just think it's a great opportunity to highlight the work of the secondary principal of all principals, really. A judge dropped several charges Thursday after more than six hours of testimony in a Washington County case involving a violent attack tied to rival motorcycle clubs. The preliminary hearing focused on an August assault at Forty Bar and Grille, where prosecutors allege members of the War Dogs Motorcycle Club attacked a member of the Pagan Motorcycle Club. Ten defendants have been charged in connection with the case, nine War Dogs and one Pagan, who fired his gun into the air outside of the bar. Security was heavy inside the Washington County Courthouse during the hearing. About 20 sheriffs deputies were in the courtroom; an unusually large presence for a single case. Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors said the victim was held down, punched, kicked and beaten with bats. Surveillance video from the night of the incident was played repeatedly in court. One bartender testified that the scene was frightening, saying she, another bartender and customers ran to hide in the basement after initially yelling for the assault to stop. Defense attorneys argued the incident was a bar fight that began between two men and said other club members were trying to disarm the Pagan member, not join the attack. The defense also claimed the fight started after the Pagan member used a racial slur. One defendant is accused of making a hand signal that prosecutors claim triggered the fight. Defense attorney Steven Valsamidis disputed that, saying a prosecution expert testified there is no known hand signal or sign language tied to the group. Advertisement Advertisement Their own expert brought in from Washington, D.C., testified theres no known signal no sign language for the gang, Valsamidis said. That signal meant time to go, lets leave, which my client did as soon as it got hot at that bar. Testimony also addressed the death of the War Dogs member, prosecutors say started the fight. Prosecutors said 33-year-old Kenneth Hayman was shot and killed in October while riding his motorcycle at an intersection outside a Wendys in White Oak. The criminal complaint alleges Hayman was killed by three Pagan members, which prosecutors cited as evidence of an ongoing feud between the groups. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 3 men charged in deadly shooting near Wendys in White Oak The case had originally been sealed, and the defendants were arrested during the early morning hours in a snowstorm last month. One defense attorney suggested the sealed affidavits contributed to heightened attention surrounding the case. Advertisement Advertisement I think this made for a nice, juicy story with the sealed affidavits, the attorney said. The judge dropped the felony corrupt organizations charges and the robbery charges after testimony established that the victims gun, which was taken from him during the fight, was later thrown behind the bar and not stolen. The remaining charges were held for court, sending the case toward trial. Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh said he was disappointed by the dismissal of those charges but emphasized that the case is still moving forward. Walsh told Channel 11 he is satisfied the remaining charges were held for court and stressed that violent criminal behavior will not be tolerated in Washington County. Advertisement Advertisement Defense attorneys, however, said the judges ruling reflected what they argued all along. It seems like Judge Manfredi saw the forest through the trees and realized this was a fight between two individuals that escalated, but really had nothing to do with the Pagans or the War Dogs, said defense attorney Casey White. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Theres a bronze plaque that notes that Baltimores Cherry Hill community was started 80 years ago. One of the women who spent her childhood there is ready to tell that story. Linda Grace Morris, the neighborhoods intrepid historian, is anticipating the anniversary. A community celebration is planned for May 16 at Martins West. The city government did not know where they were going to put the neighborhood. No one wanted a Black neighborhood near them, so the federal government stepped in and built Cherry Hill, Morris said. Then, years later, Mayor Thomas DAlesandro signed a $3 million check to buy back the neighborhood. Advertisement Advertisement Morris, who now lives in Germantown in Montgomery County, is a natural collector of people and their stories. She has her own podcast and firmly believes that history is best served by having people just sit down and tell their own stories. She calls her project Baltimore Boomer Tales from the Hood. Its a podcast about Baby Boomer nostalgia. And Im looking for a sponsor, she said. Its not all about Cherry Hill. Its about people and their stories, of how we all fit together in a small world. Even people who tell me they dont have much to say often have connections with something interesting. I believe that everyone has a story. Advertisement Advertisement Its a harsh world, and I want to put a positive slant on things, she said. Her own tale is pure Baltimore. Her grandmother was part of the Great Migration and left the Eastern Shore of Virginia (Northampton County) to first settle in West Baltimore, in one of its alley houses. My mother said they drove up to Baltimore in a truck that looked like the Beverly Hillbillies, Morris said. The landlords tested you to see if you kept their property well and were stable. Soon the family numbered 11 persons (three separate families) and they moved to a three-story house on Gilmor Street at Edmondson Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Cherry Hill had opened and my father qualified to live there because he was in the government at Social Security. There were income limits then. I started school in Cherry Hill in the third grade. By the fifth grade my father had reached the income limit, and we were forced to leave, she said. We moved to Monastery Avenue in Irvington. My sister, Judy, took the No. 8 streetcar to Towson State. By the time I was ready for college, we had a car and I could drive to college, but the rule was I also had to drive my mother for grocery shopping and be the family chauffeur. Our generation was not born free with full rights, she said of the 1950s era of lingering and persistent segregation. While racially segregated, Cherry Hill had a neighborhood town center with the A&P and a Pressman Brothers grocery stores, pharmacy, dry cleaners, hardware store, clothing shops, pool hall, Arundel ice cream parlor and the Hill Theatre, which was packed on Saturday afternoons for the kids matinee, she said. She also told how her father spent three years 10 to 13, after both his parents deaths in a Black orphanage run by the Catholic Church at St. Gregorys parish in West Baltimore. Advertisement Advertisement A white physician, Dr. William Hobson Woody, originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, adopted her father and raised him in Bolton Hill and Homeland. Dr. Woody and his wife were the closest thing to grandparents we had, said Morris. She also recounted how her brother, John Henry Morris Jr., a promising Polytechnic Institute student, became a graduate of Yale University and its School of Law. Dr. Woody opened the doors to Yale and helped my brother on his own way. John supplemented the help with student loans, she said. She is Cherry Hills ambassador and is the author of Cherry Hill, Raising Successful Black Children in Jim Crow Baltimore. Advertisement Advertisement Cherry Hill has a fascinating history. It shows what the government can do when it has the will. It was an engine for upward mobility. I want people to be proud they are from Cherry Hill, she said. Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com and 410-332-6570. A child was rushed to the hospital after being shot in the head in a Pittsburgh home on Saturday morning. Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson Eliza Durham says officers were called to a home in the 900 block of Kirkbride Street around 9:45 a.m. for a reported shooting. When officers got on scene, they spoke with a 9-year-old child who said he and his 8-year-old brother were playing with a gun in the basement. The gun went off while the children were handling it, shooting the 7-year-old in the head. Advertisement Advertisement It wasnt exactly clear how the gun went off, but Durham says the investigation so far shows the 9-year-old accidentally shot the 7-year-old, as the 9-year-old told police that the gun was in his possession at the time of the incident. The 7-year-old was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition and taken immediately into surgery. Durham called it a very critical injury. No adults were home at the time of the shooting. Durham says an adult who lives in the home had recently left for work. The 9-year-old and a 16-year-old boy, who was also in the home at the time, were taken into custody for questioning. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators did not initially recover a gun at the home, though officials said one had been recovered in an update around 8:30 p.m. At this point, no charges are pending. Durham says that could change as the investigation unfolds. The Mobile Crime Unit responded to the scene along with Violent Crime Unit and Homicide detectives. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) A Rockford man has been found guilty of aggravated domestic battery after beating a mother so severely that she suffered multiple cranial hematomas and permanent injury. According to Winnebago County States Attorney J. Hanley, on the night of February 5, 2023, a 17-year-old girl and her 9-year-old brother went to sleep in their apartment on S. 5th Street to the sound of their father, 46-year-old Bwe Mu Nar, yelling and abusing their mother in the bedroom across the hall. The next morning, the children discovered a decline in their mothers cognitive abilities and saw swelling and bruising to her face and shoulders, Hanley said. Advertisement Advertisement After their father left for work, the children contacted an older brother and had their mother moved to his apartment, where the three children took turns monitoring her deteriorating condition throughout the day, according to officials. The woman told her children that their father had squeezed her face during the prior nights beating, records show. Late that evening, the victim was taken to the SwedishAmerican emergency room, where hospital staff noted that she suffered severe swelling and bruising around her head and face, her eyes were nearly swollen shut, and she had more bruising on her shoulders and the rest of her body, officials said. A quick-acting physician ordered imaging scans that revealed the presence of multiple life-threatening brain bleeds. Advertisement Advertisement The woman was placed in a medically induced coma and transported to UW-Madison for emergency surgery that saved her life, Hanley said. At trial in Winnebago County Court, all three children testified against their father, whom it was revealed had battered the victim on a prior occasion. According to the States Attorney, the victim has permanent injuries that prevent her from recalling the February 2023 attack. Nar was convicted of aggravated domestic battery. He faces up to 7 years in prison at his sentencing on February 11. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), dubbed China's "artificial sun," has made a habit of breaking fusion records. | Credit: Zhang Dagang/VCG via Getty Images China's nuclear fusion reactor, dubbed the "artificial sun," has breached a major fusion limit by firing plasma beyond its usual operational range, advancing humanity's slow progress towards near-limitless clean energy. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) kept plasma the high-energy fourth state of matter stable at extreme densities, which was previously seen as a major obstacle in the development of nuclear fusion, according to a statement released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Advertisement Advertisement "The findings suggest a practical and scalable pathway for extending density limits in tokamaks and next-generation burning plasma fusion devices," study co-lead author Ping Zhu , a professor in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Science and Technology in China, said in the statement. Nuclear fusion offers the potential for near-limitless clean energy. In other words, energy without much nuclear waste or climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions released by burning fossil fuels. The new findings, published Jan.1 in the journal Science Advances , could bring our species one step closer to unlocking this energy source, which some researchers claim we could harness within decades . However, nuclear fusion technology has been in development for more than 70 years, and it's still very much an experimental science, with reactors typically consuming more energy than they can produce. Meanwhile, climate scientists are calling for deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions now as the impacts of climate change are already being felt around the world. Nuclear fusion is therefore unlikely to represent a practical solution to the current climate crisis but could power our world in the future. Fusion reactors are designed to fuse two light atoms into a single heavy atom via heat and pressure. By doing so, they generate energy in a similar way to the sun. However, the sun has a lot more pressure than Earth's reactors, so scientists compensate by corralling hot plasma at temperatures far hotter than the sun. Advertisement Advertisement China's EAST is a magnetic confinement reactor, or tokamak, designed to keep plasma continuously burning for prolonged periods. The reactor heats plasma and traps it inside a donut-shaped chamber using powerful magnetic fields. Tokamak reactors have yet to achieve fusion ignition, which is the point at which the fusion process becomes self-sustaining, but the EAST reactor has been increasing the amount of time it can maintain a steady, highly confined loop of plasma . One hurdle for fusion researchers is a density limit called the Greenwald Limit, beyond which plasma typically becomes unstable. This limit is a problem because, while higher plasma densities enable more atoms to whack into one another, thereby lowering the energy cost of ignition, instability also kills the fusion reaction. To overcome the Greenwald limit, scientists at EAST carefully managed the plasma's interaction with the reactor's walls by controlling two key parameters upon starting the reactor: the initial fuel gas pressure and the electron cyclotron resonance heating , or the frequency at which electrons in the plasma absorbed microwaves. This kept the plasma stable at extreme densities of 1.3 to 1.65 times beyond the Greenwald Limit much higher than the tokamak's usual operational range of 0.8 to 1, according to the study. This isn't the first time the Greenwald Limit has been breached. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy's DIII-D National Fusion Facility tokamak in San Diego broke through the limit in 2022, and in 2024, researchers at the University of WisconsinMadison in Wisconsin announced that they had maintained a stable tokamak plasma at about 10 times the Greenwald Limit using an experimental device. Advertisement Advertisement RELATED STORIES 'This technology is possible today': Nuclear waste could be future power source and increase access to a rare fuel Nuclear fusion record smashed as German scientists take 'a significant step forward' to near-limitless clean energy This glow in the dark battery runs on nuclear waste However, the breach at EAST enabled the researchers to heat the plasma to a previously theorized state called the "density-free regime" for the first time, where the plasma remained stable as the density increased. The research is based on a theory called plasma-wall self organization (PWSO), which proposes that a density-free regime could be possible when the interaction between the plasma and the reactor's walls is in a carefully balanced state, according to the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Progress made at EAST and in the U.S. will inform the development of new reactors. China and the U.S. are both part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program, which is a collaboration between dozens of countries to build the world's largest tokamak in France. ITER will be another experimental reactor designed to create sustained fusion for research purposes, but could pave the way for fusion power plants. The ITER reactor is expected to begin producing full-scale fusion reactions in 2039. Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of Jan. 4, supported by your subscriptions. The Rhode Island General Assembly got back to business on Tuesday, Jan. 6, opening a session that promises some extra drama , thanks to election year politics and looming fiscal uncertainty due to federal budget cuts, skyrocketing health premiums and the potential closure (without a state bailout) of two hospitals. The Journal's Katherine Gregg and Patrick Anderson will keep you plugged in on all the action at the State House this session. Walking Rhode Island columnist John Kostrzewa likes to start each new year with a hike at a new trail. He welcomes 2026 with a visit to the Harrington Preserve in West Greenwich , site of a former family-run lumber operation that was documented in 1979 by the Library of Congress as a disappearing way of life. After a string of difficult years for Patriots fans, New England is now experiencing a welcome rush of deja vu, with a talented young quarterback leading the Pats into the playoffs, guided by one of the NFLs best coaches. The Patriots finished with the No. 2 seed in the AFC and have a home playoff meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium. For coverage of the Pats' postseason return, as well as the latest college and high school sports news, go to providencejournal.com/sports. Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com: Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha sits in front of his draft report on clergy sexual abuse within the Diocese of Providence during an interview on Jan. 7, 2026. Six-and-a-half years after the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence agreed to turn over records dating back to 1950 of alleged sexual molestation of children by priests, Attorney General Peter Neronha has finalized his investigators' report. Advertisement Advertisement Among the findings and conclusions: The Catholic Church in Rhode Island, in a determined effort to "hide scandal," allowed "dozens of priests" to abuse "hundreds of children," unstopped even in the face of credible reports, Neronha told The Providence Journal on Wednesday, Jan. 7, in an exclusive interview on the day he conveyed the long-awaited report to the diocese. The attorney general said the report names the accused priests and the list is longer by at least 10 names than the list of "credibly accused" priests made public by the diocese in the summer of 2019. "This report will not do anything to cause Catholics to think well about their religion and may shake their faith," Neronha said. "I know that I don't walk into a Catholic church and look at what I see there the same way as I once did. It certainly has shaken my faith." Local news: 'It certainly has shaken my faith': Neronha delivers long-awaited clergy sex abuse report Police swarm a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, on Dec. 18, in connection with the shooting at Brown University. In video recordings, Brown University mass shooter Claudio Manuel Neves Valente reflected on his life and his violence, coldly refusing to apologize, before he killed himself, according to information provided Jan. 6 by the office of Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley. Advertisement Advertisement Foley's office provided a transcript of the videos, which were on a device that was seized during a search of a Salem, New Hampshire, storage facility that Neves Valente used, and where his body was found by authorities on Dec. 18, according to a news release from Foley's office. "The only objective was to leave more or less on my own terms, and and it's it's already long overdue," Neves Valente says in the transcript, adding that he didn't want to "be the one who ended up suffering the most from all of this." Read the full report on the video transcripts, which revealed details of Neves Valente's shooting at Brown on Dec. 13 and his murder of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro two days later in Brookline, Massachusetts. Though Neves Valente is dead, the investigation of the Brown shooting remains "open and active," according to the FBI, which is now the lead investigating agency. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has completed its trace of the 9mm pistol used in the Brown attack. Advertisement Advertisement Crime: U.S. Attorney details chilling mindset of Brown gunman after shooting Rhode Island Foundation president David Cicilline. A proposed overhaul of Rhode Island education funding unveiled by a panel of experts and the Rhode Island Foundation on Jan. 5 would simplify the way public education is paid for and shift spending from municipalities to the state. A 33-page report from the Blue Ribbon Commission describes the state's current funding formula as "complex," "opaque," and "unpredictable," the product of years of emergency tweaks and political compromises. "We are constantly confronted with the limitations of the current funding formula. We hear about it all the time, both as a funder and as a partner in the public education sector," David Cicilline, Rhode Island Foundation president and former congressman, told reporters at a briefing on the plan. Advertisement Advertisement Read on for the panel's recommendations on which things the state should now pay for, in whole or in part, to relieve the "outsized fiscal burden on districts." And what do state leaders say about the prospect of taking on a significant new expense during a time of rising economic uncertainty? Schools: RI Foundation plan would overhaul school funding, shift costs to state Body-worn camera footage from an East Greenwich police officer captured on Dec. 18 shows Maria Bucci, the Cranston Democratic Party chair, after she was stopped on suspicion of DUI. Prosecutors dismissed a charge of driving under the influence against Cranston Democratic Party Chairwoman Maria Bucci in exchange for her admission to refusing to submit to a chemical blood-alcohol test after she was stopped for suspected drunk driving on Division Street in East Greenwich in December. On Jan. 6, one day after Bucci pleaded not guilty to DUI in District Court, Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal Magistrate Joseph A. Abbate sentenced her to perform 20 hours of community service. Her license will remain suspended for 30 days, and an ignition interlock device that tests the driver's breath for alcohol will be installed on her vehicle for six months. She must participate in an alcohol education program. Advertisement Advertisement Bucci was stopped by an East Greenwich officer just after midnight on Dec. 18 after police observed her vehicle swerve and come to an abrupt stop near the Showcase Cinemas, a police report said. After first asking, "You know who I am, right?" Bucci agreed to a sobriety test, but could not complete it and began arguing with and berating the officer, according to the report. She was handcuffed and arrested, yelling into the officer's body-worn camera, "Only clowns become a cop. I hope someone arrests your mother," the report said. Local news: Cranston Democrat admits to test refusal, DUI charge dismissed Louis, an institution at 286 Brook St. in Providence since 1946, closed on New Year's Eve. 2025 ended just as it began, with the retirement of second-generation restaurant owners closing down their legacy Providence businesses. Advertisement Advertisement It was Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen on Federal Hill closing down as 2025 dawned. The Federal Hill landmark opened in 1956 and was a destination for generations of diners. Louis, the College Hill diner that opened in 1946, served its last meal in Providence on Dec. 31. Join food editor Gail Ciampa as she looks back at other eateries that closed their doors last year. But overall, she says, 2025 was a stellar year for Rhode Island's dining scene, with a slew of new restaurants opening, highlighted by the new Track 15 food hall in Providence. Dining: A look at the RI restaurants, breweries and cafes that closed in 2025 To read the full stories, go to providencejournal.com. Find out how to subscribe here. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Clergy sex abuse report, Brown gunman videos, Bucci DUI charge dropped The 15-year-old South Milwaukee boy who allegedly strangled his grandmother is being examined to determine if hes competent to proceed in court. Edward Barbara is facing one count of felony first-degree intentional homicide after his 68-year-old grandmother, Elizabeth Totsky, was found without a pulse on the floor of her South Milwaukee home in August 2025. A request for a reverse waiver hearing was granted in October. In Wisconsin, a reverse waiver hearing is where the court determines if a case can be waived or transferred from adult to juvenile court. Advertisement Advertisement Wisconsin law allows children as young as 10 years old to be charged as adults for certain crimes, including attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Online court records show Barbara will be examined by a forensic unit to determine if he is able to understand the nature of his charges and aid in his own defense. The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 30. Barbara is ordered to appear via Zoom for the Jan. 30 hearing. According to the complaint: Totsky was found by South Milwaukee Police on the kitchen floor of her home in the 1700 block of Oak Street on Aug. 27, 2025. The South Milwaukee Fire Department attempted medical treatment, and she was transported to the hospital after regaining a pulse. She died four days later. Advertisement Advertisement Barbara told police his grandmother suffered a seizure while cooking in the kitchen and collapsed. An autopsy noted multiple neck injuries and concluded Totsky died of strangulation. When confronted with the autopsy results, Barbara admitted to authorities that he strangled her from behind, releasing her when she went limp. Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Competency exam ordered for teen accused of strangling grandmother A concert with Habib Koite's Mande Sila at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis has been canceled due to a travel ban that will prevent the artists from entering the United States. The Cedar announced the cancellation this week on social media, stating that the "Trump administrations extended travel ban" is the reason for the change. "Unfortunately, this latest ban includes a full restriction ban on Malian nationals," the message continues. The Cedar Cultural CenterThe Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Courtesy of Google Streetview. (The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Courtesy of Google Streetview.) "A few days early, Santa Claus sent us a rather unpleasant gift: Malis inclusion on the list of countries whose national are banned from entering the US," reads a December Facebook post from Mande Sila. "Lets hope that, like gifts that can be exchanged, he will agree to take it back." Advertisement Advertisement A representative for Koite confirms that all 21 dates on the tour, scheduled to begin in Minneapolis, have been canceled. In December, President Donald Trump expanded a travel ban to include nationals from seven additional nations, predominantly in Africa. Mali was among the countries added to the ban, which began on Jan. 1. In response, both Mali and Burkina Faso have banned Americans from traveling to those West African nations. In addition to Mali and Burkina Faso, the Trump administrations travel ban also impacts Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Partial travel restrictions were also implemented on more than a dozen other countries. Habib Koite's Mande SilaCourtesy of the artist (Courtesy of the artist) The Cedar, a nonprofit performance venue, is known for its eclectic programming and regularly booking performers from around the world. That has, in recent years, included many exciting artists from Mali, such as Tinariwen, Fatoumata Diawara, and Afel Bocoum. Advertisement Advertisement In an announcement on social media, the Cedar says ticket buyers will automatically be refunded. Related: John Mulaney postpones three-night stand in Minneapolis This story was originally published by Bring Me The News on Jan 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Lifestyle section. Add Bring Me The News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? In a perfect world, we'd like to see a company investing more capital into its business and ideally the returns earned from that capital are also increasing. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. In light of that, when we looked at J. Smart (Contractors) (LON:SMJ) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on J. Smart (Contractors) is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.0039 = UK555k (UK158m - UK15m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to July 2025). Thus, J. Smart (Contractors) has an ROCE of 0.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Construction industry average of 15%. Check out our latest analysis for J. Smart (Contractors) LSE:SMJ Return on Capital Employed January 10th 2026 While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how J. Smart (Contractors) has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of J. Smart (Contractors)'s past earnings, revenue and cash flow. So How Is J. Smart (Contractors)'s ROCE Trending? When we looked at the ROCE trend at J. Smart (Contractors), we didn't gain much confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 1.2% over the last five years. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line. The Bottom Line In summary, J. Smart (Contractors) is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. And investors may be recognizing these trends since the stock has only returned a total of 24% to shareholders over the last five years. Therefore, if you're looking for a multi-bagger, we'd propose looking at other options. Congressman Mike Quigley is setting his sights on a new political address: City Hall. On Friday, Quigley confirmed that he is not just flirting with a run for mayor, he is ready to challenge Brandon Johnson. Quigley will be part of what is expected to be a crowded field of candidates who want to be Chicago's next mayor. Four years ago, he flirted with a run, but then passed. This time, he says, it's different. Advertisement Advertisement Fifth District Congressman Quigley sat down at a Lakeview restaurant to talk about his political future. "I'm running for mayor. I love this city. It has everything it needs to succeed, its people, its institutions, its location, its fresh water. It has everything but the will to take on its tough challenges," Quigley said. Quigley filed organizational papers to run for mayor last fall during the City Council's heated budget season, saying Chicago's troubling financial situation was a driving factor. "It was probably the last straw in recognizing that the city I love, the city I've invested most of my adult life into, is really in a critical point," Quigley said. Advertisement Advertisement Quigley served on the Cook County Board, and has been in Congress since 2009. He will be 68 this fall. SEE ALSO: Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas says she's running for Chicago mayor "This is the perfect time and place. I don't see anyone even contemplating a run for the mayor's office who knows what the problems are, knows what we have to do," Quigley said. Quigley says he knows the importance of building a relationship with the business community, which was frustrated with Johnson because of his failed push for a corporate head tax. "If we're going to succeed, the next mayor of Chicago has to be, 'build baby build,' has to be pro-business," Quigley said. "Bottom line, we're not going to tax our way out of our problem; we're going to grow our way out of our problem." Advertisement Advertisement Quigley took a shot at Mayor Johnson for playing coy about his own reelection plans earlier this week. "When it's time to talk politics, you know, we'll get into that," Johnson said. "If I had to guess, he needs some good news before he makes an announcement, and he hasn't had good news for some time," Quigley said. Quigley calls himself a "New Democrat," liberal on social issues while moderate on fiscal ones. He knows he's likely to face a crowded field with two declared candidates already. "You do what you did before. You be authentic. You be yourself. You tell the truth. You let them know what your track record is. I've won in crowded fields twice against extraordinary candidates. I'm ready to go, in it to win it," Quigley said. Under Illinois election law, it is perfectly legal for Quigley to run for Congress this year, and then for mayor in 2027. He's hoping his popularity in the 5th District will propel him to the fifth floor at City Hall. The remains of Fernando Cota, a convicted rapist and alleged serial killer, buried at a Texas military cemetery since his 1984 suicide, will be removed under a new federal law signed by President Donald Trump, following advocacy from a victims family and Texas senators. The legislation, included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and signed in late December, directs the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, where he lies among more than 170,000 veterans and their families. Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery is a sacred resting place for more than 170,000 respected veterans and their loved ones, and it would be a slap in the face to each one of them to allow Fernando Cota, a convicted rapist and alleged serial murderer, to remain buried amongst such heroes, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement The Texas Republican introduced the bill with co-sponsor U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, also of Texas. A convicted rapist should not be buried with honor among our nations heroes, Cruz said, CHRON reported. The effort stemmed from an online petition by the son of one of Cotas victims, which garnered over 900 signatures. His name is a stain on the legacy of those who fought for freedom. Cotas body has no right to be among the heroes he is a disgrace to every fallen soldier, the petition stated. Veterans do not deserve to have their legacy stained by the presence of this monster. Cota, drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War, faced multiple sexual assault allegations after returning home. He was convicted in 1975 of binding and raping a nurse, receiving a 20-year sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Paroled after eight years in 1983, Cota was stopped for erratic driving a year later. He told officers he was a very sick man before shooting himself. Police found the body of 21-year-old Kim Marie Dunham, missing since the previous day, in a wooden box in his van. A search of his home revealed a small closet used as a torture chamber with fingerprints on the walls, fake IDs, a false police badge, womens blouses and shoes, and tenant advertisements, which the suspect allegedly posted at San Jose State University to lure students to his home. Investigators identified Costa as the prime suspect in the strangulation, stabbing, or beating deaths of six women. Current law under 38 U.S. Code 2411, enacted in 1984, prohibits such burials, but it did not apply retroactively to Cota. No date has been set for the exhumation, expected sometime in 2026. America is rolling out billions of pounds of new health aid deals with African governments, including trade for aid agreements to back Washingtons commerce and geopolitical goals. At least 14 new country-to-country deals have been signed in recent weeks in Donald Trumps America First reboot of Washingtons huge international aid spending. More than 12bn ($16bn) has been pledged so far, as part of a strategy Washington says will use aid to strengthen American security and business interests, but critics say will make global health spending increasingly transactional. Advertisement Advertisement Nigeria has already signed a deal tied to the West African country protecting Christians from persecution. A deal with copper-rich Zambia is under negotiation, but has reportedly been delayed after United States officials complained American firms needed more mining access. Many of the deals contain little public detail, but one with Cote DIvoire says it expands opportunities for US companies, while one with Rwanda says it helps further American commercial interest in Rwanda and Africa more broadly. The Telegraph reported in November that leaked documents suggested the Trump administration was also demanding digital access to developing countries national health systems for 25 years in return for aid. Advertisement Advertisement US negotiators were asking for access to disease surveillance data and individual health records in return for US aid. Dozens more deals are said to be in the pipeline. South Africa, which was previously a recipient of extensive American largesse to fight Aids, has meanwhile been told it will not be getting a deal after falling out with Mr Trump over foreign policy and allegations it is discriminating against its white population. The new agreements will partly make up for steep aid cuts brought in after Mr Trump was elected, but countries US funding will still be an average of 49 per cent down on 2024 levels according to analysis of early deals by the Centre for Global Development. Advertisement Advertisement The new strategy will see funds go direct to governments, as Washington cuts out large United Nations agencies and international aid groups which it says are inefficient and have been wasting money. African governments will also be expected to contribute more of their own money to their health systems, and quickly prepare to stand on their own feet as US funding declines. Janeen Madan Keller, deputy director of global health policy at the centre, said the new deals were part of a wholly new, entirely reconfigured approach to how the US has done health assistance. She said the new approach addressed long-standing criticism that aid had been making countries dependent, rather than helping them develop. Advertisement Advertisement She said there had also been concern that the heavy use of big international agencies had come at the expense of governments growing their own capabilities and taking on their own responsibilities. She said: A lot of these things on paper, I would say are arguably shifts we have all pushed for, for a long time, but this kind of shift at the kind of scale they are doing and the speed at which they are doing, I will emphasise does really entail a lot of risks. A deal with copper-rich Zambia is under negotiation, but has reportedly been delayed to grant American additional mining access - Simon Townsley/The Telegraph The extent to which the new agreements were transactional, using aid as a bargaining chip for countries aligning with US geopolitical and commercial interests, would also be closely watched, she said. The extent to which these agreements are being used to advance broader geopolitical interests, foreign policy objectives, is definitely a key issue. I think Nigeria and Zambia represent the two clearest examples I have seen so far. Advertisement Advertisement If we start to see this trend and pattern of conditioning health assistance or tying assistance to geopolitical interests, essentially non-health priorities, I think there could be real risks associated with these transactional dynamics. Especially when we are talking about life saving programmes which are hanging in the balance. America has previously used aid as a bargaining chip, though sources said the new approach seemed increasingly open and had begun with the aid first having been withdrawn. The Biden administration quietly signed bilateral deals with 50 pathogen-rich countries including Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a $1.2bn investment in biosecurity. They were given aid in return to access to the pathogen data. Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump campaigned on cuts to federal spending and his administration took an axe to the vast United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as soon as it took office. Many programmes were immediately halted and staff laid off, and even though some were later resumed, the cuts and upheaval threw many African nations relying on aid into disarray. Washington then launched its new America First Global Health Strategy in September, saying health aid would be used as a strategic mechanism to further our bilateral interests. The State Department said it would utilise our health foreign assistance to advance US priorities and move countries toward resilient and durable local health systems. The first country-to-country deals were signed in December. Advertisement Advertisement Late last month, Nigeria signed a deal where Washington agreed to contribute nearly 1.6bn ($2.1bn) to help prevent HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and polio and to protect maternal and child health. Nigeria at the same time committed to increasing national health spending by nearly 2.2bn ($3bn) over a five-year period, with a strong emphasis on promoting Christian faith-based health care providers. The US state department said the new agreement was negotiated in connection with reforms the Nigerian government has made to prioritise protecting Christian populations from violence. A 1.1bn ($1.5bn) deal with Zambia had been expected to be signed in December, but was put on hold after reported sticking points over US access to mining. Advertisement Advertisement Gregory Meeks, a Democrat congressman said leveraging life-saving aid to exploit African natural resources was a troubling trend. He said at the time: President Trump is pursuing an approach that mirrors the worst practices of China and Russia, treating African countries as sources of commodities rather than as partners. Tying future global health funding for Zambia to the extraction of critical minerals evokes a colonial mindset in which we value African countries only for what can be extracted from them. These actions are short-sighted and do not align with our principles. Lifesaving aid should not be conditioned on opaque business deals benefiting the presidents allies. Advertisement Advertisement Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security 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. As 17-year-old Josue Argudo sat stunned on a Queens sidewalk, bleeding out from a stab wound to his neck just three blocks from his home Friday afternoon, he desperately called his aunt for help. The panicked woman raced over and tried to console her nephew as an onlooker tried to perform CPR on him. The aunt was holding his hand, a witness said, in Spanish. They were screaming and screaming. People were asking for help. Advertisement Advertisement They stabbed me, he told his aunt, according to one witness who wished not to be named. Josue was returning home from school around 3:45 p.m. when two teens attacked him near Jamaica Ave. and 76th St. in Woodhaven, police said. The teen made a run for it, but the attackers gave chase before one of them grabbed Josue and repeatedly stabbed him, according to police and witnesses. Witness Patricia Ammirati said Josue, sporting a large backpack with a design of a shark on it, was chased right past her house when a masked attacker in all black ran up to him and started striking him. It looked like he was punching him, but he had something in his hand, Ammirati said. He was all masked up. He had [his mask] up good. You couldnt see his face. Advertisement Advertisement After being struck, Josue talked with his attacker, looked at his phone and walked away. A short distance away, he suddenly sat down on the sidewalk. Then he slumped over, Ammirati recounted. The boy that stabbed him crossed [the street] with another kid in a red sweat jacket and they walked away like it was nothing. EMS rushed Josue to Jamaica Hospital, but he couldnt be saved. Police on Saturday released images of two suspects being sought in connection with the killing, asking anyone with information about the duo to come forward. The 17-year-old boy killed on a Queens street was remembered Saturday as a happy jokester. Advertisement Advertisement He was a young soul full of energy, relative Thalia Aguayo, 34, said. He was always cracking jokes. Josue, who attended school and also worked evenings, lived with his sister and aunt, whom he called as he was mortally wounded, officials said. The familys not doing OK, Aguayo said. Theyre very inconsolable. They can barely talk. On Saturday, a resident on 76th St. could be seen pouring bleach on a dark red pool that had seeped into the concrete. Thats his blood, the resident said, referring to Josue. Video reviewed by the Daily News verified Ammiratis account, but it was not immediately clear if that was the moment when Josue was fatally stabbed. Advertisement Advertisement Christopher Garcia, 29, was out for a walk when he spotted a good Samaritan attempting to revive Josue, who appeared lifeless on the sidewalk. I saw him on his back, Garcia, a rideshare driver, told The News. He was splayed out on the sidewalk. There was blood splashed all over his pants. I didnt see any life on him. He was totally stiff. No twitch, nothing. People started doing CPR, Garcia said. He had already passed on even before the ambulance got here. There was no life. A backpack surrounded by first responders latex gloves and other medical waste was spotted left at the crime scene Friday night. Advertisement Advertisement Cops scouring the area for surveillance footage caught images of two of the attackers without their masks. One is described as a Black youth wearing all black clothing and white Beats headphones, like the ones seen in the video of the attack. The second is light-skinned, possibly Hispanic, and was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, white sneakers and carrying a black cross-body bag in his right hand. We do please ask for anyone that has any information of this person that did this horrible crime to please speak up and give us any clues or anything that could help to solve this, Aguayo said. I dont wish this on anybody. And if anybody was in our position, they would want to have any help to catch this guy. Once the attacker is caught, Aguayo hopes he faces the most stringent charges possible. Advertisement Advertisement If he is a teenager, that is a big warning and red flag for me, she said about the murder suspect. I dont think anyone can be so cold and slash someone as he did. I think he should be treated as an adult. While shootings and murders dropped dramatically in the city last year, youth-on-youth violence was on the increase, the NYPD said During a news conference at NYPD Headquarters on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that 14% of last years shooting victims, or 96 victims, were younger than 18, which is up 5% from the previous year. Saving city youths from violence going forward will be an all of city and all of state approach involving multiple agencies, Tisch said. Anyone with information regarding the two suspects whereabouts is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. With Kerry Burke Police say a Pennsylvania man carried out a calculated, months-long series of burglaries at a historic cemetery, rappelling into mausoleums, prying open underground vaults and removing human remains dating back more than a century before selling some of them online. Jonathan Gerlach, 34, is facing more than 500 criminal charges following an investigation into repeated break-ins at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon. According to court documents, the burglaries began in early November and continued through late December, targeting both above-ground mausoleums and underground burial vaults across multiple sections of the cemetery. READ MORE | 'Horror movie come to life': Cops find more than 100 skeletal remains in Pa. man's home This undated photo released by the Delaware County District Attorneys' Office shows Jonathan Gerlach. (Delaware County District Attorneys' Office via AP) "It's a lot of questions, and I don't know who to turn to," said Barbara Kilmartin, who has family members buried at Mount Moriah. Advertisement Advertisement The first reported burglary occurred on Nov. 7, when Yeadon Borough police were called by Friends of Mount Moriah, a volunteer group that maintains the cemetery. Investigators documented extensive damage inside the Hunter family mausoleum, where cinderblocks had been broken open, marble flooring destroyed, and crypts exposed below ground. Court records state that a rope tied to a tree branch and fitted with a carabiner was found hanging into one mausoleum, positioned in a way that suggested the suspect rappelled down approximately 10 feet to access underground crypts. Delaware County DA holds news conference on gravesite thefts on Jan. 8, 2026. "It's the last thing we can do for people is to honor their wishes and to not disturb them. I just can't understand why somebody would do that," Kilmartin said. Advertisement Advertisement Over the following weeks, court documents detail a growing list of damaged mausoleums and vaults, including the Jonathan Prichard family mausoleum, where five of nine crypts were damaged. Police say a Monster Energy drink can was found among the debris, which was later processed for DNA and fingerprints. RELATED | 'How would he feel if I dug up his mother?': Families targeted in grave robbery speak out Inside the Prichard mausoleum, investigators say the remains of Mary Prichard Steigleman, who died in 1940, were missing. Nearby, the Frank Charlton family mausoleum sustained damage, though police said there was no evidence of entry. Advertisement Advertisement In a separate burglary in Plains Township, Luzerne County, police found human remains wrapped in clear plastic just outside a damaged mausoleum. Court records say cigarette butts and energy drink cans were recovered there as well and submitted for forensic testing. Investigators later connected that burglary to the Mount Moriah cases through similarities in method and evidence. Grave markers at the Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) "My great-grandparents are buried here," said Kristy Cole, who visited Mount Moriah after learning of the investigation. "Of course, there's anger and sadness. Nobody should be treated this way after life." According to affidavits, Gerlach repeatedly targeted underground vaults in December, prying stone and marble slabs out of place to reveal burial chambers 10 to 12 feet below ground. Police documented tool marks on the slabs and, in one vault, a broken wooden pallet positioned against the wall as if used to climb in and out. On Dec. 20 alone, police say four underground vaults were burglarized, with multiple sets of remains missing from the Slack, Ogden, McCullough and Louber family plots. Additional vaults were damaged in the days that followed, including the Campbell, Ziegler, Hasson and Charlton family plots. In total, investigators believe dozens of sets of human remains were stolen. Advertisement Advertisement In December, police received a tip alleging a partially decomposed corpse had been discovered hanging in Gerlach's basement and that he had been "in Chicago selling a human skull." Investigators later uncovered online activity tied to Gerlach, including posts in a "Human Bones and Skull selling group," where a buyer thanked him for mailing "a possible teen" and "a baboon and a monkey." Other social media posts showed Gerlach posing with a skull, captioned, "riding a Harley, and slinging skulls." "Frightening, absolutely frightening. I can't imagine the type of people and what they'd want to use it for," Kilmartin said. Police say they tied Gerlach to the cemetery burglaries through vehicle and phone records. After spotting his vehicle parked at Mount Moriah on Dec. 23, officers resumed surveillance weeks later. Advertisement Advertisement On Jan. 6, investigators say they observed Gerlach returning to the cemetery, leaving with a burlap bag and a crowbar. Officers say bones and skulls were visible inside his vehicle when he was arrested. Gerlach allegedly admitted to stealing approximately 30 sets of human remains from Mount Moriah and explained how he accessed the burial sites. "In my 30-year career, probably one of the most horrific things," said Yeadon Borough Police Chief Henry Giammarco. "There was an infant, and unfortunately, to see that being a father and a grandfather, it truly tears your heart up. When people are laid to rest, that's important." The following day, police executed search warrants at Gerlach's Lancaster County home and a storage unit. According to court documents, investigators recovered more than 100 human skulls, long bones, and mummified human feet and hands from his basement. Eight corpses, along with body parts, ashes, jewelry and clothing believed to have been taken from graves, were found inside the storage unit. Giammarco said identifying victims and notifying families will be a lengthy process due to the age of the burial records. Advertisement Advertisement "Right now, we're in the process of notifying families," he said. "We have a substantial amount, but we're still working on that because the records are so old. If it was the 1800s, we have to go through the records, and the records were done in a book, and we have to figure that out." Police say the investigation remains active. Authorities are urging anyone with loved ones buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery who has concerns to contact Yeadon Borough Police. "The remains, they're so old, but still, when they lived, they had a life, they mattered," Giammarco said. "It was important to us to get justice, and that's working with the DA's office. Hopefully justice will be served." If you have a family member who was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery and was interred in a mausoleum or underground burial vault, you are asked to contact Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco at HGiammarco@yeadonpd.org. The family of a man who say he took his own life after placing more than 600 bets in an hour have told the BBC that his inquest was a "battle" from beginning to end, as they struggled to persuade the coroner to consider gambling as a factor in his death. In the early hours of 24 July 2020, 36-year-old Lee Adams placed hundreds of bets on an online slots website shortly after receiving his monthly salary, according to his family. Within hours, the south Londoner had taken his own life. More than five years later, in November 2025, a coroner concluded that a gambling disorder had contributed to his death. Advertisement Advertisement Adams's cousin, Natalie Ashbolt, said the family had to instruct lawyers in an effort to have the coroner consider the impact of his gambling, and is calling for better support for families affected by gambling-related deaths. Ashbolt, whose family also had the backing of a campaign group called Gambling with Lives, said she was shocked by how hard the process was, and worries other bereaved families will struggle to achieve a similar outcome at inquest. The family's solicitors Leigh Day believe Adams's inquest at Southwark Coroner's Court was only the third time the role of gambling had been considered in depth at an inquest - despite there being up to nearly 500 gambling-related suicides in England a year, according to a report by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Natalie lived with Lee in Streatham for most of his adult life following the death of his mother. Advertisement Advertisement "He liked his own company but he also liked time with family and friends, and work colleagues," she told BBC London. "Always keeping busy. But generally fun-loving and up for a laugh. Didn't take things too seriously in life." She added: "I'd always known he'd gambled a little bit on slot machines, or put 10 on here online over the years, but it wasn't a noticeable issue until after he'd had his big win." In March 2020 Adams won just short of 100,000, and from this point his gambling behaviour "continued to spiral", his cousin said. "Thousands and thousands went back on sites. We obviously said the normal things: 'Stop while you're ahead, don't put any more back on. Be sensible.' Advertisement Advertisement "As the weeks went by, he'd put loads back on and felt very bad about that." The coroner also ruled that in the months before his death - which happened during the Covid lockdown - Adams had been suffering from a long-term depressive illness and became increasingly reliant on and involved with gambling. The coroner found Adams was contacted in late March by the operator about his deposits, and had stated he was fine. He continued to gamble and was not identified as being at increased risk. The coroner, who gave a narrative verdict, said there were missed opportunities by the gambling operator at the time although these did not contribute to Adams's death. Advertisement Advertisement "We didn't have any concerns about leaving Lee on his own. We had no knowledge of how bad things were or how bad things could get in that situation," Ashbolt said. When she found out about her cousin's death she was "numb... in complete shock", she told BBC London. 'Tip of the iceberg' The family were not able to properly grieve until the inquest concluded, she said. "We've been surprised at how difficult the inquest process has been," Ashbolt told the BBC. "We need to recognise it was an achievement to have gambling disorder listed as the causing factor - as a family we've known it all along," she said, adding that she felt the operator "wasn't held to account". Advertisement Advertisement Ashbolt said "it was even a push to get the coroner consider it [gambling]", but enlisting lawyers had helped. She believes that the system is "failing" and "isn't set up to consider gambling". "Unless you have private funding and the support and the ability to have a coroner even accept that they're going to look into gambling... to get to the point we did isn't going to happen for all the families it should do." Leigh Day solicitors told BBC London this was only the third inquest they were aware of since 2022 at which the coroner had recognised the contribution of gambling to someone taking their own life. Advertisement Advertisement The law firm's Dan Webster believes these deaths are "the tip of the iceberg". The nature of a gambling disorder is that it is "hidden at times from loved ones", making it challenging for bereaved families, but he said that when they raised concerns with the coroner there was a "resistance to investigating those concerns". Webster said that before he began to support the family, they had been told the coroner "had all of the evidence he required and intended to proceed with the inquest without seeking anything further". According to Webster, the inquest was originally listed to proceed in March 2022 but the coroner adjourned the hearing at the last minute. The inquest was then subjected to repeated delays. Advertisement Advertisement He added: "I think it's really important that coroners become more aware of the link between gambling and gambling disorder and suicide." Leigh Day solicitors are also representing the family of 40-year-old Gareth Evans, from Croydon, who was found dead in his flat in November 2021. A coroner is investigating the potential contribution of gambling to Evans's death. The inquest has yet to conclude. In January 2025, the National Institute for Care and Health Excellence published guidelines about the treatment and identification of gambling, recommending that GPs ask about a patient's gambling in routine check-ups as they would about drinking and smoking. Advertisement Advertisement "It means not only should the coroner be investigating but there is an evidence base... if it's there on medical records," said Charles Ritchie, founder of Gambling with Lives, which raises awareness of problem gambling. It was set up by Ritchie and his wife Liz after their son Jack killed himself in 2017 while battling a gambling addiction. In 2022, the coroner ruled the 24-year-old teacher from Sheffield had been failed by "woefully inadequate" warnings and treatments. "Jack's was the first substantial gambling inquest there had ever been. It was a very long process," Ritchie said. "It shouldn't be a battle, and yet it is at the moment." Charles Ritchie says that without specialist representation, families struggle with the inquest process [BBC] He told BBC London that coroners "often do not know that the national suicide prevention strategy recognises gambling as a suicide risk factor, or know that they have the capacity to include evidence of the gambling that preceded the suicide within the scope of the inquest". Advertisement Advertisement "Families usually do not have the legal knowledge to explain why or how gambling should be within scope unless they have specialist legal representation." Ritchie added: "We want to ensure every death is investigated... for justice, for the individual. "We believe these people have been abused throughout their life by gambling and gambling operators. As a society we need learning from their deaths too." Ritchie said that in supporting about 150 bereaved families, the biggest challenge had been "convincing the coroner that gambling does need to be considered". He said there were instances where families were "very sure" gambling was the "number-one cause of death", adding: "And the coroner has still not been prepared to look at it." How does the inquest system work? By law, the purpose of an inquest is limited to establishing who has died, when, where and how they died, where the death has occurred in certain circumstances - for example, suddenly or suspiciously The findings and determinations made during an inquest are final and form part of the official record Where coroners believe that change could mitigate the risk of other deaths, they are required to issue a Prevention of Future Death Report The BBC understands the Chief Coroner's Office has shared a briefing with all coroners that was provided by the gambling regulator, which outlines what it is and what it does The 2023 suicide prevention strategy for England identifies gambling as a key risk factor. It states "new and better-quality evidence has emerged pointing to links between suicide and risk factors such as harmful gambling and domestic abuse" Currently, gambling licensees must notify the Gambling Commission - the industry regulator - if they become aware that a person who has gambled with them has taken their own life. A spokesperson for the regulator said: "When we become aware that a person has taken their own life and that gambling may have been a factor, we consider whether this points to evidence of regulatory failings by a gambling company. Where they have failed to comply with our rules we will take regulatory action against them." A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "While we understand the desire for better information about links between gambling and suicide, simply asking coroners to record motivation would not provide a reliable picture, as they are often working with limited or incomplete information." The Court and Tribunals Judiciary was contacted by BBC London but did not wish to comment. Southwark Coroner's Court was also contacted for comment. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk Investigators have deemed a fire that completely destroyed a building at a Gloucester Township apartment complex as suspicious. Flames ripped through the leasing office at the Lake View Apartments along the 500 block of Lower Landing Road in Blackwood early Saturday morning. At one point the fire had reached two alarms. No apartments were damaged, and nobody was hurt. Crews are now working to figure out how that fire started. The Croatian government has approved the provision of urgent assistance to Ukraine and will be sending 100 Croatian-made Vulkan 10 mobile metal-cutting machines along with the necessary consumables. Source: the Croatian government, as reported by European Pravda Details: Davor Bozinovic, Croatia's Interior Minister, said Vulkan 10 equipment is already being used in real-life conditions in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement "This decision authorises the provision of assistance to Ukraine further to a request from the Embassy of Ukraine," Bozinovic said, adding that the Civil Protection Directorate of the Interior Ministry will be responsible for implementing the decision. A conclusion was also adopted on providing technical support for Ukraine's power grid. Economy Minister Ante Susnjar stated that this is a form of specific assistance provided at the request of the Ukrainian Embassy, given that numerous energy facilities and key infrastructure across Ukraine have been seriously damaged or destroyed and large parts of the country are experiencing power outages. He explained that the aid will take the form of transformers, pumps and other technical equipment that are no longer in use in Croatia. Background: It was recently reported that Croatia has decided to join the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which provides for the purchase of US-made weapons for Ukraine, contributing approximately 14 million. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported that a total of 24 countries have joined the PURL initiative so far. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Windy weather caused an expedition cruise ship to collide with another vessel in Ushaia, Argentina. Video footage uploaded to YouTube by Ushaia24TV appears to show Atlas Ocean Voyages World Voyager ship rotating before its bow hits an aft corner of Viking Octantis, which was docked at the time. Earlier this week World Voyager experienced an incident while in port in Ushuaia due to high wind conditions, Atlas told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. No guests were on board at the time and there were no injuries to crew. The vessel was inspected and is currently sailing her itinerary. The incident took place on Jan. 5. World Voyager is currently sailing a 10-night Antarctica cruise, according to CruiseMapper. Advertisement Advertisement Viking did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Carl Erickson, AccuWeather Director of Forecasting Operations, said the conditions were "blustery" on Jan. 5, with some heavy rain at the port. "Weather observations from the airport in Ushuaia, near the port, reported winds gusting to 54.1 mph (47 kt) shortly after 2 p.m.," he told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. "Heavy rain briefly dropped visibility below one mile. Strong winds returned around 4 p.m. with a gust measured at 47.2 mph (41 kt). Gusty winds lingered into the evening and overnight hours." The incident is not the only one of its kind in recent months. A Celebrity Cruises ship broke from its moorings in Juneau, Alaska, in June in a sudden wind squall, the lines parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, said at the time. A Norwegian Cruise Line ship also separated from the pier in Catania, Sicily, amid strong winds the previous month, causing a guest to fall off the gangway into the water. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cruise collision: Expedition ship hits another vessel due to wind The capture by US forces of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and the killing in the operation of 32 Cubans assigned to protect him represent a major blow for the island's revered intelligence services, experts say. Fearful of betrayal by dissenters within Venezuela's ranks, the leftist Maduro -- like his late mentor Hugo Chavez -- sourced his security detail in communist-ruled Cuba. But the Cubans proved little match for the US special forces sent by helicopter to snatch Maduro from a military compound after US jets had pummeled Venezuela's air defenses. Advertisement Advertisement Of the 32 Cubans killed - along with 23 Venezuelan troops -- 21 were from the Cuban interior ministry, which oversees the intelligence services, officials said. The remaining 11 were from Cuba's military. Experts consulted by AFP agreed that the key to the seamless execution of the US operation -- meticulously prepared for months, in complete secrecy -- was the element of surprise. But former Venezuelan military officer Jose Gustavo Arocha of the Center for a Secure Free Society, a US think tank specializing in defense issues, also suggested that Cuba had misjudged the threat. Cuban intelligence "convinced the Maduro regime and its security agencies that the United States would never attack on Venezuelan territory," Arocha said. Advertisement Advertisement Former US intelligence officer Fulton Armstrong, who is now a Latin America researcher at American University in Washington, also pointed to intelligence failures. Chief among them, he said, was the failure to anticipate the attack and then to detect helicopters entering Venezuela's airspace. "Even a five- or 10-minute warning would have made a massive difference for the guards and for Maduro," the former CIA agent said. US forces however had a major advantage in the form of stealth drones, used to monitor the Venezuelan leader's movements in real time, as well as more advanced weapons and combat gear. Advertisement Advertisement Paul Hare, a former British ambassador to Cuba and Venezuela, argued that Cuban intelligence underestimated US access to "insider cooperation in Venezuela" -- an informant within Maduro's camp. Citing sources close to the operation, The New York Times reported that a CIA source within the Venezuelan government revealed Maduro's location. The United States had issued a reward of $50 million for information leading to his capture. - Aura of invincibility - For decades, the Cuban secret service, trained during the Soviet era by the KGB, enjoyed a reputation for invincibility. Besides having foiled some 600 assassination attempts against late leader Fidel Castro, Cuba was reputed for its ability to infiltrate foreign intelligence services and recruit high-ranking informants, particularly Americans. Advertisement Advertisement The most recent case to come to light was that of Victor Manuel Rocha, a former US diplomat sentenced in 2024 to 15 years in prison after working for over four decades for the Cuban state. But Cuba "didn't adequately read the Trump administration," said Arocha, noting that the administration's National Security Strategy unveiled in December clearly articulated Trump's goal of asserting US dominance over Latin America. Washington had regularly denounced Cuba's role, since the 2000s, in the Venezuelan security apparatus. The routine response from Caracas and Havana was that Cuba, in return for Venezuelan oil supplies, provided its ally with doctors and humanitarian workers. Advertisement Advertisement Arocha argued that "so many years... doing the same thing successfully" blinded the Cubans to Trump's willingness to defy diplomacy and international law, so they did not see him coming. The Republican leader stunned the world by ordering the capture of the Venezuelan president in what his administration said was a law enforcement operation that did not require authorization from Congress. "All the capabilities of Cuban intelligence were blocked for the first time in the region... because their traditional methods became irrelevant against this new decision-making style," Arocha said. bur-jb/cb/rlp/sst Rio Tinto Group is in talks to buy Glencore Plc to create the worlds biggest mining company with a combined market value of more than $200 billion, a little over a year after earlier talks between the two collapsed. Most Read from Bloomberg The companies have been discussing a potential combination of some or all of their businesses including an all-share takeover, they said in separate statements on Thursday. Glencore shares surged 10% in London, while Rio Tinto retreated 2.2% after falling 6.3% in Australia. A tie-up between the two companies would represent the largest-ever deal in an industry that has been gripped by takeover fever as the biggest producers seek to bulk up on copper a crucial metal for the energy transition that is trading near record highs. Glencore and Rio both own large copper assets, and the potential transaction would create a new mining behemoth to rival BHP Group, which has long held the title of the biggest miner. WATCH: Rio Tinto Group is in talks to buy Glencore Plc to create the worlds biggest mining company with a combined market value of more than $200 billion. Bloombergs Clara Ferreira Marques shares what we know so far.Source: Bloomberg Analysts have previously raised questions about potential hurdles to a deal. Glencore is one of the worlds biggest producers of coal a business that Rio has previously exited while the two companies have very different cultures. However, people familiar with the matter said on Friday that Rio is open to retaining Glencores coal business if talks are successful. The structure and scope of any deal is still being discussed, but one of the key scenarios being considered is a takeover of the whole of Glencore including the coal business, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. No final decisions have been made, and Rio could also choose to offload the coal at a later date if a deal is successful. Rio Tinto has a market capitalization of about $137 billion, while Glencore is valued at $71 billion. Photographer: Jose Cendon/Bloomberg The two held discussions in 2024, but the talks were abandoned after they failed to agree on valuation. Since then, Rio replaced its CEO, while Glencore made an effort to publicly outline its copper growth prospects. In private conversations, Glencore CEO Gary Nagle has described a Rio-Glencore tie-up as the most obvious deal in the industry. Still, the gap between the two companies valuations had widened since the prior discussions. The talks come at a time when copper has never been hotter. The metal soared to record highs above $13,000 a ton earlier this week, driven by a slew of mine outages and moves to stockpile the metal in the US ahead of possible Trump administration tariffs. Mining executives have been warning for years that future supplies of the metal will be tight as demand is expected to grow strongly while the industry faces a dearth of new mines. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) In October, Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica, wiping out farms and tearing roofs off of homes and churches, prompting Dayton Christian School to send students to help. Annually, DCS sends students taking American Sign Language and staff to Jamaica. However, after the storm took off the roof of the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deafs Chapel and devastated their schools greenhouse and farm, they knew they had to do more. Since the group landed, theyve been helping restore what was lost. Advertisement Advertisement The journey to rebuilding in Jamaica began on Saturday, Jan. 3, for DCS students and staff. Ohio traffic deaths fall 3%, marking 4th year of decline Well mainly be handing out tarps for roofs, which have been blasted away by the hurricane, said Nathaniel Hallock, a junior at DCS. Well be doing cement work for any up-done foundations. Every morning we go down at 5 a.m. and help Chendol clean out the pig stores, said Kallie Burr, a senior at DCS. Im just really looking forward to building the farm up. Since the group got settled at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf, theyve been working non-stop. Advertisement Advertisement In the six days theyve been there, theyve repaired the chapel roof, poured concrete, painted floors, rebuilt the greenhouse that was devastated in the hurricane, and begun replanting the farm that was lost to the storm. School bus crash reported in Trotwood; 13 kids injured They scoop up manure, and they mix it with topsoil, then they put it into bagswhat they call plant bags, said Gary Recker, one of the staff leading the trip. They put seeds and plants in those, so theyve been working that for the greenhouse. While the students are working to make a difference in the lives of the CCCD students, Recker hopes the DCS students can walk away with an appreciation for what they have. Advertisement Advertisement You feel just really humbled by what really matters, said Recker. After all of their hard work from this past week, the DCS students will be returning to Dayton tomorrow. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A deadly crash closed part of a major Las Vegas freeway near Spring Mountain Road in the central valley Friday morning, according to Nevada State Police. At around 8:30 a.m., Nevada State Police responded to a crash on the I-15 northbound on-ramp to Spring Mountain Road. >>Download the 8 News Now Vegas streaming app Police said the crash involved a Chevrolet work truck and a pedestrian. State police said a man was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. About an hour later, the man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement NSP said the following roadways were closed: I-15 north to Spring Mountain west I-15 south to Spring Mountain west Westbound Spring Mountain between the IR15 northbound on ramp and Polaris Polaris at Spring Mountain. Photo from RTC of Southern Nevada shows the closed area. (RTC) Drivers should expect delays in the area and are advised to use other routes. Police said the road closures will be in place for approximately three to four hours. No additional details were available at the time of publication. This story will be updated once new information is learned. This is a developing story. Stay with 8 News Now for updates. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Infections blamed on a fungus labeled as a superbug by U.S. health officials have grown by 33% in Nevada over the past year, according to a state report. The fungus is spread by contact, can cause life-threatening infections and spreads easily in hospitals and other health care facilities. It can survive on surfaces for a long time, according to guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within the past two weeks, national reports identified Nevada as the state with the highest number of clinical infections from candida auris, abbreviated as C. auris, a fungus that is multi-drug resistant. Advertisement Advertisement But the CDC data only had part of the story. The count 1,605 infections since August, 2021 was low by 137 cases and didnt include any information about cases in 2025. 8 News Now obtained information about C. auris infections from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health through the end of 2025, when 582 more clinical cases were reported. Thats a third more infections than the count at the end of 2024. Clinical infections are not the same as colonization cases. The fungus can live on human skin, and spread that way without causing infections. Nevada has found 4,937 colonization cases since 2021. C. auris can enter the bloodstream through open wounds or on catheters, and then becomes an infection risk. Testing to identify the fungus is a big part of eliminating it from health care settings. The peak month for cases occurred in March 2024, when 292 cases were reported. Only 58 of those cases were the more serious clinical infections. A graph provided by the state shows that clinical infections have persisted. A chart shows C. auris cases by month from August 2021 through December 2025. The total number of cases reported was 7,261, with 2,324 clinical infections and 4,937 colonization cases. (Reporting may be incomplete for the most recent three weeks.) During spring 2024, healthcare facilities reported that they continued to improve screening processes, resulting in an increase in the number of patients screened, according to guidance provided by state health officials. These improved processes may partially account for the recent increase in colonized cases. However, healthcare facilities must remain vigilant and committed to implementing high quality infection prevention and control measures to prevent spread. Advertisement Advertisement AUGUST 2025 REPORT: Infections involving superbug fungus persisting in Nevada, data shows C. auris is a topic 8 News Now has followed closely by reporting the most current numbers of cases. State health officials have reduced the information available, eliminating information about deaths and specifics about the places where infections have occurred. Pinpointing deaths caused by C. auris is difficult because it is often one of many health problems for patients who die. Dr. Neil Clancy of the University of Pittsburgh said in early 2024 that about 20% to 40% of patients with deep infections die, a statistic thats not unique to C. auris. He said awareness that the fungus is out there is more important than knowing how many people it has killed. How did they die? Nevada limits superbug death data Advertisement Advertisement Nevadas last report that cited hospitals and other medical facilities where infections had been reported was provided to 8 News Now in August 2024. At the time, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center had recorded 480 infections, three times more than the next-highest total, 158 from Valley Hospital Medical Center. 8 News Now asked Sunrise for updated case totals, but the hospital did not provide them. Dr. Sherrie Somers, chief medical officer for Sunrise, said patient safety is the top priority. Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center is the largest hospital in Nevada and serves a high volume of patients, including individuals that have Candida auris (C. auris) before arriving at our facility. C. auris is not unique to Sunrise Hospital and is present in healthcare settings nationwide, Somers said. Advertisement Advertisement >>Download the 8 News Now Vegas streaming app In Nevada alone, cases have been detected in 54 facilities, according to state health officials. That includes 21 acute care, 17 skilled nursing facilities, one ventilator-equipped skilled nursing facility, 11 long-term acute care hospitals and five other facility types (which may include rehabilitation facilities, prisons, and commercial laboratories reporting for private physicians). Counting began in August 2021, when the first clinical infection was detected in the state. The very first case was identified in Japan in 2009. The CDC categorized C. auris as a superbug, now on a list with six other pathogens typically found in health care settings. Of the seven, only C. auris showed an increase in clinical cases over three consecutive years beginning in 2019. An authority on C. auris, Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum, said testing is crucial to identify the fungus and stop the spread. He and other experts in the medical community emphasize that people shouldnt avoid going to a hospital out of fear of possible infections. Advertisement Advertisement This is how Las Vegas hospitals fight a drug-resistant fungus called C. auris Sunrise was ahead of others with widespread testing as they responded to the problem. Sunrise Hospital actively tests for C. auris to identify it early and protect our patients, colleagues and visitors, Somers said. Our prevention efforts include targeted testing, enhanced isolation, high-level cleaning and advanced infection prevention technologies. Sunrise has developed an evidence-based criteria to screen and test all high-risk patients that are admitted to Sunrise Hospital this goes beyond the CDC recommendation. For 2024s cases, the difference between the CDCs count and the states more complete data could be explained by when the data is collected. Delays in reporting infection diagnoses are a factor, and even the states data notes that counts for the past three weeks might not be complete. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. About seven years ago, footage began to circulate showing what was said to be the largest great white shark ever documented. Her name was Deep Blue and she spent much of her time at Mexicos Guadalupe Island. She measured at least 20 feet and boasted the girth of a pregnant hippo. Deep Blue the great white shark. What wasnt clear in the reports, some of which cited a Mexican researcher as the source, was who captured the extraordinary footage. Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, cinematographer Mike Bolton shared footage that he captured in 2013, showing Deep Blue appearing monstrous and dwarfing an open-top cage, and a diver touching one of Deep Blue's pectoral fins. ALSO: Massive whale shark startles preoccupied diver in Indonesia Boltons imagery is strikingly similar to what was being circulated in 2019 and early 2020. Bolton explained that his 2013 clip shows the first documented video and recorded evidence of her existence. (See video below.) The cinematographer added: Based on our observations and experience, Deep Blue is estimated to be 20 to 21 feet long, weigh approximately 4,500 pounds, and be 50 to 60 years old. She is truly an old lady of the sea without question, the queen of the female great white sharks. Advertisement Advertisement Bolton, who said he hopes Deep Blue is still alive, touches on the danger posed by diving with such large sharks from cages: As you can see here, if this shark wanted to take you, it would be no problem, no effort at all for her just to reach in, take you out of the top of the cage, or just rip the cage to pieces. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Deep Blue, largest great white shark on record, back in spotlight Snow drifted down onto a few hundred residents who gathered to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Des Moines and the killing of a Minnesota woman. Despite the cold, over 200 people rallied in the shelter at Evelyn K. Davis Park in the King Irving neighborhood on Saturday, Jan. 10, holding signs such as "There's NO Iowa nice for ICE," "No ICE!" and "It is best when ICE is crushed!" Party for Socialism and Liberation in Iowa organized the vigil as part of Indivisible's ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action, in opposition to ICE and the recent killing of Renee Good, 37, who was fatally shot by an immigration enforcement officer on Wednesday, Jan. 7, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Advertisement Advertisement "We're here to demand justice for Renee Good," Michaelyn Mankel, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), told the crowd. said. "Renee was a poet. She was a mother. She was a wife. She was someone with principles and commitment." More: What Des Moines police policy says about shooting into moving cars Des Moines joined protests and vigils across the country and in Iowa against ICE after Good's death. "We are here to stand in solidarity with a city that has been under siege, that has been the heart of so many rebellions in the past couple of years, and we're here to stand with all the people who continue to have to have the courage to take to the streets and fight back," Mankel said. A familiar Des Moines park hosts protest, vigil Evelyn K. Davis Park is known as a place of community, and where previous protests were held in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd, according to Jake Grobe, an organizer with PSL Iowa. Advertisement Advertisement "(Renee's) death has reignited the movement against state-sanctioned violence," Grobe said. More: Are Iowa sheriffs not being paid enough under new law? Suit says yes. Protesters stand and listen to speakers during a protest against ICE activity at Evelyn K. Davis Park on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 in Des Moines. Pastor Luke of Des Moines' Plymouth Church led the gathering in prayer in remembrance of Good. "We feel the ache of our sister's death. We feel the ache for her family and having nothing to say that is commensurate to what's been lost in Renee's murder," he said to a silent crowd. " ... Help us remember the example of our sister Renee, who drew close to the chaos and danger of this moment." Chants of "Justice for Renee Good," "ICE out of Iowa; ICE out of everywhere," and "No Kings, no killers, no kidnappers" rang out throughout the crowd. Des Moines Metro residents want to 'be part of something' Karen Moss, 72, came from Urbandale because she "saw the video." Advertisement Advertisement "I can understand how someone could be frightened with someone in a mask, with someone who doesn't identify themselves, and who gives two different directions," Moss told the Register, full of emotions, remembering her own brush-ins with law enforcement. "It was chaos. It's hard to sit and watch this go on and not be a part of something," Moss continued. Over 200 Iowans gathered in Evelyn K. Davis Park on Saturday, Jan. 10, to protest ICE and the killing of Renee Good. Winterset residents Austin Hill, 33, and Hannah Davis, 34, traveled to Des Moines because "there are so many who [we're] worried about," Davis said. "I haven't seen a lot of (ICE activity) in Des Moines, but I know it's happening," Davis said. "Our state representatives are welcoming (ICE) in, and the governor is giving the green light, so am I worried? Yes, absolutely." Advertisement Advertisement The protest, which was organized on Friday, Jan. 9, came together quickly because "we are all hungry for community and collective action in this moment," Mankel said. More: Can Iowa defendants be charged for dismissed cases? No, court rules Protesters stand and listen to speakers during a protest against ICE activity at Evelyn K. Davis Park on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 in Des Moines. Hill said Saturday's turnout was validating. "'Is this all crazy?'" Hill asked rhetorically. "And then you come here, and you're like 'no, all these people think this is nuts, too.'" Davis said she feels the Des Moines community needs to get involved because "we take for granted what it means to have a democracy." "There's so much that's being said right now that's trying to twist the narrative and dupe as all," Davis said. "It's just like, 'wake up' and really know when you're being fed a bunch of baloney. Advertisement Advertisement It's happening right in front of our eyes." Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Hundreds gather at Des Moines vigil for woman killed by ICE agent TALLAHASSEE In his first year as Floridas young and powerful speaker of the House, Miami Republican Daniel Perez created a new political dynamic in the Sunshine State, in which legislators began to claw back the power they had ceded for so long to Gov. Ron DeSantis and reassert their control over policy and the purse. Lawmakers in the Florida House launched explosive inquiries into the DeSantis administrations spending and decisions. They spearheaded the first-ever override of DeSantis vetoes. And, working with the Senate, they largely bucked his agenda, letting some of his priorities languish. But that was last year. Heading into Perezs second and final session in charge of Republicans agenda in the House, the dynamic has changed, and Perez may be the odd man out. Advertisement Advertisement Perez, 38, says his relationship with the governor who he says isnt returning his calls remains icy. And he doesnt seem optimistic about his once-warm relationship with Senate President Ben Albritton following a blowup last year over taxes and spending that appeared to push the leader of the Legislatures upper chamber closer to the governor. With Floridas legislative session beginning Tuesday, that evolving power dynamic is a wildcard that could affect the states ability to lock in more than $100 billion in spending,address the pressing problems facing Floridians and set in stone some of the GOPs priorities, like drawing new congressional districts and cutting property taxes. More than a dozen interviews with Republican members of the Legislature and players in the political process revealed just how fraught the relationship between the House speaker and Senate president remains though both say they are looking forward. It doesnt have to be a tough environment, Perez told the Times/Herald this week in an interview. Its just a matter of having a willing and able partner, which, right now, doesnt seem like something thats feasible. Advertisement Advertisement The governors office didnt respond to a request for comment. Priorities and politics Just like last year, Perez, a lawyer by trade, is playing his cards close to the vest. He has no legacy bill that he is shepherding through the process. He says he believes the state has put the necessary changes in place to fix Floridas property insurance crisis. And he has resisted calls from cash-strapped condo owners to overhaul the building-safety law he championed after the fall of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside. His main goal, he says, is to pass a conservative budget that is smaller than last years, potentially setting up another difficult negotiation with the Senate, which is concerned with revenue shortfalls. Advertisement Advertisement This will be the first time that there will be a back-to-back cut in the budget coming out of the House since the recession, Perez said. And were proud to voluntarily take that task on. Its hard to discern what measures Perez personally wants to pass. He isnt sharing his preferences. And while he is addressing the governors priorities of redistricting and reducing property taxes, both issues have succumbed to the committee process with multiple proposals and much debate. Were looking forward to that proposal if he were to ever have one, Perez said of DeSantis desire to do away with property taxes for Florida residents with homestead exemptions on their primary residences. And then Im sure the Senate will soon thereafter follow his lead, so well have that conversation at the right time. A year ago, the House and Senate appeared to be in lockstep, with DeSantis suddenly struggling to bend the Florida Legislature to his will. Advertisement Advertisement That was clear before Floridas regular 2025 legislative session. When DeSantis called for a special session on immigration, they called their own and passed legislation that they championed and he panned. Those battle lines appeared to persist when the House and Senate announced a plan for a state budget that would include billions in tax relief. Im pleased to share with you that we have reached a framework for a budget plan, Albritton said on the Senate floor on May 2. As part of our agreement with the House, we will take up the most historic tax relief package in the history of our state. But Albritton says his Senate colleagues balked when it came time to whip votes on Perezs specific plan to cut $5 billion from Floridas sales tax as the policy was publicly denounced by the governor. He called Perez several days later and told him the Senate didnt go for it. I cant make the Senate do anything, Albritton told the Times/Herald about the outcome. Advertisement Advertisement Perez sent out a memo lamenting how the deal had been blown up, threatening a government shutdown as lawmakers approached the next fiscal year without a budget. The House and Senate had a deal on the budget, Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, a Miami Republican, recounted to the Times/Herald this week. And then over the weekend, the Senate president reneged on that deal, and that resulted in the numerous days that we didnt have a budget. Ed Hooper, the Senate budget chairman from Clearwater, remembers it differently. The Senate was preparing a state budget for less economic growth in the future as fewer people retire in Florida, he said, and Perez didnt give them a heads up about the Houses planned tax cut. That was a $5 billion surprise, Hooper said. There was no deal agreed on a sales tax reduction. Advertisement Advertisement The dispute kept lawmakers for months from passing a timely budget, leading ultimately to a deal in June that required two extensions of Floridas legislative session. In the fallout, the close relationship between Perez and Albritton frayed. Albritton told the Times/Herald in an interview on Thursday that he was focused on the future, not the past. I do not have disdain for the speaker, said Albritton, a Wauchula Republican. A policy Albritton cares about will be an early test for that resolve. Next week, the Senate will pass the presidents Rural Renaissance package. It is supposed to drive economic growth in sparsely populated regions of the state an affordability agenda that could be a powerful message during the midterm elections centered on high costs of living. Perez killed the bill last year as part of the budget blowup. Hes likely to do it again. Times/Herald Tallahassee bureau reporter Garrett Shanley contributed to this story. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Some in the Trump administration are reportedly concerned with the speed at which officials claimed domestic terrorism in the aftermath of the ICE-involved shooting death of Minnesota mom Renee Good. Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who captured the incident on his own phone as he let off three rounds after Good refused to exit her van. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem immediately accused Good of domestic terrorism for trying to ram them with her vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Vice President J.D. Vance and President Donald Trump all repeated Noems talking points, with Vance accusing the media of lying about the incident. Politico reported Friday that even supporters of the president are afraid the aggressive approach risks undermining public confidence in the ongoing investigation. One person close to the administration told Politico, Do I think its domestic terrorism? Yeah, I do. But it might not have been wise to say that at the outset, how [Noem] said it. Another administration official concerned about the incident widening the political divide told Politico, I dont know how we recover from this. Advertisement Advertisement They continued, This is highly problematic and not a good look and not something our government should be remotely engaged in. Videos of the shooting incident have been circulating on social media, and some pundits have called them a Rorschach test for conservatives and liberals. On Friday, Vance posted a new video angle that he claimed vindicated the officer for firing in self-defense, but liberals noted Goods demeanor and words to the agent Thats fine, dude. Im not mad at you before she appears to turn the steering wheel away from the agent in an apparent attempt to leave the scene. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin commented on the video Vance posted, telling Politico, If you weaponize a vehicle, a deadly weapon to kill or cause bodily harm to a federal law enforcement officer, that is an act of domestic terrorism and will be prosecuted as such. Advertisement Advertisement President Trump said Friday that he supported the FBIs unusual move to block state officials from investigating the incident because Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is a stupid person. The post I Dont Know How We Recover From This: Trump Officials Reportedly Worried About Quick Claims of Domestic Terrorism first appeared on Mediaite. President Donald Trump went to see his local dentist in Florida, the White House announced. His motorcade left Mar-a-Lago for the appointment shortly before 8 a.m. and returned to the resort just after 10 a.m., according to a White House pool report. The White House said he did not have anesthesia during the visit. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump attends quick dentist appointment in Florida Trump administration officials announced a sprawling probe into benefits fraud across California on Friday, citing what they called a massive, coordinated effort by "foreign actors" to fleece government healthcare to the tune of billions of dollars. The crackdown appeared to center on bogus hospice providers first exposed by The Times in 2020 and later investigated by California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta. "Eighteen percent of the whole country's home healthcare billing is coming out of Los Angeles County how is that possible?" said Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "It's about $3.5 billion just in L.A. County for hospice and home healthcare." Advertisement Advertisement The move comes just days after Washington froze $10 billion in federal funding for child care in California, New York, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota over serious concerns about widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars. "What's happening in Minnesota pales in comparison to the level of fraud that we believe is occurring in California," said Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, referring to the benefits scandal that erupted out of that state's Somali community late last year. In a lawsuit filed Friday, the states' attorneys general called the child-care fund freeze nakedly political, saying the administration has weaponized allegations of fraud to blame immigrants for holes in the safety net and tar political rivals as corrupt. At the briefing Friday, Oz and Essayli told reporters "foreign influences" were draining government healthcare programs, making care inaccessible to Americans while California leaders turned a blind eye. Advertisement Advertisement "These are Russian, Armenian gangs, mafia that are leading a lot of these efforts," Oz said. "This president will not tolerate having Americans defrauded by foreign influences." Essayli laid the blame on Gov. Gavin Newsom. "He has reigned over more fraud than I think we've ever seen in American history," Essayli said. "Just look at the amount of fraud that's been perpetrated in the kingdom of California. He is the fraud king." The governor hit back at the Trump administration's rhetoric about lawlessness in his State of the State speech Thursday, with Newsom saying the country faces "an assault on our values unlike anything Ive seen in my lifetime," and citing statistics that show violent crime is at historic lows. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Maurice Lynch has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a nationwide cocaine trafficking conspiracy, during which he sold approximately two million dollars worth of cocaine from a Fairburn home. Lynch was part of a large network of cocaine traffickers that peddled millions of dollars of deadly drugs from a metro-Atlanta residence, U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said. Lynch distributed 86 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately $2 million during the summer of 2022. Advertisement Advertisement He operated one of the organizations stash houses in Fairburn, which was utilized for drug distribution throughout the United States. TRENDING STORIES: Law enforcement found two kilograms of cocaine, firearms, and over $100,000 in cash in his stash house during a search. On July 18, 2022, after leaving the stash house in a ride-share vehicle while carrying two bags, Lynch ran when a Georgia State Patrol trooper attempted to stop him. Advertisement Advertisement He got rid of the bags, which contained cocaine, before being arrested. Lynch, 50, of Tacoma, Wash., was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute on Sept. 25, 2025, after pleading guilty to the charges. Lynch was among eight defendants charged in this case. Four have pleaded guilty, including Tyronne Johnson, Jr., who was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison; Elisa Johnson, who received 2 years and 6 months; Jovan Jackson, with a sentencing date in February 2026; and Dominique Gwinn, who will be sentenced in March 2026. After serving his 10-year sentence, Lynch will be subject to five years of supervised release. Contrary to President Donald Trumps assurances, major oil companies are not keen on investing in Venezuela, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Majors Slow, Wildcatters Eager Bessent, during Thursdays speech at the Economic Club of Minnesota, stated that large oil companies with corporate boards are not interested in Venezuela. He explained that this is a big strategic shift for the corporate boards, hence they usually move slowly. Bessent also mentioned that he is constantly in touch with Mike Wirth, the CEO of Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX), on this matter. Don't Miss: Fast Company Calls It a Groundbreaking Step for the Creator Economy' Investors Can Still Get In at $0.85/Share Sam Altman Says AI Will Transform the Economy This Platform Lets Investors Back Private Tech Early The Treasury Secretary did, however, acknowledge that there is interest from other quarters. Bessent mentioned that the Department is being inundated with calls from independent oil companies andwildcatters who are eager to invest in Venezuela. Wildcatters are small, high-risk explorers that drill in untapped areas, potentially striking lucrative finds, but they lack the scale to substantially influence overall oil supply. Oil Chiefs To Meet Trump Bessents comments come ahead of the potential meeting of the leaders of three major U.S. oil companies with Trump in the White House on Friday. Meanwhile, Trump, on Thursday, told Sean Hannity of Fox News that the oil companies plan to invest close to $100 billion in Venezuela. See Also: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Notably, the U.S. has declared its intention to maintain a firm grip on Venezuelas oil industry. Energy Secretary Chris Wright outlined a detailed plan to revive the sector, stating that the U.S. would continue to oversee the sale of Venezuelas oil production indefinitely. However, the oil giants have demanded serious guarantees from the administration before investing in the Latin American nation. Jim Mellon Bullish, Cramer Urges Caution Billionaire investor Jim Mellon recently stated that while the Latin American countrys oil industry faces a long and difficult road to recovery, meaningful production gains are unlikely to materialize anytime soon. He also suggested that investors increase exposure to the oil sector. At the same time, CNBCs Jim Cramer has cautioned investors against chasing oil stocks amid the Venezuela turmoil, calling it suboptimal strategy. EB Games has made a proposal to close all its remaining stores in New Zealand, as well as its NZ distribution centre, reports The New Zealand Herald. The proposal came as a letter sent to employees which explained [t]his proposal is not final, and no decision will be made until we have completed a full consultation process in good faith with affected team members. The letter did, however, go on to confirm that if the proposal proceeds, all employment roles at EB Games New Zealand will vanish. The total number of job losses this will result in has not been reported. Employees have until January 12 to respond to the closure proposal. Advertisement Advertisement EB Games Australian and NZ operation consists of 374 stores across the two countries, with 38 of them in New Zealand. The chain remains a part of US video game retailer GameStop, which acquired the EB Games business back in the mid-2000s. However, while EB Games locations in the US were rebranded as GameStop, stores in Australia and NZ remained identified as EB Games only. Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff. PONTOTOC In order for the nation's largest volunteer ministry to continue its work, it needs more room. By this time next year, Eight Days of Hope will have just that a $3.2 million expansion of its Pontotoc-based national headquarters that will add a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, a training center, office space and much-needed warehouse space for additional trailers and heavy equipment. The project, announced at the nonprofit organization's 20th annual gala last month, has already raised some $2.8 million. Advertisement Advertisement "Even though we're the largest rebuilding ministry and the largest safe house building ministry to rescue women and children from trafficking ... We're going to double that output here once we train our volunteer leaders and have the equipment," said Steve Tybor, the founder and CEO of Eight Days of Hope. The nonprofit group began simply as a small group of volunteers with a desire to rebuild homes in areas hit by natural disasters. Over time, the rebuilding ministry has been joined by its Safe House, Rapid Response and Mass Feeding arms. In its 20 years, EDOH has responded to110 disasters; been on 20 rebuilding trips; served nearly 12,000 families; prepared and delivered nearly 60,000 meals; and built 19 safe houses. Its more than 62,000 volunteers nationwide have been the hands and feet of the ministry dedicated to loving and serving others, contributing nearly $100 million worth of labor The expansion is especially needed to meet the growing needs of Eight Days of Hopes Mass Feeding ministry, which was launched in 2023. After a disaster, the organizations goal is to be deployed within 24 to 48 hours of the event and provide free meals to the community. Last year, the Mass Feeding arm cooked and delivered nearly 12,000 hot meals. Advertisement Advertisement "We make meals, freeze them, and we have reefers refrigerated trucks and so when we go into a disaster, we're showing up a day later," Tybor said. "Like Hurricane Helena in Perry, Florida the hurricane comes in at 2 in the morning. We're there at 10 a.m., setting up, and we're feeding people dinner. People can't wait three days for food." The expanded facility will be a near-mirror image of the current facility and will be adjacent to it on land that has been leased from Global Outreach. And like the first building, only donations specifically given to the project will be used to build it. "This building was built using money given for the building; we've never taken Hurricane Michael money or Harvey money or tornado money for Tupelo or Amory to buy a truck or anything," Tybor said. "We have partners who write a check for the building." Eight Days quickly outgrew its original facility, built in 2018, as it expanded its reach. The organization also has a 100,000-square-foot warehouse in New York which helps serve the Northeast. Advertisement Advertisement "It's not uncommon for us to be at several places at one time," Tybor said In 2018, Eight Days had seven volunteer leaders, but today it has more than 300. At the current facility, the most that can be trained is 80 at a time, but the new training center will accommodate all of them. The leaders then in turn train other volunteers across the country. "We do the training in January of every year. They pay their way, but we provide food and lodging," Tybor said. Inside the current warehouse sits a fleet of trucks used to move laundry trailers, shower trailers, feeding trailers and more. True to form, every piece of equipment is paid for and maintained by volunteers. Advertisement Advertisement Tybor said the expansion work finds inspiration in the Prayer of Jabez, from 1 Chronicles 4:10, which says, "Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain." "What we've been praying is, Lord, if it is your will, for us to make a bigger impact we're ready to make that step," he said. "So we've been praying that Prayer of Jabez, and it felt like God has called us to double the size of the ministry." With most of the money raised in a little more than a month, it won't be long before work begins on the new building. Tybor hopes to have the facility done by the end of the year, and in time for its annual training in January 2027. "We never had doubt in 20 years, and I'm a firm believer of this ministry and its founder that as God provides, we will build," he said. "We knew we would raise about $1.5 million to start. Usually when people see something being built, they want to be a part of it. So, in my mind we would start, but we wouldn't finish it because we're not going into debt. Again, I can't take money for the fires in L.A. that's been sitting there to build the building. That's not fair to the donor." EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Two people were arrested on Saturday, Jan. 3, for initiating a fight and assaulting four women in a far East El Paso home on Christmas Day, according to the El Paso Police Department (EPPD). At 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 25, officers responded to an assault in progress at a home in the 13000 block of Alfredo Apodaca Drive. The preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects, identified as 32-year-old Joshua Aaron Theocharides and 32-year-old Raquel Maria Cazares, arrived and initiated an altercation with four women victims ages between 23 and 27 years old outside the home, according to EPPD. 32-year-old Joshua Aaron Theocharides 32-year-old Raquel Maria Cazares During the incident, Cazares assaulted one of the victims, and Theocharides pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the victims, and struck them with the weapon before they fled, EPPD added. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators were able to identify both suspects and obtain arrest warrants. Around two weeks later, they were both arrested. Cazares was charged with assault causing bodily injury, and Theocharides was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. They were both booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. DENMARK TOWNSHIP After years of negotiation and months of detail work, there is now a University Hospitals medical helicopter and ambulance based at the Northeast Ohio Regional Airport. The construction of modular permanent housing for emergency crews at the airport will be completed after the Federal Aviation Administration approves a permit for the construction of living quarters. Ashtabula County Commissioner J.P. Ducro has sought emergency helicopter and ambulance services out of the airport due to the dramatic need in the southern part of the county. Advertisement Advertisement As negotiations neared completion, the date to start the service came quicker than the permit, so a temporary plan was needed to get things rolling. The federal government shutdown made the permit approval process more difficult, and UH and the airport board wanted to get things going. Eventually, the hospital system and airport leaders agreed to create temporary housing with mobile homes in a hanger at the airport. Crews are presently staying in the hanger while on-shift, waiting for the permit to be approved so permanent modular housing can be constructed. Ducro said he is happy to have the services available at the airport, and is looking forward to more permanent living quarters that will be better for the crews staffing the emergency equipment. Advertisement Advertisement There was a good meeting between the UH officials and area fire departments Wednesday, he said. The helicopter and on-site ambulance have been brought to the airport to improve response time for emergencies, Ducro said. Conneaut Fire Chief Steve Lee, who attended the meeting, said he was excited about the services offered. Great to have the resources in our county, both the helicopter and ground crews, he said. [It is] a big step forward for emergency care in Ashtabula County. A press release from UH states the base will provide potentially life-saving air medical and ground transport services. Advertisement Advertisement The addition of UH AirMed in Ashtabula County reflects a strong commitment to meeting emergency medical needs of this community, because when lives are on the line, every minute matters, Director of University Hospitals Critical Care Transport Daniel Ellenberger said in the release. UH AirMed is focused on providing patients with rapid access to high-quality care, and critical transport, where and when it is needed most. This is the third UH AirMed helicopter base in Northeast Ohio, joining ones in Geauga and Medina counties, according to the release. The helicopters are equipped with the latest advanced aviation technology, and improved response times and advanced care can improve patient outcomes, the release states. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday called for the release of all imprisoned protesters in Iran and for full restoration of internet access in the country. "Tehran's streets, and cities around the world, echo with the footsteps of Iranian women and men demanding freedom. Freedom to speak, to gather, to travel and above all to live freely," von der Leyen wrote on social media. "Europe stands fully behind them. We unequivocally condemn the violent repression of these legitimate demonstrations. Those responsible will be remembered on the wrong side of history. Advertisement Advertisement "We call for the immediate release of all imprisoned demonstrators. We call for the restoration of full internet access. And we call, at last, for fundamental rights to be respected." Iran has been shaken by nearly two weeks of mass demonstrations triggered by a crippling economic crisis. Activists say dozens of protesters have died in a harsh crackdown by security forces. The authorities have maintained a nationwide internet blackout since Thursday, according to monitoring groups, with telephone lines also cut. The number of applications for asylum recorded by EU authorities fell again last year - this time by an annual 20%, the agency responsible for tracking the process has reported. Preliminary data showed around 780,200 applications were registered in the 27 EU member states and partner countries Norway and Switzerland from the start of January to mid-December 2025, according to a non-public report by the European Commission. The information, which was confidentially transmitted to EU states, was obtained by the Welt am Sonntag newspaper and made available to dpa. Advertisement Advertisement This represents a drop of about one-fifth compared with the same period in 2024 and can be mainly attributed to the decline in asylum applications from people from Syria, the report said. Since the fall of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syrians are hoping for a better future, resulting in less migration abroad. Migration to Germany down too The German Interior Ministry said at the beginning of this month that significantly fewer asylum seekers had arrived in the country. According to official data, the number of initial applications fell by 51% to 113,236 in 2025 compared with 2024. Advertisement Advertisement The European Commission's status report takes into account both initial and follow-up applications. There were a total of approximately 149,100 applications in Germany during the reporting period. France follows with 148,600 applications, Spain with 137,300 applications and Italy with 125,800 applications. EU commissioner pleased with figures Without giving specific figures, EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said 2025 had been a good year for European migration policy. A man was arrested in connection with the deaths of a dentist and his wife in Ohio. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Michael McKee is facing charges of two counts of murder in the deaths of 37-year-old Spencer Tepe and 39-year-old Monique Tepe, according to our news partner, WBNS-TV, in Columbus. As previously reported by News Center 7, the couple was found dead in their Weinland Park home on Dec. 30. Advertisement Advertisement Officers found the couple during a wellness check after Spencer Tepes coworker reported that the dentist had not appeared for work at a dental practice in Athens. TRENDING STORIES: >>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Ohio dentist, wife found dead in home; police release video of person of interest WBNS obtained Franklin County Court of Common Pleas documents. They confirm that McKee is Moniques ex-husband. Records say police were able to identify McKee through neighborhood video surveillance, WBNS reports. He was reportedly tracked to a vehicle that arrived just before the shootings and left shortly after. Advertisement Advertisement The vehicle was in Illinois. Officers also found evidence that McKee had ownership of the car, WBNS said. Online jail records indicate that McKee is in the Winnebago County Jail in Illinois. He was booked late Saturday morning. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday. The Tepe family released a statement to WBNS after the arrest. Todays arrest represents an important step toward justice for Monique and Spencer. Nothing can undo the devastating loss of two lives taken far too soon, but we are grateful to the City of Columbus Police Department, its investigators, and the assisting law enforcement community whose tireless efforts helped to capture the person involved. Advertisement Advertisement We thank the community for the continued support, prayers and compassion shown throughout this tragedy. As the case proceeds, we trust the justice system to hold the person responsible fully accountable. Monique and Spencer remain at the center of our hearts, and we carry forward their love as we surround and protect the two children they leave behind. We will continue to honor their lives and the light they brought into this world. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. Photo contributed by Winnebago County Jail [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The ex-husband of a woman found shot to death with her new husband Dec. 30 in Weinland Park has been charged with murder in the deaths. Michael David McKee faces two counts of murder, according to Franklin County Municipal Court documents. Monique Tepe, 39, and Spencer Tepe, 37, died on Dec. 30 after being found shot inside their home on the 1400 block of North 4th Street in Weinland Park. The couple's two young children, both under the age of 5, were found physically unhurt inside the home. Advertisement Advertisement Columbus police have not publicly identified a suspect or potential motive in the couple's deaths. Around 9 a.m. on Dec. 30, coworkers of Spencer's from the dentistry office where he worked in Athens called Columbus police after Spencer did not show up for work and no one could reach Spencer or Monique by phone. An officer went to do a well-being check but went to a home on Summit Street instead of the Tepe home, according to body camera footage released by Columbus police. About 40 minutes after that check, friends of the Tepes found them dead in their home. Police have focused the investigation on the window of time between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30, which is when they believe the couple was killed. On Jan. 5, detectives released video from a security camera showing a person walking in an alley near the Tepes' home during that time frame, calling the person a "person of interest." Advertisement Advertisement A public visitation for the Tepes will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Jan. 11 at the Schoedinger Northwest funeral home on Zollinger Road in Upper Arlington. An additional gathering for a celebration of life will occur from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at Due Amici in Columbus. This is a breaking story and will be updated. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Weinland Park deaths prompt murder charges for ex-husband The ex-husband of an Ohio woman was charged with the murders of her and her husband, according to court and county records. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Ohio dentist, wife found dead in home; police release video of person of interest Michael McKee, 39, was booked Saturday and is currently being held in Illinois, according to the Winnebago County Sheriffs Office. He is alleged to have shot and killed the couple, Dr. Spencer Tepe, a 37-year-old dentist, and Monique Tepe, 39, in their Columbus home. Advertisement Advertisement Dispatchers first received calls of concern, including from Spencer Tepes boss, when he didnt show up for work, which the boss said was out of character. Columbus police discovered the Tepes on the second floor of their home on Dec. 30 with gunshot wounds when officers conducted a wellness check. Their two young children were in the home and unharmed, police said. Police had released security footage earlier this week of a person of interest in a dark hoodie and light colored pants who was walking in an alley near the couples home between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. the window of time in which investigators believed they were attacked. Official reports from the Franklin County Coroners Office wont be completed for several weeks, but a spokesperson said in a Tuesday email that the couple died in an apparent homicide by gunshot wounds. McKee and Monique Tepe married in 2015 and filed for divorce two years later, according to records from the Franklin County Clerk of Courts. McKees address is listed in Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Monique and Spencer Tepe married in 2020, according to the couples obituary. Family members described the Tepes as extraordinary people and proud parents with joy-filled lives. Monique Tepe was a caring and bubbly stay-at-home mother, and Spencer Tepe was passionate about dentistry and taking care of his family. The couple hosted many gatherings of family and friends. McKees next court date is set for Monday. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah who was overthrown in 1979, has called from exile in the United States for nationwide strikes and demonstrations to escalate pressure on Iran's leadership. After nearly two weeks of mass anti-government protests triggered by a crippling economic crisis, Pahlavi urged workers in key sectors such as the oil, gas and energy industries to walk off the job. In a message posted on X, he said the aim was to choke off the financial flows sustaining Iran's hardline Islamic rulers and bring the "worn-out and fragile apparatus of repression to its knees." Advertisement Advertisement He also called for demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday evening, urging protesters not only to take to the streets but to occupy central squares in cities across the country. From exile, Pahlavi has increasingly sought to position himself as a leading opposition figure at a time when Iran otherwise lacks an organized political force to counter the ruling establishment. Chants of "Long live the king!" have been heard during the demonstrations, a direct reference to the former crown prince. However, the extent of Pahlavi's influence is unclear. Sadegh Zibakalam, a former political science professor in Tehran and a prominent critic of the leadership, wrote on X that Pahlavis visibility owed less to his leadership qualities than to public anger over "the incompetence, mismanagement, mistakes, prejudices, ignorance, and weaknesses of the ruling system's governance." Rising toll, information blackout What began in Tehran on December 28 as protests by shopkeepers over a sharp fall in the value of the Iranian rial and mounting economic hardship has since spiralled into a nationwide movement openly critical of the clerical establishment led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Advertisement Advertisement Activists say demonstrations have taken place in around 180 cities, often with security forces responding with violent repression. Videos have shown officers firing guns and tear gas at crowds. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 65 people have been killed and more than 2,300 arrested so far, figures that could not be independently verified. The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights earlier reported 51 deaths, noting that data from several major cities was still missing. Hundreds more people are believed to have been injured. Irans leadership has sought to play down the scale of the unrest. Advertisement Advertisement A government spokesman said on state television on Saturday that calm prevailed in most cities and claimed that "armed terrorists" had tried to disrupt public security, but without success due to the presence of security forces and public support. He cited the northern city of Qazvin as an example where residents had condemned such actions. Despite these claims, large crowds again took to the streets on Friday evening in major cities including Tehran and Mashhad, according to widely shared social media videos that could not be independently verified. The scale of the protests is difficult to assess. The authorities have maintained a nationwide internet blackout since Thursday, according to the monitoring group NetBlocks, with telephone lines also cut. Advertisement Advertisement The blackout does not apply to security forces and selected state media. According to reports, people are circumventing the blackout using Starlink satellite internet provided they were able to illegally import the necessary terminals. Observers say the shutdown is intended both to hinder protest coordination and to suppress images and reports of the unrest and the security response. Meanwhile, the strain on medical services is growing. The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran said it had received credible eyewitness reports that hospitals in the cities of Tehran, Mashhad and Karaj were packed with injured demonstrators. The BBC reported that hospitals in Tehran are being overwhelmed by injured protesters, with one doctor saying an eye hospital was operating in crisis mode and another medic warning that staffing levels may be insufficient to cope with the influx of patients. South Korea plans to open its markets to spot bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) this year, part of a broader digital asset push led by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) under its 2026 economic growth strategy. Until now, cryptocurrencies like bitcoin werent legally recognized as valid underlying assets for ETFs, blocking the creation of these products in the country. The FSC appears to be following the lead of other jurisdictions, including the U.S. and Hong Kong, where spot bitcoin ETFs have seen significant success. A BlackRock (BLK) executive even said these funds are the top revenue source at the worlds largest asset manager. The Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) has found that in the first half of last year, the country had 10.7 million users eligible to trade and that average trading volume stood at 6.4 trillion Korean won ($4.39 billion). The government is also drafting a new Digital Asset Act, focused on regulating stablecoins according to local media. The law is expected to introduce a licensing regime for stablecoin issuers, require 100% reserve backing, and guarantee user redemption rights. It will also outline how stablecoins can be traded or transferred across borders. Separately, South Korea is looking to digitize public funds using deposit tokens, government-issued digital tokens distinct from stablecoins. The goal is to convert 25% of treasury operations to blockchain-based payments by 2030. Pilot programs are already underway, and changes to laws governing the central bank and treasury are expected this year. Family and friends of missing Chicago Public Schools teacher Linda Brown continued their search for her on Friday. Brown has been missing since Saturday. Investigators found her car near 35th and Lake Park Avenue. Relatives said there is new video that shows Brown leaving her vehicle Saturday morning around 3 a.m., but not returning. Chicago police said in a statement on Friday afternoon that a surveillance image had captured Brown in the area of the 3500-block South Lake Park Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement In the surveillance image, which is not day or time-stamped, Brown is wearing a black winter hat, a black coat, black pants, and black rubber snow boots. Molly Seedhouse worked with the special ed teacher for 10 years. "We know that the police have been here with dogs and drones and diving teams, but we're hopeful that more people and more eyes will lead to some type of information that leads us to find Linda," Seedhouse said. Brown's brother-in-law led other family and friends in prayer before setting off to search for her along the lakefront. Friends said before she disappeared, Brown often came to the lakefront to clear her head and had recently been experiencing anxiety about returning to the classroom after a leave of absence. Advertisement Advertisement "It could be a mental health challenge," Seedhouse said. "It could be a physical health challenge. She's had some other medical challenges that could be impacting her ability to be totally coherent." Brown disappeared last weekend. Her husband says when he woke up and she was gone. Chicago police said the woman was seen on Saturday in the 4500-block of South King Drive, not far from where she lives. Her brother-in-law said it is possible that she is still on foot, and it is important for the public to continue to look for her. Family and friends continue to circulate flyers with Brown's photo online and throughout the Chicago area. Police asked anyone with information to contact Area One SVU detectives at 312-747-8380 or, anyone finds Brown, they should call 911. By Renee Hickman, Nathan Layne and Steve Gorman MINNEAPOLIS, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands marched through Minneapolis on Saturday decrying the shooting death of a woman by a U.S. immigration agent, as civil liberties groups stepped up nationwide protests against President Donald Trump's deportation drive. The massive turnout in Minnesota's most-populous city despite sub-freezing temperatures and fierce winds reflected an outpouring of public anger over Wednesday's fatal shooting of Renee Good, 37, in her car by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Advertisement Advertisement Smaller anti-ICE rallies occurred across the country on Saturday, including in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, Los Angeles and San Diego. Dozens more demonstrations were planned for Sunday. Protesters demanded justice for Good, whom they call a victim of tyranny and unjustified lethal force, and an end to large-scale, militarized deportation efforts that Trump, a Republican, has directed mainly at cities governed by Democrats. 'HEARTBROKEN AND DEVASTATED' Good, a mother of three, was a volunteer in a community network of activists who track, monitor and record ICE operations in Minneapolis. Advertisement Advertisement Critics of ICE have disputed Trump administration assertions that the agent who shot her was acting in self-defense, or that Good posed any physical threat to the officers confronting her. Shortly before Good's death, 2,000 federal agents were dispatched to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in what the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has called its largest operation ever. The deployment and subsequent shooting of Good deepened the rift between the Trump administration and Minnesota's Democratic leaders, including Governor Tim Walz, who accused Trump of seeking to sow fear and chaos as a pretext for exerting even greater force. Federal-state tensions escalated further on Thursday when a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, shot and wounded a man and woman in their car after an attempted vehicle stop. Using language similar to its description of the Minneapolis incident, DHS said the driver had tried to "weaponize" his vehicle and run over agents. Advertisement Advertisement While condemning the ICE raids, Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, also a Democrat, exhorted protesters to refrain from lawlessness. "We will not counter Donald Trump's chaos with our own brand of chaos," Frey told a press conference on Saturday. "He wants us to take the bait." After a night of protests that led to 30 arrests and reports of vandalism, Saturday's much larger rally and march through the city was boisterous but orderly. Led by a team of Indigenous Mexican dancers, demonstrators on Saturday marched through Minneapolis and along the residential street past the spot where Good was shot dead behind the wheel of her SUV. Advertisement Advertisement The crowd, which the Minneapolis Police Department estimated in the tens of thousands, chanted Goods name and slogans such as Abolish ICE and No justice, no peace get ICE off our streets. "I'm insanely angry, completely heartbroken and devastated, and then just like longing and hoping that things get better," Ellison Montgomery, a 30-year-old protester, told Reuters. Democrats and civil liberties advocates have voiced distrust of the FBI-led federal investigation of the Minneapolis shooting after Trump administration officials said state and local investigators would be excluded from the probe. Minnesota and Hennepin County law enforcement authorities announced on Friday they would launch their own inquiry. Advertisement Advertisement VIDEO SHOWS RENEE GOOD CALM BEFORE SHOOTING Much of the debate surrounding the shooting has centered on footage of the encounter from various perspectives in cellphone video clips that have gone viral on the internet. The videos show one ICE agent, identified through official comment and public records as Jonathan Ross, firing three shots at Good from the front left corner of her SUV as it was turning to the right and pulling forward, immediately after another officer had ordered her out of the vehicle and tried to open the front driver's-side door. A Reuters analysis of the videos shows that Ross fired the first shot through the windshield as Good's car moved past him and the remaining shots into the drivers side of the vehicle as it continued moving away. Advertisement Advertisement None of the videos shows the car making physical contact with Ross, who never loses his footing and is seen walking away afterward. A clip that Ross took with his cellphone emerged on Friday, showing Good appearing calm as he approaches her, telling him through her open driver's-side window, "That's fine, dude. I'm not mad at you." Another bystander video that surfaced on Saturday, recorded from opposite the shooting scene, pans back and forth along the street, recording several minutes of activity and noise before the confrontation. It shows her vehicle stopped at a perpendicular angle to the street and partially in traffic lanes, about a quarter block from where ICE agents had gathered, as car horns blare and whistles shriek. Good remains in her car the entire time. The video ends as agents are seen approaching her car but before the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Minnesota became a major flashpoint in the administration's efforts to deport millions of immigrants months before the Good shooting, with Trump blaming its Democratic leaders for a welfare fraud scandal involving some members of the large Somali-American community there. Three Minnesota congressional Democrats showed up at a regional ICE headquarters near Minneapolis on Saturday morning, where protesters have clashed with federal agents this week. They were denied access, an action the legislators called illegal. "We made it clear to ICE and DHS that they were violating federal law," U.S. Representative Angie Craig told reporters as she stood outside the Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul with Representatives Kelly Morrison and Ilhan Omar. Federal law prohibits DHS from blocking members of Congress from entering ICE detention sites, but DHS has increasingly restricted such oversight visits, prompting confrontations with Democratic lawmakers. Advertisement Advertisement DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the congressional Democrats were denied entry to ensure "the safety of detainees and staff, and in compliance with the agency's mandate." She said DHS policies require members of Congress to notify ICE at least seven days ahead of facility visits. (Reporting by Renee Hickman and Maria Cardona in Minneapolis, Carlos Barria in Portland, Ryan Jones in Toronto and Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman; Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen, Joseph Ax and Maria Tsvetkova in New York, Ernest Scheyder in Houston and Brad Brooks in Colorado; Editing by William Mallard, Sergio Non, Diane Craft, Rod Nickel) The FBI is warning that a state-sponsored North Korean hacking group has been using malicious QR codes to help them spy on select users. A group known as Kimsuky has been sending the malicious QR codes to victims through emails, the FBI says. QR codes themselves can't infect or tamper with a phone. But they can forward the user's device to a malicious website dressed up to trick the user into downloading malware or typing sensitive information into a form. The FBI also notes that the same malicious websites can learn details about a users device, including IP address, operating system, and location. The site can then serve up a mobile-optimized page to impersonate the login portals for Microsoft 365, Okta, or VPNs in an effort to steal credentials. Advertisement Advertisement Weaponized QR codes aren't new, but they're normally associated with scammers rather than state-sponsored hackers. The FBI suggests the North Koreans are using the QR codes to bypass anti-phishing safeguards that involve checking for malicious internet URLs in emails. Kimsuky has been around for over a decade, and is known to conduct cyber-spying and intelligence gathering for the North Korean government. However, the group hasn't traditionally gone after consumers at a large scale. Instead, it select targets through whats called a spearphishing or those tailored to specific individuals. Targets have included officials with think tanks, academic institutions, and members of the US and foreign governments. The FBI alert says that in May 2025, Kimsuky sent an email containing a malicious QR code to a think tank leader regarding recent developments on the Korean Peninsula. The email included the QR code to scan for access to a questionnaire. Later that month, Kimsuky actors spoofing an embassy employee sent an email requesting input from a senior fellow at a think tank regarding North Korean human rights issues, the alert adds. The email contained a QR code that purported to provide access to a secure drive. The FBI is urging the public to be aware of the risks of scanning unsolicited QR codes. It also recommends that users "verify QR code sources through secondary means (such as contacting the sender directly), especially before entering login credentials or downloading files." A federal judge said Friday that Luigi Mangione could stand trial before the end of the year, even as his parallel state murder case has been slowed by evidentiary fights and recent setbacks for prosecutors. Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk in December 2024, returned to federal court in New York as U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett weighed defense efforts to block prosecutors from seeking the death penalty. Garnett said that if capital punishment remains on the table, jury selection would begin in early September, with trial expected in December or January, per ABC News. If the death penalty is excluded, she said, the trial could start in the fall. Advertisement Advertisement Garnett did not rule Friday on whether Mangione can face the death penalty, setting a follow-up hearing for January 30. She also signaled that evidence seized from Mangiones backpack after his arrest at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, was likely lawfully taken, though she reserved the right to revisit that issue later. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of stalking and murder, which could carry a sentence of death or life in prison if he is convicted. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek capital punishment, a decision his defense lawyers argue was political, The Dallas Express reported in April 2025. Advertisement Advertisement The federal timeline stands in contrast to Mangiones state murder case in the Manhattan Supreme Court, which has yet to receive a trial date and has been marked by prolonged suppression hearings and complications for the prosecution. Those hearings wrapped up in December after weeks of testimony, with the state judge saying he would rule by May on what evidence prosecutors may use at trial, DX reported. Defense attorneys in the state case have argued that police improperly searched Mangiones belongings and continued recording him after he requested a lawyer, raising questions about whether key statements and physical evidence should be excluded. During the hearings, prosecutors withdrew certain recorded statements rather than defend their admissibility, a move the defense described as significant. Additional disputes emerged over the absence of the cases lead detective from the witness stand and over public statements attributed to investigators shortly after Mangiones arrest. Those developments were also previously reported by The Dallas Express. Advertisement Advertisement Federal prosecutors, for their part, have maintained that law enforcement acted reasonably and that the evidence, including a gun and a notebook recovered from the backpack, was obtained lawfully and would inevitably have been discovered, the AP reported. Garnett reportedly said Friday that she was not inclined to hold a separate evidentiary hearing on the backpack search in the federal case, unlike the extended proceedings in state court. Mangiones appearance again drew supporters to the courthouse, some wearing green clothing and packing the courtroom gallery. We have a full house here today, Garnett said at the outset, reminding spectators that decorum would be enforced. Authorities allege Thompson was shot from behind as he walked to a hotel hosting UnitedHealth Groups annual investor conference. Mangione was arrested five days later in Pennsylvania. He remains in federal custody as both cases move forward on separate tracks. The Interior Department released a new draft environmental impact statement on Jan. 9 evaluating alternatives to manage the Colorado River after current guidelines, in place since 2007, expire later this year. The new document drops during a continuing impasse among the seven states in the beleaguered river system over how best to manage one of the primary sources of water for 40 million people in the Southwest and California. The principal water rights holders, including 30 tribes, seven states and Mexico, have wrestled with how to allocate water in a shrinking river. A historic drought has reduced snowpacks in the Colorado's headwaters, and a century-old agreement crafted when river flows were plentiful have resulted in over-allocation, worsening problems that are driving water users' anxiety and reluctance to give up any water, whether on paper or flowing through taps. Advertisement Advertisement Upper Basin states say Lower Basin states are behind the bulk of the river's problems. Lower Basin states are willing to accept cuts but want the Upper Basin to shoulder part of the burden of accepting less water even though they have never fully developed their share of the river. The Department of the Interior is moving forward with this process to ensure environmental compliance is in place so operations can continue without interruption when the current guidelines expire, Andrea Travnicek, assistant secretary for water and science, said in a statement. "In the face of an ongoing severe drought, inaction is not an option. Although most of the five alternative management paths concern moving and storing water in the basin's two key reservoirs, lakes Mead and Powell, the new environmental impact statement incorporates a new possible strategy the supply-driven alternative. If adopted, this alternative would govern releases of water from Lake Powell based on a percentage of the average of three years' natural flows at Lees Ferry in northern Arizona, the official division between the Upper and Lower Basins. The protocol would also include new delivery and storage mechanisms for Powell and Mead, allowing water exchanges between states within the two basins. It would also prioritize protecting levels at Lake Powell to protect its infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Only one of the five alternatives incorporated tribal concerns and priorities. The enhanced coordination alternative would protect the two major reservoirs while preserving key natural, hydropower and recreation resources. This method would determine how much water would be discharged from Lake Powell using a combination of elevations in both Powell and Mead, 10-year hydrological averages and Lower Basin deliveries. It also would incorporate shared contributions to the system, including conserved water, allowing interstate water transactions within each basin and storing conserved and unused tribal water in the two reservoirs. State talks: Colorado River states still at odds as feds turn up pressure for deal 'Broad range of alternatives' in the draft plan Kathryn Sorenson, director of research at the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University's Morrison Institute, said she wasn't surprised at the new alternative's inclusion. "The purpose of the environmental impact statement is to model as broad a range of alternatives as possible," she said. Advertisement Advertisement "The EIS did a breathtaking job with a large range of possibilities." Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, wasn't available for comment, nor was Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis, whose tribe had offered its own proposal. However, the EIS said Interior staff had worked closely with the tribe to understand its objectives, perspectives and goals. The 21,300-member tribe has one of the state's largest river allocations and has been vocal about protecting its interests. Gila River, the Colorado River Indian Tribes and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District didn't wait on the states to agree to a plan. The tribes and CAWCD, which manages the Central Arizona Project, issued a proclamation Dec. 17 pledging their commitment to collaboration and greater cooperation in managing and addressing Colorado River issues within the state. Advertisement Advertisement Water for the environment: As states draw Colorado River water, what's left for the river? Four alternatives approach drought differently The EIS included four specific alternatives, along with what's called a "no action" alternative, which is essentially maintaining the status quo. Arizona would absorb the largest shortages in some of the plans, while others outline cutbacks based on existing allocations. The four alternatives: Basic Coordination: This would be implemented if the basin states do not enact any new agreements. Lake Powell would deliver about 8.2 million acre-feet each year, with a minimum of 7 million acre-feet. Powell would receive water from the Upper Basin to protect the dam's infrastructure. Enhanced Coordination: Protects critical infrastructure and key natural, hydropower and recreation resources by distributing water between lakes Powell and Mead. Shortages for the Lower Basin would start at 1.3 million-acre feet and reach 3 million acre-feet. Maximum Operational Flexibility: Environmentalist-driven plan includes targeted reservoir management, and innovative and flexible tools to respond to variable hydrologic conditions. Lake Powell releases would range from 5 million acre-feet to 11 million acre-feet as determined by total system storage and recent hydrology. Basin-wide shared contributions include up to 4 million acre-feet shortages in the Lower Basin. Supply Driven: Releases from Lake Powell determined based on 65% of the average of three years of natural flows at Lees Ferry. Powell levels could be augmented by Upper Basin contributions to protect infrastructure. New delivery and storage mechanisms for both lakes. Advertisement Advertisement The Interior Department said three separate proposals by the Upper Basin, Lower Basin and Gila River weren't adopted in their entirety. The Bureau of Reclamation concluded that none of the models addressed the lack of an appropriate basis for Lake Powell and Lake Mead coordinated operations. However, the agency did adapt several key elements of all three proposals into the draft alternatives. The draft EIS will be published in the Federal Register on Jan. 16, which will start a 45-day public comment period before the Interior Department releases the final document. Interior Department officials said in December they wanted to review any new proposals from the seven basin states by mid-February. The department could still choose and implement its own plan if the states fail to offer a consensus plan. Commitment to collaboration: Arizona tribes, CAP unite to address Colorado River water issues Advertisement Advertisement Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. Reach Krol at debra.krol@azcentral.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @debkrol and on Bluesky at @debkrol.bsky.social. Coverage of tribal water issues in the Colorado River Basin is supported by the Water Desk. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Interior Department releases draft management plan for Colorado River The Colorado River is pictured where it flows near Hite, Utah, just beyond the upper reaches of Lake Powell, on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Amid stalled state negotiations over how to share the Colorado Rivers dwindling water supply, the Bureau of Reclamation on Friday released a range of options that will serve as the foundation for how to manage the rivers largest reservoirs Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The highly anticipated 1,600-page document details five alternative proposals that will guide new water management rules to replace the current ones set to expire in August 2026. The proposals primarily focus on the operation of Lake Meads Hoover Dam and Lake Powells Glen Canyon Dam. Advertisement Advertisement The seven states that share the rivers flows have been deadlocked for nearly two years over how to govern the waterway through the coming decades even as water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell are forecasted to reach record lows after two straight years of disappointing snowpack across the West. The alternatives include a compliance option that could be implementable in 2027 if states cant reach a seven-state agreement on how to share the rivers water supply, however under that alternative Nevada, Arizona, and California would face water shortages up to 1.48 million acre-feet. The Department of the Interior is moving forward with this process to ensure environmental compliance is in place so operations can continue without interruption when the current guidelines expire, Andrea Travnicek, the departments assistant secretary for water and science, said in a news release Friday. The river and the 40 million people who depend on it cannot wait. In the face of an ongoing severe drought, inaction is not an option. Any guidelines adopted for post-2026 Colorado River operations are likely to face an early test with forecasts anticipating low elevations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead in 2027. Lakes Powell and Mead are currently less than two-thirds full, while projections show the rivers inflow next year is likely to be 27% lower than normal. Advertisement Advertisement Without a strong winter snow season, its possible Lake Powells levels could drop low enough to cease hydropower production by next October a scenario that would also limit the departments ability to send water downstream to Nevada, Arizona, and California. Negotiations between federal officials and the seven western states that rely on the Colorado River have largely remained behind closed doors since 2023, but any new operating rules are required to go through a public environmental review process before a final decision can be made. The proposals released Friday were part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which includes a Draft Environmental Impact Statement analyzing the impacts of the proposals. Several river negotiators said they have not yet reviewed the lengthy document published late Friday, and could not give a detailed analysis of the proposals. Advertisement Advertisement We are reviewing the draft EIS, and we expect to be in a position to provide comments next week. Wed like to give a thorough review before we comment, said Bronson Mack, a spokesperson for Nevadas chief river negotiator and general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority John Entsminger. Utahs chief river negotiator Gene Shawcroft echoed those comments. The Authority will take the time necessary to fully evaluate the document before offering detailed comments, Shawcroft said in a statement. Shawcroft called the release of the draft environmental impact statement for post-2026 Colorado River operations an important milestone in a complex and consequential process. Advertisement Advertisement The Authority looks forward to carefully reviewing the draft and continuing to work with our Basin State partners, water users, Tribes, and the Bureau of Reclamation to help ensure future operations protect Utah water users, support the environment, and reflect Utahs priorities, he continued. In an unusual move, the draft environmental impact statement did not identify which set of operating guidelines the federal government would prefer. A preferred alternative is typically included in environmental reviews. Given the importance of a consensus-based approach to operations for the stability of the system, Reclamation has not yet identified a preferred alternative, said Acting Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Scott Cameron in a statement Friday. However, the draft environmental review does include a broad range of possible alternatives designed to enable states to continue working towards a seven-state consensus agreement on how to share the rivers shrinking water supply. Advertisement Advertisement Reclamation anticipates that when an agreement is reached, it will incorporate elements or variations of these five alternatives and will be fully analyzed in the Final EIS enabling the sustainable and effective management of the Colorado River, Cameron said. States last chance to share a final consensus-based plan will be mid-February 2026 in order to reach a final agreement in the summer, with implementation of the new guidelines beginning in October 2026. States along the Colorado River have been split into two camps for months over how to manage the river after 2026: Arizona, California, and Nevada in the Lower Basin; and Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming in the Upper Basin. One of the biggest disagreements between the Upper and Lower Basin states is over which faction should have to cut back on their water use, and by how much. Advertisement Advertisement Lower Basin states want all seven Colorado River states to share mandatory water cuts during dry years under the new guidelines. The Upper Basin, which is not subject to mandatory cuts under current guidelines, say they already use much less water than downstream states and should not face additional cuts. The public comment period on the post-2026 alternatives runs from Jan. 16 to March 2. Reclamation will also hold two virtual public meetings to provide more information on the draft, scheduled for Jan. 29 and Feb. 10. Gov. Bob Ferguson speaks to reporters during the annual legislative session preview in Olympia, Wash., on Jan. 9, 2026. (Photo by Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard) Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson likely violated state laws by allowing his former top adviser, Mike Webb, to travel with him on a state plane to the Tri-Cities last summer, the state Executive Ethics Board ruled Friday. In a unanimous vote, the board concluded there was reasonable cause to believe Ferguson ran afoul of Washingtons ethics laws by using state resources for the private benefit of a non-state employee. Advertisement Advertisement Ferguson provided a special privilege to Webb by allowing him to travel on the Washington State Patrol aircraft, wrote agency executive director Kate Reynolds in her recommendation to the board. Under the statute, the board will hold a hearing at which the governor can contest the charges either in person or through written testimony. The board will then decide whether a violation occurred and a penalty or other enforcement action is required. A spokesperson for the governor did not immediately respond for comment. Ferguson told the ethics board investigators last year that use of state resources was de minimis in nature and not for private gain, and he asked for the matter to be dismissed. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Advertisement Advertisement The Executive Ethics Board received a complaint July 30, 2025 alleging that the governor violated provisions of the Ethics in Public Service Act by letting Webb travel with him to the Tri-Cities. The June 26 trip, which included official business and a political fundraiser, was first reported by Axios. Webb, Fergusons longtime friend and closest political confidant, served as the governors chief strategy officer until resigning in March amid complaints that he fomented a hostile workplace. In a staff meeting in mid-July, Ferguson addressed the trip, apologized and called his decision to let Webb fly on the plane pretty stupid. In a written response, Ferguson also told the boards investigators that, Allowing an individual to travel as a guest neither interfered with official duties nor provided that individual with any improper advantage derived from state office. Advertisement Advertisement The flight in question was not at capacity, Ferguson wrote. The individuals presence did not displace any state employee. It did not create additional cost in terms of fuel, staffing, or time. The state incurred no financial burden or misuse of taxpayer resources. Webb told The Seattle Times last year he sat on a seat over the planes toilet. The travel imposed no cost, no operational burden, and no impact on state functions, he added. Incidental or negligible use that does not result in added expense or harm to the public interest does not rise to the level of an ethics violation. The Washington State Patrol told investigators that aircraft costs are calculated on a per-flight-hour basis. If multiple agencies are using the plane, the tab is divided evenly by the number of passengers, and each passenger, or their agency, is billed for their share. Advertisement Advertisement For the June 26 trip, the aircraft was only used by the governors office, so the aircraft cost was billed per flight hour. The report did not list the actual charge. Gov. Bob Ferguson - State Executive Ethics Board report A copy of the Washington State Executive Ethics Boards Dec. 2, 2025, report. Wendy Leigh Messer, a 58-year-old woman from Satsuma, was arrested Monday night after a food-related altercation that included allegations of battery and aggravated assault with a weapon. She faces charges including battery, aggravated assault, and possession of cocaine following the incident at a residence in Putnam County. Deputies responded to a report of an altercation at Messers home in Satsuma around 9:15 p.m. on Monday. One victim claimed that Messer threw a plate of collard greens at her and threatened to use a knife against her. The second victim reported fear when Messer approached her while holding a cast-iron skillet in a threatening manner. Advertisement Advertisement The first victim stated that during the argument, Messer swung her hand close to her face, narrowly missing her nose, as outlined in the incident report by Deputy Austin Chewning. When deputies arrested Messer, she reportedly reached for her pocket. Upon inquiry about illegal substances, she mentioned, Maybe marijuana, indicating possible drug possession. A search revealed two glass smoking pipes with residue typically associated with crack cocaine, identified as drug paraphernalia by deputies. Furthermore, they discovered a vial containing a white rock-like substance that tested positive for cocaine. Messer denied ownership of the jeans she was wearing, suggesting that she had been set up. Messer was booked into Putnam County Jail at 1:12 a.m. on Tuesday Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A former employee has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against a business, which claims to specialize in mental health treatment for children and teens. Pamela Gomez, who first shared her story publicly with the 8 News Now Investigators last October, said Moriah Behavioral Health, also known as Ignite Teen Treatment and Eden Treatment, and its Chief Executive Operator Menachem Mendi Baron, billed Medicaid for services that were not provided to the patients, put profits over patient and employee safety, and fired and threatened her when she tried to raise alarms. In a complaint filed Friday, Gomez alleges she witnessed Medicaid fraud while staffing levels and care were below requirements. Pamela Gomez, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told the 8 News Now Investigators she was hired in October 2023 and fired in January 2024. (KLAS) The business previously ran five licensed homes, also known as psychiatric residential treatment facilities, in Las Vegas. Advertisement Advertisement Shortly after Gomez, a licensed marriage and family therapist, was hired as a program director in October 2023, she observed a systemic pattern where Baron and his business prioritized census and revenue over clinical safety and statutory staffing mandates, according to the complaint. Some employees did not have proper credentials to work with teens who needed such a high level of care, according to Pamela Gomez. (KLAS) The business neglected to pay vendors performing background checks for new employees, halting the ability to hire in late 2023 and early 2024, and neglected to pay employees until after the Christmas holiday in 2023, resulting in staff quitting and not showing up for holiday shifts, Gomez alleges. Plaintiffs warnings were repeatedly ignored by her superiors, the complaint states. When Gomez refused to comply with an order to not discharge a patient who she believed posed a risk to staff and other clients, Baron told her that clients represent finance, and if she discharged the client, he would report her to her professional board for malpractice, according to the complaint. Baron then fired the plaintiff for failing to comply with his request within approximately 15 minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Gomez is suing for wrongful termination, tortious discharge, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Former employees, patients, and their parents shared their stories with the 8 News Now Investigators in reports which began airing last July. In December, Nevada lawmakers approved the transfer of nearly $485,000 for emergency help for children who were supposed to be receiving mental health treatment inside the group homes. Gomez spoke during the public comment portion of the Interim Finance Committee meeting before lawmakers approved the transfer of the money from the reserve category to the operating category. Advertisement Advertisement It is important to note that I was abruptly terminated by the CEO of Moriah when I resisted the companys unsafe and unethical demands and was threatened professionally, Pamela Gomez, a former program director said. Nevada Health Authoritys Health Care Purchasing and Compliance Division sent notices of revocation to four psychiatric residential treatment facilities operated by Moriah Behavioral Health, also known as Ignite Teen and Eden Treatment, on Dec. 11, citing safety concerns, a lack of cooperation from the business and a lack of compliance with state and federal laws. In its notices to the business, the state outlined concerns, including a lack of required physician direction, incomplete medical records, deficient personnel qualifications and policies, hazardous and deficient environmental and housing conditions, and a pattern of repeat violations and inability to demonstrate compliance. Since July of 2024, the Division has received 36 official complaints about potential violations of state and federal law related to the quality and safety of care at the various facilities operated by the licensee, a notice states. The Division has been made aware of safety concerns and complaints about the facility by staff and parents through local media stories, a substantiated complaint of child neglect from Clark County Department of Family Services, and a report of adverse findings from an investigation conducted by Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau. The business had previously attempted to keep state inspectors out of the homes, filed a civil complaint against state agencies on Nov. 3, and claimed inspectors might retaliate. Ten days before the business filed the complaint, Nevada Medicaid issued a 20-day notice of intent to terminate to each of the Moriah facilities, according to the Nevada Attorney Generals office, which represents the defendants in the complaint, including the Nevada Health Authority, Department of Human Services, and Divisions of Health Care Financing and Policy, Public and Behavioral Health, Child and Family Services, along with leaders and employees at those agencies and Clark County. Clark County District Court Judge Jennifer Schwartz issued a temporary restraining order on Nov. 5, preventing state inspectors from entering the homes. Advertisement Advertisement State inspectors regained access inside the homes to continue inspections and investigations on Nov. 20, after Schwartz dissolved the temporary restraining order. On Dec. 10, county workers, with police officers standing by, removed four patients from the home on Dutch Valley Drive on Wednesday afternoon. County workers stood outside the home for hours until they were allowed inside. While a county spokesperson said the county could not provide information because the matter involved juveniles, Las Vegas Metro police confirmed officers were assisting another agency that had a search warrant. LVMPD is currently maintaining the peace while another agency serves a search warrant in the 3600 block of Dutch Valley Drive, a spokesperson for the police department wrote in an email. On Dec. 11, a standoff occurred between state workers and staff at a group home for children and teens Thursday. Workers from Nevada Health Authority showed up at the house on Bahama Bay Court in the early afternoon but were not allowed inside until a few hours later when Las Vegas Metro police officers arrived. The business and state had both called police for help, according to the department. The revocation notices followed. The business is administratively appealing the states revocation of its licenses. The 8 News Now Investigators reached out to the attorneys representing Gomez and Baron Friday afternoon. To reach investigative reporter Vanessa Murphy, email vmurphy@8newsnow.com. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. The US didnt just validate crypto; it allowed the big boys to place big bets on the industry. Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs were gamechangers. The GENIUS Act came, and now, everyone is watching closely. Among them is South Korea. If you remember well, South Korea banned crypto ICOs back in the day and took a more restrictive approach to holding some of the best cryptos to buy. Licensing for operators is mandatory. It has been good for holders, but proper legislation on stablecoins is the next big step. For beginners, stablecoins are designed to track prthe ices of real-world assets. Common and liquid stablecoins like USDT and USDC track the greenback, allowing everyone to get exposure in and even the next 100X coins. Unfortunately, it has been revealed that South Korea has hit pause on its next big crypto law after regulators failed to agree on who should issue won-backed stablecoins. The stalemate comes as stablecoin trading in Korea keeps growing, with local users moving tens of billions of dollars through crypto rails each year. DISCOVER: The 12+ Hottest Crypto Presales to Buy Right Now South Korea and Stablecoins: Why it Matters In South Korea, stablecoins already act as on-ramps into global crypto markets. According to Chainalysis, Korean wonbased stablecoin purchases hit about $64Bn in the year through June 2025. That scale gets the attention of central banks. The Bank of Korea (BoK) worries that private digital money can affect capital flows and currency control. That is why it wants banks firmly in charge from day one. Whats preventing Phase 2 from preceding is simple: BoK wants only bank-led groups to issue stablecoins, with banks owning at least +51%. Their argument is that if banks take charge, their compliance with clear financial laws in the country would, in the future, prevent bank runs. The idea is control first, growth later. On the other hand, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) disagrees. They are pushing for a more flexible model. It says fintech firms and payment apps can issue stablecoins if they meet strict reserve and redemption rules. Lawmakers worry a bank-only model blocks competition and slows consumer-friendly products. This is not a small policy detail. If banks dominate issuance, expect slower rollouts but tighter supervision. If fintechs join, expect faster adoption and more user choice. The good news is that the government is not abandoning the project altogether. A resolution is expected sometime in Q1 2026. DISCOVER: Best New Cryptocurrencies to Invest in 2026 Is This Roadblock Good or Bad? USD Stablecoins Gaining Momentum The push and pull, delays, and other obstacles allow the USD to dominate even more. Marcelo Vargas-Fernandez, 43, was sentenced to four years in prison and 12 months of community custody for secretly placing spy cameras in all-gender restrooms at Expedias headquarters in Seattle. His crimes spanned two and a half years, with victims first coming forward between December 2023 and January 2024. Vargas-Fernandez, a former Expedia employee, was arrested after employees discovered the cameras and alerted the security contractor, Securitas. Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors said that dozens of individuals were affected, with 14 victims officially coming forward. The emotional impact on these victims was underscored in court through various advocates statements. During the investigation, police found 33 additional spy cameras in Vargas-Fernandezs home in Lynnwood. Prosecutors noted that the videos he captured were methodically and intentionally sorted, which indicated a premeditated and deviant plan. They also stated that without the discovery of one of the cameras, the extent of his actions would likely have stayed hidden. In court, advocates representing victims shared impactful statements about the long-lasting psychological damage they experienced. Advertisement Advertisement The impact of his actions continues to resonate with the victims, as many attend therapy to cope with the emotional scars left by this violation of privacy. One victim described their struggles in therapy since the incidents, stating, For two years Ive been seeing that therapist to try and reverse the damage he has caused. Another advocate read a statement highlighting the invasion of privacy: It was a deliberate invasion of privacy that has caused long-lasting emotional and psychological damage. At times during the proceedings, Vargas-Fernandez showed emotion. Just before his sentencing, he expressed remorse: I am so sorry for my actions, I know that I create pain and fear, and Im truly sorry for everybody who feels directly or indirectly impacted I am very sorry. Vargas-Fernandez will serve his sentence in state prison, with the community custody phase to start upon release. WASHINGTON (AP) For House Republicans, the political year started with a pep rally of sorts as President Donald Trump gathered them at Washington's Kennedy Center for a stemwinder of a speech. But by the time lawmakers had completed their first week of work this midterm election year, fractures in the party were already showing. From pushback to Trump's self-described Donroe doctrine of aggression in the Western Hemisphere to breaks in party unity over health care, Republican lawmakers are displaying signs of independence from Trump after spending much of the last year acquiescing to his practically every demand. It showed a new dynamic in the GOP as Republicans embark on difficult campaign to keep control of both the House and Senate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, speaking at the U.S.-Mexico border Friday with a group of Republican Senate candidates, said that Republicans were going to be focused like a laser on issues of affordability and pointed to legislation in the works on housing and health care. Advertisement Advertisement Thune's border trip and talk of affordability were a nod back to some of the core themes of Trump's presidential campaign. But the focus in Washington of late has instead been dominated by Trump's military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, his threats to use military force to take control of Greenland, the release of case files on Jeffrey Epstein and a debate over extending subsidies for insurance offered under the Affordable Care Act an issue where Republicans have long struggled to find unity. Recent shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in several U.S. cities, including one that killed a woman in Minneapolis, have also raised new questions about Republicans' hard-line immigration agenda and shifted attention away from Trump's handling of the border, which they see as a political success. Even so, Trump still has plenty of command over most of the party. That was demonstrated this week by a pair of unsuccessful House veto override votes in which most GOP members stuck with the president despite previously voting for the low-profile bills. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who has been one of the few Republicans to consistently defy Trump, said that there was some bully pulpit intimidation going on from the president that caused the veto overrides to fail. Advertisement Advertisement Still, Democrats are making the case that Trump is becoming distracted from the needs of Americans, especially after the attack on Venezuela. He's lurching towards another endless, expensive war, all the while American families here are struggling with skyrocketing costs, said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. Venezuela war powers vote draws GOP support To prove their point, Democrats are forcing votes on war powers resolutions that would stop Trump from attacking Venezuela without congressional approval. Such measures are rarely successful, but a procedural vote on the legislation drew support from five Republicans Thursday, setting up a final vote next week. House Democrats are also pushing forward a similar resolution. Advertisement Advertisement The GOP senators who voted for the legislation tried to defuse the conflict with Trump by arguing their positions were in line with his own campaign promises to scale back U.S. commitments overseas. A drawn-out campaign in Venezuela involving the American military, even if unintended, would be the opposite of President Trumps goal of ending foreign entanglements, Sen. Todd Young, an Indiana Republican who voted for the war powers resolution, said in a lengthy statement explaining his vote. Trump reacted with fury. The president promptly called for the five Republicans, which included Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who is up for reelection this year, to never be elected to office again. Republicans are already dealing with retirements from several lawmakers who had uneasy relationships with Trump, and there was worry that such clashes could complicate their campaign picture even more. Advertisement Advertisement If Susan isnt the senator from Maine, were going to end up with a Democrat, said Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican. That would be 10 times worse. But I do appreciate that President Trump is absolutely pissed off. GOP pushes back on Trump's Greenland plans Trump's desire to possess Greenland and his administration's decision not to rule out military force also met significant resistance from GOP lawmakers this week. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is retiring after crossing Trump last summer, took to the Senate floor to proclaim that he was sick of stupid. He specifically criticized White House deputy chief of policy Stephen Miller, who made comments that Greenland should be part of the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement I want good advice for this president, because I want this president to have a good legacy, Tillis added. And this nonsense on whats going on with Greenland is a distraction from the good work hes doing, and the amateurs who said it was a good idea should lose their jobs. Other Republicans, including Thune and Senate Armed Services Committee chair Sen. Roger Wicker, also gently pushed back on military threats against Denmark, which is a NATO ally of the U.S. After meeting with the Danish ambassador, Wicker said it was Denmark's right not to sell Greenland. Im troubled by Greenland. I'm troubled by some of the things he does. I dont get it, said Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, another retiring Republican. I do feel like Congress should be more independent and should provide checks and balances here. Advertisement Advertisement Bacon added that Trump still had the ability to bully his Republican colleagues, but that Trump's threats had stiffened my spine. Health care votes expose divisions During Trump's speech at the Kennedy Center on Tuesday, he urged Republicans to own the issue of health care. Yet when the House voted Thursday on a Democratic proposal to extend expired health care subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans, 17 Republicans broke with party leadership to help pass the bill. People recognize the challenge here, which is to address health care affordability, said Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican who voted for the proposal. Advertisement Advertisement He still criticized the Affordable Care Act, a hallmark piece of legislation for Democrats, yet the health care debate unfolding in Congress is one that Democrats feel confident making a central campaign issue. In this first, full week of the new year, House Democrats every single one of us joined by 17 Republicans have partnered in a bipartisan way to protect the health care of the American people, said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries following the vote. Jan. 6 plaque coming out of storage On the fifth anniversary of the attack on the Capitol, Trump told House Republicans that he had told his supporters to go peacefully and patriotically to confront Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election. The White House also unveiled a website that portrayed the Jan. 6 attack as a witch hunt against him by Democrats and some Republicans in Congress. Advertisement Advertisement But the Senate, which Republicans control, this week agreed to display a plaque honoring the police who defended the Capitol a cause that has become a point of contention with Trump as president. The plaque had been kept in storage rather than being displayed because House Speaker Mike Johnson had said the memorial did not comply with the law. It was Tillis again who pushed the issue on the Republican side. He said it was important to honor the police and staff who risked their own lives and safety that day. Democrats who joined in the effort said they were alarmed by the White House's attempt to recast the narrative. It's so important we be honest with the American people about what happened, said Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat. Advertisement Advertisement ___ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Steven Sloan, Lisa Mascaro and Nathan Ellgren contributed. __ This story has corrected the party affiliation of Rep. Mike Lawler. He is a Republican, not a Democrat. France has moved the annual Group of Seven (G7) meeting to avoid scheduling conflicts with President Trumps birthday and the accompanying White House UFC fight, the White House confirmed Friday. The convening of top world leaders was originally scheduled to take place June 14-16, two officials with direct knowledge of G7 planning told Politico EU. It will now take place in Evian, France, June 15-17. As the leader of the free world, our partners believed that President Trumps attendance at the G7 Summit was essential. They kindly shifted dates to accommodate the U.S. presidents schedule, a senior White House official told The Hill. Advertisement Advertisement France assumed the G7 presidency on Jan. 1. The G7 was created fifty years ago to resolve economic crises. It must once again bring balance in the face of global shifts, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in a statement Thursday. The aim of this Presidency will be simple: returning to the original vocation of the G7, making it a forum for dialogue between major economic powers, both within and beyond its members themselves, to identify these imbalances and work to correct them together through coordinated national and international policies supported by international institutions. It is our shared responsibility to be ambitious and act to address these challenges, he added. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Valley citrus growers are preparing for a cold night as temperatures in the Fresno area are forecast to dip to 37 degrees, bringing the potential for frost. "Tonight might be one of the first nights where we're really looking at some freezing temperatures," said Casey Creamer, president and CEO of California Citrus Mutual. While the forecasted low is not expected to cause major damage, Creamer said growers will be on alert. "Not at a level that's a major concern, but growers will be up; they'll be watching the temperatures," he said. Advertisement Advertisement To protect crops, some farmers may run water in orchards or turn on wind machines to keep temperatures from dropping too low. "Water will help keep the temperatures warmer in the orchards; also they might be turning on wind machines when it gets to a certain temperature," Creamer explained. Citrus trees can tolerate short periods of cold, Creamer said, but prolonged exposure below 28 degrees is worrisome. "It's a very fine line - below 32 you know, to 28 degrees, for shorter periods - we like that. You start to get below that and it starts to get a little bit more worrisome," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Despite the chill, Creamer noted the cold weather benefits the crop. "Citrus trees, it sort of helps them sort of rest. It helps the fruit sort of, you know, rest and the trees rest, so we've been looking forward to that. It's been a little bit later than normal, and so this is actually a really good thing," he said. The cold snap could have a greater impact on the region's unhoused population. Fresno city-run warming centers open when temperatures are forecast to drop below 35 degrees, typically from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., according to Fresno County's website. When those centers remain closed, some unhoused individuals resort to warming fires for heat. Advertisement Advertisement Homelessness was a key topic in Gov. Gavin Newsom's final State of the State address Thursday. "Overall, homelessness in the state, in the United States of America, went up 18.13 percent last year. California, 2025, unsheltered homeless, 9 percent reduction first time in almost two decades," Newsom said. Matthew Dildine, CEO of the Fresno Rescue Mission, questioned the governor's claim, calling it "highly suspect." He said some counties, including the one with the highest homeless rate per capita, did not submit any count. "It supports the belief, that the best way to lower the homeless population is just to change how you count," Dildine said. Advertisement Advertisement According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fresno County's most recent point-in-time homeless count recorded more than 27-hundred unhoused individuals between Fresno and Madera. For news updates, follow Christina Lopez on Facebook, X and Instagram. A man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend to death was extradited to the U.S. from Mexico after spending eight years on the run. Humberto Rodriguez Martinez, 39, of Anaheim, was wanted on a $2 million arrest warrant after he was charged with murdering Daniel Reyes, 32, in 2017, according to the Orange County District Attorneys Office. Martinez and his ex-girlfriend had broken up several months earlier, but continued to co-parent their two children together. Advertisement Advertisement On Oct. 17, 2017, Martinez and his friend Adan Zapot-Leyva, 28, of Anaheim, went to the womans apartment to babysit his two children while their mother went to work. The men left the apartment around 8:30 p.m. when the woman returned home from work. Humberto Rodriguez Martinez, 39, of Anaheim, is seen in a booking photo from the Orange County District Attorneys Office. The womans new boyfriend, Reyes, arrived at her apartment about 30 minutes later. Police were called to the intersection of Santa Ana Street and Helena Street after witnesses reported seeing two men chasing Reyes before one of them fatally stabbed him. The suspects fled before police arrived. Officers found Reyes suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Two days later, Zapot-Leyva was located and arrested. In 2023, he was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to one felony count of second-degree murder. Advertisement Advertisement Martinez reportedly fled to Mexico after the deadly stabbing and lived as a fugitive for years until he was located by Mexican authorities in 2024, prosecutors said. On Dec. 4, 2025, Martinez was extradited to the United States. Anaheim police homicide detectives took custody of Martinez from U.S. Marshals Service deputies at Los Angeles International Airport. Authorities said that although Martinez is a citizen of Mexico who was in the U.S. illegally at the time of the murder, he must remain in U.S. custody while his case is being litigated under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidelines. On Jan. 6, 2026, Rodriguez-Martinez pleaded not guilty in Orange County Superior Court. He is currently being held on no bail. Advertisement Advertisement This arrest does not undo the pain the victims family has endured, but it reinforces our commitment and promise to our community: we will never stop working until justice is served, said Anaheim Police Chief Manny Cid. The pursuit of justice will never be derailed by time or distance, said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. The long arm of Orange County law enforcement reaches to every corner of the earth to ensure the full weight of the law is felt by those who commit the most heinous acts of violence against other human beings. We are grateful for the incredible work of our investigators and prosecutors and of our partners, both domestic and international, for their assistance in tracking down a wanted murderer and bringing him back to Orange County to face the consequences of his actions. Multiple agencies were involved in the investigation and arrest, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Justices Office of International Affairs, the Anaheim Police Department and Mexican authorities. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Sandi Ridout has been protesting since the 1960s. Originally, as a young woman, the 73-year-old protested the Vietnam War. On Saturday, Jan. 10, she stood along Wilkinson Boulevard in Belmont and protested the Trump administration's immigration operations, particularly the killing of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was fatally shot in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, by an Immigration Customs Enforcement agent. "I am encouraged because of the crowd that is here today," Ridout said. "This week with the loss of life in Minnesota, I feel like it's even more important to show up and say that's not who we are and that's not who we will be." Advertisement Advertisement Ridout was protesting with the activist group Indivisible Gaston, which holds weekly protests in Gaston County. On Saturday, about 90 people showed up to protest, and the focus was on the shooting of Good, who told the agent who shot her, "I'm not mad at you," seconds before she was shot in the face. James Varner, who was shouting, "Abolish ICE," from the side of the road, said that the shooting of Good made him feel sick. "I hate seeing women get shot. I hate seeing children afraid to go to f-ing school," he said. He said that he has been particularly angry seeing the Trump administration attempt to tarnish Good's reputation in the wake of the shooting, calling her a terrorist. Diana Marenfeld holds her sign as she and other protesters gather at the intersection of Wilkinson Boulevard and Park Street in Belmont Saturday morning, Jan. 10, 2025, as they demonstrate against ICE and the recent killing of Renee Good. "That could be any of us. That could be my dad. That could be any of these people on this sidewalk. They could run us over, shoot us, call us a (expletive) terrorist," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Pam Morgenstern said that she attends Indivisible Gaston protests often because of the Trump administration's immigration operations. She said that she also was sickened by the videos of Good's death. "I couldn't sleep. I was sickened to the core. I couldn't sleep. The more videos I see, the worse it is," she said. "I saw a clip of the dog in the back seat. I saw the images of the children's toys on the floor down in the glovebox. I saw the airbag covered in blood. That just crushed me, everything about it crushed me because I thought that could have been me. Jessica Gordon and Jessica Butler hold their signs up as they and other protesters gather at the intersection of Wilkinson Boulevard and Park Street in Belmont Saturday morning, Jan. 10, 2025, as they demonstrate against ICE and the recent killing of Renee Good. "That could have been any one of us. I'm a white lady. I took that training She was doing everything by the book. That to me was a murder in cold blood right before our very eyes. Our eyes did not lie." Jackie Radford, one of the protest's organizers, said that Indivisible Gaston's intent is to protest what the group feels are constitutional and due process violations, although the focus of Saturday's protest was the shootings of both Good and another couple that was shot by ICE. Advertisement Advertisement "The primary tactic of a more authoritarian regime is fear and silence, and so we feel like coming out here challenges the fear and the silence we may be feeling, and we feel like it's the antidote to an authoritarian relationship," she said. The protest in Belmont was one of many held across the nation. Neighboring Cleveland County had a smaller protest on Jan. 8. This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston County residents protest ICE shooting California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday used his State of the State spotlight and a follow-up social media post to celebrate industry-specific minimum wage hikes and contrast them with far lower pay in many Republican-led states. Newsom Highlights Sector-Specific Wage Hikes Proudly In Address On X, Newsom wrote that he is "proud to work with the Legislature to raise the minimum wage to $20 for fast-food workers and $25 for health care workers." As governor, I'm proud to work with the Legislature to raise the minimum wage to $20 for fast-food workers and $25 for health care workers. Meanwhile, workers in red states still earn just $7.25 an hour. Try paying rent, raising a family, or affording an education on that. Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 8, 2026 Don't Miss: The AI Marketing Platform Backed by Insiders from Google, Meta, and Amazon Invest at $0.85/Share Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Heres how you can earn passive income with just $10, starting today. Advertisement Advertisement In Sacramento, Newsom echoed that message in his State of the State address, telling lawmakers, "Compare that to workers in Alabama, South Carolina, or Tennessee, and in 17 other states, working full-time at just $7.25 an hour, a minimum wage that hasn't been raised in nearly two decades. Try to pay the rent, raise a family, and pay for an education on that." California now has a statewide minimum wage of $16.90 per hour, with higher floors for certain sectors. Under laws signed by Newsom in 2023, fast-food workers at large chains earn at least $20 an hour, and healthcare workers are on a phased path toward $25, with higher rates already in effect at many facilities. California Leads On Wages Amid Economic Strains During his address, Newsom cast California as an antidote to President Donald Trump's agenda, arguing that the state continues to lead in manufacturing, technology, education, and agriculture, even as it pushes for aggressive worker protections. See Also: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100. But the governor's victory lap comes as the Golden State's finances tighten. After years of surpluses, California faces an estimated $18 billion deficit in the next budget year, and the state's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office warns that structural gaps could reach about $35 billion annually later this decade if spending continues to outpace revenue. Budget Plan Balances Ambition With Mounting Deficits Newsom, widely viewed as a likely 2028 presidential contender, is set to unveil a new budget plan aimed at closing the gap while defending progressive priorities, a balancing act that has previously drawn both praise from labor advocates and sharp criticism from business groups and commentators who argue that California's $20 fast-food wage and broader labor agenda are raising costs and pressuring employers. Read Next: Advertisement Advertisement Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shuttertsock.com 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. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga: This article Gavin Newsom 'Proud' Of California's $20 Fast Food Minimum Wage, Points Finger At Red State $7.25 An Hour Figure: Try Raising A Family On That originally appeared on Benzinga.com On Thursday, the Human Rights Campaign dedicated its headquarters in Washington, D.C. , to transgender military members and veterans, where people gathered to reckon with what advocates are calling one of the most consequential civil rights reversals in modern U.S. history. Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter. At the organizations Equality Forum, the day began with a policy panel titled Serving With Pride: The Future of LGBTQ+ Veterans Benefits & Recognition. It concluded with a retirement ceremony honoring five transgender service members whose distinguished careers were abruptly cut short by the Trump administrations renewed transgender military ban. An unprecedented retirement ceremony The official party entered the Equality Forum as retired Air Force Maj. Allison Hartsfield sang the national anthem, her voice echoing across a room filled with military families, advocates, and lawmakers. Roughly 200 people gathered for what would become one of the most unusual retirement ceremonies in modern U.S. military history. tammy smith opens ceremony Gen. Tammy Smith opens the retirement ceremony for five members of the U.S. military who were forced out because they are transgender. Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate Advertisement Advertisement Retired Maj. Gen. Tammy Smith, the master of ceremonies, stepped forward and formally called the room to order. Her opening words framed the moment not as routine, but as reckoning. This ceremony is unprecedented not because your careers fell short in any way, but because you shined so brightly in a military that cast you aside as unworthy, Smith told the room. Related: Air Force veteran stripped of retirement under Trump's transgender purge Related: Sarah McBride slams Republicans for blocking amendments on trans military service in defense bill She then yielded the podium to Shawn Skelly, a transgender retired commander and former assistant secretary of defense for readiness and a member of HRCs board, who welcomed the audience on behalf of the organization and warned that transgender service members have again become legal and political targets canaries in the coal mine of our democracy, she said as civil rights groups wage fresh court battles against the Trump administrations renewed ban. shawn skelly transgender service members Shawn Skelly addresses transgender service members at their retirement ceremony. Kevin Wolf/AP Content Services for Human Rights Campaign Advertisement Advertisement From there, the ceremony moved into a sequence of institutional acknowledgments that underscored the gravity of the moment. Congressman Mark Takano of California , the ranking Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, apologized to the retirees on behalf of the federal government. I am sorry this administration has chosen to target you for no reason other than cruelty, he said. mark takano transgender service members U.S. Rep. Mark Takano speaks to retiring transgender members of the U.S. military. Kevin Wolf/AP Content Services for Human Rights Campaign Congresswoman Sarah McBride of Delaware, the nations first out transgender member of Congress, followed, calling the policy that forced the retirees out immoral, unfair, and un-American, and reminding the room that service is not diminished by authenticity it is enhanced by it. Advertisement Advertisement Related: Trans service members have always been part of U.S. history Related: Air Force rescinds early retirement approvals for transgender service members kicked out by Trump Frank Kendall, who was secretary of the Air Force under the Biden administration, called the forced retirements a huge injustice and an enormous loss to the nation, telling the audience he had never participated in a retirement ceremony for service members who had not chosen to leave and who had failed no standard. sarah mcbride speaks hrc transgender military retirement U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride addressed the retiring transgender service members. Kevin Wolf/AP Content Services for Human Rights Campaign Advertisement Advertisement Presiding official retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal delivered senior remarks with stark simplicity. "I cant express my gratitude for all youve done," he told the retiring troops. He explained that the military is stronger when it represents the diversity of those it serves. "The purpose of our military is to defend our fellow citizens, McChrystal said. It is to provide a safe and secure environment for all the opportunities we want to give each other and our children and our grandchildren. And what that means is weve got to leverage every bit of talent that this nation has. We dont have the luxury of saying, youre too tall, youre too short, youre the wrong color, youre the wrong religion, youre the wrong sexual orientation.' We need the talent. We need the talent that shares the courage, commitment, and character to serve. Thats what we want our sons and daughters to follow. Those are the people we want shoulder to shoulder with us on the battlefield. Those are the values we want to communicate. This isnt complicated." Related: Transgender Air Force members sue Trump administration over revoked retirements transgender members of military Lt. Col. Erin Krizek (left), Commander Blake Dremann, Sergeant First Class Cathrine Schmid, Col. Bree Fram and Chief Petty Officer Jaida McGuire attend their retirement ceremony at the Human Rights Campaign. Kevin Wolf/AP Content Services for Human Rights Campaign Advertisement Advertisement Chief Petty Officer Jaida McGuire, whose 23-year Coast Guard career was formally ended in October, described the strange cruelty of being forced into retirement by the same institution now applauding her. She told the room she had delayed holding a ceremony because she did not want congratulations from the same voices that gave me the choice to retire or lose everything that I had earned, until HRC offered what she called a ceremony that I can truly be proud of. Being transgender never kept me from deploying, McGuire said. I never failed to fulfill my duties. Sgt. 1st Class Cathrine Schmid, who spent two decades in Army intelligence and counterterrorism roles, spoke of integrity as an obligation. Twenty years of showing, maintaining, and keeping the standard, not because its some abstract rule written on a page, but because it protects the people who sign their name on the line, she said. cathrine schmid receives flag Cathrine Schmid receives an American flag to mark her retirement from the U.S.Army. Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate Advertisement Advertisement Air Force Lt. Col. Erin Krizek said she was being separated not because my performance, commitment, or ideals have been found lacking, but because the policy changed on who could serve. Navy Cmdr. Blake Dremann reflected on the militarys long arc from the repeal of "dont ask, dont tell" to women in submarines and warned against reversing progress. Pushing the assumptions and navigating change is challenging, often exhausting, but deeply engaging, he said. And Col. Bree Fram, a Space Force officer and aerospace engineer who helped shape joint space requirements and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, closed the recognition with words that would echo long after the applause faded. jada mcguire receives American flag Jaida McGuire receives an American flag to mark her retirement from the U.S. Coast Guard. Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate Advertisement Advertisement Our uniforms are not coming off because we failed in our duty, Fram said. They are coming off because we did it so well that what we represented could not be hidden away. She paused. We may be done with our military service. We are not done serving. The ceremony concluded with a saber-sheathing ritual and the reading of The Watch, before the official party departed and guests moved quietly into a reception, carrying with them the unmistakable truth that the careers honored that afternoon had not ended by choice, but by decree. erin krizek receives american flag Erin Krizek receives an American flag to mark her retirement from the U.S. Air Force. Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate We needed this: What the retirees told The Advocate afterward Minutes after the formal program ended, the five retirees gathered quietly with their families in the lobby outside the Equality Forum. The medals had been pinned. The photographs were finished. What remained was the ache of finality and, for many, the first chance to speak plainly about what the day had meant. Advertisement Advertisement Fram, her family pressing close, said the ceremony had been both a privilege and a reminder of those who were denied even this last measure of dignity. This moment was denied to so many, Fram told The Advocate. There are so many others that didnt get what we got today they got nothing but a kick-out door. She said the ceremonys pageantry stood in stark contrast to the way many transgender service members were dismissed: quietly, abruptly, and without recognition. blake dremann receives flag Blake Dremann eceives an American flag to mark his retirement from the U.S. Navy. Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate For Krizek, the ceremony offered a sense of closure she had not known how to claim. Advertisement Advertisement The culmination of a career like this was very disheartening, she said. I didnt know how to have a retirement ceremony after this happened. She said HRCs decision to host the ceremony allowed the retirees to come together in such a way as a family, and reminded her that theres still a lot of fight to be had. McGuire said the ceremony crystallized what many had long hoped would be reversed. There was always this running thought that maybe theyll change it and theyll call us back, she said. When they were reading The Watch, thats when it really hit me the finality of it. But she added that the shared experience was also comforting. Im not alone. I have these wonderful people here who are all going through the same thing. Dremann described a complicated mix of grief and resolve. bree fram with u.s. flag Bree Fram receives an American flag to mark her retirement from the U.S. Space Force. Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate Im relieved, he said, explaining that he plans to continue public service in civilian roles similar to the work he performed on active duty. But it feels good to see shipmates, friends, family people whove been with us since the beginning come out to celebrate with us. For Schmid, who had spent seven months in administrative limbo before her retirement became official, the ceremony provided something no memo ever had: closure. This feels like some kind of closure, she said. I needed this so I could move on. She described the significance of hearing McChrystal tell her he was proud of her. I wouldnt have been the same without it. Later, when asked about the families gathered in the room spouses, children, parents, and lifelong friends the retirees returned to a shared refrain: that their service had mattered. transgender military retirees Blake Dremann (left), Cathrine Schmid, Bree Fram, Erin Krizek and Jaida McGuire pose for a photo after their retirement ceremony at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters in Washington, D.C. Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate Our service mattered, Dremann said. Its our country too. He said the ceremony allowed his family to witness the arc of his career, and ahe ffirmed that it may be the end of our service in uniform, but its not the end of our service. Krizek noted that some colleagues who are still in the military stayed away out of fear that being seen at the ceremony could jeopardize their own careers a reality, she said, that demonstrates how much remains at stake. Still, she said, the outpouring of messages afterward left her very touched. transgender service member retirement kissing wife Kevin Wolf/AP Content Services for Human Rights Campaign McGuire framed the legacy of their service in simpler terms. Our service matters if for no other reason than the fact that we have left a trail of thousands of people that we have mentored, she said. We defended the Constitution, even when the very rights that allow people to criticize us were being used against us. Fram gathered the group together as the conversation wound down. We may be done with our military service, she said softly, echoing her words from the stage. But we are not done serving. A morning call to action The morning panel discussion underscored the breadth of harm the ban has inflicted not only on service members but on their families and communities. shawn skelly LGBTQ+ advocates join the Human Rights Campaign for a discussion about transgender people's service in the U.S. armed forces. Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate Former Army infantry officer Kara Corcoran, now executive director of Sparta Pride, pointed to the wealth of evidence that transgender troops historically met and in many cases exceeded the same readiness and performance standards as their peers. Its unfathomable that we would kick qualified Americans out, Corcoran told attendees, criticizing the ban as a political decree rather than a decision grounded in troop effectiveness. Ashley Carothers, executive director of the Modern Military Association of America, warned that the policys consequences extend beyond dismissals. Families, she said, are leaving the military voluntarily because they can no longer secure safe access to medical care for loved ones in many states. Its not just that theyre kicking people out, Carothers said. People are choosing to leave because they cant take care of themselves. hrc equality forum on transgender military service LGBTQ+ advocates join the Human Rights Campaign for a discussion about transgender people's service in the U.S. armed forces. Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate West Point graduate and longtime equality advocate Sue Fulton described the current policy as part of a painful historical pattern in which the military needlessly wastes talent a reference to past exclusionary policies from banning women from combat to dont ask, dont tell. Panelists urged Congress to codify nondiscrimination protections into federal law , rather than relying on executive orders that future presidents can unravel a point that resonated loudly given what unfolded later in the day. A reversal of nearly a decade of progress On January 20, 2025, the first day of his second presidency, Trump signed Executive Order 14168, titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. The directive rescinded federal recognition of gender identity, required that all federal documents and programs reflect a strict male or female binary based on sex assigned at birth, and ended federal funding for gender-affirming care in many programs. A week later, on January 27, Trump signed Executive Order 14183, Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness, which directed the Department of Defense to rewrite military policy to exclude anyone who is trans. The order asserted that identifying as transgender conflicts with a soldiers commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in ones personal life, and charged the Pentagon with redefining eligibility standards accordingly. Within weeks, the Defense Department issued policy guidance that disqualified anyone with a current diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria from serving, and paused all gender-affirming medical care within military medical facilities. Thousands of transgender troops found themselves in uncertainty, as the Pentagon began to identify personnel subject to separation. Early memoranda promised honorable characterizations of service and a choice of voluntary early retirement, but only within narrow deadlines. Legal challenges sprang up almost immediately. Civil rights groups filed suits alleging that the policy violated the Constitutions equal protection guarantees. At times, federal district courts issued nationwide preliminary injunctions blocking enforcement of the ban. But in May 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to lift those injunctions and let the policy take effect while appeals proceed, clearing the way for the Pentagon to begin removing transgender service members from the force. By mid-summer, the policy had been implemented across all branches, with administrative separation boards identifying and discharging transgender military members whose careers had previously been protected. The Pentagon has not publicly released the number of transgender service members separated under the policy. This article originally appeared on Advocate: Gen. Stanley McChrystal presides over historic farewell for five transgender troops forced into retirement RELATED SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. - The latest movement to resist President Donald Trumps immigration agenda didnt announce itself with protest signs, chanted slogans or bullhorns. It arose inside a dimly lit assembly room in this Republican stronghold about 45 miles east of Atlanta, where residents voiced their anger over a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plan to convert a local warehouse into one of the nations largest immigrant detention centers. Im supportive of the president, but I dont particularly want this, Victor Crawley, 57, said in an interview after the town hall discussion. The city learned about the plans from a recent report in The Washington Post but has heard nothing from federal officials. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Advertisement Advertisement Crawley, like many at the Tuesday night gathering, doesnt see the logic in his small town of 5,000 people being saddled with a massive facility holding up to 9,000 migrants at a time, as outlined in an internal ICE document. Social Circles water and sewer systems are already near capacity. The town usually has only two or three police officers on duty. And residents have raised concerns that the warehouse most likely to be used for the project is a 20-minute walk from the towns elementary school. The frustrations in Social Circle reflect the confusion and unease in many of the 23 towns and cities across the country where the administration plans to convert warehouses into immigrant detention centers. A draft solicitation the federal government prepared for potential contractors suggests that these facilities would have the capacity for 1,500 to 10,000 people each. While Trump critics have attacked the warehouse plan as an example of his administrations inhumane treatment of migrants, the plan is now fomenting backlash from communities that supported Trumps reelection but say their towns cannot support large-scale detention. Advertisement Advertisement In Roxbury, New Jersey, an area Trump won by three percentage points in 2024, residents have packed municipal meetings and staged outdoor protests, hoping to persuade elected leaders to take a stand against what they see as a federal incursion into their community. In Jefferson, Georgia, part of a county Trump won by 55 points, Mayor Dawn Maddox says she wouldnt support a detention center because of possible safety concerns that could affect our citizens and our school system. And in Orange County, New York, where Trump won by eight points, local officials have voiced opposition to the federal government buying a warehouse because that could remove the building from the citys tax revenue. We would prefer something on the tax rolls like a film studio, Rebecca Sheehan, a spokeswoman for Orange County, said in an emailed statement. ICE says in its internal document that it aims to create a streamlined system of processing centers that will feed into large-scale warehouses where people will be prepared for deportation. Currently, immigrants are shuffled between more than 200 facilities across the country based mainly on where bed space is available, according to interviews with former ICE officials. Advertisement Advertisement But the government has not yet publicly confirmed any details about the project, including how officials selected the cities on the list, whether they plan to buy or lease the industrial buildings, and how quickly they plan to convert them into detention centers capable of housing people. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said in an email that the department has no new detention centers to announce at this time but that the planned projects are not warehouses - they are detention facilities. While we cannot get into contract specifics, Secretary [Kristi L.] Noem has stated that she is willing to work with officials on both sides of the aisle to expand detention space to help ICE law enforcement carry out the largest deportation effort in American history, McLaughlin said. The Post contacted the local governments in all 23 cities on ICEs list. Many said they had not heard anything from federal officials about the plans to develop detention warehouses and could not yet comment on those plans. But some said they will try to block the facilities. Advertisement Advertisement ICE has long faced local opposition in the places where it operates detention centers, but few towns have successfully stopped their development. Rick Su, a law professor at the University of North Carolina who researches the intersection between local government and immigration policies, said courts have frequently sided with the federal governments authority to circumvent local laws when it can argue that those ordinances obstruct its ability to carry out federal policy. Thats kind of the big challenge youre going up against, Su said. The federal government is considered immune or supreme versus any state or local regulation. But, he added, local laws may sometimes be enforced when they affect the federal government without blocking its actions. Last year, a state court in Kansas temporarily stopped CoreCivic from reopening a former prison as an ICE detention center after the town of Leavenworth claimed that the company had not obtained proper permits. CoreCivic sued Leavenworth, arguing that the citys zoning laws obstructed the company from carrying out federal policies, but a federal judge threw out the lawsuit, saying it had no standing in federal court. Advertisement Advertisement In December, CoreCivic applied for a special-use permit from Leavenworth. In an email, CoreCivic spokesman Ryan Gustin said the company still believes it should be allowed to operate without the permit, but it is assessing all available avenues, including by filing for the permit. The city will review the application in a planning commission hearing next month. Social Circle city manager Eric Taylors phone hasnt stopped buzzing since Christmas week, amid a flurry of media reports, social media posts and panicked calls to officials in a community where rows of Queen Anne-style homes are punctuated by farms and distribution centers. People in online forums accused local officials of hiding information from the public about ICEs plans. Taylor said in an interview that couldnt be further from the truth: Even after calling the offices of his congressman, two senators and Gov. Brian Kemp (R), he could not confirm any facts about the project. Advertisement Advertisement Based on his own research, Taylor said, he believes the only available building that could house that many people is a vacant 1 million-square-foot warehouse on the edge of town that was completed last year. Shane Short, who runs the economic development authority of surrounding Walton County, had been helping to market the property to prospective buyers. Short said the buildings owner, PNK Group, asked him to take down promotional videos of the building from a county website in November. The following month, PNK applied with the city to subdivide the property in preparation for a sale, according to a copy of the application Taylor shared with The Post. The document does not say the name of the buyer or anything about their intended use of the building. Ilissa Miller, an outside spokeswoman for PNK, said in a statement that the developer agreed to keep the identity of the prospective buyer confidential. The building is actively being offered for sale and several potential buyers have expressed interest, Miller said in an email. Because this is a sales transaction, any future use of the property will be determined solely by the eventual purchaser and will be subject to the required local review and approval processes. Advertisement Advertisement Late last month, Social Circles government, which is led by a mayor and four elected city council members, posted a statement on Facebook calling the plan for a detention facility infeasible. According to city data Taylor shared with The Post, the town is permitted to pump up to 1 million gallons of water per day, and for much of the year, its peak usage is already above 800,000 gallons. Were not taking a political position on this, he said. Our position is, we simply do not have the infrastructure to support it. Social Circles city council could deny PNKs request for a subdivision when the matter goes before the council later this month, Taylor said. But he added that there is little the town can do to enforce local land-use laws if the federal government buys the property itself. The feeling of powerlessness among residents was captured during a prayer led by Nathan Boyd, a city council member and local pastor, at the conclusion of the town hall meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Lord, we need your help to overcome this, Boyd told the gathering. It feels a little bit like David and Goliath. - - - Jonathan OConnell, Aaron Schaffer and Clara Ence Morse contributed to this report. Douglas MacMillan can be reached securely on Signal at douglasmac.02 Related Content This is war: In texts, U-Va. board members plot with Youngkin, decry DEI Despite Gaza ceasefire, war still deadly along Israels Yellow Line Phones ruled their lives. A new college class helped them break free. A teenage girl who was physically and sexually abused for a decade has filed a lawsuit against Childnet, accusing the agency of placing her in an abusive home without properly vetting her caregivers, even though a registered sex offender was living in the home. Three people are awaiting trial on charges of physically and psychologically abusing the victim, now 17. Latricia Crawley, 48, Benjamin Lockett, 48 and Shankyria Clayton, 22, have not been accused of sexual abuse; the lawsuit filed on the victims behalf by her attorney ad litem identifies two members of Crawleys family as sexual abusers of the victim. Neither has been criminally charged. Abuse charges against a fourth defendant, Treaunshae Gibbons, Craqwleys daughter, were dropped, though she is still facing trial for alleged failure to report abuse. Advertisement Advertisement Childnet and a co-defendant, the Partnership for Community Health, have each filed motions to dismiss the girls lawsuit. The Broward Sheriffs Office, which ran child investigations for the Department of Children and Families at the time, has not filed for a dismissal and issued a statement Friday that they do not comment on pending litigation. She suffered 10 years of abuse and neglect in this home, said Stacie Schmerling, attorney for the plaintiff. The Sheriffs Office and Childnet placed her in this home without properly vetting it, causing her years of harm. Schmerling cited BSO reports showing apparent knowledge that the girl was being physically harmed and scarred. But she was not removed from the home until October 2023, when she sent a message to her online teacher asking for police intervention. Lockett was eventually charged with child abuse without great bodily harm for, allegedly, punching the girl in the head, causing her to hit her head on the corner of a desk. Officers saw a bloody and swollen cut on the left side of the girls head from the punch. Lockett punched the girl because he thought she ate candy, the affidavit said, and he threatened not to feed her for a week after he saw what she texted her teacher. Advertisement Advertisement According to the lawsuit, the Broward Sheriffs Office and Childnet should have known from a background check that the girl should not have been placed in Crawleys and Locketts Margate home. There was a grandfather figure who was living in the home who was a registered sex offender, Schmerling said. The lawsuit accuses the man of sexually abusing the victim starting when she was just 6 years old in 2014. Thus far he has not been charged with a crime. She identified another sexual abuser as Crawleys son, though he, too has not been charged. To protect the girls identity, the lawsuit does not specify how she came into the care of Crawley and Lockett. Their trial dates, and Claytons, have not been set. Michael Weinstein, Crawleys lawyer, told the Sun Sentinel Friday that she denies the allegations and is looking forward to being exonerated at trial. Advertisement Advertisement According to the lawsuit, filed Oct. 24, the victim went on to be placed in several group homes after she was removed from Crawleys and Locketts home. At those homes, she was repeatedly assaulted and became a victim of human trafficking, according to the lawsuit. There is no date scheduled to hear the defense motions to dismiss. Childnets motion includes the fact that some of the allegations raised in the lawsuit date back to 2014 and have passed the statute of limitations for legal action. Plaintiff had a parent, guardian ad litem, attorney ad litem, and child advocate from the date that she was in the child welfare system. Therefore, any of plaintiffs claims arising on or before Oct. 24, 2021, are barred by the statute of limitations and must be dismissed, the agencys attorneys wrote. Plaintiff has failed to plead sufficient facts to sustain claims for negligence. Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Soybeans are showing 3 to 6 cent losses so far on Thursday. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price is 5 1/2 cents lower at $9.88 . Soymeal futures are showing nearby contracts within 50 cents of unchanged at midday, with Soy Oil futures 7 to 17 points lower on the day. There were 142 deliveries issued against January soybeans overnight, with 70 issued for bean oil. A private export sale of 132,000 MT of soybeans were reported as sold to China by the USDA this morning. More News from Barchart USDA tallied 877,914 MT of soybean sold in the week ending on January 1 in this mornings Export Sales report, on the lower side of expectations of between 0.75-1.3 MMT for 2025/26. That was a 7-week low but well above the same week last year. Soybean meal bookings were just 158,143 MT, which made their way into the estimated 100,000-350,000 MT. Soybean oil sales were 24,874 MT, which was near the top end of the 0-30,000 MT expectations. October exports were tallied at 5.264 MMT (197.1 mbu) according to Census, down 43.05% from last year and the lowest since 2008/09. Soybean meal exports were up 5.7% from the previous month at a record 1.393 MMT for October. Crop Production data will be released on Monday, with the annual report expected to show the final 2025 soybean yield estimate at 52.7 bpa. Production is pegged at 4.23 bbu according to a Bloomberg survey of analysts. Jan 26 Soybeans are at $10.49 1/2, down 3 1/4 cents, Nearby Cash is at $9.88 1/4, down 5 1/2 cents, Mar 26 Soybeans are at $10.61 1/2, down 5 1/2 cents, May 26 Soybeans are at $10.73 1/4, down 5 1/2 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 A GoFundMe campaign to support the family of Renee Nicole Good, the Minneapolis woman killed in a Jan. 7 shooting by an ICE agent, has closed after raising more than $1.5 million. The campaign was started hours after Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot while in her Honda Pilot SUV at an immigration enforcement operation on a residential street near her Minneapolis home. After the campaign collected $1,503,533 from more than 38,500 donations, the organizers posted a note thanking contributors for their generosity. "Weve closed this GoFundMe and will place the funds in a trust for the family," the note said. "If youre looking to donate, we encourage you to support others in need. Were truly grateful." Advertisement Advertisement The GoFundMe page has also been updated with a statement Good's wife, Rebecca Good, had given to Minnesota Public Radio in which she said the two found themselves at the operation because they "stopped to support our neighbors" before Renee Good was fatally shot. "We had whistles. They had guns," Rebecca Good said. People take part in a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York on Jan. 7, 2026 after an ICE officer shot dead a woman in Minneapolis. A person holds a sign following the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman who was shot in her car by a U.S. immigration agent, according to local and federal officials, in Minneapolis, as Altadena community members gather at an event marking the first anniversary of the devastating Eaton Fire, in Altadena, Calif. on Jan. 7, 2026. About 400 of those who gathered at night in near-freezing temperature on Jan. 7 near the site where a woman was allegedly shot by an ICE officer earlier in the day in Minneapolis continue chanting and walking down East Lake Street. People demonstrate against ICE during a vigil honoring a woman who was shot and killed by an immigration officer earlier in the day in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 7, 2026. An immigration officer in Minneapolis shot dead a woman Wednesday, triggering outrage from local leaders even as US President Donald Trump claimed the officer acted in self-defense. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey deemed the government's allegation that the woman was attacking federal agents "bullshit," and called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducting a second day of mass raids to leave Minneapolis. Demonstrators gather at a vigil after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a U.S. citizen on Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. People gather Jan. 7 in south Minneapolis, where a woman was allegedly shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. On Jan. 7, a home near where a woman was allegedly shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent as a sign that speaks against ICE being in Minneapolis. People take part in a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York on Jan. 7, 2026 after an ICE officer shot dead a woman in Minneapolis. A Border Patrol federal looks at demonstrators, at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city, outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. People protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. Border Patrol federal agents detain a demonstrator at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. People protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A man protests against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a picture of Renee Nicole Good as people protest against the fatal shooting of Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A federal agent gestures towards a demonstrator at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A federal agent speaks to detained demonstrators, during a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city, outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A woman protests against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A man protests against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A medic assists a man at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator faces a Border Patrol federal agent at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A woman holds a banner, as demonstrators take part in a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city, outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. Demonstrators stand amid tear gas as they take part in a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city, outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a sign referring to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a protest march in Lower Manhattan against increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a sign during an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. Demonstrators take part in an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a sign during an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a sign referring to the fatal shooting of the driver Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on January 7, during an anti-ICE protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. Demonstrators carry signs during an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. Voces De La Frontera held a protest in front of ICE headquarters on East Knapp Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Jan. 7, 2026. A demonstrator hands out signs during a vigil following a shooting by an ICE agent during federal law enforcement operations on Jan. 7, 2026 in Minneapolis. According to federal officials, an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good during a confrontation earlier today in south Minneapolis. People take part in a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York on Jan. 7, 2026 after an ICE officer shot dead a woman in Minneapolis. About 400 of those who gathered at night in near-freezing temperature on Jan. 7 near the site where a woman was allegedly shot by an ICE officer earlier in the day in Minneapolis continue chanting and walking down East Lake Street. See ICE protests around country sparked after Minnesota shooting death 1 of 32 People take part in a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York on Jan. 7, 2026 after an ICE officer shot dead a woman in Minneapolis. ICE protests: US cities brace for weekend protests after shootings by immigration agents: Live Nationwide protests planned after shooting death of Renee Good In the aftermath of the shooting death of Good, more than 1,000 anti-ICE protests are scheduled nationwide for Saturday, Jan. 10, and Sunday, Jan. 11. At the same time, additional video showing the ICE agent's perspective of the incident, didn't seem to calm tensions about the shooting's cause. Advertisement Advertisement Vice President JD Vance said the video showed the officer had acted in self defense, while critics including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer thought the new video demonstrated that Good's shooting was unwarranted. Also on Friday, Jan. 9, court records led to the identification of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent involved in the shooting as Jonathan Ross, a U.S. Army veteran and former Border Patrol agent. 'Kindness radiated' from Renee Good, her wife says In the statement, Rebecca Good also thanked contributors to the fund. "First, I want to extend my gratitude to all the people who have reached out from across the country and around the world to support our family," Good said. "This kindness of strangers is the most fitting tribute because if you ever encountered my wife, Renee Nicole Macklin Good, you know that above all else, she was kind. In fact, kindness radiated out of her." An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026. Renee Good was a mother of three: a 15-year-old daughter and two sons, ages 12 and 6, according to The Washington Post. She lived just a few blocks from where she was fatally shot, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. Advertisement Advertisement "Renee leaves behind three extraordinary children; the youngest is just six years old and already lost his father," Rebecca Good's statement continued. "I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way." More than two dozen other GoFundMe campaigns list Renee Good's name; the fundraising site's Trust and Safety team is reviewing all fundraisers related to the shooting in Minneapolis, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Renee Nicole Good GoFundMe campaign closed at $1.5 million An online campaign meant to financially support the family of Renee Nicole Good the US woman shot to death Wednesday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent raised more than $1.5m before organizers closed it Friday. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, said the page of the GoFundMe campaign benefiting Goods family, which also explained the money raised would be placed in a trust. We are here brokenhearted and in awe of your generosity. The campaigns initial goal was $50,000. In a substantial show of public support, the campaign verified by GoFundMe as legitimate had generated more than 30 times that amount when it was closed Friday. Contributions came from roughly 38,500 donors who were asked on the fundraising platform to support the widow and family of Renee Good as they grapple with the devastating loss of their wife and mother. Advertisement Advertisement Related: Renee Nicole Good said Im not mad at you before ICE agent shot her, video shows Renee was pure sunshine, pure love, a message from the fundraisers organizers said. She will be desperately missed. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot to death as she tried to drive her car away from federal agents conducting an immigration sweep in Minneapolis at the behest of the Trump administration. Video taken by the agent who shot Good showed her saying everything was fine and Im not mad at you while he approached and she was behind the wheel of a car stopped across a street. Then a different ICE officer demanded she open her door and grabbed its handle. Good began pulling forward to drive away and slowly brushed the first officer, who was easily able to retain his balance. Advertisement Advertisement The officer at that point shot Good multiple times, fatally wounding her while a voice on video is heard saying: Fucking bitch. The ICE agent who killed Good has been identified as Jonathan E Ross. In June, he had been dragged by a vehicle while participating in the arrest of an undocumented immigrant with an open ICE detainer and a criminal conviction for sexually assaulting his 16-year-old stepdaughter in 2022. Minnesota officials and residents have sharply rebuked the Trump administrations narrative that Good was engaging in domestic terrorism when Ross killed her. Notably, Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey implored ICE to get the fuck out of the city. Some congressional Democrats have threatened to withhold funding for the Department of Homeland Security that contains ICE. Thousands have protested near the site of Goods killing, which was less than a mile from where Minneapolis police murdered George Floyd in plain view of a cellphone camera five years earlier, igniting worldwide protests. Advertisement Advertisement Goods widow, Rebecca Good, who witnessed her wifes killing, published a statement on the GoFundMe saying the kindness of strangers is the most fitting tribute for Renee. Rebecca Good said she and her wife were supporting their neighbors amid the ICE sweep at the time of Renees killing. We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, all of us deserve compassion and kindness, Rebecca Goods statement said. Renee lived this belief every day. Civil rights demonstrators in Los Angeles on the eve of the 1960 Democratic National Convention, including Martin Luther King Jr., lower right. (CBS via Getty Images) One of the most important political stories in American history one that is particularly germane to our current, tumultuous time unfolded in Los Angeles some 65 years ago. Sen. John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, had just received his partys nomination for president and in turn he shunned the desires of his most liberal supporters by choosing a conservative out of Texas as his running mate. He did so in large part to address concerns that his faith would somehow usurp his oath to uphold the Constitution. The last time the Democrats nominated a Catholic New York Gov. Al Smith in 1928 he lost in a landslide, so folks were more than a little jittery about Kennedys chances. I am fully aware of the fact that the Democratic Party, by nominating someone of my faith, has taken on what many regard as a new and hazardous risk, Kennedy told the crowd at the Memorial Coliseum. But I look at it this way: The Democratic Party has once again placed its confidence in the American people, and in their ability to render a free, fair judgment. Advertisement Advertisement The most important part of the story is what happened before Kennedy gave that acceptance speech. While his faith made party leaders nervous, they were downright afraid of the impact a civil rights protest during the Democratic National Convention could have on Novembers election. This was 1960. The year began with Black college students challenging segregation with lunch counter sit-ins across the Deep South, and by spring the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee had formed. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was not the organizer of the protest at the convention, but he planned to be there, guaranteeing media attention. To try to prevent this whole scene, the most powerful Black man in Congress was sent to stop him. The Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was also a warrior for civil rights, but the House representative preferred the legislative approach, where backroom deals were quietly made and his power most concentrated. He and King wanted the same things for Black people. But Powell who was first elected to Congress in 1944, the same year King enrolled at Morehouse College at the age of 15 was threatened by the younger mans growing influence. He was also concerned that his inability to stop the protest at the convention would harm his chance to become chairman of a House committee. And so Powell the son of a preacher, and himself a Baptist preacher in Harlem told King that if he didnt cancel, Powell would tell journalists a lie that King was having a homosexual affair with his mentor, Bayard Rustin. King stuck to his plan and led a protest even though such a rumor would not only have harmed King, but also would have undermined the credibility of the entire civil rights movement. Remember, this was 1960. Before the March on Washington, before passage of the Voting Rights Act, before the dismantling of the very Jim Crow laws Powell had vowed to dismantle when first running for office. Advertisement Advertisement That threat, my friends, is the most important part of the story. Its not that Powell didnt want the best for the country. Its just that he wanted to be seen as the one doing it and was willing to derail the good stemming from the civil rights movement to secure his own place in power. There have always been people willing to make such trade-offs. Sometimes they dress up their intentions with scriptures to make it more palatable; other times they play on our darkest fears. They do not care how many people get hurt in the process, even if its the same people they profess to care for. That was true in Los Angeles in 1960. That was true in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. Advertisement Advertisement That is true in the streets of America today. Whether we are talking about an older pastor who is threatened by the growing influence of a younger voice or a president clinging to office after losing an election: To remain king, some men are willing to burn the entire kingdom down. YouTube: @LZGrandersonShow If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Danish officials next week to discuss the fate of Greenland - a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark that President Donald Trump says he needs for national security. The vast island finds itself in the eye of a geopolitical storm with Trump's name on it and people here are clearly unnerved. Yet when you fly in, it looks so peaceful. Ice and snow-capped mountains stretch as far as the eye can see, interrupted here and there by glittering fjords - all between the Arctic and the Atlantic Oceans. Advertisement Advertisement It is said to sit on top of the world; much of it above the Arctic Circle. Greenland is nine times the size of the UK but it only has 57,000 inhabitants, most of them indigenous Inuit. The scene on a snowy street in Nuuk, Greenland's capital city [BBC] You find the biggest cluster of Greenlanders on the south-western coast in the capital, Nuuk. We arrived there as a frozen twilight was creeping across snow-covered pedestrian streets. Parents dragged their children home from school on sledges, and students mooched their way in and out of brightly-lit malls. Few wanted to talk to us about the Trump-related angst here. Those who did sounded very gloomy. One pensioner banged his walking stick on the ground in emphasis as he told me the US must never plant its flag in Greenland's capital. Advertisement Advertisement A lady who said she was mistrustful of everyone these days, and didn't give her name, admitted she was "scared to death" about the prospect of Trump taking the island by force after she watched his military intervention in Venezuela. Pilu Chemnitz (left) says Greenlanders "just want to be left alone" [BBC] Meanwhile, 20-something pottery-maker Pilu Chemnitz said: "I think we are all very tired of the US president. We have always lived a quiet and peaceful life here. "Of course, the colonisation by Denmark caused a lot of trauma for many people but we just want to be left alone." Never mind opposing a takeover by the US, which 85% of Greenlanders say they do, most also say they favour independence from Denmark - although many tell me they also appreciate the subsidies coming from there that help prop up their welfare state. While rich in untapped natural resources, poverty is a real issue here in Inuit communities. Advertisement Advertisement Overall, Greenlanders want a bigger, louder say, not only in their domestic policies, but in foreign affairs too. I went to the island's modest-looking parliament, the body of it built in a Scandinavian style with wooden slats and painted the same burnished red as the Greenlandic flags fluttering by the entrance. No security checks. All pretty relaxed. Except for the roaring polar bear emblem - a symbol of Greenland, etched onto every sliding glass doors we pass. Pipaluk Lynge-Rasmussen hopes Marco Rubio's talks next week with Danish officials "will end with understanding and compromise" [BBC] I was there to meet Pipaluk Lynge-Rasmussen, co-chair of the foreign affairs committee in parliament. She is an MP with the pro-independence Inuit Ataqatigiit party that is part of the coalition government here. Advertisement Advertisement "I think it's very important for us to speak out about what we want as a people," she told me. "We have always worked towards independence when we got home rule in 1979 and more independence in 2009." I asked Lynge-Rasmussen if she felt that big global powers - the US, Denmark, Nato, and the EU - were talking a lot about Greenland right now, rather than to the islanders about their fate. She nodded vigorously. Surprisingly, perhaps, she blames Denmark more than she blames Trump for overlooking Greenlanders' wants and needs. Even though Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, she says, she feels they have always been treated like second-class citizens. Advertisement Advertisement But Lynge-Rasmussen insisted that Greenlanders should not see themselves as victims in the current situation. Instead, she suggests they use the international spotlight now on them to show off their importance and push for their priorities. What of the meeting next week with Rubio, I asked? "I hope the meeting will end with understanding and compromise," she answered. "Maybe doing business with [the US] from here maybe co-operating on trade, or mining, having more American [military] bases on Greenland, perhaps?" Under a bilateral agreement with Denmark dating back to 1951 the US may bring as many US troops as it wants to Greenland. Advertisement Advertisement This has left European allies wondering out loud why Trump feels the need to "take" the island unilaterally: whether buying it - seemingly Washington's preferred option, or encouraging Greenlanders to vote in a plebiscite to become part of the US, or taking Greenland by force, something the Trump administration has refused to rule out. It wouldn't take much flexing of military muscles. Greenland has few trained soldiers and no military bases of its own. Trump and US Vice-President JD Vance justify their need to "take" Greenland because they say Denmark doesn't do enough to secure the island. Copenhagen disputes this. It's also worth noting that the US already has a military base on Greenland - and it chose to radically reduce its presence there from about 10,000 personnel during peak Cold War times to some 200 now. Advertisement Advertisement The US has long taken its eye off Arctic security, until recently. Trump's keen interest in the island is likely a mix of: perceived national security concerns a hunger for the rich natural resources Greenland boasts, including rare earths and minerals and his loudly-trumpeted desire to dominate the Americas. Snow-covered houses in Nuuk at nighttime [BBC] Geographically Greenland is part of North America. It's closer to New York City by about 1,000 miles (1,609 km) than to Copenhagen. This should give Greenlanders pause for thought, opposition MP Pele Broberg of the Naleraq Party told me. He said people were scared of what Trump would do to Greenland because they were misinformed, largely because of media hysteria. Advertisement Advertisement "It's true, we are not for sale - but we are open for business. Or we should be. "Right now we are a colony. We are made to import our goods from Denmark: 4,000km away, rather than from the US which is much closer." Broberg described his organisation as the island's true independence party, pushing he says for freedom, so Greenlanders can trade, on their terms, with any party or country they choose: the US, Denmark or others. But right now, the US is making demands, rather than business deals between equals. So what exactly are the national security priorities Trump sees in Greenland? Advertisement Advertisement Briefly put: the shortest route for a Russian ballistic missile to reach continental US is Greenland and the North Pole. Washington DC already has an early warning air base on the island - but Greenland could serve as a base for missile interceptors as part of the Trump administration's proposed "Golden Dome" system: a plan to shield the US from all missile attacks. The US has also reportedly discussed placing radars in waters connecting Greenland, Iceland and the UK - the so-called GIUK Gap. That's a gateway for Chinese and Russian vessels that Washington wants to track. There is no evidence to the naked eye when you are in Greenland to back Trump's recent assertions that there are lots of Chinese and Russian ships currently around the island. And last week Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian criticised Washington for "using the so-called 'China threat' as a pretext for itself to seek selfish gains" in the Arctic. But Russia and China have been expanding their military capabilities, and have beefed up their co-operation elsewhere in the region - with joint naval patrols and co-developing new shipping routes. Under pressure from western sanctions over Ukraine, Moscow is keen to ship more to Asia. Beijing is looking for shorter, more lucrative maritime routes to Europe. The northern sea route is becoming easier to navigate due to melting ice, and Greenland opened its representation office in Beijing in 2023 in pursuit of deeper ties with China. When it comes to Arctic security, Nato allies hope to persuade Washington that they are serious. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reportedly spoke more than once to the US president last week, telling him that Europe will step up its presence even further in the region. He's also been urging European leaders to increase their cooperation with the US there. Greenland, Denmark and their Nato allies believe there is room for negotiation with Rubio next week and that, at the very least, Trump swooping in to Greenland militarily is unlikely - though not impossible. The Arctic powers geographically are Denmark, the US, Canada, Russia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. An Arctic Council, representing them all, has long tried to maintain the mantra: high north, low tension. But military chest-beating and unilateralism from Washington over Greenland, plus a wider scramble for advantage between global superpowers, adds to a real sense of jeopardy in the region. The decades-long delicate balance in the Arctic, in place since the end of the Cold War, and evenly managed since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, could be dangerously upset. Republican leaders, who control the state House and Senate, and governors office, promised on the campaign trail they would not expand abortion restrictions. (Photo by Dana Wormald/New Hampshire Bulletin) New Hampshire state lawmakers passed two bills related to abortion this week: one to ensure that a health care provider who conscientiously objects to abortion can keep their job if they refuse to aid in an abortion, and another that criminalizes driving a minor to an abortion appointment. House Bill 232, which was passed by the House Thursday, would enshrine into law the right for a provider to conscientiously object to participating in an abortion. It would empower any provider who is discriminated against by their employer for not participating in an abortion to sue for damages. And it would require employers to place an 8-by-11-inch poster in the workplace entitled Freedom of Conscience for Health Care Providers that outlines employees rights not to participate in abortions. The law would not apply to employees of health care institutions that provide abortion as a major part of its services or employees who are the only health care provider present in an emergency situation. Advertisement Advertisement Abortion has been legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy in New Hampshire since 2021. Republican leaders, who control the state House and Senate, and governors office, promised on the campaign trail they would not expand that restriction. Gov. Kelly Ayotte, in her inaugural address in 2025, promised to veto any legislation to further restrict abortion. On the House floor Thursday, Katy Peternel, a Wolfeboro Republican and co-sponsor of the bill, argued the legislation wasnt an abortion restriction, but rather simply a measure to protect health care professionals from being forced to participate in the ending of a human life. She said the bill is important to (allow) New Hampshire to attract providers who value motherhood and family. Peternel argued that for many health care providers, abortion represents the deliberate taking of human life, an unnatural violent separation of unborn children from their mother. No one should have to choose between their profession and moral integrity. Peternel has long been a vocal proponent of strengthening abortion restrictions. In early 2025, she unsuccessfully attempted to ban abortions after 15 weeks. She backed away and withdrew that bill before it was given a floor vote. Advertisement Advertisement This bill does not ban or restrict access to abortion, Peternel said Thursday about HB 232. It simply brings New Hampshire in line with 47 other states with conscience clauses. Democrats didnt buy that argument. Make no mistake about it, Rep. Zoe Manos, a Stratham Democrat, said. This is an anti-abortion bill. Manos argued that while Republicans claim the bill is about a health care providers right of conscience, it is actually an effort to allow someone to turn a patient away from accessing abortion. She alleged that the bill would allow anyone working in a facility, even a receptionist, to refuse to participate in an abortion. Should a receptionist have the power to deny health care to patients in New Hampshire? she asked. Advertisement Advertisement The House voted, 184-164, to approve the bill. All but six Republicans voted for it, while all but one Democrat voted against it. The bill will now be considered by the Senate. If the Senate follows suit, the bill will go to the governors desk for final approval. Meanwhile, the Senate also approved an abortion-related bill on Wednesday. House Bill 191 seeks to make helping a minor travel to receive an abortion or any other procedure without parental permission illegal. The bill has already passed the House. In its original form, the legislation was focused entirely on abortion. However, it was subsequently amended in the House to outlaw transporting a minor for any procedure. First offenses of this bill would result in a misdemeanor and a third offense would be a felony. In March, the bill was passed by the House, 180-164, with the broader language. Wednesdays bill similarly fell upon party lines during debate. Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Tara Reardon, a Concord Democrat, called the bill duplicative, noting that state law already requires parental consent for a child to receive an abortion. She also argued the bill having been expanded to all surgical procedures could criminalize transporting children to doctors appointments as routine as the removal of wisdom teeth. If I ask my neighbor, my sister, my mother to take my son to the dentist, is that explicit or implicit consent? Reardon said. Its debatable. Its a gamble. And a criminal misdemeanor is the price for that. She called it draconian, punitive, and unnecessary when the Legislature has previously crafted a solution to this issue. The Senate voted, 16-8, along party lines to approve the bill. Before passing it, the Senate amended the bill. Senators changed the bill text from a surgical procedure for the minor to a surgical procedure for the minor or a termination of the minors pregnancy. They also removed a requirement the House implemented for notarized consent, changing it to simply written consent. The bill will now return to the House for the amendment to be considered. Your next visit to the Aloha State may be a tiny bit pricier. Hawaii just raised the price of its tourism tax from 10.25 percent to 11 percent on January 1, with each county able to tack on an additional 3 percent levy on top of the overarching rate. The so-called green fee, the first of its kind, aims to raise money for potential changes on the islands caused by climate change, according to Travel + Leisure. The increased Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) is predicted to bring in $100 million, according to Governor Josh Green. As an island chain, Hawaii cannot wait for the next disaster to hit before taking action, the official said in a statement last year. We must build resiliency now, and the Green Fee will provide the necessary financing to ensure resources are available for our future. The levy will affect hotels and vacation rentals, causing rising prices per night at those accommodations. The green fee was also supposed to apply to cruises and their passengers, too, which makes up a large part of the Hawaii tourism scene, but a federal judge recently blocked Hawaii from enforcing the levy on the floating behemoths, according to CBS. Cruise Lines International Association had sued the state over the next tax, alleging that the fee violates the Constitution and would increase prices onboard. And for now, at least, cruise lines dont have deal with the new levy. The Hawaiian government, meanwhile, is planning to appeal the decision. We remain confident that Act 96 is lawful and will be vindicated when the appeal is heard on the merits, a spokesperson for the Hawaii attorney generals office told Travel + Leisure. Tourism taxes popped up all over the globe throughout 2024 and 2025. Many of the levies, though, are focused on combating overtourism and keeping visitors away, not on climate change specifically. Venice began charging visitors an entry for visits during peak season, while Amsterdam has also hiked its tourism levy. And it doesnt seem like these higher prices are keeping the crowds at bay, with many destinations still logging record visitor figures along with sky-high demand. Lets see if those new fees keep any tourists from visiting Hawaii, then. More from Robb Report Best of Robb Report Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A state of disaster was declared in Victoria, Australia, early Saturday morning. As a heat wave fuels wildfires north of Melbourne, Premier Jacinta Allan delivered the declaration in the face of what she described as an emergency of extraordinary scale and danger. Taking this step is about one thing: protecting Victorian lives, Allan wrote in a statement. And it sends one clear message: if you have been told to leave - go. Advertisement Advertisement According to local reporting, more than 740,000 acres have burned so far and at least 130 homes or buildings have been destroyed. At the current count, 36 wildfires are burning. Meteorologist Rob Shackelford noted that unusually high temperatures this week have contributed to the conditions, "Across parts of southern Australia, temperatures over 18 degrees F above average were widespread, including cities Melbourne and Sydney. Some isolated areas saw highs nearly 34 degrees above their January averages. Remember, January is right in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere's summer." TWC A heat wave of that magnitude hasnt been seen in Australia since the 2019-2020 season, when 59 million acres were burned in wildfires and 33 people died. Extreme winds are also contributing to the blaze. In Burrowye, a rural area on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, a firenado was reported to have been seen. Advertisement Advertisement Across Melbourne, wildfire smoke drifting down from the fires has caused the sky to turn red. Local authorities urged residents with respiratory conditions to take precautions as the fires continue. Photo by Ye Myo Khant/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images As the situation worsens, Tropical Cyclone Koji is now forecast to make landfall on Australia's northeast coast near Ayr on Sunday. Residents have been told to prepare to shelter in place. Well continue to update this story as we learn more. Pages of history features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News and The Evening Journal. See the archives at delawareonline.com. Jan. 12, 2006, The News Journal Thomas J. Capano death penalty overturned Thomas J. Capano, a wealthy and politically powerful Wilmington lawyer before he was found guilty of the 1996 murder of his lover, has won a reprieve from the death penalty from the Delaware Supreme Court. Prosecutors said they will meet with the family of murder victim Anne Marie Fahey to decide whether to again seek the death penalty by retrying the penalty phase of the case. If they do not retry the case, Capano will receive life in prison without possibility of parole. Front page of The News Journal from Jan. 12, 2006. In an opinion made public Wednesday, the Supreme Court decided that Capanos death sentence was flawed under the Delaware Constitution based on a 2002 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The crux of the states ruling was that, to invoke the death penalty, the jury should have voted unanimously that Faheys murder was the result of premeditation and substantial planning. The jury only voted 11-1 in Capanos penalty hearing. ... Advertisement Advertisement Capano, who is part of a wealthy real estate development family, was arrested and accused of Faheys murder in November 1997, more than a year after she disappeared. Fahey, who was scheduling secretary to former Gov. Tom Carper, had been romantically involved with Capano but was attempting to break off the relationship. Her body was never found. Capanos brother, Gerard Gerry Capano, testified that he and Thomas dumped her body from an ice chest on Gerards boat into the ocean off the New Jersey coast. Jan. 14, 1976, The Morning News County plans to move landfill after water contamination The New Castle County Council last night aired a plan to spend $8 million to move the entire contents a million tons of the old Llangollen landfill to a safer site in an effort to halt massive groundwater pollution. Advertisement Advertisement The council gave the authorization measure a public hearing where it was described as the only rational solution to a leakage problem discovered after the landfill ceased operations in 1968. ... The Llangollen landfill project will involve moving rotting garbage from its original resting place, near U.S. 13 south of New Castle, to a nearby sandpit. The new hole would be sealed with clay and plastic on top and bottom to prevent the runoff from filtering into underground water supplies. Page 3 of The Morning News from Jan. 14, 1976. When the old landfill was opened in 1960 over protests of area residents, it was never sealed at the bottom, and the trash apparently wasnt covered well with earth. The result was that water passing through the rotting waste found its way into a major aquifer. Private wells were closed. The Artesian Water Company, which draws water from that aquifer, was forced to curtail its pumping. Advertisement Advertisement Since the leaching problem was discovered about five years ago, the county has been spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to pump fresh water into the underground supply to hold back the advance of pollution. County Public Works Director Albert W. Madora told council that the advance of the leachate was halted about two years ago by the regular pumping. But that doesnt solve the problem of the pollution already in the underground water supply or allow individuals or Artesian to renew their pumping. Steven Kowalchuk Jr., chief design engineer in the public works department, said the county would have to spend close to $1 million a year just to continue the present pumping operation. He said the county would have to build water treatment facilities to continue the pumping. Advertisement Advertisement Kowalchuk told council that a study conducted by Roy F. Weston, Inc., an environmental consultant and design firm from West Chester, Pa., found the plan offered last night was the most feasible of five that were considered. More recent garbage news: One man's trash may actually be recyclable. Here's how you can recycle in Delaware Jan. 16, 1926, The Evening Journal Three firemen killed when engine upsets on icy highway Three men were killed and five injured late last night when the 9,000-pound pumping engine of the Cranston Heights Fire Company upset on the curve on the Lincoln Highway opposite the Marshallton school house, after the machine had skidded for 50 feet. Advertisement Advertisement At the time of the accident the firemen were responding to a fire at the home of Mrs. Grace Emerson of Marshallton. Those killed were David Hook, 21 years of age, son of Mrs. Caroline Hook, of Cranston Heights; Edward C. Ainsworth, aged 19 years, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Ainsworth Sr., of the Cedars; Alfred Ogden, aged 21 years, of Cranston Heights. Front page of The Evening Journal from Jan. 16, 1926. Those injured in the accident were Leroy Hill, James Greenwood, Robert Cross, James King and H. Earl Sayers. ... According to Greenwood and Hooks brothers, Leonard and Heisler Hook, who were in the fire apparatus at the time, the apparatus started south on the Lincoln Highway after leaving their quarters a short distance west of that roadway. Advertisement Advertisement The machine, which was without chains, made good progress until it reached the highway between the B. and O. railroad station and the Marshallton school house which was covered with ice and snow. The road makes a sharp bend at the school house before it crosses the bridge spanning Red Clay Creek. The driver, Hill, realizing that the heavy machine was skidding, is said to have applied more gas but it continued to skid until it reached the roadway between the homes of Marshall Copes and Mrs. William Temple on the south side of the road. The apparatus turned over on its side there, striking a tree between the two houses. More recent fire company news: Reports say Delaware fire and EMS companies aren't financially sustainable Advertisement Advertisement The fire proved to be a trifling one. After their larger apparatus had been wrecked, the Cranston Heights firemen responded with their chemical apparatus. The accident that brought death to three Cranston Heights homes cast gloom over the little suburb of Marshallton today. The accident, the second one to befall the company since it was organized in November 1919, is a severe blow, the company having no insurance on the new apparatus which was wrecked. The machine, a Winston chassis equipped with Northern pumps, cost the firemen $7,000 a few months ago. Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: History in The News Journal Jan. 11-17: Firemen die, landfill problem A Hull hospital worker travelled to West Africa to deliver food and gifts to families living in poverty. Tracey Dennison, a senior perioperative support worker in theatres and recovery at Hull Royal Infirmary, has just returned from The Gambia where she delivered food, stationary and gifts. According to the NHS Humber Health Partnership, Dennison donated enough sacks of rice to feed more than 200 children and a entire village for more than a month. Advertisement Advertisement Dennison said, thanks to contributions from her colleagues, she was able to take extra luggage filled with donations. Dennison has travelled to The Gambia for the past six years in memory of her parents, who spent 25 years helping schoolchildren at Living Word of Faith World Changers, which was established as a school in 2011. However, with the cost of living crisis, she said she had been struggling to afford to keep buying gifts for the children. Ahead of her seventh trip, she appealed to co-workers for support. "The children were just so excited when they saw I'd brought them colouring books, pens and pencils and other small gifts," she said. Advertisement Advertisement "Thanks to the generosity of staff at the hospital who donated money, I was able to pay to take extra luggage to carry lots of donations. "The response was just fantastic and I'm so grateful to everyone who helped. They've helped make a lot of people so much less fortunate than us very happy." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices More on this story Related internet links The House on Thursday failed to override President Trumps vetoes of two previously uncontroversial bills concerning a Colorado water project and expanding lands of a tribe in Florida. The move showcases House Republicans loyalty to the president and support for his political battles, as the vetoes had been seen as instances of Trump acting on political grudges. A vote to override Trumps veto on a Colorado water project a bill spearheaded by Trump ally Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) failed 248-177-1, with 35 Republicans voting with Democrats to override the veto and one Republican, Rep. Nancy Mace (S.C.), voting present. Advertisement Advertisement A vote to override Trumps veto on expanding lands for the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida failed 236-188, with 24 Republicans joining with all Democrats to override it. Each of the votes needed a two-thirds majority to succeed and send the matter to the Senate. GOP leaders in the Republican-controlled House did not whip the override votes which are standard procedure after presidential vetoes allowing each member to make up their minds themselves. The vetoes were unusual in that they shot down bills that were considered so bipartisan and uncontroversial that they initially passed through the House and Senate by voice vote and unanimous consent. They passed the House in July and the Senate in December. Opponents of the vetoes suspected that Trump rejected the bills in order to punish political enemies and act on his political grudges. Advertisement Advertisement We all know that this veto has nothing to do with fiscal policy, nothing to do with the merits, said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee. Trump has targeted Colorado over the prosecution of former Mesa County elections clerk Tina Peters, who aligned with Trumps claims of fraud in the 2020 election. Many observers see the veto as part of that political retribution. Boebert also suggested that Trumps veto could be a form of political retribution against her for being one of four Republicans to sign a discharge petition forcing a vote directing the Department of Justice to release files about the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump officials had heavily lobbied Boebert to remove her name and block the petition from success. I sincerely hope this veto has nothing to do with political retaliation for calling out corruption and demanding accountability, Boebert said in a statement to Colorado station 9News in December. Advertisement Advertisement Boebert also said that she must have missed the rally where he stood in Colorado and promised to personally derail critical water infrastructure projects. Trump in a statement cited the cost of the pipeline as his reasoning for vetoing the bill, arguing that he is committed to preventing taxpayers from funding expensive and unreliable policies. Regarding the bill granting the Miccosukee Tribe authority to manage part of the Florida Everglades, Trump in his veto statement said the Miccosukee Tribe had actively sought to obstruct reasonable immigration policies the American people voted for. The tribe has clashed with the Trump administration over the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility in Florida. Advertisement Advertisement My Administration is committed to preventing American taxpayers from funding projects for special interests, especially those that are unaligned with my Administrations policy of removing violent criminal illegal aliens from the country, Trump said. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), who spearheaded the bill, said in a floor speech in July that the legislation ensures that the tribe has the autonomy to protect their homes, land, and their way of life. Veto overrides are rare, but it is also rare for presidents to veto uncontroversial, widely bipartisan bills that passed by voice vote. Congress voted to override just one veto in Trumps first term: his veto of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Trump had objected in part to the bills renaming of military bases that honored Confederate generals. But lawmakers overrode the veto on the bipartisan must-pass bill as Trump was on his way out of office. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Shoppers leave a Saks Fifth Avenue store on December 30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. [Getty Images] On a recent January morning, tourists admired the rows of Balenciaga and Burberry handbags on display at Saks Fifth Avenue's flagship midtown Manhattan location. But a conversation on the second floor hinted at financial troubles at one of America's most iconic luxury department stores. Penelope Nam-Stephen, a longtime customer, approached the Diptyque counter in search of a home fragrance that she had typically bought at Saks. Nam-Stephen, who splits her time between New York City and Boston, had been surprised to find the product unavailable at the Boston store just after Christmas. She hoped the New York location would have better inventory. "Do you have anything in the Berries fragrance?" she asked an employee. His response: "Everything is out of stock - candles, diffusers." Saks Global, which owns Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it struggles to shore up its finances, leaving big questions among shoppers, vendors and investors about the retailer's future. The company said it secured $1.75b (1.3bn) in financing from a group of investors, led by Bracebridge Capital and Pentwater Capital, which will allow it to keep stores open during the bankruptcy proceedings. Saks has been plagued by worsening financial woes since Saks Fifth Avenue's parent company acquired Neiman Marcus in 2024 to create the luxury retail giant. Executives had argued the $2.7bn deal would cut costs and bolster the brands. The department stores had already been under strain amid growing debt burdens and shifting shopping habits that benefited e-commerce rivals. Saks Fifth Avenue began reporting double-digit quarterly sales declines in early 2023. But the touted benefits of the acquisition did not materialise. Saks failed to make a $100m interest payment to creditors due in late December, tied to roughly $2.2bn of debt that it took on to fund the merger. The missed deadline comes as Saks continues to draw frustration from its vendors, who have bemoaned months-long payment delays and many of whom have halted shipments of their products. Saks did not respond to requests for comment on inventory shortages and its plan to pay vendors. The company's former chief executive, Marc Metrick, resigned abruptly from the firm in early January. He was replaced by Richard Baker, Saks' executive chairman who had led the Neiman Marcus deal. In yet another leadership shakeup, the company said Baker will step down, with Geoffroy van Raemdonck, the former head of Neiman Marcus, set to take on the role. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. GRAND COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) Four individuals have been arrested after a year-long ongoing investigation in Grand County. According to a press release from the Grand County Sheriffs Office, the investigation involves seven individuals, four of whom were arrested and booked into the Grand County Jail on Jan. 9. Advertisement Advertisement Multiple enforcement actions have been completed that have significantly disrupted illegal activity within Grand County, stated the press release. How to make ABC4 your preferred news source on Google The investigation, in collaboration with Grand County Major Crimes Task Force, has been ongoing for over a year according to the Grand County Sheriffs Office, and has involved the execution of several search warrants. One of the warrants was served by the Grand County Sheriffs Office Tactical Team due to safety concerns and the nature of the investigation. During the executions of the aforementioned warrants, investigators reportedly seized: Advertisement Advertisement Illegal narcotics including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and paraphernalia Three firearms, consisting of two pistols and one rifle One first responder badge, which was unlawfully possessed Items seized during Grand County Sheriffs Office search warrant executions, (Courtesy: Grand County Sheriffs Office) Investigators also found bulk quantities of narcotics that were allegedly obtained in Colorado and distributed within Grand County. Over the course of the investigation, five residences, all located on the same property on Murphy Ln. in Grand County were determined by law enforcement to have hazardous living conditions and were condemned by the Southeast Utah Health Department, according to the press release. Support services available for those affected by Salt Lake City shooting Advertisement Advertisement With the help of child protection agencies, one child was also reportedly removed from one of the residences due to the unsafe conditions. Four individuals have been arrested and booked into the Grand County Jail, but the identities of those individuals have not been released at this time. According to Grand County Sheriffs Office, this is still an active investigation, and all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. There is no further information available at this time. This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as more information becomes available. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. The federal agent who fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis has connections to the Peoria area. Jonathan Ross, 43, the agent identified as the man who shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, is a 2001 graduate of Richwoods High School, according to Journal Star archives. What to know about Jonathan Ross Good was shot by Ross in the head during federal immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis. Outrage surrounding the deadly shooting has led to protests in the city and around the country. Advertisement Advertisement Ross has at least 10 years of experience as an ICE agent and served on the agency's Special Response Team, according to USA TODAY. He served in the Indiana National Guard and was deployed in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, according to USA TODAY. The Daily Mail reported that Ross has lived near Minneapolis since 2015. The Daily Mail spoke to Ross' father, Ed, who told the publication his son was a "committed, conservative Christian, a tremendous father, a tremendous husband. I couldn't be more proud of him." On Friday, Ed Ross declined to speak with the Journal Star during a reporter's brief visit to his home in North Pekin. Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors in Minneapolis have said they will investigate the shooting after the federal government blocked state investigators from accessing case materials. Federal officials, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have portrayed Ross as the victim of the incident and Good, who was shot in the face by Ross, as a "domestic terrorist." On Friday, Vance commented on a new video of the shooting, saying: "Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn't hit by a car, wasn't being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman," Vance wrote. "The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self-defense." Advertisement Advertisement The new footage released Friday showed the perspective of Jonathan Ross during the incident. During that video, Good says to Ross: Thats fine, dude, Im not mad at you." Another federal officer approaches the driver's side door of Good's vehicle and tells her to Get out of the (expletive) car. Good then begins driving her car forward with her wheels turned, traveling the direction of Ross. The video stops and three gun shots are heard followed by the sound of a vehicle crash and someone referring to Good in expletives. Video analysis conducted by USA TODAY synced together the multiple camera angles of the shooting, including the new video cited by Vance and bystander footage. Advertisement Advertisement Video analysis of the shooting conducted by the New York Times contradicts the narrative put out by the federal government that Ross was acting in self defense and Good was trying to ram him with her vehicle. The New York Times analysis, which reviewed three camera angles, points to a conclusion that her wheels were turned away from the officer when she was shot. Ross shot her through the side window of her vehicle, according to video analysis. In frame-by-frame video analysis conducted by The Washington Post, questions are raised about the veracity of comments by Trump that Good tried to violently, willfully and viciously ran over the ICE officer. The Post's analysis said: "The SUV did move toward the ICE agent as he stood in front of it. But the agent was able to move out of the way and fire at least two of three shots from the side of the vehicle as it veered past him, according to the analysis." Who was Renee Nicole Good? Good was a 37-year-old mother of three. Advertisement Advertisement Good's mother told the Minneapolis Star Tribune her daughter was "loving, forgiving and affectionate" and was an "amazing human being." She is originally from Colorado but had been living in Minneapolis with her wife. On Instagram, Good described herself as a poet and writer and wife and mom and (expletive) guitar strummer from Colorado" who was "experiencing Minneapolis," according to USA TODAY. Her three children are ages 15, 12 and 6. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: ICE agent who killed woman in Minnesota graduated high school in Peoria A memorial grows Jan. 8, 2026, on the spot where an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, 37, the previous day. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer) Minneapolis is once again the focus of debates about violence involving law enforcement after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, in her car. The incident quickly prompted dueling narratives. Trump administration officials defended the shooting as justified, while local officials condemned it. Advertisement Advertisement The shooting will also likely prompt renewed scrutiny of training and policy of officers and the question of them shooting at moving vehicles. There has been a recent trend in law enforcement toward policies that prohibit such shootings. It is a policy shift that has shown promise in saving lives. Decades ago, the New York City Police Department prohibited its officers from shooting at moving vehicles. That led to a drop in police killings without putting officers in greater danger. Debates over deadly force are often contentious, but as I note in my research on police ethics and policy, for the most part there is consensus on one point: Policing should reflect a commitment to valuing human life and prioritizing its protection. Many use-of-force policies adopted by police departments endorse that principle. Yet, as in Minneapolis, controversial law enforcement killings continue to occur. Not all agencies have implemented prohibitions on shooting at vehicles. Even in agencies that have, some policies are weak or ambiguous. Advertisement Advertisement In addition, explicit prohibitions on shooting at vehicles are largely absent from the law, which means that officers responsible for fatal shootings of drivers that appear to violate departmental policies often escape criminal penalties. In the case of ICE, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, its policy on shooting at moving vehicles unlike that of many police agencies lacks a clear instruction for officers to get out of the way of moving vehicles where feasible. Its an omission at odds with generally recognized best practices in policing. ICEs policy on shooting at moving vehicles ICEs current use-of-force policy prohibits its officers from discharging firearms at the operator of a moving vehicle unless it is necessary to stop a grave threat. The policy is explicit that deadly force should not be used solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing suspect. Advertisement Advertisement That point is relevant for evaluating the fatal shooting in Minneapolis. Videos show one officer trying to open the door of the vehicle that Good was driving, while another officer appears to be in front of the vehicle as she tried to pull away. Shooting to prevent the driver simply from getting away would have been in violation of agency policy and obviously inconsistent with prioritizing the protection of life. ICEs policy lacks clear instruction, however, for its officers to get out of the way of moving vehicles where feasible. In contrast, the Department of Justices use-of-force policy makes it explicit that officers should not shoot at a vehicle if they can protect themselves by moving out of the path of the vehicle. Notably, President Joe Biden issued an executive order in 2022 requiring federal law enforcement agencies like ICE to adopt use-of-force policies that are equivalent to, or exceed, the requirements of the Department of Justices policy. Advertisement Advertisement Despite that order, the provision to step out of the way of moving cars never made it into the use-of-force policy that applies to ICE. The rationale for not shooting at moving vehicles Prioritizing the protection of life doesnt rule out deadly force. Sometimes such force is necessary to protect lives from a grave threat, such as an active shooter. But it does rule out using deadly force when less harmful tactics can stop a threat. In such cases, deadly force is unnecessary a key consideration in law and ethics that can render force unjustified. Thats the concern involved with police shooting at moving vehicles. It often is not necessary because officers have a less harmful option to avoid a moving vehicles threat: stepping out of the way. Advertisement Advertisement This guidance has the safety of both suspects and police in mind. Obviously, police not shooting lowers the risk of harm to the suspect. But it also lowers the risk to the officer in the vast majority of cases because of the laws of physics. If you shoot the driver of a car barreling toward you, that rarely brings a car to an immediate stop, and the vehicle often continues on its path. Many police departments have incorporated these insights into their policies. A recent analysis of police department policies in the 100 largest U.S. cities found that close to three-quarters of them have prohibitions against shooting at moving vehicles. The gap between policy and best practices for protecting life The shooting in Minneapolis serves as a stark reminder of the stubborn gap that persists between law and policy on the one hand and best law enforcement practices for protecting life on the other. When steps are taken to close that gap, however, they can have a meaningful impact. Advertisement Advertisement Some of the most compelling examples involve local, state and federal measures that reinforce one another. Consider the fleeing felon rule, which used to allow police to shoot a fleeing felony suspect to prevent their escape even when the suspect posed no danger to others. That rule was at odds with the doctrine of prioritizing the protection of life, leading some departments to revise their use-of-force policies and some states to ban the rule. In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for police to shoot a fleeing suspect who was not a danger. Banning that questionable tactic notably led to a reduction in killings by police. This history suggests that clear bans in law and policy on questionable tactics have the potential to save lives, while also strengthening the means for holding officers accountable. Advertisement Advertisement This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Ben Jones is an assistant professor of public policy, as well as a research associate and assistant director in the Rock Ethics Institute. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer involved in the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good was dragged by an illegal immigrant sex offender's vehicle in June, reports indicate. The June incident resulted in the arrest of Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala, who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as "a serial criminal illegal alien." Munoz-Guatemala allegedly dragged the ICE officer 50 yards with his car in Bloomington, Minnesota, while trying to evade arrest. During a traffic stop, Munoz-Guatemala refused to exit his vehicle and tried to flee law enforcement, according to DHS. The department said the ICE officer still had his arm inside Munoz-Guatemala's vehicle as the illegal immigrant tried to drive away. The officer was hospitalized due to his injuries. Advertisement Advertisement At the time, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that Munoz-Guatemala is an illegal alien who "has been committing violent crimes in the U.S. for nearly 15 years." She said Munoz-Guatemala "is a convicted child sex offender who has a rap sheet that includes an arrest for domestic assault and multiple driving offenses." Minneapolis Police Nowhere To Be Found As Agitators Seize Control Of Street After Ice Shooting "Under Governor Tim Walz, this sicko was living in Minnesota without consequence," McLaughlin said in June. "Instead of comparing ICE law enforcement to the Gestapo, Governor Walz should be thanking our brave law enforcement for arresting these violent criminals." Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement DHS said it was unknown when Munoz-Guatemala entered the country from Mexico, but the department added that his rap sheet in the U.S. dated back to 2010. The department said Munoz-Guatemala had previously been arrested for domestic assault and was convicted of sex crimes against an underage victim. Munoz-Guatemala was also convicted of driving without a valid license and was charged multiple times for driving illegally. DHS said ICE first lodged a detainer on him in 2013. On Thursday, when speaking to reporters at the White House, Vice President JD Vance scolded the media for not mentioning that the same ICE officer who shot Good was previously seriously injured during the car-dragging incident. "The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace. And it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day," Vance said. "What that headline leaves out is the fact that that very ICE officer nearly had his life ended, dragged by a car six months ago, 33 stitches in his leg. So you think maybe he's a little bit sensitive about somebody ramming him with an automobile?" Renee Nicole Good moments before she was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcemen officer in Minneapolis. Cellphone Video Released In Deadly Minneapolis Ice Agent Shooting Advertisement Advertisement The vice president was referring specifically to a CNN headline on the shooting in Minneapolis that said, "Outrage after ICE officer kills U.S. citizen in Minneapolis." Good was shot and killed during an interaction with the ICE officer on Wednesday. Since then, protests have erupted in Minneapolis and across the U.S. Local officials, such as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have slammed the ICE officer's actions. Meanwhile, federal officials have said the agent acted in self-defense and labeled Good's actions leading up to the shooting as "an act of domestic terrorism." Several Democrats have rejected the self-defense assertion. Cellphone video footage released Friday shows the moments that led to the fatal shooting. The video, which was filmed from the ICE officer's vantage point, shows Good's Honda Pilot parked in the middle of a residential street, appearing to block traffic. Members of law enforcement investigate a shooting by an ICE agent during federal operations Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. Surveillance Footage Shows Immigration Activist Blocking Road Before Fatal Ice Shooting Advertisement Advertisement The agent walks around the vehicle to check the license plate. Seconds later, another agent walks toward the drivers side of Goods vehicle and orders Good to get out. "Get out of the car. Get out of the f------ car," the agent says. Click Here To Download The Fox News App Good then backs up the vehicle before moving it forward toward the agent wearing the body camera. He is heard yelling "whoa" before shots ring out. Fox News' John Roberts and Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report. Original article source: ICE officer who shot Minnesota woman was dragged by car of illegal alien sex offender months earlier The families of the victims of Bryan Kohberger are seeking further justice for the deaths of their loved ones. According to reports, they have filed a lawsuit against Washington State University, the institution the convicted killer was attending at the time he murdered Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. The suit accused the university of gross negligence and wrongful death with regard to their alleged inaction over prior reports of Bryan Kohberger's discrimination, sexual harassment, and stalking of female students. The Victims' Families Accused WSU Of Remaining 'Idle' Despite The Killer's Behavior Toward Women ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA As Kohberger spends the rest of his life behind bars under four consecutive life sentences, his victims' families are turning their attention to his former university, which they believe played a role in the events leading up to the deaths of their loved ones. Advertisement Advertisement Kohberger attended Washington State University, where he was studying for a PhD in criminology and was also a teaching assistant within the department. Past reports during his trial claimed that the convicted killer discriminated against female students and, in some cases, engaged in harassment and even stalking. These allegations now appear to form the basis of the gross negligence and wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victims' parents, as seen in a complaint obtained by the Idaho Statesman. The families alleged that WSU violated Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at public universities, when the school allegedly remained "idle in the face of known extreme and repeated instances" of Kohberger's antics toward these women in the school community. The Families Are Seeking Accountability, Not Vengeance Latah County Jail/MEGA As part of their suit, the families also claimed that WSU's inaction in the face of Kohberger's antics "ultimately culminated" in his "stalking and murdering the decedents." Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, their lawsuit is not about vengeance for their children, but rather about holding the university accountable and helping to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future. "The victims' families have come together with a shared purpose to seek transparency, accountability, and meaningful reform," said the families' lawyers to the news outlet. "This effort is not about vengeance or speculation. This is about ensuring that institutions entrusted with the safety of young people take threats seriously and act decisively when warning signs are present." Concerning the lawsuit, WSU has declined to make any comments on its next steps. "Our hearts remain with the families and friends impacted by this horrific tragedy. Because this is a legal matter, we are declining further comment at this time," a spokesperson told E! News. Bryan Kohberger Had Over A Dozen Complaints Filed Against Him From WSU Community Members ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA According to reports, at least 13 complaints were made about Kohberger between the time he joined Washington State University and when he murdered his victims. Advertisement Advertisement The first complaint was reportedly filed just days into the convicted killer's PhD program, and within months, he had gained a reputation for being a "d-ck," according to one student. In one instance, Kohberger allegedly told a divorced woman that he didn't date "broken women." In another, he reportedly asked a deaf classmate whether she would be comfortable procreating given her disability. The Killer Harassed A Female Student Consistently Ada County Sheriff's Office/MEGA Another student within the WSU community claimed that the former PhD student repeatedly approached her in her office. According to the student, Kohberger refused to leave unless she had a conversation with him. Advertisement Advertisement On some occasions, he allegedly cornered her as she left work, and even after she turned down his request for a relationship, he continued harassing her and may have once stalked her to her home. Bryan Kohberger Isn't Responding Well To Life In Prison ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA At the moment, Kohberger is serving four consecutive life sentences at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution. Despite being held in solitary confinement in the facility, he has overwhelmed prison staff with repeated complaints about a number of issues and has, at one point, threatened to harm himself if he was not moved to a different prison block. Reports also recently emerged that he was not responding well to prison life, with experts suggesting that Kohberger's "self-important personality" has seemingly prevented him from adapting. "Murder is about control," investigative reporter Howard Blum told the Daily Mail in December. "And prison is the ultimate situation where you have no control. He's not responding well to that." IDF soldiers were deployed to the scene in the outskirts of Jalud, a village under the jurisdiction of the Samaria Brigade, but found no suspects. On Friday, the IDF announced a series of strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to the terrorist organizations continued violations of the ceasefire understandings. The IDF also announced that, in collaboration with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), it had struck several Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip late on Thursday night. Advertisement Advertisement The strikes targeted Hamas gunmen, rocket launch sites, and additional terrorist infrastructure. The attacks were made in response to a failed projectile launch on Thursday from the Gaza City area, aimed towards Israel. This attempted launch was in direct violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Hamas terrorists targeted, killed Following the strikes, the IDF confirmed the following terrorists had been identified and confirmed as eliminated in the operation: Kamal Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Awad, who served as the head of the anti-tank missile unit within the Hamas terrorist organization; Ahmad Thabet, who was the head of a weapons workshop in a Hamas department; and Ahmad Abd al-Fattah Saeed Maghdalawi, who was a member of the Nukhba terrorist unit in the Nuseirat Battalion. Advertisement Advertisement Maghdalawi infiltrated Israel and participated in the deadly massacre on October 7, which included the attack on the Nova music festival. On Thursday, the IDF also reported the discovery of a rocket launcher with two loaded rockets that were ready to be launched toward Israel during operations to dismantle terrorist infrastructure within the Yellow Line border in the northern Gaza Strip. IDF responds to settler violence in West Bank Additionally, the IDF on Thursday night responded to a report that Israeli citizens had vandalized a Palestinian school building and its contents. Soldiers were deployed to the scene on the outskirts of Jalud, a village under the jurisdiction of the Samaria Brigade, but found no suspects. Additional reports were received of Israeli citizens vandalizing Palestinian property, including setting cars on fire. The ex-husband of a woman found shot to death with her new husband, an Ohio dentist, on Dec. 30 has been charged with murder in the deaths. Michael David McKee, of Chicago, faces two counts of murder, Franklin County Municipal Court documents show, according to The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network. According to online court records, a warrant was issued Jan. 10 for McKee's arrest. McKee was booked into jail in Winnebago County in Illinois, shortly before noon local time. He will remain there until authorities extradite him back to Franklin County. Advertisement Advertisement It's unclear if McKee has an attorney who can comment on his behalf. Monique Tepe, 39, and Spencer Tepe, 37, died on Dec. 30 after being found shot inside their home on the neighborhood in Weinland Park. The couple's two young children, both under the age of 5, were found physically unhurt inside the home. More: Dentist's wife did not make tearful 911 call months before couple was found dead, police say Columbus homicide detectives identified McKee through neighborhood video surveillance, police alleged in court documents. They tracked the suspect "to a vehicle which arrived just prior to the homicides and left shortly after." They found the vehicle in Rockford, Illinois, and found evidence that McKee had the vehicle before and after the killings. Advertisement Advertisement Columbus police have not publicly identified a potential motive in the couple's deaths. Around 9 a.m. on Dec. 30, coworkers of Spencer's from the dentistry office where he worked in Athens called Columbus police after Spencer did not show up for work and no one could reach Spencer or Monique by phone. An officer went to do a well-being check but went to a home on Summit Street instead of the Tepe home, according to body camera footage released by Columbus police. About 40 minutes after that check, friends of the Tepes found them dead in their home. Police have focused the investigation on the window of time between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30, which is when they believe the couple was killed. On Jan. 5, detectives released video from a security camera showing a person walking in an alley near the Tepes' home during that time frame, calling the person a "person of interest." Advertisement Advertisement The couple's fifth wedding anniversary would have been on Jan. 30. "They were extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy, and deep connection to others," the Tepe family told USA TODAY in a statement on Jan. 2. Contributing: Melina Khan, Amanda Lee Myers This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Illinois man arrested for murder of ex-wife, Ohio dentist BALTIMORE A federal immigration judge on Friday denied bond for an Eastern Shore woman arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in December, keeping her detained as deportation proceedings move forward, her attorney said. Vanessa Parrazal, 24, has been in federal immigration custody since Dec. 17 and is currently held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. Her attorney, Marlena Konopka of Portner & Shure, said the judge rejected arguments that Parrazal posed no flight risk or danger to the community. Its very devastating that the mountain of evidence speaking to her good moral character and her strong familial and community ties was not properly considered, Konopka said. Advertisement Advertisement Parrazals husband, Aaron Downes, said he had a chance to speak with his wife after the hearing and shes doing as good as anybody can. He also wanted to know what evidence the government has that categorizes Vanessa as a flight risk or a threat to the community. They claim that everybody is a danger to the community and a significant flight risk, Downes said. They have no proof that or no probable cause that Vanessa is a significant flight risk. They say it just to say it. ICE officials did not immediately return requests for comment on Friday. More about the case Parrazal was taken into custody in December after dropping off her 5-year-old daughter at Pinehurst Elementary School in Salisbury. Witnesses said ICE agents surrounded her vehicle, smashed its windows and arrested her. She was initially held in Baltimore before being transferred to Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement In statements to The Baltimore Sun, ICE has previously described Parrazal as a criminal illegal alien from Mexico with a prior conviction for second-degree assault and said she has no legal status in the United States. Court records show the charge stemmed from an argument with her mother, which was later reduced to a misdemeanor and ultimately dropped for lack of evidence. Those same court records list Parrazal as 4-foot-10, weighing about 100 pounds details critics have pointed to as evidence that excessive force was used during the arrest. Under U.S. immigration law, even misdemeanor offenses can trigger deportation proceedings for noncitizens, particularly if classified as a crime of moral turpitude, a category that can include offenses such as theft, fraud, drug crimes or domestic violence. In the original police report, the assault allegation was labeled as domestic violence. Next steps begin Monday The next hearing, scheduled for Monday, is expected to formally begin deportation proceedings. At that hearing, the immigration judge will outline the charges and explain the process. Parrazals attorney, along with her friends and family, said they have not yet been informed of the specific charges being pursued. Advertisement Advertisement After the charges are presented, Parrazal is expected to enter a plea through her attorney, and the judge will set a future hearing date. At that time, her legal team plans to argue why she should be allowed to remain in the country, saying there is no criminal case here. Shes being detained for her removal proceedings. It is not a criminal charge, just immigration proceedings to determine if she can remain in the United States while she waits for the adjudication of her family petition by her U.S. citizen spouse, Konopka said. Konopka has previously told The Sun that Parrazal was in the process of seeking legal status when she was arrested. Parrazal is married to a U.S. citizen. While marriage does not automatically confer legal status, it can provide a pathway to apply for permanent residency. Her husband Downes had already filed a petition, and the family was awaiting the next stage of paperwork. In earlier interviews, immigration officials told The Sun that the permanent legal resident process can take up to 18 months. A GoFundMe started by Watkins to help cover legal costs had raised more than $9,500 as of Friday morning. _____ December featured a classic La Nina winter pattern across the Lower 48, with record warmth along the West Coast and colder air with snow across the northern Plains and Northeast. However, since the start of the New Year, the once-dominating winter weather pattern has been put on pause, making way for a classic January thaw. According to the FOX Forecast Center, long-range guidance indicates a return of these conditions, which would bring warmer temperatures back to the West and periodic windows of cooler air and potential snow across the Northern Tier. La Nina Winter Is Coming Back: Millions Can Expect A Warmup In The West And Bitter Cold In The Northern Tier Advertisement Advertisement Over the next one to two weeks, there is expected to be a notable shift in the weather pattern, as a strong ridge of high pressure over the eastern Pacific moves into the western United States. The shift will bring an end to the widespread rain and snow along much of the West Coast through next week and possibly beyond. Forecasts suggest the ridge will remain in place and keep the jet stream well north and result in below-average precipitation and a return to warmer-than-average temperatures. While the ridge strengthens in the West, the jet stream is expected to extend from southern Canada into the Southeast, similar to the December pattern. This increases the likelihood of colder air pushing into the Upper Midwest and Northeast, where below-average temperatures are expected in mid to late January. Any storm systems that track along the jet stream could also bring additional chances for snow to the East as a more active weather pattern looks likely. Advertisement Advertisement Longer range forecast models are also showing the possibility for a system to develop along the East Coast as the La Nina pattern begins to take shape late next week. "Right now it looks like numerous pieces of energy will phase, as a dip in the jet stream pushes east. This will increase the potential for a surface low to develop across the Southeast," according to the FOX Forecast Center. How To Watch Fox Weather The system could either move out into the Atlantic or along the Eastern Seaboard. Behind this system, another could form, which may have a better chance at bringing impactful snow and rain across the East as a blocking high slows things down. Advertisement Advertisement With any longer range outlooks, changes in the forecast may occur since the projected timeframe is over a week out. The FOX Forecast Center will continue to monitor the latest changes in guidance in the coming days. Original article source: Impactful snow, rain eyeing East Coast as La Nina winter makes its return Officials from Indonesia and Malaysia have said they are temporarily blocking access to xAIs chatbot Grok. These are the most aggressive moves so far from government officials responding to a flood of sexualized, AI-generated imagery often depicting real women and minors, and sometimes depicting violence posted by Grok in response to requests from users on the social network X. (X and xAI are part of the same company.) In a statement shared Saturday with the Guardian and other publications, Indonesias communications and digital minister Meutya Hafid said, The government views the practice of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space. Advertisement Advertisement The ministry has also reportedly summoned X officials to discuss the issue. The New York Times said the Malaysian government announced a similar ban on Sunday. Varied governmental responses over the past week include an order from Indias IT ministry for X to take action to prevent Grok from generating obscene content, as well as an order from the European Commission for the company to retain all documents related to Grok, potentially setting the stage for an investigation. In the United Kingdom, the communications regulator Ofcom has said that it will undertake a swift assessment to determine whether there are potential compliance issues that warrant investigation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview that Ofcom has his full support to take action. Advertisement Advertisement And while in the United States, the Trump administration appears to be staying silent on the issue (xAI CEO Elon Musk is a major Trump donor and led the administrations controversial Department of Government Efficiency last year), Democratic senators have called on Apple and Google to remove X from their app stores. xAI initially responded by posting a seemingly first-person apology to the Grok account, acknowledging that a post violated ethical standards and potentially US laws around child sexual abuse material. It later restricted the AI image-generation feature to paying subscribers on X, though that restriction did not appear to affect the Grok app itself, which still allowed anyone to generate images. In response to a post wondering why the U.K. government wasnt taking action against other AI image generation tools, Musk wrote, They want any excuse for censorship. This post was first published on January 11. It has been updated to reflect Malaysias ban on Grok. China launches market competition investigation into food delivery industry Xinhua) 10:44, January 10, 2026 BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council has launched a market competition investigation and assessment of the country's food delivery platforms, China's top market regulator said on Friday. The investigation was initiated by the office of the anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition commission under the State Council in accordance with the country's anti-monopoly law, the State Administration for Market Regulation said. A commission official noted that while the food delivery platform service industry has played crucial roles in stimulating consumption, expanding employment and fostering innovation, prominent issues have recently emerged in the sector, including excessive subsidies, price wars and traffic-flow control challenges. "These practices have squeezed the real economy, intensified involution competition within the sector, and drawn strong reactions from various sectors of society," the official said, adding that the probe aims to promote lawful, compliant and fair competition within the food delivery platform industry, and to establish a market order characterized by quality-based pricing and sound competition. The assessment will involve on-site inspections, in-person interviews and questionnaires to gain an in-depth understanding of the competitive conduct of these platforms, and opinions will be solicited from stakeholders, including merchants, workers and consumers, the official said. It was noted that food delivery platforms are required to cooperate actively with the investigation and assessment, participate fairly in market competition, and contribute to the innovation and healthy development of the industry. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Sheng Chuyi) ITV has been forced to postpone filming of the new series of Love Island: All Stars amid the South African wildfires. Maya Jama hosts Love Island: All Stars Shooting of the third season of the ITV2 matchmaking show - which brings back memorable singletons from previous series of Love Island - was set to begin on Saturday (10.01.26). But with production being cancelled due to health and safety concerns due to wildfires near the programme's South African villa in Ludus Magnus Estate - an hour from Cape Town in the Western Cape - the show's launch on Monday (12.01.26) will not air as planned. A statement from ITV read: "Further to a production evacuation owing to ongoing wildfires in the area, our assessment of the location site has concluded that filming will need to be postponed. "Health and safety is our greatest priority and will always come first, and therefore the transmission of Love Island: All Stars will be delayed until a date to be confirmed." The broadcaster has not revealed any further details on when filming for Love Island: All Stars - hosted by 31 year old Maya Jama - can continue. Earlier on Saturday, ITV said the villa had been evacuated as a precaution, and shooting had been postponed. It came amid multiple wildfires that broke out across the Western and Eastern Cape due to high temperatures, dry conditions and changing winds. An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: "Owing to an ongoing wildfire in the area, we have evacuated the Love Island production site as a precautionary measure." An insider told The Sun that Love Island: All Stars' contestants were being kept in hiding and would not be travelling up to the villa as planned. The source said: "This is a massive nightmare for ITV, but theyre doing everything they can to keep Love Island All Stars on track. "A fire broke out close to the villa, and it was deemed too dangerous to have Maya. "The cast and all of the production crew were working there in case it suddenly moved closer to the villa. "They have now cancelled filming today and are hoping to resume tomorrow. ITV will always put the welfare of the cast and crew above the show. "But this is a huge headache and will make everything a far closer call when it comes to getting enough footage in the can for Monday nights launch show. "Naturally, if the fire is still posing a risk, the show will be pushed back again." In total, 12 previous Love Island stars are hoping for another shot at finding love in the villa. Whitney Adebayo, 28, Millie Court, 29, Belle Hassan, 27, and Charlie Frederick, 30, have been announced. Ciaran Davies, 22, Jess Harding, 25, Sean Stone, 26, Shaq Muhammad, 27, and Jack Keating, 26, will also join them in the villa. And Tommy Bradley, 22, Leanne Amaning, 28, and Helena Ford, 29, complete the line-up. Love Island: All Stars was thrown into chaos after Maya pulled out of the series three launch event on Monday (05.01.26) after "feeling sick" on the "same day shes due to fly out to South Africa". Later that day, the star took to her Instagram Stories and told fans that she had been battling the flu, but was still flying out to South Africa to film the show. Captioning a photo of herself on a plane on her way to the country, she penned: "Used to spend this flight on the reds chatting away to the flight crew but entering this year wholesome. "Lol truthfully the flu came in last minute to kick my a** for the last 24hrs. "Vitamin c'd up and praying the sun deletes it all, next stop [South Africa flag emoji]. (sic)" This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. A collaboration between payment processing giant Stripe and Crypto.com could foreshadow more moves by payment processors to let consumers pay with cryptocurrencies, according to industry consultants. But they caution the speed of cryptocurrency adoption will depend largely on consumer interest. The partnership announced on Tuesday means that users of the Singapore-based cryptocurrency platform which lets users trade digital assets and pay with cryptocurrencies will be able to start using their crypto balances this month to pay online at some of Stripe's merchant clients. The announcement by Stripe, which has dual headquarters in Dublin and San Francisco, follows a similar move by digital payments company Block late last year. Oakland, California-based Block announced in November that it had added a Bitcoin map to its Cash App service that lets users find merchants that accept the digital asset, and introduced a feature that lets Cash App users convert dollars to Bitcoin. We will see more processors add crypto-funded checkout, especially with stablecoins, said Josh Istas, head of product for the consulting firm The Strawhecker Group, referring to a type of cryptocurrency tied to the value of a stable asset, such as fiat currency. Processors like Stripe are eager to give their clients more payment options, said Tony DeSanctis, a senior director at the bank consulting firm Cornerstone Advisors. Stripe will continue to build out payment capabilities across as many platforms as possible," he said. "Their economics are all based on transactions so the more types and volumes of transactions they can facilitate, the better it is for them. Although DeSanctis cautioned that the level of consumer demand for cryptocurrency payments remains an open question. What is unclear is how many folks want or need to make payments directly with crypto, he said. The payments industry is slowly embracing the use of digital currencies. For example, companies like Fiserv and Klarna Group plan to introduce their own stablecoins. Stripe said in October that it would begin letting customers pay for subscriptions with stablecoins. Rising interest in digital currencies likely has been driven partly by the passage of the Genius Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in July to create a regulatory framework for use of stablecoins. Indonesia suspended Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok on Saturday over growing concerns about AI-generated sexualized photos of people without their consent. Elon Musk's platform is facing global backlash after reports emerged that its image creation feature allowed users to sexualize pictures of women and children using simple text prompts. CBS News has verified that Grok fulfilled user requests asking it to edit images of women to show them in bikinis or little clothing, including prominent public figures such as first lady Melania Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Indonesia is the first country to deny all access to the tool, which was restricted to paying subscribers elsewhere following backlash. "In order to protect women, children, and the public from the risks of fake pornographic content generated using the artificial intelligence technology, the government... has temporarily blocked access to the Grok application," Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement. "The government views non-consensual deepfake practices as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space." According to AFP journalists in Jakarta, the Grok X account was still active and replying to queries, including in Bahasa, Indonesia, on Saturday evening. Musk-owned startup xAI, which developed Grok, told CBS News in a statement on Saturday that "Legacy Media Lies," without elaborating further. The message appears to be an automatic reply to inquiries from media outlets. Advertisement Advertisement European officials and tech campaigners slammed the move to limit Grok's features to paying subscribers, saying it failed to address concerns about sexually explicit deepfake content. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday that he wants "all options on the table," including a potential ban for Grok in Britain. "This is disgraceful, it's disgusting and it's not to be tolerated. X has got to get a grip of this," Starmer said in an interview with a U.K. radio station. "It's unlawful. We're not going to tolerate it. I've asked for all options to be on the table." A source in Starmer's office reiterated to CBS News on Friday that "nothing is off the table" when it comes to regulating X in Britain. Advertisement Advertisement In the U.S., Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said in a post on X that "many of the recent AI-generated posts are unacceptable and a clear violation of my legislation now law the Take It Down Act, as well as X's terms and conditions." "These unlawful images pose a serious threat to victims' privacy and dignity. They should be taken down and guardrails should be put in place," Cruz said, adding that he was encouraged by steps taken by X to remove unlawful images. Musk said last week in response to a post about the explicit images that anyone using Grok to "make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content." Vance posts new video that shows Renee Good's last words and other angle of shooting Video shows ICE officer's point of view, Renee Good's last words before being shot People mocked his mangled truck, until one man stepped up to help A flood of lawmakers eyeing off-ramps from Washington are launching bids for governor a record-setting exodus of congressional incumbents vying to be their states next chief executive. Senators and representatives alike have long looked to state elections to trade their congressional seats for a ticket back home. But the rate at which members of Congress are sidestepping reelection this cycle to vie for the governors mansion has peaked marking the most sitting lawmakers to run for governor in well over a decade, according to a POLITICO analysis of election data. Its my intense, intense frustration with how Congress works today, where I dont believe we tell the truth about the math, Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), who is running for governor, said of his bid for higher office. And our unwillingness to tell that truth makes it impossible to do the policy that is actually required. Advertisement Advertisement Of the 12 active candidates who wont be seeking reelection to pursue bids for governor, 11 are Republicans, adding to a growing tally of GOP lawmakers who wont be defending their partys majority in the midterms. But to the governor hopefuls, pushing their agenda to the finish line is the priority and some argue Congress is no longer a successful vehicle for delivering results. Congress is the way the founders made it its supposed to go slow, said Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), who is running for his states open governorship. And it does. This is an opportunity to be able to do the most good for the people in the state of Wisconsin. The rush toward governor races comes at a tumultuous time for a Congress overrun with high turnover more than a tenth of Congress has already indicated they wont run for reelection this year. The constellation of gubernatorial bids have continued to expand throughout the cycle almost entirely from Republicans with GOP Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona making the first congressional entrance into a 2026 gubernatorial election in January of last year. Handfuls of other House lawmakers have followed suit since then in a variety of states, from GOP Rep. Byron Donalds in Florida to Republican Rep. Nancy Mace in South Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the 12 active candidates running in 2026, several other House members were competitors in the off-year 2025 gubernatorial contests. Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, opted to not seek reelection in 2024 to her House seat to focus on her ultimately successful campaign. And New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill defeated fellow Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer in her states primary before winning the governorship, resigning from her seat in November. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) are also vying for the governors mansions in their states in 2026, but would only resign from their congressional seats if elected, as their terms arent up until 2028 and 2030, respectively. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) had also been pursuing the governorship in New York but dropped her bid on Dec. 19, adding she also wouldn't seek reelection in the House to instead focus on her family. Becoming governor is a more prominent perch that can also be a stepping stone to higher office, according to Republican strategist Jesse Hunt, giving aspirational lawmakers more opportunities to position themselves for an even higher post. Advertisement Advertisement Its a promotion countless governors have sought after for decades from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis presidential campaign in 2024 to George W. Bushs leap from Texas governor to the White House in 2001, the most recent governor to be elected president. States are the laboratories of democracy, Hunt, a former senior aide at the Republican Governors Association, said. Its why a lot of times in past decades, over the last 100 years or so, governors have had a lot of success running for president, because you have a lot of the same dynamics at play once you get to the federal level that you experience at the gubernatorial level. The governors seat could also entice lawmakers whove soured on being just one voice within a body of 100 or 435, Hunt said an appeal thats likely even more attractive on the heels of a legislative session mired by a record-setting shutdown starkly defined along party lines. Youre essentially the president of your state, he said of governors. And theres an ability to feel like youre having a meaningful impact in changing peoples lives for the better if youre able to accomplish your agenda. Advertisement Advertisement But Washington still has its benefits. Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper, a former two-term governor of Colorado before serving in the upper chamber, said shattering the gridlock and partisanship in Congress to achieve a legislative win is the sweetest part of the job and the reason why hes stuck around. That sense of frustration I get it, he said. I feel it. Its a more difficult, more exhausting and frustrating job than Ive ever had. Not everybody, but a lot of people that stay here feel its the most important work youll ever have, and that it justifies that frustration. When you do get something the right bill, the bipartisanship it's as good as anything youll feel when youre governor. Hickenlooper argued a seat in Congress has brought him closer to issues he says state executives dont get a hand in from climate change policy to AI regulations. But he said a congressional post can often be a thankless job and was the hardest work hes ever done. As governor, you get rewards every day, he said. Theres not many here in Congress, he added. But its the most important work Ive ever done in my life. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, has spent more than three decades consolidating power by crushing internal threats. But his leadership faces its most significant challenge yet as widespread protests against his leadership continue to grow across the country, with millions of Iranians taking to the streets to demand regime change. US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran if Mr Khameneis regime continues its deadly crackdown of protesters, with Tehran warning they are ready for war in response to the threats. Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump suggested last week that Mr Khamenei might be planning to flee the country amidst the unrest, with the Iranian leader responding by calling Mr Trump arrogant, saying he would be overthrown. Iranian officials, speaking to the New York Times, indicated the government had been "thrust into survival mode", with reports last week also suggesting Mr Khamenei could flee to Russia. Heres what you need to know about Khamenei. He transformed the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that the Iranian nation is not one to surrender and issued a stern warning that any intervention by the US would bring irreparable damage to them When he rose to power in 1989, Khamenei had to overcome deep doubts about his authority as he succeeded the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Advertisement Advertisement A low-level cleric at the time, Khamenei didn't have his predecessor's religious credentials. With his thick glasses and plodding style, he didn't have his fiery charisma either. But Khamenei has ruled three times longer than the late Khomeini and has shaped Irans Islamic Republic perhaps even more dramatically. He entrenched the system of rule by the mullahs," or Shiite Muslim clerics. That secured his place in the eyes of hardliners as the unquestionable authority below only that of God. At the same time, Khamenei built the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the dominant force in Irans military and internal politics. Advertisement Advertisement The Guard boasts Irans most elite military and oversees its ballistic missile program. Its international arm, the Quds Force, pieced together the Axis of Resistance, the collection of pro-Iranian proxies stretching from Yemen to Lebanon that for years gave Iran considerable power across the region. Khamenei also gave the Guard a free hand to build a network of businesses allowing it to dominate Irans economy. In return, the Guard became his loyal shock force. He fended off domestic challenges Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, speaks with then-Syrian President Bashar Assad in a meeting in Tehran, Iran The first major threat to Khameneis grip was the reform movement that swept into a parliament majority and the presidency soon after he became supreme leader. Advertisement Advertisement The movement advocated for giving greater power to elected officials something Khameneis hardline supporters feared would lead to dismantling the Islamic Republic system. Khamenei stymied the reformists by rallying the clerical establishment. Unelected bodies run by the mullahs succeeded in shutting down major reforms and barring reform candidates from running in elections. The Revolutionary Guard and Irans other security agencies crushed waves of protests that followed the failure of the reform movement. Huge nationwide protests erupted in 2009 over allegations of vote-rigging. Under the weight of sanctions, economic protests broke out in 2017 and 2019. More nationwide protests broke out in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini after police detained her for not wearing her mandatory headscarf properly. Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds were killed in crackdowns on the protests, and hundreds more arrested amid reports of detainees tortured to death or raped in prison. Still, the successive protests showed the strains in Irans theocratic system and lay bare widespread resentment of clerical rule, corruption and economic troubles. Trying to defuse anger, authorities often eased enforcement of some of the Islamic Republics social restrictions. He built Iran into a regional power Holding posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Lebanon's Hezbollah flag, demonstrators chant slogans in an annual rally in front of the former US Embassy in Tehran, Iran (Associated Press) When Khamenei took power, Iran was just emerging from its long war with Iraq that left the country battered and isolated. Over the next three decades, Khamenei turned Iran around into an assertive power wielding influence across the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement One major boost was the USs 2003 ousting of Saddam Hussein, which eventually brought Iranian-allied Shiite politicians and militias to power in Iraq. Iraq provided a linchpin in Irans Axis of Resistance, grouping Bashar Assads Syria, Lebanons Hezbollah, the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. By 2015, the alliance was at its height, putting Iran on Israels doorstep. The past two years brought a dramatic reversal Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turned Iran around into an assertive power wielding influence across the Middle East. Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel brought a massive Israeli retaliation on the Gaza Strip. It also brought a turnaround in Israeli policy. After years of trying to fend off and tamp down Iran's allies, Israel made crushing them its goal. Hamas has been crippled, though not eliminated, even at the cost of the decimation of Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Israel has similarly sidelined Hezbollah at least for the moment with weeks of bombardment in Lebanon last year, along with a dramatic attack with booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies that stunned the group. An even heavier blow to Hezbollah was the fall in December 2024 of Syria's Bashar Assad when Sunni rebels marched on the capital and removed him from power. Now, a government hostile to Iran and Hezbollah rules from Damascus. In June 2025, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. The strike came in support of Israels 12-day war on the Islamic republic in June, although the US reportedly proved unsuccessful in destroying Irans alleged nuclear weapons programme. As the latest wave of protests pushes Khameneis regime to the brink, Iran's Axis of Resistance is at its lowest ebb ever. Iran's leadership played down the nationwide mass demonstrations in an interview with a government spokesman on Saturday after major protests erupted again in the main cities of Tehran and Mashhad on Friday. There have been reports of dozens of deaths during nearly two weeks of demonstrations against the country's leadership and its handling of the economic crisis. But the spokesman, speaking on state television, said calm had prevailed in most cities, according to a translation of a video by Iribnews, the state broadcasting network's news agency. Advertisement Advertisement He also said that the populace supported the government troops in at least one city. "Armed terrorists" had again tried to disrupt public security in various cities, the spokesman said, citing reports from the field. However, thanks to the arrival of the security forces and the strong presence of the population, there had been no armed attacks, he added. In the northern city of Qazvin, people had sharply condemned the actions of "armed terrorists," according to the spokesman. Demonstrations in Tehran and Mashhad For the second evening in a row, however, large numbers of people took to the streets various major cities. Protests took place in Tehran and Mashhad and other locations on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Widely shared videos on social media showed crowds in central squares.The footage could not initially be independently verified. Few images are getting out of Iran since the government shut down the internet on Thursday. The exact scope of the demonstrations remains unclear. Pro-government media such as state broadcasting are not affected by the internet ban and continue to disseminate their reports, for example via the Telegram messaging service. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed American financial aid to Israel and touched upon Iranian regime change in an interview with The Economist. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his aim to taper off Israeli reliance on American aid within a decade during an interview with The Economist published on Friday. For the first time in public, Netanyahu revealed that he may not seek to fully renew the $3.8 billion American military assistance package that Israel receives annually. The package is due for renegotiation in 2028. Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu told The Economist that he plans to fully taper reliance on American support to zero within the next 10 years, a move he claimed is already in progress. The prime minister additionally assured that he will continue to fight for the allegiance of the American people. He also mentioned that he wants Israel to be as independent as possible, stating that reduced reliance on American financial aid may help in Israels fight to preserve a positive public perception. US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a press conference after meeting at Trumps Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST) Id like to do everything I can to fight the propaganda war waged against us, Netanyahu said. He described the uphill battle against misinformation as Israel using cavalry against F-35s, due to social media being flooded with the fake bots and many other things. Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu stated that the vilifications that were delivered on Jewish people are now delivered on to the Jewish state. He elaborated on the history of the vilification of the Jewish people, recounting that since the Middle Ages, allegations that we were poisoning the wells, we were spreading vermin, we were slaughtering Christian children for the Passover festival using their blood have consistently proliferated. The prime minister added that he believes Israel is held to an impossible standard when it comes to international judgment of the Israel-Hamas War, and that he doubts [former UK prime minister Winston] Churchill could have pursued World War II if people saw what happened there. Netanyahu shared that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas may ease international criticism of the Jewish state, predicting that the ease with which propaganda takes over facts, or fact-checking, may dissipate the minute the intense fighting stops. Netanyahu says regime change is possible in Iran Netanyahu also commented on the Iranian threat and the ongoing anti-regime protests across Iran. When asked about the possibility of regime change, he stated that it is not Israels goal, but it could be the consequence of the war. Advertisement Advertisement He reflected on the impact of the joint US-Israeli strikes that destroyed much of Irans nuclear capabilities this past June, stating that the strikes had relegated the regime from a preeminent power to a second-rate power. Netanyahu added that the military defeat faced by Iran during the 12-day war, paired with the terrible mismanagement of their domestic affairs, including pouring billions and billions into the terror axis while doing nothing for the benefit of the Iranian people, may have grave implications for the future of the regime. These two things are meeting now, he posited, and it may be a moment where the people of Iran take charge of their own destiny. Revolutions are best done from within. The prime minister denied that Israel has any plans to intervene as the Iranian people have taken to the streets to protest the regime, stating that he believes close observation of the events in Iran is necessary. There is one definite time when [Israel] would resume military activities, he clarified. If Iran attacks us, which they might, then there will be horrible consequences for Iran. Everything else, I think we should see what is happening inside Iran. BRUSSELS (AP) Italy on Friday gave crucial support to plans by the European Union to seal a huge free trade deal with five South American nations neighboring Venezuela that has been negotiated for over 25 years. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was long seen as the key vote in the campaign by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to rally support for the trade deal with the Mercosur nations of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Von der Leyen said the successful vote sends a strong signal of the EU's economic clout and stability in the face of an increasingly hostile and transactional world." She said she would travel to Paraguay soon, where Mercosur nations are meeting next week. The European Parliament will vote on it before it enters into force. Advertisement Advertisement At a time when trade and dependencies are being weaponized and the dangerous, transactional nature of the reality we live in becomes increasingly stark, this historic trade deal is further proof that Europe charts its own course and stands as a reliable partner, von der Leyen said. Italy confirmed its support for the deal on Friday, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani hailing it as "good news for Italy. This agreement is destined to boost our exports, with the goal of reaching 700 billion euros ($814 billion) in exports," Tajani wrote in a post on X. Meloni said she never had any ideological objections to the Mercosur agreement. Advertisement Advertisement "We have always said we will be in favor of it when there are sufficient guarantees for our farmers, she told a press conference on Friday. The agreements potential is good, but not at the expense of the excellence of our products. Deal to create huge free trade zone German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the agreement "is a milestone in European trade policy and an important signal of our strategic sovereignty and ability to act. In a statement, he said with this agreement, we are strengthening our economy and trade relations with our partners in South America which is good for Germany and for Europe." Advertisement Advertisement The deal would create one of the world's largest free trade zones, covering some 780 million people from Uruguay to Romania and a quarter of the globes gross domestic product. It also gives Brussels a diplomatic win at a time of economic upheaval, providing a stark counterpoint to the gunboat diplomacy of Washington and the coercive export controls of Beijing. Given Trumps policies of isolating the U.S. from the rest of the world, it is an imperative for the EU to lead trade integration policies at the global level and to look for partners elsewhere, said Antonio Fatas, a macroeconomist at the French business school INSEAD. On the other side of the Atlantic, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrated the agreement. His country's economy, worth between $2.3 billion and $2.1 billion last year, is by far the most robust of the South American trade bloc. Advertisement Advertisement This is a historic day for multilateralism, Lula said in his social media channels. In an international scene of growing protectionism and unilateralism, the (EU-Mercosur) deal is a favorable sign for international trade to be a factor for economic growth, with benefits for both blocs. Countering Trump's tariff threats In the wake of Trumps tariff wars, Brussels has sought to curtail its dependency on the U.S. market with trade deals forged across the world. The EU has struck deals with Japan and Indonesia, and are working on one with India. A delay in December to the signing of the deal had infuriated Lula and led experts to worry a last-minute stumble would wreck the EU's credibility. Advertisement Advertisement For Europeans, the finalization of free-trade agreements with new partners stands among the best responses to US tariffs, growing protectionism and trade tensions with China, said Agathe Demarais, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. She said the current EU reliance on China for some critical raw materials could be broken by tapping into Mercosur's deposits. Opposition to the deal was led by France and Poland, with riled-up farmers flooding streets and blocking roads with tractors from Brussels to Athens. Austria, Hungary and Ireland also voted against it. Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Thursday in Shanghai during a state visit to China that we don't have confidence that (Irish farmers) wouldn't be undercut by that, according to Irish public broadcaster RTE. Both Martin and French President Emmanuel Macron said that internal negotiations sparked by the political furor surrounding the deal had led to reforms that better protect European farmers. But they acknowledged such reforms were not enough to overcome domestic political pressure. Advertisement Advertisement Posting on X on Thursday, Macron said three of France's key demands were now being met: New safeguards to an emergency brake of imports if they are found to undercut EU prices by 5% or more; the mirroring of EU food safety regulations in the Mercosur bloc; and an increase of inspections of agrifood imports at EU ports and beyond. Still, Macron said the potential economic gains of the Mercosur deal are limited and do not justify the risks it poses to EU agriculture. His office stated that the deal would only add 77 billion euros ($89.7 billion) by 2040 0.5% of the EU's GDP. Green members of the European Parliament had vowed to take the Commission to court over the deal. They said the agreement would accelerate deforestation in the Amazon and weaken the EU's climate targets. Frances Verkamp, trade campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe, described the deal as toxic." She said Brussels is "playing a game of imperial dominance in global trade with China and the U.S. that wins nothing for workers or consumers and even less for nature and climate. ___ Zampano reported from Rome. Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Mauricio Savarese Sao Paulo contributed. A Jacksonville man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in federal prison in Knoxville, Tennessee, for traveling across state lines to have sex with a minor, officials said. Jeffrey Lee Robertson, 35, pleaded guilty to charges that included traveling with his wife, Kasey Lynn Skaggs, to Tennessee three times to abuse a 14-year-old girl between December 2023 and February 2024. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Advertisement Advertisement Investigators say they found messages between Robertson, Skaggs, and the victim discussing illegal sexual acts, along with evidence that the couple told the girl to delete their conversations. Robertson will have to register as a sex offender for life once hes released. Skaggs is set to be sentenced in February. [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. NEED TO KNOW Mark Epstein continues to make claims that his brother, Jeffrey Epstein, was murdered Mark said on Friday, Jan. 9, that "more autopsy facts" will be released in the coming weeks and "prove" his allegations Jeffrey died of suicide by hanging in a cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in August 2019 Mark Epstein continues to claim that there's evidence that will prove his brother Jeffrey Epstein was murdered. Jeffrey, a convicted sex trafficker, died of suicide by hanging on Aug. 10, 2019, in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, as he awaited trial on numerous sex trafficking charges. Mark was the one to identify the body. Advertisement Advertisement As speculation about the circumstances of Jeffrey's death began, Mark hired former NYC chief medical examiner, Dr. Michael Baden, who said the evidence points to homicide rather than suicide. Years later, in June 2023, the FBI and the Department of Justice said there was no credible evidence of foul play in his death, according to a DOJ report. Despite the findings, Mark has continued to voice his skepticism of the official findings, telling NBC News in July 2025, More and more, I believe he was murdered." "And everyone who looks at all the information thats out there on facts comes to the same conclusion," Mark added. Mark reiterated his beliefs in an appearance on News Nation Now on Friday, Jan. 9, alleging again that Jeffrey was murdered, and that "more autopsy facts will be coming out in February that prove it. Advertisement Advertisement He told the outlet that when he saw Jeffreys body, the injuries didnt correspond to the way his body was found hanging. Owen Hoffmann/Patrick McMullan/Getty; Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis/Getty Mark Epstein and Jeffrey Epstein Mark Epstein and Jeffrey Epstein Mark continued, There are only three ways to die in prison, before adding, Suicide, natural causes or murder. And Jeff was murdered. I want to know who killed him and on whose behalf? Mark also said that he believes the previous investigations and the subsequent findings are a cover-up. Why the charade?" he asked. "Who are they trying to protect? Meanwhile, Mark rejects Jeffreys longtime confidante Ghislaine Maxwell's August 2025 comments that she didn't see the murder of Jeffrey happening, although she acknowledged that it is "of course" possible. Advertisement Advertisement "But I don't know of any reason why, and I don't believe in the blackmail or in any of this, I don't think Epstein had a hit on like that," she continued. "If it is indeed murder, I believe it was an internal situation." In Friday's interview with News Nation Now, Mark said that he "wouldn't trust anything" Maxwell says, adding that she "never saw the body or talked to Jeff before he died." Kypros/Getty Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 mugshot Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 mugshot Before Mark spoke with NewsNation on Jan. 9, he claimed in a Nov. 18 phone interview with the outlet that an unnamed source told him that names of conservative politicians were being axed from the Epstein files to prevent Republicans from getting incriminated. Days later, on Nov. 20, he claimed on CNNs Erin Burnett OutFront that President Donald Trump purposefully delayed the release of the Epstein files. Advertisement Advertisement Mark also alleged that his brother had information on Trump when he was running for his first term in office in 2016, claiming that it was incriminating enough to cancel the election. "He didn't tell me what he knew," Mark told the outlet, "but Jeffrey definitely had dirt on Trump." 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. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Read the original article on People Jonathan Ross' career in federal law enforcement has taken him into the middle of numerous tense situations ... including the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good on January 7, 2026. Here's a look at his past and the aftermath of the Minneapolis shooting. Ross Served in Iraq Ross was deployed in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 with the Indiana National Guard as a machine-gunner on a gun truck, according to The Associated Press. He reportedly attended college upon his return and joined the Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas, in 2007. He worked as a field intelligence agent and remained with the agency until 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Ross said he worked as a firearms and active instructor and was a member of a SWAT team and a team leader with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force during courtroom testimony last month. Ross joined ICE in 2015 and has served as a deportation officer in Minnesota since then. He's assigned to fugitive operations, focused on arresting "higher value targets." Ross Was Seriously Injured in a 2025 Immigration Arrest Ross was reportedly the leader of a team of ICE agents who had been assigned to arrest an undocumented immigrant in Bloomington, Minnesota, in June 2025. Although agents had grouped outside the home of Roberto Munoz-Guatemala, the target drove away from his residence. Ross chased Munoz-Guatemala and pulled his vehicle in front of Munoz-Guatemala's, then ordered him to put the car in park. Ross directed Munoz-Guatemala to lower his window and ended up breaking the window before attempting to unlock the driver's door. Advertisement Advertisement Munoz-Guatemala then began driving while Ross' arm was caught in the car and dragged Ross more than 100 yards before he was knocked loose from the vehicle. Ross suffered various cuts and abrasions in the incident, and he received more than 30 stitches. Ross shot Munoz-Guatemala with a Taser during the incident. Munoz-Guatemala was later arrested, charged, and found guilty of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous or deadly weapon. Ross Shot Good at Point-Blank Range on Video Ross and Good's paths crossed on January 7, 2026, in traffic on a residential street in southern Minneapolis ... a group of ICE agents was going door to door in the area looking for undocumented immigrants. Good's vehicle was blocked on both sides on the street, and agents approached and was ordered her to step out of her Honda Pilot by an agent, who put his hands on her driver's-side door ... she backed up her vehicle before moving forward slightly, and Ross fired several rounds at her at close range, numerous videos show. Advertisement Advertisement Good was struck in the head by at least one bullet, and she was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Good's identity was confirmed later in the afternoon. Ross was identified by the Minnesota Star Tribune the following day. Ross' Actions Have Been Defended by the Trump Administration Although Good's death has been widely denounced by Minnesota officials and others across the country, Ross has been commended by the Trump administration, including by J.D. Vance, who said Ross "deserves a debt of gratitude." Vance said Ross had been doing a "very, very important job" for the country and suggested Good was to blame for her own death online and in a White House press conference Thursday. Kristi Noem addressed the incident in a Wednesday press conference, and reiterated the administration's position -- that Ross wsa acting in self-defense when he shot Good. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Ross "acted according to his training." The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office announced the arrest of a man after he was accused of killing an 18-year-old over the past summer. According to JSO, District 6 patrol officers responded to a quadruple shooting at an apartment complex on Cleveland Road in June. 18-year-old Marcus Thompson was shot along with three others. The others survived, but Thompson did not. He died from his gunshot wound. JSO says detectives identified 22-year-old Samuel Chaney as the suspect. Advertisement Advertisement Chaney was arrested on Friday for Thompsons murder. He had already been behind bars, facing charges in an unrelated case. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] A dip in tanker rates has improved the price outlook for U.S. crude this month, as it signals stronger demand. However, the relief may not last too long as most tanker market forecasts for the year still see rates much higher than they were in 2025. The shipping markets are freeing up, and rates are tanking from the US to Asia, and the UK to Asia, one analyst from financial services provider TP ICAP told Bloomberg this week, adding that the trend was boosting demand for U.S. crude oil. As a result, local U.S. benchmark prices have rebounded, although high-sulfur grades remain pressured following President Trumps statement that the U.S. will be taking millions of barrels of Venezuelan crude. The general freight rate situation, however, remains inflated. The reason is rising supply, both from OPEC+ and from the United States, which has tightened the availability of tankers. Last year, this situation resulted in half a dozen new Very Large Crude Carriers making their maiden journey empty, rather than loaded with gasoline, which is standard practice. The reason they traveled empty was to pick up crude cargoes and collect the soaring daily rates. The unusual strength at the end of the year has seen oil tanker rates on the key shipping routes surge by 467% year to date, according to Bloomberg estimates released in December and based on data from the Baltic Exchange and commodity markets data provider Spark Commodities. Related: Mexicos Crude Exports Slide as Refining Finally Reawakens Also last month, Lloyds List reported a sudden nosedive in tanker rates on the Baltic Exchange, with VLCC rates shedding 20% between December 19 and December 22. However, rates remained the highest since the tail end of spring 2020 floating storage boom, at $83,882 per day. The freight rates for smaller tankers also remain strong, Lloyds List noted in its report. Some of the tanker rate surge was attributable to the U.S. sanctions on Russian Rosneft and Lukoil that entered into effect in late November. Tanker rates rose in anticipation of a squeeze on the fleet that Russia was using to transport its oil. This week also provided support for tanker rates after the United States chased a Russian-flagged tanker across the ocean and finally captured it in the North Atlantic. The vessel, Bella 1, is under U.S. sanctions. However, its seizure by the U.S. forces indicates intensification of geopolitical tensions, which, combined with the limited availability of tankers, will likely keep freight rates elevated. A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from freezing $10 billion in welfare funds earmarked for five blue states. In response to a request from the states for an emergency injunction, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ordered that the money from three programs Child Care Development Fund, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Social Services Block Grants must continue to flow to the states. His decision, which expires in two weeks, was meant to give the two sides time to submit more extensive legal arguments on whether the cuts should be allowed or the ban kept in place, the judge wrote. Earlier in the week, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York and Minnesota received letters from the federal Department of Health and Human Services notifying them of the cuts. California is in line to receive about half of the $10 billion in targeted funding. Advertisement Advertisement The attempt to withhold the funds was in response to what the Trump Administration has alleged without evidence is widespread fraud and waste in the states welfare programs. Along with the cuts, administration officials are also requesting reams of information about how states administer the programs in an effort to bolster the claims of malfeasance and ineptitude. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the attorneys general from the other states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration late Thursday night and sought the emergency order to preserve the funding as the case got underway. The states argued that the administration was overstepping its power by trying to claw back funds Congress had already appropriated. It is an argument similar to others that have been successful in reversing Trumps proposed cuts to food aid, research grants, school funding and other programs. In California alone, officials say the state has won back around $168 billion in federal funds the administration tried to cut off. A federal judge has barred the Trump administration from threatening to withhold federal election funding for states that refuse to alter their voter registration forms or voting systems to President Donald Trumps liking. U.S. District Judge John Chun ruled Friday that Trumps threat to pull Election Assistance Commission funds was an attempt to put unconstitutional pressure on states even though the president by design has no formal power to determine how states administer elections. The President has no authority to unilaterally impose new conditions on federal funds, Chun wrote in a 75-page ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Chun, a Seattle-based Biden appointee, is the third federal judge to block large portions of Trumps March 25 Executive Order purporting to require states to alter their election processes. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Washington, D.C.-based Obama appointee, in April blocked portions of the order forcing states to adopt new standards for voters proof of citizenship and a series of enforcement mechanisms. And U.S. District Judge Denise Casper, a Massachusetts-based Obama appointee, in June blocked provisions seeking to punish states that count ballots that arrive after Election Day. The Trump administration has appealed Kollar-Kotellys and Caspers rulings. Both appeals remain pending. In response to the Friday ruling, a White House spokesperson said Trump cares deeply about the integrity of our elections and his executive order takes lawful actions to ensure election security." "This is not the final say on the matter and the Administration expects ultimate victory on the issue, spokesperson Abigail Jackson said. Advertisement Advertisement All three judges found that Trump had exceeded his authority by purporting to mandate states to adjust their election procedures. The Constitution gives exclusive control of the time, place and manner to the states and Congress an intentional decision to keep presidents at arms length from the procedures that govern their own elections. The federal government plays a role in funding state election systems, enforcing federal laws meant to protect election integrity and prosecuting election fraud. Those oversight functions dont impinge on lawmakers power to set election procedures. Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims of widespread fraud and cheating in blue states, rooted in part in his defeat in the 2020 election and he has repeated those allegations in his efforts to pressure states to change their procedures. Chuns ruling was the first to contend with Trumps demand that the Election Assistance Commission update voting system standards in specific ways and then threaten funding for states that refuse to conform to those standards. It also bars a provision that could threaten funding for states that dont require documentary proof of citizenship on federal voter registration forms. The Constitution assigns no authority to the President over federal election administration, Chun wrote. NEW YORK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's administration from freezing access by five Democratic-led states to more than $10 billion of federal funds for child care and family assistance based on what it said were concerns about fraud. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, an appointee of Democratic former President Joe Biden, said he issued a temporary restraining order for the reasons stated in a legal filing by California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, which filed the lawsuit. The states sued the Trump administration late on Thursday, two days after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the freeze. Advertisement Advertisement Funds that were frozen include more than $7 billion from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash to low-income families with children. The funds also included $2.4 billion from the Child Care and Development Fund, which helps make childcare more affordable, and about $870 million in social services grants for children. (Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; Editing by Chris Reese) An area judge recently denied an early release request for a man who played a role in his fiances death. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] John Carter is currently serving three years in prison for an involuntary manslaughter conviction in the death of Katelyn Markham. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Carter was seeking an early release based on good behavoir in prison, according to our media partner WCPO-9 TV. His defense called him a model inmate. Butler County Judge Daniel Haughey denied the request during the hearing on Friday. We dont get to hit a reset button. We dont get to undo whats been done. Boy, Im a great guy other than that day that I killed someone, Haughey said. Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser called the decision an example of judicial excellence and consideration, WCPO-9 reported. He took into account everything that needed to be considered both by the public, by the prosecution, by the defense attorney, and by the defendant and all those in attendance on both sides of this case, Gmoser said. We all agree that three years is not enough time, but it is the time thats available in a case that was largely circumstantial, where the elements of proof were very difficult and could have ultimately led to a different result. Advertisement Advertisement As previously reported by News Center 7, Markham was last seen in August 2011 at her apartment in Butler County. Her remains were found in 2013 in Cedar Grove, Indiana. Markhams death was ruled a homicide, but the cause of death is undetermined at this time, WCPO-9 reported. Initially, prosecutors pursued two murder charges against Carter. One of those charges claimed he purposefully caused her death, and the other claimed he caused her death as the proximate result of felony violence. His attorneys told WCPO-9 that by pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter, he admitted to accidentally causing Markhams death during a misdemeanor assault. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump's administration cannot block federal money for child care subsidies and other programs aimed at supporting low-income families with children from flowing to five Democratic-led states for now. The states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York argued that a policy announced Tuesday to freeze billions of dollars in funds for three grant programs is having an immediate impact on them and creating operational chaos. In court filings and a hearing earlier Friday, the states contended that the government did not have a legal reason for withholding the money from them. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it was pausing the funding because it had reason to believe the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally, though it did not provide evidence or explain why it was targeting those states and not others. Advertisement Advertisement U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, did not rule on the legality of the funding freeze but said the five states met a legal threshold to protect the status quo for at least 14 days while arguments are made in court. Health department officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The affected programs are the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for 1.3 million children from low-income families; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and the Social Services Block Grant, a smaller fund that provides money for a variety of programs. The five states say they receive a total of more than $10 billion a year from the programs. Advertisement Advertisement New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading the lawsuit, called the ruling a critical victory for families whose lives have been upended by this administrations cruelty. The government had requested reams of data from the five states, including the names and Social Security numbers of everyone who received benefits from some of the programs since 2022. The states argue that the effort is unconstitutional and is intended to go after Trumps political adversaries rather than to stamp out fraud in government programs something the states say they already do. Jessica Ranucci, a lawyer in James' office, said during the Friday hearing that at least four of the states had already had money delayed after requesting it. She said that if the states cant get child care funds, there will be immediate uncertainty for providers and families who rely on the programs. Advertisement Advertisement A lawyer for the federal government, Kamika Shaw, said it was her understanding that the money had not stopped flowing to states. The other 45 states face a new requirement to check attendance at child care centers and submit strong justification for the use of funds that aligns with the program's purpose. At about the same time the judge stopped the freeze on the child care subsidies, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the administration would freeze about $130 million a year in funding from her agency to Minnesota. Rollins said the states inability to stop fraud schemes led to the decision. Seventy-eight people have been charged since 2022 and 57 convicted after federal prosecutors said the Minnesota nonprofit group Feeding Our Future stole $250 million from a program meant to feed children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's office did not immediately have a comment Friday evening. The states attorney general, Keith Ellison, said hed fight the new freeze of funds in court. In a letter to Walz that Rollins shared on social media, she suggested the state could restore its access to the funding by providing justification for how it spent federal dollars over the past year. All the states future transactions involving money from the agency will require the same justification, she said. Walz and Minnesota have become a main target of the administration in Trump's second term. Last month the president called the states Somali population garbage in the wake of the Feeding Our Futures investigation and other fraud cases involving Somali defendants. And this week the administration launched the largest immigration enforcement operation in history in Minneapolis, leading to a fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. A federal judge Friday evening temporarily blocked the Trump administration from freezing federal money for child care and other social services in five states. The Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that is withholding funds for programs in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York because of concerns about alleged fraud. Programs affected were the Child Care and Development Fund, which had nearly $2.4 billion frozen; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), with $7.35 billion; and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), with $869 million. Attorneys general in these states promptly filed lawsuits against the federal government in the U.S. Southern District Court of New York. Advertisement Advertisement "The importance of these programs cannot be overstated - they provide cash assistance and fund services to help low-income and vulnerable families," the lawsuit said. "Without these programs, there will be immediate and devastating impacts in Plaintiff States." In the lawsuit, the states argued that the claims of fraud are just a "pretext." "Their transparent motivation is to punish "Democrat-led" states who are disfavored by the Administration," the lawsuit said. Meanwhile, HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill said in a Tuesday statement that "families who rely on child care and family assistance programs deserve confidence that these resources are used lawfully and for their intended purpose." Advertisement Advertisement Freezing the funds "reflects our commitment to program integrity, fiscal responsibility, and compliance with federal requirements," he said. Jessica Ranucci, a lawyer in the New York Attorney General's office, said in the Friday hearing, which was reported on by The Associated Press, that at least four states already saw money be delayed after they requested it. If these states don't get the money, she said, there will be immediate uncertainty for providers and families who need these programs. An attorney for the federal government, Kamika Shaw, said it was her understanding that the money had not been restricted from the states, according to the AP. In a temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, the federal government was directed to "immediately remove any restrictions, outside of permitted statutory authority, on plaintiffs' ability to draw down funds under the Child Care Development Fund, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Social Services Block Grants programs." Advertisement Advertisement New York Attorney General Letitia James said after the ruling that she'll "keep fighting to protect New York from losing funding and essential services." "I'm pleased with the court's decision, which protects critical funding to support families and help working parents access child care," Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement. "There is no justification for this attempted funding freeze. It is a cruel and illegal attempt by the Trump administration to play politics with the lives of children and low-income families." O'Neill said in his own statement that HHS "will comply with the court, but we will fight." "We will appeal," he said. "We will keep asking questions." Advertisement Advertisement Purported fraud in social service programs became a focus for the federal government after a conservative YouTube creator made a video which he said exposed massive swindling by government-subsidized day care centers. Directors of those centers pushed back on these claims, arguing that they were politically motivated because the day cares are owned by Somali-Americans. In addition, problems in Minnesota's social service programs have been public knowledge for more than a decade and have been the subject of extensive local and national news coverage. The post Judge: Trump admin can't freeze social service money for 5 states appeared first on Straight Arrow News. Related Links The invitations went out a few weeks ago, for a ceremony in Santa Barbara on Jan. 9 to celebrate State Sen. Monique Limons new position as leader of the California State Senate. The 500 people invited, among them dozens of local and state politicians from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, werent told of any surprise guest. But by the time the event started, there was a buzz going through the theater at Santa Barbara Junior High School, where Limon was a student 35 years ago. Word had gotten out. Former Vice President Kamala Harris was in the building. Advertisement Advertisement Harris spoke for just a few minutes, then administered a ceremonial oath of office to Limon, who was officially sworn in to her post as president pro tem of the Senate on Jan. 5 in Sacramento. Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in Santa Barbara on Jan. 9 as she prepares to administer the oath of office to State Sen. Monique Limon, who was recently elected to the Senate's top leadership post. Limon was elected to the Senates top leadership post in June and began serving in the role in November. Her district includes all of Santa Barbara County and all of western Ventura County, making her the first Ventura County legislator to hold a top leadership post in Sacramento in at least a century perhaps the first ever, though district boundaries from more than 100 years ago are hard to pinpoint. She is also the second woman to serve as Senate leader, the first woman of color and the first Latina. Harris focused on those firsts in her brief introduction of Limon, in which she praised the voters of Limons district for breaking barriers. State Sen. Monique Limon, in pink, swears her oath to the California and United States constitutions before former Vice President Kamala Harris, in Santa Barbara on Jan. 9. As a native Californian, the pride that I have, knowing that we have this kind of leadership in our state, Harris said. Its about California and about our country and showing who we are and who we can be, and one thing I know about the senate president pro tem is that she loves our country. Advertisement Advertisement After repeating her oath to the constitutions of California and of the United States, Limon called it the honor of a lifetime to have Harris administer the oath. This is an incredible, incredible moment for me, from growing up on the east side and west side of Santa Barbara to having the vice president of the United States of America swear me in as the next leader of the California State Senate, Limon said. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, far left, and State Sen. Monique Limon, far right, on stage in Santa Barbara on Jan. 9 with Limon's family. As our first woman vice president of this country, she knows a lot about shattering glass ceilings and what it takes to be the first in this country, Limon continued. Being the first is important, and ensuring we are not the last is even more important. Limon, 46, was elected to the California Assembly in 2016 and to the State Senate in 2020. Senate Democrats voted unanimously in June 2025 to make her their next leader, the 50th president pro tem in the history of the Senate. Advertisement Advertisement She was joined on stage at Santa Barbara Junior High by her parents, both immigrants to the United States, as well as her husband, her young daughter and other family members. My parents came to this country to give my brother and me the opportunities that they themselves could never even dream of, she said. This great state has made those opportunities a reality, because California is the land where hard work meets opportunity. Limon did not address any state or national political issues, except to pause her speech for a moment of silence for Renee Good, the woman shot and killed by an immigration officer on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis. While this is absolutely a time of celebrating for our community, it is also not lost on me that in this historic moment comes a time of real pain and fear for many, Limon said. Advertisement Advertisement She also mentioned the 23 people killed by mudslides in Montecito in 2018, eight years to the day before her ceremonial swearing in at Santa Barbara Junior High. That day, that moment, left scars in our community, she said. The 23 lives that we lost will always stay with us, and what has also stayed with us, with this community and with me, is the communitys resilience and togetherness. The way that our community responded in the wake of this tragedy has shaped my policy and my resolve to always lead with the people of this community in mind. Tony Biasotti is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tbiasotti@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Kamala Harris makes surprise appearance in Santa Barbara Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, after his body was found in a snowbank the driveway outside the Canton home of a fellow Boston police officer on Jan 29, 2022. His girlfriend, Karen Read, was charged with second degree murder in the death of the 46-year-old Braintree native. She was found not guilty in June 2025 after her case made national headlines, the first trial ended in a hung jury, and multiple State Police and local investigators lost their jobs. While the criminal case is over, many aspects of the case are still being tried in the civil courts including a suit by O'Keefe's family. The case has attracted widespread attention with allegations of a coverup. Who is Karen Read Read is from Mansfield, Massachusetts, and grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia, and in Taunton. She attended Coyle & Cassidy, a now-closed private school, and earned undergraduate and masters degrees in finance at Bentley University in Waltham. Advertisement Advertisement She worked in financial services and as an adjunct professor at Bentley University, teaching finance, until she was arrested. Who was John O'Keefe? O'Keefe was raised in Braintree and lived in Canton. He was a Boston police officer for 16 years after getting a master's degree in criminal justice from the University of Massachusetts. He was a Braintree High School graduate and a former intern at the Braintree Police Department. "Moving forward, I will do my best to continue his legacy of caring and supporting others ... even though I know I will never come close to the way he did," Paul O'Keefe said in his eulogy of his older brother at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Braintree. O'Keefe's obituary calls him "A devoted son, brother, uncle, godfather, cousin and friend." Advertisement Advertisement When O'Keefe's sister and brother-in-law died, he became the guardian of his niece and nephew. "John was a kind person dedicated to his family and will be greatly missed by his coworkers and anyone who had the privilege of meeting him," Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief Gregory Long said in a statement. What happened to John O'Keefe and Karen Read on Jan. 29, 2022 Prosecutor Hank Brennan argued in the opening statements of the second trial that Read purposely backed into O'Keefe after their relationship started to unravel, leaving him to die in the cold and snow on the front lawn of 34 Fairview Road. Brennan said DNA evidence, cell phone data and Read's own statements prove she's responsible for O'Keefe's death. Defense attorney Alan Jackson said the case and investigation is corrupted by "bias," "incompetence" and "deceit," and Read was framed, focusing attention on Boston police officer Brian Albert and ATF agent Brian Higgins. O'Keefe's body was found on the lawn of Albert's Canton home. Jackson said the cover up stems from lead investigator Michael Proctor, a now-fired state trooper. What were the key Karen Read trial dates Jan. 28, 2022: Read and O'Keefe were out with friends and drinking at a Canton bar Advertisement Advertisement Jan 29, 2022: O'Keefe's body is found and police begin the investigation Feb. 1, 2022: Read arrested; she was freed on bail the next day June 2022: Read is indicted by a Grand Jury for Norfolk County Superior Court April 29, 2024: Opening statements in the first trial. Prosecutors proceeded to call more than 65 witnesses in testimony The defense's list of witnesses was much shorter. Read did not testify in her own defense June 25, 2024: Closing statements and jury begins deliberation June 28, 2024: Jurors tell Judge Beverly Cannone they are stuck and cannot agree in a note from the jury foreperson on Friday afternoon. She told them to keep deliberating Advertisement Advertisement July 1, 2024: First trial ends in a mistrial after two more hours of deliberations April 22, 2025: Opening statements of second trial June 18, 2025: The jury finds Read not guilty of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. She was found guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence. As a first-time offender, Read was sentenced to a year of probation and classes. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: What is the true story about Karen Read and John O'Keefe Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko no Friday urged residents to leave the city of 3 million inhabitants temporarily, noting that 6,000 apartment blocks could no longer be heated following Russian attacks. "The city services are operating in emergency mode," Klitschko posted on Telegram. Around half the city's apartment blocks are affected following a severe Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital. The overnight attack on Kiev had been the most serious of the war for the city's infrastructure, with the situation exacerbated by cold winter weather, Klitschko said. Those able to find suitable accommodation elsewhere should leave the city temporarily, he posted. Advertisement Advertisement The recommendation was not an official call to evacuate, but advice to the effect that residents should travel to their dachas equipped with heating stoves or seek accommodation with friends and relatives in less affected areas. Some of the apartment blocks should have heating again from Friday evening, Klitschko said, adding that the situation in Kiev was difficult but under control. The Energy Ministry said on Friday morning that around 500,000 consumers were without electric power in Kiev and surroundings. The Ukrainian air force said the city had come under overnight attack from more than 200 drones and dozens of missiles and cruise missiles. At least four people died in the attacks, and President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 20 apartment blocks had been damaged. Ukraine has been fighting a full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022. Egyptologist Howard Carter first laid eyes on the preserved tomb of King Tutankhamun in Egypt back in 1922. An exhibit coming to Boston wants to take visitors back to that time in history to see the discovery through Carter's eyes. The Imagine company recently announced that an exhibit called "Discovering King Tuts Tomb" will arrive in Boston next month. "Imagine is currently producing, presenting or operating more than 40 unique experiences around the globe," according to a release about the event. Advertisement Advertisement Here's more about the exhibit and when it will be in Boston. When and where is the exhibit? The exhibit will officially open on Feb. 13, 2026 at the Saunders Castle at Park Plaza, located at 20 Park Plaza, Boston. Right now, those interested in seeing the exhibit can provide their email address to join a waitlist to purchase tickets . When do tickets for the exhibit go on sale? Tickets go on sale to the public on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 at noon. What is the King Tut exhibit It is described a comprehensive show about the monumental discovery of the celebrated Egyptian Boy King. "This highly detailed exhibition celebrates the unprecedented discovery of King Tutankhamuns tomb and tells the story through the eyes of the famous explorer Howard Carter," Tom Zaller, President and CEO of Imagine, said in a release. Advertisement Advertisement The exhibit recounts the story of the discovery from Carter's perspective. "The display begins with a passageway to the burial chamber and unfolds with animations that illuminate the process of mummification and its significance to ancient Egyptian culture," a release states. "Additional galleries trace more than 100 years of King Tut and explore archeological practices today. High-resolution Oculus VR headsets enhance the visitor experience, allowing guests to take a deeper dive into the exploration of King Tuts tomb. A beautifully narrated audio tour is also available to enhance the experience." Right now, the display is in Las Vegas. Boston begins the exhibit's tour. An exhibit focusing on the 1922 discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun (King Tut) is coming to Boston in February. How long does it take to get through the exhibit? According to the event website, it takes 45-60 minutes for the experience. Are the exhibit's King Tut's artifacts real? No, due to strict guidelines from Egypt's government, they are not real, but rather, replicas. Advertisement Advertisement The release on the event explains, "now that the original King Tut artifacts are forever entombed in the new Grand Egyptian museum and the government of Egypt has decreed that they will never travel out of Egypt again, these handmade original replicas, made by Egyptian craftsman passed down over generations and created in the same manner as the originals, offer guests the only opportunity outside of Egypt for this type of experience." Where can people find more information? More information about the exhibit can be found at tutboston.com. This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: King Tut's tomb exhibit coming to Boston. Here's when This story was originally published on MedTech Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily MedTech Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Teleflex has parted ways with CEO Liam Kelly and is putting a retired board member in charge of the company on an interim basis. The company, which disclosed the changes Thursday, framed the changes as part of the transformation triggered by recent deals to sell three units for about $2 billion. Teleflex reported the leadership changes alongside a 1% reduction in the midpoint of its full-year guidance range. The company blamed the revised forecast on soft demand for heart devices. Dive Insight: Kelly took over as CEO at the start of 2018 as part of a well-telegraphed succession plan. Kelly rose through the ranks at Teleflex, joining the company in 2009 and becoming chief operating officer in 2015. The Teleflex veteran has left the company without a permanent successor. Teleflex has made Stuart Randle, a board member, interim president and CEO, effective immediately. Stephen Klasko, the companys lead director, has replaced Kelly as chairman of the board. Randle retired in 2018 after three years as CEO of Ivenix, a company that sells infusion delivery systems. Earlier in his career, Randle spent 10 years as president and CEO of GI Dynamics. The company, which rebranded as Morphic Medical in 2023, developed a medical device to treat diabetes and obesity. Randle has served on Teleflexs board since 2009. Teleflex will pay Randle $140,000 per month as interim president and CEO while it looks for a permanent replacement to Kelly. Randles tenure will cover a period in which Teleflex will work to close deals that it disclosed in December. Teleflex is aiming to close the $1.5 billion sale of its OEM business and the $530 million sale of its acute care and interventional urology units in the second half of the year. The divestitures will leave Teleflex focused on its vascular access, interventional and surgical businesses. Klasko said in a statement that Teleflexs board determined that given the companys evolution into a more focused, higher-growth organization it is the right time to change CEO. Teleflex said it expects revenue for 2025 to be $3.27 billion to about $3.28 billion, compared to its previous guidance of about $3.31 billion to $3.32 billion. The company said the reduction, which is just over 1% at the midpoint, reflects softer-than-expected demand for intra-aortic balloon pumps and catheters in the U.S. and Asia, and delays in purchase orders in the OEM business. ROCKLAND LAKE - After a decade-plus hiatus, the Knickerbocker Ice Festival is slated to return with dramatic sculptures, spots to warm up and historic photographs and artifacts that document the heyday of the ice industry in Rockland. The event was originally slated for Jan. 24 and 25, but it has been postponed to the following weekend (Jan. 31 to Feb. 1) because of an incoming storm system expected to hit the region this weekend. This will be the first time the event has come back to Rockland Lake since 2012. The event originated in 2007 when Valley Cottage resident Tim Englert and ice sculptor Rob Patalano teamed up to honor the rich ice-harvesting history of Rockland Lake in the 1800s and to create a winter carnival for the community. Advertisement Advertisement Patalano died earlier this year. The weekend festival honors his memory, Englert said during a recent visit. How Rockland ice cooled the world Knickerbocker, a nickname for New Yorkers, was also the name of the company that operated a once-thriving ice-harvesting industry based at the lake. The Knickerbocker Ice Co. cut the ice from spring-fed Rockland Lake. The company used a gravity-powered incline railway so innovative that Thomas Edison made documentary films about the industry and the innovation to get the ice to the Hudson. Timothy Englert, co-founder of the Knickerbocker Ice Festival, talks about the upcoming event at Rockland Lake State Park Jan. 8, 2026 in Valley Cottage. The event will take place Jan. 24 and 25 at Rockland Lake, which was home to a once rich ice-harvesting industry. The ice would be hauled down to the Hudson River and taken by barge to New York City and around the globe. Advertisement Advertisement Modern refrigeration led to the industry's demise in the 1920s. In 1926, a fire, sparked during demolition of an ice house, destroyed the village of Rockland Lake. The state parkland replaced most vestiges of the past history and community of the hamlet. A sign for the upcoming Knickerbocker Ice Festival at Rockland Lake State Park Jan. 8, 2026 in Valley Cottage. The Knickerbocker Ice Festival will take place Jan. 24 and 25. What you'll see if you go Plans call for three large sculptures, including depictions of a bald eagle and an American bison, national symbol, and of an angel to honor co-founder Patalano. Renown ice sculptor Shintaro Okamoto plans to produce the sculptures during the two-day festival. An Ice Gallery is planned for the North Pavilion. Historic photographs of Rockland Lake, the Knickerbocker Fire Companys antique hand pumper hose and historic ice harvesting tools will demonstrate the history of Rockland Lake when it was a hub of the ice industry and an active community. Ice sculptor Robert Patalano at the 2012 Knickerbocker Ice Festival at Rockland Lake State Park with his sculpture of a horse-drawn ice wagon. Igloos, built by volunteers, made with snow generated onsite, will dot the festival route. Advertisement Advertisement Lisa Levarts Women of the Ramapough Lenape Nation exhibit will also be on display. "One cannot explore the history of Rockland Lake without recognizing those who were there before us," Englert said. Local Scouts are planning to staff campfires around the venues, with some sites selling hot cocoa. Food trucks will also be at the park. Englert said a couple weeks before the festival that he hoped for other attractions. The event is free, and parking will be $10 (Empire passes won't be honored.) The Knickerbocker Ice Festival will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 and 8:30 a,m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1. Note: This story has been updated to reflect new information. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Knickerbocker Ice Festival postponed at Rockland Lake State Park (This story has been updated to correct an inaccuracy.) A bill recently filed in the Kentucky state House could let voters decide to add a section relating to recreational marijuana use to the Kentucky Constitution. House Bill 199 was filed Jan. 7 and is sponsored by Kentucky House Representative Nima Kulkarni, according to the Kentucky General Assembly's website. The bill proposes creating a new section of the state constitution that would allow anyone over the age of 21 to possess, use, buy or sell one ounce or less of cannabis. It would also allow people of age to cultivate, harvest and store up to five cannabis plants for personal use. Advertisement Advertisement "Far too many citizens of the Commonwealth have been incarcerated for minor crimes involving the possession of small amounts of cannabis and the vast majority of the citizens of the Commonwealth want to have a say on the legality of cannabis," the bill states. The use of medical marijuana in Kentucky was legalized at the start of 2025, though most cardholders had to wait months for the first dispensary to open. If the bill is approved, a question about the proposed section would be included on a ballot for Kentucky voters. The Kentucky Cannabis Freedom Coalition is a cannabis civil rights organization that advocates for legal changes in Kentucky. According to its website, the bill has been endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky and the NAACP of Kentucky. The bill was also signed by Rep. Daniel Grossberg, according to the online filing. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KY lawmaker files act to add recreational cannabis to constitution Some Marylanders have received notices that they owe money to the state for overpayments of unemployment benefits dated back to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Danielle E. Gaines/Maryland Matters) Maryland overpaid $807.4 million in unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 pandemic and missed the opportunity to recover $760 million of that amount because it took too long do to so, state auditors said. The report published Friday by the Office of Legislative Audits covered unemployment benefit paid out between Nov. 16, 2020, and Jan. 15, 2025, when states were flush with federal cash to help them through the pandemic and the sudden and historic loss of jobs that came with it. The chance to collect many of those overpayments passed in May 2025, the auditors said. Advertisement Advertisement That is quite concerning to me when we are not good stewards of taxpayer money, said Sen. Shelly Hettleman (D-Baltimore County), co-chair of the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee. We have a (budget) shortfall, and we need to make sure that our money is spent on the priorities and the values we adhere to. Labor Secretary Portia Wu said her department takes the findings of the audit very seriously and that it is working to recover as much as it can going forward. But she also noted that about 90% of the unrecoverable overpayments would have fallen under the administration of Gov. Larry Hogan (R), and that much of the money involved would not have been state funds, but federal money that states received during the pandemic. We had been working on addressing these underlying problems far before these audit findings, Wu said Friday, noting that the department has recovered over $500 million in fraudulent, overpaid claims in 2025 and is pursuing another $1.3 billion in overpayments. The Labor Departments Division of Unemployment Insurance collects unemployment insurance taxes from employers and distributes unemployment benefits. The department explains on its website that overpayments can occur for several reasons, including unreported wages, changes in work availability, or identity theft or fraud committed by a third party, which was particularly an issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement During the pandemic, the federal government offered states additional money to help keep up with surging unemployment claims at the time. We all know that the unemployment system had enormous, enormous strains during COVID and it just wasnt functional in the way it needed to be during that crisis, Hettleman said. And then there were lots of starts and stops to get it up and running, and then there were legal issues and lots of concerns about fraud. State auditors found that the unemployment division did not timely pursue recovery of claimant overpayments totaling $807.4 million resulting in up to $760.7 million that is no longer collectable as of May 2025. The labor department argues that the unrecoverable overpayments are closer to $600 million. Wu also noted that part of the collection of those overpayments were stalled in January 2022 by a legal challenge, which did not lift until September 2023. Advertisement Advertisement But the audit notes that the department did not have sufficient overpayment collection even after the suspension ended, resulting in an additional $33.6 million in overpayments not being adequately pursued. In response, the department said there was necessary back-end work to resume collection activities which led to additional delays after the suspension was lifted. Many of these issues, I think its over 90% of these overpayments were prior to this administration and during the pandemic, Wu said. Many of them may have been fraudulent. I cant go back in time to change what was done. But I think were focused on doing our very best to recover as much as possible going forward. Some of these unpursued claims are very old. So even if we had been able to take action slightly earlier, many of these payments are not recoverable because theyre older, Wu said. Advertisement Advertisement Obviously if actions had been taken closer in time to those overpayments, perhaps more of them could have been recovered. But I couldnt have taken any action before that, before that 2023 window, when the legal suspension was lifted, she said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Meanwhile, some Marylanders are getting hit with notices saying that they owe money to the state for unemployment benefits, some that date back during the COVID-19 pandemic years. Wu acknowledges that the notices from so far back are likely leading to confusion among Marylanders, especially those who may have been subjected to identity theft and fraud, which was prevalent during the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement The audit comes just days before the start of the 2026 General Assembly, when lawmakers will be grappling with an estimated $1.6 billion deficit as they prepare the fiscal 2027 budget. Its not clear how much the unrecoverable funds were lost state dollars. Wu says that that most of the lost funds were federal COVID-19 assistance, so the lost dollars would not impact the Maryland unemployment insurance fund. Because of the overwhelming majority of benefits during that time were special federal benefits, even if they are recovered, they go immediately back to the U.S. Treasury, she said. Hettleman is skeptical, especially as the state faces a $1.6 billion budget shortfall. Every state dollar counts. Advertisement Advertisement There was quite a bit of delay in trying to get that money back and determine whether the state actually overpaid people, she said. I still have concerns in why did it take so long for the department to take some action to address those issues. And I dont have a good answer to that right now, but we will try to get one. The audit also found additional oversight issues involving potentially fraudulent unemployment benefit payments, as well as two cyber security-related findings that are redacted from public view. 2026_jan9_labordept_overpaymentaudit CHEYENNE State officials and the Wyoming Legislatures Joint Appropriations Committee met this week to discuss recently awarded federal funds intended to overhaul the states struggling rural health care infrastructure. Following the passage of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Wyoming has been awarded an initial $205 million for the first year of the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program. The state has the potential to receive more than $1.025 billion over the next five years, in part to replenish the health care cuts that occurred because of the same legislation passed by Congress earlier this year. Providing the basics Advertisement Advertisement Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) Director Stefan Johansson presented a plan Tuesday that was developed from 11 town hall meetings and a survey of more than 1,300 residents. Johansson told lawmakers that the publics feedback made him feel surprised and humbled, as it focused on essential services like emergency departments and ambulance stability. What we received from the public ... was not a wish list, Johansson said. ... The publics feedback was pretty resoundingly clear in we need the basics. The WDH application, which received federal approval in late December, prioritizes hospital viability, EMS sustainability and bolstering the health care workforce, he said. Perpetuity fund Advertisement Advertisement The cornerstone of the WDH proposal is the creation of a perpetuity fund to avoid a fiscal cliff when federal funding ends in five years. While WDH initially suggested depositing 69.5% of the funds into a long-term investment vehicle, the JAC moved on Wednesday to increase the first-year deposit to 80% and remain at 69.5% every subsequent year. The fund was designed to generate a consistent 4% annual return, which would provide roughly $28.5 million every following year to fund rural health initiatives. Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, argued for this approach of investing in perpetuity funds. Its going to take a little bit of time for the rural health providers to understand how the program is going to work, and I think the demand for grants and funds is going to go up over the five-year period, he said. So, it may be a graduated approach, and putting more money into the account now, while we are waiting on things to be clarified, would be a wise approach. Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, warned that massive amounts of money often lead to massive amounts of waste, arguing that a metered approach through a perpetuity fund would better meet the states genuine needs. Debate over BearCare One of the most contentious topics was BearCare, a proposed state-operated public health benefit plan designed as a low-cost alternative to the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The plan would cover only catastrophic emergent episodes, such as major accidents or sudden medical emergencies, however. Bear was skeptical of the governments role in the insurance market. He referred to the plan as GordonCare to signal the governors support and previously stated, Im not inclined to want to compete in the private sector. I dont think its the proper role of government to do so, continuing to make clear the program is not named after himself. Advertisement Advertisement Johansson countered that BearCare would select risk-averse, healthy people who are currently being priced out of comprehensive insurance. He said it would both encourage healthier lifestyles and potentially incentivize investment in senior centers. Despite WDHs defense, the JAC ultimately decided to strike BearCare from the immediate list of time-limited programs to be authorized in the initial draft bill, opting to leave it for future legislative debate. No sex changes or abortions On Wednesday, the committee moved rapidly through a matrix of decision points to shape the draft ahead of the upcoming budget session, which begins Feb. 9. Lawmakers voted to include language ensuring the funds are used strictly for federal and state-approved purposes to prevent influence from the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Co-Chairman Sen. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, led a vote to prohibit the use of any RHT funds for abortions or sex-change treatments, which passed with nearly unanimous support from the committee. Additionally, the committee sought to balance executive flexibility with legislative oversight. Lawmakers proposed a threshold where projects exceeding $500,000 would require review by the Management Council or another legislative body, while smaller grants would be handled by the WDH and a new Rural Health Transformation advisory committee. Next steps The committee also signaled an interest in telehealth freedom. Rep. Scott Smith, R-Lingle, proposed an amendment to allow out-of-state medical professionals to see Wyoming patients via telehealth without redundant state licensing. Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers voted to broaden the title of the upcoming bill to include general health care, potentially opening the door for broader health care reforms during the session. Legislative Service Office staff will now spend the coming days drafting the formal bill, which is scheduled for committee review next Thursday. With $205 million expected to arrive in state accounts within the next 30 to 60 days, the Legislature must work quickly to establish the perpetuity funds legal framework, as the item will be up for full approval or denial in this years four-week-long budget session and cannot be amended. LIMA A silent vigil will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. tonight at the Allen County Courthouse, corner of North of Main streets, in honor of Renee Good, the Minnesota woman shot by immigration enforcement agents. The vigil is sponsored by the Allen County Democratic Party, and all are welcome to come with a candle or to use their phone flashlights. The Brief Local leaders are calling for transparency and local involvement as the FBI investigates the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer. Meanwhile, educators and parents are calling for ICE to leave schools alone. Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis outside a hotel where ICE agents are reportedly staying. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The City of Minneapolis removed makeshift street barriers near the site of a fatal ICE shooting as protests continue and school districts across the Twin Cities metro close or shift to online learning amid heightened ICE activity. Meanwhile, a new video has surfaced that shows the ICE agent's perspective moments before the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Renee Nicole Good, 37, was fatally shot by an ICE officer, identified as Jonathan Ross, on Wednesday morning. Federal officials claim self-defense, but local officials have disputed that claim after reviewing videos of the shooting. The killing has sparked protests in Minneapolis, which remained mostly peaceful during the day. A protest in downtown Minneapolis got heated, and police issued a dispersal order and an arrest order for protesters who remained. Meanwhile, ICE's presence in the Twin Cities has prompted some schools to close on Friday, and Minneapolis Public Schools will provide optional e-learning through Feb. 12. Protesters are calling for ICE to leave Minnesota, while educators are demanding ICE stay away from schools. This story will no longer be updated live. 11:15 p.m. - Police put out an arrest order Police at the downtown Minneapolis anti-ICE protest issued an arrest order over a loudspeaker saying people in the area were under arrest. A FOX 9 photographer counted that four people were arrested around 11 p.m. 10:45 p.m. - Police declare downtown protest unlawful assembly Police have declared the protest in downtown Minneapolis an unlawful assembly, asking everyone to clear the area. 10:30 p.m. - Protests get heated in downtown Minneapolis Protesters continue to surround the Canopy by Hilton hotel in downtown Minneapolis. Protesters are making as much noise as possible by banging on dumpsters and drums. Advertisement Advertisement The Minnesota State Patrol is at the protest in riot gear. Authorities are asking protesters to clear the area. 8:00 p.m. - Protesters gather outside Canopy by Hilton Hundreds of protesters have gathered outside the Canopy by Hilton where ICE agents are reportedly staying. Protesters are shooting off fireworks and blocking off the roads in the area. 5:50 p.m. - Multi-faith vigil held at Capitol for Renee Good Faith leaders from across the Twin Cities gathered to speak at a vigil at the Minnesota State Capitol Building for Renee Good. 4:45 p.m. - BCA responds to Hennepin County Attorney evidence portal The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has responded to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office's call for people to submit evidence on the fatal ICE shooting. Here is the statement from the BCA: Advertisement Advertisement "At this time, the BCA is not conducting a use-of-force incident investigation into the Jan 7 ICE-involved shooting that resulted in the death of Renee Nicole Good. As we've previously said, full access to evidence, witnesses and information is necessary to meet the investigative standard that Minnesota law and the public demands; without it, we cannot do so. "However, we have offered to provide limited assistance to the Hennepin County Attorneys Office with the collection, cataloging and preservation of video or other evidence related to the incident, with the goal being to preserve evidence so that it is not lost. "To be clear, the BCA will also provide this evidence to the FBI, as they are leading the investigation of the incident. "The BCA remains open to conducting a full investigation of the incident should the U.S. Attorneys Office and FBI reconsider their approach and express a willingness to resume a joint investigation or to share all evidence and evidentiary reports held by FBI investigators." 3 p.m. - Sen. Tina Smith at ICE shooting scene U.S. Sen. Tina Smith visited the scene of the fatal ICE shooting Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Smith said it is heartbreaking to think of the terrible thing that happened at the scene, but is uplifted by the love, support and solidarity from the community. Sen. Smith is also calling for the federal government to include the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) in the investigation of the shooting. "It was really stunning to see the Secretary of Homeland Security say, within hours of this event [the shooting], declare Renee Good as a domestic terrorist when they didn't even know her name," Sen. Smith said. "And that completely puts to question their ability to do a fair investigation." When asked what the state's ability to investigate the shooting is, Sen. Smith said, "Well, it's really despicable because, of course, they can't control what investigation the state does, but they can withhold information and evidence, which would basically neuter the state's investigation." Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Smith also wants to focus on how Congress can provide oversight over the Department of Homeland Security, due to concerns about the training and preparation of the ICE agents. 1:30 pm. - New video of shooting shows different angle A newly surfaced video obtained by FOX News of the ICE shooting shows the perspective of one of the ICE agents in the moments leading up to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. 1:20 p.m. - Renee Nicole Good's wife statement Becca Good, the wife of Renee Nicole Good, says "kindness radiated out of her. Becca Good added, "We had whistles. They had guns." Becca Good said the couple moved to Minnesota to make a better life for themselves and their son. Advertisement Advertisement "There was a strong shared sense here in Minneapolis that we were looking out for each other," she said. "Here, I had finally found peace and safe harbor. That has been taken from me forever." You can read the full statement, which was shared with MPR News and posted on GoFundMe, here. 1:15 p.m. - Vigil planned for Friday evening Faith leaders and Minnesota lawmakers are scheduled to hold a vigil to remember Renee Nicole Good. This is scheduled for outside the Minnesota State Capitol starting at 4 p.m., with the speaking program scheduled to start at 4:20 p.m. According to the press release: "This afternoon, community members, clergy, and lawmakers will hold a vigil to collectively mourn and join together in taking concrete actions in the days and weeks to come to protect and support our community. This vigil follows the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent earlier this week, the call to Unity that Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed for today, and the continued immigration raids, harassment and violence by ICE in our communitiesincluding in our schools, hospitals, child care centers, places of worship, and more." 12:30 p.m. - Renee Nicole Good painting Noval Noir is painting a portrait of Renee Nicole Good at the memorial in Minneapolis after Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer earlier this week. 12:10 p.m. - Anti-ICE protests continue There was a brief encounter with law enforcement at the federal Whipple Building on Friday. Noon - Walkout at White Bear Lake High School A walkout at White Bear Lake on Friday to protest ICE. Students at White Bear Lake High School walked out to protest ICE on Friday, days after Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot. 11:45 a.m. - Pro-ICE event planned A press conference to support ICE is planned for 2 p.m. at the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, where anti-ICE protesters have gathered since Wednesday's fatal ICE shooting. 11 a.m. - Hennepin County Attorney asks for public to share evidence Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison at a news conference on Friday, to demand an investigation is completed at a local level for transparency. Advertisement Advertisement Moriarty says a local investigation is not because there are concerns about the FBI investigation and are not an attack on the FBI. She wants a thorough investigation and for it to be fair to all involved. "While I respect the FBI's process, our community's expectations are much different in terms of transparency," Moriarty said. "The community, this community, expects to understand what the evidence is and the justification for any decision that might be made. To that end, I cannot overstate the importance of a local investigation, or at least access to the federal investigation by the BCA. Without it, we will not have the ability to be transparent with our community about the results of the expectation." She added, "Our goal must be to ensure that a thorough investigation is completed at the local level, so that our community can have transparency." Attorney General Ellison echoed similar sentiments. Advertisement Advertisement The Hennepin County Attorney's Office is asking for videos, evidence and contact information to be sent via this link so they can conduct a local investigation. 10:30 a.m. - Protesters are gathering at Whipple Building Protesters have returned to the federal Whipple Building in Minneapolis. Some are holding signs. 9:33 a.m. - I dropped an F-bomb, they killed somebody At a news conference where Minneapolis leaders demanded transparency in the investigation into Good's killing, Frey said he stands by his statements calling it a reckless abuse of power. "The narrative the administration was pushing in the immediacy following this shooting was garbage and false and B.S. It was. I stand by every one of those. This notion of inflammatory comments, I mean come on, guys. I dropped an F-bomb. They killed somebody. Which one os those is more inflammatory? I'm going with the killing somebody." 9:20 a.m. - Sens. Klobuchar, Smith call on DOJ to work with MN U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to work with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and local authorities in investigating Renee Nicole Good's shooting death by ICE. Advertisement Advertisement "The state professional investigators coordinated on the tragic Hortman and Annunciation Church shootings with no issues they shouldnt be cut out now," Klobuchar shared on social media. "We must have a thorough, objective, and impartial investigation." Sen. Smith and I called on the DOJ to work with the Minnesota BCA and local authorities in investigating the shooting of Renee Nicole Good. The state professional investigators coordinated on the tragic Hortman and Annunciation Church shootings with no issues they shouldnt be pic.twitter.com/nKWJn18mIq Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 9, 2026 9 a.m. - Minneapolis leaders demand transparency in ICE investigation Minneapolis and state leaders are calling for transparency and accountability in the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good during a news conference Friday morning. They call on Trump's FBI to allow Minnesota law enforcement to coordinate in the investigation. This comes after the FBI blocked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from investigating. 8:30 a.m. - John Mulaney cancels Minneapolis shows Comedian John Mulaney on Thursday said he is postponing his Minneapolis shows that were scheduled for this weekend. "What's going on in your city is heartbreaking," he posted on social media. "I hate to postpone shows in a town going through such awful challenges and such grief, because it feels unfair to the audience." But he says he doesn't feel comfortable asking thousands of people to come to his show when the "situation is so unsafe." Tickets for the weekend shows will be honored April 10, 11 and 12. My shows in Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/M806ZFPaUC John Mulaney (@mulaney) January 9, 2026 8 a.m. - Minnesota educators: Keep ICE away from schools Education Minnesota, the largest teachers union in the state, is holding a news conference, calling on ICE to stay away from schools starting now. Schools need to be a safe place for students, union members said. Parents also do not feel safe coming to school. According to a union member, 142 students didn't go to school at Valley View Elementary School on Thursday. The union said e-learning may happen at more schools if ICE is operating in their districts. Right now, Minneapolis is the only confirmed district offering e-learning for students through Feb. 12. 7:35 a.m. - Day of unity in Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz proclaimed Friday as a Day of Unity, and has invited all Minnesotans and Americans to participate in acts of service to remember Renee Nicole Good. "Renee Nicole Good was a loving mother, partner, daughter, and neighbor whose life was defined by compassion, creativity, and care for others," said Walz. "While we cannot bring back Renee Nicole Good, we can honor her life by standing together for decency, democracy, compassion, and our shared values. I invite all Minnesotans and Americans to join me in a day of unity, and honoring her with a moment of silence and participating in acts of service." Walz is encouraging people to observe a moment of silence at 10 a.m. and use the day to connect with people in your community. 7:30 a.m. - Klobuchar thanks Republican senator Thank you, Senator Lisa Murkowski, for speaking out with clarity and compassion. We need full transparency and accountability in this investigation, which the Minnesota BCA has to be part of. https://t.co/QrTWc6qWAv Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 9, 2026 6 a.m. - City removes street barriers The City of Minneapolis on Friday morning removed makeshift barriers blocking the streets near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue, where 37-year-old Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The city says keeping the streets clear is a "critical part" of the city's responsibility to protect "lives, property and first responders during emergencies." The city noted that residents who live in the area have also raised concerns about neighborhood access. The city emphasized the nearby community memorial will not be removed. "Safety has to come firstevery second matters when lives are on the line," said Interim Chief Melanie Rucker, Minneapolis Fire Department. "Just up the street from this location, our crews were actively fighting a three-alarm fire on Monday night. When streets are blocked, it slows our response, limits access to critical resources and puts both residents and emergency responders at risk." 5 a.m. - Calls for ICE to leave Minnesota Education Minnesota is calling for ICE agents to stay away from schools after multiple incidents in Minneapolis, including a confrontation at Roosevelt High School. Education Minnesota President Monica Byron and local union leaders are holding a news conference at 8 a.m. Friday on the matter. Minneapolis families and educators are holding a separate news conference at 10 a.m. Friday. You can watch both news conferences live in the players above. 4 a.m. - Schools cancel classes Several school districts in the Twin Cities metro area have canceled classes or moved to e-learning due to increased ICE activity. Fridley Public Schools said classes are canceled for Friday, Jan. 9, due to "fear and disruption" the community has faced in the last 24 hours from ICE activity. Columbia Heights Public School posted on social media that classes for Friday would be moving online "out of an abundance of caution." Both school districts plan to be back in school on Monday. Meanwhile, Minneapolis Public Schools canceled classes for Thursday and Friday and are giving students the option to learn from home for at least the next month in the aftermath of the fatal shooting and increased ICE activity. Hundreds gathered along Center and Summer streets in Salem to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration. The local demonstration is one of several set to take place across the country. The protest, organized by Salem Region Indivisible, started at noon near the Oregon State Capitol building. An event description encouraged residents to gather in solidarity with Minneapolis. "ICE and this administration must be held accountable," said an event description. Advertisement Advertisement An ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. A day later, a Border Patrol officer shot and wounded two people in Portland. The Department of Homeland Security has said the two were suspected Tren de Aragua gang members. Local officials and advocates quickly decried the shooting. Gov. Tina Kotek said she was aligned with Portland Mayor Keith Wilson in demanding an investigation. Wilson also called for ICE to halt operations in the city and said it was "long past" that officials could take the federal government at their word. In Woodburn, the city with the largest Hispanic community in the state, Mayor Frank Lonergan similarly called for federal immigration operations to cease there and across Oregon. "I watched in horror the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis by ICE," Lonergan said in a press release. "We stand with the residents of Minneapolis and pray for the family of Renee Good. And may justice be served." Advertisement Advertisement He said the continued presence of agents and operations in the city has harmed Woodburn families, imposed fear, and destabilized public safety. Woodburn and other Oregon cities have declared states of emergency in the wake of ICE enforcement. More than 1,000 people were detained in Oregon from July to the end of 2025, according to the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem was also hosting a benefit concert and auction on Jan. 11 from 2 to 5 p.m. to raise funds for families affected by ICE detentions. Protest against ICE shooting of Minneapolis woman began at noon at Oregon State Capitol By 12:15 p.m., hundreds lined both sides of Center Street in Salem from Winter Street toward Capitol Street on Saturday to protest the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Advertisement Advertisement Rally-goers held signs with photos of the victim, Renee Good, and other messages like "Blood on MAGA's hands, "ICE out now," "Whose mom will ICE shoot next?" and calls to dissolve or defund the agency. The Usual Suspects, a local folk outfit that includes teachers and a Vietnam veteran among its ranks, performed under a tent as they have during recent protests. Erica Heisler, 43, brought her daughter to Saturdays gathering. She said multiple things motivated her to join the protest: fear about the erosion of LGBTQ+ rights, her desire to protect womens rights, and anger about what the immigrant community is going through. I think its important that I use my voice, Heisler said. Jesse Cruz, 74, said he had different plans on Saturday but couldnt miss the protest. Advertisement Advertisement He was motivated to join after seeing the video of Renee Goods shooting. The video upset Cruz, as did Trumps comments afterward. He added that he believes federal immigration agents think theyre above the law. Thom Gapen, a spokesperson for Salem Region Indivisible described Saturdays protest as a pop-up. He said the group mobilized after Good's shooting and was proud to see the turnout. Obviously, people are really pissed, he said. Gapen said the organization is urging Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and the Legislature to support and pass a law that would require federal agents to be unmasked while they're on-duty. Rayfield is already investigating another shooting by a federal immigration agent a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer shot two people in East Portland earlier this week. Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, was also in the crowd and said she was there to support her neighbors in Salem, Portland and Minneapolis. Patterson and other lawmakers will return to the Capitol in February for the next legislative session. She said she was supportive of legislation that promotes transparency, accountability and upholding the law of the due process. We urge our congressional partners to implement meaningful immigration reform which we cant do here at the state level, Patterson said. A group of about 150 was lingering at the capitol by 2:15 p.m. as the crowd thinned out and the event ended. Salem and Oregon State Capitol have been site of protests in recent months Thousands gathered at the Oregon State Capitol and around Salem to protest the Trump administration in February, March, April, May, June, July, September and October 2025. Advertisement Advertisement The protest on Jan. 10 in Salem is the first of 2026. Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo or Bluesky @diannelugo.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem protests fatal ICE shooting of Minneapolis woman Lincoln Land Community College has launched its Professional Development Institute, offering a variety of training and continuing education opportunities for employers and professionals across central Illinois. The institute serves as LLCCs central hub for workforce and professional learning, connecting employers, organizations and individuals to targeted training, credentials and customized solutions aligned with regional workforce needs, according to a community announcement. Institute offers in-person and online courses The institute offers both in-person workshops and online courses. Programming includes leadership and management, technology and computer skills, workplace safety certifications, entrepreneurship, non-profit and small business, continuing education units for health care and K-12 education professionals, and workplace readiness and professional skills. Advertisement Advertisement This is more than a new initiative its a commitment to our community, LLCC President Charlotte Warren said in the announcement. Strong communities are built on strong workforces. And in todays rapidly changing world, the need for lifelong learning and skill development has never been greater. In addition to open-enrollment workshops, the institute works directly with employers to design customized training solutions aligned to their specific goals, challenges and workforce realities. Programs can be delivered onsite, at LLCC locations throughout the district or online. Institute offers 50% discount through Jan. 30 Through Jan. 30, the institute is offering 50% off spring professional development opportunities using code EARLYBIRD. The discount is made possible in part by a Noncredit Strategies at Work Grant from the Illinois Community College Board. Courses offered include CompTIA certifications, AI at Work, Power Automate Jumpstart, Bring Math to Life in 6th-12th Grades, Small Business Finance, Supervision Essentials, Navigating Generational Differences in Todays Workplace and Understanding Customer Service Essentials. Institute designed to meet workforce needs LLCCs Professional Development Institute is designed to meet the evolving needs of employers and working professionals across central Illinois, according to the announcement. Advertisement Advertisement The Professional Development Institute is a powerful reminder of what community colleges can offer, Laurel Bretz, associate vice president, continuing, corporate and professional education, said in the announcement. People think of us as a place to get started and while thats true, were also a place to advance. Our programs are designed to help professionals sharpen their skills, elevate their careers and stay competitive. The institutes approach is practical and employer-driven, according to the announcement. Weve listened closely to employers and built this institute to address the real challenges they face, Diana Heeb Bivona, director of continuing education and business solutions, said in the announcement. Our approach is practical and employer driven. We design training that solves real problems so employees return to work with tools they can apply immediately, not concepts that stay in a binder. This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@usatodayco.com with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Advance your career with LLCCs new professional development hub Hoyers departure deprives Congress of a pro-Israel stalwart at a time when support for Israel is on the decline in both major parties. Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, Marylands longest-serving member of Congress and a lawmaker with longstanding close ties to the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, has announced his retirement. I did not want to be one of those members who clearly stayed, outstayed his or her ability to do the job, Hoyer, 86, told the Washington Post ahead of his announcement on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Hoyer, who has served in Congress since 1981 and stepped down as House majority leader in 2022, frequently made pro-Israel advocacy a hallmark of his tenure, including backing unconditional US aid to Israel and supporting the recognition of Jerusalem as the countrys capital. Congressional support for Israel on the decline Hoyers departure deprives Congress of a pro-Israel stalwart at a time when support for Israel is on the decline in both major parties. Already, a Jewish Democrat who is harshly critical of Israel had been challenging him. Our country, the Democratic Party, and the pro-Israel movement are all in a better place today because of his service, Brian Romick, the president and CEO of the Democratic Majority for Israel, said in a statement. I will be forever grateful for his guidance, his friendship, and his faith in me. I am certain that future Democratic leaders will look to his career as a model and be inspired to embrace his legacy. US Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) speaks alongside Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Union President Lee Saunders and President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Randy Erwin at a press conference (credit: KEVIN DIETSCH/GETTY IMAGES) Hoyer addressed changes in support for Israel in November 2024, when he celebrated after a proposal to restrict the sale of US-made weapons to Israel was voted down. Advertisement Advertisement It is vital that we maintain Congresss overwhelming bipartisan consensus supporting Israel. Israelis and Americans and Democrats and Republicans must continue to stand together as we navigate the most crucial period in the 76-year history of our US-Israel relationship, said Hoyer in a press release at the time. Hoyer has also long been the unofficial leader of an annual tour of Democratic freshmen lawmakers to Israel with AIPAC. This year, Hoyer said in a video posted by AIPAC that he had been to Israel 22 times. Contrary to world opinion, Israel has been doing everything it possibly can to ensure that theres minimal damage to civilians who are not part of Hamas army, said Hoyer in the video. Unfortunately, the world is not seeing that, and one of the things Ive tried to tell the leadership in Israel, please get that message out, please expose it. Hoyers trip to Israel was criticized by the only candidate who had already declared for his seat, Harry Jarin, who wrote in a statement at the time that Hoyer knows what he is doing is wrong and unpopular, so he is deliberately hiding information about this trip. Advertisement Advertisement While Donald Trump dismantles democracy here at home, Democrats lose all credibility by continuing to engage with an equally illiberal and self-destructive regime in Israel, Jarin wrote at the time. You cannot claim to defend democracy in one breath and embrace an authoritarian partner in the next. Jarin responded to Hoyers retirement announcement by saying that Hoyer had once represented Marylanders well. His service deserves respect, and I acknowledge the role he played in shaping an earlier era of the Democratic Party, he said in a statement, while also citing his outlook as the grandson of Holocaust survivors, that a new approach is needed to contend with the Trump administration. Hoyers retirement comes as several other prominent backers of Israel have also announced their retirements from Congress ahead of the midterm elections. Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, who has close ties with AIPAC, announced he would not seek re-election in September. Democratic Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who is Jewish and closely affiliated with the liberal Israel lobby J Street, announced her retirement in May. Another pro-Israel Democrat in Illinois, Sen. Dick Durbin, announced in April that he would not seek a sixth term. Advertisement Advertisement Amid the wave of retirements, several lawmakers and candidates have recently pledged not to take donations from AIPAC, as discontent with the longstanding US-Israel alliance has grown significantly across the Democratic and Republican parties. Among Republicans, growing anti-Israel sentiment and the mainstreaming of fringe antisemitic voices have sparked outcry from top GOP leaders. In Schakowskys district, the race for her seat currently includes leftist Palestinian-American influencer Kat Abugazelah, who praised Schakowsky for her stance on Palestinian rights, and Daniel Biss, the progressive Jewish mayor of Evanston, Illinois. Sunday hunting could be a thing in Massachusetts after officials from the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife collect public input on several proposed changes to the state's hunting regulations. Hunting has always been woven into Massachusetts history supporting families, boosting local economies, and helping keep our deer populations healthy, said Gov. Maura T. Healey in a press release. Expanding opportunities for hunters will carry that tradition forward while protecting public health and ensuring were maintaining balance in our wildlife populations. More: Hunters call for repeal of Massachusetts law that prohibits Sunday hunting Advertisement Advertisement Proposed changes include allowing hunting on Sundays. Massachusetts is one of only two states, along with Maine, that still maintains an outright ban on Sunday hunting, established in the 19th century. The state is also proposing to relax regulations that limit the use of crossbows for deer hunting to people who are permanently disabled. All hunters could use the devices for hunting if the new rules are passed. Another potential area for change is relaxing the minimum setbacks for hunting. Massachusetts currently prohibits hunting within 500 feet of a dwelling and 150 feet of a roadway. We encourage the public to take part in these upcoming listening sessions and share their perspectives about Sunday hunting, hunting with a crossbow, and opening additional areas, said Department of Fish & Game Commissioner Tom OShea. By expanding access, we can ensure that people have more opportunities to participate in this tradition, connect with the outdoors and each other, and put food on the table. Advertisement Advertisement Residents can comment on the proposed changes through participation in the listening sessions or by contacting MassWildlife by mail, Attn: Hunting Laws, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581; or electronically through an online form at mass.gov/forms/hunting-laws-public-feedback. Responses must be received by 5 p.m. Feb. 6. Here is the schedule for the listening sessions: Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. on Zoom Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. at MassWildlife field headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. at Berkshire Community College, Robert Boland Theatre, 1350 West St., Pittsfield Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Admirals Hall, 101 Academy Drive, Bourne Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. on Zoom This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Massachusetts Sunday hunting ban could become a thing of the past Thaifoods Group CEO Winai Teawsomboonkij has resigned after being fined for insider trading. His resignation takes effect retroactively from 26 December. According to a statement by the meat processor, issued yesterday (8 January), Teawsomboonkij has not carried out any duties nor taken part in operations and decision-making since that date. In December, the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) imposed civil penalties on Teawsomboonkit and five others for the use of inside information to buy the companys shares. The SEC fine followed an investigation initiated after a referral from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) in November 2016. Based on its findings, the SEC said there were reasonable grounds to believe the individuals was involved in insider trading between March and August 2016. The regulator concluded the individuals bought the companys shares and warrants using non-public information regarding its first and second quarter 2016 operating results, which showed significant growth. Teawsomboonkit was ordered to pay a fine of Bt1.12bn baht ($35.6m). In its filing yesterday, ThaiFoods said COO Phet Nantavisai and CFO Siriluck Tangwiboonpanich are managing the companys affairs alongside the board of directors. The company is in the process of identifying and appointing replacements for the vacant roles. Thaifoods also said it is committed to achieving its strategic objectives. Teawsomboonkij founded the business in 1987 with a single chicken farm in Lopburi province, Thailand. The company was formally incorporated as Thai Food (2001) Co., Ltd. in 2001, then restructured as Thai Foods Group Public Company Limited in 2014 before listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2015. Thaifoods is a vertically integrated food producer focused on chicken and swine, with operations in Thailand and Vietnam. "Thaifoods Group CEO resigns after insider-trading fine" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. TAPPER: Were almost one year into this second presidential term of President Trump. What stands out to you looking back at the on this first year of term two? HABERMAN: So I think that he has actually had accomplishments that he promised on the campaign trail. He did close the border whether people like it or not that is what he said he was going to do. He did crack down on universities in terms of their policies related to DEI, corporate America clearly welcome that. But I dont think that the immigration enforcement has happened the way he thought or the way he said it was going to on the campaign. Its been, you know, people being taken off the street by people in masks. Iran, a lot of people believe is a huge accomplishment, but prices are still not what he says keeps telling people they are. Tariffs I think is an open question. And there is a lot less trust in what this government says and that is a its own issue. TAPPER: All right, Maggie Haberman. Thank you so much. HABERMAN: Thank you. TAPPER: Thanks for coming to see us. We always love having you. Herbert Mesa has been indicted and re-arrested after allegedly shooting at six Sandy Springs police officers in October, injuring one of them. Following his initial release on a $90,000 bond, Fulton County prosecutors are now armed with new charges to argue against bond once again. The incident involving Mesa, which occurred in October, left one officer with a thumb injury after he allegedly fired at the officers. Advertisement Advertisement Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis expressed her shock over the initial bond granted to Mesa, which prompted her office to expedite the indictment process. TRENDING STORIES: This defendant, like all defendants, is presumed innocent, Willis said. But we intend to take this case very seriously and work with Sandy Springs to get a result that gives justice to these officers. Willis revealed that the indictment includes 14 counts, primarily aggravated assault against the officers involved. Advertisement Advertisement Chief Lance Patrick Senior Assistant District Attorney, detailed the charges. Counts one and two are criminal attempt to commit a felony, and that underlying felony being murder. He said. Hes charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer for all of the officers. Mesa turned himself in at his mothers residence in Florida after police located him, Sandy Springs Police Sergeant Leon Milholland said. I thank the Miami-Dade officers...especially after the way things went with Mesas encounter with police here, Milholland said. The Georgia Public Defender Councils Fulton County office is representing Mesa, and according to a spokesperson, his legal team is preparing a defense and will address bond issues during court hearings. They are continuing to gather evidence to prepare for trial. The Fulton County District Attorneys office plans to file for a hearing to deny bond based on the new charges and the history of the case. Jan. 9A 20-year-old Sylva man has been arrested by Haywood County Sheriff's deputies and charged with allegedly raping a teenage girl. Nixon Noe Lagos Suarez was arrested on Dec. 19 and charged with felonious restraint. An additional charge of statutory rape of a child less than 15 years old was filed on Jan. 6. Lagos Suarez is accused of restraining a 13-year-old girl at her home in Waynesville before moving her to another location in his pickup truck. This was done without the consent of the girls' parents. Advertisement Advertisement He's also accused of having sexual intercourse with the victim that day, resulting in the statutory rape charge. Lagos Suarez has been held without bond since his arrest on Dec. 19. He is also being held on an ICE Detainer. That document states that he is a citizen of Honduras. "I am proud of the diligent work completed by our detectives in pursuing this investigation," Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke said. "We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable members of our community and hold offenders accountable." The investigation remains ongoing, according to the sheriff's office. "No additional details will be released at this time in order to protect the integrity of the investigation and the privacy of the victim," a statement from the sheriff's office said. A man is facing arson charges after a fire was set outside the August Wilson Center. Court documents say that emergency crews were called to the building on the 900 block of Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh at 5:21 p.m. on Thursday. A criminal complaint said that firefighters observed a man identified as Dvonne Strothers, 23, of North Braddock, acting erratically at the scene. A bundle of clothing had been placed in front of the center and lit on fire. Advertisement Advertisement One firefighter said that they heard Strothers say, You should have been here when it was bigger. When police arrived, firefighters directed them to Strothers, who took him into custody. Police Strothers had a disposable lighter and a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid when he was arrested. Investigators said surveillance cameras recorded Strothers setting the fire. An event was happening at the August Wilson Center when the fire was lit. He faces charges of arson, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He was released on ROR bail. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW A man in Pennsylvania is facing nearly 500 criminal counts after hundreds of human skeletal remains were found inside his home. Jonathan Gerlach was arrested on Tuesday, January 6, at Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse announced in a statement on Thursday, January 8. Rouse said that authorities executed a search of Gerlach's home in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, where they allegedly found more than 100 skeletal remains. Gerlach, 34, was hit with 496 counts on January 8, which include 100 counts of abuse of corpse, 100 counts of theft by unlawful taking and 100 counts of receiving stolen property. Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, Gerlach has been charged with 26 counts of burglary, 26 counts of intentional desecration of historical lots and burial places, 26 counts of criminal trespass, 26 counts of intentional desecration of a public monument, 26 counts of intentional desecration of a venerated object and 26 counts of criminal mischief. The statement also shared that Gerlach is facing 7 counts of defiant trespasser fenced/enclosed and 7 counts of defiant trespasser posted. Yeadon Police Department Detective Leah Cesanek and Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division Detective Chris Karr were surveilling the Mt. Moriah Cemetery on January 6 around 8 p.m. During the outing, the detectives discovered numerous bones and skulls that were out in plain sight in the backseat of Gerlachs car. Pennsylvania Couple Lived With a Relatives Decomposing Body to Collect His Social Security Checks Advertisement Advertisement Rouse said that Gerlach was then seen leaving the cemetery holding a burlap bag, crow bar and other assorted items. Gerlach was arrested at the cemetery, and he reportedly admitted to police that he stole approximately 30 sets of human remains. Authorities then obtained a search warrant for Gerlachs home. As they looked through his residence and storage unit, officers from the CID, the Ephrata PD and Middle Creek Search and Rescue allegedly discovered more than 100 full or partial sets of human and skeletal remains. "Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life the other night, Rouse said in the release. This is an unbelievable scene. Advertisement Advertisement Rouse added that some of the human remains allegedly belonged to children, with ABC 6 reporting that there were remains of months-old infants. Meanwhile, some of the remains were 200 years old. The remains were found in various conditions, according to Rouse. "Some were hanging, as it were. Some were pieced together, some were skulls on a shelf," he said. After noting that detectives recovered an awful lot of bones, Rouse said that they are working to piece together who they are, where they are from, and how many we are looking at. Jeep Driver Arrested on Several Charges After Threatening Couple Who Passed Him at Stop Sign Advertisement Advertisement Police believe that Gerlach stole the remains from other nearby cemeteries. However, its not currently clear why he was stealing human remains in the first place. "I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through it, who are trying to figure out if it is in fact their loved one or their child, Rouse said, per the news release. Gerlach is currently being held on a $1 million bail at Delaware County Prison. He is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, January 20. A man who led police on a 47-mile (75km) pursuit after his car was seen in a suspected drug deal has been jailed. Ryan Moore, 20, of Carmelite Way, Salisbury, failed to stop for Wiltshire Police after officers spotted his Mercedes A Class on Avon Approach at about 23:05 GMT on 9 December. Moore reached speeds of 120mph (193km/h), but came to a stop when he ran out of fuel near Fleet Services. He then failed a drugs wipe for cannabis and his car was found to have cloned plates. Advertisement Advertisement At Salisbury Crown Court on Friday, Moore was sentenced to eight months in prison after previously pleading guilty to a number of offences, and was disqualified from driving for three years and four months. Officers from Hampshire joined the pursuit, which saw Moore lead them through and out of Salisbury on the A30, A303 and M3, weaving in and out of traffic and, at one point, entering a stretch of roadworks. At an earlier court date, Moore pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, not having insurance, failing to provide an evidential sample and using fraudulent registration plates. Advertisement Advertisement PC Pedliham, of the Salisbury Community Policing Team, said Moore's prison term reflected the "seriousness" of his behaviour. "For a prolonged period of time, he put the lives of other road users at serious risk by making incredibly poor decisions, driving at excess speed and dangerously in a desperate attempt to evade police," he said. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Related internet links CHEYENNE After nearly four hours of police presence Friday afternoon at the Big Horn Motel, located at 2004 East Lincolnway, police took a suspected shooter into custody. Officers with the Cheyenne Police Department initially responded to reports of a shooting at the motel at approximately 2:30 p.m. Friday. They arrived on scene to find an adult male who had been shot. He sustained serious injuries and was transported to the hospital, according to Cheyenne Police Department Public Information Officer Alex Farkas. The suspected shooter, also an adult male, is believed to be acquainted with the victim. Advertisement Advertisement Police and other responding agencies remained at the scene for several hours, trying to contact the suspect, who was believed to be in a motel room. The SWAT team, crisis negotiators and the bomb squad were all at the motel, with several law enforcement officers waiting outside as the situation developed. Each team is a joint operation with the Laramie County Sheriff's Office, Farkas said. Police advised the public to stay clear of the scene, as officers continue to work to contact the suspect. Road closures between Logan Avenue and Campbell Avenue were put in place, as well. At 6:11 p.m., Farkas confirmed that officers breached the suspects room and an unidentified adult male was taken into custody without incident. Officers then proceeded to clear the area. Advertisement Advertisement Several local residents initially gathered across the street from the motel in the American Legion Post 6 parking lot before law enforcement cleared the area for safety concerns. One observer, Ed Savastano, who has lived in Cheyenne for 50 years, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that he saw the victim lying down in front of the motel, and it appeared that professionals were administering medical care to him. The ambulance came up, parked right in the front here, facing west, Savastano said, gesturing to the front of the motel from the parking lot. And as soon as they had that person on the gurney, loaded in the back of that ambulance, they just took off in a hurry. You could tell that it was a pretty serious deal. At approximately 2:45 p.m., Alta Vista Elementary School was placed into a secure perimeter as a precaution while officers worked to locate the suspect. By 4 p.m., the secure perimeter was lifted and parents were contacted to pick up their students, including informing parents of students who typically walk home that they would need to pick their children up. We had a Student Resource Officer present, and students were escorted out to the bus, Laramie County School District 1 Community Relations Director Mary Quast said. NEED TO KNOW President Donald Trump read aloud a private note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Jan. 9 press conference at the White House Trump, who was meeting with oil and gas executives, read Rubio's instruction to "go back to Chevron" in front of the whole room However, the president didn't seem to fully comprehend Rubio's instruction President Donald Trump appeared to embarrass Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a press conference when he read aloud a private note from him on live television. Trump, 79, was taking part in a meeting with oil and gas executives at the White House on Friday, Jan. 9, when the incident occurred. Advertisement Advertisement The president was seated between Vice President JD Vance and Rubio, 54, during the press conference. After Trump called on Ryan Lance of ConocoPhillips to speak, Rubio could be seen passing a handwritten note to Trump while Vance, 41, seemed to look on with confusion. "Marco just gave me a note," Trump told the room of executives. Rubio capped his pen and glanced down, but as the president began reading the note aloud, he immediately looked at him. "Go back to Chevron," Trump read from Rubio's note. "They want to discuss something. Go back to Chevron." As he spoke, Vance was clearly amused, laughing on one side of the president as Rubio smiled in apparent discomfort on the other. Advertisement Advertisement "Go ahead, I'm going back to Chevron," Trump said as he placed the note back down on the table. He then patted Rubio on the back as he told him, "Thank you, Marco." "Was there a question, Mr. President?" a voice off camera could be heard asking Trump, who then picked up the paper again as he said, "Yes, go ahead," before asking, "Marco, what was the, what are you saying here?" Secretary of energy Chris Wright then took over, asking Mark Nelson of Chevron to share updates from the company. As Nelson spoke, Rubio took the note back and folded it up before tucking it away. SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty President Donald Trump pats Secretary of State Marco on the back after reading aloud a private note from Rubio during a Jan. 9, 2026 press conference President Donald Trump pats Secretary of State Marco on the back after reading aloud a private note from Rubio during a Jan. 9, 2026 press conference Rubio also made headlines in the fall for another note written to Trump, which he gave the president during an Oct. 8, 2025 meeting with conservative influencers and the press. Advertisement Advertisement The contents of the note, which were captured by photographers in the room, told Trump he needed to approve a statement on social media about a tentative peace agreement between Israel and Hamas. Rubio signaled for Trump's attention during the meeting before sharing the private update with the president concerning the need for him to "approve" a social media post, suggesting Trump hadn't written the post himself. A photo captured by The Associated Press revealed the message, which read: You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first. Trump quickly told meeting attendees that he had good news. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that were very close to a deal on the Middle East, and theyre gonna need me pretty quickly, he said. So well take a couple of more questions. Advertisement Advertisement AP reported at the time that Trump continued the meeting for 10 more minutes before telling the group he had to "try and solve some problems in the Middle East." "Although Im very well represented by our secretary of state. He could probably do an even better job than me, but who knows, he continued. We dont want to take any chances. So were going to go and do that." Read the original article on People NEED TO KNOW Melissa Gilbert was on speakerphone during her husband Timothy Busfield's interview with police amid an investigation into his alleged sex crimes An arrest warrant issued on Jan. 9 in Albuquerque, N.M., alleged that actor and director Busfield, 68, engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two child actors During the Nov. 3, 2025, phone interview, Busfield allegedly told police that the boys' parents were upset that they had been replaced with a younger actor, according to the warrant Melissa Gilbert was present during her husband Timothy Busfield's phone interview with police amid an investigation into his alleged sex crimes, according to an arrest warrant. On Friday, Jan. 9, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued the arrest warrant, which alleged that actor and director Busfield, 68, engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two child actors, 11-year-old twin boys one of whom alleged that the incidents began when he was 7. Advertisement Advertisement In the warrant, obtained by PEOPLE, Officer Marvin Brown stated that he contacted Busfield for a phone interview on Nov. 3, 2025. Busfield told the investigator that he was in New York at the time of the phone call and that his wife, Little House on the Prairie star Gilbert, 61, was listening to the conversation via speakerphone. During the phone interview, Busfield allegedly told police that the boys' parents were upset that they had been replaced with a younger actor, according to the warrant. Soon after, Busfield told police, he got a call from Warner Bros. informing him they were investigating a complaint. TheImageDirect.com Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield in 2023. Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield in 2023. The police investigation into the allegations against Busfield began on Nov. 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) alerted officers about a case of alleged sexual abuse. While speaking with Officer Brown, the victims' parents said the minors were child actors who met Busfield on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where Busfield served as a director, according to the arrest warrant. Advertisement Advertisement The boys' parents said professionals suggested they were groomed," per the warrant. It was later determined, however, that the case did not meet authorities' acceptance criteria at the time. In October 2025, the victims' mother filed a police report and told Child Protective Services (CPS) that her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024." However, according to the warrant, she was initially told that because physical abuse had not occurred, nothing could be done. During Busfield's phone interview, investigators determined that Busfield and Gilbert "did have a relationship" with the two victims "and their family outside of work." "They advised that they did buy the two boys Christmas gifts and were together [at] several social functions," Brown wrote in the arrest warrant, referring to statements that Busfield and Gilbert made during an interview held amid an investigation. Advertisement Advertisement In the conclusion of his findings, Brown mentioned the Christmas gift-giving again, writing that Busfield "would invite the family to off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster closeness." Before the recent arrest warrant, Busfield faced prior sexual assault allegations dating back to 1994, according to the warrant. Those allegations did not result in charges. 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. Gilbert and Busfield, who is known for his roles in Thirtysomething and The West Wing, wed in 2013. Advertisement Advertisement Representatives for both Gilbert and Busfield have not responded to PEOPLE's repeated requests for comment. In a previous statement to PEOPLE, a Warner Bros. Television representative said, "The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action." "[We] have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement," the spokesperson added. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Heres a look at Jan. 9, 2026, results for each game: Winning Daily 3 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing Midday: 8-4-2 Evening: 2-7-3 Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily 4 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing Midday: 4-1-2-7 Evening: 0-5-8-1 Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 9 drawing 19-24-40-42-44, Lucky Ball: 05 Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Poker Lotto numbers from Jan. 9 drawing JD-QD-9H-2S-3S Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing 02-04-05-09-26 Advertisement Advertisement 07-18-20-24-28 Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily Keno numbers from Jan. 9 drawing 05-06-08-11-15-17-18-21-23-24-25-29-39-41-45-50-51-52-55-74-76-80 Check Daily Keno payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results Are you a winner? Heres how to claim your lottery prize All Michigan Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes up to $99,999.99, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Michigan Lotterys Regional Offices. To claim by mail, complete a ticket receipt form, sign your winning ticket, and send it along with original copies of your government-issued photo ID and Social Security card to the address below. Ensure the names on your ID and Social Security card match exactly. Claims should be mailed to: Advertisement Advertisement Michigan Lottery Attn: Claim Center 101 E. Hillsdale P.O. Box 30023 Lansing, MI 48909 For prizes over $100,000, winners must claim their prize in person at the Michigan Lottery Headquarters in Lansing located at 101 E. Hillsdale in downtown Lansing. Each winner must present original versions of a valid government-issued photo ID (typically a drivers license or state ID) and a Social Security card, ensuring that the names on both documents match exactly. To schedule an appointment, please call the Lottery Player Relations office at 844-887-6836, option 2. If you prefer to claim in person at one of the Michigan Lottery Regional Offices for prizes under $100,000, appointments are required. Until further notice, please call 1-844-917-6325 to schedule an appointment. Regional office locations are as follows: Advertisement Advertisement Lansing: 101 E. Hillsdale St. Lansing; Phone: 844-917-6325 Livonia: 33231 Plymouth Road, Livonia; Phone: 844-917-6325 Sterling Heights: 34700 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights; Phone: 844-917-6325 Detroit: Cadillac Place, 3060 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-600, Detroit; Phone: 844-917-6325 Grand Rapids: 3391-B Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids; Phone: 844-917-6325 Saginaw: Jerome T. Hart State Office Building, 411 E. Genesee Ave., Saginaw; Phone: 844-917-6325 For additional information, downloadable forms, and instructions, visit the Michigan Lottery's prize claim page. When are Michigan Lottery drawings held? Daily 3 & Daily 4: Midday at 12:59 p.m., Evening at 7:29 p.m. Fantasy 5: 7:29 p.m. daily Poker Lotto: 7:29 p.m. daily Lotto 47: 7:29 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily Daily Keno: 7:29 p.m. daily This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Michigan editor. You can send feedback using this form. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Lottery Daily 3, Daily 4 results for Jan. 9, 2026 Despite concerns about affordability and the gloomy job market, folks are not staying home to worry about it all. An estimated 5.2 billion people are expected to travel by air in the coming year, up 4.4% from this years record-breaking passenger counts, according to the International Air Transport Associations latest report. Travel searches are rising, fares are falling, and more people are looking beyond the US for places to go," Sarah Kennedy, Kayak travel trends expert, told Yahoo Finance. In February, Sandra Warner Banker and her husband, Richard, plan to spend eight days in Malta as participants in an educational travel program offered by the not-for-profit Road Scholar. Trips off the beaten path are a favorite of ours because you see and interact with the locals and their customs that you normally dont get to do in the busy tourist areas, Banker, who lives in Aylett, Va., said. Locales that have typically been overlooked are on the radar for an increasing number of travelers. For Road Scholar, the top trending destinations for 2026 are programs in Malta, Ecuador, Azerbaijan, and even Oklahoma all places that you might not think of immediately to visit. Since many of the programs participants are retired (the average age is 72), many have the flexibility to travel off-season, when the prices are lower. Read more: Best travel credit cards for January 2026 Hitting the road in higher numbers Whats leading more people to plan trips? For one thing, the price is right. International airfares are down about 10% or more for summer travel, domestic is down 3%, and summer 26 long-haul fares to Europe and Asia are trending especially low, making 2026 prime for global trips, Kennedy said. Summer fares to Europe are down 14% from last summer, she added. Eastern Europe, for example, is having its time in the spotlight, driven by travelers chasing big trip energy without the big price tag, according to Kennedy. People are widening their searches and discovering cities they may have overlooked before. Seven of Kayaks 10 fastest-growing destinations are in Eastern Europe including Prague, Sofia, Krakow, Budapest, and Sarajevo, which is also seeing some of the biggest airfare drops 36% over 2025. Sign up for the Mind Your Money weekly newsletter By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy Subscribe 'Whats happening' here Phish fans, have you booked your spring trip to Las Vegas for the group's residency at The Sphere? Were seeing people plan trips around whats happening, not just where theyre going, Kennedy said. Big events create urgency. That now-or-never feeling is a powerful reason to go, especially when airfare makes it doable. CHICAGO (WGN) Just days after announcing his Chicago mayoral bid, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois) spoke on Friday about the issues he says community leaders need to address while stressing that he can accomplish more for the city as mayor than as a U.S. representative. Now is the time to step up. Theres so much that needs to happen, the veteran congressman said. In a sit-down interview with WGN-TV, Quigley, who represents part of Chicagos North Side and the north suburbs, spoke about what he deemed an extraordinary crisis that Chicago is in. Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS | Rep. Mike Quigley confirms plans for Chicago mayoral bid Im offering my willingness to lead there. If the Chicagoans decide against that, Im more than willing to come back and do the good fight in Congress, Quigley said. The crisis, Quigley says, is about money concerning the citys fiscal foundation. Quigley stated that raising taxes isnt on his agenda, however. We cannot tax our way out of it, he said. We can grow our way out of it. Growth and making cuts to the city government are part of his plan, Quigley added. We need to go department by department. How do we operate in the most efficient manner possible? Advertisement Advertisement First elected to Congress in 2009, Quigley previously served as Cook County commissioner. In the 2027 mayoral race, Quigley will face Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and entrepreneur Joe Holberg. Other potential challengers could include Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and State Comptroller Susana Mendoza. Speaking about Chicagos sitting mayor, Brandon Johnson, the congressman wouldnt say much about his effectiveness in the role. A lack of willingness to take on really tough choices, he said. Under Johnson, Chicago closed out 2025 with the fewest homicides in 60 years. Chicagoland politicians, community leaders react after woman shot, killed by ICE officer in Minneapolis Advertisement Advertisement Compared to other major cities, our crime is still far worse, Quigley stated. WGN-TV asked Quigley what he would change about the citys crime strategy. If elected, Quigley said he would employ both traditional and non-traditional means. The Violence Interrupters, groups like Arne Duncans Chicago Cred, have shown real progress, and were probably going to need additional officers. Were 2,000 down, Quigley said. Then theres Chicago versus the Trump administration, from immigration to appropriations. Its a fight Im leading in Congress. Right now, the Trump administration is holding back critical funding for the Red Line extension. Im working with Democratic and Republican colleagues this week and next week to get those monies released, Quigley said. Advertisement Advertisement But when it comes to taxpayer dollars, Quigley says spending money to keep the Bears in Chicago shouldnt come at the expense of critical needs, regardless of his fandom. Look, you have to be authentic. My late father, who I absolutely adored, was a Vince Lombardi Packers fan. For me to switch now would be for me to betray the loyalty I had to my father and that team, Quigley said. But the congressman says his allegiance to the Chicago Cubs and the Blackhawks remains. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said ICE agent Jonathan Ross walked away with a hop in his step after reviewing new footage of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good. He held onto his cellphone. I think that speaks for itself, Frey said during an appearance on ABCs World News Tonight. Freys comments were in direct response to cellphone video recorded by Ross, a law enforcement veteran with nearly two decades of experience in Border Patrol and ICE. The footage shows Good speaking to the federal agent from inside her car in the moments before he open fired Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Thats fine dude, Im not mad at you, Good says to Ross from the drivers seat of her Honda SUV. The officer then circles her vehicle before getting into an argument with Goods wife, Rebecca Good, who appears to tell Ross shes a citizen of the United States and a military veteran. You want to come at us? she asks him. I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy. Rebecca then attempts to get inside the SUV with Renee, only to realize the door is locked. As additional agents approach demanding that Renee exit her vehicle Rebecca can be heard telling her wife: Drive baby, drive! By then, Ross has made his way in front of the vehicle, which appears to make contact with him. Cellphone still in hand, Ross then fires into the window of the SUV. A total of three gunshots can be heard. Advertisement Advertisement Renees vehicle continues moving forward as a voice off-camera says, Fing b! The 47-second clip ends with her SUV crashing into a nearby parked car. Renee Good died on the scene from gunshot wounds to her head. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, two sharply contrasting accounts began to emerge. According to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Ross was only defending himself from Good, who weaponized her car in a domestic terror attack against federal agents. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, called Good very disorderly in a post on his own platform Truth Social, claiming she then violently, willfully and viciously ran over the ICE officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense. Advertisement Advertisement Others have blamed Trumps escalating immigration crackdown, which has seen federal agents deployed to citys across the U.S., mostly those with Democratic elected officials. State and local officials have said the White House is lying, and that Good was not a threat at the time she was shot. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the shooting was totally predictable and totally avoidable, specifically blaming the overwhelming number of officers in Minneapolis. Mayor Frey has similarly pushed back, but he also urged Americans to watch clips of the incident for themselves. I think an investigation could change or affirm my perspective, Frey said. But weve all got two eyes, and I can see a person that is trying to leave. I can see an ICE agent that was not run over by a car. That didnt happen. A day after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem quietly ordered new restrictions on congressional visits to immigration detention facilities. That order, put into effect Thursday by the Trump administration and revealed in court late Saturday, forces lawmakers to seek a week's advance notice before conducting oversight visits to ICE facilities. That new policy appears to explain a conflict that unfolded Saturday, when three House Democrats from Minnesota were denied entry to a detention facility in the Whipple federal building in Minneapolis. Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison rebuked the agency after they were denied entry, saying their visit was intended to check on detainees amid the heightened tensions that followed Wednesday's shooting. Advertisement Advertisement The public deserves to know what is taking place in ICE facilities, Omar wrote on X Saturday after confirming shed been denied entry to a processing center earlier in the day. A federal judge rejected a nearly identical policy last month, noting that federal spending laws require unrestricted congressional visits to ICE detention facilities without advanced notice, a key part of congressional oversight responsibilities. In her new order, Noem said she disagreed with the decision of U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb. But she said she would work around it by using only funds from a separate law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to manage congressional visits, sidestepping the restrictions contained in annual spending laws. "ICE must ensure that this policy is implemented and enforced exclusively with money appropriated by OBBBA," Noem wrote. She contended that unannounced visits created unsafe conditions for both lawmakers and ICE agents, and she accused lawmakers of creating "circus-like" publicity stunts rather than conducting "legitimate oversight." Advertisement Advertisement The three lawmakers had not been informed of the new policy when they went to visit the Whipple building facility. Morrison said they were initially allowed in by local officials and then very abruptly were told to leave. Craig indicated that they showed Cobb's December ruling to ICE officials but were rejected anyway because the facility's funding was received via the One Big Beautiful Bill rather than congressional appropriations. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in a statement accused the three lawmakers of leading a group of protesters to the ICE facility "with the explicit goal of 'hunting down' ICE officers who they believed may have been staying there." "For the safety of detainees and staff, and in compliance with the agencys mandate, the Members of Congress were notified that their visit was improper and out of compliance with existing court orders and policies which mandate that members of Congress must notify ICE at least seven days in advance of Congressional visits," she said. But in December 2025, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., blocked policies that tried to restrict congressional visits specifically by requiring seven days notice or deeming certain field offices off limits because such requirements likely violated federal law stating that funds may not be used to prevent members from entering Department of Homeland Security facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Craig presented the December court ruling to the agents at the facility, but they refused to look at it, she said on MS NOW. I informed them that they were violating the law. They said they didnt care. Somali fraudsters have stolen millions from hardworking Minnesota taxpayers while Democrats looked the other way now theyre desperately trying to distract from their failures with political stunts, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The incident comes amid rising tensions between Minnesota lawmakers and the Trump administrations immigration enforcement efforts in the state. On Wednesday, an ICE agent shot and killed Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman, in her vehicle in what federal officials have described as an act of self-defense. But local leaders in the state and Democrats throughout the country have strongly disputed that narrative, saying that Good was not a threat at the time of the fatal shooting. Both sides have argued that footage of the incident confirms their views. Advertisement Advertisement Minnesota Democrats have routinely decried their lack of visibility into the subsequent federal investigation. After the FBI walked back its cooperation agreement to look into the shooting with Minnesotas Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, speaking alongside Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison at a Friday press conference, announced a state-level probe into Goods death in conjunction with other state entities so that our community can have transparency. Trump, asked Friday whether the FBI should be sharing evidence with state officials in Minnesota, indicated he wouldnt because state leadership is crooked. This is far from the first time Democratic lawmakers have seen their oversight powers denied at immigration facilities. Among other clashes between ICE and members of Congress attempting to visit detention centers, New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted for interfering with federal immigration agents after a chaotic clash while trying to visit New Jerseys Delaney Hall ICE facility in June. JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) A Rankin County woman pled guilty in federal court to misusing Veterans Administration money intended to benefit her son, a disabled Army Veteran. According to court documents, Darla Storey, 57, began serving as a fiduciary on March 18, 2016, and was responsible for managing the financial affairs of her adult son who was permanently disabled and wheelchair-bound due to service-connected disabilities. As part of her fiduciary duties, Storey was required to use funds entrusted to her solely for her sons benefit, to file regular accountings, and to never commingle the funds. Ex-MDHS executive director testifies in Ted DiBiase Jr. trial Advertisement Advertisement During her five years as a fiduciary, prosecutors said Storey misappropriated the VA funds and instead used them for her own benefit by transferring the money to her personal bank account, purchasing a vehicle the beneficiary never used, paying bills, and taking trips even when the beneficiary was not living with her. They said she routinely failed to file proper accountings and used more than $100,000 dollars entrusted to her by the VA for her personal benefit. Storey is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison. Close Thanks for signing up! Advertisement Advertisement Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. GOSHEN The regional Mennonite Central Committee is hosting a mobile canner that travels the country every year in an effort to help feed the hungry. MCC Great Lakes in Goshen is hosting the aid organizations mobile canner truck through Jan. 16. Hundreds of volunteers are preparing, cooking and packing tens of thousands of cans of chicken bound for Ukraine, Cuba, South Sudan and other countries where local protein sources are hard to find. It changes slightly every year where the meat goes, Eric Kurtz, executive director of MCC Great Lakes, said Tuesday. Last year, most of the meat went to Ethiopia, to some refugee camps there. Advertisement Advertisement MCC shipped 611,520 cans of food to seven countries as well as locations in the U.S. between April 2024 and March 2025. Almost half of that was shipped to Ethiopia, where around 480,000 people have fled from violence in South Sudan. MCC Great Lakes sets a goal of preparing 80,000 pounds of food every year. Goshen is one of 27 destinations on the mobile canner schedule this season, which runs from October to April. Each location has a local committee that gathers volunteers and supplies. MCC Great Lakes draws from local Amish and Mennonite communities. The committee ... spent a lot of time trying to figure out where theyre going to get the best deal (on chicken), what the most economical source is, and I think theyve continued to be able to get what they need, Kurtz said. It would have to be close to 1,000 people over the two-week period who come through here. Its an incredible volunteer effort. Advertisement Advertisement Volunteers work in two shifts between 6:45 a.m. and 8 p.m. They grind the chicken into smaller pieces, fill cans and then hand them over to the mobile canner. The truck includes the equipment needed to seal the cans and pressure-cook them at 15 psi inside large metal canisters. Weve got eight of those retorts ... and it gets processed in there for 144 minutes, in order to cook them, said volunteer committee member Elam Weaver. Theres people that try to see how fast they can do a basket, and theres people who take their time. Sweat a little, have a lot of fun, I guess. After the cans have had time to cool, theyre labeled, boxed up and stacked on a pallet. The pallets are sent to Pennsylvania and then prepared for shipping overseas. This whole area, by the end of two weeks, this will just be filled with those big pallets, Kurtz said, standing in a storage room that held ceiling-high stacks of empty cans waiting to be filled. So thats ready to set on a shipping container and be sent to Ethiopia or Cuba or wherever. A group of monks heading for Charlotte made a stop in Columbia, South Carolina Saturday. Videos show them walking through a crowd, participating in a March for Life. The monks and their dog have gotten national attention as they walk all the way from Texas to Washington, D.C., all to promote peace and unity. ALSO READ: Buddhist monks persist in peace walk despite injuries as thousands follow them on social media Advertisement Advertisement They also visited the South Carolina State House and spoke to the crowd. We should live and love each other, show compassion with each other, so that peace can begin within each and every one of us, one of the monks said. The monks are set to arrive in Charlotte sometime next week. You can follow their journey here. WATCH: Just asking for enough: CMS teachers walk out for better pay, benefits State Sens. Beau Ballard of Lincoln and Margo Juarez of Omaha meet on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature. Jan. 9, 2026. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Nebraska lawmakers are set to consider a slew of nationally relevant topics in the 2026 legislative session, including new bills addressing immigration enforcement, homeless encampments and artificial intelligence. More than 100 new bills were introduced Thursday and Friday. That brings the total number of new bills, resolutions and constitutional amendments introduced over the first three days of a shorter, 60-day session to 250. Legislation can be introduced through the 10th legislative day: Jan. 21. Immigration enforcement State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha. (Courtesy of Nebraska Unicameral Information Office) Legislative Bill 907 from State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, would prohibit law enforcement officers from entering community safe spaces to enforce immigration law. Such spaces include a range of public properties, including hospitals, schools, libraries, churches, shelters and courthouses. Advertisement Advertisement Juarez said she brought the bill because she is appalled that the Trump administration has allowed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to go everywhere. She said she views it as a violation that impacts both the people ICE is targeting and other members of the public visiting the same spaces. I dont like the creation of that precedent, Juarez said. Juarez also introduced LB 906, which would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings, masks or disguises and require them to wear identification. State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha brought a similar bill LB 854. Juarez said she didnt talk to Hunt about the issue beforehand. Juarezs bill is a bit more expansive than Hunts. It specifies that any evidence collected by an officer in violation of the new law would be inadmissible in court. She said there are legitimate safety reasons for officers to wear face coverings but argued it shouldnt become the norm. Advertisement Advertisement Bank robbers cover their faces, not law enforcement, Juarez said. Homeless encampments State Sen. Bob Andersen of Sarpy County. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office) LB 925, from State Sen. Bob Andersen of western Sarpy County, would outlaw unauthorized encampments on any public property or right-of-way, unless the land is designated as a campsite or temporary site for an unsanctioned homeless encampment. State law already prohibits unauthorized encampments on state and county property, Andersen said. The Safe Parks and Public Spaces Act came about, Andersen said, because of some residential area encampments where residents had seen unlawful behavior, such as drug use. It is threatening and makes it unsafe for the resident, Andersen said. Advertisement Advertisement Violations of the new law would be a Class V misdemeanor, but, for first-time offenders, law enforcement would direct them to the nearest appropriate shelter for homeless individuals. Political subdivisions would be prohibited from allowing anyone to regularly camp or sleep on such property or rights-of-way and could not prohibit or discourage enforcement. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services would oversee any alleged violations. AI chatbots State Sen. Dave Murman, District 38. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office) LB 939, from State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, would require age verification for chatbots on online platforms and require online platforms to identify when chatbots use artificial intelligence and prevent such chatbots from impersonating a human while interacting with a minor. Chatbots are often operated by artificial intelligence software and apps, including Xs Grok, Googles Gemini and OpenAIs ChatGPT. Murman said some of these services have been linked to youth suicides, and he hopes to mitigate those risks by increasing transparency. Advertisement Advertisement I dont want to overly regulate AI at all, Murman said. AI has a bright future. Murman said LB 939 is similar to a previous bill he passed in 2024, LB 1092, which required online porn companies to verify users ages. As a result of the law, Pornhub went dark in Nebraska, where it remains to this day. It is unclear how an executive order President Donald Trump signed in December seeking to stop states from regulating artificial intelligence might impact LB 939. The order does include a carveout for protecting minors. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Other legislation Among other notable bills introduced this week: Advertisement Advertisement LB 837, by State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte Allow cash transactions and wages in the state to be rounded up or down to the nearest nickel with the national elimination of pennies. Transactions ending in one, two, six or seven cents could be rounded down, while transactions ending in three, four, eight or nine to be rounded up. Digital payments, gift cards, checks and money orders would not be affected. LB 843, by State Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue Require the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to file a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program waiver for refugees and immigrants. LB 848, by State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, and LB 865, by State Sen. Jason Prokop of Lincoln Create three-day sales tax holidays before the start of fall school semesters. Cavanaughs LB 848 would begin at 12:01 a.m. the first Friday of August for clothing, school supplies, computer software, graphing calculators and personal computers up to certain dollar amounts. Prokops LB 865 would begin at 12:01 a.m. the last Friday of July for child care supplies, clothing, footwear and school supplies up to certain dollar amounts. The state sales tax is 5.5 cents per $1, most local rates are up to 2 cents. LB 849, also by Cavanaugh Exempt over-the-counter drugs from sales taxes. LB 881, by State Sen. Dunixi Guereca of Omaha Require law enforcement agencies, jails and the Nebraska State Patrol to receive approval from a local governing body before entering agreements to enforce immigration law. This follows controversies over Nebraska entering an agreement with the federal government over transferring the McCook Work Ethic Camp to ICE and local decisions by county sheriffs and county jails to help ICE. LB 910, by State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering Require individuals convicted of sexual offenses against children to pay a fee for electronic devices seized during prosecution. LB 913, also by Hardin Requie DHHS to appoint a dementia services coordinator who would serve as a central point to collect data on Alzheimers and dementia, evaluate needs and link families caring for individuals facing those diagnoses with resources. LB 915, by State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City Allow one additional Inland Port Authority district, for a total of six. The five current ones are in Omaha, Bellevue, South Sioux City, Lincoln County and Fremont/Dodge County. Districts require approval from a host city or county and are intended to help spur economic development. LB 940, by State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil Prohibit certain artificial color additives in meals served at public K-12 schools. The banned additives would include Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Cindy Gonzalez contributed to this report. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX An adult mountain lion has been spotted in Palm Springs and wildlife officials are monitoring the situation. The Palm Springs Police Department received a report of a mountain lion between 6 and 6:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 9, near the 500 block of Vista Chino. The animal was briefly photographed, which was shared with police. However, the reporting party soon lost sight of the creature. A mountain lion was spotted in Palm Springs on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. "As a precaution, residents are reminded that wildlife does frequent our desert community," PSPD said on social media. "We encourage everyone to remain aware of their surroundings when outdoors." Advertisement Advertisement Police encouraged residents with pets to keep them supervised while outdoors. Animal Control officers have responded to the incident. Mountain lions have been known to kill pets, especially in rural areas, although fatal attacks on humans are rare. The most recent death by a mountain lion in America occurred on New Years Day in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colorado. That was the first such death recorded in Colorado in 30 years. The last fatal mountain lion attack in California occurred in 2024 in El Dorado County. Residents who see a mountain lion are encouraged to report it to the Wildlife Incident Reporting System at wildlife.ca.gov to allow officials to track activity. PSPD can also be reached at 760-327-1441. Advertisement Advertisement Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Mountain lion spotted in Palm Springs Friday morning Elon Musk has claimed critics of X want any excuse for censorship as his social media platform faces the threat of being shut down over deepfake pornography and child abuse images. The billionaire appeared defiant on Friday despite the outcry over reports that Xs AI chatbot Grok was creating sexualised images of people, including children, at users request. Women told The Independent they have been left feeling violated and humiliated after dehumanising images of them have been created by users of Grok without their consent. Advertisement Advertisement British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has been joined by other world leaders in taking on Musk over the sexualised content on X and calling for immediate action to be taken. Elon Musk has hit back at criticism of his social media platform (AFP/Getty) Governments and regulators from Europe to Asia have condemned the reports, with some opening inquiries into the issue, and Indonesia now becoming the first country to block Grok. But pointing to claims other AI programmes created non-sexualised images of women in bikinis, Musk posted on his site on Friday night: They want any excuse for censorship. Criticism of X has focused on Groks production of images of child abuse and manipulation of photographs of real women and girls to remove their clothes. Advertisement Advertisement The UKs technology secretary Liz Kendall said she would back regulator Ofcom if it decided to effectively block X if it failed to comply with British laws. Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent, she said. Ofcom said it was undertaking an expedited assessment after the social media platform responded to an urgent contact on Monday. The UKs technology secretary Liz Kendall said she would back regulator Ofcom if it decided to effectively block X (Ben Whitley/PA) But Musk responded by sharing a post from US legislator Anna Paulina Luna threatening to sanction both Sir Keir and the UK if X was blocked in the country. On Friday, X appeared to have changed Groks settings, with the chatbot telling users that only paid subscribers could ask it to manipulate images. Advertisement Advertisement However, reports suggested this only applied to those making requests in reply to other posts, and other ways of editing or creating images, including on a separate Grok website, remained open. Downing Street said the changes are not a solution but prove that X can move quickly when it wants to. The prime ministers spokesman said: Its not a solution. In fact, its insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual violence. What it does prove is that X can move swiftly when it wants to do so. You heard the prime minister yesterday. He was abundantly clear that X needs to act and needs to act now, it is time for X to grip this issue. Sir Keir Starmer has been joined by other world leaders in taking on Musk over the sexualised content on X (PA Wire) Ms Kendall said it was totally unacceptable for Grok to allow this if youre willing to pay for it and added she expected an update on Ofcoms next steps in days, not weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Ofcom has powers under the Online Safety Act to fine businesses up to 18 million or 10% of global revenue, as well as to take criminal action. It can also order payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a site, effectively banning them, though this would require agreement from the courts. Ms Kendall also pointed to plans to ban nudification apps as part of the Crime and Policing Bill going through Parliament and said powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent would come into force in the coming weeks. Indonesia temporarily blocked Grok on Saturday due to the risk of AI-generated pornographic content, becoming the first country to do so. Advertisement Advertisement The government views the practice of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space," Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement. The ministry has also summoned X officials to discuss the matter. Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese condemned the reports that Grok is being used to exploit or sexualise people without their consent as abhorrent (Getty) The European Commission extended on Thursday a retention order sent to X last year to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026 amid the concerns. Germany's media minister Wolfram Weimer called on the European Commission on Tuesday to take legal steps, saying EU rules provided tools to tackle illegal content and alleging the problem risked turning into the industrialisation of sexual harassment. In France, government ministers said on 2 January they had referred sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on X to prosecutors and also alerted French media regulator Arcom to check the platform's compliance with the European Union's Digital Services Act. Advertisement Advertisement Italy's data protection authority warned on Thursday that using AI tools to create undressed deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations and, in some cases, criminal offences. Swedish political leaders condemned on Thursday Grok-generated sexualised undressing content after reporting that imagery involving Sweden's deputy prime minister was produced from a user prompt. Beyond Europe, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese condemned the reports that Grok is being used to exploit or sexualise people without their consent as abhorrent. He said his countrys independent online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, is looking into the issue. India's IT Ministry on 2 January sent X a formal notice over alleged Grok-enabled creation or sharing of obscene sexualised images, directing the content to be taken down and requiring a report on the actions being taken within 72 hours. Advertisement Advertisement Malaysia's communications regulator MCMC said on 3 January it would summon X and open an investigation into alleged misuse of Grok to generate obscene or sexualised undressing content, warning it may involve offences under Section 233 of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. Musk previously said on X that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would suffer the same consequences as if they had uploaded illegal content. X reposted this and added: We take action against illegal content on X, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary. Jan 10 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said on Saturday that social media platform X will open to the public its new algorithm, including all code for organic and advertising post recommendations, in seven days. "This will be repeated every 4 weeks, with comprehensive developer notes, to help you understand what changed," he said in his X post. Earlier this week, the European Commission decided to extend a retention order sent to X last year, which related to algorithms and dissemination of illegal content, prolonging it to the end of 2026, spokesperson Thomas Regnier told reporters on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement In July 2025, Paris prosecutors investigated the social media platform for suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction, which Musk's X called a "politically-motivated criminal investigation" that threatens its users' free speech. Last month, the European Union levied a 120 million euro ($140 million) fine on X, with regulators saying the company breached its transparency obligations under the bloc's Digital Services Act. The fine is related to X's "blue checkmark" subscription, lack of transparency related to its ad repository and failure to provide researchers access to the platform's public data. Musk replied with an obscenity under a European Commission post about the fine. (Reporting by Preetika Parashuraman in Bengaluru and Max A. Cherney in San Francisco; editing by Diane Craft, Sergio Non, Rod Nickel) That still leaves the shares at roughly 2.05x pricetobook against a sector median near 3.33x, a discount that suggests the market has not fully priced in Saabs order momentum or its leverage to Arctic and European security budgets. The stock trades at about $70 as of Jan. 8, up 20% yeartodate (YTD) and 229% over the past 52 weeks. On trading screens, two names stand out as they offer distinctly different exposure to air defense, armor, and ammunition. Saab AB (SAABF) has climbed roughly 33% over the past month, and Rheinmetall (RNMBY) has done even more, jumping about 19% over the same period. Will these two European defense stocks become the preferred way to express this new ArcticCaribbean risk theme? Let's take a closer look at these two defense stocks. European leaders and Greenlands own allies (which, for the record, the U.S. is one of via the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) have vowed to resist any forced grab, stressing the territorys constitutional ties to Denmark (the semi-autonomous island is sovereign Danish territory) and its importance to the broader European security architecture. Such rhetoric pulls defense planning for the Arctic and North Atlantic to the foreground and directs fresh attention toward Europebased defense contractors. That same White House is again talking openly about bringing Greenland under U.S. control, citing its Arctic location, deepwater access, and critical minerals as reasons the island is now nonnegotiable for longterm security. Geopolitics can turn yesterdays watch list into tomorrows mustown theme in a single weekend. President Trumps Venezuela operation, which saw Nicolas Maduro and his wife seized in a lightning operation, has drawn sharp condemnation from Beijing and Moscow (among other countries), with both capitals warning against unilateral U.S. regimechange tactics in their strategic backyard. Story continues The strategic backdrop now includes a SEK 2.6 billion contract from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration that funds continued studies on future fighter systems through 2027, covering both manned and unmanned solutions. This agreement extends a prior framework and pulls in Swedish defense stakeholders and industry partners, just as Washington toys with the idea of locking down Greenlands skies and resources. The stock, however, comes with a notable financial gap, as its earnings reports, estimates, and revenue breakdowns are not readily available, which makes the stock more of a thesisdriven call than a clean numbers story. It is worth noting that the consensus from the small analyst pool (of just one) covering the stock sits at Strong Buy, even without a formal average target. www.barchart.com Rheinmetall AG (RNMBF) Rheinmetall AG produces ammunition, armored vehicles, air defense systems, and other battlefield technologies and is based in Dusseldorf, Germany, with customers across NATO. This stock pays a forward dividend of $9.06 per share, giving a forward yield of 0.43% on an annual basis. RNMBF is currently trading at $2,150 as of Jan. 8 with a YTD gain of 19% and a 52week return of 229%. www.barchart.com This profile includes a pricetocashflow multiple of 19.69x versus a sector median of 15.02x and a pricetobook ratio of 1.16x against 3.33x for peers, a combination that suggests investors are paying a premium. That setup sits on top of some very specific growth news, as the company is moving to formalize a new joint venture with MBDA in Germany that will focus entirely on naval laser technology. The entity is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2026 after years of preparatory work. The new company will be responsible for developing and delivering high-performance laser weapon systems, initially for the German fleet but with obvious relevance for any NATO navy. Particularly relevant for hardening defenses in contested waters from the Arctic to the Caribbean. This growth is also being driven by the breadandbutter of modern land warfare, with the German Armed Forces extending a framework agreement (signed in December 2022 for 30 mm x 173 ammunition) for the Puma infantry fighting vehicle. The framework now runs through 2029 and covers several hundred thousand rounds worth around 1 billion in total volume, with a medium six-figure quantity of cartridges already delivered. The latest call-off order itself runs into the several hundred million euro range. This stock does not have standardized public data on earnings, detailed revenue trends, or forward cashflow forecasts. It also leaves investors without formal earnings estimates or published analyst ratings for RNMBF, which keeps the focus squarely on its fundamentals, news flow, and the tape. Conclusion Trumps Greenland talk and the Venezuela raid have simply highlighted what the tape was already hinting at for Saab and Rheinmetall. Both names look wired into a multiyear European rearmament and Arctic security story, not just a oneheadline spike. Through 2026, share prices appear more likely to drift higher with sharp newsdriven pullbacks than to settle into a sustained downtrend. On the date of publication, Ebube Jones 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 NASA is finalizing plans for the return of Crew-11 after an undisclosed medical issue involving one of the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The agency says the situation is stable, allowing the crew to remain in orbit while doctors continue to evaluate the astronauts condition. Space analyst Ken Kremer of Space UpClose told us, Coming back to Earth isnt a piece of cake either, all right? Youre going to hit three or four Gs, and youre going to have a lot of stress on your body coming back. NASA says it is not making any special accommodations for splashdown. Astronauts onboard the ISS are medically trained and remain in constant contact with flight surgeons on the ground. The station is also equipped with a pharmacy and medical hardware to treat a wide range of conditionscapabilities that have been used repeatedly during the ISSs 25 years of continuous operations. Advertisement Advertisement NASAs Chief Health and Medical Officer, Dr. James Polk, says that while the ISS has robust medical tools, it does not possess the full diagnostic capabilities of an emergency department on Earth. That limitation, combined with lingering risk, has led NASA to plan what it describes as a first-of-its-kind controlled medical evacuation from the space station. Crew-11 launched from Floridas Space Coast on Aug. 1, 2025, carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Sagittarius A* as seen by the Event Horizon Telescope may be quiet now, but it wasn't always so peaceful. | Credit: Event Horizon Telescope collaboration The supermassive black hole sitting at the heart of our galaxy is considered to be a slumbering giant. However, an international X-ray spacecraft has discovered that this wasn't always the case. It turns out this supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), has erupted with powerful and dramatic flares over the course of the last 1,000 years. This surprising discovery made possible by the joint Japanese-European-American XRISM spacecraft (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) could change our understanding of how supermassive black holes with masses equivalent to millions or even billions of suns evolve and the role they play in shaping the entire galaxies that swirl around them. Advertisement Advertisement Astronomers are shocked by the finding. "Nothing in my professional training as an X-ray astronomer had prepared me for something like this," team leader Stephen DiKerby of Michigan State University said in a statement . "This is an exciting new capability and a brand-new toolbox for developing these techniques." All black holes are completely dark because they are bounded by regions called event horizons , a point at which their gravity becomes so strong that not even light can escape their grip. However, matter around black holes can become superheated by the friction created by the immense gravity of these cosmic titans, causing it to glow brightly and throw out powerful flares. Sgr A*, which has a mass equivalent to 4 million suns, isn't known to have produced such emissions, however. Or at least it wasn't until now. DiKerby and colleagues discovered the black hole's history of turbulence when they pointed XRISM at a giant cloud of gas known as a molecular cloud near the center of our galaxy, examining the X-rays it emits in painstaking detail. This revealed that the molecular cloud was acting as a cosmic mirror, reflecting X-rays previously emitted by Sgr A* flares. A larger map of the galactic center showing Sgr A* (the supermassive black hole) and several notable molecular clouds. | Credit: Mori et al. 2015 The sensitivity of XRISM, launched in 2023, allowed the team to measure the energies and shapes of X-ray emissions with groundbreaking precision, revealing the movement of the cloud, and also allowing them to test alternative explanations for the cloud's X-ray glow. This ruled out cosmic rays as a cause of this X-ray echo. Advertisement Advertisement The team's findings also reveal that XRISM is perfectly suited to studying the universe in such fine detail that the joint NASA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and European Space Agency (ESA) mission can uncover the hidden history of the cosmos. "We're just the lucky scientists who got to solve the problems with handling this data in this brand-new way," DiKerby concluded. "One of my favorite things about being an astronomer is realizing Im the first human to ever see this part of the sky in this way." The team's research has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. When Jennifer Arnold learned one of her neighbors in the midwestern city of Minneapolis had been arrested by immigration authorities late last year, she reached out to lend a hand. "She answered the phone sobbing because she had gone to a work site with her husband, and he had been pulled out of their car and picked up," Arnold recalled. Now, a month later, Arnold is connecting neighbors to help immigrants survive the sweeping crackdown by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which turned deadly this week when a federal agent opened fire on a woman driving an SUV. Advertisement Advertisement Arnold said at first she helped her neighbors, who were terrified of leaving their homes "because it's not safe." Then she noticed that the school bus stop nearby, which usually had 20 children waiting for a ride to school in the morning, only had 10 kids. "Many of those families didn't feel safe sending their kids because they had to walk" a couple blocks to get to the stop, Arnold said. She took action, asking neighbors "if I could get someone to walk with your kid to the bus stop, or take them, drive them to school, would you send them?" Neighbors said yes. Advertisement Advertisement With that, Arnold began helping a dozen children get to school beginning the second week of December. "And then the next week, it was 18 kids. And now I have 30 on my list," Arnold said. - Adopting a family - Parents, neighbors and friends of friends signed up to take children to and from school -- walking them to a bus stop or driving them -- to help them avoid falling behind in class. And when Christmas came and schools closed for the holiday, Arnold asked volunteers to adopt a family for the holiday and organized food deliveries. "They went shopping and brought bags of groceries to the family they adopted. We did one right before Christmas and one right before New Year's. And folks said to me 'my kids would have been hungry' if we hadn't done that," Arnold said. Advertisement Advertisement Wednesday's shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good at the hands of masked ICE agents -- who are still conducting operations on Minneapolis streets -- has only inspired more volunteers. "I went to pick up a four-year-old and introduce him to a neighbor who's gonna walk him home every day. And there were all these people out on the streets who were like, 'Can we do this too?' And since what happened on Wednesday, my list is growing," Arnold said. Now, schools are adapting to the families' fears: Minneapolis announced Friday that it is launching remote learning through mid-February for students who need it. On the streets, neighbors have been vigilant in using whistles to alert each other about the presence of ICE agents. Advertisement Advertisement Education union leader Natasha Dockter says she wears her whistle "all the time now," adding: "I use it more often that I would like to." She said it also becomes "an invitation to talk to other neighbors about what's going on," and she keeps extra whistles in her pocket to share with those who are interested in helping. While neighbors in Minneapolis are trying to alert each other to potential suffering, there are also those who are coping in silence. "There are kids who have lost a family member, who are completely traumatized, who are terrified every day, who can't leave their houses other than to go to school," Becca Dryden, 36, told AFP, adding that the duty of parents to inform kids about what was happening was a tough one. Advertisement Advertisement "As parents, we keep having to explain these tragedies to them. Whether they are targeted themselves or watching their neighborhood and community be targeted, this is a trauma that's happening to all of our children." es/sla/jgc During the meeting, Netanyahu insisted that "Hamas must be disarmed and the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized in accordance with the 20-point plan of US President Donald Trump." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted to former UN Envoy Nickolay Mladenov, who is set to become the director of the Board of Peace for the Gaza Strip, that Hamas must be disarmed and the Gaza Strip must be demilitarized in accordance with the 20-point plan of US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu made these comments in a meeting on Thursday with Mladenov, a day before the official met on Friday with Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh in Ramallah, Reuters reported. Advertisement Advertisement The two men discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip, ways to move to the second phase, and mechanisms for implementing (Trumps) plan, Sheikh said. Trump plans to establish the Board of Peace in Gaza, which will oversee the technocratic Palestinian government. This government will be selected by Palestinians and approved by Israel after a vetting process from a submitted list, while the members of the board will be chosen by Trump. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Thursday, 8 January 2026, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, with Nickolay Mladenov, who is set to become the Director of the Gaza Strip Board of Peace. (credit: AMOS BEN GERSHOM/GPO) Israel pushes to keep Turkey away from Gaza Board of Peace In recent weeks, Israel has pushed to keep Turkish representatives away from the board, with Trump reluctant to allow this veto by the Israeli government. Some officials in the Trump administration believe Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should be part of the peace council, in part because Turkey alongside Egypt and Qatar is a guarantor of the agreement signed with Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Several sources told The Jerusalem Post that, for now, a final decision on the composition of the Board of Peace has not yet been made. Trump is expected to reveal the full list sometime this month. Amichai Stein and Reuters contributed to this report. Nicaraguas left-wing government has announced the release of dozens of prisoners following pressure from United States President Donald Trumps administration. The government of President Daniel Ortega said in a statement on Saturday that tens of people who were in the national penitentiary system have gone home to their families. The statement did not specify the exact number of people freed, or whether they had been detained for political reasons. Advertisement Advertisement While the government described the move as a gesture to commemorate 19 years of Ortegas government, Nicaragua is under considerable pressure from the US over its human rights record and a years-long crackdown on opposition leaders and activists. Saturdays prisoner release also reflects the growing pressure that left-wing governments in Latin America face to appease demands from the Trump administration, which has moved to exert greater dominance across the Americas region. Tensions have soared since the US military attacked Venezuela on January 3 and abducted the countrys president, Nicolas Maduro, who is facing US charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking, which he denies. Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, the US Embassy in Nicaragua praised the release of opposition figures in Venezuela following Maduros removal from power, calling on Ortegas government to follow suit. In Nicaragua, more than 60 people remain unjustly detained or missing, including pastors, religious workers, the sick, and the elderly. Peace is only possible with freedom! the Embassy posted on social media. A human rights NGO that tracks political prisoners in Nicaragua identified 19 people released on Saturday, the Reuters news agency reported. Opposition leader and former prisoner Ana Margarita Vijil told Reuters that she did not know the exact number of people released, but said the group included a former mayor, Oscar Gadea, and an evangelical pastor, Rudy Palacios. Advertisement Advertisement Palacios was detained in July after criticising the Nicaraguan government for human rights violations. He had also supported demonstrators who took to the streets to demand Ortegas removal in 2018. Ortega responded to those protests with a crackdown that left at least 350 people dead and hundreds detained. Liberales Nicaragua, a coalition of opposition groups, praised the prisoners release on Saturday. They said in a statement that there was no doubt that it resulted from political pressure exerted by the US government on the dictatorship and political chess moves triggered by events in Venezuela. MEXICO CITY (AP) Nicaraguas Interior Ministry said Saturday the country would release dozens of prisoners, as the United States ramped up pressure on leftist President Daniel Ortegaa week after it ousted former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua said Venezuela had taken an important step toward peace by releasing what it described as political prisoners. But it lamented that in Nicaragua, more than 60 people remain unjustly detained or disappeared, including pastors, religious workers, the sick, and the elderly. On Saturday, the Interior Ministry said in a statement that dozens of people who were in the National Penitentiary System are returning to their homes and families. Advertisement Advertisement It wasnt immediately clear who was freed and under what conditions. Nicaraguas government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The government has been carrying out an ongoing crackdown since mass social protests in 2018, that were violently repressed. Nicaraguas government has imprisoned adversaries, religious leaders, journalists and more, then exiled them, stripping hundreds of their Nicaraguan citizenship and possessions. Since 2018, it has shuttered more than 5,000 organizations, largely religious, and forced thousands to flee the country. Nicaraguas government often accused critics and opponents of plotting against the government. In recent years, the government has released hundreds of imprisoned political opponents, critics and activists. It stripped them of Nicaraguan citizenship and sent them to other countries like the U.S. and Guatemala. Observers have called it an effort to wash its hands of its opposition and offset international human rights criticism. Many of those Nicaraguans were forced into a situation of "statelessness." Advertisement Advertisement Saturday on X, the U.S. State Departments Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs again slammed Nicaraguas government. Nicaraguans voted for a president in 2006, not for an illegitimate lifelong dynasty, it said. Rewriting the Constitution and crushing dissent will not erase the Nicaraguans aspirations to live free from tyranny. Danny Ramirez-Ayerdiz, executive-secretary of the Nicaraguan human rights organization CADILH, said he had mixed feelings about the releases announced Saturday. On the one hand, Im glad. All political prisoners suffer some form of torture. But on the other hand, I know these people will continue to be harassed, surveilled and monitored by the police, and so will their families. Ramirez-Ayerdiz said the liberation of the prisoners is a response to pressure exerted by the United States. There is surely a great deal of fear within the regime that the U.S. might completely dismantle it, he said. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will not be able to hand over her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump, despite recent suggestions she has made about doing so, the Norwegian Nobel Institute said. In a statement, the Nobel Institute clarified that a "Nobel Prize can neither be revoked, shared, nor transferred to others. Once the announcement has been made, the decision stands for all time." "It is not possible to revoke a Nobel Peace Prize. Neither Alfred Nobels will nor the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation mention any such possibility," according to the Nobel Institute. Advertisement Advertisement The Nobel Institute's stance follows Trump's announcement during a sit-down interview that aired Jan. 8 on the Fox News show "Hannity" that Machado would be coming to the United States "next week sometime." During the interview, host Sean Hannity asked Trump if he plans to meet Machado to accept her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize if she gifted it to him. "I understand she's coming in next week sometime and I look forward to saying hello to her and I've heard that she wants to do that. That would be a great honor," Trump responded. Nobel Peace Prize 2025 laureate Maria Corina Machado attends a news conference at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 11, 2025. On Jan. 5, Machado, also appearing on Fox News' "Hannity," said that presenting her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump would serve as an act of gratitude from the Venezuelan people for removing leader Nicolas Maduro, whom the United States captured on Jan. 3. Did you at any point offer to give him the Nobel Peace Prize? Hannity asked. Did that actually happen? Advertisement Advertisement Machado responded, Well, it hasnt happened yet." The institute's committee, "as a matter of principle," said it "will not comment upon what the Peace Prize Laureates may say and do after they have been awarded the prize." "The Committees mandate is restricted to evaluate the work and efforts of the nominated candidates up to the moment it is decided who shall be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for a given year," the statement reads. Reactions to the United States' bombing of Venezuela and capture of the country's president Nicolas Maduro ranged across the world. Some celebrated the operation while others rebuked Trump's intervention in the South American country. See the reactions in photos, beginning here with Venezuelans living in Chile celebrating in Santiago on January 3, 2026. A child holds a placard saying "I will meet my grandparents" as people react to the news after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Madrid, Spain, January 3, 2026. A woman reacts to the news after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Madrid, Spain, January 3, 2026. Armed supporters of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gather near the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured him. A Venezuelan man living in Chile celebrates with a national flag and his car reading "Free Venezuela" in Santiago on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Venezuelans living in Chile celebrate in Santiago on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a "large scale strike" on Venezuela. The Trump administration said on December 3 that Venezuela's captured Maduro and his wife will face "the full wrath of American justice" under drug and terrorism charges. A man holds up a portrait of late Venezuela's leader (1999-2013) Hugo Chavez in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Activists of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump during a rally in Kolkata on January 3, 2026, to protest against the recent US attack on Venezuela. A supporter of Nicolas Maduro holds a portrait of the Venezuelan President during a gathering near the Palacio de Miraflores in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a "large scale strike" on the South American country. Venezuelans living in Chile celebrate in Santiago on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a "large scale strike" on Venezuela. Venezuelans living in Chile celebrate in Santiago on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a "large scale strike" on Venezuela. Demonstrators hold up a banner with the lettering reading 'Stop Trump - Free Venezuela' during a rally organised by left-wing 'Anti-Imperialist Coordination' (Antiimperialistische Koordination - AIK) under the motto 'Hands off Venezuela' at Vienna's Votive Park on January 3, 2026. The EU called for "restraint" and respect for international law in Venezuela on January 3 after US President Trump announced US forces had captured leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale assault. Demonstrators march with a banner with the lettering reading 'Hands off Venezuela' during a rally organised by left-wing 'Anti-Imperialist Coordination' (Antiimperialistische Koordination - AIK) in Vienna on January 3, 2026. The EU called for "restraint" and respect for international law in Venezuela on January 3 after US President Trump announced US forces had captured leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale assault. Venezuelans living in Peru celebrate outside the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and Venezuelan. Venezuelans living in Peru celebrate outside the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and Venezuelan. Venezuelans living in Peru celebrate at the Miguel de Cervantes park, near the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Venezuelans living in Peru dance to celebrate at the Miguel de Cervantes park, near the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. A Venezuelan woman living in Peru celebrates with a national flag at the Miguel de Cervantes park, near the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Activists of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) protest against the recent US attack on Venezuela, in Kolkata on January 3, 2026. Members of the Communist Party of Britain (CPB) group hold banners outside the U.S. Embassy in London calling for "Hands off Venezuela!", after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in London, Britain, January 3, 2026. People embrace next to a Venezuelan flag, as they react to the news after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Madrid, Spain, January 3, 2026. See reactions after US explosions in Venezuela, Maduro capture 1 of 21 Reactions to the United States' bombing of Venezuela and capture of the country's president Nicolas Maduro ranged across the world. Some celebrated the operation while others rebuked Trump's intervention in the South American country. See the reactions in photos, beginning here with Venezuelans living in Chile celebrating in Santiago on January 3, 2026. Who is Maria Corina Machado? Machado, 58, won the Nobel Peace Prize in October for "her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," according to the Nobel Institute. Advertisement Advertisement The Venezuelan opposition leader's fight for democracy dates back to the early 2000s, when she co-founded the volunteer civil association Sumate, which seeks to strengthen the foreign nation's democracy through various means, including monitoring elections. Machado's influence led to her transition into politics, and in 2010, she was elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly. In March 2014, she was removed from her position by the regime, which led to her becoming a leader of the opposition. In the 2024 presidential election, Machado was appointed the candidate of the opposition, according to the Nobel Institute; however, the regime prevented her from running. She then decided to back another candidate. When Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize, she was living in hiding due to the threats she was facing, the prestigious institute said. Now that the United States has captured Maduro, whom she strongly opposed, it is unclear where Machado is; nonetheless, Trump said he's awaiting her anticipated visit. Contributing: James Powel This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Machado cannot give her Peace Prize to Trump, Nobel Institute says North Korea accused the South on Saturday of flying another spy drone over its territory this month, a claim that Seoul denied. The North Korean military tracked a drone "moving northwards" over the South Korean border county of Ganghwa in early January before shooting it down near the North Korean city of Kaesong, a spokesperson said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "Surveillance equipment was installed" on the drone and analysis of the wreckage showed it had stored footage of the North's "important targets" including border areas, the spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Photos of the alleged drone released by KCNA showed the wreckage of a winged craft lying on the ground next to a collection of grey and blue components it said included cameras. South Korea said it had no record of the flight, and Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the drone in the photos was "not a model operated by our military". The office of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said a national security meeting would be held on Saturday to discuss the matter. Lee had ordered a "swift and rigorous investigation" by a joint military-police investigative team, his office said in a later statement. Advertisement Advertisement On the possibility that civilians operated the drone, Lee said: "if true, it is a serious crime that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security". Located northwest of Seoul, Ganghwa County is one of the closest South Korean territories to North Korea. KCNA also released aerial images of Kaesong that it said were taken by the drone. They were "clear evidence" that the aircraft had "intruded into (our) airspace for the purpose of surveillance and reconnaissance", Pyongyang's military spokesperson said. They added that the incursion was similar to one in September when the South flew drones near its border city of Paju. Advertisement Advertisement Seoul would be forced to "pay a dear price for their unpardonable hysteria" if such flights continued, the spokesperson said. South Korea is already investigating alleged drone flights over the North in late 2024 ordered by then-President Yoon Suk Yeol. Seoul's military has not confirmed those flights. Prosecutors have indicted Yoon on charges that he acted illegally in ordering them, hoping to provoke a response from Pyongyang and use it as a pretext for his short-lived bid to impose martial law. - Cheap, commercial drone - Flight-path data showed the latest drone was flying in square patterns over Kaesong before it was shot down, KCNA said. Advertisement Advertisement But experts said the cheap, commercially available model was unlikely to have come from Seoul's armed forces. "The South Korean military already has drones capable of transmitting high-resolution live feeds," said Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification. "Using an outdated drone that requires physical retrieval of a memory card, simply to film factory rooftops clearly visible on satellite imagery, does not hold up from a military planning perspective." hs/mjw/ceg SEOUL, Jan 11 (Reuters) - North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, urged South Korea to investigate recent drone incidents over North Korean airspace, in a statement carried by state media KCNA on Sunday. Kim said she appreciated Seoul for making a wise decision to announce its official stance that it has no intention of provocation, warning that any provocations will result in terrible situations. Drones were flown from South Korea into North Korea earlier this month, after another intrusion in September, North Korea's military said on Saturday, which was soon followed by South Korea's response that they were not operated by the military. Advertisement Advertisement South Korea also said there would be a thorough investigation of a civilian possibly having operated the drones, making clear its stance of having no intention of provocation. "Clear is just the fact that the drone from the ROK violated the airspace of our country," Kim said. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. "No matter who is the perpetrator and whether it is a deed by any civilian organization or individual, the authorities responsible for national security can never evade their responsibility for it," she said. South Korea's Office of National Security said on Sunday it would swiftly release results of its investigation into the drone incidents, as it reaffirmed the government's stance of having no intention to provoke North Korea. Advertisement Advertisement The administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is seeking to improve ties with North Korea and has proposed military talks. North Korea has not responded to any calls for dialogue with the South since leader Kim Jong Un defined the two Koreas as separate, "hostile" nations at the end of 2023. (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Diane Craft, Rod Nickel and Michael Perry) A man was killed and a suspect was taken into custody Saturday following a 13-hour standoff in upstate New York, according to local police. Onondaga County deputies responded to a residence in the Town of Salina, just north of Syracuse, shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Friday for a reported stabbing, a spokesperson for the sheriffs office told Syracuse.com. Deputies arrived at the scene and located a male victim with stab wounds to his upper body, officials said. The man was taken to Upstate University Hospital in critical condition but was later pronounced dead. Advertisement Advertisement While the victim was being transported to the hospital, the stabbing suspect barricaded himself inside the home and refused to come out, prompting a multi-agency response. Members of the Onondaga County SWAT team, as well as firefighters from the Liverpool, Mattydale and Cicero fire departments, responded to the scene, CNY Central reported. Negotiations with the suspect lasted more than 13 hours, authorities said. During that time, he set multiple fires inside the home, badly damaging the structure. Nearby neighbors had to be evacuated, and around 20 flash bangs were heard late Friday, according to reports. At around 5 a.m. Saturday, SWAT team members, with the assistance of drone and K9 units, were eventually able to breach the home and take the suspect into custody. The unidentified man was arrested in the attic and later received medical attention, officials said. There are no reports of additional injuries. Deputies have not confirmed whether the suspect has been formally charged. An investigation remains ongoing and additional details will be released as they become available, officials said. Blackstone (BX) shares are in focus this morning after President Donald Trump said he plans on barring institutional investors from buying residential properties. In his latest post on Truth Social, the U.S. president said he expects such a ban to tame prices that have spiralled out of control in recent years. More News from Barchart At the time of writing, Blackstone stock is already down some 18% versus its 52-week high. www.barchart.com Why Trumps Post Is Super Negative for Blackstone Stock Trumps recent remarks are largely negative for BX stock as residential real estate has been a core growth engine for the companys massive private equity (PE) and asset management operations. For example, the NYSE-listed firm spent $6 billion to acquire Home Partners of America in 2021 and another $3.5 billion on Tricon Residential about a year ago. Banning institutional investors from buying residential properties will restrict Blackstones ability to deploy capital into one of its most profitable asset classes, undermining both rental income and long-term appreciation strategies. Additionally, such a move would signal heightened regulatory risk for big-cap investment firms, potentially curbing future expansion in housing markets. All in all, investors are concerned that reduced access to residential properties could significantly hurt Blackstones earnings outlook over time. But BX Shares Are Still Worth Owning in 2026 Despite this potential headwind, Blackstone shares remain attractive because the NYSE-listed titan has an exceptionally diversified portfolio spanning PE, credit, real estate, and infrastructure. That enormous breadth ensures weakness in one single segment, such as residential housing, wont end up derailing the firms overall performance. BXs scale and global reach bring it access to unique deal flow and resilient fee income streams. Meanwhile, the company benefits from secular tailwinds in alternative asset management as well, with institutions and high-net-worth investors continuing to allocate capital to private markets. A lucrative 3.34% dividend yield makes Blackstone all the more attractive for income-focused investors. According to an Odessa Police Department news release, on December 24 at approximately 1 p.m., a theft occurred at a business located inside of Music City Mall. The victim reported they accidentally left their iPhone at the check-out counter and when they went back to get it, it was gone. Surveillance footage confirmed that an unknown male took the phone and left the scene with an unknown female. Anyone who recognizes the subjects shown in the Surveillance Footage is encouraged to contact Corporal G. Potter at 432-335-5759 or Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS and reference Case #25-0013758. The post OPD investigating cell phone theft appeared first on Odessa American. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The newly conceptualized CRASH Clock reveals that earth-orbiting satellites would quickly start crashing into one another in an emergency scenario, such as during an extreme solar storm. | Credit: yucelyilmaz via Getty Images Earth-orbiting satellites could begin colliding with one another in less than three days in a worst-case-scenario scenario potentially triggering a runaway cascade that may render low Earth orbit (LEO) unusable, a new preprint study warns. This is 125 days quicker than if an emergency had happened just seven years ago, according to the researchers' newly devised "CRASH Clock." The number of spacecraft orbiting our planet is rising fast, thanks largely to the rise of satellite " megaconsetllations ," such as SpaceX 's Starlink network. As of May 2025, there were at least 11,700 active satellites around Earth, most of which are located in LEO the region of the atmosphere up to 1,200 miles (2,000 km) above Earth. For context, that is a 485% increase on the roughly 2,000 satellites in LEO at the end of 2018, before the first Starlink launch in 2019. And all signs suggest that this is only the beginning . Advertisement Advertisement One of the big problems with having so many satellites circling us is an increased chance they may collide with each another, creating clouds of fast-moving debris that could impact other spacecraft, including human-occupied space stations . Satellite operators are largely able to avoid these collisions . However, if they were to lose control of their respective spacecraft either via a technical glitch, a cyber attack or a massive solar storm they would be powerless to prevent a potential catastrophe. In a new study, uploaded to the preprint server arXiv on Dec. 10, researchers proposed a new way of measuring the risk of a collision occurring if every spacecraft was rendered inoperable by one of these worst-case scenarios. The team dubbed this metric the Collision Realization And Significant Harm (CRASH) Clock. By modelling the distribution of spacecraft in LEO, the CRASH Clock shows how long it would take for the first collision to occur. (This is similar to how the infamous " Doomsday Clock " shows us how far we are away from a hypothetical global armageddon.) "The CRASH Clock is a statistical measure of the timescale expected for a close approach that could give rise to a collision," study co-author Aaron Boley , an astronomer at The University of British Columbia, told Live Science in an email. "The idea is that it can be used as an environmental indicator that helps to evaluate the overall health of the orbital region while enabling people to conceptualize just how much or how little room there is for error." The number of satellites orbiting Earth has more than quadrupled in the last seven years, making collisions much more likely if these spacecraft suddenly lost their their avoidance capabilities. | Credit: Getty Images In the new paper, the team calculated that the value of the CRASH Clock by the end of 2025 was around 2.8 days, with a 30% chance that a collision could occur within 24 hours of an emergency that renders satellites inoperable. This is much less than the clock's predicted value for 2018, estimated to be 128 days, which would have given operators much more time to recover their assets. Advertisement Advertisement These findings have not yet been peer-reviewed, and the study team now thinks that they slightly overestimated how short the CRASH Clock really is, Boley told Live Science. However, the rate at which these timeframes have changed, regardless of their exact values, is what is most concerning. (A new, more reliable value for the CRASH Clock is likely to be published later this year.) "Seeing that difference [in values] is one factor that motivated us to develop the CRASH Clock further," Boley said. The fact that the value has decreased so significantly already is just as good an "indicator of the stress on orbit" as the CRASH Clock itself, he added. The value of the CRASH Clock will likely continue to decrease further in the coming years as more satellites are deployed. In 2025, for example, there were 324 orbital launches, which is a new record and represents a 25% increase compared to 2024, SpaceNews recently reported . The researchers have not predicted exactly how much the CRASH Clock will change in the coming years. However, they suspect that the current trend will continue: "Whether the CRASH Clock decreases will depend on the continued approach to industrializing Earth orbits," Boley said. "It could continue to get shorter if densification of orbital shells continues." The number of orbital rocket launches hit a new record in 2025, including this SpaceX Falcon 9 launch on Jan. 5 last year, which delivered a European communications satellite into LEO. | Credit: Brandon Moser via Getty Images The most likely way that a CRASH Clock scenario would play out is via a sizable solar storm, which can temporarily scramble satellite systems with large doses of radiation, study lead author Sarah Thiele , an astrophysics researcher at Princeton University, recently told Live Science's sister site Space.com . During such an event, "it becomes impossible to estimate where objects are going to be in the future," she added. Advertisement Advertisement RELATED STORIES 'No radio astronomy from the ground would be possible anymore': Satellite mega-swarms are blinding us to the cosmos and a critical 'inflection point' is approaching Controversial paper claims satellite 'megaconstellations' like SpaceX's could weaken Earth's magnetic field and cause 'atmospheric stripping.' Should we be worried? Secretive SpaceX satellites operated by US government are shooting disruptive radio signals into space, astronomer accidentally discovers If satellites remained offline for longer than the CRASH Clock value then multiple collisions could occur, which could push us dangerously close to the threshold of the Kessler Syndrome a theoretical scenario where cascading collisions in LEO triggers causes space junk to exponentially increase to the point where nothing could safely operate there . The researchers are reluctant to predict a timeframe for this scenario because there are too many variables surrounding subsequent satellite collisions, and nobody really knows at what point the Kessler syndrome will be triggered, Boley said. However, if we are not careful, we may soon "be in the early stages" of an irreversible cascade of collisions, he warned. St. Helens man charged By KATIE FRANKOWICZ KMUN Police have arrested a man in connection with an explosive device discovered at a public restroom on Oregons North Coast last September. Oregon State Police arrested James Mason Liggett, 52, of St. Helens in Grants Pass on Sunday. Liggett was wanted on charges of attempted murder, attempted assault in the first and second degree, first degree arson, possession of a destructive device and manufacture of a destructive device. Advertisement Advertisement According to previous reporting by The Astorian, on Sept. 16, Kayla Winkelhake and her two-year-old son discovered the bomb. He noticed that something was up at the door, Winkelhake said. So I just picked him up and noticed there was a backpack in there, and Im, like, That doesnt really look normal. So, we used the other bathroom. According to Winkelhake, inside the restroom was a backpack tied to the door with shoelaces; opening the door would have pulled the laces and ostensibly triggered what was inside. Upon leaving the rest area, Winkelhake saw and notified a park ranger about the backpack, then enjoyed a day at the beach. According to officials, Oregon State park staff called in Oregon State Police after the backpack was found by the ranger. The device was defused by a bomb squad including experts from OSP and the Salem Police Department. Advertisement Advertisement There were no injuries associated with the incident. On Oct. 12, a pipe bomb was found and removed in Chinook, Washington. Per a statement to The Astorian, Oregon State Police have not found any connection between Liggett and the bomb in Chinook at this time. Following Liggetts arrest, a spokesperson for Oregon State Police told KMUN investigators do not anticipate any other arrests associated with the Warrenton backpack bomb incident. The Astorian contributed to this story It was around 2013 when Dr. Javaid Perwaiz told Kimberly Riddick, 35, that a cyst was making it hard for her to get pregnant. The Portsmouth native said the doctor told her for three years that the cysts kept returning and required surgical removal. I thought I could trust him, that he was helping me out, Riddick said, until she got a second opinion from a doctor who told her the surgeries werent necessary. Advertisement Advertisement She said the scar tissue caused her to bleed excessively while delivering her daughter, and doctors have told her its too risky to have another child. I love children and always wanted a lot of kids, Riddick said. Riddick said she thinks about it all the time, we put our trust in him and he betrayed our trust. Shes one of 94 women who, on Thursday, joined 510 others in suing Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and its senior executives. The lawsuit alleges that they allowed Perwaiz, an obstetrician and gynecologist, to perform medically unnecessary surgeries of his patients, many of which resulted in permanent sterilization. Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit claims that since the 1980s, hospital executives were alerted to the conduct of Perwaiz and yet continued to allow him to operate. Individual doctors arent acting alone, said Anthony DiPietro, one of two attorneys representing the women in the lawsuit filed in Chesapeake Circuit Court. It takes an entire institution to cover up abuse. The hospital administration, he said, are not just complicit but actively participating in crimes by not stopping him (Perwaiz) when they are required to. CRMC did not respond to emails and voicemails requesting a comment. Perwaiz is serving a 53-year sentence after a jury in 2021 found him guilty of defrauding private and government health insurance programs of over $20.3 million by performing irreversible hysterectomies, among other unnecessary procedures, on female patients. Advertisement Advertisement To better fit his schedule, the lawsuit alleges, Perwaiz routinely delivered babies early through induction or C-sections. Premature birth caused so many babies to need intensive neonatal care, and suffer permanent brain damage, that it was nicknamed the Perwaiz special in CRMCs neonatology unit. The lawsuit describes that nurses found patients often lacked knowledge of their planned surgeries, and observed Perwaiz alter patient consent forms while a patient was already under anesthesia. Women were falsely told they had cancer, the lawsuit says, to justify the medically unnecessary and invasive procedures. Insurance payments from Perwaiz surgeries brought the hospital millions in revenue, according to the lawsuit. In response to warnings of Perwaizs conduct raised by several physicians and hospital administrators, the lawsuit claims, executives either defended his actions or failed to respond. Perwaiz was granted privileges to practice at CRMC in 1984 after Maryview Hospital in Portsmouth ended his ability to practice there after he performed unnecessary gynecological surgeries. From then till his arrest in 2019, hospital executives reviewed and re-approved his privileges every two years. Advertisement Advertisement The women in the lawsuit are asking for $10 million in damages each. What happened at Chesapeake was not medicine. It was a chop shop, said Victoria Wickman, co-counsel to DiPietro for the plaintiffs. Chesapeake Regional was federally indicted in early January 2025 on multiple charges of health care fraud and conspiracy relating to their consistent granting of surgical privileges to Perwaiz over the course of decades. The hospital, according to the indictment, allowed Perwaiz to consistently misclassify inpatient surgeries as outpatient surgeries, avoiding the heightened scrutiny and documentation required by health care benefit programs. Advertisement Advertisement Two motions to dismiss the indictment have been filed by attorneys representing Chesapeake Hospital Authority, the governing body of the hospital. The motions claim the case should be dismissed on the grounds of sovereign immunity, and that the authority itself is not listed in the indictment. A decision to dismiss the motions in the Eastern District Court has been appealed to the Fourth U.S. Circuit Appeals Court. NORWAY The owners of the former Advertiser Democrat building at 1 Pikes Hill Road have the discretion to tear down two dilapidated sections of the structure, according to a staff member with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. The plan for demolition, first proposed at a Norway Planning Board meeting in December, would remove a section of the complex designated by the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building in the Norway Historic District. Private property owners are free to alter their National Register listed property without the Commissions approval, provided that no Federal license, permit, or funding or some instances of state permitting are involved, Michael Goebel-Bain, the MHPCs historic preservation coordinator, focusing on the National Register of Historic Places, architectural surveys and technical assistance, wrote in an email. Advertisement Advertisement He also noted that municipalities have broad discretion in how they protect historic buildings and places. He wrote that the commission hopes any changes would not endanger a propertys listing in the Register by compromising its integrity or significance. Municipalities have a great deal of latitude in how they may implement legislation for the protection of cultural resources, Goebel-Bain wrote. A local historic preservation ordinance may require review beyond what federal and state regulations require. There are 64 contributing buildings and eight noncontributing buildings in the Norway Historic District, which includes properties on Main, Whitman, Bridge, Deering and Cottage streets. According to the 1988 application for designation to the National Register of Historic Places, the Norway Historic District embraces the most architecturally and historically significant group of buildings in this centrally located Oxford County community. Comprised of a wide variety of commercial, fraternal, governmental, public, religious and residential structures whose dates of construction span the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the district presents a remarkably detailed image of Norways growth and development. Advertisement Advertisement The application also notes that from its otherwise humble beginnings in the 1780s, Norway grew into an important commercial and manufacturing center during the nineteenth century. The prosperity enjoyed by its residents is abundantly evident in the collection of surviving buildings which bear testimony to their cultural, economic and social achievements. Some of the districts buildings include the James O. Crooker House on Deering Street; the EvansCummings House, Dr. Augustus French House, Opera Block and Hathway Block on Main Street; and the Norway Baptist Church on Cottage Street. The code enforcement officer for Norway did not respond to an email seeking information about the towns ordinances or policies on demolishing historic buildings. GoebelBain noted that the onestory brick addition to the building is not part of the downtown Norway Historic District. At the Planning Board meeting in December, building owner Todd Truman said there were no plans to tear down that section, which houses a gym. Advertisement Advertisement In December, Truman said the white buildings posed a severe fire risk and that he had dealt with squatters and breakins there. Norway interim Town Manager and Police Chief Jeffery Campbell said the Police Department had responded to the property multiple times and had even seen people jumping out of windows as officers arrived. Sue Denison, curator of the Norway Museum & Historical Society, said the building was constructed as a twostory structure around 1848, initially housing a shoe store with the Masonic Hall on the second floor. It later became the first location of Norway Savings Bank when the bank was founded in 1866. The Patrons of Husbandry, also known as the Norway Grange, bought the building in 1877 and added a third story for their hall. The Grange vacated the premises in 1909 after building a new hall just up Whitman Street. Advertisement Advertisement Since the 1880s, the corner building was the office and printing plant of the Norway (sometimes Oxford County) Advertiser and from 1933, it housed the offices and press of the Advertiser Democrat, the newspaper that resulted from the merger of the Norway Advertiser and the Oxford Democrat of Paris," Denison wrote in an email. "Over time, the newspaper operation gradually expanded into both Grange buildings, where it remained until a few years ago. A public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Town Office is the next step in determining the buildings fate. Much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood where Ring founder Jamie Siminoff once lived - including the garage where he invented the Ring video doorbell - was destroyed in the devastating wildfire. Siminoff's own home was spared, but the loss around him left a lasting impact. "If we can take the pain that came from this and turn it into something positive, that's what we should do," Siminoff said. Advertisement Advertisement That resolve led to the creation of Fire Watch, a newly announced safety feature from Ring designed to provide real-time, ground-level wildfire information to communities and first responders during active fire events. Within days of the blaze, Siminoff reached out to John Mills, founder and CEO of Watch Duty, a nonprofit wildfire tracking and alert platform that became the most downloaded app in the aftermath of the January fires. "My way of coping is engineering," Mills said. "Same with Jamie. So we said, 'Let's just do this.' We got on the phone, started talking and just began moving." Fire Watch is being developed through a collaboration between Ring and Watch Duty, which is dedicated to humanizing and accelerating emergency information. The feature will live in the Neighbors section of the Ring app and aims to deliver timely alerts, surface critical insights for first responders and keep communities better informed when every second counts. Advertisement Advertisement The system includes three main components: real-time fire alerts powered by Watch Duty, AI-driven smoke and fire detection, and voluntary community contributions from Ring users. "I knew that we could take what we have with Ring - the Ring network, our Ring neighbors - put it together with Watch Duty and build something so that in the next fire we can add more information and get more situational awareness quicker to everybody," Siminoff said. Using artificial intelligence, Fire Watch will analyze images captured by Ring cameras to identify smoke, embers and active flames. Siminoff estimates there were more than 10,000 Ring cameras operating in Pacific Palisades during the fire, each capturing potentially critical information in real time. "We have all these videos of fire in people's backyards, embers blowing around," Siminoff said. "If we could have fed that into Watch Duty, I do think the amount of resources in the Palisades could have been better deployed. I don't think we would have stopped this, but I think we could have stopped some of it. Some families would still have houses." Advertisement Advertisement Under the new system, Ring camera owners will be able to voluntarily opt in to share periodic snapshots with Watch Duty during fire events. Those images can help enhance Watch Duty's reporting and provide first responders with additional, on-the-ground intelligence. "If there's a fire spreading toward your neighborhood, we've got to try to catch it while it's spreading - not once it's already become a major incident," Siminoff said. When Fire Watch rolls out in the coming months, alerts and images will feed directly into the Watch Duty app, adding visual confirmation to a platform that already centralizes evacuation orders, red flag warnings and other essential emergency information. Mills said the partnership grew out of a shared desire to help communities respond faster to increasingly frequent and destructive wildfires. "We just wanted to be of service," Mills said. "A lot of us have lived through this experience in California and across the West. We couldn't just sit by and let it keep happening." PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) A Panama City man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly stealing nearly half a million dollars from his former employer in various ways. According to court documents, in June 2024, the owner of Arts Construction reported that one of his former employees, Eric Todd Pyron, 43, had defrauded several of his companies for around five years. The Panama City Police reported that Pyron had held a management position at Arts Construction, which allowed him to have access to all of the owners companies financials, including bank accounts, 401K investments for employees, management software and supplies ordering. Advertisement Advertisement Officers reported the owner provided select employees with a company credit card, including Pyron. Pyron allegedly spent over $133,950 with the companys credit card for personal use. This included purchases from Amazon, computers, TVs and building supplies that he used to remodel his condo before selling it and moving to Tennessee. Officers said the owner had also reported that a company he uses for his rental properties, NestEgg, has a total of $254,547 unaccounted for. Pyron is accused of stealing rent, late fees and other fees due to the company from the tenants over the course of three years. Advertisement Advertisement The owner also allegedly reported that Pyron made a series of unauthorized bank transfers from two accounts into a separate business account before withdrawing it at the bank. Officers reported that in June 2023, Pyron allegedly transferred $54,338 from Arts Construction to the owners personal account. He then transferred it from the owners account to another business account, Pyromaniacs. Over a month later, Pyron allegedly then went into a bank and made three withdrawals in the amounts of $12,300, $3,300, and $4,900. Pyron also allegedly withdrew $30,000 in January 2024, bringing the total unauthorized transactions to $50,000. The owner also reported to officers that Pyron also made 24 personal transactions on a WEX fleet card that is supposed to be used only for gas and maintenance of company cars and business. The total came to $1,730. Advertisement Advertisement Officers reported that Pyron had also allegedly increased his pay rate from $33.65 to $40.87. This unauthorized change lasted for 11 weeks and totaled $3,172. In all, its estimated Pyron stole $498,243. Pyron has been charged with grand theft over $100,000, an ongoing scheme to defraud, and criminal use of personal identification. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. A conditional-use permit request for a restaurant at 804 Pass-a-Grille Way, featuring two stories of open-deck dining, received enthusiastic praise and approval from city commissioners and residents in the Eighth Avenue historic district. Senior planner Gil Martinez told commissioners that developer John Dashiell proposes to open a 159-seat restaurant with open-deck dining on the second and third floors. The floor plan shows the second level consists of about 2,300 square feet, including a 527-square-foot kitchen, 40 interior seats and 12 high chairs for 52 total seats. The third level has the same square footage with 56 seats and 19 bar seats for 75 interior seats, plus a 32-seat open-air patio for 107 total seats. Combined, the restaurant will seat 159. Design plans show a 500-square-foot exterior dining area on the second level and 640 square feet of exterior seating on the third level. Advertisement Advertisement In their report, planning staff noted second- and third-level outdoor dining is modest in scale, architecturally integrated, and oriented toward the Pass-a-Grille Channel, reinforcing the coastal character and mixed-use pattern of the CRD-EA (Community Redevelopment District Eighth Avenue). Martinez noted the conditional-use permit runs with the land, meaning any future owner must adhere to approved conditions, such as prohibiting live outdoor music. Any modification to operational logistics must be reviewed through a CUP (conditional-use permit), conditions state. Located along the Pass-a-Grille Channel, the site occupies a prominent location within the historic area of the city, planning staff concluded. The project is designed to build on the intent of the CRD-EA zoning district: to promote and sustain the existing mixed-use development pattern and architectural character of the area, while also encouraging infill on vacant or underdeveloped lots. The proposed second-level outdoor dining area is designed as an architectural extension of the building rather than an open deck or rooftop feature, thereby maintaining compatibility with nearby properties, the planning report stated. The projects scale, setbacks and design reflect the traditional coastal vernacular character of Pass-a-Grille and will not adversely affect the appearance or function of the surrounding area. Advertisement Advertisement Commissioner Jon Maldonado, who represents the district, called it a wonderful site with a great rendition. Im very happy with the recommended conditions that staff recommended, he said. The nearest residence is 316 feet to the south and 328 feet to the north. The loading area is at the rear of the alley and its appropriately sized for delivery trucks. He noted the proposed development meets all goals, objectives and policies of the comprehensive plan, adding he is incredibly happy to see this and heard no pushback from District 4 residents. Maldonado said the proposed restaurant reflects and echoes the historic character of Pass-a-Grille, and this is exactly the type of facility we would like to see erected in Pass-a-Grille. Advertisement Advertisement Vice Mayor Karen Marriott agreed. It looks like a fantastic project, she said. It looks like exactly the kind of building that should have been there all along, which I think is perfect and exactly what you want in Pass-a-Grille. I think its low impact, low negative impact, high positive impact kind of situation, and Im very excited to see this move forward. Commissioner Lisa Robinson questioned the parking for 159 seats. Martinez said city code has no parking requirement within the CRDA district. Im sure youll get lots of walkables, Robinson added. Resident Ruth Schiros, who lives just north of the proposed restaurant, told commissioners she is 100% for the project. Advertisement Advertisement I think its beautiful for Pass-a-Grille; its what we need, she said. We are getting a lot of modern-looking buildings that dont really fit what were trying to do down there, and were 100% for it. Mayor Adrian Petrila said the project exemplifies what I think is responsible, high-quality redevelopment that fits the look and feel of a historically designated neighborhood. As the commissioner said, it looks like it was always there and always belonged there, he said. Im happy to see the project happen. I think it will be a great addition for Eighth Avenue and Pass-a-Grille Way. Commissioners unanimously approved the conditional-use permit. Major music festival proposed at TradeWinds Resort During her report at the Dec. 16 meeting, City Manager Fran Robustelli said the city has been approached by TradeWinds and Country Thunder about co-sponsoring a potential event. Advertisement Advertisement We have had one meeting with this organization since the original permit application came in and did a brief overview on what requirements would be necessary, she said. They submitted a permit to Florida Fish and Wildlife, as well as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, because the event is currently scheduled to occur May 8 through May 10, which you all know is the beginning of turtle season, as well as the same time frame that our black skimmers come in for their season, she said. We are meeting with our local turtle trackers as well, Robustelli said. Were talking about potential impacts and what support they would need to make this viable if it is. It is a pretty large event expected to sell 10,000 to 12,000 tickets per day, and it is currently planned on the beach, so theres a lot of moving parts and pieces. At this point, no permits have been issued by the city or state. Country Thunder Music Festival features major country stars in concert at several U.S. and Canadian locations. The 2026 season marks the 30th anniversary of the brands original event in Arizona. Advertisement Advertisement The Florida concert is already being promoted on the groups website as a new beachfront location at TradeWinds Island Grand Resort. Proposed headliners include Kane Brown, Zach Top, Gavin Adcock, Shaboozey, Gretchen Wilson, Randy Houser and Max McNown. Robustelli said she would keep commissioners informed of developments. The Tukwila Police Department says that their detectives arrested a man who was in possession of Child Sex Abuse Material. The detectives, part of Washington States Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), located and arrested the suspect during a search warrant operation. The suspect was found at his home on 57th Ave. S in Tukwila. ICAC works with other law enforcement agencies to investigate child sexual exploitation and internet crimes against children. No word on what specific charge the suspect was booked under. Police said they used pepper spray to break up a large fight happening outside of a Pittsburgh school. Pittsburgh Public Safety said officers were called to Obama Academy in East Liberty at 8:41 p.m. on Friday for reports of 200 juveniles gathered in a parking lot following a sporting event. Police said they saw around 40-50 kids fighting when they arrived. Officers from multiple zones were at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Police say pepper spray was used to break up the crowd and restore order. Investigators said no injuries were reported from civilians and that no officers were injured. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW President Donald Trump said American oil companiesas well as some European playerswill spend at least $100 billion in Venezuela to very rapidly rebuild [its] dilapidated oil industry and create great wealth during a meeting with top oil executives Jan. 9 at the White House. But the CEOs of ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and more quickly put a damper on the message, saying it will take considerable time to enact necessary legal reforms and security measures within the country before they can make any long-term commitments to reenter Venezuela for decades to come. Today, its uninvestable, Exxon Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said of Venezuela. Significant changes have to be made to those commercial frameworks, the legal system. There has to be durable investment protections. Woods said Exxon could have a technical team on the ground in Venezuela in less than two weeks to begin assessing the situation. But he was non-committal beyond that. He expressed confidence the Trump administration and the acting Venezuelan leadership can work out the necessary reforms. Weve had our assets seized there twice, Wood said, noting that Exxons Venezuelan assets were most recently expropriated in 2007. So, you can imagine to reenter a third time would require some pretty significant changes from what weve historically seen here and what is currently the state. Trump has used the 2007 expropriation in Venezuela, specifically from Conoco and Exxon, as a pretense for the shocking Jan. 3 military attack and arrest of leader Nicolas Maduro, as well as for claims of drug and human trafficking. Trump has repeatedly called the expropriations the largest theft in American history. Were going to start talking about the confines of a deal, Trump said at the end of the public meeting before starting a private sit down. We have to get [oil companies] to invest, and we have to get their money back as quickly as we can, and then we can divvy it all up between Venezuela and the United States and them. I think the formula is simple Its going to be a tremendous success. Big oil urges caution Trump told Woods and others he wants speed and quality. Mark Nelson, the vice chairman of Chevron, the only American producer currently operating in Venezuela under a special license, said it could hike its oil flows by 50% in less than two years as part of a phase one. But that would equate to raising the countrys overall volumes from almost 1 million barrels of oil daily to more than 1.1 million barrels for a countrywith the worlds largest proven oil reservesthat peaked decades ago with an output of nearly 4 million barrels. The teen boy prosecutors say shot and killed Caleb Quick at a Clovis McDonald's in April returned to court on Thursday. The hearing was just four minutes long and closed to cameras. The boy, whom Action News is not naming due to his age, walked in with his hands folded and wore a purple shirt. His parents sat behind him. Caleb's mother and father were on the other side of the courtroom. "I don't think he realizes the devastation he's caused for himself and my family," Stephen Quick told Action News. Advertisement Advertisement He wants the boy - and the girl prosecutors say drove him away in a white Tesla -- to be tried as adults. The teens have each denied murder charges. "We don't want to put it out there that this is OK behavior for kids to do," Stephen said. Prosecutors are now pursuing a high-stakes transfer hearing to move the case to adult criminal court, where the punishment is longer. The girl's hearing is set for March. The boy's is now delayed. "This is just a huge case, and there's a lot, a lot of discovery, and so it takes a long time to go through it," defense attorney Kathy Bird told Action News. Advertisement Advertisement She and co-attorney Mark Coleman are still combing through evidence and have hired a forensic psychologist to interview their client. They are looking for anything to keep him in the juvenile system and have found a possible defense. "I believe there were numerous concussions, and we're delving into that," Bird said. "There could be some traumatic brain injuries from the concussions." "That's an excuse," Stephen said. He believes the alleged shooter knew what he was doing as he tracked Caleb for 13 minutes and followed him outside. "I had a concussion when I was in sixth grade. I turned out OK," Stephen said. "I never put a gun to someone's head and pulled the trigger." For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. President Donald Trump plans to speak to the Detroit Economic Club at the MotorCity Casino Sound Board Theater in Detroit next week. The president is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, following the DEC's previously scheduled Michigan Economic Outlook meeting program, according to a news release from the DEC. President Donald Trump looks on as he signs executive orders and proclamations in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, DC, on May 5, 2025. The Detroit Economic Club is a nonpartisan group and has hosted senior government officials and political leaders, including former Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, according to a news release from the DEC. Advertisement Advertisement It will be the third time Trump has appeared at the DEC. He previously delivered campaign addresses in August 2016 and October 2024 when the DEC invited both major party presidential candidates to speak. The annual Michigan Economic Outlook meeting plans to "look ahead at the forces that will shape Michigans 2026 economy," according to the DEC website. A panel will examine trade policy impact, business and talent attraction to the future of manufacturing and more. Trump will speak after the meeting, which is planned to start at 11 a.m. with the last agenda item as a lunch starting at 1 p.m. Tickets to see Trump speak are only available to DEC members and their guests. Tickets for the Michigan Economic Outlook meeting before Trump speaks are available for purchase to nonmembers. A spokesperson for the DEC said the Trump speech is being treated as a separate event that happens to be on the same day. The specific content Trump plans to speak on is unknown at this time, the spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement The speech is taking place the same week the Detroit Auto Show is opening. Former presidents have spoken at the show. It's unclear whether this speech will be related. Trump's visit to Detroit comes days after a Minneapolis woman was shot by an ICE agent and the Trump administration and Minnesota officials disagree on what happened and the need for ICE in the city. Protests against Trump have been held in metro Detroit several times over the past year since he became president, with the latest ones related to the ICE shooting and U.S. intervention in Venezuela taking place this weekend. In response to Trump's planned visit to Detroit, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel released a statement to the news media saying, "Trump has insulted their city before, and theyll remember this November how Trump and Michigan Republicans caused costs to skyrocket. "Michiganders are feeling the effects of Trumps economy every day and no amount of lies or lip service by the President can make up for the fact that they have less money in their pocketbooks because of the Republicans price-hiking agenda," according to Hertel's statement.This is not the first time the president has been in Michigan since his term started in January 2025. He spoke at a Macomb Community College rally on the 100th day of his term in April 2025. Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: President Donald Trump to speak to Detroit Economic Club Demonstrators marched through Philadelphia on Saturday calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and protesting the killing of a woman by an ICE officer in Minnesota last week. Carrying signs and participating in chants such as "ICE has got to go" and "No fascist USA," protesters began their march at City Hall and ended with a rally outside the Federal Detention Center. Organizers said they chose the location because they believe detainees are being held inside and hope those individuals hear their support. This is one of several Philadelphia rallies that have come together since Wednesday, when an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis. Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has called the killing an act of self-defense, but local officials dispute that claim and say video evidence suggests otherwise. Heather Fox of Kensington said she believes the shooting reflects a troubling trend. "We've dove into fascism headfirst," Fox said. "I don't understand where people's humanity is, after what happened this week. I don't understand how everyone isn't out here." David Gibson, who cofounded the group Peace, Justice, Sustainability, Now!, said the protest was also about broader concerns. "It's also a protest about the administration and how they've brought chaos to the country," Gibson said. "ICE is coming in and ripping apart families, destroying communities." Advertisement Advertisement For some, the issue is deeply personal. "I'm a child of immigrants. My mom didn't get her citizenship until I was like 5," said Fernando Munoz Piedra of Center City. "There's a lot of paranoia and that's concerning." The rally was one of several demonstrations held in Philadelphia in recent days as activists continue to call for changes to immigration enforcement policies. Following this weeks deadly shooting by a federal immigration officer in Minnesota, millions of Americans frustrated with Donald Trump's administration are protesting including in his home state. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, at close range in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 7, igniting outrage from the public and city and state officials who disputed Trump administration claims that the ICE agent acted in self-defense. More than 25 Trump protests and vigils were scheduled Wednesday, Jan. 7, to Sunday, Jan. 11, in his home state of Florida. The USA TODAY Network will provide live coverage of the anti-Trump administration protests in Florida and beyond. Check below for live updates. 6:55 p.m.: Hundreds gathered in downtown Naples in Southwest Florida for an "ICE Out For Good" vigil Hundreds gathered at the Collier County Courthouse near Southwest Florida's downtown Naples Saturday night Jan. 10 for an "ICE Out For Good" vigil. Advertisement Advertisement The one at the county governmental center and another protest in Fort Myers came after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, at close range in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. At the Naples event, participants said they gathered to honor and humanize the lives taken by ICE while demanding for accountability, transparency and immediate investigation into this week's ICE killing in Minnesota. They wanted to create a space for grief, solidarity and collection action while strengthening local connections. After the one-hour vigil, the participants then went on a peaceful, solemn walk with lights along Tamiami Trail, where car horns seemed to go on endlessly. "This killing is part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence, impunity and abuse carried out by federal immigration enforcement agencies against members of our communities," said Cynthia Odierna, an organizer of the Naples event. "We are outraged by the killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE." 4:26 p.m.: Gainesville protest denounces Trump Administration policies Protesters in Gainesville once again joined protesters across the nation to denounce the policies and actions of President Donald Trump and his administration. Advertisement Advertisement Coming on the heels of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shooting a woman in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, the protest in Gainesville was held the morning of Jan. 10 on West Newberry Road in front of the Wells Fargo bank at the Oaks Mall. Maggie MacDonald joined more than 100 others at the Badass Feminists Gainesville protest on Jan. 10, 2026, held in response to a U.S. ICE agent fatally shooting a woman on Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. Weve been doing these every Saturday, and we first started at Tesla (car dealership on North Main Street), and have held them at other locations, but have been here since December, said Monique Constantino, one of the leaders of Badass Feminists Gainesville, as she passed out whistles to other protesters so they can alert others if they see ICE agents in the community. I come out every Saturday morning and have been to every other protest because what this guy (Donald Trump) is doing is hideous and unconscionable, said Maggie MacDonald, 81, of Gainesville. I cant do much, but I can do what I can. We are in a fascist state led by despicable people. 4:05 p.m.: Immigration rally in Florida near Boca Raton urges Home Depot 'to say no to ICE' Several hundred protesters, upset with Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions inside and outside of Home Depot stores, staged a rally outside of one in suburban Boca Raton on Jan. 10, asking the national chain to stop cooperating with the federal agency. Advertisement Advertisement More: Immigration rally near Boca urges Home Depot 'to say no to ICE' Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigration Coalition, calls on protesters to continue to oppose the overzealous enforcement of laws regarding immigrants in the U.S. without documentation at a rally in suburban Boca Raton on Jan. 10,. 2026. "We are here today to urge Home Depot to say no to ICE and stop ICE raids in their stores and parking lots," said Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigration Coalition. "They can and must say no." A Home Depot spokesperson, however, said it is "just false to say that we are cooperating with these immigration enforcement activities." The Atlanta-based chain's stores often are the day's first stop for home-improvement contractors. Multiple detentions in Florida and across the nation have targeted day laborers in this industry. 1:45 p.m.: 'ICE Out For Good' rally in Stuart, Florida, brings crowd Around 75 people gathered in front of U.S. Rep. Brian Mast's office for the "ICE Out For Good" rally organized by Treasure Coast Indivisible in downtown Stuart. Advertisement Advertisement "We're thrilled that so many people came out to memorialize Renee Good," said organizer Barbara Turitz. More than 1,000 protests are planned across the country Saturday and Sunday after an ICE agent fatally shot Good in Minneapolis Wednesday. 9:38 a.m.: Anti-ICE threats land Naples, Florida, man in jail as protests set for Jan. 10 A Naples, Florida, man faces charges of threatening to harm ICE agents a day before a protest was scheduled. Holden C. Manning, 18, was charged with written threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism against Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents on social media, which is a second-degree felony in Florida. An "ICE Out For Good" protest is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at the steps of the Collier County Governmental Center, 3315 Tamiami Trail E., Naples. Trump landed in Palm Beach, Florida, after high-profile meeting on the Donroe Doctrine President Donald Trump is back in Palm Beach after a high profile meeting with Big Oil in which some executives voiced doubts about investments in Venezuela in the aftermath of the presidents implementation of the "Donroe Doctrine" in the South American country while at Mar-a-Lago for the holidays. Advertisement Advertisement The president landed at Pslm Beach International Airport just before 9 p.m. aboard a smaller 757 aircraft due to maintenance schedules and a smaller staff, according to the White House. This story will be updated with new coverage throughout the day. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Live updates from Florida protests against Trump, Renee Good ICE shooting DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Nationwide protests challenging Irans theocracy reached the two-week mark Sunday, as the death toll in violence surrounding the demonstrations reached at least 116 people killed, activists said. With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 116 and over 2,600 others detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The agency has been accurate in multiple rounds of previous unrest in Iran. Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation, without discussing dead demonstrators, whom it increasingly refers to as terrorists." However, it also acknowledged protests went on into Sunday morning, with demonstrations in Tehran and in the holy city of Mashhad to the northeast. Advertisement Advertisement Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings. Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with the Irans attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an enemy of God, a death-penalty charge. The statement carried by Iranian state television said even those who helped rioters would face the charge. Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country, the statement read. Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence. U.S. President Donald Trump offered support for the protesters, saying on social media that Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, reporting citing anonymous U.S. officials, said on Saturday night that Trump had been given military options for a strike on Iran, but hadn't made a final decision. The State Department separately warned: Do not play games with President Trump. When he says hell do something, he means it. Advertisement Advertisement State TV split-screen highlights Iran's challenge Saturday marked the start of the work week in Iran, but many schools and universities reportedly held online classes, Iranian state TV reported. Internal Iranian government websites are believed to be functioning. State TV repeatedly played a driving, martial orchestral arrangement from the Epic of Khorramshahr by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showing pro-government demonstrations. The song, aired repeatedly during the 12-day war launched by Israel, honors Iran's 1982 liberation of the city of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war. It has been used in videos of protesting women cutting away their hair to protest the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini as well. It also repeatedly aired video of purported protesters shooting at security forces with firearms. Advertisement Advertisement In one online video verified by The Associated Press, protesters demonstrated Friday in northern Tehran's Saadat Abad area, with what appeared to be thousands on the street. Death to Khamenei! a man chanted. The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of the few media outlets able to publish to the outside world, released surveillance camera footage of what it said came from demonstrations in Isfahan. In it, a protester appeared to fire a long gun, while others set fires and threw gasoline bombs at what appeared to be a government compound. The Young Journalists' Club, associated with state TV, reported that protesters killed three members of the Guards all-volunteer Basij force in the city of Gachsaran. It also reported a security official was stabbed to death in Hamadan province, a police officer killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas and another in Gilan, as well as one person slain in Mashhad. Advertisement Advertisement The semiofficial Tasnim news agency, also close to the Guard, claimed authorities detained nearly 200 people belonging to what it described as operational terrorist teams. It alleged those arrested had weapons including firearms, grenades and gasoline bombs. State television also aired footage of a funeral service attended by hundreds in Qom, a Shiite seminary city just south of Tehran. More weekend demonstrations planned Irans theocracy cut off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls on Thursday, though it allowed some state-owned and semiofficial media to publish. Qatar's state-funded Al Jazeera news network reported live from Iran, but they appeared to be the only major foreign outlet able to work. Advertisement Advertisement Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who called for protests Thursday and Friday, asked in his latest message for demonstrators to take to the streets Saturday and Sunday. He urged protesters to carry Iran's old lion-and-sun flag and other national symbols used during the time of the shah to claim public spaces as your own. Pahlavi's support of and from Israel has drawn criticism in the past particularly after the 12-day war. Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some protests, but it isnt clear whether thats support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Online video purported to show protests ongoing Saturday night as well. The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country's economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran's theocracy. Advertisement Advertisement Airlines have canceled some flights into Iran over the demonstrations. Austrian Airlines said Saturday it had decided to suspend its flights to Iran as a precautionary measure through Monday. Turkish Airlines earlier announced the cancellation of 17 flights to three cities in Iran. Meanwhile, concern is growing that the internet shutdown will allow Iran's security forces to go on a bloody crackdown, as they have in other rounds of demonstrations. Ali Rahmani, the son of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi who is imprisoned in Iran, noted that security forces killed hundreds in a 2019 protest so we can only fear the worst. They are fighting, and losing their lives, against a dictatorial regime, Rahmani said. ___ Associated Press writers Oleg Cetinic in Paris and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report. Protests are set to take place across New Hampshire and Maine on Jan. 10 and 11 following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minnesota. Her death, along with another incident in Portland on Jan. 8 where a U.S. Border Patrol officer shot and wounded two people, has sparked high tensions and protests around the country. This weekend, a coalition of anti-Trump grassroots organizations like 50501 and Indivisible are organizing ICE Out For Good protests. On Instagram, 50501 said they are responding to Goods death and the continuing escalation of violence in our communities." They are calling for the immediate abolition of ICE. Advertisement Advertisement Other protests may be organized as well. Here's what to know Protests this weekend in New Hampshire As of Jan. 9 at 12 a.m., there was one ICE Out for Good protest planned in New Hampshire for Jan. 10. It will be from 12 - 1 p.m. at 151 S. Main St. in Wolfeboro, NH. There is also a candlelight vigil set to take place at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 9 in Concord. Protests this weekend in Maine Three ICE Out for Good protests are currently planned in Maine for Jan. 10. Here's when and where: Belfast Church St, 12. p.m. Machias 16 O'Brien Ave, 12 p.m. Wayne Bridge on Route 133, 10 a.m. More protests may be added in both states. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH, ME ICE protests planned for this weekend. See what cities and towns DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Just after 8 p.m. Thursday, Iran's theocracy pulled the plug and disconnected the Islamic Republic's 85 million people from the rest of the world. Following a playbook used both in demonstrations and in war, Iran severed the internet connections and telephone lines that connect its people to the vast diaspora in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. Until now, even while facing strict sanctions over the country's nuclear program, Iranians still could access mobile phone apps and even websites blocked by the theocracy, using virtual private networks to circumvent restrictions. Thursday's decision sharply limits people from sharing images and witness accounts of the nationwide protests over Iran's ailing economy that have grown to pose the biggest challenge to the government in years. It also could provide cover for a violent crackdown after the Trump administration warned Iran's government about consequences for further deaths among demonstrators. Advertisement Advertisement As the country effectively goes dark, loved ones abroad are frantic for any scrap of news, especially as Irans attorney general warned on Saturday that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an enemy of God, a death-penalty charge You cant understand our feelings. My brothers, my cousins, they will go on the street. You cant imagine the anxiety of the Iranian diaspora, said Azam Jangravi, a cybersecurity expert in Toronto who opposes Iran's government. I couldnt work yesterday. I had meetings but I postponed them because I couldnt focus. I was thinking of my family and friends. Her voice cracked as she added: A lot of people are being killed and injured by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we dont know who. Even Starlink is likely being jammed Advertisement Advertisement This is the third time Iran has shut down the internet from the outside world. The first was in 2019, when demonstrators angry about a spike in government-subsidized gasoline prices took to the streets. Over 300 people reportedly were killed. Then came the protests over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest by the countrys morality police over allegedly not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities. A monthslong crackdown killed more than 500 people. While the connectivity offered by Starlink played a role in the Amini demonstrations, the deployment of its receivers is now far greater in Iran. That's despite the government never authorizing Starlink to function, making the service illegal to possess and use. A year ago, an Iranian official estimated tens of thousands of Starlink receivers in the Islamic Republic, a figure that Los Angeles-based internet freedom activist Mehdi Yahyanejad said sounded right. Advertisement Advertisement While many receivers likely are in the hands of business people and others wanting to stay in touch with the outside world for their livelihoods, Yahyanejad said some are now being used to share videos, photos and other reporting on the protests. In this case, because all those things have been disrupted, Starlink is playing the key for getting all these videos out, Yahyanejad said. However, Starlink receivers are facing challenges. Since its 12-day war with Israel last June, Iran has been disrupting GPS signals, likely in a bid to make drones less effective. Starlink receivers use GPS signals to position themselves to connect to a constellation of low-orbit satellites. Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at the Miaan Group and an expert on Iran, said that since Thursday he had seen about a 30% loss in packets being sent by Starlink devices basically units of data that transmit across the internet. In some areas of Iran, Rashidi said there had been an 80% loss in packets. Advertisement Advertisement I believe the Iranian government is doing something beyond GPS jamming, like in Ukraine where Russia tried to jam Starlink, Rashidi said. He suggested Iran may be using a mobile jammer, like it did in previous decades to disrupt satellite television receivers. The International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency, has called on Iran to stop jamming in the past. Meanwhile, Iran has been advocating at the ITU for Starlink service to the country to be stopped. Help needs to come soon It appears that the majority of information coming out of Iran since Thursday night is being transmitted via Starlink, which is now illegal. That carries dangers for those possessing the devices. Advertisement Advertisement Its really hard to use it because if they arrest a person, they can execute the person and say this person is working for Israel or the United States, Jangravi said. Not using it, however, means the world knows even less about what's happening inside Iran at a pivotal moment. This sort of nonviolent protest is not sustainable when the violence (by security forces) is so extreme," Yahyanejad said. Unless something changes in the next two or three days, these protests can die down, too. If theres any help, it needs to come soon. Protests against the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continued on Friday following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis, with demonstrations spreading to several other US states. According to media reports, dozens of students joined rallies in Minneapolis in the US state of Minnesota, protesting against the presence of ICE officers. For the weekend, hundreds of protests and rallies nationwide under the slogan "ICE Out For Good" have been announced. A coalition of civil rights and migrant organisations called for the events, saying the actions are intended to remain peaceful and focus on opposition to increasing violence by ICE authorities, as well as their operations in local communities and schools. Advertisement Advertisement Renee Good, a 37-year-old US citizen, was shot in her car during an ICE operation on Wednesday. The killing, which was captured on video, has sparked a national outcry. Investigations into the incident are ongoing. An ICE operation involving about 2,000 federal officers has been underway in the MinneapolisSt Paul area for several days, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey reiterated his criticism of ICE at a press conference on Friday, saying the agency harms the local economy, democracy and public safety. He called for a thorough and transparent investigation involving Minnesota state law enforcement. The US Department of Justice has assigned the FBI to lead the investigation. US President Donald Trump said the federal government would not cooperate with Minnesota authorities, whom he called corrupt. Trump has tightened deportation policy during his second term in office, and ICE operations in Democratic-led cities have previously sparked protests. On February 11, 2026, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, RealClear will be celebrating its 25th anniversary year - just as Americas experiment in self-government prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday. Please join us that evening for our third annual Samizdat Prize Gala honoring profiles in free-speech courage. Its going to be a great night. We will not disappoint. Please consider dressing up, overpaying for a ticket, and joining us. And if you cannot come, still consider supporting RealClear and helping us give the recognition due to our outstanding Samizdat Prize winners. Advertisement Advertisement The Samizdat Prize is named after the underground publishing network in the former Soviet Union that carried the works of dissident truth tellers such as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Writers who communicated via samizdat risked prison, torture, and even death if they were caught. It is this spirit of courage that we celebrate. RealClear does not have a rival in the media space. Our Samizdat winners are similarly unique. The principle of free speech captured in RealClears viewpoint diversity method, which RealClear has delivered day in and day out for the past 25 years, is the prescription to all that ails our nation. So, too, are our Samizdat Prize honorees. They are "here I stand and can do no other" examples of undeniable and needed courage. Here are our 2026 winners: Charlie Kirk:Charlie Kirks viewpoint-diversity, you-go-first debate method is the best path forward to work through the divisions roiling our country. As the founder of Turning Point USA, he tirelessly traveled the country, engaging in respectful dialogue with students, debating their ideas on the merits. Tragically, he became a martyr to the free speech cause. Charlie Kirk in death remains a national symbol of First Amendment courage. So is his wife, Erika, who, in the depth of such personal grief, summoned a courage born of love of husband and God, and who calmed, inspired, and united a divided country. Never in my life have I seen such courage born of clarity of purpose and grace.The Samizdat Prize honors Charlie and his legacy that Erika and Turning Point will carry forward. Advertisement Advertisement If Alan Dershowitz is being true to himself and his commitments, there is never a good time to honor him. He goes where his standout talent is not wanted. Dershowitz defends those who have been pre-tried and found guilty in the court of public opinion and canceled from polite society. RealClear honors Alan Dershowitz because of the continuity of his commitment to free speech, particularly when it is difficult to defend. The ACLU lost its free-speech soul long ago. In contrast, Dershowitz has remained Dershowitz. When you offer an award with a name of Russian provenance, you have to start with a brand explanation. But not with Professor Dershowitz. "No need to explain, David. I was in and out of Russia as samizdats pro bono lawyer." Like last years Samizdat honoree, Jonathan Turley, Alan Dershowitz is a lawyer and scholar known for his absolutist defense of free speech. Graham Linehan is not a household name in the United States. Across the pond in the UK and Ireland, he is well known. Once upon a time, he was popularly regarded: a comedy writer whose credits include the BAFTA-award-winning show, Father Ted. What was Grahams free-speech crime against humanity? He had the temerity to "like" on social media an article that took exception to the unquestioned march of trans ideology. The mob demanded that he bend his knee to its "approved" way of thinking. This past September, he was even arrested at Heathrow Airport for a series of tweets about trans individuals in female-only spaces - showing what can happen in the absence of a First Amendment and why the American people must renew their commitment to our first freedoms. I believe that "We the People" get the world we praise. Our movies get worse because the Oscars celebrate self-indulgent, anti-American films that cannot fill a theater. And journalism suffers because the Pulitzer and Polk prizes incentivize politically correct, do-not-look-here reporting. RealClear stands by its daily judgment of the most compelling, dare-not-ignore perspectives from right, left, and center; the accuracy of the RCP Poll Average; and the 2026 Sami Prize winners. Advertisement Advertisement For more information about the Samizdat Prize Gala, including how to purchase tickets and sponsor tables, please click below. RSVP for the 2026 Samizdat Prize Gala You can also contact RealClears Advancement Coordinator, Frank Filocomo, at frank@realclear.com, with any questions about the event. David DesRosiers is the publisher of RealClearMedia and president of the RealClear Media Fund, which supports the cause of free speech through its annual Samizdat Prize, and its reporting, and the viewpoint diversity method. The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis has cast a spotlight on ICEs use-of-force policies, and whether the federal agent who shot her will face an impartial investigation or consequences for his actions. The agency already receives less oversight for use-of-force incidents than local police departments, and has long resisted efforts to disclose its use-of-force policies. Federal immigration agents have been involved in 16 shootings since Trump began his immigration crackdown last year, according to data compiled by the Trace, a publication that covers gun violence. Advertisement Advertisement Related: US immigration agents linked to 16 shootings under Trumps crackdown Under guidelines issued in 2023 by the Department of Homeland Security, ICEs parent agency, ICE officers are supposed to receive training in de-escalation. The policy specifically prohibits agents from shooting at the driver of a moving vehicle except to defend themselves from death or serious injury. The document also bars the use of lethal force to stop a person who is simply fleeing, unless that person presents a serious threat to the officer or general public. However, the bar for indicting federal law enforcement officers, who enjoy broad immunity from liability for their actions in the line of duty, is very high. The White House appears to be lifting the bar still higher. Several prominent voices within the Trump administration have defended the agents action as self-defense, despite the fact that the FBI has only just begun investigating the incident. Trump falsely said in an interview with the New York Times that Good ran him over. The homeland security secretary Kristi Noem accused Good of domestic terrorism. JD Vance wrote on X that Ross was defending his life against a deranged leftist who tried to run him over. Advertisement Advertisement However, video reconstruction of the event by the New York Times seems to indicate the car did not strike Ross and that Good was attempting to flee the area rather than run officers over. The shooting was filmed by multiple bystanders, and shows that ICE officers approached an SUV that Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, appeared to have parked in the middle of the street. The officers appeared to approach her aggressively from the start. An officer whose face was covered yelled get out of the fucking car, and yanked repeatedly on the drivers door, trying to open it. He reached his other hand through the open window, appearing to attempt to unlock the door. In footage released on Friday, Good can be heard speaking with agents, calmly saying: Im not mad at you just moments before she was shot three times as she pulled away. The officer who shot Good has been identified as Jonathan E Ross, an ICE veteran with a decade of experience who had been involved in a separate arrest that resulted in him being dragged by a suspects vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement It was not immediately clear whether the agents had the authority to stop Good. ICE agents have broad powers to detain people in the course of their immigration enforcement duties, including those who obstruct their operations. But ICEs deportation officers do not enforce traffic laws and dont typically target US citizens. They dont have the authority to engage in routine traffic infraction enforcement, Cesar Cuauhtemoc Garcia Hernandez, a law professor at the Ohio State University college of law in Columbus, said. Rather than engaging in a confrontation, officers could have followed Good or simply noted her license plate number and searched for her later, Garcia Hernandez said: So one of the things that the investigation, I hope, will eventually reveal is what was the justification for the initial encounter between the various officers and this woman whose life was lost. The shooting has drawn broad condemnation. DHS has defended its agents actions, saying in a statement that: ICE law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and our officers. Officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training. Related: 2025 was ICEs deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in custody Advertisement Advertisement Experts and lawmakers have pushed back, saying that the officers could have done more to defuse the situation. Jason Chavez, a Minneapolis city council member, described the shooting as a clear violation of force. Everyone should know how to de-escalate a situation and ICE is not an exception, Chavez said. Unfortunately, ICE doesnt have any idea how to de-escalate a situation. The use of force was not justified because the predicate for it was absolutely trivial, said Stephen Yagman, a lawyer with decades of experience suing officers for unlawful shootings. The same rules that apply to everyone else in the police using force apply to ICE. Advertisement Advertisement The White Houses vocal defense of the officer has raised doubts that federal authorities would impartially investigate the agents actions let alone discipline them, if warranted. ICE has historically resisted disclosing its training policies for agents in the field. The agency updated its use-of-force guidance in 2023, but refused to disclose the details in response to reporting by the Trace. When compelled under the Freedom of Information Act, ICE Foia officers redacted all but two sentences of the 13-page document. But regardless of whether Ross acted legally when killing Good, the chances of him facing prosecution appear slim. The FBI has already taken the unusual step of limiting cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, who also have the authority to file criminal charges, if warranted, against Ross. Without access to evidence, however, local authorities would struggle to make a case. The federal government doesnt view what the officer did as a crime, Yagman said. Goods family has the ability to file a civil lawsuit against ICE under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Quick Read Caterpillar (CAT) shares rose 58% over the past year. Tariffs curbing cheap Chinese imports boosted domestic demand for Caterpillar equipment. General Motors (GM) stock climbed 53% over the past year. A 25% duty on imported trucks shielded GM models like the Chevrolet Silverado. The Supreme Court could rule on tariff constitutionality as soon as tomorrow. Striking down tariffs would expose Caterpillar and GM to foreign competition. Have You read The New Report Shaking Up Retirement Plans? Americans are answering three questions and many are realizing they can retire earlier than expected. Last April, President Donald Trump proclaimed Apr. 2 as Liberation Day and unveiled sweeping tariffs via an executive order. These included a 10% baseline duty on imports from nearly all countries effective Apr. 5, with higher reciprocal rates on dozens of trading partners starting Apr. 9. While he paused some of the higher rates before they kicked in, the damage was done: the S&P 500 plunged nearly 5% in a single day and lost trillions in market value over the following sessions -- the worst stretch since the 2020 pandemic crash. Although stocks later rebounded sharply, uncertainty lingers over the tariffs' legal foundation under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The Supreme Court, which heard arguments in November, could issue its ruling on their constitutionality as soon as tomorrow. If they are struck down, the duties would end and U.S. producers would be exposed to foreign competition. Domestic manufacturers like Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) and General Motors (NYSE:GM) stand to suffer the most from lost protection if the tariffs are ruled unconstitutional. Caterpillar (CAT) Caterpillar shares rose 58% over the past year, fueled by tariffs that curb cheap Chinese imports and boost domestic demand. The company, a top producer of construction and mining equipment, gained from expanded Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum, which doubled to 50% by June and extended to machinery components. This limited competition from Chinese firms like Sany allowed Caterpillar to hold market share in earthmoving gear. CEO Joe Creed noted on Caterpillar's second-quarter earnings call that tariffs help counter unfair trade practices, supporting higher pricing as demand remained robust. Third-quarter results showed sales up 10% to $17.6 billion, with a record $39.8 billion backlog driven by energy and transportation segments. Adjusted operating margin hit 17.5% despite some tariff-related input costs, as volume growth from infrastructure projects offset pressures. Michelle Caldier, state representative for the 26th Legislative District, has legally changed her name to Michelle Valdez following her recent marriage, she announced in a statement on Jan. 9. All official legislative communications, records, and materials will be updated to reflect her new name. The representative's official legislative website is now RepresentativeMichelleValdez.com, and Valdez's email address is Michelle.Valdez@leg.wa.gov. According to her Facebook page, Valdez was married in a ceremony on a beach on Dec. 27, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement While her last name has changed, Valdez's role, responsibilities, and dedication to the district remain the same, according to the statement. The 26th district spans Southern Kitsap Peninsula, including Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, the Key Peninsula and part of Bremerton. Valdez has represented the 26th District in the State House since 2014. She lost an election to move over to the state Senate's 26th District position last November, with 47.36% of the votes while her challenger, Democrat Deb Krishnadasan, received 52.55%. The 2026 legislative session in Washington begins on Monday, Jan. 12, in Olympia. This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: State representative for WA 26th District is now Rep. Michelle Valdez BEAUFORT, S.C. (WSAV) Lowcountry Rep. Nancy Mace proposed new legislation that would fine South Carolina businesses $1,000 a day for knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants Friday. The South Carolina Employer Immigration Compliance Act would fine the business $1,000 a day starting from the date the the employer knew or should have known that they hired an undocumented immigrant, a statement from Maces said. If youre hiring illegals to undercut your competitors and drive down wages for South Carolina workers, youre going to pay for it, said Mace. A thousand dollars a day, every day, until you stop. And if you keep doing it, you lose your business license. Period. Advertisement Advertisement The proposed legislation would also strengthen license suspensions. Businesses would receive a 30-90 day suspension for the first offense, 90-180 days for the second offense and a permanent revocation for the third offense. The fines would also increase to $5,000 per undocumented immigrant employed for a second offense and $10,000 for a third offense. South Carolina has required all employers to use the federal E-Verify system since 2012. Mace said that the current penalties only carry a 10-30 day suspension and no significant financial penalty. Under Maces proposed act, employers would face a $1,000 per day fine for failing to use E-Verify. Advertisement Advertisement Weve had E-Verify on the books for over a decade, said Rep. Mace. Its time to enforce it. The act would ban violators from receiving state incentives for five years and require at least 500 random employer audits per year. A citizen complaint hotline would also be established, according to Mace. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. The 2026 legislative session started Tuesday, June 13 with all 170 seats filled. (Travis Bell/STATEHOUSE CAROLINA) Republican Greg Ford maintained a 21-vote lead in an automatic recount Friday to win a special election for a state House seat in Dorchester County. The retired Air force veteran fills the last vacancy in the Legislature just ahead of Tuesdays start to the 2026 session. A South Carolina native, Ford holds a bachelors degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a masters degree from The Citadel. He is working toward a doctorate degree from Charleston Southern University, according to his campaign website. Advertisement Advertisement The vote tallies didnt change with the recount, which state law requires if less than 1 percentage point separates the candidates. Ford won 50.2% of 3,440 votes in the Tuesday special election, while Democrat Sonja Ogletree Satani won 49.6%. Five voters wrote in someone elses name. Just over 14% of the districts registered voters cast a ballot, according to results certified by the state Election Commission. The special election fills the remainder of former Rep. Chris Murphys term. Both Ford and Ogletree Satani told the SC Daily Gazette they intend to run again for the next full term. So, there could be a rematch in November, depending on the outcome of the June primaries. Advertisement Advertisement Murphy, a former House Judiciary chairman, submitted his resignation in August, though it didnt go into effect until Monday. He was first elected in 2010 and replaced longtime Republican Rep. Annette Young, who retired after 20 years in the House. Ogletree Satani previously ran against Murphy in 2024. That race wasnt nearly as close: Murphy won re-election by 14 percentage points. Ford and Ogletree Satani each faced two opponents in their primaries. The Republican primary went to a runoff, which Ford won with 56% of the vote. The Dorchester County race was the last of four special elections for Statehouse seats since the end of the 2025 legislative session. Advertisement Advertisement Three special elections were held two days before Christmas. The odd timing came down to state law, which sets the calendar for the special election process once a resignation is received. And three legislators happened to resign on the same day in August. Republicans won all of the races Dec. 23, though that was essentially a given for two of them. In the only race with a Democrat on the ballot, Lexington County pastor John Lastinger won with 62% of the vote to replace ex-Rep. RJ May, who is set to be sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to distributing videos of children being sexually abused. About 11% of the Lexington County districts registered voters cast ballots, according to the state Election Commission. Rescue workers are racing to find dozens of people still missing following a landslide at a landfill site in the central Philippines that occurred earlier this week, an official has said. Mayor Nestor Archival said on Saturday that signs of life had been detected at the site in Cebu City, two days after the incident. Four people have been confirmed dead so far, Archival said, while 12 others have been taken to hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Conditions for emergency services working at the site were challenging, the mayor added, with unstable debris posing a hazard and crew waiting for better equipment to arrive. The privately-owned Binaliw landfill collapsed on Thursday while 110 workers were on site, officials said. Archival said in a Facebook post on Saturday morning: "Authorities confirmed the presence of detected signs of life in specific areas, requiring continued careful excavation and the deployment of a more advanced 50-ton crane." Relatives of those missing have been waiting anxiously for any news of their whereabouts. More than 30 people, all workers at the landfill, are thought to be missing. Advertisement Advertisement "We are just hoping that we can get someone alive... We are racing against time, that's why our deployment is 24/7," Cebu City councillor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the city's disaster council, told news agency AFP. Relatives of the missing are waiting anxiously for any news of their loved ones [AFP via Getty Images] Jerahmey Espinoza, whose husband is missing, told news agency Reuters at the site on Saturday: "They haven't seen him or located him ever since the disaster happened. We're still hopeful that he's alive." The cause of the collapse remains unclear, but Cebu City councillor Joel Garganera previously said it was likely the result of poor waste management practices. Operators had been cutting into the mountain, digging the soil out and then piling garbage to form another mountain of waste, Garganera told local newspaper The Freeman on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement The Binaliw landfill covers an area of about 15 hectares (37 acres). Landfills are common in major Philippine cities like Cebu, which is the trading centre and transportation gateway of the Visayas, the archipelago nation's central islands. Scientists have found that certain crops can grow remarkably well in the shade of solar panels, potentially allowing us to grow food and generate clean energy simultaneously. Growing food alongside solar arrays in an agrivoltaic system can help maximize the productivity of a given plot of land. But because most crops are grown in full sun, scientists are still working to understand how the shade cast by solar panels affects crop yields. To answer this question, researchers at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign examined how much grain sorghum and soybean plants produced when grown in the shade of solar panels versus in full-sun conditions, PV Magazine reported. Advertisement Advertisement Even though both of the shaded crops produced lower grain numbers than the full-sun controls, sorghum was able to partially offset the yield penalty by increasing the weight of each grain, according to results published in the journal Smart Agricultural Technology. Wheat and sorghum responded differently to shade conditions because they use different types of photosynthesis, the study's corresponding author, DoKyoung Lee, told PV Magazine. By examining the plants' precise mechanisms for allocating resources and photosynthesizing, the researchers were able to recommend potential modifications for future crops, such as selectively breeding for shorter sorghum to improve fruiting efficiency. "These findings guide optimizing cultivar selection and management practices in agri-PV systems," Lee told PV Magazine. Advertisement Advertisement Other research into agrivoltaic farming has found that spacing solar panels about 8 meters apart can allow plants enough light to thrive beneath them. Pilot programs are already underway in places like New Jersey to test how crops and solar panels coexist outside of controlled scientific conditions. The Urbana-Champaign study also noted that growing crops alongside solar panels was a more efficient use of land than either system alone, allowing farmers to earn more. "Combining agricultural crop production and PV electricity generation increases farm revenue while allowing crop production on the same land," the study's authors wrote. 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. Two men were shot inside a bodega in Brooklyn on Friday afternoon, police said. It happened inside Alex Deli & Grocery at 1256 Flatbush Avenue, police said. One man was shot in the face, and the other was shot in the back, officials said. Both men were taken to the hospital in stable condition, officials said. Police said the two men who were shot were not store employees. Police have not said what prompted the shooting and no arrests have been made. Advertisement Advertisement The United Bodegas Association condemned the violence and said it will offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual or individuals responsible. "We are sending a clear message to Mayor Mandami and Governor Hochul. We need funding for panic buttons and real security measures. Our members cannot do this alone. The City and the State must step up to protect the men and women who own and operate these bodegas," said Fernando Mateo, Spokesperson for the United Bodegas Association. BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) A man who grabbed then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's podium and posed with it for photographs during the U.S. Capitol riot is running for county office in Florida. Adam Johnson filed to run as a Republican for an at-large seat on the Manatee County Commission on Tuesday. That was the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot, where he was photographed smiling and waving as he carried Pelosi's podium after the pro-Trump mob's attack on Jan. 6, 2021. Johnson told WWSB-TV that it was not a coincidence that he filed for office on Jan. 6, saying it's definitely good for getting the buzz out there. His campaign logo is an outline of the viral photograph of him carrying the podium. Advertisement Advertisement He's far from the first person implicated in the Jan. 6 riot to run for office. At least three ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2024 as Republicans. And there are signs that the Republican Party is welcoming back more people who were convicted of Jan. 6 offenses after Trump pardoned them. Jake Lang, who was charged with assaulting an officer, civil disorder and other crimes before he was pardoned, recently announced he is running for Secretary of State Marco Rubios vacant U.S. Senate seat in Florida. Johnson placed the podium in the center of the Capitol Rotunda, posed for pictures and pretended to make a speech, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty in 2021 of entering and remaining in a restricted building or ground, a misdemeanor that he equated to jaywalking in the interview. I think I exercised my First Amendment right to speak and protest, Johnson said. Advertisement Advertisement After driving home, Johnson bragged that he broke the internet and was finally famous, prosecutors said. Johnson served 75 days in prison followed by one year of supervised release. The judge also ordered Johnson to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service. Johnson told U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton at sentencing that posing with Pelosis podium was a very stupid idea but now says he only regrets his action because of the prison sentence. I walked into a building, I took a picture with a piece of furniture, and I left, he now says. Four other Republicans have filed to run so far in the Aug. 18 primary in what's a deeply Republican county. The incumbent isn't seeking reelection. Advertisement Advertisement In March 2025, Johnson filed a lawsuit against Manatee County and six of its commissioners, objecting to the county's decision not to seek attorney's fees from someone who sued the county and dropped the lawsuit. The county has called Johnson's claims completely meritless and unsupported by law. Johnson said he objects to high property taxes and overdevelopment in the county south of Tampa, claiming current county leaders are wasteful. I will be more heavily scrutinized than any other candidate who is running in this race, Johnson said. This is a positive and a good takeaway for every single citizen, because for once in our life, we will know our local politicians who are doing things. This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com Redmond police are investigating a roofing scam that left a homeowner out nearly $300,000 and are warning residents to be on alert. Detectives said the homeowner, who lives in the Education Hill neighborhood, reported being approached on December 30 by two men with Irish accents offering roofing work. The suspects claimed to represent a local contractor and completed the job without proper inspection. The victim paid $298,000 after being told additional urgent repairs were needed. Advertisement Advertisement Authorities believe the scheme is part of a pattern involving door-to-door solicitations. Investigators said suspects lure victims with reasonable initial quotes, then pressure them into paying for unnecessary repairs. Police urged residents to verify contractors, get multiple estimates, and avoid paying in full before work is inspected. Anyone with information or who suspects they were targeted should call 911 or Redmonds non-emergency line at 425-556-2500. Read more of Aaron Granillos stories here. Pioneers settled in what would become Salt Lake City in 1847, and the land has ties to the ancient Pueblo people and Native American tribes well before that, but this year marks a pivotal anniversary in the citys history. Salt Lake City officially became a city 175 years ago on Friday, Jan.9, when the city incorporated. A little more than 6,000 people lived in the entire county at the time, a fraction of the citys current population that is now estimated to be over 215,000 and counting. In honor of its dodransbicentennial, the following are a few facts about the citys history. Salt Lake City wasnt originally Utahs capital Utahs capital city wasnt always Utahs capital city. The city incorporated only months after the U.S. designated Utah as a territory, but Fillmore a little more than 125 miles to the southwest was originally Utahs capital city. Advertisement Advertisement Although Salt Lake City was Utahs largest city and cultural center in 1850, territorial leaders created Fillmore in 1851 because it was the territorys geographic center. They even went so far as to partially build a Capitol building that remains a state historic site, but territorial leaders never completed the project because they never received the funding, and they realized that Fillmore was too far away from resources. Legislators complained about the lack of housing and adequate facilities in Fillmore, Yvette Ison wrote in a 1995 edition of History Blazer. Rather than being the thriving capital city that many had imagined, Fillmore remained a small rural community with little outside communication or industrial development. It reached a boiling point in 1856, when leaders paused their legislative assembly to reconvene in Salt Lake City. By the end of that session, they agreed to designate the city as the new capital. Its stuck ever since. The city shortened its original name The citys name today is a bit shorter than it was in 1851 or even when it became the capital city. It was initially Great Salt Lake City, as a nod to the shores of the Great Salt Lake, but the city dropped Great for practical purposes in 1868, the late John VanCott wrote in the book Utah Place Names. Advertisement Advertisement Territorial leadership actually finalized this process, which appears in old newspapers at the time. The Deseret News appears to be among the first to acknowledge this change, dropping Great from its masthead the day after it reported on it. The mastheads of Deseret News and Deseret Evening News on Jan. 29, 1868, top, and Jan. 30, 1868, bottom. Great Salt Lake City was shortened to Salt Lake City on Jan. 29 of that year. | Utah Digital Newspapers It has very unique blocks Salt Lake City isnt alone in having a grid system, but its blocks stand out from other cities. Its 660 feet by 660 feet block dimensions are among the largest in the nation. The podcast 99% Invisible highlighted this in 2016, noting that some blocks are longer, but none are as uniformly large as Salt Lake Citys primary grid. This predates the pioneer settlement of 1847 by over a decade. Joseph Smith designed a plat for the City of Zion in 1833, that called for the large city blocks stacked together. Brigham Young and other pioneers took that vision with them, using an adapted version of the design that they proposed within days of settling in the valley, per Craig Galli, a Salt Lake City attorney who wrote about the plats history for BYU. Advertisement Advertisement On top of the large blocks, some streets were designed to have 132-foot-wide streets, which were designed to be wide enough for a wagon team to turn around without resorting to profanity, as the Deseret News noted. This unique design was immortalized in uniform. Real Salt Lake unveiled a "Grid City" kit last year, paying homage to these blocks. A center of transportation and communications A plaque remembering the Pony Express hangs on the wall of the historic Tribune Building on Main Street in Salt Lake City on June 17, 2022. | Carter Williams, KSL.com Salt Lake City earned the nickname Crossroads of the West because of its location on the railroad, but its national significance came from other major communications advancements. Its also been at the center of many achievements since. Salt Lake City was a vital stop on the short-lived Pony Express, a venture that ended largely because of the transcontinental telegraph that was completed in Salt Lake City in 1861, as noted by the Utah Historical Society. Advertisement Advertisement When the transcontinental railroad was completed north of Salt Lake City in 1869, it didnt take long for Salt Lake City to connect to the line. The citys railroad corridor, which still exists today, was established in the early 1870s. U.S. 89, I-15 and I-80 would ultimately link the city with the rest of the country by road as the automobile gained popularity. It also played a role in aviation history, serving as one of the stops on the first transcontinental air route. It was also at the center of the online era. The University of Utah was part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, or ARPANET, which ultimately paved the way for the internet. Salt Lake City has a place in womens suffrage history Wyoming was the first territory or state to allow women to vote, but because of election timing, history ended up taking place in Utah. Advertisement Advertisement Seraph Young, a schoolteacher, cast her vote in a Salt Lake City mayoral election in February 1870, making her the first woman to cast a ballot during an election with equal suffrage law. The room where it happened still exists, but in a different part of the city. The historic Salt Lake City Council Hall was ultimately relocated from the corner of 100 South and State Street to across the street from the Utah Capitol, making way for the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building in the 1960s. CHEYENNE As 2025 came to an end, a Cheyenne resident reported a loss of approximately $98,000 to the Cheyenne Police Department as a result of a years worth of scams. Like many victims, the individual had no interest in speaking publicly, according to Detective Sgt. Kevin Malatesta. A lot of our victims feel embarrassed or ashamed, Malatesta said. (They) dont really want to talk about it, dont admit it to themselves. Advertisement Advertisement However, talking about it and reporting it are essential, Malatesta said, because smart people can easily become victims of scams, and reporting it gives law enforcement the chance to take action. While the scams havent changed, the method of payment in some cases has. Now more than ever, scammers are using virtual currency kiosks, sometimes referred to as Bitcoin ATMs, to get victims to transfer funds. Scammers have increasingly directed victims to these Bitcoin ATMs, as they enable a more anonymous transaction than depositing the cash at a financial institution, AARP Wyoming Associate State Director Tom Lacock told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Wednesday. You get your money so quickly, and you can be pretty anonymous with it, Lacock said. Advertisement Advertisement These scams move fast, taking anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars from victims. In an attempt to prevent these transactions, several states are starting to take action against the machines themselves, regulating them similarly to financial institution ATMs. While, like ATMs, these kiosks are subject to Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering laws, and kiosk operators are required to register as Money Services Businesses with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, there isnt currently a way to confirm thats happening in the state. Lacock, Malatesta and Wyoming Banking Commissioner Jeremiah Bishop have been encouraging the Legislature to change that, advocating for a draft bill that would make the Wyoming Division of Banking a regulator of kiosks in the state. Included in that draft are also requirements for the kiosks to be licensed, have disclosures, set transaction limits, offer refunds, limit transaction fees, and several other requirements that advocates feel will protect consumers. Advertisement Advertisement Were not trying to kick anyone out of business, Lacock said. Were not trying to push anyone out of the state. Were saying theres room for everyone to play here, but lets just do it in a way that doesnt take advantage of our citizens. The draft bill has yet to be approved for introduction, and the deadline to do so is Feb. 13. The risks Regardless of legislative action, the risk for Wyomingites in these scams is very real. People in Cheyenne, which hosts a quarter of the states kiosks, reported losing approximately $666,350 from 2024 to 2025 to scams requesting funds associated with these kiosks. Advertisement Advertisement Thats not including the $98,000 loss reported this year, or the thousands lost by other victims in the state. It also only accounts for scams that were reported. Malatesta suspects that reported losses are just the tip of the iceberg. I would wager to bet theres a lot of people out there that are victims who simply havent reported because the loss is small enough or theyre embarrassed about it, Malatesta said. This is also not just a Wyoming issue. Last year, the FBI reported nearly 11,000 complaints of cryptocurrency ATM fraud. Those cases disproportionately affected older Americans and cost victims $246.7 million. In 2023, the FBI received more than 5,500 complaints involving crypto kiosks, with over $189 million reported in stolen funds. Over 65% of the theft losses in cryptocurrency kiosk fraud were experienced by adults over the age of 60. Advertisement Advertisement Even with that trend, younger adults and even middle-aged adults can still easily become victims. Often, victims of scams are viewed as less intelligent people, people who werent smart enough to pick up on obvious signs, but in reality, thats not the case. We hear it from people that have run multimillion-dollar businesses, Lacock said. People who run financial institutions. It just depends, if they get you on that day when youre maybe not at the top of your game. Both Malatesta and Lacock noted that often scammers are experts at taking advantage of the moment and peoples emotions. For example, during tax season, perpetrators will run more tax refund scams, or during cold weather, more utility scams emerge. Advertisement Advertisement Scammers trying to get you out of the deep thinking, logical part of your brain and get you into a very emotional place, Lacock said. And thats why they give you a timeline, they use fear, or, in some cases, joy. Part of the hope is that regulating the kiosks on a state level would give people that extra minute to calm down and regain their senses, giving them a moment to rethink sending thousands to an unknown caller. Legal action Should the draft bill, sponsored by Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, be approved for introduction and considered during the upcoming budget session, legislators would be tasked with balancing the priorities of law enforcement, AARP and the businesses operating these kiosks. Advertisement Advertisement AARP is advocating for consumer protections intended to deter perpetrators of scams from leveraging cryptocurrency kiosks in their schemes. In addition to licensure, AARP is advocating for implementing daily transaction limits, posting fraud warning notices, and clarifying steps people should take if they suspect fraudulent activity, clearly displaying the fees and exchange rate charged, providing receipts with relevant transactional information and requiring cryptocurrency operators to refund transaction fees for transactions related to fraud. Transaction limits are the top priority, Lacock said. Thats the thing that police and other states have said makes a difference. That piece, and then the refund piece, especially on transaction fees. Wyoming would not be the first to legislate kiosks, or pass rules to restrict their activities should the bill progress. In addition to several states with similar legislation, some, including Iowa, have made moves to sue these companies. Advertisement Advertisement Operators arent necessarily opposed to regulations, though there are discrepancies on which regulations each company supports and opposes. CoinFlip, which has operated its cryptocurrency kiosks in Wyoming since 2020, has already begun to engage in this conversation with the Legislature. We cant speak for the entire industry, but we take consumer protection seriously and hold ourselves to the highest standards of compliance and transparency, a spokesperson wrote in a statement emailed to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Thursday. As evidenced by our strong public support of legislation, we strongly believe in common-sense rules and clear disclosures, and want everyone in the industry to be held to the same high standards we meet voluntarily. The statement indicated that CoinFlip supports the draft bills proposed by the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology, and looks forward to working with legislators should the bill progress. Lockheed Martin (LMT) stock remains in focus after President Donald Trump passed an executive order disabling defense companies from returning capital to shareholders in the form of dividends and buybacks. Trumps new mandate directly threatens LMTs dividend yield that currently sits at about 2.67%, a key attraction for income-focused investors who have relied on the firms historically consistent capital returns. More News from Barchart At the time of writing, Lockheed Martin stock is up nearly 26% versus its 52-week low. www.barchart.com Lockheed Martin Stock Is Still Worth Buying Despite this structural headwind, LMT stock remains attractive because the president subsequently proposed a massive $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027, nearly double the $850 billion last year. This enormous increase in defense allocation more than offsets dividend concerns and indicates robust future revenue opportunities for the multinational based out of Fort Worth, Texas. The Pentagons recent seven-year contract to more than triple Patriot missile production to about 2,000 further reinforces the long-term revenue potential for defense contractors like Lockheed Martin. Meanwhile, continued geopolitical tensions in Ukraine, Taiwan, and the Middle East remain a key tailwind for the NYSE-listed firm as well. Technicals Favor Investing in LMT Shares At the time of writing, Lockheed Martin shares are trading at a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of about 1.59x only, which means they arent particularly expensive to own in 2026. In terms of technicals, the defense and aerospace manufacturer sits decisively above its key moving averages (MAs), with the long-term relative strength index (100-day) at 54, signaling potential for continued upward momentum ahead. Note that LMT came in handily above Street expectations in its latest reported quarter. At the time, its management also raised its earnings outlook for the full-year. This fundamental and technical strength keeps Susquehanna analysts bullish on Lockheed Martin, with a price target of $590. How Wall Street Recommends Playing Lockheed Martin Other Wall Street analysts also recommend sticking with LMT shares in 2026. According to Barchart, the consensus rating on Lockheed Martin stock remains at Moderate Buy with price targets going as high as $605, indicating potential upside of about 15% from here. Under a cool breeze in upscale Old Town Scottsdale, scores of people gathered to memorialize Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. About 150 demonstrators assembled early in the evening of Jan. 9 near Indian School and Scottsdale roads, waving American flags and holding signs calling for justice in the 37-year-olds death two days earlier. This was one of more than a dozen demonstrations held across Arizona and part of more than 1,000 protests nationwide honoring Good and Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Gonzalez, 38, was fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September in Portland. Advertisement Advertisement Scottsdale resident Debra Metelits, 74, blamed Goods death on U.S. President Donald Trump, whose second-term administration has been marked by hard-line immigration policies. "It breaks my heart that this country is in distress," Metelits said, as she carried a U.S. flag turned upside down to signal such distress an act she described as previously unthinkable of her to do. Federal officials insist Good's killing was lawful The Trump administration has defended the ICE agents actions following the fatal shooting of Good, which was captured on video in a residential neighborhood. In a post on X, the Department of Homeland Security said a targeted operation was being conducted in Minneapolis, "when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle." Homeland Security has argued Good attempted to run over federal law enforcement "in an attempt to kill theman act of domestic terrorism." Advertisement Advertisement "An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots," Homeland Security said in the X post. The department added that the masked ICE officers, who were seen in the video walking away following the shooting, would make full recoveries. Court documents identified the immigration officer who shot Good as Jonathan Ross, who DHS said was injured in a June 2025 vehicle incident. Vice President J.D. Vance and several administration officials have also circulated a video on X to justify the ICE agent's action. Protesters gather on Jan. 9, 2026, in Scottsdale after Renee Nicole Good, age 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. Scottsdale demonstrators feel obliged to act Those defenses have not persuaded people like Martha Johnson. The Scottsdale demonstration marked the first protest the 78-year-old, who traveled from San Tan Valley, had ever attended. Advertisement Advertisement Martha Johnson shivered in the 58-degree weather as she lambasted ICE for causing what she said were many problems within communities across the country. She echoed a similar demand from others at the protest: ICE needs to leave their neighborhoods. Passing drivers honked in solidarity as those assembled cheered in response. The crowd of mostly baby boomers sang The Beatles' "Let It Be" as they lit candles against a Valley sunset. For Scottsdale resident Nasir Raza, the turnout was especially heartening. Seeing a largely white crowd pushing back against Trumps MAGA movement resonated with the 59-year-old, who emigrated from Pakistan in 1980 and is the father of two U.S. citizens. "The whole country is made of immigrants, and they should be celebrated instead of denigrated and reviled to look like criminals," Raza said. Advertisement Advertisement Jane Johnson, 73, of Carefree, said no one, regardless of skin color, is currently safe in the United States. "If we don't use our white privilege to stand up and bring out the horrible things that are going on, it's not going to change. We have to stand up," said Jane Johnson, who is white. Good was also white. State officials speak out at gathering Standing on a small brick barrier, state Sen. Lauren Kuby, DTempe, told the crowd that change will come not just from elected officials, but from ordinary people. "I look upon you and tears come to my eyes," Kuby said. Patti O'Neil, the chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, said the crowd was there today to honor "a woman named Good because she did good." Advertisement Advertisement O'Neil led those gathered in a recitation of Psalms 23:4: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Have any news tips or story ideas about immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona? Reach the reporter at david.ulloa@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @davidulloa_ii. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Renee Nicole Good honored at Scottsdale rally after fatal ICE shooting Andrea Merrell was tough and brave, put the safety of others first and had a lifelong commitment to helping and protecting others, say those who loved her. The 43-year-old North Branch woman died last month after being attacked by a patient during her Christmas Day shift as a security guard at M Health Fairview Hospital in Wyoming, Minn. She had worked there since April. Along with working at the hospital, Merrell also worked in loss prevention at a Cambridge Fleet Farm since 2021. Helping and serving others was simply who she was, said friends Heather Miller and Pam Heaton in a joint statement. Andrea Merrell was one of the kindest and most selfless people we have ever known. Advertisement Advertisement The trio met in a high school band class 30 years ago in Chisago City and had been inseparable since then, Heaton and Miller said. The three graduated in 2001. Friend Troy Schmidt said that Merrell was a friend to everyone, and was tough, brave and put everyone elses safety first. She gave so much to others, he said. She was one in a million and her passing has left a huge hole in the hearts of those who loved her and made the world a lot less brighter. Merrell also deeply loved her three cats, who were like children to her, and also treated her friends children like her own, Heaton and Miller said. Advertisement Advertisement Cassi Lorey said when Merrell dated her father several years ago, the two formed a close relationship. She became a very special person to me, Lorey said. From the day Lorey and her siblings met Merrell, the older woman showed them grace, love, kindness and care. The two shared many fishing adventures together and spent countless nights laughing and talking about life, she said. I couldnt ask for a better hero in my life, someone Id look up to (because) no matter how many curves got thrown at Andrea, she persevered (and) showed me that you will make it and it will be (OK) at the end of the day. She was someone I could feel safe with and never have to question if she would have my back. Advertisement Advertisement Merrells death leaves an aching hole that can never be filled, Miller and Heaton wrote. We carry a million happy memories with us, but life will never be the same without her. Andrea was our best friend, and we miss her more than words can say, the two friends wrote. Authorities say that police were called to the Wyoming hospital on Dec. 25 after a man on a medical hold ran away. Authorities found Merrell unconscious in the parking lot and the patient, Jonathan Chet Winch, 35, of Chisago City, nearby. Winch allegedly told police, I didnt mean to hurt her. Merrell later died of her injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Winch was charged with one count of second-degree murder and is being held in lieu of $2 million bail. An online fundraiser in Merrells honor had raised more than $8,200 as of Saturday afternoon. Merrells memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Lindstrom Community Center at 13292 Sylvan Ave. in Lindstrom. Related Articles Senate Republicans on Thursday lamented President Trumps call for the ouster of five GOP members who voted with Democrats and dealt him a blow on the Venezuela war powers resolution, indicating the presidents angry rant was a mistake as the party enters an election year. Trump fumed on social media shortly after the vote, saying the handful of Republican lawmakers who backed the measure that would block further military action Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Josh Hawley (Mo.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Todd Young (Ind.) should never be elected to office again. The remark did not sit well with some GOP lawmakers, who said they believed it was unnecessary. Advertisement Advertisement I would encourage the people around the president to understand whats at stake in this election, said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is retiring at the end of the year. Weve got several seats in play. Weve got even more so in the House. This is a time for Republicans to put their differences behind closed doors and support each other. That will absolutely be material that people will use against members if they can, and weve just got to be careful with it, he added. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), a member of Republican leadership, said: I respect my colleagues, even though I disagree with them, for their ability to express their opinion through their vote. I guess the presidents free to express his displeasure. The most acute concern for the Senate GOP conference is the potential effect on Collins, the Maine centrist, who is seeking a sixth term in office in November. Collins is the lone Republican in the chamber who represents a state former Vice President Kamala Harris carried in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Republican leaders swiftly made clear they steadfastly support the Maine Republican. Yes, of course, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said when asked if he still wants her reelected. This was a short-term, immediate reaction to something he felt strongly about. But I think he like all of us wants to make sure that we have a Republican majority in the Senate, and we all know in the state of Maine, the way to make that happen, he said. Collins didnt back down from her decision. The president, obviously, is unhappy with the vote, she told reporters. I guess this means that he would prefer to have Gov. Mills or somebody else with whom hes not had a great relationship, she said, referring to Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), who is battling with Graham Platner, an oyster farmer-turned-progressive darling, for the right to take on the incumbent senator. Advertisement Advertisement When asked if she was frustrated by the post, Collins quickly retorted: No. Senate Democrats need to win four seats in November to win back control of the chamber, with Collinss seat vital in that mission. The terms of Murkowski, Paul and Young all are up in 2028. Hawley just won a second six-year term in 2024. Murkowski told reporters she had no reaction to the post. Young said he has no concerns and no comments to offer. Hawley defended his vote by insisting Congress needs to weigh in on future action in the South American country, including putting boots on the ground. With regard to Venezuela, my read of the Constitution is that if the President feels the need to put boots on the ground there in the future, Congress would need to vote on it, he posted on the social platform X. Thats why I voted yes on this mornings Senate resolution. Advertisement Advertisement Republicans indicated they hope Trumps missive was nothing more than a public venting session. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was also quick to note that scores of GOP lawmakers have broken with Trump over the years, only to make amends down the road. He noted Vice President Vance is chief among them. The president has shown himself capable of seeing the long game, said Cornyn, who is up for reelection in November and is in the midst of a three-way primary. But like anybody, he gets irritated with folks from time to time, and doesnt hesitate to express himself. These are little, temporary kerfuffles that I dont think count in the long term, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Alexander Bolton contributed. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Senator Monique Limons selection to serve as 53rd President pro Tempore of the California State Senate is a historic and well-deserved milestone for both the Senator, and the whole Central Coast. As someone who has lived on the Central Coast for most of my life and a long-time advocate for getting dangerous oil and gas infrastructure out of my community, Im ecstatic to congratulate Senator Limon on this major accomplishment. Now, as we all look with anticipation to 2026, we call on Senator Limon to stand firm on her commitments to fighting for environmental justice and to build on her history of holding major polluters accountable. Throughout her career, Senator Limon has proven her commitment to advocating for clean air, and a livable Central Coast. In 2017, Limon lent her support to the fight against a dangerous fossil fuel power plant in Oxnard, led by then-Oxnard Mayor Pro-Tem Carmen Ramirez, and she has continued to advocate for her constituents who all too often live near polluting fossil fuel infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Then, when the oil industry spent over a million dollars trying to prevent Ramirez from becoming Ventura County Supervisor in 2020, Senator Limon helped rally other local leaders to fight back. With the help of local donors and leaders, Food & Water Action created its own PAC to combat the flood of oil money. Ramirez ended up winning overwhelmingly and becoming the first Latina elected to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. Ramirez never backed down and always fought to protect our community and natural resources. She was a moral compass and mentor to many of us locally, and though we lost her too soon, her legacy still lives on in the many people that she inspired. Now Senator Limon will also make history by becoming the first Latina to lead the California State Senate. Senator Limon has also been a vital supporter of our work in Ventura to get more oversight on SoCalGas gas compressor station expansion, located across the street from E.P. Foster Elementary School and many Ventura residents, most of whom are people of color and children including my own. Further, she and Senator Lena Gonzalez spearheaded a monumental bill that created a minimum setback of 3,200 feet between oil and gas production wells and schools, hospitals, residents and sensitive areas. More than 8,000 Ventura County residents live within 2,500 feet of an oil well and 60% of them are Latino. Our children, families and other residents will be safer and breathe cleaner air because of Senator Limons commitment to protecting our health. Advertisement Advertisement We know who Senator Limon is and what she stands for. Thats why I encourage the Senator to use her leadership in the Senate to push for the legislature to pass a polluters pay climate superfund. A climate superfund, which has already been adopted in New York and Vermont, would hold the largest fossil fuel companies financially accountable for the damages theyve fueled in California. Essentially, this would mandate that the state identify climate damages in California and the major fossil fuel polluters contributing to the crisis, and then make them pay into a superfund that would go towards fixing and upgrading our communities and helping to mitigate for the climate crisis were all living in. At a time when the state is facing a devastating budget crisis, it would generate much needed funds from the polluters costing our state billions. Senator Limon can play a major role in addressing our states financial crisis by ensuring a climate superfund gains real traction in California during her leadership. This is also something that her constituents overwhelmingly want and would benefit our communities directly, which are some of the most impacted by not just climate change, but also fossil fuel pollution, oil spills, wildfires and flooding. In fact, the superfund legislation introduced in 2025 would dedicate at least 40% of the funds to benefit communities hit the hardest by fossil fuel pollution. Its why Central Coast residents and organizations like CFROG, CAUSE, Sierra Club and so many more have worked with local leaders and municipalities like Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Santa Barbara County to all pass resolutions in support of a superfund. It is no secret that the Central Coast is under attack from a vindictive Trump administration. Well pull together as we always do to protect each other. But we must still envision a safe and livable world free of fossil fuel infrastructure and holding polluters accountable is one of the best ways that we can do that. And with leaders like Senator Limon holding true to her values, we can make it happen. Tomas Rebecchi Tomas Rebecchi is the Central Coast Organizing Manager for Food & Water Action and is a long-time community organizer and climate advocate. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Senator Limon should push for climate superfund | Your Turn State senators and representatives meet in a conference committee with a full audience on March 6, 2024, at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) Contrary to popular belief, the upcoming South Dakota legislative session will be more than just a slugfest over property tax relief. Some of the bills that have already been filed show that in addition to deciding the fate of property taxes, lawmakers will also be revisiting some old topics. Listening to the sound of silencers One of those familiar topics will be an attempt to find a new way to embrace the Second Amendment. A pre-filed bill from Sen. Casey Crabtree, a Madison Republican, would ensure that federal regulations on silencers wouldnt be enforced in South Dakota. More legislative news See all of Searchlights coverage of the 2026 legislative session. Advertisement Advertisement Read the latest > Senate Bill 2 seeks to take silencers off the controlled weapons list where it currently exists with the likes of machine guns and sawed-off shotguns. Despite the Second Amendments popularity in South Dakota and the Legislature, this may be an uphill fight for Crabtree, because the portrayal of silencers in popular culture isnt good. We usually see someone in the movies or on TV using a silencer when theyre committing a crime. It may also be tough for Crabtree to explain why law-abiding citizens need to silence their weapons. Maybe, if youre trying to pick off wildlife or stray cats and dogs in your backyard, you dont want to alert authorities with gunshots. If youre using a weapon to defend your home, maybe you dont want to wake the neighbors when shots are fired. Another attempt to add more limits to term limits Since 1992, when voters in this state decided it was a good idea to limit the terms of legislators, there have been various attempts to limit them even more. Currently a lawmaker can serve no more than four terms or eight consecutive years in one chamber. Candidates got around that restriction by, after four terms, running for office in the other chamber. Advertisement Advertisement Senate Joint Resolution 501 seeks to change that with a vote of the people. SJR 501, sponsored by Aberdeen Republican Michael Rohl, seeks a state constitutional amendment that would limit lawmakers to eight consecutive years in one chamber, then make them sit out two years before they could make a run at a seat in the other chamber, where they could only serve four consecutive terms. Since 1992 when legislative terms were limited, lawmakers have been flipping and flopping from one chamber to the other every eight years. If approved by voters, Rohls resolution would make sure that veteran lawmakers would have to sit on the bench for two years before they could seek a seat in the other chamber. Two years on the sidelines may not appeal to his colleagues. What term limit backers often forget is that voters have the ultimate say on who serves them. No matter what the law says about consecutive terms, voters control term limits. Yet another attempt to call for a constitutional convention Rohl is also the sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 502, which calls for a national constitutional convention. The subject of the convention would be enshrining in the U.S. Constitution a limit on the number of Supreme Court justices. The current court membership of nine is set by Congress, and Rohl wants to keep it that way. Rohl must be afraid that if Democrats were to somehow gain control of both houses of Congress and the White House, they could change the number to something that benefited them, upping the number of justices on the court who would then be appointed by a Democratic president and would be more likely to favor left-leaning issues. Advertisement Advertisement Just about every year there are resolutions like Rohls, though his has the advantage of calling for a unique change in the Constitution. Usually the resolutions are of a more generic nature, calling for a convention that would deal with fiscal restraints or limits to federal power or congressional term limits, or all three. The bad news for Rohl is that those attempts to call for a constitutional convention rarely succeed in this Legislature. In the past five sessions, the vast majority of resolutions calling for a constitutional convention have been killed in committee or failed in one chamber or the other. With a record of one win and 10 losses in the past five sessions, its obvious that a majority of lawmakers recognize those resolutions as a waste of time. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX One person is dead and another is seriously injured after a shooting in Granville County Friday night. According to the sheriff's office, around 7:40 p.m., authorities responded to a reported shooting outside a Family Dollar store on US-15 in Stovall. One of the victims, identified as Ryan Ellington of Granville County, was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim is a juvenile, who was airlifted to a hospital by Duke Life Flight. Authorities confirm their condition is listed as stable. Advertisement Advertisement The suspected shooter was identified as Aiden Moss, 19, of Bullock. Moss was charged with first degree murder and attempted first degree murder. He is being held at the Granville County Sheriff's Office Detention Facility without bond. The investigation is ongoing. There are no additional details at this time, the sheriff's office said. Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to low enrollment this event has been postponed, according to the event organizer. STEVENS POINT Students in grades 8-12 interested in entrepreneurship are invited to attend Youth Emerging Entrepreneurs Day at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 13 and is expected to include networking booths, business simulations and talks from real-life entrepreneurs, according to a community announcement. Future entrepreneurs, dont miss Jan. 13 at UW Stevens Point! Hands-on activities, networking, and grants for grades 812. Sophie Knetter, a high school student and two-time National FCCLA winner, is hosting the event. Advertisement Advertisement Mentors from organizations such as the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center and Wisconsin Business World are expected to attend. Speakers are expected to include representatives from SC Swiderski and owners from local and national businesses. Students will have the opportunity to apply for about $400 worth of on-site application grants and scholarships for future business endeavors, according to the announcement. The event is free to attend, but there is a $10 fee for lunch, which will include sandwiches and sides, likely from Subway. Students with food allergies are encouraged to contact the organizer directly. Registration is available at youthemergingentrepreneur.rsvpify.com. Students and parents are encouraged to talk to a school administrator or teacher about registering with a group. Advertisement Advertisement For more information, contact Sophie Knetter at smknetter@mosineeschools.org. This story was created by reporter Nida Tazeen, NTazeen@usatodayco.com , with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct. This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Sign up for youth Entrepreneurs Day at UW-Stevens Point on Jan. 13 Belltown Bakery has become a part of the fabric of the town over the last year, and the bakerys owner is concerned her business could be in jeopardy. So she reached out to the community for support, and it has responded. Belltown Bakery owner Jackie Mahoney said the landlord for her business at 81 Main St. in the East Hampton Village Center has given her the first opportunity to purchase the building where the bakery is located before it hits the market. Advertisement Advertisement Mahoney is concerned that, if a new landlord comes in, they may raise rent beyond what the bakery can sustain or choose not to renew the lease at all. That uncertainty puts everything weve built at risk. Last week, Mahoney set up a GoFundMe account to help her purchase the building and keep the bakery open. As of Wednesday, she has raised over $4,000. Her goal is to raise $50,000 to put a down payment on the building. Mahoney said she was urged by the community to start the fundraiser. The GoFundMe was started to help us secure the future of the bakery by giving us the chance to purchase the building and create some long-term stability. The response has been humbling and has really shown how invested our neighbors are in keeping the bakery here, Mahoney said. Mahoney, 45, who is originally from rural New Hampshire is the sole owner of Belltown Bakery. She said her husband, Pat, has been incredibly supportive since opening the bakery a year ago. Advertisement Advertisement Baking is very much in my blood, Mahoney said. Im a sixth-generation baker and bakery owner on my mothers side. My mom is a baker and owns her own bakery, and I grew up baking alongside her. My parents encouraged me to experiment in the kitchen from a very young age by 7 or 8, I was already making my own pies. Baking has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. The East Hampton space was previously the home of Black Walnut Artisan Bread Company for six years. Mahoney said she built on that foundation but expanded the offerings. I like to joke that Im not fancy and Im not a precision decorator, Mahoney said. What I specialize in is what I call extra yumminess. If something doesnt have that extra wow factor, it doesnt make the cut. I focus on familiar, comforting baked goods cupcakes, muffins, gooey caramel and chocolate bars, tarts, pies and lots of bread. I also love making special items people request and sharing those with the whole community that week. Some of the most popular offerings are the breads. Mahoney said the baked goods are simple and clean and have no high-fructose corn syrup, no mixes and no unnecessary additives. Advertisement Advertisement The bakery is currently open two days a week, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, before returning to its normal hours in February. Because I want this to truly be a community bakery, I do my best to keep prices accessible. I want families to be able to come in with their kids, choose something fun and delicious, and not feel like its a luxury, Mahoney said. Some of our most popular items are our sourdough, Belltown White bread which many people say reminds them of bread from the 1950s our blueberry crisp and raspberry almond crisp muffins and our wide assortment of cupcakes. Everything is made from scratch. If theres fruit in a pastry, it means I cooked it down myself. Our buttercream is made with real butter, not shortcuts. One of my greatest joys is seeing older customers taste something and say it reminds them of how things used to be made, she added. Mahoney said she had been told that the bakery had helped revitalize downtown East Hampton and has helped businesses and neighbors to believe in the area again. Advertisement Advertisement Serving the East Hampton community has been deeply meaningful. From behind the counter, I see neighbors chatting, strangers becoming friends and parents gathering with toddlers at our picnic table. Its a joyful place. I know many of my customers by name, know what they love, and those relationships have become a beautiful part of my life. I imagine my ancestors felt the same way, and I know my mom does in her bakery too, Mahoney said. Mahoney said the current landlord has been generous and supportive and there is no firm deadline for a sale to be finalized. However, she said that time is of the essence. He believes in the business and has offered me the first opportunity to purchase the building before opening it up to others. While Ive been working to make that possible, I havent been able to gather the necessary funds in the timeframe required, Mahoney said. I dont want to risk losing the bakery or this special space something that was meaningful under Black Walnut and has continued to be meaningful under Belltown Bakery. I also hear regularly from customers who tell me they cant eat other bread without feeling unwell, but they can eat ours. We dont fully know why, but Im grateful I can provide something that genuinely helps people feel better, she added. Advertisement Advertisement Mahoney said she was encouraged by others to start the GoFundMe to help allow her to buy the property and operate the bakery long term. The community response has been incredibly humbling, Mahoney said. From the moment we opened, people have shown up, and this experience has taken that support to another level. I never imagined this little bakery would have such an impact, but Im beginning to understand why. We live in a time when many people feel disconnected and worn down. Ive been told that the bakery feels like a refuge a small place of joy and connection. Its a one-room bakery where we bake, sell and spend time together. Its warm, its lit up at night when everything else around is dark, and its a place where food, conversation, and relationships come together, she said. If this bakery has brought people comfort or happiness, I feel incredibly blessed. I love this community deeply, and Im doing everything I can to keep this place going for them, and for me, too. East Hamptons Nancy Nafis said shes been a loyal customer since Belltown Bakery opened its doors. Staples for her family include the Belltown white and classic sourdough breads. Advertisement Advertisement Everything weve had there has been phenomenal, Nafis said. The bakery adds a lot to downtown. Our local little downtown has struggled. Having a bakery, if its open a few days a week, keeps people coming in from all over. It makes a big difference. Lyn Magrath, 77, a lifelong East Hampton resident, said having a bakery in town is special. I go for the bread. The freshest bread Ive ever had in my life, Magrath said. Jackie makes a lot of bread and takes special orders and has been so good to all of us. Her breads are just absolutely fantastic. Her desserts are to die for. Magrath said she made a last-minute order for Mahoney for Christmas parties. Advertisement Advertisement She said, Im so swamped, but its you. She did it and it was so great, Magrath said. I love her. I would hate to have her go. As soon as I pay my credit card bill, Im going to put in some money for her (GoFundMe) because I do not want her to go away. I want her to stay here. You can get baked goods elsewhere, but you arent going to get the quality and the personal experience like you get from Jackie, Magrath added. Jackie learns everybodys name and knows just about everyone that walks through her door. Once you are in there once or twice, she will remember you. She will do everything in her power to make you happy when you walk out that door. East Hamptons Alan Harrington is another regular. Harrington said focaccia bread is his favorite. Like Magrath, Harrington said Belltown Bakerys specialty is the personal connection between Mahoney and her customers. The most important thing that I see is the personal connection she makes with every single customer that comes in. She will know people by name. She will know things she may like. Shes willing to take the time, even running from oven to oven or sale to sale, to have conversations with her customers. Thats not something you see often nowadays, Harrington said. When I picture in my mind what a small business owner to be, I think of someone like Jackie, he added. Someone that takes that extra time to get to know her customers. Someone that is really rooted in her community and devoted to the idea of being present with people even in our fast busy lives and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Having those personal connections and having that ability to walk in and small those fresh baked goods and have a sense of home and belonging in the community. ALBANY - Parts of upstate New York will be under a winter weather advisory by Saturday evening as a storm moves in that could make roads slippery. Early Saturday, the National Weather Service released a winter weather advisory in effect from 5 p.m. on Saturday to 10 a.m. on Sunday for parts of upstate, including northern Saratoga and Fulton counties and into the southern Adirondacks. Mixed precipitation is expected to hit the areas with total snow and sleet accumulations up to 2 inches and ice accumulations around two-tenths of an inch. Advertisement Advertisement Joe Villani, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany, said most of the Capital Region will experience primarily rain Saturday evening that will develop around 6 or 7 p.m. Areas north of Saratoga Springs may experience a mix of sleet and freezing rain, Villani said, which will change to rain overnight. "If you're headed up toward Glens Falls, there's a little bit more of a chance of some sleet and freezing rain this evening, because the cold air tends to hang on a little bit longer up in that area," Villani said. "It's really once when you get up into the higher terrain, like in northwest parts of Saratoga County, where the elevation goes up significantly." Villani said those driving north of Saratoga Springs should "use caution," as roads may be slippery due to potentially icy conditions. "Really slow down, watch your speeds and also stopping times, allowing plenty of time and distance between vehicles so you can gradually come to a stop at any time, because if you slam on your breaks you'll just go skidding right through any type of ice that's around," Villani said. "The good news is, here in the Capital District, we're just expecting plain rain." Advertisement Advertisement Conditions will clear by Sunday morning in most areas, Villani said, but for areas northwest of the Capital District, snow showers may move in late Sunday afternoon through evening. Expected snow accumulations are less than an inch for those areas in the Mohawk Valley and 1 to 3 inches in the western Adirondacks, Villani said. This article originally published at Snow, freezing rain to hit parts of upstate Saturday night. South Africa on Saturday began naval drills with Russia, Iran and China, describing the manoeuvres off its coast as not merely a show of force but a vital response to rising maritime tensions. The weeklong 'Will for Peace 2026' exercises come just days after the United States seized a Russianflagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, saying it carried crude bound for Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of Western sanctions. The seizure followed an American raid that toppled Moscow's ally Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. Advertisement Advertisement The drills -- led by China -- were more than a military exercise and a statement of intent among the BRICS group of emerging nations, Captain Nndwakhulu Thomas Thamaha, South Africa's joint taskforce commander, told the opening Ceremony. "It is a demonstration of our collective resolve to work together," he said. BRICS, originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and, more recently, Indonesia. China and Iran deployed destroyer warships, while Russia and the United Arab Emirates sent corvette vessels. Host South Africa dispatched a frigate. Advertisement Advertisement Indonesia, Ethiopia and Brazil joined as observers. "In an increasingly complex maritime environment, cooperation such as this is not an option, it is essential," said Thamaha. The exercises were to "ensure the safety of shipping lanes and maritime economic activities," he said. Previously known as Exercise Mosi, the drills were initially scheduled for last November but postponed due to a clash with the G20 summit in Johannesburg, boycotted by the United States. Washington has accused South Africa and the BRICS bloc of 'antiAmerican' policies and warned members they could face an additional 10 percent tariff on top of existing duties already applied worldwide. Advertisement Advertisement South Africa has also drawn US criticism for its close ties with Russia and a range of other policies, including its decision to bring a genocide case against Washington ally Israel at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war. South Africa drew criticism for hosting naval drills with Russia and China in 2023, coinciding with the first anniversary of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The three nations first conducted joint naval drills in 2019. ho/cw/cw Shaq Muhammad has "nothing to hide". Shaq Muhammad is preparing to enter the villa The reality TV star is looking forward to his stint on Love Island: All Stars, and Shaq has promised to be honest about his split from Tanya Manhenga if he's asked about it. Speaking to The Sun newspaper, Shaq explained: "Im not worried about anything coming up. "If anyone wants to know the truth [about the split] or what happened or anything like that, I have nothing to hide. They can ask me. "Id rather someone ask me directly than speculate or have like an assumption of me without actually speaking to me first." Shaq has pledged to be "open and honest" during his time in the Love Island villa. The reality star suggested that he has nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. He said: "If they want to speak about past relationships or anything like that, then I have nothing to hide. And Im going to be open and honest about it. "Obviously, I think if Im trying to find a relationship, which I am, then I dont want to start it with half truth or any lies or anything like that. "Im going to be an open book and just see what happens." Shaq also claimed that he's actually on good terms with his ex-girlfriend. He shared: "Me and Tanya are on good terms. Were amicable. Theres no bad blood there. "I think she wants the best for me and I want the best for her. "Thats just the attitude I would have if I did see her in there. I think its just all good vibes from my side. "If I end up with somebody else, which Im hoping to find someone, then I would think that she would just be positive about it and want the best for me. "It might be a little bit awkward obviously seeing an ex or watching an ex on a show like this. But I dont think it would be anything malicious on mine or her part." By Marianna Parraga HOUSTON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - As U.S. President Donald Trump moves quickly to put together a $100 billion effort to revive Venezuela's oil industry, the administration has yet to finalize the fate of the crown jewel of the country's foreign assets, U.S. refining company Citgo Petroleum , sources close to the matter said. Houston-based Citgo has been tied up in the lengthy auction of its parent, PDV Holding, organized by a Delaware court to pay billions of dollars to creditors for debt defaults and expropriations in Venezuela. In November, the court approved a $5.9 billion bid and ordered the sale of Citgo parent's shares to Amber Energy, an affiliate of U.S. hedge fund Elliott Investment Management, but its execution still needs regulatory approvals, particularly from the U.S. Treasury Department. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has six months until the end of May to either approve or reject the auction's winner, temporarily putting the process on hold. A strategy for Citgo has become a "sticky" topic, the sources said, in the wake of the U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. has since said it would take control of Venezuela's oil resources indefinitely. After the rapid changes in Venezuela, the many conflicting parties involved in the complex auction are raising their voices and expanding their lobbying to influence Washington's course of action on Citgo, with some asking for the auction to be executed and others wanting the process frozen. Boards controlled by Venezuela's political opposition that oversee the refiner have unsuccessfully pushed for meetings with U.S. officials since early January, two of the sources said. A sign marks a Citgo gas station in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., January 6, 2026. U.S.-based Citgo is the refining subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), Venezuela's state-owned oil and gas company. REUTERS/Brian Snyder REUTERS / Reuters But the message those boards have received from Washington through indirect channels is that the company's fate is not a priority for Trump's administration right now. Some U.S. officials have said that Washington would prefer the refiner to be run by an American company, one of the sources said. The eight-year-old case, where creditors including expropriated foreign oil and mining companies and defaulted noteholders are collectively claiming some $19 billion, has been fraught, triggering many appeals and injunctions. How much influence each party will have as Trump advances his agenda and supports Maduro's ally Delcy Rodriguez as interim president is yet to be seen. His relationship with the opposition, especially with leader Maria Corina Machado, seems fragile for now, the sources added. The number of reported measles cases in South Carolina is skyrocketing and spilling into other states. On Friday, the South Carolina Department of Public Health said its confirmed 99 new cases of the disease since Tuesday, bringing the states total number of cases to 310. Another 200 people whove been exposed to the virus the most contagious known on the planet are in quarantine. The outbreak is centered in the northwest part of the state, Spartanburg County. Advertisement Advertisement Some cases are travel-related exposures or close contacts of known cases, the department said in a news release. Other cases have no identified source, suggesting that measles is circulating in the community and could spread further. It already has. On Tuesday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced three children, siblings living in Buncombe County, were diagnosed with measles after visiting Spartanburg. On Thursday, Washingtons Snohomish County Health Department said three people visiting the area from South Carolina over the holidays have since been diagnosed with measles. One is an adult who had at least one measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination. The other two are unvaccinated children, according to the department. Advertisement Advertisement The family visited multiple locations near Seattle while contagious, the department said, including a McDonalds, Chick-fil-A, church and trampoline park. Elsewhere, an ongoing outbreak centered along the border of Arizona and Utah has reached 390 cases 214 in Arizona and 176 in Utah. There's no indication that the outbreak is tied to South Carolina. There have been multiple recent exposures across Utah, according to the states health department. Events at a St. George high school had exposures over four days in late December and early January. Another high school near Salt Lake City reported an exposure at a drill competition on Jan. 2 and 3. In northeastern Ohio, three children, ages 10, 7 and 2, have been diagnosed with measles, according to NBC affiliate WKYC of Cleveland. A fourth child is showing symptoms, the station reported. Advertisement Advertisement The children were all unvaccinated at the time they were exposed and traveled to an area in the United States with an ongoing measles outbreak, the Ohio Department of Health wrote on its website. Officials did not disclose the area where the family had traveled. Last year, the U.S. had 2,144 measles cases the highest number since 1991. The majority, 93%, were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccine status. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Receipts for a secret menu item and a separate order of French fries are among the evidence Glendale police shared from their investigation into an alleged counterfeit money scheme that targeted about a dozen In-N-Out Burger locations in Southern California. Auriona Lewis, 24, and Tatiyanna Foster, 26, both of Long Beach, face felony charges of counterfeiting and grand theft. According to police, the investigation began Oct. 21, 2025, after an incident at a Glendale In-N-Out that detectives later connected to a broader pattern targeting In-N-Out locations throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators learned that the suspects had successfully victimized approximately a dozen restaurants by using counterfeit bills, resulting in financial losses and operational disruptions to the businesses, police said. Counterfeit $100 bills and a receipt presented as evidence from a scheme targeting In-N-Out locations in Southern California. January 2026. (Glendale PD) The department released photos of counterfeit $100 bills and two receipts from Sept. 29, 2025. One was for a Flying Dutchman a popular In-N-Out secret menu item consisting of two beef patties and two slices of cheese with no bun, totaling $5.93. It was paid for with a $100 bill, with the customer presumably pocketing the change. The other receipt was for a $2.53 order of fries, also paid for with a $100 bill. Security camera images shared by police allegedly showed the suspects passing counterfeit cash to an employee. Glendale police financial crimes detectives, K-9 officers and U.S. Marshals arrested Lewis on Oct. 30 in Palmdale, where they said she had counterfeit bills matching those used in the Glendale case, along with numerous gift cards and receipts believed to be connected to similar fraudulent activity. Security camera photos show a suspect passing counterfeit cash at a In-N-Out restaurant in Southern California in 2025. (Glendale PD) Foster was arrested in December when she appeared at the Glendale Police Department. Advertisement Advertisement This case underscores the importance of taking financial crimes seriously, regardless of dollar amount, police said. Counterfeit currency schemes directly impact local businesses and employees, and swift investigative action helped stop ongoing criminal activity and prevent further victimization. The department encouraged businesses to promptly report suspected counterfeit currency incidents. In a statement to KTLA, the Irvine-based fast-food giant said restaurants in Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties in addition to Los Angeles County and Orange County were also targeted in the scam. Management expressed gratitude to law enforcement for their work in making the arrests. Their dedication and expertise resulted in the identification and apprehension of the suspects, helping to protect our business and our communities, In-N-Outs Chief Operations Officer Denny Warnick said. We greatly value the support of law enforcement and appreciate the vital role they play in making our communities stronger and safer places to live. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Marco Di Marco's images offer a view of a natural event, highlighting the fragile boundary between human settlement and raw geological force. | Credit: Marco Di Marco A striking image series capturing Iceland's volcanic reawakening has earned Gold in Editorial / General News and Silver in Editorial at the Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) 2025. Photographed by Associated Press photographer Marco Di Marco, the winning work documents the return of the Svartsengi volcanic system one of the most significant geological events in Iceland in centuries. Advertisement Advertisement And what sets this work apart is its balance of urgency and understanding. Credit: Marco Di Marco Marco Di Marco is based in Iceland and trained in geology. This background and his experience allowed him to read the landscape beyond the visible lava. He understands when to approach, when to wait, and when scenery tells a deeper story. Distributed worldwide by Associated Press, Marco Di Marco's work has appeared across major international outlets, including CNN and BBC, and has been recognized with awards, such as TIMEs Top 10 Photos of the Year and NPPA honors. The story behind the stills Credit: Marco Di Marco The awarded photographs were captured during a volatile period that began in November 2023, when a seismic swarm fractured the ground beneath Grindavik, forcing the evacuation of its 3,800 residents. In December, the Svartsengi system reawakened after 783 years of dormancy, and the landscape of the Reykjanes Peninsula was brought into motion. Advertisement Advertisement Since then, nine fissure eruptions from the Sundhnukagigar crater row have repeatedly threatened Grindavik, the Blue Lagoon, and the Svartsengi power plant. Lava barriers helped divert much of the flow, though roads and several houses were lost. Each eruption followed a familiar rhythm: an intense initial outpouring, gradually easing into weeks of reduced activity a pattern that scientists say is likely to continue with magma still accumulating around five kilometers below the surface. Credit: Marco Di Marco Tokyo International Foto Awards TIFA remains one of Asia's most respected photography competitions, celebrating work that combines technical mastery, artistic vision and cultural relevance. With submissions from across the world, the jury a panel of international photographers, curators and gallery directors recognizes projects that push boundaries and reflect the evolving landscape of modern photography. Advertisement Advertisement The TIFA mission is to honor and connect exceptional photographers with Tokyo's creative community. You can discover all the awarded images on the TIFA website. You might like... Browse the best professional cameras and the best mirrorless cameras. Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from January to May. Jan. 10A previous City of Lodi administration allegedly authorized staff to use government-issued credit cards to maximize any benefits available, with the understanding that employees would reimburse any personal expenses, emails have revealed. In an email exchange obtained by the News-Sentinel, a city employee disputed the finance department's decision to deny reimbursement for an $11.92 breakfast purchase made during a business trip last year. Finance staff said because the conference the employee attended provided breakfast, the purchase using a Cal-Card was not allowed under city policy. Advertisement Advertisement The employee argued that the purchase was for lunch to be eaten on the journey to Lodi from the conference. A receipt provided to the News-Sentinel shows the employee bought the meal at 10:02 a.m., and city policy states breakfast purchases qualify for reimbursement if travel begins before 6 a.m. The conference in question ended at 11 a.m. the day of the purchase. City policy also states that lunch purchases qualify for reimbursement if travel begins before 11 a.m. In the email exchange, the employee argued that the purchase was lunch because that particular meal was not provided at the conference. Advertisement Advertisement However, staff stated because the meal was identified as "breakfast" on receipts, the request for reimbursement could not be allowed. The employee's attempt to classify airfare upgrades as a city expense for a trip to the One Voice conference in Washington. D.C. last year was also denied. According to policy, the city's travel coordinator arranges for approved requests authorizing air transportation, and the lowest available fare will be used unless authorized. In documentation provided, former city manager Scott Carney authorized a Southwest Airlines flight in the amount of $832. An additional $50 in the form of two $25 "Early Bird Flight Upgrades" were charged to the Cal-Card without prior authorization, staff said. Advertisement Advertisement Early bird upgrades are not allowed under travel policy, and the employee was told they must reimburse the city. In response, the employee said staff had routinely upgraded trips to "ensure a balancing of allowable and non-allowable costs" and that they were "encouraged previously to use the city's Cal-Card so the city got the points" while employees were responsible for covering personal expenses (like the early bird upgrade). The employee asked Lodi Electric Utility assistant director Melissa Price to corroborate the CalCard encouragement. "That is correct," Price wrote. "The prior administration encouraged the use of the CalCard to ensure the city was maximizing any benefits available to it as a card holder and the employees were to reimburse the city for personal expenses." Advertisement Advertisement It was not disclosed in the exchange with previous administration encouraged using the Cal-Card to collect points. Former city manager Steve Schwabauer said he believed the "last administration" reference pertained to himself, but said the assertion employees were allowed to make any purchases for points was false. "I never encouraged anyone to use a Cal-Card for personal purposes as long as they reimbursed the city later," he said. "(Former assistant city manager) Andrew (Keys) would not have done that either so I have to believe (Price) is referring to something else, and it's just not clear to me what that is." Mayor Ramon Yepez and councilwoman Lisa Craig said they were not aware of the email exchange prior to this week, but that this was most likely one of the instances that concerned Carney before his dismissal last year. Advertisement Advertisement Carney alleged multiple city employees had engaged in "widespread" fraud during an April council meeting, and then disclosed two incidents that had been under litigation at the time. Then-mayor Cameron Bregman forced Carney to end his presentation, and then began the process of removing him from his position, citing a Brown Act violation. The Brown Act forbids city staff and elected officials from discussing personnel matters that are not placed on an agenda. "Beginning in April, the city updated its travel and credit card policies following an internal audit that identified opportunities to improve efficiency and transparency," Yepez said. "These changes were forward-looking and intended to strengthen oversight overall, rather than to address any single communication or allegation. The policy updates were based on the audit's general findings and best practices." Advertisement Advertisement The revised travel policy is aimed at reducing CAL-Card usage by providing a travel advance to employees to make minor purchases such as food and gasoline, and eliminate the need to use city-issued credit cards. Hotel, airfare and conference admissions would still require credit card transactions. Craig said this was an example of why the council and Interim City Manager James Lindsay requested that budget and fiscal policies be reviewed, updated and enforced. "Council does have the responsibility to ensure that policies are adopted to meet best practices in municipal governance," she said. "Because of the issues raised by Mr. Carney and the investigator hired through outside counsel, we authorized creation of a finance committee to ensure that all of the city's financial policies be informed by an experienced outside financial advisor and two members of the city council. This committee has already met and will continue to meet to advise council on issues of finance and investment." Advertisement Advertisement Lindsay said the email exchange was included in the outside investigation conducted by Lance, Soll & Lunghard, LLP, which determined in July that while none of the Cal-Card transactions were fraudulent, there were questionable transactions that would require further investigation to determine whether they comply with city policy. "The amount of staff time spent on the issue of whether an egg sandwich was lunch or breakfast is unprecedented and we are all very pleased with the efforts to update the City's CAL-Card Use Policy and Travel Policy to both clarify and strengthen those procedures," he said. The firm's report also found that there was no material non-compliance with laws, regulations, or grant requirements. During the investigation, the city said it examined past instances of employee spending issues, most of which were small purchases involving travel reimbursements, accidental charges, or lost receipts. Advertisement Advertisement Some of those included a $19 conference t-shirt, a $40 grocery purchase, and conference meal overages ranging from less than $1 to $18.68. All identified purchases had been resolved, repaid or documented, the city said, adding that these examples reinforce the need for improved tracking and accountability. The News-Sentinel in April submitted several public records requests to the city to examine the instances of alleged misuse of city credit cards, and some records have yet to be received. Two men look at their mobile phones in front of El RodeoI prison in Guatire, Miranda State, some 30 kilometers east of Caracas, on January 8, 2026. Credit - Pedro MatteyAFP/ Getty Images In the early hours of Saturday, January 3, a man living on the outskirts of Caracas heard explosions. I had never heard a bomb go off, never in my life," he said, asking not to be identified by name for safety reasons. There is no way that you could mistake a bomb for a firework its horrible. The target of the explosions was a cluster of antennas on a hill about a mile from his house, which caught fire. The following day, he found that Movistar, his cellphone provider, was down. Advertisement Advertisement He wasnt worriedhe had multiple backups: an eSIM from another mobile provider, fiber-optic internet that continued to work after the explosions, and two Starlink receiversone registered in Colombia, the other in Argentinawhich connect to satellites operated by Elon Musks SpaceX. Youre always over-prepared here, he says. Starlinks ability to provide connectivity in conflict zones has turned Elon Musk into a geopolitical force. That night, after news broke of the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, he saw an email from Starlink giving him a month of free credit for the service. In support of the people of Venezuela, wrote Elon Musk on X, in reference to the companys announcement that it would provide free broadband service to the people of Venezuela through February 3. The internet was a way to understand what was happening. I thought it was a domestic coup. I didn't think it was the U.S., the man, who is a lawyer, says. It wasnt until his daughter, who lives abroad, told him to check X that he realized what was going on. Starlink doesnt officially provide service or directly sell receivers in Venezuelait is one of the only Latin American countries that remains dark on Starlinks service map, with no information about when official service might begin. Advertisement Advertisement But that hasnt stopped Venezuelans from accessing the service for a reliable connection to the internet in remote regions and as a way to get around the censorship of state-run internet providers. They rely on receivers brought in from neighboring countries, such as Colombia and Argentina. People can get access to kits. While it's contraband, it is accessible, says Alp Toker, founder of the internet monitoring group NetBlocks. In the days following January 3, receivers were for sale in a Telegram group dedicated to discussing Starlink in Venezuela, ranging from $60 for older models to over $600 for the newest kit. (Starlink did not respond to a request for comment.) Since Starlink doesnt officially provide service in Venezuela, users register with addresses from neighboring countries. [Starlink] knows we are outside of the country we are [registered in] but the company has turned a blind eye, explains the Caracas-based lawyer. That is indeed something to be grateful for. Many users of the service welcomed the news. Were starting the year off right with Uncle Elon, wrote one member of the Telegram group, attaching a photo of the email from Starlink. The group contains more than 1,000 members. There is precedent for Starlink and SpaceX stepping in when communications are degraded in conflict zones, says Lauryn Williams, deputy director of the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program. There's certainly a business case for SpaceX and Starlink here. Advertisement Advertisement The service was rolled out in Ukraine in 2022 shortly after Russias invasion. SpaceX initially bore the cost. SpaceX was in communication with the U.S. government, with the Department of Defense, with USAID at the time, even prior to the Twitter announcement by Elon Musk, says Williams, who worked at the Department of Defense at the time. A few months later, the company gave the U.S. government an ultimatum: pick up the tab (reportedly about $400 million annually) or the internet would go out. Ultimately, the Pentagon awarded the company a contract for ongoing provision of the service in June 2023. Although his fiber-optic internet was still working, having Starlink as a backup reassured the Caracas-based lawyer that he could stay connected to the outside world. It's like an emotional support dog, he says. Psychologically, it makes a big difference. Contact us at letters@time.com. Big Red is the gallinaceous mascot used to share details about Rhode Islands state payroll modernization on a state website. After six years of planning, the new software system is off to a rocky start. (Photo illustration/Rhode Island Department of Administration image) Some unionized state employees say the states new payroll system is not functioning properly and has led to error-ridden paychecks for multiple pay periods. Statements released Thursday from three different unions representing state employees hint at ongoing issues with the rollout of the shiny, modern and long-awaited system including missing wages, incorrect pay, and problems with overtime, benefits, and deductions. Advertisement Advertisement The legacy payroll system went away for good in early December, its aging architecture swapped out for a new system anchored in the cloud-based software Workday. The payroll upgrade is but one aspect of the states Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) endeavor, which began implementation in 2023 and wrapped up last year, consolidating and modernizing the states payroll, human resources and other internal IT infrastructure. While Workday does not handle support or configuration for the state system thats the responsibility of a separate state vendor the unions have directed some of their ire at the software. Rhode Island Council 94, which represents about 4,500 state workers and claims to be the states largest public sector union, released a statement that said missing or incomplete pay, mistakes in holiday pay or overtime, and deductions not hitting investment accounts were among the numerous complaints received from members. Workday is not working, Council 94 President Michael McDonald wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Council 94 Executive Director Alexis Santoro said the state has worked to correct some complaints, but then the union receives more each day. The Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers said in a separate statement that labor orgs representing thousands of public employees have heard member complaints for three consecutive pay periods. Like Council 94, the correctional officers union cited missing pay, underpayments, unpaid overtime and incorrect deductions. Correctional officers are doing one of the most dangerous jobs in state government, Brotherhood President Richard Ferruccio said. Violence is up, staffing is strained, and mandatory overtime is routine. Asking officers to shoulder those risks and then failing to pay them correctly, especially after three consecutive pay periods and right before the holidays, is completely unacceptable. Yet another statement came from SEIU Local 580, which represents frontline employees across eight state agencies. The same paycheck-related laments from other unions are contained in the SEIU news release, with the unions President Matthew Gunnip claiming one documented case concerns a member with nearly three decades of state service who is undergoing cancer treatment is now facing leave without pay because required documentation was not processed during the ERP transition. Advertisement Advertisement When pay problems happen once, thats a mistake, Gunnip wrote. When they happen repeatedly, thats a breakdown. At this point, the risk and stress are being absorbed entirely by workers. Ive been in regular communication with the local unions representing state workers and they are very frustrated by the continued problems with state payroll, Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO and one of the states top labor leaders said over email Friday. We are ready to work with the administration to address the ongoing concerns so the problems are addressed. Workers frustrations have coalesced into demands for a formal hearing before the General Assemblys oversight committees. Council 94s McDonald said in his statement that the legislatures oversight committees need to start scrutinizing and facilitate an independent review of what went wrong with the payroll rollout. A Christmas tree and presents seen in December 2025 inside the Rhode Island Department of Administration building, the same month the new payroll system was implemented. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Oversight is absolutely needed! Rep. Julie Casimiro, a North Kingstown Democrat who serves as first vice chair on the House Committee on Oversight, said via text message Friday. Advertisement Advertisement How dare the state mess up at this time of yearor any time of year on such a sensitive issue, Casimiro wrote. Some employees live paycheck to paycheck and may need to make a choice between heat or foodWill there be any accountability on this with the state employees overseeing this? We need answers and our state employees need answers! The Department of Administration was responsible for the ERP rollout, and spokesperson Karen Greco said via email Friday that the state anticipated adjustments during the multi-year process to upgrade a system which she said covers more than 15,000 employees on payroll. The State is currently tracking about 1,700 open payroll-related tickets; we have closed almost 1,900 payroll-related tickets since the first checks were disbursed in early December, Greco wrote, noting that some employees may have more than one ticket. Greco said the state is prioritizing anyone who may have been underpaid, and has made progress each week by issuing frequent off-cycle payments as issues get resolved to quickly provide any funds owed to employees. Advertisement Advertisement The department has cut off-cycle checks on six separate instances over the last month, Greco said. An unsigned statement shared Friday by Workday noted that modernizing decades of operations onto a single, unified platform is inherently complex moving data and workflows from dozens of disconnected legacy systems, including manual and paper-based processes, into one modern system of record. Workday said it was working closely with the State and its deployment partner to support this transition, and are fully focused on ensuring accurate and timely pay. Workday, however, is just the bedrock of software on which the payroll rests, and is not the state vendor responsible for configuring the software. The states website and project materials note that Accenture a global consulting and professional services firm with offices worldwide, including one in Boston is the implementation partner for its new enterprise infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Accenture did not respond to multiple requests for comment Friday. Payroll wasnt built in a day Like any ERP project of considerable scale, Rhode Islands modernization for its enterprise software was not a singular task, and strategic planning began as far back as 2019. State purchasing documents for a 2024 solicitation related to the software planning noted that, at the time, nearly all of the Department of Administrations internal processing was still manual in nature, with timesheets submitted in hard copy or as PDFs. The old system also ran on a mainframe and was based on the programming language COBOL, first released 66 years ago but revised many times over. Though practically ancient by coding standards, COBOL retains great utility and reliability in the colossal systems used by governments, banks and big businesses. According to IBM, it still powers 80% of in-person credit card sales and 95% of ATM transactions. Still, many organizations are now migrating away from COBOL as its most veteran practitioners retire. During a March 2025 hearing at the State House, DOA Director Jonathan Womer outlined the herculean efforts the ERP entailed, even in tiny Rhode Island, with his department going through 50-plus collective bargaining agreements and rules and regulations around payroll, primarily for employees. Advertisement Advertisement Womer also noted the importance of the project then: We dont have enough modern controls over our finances and financial transactions. We have been relying on typewriters and carbon papers for a long time. The states ERP website, which has been live since at least May 2024 per the last updated timestamps, includes numerous links, phone numbers, and information relating for state employees on the project. The website noted that the changes would come in two phases: Certain internal finance operations would go live on July 1, 2025, while human capital management and payroll would come later in fall 2025. The site also hosts a blog attributed to a mascot called Big Red, a Rhode Island Red chicken sporting blue-framed sunglasses that explains the ERP in lay terms across his blog posts. Big Red appears on the Rhode Islands ERP transition on a state website. (Rhode Island Department of Administration) Currently, our HR, Payroll and Finance systems are lacking, Big Red explains in one post. We have siloed, outdated (downright archaic) systems, processes and tools that involve the use of paper forms and typewriters, minimal interaction between systems, and a gazillion custom reports all because weve got siloed, outdated (did I mention theyre archaic) systems well, you get the point. Advertisement Advertisement In a post from August 2025, Big Red promised the state was taking additional steps to guarantee system functionality for everyone. Remember when I said more testing that includes enhanced payroll testing, the post notes. Money, money, moneyyy! We are running multiple parallel payroll tests to triple check the math. The chickens enthusiasm is not quite echoed in general discourse about ERP transitions, which are often regarded as intensive and high-risk projects. A 2020 report from 18F, a digital services team working under the U.S. General Services Administration, warned that big governmental software projects have a low success rate, with only 13% of projects priced over $6 million seeing satisfactory completion on time and within budget. Success rates for projects under $1 million soared much higher to 57%. Advertisement Advertisement Its counterintuitive, but spending more money on a project increases the chances of failure, the report noted. In 2025, Rhode Islands enterprise planning project was priced at around $91.2 million. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX STOCKTON, Mo. The Stockton Police Department has welcomed a new four-legged officer to its ranks. K9 Mali, a Belgian Malinois, joins the force after completing extensive training in patrol operations, suspect apprehension, tracking and narcotics detection. Pictured is Mali. PHOTO COURTESY OF STOCKTON PD. Mali, who holds the honorary rank of lieutenant, will be partnered with Sgt. Adam Marshall, a certified K9 handler who recently completed specialized training. Advertisement Advertisement K9 units are an invaluable asset to modern policing, said Police Chief Yokley. Lieutenant K9 Mali will enhance our departments capabilities while helping keep our officers and community members safe. Police K9s are often called upon to locate missing persons, track suspects and detect illegal drugs or other contraband. They also assist in high-risk situations and help strengthen community ties through public demonstrations and school visits. Officials said Mali will serve not only as a working officer but also as an ambassador for the department, promoting positive connections between law enforcement and the public. The department said the addition of K9 Mali underscores its continued commitment to innovation, professionalism and proactive public safety. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. Authorities say a person was in custody Saturday after six people were killed in a series of related shootings in eastern Mississippi. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said on Facebook that "multiple innocent lives" were lost "due to violence" in the town of West Point, near the Alabama border. Authorities identified the suspect as 24-year-old Daricka M. Moore. The suspect was in custody and there was no threat to the community, the sheriff wrote on Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement At an afternoon news conference on Saturday, Scott said the victims family members related to the suspect were shot at three separate locations late Friday. One of the victims was a child. "I don't know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old," the sheriff said. When contacted by CBS News on Saturday morning, the sheriff's office did not provide any further details. Moore faces a first-degree murder charge that could be upgraded to capital murder, Scott said. He may also face additional murder charges. The shootings took place in the rural community of Cedarbluff, which is west of the county seat of West Point. Advertisement Advertisement Vance posts new video that shows Renee Good's last words and other angle of shooting Video shows ICE officer's point of view, Renee Good's last words before being shot People mocked his mangled truck, until one man stepped up to help A suspect is in custody after a stolen U-Haul truck crashed into several vehicles during a pursuit Friday night in Philadelphia. Police said the incident began around 5:45 p.m. when officers spotted the driver in Northeast Philadelphia. Officers initially chased the male driver but called off the pursuit due to safety concerns. At some point after, police say the driver smashed into several cars - including an unmarked police vehicle - on Harbison Avenue in Mayfair. Advertisement Advertisement No serious injuries were reported. Officers briefly chased the truck again before calling off the pursuit a second time. The U-Haul was later found abandoned at Ditman Street and Enfield Avenue in Holmesburg. Police tracked down a suspect shortly afterward. He has not been identified but is expected to face numerous charges, including assault on a police officer. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call police. JACKSON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) A Sylvania man was killed in a wreck in Jackson County on Friday, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The crash happened on Alabama 78 near Letson Point Drive, about three miles north of Hytop, just before 2:30 p.m. Friday. Download the WHNT News 19 App to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WHNT News 19 newsletters to have news sent to your inbox. ALEA said Nevan Hall, 22, was killed when his truck left the road and struck a tree. Hall died at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement A passenger was injured and brought to Huntsville Hospital for treatment. The crash is under investigation. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. US President Donald Trump has asked for at least $100bn (75bn) in oil industry spending for Venezuela, but received a lukewarm response at the White House as one executive warned the South American country was currently "uninvestable". Bosses of the biggest US oil firms who attended the meeting acknowledged that Venezuela, sitting on vast energy reserves, represented an enticing opportunity. But they said significant changes would be needed to make the region an attractive investment. No major financial commitments were immediately forthcoming. Trump has said he will unleash the South American nation's oil after US forces seized its leader Nicolas Maduro in a 3 January raid on its capital. "One of the things the United States gets out of this will be even lower energy prices," Trump said in Friday's meeting at the White House. But the oil bosses present expressed caution. Exxon's chief executive Darren Woods said: "We have had our assets seized there twice and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes from what we've historically seen and what is currently the state." "Today it's uninvestable." Venezuela has had a complicated relationship with international oil firms since crude was discovered in its territory more than 100 years ago. Chevron is the last remaining major American oil company still operating in the country. A handful of companies from other countries, including Spain's Repsol and Italy's Eni, both of which were represented at the White House meeting, are also active. Trump said his administration would decide which firms would be allowed to operate. "You're dealing with us directly. You're not dealing with Venezuela at all. We don't want you to deal with Venezuela," he said. The White House has said it is working to "selectively" roll back US sanctions that have restricted sales of Venezuelan oil. Officials say they have been coordinating with interim authorities in the country, which is currently led by Maduro's former second-in-command, Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez. But they have also made clear they intend to exert control over the sales, as a way to maintain leverage over Rodriguez's government. The US this week has seized several oil tankers carrying sanctioned crude. American officials have said they are working to set up a sales process, which would deposit money raised into US-controlled accounts. The Syrian army is locked in intense fighting in Aleppo after Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters refused to withdraw under a ceasefire, as more civilians fled their homes to escape the violence in the northern Syrian city. Aleppos emergency chief Mohammed al-Rajab told Al Jazeera Arabic that 162,000 people have fled fighting in the citys Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods. A Syrian military source has told Al Jazeera Arabic that the army is making progress in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood, the epicentre of the most intense fighting, and now controls 55 percent of the area. Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Syrias state-run SANA news agency said that the military had arrested several members of the SDF in its latest operations in Sheikh Maqsoud, which the army announced on Friday evening after a deadline for Kurdish fighters to evacuate the area, imposed as part of its temporary ceasefire, expired. Syrias Ministry of Defence had declared the ceasefire earlier on Friday, following three days of clashes that erupted after the central government and the SDF failed to implement a deal to fold the latter into the state apparatus. After some of the fiercest fighting seen since last years toppling of Syrias former leader, Bashar al-Assad, Damascus presented Kurdish fighters a six-hour window to withdraw to their semi-autonomous region in the northeast of the country in a bid to end their longstanding control over parts of Aleppo. But Kurdish councils that run the citys Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts rejected any surrender and pledged to defend areas that they have run since the early days of Syrias war, which erupted in 2011. Advertisement Advertisement Syrias army then warned it would renew strikes on Sheikh Maqsoud and urged residents to evacuate through a humanitarian corridor, publishing five maps highlighting targets, with strikes beginning roughly two hours later. As violence flared, the SDF posted footage on X showing what it said was the aftermath of artillery and drone attacks on Khaled Fajr Hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud, accusing factions and militias affiliated with the Damascus government of a clear war crime. Update - As part of its brutal attacks, a drone belonging to militias affiliated with the Damascus government targeted the civilian Khaled Fajr Hospital in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, putting it out of service. pic.twitter.com/SwhSWwtaBS Syrian Democratic Forces (@SDF_Syria) January 9, 2026 A Defence Ministry statement cited by the state-run news agency SANA said the hospital was a weapons depot. In another post on X, the SDF said that government militias were attempting to advance on the neighbourhood with tanks, encountering fierce and ongoing resistance by our forces. Advertisement Advertisement Later, the Syrian army said three of its soldiers had been killed and 12 injured in SDF attacks on its positions in Aleppo. It also claimed that Kurdish fighters in the neighbourhood had killed more than 10 Kurdish youths who refused to take up arms with them, then burned their bodies to intimidate other residents. The SDF said on X that the claims were part of the Syrian governments policy of lies and disinformation. At least 22 people have been killed and 173 others wounded in Aleppo since the fighting broke out on Tuesday, the worst violence in the city since Syrias new authorities took power after toppling Bashar al-Assad a year ago. Advertisement Advertisement The director of Syrias civil defence told state media that 159,000 people had been displaced by fighting in Aleppo. Mutual distrust The violence in Aleppo has brought into focus one of the main faultlines in Syria, with powerful Kurdish forces that control swaths of Syrias oil-rich northeast resisting integration efforts by Syrias President Ahmed al-Sharaas government. The agreement between the SDF and Damascus was struck in March last year, with the former supposed to integrate with the Syrian Defence Ministry by the end of 2025, but Syrian authorities say there has been little progress since. Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh have remained under the control of Kurdish units linked to the SDF, despite the groups assertion that it withdrew its fighters from Aleppo last year, leaving Kurdish neighbourhoods in the hands of the Kurdish Asayish police. Advertisement Advertisement Marwan Bishara, senior political analyst with Al Jazeera, said there were significant gaps between the two sides, particularly when it came to integrating the Kurdish fighters into the army as individuals or groups. What would you do with the thousands of female fighters that are now part and parcel, of the Kurdish forces? Would they join the Syrian army? How would that work out? said Bishara. The Kurdish are sceptical of the army and how it is formed in Damascus, and of the central government and its intentions. While the central government is, of course, wary of and sceptical that the Kurds want to join as Syrians in a strong united country, he added. Turkiye refrains from military action In the midst of the clashes, Syrias President al-Sharaa spoke by phone with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying he was determined to end the illegal armed presence in Aleppo, according to a Syrian presidency statement. Advertisement Advertisement Turkiye, which shares a 900-kilometre (550-mile) border with Syria, views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which waged a four-decade armed struggle against the Turkish state, and has warned of military action if the integration agreement is not honoured. Turkiyes Defence Minister Yasar Guler welcomed the Syrian government operation, saying that we view Syrias security as our own security and we support Syrias fight against terrorist organisations. Omer Ozkizilcik, nonresident senior fellow for the Syria Project in the Atlantic Council, told Al Jazeera that Turkiye had been intending to launch an operation against SDF forces in Syria months ago, but had refrained at the request of the Syrian government. Elham Ahmad, a senior official in the Kurdish administration in Syrias northeast, accused Syrias authorities of choosing the path of war by attacking Kurdish districts in Aleppo and of trying to end deals between the two sides. Alarm spreads Al-Sharaa spoke with Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani on Friday, affirming that the Kurds were a fundamental part of the Syrian national fabric, the Syrian presidency said. Advertisement Advertisement The former al-Qaeda commander has repeatedly pledged to protect minorities, but government-aligned fighters have killed hundreds of Alawites and Druze over the last year, spreading alarm in minority communities. A spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed grave concern over the ongoing violence in Aleppo, despite efforts to de-escalate the situation. We call on all parties in Syria to show flexibility and return to negotiations to ensure the full implementation of the March 10 agreement, said Stephane Dujarric. Frances Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was working with the United States, which has long been a key backer of the SDF, particularly during its fight to oust ISIL (ISIS) from Syria, to de-escalate. French President Emmanuel Macron urged al-Sharaa on Thursday to exercise restraint, reiterating his countrys desire to see a united Syria where all segments of Syrian society are represented and protected. By Khalil Ashawi, Mahmoud Hasano and Orhan Qereman ALEPPO, Syria Jan 10 (Reuters) - The last Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters left the Syrian city of Aleppo on Sunday, state-run Ekhbariya TV said, following a ceasefire deal that allowed evacuations after days of deadly clashes. The departure marks the removal of Kurdish forces from pockets of Aleppo they have held since Syrias war began in 2011, while Kurdish forces continue to run a semi-autonomous zone across large parts of northeastern Syria. Advertisement Advertisement SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said in a post on X the group had reached an understanding, through international mediation, on a ceasefire and the safe evacuation of civilians and fighters from Aleppos Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maksoud neighbourhoods to northern and eastern Syria. The violence in Aleppo has deepened one of the main faultlines in Syria, where President Ahmed al-Sharaa's promise to unify the country under one leadership after 14 years of war has faced resistance from Kurdish forces wary of his Islamist-led government. The United States and other world powers welcomed a ceasefire earlier in the week, but Kurdish forces refused to leave the last stronghold of Sheikh Maksoud under the deal. Syria's army said it would conduct a ground operation to clear them and combed through the neighbourhood on Saturday. Reuters reporters then saw dozens of men, women and children streaming out of the neighbourhood on foot. Syrian troops put them onto buses and said they would be taken to displacement shelters. More than 140,000 people have already been displaced by the fighting this week. Advertisement Advertisement The Reuters reporters later saw security forces put more than 100 men in civilian clothes on buses. Syrian security officials at the scene identified them as members of the Kurdish internal security forces, known as the Asayish, and said they had surrendered. The Asayish later denied any of those who left Aleppo were fighters, saying they were all civilians that had been forcibly displaced. ACCUSATIONS OVER VIOLATIONS U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said on Saturday he had met Sharaa in Damascus, and urged all parties to "exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities, and return to dialogue." He said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's team was ready to mediate. Advertisement Advertisement Barrack earlier said a consolidated ceasefire would see the "peaceful withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from Aleppo," referring to the main Kurdish force. Three Syrian security sources told Reuters a batch of Kurdish fighters including some commanders and their families were secretly ferried out of Aleppo overnight Friday into Saturday to the country's northeast. Ilham Ahmad, who heads the Kurdish administration's foreign relations department, had overnight Friday into Saturday welcomed a deal to safely redeploy fighters from Sheikh Maksoud to eastern Syria. Turkish security sources hinted at a possible divide within Kurdish factions, saying Ankara had reached out to some senior Kurdish officials and noted a willingness to compromise, naming Ahmad and Abdi specifically. But the Turkish sources said other fighters opted to hold out and fight. Advertisement Advertisement Kurdish fighters who had earlier been holed up in a hospital in Aleppos Sheikh Maksoud district withdrew on Sunday under the evacuation agreement, leaving their weapons behind, Syrian state-run Ekhbariya TV reported. The SDF had earlier said it waged street battles against government forces, accusing them of indiscriminately bombing civilian infrastructure, including the hospital, where civilians were taking cover. They said the attacks were backed by Turkish drones. A Turkish security source denied they were used, and said the operation was "largely completed, there was no need" for Turkish backing. The Syrian army has denied conducting indiscriminate attacks and accused the SDF of attacking Aleppo's town hall with a drone. The SDF denied the claim. Advertisement Advertisement The SDF have resisted efforts to integrate into Syria's new government, made up of former rebels who ousted longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. With negotiations on their merging stalled, fighting erupted in Aleppo on Tuesday, killing at least nine civilians. The clashes are the latest bout of sectarian violence in Syria. In 2025, more than 1,000 people from the Alawite minority were killed by government-linked forces and hundreds from the Druze minority were killed in the southern province of Sweida, including in execution-style killings. The fighting in Aleppo has closed a key highway to Turkey and factories in its industrial zone. Syria's General Authority of Civil Aviation said on Saturday Aleppo's international airport would remain closed until further notice. (Reporting by Khalil Ashawi, Mahmoud Hasano and Karam al-Masri in Aleppo, Orhan Qereman in Qamishli; additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara and Yomna Ehab in Cairo Writing by Maya Gebeily. Editing by Barbara Lewis,Mark Potter and Alistair Bell) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A bill recently filed in Tennessee takes on a whole new approach for addressing repeat offenders. The proposed legislation would allow a victim to sue someone who posted bail other than a professional bondsman or a person with a bailable interest for a defendant if that defendant is later convicted of another crime that occurred while the defendant was out on bail. Therefore, it would allow the victim to recover for damage to property, injury, or death arising from the subsequent criminal offense, according to the bill. I dont think it would ever go to court because you cant determine what a persons going to do when you bond them out, David Stuckman, president of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States, told News 2. Advertisement Advertisement Stuckman said he does not know of legislation like this in any other state. Man free on bond arrested again in East Nashville after drugs, gun found in vehicle No statutes that I know of, and if there is, theyll get a call from somebody, but no, and I know most of the laws in most of the states, Stuckman said. If this bill were to become law, hes worried it would discourage family members or friends from posting bail. But now you say, Well, if he gets convicted of another crime, you could be sued. Theyre going to say, Im not going to sign. So, would you? As a person yourself, would you? No, I dont think so, Stuckman explained. Advertisement Advertisement According to Stuckman, if people refuse to bail out their loved ones, Tennessee jails will run into overcrowding issues. He added that he doesnt want to take a stance on the proposed legislation because he still has many questions. What is their intent? Stuckman asked. Read the latest from the TN State Capitol Newsroom News 2 asked if this bill shifts the responsibility from the person who committed the crime to the person who bailed out the defendant. Thats a good question. But why? The person that committed the crime, he committed the crime. Now, chances are if he committed the crime, they cant sue the defendant because most likely he has nothing to sue for, so theyre trying to find deeper pockets, Stuckman said. Advertisement Advertisement News 2 reached out to the sponsors of the bill, but as of publication, we have not heard back. Tennessee lawmakers are set to reconvene at the State Capitol next week. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday paved the way for Pappas' Restaurant group's lawsuit against the city of Houston after it was kicked out of William P. Hobby Airport. In a nine-page brief, the court ruled the lawsuit can move forward in a lower trial court. Pappas Restaurants, the owner of popular Houston eateries like Pappadeaux, Pappasitos, Little's Oyster Bar and newly opened YiaYia's, sued the city in 2023 shortly after officials terminated the restaurant chain's contract in Hobby. Advertisement Advertisement RELATED: Pappas sues Houston over Hobby Airport deal, citing call from former mayoral aide during bid process Restaurant officials contended the city's awarding of a $470 million contract to Areas USA was unfair and violated procurement rules. Mayor John Whitmire's office and lawyers for the city did not immediately return requests for comment Friday afternoon. Neither Whitmire nor his spokesperson for his office as mayor have responded to any Houston Chronicle reporters' requests for comment since Aug. 17, though his campaign has issued responses. Airport concessions contracts are among the most lucrative, and often the most controversial, contracts available at City Hall. The intensive lobbying around the deals often results in squabbles that City Hall insiders call "food fights." Advertisement Advertisement The City Council voted in March 2023 to effectively end Pappas' 20-year run at the airport after the company waged a month-long public battle to renew its contract. Pappas officials criticized the city's selection process as "flawed," questioning why the city canceled two earlier rounds of bidding for the contract. Areas finished fourth in the previous round, which was canceled in late 2022 due to close scoring between the Pappas-led group and another company. The two scores were separated by 0.2 percentage points. In the procurement that resulted in the final contract, Areas led the Pappas group by 0.6 percentage points. Pappas officials allege this should have been too close to call. Then-Mayor Sylvester Turner accused Pappas officials of running a "smear campaign" against the city, saying the city had used the same process to award the contract that it did in three similar deals under his tenure. This article originally published at Texas Supreme Court clears the way for Pappas Restaurants' lawsuit against the city of Houston. Thousands of Irish farmers protested Saturday against the European Union's trade deal with the South American bloc Mercosur, a day after EU states approved the treaty despite opposition from Ireland and France. Tractors streamed into the roads of Athlone, in central Ireland, for the demonstration, displaying signs including "Stop EU-Mercosur" and ones with the European Union flag emblazoned with the words "sell out". Farmers on Friday also marched in Poland and blocked roads in France and Belgium as the EU gave the green light to the trade deal, which has been welcomed by business groups but heavily criticised by European farmers. Advertisement Advertisement The accord, more than 25 years in the making, would create one of the world's largest free-trade areas, boosting commerce between the 27-nation EU and the Mercosur bloc comprising Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. Major Mercosur exports to the EU include agricultural products and minerals, while the EU would export machinery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals with lowered tariffs applied. But many European farmers fear their livelihoods will be undercut by a flow of cheaper goods from agricultural giant Brazil and its neighbours, prompting Ireland, France, Poland, Hungary and Austria to vote against the accord. The agreement is widely opposed by Irish farmers for fear it will result in an influx of an extra 99,000 tonnes of cheap beef from South America, disrupting Irish agriculture. Advertisement Advertisement The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), Ireland's main farmers' lobby group, called the result "very disappointing". It said it would "renew" focus on securing a majority against the deal in the European Parliament. "We expect Irish MEPs to stand behind the farming community and reject the Mercosur deal," said IFA president Francie Gorman in a statement. Earlier this week Irish prime minister Micheal Martin expressed concern that Mercosur beef may not be produced to the EU's strict environmental standards. "We have to be confident" that standards and obligations set for Irish farmers won't be "undermined" by imports with less stringent regulations, said Martin. Advertisement Advertisement At the Saturday protest, farmers carried signs calling for an "Irexit" and accusing the Latin American bloc's beef exports of not following the same standards. The Mercosur deal will also need to be agreed by a majority of MEPs in the European assembly in the coming months, where voting coalitions have become more volatile and unpredictable. pmu-aks/rh (The Center Square) The administration continues to ramp up its response to the massive social services fraud in Minnesota, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent enumerating steps his department is taking to prevent similar abuses going forward. I am optimistic that we are going to put an end to this waste, fraud and abuse, that we are going to have recoveries for the American people, and that we are going to hold people accountable, set an example and make sure that federal aid gets to the people it was intended for and not to the fraudsters, Bessent said in a statement. He explained several initiatives begun by the Treasury Department, as well as one to come. Advertisement Advertisement The departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the IRS are investigating some money service businesses organizations that perform financial services outside of a formal bank that were used to send funds to Somalia and other places overseas. Some have alleged that stolen social services funds directly or indirectly funded the terrorist group al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate based in Somalia. We have traced where the money went and are examining it, Bessent said. FinCEN has also issued a geographic targeting order for banks and money transmitters in the Twin Cities counties, requiring enhanced financial reporting that makes it easier for analysts to spot fraudulent activity. This will put a microscope on these businesses, advance prosecutions and assist in the recovery of funds laundered internationally, Bessent said. Advertisement Advertisement The IRS is auditing financial institutions that facilitated the laundering of Minnesota funds, and it is forming a new task force that will focus on investigating the abuse of pandemic-era tax incentives and the misuse of nonprofit tax exempt status by entities that participated in Minnesota based social services fraud schemes. The Treasury Department is also providing training to Minnesota law enforcement on how to better spot and prevent fraud. The Justice Department is carrying out its own investigations into the now-estimated $9 billion of Minnesota social services fraud, and the administration has frozen federal social services funding to Minnesota, California, Colorado, Illinois and New York. Bessent indicated investigations into other states are likely around the corner. The Minnesota protocols will serve as a genesis and a launching pad for investigations into other states, Bessent said. Treasury will deploy all tools, all tools, to bring an end to this egregious unchecked fraud and hold perpetrators to account. President Donald Trump laid into Republican Senator Susan Collins in an expletive-laden phone call after she voted against one of his top priorities. The president reportedly made a profanity-laced call to the vulnerable Republican senator on Thursday, sources told The Hill. Collins was one of five GOP senators to join Democrats in advancing a resolution on the War Powers Act from committee to the floor, which passed in a 52-47 vote earlier in the day. He was very mad about the vote, the source told The Hill. Very mad. Very hot. Senators Susan Collins (left) and Lisa Murkowski (right) both expressed fierce opposition to the U.S. trying to buy or invade Greenland on Wednesday. / Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images The resolution would block the presidents ability to use military force against Venezuela following the U.S. capture of the countrys president, Nicolas Maduro. This throws a wrench in Trumps plans to seize Venezuelas oil. Advertisement Advertisement The source told The Hill that the president basically read her the riot act, in a phone call that came out of the blue. Collins office confirmed to The Hill that the call took place, but did not include any additional details about what the president said. The Daily Beast has reached out to the senators representatives and the White House for comment. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with US oil executives in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 9, 2026. / SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images In addition to Collins, Republican senators Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young also voted to advance the war powers resolution. The move made Trump angry. He posted at length about the five conservative lawmakers on his social media platform, Truth Social. Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America, Trump wrote. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again. More than 200 people take part in a Hands off Venezuela protest against American military action to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in Cologne, Germany, on Jan. 8, 2026. / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via Getty Images Collins is up for reelection this year and faces a tight race as Democratic challengers gain in popularity. Her seat will be important for Republicans to maintain control of the Senate after the midterms. However, Trump has been a thorn in his partys side, openly expressing his wish to see Collins out. This latest call appears to reaffirm his animosity toward the senator. Advertisement Advertisement The president obviously is unhappy with the vote, Collins told reporters following Trumps ire. I guess this means that he would prefer to have Gov. Mills or somebody else with whom hes not had a great relationship. I dont know, Im just not going to comment. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio greets founder and CEO of Armstrong Oil and Gas Bill Armstrong as he arrives at a meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 9, 2026 in Washington, D.C. / Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images The president has faced pressure and criticism following the operation in Venezuela that ended in Maduros capture. While Maduro sits in custody awaiting trial, Trump has announced plans for the U.S. to run Venezuela and sell millions of barrels of its oil. Trump met with major oil executives from companies like Chevron and Exxon on Friday to discuss Venezuelas oil infrastructure. However, the president, 79, quickly veered off-topic, pausing the meeting to wax poetic about the White House ballroom currently under construction. Illinois residents who are behind in their student loan payments may start seeing smaller paychecks this year. Thats because President Donald Trumps administration has announced it will begin to garnish earnings of student loan borrowers who have defaulted meaning the borrower has not made payments on their loans in at least 270 days. Around 1,000 defaulted student loan borrowers will receive notices this week, with the number increasing every month, the U.S. Department of Education told NPR. This is the first time collections on student loans have resumed since 2020. Advertisement Advertisement So, what is wage garnishment? And how many Illinois residents will be impacted? Heres what to know. What is wage garnishment? The government can collect payments on defaulted student loans three different ways: withholding tax refunds, withholding federal payments and withholding money from the borrowers paycheck also wage garnishment. The companies that own the debt can order employers to withhold up to 15% of the borrowers earnings to collect the debt without taking the borrower to court. Notices must be sent out 30 days prior to the first wage garnishment. Following the notice, borrowers have the right to file for a hearing if they reject the action. If the borrower believes withholding 15% of their paycheck could lead to financial hardship, if they object to the existence, amount of the enforceability or if the borrower has been employed for less than 12 months, they can file for a hearing. Requests for a hearing should be made within 30 days of receiving the garnishment notice in the mail. Advertisement Advertisement Borrowers should contact their loan carrier to see how they can request a hearing, the Department of Education says. Hearing proceedings can be held in person in Atlanta, Chicago or San Francisco, over the phone or a decision can be made virtually through documents submitted in the case. A decision on the hearing would be made within 60 days. How much student debt does Illinois have? With a total of $63.2 billion in student debt, there are 1,623,900 student loan borrowers in Illinois, according to the Education Data Initiative. The average student loan borrower in Illinois has $39,042 in debt, and more than half of them are younger than 35. Around 22% owe between $20,000 and $40,000, and 2.85% owe more than $200,000. According to university site CollegeRaptor, Rush University in Chicago is the Illinois college with the highest rate of students defaulting on their loans two years after graduation. Advertisement Advertisement The top five colleges in Illinois with the highest default rate are: Rush University Northwestern University (Evanston) Wheaton College (Wheaton) University of Chicago Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Services (Quincy) Do you have a question about education in the metro-east or Illinois for the News-Democrat? Wed like to hear from you. Fill out our Metro-east Matters form below. Pennsylvania residents who are behind in their student loan payments may start seeing smaller paychecks beginning this year. Thats because President Donald Trumps administration has announced it will begin to garnish paychecks of student loan borrowers in default meaning the borrower has not made payments on the debt in at least 270 days. About 1,000 defaulted student loan borrowers will receive notices this week, with the number increasing every month, the U.S. Department of Education told NPR. This is the first time collections on student loans will be made since 2020 when the pandemic began. Advertisement Advertisement So, what is wage garnishment? How many Pennsylvania residents have student debt? Heres what to know. What is wage garnishment? The government can collect payments on defaulted student loans three different ways withholding tax refunds, withholding federal payments and withholding money from the borrowers paycheck, also called wage garnishment. The companies that hold student loan debt can order employers to withhold up to 15% of the borrowers paycheck to collect without taking the borrower to court. Notices must be sent out 30 days prior to the first wage garnishment. Following the notice, borrowers have the right to file for a hearing to contest the garnishment. If the borrower believes withholding 15% of their paycheck could lead to financial hardship, if they object to the existence, amount of the enforceability or if the borrower has been employed for less than 12 months, they can file for a hearing. Requests for a hearing should be made within 30 days of receiving the garnishment notice in the mail. Advertisement Advertisement Borrowers should contact their loan servicer to see how they can request a hearing, the Department of Education says. Hearing proceedings can be held in person in Atlanta, Chicago or San Francisco, over the phone or a decision can be made through documents submitted in the case. A decision on the hearing would be made within 60 days. How many Pennsylvania residents have student loans? According to the Education Data Initiative, Pennsylvanians hold $67.4 billion in student debt. There are more than 1.8 million borrowers living in Pennsylvania, with an average student debt of $36,120 per person. More than 14% percent of state residents have student loan debt, with 54.9% of borrowers being younger 35. Data shows 24.4% of borrowers have between $20,000 and $40,000 in debt, while 2.17% have more than $200,000. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in Cheyney is the institute in Pennsylvania with the highest rate in students defaulting on their loans within two years of graduation, university site CollegeRaptor reports. Thomas Jefferson University is the school with the lowest rate of students defaulting. Advertisement Advertisement Here are the five colleges with the highest two-year loan default rate: Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Lincoln University (Lincoln) Pittsburgh Technical College (Oakdale) Lackawanna College (Scranton) Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (Harrisburg) CORRECTION: This article was updated Jan. 12 to correct a reporting error to the universities with the highest two-year rate of loan default. President Donald Trump bragged about his opposition to wind turbines during a meeting with oil executives at the White House on Jan. 9, reiterating his long-stated dislike of "windmills." "In case you people dont know Im not much of a windmill person, the president told the oil executives. We have not approved one windmill since Ive been in office and were going to keep it that way." My goal is to not let any windmill be built. Theyre losers," Trump said. He railed against wind farms in Europe and Palm Springs, California, and falsely asserted a lack of wind turbines in China. Dominion Energy's coastal Virginia offshore wind turbines are a part of the energy company's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse speaks at a Aug. 25 press conference with Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, members of the state's congressional delegation and union members blasting the Trump administration's move to stop the almost-complete Revolution Wind project. Union members working on the now-halted Revolution Wind project attend the Aug. 25, 2025, press conference in North Kingstown with Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee and members of the state's congressional delegation. The South Fork Wind Farm project is silhouetted in the morning sun off the starboard side off the Patriot State as it steams towards Buzzards Bay passing through Rhode Island waters. Photo on February 22, 2025. Dominion Energy's coastal Virginia offshore wind turbines are a part of the energy company's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Trump doesn't like wind energy, so he's put offshore project on hold 1 of 5 Dominion Energy's coastal Virginia offshore wind turbines are a part of the energy company's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Europe is putting windmills all over the place and losing a fortune, the president said. Theyre destroying their country. Theyre destroying the beautiful landscapes. The beautiful everything. Advertisement Advertisement Go take a look at Palm Springs, California, and take a look at what that looks like, said Trump, who has railed against the wind turbines there for at least 13 years. Looks like a junkyard, a junkyard of steel. Just about all the windmills are made in China, Trump said. They make them and sell them to suckers like Europe and suckers like the United States before." All you have to do is say to China: 'How many windmill areas do you have in China?' So far they're not able to find any," he said. "They use coal and they use oil and gas and some nuclear, not much, but they don't have windmills." China has in fact become a world leader in the use of wind turbines to produce energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. How much wind energy capacity does China have? The Energy Department reported in 2025 that China added 79 gigawatts of wind generation capacity in 2024, growing its capacity by 18%. Its total wind capacity had reached 521 gigawatts. Advertisement Advertisement China had 138 offshore wind farms operating as of April 2025, according to Statista. It led the world in new offshore wind installations in 2024 for the seventh year in a row, according to a Global Offshore Wind Report by the Global Wind Energy Council, an international trade association. It has one of the highest expansion rates of any major market and was expected to install more than 87 gigawatts of wind power in 2025, according to the World Wind Energy Association. Wind and solar power were two of the fastest-growing energy sectors in the United States and produced as much as 17% of the countrys electricity in 2024, according to the Department of Energy. Land-based wind turbines produced 10% of the United States' electricity, the vast majority on private land, American Clean Power, an industry group, reported. Wind, solar and batteries had been responsible for close to 95% of all new energy capacity in the United States, said Jesse Lee, senior advisor at Climate Power, an advocacy organization devoted to climate change and clean energy. Since taking office a year ago, the president has been "successful at stomping out new wind and solar production" in many ways, Lee said. Advertisement Advertisement Clean Power criticized Trump for his meeting with the oil industry, which the advocacy group says donated hundreds of millions to influence the campaigns of Trump and other Republicans, "while taking a sledgehammer to the homegrown clean energy industry, which would actually lower energy costs for Americans." Trump had drawn the ire of climate change and environmental advocacy groups earlier in the week, when he announced the United States would withdraw from 66 treaties, conventions and organizations, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. U.S. President Donald Trump attends a meeting with oil industry executives, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 9, 2026. What has the Trump administration's stance been on wind energy? During the first year of his second administration, Trump declared a national energy emergency but also issued a flurry of executive orders and directives limiting new wind and solar projects, and took aim at renewable energy subsidies and incentives. One executive order temporarily halted offshore wind energy lease sales in federal waters and paused approvals, permits and loans for both offshore and onshore wind, USA TODAY previously reported. The administration has halted five ongoing projects off New England and faces lawsuits from companies that already had made significant investments in new wind energy before their projects were stopped, according to reporting by the Providence Journal and other news outlets in the USA TODAY Network in the region. Advertisement Advertisement Trump administration orders halt to offshore wind projects. What it means. Federal officials also were directed to review the environmental impact of wind projects on wildlife and consider the "economic costs associated with intermittent generation" and the effects of subsidies on the viability of the wind energy industry. Lee said Trump has "done his very best to ban wind and solar at a time where electricity demand is going through the roof because of data centers and AI." In July 2025, U.S. electricity peak demand set new record highs twice, according to the Energy Department. More: Is America done with clean energy? Why wind, solar power are in peril Advertisement Advertisement Trump vowed to continue his efforts against wind energy during the meeting with executives on Jan. 9, calling turbines the "worst form of energy." So we dont approve and Ive told my people we will not approve windmills," he said. "Maybe we get forced to do something because some stupid person in the Biden administration agreed to do something years ago. Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, wildlife and the environment. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump assails 'windmills' and wind energy as junk: 'They're losers' Turkeys state-owned oil and gas company, Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), has signed a memorandum of understanding with Exxon Mobil affiliate ESSO Exploration International Limited to explore new oil and natural gas prospects in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Ankara announced on Thursday. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the agreement aims to strengthen operational efficiency and accelerate new hydrocarbon discoveries by combining TPAOs deepwater exploration capabilities with Exxon Mobils international expertise. The MoU was signed in Istanbul by TPAO General Manager Cem Erdem and Exxon Mobil Vice President John Ardill. The deal builds on Turkeys expanding offshore ambitions, particularly in the Black Sea, where the Sakarya gas field has become the cornerstone of the countrys push to reduce energy import dependence. Sakarya began supplying gas to the Turkish grid in September 2023, with production rising steadily to 2.3 billion cubic meters in 2024. Daily output reached 9.5 million cubic meters earlier this year and is expected to exceed 3.3 billion cubic meters in 2025. TPAO recently announced a new gas discovery near Sakarya, adding an estimated 75 billion cubic meters of reserves from the Goktepe-3 well. This lifts total discovered Black Sea reserves to around 785 billion cubic meters, an amount the energy ministry says could meet Turkeys household gas demand for more than three years. At current market prices, the latest discovery alone is valued at roughly $30 billion. Looking ahead, Turkey plans to further scale production once a new floating production platform comes online in the third quarter of 2026, potentially lifting Sakaryas output above 18 million cubic meters per day. Ankara ultimately aims to raise total domestic gas production to 40 million cubic meters per day by 2028. The TPAOExxonMobil agreement also follows broader energy cooperation between the two countries, including a liquefied natural gas supply deal signed earlier this year. Turkish officials say such partnerships are central to Ankaras strategy to boost domestic production, diversify supply, and position Turkey as a regional energy hub. Oilprice Intelligence brings you the signals before they become front-page news. This is the same expert analysis read by veteran traders and political advisors. Get it free, twice a week, and you'll always know why the market is moving before everyone else. You get the geopolitical intelligence, the hidden inventory data, and the market whispers that move billions - and we'll send you $389 in premium energy intelligence, on us, just for subscribing. Join 400,000+ readers today. Get access immediately by clicking here. WASHINGTON (AP) In an unusual move, President Donald Trump posted a graph Thursday night on social media that reflected jobs data from December that werent supposed to be released until the Labor Department issued the monthly employment report Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. eastern. The monthly jobs numbers are a closely guarded secret because they can cause sharp swings in financial markets when released. Friday's report, in fact, contributed to a rise in stock prices and a slight decline in bond yields. It showed a small drop in the unemployment rate, to 4.4%, and a modest job gain, reassuring economists that hiring hasn't fallen off a cliff after the economy shed jobs in August and October. Early copies of the report are kept under lock and key at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which compiles the data. White House economic officials receive an advance copy each month on Thursday afternoon and sign agreements to keep the numbers confidential, though they also write up a summary for the president. Trump posted a graphic from the summary Thursday night. Advertisement Advertisement I dont know if they posted them, Trump told reporters Friday afternoon. They gave me some numbers. When people give me things, I post them. Erica Groshen, a former BLS commissioner, said that early disclosures can technically be punished by fines and even jail time, though previous breaches typically have been met with a slap on the wrist. Trump posted a graphic Thursday night that showed businesses had added 654,000 positions since January, while government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels had cut 181,000 jobs. Those data reflected hiring in December as well as revisions to previous months that weren't supposed to be revealed until Friday morning. Trump also said the numbers were amazing, though overall job gains last year were just 584,000, the smallest annual increase outside of a recession since 2003. In 2024, just over 2 million jobs were added. US President Donald Trump is becoming increasingly frustrated with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and now sees him as a bigger obstacle to peace in Ukraine than President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Source: The Telegraph, citing sources, as reported by European Pravda Details: Sources told The Telegraph that Trump's decision to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker and support a new sanctions bill had been intended as a message to Putin that his time to end the war is running out. Advertisement Advertisement A source close to the president's inner circle said: "He works around a carrot and stick approach. And I think he's all out of carrots." Another source added that Trump finds the Russian strategy of "two steps forward, one step back" in talks increasingly exhausting. Previously, Trump had spoken favourably of Putin and suggested Ukraine was to blame for the war. However, according to several current and former Washington officials, the Trump administration's stance is now aligning more closely with the European view that Putin is playing a game with no end in sight. Russia launched ballistic missiles and drones on Kyiv the day before Zelenskyy met Trump at Mar-a-Lago late last year. A UK official said this had prompted Trump's administration to adopt a position closer to the European perspective on the war than ever before. The official said that Putin's ongoing brutality, deceitful behaviour and gamesmanship are not going unnoticed by the administration. Background: At a recent press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump expressed his personal irritation with Putin, saying: "I'm not thrilled with Putin; he kills too many people." On 7 January, US special forces risked confrontation with Moscow when they boarded a Russian-registered tanker subject to sanctions. Hours later, the White House confirmed that Trump had given the "green light" to the sanctions bill during a meeting with Senator Lindsey Graham. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! President Trump on Thursday laid into Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) with a profanity-laced phone call after she supported a Democratic-led war powers resolution over his actions in Venezuela. According to two sources familiar, a fuming Trump dialed up Collins, the foremost Senate GOP centrist, during the vote aimed at blocking the White House from using military force against Venezuela. He called her and then basically read her the riot act, one Senate GOP member told The Hill, describing it as a profanity-laced rant on Trumps end. Advertisement Advertisement The GOP member also noted that the call came out of the blue as the two do not talk frequently. A second source familiar with the call said Trump told Collins that the resolution, which passed, 52-47, was limiting his ability to do his job as commander-in-chief. He was very mad about the vote, the source said. Very mad. Very hot. A Collins spokesperson confirmed the call took place but declined further comment. The Hill reached out to the White House with a request for comment. Trump followed up the vote by posting on Truth Social that Collins and the four other Senate Republicans who backed discharging the resolution Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Todd Young (Ind.) should never be elected to office again. Advertisement Advertisement Republicans should be ashamed of the senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America, Trump posted. This Vote greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the Presidents Authority as Commander in Chief. Collins is widely considered the most vulnerable Republican incumbent up for reelection in November. She fired back at Trumps criticism to reporters shortly after, saying that it means he would prefer to have one of her potential general election opponents in the seat. The president obviously is unhappy with the vote. I guess this means that he would prefer to have Gov. Mills or somebody else with whom hes not had a great relationship. I dont know, Im just not going to comment, Collins told reporters when asked about Trumps sharp criticism. Advertisement Advertisement Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) and Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and progressive candidate, are vying for the Democratic nod. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) noted that Trump was fired up in a phone call just prior to Thursdays vote. The Republican leader also told reporters following the tally that his social media remarks were a short-term, immediate reaction to something he felt strongly about. Updated at 5:43 p.m. EST Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Say what you will of U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, but hes arguably one of the most knowledgeable and experienced foreign policy experts in the U.S. today. Risch has been on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for nearly 20 years and is serving his second stint as the chairman of that committee. Unfortunately, he has rendered the Foreign Relations Committee irrelevant. Take the kidnapping of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro under the guise of being a law enforcement action to halt drug trafficking. Advertisement Advertisement When youre in the business of flooding drugs into the United States, having elections the way Maduro got into power, thats not right, Risch told Fox News, parroting President Donald Trumps talking points. Its not good for our hemisphere. Its bad for the United States of America, bad for the American people who we work for. But the naked admission by the Trump administration after the fact that this was all about seizing Venezuelas oil reserves belies the pretense of a military incursion. Where is the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in all of this? Where are the hearings on the kidnapping of Maduro and Trumps vow to run the country? Where are the hearings on the extrajudicial killings of suspected drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean? Advertisement Advertisement Once a vocal supporter of U.S. Agency for International Development, Risch sat by silently as Trump and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency dismantled it and even voted in favor of completely defunding it. What about Russias invasion of Ukraine? Was the missile that hit western Ukraine recently a message to Europe that the Putin Doctrine is in effect for Russias sphere of influence? Could Poland be next? What about Romania? Why havent we heard from Risch about this new development? For that matter, where is the committee when it comes to all of Trumps obsessions, such as making Canada a state or taking over Greenland? Trumps actions elsewhere and his ridiculous rhetoric on Greenland beg for oversight and guidance from the Senate. But Risch just watches and nods. Advertisement Advertisement In doing so, hes shirking his duty. His role and the role of Congress is not simply to be a rubber stamp for the executive branch; it is to be a check on the executive branch. But Congress under Republican control has abdicated that constitutional duty with a Republican president, of course. We cant help but imagine what Rischs reaction would have been if President Biden had invaded Venezuela. Trumps actions are being labeled Donroe Doctrine, after the Monroe Doctrine, James Monroes 1823 warning that the Western Hemisphere was under the United States sphere of influence, and that Europe should not meddle in the affairs of countries in our neighborhood. Advertisement Advertisement So the United States might not be the policeman of the world, but we apparently are now the policeman of half the world? Is this the path we want to take the country down? Seems like a germane question for the Foreign Relations Committee. Let us posit this: If the United States can invade a foreign country, kidnap its president, take control of its resources and run the country, all under the guise of that country being situated within our sphere of influence, what is stopping China from invading Taiwan certainly well within Chinas sphere of influence and taking over its valuable resource of semiconductors? Taiwan, by the way, produces 60% of the worlds semiconductors. China produces another 20%. Risch has long understood rightly so that China is the greatest longterm threat to the United States. Advertisement Advertisement But by invading Venezuela, the United States has lost any claim to moral high ground and has opened the door for China to do the same. Surely, Risch understands this. Unfortunately, hes not acting like it. Statesman editorials are the opinion of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, assistant editor Jim Keyser and community members John Hess, Debbie McCormick and Julie Yamamoto. President Donald Trump spoke by phone Wednesday with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, an unexpected turn toward dialogue after months of escalating tensions that peaked when Trump called Colombia a "sick man" and said the idea of American military action there "sounds good to me." Leaders Strike Softer Tone After Fiery Rhetoric Trump said on Truth Social that he "appreciated [Petro's] call and tone," adding that the two leaders are planning to meet at the White House at some point. He said Petro called "to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had." Donald Trump's Truth Social post after a call with Columbian President Gustavo Petro Don't Miss: Fast Company Calls It a Groundbreaking Step for the Creator Economy' Investors Can Still Get In at $0.85/Share Sam Altman Says AI Will Transform the Economy This Platform Lets Investors Back Private Tech Early Advertisement Advertisement Colombia's embassy in Washington said in a statement that Bogota "welcomes the constructive tone of the exchange" and "remains committed to open dialogue." Petro wrote on X that he and Trump discussed their rift over "his vision of the relationship between the United States and Latin America," saying he believes the United States can partner with the region on energy through major US investments but should not treat it solely as a source of oil. Entre las cosas que hablamos, el presidente Trump y yo, fue el desencuentro que tuvimos en su vision de la relacion de EEUU con America Latina. Dije en mi carta escrita a Trump en el inicio de su gobierno, y a Biden personalmente que se podia establecer un alianza americana, si pic.twitter.com/z2FSfWafdl Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 8, 2026 Trending: This Real Estate Fund Pays 10x More Than the Average Savings Account Invest From Just $100 Petro Pushes Partnership Over Oil-Only US Approach Petro's post included an illustration of a jaguar and a bald eagle embracing, imagery he has used before while warning that US strikes on Colombia would "awaken the jaguar." Advertisement Advertisement Relations have frayed as Washington accuses Bogota of failing to curb surging cocaine output. A UN report last year found coca cultivation in Colombia hit a two-decade high in 2023, with potential cocaine production jumping 53% from the year before. In October, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Petro and members of his family, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying the Colombian leader "has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity." See Also: GM-Backed EnergyX Is Solving the Lithium Supply Crisis Invest Before They Scale Global Production Drug Surge, Sanctions And Raids Drive Tensions Petro has rejected the allegations, arguing his government has overseen record cocaine seizures and blaming global demand for fueling the trade. He has also been a fierce critic of US military operations near Latin America, including strikes on suspected drug boats. Advertisement Advertisement Tensions intensified in the South American region further after US forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend in a raid Trump hailed as a major anti-drug victory, while Petro condemned it as an "aggression" against Latin American sovereignty. Read Next: An EA Co-Founder Shapes This VC Backed MarketplaceNow You Can Invest in Gaming's Next Big Platform Before the Raise Ends 1/19 Photo: noamgalai/Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Advertisement Advertisement Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga: This article Trump Had 'Constructive' Talk With Colombia's President Petro And Looks Forward To A Meeting At The White House: 'Appreciated His Call And Tone' originally appeared on Benzinga.com President Donald Trump this week lashed out at congressional Republicans like he rarely has before. He got so mad at a handful of Senate Republicans on Thursday that he said five of them roughly 1 out of every 10 should never be elected to office again. His list of offenders even included one, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who might be the most vulnerable Republican in the 2026 election. (One of Collins Democratic opponents, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, had some fun with this.) It was an extraordinary day for Republicans, from whom Trump expects fealty, showing their nerve. Advertisement Advertisement The signs have been growing for a while now that Republicans are starting to grow a little more comfortable casting votes against Trump, most notably at the state level last month in Indiana. And this week such votes in Congress came fast. Most or all of the votes are likely to be symbolic and dont appear to have adjusted the presidents course at least yet. And there remains plenty of evidence that fear of Trump is still an animating principle in the GOP. But the rebukes were symbolic on some pretty significant issues. And they provide growing evidence that Trump, whose power relies on the domination of his party, is losing his iron grip on it. The Senate War Powers vote Perhaps most striking was the five Senate Republicans who voted to advance a measure limiting Trumps power to launch further military strikes in Venezuela the vote that drew Trump to lash out on social media. The measure is expected to pass the chamber next week. Advertisement Advertisement While some GOP defections were expected, the volume of them was surprising. Trump even lost the vote of oft-loyalist Sen. Josh Hawley of deep red Missouri. The vote also raises the real prospect that both Republican-controlled chambers of Congress could vote to check Trumps power here, when the House votes later this month on a similar measure. (Two House Republicans bucked Trump last month before the Venezuela strike, when a similar vote narrowly failed. And the GOPs majority in that chamber has since shrunk.) Even if both chambers passed the same piece of legislation checking Trumps authority, he could just veto it. Advertisement Advertisement But the symbolism here is huge especially as the president eyes a more in-your-face and expansionist foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere, including with his play for Greenland (which well get to). Much of that relies on the threat of military force, whether explicit or implicit, but Congress and these Republicans arent playing ball and are undermining his leverage. The House votes Thursday was a particularly inauspicious day for Trump in the House. Across a trio of votes two attempting to override his vetoes on local projects and a much-bigger vote to extend the lapsed enhanced Obamacare subsidies for three years Trump lost the votes of 35, 24 and 17 House Republicans. As percentages of House Republicans voting, those amounted to 16.5%, 11% and 8% of the conference. Those are not overwhelming percentages, but they do represent significant portions of the party, the likes of which we dont often see, all the same day. Advertisement Advertisement And the Obamacare vote is especially troubling for Trump. The subsidies were the crux of the government shutdown late last year, and Trump has resisted extending them. He has instead signaled a desire for a more GOP-friendly proposal. But Republicans seem to be losing patience and worrying greatly about the expiration of the subsidies blowing back on them in the midterms. (A handful of them previously cued up this vote by signing a discharge petition forged by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries a hugely symbolic rebuke of the president in and of itself.) Much has yet to play out, but the pressure is growing on Trump to consent to something that would once have been unthinkable for him: subsidizing Obamacare. And Thursdays vote, which succeeded easily, 230-196, clearly upped the pressure. The other stuff A couple other developments are also worth noting in this context. Advertisement Advertisement One was Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina forcing through a bill by unanimous consent that would display a long-delayed plaque honoring law enforcement who defended the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The reason that was significant? It came just days after Trumps White House launched one of its most brazen efforts to rewrite the history of January 6 effectively blaming the police for the riot in a factually ridiculous timeline released on the fifth anniversary. And on the foreign policy front, we saw a rather remarkable number of warning shots from Senate Republicans, especially when it came to Trumps designs on adding Greenland through coercion or even military force. Several regular Trump allies cast his play as ridiculous and potentially damaging to the NATO alliance. What it means Trumps critics will be tempted to label some or all of these rebukes as thin gruel. None of the measures that passed Thursday thanks to GOP crossovers are likely to become law. Republicans could certainly go a lot further to bind Trumps hands on something like Greenland, if they wanted to. Advertisement Advertisement There is also thus far limited evidence that any of their efforts to check Trump have forced him to change his course and relent. And in fact, CNNs Annie Grayer reported Friday on how Trumps threats after the Senate war powers vote actually dissuaded some House Republicans from voting to override Trumps vetoes. Clearly, Trumps wrath still matters. But many of these examples apply significant pressure, even just as statements of intent. Republicans seem to be warning Trump to avert his course on some huge issues especially his taste for imperialism and the health care debate. And the fact remains that this just isnt normal. I wrote in October about how rare it was for congressional Republicans to vote against Trump. Now we have it happening on multiple issues in both chambers on the same day. Advertisement Advertisement And thats a dangerous development for Trump, because he needs these Republicans to fear him and stay in line in order to continue wielding his often-unchecked power. For whatever reason, his and the White Houses response to the Indiana vote last month didnt do the trick. Republicans appear emboldened to vote against him. Watch this space. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Trump announced Friday he will meet with Colombian President Gustavo Petro next month in Washington. I look forward to having a meeting with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, in the White House, during the first week of February, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. I am sure it will work out very well for Colombia, and the U.S.A., but, cocaine and other drugs must be STOPPED from coming into the United States, he continued. Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this week, Trump and Petro spoke over the phone, which he called a great honor. I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future. Arrangements are being made between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Foreign Minister of Colombia, the president wrote in a Truth Social post. Trump and Petro exchanged barbs following the U.S. operation to capture Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. president had previously accused his Colombian counterpart of making cocaine and selling it to the United States. When asked Sunday about a potential military operation in Colombia, Trump said sounds good to me. Advertisement Advertisement Petro called on Colombians to defend national sovereignty and warned against U.S. intervention after the Venezuela strike. If you bomb peasants, thousands of guerrillas will return to the mountains, Petro said, according to The City Paper Bogota. And if you arrest the president whom a good part of my people want and respect, you will unleash the popular jaguar. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. At the White House on Friday, Donald Trump endorsed his vice-presidents baseless claim that Renee Good, the 37-year-old woman killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday, was part of a shadowy leftwing network trying to incite violence against federal agents. Asked by a Fox News correspondent to expand on JD Vances comments about Good, the president said that the vice-president is generally very accurate and then cited what he referred to as evidence that at least one person in Goods vicinity when she was killed was probably a paid agitator. The claim that none of the protesters who oppose his mass deportation campaign are motivated by horror at what is being done to their neighbors, but must be paid operatives, is a familiar one for Trump, who has made it repeatedly in recent months. Advertisement Advertisement In Goods case, Trump focused on the fact that, in video of federal agents killing her that was recorded by a witness, someone could be heard screaming the word shame repeatedly, which indicated to him that that person must have been a professional troublemaker. I watched that, Trump said. There was a woman screaming: Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame! She was a[n] agitator, probably a paid agitator, but in my opinion she was an agitator, a very high-level agitator, so professional. She wouldnt stop screaming. It was unclear whether the person who screamed shame at the ICE officers at least 10 times during the incident was the person who recorded the video, or someone standing near her. But the presidents assertion that only a paid agitator would scream at ICE agents carrying out immigration raids on the streets of American cities is contradicted by hundreds of recorded incidents over the past year. The video did capture a witness to the killing of Good screaming shame at the agents at two different points. First, the person screamed the word twice as the agents attempted to pull Good from her vehicle and then opened fire. Advertisement Advertisement A short time later, as the person recording the incident approached the agent who killed Good, their voice, or that of someone behind them, could be heard shouting the admonition at him eight more times as he walked away from the scene. The president also complained that the persons horrified screams had made it difficult for him to watch the video of the killing on television. The news sort of turned her down, turned her off because youre trying to watch - she was so loud and so crazy and just not normal, he said. When somebody sees something like that, he said, referring to the point-blank shooting of a neighbor, they dont go screaming and screaming, and the same words. So, I guess you could say, professional, but I didnt think she did a very good job. You have agitators, the president concluded, and we will always be protecting ICE, and were always going to be protecting our border patrol and our law enforcement. Donald Trump has insisted he doesnt need to abide by international law and the only constraint keeping his power in check is his own morality. In a wide-ranging defence of a week of global provocation, the U.S. president laid out the motivation behind his actions. In the last six days alone, he has launched strikes on Venezuela and captured its president Nicolas Maduro, repeatedly voiced his intention to take over Greenland and claimed that Colombia could be next on his list. Advertisement Advertisement I dont need international law, Trump told The New York Times in an interview in the Oval Office. Im not looking to hurt people. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has successfully tested many of the constitutional and legal limits to his authority firing the heads of independent agencies, attempting to rewrite the 14th Amendment and punishing federal judges who insist on giving immigrants due process. But the presidents more recent decision to conduct aggressive military operations without congressional consent and threaten to take over allies territory has worried international leaders. When asked if there were limits to his power, Trump replied: Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. Its the only thing that can stop me. Advertisement Advertisement The president added that his administration did need to follow international law, but contended that following it depends what your definition of international law is. In an interview with The New York Times, Trump indicated he did not feel his authority was limited by law (Getty) The president also explained how he uses his reputation for unpredictability and his readiness to deploy military action, such as the bombing of Iran, as tools to get other nations to do what he wants. His comments indicate that he believes his use of the U.S. military, economy and political authority to assert dominance over foreign countries could take precedence over following international law or treaties to maintain civility with allies and adversaries. This past week, his administration ramped up rhetoric about the U.S. using military forces to take over Greenland, a Danish territory. Advertisement Advertisement We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, Trump told reporters Sunday. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, echoed the presidents remarks later on CNN, claiming the U.S. would use its military unapologetically and that nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland. Other administration officials, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, downplayed the reality of a military invasion. The administrations unabashed bid to take over the island has raised global concerns, especially after Venezuela. Nicolas Maduro pictured at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, before being taken to court in New York (Reuters) When asked whether the U.S. allegiance to NATO outweighed the desire to take over Greenland, the president responded, It may be a choice. Advertisement Advertisement Explaining why he felt the need to own the island, he told NYT: Because thats what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you cant do with, youre talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you cant get from just signing a document. Trump insisted that his actions in Venezuela would not embolden Chinese president Xi Jinping or Russian leader Vladimir Putin to take further action in their own regions. He said the situation in Venezuela was different to China: You didnt have the jails of Taiwan opened up and the people pouring into China. When asked if he thought Xi might now make a move on Taiwan, he replied: He may do it after we have a different president, but I dont think hes going to do it with me as president. President Donald Trump says the US needs to "own" Greenland to prevent Russia and China from doing so. "Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership, you don't defend leases. And we'll have to defend Greenland," Trump told reporters on Friday, in response to a question from the BBC. The US will do it "the easy way" or "the hard way", he added. The White House recently said the administration was considering buying the semi-autonomous territory of fellow Nato member Denmark, but it would not rule out the option of annexing it by force. Advertisement Advertisement Denmark and Greenland say the territory is not for sale. Denmark has said military action would spell the end of the trans-Atlantic defence alliance. Greenland's party leaders, including the opposition, reiterated their call for the "US's disregard for our country to end" in a joint statement on Friday night. "We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders," they said. "The future of Greenland must be decided by the Greenlandic people." Despite being the most sparsely populated territory, Greenland's location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks, and for monitoring vessels in the region. Advertisement Advertisement The US president has repeatedly said that Greenland is vital to US national security, claiming without evidence that it was "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place". The US already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland's north-western tip - a facility that has been operated by the US since World War Two. Under existing agreements with Denmark, the US has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland. Advertisement Advertisement But Trump told reporters in Washington that a lease agreement was not good enough. "Countries can't make nine-year deals or even 100-year deals," he said, adding that they had to have ownership. "I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia," Trump said. "But I don't want them as a neighbour in Greenland, not going to happen. "And by the way, Nato's got to understand that." Denmark's Nato allies - major European countries as well as Canada - have rallied to its support this week with statements reaffirming that "only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations". Advertisement Advertisement Stressing they were as keen as the US on Arctic security, they have said this must be achieved by allies, including the US, "collectively". They also called for "upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders". Concerns over the future of the territory resurfaced after Trump's use of military force against Venezuela on Saturday to seize its president, Nicolas Maduro. Trump previously made an offer to buy the island in 2019, during his first presidential term, only to be told it was not for sale. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is to hold talks with Denmark next week. Advertisement Advertisement In recent years, there has been increased interest in Greenland's natural resources - including rare earth minerals, uranium and iron - which are becoming easier to access as its ice melts due to climate change. Scientists think it could also have significant oil and gas reserves. Stuart Brown is stepping down as head of trading at $55 billion hedge fund Viking Global. Brown has worked at the hedge fund for 18 years, according to his profile on the firm's website. The hedge fund was up only 8.6%, trailing the market and many Tiger Cub peers. Billionaire Andreas Halvorsen will soon lose another longtime lieutenant. Stuart Brown, the longtime head of trading for Viking Global, is stepping down from the $55 billion asset manager to take a career break, two people familiar with the move told Business Insider. The firm declined to comment, and Brown could not be reached for comment. Brown was at the long-running Tiger Cub, a nickname for hedge funds that spun out of late billionaire Julian Robertson's Tiger Management, for 18 years, according to his bio on the firm's website. He joined the firm after working on the corporate credit sales desk at Credit Suisse. One of the people close to the firm said Brown's official departure date is not yet known. Brown will help the firm during a transition period, this person said. Viking has lost several senior members of its team in recent years, which now numbers 275 employees, according to the firm's site. From the investing side, Ning Jin, the former chief investment officer of Viking, left the firm in August 2024 to start his own fund, Avantyr Capital. On the operations side of the business, the firm's former general counsel, Andrew Genser, joined former Viking portfolio manager Divya Nettimi's fund, Avala Global, last summer. Viking's director of recruiting, Kevin Curtis, moved to Bobby Jain's eponymous fund in September 2025, and the firm's former investor relations head, Savina Boyadjieva, just started as a partner at Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital. While Viking's peers include long-short equity funds such as Tiger Global, Coatue, Lone Pine, D1, Maverick, and others, the firm is not as tech-heavy as some of the other Tiger Cubs. In some years, such as 2022, this can help the manager, but when mega-stocks like Nvidia, Amazon, and Microsoft drive a bulk of the market's returns, it can lead to Viking missing out on some gains. Last year was an example of this: Viking returned less than 9% on the year in its flagship fund, a person close to the manager said, less than the S&P 500 index. Read the original article on Business Insider President Donald Trump on Friday continued to press for U.S. control of Greenland, telling reporters: "We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not." "Because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor," Trump said as he hosted oil executives at the White House to discuss investments in Venezuela. The president has repeatedly said he wants to take over Greenland either by buying the autonomous island territory or by using military force, calling it a matter of national security despite fierce pushback from Greenland, Denmark and European allies. Advertisement Advertisement US military is 'always an option' for Trump to acquire Greenland, White House official says "Greenland is not for sale. I think our Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and our Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt has made it very, very clear. Our country belongs to the Greenlandic people," Jacob Isbosethsen, Greenlands head of representation to the United States, said to journalists on Thursday after a closed-door meeting with members of Congress. When asked on Friday for how much money he believed it would take to get Greenland on board with his proposal, Trump said, "I'm not talking about money for Greenland yet. I might talk about that." "I would like to make a deal, you know, the easy way. But if we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way," Trump said. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President Donald Trump attends a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington. High-profile Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have also poured cold water on Trump's aim to acquire Greenland. Advertisement Advertisement "I think it's been made clear from our Danish friends and from our friends in Greenland that that future does not include a negotiation. There's no willingness on their part to negotiate for the purchase or the change in title to their land, which they've had for so long," Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said after meeting with Isbosethsen and Denmark's Ambassador to the United States Jesper Mller Srensen on Thursday. "There is no reason for a negotiation around who controls Greenland because Greenland and the United States and Denmark have been allies. We share the same values, we have worked cooperatively together," Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said after the meeting. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP, Files - PHOTO: Houses covered by snow are seen on the coast of a sea inlet of Nuuk, Greenland, March 7, 2025. House Speaker Mike Johnson, one of Trump's top allies, notably dismissed any assertion that the U.S. would use military action to acquire Greenland. "I don't think anybody's seriously considering that. And in the Congress, we're certainly not," Johnson said at a news conference on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Rubio says Trump wants to buy Greenland while White House dangles military option Still, Vice President JD Vance on Thursday said to take Trump at his word on the issue and defended the administration's interest in the island territory. "I guess my advice to European leaders and anybody else would be to take the president of the United States seriously," Vance told reporters at a press briefing with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. "No. 1, Greenland is really important, not just to America's missile defense, but to the world's missile defense. No. 2, we know that there are hostile adversaries that have shown a lot of interest in that particular territory, that particular slice of the world," Vance said. Advertisement Advertisement Next week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with his counterparts from Denmark and Greenland after they requested an urgent meeting with him. ABC News' Allison Pecorin and Jay O'Brien contributed to this report. By Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trumps sweeping immigration crackdown increasingly is sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and U.S. citizens, a development grimly underscored by an ICE officers fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman this week. Under Trumps orders to ramp up deportations, masked immigration officers have surged into Democratic-led cities, sprayed tear gas in residential streets, tackled people in parking lots and pointed guns at bystanders trying to film them. Advertisement Advertisement A federal officer in Minneapolis dragged a woman through a snowy street in an incident last month that the citys police chief called an egregious disregard for human dignity. These contentious encounters, which have come amid a push to quickly recruit and train thousands of new officers, have stemmed from a dramatic shift in the approach to immigration enforcement, according to current and former immigration officials. The White House demanded a steep increase in immigration arrests in late May, leading officers to change tactics, embracing showy sweeps over more targeted arrests of people with serious criminal records. Since then, officers have been met with more public backlash and resistance, at times creating tense standoffs. Its this high-visibility, high-footprint, high-contact form of operation that invites danger, said former ICE official Scott Shuchart, who served in Joe Bidens administration. Advertisement Advertisement Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have all defended the ICE officer who killed Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother of three, and portrayed her as an agitator trying to disrupt enforcement operations. Within hours of the incident, Noem alleged that Good tried to ram the officer with her vehicle in an act of domestic terrorism. In response to a Reuters request for comment, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson accused Democrats and news outlets of demonizing ICE officers and encouraging backlash. "The Democrats lies have directly fueled their supporters to harass and impede law enforcement, which is the cause of any tensions and puts officers at risk," Jackson said. Advertisement Advertisement The ICE officer involved in the fatal shooting, Jonathan Ross, fired the first of three shots as Good's vehicle moved past him, a Reuters analysis of the available visuals showed. Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin defended the Trump administration's approach and said the officer in Minneapolis feared for his life. ICE law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations," she said. One former ICE official who spoke with Reuters blamed Democratic leaders for fueling the backlash by refusing to cooperate with ICE and publicly criticizing their work. Another said it was jarring to see protesters following officers with whistles, trying to disrupt their work. In Minnesota, they have been pelted with snowballs. Advertisement Advertisement ICE POISED TO RAMP UP IN 2026 The administration is preparing to spend tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to hire more immigration officers and intensify its operations, raising concerns such violence could grow in the coming year. Several current and former ICE officers, speaking on the condition of anonymity to speak openly about sensitive matters, expressed concerns that ICE could bring on less-qualified candidates with its accelerated hiring push. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said earlier this month that it had hired 12,000 new ICE officers on top of an existing force of 10,000, although some questioned whether that many were actually fully hired and working. DHS' internal watchdog is conducting a review of ICEs hiring practices, with staff expected to visit the departments Georgia training facility in coming weeks, one of the former ICE officials said. The new curriculum cuts involved halving training for firearms and tactics, the former ICE official said. Advertisement Advertisement The training for new ICE officers had previously been five months but the Trump administration reduced it to two months as part of its effort to speed up hires, McLaughlin said, adding that it was done to "cut redundancy" and that candidates still meet the same standards. Even as immigration enforcement becomes more contentious and ICE adds thousands more officers, the agency will have less oversight than in previous years after several DHS oversight bodies experienced mass staffing cuts last year. SHOOTINGS FOLLOW IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN Federal immigration officers have shot people in 16 incidents since Trump intensified his crackdown in June, according to The Trace, a non-profit news outlet that tracks gun violence. Advertisement Advertisement In some of the cases, immigration officials said agents were under threat due to vehicles being used as weapons, though video evidence and judges later raised questions about those claims. The incidents included the fatal shooting in Chicago of a Mexican father of two after dropping off his kids, the shooting of a TikTok streamer in Los Angeles and a U.S. citizen in Chicago. John Tsoukaris, a former top ICE official who retired in July, said the ICE officer who fired the fatal shots in Minneapolis may have been within the bounds of protocol and that an investigation would be needed to determine the facts. "In these very stressful and challenging situations, officers have to make a split-second decision," said Tsoukaris, who was a field office director for ICEs office in Newark, New Jersey. "We should not rush to judgment of the officers actions without the full picture." Advertisement Advertisement KAVANAUGH STOPS OPEN DOOR TO BROAD SWEEPS The Supreme Court in September said the Trump administration could stop people in U.S. cities for reasonable suspicion of violating immigration laws based on factors such as having brown skin or speaking Spanish, a position defended by Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a concurrence at the time. Opponents of Trumps aggressive enforcement say such Kavanaugh stops by ICE and Border Patrol have inflamed tensions. Darius Reeves, a former ICE field office director who retired in 2025, said the Trump administration's confrontational approach is putting officers at risk and increasing the likelihood of violent interactions. Advertisement Advertisement Reeves, who spent more than two decades at the agency, said ICE historically tried to minimize its public presence and operate in a more targeted manner. "We should not be flooding these neighborhoods and antagonizing people," Reeves said. "This is not going to go well. (Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Craig Timberg and Diane Craft) WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said the United States will soon begin targeting drug cartels by land and suggested the operations could take place in Mexico. "We are going to now start hitting land with regard to the cartels," Trump said in a Jan. 8 interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity. "The cartels are running Mexico. It's very, very sad to watch and see what's happening to their country." Trump has previously threatened military operations by land to take out cartels, but his latest comments mark his most direct signal of an operation in the works. It comes after the U.S. military on Jan. 3, at Trump's direction, captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and brought him to the United States on drug trafficking charges. Advertisement Advertisement More: Trump meets with oil execs after Venezuela attack. Here's why. A still image from video posted by the White House's Rapid Response 47 account on X.com, which originated from the @PaulDMauro account, shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro being walked in custody down a hallway at the offices of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in New York City on Jan. 3, 2026. Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, pictured here after his capture aboard the USS Iwo Jima, is seen in this handout image posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on Truth Social Jan. 3, 2026. The United States captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife in an overnight military operation on Jan. 3, 2026, President Donald Trump said, as explosions rocked Caracas and targets across the country. Picture of fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. Loud explosions, accompanied by sounds resembling aircraft flyovers, were heard in Caracas around 2:00 am on January 3. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is led in custody from a U.S. federal airplane before his scheduled court appearance at Manhattan federal court, at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, U.S. January 3, 2026. A photograph posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account shows him sitting next to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as they watch the U.S. military operation in Venezuela from Trump's Mar a Lago resort, in Palm Beach, Florida, January 3, 2026. Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. Picture showing damages to a building in the port of La Guaira, Venezuela, after a US military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, on January 3, 2026. Smoke rises from explosions in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from video obtained by Reuters. Helicopters fly past plumes of smoke rising from explosions, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026 in this screen grab obtained from video obtained by Reuters. A military personnel member walks past debris at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 3, 2026. Civilians who were living inside Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex leave the compound, in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026. A column of smoke rises during multiple explosions in the early hours of the morning, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026 in this screen grab obtained from video obtained by Reuters. A destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 3, 2026. A firefighter walks past a destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. Destroyed vehicles at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. A member of the National Guard stands guard at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a "large scale strike" on the South American country. A Colombian soldier stands guard at the border between Venezuela and Colombia, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 3, 2026. Colombian police and military personnel stand guard at the border between Venezuela and Colombia, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 3, 2026. A destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. A man walks next to military vehicles as Colombian soldiers patrol the border between Venezuela and Colombia, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 3, 2026. Passengers sleep on the floor, after flights were delayed and cancelled when the airspace was closed due to U.S. strikes on Venezuela overnight, at Rafael Hernandez International Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico January 3, 2026. U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jets sit parked on the tarmac at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, January 3, 2026. Colombian soldiers in a military vehicle at the border between Venezuela and Colombia, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 3, 2026. A car drives on an empty street, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela January 3, 2026. A cyclist stops to check their phone, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela January 3, 2026. F-22, C-130 and F-35 aircraft are seen at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, January 3, 2026. A supporter of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a flag of Venezuela on an empty street near Miraflores Palace, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured President Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. A person wears a Venezuelan flag, as they and others react to the news after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Miami, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026. People react to the news after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, on the streets of Miami, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026. A person wearing a hat that reads "America first" reacts to the news after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Doral, Miami, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026. A man holds a flag reading "Make Venezuela Great Again", as people react to the news after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Doral, Miami, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026. A photograph posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account shows him sitting next to CIA Director John Ratcliffe as they watch the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, January 3, 2026. Armed supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro block the entrace to the 23 de enero neighborhood in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured him. Picture showing damages to the port of La Guaira, Venezuela, after a US military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, on January 3, 2026. An armed supporter of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blocks the entrace to the 23 de enero neighborhood in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured him. Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab, raises his clenched fist as he leaves the vice-presidency building in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro. The airplane carrying Venezuelan President Nicolas Madura lands at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y. at approximately 4:30pm Jan. 3, 2026. A motorcade carrying ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro leaves the Westside Heliport in New York on January 3, 2026. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived Saturday evening at a military base in the United States after his capture by US forces in Caracas. Maduro was seen surrounded by FBI agents as he descended the boarding stairs of a US government plane at a New York state National Guard facility, and was slowly escorted along the tarmac. A helicopter carrying ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro comes in to land at the Westside Heliport in New York on January 3, 2026. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived Saturday evening at a military base in the United States after his capture by US forces in Caracas. Maduro was seen surrounded by FBI agents as he descended the boarding stairs of a US government plane at a New York state National Guard facility, and was slowly escorted along the tarmac. US bombs targets in Venezuela and captures Nicolas Maduro 1 of 39 A still image from video posted by the White House's Rapid Response 47 account on X.com, which originated from the @PaulDMauro account, shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro being walked in custody down a hallway at the offices of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in New York City on Jan. 3, 2026. In recent months, the military has attacked at least 35 alleged drug-smuggling boats traversing international waters in the Caribbean, killing at least 115 people many of them Venezuelans. Trump has said the boats were carrying fentanyl and other illegal narcotics, though Democrats in Congress have pushed for more information on the attacks. Trump, the day after the operation in Venezuela, told reporters on Air Force One, "Now we're going to stop them by land, too," adding that, "You have to do something with Mexico." "Mexico has to get their act together because they're pouring through Mexico and we're going to have to do something. We'd love Mexico to do it. They're capable of doing it. But unfortunately the cartels are very strong in Mexico," the president said. Advertisement Advertisement More: US seizes fifth Venezuela-linked oil tanker, officials say President Donald Trump addresses House Republicans at their annual issues conference retreat, at the Kennedy Center, renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center by the Trump-appointed board of directors, in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 6, 2026 Since the operation in Venezuela, Trump has suggested the United States will assert a more dominant role international affairs in the Western Hemisphere, coining a new foreign policy, the "Donroe Doctrine," as he threatens military action in Colombia, predicts the collapse of Cuba and pushes for the U.S. acquisition of Greenland. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, when asked about Trump's threat to target cartels in her country, said her administration has reached out to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and suggested a meeting is necessary. More: How Trumps Donroe Doctine could backfire in midterm fight on economy Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum listens to a question during her daily morning press conference after US strikes on Venezuela, at the National Palace in Mexico City on January 5, 2026. The Americas "do not belong" to any power, Sheinbaum said during the conference. Two or three days ago, Secretary Rubio himself spoke about the good coordination on security matters with Mexico, she said during a news conference. Advertisement Advertisement The Mexican president highlighted a joint work group on security with the United States and the headway her government has made on dismantling drug laboratories. Contributing: Lauren Villagran of USA TODAY Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump signals US may strike drug cartels in Mexico Donald Trumps hostile approach to Greenland threatens to undermine the largely unfettered access the United States has with the Danish territory, Americas leading expert on the issue has warned. Barack Obamas former assistant secretary of state Frank Rose was the last U.S. official to negotiate a defence deal with Denmark and the Greenland Home Rule administration and spoke exclusively to The Independent about the international dispute threatening to break NATO. Like many things with the president, I don't disagree with what he's trying to do, he said. I disagree with the means he's trying to get there. Advertisement Advertisement Rose described Greenland as critical to U.S. defence and in 2003/2004 was responsible for negotiating the agreement for satellite defence on the island as part of the early warning system for attacks on America. Donald Trump says he will forcibly take Greenland if Denmark is unwilling to sell it (AFP via Getty Images) He noted that thanks to another treaty in 1951 the U.S. can do whatever it wants militarily on Greenland with the consent of the Danish government and they were never going to say no. But he warned that with President Trumps bellicose language of forcibly taking Greenland from Denmark, that the consent needed might not be forthcoming if the U.S. wants to put 10,000 troops on the island again - the number it had there until the end of the Cold War. On Friday, Trump reiterated his intentions to take to take the territory one way or another and showed no sign of backing down. Advertisement Advertisement Were going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not, he told reporters. We're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor. I would like to make a deal, the easy way. But if we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way. Im a big fan of Denmark, theyve been very nice to me. But the fact they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesnt mean they own the land. Im sure we had lots of boats go there also. The issue has shocked NATO allies with U.K. prime minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking twice to the president about it in a bid to persuade him to back off his demands. Frank Rose negotiated a deal with Denmark for the U.S. on Greenland (Frank Rose) When it was put to Rose that Denmark and Greenland are not going to be cooperative because of the international backlash to Trumps threats, he replied: That's quite possible. Advertisement Advertisement He went on: I've worked with Danes for 25 years of my career. They are wonderful allies. They have shed blood for the United States in Afghanistan. These people are good allies. You know, you really don't want to upset your friends for no reason. Sometimes you need to upset your friends. Okay, that's just, that's life. This is not one of those situations where we need to upset our friends to get what we need. I say this, as someone who's actually negotiated with the Danes and the Greenland Home Rule government back in 2003/ 2004 to enhance the security of the United States, I understand how important Greenland is. As a a junior staffer at the Pentagon working on missile defense, he was responsible for working with the Danish government and the Greenland Home Rule government to allow them to upgrade the radar as part of the homeland missile defense mission. Vice President JD Vance toured the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland last year (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) He said the radar is really critical with regards to our ability to protect the East Coast of the United States from long range missile threats from North Korea and potentially Iran. Advertisement Advertisement It is also critical to track missiles in space or ones fired over the poles by Russia or China. The United States occupied Greenland during the Second World War after Denmark fell to Nazi Germany and then the treaty of 1951 meant that they could station whatever military they wanted afterwards. So Trump absolutely right about the strategic importance of Greenland, but fundamentally, under the 1951 Defense of Greenland Treaty, we basically have wide latitude to deploy additional troops as needed, Rose said. We have all the legal rights necessary to do what we need to do. This is Donald Trump. He gets many of these, the fundamental issues right, but it's how he goes about it. And I wish somebody on the National Security Council or the State Department was telling him that we can do whatever we need to do there. Last weekend, the U.S. heightened its involvement in Venezuelan affairs, capturing the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro, on Jan. 3. Maduro was brought to America and indicted on four counts, accused of leading a 25-year narco-terrorism conspiracy, though he denied involvement in drug trafficking. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has shared plans regarding the country's role in Venezuelan oil moving forward, saying that America would "rebuild the oil infrastructure." He has also renewed overtures of annexing Greenland. Where do Trump's approval ratings stand following this most recent international news cycle at the outset of 2026? Donald Trump national approval rating: Civiqs Here's Trump's national approval rating this week, according to data from online survey platform Civiqs. Advertisement Advertisement Favorable 41%. Unfavorable 56%. Unsure 3%. Donald Trump national approval rating: Reuters/Ipsos Here's Trump's national approval rating, according to data from Reuters/Ipsos. Reuters/Ipsos noted that their polls are conducted online with responses from American adults nationwide. Data dashboards include margins for error. On job performance (as of Jan. 5): Approve 42%. Disapprove 56%. On handling the economy (as of Dec. 15): Approve 33%. Disapprove 58%. On immigration policies (as of Dec. 15): Approve 41%. Disapprove 52%. Donald Trump current national approval rating: The Economist Here is Trump's approval rating as of Jan. 6, according to data from The Economist: Advertisement Advertisement Approve 39%. Disapprove 56%. Don't know 4%. Get your Trump merch marked down: Trump Store closing in Bensalem. Here's why it's leaving Bucks County Trump approval ratings in PA According to Civiqs polls, last updated Jan. 8, Trumps net approval stands at -13% in Pennsylvania.Pennsylvania tilts unfavorably overall. About 54% of Pennsylvanians polled currently disapprove of the president's performance. About 41% approve of Trumps job performance and another 5% didnt feel one way or the other. These polling numbers were also broken down by age, education, gender, race and party. Age: Those between 18-34 were most unfavorable of Trump (66%), while those 50-64 were the most favorable (50%). Advertisement Advertisement Education: Respondents across all education levels disapprove of Trumps job performance, with postgraduates at 70% disapproval, as well as 56% of college graduates and 50% of non-college graduates. Gender: Women tilt unfavorable (60%). Men are roughly split with 48% approving and 47% disapproving. Party: Members of the Republican party were 88% favorable of Trump, compared to the Democratic party, who felt just 2% favorable of the president's performance, A little more than half of Independent voters were unfavorable (57%). Race: Black or African-American voters had the highest unfavorable opinion of Trump (90%), Hispanic/Latino and Other at 65% while white voters were roughly split at 47% approve and 48% disapprove. Advertisement Advertisement Note: The polls and data shown in this article are compiled from a variety of sources, platforms and sample sizes. This page reflects the most updated data available as of Jan. 9. Contributing: Chris Ullery, Kinsey Crowley, Lauren Villagran, Mike Snider, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: What is U.S. President Donald Trump's approval rating in January 2026? If youve paid attention to what President Donald Trump has said on the heels of the U.S. arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, you probably have heard him mention the Monroe Doctrine. You might be hearing commentators throw this term around, even if most Americans probably arent familiar with the foreign policy approach. The Monroe Doctrine refers to the policy pioneered by James Monroe, our fifth president. His rendition proclaimed that European powers no longer colonize or exert influence within the Western Hemisphere, asserting U.S. preeminence over the entire continent. Opinion: The post-Trump right is more dangerous than Trump Advertisement Advertisement The Trump corollary takes a similar stance: that any powers outside the Western Hemisphere must not be allowed to exert influence within the Americas, namely China, Russia and Iran. Trumps approach to policing this doctrine has been hawkish, seen most recently with his arrest of Maduro and threats against Cuba, as well as Mexican cartels. A revival of the Monroe Doctrine is welcome news for America and just another example of Trumps competence in foreign policy. The Monroe Doctrine is sound foreign policy President Donald Trump speaks with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at a news conference following a U.S. strike on Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores on Jan. 3, 2026. For the sake of my case here, I am going to set aside the legal questions of Trumps actions against Venezuela because, though it matters, it isnt relevant to the merits of the foreign policy approach. Trump has, in jest, referred to his own rendition of the policy as the "Donroe Doctrine," in which the United States asserts preeminence in our hemisphere and blocks external threats from exerting their influence here. Advertisement Advertisement In the case of Maduro, that means that the United States should act to displace an illegitimate dictator who undermines our interests by aiding our enemies and allegedly trafficking drugs into our country. Venezuela holds the worlds largest proven known oil reserves, and a functioning Venezuelan oil sector open to U.S. business strengthens us, while weakening Russia and China by denying access. Trump is sure to reiterate this point over and over again so he can point to a tangible American benefit from this aggressive action. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Chinese diplomat Qiu Xiaoqi meet in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 2, 2026, a day before Maduro and his wife were captured in a U.S. raid. Beijing and Moscow have both financially supported Caracas over the past several decades, and Venezuela's billions in outstanding debt to China were being paid off by oil shipments. The foreign involvement has been deliberately geared toward weakening American partnerships. Venezuela has also purchased arms from Russia and Iran, posing a real threat in our backyard. Advertisement Advertisement Eliminating such a strategic threat is a good thing, and it should be the policy of America to combat such threats wherever they lie. Trumps actions havent just been relegated to Venezuela. Hes spent plenty of energy driving a wedge between Panama and China, preserving the neutrality of the Panama Canal that was promised when the United States relinquished control of it. Opinion: Trump's failing economy is a gift to Democrats Trump should continue looking at ways to undermine Chinas trading relationship with South American countries, Russias influence over countries like Nicaragua, and Iranian-backed terror groups active in the region. Such forces being active in our hemisphere pose strategic and economic threats to the United States, and we should be hawkish in pushing them out of our backyard. Preventing our enemies from gaining a foothold so close to our borders is essential in a time of high tensions with Russia, China and Iran. One of the reasons the United States is such a secure nation is that it has an ocean separating it from other great powers. Our enemies can whittle away at that advantage by increasing their presence in the south. America has a lot to gain from removing Maduro Trumps corollary to Monroe's 19th century approach is not merely about combatting external threats, but also taking action to eliminate bad actors in the region. Displacing Maduro had value outside of just a regional strategy. Advertisement Advertisement From here, now the hard work of ensuring a friendlier government takes his place. Maduro posed an independent threat and should have been removed, even if he was a lone actor merely trafficking drugs. Stopping the flow of narcotics, which Maduro both permitted and actively participated in, from reaching the United States is a legitimate foreign policy objective. This doesn't mean that we go around starting full-fledged wars with every country that traffics drugs, but if we can orchestrate operations as clean and concise as Maduro's extraction, we should not shy away from involvement. Eliminating Maduro also means relief from the issue of illegal immigration. The crisis created by the dictator's vile socialist regime has led to a steady flow of refugees fleeing for U.S. haven. Many of the nearly 10 million refugees who have fled Venezuela for more than a decade have ended up at our border. Maduro continuing to preside over Venezuela would mean that such a crisis would never end. U.S. preeminence in the region demands that we combat active threats to our nation and our influence. Trump understands that and has taken necessary actions to weaken those who want to destroy us. His approach to foreign policy is one of his best qualities as president. Advertisement Advertisement Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's Monroe Doctrine revival is good for America | Opinion The leader of an independent Iranian news publication says that President Trump's warnings are alarming officials in the Middle Eastern country and encouraging protesters as the largest demonstrations in years sweep the nation. Iran's Judiciary Chief has warned that protesters will face the "maximum" punishment, and the country's attorney general said that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an "enemy of God," a death-penalty charge, according to the Associated Press. Mr. Trump has said that the United States will respond if demonstrators are killed. He repeated his warning on Friday, telling Iranian leaders not to attack protesters. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said online early Saturday that the "United States supports the brave people of Iran." On Saturday afternoon, Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social that "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!" Advertisement Advertisement "I'm sure that has really scared many Iranian officials and may have affected their actions in terms of how to confront the protestors, but at the same time, it has inspired many protesters to come out because they know that the leader of the world's main superpower is supporting their cause," said Maziar Bahari, the editor of the independent news site Iranwire. In this frame grab from video taken by an individual not employed by The Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran shows people during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. / Credit: UGC via AP The demonstrations began in Tehran two weeks ago as a response to Iran's crashing currency and failing economy. Holly Dagres, a non-resident senior fellow at the Washington Institute and curator of the Iranist newsletter, said the protests were sparked by the same core issues of "systemic mismanagement, corruption or repression" that led to the uprisings after the death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed by Iran's morality police in 2022. Since then, they have grown across the country, with thousands filling the streets. Human rights groups say at least 65 people have been killed, while at least two hospitals in Tehran reported being inundated with patients. State media in Iran called the protesters terrorists, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a public address on Friday, accusing Iranians of ruining their own streets to please the president of the United States. Officials cut off the country's internet on Thursday, effectively shutting off Iran from the outside world. Advertisement Advertisement Dagris said Internet access was cut "because the Islamic Republic didn't want the international community and fellow Iranians to see what was happening." "I think there's a real worry that with the internet shutdown, the international community won't pay attention and that the events on the ground will deteriorate," said Dagres, who grew up in Iran. She said she was not certain Mr. Trump's warnings would deter a crackdown. "Unfortunately, this is a regime that's been in power for 47 years and it has not changed its behavior, nor will it because the president of the United States makes a threat," Dagres said. "And we're hearing that and seeing that already with what's been playing out ... This is an Islamic Republic that's backed in the corner, and it's lashing out. And that's just what they do best, unfortunately: Brutal crackdowns." Advertisement Advertisement Bahari said that "many people have called what is happening in Iran right now a revolution," but noted that there is no opposition leader to coalesce around. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former shah, who was overthrown in January 1979, has been encouraging protesters over social media and saying he is preparing to return to the country, but it's unclear how much support he actually has inside Iran. Vance posts new video that shows Renee Good's last words and other angle of shooting Video shows ICE officer's point of view, Renee Good's last words before being shot People mocked his mangled truck, until one man stepped up to help The U.S. military carried out multiple airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets across Syria on Saturday in a retaliatory campaign that began in December after an attack killed two Iowa National Guard soldiers and a civilian interpreter, officials confirmed. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes occurred early Saturday afternoon (U.S. Eastern Time) and targeted ISIS militants and infrastructure across multiple locations in Syria. The operation continues a mission launched on Dec. 19, 2025, known as Operation Hawkeye Strike, which followed a deadly ISIS ambush near Palmyra in central Syria. The December attack killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and Sgt. William Nathaniel Nate Howard of the Iowa National Guard and their American interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, in what U.S. officials described as an Islamic State-linked assault. Advertisement Advertisement CENTCOM did not immediately release casualty figures from Saturdays airstrikes, and the Pentagon has provided few details beyond confirming the operations continuation. The strikes are part of a broader U.S. and partner effort to degrade ISIS capabilities and disrupt its ability to carry out future attacks. Approximately 1,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in Syria, where they have operated alongside partner forces against ISIS in recent months. Syria Context: Aleppo Clashes Continue U.S. officials have not linked the ISIS strikes to the Aleppo fighting, which involves separate internal disputes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led groups. While the U.S. focuses on ISIS, fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters has continued in the northern city of Aleppo, highlighting ongoing instability in the war-torn country. Syrian authorities reported that security forces entered Kurdish-majority neighborhoods after several days of intense clashes that have killed dozens and displaced more than 140,000 people. The clashes some of the fiercest since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 stem from disputes over implementing a March 2025 agreement designed to integrate Kurdish forces into Syrias national army and state institutions. Kurdish groups and the government have traded blame for the renewal of hostilities. Advertisement Advertisement Drone strikes have disrupted civilian flights at Aleppo International Airport, and a drone reportedly struck the Aleppo governorate building during a government press briefing, according to local reporting. U.S. Diplomacy and Calls for Restraint The United States, which has maintained relationships with both Syrian authorities and Kurdish forces, has called for restraint and a return to negotiations. U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack met with Syrian leadership and urged all parties to cease hostilities and uphold the March 2025 agreement. Though separate from the U.S. strikes on ISIS, the Aleppo clashes underscore the complexities of Syrias security landscape, where internal political disputes and the enduring threat of extremist groups persist side by side. The Dallas Express will continue to monitor developments in Syria and U.S. military operations. Kurdish fighters were evacuated from a contested neighborhood in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, officials said early Sunday local time, a move that could bring an end to several days of violent clashes with government forces. State-run news agency SANA reported buses transported the last of the fighters from the Aleppo neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. "Through international mediation to halt the attacks and violations against our people in Aleppo, we have reached an understanding leading to a ceasefire and the safe evacuation of martyrs, the wounded, trapped civilians, and fighters from the Achrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods to northern and eastern Syria," SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said in a post on X. Buses carrying Kurdish fighters depart Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood under an evacuation agreement following army operations, with a four-bus convoy leaving the area and heading toward Tabqa, in Aleppo, Syria, on Jan. 10, 2026. / Credit: Izz Aldien Alqasem/Anadolu via Getty Images (OMAR HAJ KADOUR /AFP via Getty Images) He called for "mediators to uphold their promises to stop the violations and work towards the safe return of the displaced to their homes." Advertisement Advertisement An Associated Press journalist at the scene saw buses leaving Sunday and was told by officials that the transports carried 360 fighters. Other buses carrying civilians and detained fighters departed on Saturday. Syrian security forces deployed Saturday in Sheikh Maqsoud after days of clashes with Kurdish fighters that killed and wounded dozens. During the day, several drone strikes were reported in Aleppo, Syria's largest city, leading authorities to stop civilian flights at Aleppo International Airport until further notice, state TV said. On Saturday afternoon, an explosive drone hit the Aleppo Governorate building shortly after two Cabinet ministers and a local official held a news conference on the developments in the city. There was no immediate word on casualties. Advertisement Advertisement Syria's state TV aired footage showing a drone exploding as it slammed into the building and blamed Kurdish fighters for the attack. The SDF denied the reports, saying its fighters did not attack a civilian target. The fighting between the two sides is the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad in December 2024. At least 22 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced. U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack held talks in Damascus Saturday with top officials, including President Ahmad al-Sharaa, and called on all parties to cease hostilities and return to dialogue. "Violence risks undermining the progress achieved since the fall of the Assad regime and invites external interference that serves no party's interests," Barrack said in comments posted on X. "We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities, and return to dialogue," he added, saying that fighting undermines the deal reached in March between the government and the Kurdish leadership. Advertisement Advertisement He said recent developments in Aleppo were "deeply concerning," and Washington's objective "remains a sovereign, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors where equality, justice, and opportunity are extended to all its people." Syria's state news agency SANA reported that two Kurdish fighters blew themselves up while surrounded by security forces without inflicting casualties, as gunfire was still heard in the neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud around noon Saturday. From the early hours, Syrian security forces were sweeping the neighborhood after calling on residents to stay home for their own safety. Hundreds of people who fled the neighborhood days earlier were waiting at Sheikh Maqsoud's entrances to be allowed in once the military operations are over. Advertisement Advertisement Clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish northern neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid, after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge their forces into the national army. Security forces have since captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid. Kurdish forces said at least 12 civilians were killed in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in the five days of fighting, while government officials reported at least 10 civilians were killed in the surrounding government-controlled areas. Syria's Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa told state TV that Kurdish fighters used civilian buildings including hospitals and clinics during the fighting. Each side has accused the other of starting the violence and of deliberately targeting civilian neighborhoods and infrastructure, including ambulance crews and hospitals. The Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, which controls much of Syria's northeast, said that security forces targeted Khaled Fajr Hospital in Sheikh Maqsoud, putting the lives of patients and paramedics in danger. It called on the international community to intervene to force government forces to stop shelling. Advertisement Advertisement State TV reported that at least one security member was wounded when a drone fired by the SDF struck the neighborhood. This also comes as the U.S. on Saturday conducted large-scale strikes against multiple Islamic State targets across Syria. The strikes targeted at least 35 locations. Vance posts new video that shows Renee Good's last words and other angle of shooting Video shows ICE officer's point of view, Renee Good's last words before being shot People mocked his mangled truck, until one man stepped up to help Democratic U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who is running to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, spoke about resilience, courage and unity during a visit to Corpus Christi on Jan. 10. More than 100 people attended Crockett's campaign stop at the Holiday Inn in downtown. Crockett was hosted by Indivisible Coastal Bend, a local chapter of the national grassroots movement with a mission to "elect progressive leaders, rebuild the democracy and defeat the Trump agenda." During the community conversation, Crockett was asked several questions about her motivation to run for Senate, health care and the killing of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. Advertisement Advertisement Here are the highlights from the event: U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett poses for photos with people at Holiday Inn in downtown Corpus Christi, Texas, on Jan. 10, 2026. 'What more can I do?' Crockett said she has to be more than a voice if she wants to effectuate change. She said she constantly asks herself, "What more can I do?" "I'm in the belly of the beast every single day," Crockett said to a crowd of people. "We lack the infrastructure in this state, but we have the power." Crockett said she did not want to look back years later saying what she should, could and would have done. She said real leaders are ones who do courageous things. "This fight is bigger than Texas," Crockett said. "This is about our entire country. Diversity is our strength. The only reason (the Republicans) won this last election is because they divided us. We've got to remain unified. We can't allow there to be distractions or divisions. I am here to tell you that we are not each other's enemies." People listen to U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett at Holiday Inn in downtown Corpus Christi, Texas, on Jan. 10, 2026. Holding the line Crockett said a furloughed federal worker emailed her and told her to "hold the line" because they had cancer and their health care costs were increasing drastically. Advertisement Advertisement "There are those arguing in Texas that I'm not going to be able to run and win if I stand for things like Medicare for all," Crockett said. "I disagree." As of 2021, more than 5 million people in Texas were uninsured, according to Texas 2036, a nonprofit public policy research organization. "I don't think people should have to choose between food and health care, or housing and health care," Crockett said. "I think it is a basic right." Renee Good On Jan. 7, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an immigration agent in Minneapolis after attempting to drive away with her SUV. The incident caused nationwide uproar as lawmakers called for the officer behind the shooting to be arrested while others, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, said Good had engaged in an act of "domestic terrorism." Advertisement Advertisement In a moment that garnered headlines, Crockett became emotional during a House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 8 when she criticized Republicans' response to Good's death. "I got into politics because of what I saw as a civil rights lawyer, like police brutality and how difficult it is to go after the federal government when they kill you," Crockett said. "This was one of my lowlights of the week." She went on to discuss the Combating Law Enforcement Anonymity by Requiring Identification Disclosure Act, known as the CLEAR ID Act, that she and U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter introduced in August 2025. More: Highlights from week one of Uvalde officer trial Advertisement Advertisement The bill would prohibit the use of immigration law enforcement officers to hide their identity and require them to clearly identify themselves both verbally and visibly. The act is in response to ICE agents detaining individuals while wearing plain clothing and facial coverings and driving unmarked vehicles. Lawmakers have not acted on the bill since it was referred to committees in August. "They're really punks," Crockett said about the officers involved in the death of Good. "You're that scared you have to pop off three times in this woman's face? You're a coward." Celebrity comments On the latest episode of the "Las Culturistas" podcast, co-hosted by comedian Matt Rogers and actor Bowen Yang, the former urged voters not to donate to Crockett's campaign, saying that if Beto O'Rourke could not win a Senate seat in Texas, Crockett is not going to. Advertisement Advertisement In an Instagram Story on Jan. 10, Rogers apologized for his comments. More: Andrew White drops bid for TX Governor endorses Dem Gina Hinojosa When asked about the podcast, Crockett said she will continue to speak about unity. "When we allow people to distract or divide us, that's when we lost," Crockett said. "I'm grateful for the people who continue to support me." She said one of the things she had to evaluate at the start of the race was if she had a strong brand. Crockett said it's one thing for people to know her name, but it's another for people to know her as a person. "I saw that a lot of people of color interpreted it as no Black person or woman can do something if a white man couldn't do it," Crockett said. "I refuse to believe that. I feel very confident we will be able to make a positive difference." Advertisement Advertisement John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Have a story idea? Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com. Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times. This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett makes campaign visit in Corpus Christi Greenland has no shortage of valuable minerals. What it lacks is almost everything else needed to extract them. Greenland is one of the most logistically hostile environments on the planet a place with no roads between towns, limited labor, and weather that can shut down operations without warning. Still, world leaders and investors across the globe have their eyes on the island for its natural resources, including copper, zinc, graphite, gold, and rare earth elements that can be used in everything from construction and manufacturing to electronics and defense systems. As the US, Europe, and other countries look to diversify supply chains away from China, Greenland has drawn renewed attention as a potential alternative. President Donald Trump's latest remarks that the US should annex Greenland for national security reasons triggering an outcry from its citizens have also drawn attention to the island and its strategic value. Mining anorthosite at Lumina mine. Mark Adam Miller There is only one fully operational mine in Greenland. Business Insider's Sarah Andersen visited the mine in June to see why it remains open while others have shut down and why the island's vast mineral wealth hasn't translated into a mining boom. What it takes to run a mine in Greenland You always have to plan several steps ahead when operating in Greenland, said Bent Olsvig Jensen, managing director of Lumina Sustainable Materials. Bent Olvig speaking with Business Insider. Mark Adam Miller "We have to think of everything because we cannot just pick up the phone and expect spare parts to be available the next morning," he said in June. Lumina Sustainable Materials a private science and mining company group with operations in Greenland, the US, Mexico, and the European Union operates the island's only fully active mine, located deep inside a fjord system with no road access. The mine produces an industrial mineral called anorthosite, used in fiberglass, construction materials, and other industrial applications. A close-up of anorthosite. Mark Adam Miller Aside from what they've built, which includes a camp, a plant, a warehouse, a harbor, and a small gym and clinic, there is no other infrastructure supporting the site. Everything, including the crew, arrives by ship during the ice-free months or by helicopter when the fjord freezes over for months on end, Jensen said. (Andersen arrived via an eight-hour boat trip from the capital, Nuuk.) When something breaks, there is no overnight delivery. "Sometimes you can wait for spare parts for a week or two," Dennis Jensen (no relation to Bent Jensen) said during Andersen's visit to the mine. Jensen is the mine's site manager who oversees operations through the long, dark winters, where temperatures can dip to -22F. When that happens, "we are not working outside," he said. A University of Kentucky employee who wrote a Facebook comment about Charlie Kirks death returned to work after a six-week investigation by the university, according to spokesperson Jay Blanton. Brad Van Hook, who worked as UKs key shop manager at the time he made the comment, returned to work on Oct. 28 after a six-week internal review. Blanton said he was reassigned to the position of surplus operations manager, but his compensation remains the same. The university has no additional comment on the investigation, Blanton said. Advertisement Advertisement Van Hook commented on a WKYT social media post about Kirks death. I have never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great satisfaction, he wrote, paraphrasing a quote from American lawyer and civil rights advocate Clarence Darrow. The comment went viral after an account on X called Libs of TikTok highlighted the remark in a post. Libs of TikTok has 4.5 million followers, and the post has been shared thousands of times. Van Hook was placed on paid administrative leave while UK investigated. Blanton previously said the comment does not reflect the universitys community and was cruel, insensitive and wrong. Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10 while speaking at an event on the Utah Valley University campus. Tyler Robinson is accused of killing the conservative influencer. President Donald Trump during a news conference at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, on Jan. 3, 2026, the day U.S. forced captured Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro Credit - Nicole CombeauBloomberg via Getty Images This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. Dominic Tierney is an expert on losersin the best possible way. Advertisement Advertisement The professor's studies of war and its political price are must-read volumes for those looking to understand how force and governance are often at odds. As Washington tries to make sense of President Donald Trumps unprecedented push into Venezuela, his capture of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, and his constant chatter about the oil resources of that South American country, I checked in with Tierneywhose books include and The Right Way to Lose a War and How We Fight: Crusades, Quagmires, and the American Way of Warto get a sense of how this moment fits into the larger context of U.S. history and the global consequences for what comes after the initial drive. The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. TIME: Listening to President Trump the last few days, it seems like he thinks this is going to be an easy operation. What does history say about this? Tierney: The use of force, whether it reaches the threshold of war or not, is very difficult to control and very difficult to predict. People talk about the day after, but you've got to talk about the week after, the month after, and so on. This is especially true with regime change, missions where you are essentially removing the government of a foreign state and then unleashing political forces that you may struggle to control. The U.S., for all of its power, has time and again struggled to control those forces in recent decades. And this is one reason why the U.S., despite being incredibly powerful, has a poor military record since World War II. Is regime change the right term to be using here? I'm struggling to figure out what word we should be using here. The Trump Administration is trying to describe it as a law enforcement operation, which is deliberately designed to seemingly narrow the scope. It's interesting terminology given a lot of questions about the legality. If you swoop into a foreign country and capture their leader and then whisk them awaywith various sorts of behind-the-scenes efforts to negotiate with other potential actorsthat is a change in the regime, at least in terms of the leadership. Advertisement Advertisement It's not at all clear how deep that regime change is going to go, whether it's literally just Maduro and then others aligned with him staying in power and sort of reaching some modus vivendi with the United States, or whether we end up in a situation where there's a more sweeping change. The leader, a dictator, has been taken by force. Dozens of people were killed. Certainly if another country tried to do that to the United States, we would consider that a pretty aggressive move and an attempt to regime change. That would be an act of war by anyone else. Certainly if any other country made any effort to do that to the United States, it would be considered an act of war, unquestionably. Advertisement Advertisement Read more: A Colony? An Occupation? No One Knows What to Call Venezuela The wars since 1945 have not actually been so explicitly about resources, yet the President can't seem to stop talking about oil and energy. Iraq was under the auspices of preventing another attack. Has anything changed about Americans' appetite for this sort of adventurism? Trump is personally quite attracted to this idea of controlling stuff. Maybe it's his real estate background. I remember he said similar things about the mission in Syria in his first term, where you could see he had doubts about it but he was quite drawn to the idea of We're going to control the oileven though that wasn't really true and there wasn't a lot of oil. To be honest with you, it is hard for me to imagine that controlling Venezuelan oil is in fact the key, driving force behind this operation. The United States is producing a massive amount of energy, and if it really wanted to access the oil, it probably could make a deal with Maduro. I think there are other motives that are probably more important, like hemispheric dominance and Venezuela being seen as a kind of leftist state. Advertisement Advertisement Within the Western Hemisphere in particular, he's quite willing to threaten or use force. There's sort of some harking back to a kind of 19th Century approach to this. People are talking about the Donroerather than the MonroeDoctrine. That does lend itself to meddling in Central and South America. Trump has been willing to use force more widely, in Syria, during the war in Iran, briefly. There's no question that Trump is absolutely not an isolationist. But he's also being quite cautious about sort of large-scale military operations, at least thus far. Now, in terms of wider American society, I don't see any great appetite to get involved in foreign conflicts. Some of the polling on the Venezuela operations suggest that people are very skeptical about it. One of the polls suggested about a third of Americans supported it, about a third were opposed, a third not sure. Those are very weak numbers for the start of a military operation, right? So there's a bit of a disjuncture, to say the least, between what Trump is talking about and where the American people are. What do you make of the lack of talk of democratizing in this conversation? That is quite striking. Traditionally, spreading democracy is a thread in American foreign policy. It's always been ambiguous because the U.S. has always pursued its interest first and foremost. Sometimes that has led decisionmakers to cut deals with non-democratic actors or during the Cold War outright destabilize perceived leftist democracies. Advertisement Advertisement Now Trump is fairly uninterested in democracy. He never really even talks about that or human rights or democracy. You've got two different forces in American ideology. One is a preference for democracy over non-democracy. And I think most Americans do prefer democracy over non-democracy. Their willingness to sacrifice is limited, but they tend to see democracies as friends. The other piece that I think has become much more important in the last couple years is about whether foreign governments are left wing or right wing. Are they seen as liberal or are they seen as more traditional conservative governments? You've seen a big effort by the Trump administration to just explicitly favor European countries or political parties that are right wing or conservative. It's not so much an interest in democracy versus non-democracy but an interest in populist conservative right-wing governments versus liberal left-wing governments. Under Biden, the focus was on Are you a democracy or non-democracy? And under Trump it is Do you like MAGA? Do you like populism? Are you right wing? The United States doesn't have a really good record at this sort of operation, especially not in our own backyard. Is there anything about President Trump that might break America's bad trajectory on this sort of operation? The Venezuela operation makes me very nervous. I'm worried about the competence of a lot of the officials involved. I'm worried about the lack of outreach to Democrats, the complete refusal to build any kind of consensus or reach across the aisle, which by contrast, the Bush administration tried to do with Iraq in 2003. And they got there. Exactly. I'm also worried about the lack of any kind of allied buy-in, the reveling in American unilateralism, the lack of planning seemingly for the day after. The United States went to war in 2001 and 2003 with a very moralistic, very crusading view of war, a very black-and-white view that there were good guys and bad guys, and America would wield the swift sword of justice. The way the U.S. saw it was that the war would end like World War II ended, unconditional surrender, total victory. That model of war is extremely dangerous because it exaggerates American power and is too morally self-righteous. You need to be more pragmatic. Advertisement Advertisement This mission is extremely dangerous. Either Trump basically just is satisfied with Maduro, in which case there may actually not be a huge change necessarily in Venezuela. Or Trump is serious when he talks about controlling Venezuela and even saying he wouldn't shy away from boots on the ground. And then you have a recipe for disaster because Venezuela's an impoverished and divided society. You could see a lot of resistance to what is seen by Venezuelans and other people in the region as American occupation, the worst kind of American imperialism. If you're sitting in the Danish Embassy right now, what is the conversation happening there about Greenland? There's been a lot of shocking developments during this term. But this is surely among the most shocking: that the United States would talk about the military option remaining on the table in its effort to acquire Greenland, which is essentially threatening the use of force against a treaty ally. It puts the European states in a complete bind because they are desperate to keep Trump somewhat onboard with Ukraine. The Brits and so on are playing a very careful game here. They're hoping that this is just bluster and there's no real chance of the use of force, but what could happen is that the U.S. could present the Greenlander population with some sort of too-good-to-turn-down proposal. It's seen as controversial, but it's not immediately destroying NATO in the way that an invasion of Greenland would do. That would destroy NATO. Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the D.C. Brief newsletter. Write to Philip Elliott at philip.elliott@time.com. BANGKOK (AP) The United States, which played a major role in ending border clashes last year between Thailand and Cambodia, will be providing $45 million in aid packages to the two Southeast Asian countries to help ensure regional stability and prosperity, a senior U.S. State Department official said Friday. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre made the announcement in an online media briefing in Thailand's capital, Bangkok, where he was meeting with senior Thai officials to discuss the implementation of last Octobers ceasefire, also known as the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord. Longstanding competing claims to territory along the Thai-Cambodian border was the root cause of the fighting. Advertisement Advertisement The restoration of peace at the Thai-Cambodian border opens new opportunities for the United States to deepen our work with both countries to promote regional stability and advance our interests in a safer, stronger and more prosperous Indo-Pacific, DeSombre said. On Saturday, he's scheduled to hold discussions with top officials from Cambodia in the country's capital, Phnom Penh. The United States will be providing $15 million for border stabilization to help communities recover and to support displaced persons; $10 million in demining and unexploded ordinance clearance operations; and $20 million for initiatives that will help both countries combat scam operations and drug trafficking, among many other programs, DeSombre said. Details of the aid packages were still under discussion, he said. Advertisement Advertisement China said it has provided about $2.8 million in emergency humanitarian aid to help Cambodians displaced by the fighting. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Beijing made the same offer of assistance to Thailand, and that it was under consideration by his government. The United States and China have competed for influence in Southeast Asia for at least a decade. Cambodia is a close ally of Beijing, and while Thailand has long and close ties with Washington, they are widely seen as loosening in recent years. The fighting in July and December displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Thailand and Cambodia and killed about 100 soldiers and civilians. Land mines left over from decades of civil war in Cambodia are a continuing problem, while Thailand claims newly laid mines in frontier areas were responsible for wounding its patrolling soldiers in about a dozen incidents last year. Online scams originating in Southeast Asia, especially from Cambodia and Myanmar, are major transnational crime problems that have swindled billions of dollars from victims around the would. Advertisement Advertisement U.S. assistance to the countries of Southeast Asia and other parts of the world for humanitarian and development programs was severely cut last year when the Trump administration shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. Cambodia and Thailand initially clashed for five days in late July before agreeing on a preliminary ceasefire. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the time pressed for an unconditional ceasefire, but there was little headway until U.S. President Donald Trump intervened. Trump said that he warned the Thai and Cambodian leaders that Washington wouldn't move forward with trade agreements if hostilities continued. The ceasefire was formalized in more detail in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia that Trump attended. New fighting broke out early last month, but the Thai and Cambodian defense ministers signed a new pact on Dec. 27, vowing to implement the October agreement. We are very focused on pursuing peace in and around the world, DeSombre told journalists. President Trump is a president of peace, and really believes that peace is critical to economic growth and prosperity. The United States, which played a major role in ending border clashes last year between Thailand and Cambodia, will provide $45 million (38 million) in aid packages to the two Southeast Asian countries to help ensure regional stability and prosperity, a senior US State Department official said on Friday. US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre made the announcement in an online media briefing in Bangkok where he was meeting with senior Thai officials to discuss the implementation of last Octobers ceasefire, also known as the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord. "The restoration of peace at the Thai-Cambodian border opens new opportunities for the United States to deepen our work with both countries to promote regional stability and advance our interests in a safer, stronger and more prosperous Indo-Pacific," DeSombre said. Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday, he's scheduled to hold discussions with top officials from Cambodia in the country's capital, Phnom Penh. US President Donald Trump, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in Kuala Lumpur, 26 October, 2025 - AP Photo The United States "will be providing $15 million (12 million) for border stabilisation to help communities recover and to support displaced persons; $10 million (8 million) in demining and unexploded ordinance clearance operations; and $20 million (17 million) for initiatives that will help both countries combat scam operations and drug trafficking, among many other programmes," DeSombre said. Details of the aid packages were still under discussion, he said. China said it has provided about $2.8 million (2.4 million) in emergency humanitarian aid to help Cambodians displaced by the fighting. Advertisement Advertisement Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Beijing made the same offer of assistance to Thailand and that it was under consideration by his government. Related Vying for influence The United States and China have competed for influence in Southeast Asia for at least a decade. Cambodia is a close ally of Beijing, and while Thailand has long and close ties with Washington, they are widely seen as loosening in recent years. Longstanding competing claims to territory along the Thai-Cambodian border was the root cause of the fighting. Advertisement Advertisement The fighting in July and December displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Thailand and Cambodia and killed about 100 soldiers and civilians. Land mines left over from decades of civil war in Cambodia are a continuing problem, while Thailand claims newly laid mines in frontier areas were responsible for wounding its patrolling soldiers in about a dozen incidents last year. The Thai military fires artillery towards Cambodia, 26 December, 2025 - AP Photo Online scams originating in Southeast Asia, especially from Cambodia and Myanmar, are a major transnational crime problem that has seen billions of dollars swindled from victims around the would. US assistance to the countries of Southeast Asia and other parts of the world for humanitarian and development programs was severely cut last year when the Trump administration shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Advertisement Advertisement Cambodia and Thailand initially clashed for five days in late July before agreeing on a preliminary ceasefire. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the time pressed for an unconditional ceasefire, but there was little headway until US President Donald Trump intervened. Trump said that he warned the Thai and Cambodian leaders that Washington wouldn't move forward with trade agreements if hostilities continued. People take refuge in Cambodias Banteay Menchey province, 14 December, 2025 - AP Photo The ceasefire was formalised in more detail in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia that Trump attended. New fighting broke out early last month but the Thai and Cambodian defence ministers signed a new pact on 27 December, vowing to implement the October agreement. Advertisement Advertisement "We are very focused on pursuing peace in and around the world," DeSombre told journalists. "President Trump is a president of peace and really believes that peace is critical to economic growth and prosperity." Protests against President Donald Trump and his waves of immigration enforcement actions in cities across the United States unfolded Saturday after a woman was killed and two people were injured in separate shootings by immigration officers this week. The shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon, have sparked fierce debates across the nation. White House officials defended the agents actions, saying officers used their firearms in self-defense; prominent Democratic leaders have blasted the administration for its militarized deployment of immigration authorities and said they will move to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over the shooting of Renee Nicole Good. Protests across the nation Saturday decried a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and Trump's military actions in Venezuela. See the nationwide protests, beginning here in New York City near the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Manhattan during an Ice Out for Good protest in Manhattan Jan. 10, 2026. The Javits Federal Building is where ICE officers have arrested immigrants attending mandatory check-ins. Diane Pittman attends the protest dressed as The Statue of Liberty on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, during the No ICE No War protest at Unity Park in Greenville, South Carolina. A person dressed up as "king Trump" dances as demonstrators gather to protest the recent US operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan President and against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts on January 10, 2026. Protesters gather in steady rain outside the Henderson County Courthouse in Hendersonville, North Carolina on Jan. 10, 2026. A protester holds a sign during the Power to the People rally on Jan. 10, 2026, at Bandshell Park in Ames, Iowa. Dahlonega Peck joins demonstrators at an antiICE protest organized by the Party for Socialism & Liberation at 13th Street and University Avenue in Gainesville, FL, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. Party members and local residents gathered to condemn ICEs violent actions in several cities and to protest the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota earlier this week. A man holds a sign stating that Silence is compliance. Dont let cruelty win during a rally against ICE at 14th and Erie, Saturday, January 10, 2026, in Sheboygan, Wis. Organizers hang up a photo of Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, during a protest against ICE activity at Evelyn K. Davis Park on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 in Des Moines, Iowa. Diane Pittman attends the protest dressed as The Statue of Liberty on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, during the No ICE No War protest at Unity Park in Greenville, South Carolina. Protester gather near the Federal Building in Eugene against ICE activities in the United States on Jan. 10, 2026. Phyllis Krueger, 79, of Salem writes a Defund ICE sign at the Oregon State Capitol on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Salem, Ore., in response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. A woman holds an umbrella as people protest against increased immigration enforcement, after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, outside the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 10, 2026. A anti-ICE protester shout at ICE agents as they exit the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building parking lot during demonstrations sparked by the fatal shooting of a Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 10, 2026. Ivan leads a chant during a protest against ICE and the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Savannah City Hall in Savannah, Ga.. A protester displays a sign during the Power to the People rally on Jan. 10, 2026, at Bandshell Park in Ames, Iowa. Protesters gather at the Federal Building in Eugene Jan. 10, 2026. Savannah Police officers wrestle a protestor to the ground as they arrest them in Bay Street during a protest against ICE and the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Savannah City Hall in Savannah, Ga.. Protesters organized outside the Harding Memorial Jan. 10 to protest the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and President Donald Trump. Demonstrators gather to protest the recent US operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan President and against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts on January 10, 2026. A woman attends to her dog during the ICE Out For Good protest Jan. 10, 2026, at the John F. Seiberling Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Akron, Ohio. Demonstrators gather to protest the recent US operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan President and against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts on January 10, 2026. Demonstrators gather to protest the recent US operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan President and against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts on January 10, 2026. Demonstrators gather to protest the recent US operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan President and against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts on January 10, 2026. Demonstrators gather to protest the recent US operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan President and against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts on January 10, 2026. A dozen people turned out on the pedestrian walkway over the Indiana 45/46 Bypass to protest the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good in Bloomington, Ind., Jan. 10, 2026. Several hundred protesters attended an Ice Out for Good protest in Manhattan Jan. 10, 2026. People gather in Petoskey during the ICE Out For Good protest on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. The nationwide demonstrations were coordinated in response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7 by an ICE agent. Jolie Schwab of Manhattan was among those attending an Ice Out for Good protest in Manhattan Jan. 10, 2026. Protestors hold signs during a protest against ICE and the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela on Saturday at Savannah City Hall in Savannah, Ga. Debra Hyman, left, and Marie Gianelli participate in the IEC Out For Good protest in front of Delta College at Pacific and Yokuts avenues in Stockton, Calif., Jan. 10, 2026. Protesters gather in Dover, New Hampshire, Jan. 10, 2026 for one of many protests held nationally after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minnesota. A person holds a sign at the Oregon State Capitol on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Salem, Ore., in response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. A sign reading No Kings in America rests on rain-soaked grass during a protest outside the Henderson County Courthouse in Hendersonville, North Carolina on Jan. 10, 2026. Protesters display signs during the Power to the People rally on Jan. 10, 2026, at Bandshell Park in Ames, Iowa. People march as they protest against increased immigration enforcement, after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 10, 2026. Demonstrators gather to protest the recent US operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan President and against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts on January 10, 2026. Demonstrators protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Lafayette Square in Washington, DC on January 10, 2026. Demonstrators protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Lafayette Square in Washington, DC on January 10, 2026. Demonstrators protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Lafayette Square in Washington, DC on January 10, 2026. Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigration Coalition, calls on protesters to continue to oppose immigration enforcement in the U.S. in suburban Boca Raton, Fla., Jan. 10,. 2026. A dozen people turned out on the pedestrian walkway over the Indiana 45/46 Bypass to protest the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good in Bloomington, Ind., Jan. 10, 2026. A man raises his first in solidarity during an ICE Out For Good protest Jan. 10, 2026, at the John F. Seiberling Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Akron, Ohio. See the scene: ICE shootings, Venezuela strike spark national protests 1 of 42 Protests across the nation Saturday decried a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and Trump's military actions in Venezuela. See the nationwide protests, beginning here in New York City near the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Manhattan during an Ice Out for Good protest in Manhattan Jan. 10, 2026. The Javits Federal Building is where ICE officers have arrested immigrants attending mandatory check-ins. Protests in the days since a federal immigration officer killed Good have remained largely peaceful, despite incidents of property damage that led to arrests Friday night, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. In Washington, D.C., on Saturday afternoon, protests gathered with chants of ICE must go now, Trump must go now outside the White House. Demonstrators in downtown Los Angeles shut down lanes of traffic. Advertisement Advertisement Over 1,000 protests were planned for Saturday and Sunday in cities and towns across the country in response to Trumps polarizing domestic agenda. Cities including Indianapolis; Des Moines, Iowa; Marion, Ohio; Coachella, California; and many others participated in protests and marches. People confront an agent in an ICE vehicle near the regional ICE headquarters at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on January 10, 2026 in Minneapolis. Protests in the city continued Saturday after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed on January 7 by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis. Federal agents stage at a front gate as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-MN), and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) attempt to enter the regional ICE headquarters at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on January 10, 2026 in Minneapolis. U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-MN) (L), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (C), and Rep. Angie Craig (R) hold a press conference outside of the regional ICE headquarters at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on January 10, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Annie Craig had their access to a federal detention facility revoked while touring the building in Minneapolis where the Department of Homeland Security has been headquartering operations in the state. People gather near were a 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on January 10, 2026. People gather at a makeshift memorial for 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on January 10, 2026. Federal agents stage at a front gate as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-MN), and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) attempt to enter the regional ICE headquarters at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on January 10, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Federal agents move media members from the front gate outside the regional ICE headquarters at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on January 10, 2026 in Minneapolis. See anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis after Renee Good's fatal shooting 1 of 7 People confront an agent in an ICE vehicle near the regional ICE headquarters at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on January 10, 2026 in Minneapolis. Protests in the city continued Saturday after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed on January 7 by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis. Good, a 37-year-old mother, was shot and killed on Wednesday by Jonathan Ross, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal officer based in Minnesota. The shooting happened amid an immigration enforcement action. Noem said Good "weaponized" her SUV to run over Ross in an act of "domestic terrorism." Goods supporters have defended the woman, saying she was turning her car away from, not toward, Ross. Venezuelan nationals Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras were shot in Oregon on Jan. 8. Homeland Security officials said the pair attempted to run over immigration officers with their car and say both are involved with gang Tren de Aragua. Following skepticism around Noems characterization of Goods death, local officials have called for an investigation. The shootings are just the latest involving federal agents under the Trump administrations new, aggressive approach to immigration enforcement. The president ran on a promise to enforce mass deportations and has deployed heavily-armed federal agents to cities to carry out his plans. Minnesota: Rep. Ilhan Omar denied entry to Minneapolis ICE facility amid protests Hundreds protest in Eugene, Oregon: 'I find it all repulsive' At least 300 demonstrators gathered to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Pearl Street on Jan. 10 in Eugene, Oregon. Advertisement Advertisement Eugene residents who attended were outraged by Renee Nicole Good's death and the response from the Trump administration. Glenn Mittermann, a lawyer and former professor at UO, said Good's death was one more instance that demonstrated the Trump administration's disregard for legality. "As a lawyer, I find it all repulsive," Mittermann said. "That's not the way law enforcement should act. For the most part, the police in Eugene, we have really good police officers here. They understand that, they behave in a responsible way. We need them. But the way ICE is behaving, it's not at all in line with decent police practice." "ICE Out for Good" in Eugene drew attendees from across Lane County and the state. Advertisement Advertisement Sine Gaylord, who lives in Newport, Oregon, was in town visiting friends and decided to join Saturday's protest. "Being silent is the greatest assistance we can give to the oppressors," Gaylord said. "To me, speaking out and being there is important. It let's people who are driving by know that they're not alone." Miranda Cyr, Eugene Register-Guard Naples residents protest killing of Minneapolis woman by 'brute force' Hundreds gathered at the Collier County Courthouse near Southwest Florida's downtown Naples, Florida, Saturday night Jan. 10 for an "ICE Out For Good" vigil. At the Naples event attended heavily by 60-plus-year-olds, participants said they gathered to honor and humanize the lives taken by ICE while demanding for accountability, transparency and immediate investigation into this week's ICE killing in Minnesota. They wanted to create a space for grief, solidarity and collection action while strengthening local connections. Advertisement Advertisement "This killing is part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence, impunity and abuse carried out by federal immigration enforcement agencies against members of our communities," said Cynthia Odierna, an organizer of the Naples event. After the one-hour vigil, the participants then went on a peaceful, solemn walk with lights around Davis Boulevard and Tamiami Trail, where car horns seemed to blare on endlessly. "Renee Nicole Good died this week unnecessarily by brute force," said the Rev. Tony Fisher, a speaker and the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples. "She was trying to protect her neighbors." Phil Fernandez Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News Protesters at federal building tell ICE agents: 'Quit your job' Roughly 10 people were protesting at 5 p.m. Saturday outside the Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis, where immigration hearings are commonly held.Protesters shouted, Quit your job, at ICE agents.Derek Torstenson, of Richfield, Minnesota, was among those in attendance. He said hes not surprised to hear members of Minnesotas congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, were denied access to the building.We are not surprised by ICE and the Trump administration, Torstenson said.Craig told MS Now that she was unable to tour the building because it wasnt funded by the Federal Appropriations Act.If Trump and ICE Barbie think they can keep me from doing MY JOB to conduct oversight at federal detention centers like the one I was denied full access to today they couldnt be more wrong, Craig posted on X. Advertisement Advertisement CNN reported that at this location at mid-afternoon, after protesters threw snow and ice at vehicles leaving the facility, police "fired pepper balls at a crowd of protesters outside." According to CNN, several cars also blocked vehicles leaving the building. Corey Schmidt, St. Cloud Times LA protests shut down traffic Marchers in downtown Los Angeles shut down lanes of traffic Saturday afternoon as they demonstrated against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Los Angeles Police Department issued several alerts of street closures due to the march. Los Angeles Metro, the county transportation agency, announced it would temporarily reroute buses due to ongoing protests. Advertisement Advertisement In June, Los Angeles became a national hub for demonstrations against the Trump administration following sweeping immigration raids in the nation's second largest city. Federal buildings became sites of protests, including those resulting in protesters clashing with law enforcement. President Donald Trump had a militarized response, including deploying National Guard troops, attempting to quell protests. A federal court ruled the deployment was "unlawful." - Eduardo Cuevas Demonstrators gather to protest ICE in Minneapolis on Jan. 10, 2026, after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. Minneapolis protesters take to the streets Many in the Minneapolis protest left Powderhorn Park at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, heading west on East Lake Street. Those marching chanted F--- ICE, ICE out. Advertisement Advertisement Organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, the march followed roughly 30 minutes of speakers who offered a consistent message: They want President Donald Trump to know Minneapolis supports its immigrant communities. I refuse to believe the lies that they're spreading about us, and we refuse to concede to their intimidation tactics, and concede our people power, organizer Deiu Do said. Do referenced the recent surge of ICE agents deployed to Minnesota. Roughly 2,000 agents were deployed to the state beginning Jan. 4. You don't ask for backups when youre winning the fight, Do said. They are losing this fight. Advertisement Advertisement Several people with megaphones spoke from the bed of a pickup truck as the group marched down East Lake Avenue. Corey Schmidt, St. Cloud Times 'Surreal' moment for neighbors living on block where Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot At around 3 p.m. Saturday, protesters marched past the 3300 block of Portland Avenue, where Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis. Some stopped at the site as others continued. Protesters chanted, No hate, no fear, Immigrants are welcome here, near the site. Nori Donais and Wren Clinefelter, who live on the block, took part in the protest. Even though we've been in the middle of it, its always important to go to organized events and show up, Donais said. Advertisement Advertisement Clinefelter said ICEs presence is noticeable in Minneapolis, and to have the shooting happen in front of their house feels surreal. Weve been very aware of everything happening in our city with ice, and their presence has definitely been a looming shadow, but to have that happen, right outside of your house is obviously very different, Clinefelter said. Protesters have gathered at the shooting site since Wednesday, Jan. 7. Donais said protesters have been respectful of neighbors. I really want to point out just the kindness of the protesters and all the people that showed up here, Donais said. We had our trash cans used for the barricade, but they were labeled and brought back with as soon as it came down. Corey Schmidt, St. Cloud Times Rep. IIhan Omar to Minneapolis crowd: 'We are being terrorized by Trump' U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, spoke to those marching in Minneapolis from the back of a pickup truck. She said lessons learned from the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Nicole Good will help prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. We are going to use every single lesson we are learning today to make sure no community gets terrorized like we are being terrorized by Trump, Omar said. While Republicans have control of Congress and the presidency, Omar said, that wont be the case forever. "They might have the House majority, they might have the Senate majority, they might have the presidency today, but we live in a democracy, Omar said. We are going to show all of them the door out. Corey Schmidt, St. Cloud Times At least 3,000 people gathered for an anti-ICE protest at Powderhorn Park in south Minneapolis on Jan. 10, 2026, after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. 'We've had enough,' say protesters at Coachella in California A crowd of more than 150 gathered Saturday in the Riverside County city of Coachella to protest the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mom and poet Renee Nicole Good by an ICE enforcement officer in Minneapolis. Demonstrators waved signs, chanted in English and Spanish and danced to music from portable speakers. The protest remained peaceful, with no visible police presence; passing drivers honked in support. Weve had enough, said Gabby Armenta of Comite Latino, the nonprofit that organized the event. ICE is terrorizing our communities. People are afraid to leave their homes. ICE activity in the Coachella Valley has surged since mid-December, echoing enforcement campaigns last summer. Protesters cited fear and frustration: I need to do something besides vote, said Django Valledor of La Quinta, who sometimes monitors Home Depot lots to protect undocumented workers. Participants traveled from across the valley, some from Palm Springs and Cathedral City. Yasmin Espinoza, whose grandmother was deported despite being born in Arizona, now carries her passport everywhere. Its horrifying that teenagers feel they have to protect their parents, she said. Were living with a 1950s mindset in the 21st century. California's Coachella Valley includes cities such as Palm Springs, Indio, Palm Desert, and Coachella and is home to nearly 190,000 residents across 304 square miles. The valley has a predominantly Hispanic population. Seasonal tourism and agriculture shape its economy. Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun In snow, Iowa residents decry ICE, mourn killing Snow drifted down on hundreds of residents in Des Moines, Iowa, gathered to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the killing of a Minnesota woman. Despite the cold, over 200 people rallied Saturday at Evelyn K. Davis Park holding signs such as "There's NO Iowa nice for ICE," "No ICE!" and "It is best when ICE is crushed!" The Rev. Luke Stringer, a pastor at Des Moines' Plymouth Church, led gatherers in prayer to remember Renee Nicole Good. "We feel the ache of our sister's death," Stringer said to a silent crowd. Hannah Davis, 34, of Winterset, said she traveled with Austin Hill, 33, to the Iowa capital because there are so many (who) were worried about, as state officials are welcoming ICE agents into the state. I havent seen a lot of (ICE activity) in Des Moines, but I know its happening, Davis said. Read more at the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network. - Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register Hundreds attend rainy Ohio protest Zack Dygart stood on the side of North High Street in Clintonville, Ohio, rain pelting him as he held a sign that said "Abolish ICE." The 32-year-old Worthington resident and about 500 others stood outside on a rainy Saturday afternoon in the name of empathy. "I want people to have more empathy. ... Our country is built on immigrants. It comes back to empathy and caring for our neighbors and making sure everyone has a good quality of life," Dygart said, while wearing a shirt reading "Immigrants Make America Great." "They're people. Borders mean less to me than people." Read more coverage from the Columbus Dispatch. -- Danae King, Columbus Dispatch 'You have to do something,' says 70-year-old Ohio protester At a protest that drew dozens out in the rain in Marion, Ohio, Cindy Cooper, 70, said she's never been more fearful of a presidential administration. She participated in the Women's March in Washington, D.C., in 2017, but she said the political climate has only become "uglier and more violent." After watching video of Good being shot, she decided to join the protest. I would be ashamed not to be here," Cooper said. "You can't watch what happened and sit in your nice, little warm house and say 'ain't that a shame.' You have to do something." Another protester, Terence Hero, was horrified by the videos of the shooting. Hero has protested since the Vietnam War and he said he's never seen the country more divided than it is today. "It's always just been a matter of you can't just accept what authority says and just go with it and not question," Hero said. "Our country was founded on people that questioned authority." Read more coverage from the Marion Star. --Abby Bammerlin, Marion Star How the protests were organized Many of this weekend's protests were already in the works before well known organizing groups got involved Jan 8. The infrastructure that national organizing groups have built over the last year made it possible to organize nationwide protests against ICE in a matter of days, said Sarah Parker, a 50501 National Partner and Executive Director of Voices of Florida Fund. I can't think of a time in the last year that we were able to respond as quickly, as big and as organized, she told USA TODAY. Throughout 2025, national organizing groups worked to build a network of hundreds of thousands of activists engaged in their communities and civic life. That included training local activists to respond independently to moments that resonated in their community and hold protests without needing prompting from national groups. --Sarah D. Wire Minnesota officials: keep ICE away from schools, leave state immediately Minnesota state senators on Saturday called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stay away from schools and students, and to leave the state immediately. Four Democratic-Farm-Labor Party lawmakers who chair state Senate education committees cited Minneapolis Public Schools canceling classes and extracurricular activities last week after federal agents reportedly clashed with students and staff during Roosevelt High Schools dismissal on Wednesday. Agents allegedly tear-gassed staff and students and handcuffed two staff members, Minnesota Public Radio reported. We demand that the Department of Homeland Security keep ICE away from Minnesota schools, and leave our state immediately, state senators Mary Kunesh, Steve Cwodzinski, Heather Gustafson and Erin Maye Quade said in a joint statement. The presence of masked federal agents is not making our state safer. Rather, they are heightening tensions and creating fear, panic, and anxiety among our residents. Our students need to be in safe learning spaces, not worrying about being pepper sprayed on their way home from school. On Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz said that there was an incident with ICE agents entering a school, "causing disruptions." "I beg you, I implore you to tell them to stay out of our schools. This tragedy will be magnified 100-fold if this fight moves to the hallways of our public schools amongst our youth," Walz said in a message to elected representatives from both political parties. - Eduardo Cuevas and Jeanine Santucci Its not normal. Brief protest against ICE in Indianapolis Roughly 200 protesters lined up along an Indianapolis street on Saturday afternoon to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions. In Indianas capital, demonstrators chanted, "this is what democracy looks like, hoisting signs as vehicles drove by on East 86th Street. Some drivers honked in support. Since President Trump took office for his second term, its not normal and we cant be conditioned anymore, Peter Moore, a 48-year-old Carmel, Indiana, resident, told IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network. The more we protest, the more of an effect were going to gradually have. Read more at IndyStar. - Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star People take part in a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York on Jan. 7, 2026 after an ICE officer shot dead a woman in Minneapolis. A person holds a sign following the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman who was shot in her car by a U.S. immigration agent, according to local and federal officials, in Minneapolis, as Altadena community members gather at an event marking the first anniversary of the devastating Eaton Fire, in Altadena, Calif. on Jan. 7, 2026. About 400 of those who gathered at night in near-freezing temperature on Jan. 7 near the site where a woman was allegedly shot by an ICE officer earlier in the day in Minneapolis continue chanting and walking down East Lake Street. People demonstrate against ICE during a vigil honoring a woman who was shot and killed by an immigration officer earlier in the day in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 7, 2026. An immigration officer in Minneapolis shot dead a woman Wednesday, triggering outrage from local leaders even as US President Donald Trump claimed the officer acted in self-defense. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey deemed the government's allegation that the woman was attacking federal agents "bullshit," and called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducting a second day of mass raids to leave Minneapolis. Demonstrators gather at a vigil after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a U.S. citizen on Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. People gather Jan. 7 in south Minneapolis, where a woman was allegedly shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. On Jan. 7, a home near where a woman was allegedly shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent as a sign that speaks against ICE being in Minneapolis. People take part in a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York on Jan. 7, 2026 after an ICE officer shot dead a woman in Minneapolis. A Border Patrol federal looks at demonstrators, at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city, outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. People protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. Border Patrol federal agents detain a demonstrator at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. People protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A man protests against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a picture of Renee Nicole Good as people protest against the fatal shooting of Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A federal agent gestures towards a demonstrator at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A federal agent speaks to detained demonstrators, during a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city, outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A woman protests against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A man protests against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A medic assists a man at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator faces a Border Patrol federal agent at a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A woman holds a banner, as demonstrators take part in a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city, outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. Demonstrators stand amid tear gas as they take part in a protest against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city, outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a sign referring to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a protest march in Lower Manhattan against increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a sign during an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. Demonstrators take part in an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a sign during an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. A demonstrator holds a sign referring to the fatal shooting of the driver Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on January 7, during an anti-ICE protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. Demonstrators carry signs during an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest march in Lower Manhattan, opposing increased immigration enforcement in New York City, January 8, 2026. Voces De La Frontera held a protest in front of ICE headquarters on East Knapp Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Jan. 7, 2026. A demonstrator hands out signs during a vigil following a shooting by an ICE agent during federal law enforcement operations on Jan. 7, 2026 in Minneapolis. According to federal officials, an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good during a confrontation earlier today in south Minneapolis. People take part in a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York on Jan. 7, 2026 after an ICE officer shot dead a woman in Minneapolis. About 400 of those who gathered at night in near-freezing temperature on Jan. 7 near the site where a woman was allegedly shot by an ICE officer earlier in the day in Minneapolis continue chanting and walking down East Lake Street. See ICE protests around country sparked after Minnesota shooting death 1 of 32 People take part in a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York on Jan. 7, 2026 after an ICE officer shot dead a woman in Minneapolis. Face full extent of the law if you lay a finger on feds, DHS warns As protests are expected to ramp up Saturday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a stern warning. Reminder: if you lay a finger on a federal officer or agent, you will face the full extent of the law, DHS said in an X post. Federal officials have said agents, including those part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are seeing increases in assaults and threats against them. DHS has faced scrutiny for aggressive tactics in immigration enforcement and against protesters across several American cities. On Saturday, DHS said Border Patrol agents arrested four people on suspicion of assaulting law enforcement on Wednesday in Minneapolis. "Welcome to the Find Out stage," DHS said in an X post. The agency didn't list additional details of the people arrested. - Eduardo Cuevas How to find an ICE protest near you Organizers are calling the more than 1,000 events scheduled this weekend "ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action." They have encouraged local organizers to hold the protests and vigils at midday, or to end before nighttime to reduce the chance of violence. Protests are scheduled in cities and towns of all sizes. For example, people will gather Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Wilmington, North Carolina, as well as in New York City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. State or regionally specific event locations and site specific information can be found online. -Sarah D. Wire Minneapolis mayor urges protesters to remain peaceful The vast majority of demonstrations in Minneapolis have been peaceful so far, Mayor Jacob Frey said, urging protesters who plan to go out on Saturday not to take the bait and escalate conditions. Frey said an incident Friday night that led to property damage at an area hotel and confrontation with police officers was an outlier to the largely peaceful events in recent days. He said some "agitators" have attempted to stir up the protests. There was about $6,000 in damage done to windows and from graffiti at the Depot Renaissance Hotel, the city of Minneapolis said in a news release. We are a safe city. We will not counter Donald Trumps chaos with our own brand of chaos here, Frey said. And to the few that have caused damage to property and/or harm to others, we need to be very clear were not going to let that happen. If you cause damage to property or put others in danger, youre going to be arrested. -Jeanine Santucci ICE detained a driver, left car rolling down road, mayor says Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said ICE actions in the city have turned reckless, giving an example of a what he described as a safety hazard in a city street. Frey said ICE agents detained a driver and left their vehicle in the street without ensuring it was placed into park first, which he said could have hit anybody. "Youve got this vehicle that is just rolling down the street with nobody in it, Frey said at a news conference Saturday. This is not about safety. If this was about safety, you wouldnt do stupid things like that. Police Chief Brian O'Hara said officers have had to respond to multiple arrests of drivers to tow the cars left in the road, including one case with a dog left alone in a car that required a response from animal control. -Jeanine Santucci Americans increasingly disapprove of ICE actions, polling shows Americans increasingly disapprove of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and back protests against the federal agency, recent polling shows. A YouGov poll, conducted Jan. 7 of 2,686 American adults, showed most disapprove of how ICE is handling its job, including 40% with strong disapproval. Fifty-one percent of respondents said ICEs tactics were too forceful, while 27% said tactics were about right. Meanwhile, 44% approved of recent protests against ICE actions, compared to 42% who disapproved of protests. The YouGov poll was taken the same day ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, during an immigration enforcement action in Minneapolis. Protests have erupted in American cities since. Last February, just after President Donald Trump took office on a promise to dramatically increase immigration enforcement, a YouGov poll showed ICE had a net favorability of 16 percentage points. - Eduardo Cuevas Fears among Phoenixs Native population about ICE With more ICE agents surging into Phoenix and now empowered to racially profile under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling urban Indigenous populations have growing fears about enforcement tactics. Incidents have already shown federal agents apprehending Native Americans in a dragnet to apprehend suspected undocumented immigrants in President Donald Trumps first year. Near Minneapolis, agents reportedly forcibly took a Native American man into custody on Jan. 8, even after video showed him complying and saying he was Indigenous and an American citizen. The same day, four homeless tribal men in Minneapolis were also detained, Frank Star Comes Out, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said on social media. Phoenix is the third-largest U.S. city for Native Americans, with about 65,000 Indigenous residents. Over 50,000 people are Navajo, according to a Navajo Epidemiology Center report. Last January, Navajo leaders advised citizens to carry their Certificate of Indian Blood or tribal identification card. However, Navajo officials have raised concerns that federal agents havent consistently recognized these documents as valid and could still detain tribal members. Indigenous people are the first people of this country, Navajo Speaker Crystalyne Curley said. Unfortunately, our communities have long endured the consequences of federal policies carried out without regard for our rights and livelihoods. Read more at the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. - Arlyssa D. Becenti, Arizona Republic At least 30 detained during protests in Minneapolis As demonstrations in Minneapolis grew heated Friday night, at least 30 people were detained, cited and released after police gave orders to disperse at a hotel. Hundreds gathered near the Canopy Hotel, a Hilton property, Friday evening, according to a statement from the Minneapolis Police Department. The group also moved nearby to the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, the Depot, where property damage was reported, police said. At about 8:30, officers responded to a call and found a vehicle parked on a sidewalk. While they were investigating, protesters formed a crowd around them, according to police. Over the course of the night, individuals threw snow, ice, and rocks at officers, police vehicles, and other vehicles in the roadway, the police department said, adding that one officer had a minor injury that didn't require medical attention. At 9:45 p.m., some protesters entered forced entry into the Canopy, police said. At 10:15, police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and gave orders to disperse, which the main crowd began to do, police said. Arrests were made among a smaller group that remained near the Canopy, the statement said. --Jeanine Santucci GoFund me for family of Renee Nicole Good raises $1.5 million A GoFundMe campaign to support the family of Renee Nicole Good, the Minneapolis woman killed in a Jan. 7 shooting by an ICE agent, has closed after raising more than $1.5 million. The campaign was started just hours after Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot while in her Honda Pilot SUV at an immigration enforcement operation on a residential street near her Minneapolis home. After the campaign collected $1,503,533 from more than 38,500 donations, the organizers posted a note thanking contributors for their generosity. "Weve closed this GoFundMe and will place the funds in a trust for the family," the note said. "If youre looking to donate, we encourage you to support others in need. Were truly grateful." The GoFundMe page has also been updated with a comment a statement Good's wife, Rebecca Good, had given to Minnesota Public Radio in which she said the two found themselves at the operation because they "stopped to support our neighbors" before Renee Good was fatally shot. "We had whistles. They had guns," Rebecca Good said. -- Mike Snider Protests against ICE planned this weekend Among the places where people are expected to protest over the weekend are: Greenville, South Carolina; Worcester, Massachusetts; Boca Raton, Florida; Rochester, New York; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lisa Gilbert, co-president of one of the organizing groups, Public Citizen, said she expects the events this weekend to be peaceful. Protests across the country during Trump's first year back in office were widespread and largely peaceful. A man waves a US flag next to people protesting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 9, 2026. "The intent of these solidarity actions is to both honor and humanize the lives taken by ICE and to demand immediate accountability, transparency, and independent investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good, as well as expose the broader pattern of ICE violence," Gilbert said. Tensions mount in Minneapolis Hundreds of people took to the streets of Minneapolis to protest within hours of Goods death and demonstrations have continued to swell in the ensuing days. The site of her death and a federal building used by immigration agents, both south of the citys downtown, have become focal points for protesters. Authorities installed concrete barriers outside the federal building following protests. Many protesters have taken to carrying signs showing pictures of Good. The mother of three's wife, Rebecca Good, released a statement describing her partner as a dedicated Christian who had "stopped to support our neighbors" before she was fatally shot. "We had whistles. They had guns," Rebecca Good said. Local officials have called for immigration authorities to leave the city and for the officer behind the shooting to be arrested. Minnesota prosecutors launched an online portal for residents to submit evidence related to the shooting in Minneapolis, vowing to probe the incident. State investigators said the FBI has moved to withhold evidence. White House says ICE will go 'door to door' Trump administration officials are promising to double down on their immigration enforcement strategy despite widespread protests. Over 10,000 new ICE agents armed with personal data harvested by private contractors are expected to deploy across the country in the coming months. Speaking on a FOX NEWS broadcast earlier this week, Vice President JD Vance said ICE would be going "door to door" in the coming months to carry out the White Houses plans for the largest mass deportation in history. Federal officials say they've now got about 22,000 agents and investigators, up from 10,000 a year ago. Vance's comments were broadcast hours after the ICE agent shot and killed Good in Minneapolis. White House officials have accused Democrats of encouraging illegal immigration to reshape the country's voting patterns. The vice president said the more aggressive enforcement that began in 2025 will ramp up in 2026. Contributing by Sarah D. Wire, Amanda Lee Myers and Trevor Hughes This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Protests in Minneapolis, across nation after immigration shootings U.S. President Donald Trump wants to own Greenland. He has repeatedly said the United States must take control of the strategically located and mineral-rich island, which is a semiautonomous region that's part of NATO ally Denmark. Officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States met Thursday in Washington and will meet again next week to discuss a renewed push by the White House, which is considering a range of options, including using military force, to acquire the island. Trump said Friday he is going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not. Advertisement Advertisement If it's not done the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way," he said without elaborating what that could entail. In an interview Thursday, he told The New York Times that he wants to own Greenland because ownership gives you things and elements that you cant get from just signing a document. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO, and Greenlanders say they don't want to become part of the U.S. This is a look at some of the ways the U.S. could take control of Greenland and the potential challenges. Military action could alter global relations Advertisement Advertisement Trump and his officials have indicated they want to control Greenland to enhance American security and explore business and mining deals. But Imran Bayoumi, an associate director at the Atlantic Councils Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, said the sudden focus on Greenland is also the result of decades of neglect by several U.S. presidents towards Washington's position in the Arctic. The current fixation is partly down to the realization we need to increase our presence in the Arctic, and we dont yet have the right strategy or vision to do so, he said. If the U.S. took control of Greenland by force, it would plunge NATO into a crisis, possibly an existential one. While Greenland is the largest island in the world, it has a population of around 57,000 and doesn't have its own military. Defense is provided by Denmark, whose military is dwarfed by that of the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement It's unclear how the remaining members of NATO would respond if the U.S. decided to forcibly take control of the island or if they would come to Denmark's aid. If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, Frederiksen has said. Trump said he needs control of the island to guarantee American security, citing the threat from Russian and Chinese ships in the region, but it's not true said Lin Mortensgaard, an expert on the international politics of the Arctic at the Danish Institute for International Studies, or DIIS. While there are probably Russian submarines as there are across the Arctic region there are no surface vessels, Mortensgaard said. China has research vessels in the Central Arctic Ocean, and while the Chinese and Russian militaries have done joint military exercises in the Arctic, they have taken place closer to Alaska, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Bayoumi, of the Atlantic Council, said he doubted Trump would take control of Greenland by force because its unpopular with both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and would likely fundamentally alter U.S. relationships with allies worldwide. The U.S. already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement, and Denmark and Greenland would be quite happy to accommodate a beefed up American military presence, Mortensgaard said. For that reason, blowing up the NATO alliance for something Trump has already, doesnt make sense, said Ulrik Pram Gad, an expert on Greenland at DIIS. Bilateral agreements may assist effort Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a select group of U.S. lawmakers this week that it was the Republican administrations intention to eventually purchase Greenland, as opposed to using military force. Danish and Greenlandic officials have previously said the island isn't for sale. It's not clear how much buying the island could cost, or if the U.S. would be buying it from Denmark or Greenland. Washington also could boost its military presence in Greenland through cooperation and diplomacy, without taking it over, Bayoumi said. One option could be for the U.S. to get a veto over security decisions made by the Greenlandic government, as it has in islands in the Pacific Ocean, Gad said. Advertisement Advertisement Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands have a Compact of Free Association, or COFA, with the U.S. That would give Washington the right to operate military bases and make decisions about the islands security in exchange for U.S. security guarantees and around $7 billion of yearly economic assistance, according to the Congressional Research Service. It's not clear how much that would improve upon Washington's current security strategy. The U.S. already operates the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, and can bring as many troops as it wants under existing agreements. Influence operations expected to fail Advertisement Advertisement Greenlandic politician Aaja Chemnitz told The Associated Press that Greenlanders want more rights, including independence, but don't want to become part of the U.S. Gad suggested influence operations to persuade Greenlanders to join the U.S. would likely fail. He said that is because the community on the island is small and the language is inaccessible. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen summoned the top U.S. official in Denmark in August to complain that foreign actors were seeking to influence the countrys future. Danish media reported that at least three people with connections to Trump carried out covert influence operations in Greenland. Even if the U.S. managed to take control of Greenland, it would likely come with a large bill, Gad said. Thats because Greenlanders currently have Danish citizenship and access to the Danish welfare system, including free health care and schooling. Advertisement Advertisement To match that, Trump would have to build a welfare state for Greenlanders that he doesnt want for his own citizens, Gad said. Disagreement unlikely to be resolved Since 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has decreased from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations to 200 at the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest of the island, Rasmussen said last year. The base supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance told Fox News on Thursday that Denmark has neglected its missile defense obligations in Greenland, but Mortensgaard said that it makes little sense to criticize Denmark, because the main reason why the U.S. operates the Pituffik base in the north of the island is to provide early detection of missiles. Advertisement Advertisement The best outcome for Denmark would be to update the defense agreement, which allows the U.S. to have a military presence on the island and have Trump sign it with a gold-plated signature, Gad said. But he suggested that's unlikely because Greenland is handy to the U.S president. When Trump wants to change the news agenda including distracting from domestic political problems he can just say the word Greenland' and this starts all over again," Gad said. Jan 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will reassess the safety of herbicide paraquat, its administrator Lee Zeldin said on Friday on X, adding that the body is requiring manufacturers to thoroughly prove that current uses are safe in real-world conditions. Syngenta, which markets paraquat under the brand name Gramoxone, is among the herbicide's major sellers. The Swiss-based agricultural chemical company is facing several lawsuits in the U.S., where plaintiffs allege exposure to paraquat caused them to develop Parkinson's, a degenerative brain disease that leads to loss of muscle coordination. Advertisement Advertisement It has previously said there was "no credible evidence" that paraquat causes Parkinson's. In agricultural settings, paraquat is mostly applied to soybean, corn and cotton crop fields to control invasive weeds and grasses, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. (Reporting by Costas Pitas and Pooja Menon; Editing by Alan Barona) Jan. 9U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville announced Friday that $12 million in community project funding was added to a House bill for infrastructure and public safety enhancements for the north Alabama area. To take effect, the bill needs to be passed by the Senate and signed by the president. The bill includes $592,305 for the Priceville Police Department to purchase new patrol vehicles and upgrade equipment, $300,000 for the Hartselle Police Department to replace aging radio systems and modernize equipment, $199,762 for the Somerville Police Department to purchase new vehicles and make technological upgrades, and $1.2 million for Lawrence County to modernize the local radio system used by first responders. Advertisement Advertisement The bill also has $4.13 million for the Auburn University Applied Research Institute in Huntsville to acquire high-performance computing capabilities for national security and defense applications and $4.2 million for the University of Alabama in Huntsville's AI Research Facility for Space and Defense. Strong is member of the House's Appropriations Committee and vice chairman of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee. bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432 The State Department issued a level 4 Do not travel warning Friday for Americans planning to visit Mali. The warning comes after the African nation recently announced it was banning Americans from visiting. In the advisory, U.S. officials warn of possible crime, kidnapping, terrorism and armed conflict as reasons why Americans should not visit Mali. The advisory claims crime is rampant throughout the country, and that "Extortion and kidnapping for ransom are significant sources of financing for terrorist and criminal groups." While the advisory calls on Americans not travel to Mali, it also lifted the State Departments ordered departure mandate for non-emergency Embassy employees and their family members. That mandate was issued in October 2024. Advertisement Advertisement If Americans do decide to visit Mali, the State Department offered several suggestions for travelers, which can be found on the departments website. The timing of the Do not travel advisory comes just weeks after the Malian ministry announced a travel ban for U.S. nationals. In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that, with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to US nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens, the Malian ministry said in a statement. Mali issued its ban after President Donald Trump placed Mali on the notorious travel ban list late last year. Trumps ban fully restricts entry to the U.S. for most citizens coming from nations on the list. The U.S. ban makes some exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders or special cases involving athletes or diplomats. So far, 39 countries from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America have been placed on the U.S. travel ban list. Read the original article on mlive.com. The U.S. Department of State is issuing a nationwide travel notice for the popular Caribbean destination Grenada, citing a risk of crime. U.S. citizens are urged to exercise increased caution when traveling to Grenada, as violent crime can occur anywhere on the island. American citizens in Grenada have been victims of armed robbery, assault, burglary, and rape, the State Department warns. In some cases, American citizens have been killed. Police response times are not as fast as one may expect in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement The Department of State classifies Grenada as a Level 2 advisory the second highest risk level. A Level 2 advisory means travelers should be more aware of increased safety and security threats when traveling to these regions. The State Department advises American citizens who wish to travel to Grenada to: Stay aware of their surroundings and keep a low profile. Avoid walking or driving alone at night. Do not resist robbery attempts and do not open doors to unknown visitors. Students: Contact campus security for on-campus emergencies as they may respond faster than local police. Boaters: Be cautious of unfamiliar people or watercraft approaching your vessel. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for updates and alerts from the U.S. embassy. Review the Country Security Report and CDC travel health info for Grenada. Use the International Travel Checklist and consider buying travel insurance that covers medical emergencies, evacuation and trip cancellations. More Business News Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Its hard to imagine Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) without Warren Buffett as CEO, but thats todays reality. The legendary Oracle of Omaha retired at the end of 2025 at age 95, capping a magnificent 60-year career in running the famed conglomerate. Buffett is still around, of course, as the Chairman at Berkshire Hathaway, but he no longer has day-to-day responsibilities, as those have been passed down to new CEO Greg Abel. And its only natural to wonder how the companys investment philosophy will change or if the company will alter some of its long-time positions. More News from Barchart For example, one of Berkshire Hathaways biggest positions is American Express (AXP). Berkshire owns a 22% stake in the credit card company, accounting for 151.6 million shares. The position, which is valued at $58.1 billion, accounts for about 18% of Berkshire Hathaways mighty $316 billion investment portfolio. Whats the investment thesis for American Express in 2026? Lets take a closer look. About American Express Stock New York-based American Express is a credit card company that caters to higher-end travelers and business clients. It has the distinction of being one of Buffetts earliest and best bets Buffett invested in 1964 after a scandal regarding salad oil inventories caused the stock price to plummet. Buffett invested $13 million in the company when shares were valued at $30 and gained a 124% return in two years. Shares of American Express are up 27% in the last year, outperforming competitors Mastercard (MA) and Visa (V), which are both up 13% over the same period. AXP stock has also performed better than the S&P 500 ($SPX), which has shown a 17% gain over the same period. www.barchart.com Interestingly, American Express is also cheaper than both Mastercard and Visa. AXP has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 25.7 times versus a P/E of 36 times for Mastercard and 31 times for Visa. Therefore, you can achieve better performance with American Express stock at a more affordable valuation. American Express also pays a dividend of $3.28 annually, with quarterly payments that are currently $0.82 per share. The dividend yield is only 0.87%, but American Express dividend has grown notably in the last three years. American and Jordanian forces carried out airstrikes on more than three dozen Islamic State targets in Syria today, in the second wave of bombardments retaliating for the killing of American soldiers last month. U.S. Central Command confirmed the airstrikes late this afternoon, saying that a large force of more than a dozen aircraft bombed dozens of ISIS targets across Syria, firing more than 90 munitions. The operation included American F-15E Strike Eagles, A-10 Warthog close attack planes, AC-130J gunships and MQ-9 Reaper drones. Jordanian Air Force F-16s also participated, a CENTCOM spokesperson told Task & Purpose. The operation started on Saturday evening, Syrian time. Top Stories This Week News Exercise Sourdough How the Air Force turned San Francisco into an urban evasion course By Jeff Schogol News National Guard pilot admits to landing Black Hawk helicopter to pick up elk antlers By Matt White News Airmen can now swap out the 2-mile run on both yearly fitness tests By Jeff Schogol Advertisement Advertisement CENTCOM did not specify where in Syria the attacks took place or how many ISIS fighters were believed to have been killed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group tracking fighting in the Syrian Civil War and international powers operations in the country, reports that at least three sites in the desert around Deir Ezzor were hit. The group also noted ongoing aerial patrols by coalition warplanes. The attacks appear to be the first U.S. airstrikes on ISIS fighters in 2026. CENTCOM said that the attack was a part of Operation Hawkeye Strike. That mission, technically a part of the wider Operation Inherent Resolve, started on Dec. 19, in response to the death of two Iowa National Guard soldiers. Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, along with their American civilian interpreter, were killed on Dec. 13 while a part of an American delegation meeting officials in Palmyra, Syria. A gunman, believed to be with ISIS, opened fire before being gunned down. Six days later the American military launched its large-scale retaliation. CENTCOM said that it struck 70 targets in central Syria, but did not say how many people were killed in the attacks. In the following 10 days, American and partner forces conducted 11 ground missions, killing several ISIS fighters and capturing several more. Saturdays operation is not the first anti-ISIS airstrike of the year though. U.S. Africa Command carried out airstrikes on ISIS fighters in Somalia on Jan. 1-3 and Jan. 8. All of the operations took place in the Gholis Mountains, where American forces heavily bombed last month. AFRICOM did not specify how many ISIS-Somalia fighters were targeted or killed. The US and its partner forces have carried out large-scale strikes against Islamic State (IS) group targets in Syria, the US Central Command (Centcom) has announced. US President Donald Trump directed the strikes on Saturday, which are part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, in retaliation to IS's deadly attack on US forces in Syria on 13 December, Centcom wrote on X. The strikes were conducted in an effort to combat terrorism and protect US and partner forces in the region, according to Centcom. Advertisement Advertisement "Our message remains strong: if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice," Centcom said. The US and its partner forces fired more than 90 precision munitions at more than 35 targets in an operation that involved more than 20 aircraft, an official told CBS News, the BBC's US partner. The official added that aircraft including F-15Es, A-10s, AC-130Js, MQ-9s and Jordanian F-16s had taken part in the strikes. The location of the strikes and the extent of any casualties is not yet clear. "We will never forget, and never relent," Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X on Saturday in reference to the military action. Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration first announced the Operation Hawkeye Strike in December after an IS gunman killed two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter in an ambush in Palmyra, located in the centre of Syria. "This is not the beginning of a war - it is a declaration of vengeance," Hegseth said when announcing the operation in December. "The United States of America, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people." Prior to the latest strikes on Saturday, US forces killed or captured nearly 25 IS group members in 11 missions between 20 December and 29 December as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, Centcom said. Advertisement Advertisement In the operation's first mission on 19 December, US and Jordanian forces carried out a "massive strike" against the IS group, deploying fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery to strike "more than 70 targets at multiple locations across central Syria", according to Centcom. That operation, it said, "employed more than 100 precision munitions" targeting known IS infrastructure and weapons sites. Syria has been in a fragile state since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, which effectively ended a civil war that had ravaged the country for 13 years. Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known by his nom-de-guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has been serving as the country's president since his rebel group ousted Assad and solidified control. Advertisement Advertisement The IS has been weakened in Syria, but still remains active, predominantly carrying out attacks against Kurdish-led forces in the north-east in 2025. GUATIRE, Venezuela (AP) The United States and Venezuela said Friday they were exploring the possibility of restoring relations, as a Trump administration delegation visited the South American nation. The visit marks a major step toward reestablishing diplomatic ties between the historically adversarial governments. In a brazen intervention last weekend, the U.S. military captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last weekend from his compound in Caracas and flew him to New York to face federal charges of drug-trafficking. A small team of U.S. diplomats and a security detail traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Venezuelas government on Friday said it plans to send a delegation to the U.S. but it did not say when. Any delegation from the country traveling to the U.S. will likely require sanctions to be waived by the Treasury Department. The government of acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez said it has decided to initiate an exploratory process of a diplomatic nature" with the U.S., "aimed at the re-establishment of diplomatic missions in both countries." Rodriguez is engaged in a delicate balancing act, under pressure to meet the Trump administrations demands and also win the support of Venezuela's military hard-liners outraged over the U.S. seizure of Maduro. Her statements on Friday laid bare that tension. Advertisement Advertisement Relating her telephone conversations with the left-wing presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Spain, she condemned Washington's grave, criminal, illegal, and illegitimate aggression against her country. Later, in televised remarks at the inauguration of a small womens health clinic in downtown Caracas, she emphasized diplomacy with Trump as the best way to defend Venezuela and even ensure the return of President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. We will meet face-to-face in diplomacy ... to defend the peace of Venezuela, the stability of Venezuela, the future, to defend our independence and to defend our sacred and inalienable sovereignty, Rodriguez said without mentioning the possible resumption of operations at the U.S. embassy. President Donald Trump has sought to coerce Rodriguez and other former Maduro loyalists still in power to advance his vision for U.S. control of Venezuela's lucrative oil exports. The South American country has the world's largest proven crude reserves. Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. and Venezuela severed ties during Trump's first term in 2019. The U.S. insistence that opposition leader Juan Guaido was the rightful president of Venezuela enraged Maduro, who maintained his firm grip on power. That year, the Trump administration shuttered the embassy in Caracas and moved diplomats to nearby Bogota, Colombia. U.S. officials have traveled to Caracas just a handful of times since. The latest visit came last February when Trump's envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, met with Maduro, paving the way for Venezuela's release of six detained Americans. ___ Lee reported from Washington. Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City. Follow the APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america When he first emerged on the political stage more than a decade ago, Donald Trump made closing Americas borders and remaking our immigration system a central plank of his agenda. A year into his second administration and as this weeks events in Minneapolis underscore the issue has defined his presidency and changed Americas trajectory. Perhaps one of the most consequential moves on that front has been his dismantling of our system of asylum: the process by which immigrants can legally enter the country if they fear violence or persecution. Trump has moved aggressively to curtail asylum-seekers entrance into the US, as well as to force ones already in the country to leave. Advertisement Advertisement Today, Explained guest host Miles Bryan talked to ProPublica immigration reporter Mica Rosenberg about how the Trump administration has made life harder for asylum-seekers, how the system broke under Joe Biden, and what the changes in the US might spell for the rest of the world. Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. Theres much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify. What was the Trump administrations mindset about asylum coming into 2025? Under US law, people are allowed to show up at our border and request asylum if they fear returning to their home countries. But that actually triggers a very long court process in the US that can take years to resolve. Trump and his advisers really view this system as kind of like a giant loophole. They believe that most people who are coming into the country this way are not legitimate asylum-seekers, and theyre maybe coming for economic reasons. Theyve really come into office with a blitz of policies to try and shut that system down. Advertisement Advertisement And that includes things that theyre doing at the border, which is quickly turning people back to Mexico and, in some cases, sending them to third countries like Panama or Costa Rica or even farther, locations that theyve never been to, and not giving them a chance to seek asylum here. How important are those third country deportations to the administrations overall policy? This is really one of the most novel and surprising things that the Trump administration has tried. For years, multiple administrations have struggled with a particular issue of countries that have refused to take back their own nationals as deportees. During the first Trump administration, he forged agreements with some Central American countries to take back some deportees from different nationalities mostly regional migrants, and they didnt really get very far. Advertisement Advertisement This time around, [the administration has] really ramped up this strategy significantly. Theyve signed these types of agreements with around 20 countries, including really far-flung ones like South Sudan and Uganda. In one of the most audacious and consequential deportations so far of Trumps presidency, he sent close to 230 Venezuelan nationals to a maximum security prison in El Salvador. He accused them of being the worst of the worst, gang members. Our reporting at ProPublica and with Venezuelan reporting partners found that the government knew that the vast majority of these men had never been convicted of any crimes in the United States, but they were rounded up and whisked away to this prison, where they were held for months before they were released in a prisoner exchange. This is something that has never really been tried before at this scale. And its being challenged in court. But its very difficult to challenge because once these people are outside of the United States, theyre mostly outside of the jurisdiction of US courts. So its leaving a lot of people in very precarious situations. I think itd be helpful to kind of remind everybody, including myself, what this system and the process looked like before Trump started blowing it up. Can you paint us a picture of how this was working under the Biden administration? During the Biden administration, this phenomenon of people arriving at the border and turning themselves in to border officials to claim asylum really exploded under the Biden administration. The people that were coming and asking for refuge were overwhelming border stations, and many ended up being released into the country to make their claims in immigration court. Advertisement Advertisement What qualifies you for asylum is a really sort of narrow band of reasons. Its granted to people specifically who fear persecution because of their race, their religion, their nationality, their political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. The systems really been set up in the past acknowledging that those things can be very difficult to prove (especially if youre fleeing out of fear, you might not have all of the proof that you need). Thats why the court system was set up in this way. It was supposed to give people time to gather evidence, to make their claims. I think there are a lot of people who were arriving at the border who really did have legitimate asylum claims. Theyre fleeing for their lives. Theyre facing political persecution. But mixed in there, I think, are people who are coming for other reasons. Theyre facing serious economic hardship or violence or political and economic breakdown in their home countries. What the Trump administration has done, by believing that almost all of the asylum claims are fraudulent or not legitimate, theyre really sort of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. And advocates are saying that these changes have made it nearly impossible for legitimate asylum-seekers to really get protection. How do people in countries far from the United States find out or come to believe that flying to Mexico and then trekking to the border and then waiting at the border and then maybe turning themselves in was going to lead to a better life? I think its very different for every nationality and every group. There were WhatsApp groups, there were TikTok influencers who were advertising different routes for making it to the United States. Advertisement Advertisement People from countries deeper in South America, in India, and parts of Africa started understanding that they could come to the border and claim asylum and potentially be released to pursue their claims. There were hundreds of thousands of people who were making a perilous trek on foot through the dangerous jungle between Colombia and Panama. African and Indian migrants were going into debt for tens of thousands of dollars to pay for commercial and charter flights into Nicaragua and then to make their way through Mexico. Is anyone still getting asylum? Is this still happening at all, or has Trump just turned the tap off completely? Well, the Trump administrations goals of sealing off the border are really being accomplished in many ways. Border crossings have dropped to record lows, and releases of people into the country to try and go through this court process have also really dropped. There has really been a reduction in the ability for people to seek protection here. So youre telling us this story of huge swings in our asylum policy. It seems like a big reason that those swings are possible is because the policy is being set with executive orders. Do you think theres any possibility that Congress is going to actually make any meaningful changes to our asylum system? Well, everyone says that we are where we are right now because Congress for decades has never gotten around to passing any really meaningful, comprehensive immigration reform. Were working with an outdated system. Each president that comes in basically makes immigration policy through fiat and executive actions. And those can be challenged in court. They can be quickly overturned if a different party comes into office. Advertisement Advertisement This is something that would take real, meaningful, bipartisan action. There have been efforts that came really close in the past where there were groups on both sides. I think it really doesnt look good for congressional action at this point. How should we think about all these people who have historically sought out the United States for asylum who now cannot? Are they going to other countries? Is there going to be another nation that becomes the shining city on the hill? All of these changes are happening at a time where theres really an unprecedented explosion of people fleeing conflicts all over the world. Trump is part of a wave of politicians who have capitalized on concerns about rising immigration. Politicians in places like Europe or even Canada have embraced some of the views that the Trump administration has about tamping down on migration, limiting access to asylum. Many countries in the past have really felt compelled to follow the US lead on issues of human rights and protecting asylum-seekers. But now, these countries may end up following the US lead in the opposite direction. SELINSGROVE Jonathan J.J. Hernandez celebrated his 10th birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas without his father who has been in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since October. J.J. has never not had his father during these holidays, said Andrea Galbraith-Hernandez, of Selinsgrove, referring to her husband, Carlos A. Hernandez. More bad news was on the horizon for the family. On Friday afternoon, the part-time nurse and school bus driver was informed by her landlord that she is being evicted for nonpayment of rent. Advertisement Advertisement Carlos wouldnt let it get this bad, she said. Hernandez left Guatemala 21 years ago for a better life in the U.S., found employment in the restaurant business and had been supporting his family and two older children in his homeland. He and Galbraith-Hernandez met while working at a Sunbury restaurant and married in 2015. That year, Hernandez hired Philadelphia immigration attorney, David Kaplan, to help him obtain permanent residency. In recent years, Hernandez eldest child, Karla, moved to the U.S. and obtained a Green card. It hasnt been as easy for her father. Hernandez was denied permanent residency in March 2023 after failing to prove an extreme hardship if he were not allowed to stay legally in the U.S. His appeal is still pending. Advertisement Advertisement The bar is very high for immigrants who want to live legally in the U.S., Kaplan said, and getting more difficult. A native of Colombia who is now a U.S. citizen, Kaplan has worked as an immigration attorney for 32 years and is troubled by the attitude toward and actions being taken against foreigners. Theyre throwing people away. Its so random, he said.Its a sad time for America. Hernandez was taken into custody by ICE agents in early October at the Villa Theresa II restaurant in Shamokin Dam where hed been employed for three years as manager. A month earlier Hernandez allegedly filed a false criminal report on Sept. 9, claiming he was robbed of $300 while leaving the restaurant. Hernandez told police he made the false report out of desperation in the hopes he would be viewed as a victim and not deported. Advertisement Advertisement He is being held at Clinton County Prison and is scheduled for formal arraignment on the misdemeanor charge in Snyder County Court on Jan. 26. Gailbrath-Hernandez said hes been working in the jail kitchen and toward a GED while in custody but fear persists as several families struggle in Hernandezs absence, including his son in Guatemala who he continues to support financially as well. A week ago, she was looking for a child psychologist for J.J. and now shes also looking for an affordable home. Hernandez had been working toward buying the restaurant in Shamokin Dam from Larry Mancino who had to close the eatery on Sundays after ICE seized his manager. We live in fear every day, not knowing whats going to happen, said Mancino, a U.S. citizen from Italy who knows several immigrants in the Valley who are being detained by ICE. They are coming here to build a dream, like me. WOODCLIFF LAKE When Paulie Becker finished his service in the Vietnam War nearly six decades ago, he faced hostile American crowds who degraded him physically and mentally. Becker never went back to Vietnam until this year, when he visited for a week to make peace with his past. This time, a North Jersey community made sure he felt the love upon his return. Dozens of local residents lined the streets in Woodcliff Lake on Jan. 9 to welcome Becker home and honor his service. The greeting, along with the trip, was therapeutic for a veteran who struggled with the lasting impacts of war for more than half a century. Advertisement Advertisement "I love all of you. Thank you so much," an emotional Becker said to the crowd. "It only took 57 years, but it's the greatest." Story continues after gallery Becker, who lives in Wappingers Falls, New York, traveled to Vietnam with Woodcliff Lake resident Scott McDowell. The two met several years ago while staying at neighboring campsites in Sussex County and quickly bonded over issues facing former service members. McDowell is a veterans advocate who hosts an annual barbecue to benefit the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that builds homes for military families in need. He is always searching for ways to help current and former service members, a mission that became more personal after seeing Becker's anguish firsthand. Advertisement Advertisement "I just knew what a great guy he was, and I just knew all the anger he always had," McDowell said. "We straight talk, we don't hide anything, and I told him, 'You've got to get this out somehow.'" Becker, who will turn 79 on Jan. 14, decided he wanted to return to Vietnam and happily accepted McDowell's offer to accompany him. The two took in the country's culture throughout the trip, speaking with a group of about 200 elementary school students and touring a museum documenting the history of the war. The homecoming was vastly different from what Becker endured upon returning home from his service. At that time, a crowd of protesters spat, threw garbage and hurled insults like "baby killers" at him and his fellow soldiers after the group landed in Oakland, California. The ensuing years were difficult for Becker, who recalled visiting a priest and asking if God would ever forgive him for his actions in Vietnam. The priest replied, "God has already forgiven you. It's up to you to forgive yourself." Advertisement Advertisement McDowell wanted Becker to receive a proper welcome home this time around, so he floated the idea of an escort to Woodcliff Lake Police shortly before the trip. The department was immediately on board, and after spreading the word to other local first responders and residents, the plans evolved into a full-scale parade route through the borough. Attendees lined Werimus Road late in the morning awaiting Becker's return, with many waving American flags, wearing patriotic clothing and holding signs. The festive atmosphere culminated around 12:30 p.m., when Becker arrived at McDowell's home as Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." blared from a speaker in the driveway. The outpouring of support was a memorable conclusion to the trip for Becker, who said the visit was exactly what he needed to move on from his past. His wife, Maureen Launzinger, agreed, telling NorthJersey.com, "I really could see a difference in his whole demeanor." As for the community response, Becker was deeply moved to see so many people shower praise on someone who does not even live in the area. The reaction, he said, provided a form of closure to what he faced years ago. Advertisement Advertisement "It means everything to my heart," Becker said. "It restores my faith in the American people, that there are people out there that really care." This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Vietnam veteran gets hero's welcome in Woodcliff Lake NJ CHOWCHILLA, Calif. (AP) Jacob Smith has been in prison for two decades, but he and other inmates are still taking regular trips to far-flung, exotic locales. No passport required, just a virtual reality headset. I went to Thailand, man! Smith recalled with a grin, describing the first time he strapped on a VR device and was transported to the lush landscapes and bustling markets of Southeast Asia. A Los Angeles-based nonprofit is bringing the technology to California prisons with the goal of providing inmates a brief escape and, more importantly, exposure to real-world scenarios that will prepare them to reenter society. Advertisement Advertisement During a weeklong program last month, incarcerated men at Valley State Prison near Fresno sat on metal folding chairs in a common area. They shuffled in their seats as they were outfitted with the headsets that resemble opaque goggles. Their necks contorted slightly and smiles spread across their faces as the high-definition videos started and their journeys commenced. Some saw the sights on the other side of the globe, including Bangkok, while others experienced more practical scenes, such as job interviews. The men sit across virtual desks from virtual interviewers who are both easygoing and hard-nosed to give them the tools for finding employment once they are released. For a lot of us, the workforce has changed and things are different with the application process, said Smith, who is eligible for parole in 2031 and now volunteers helping his fellow inmates navigate the VR experience. Its a nerve-wracking experience going to sit in front of somebody and telling them why Im good for the job. Afterward, volunteers help the inmates process the emotions or traumas that bubbled up during their experiences. Sabra Williams, founder of the nonprofit Creative Acts, calls the VR devices a hope machine. Advertisement Advertisement The program stems from a prison arts project that Williams ran that incorporated theater, music, poetry, dance and painting. Watching incarcerated people become engaged in artistic pursuits made her wonder about other ways to bring the outside world inside." She heard from people who had left prison lamenting that technology had passed them by. They felt confounded by simple things like pumping gas, checking out at a supermarket, or going to the ATM. And what I hear from them is that it made them feel like they didnt belong, and that they only belong in prison, she said. First Williams' group dug for footage on YouTube to recreate everyday activities. Soon they were creating their own videos focusing on travel, constructive scenarios, civic engagement, conflict resolution, art, and even meditation to blow their minds and also educate their minds. Advertisement Advertisement Technology can help in rehabilitation Such technology could have an important role to play in rehabilitation and, especially, reintegration into society, said Nancy La Vigne, the dean of Rutgers-Newark School of Criminal Justice in New Jersey. She envisions people who haven't been in the real world for a long time using VR to act out navigating the DMV or figuring out how to take a city bus. Another benefit could be a calming effect on stressed-out inmates. La Vigne points to research published by the American Psychological Association that found that incarcerated people who viewed short nature videos showed reduced levels of aggression and were subject to fewer discipline reports. But with a hefty price tag and limited access, La Vigne worries about the practical realities," such as unintended consequences that stem from those who might be left out of the VR experience. Advertisement Advertisement You can't just hand them out or sell them at commissary, La Vigne said. A former inmate, Richard Richard, first used a VR headset about six years ago when the program was launched and since his release has become a volunteer for Creative Acts. He said he is impressed by how far the technology has advanced. He loves watching his fellow inmates use the devices for the first time and then progress as they deal with trauma and emotional issues. You may physically be here, but mentally, spiritually you can actually transcend this environment, he said. The group conducts the program, using 100 Oculus headsets donated by Meta, both in the general population and in solitary confinement. Youth offenders are also eligible. It currently runs three times a year at four California prisons, and Williams hopes to expand it throughout the state and across the country. Advertisement Advertisement The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement Friday that it welcomes innovative approaches that help keep our communities safe. Virtual reality can heal trauma In announcing the introduction of VR at the California Men's Colony prison in San Luis Obispo County last August, the department said the usage has the potential to heal trauma, regulate emotional response, and prepare for a safe, successful reentry into society. The introductory two-minute trip to Thailand is often emotional for many inmates, some of whom had never been off their block, let alone out the country, Williams said. Advertisement Advertisement And so many times people would take off the headsets and theyd be crying," she said. "Because theyd be like, I never knew the world was so beautiful. ___ Weber reported from Los Angeles. CHARLESTON Jobs will lead this years legislative agenda, according to West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw. The West Virginia Press Association held its annual legislative lookahead session, a preview of what lawmakers hope to accomplish before the end of the legislative sessions 60 days. The new session begins Jan. 14. We know that if we deal with jobs first, if we deal with an environment driving economy, we can solve a lot of problems, Hanshaw said. Advertisement Advertisement Hanshaw argued that centering the legislative agenda around job creation would provide the foundation to tackle the states social problems, such as educational attainment, family unification and the foster care crisis. Hanshaw said the plan was built on top of three pillars, the first of which was building the states population into a 21st century workforce. Key to that goal will be ensuring teachers receive appropriate compensation. Hanshaw said the legislature will seek a teacher pay raise to $50,000 a year. Hanshaw also emphasized the importance of the states growing aviation industry, which is fueling workforce demand. For the second pillar, Hanshaw also wants to make benefits portable, allowing workers to transition jobs with more ease. Along with portable benefits, Hanshaw wants to expand and expedite permits so projects can begin faster. For the third pillar, Hanshaw said it rests on responsible economic growth. Encouraging housing construction by removing sales taxes on home construction materials. Hanshaw added responsible economic growth also rests on diversifying the states economy. Advertisement Advertisement However, legislative Democratic leadership in the form of House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle and Senate Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, emphasized the importance of addressing longstanding challenges the state has faced, beginning with child welfare. Some of the priorities that I will personally advocate for this session will be the 6,000 children in our foster care system, which we all know is broken, Woelfel said. Those children are there through no fault of their own. We cant really fix that without resources. Woelfel also opposed Gov. Patrick Morriseys plan to move forward with an income tax cut, despite the state not hitting its revenue target for an automatic trigger tax cut. The legislature passed the trigger cut in 2023, which only activates once the state hits its revenue goals. Woelfel also strongly defended public education from the effects of the Hope Scholarship, which has to a student exodus from the classroom to homeschooling and other options. There are people in the Senate, the House that dont give a (expletive) they dont care what happens to you, Woelfel said. They dont care about public education. I dont mean they want it to fail, but they dont really care whether it fails or not. And, there are some frankly that want the public school system to fail. Advertisement Advertisement Woelfel urged the legislature to take up the question of the school aid funding formula. The current formula is outdated and schools must pay for support positions that are mandated by the legislature out of pocket, which strains counties school finances. Republican State Sen. Amy Grady, chair of the Senate Education Committee, however, placed emphasis on changing graduation requirements. She said students need more pathways out of public education, and that the traditional four-year college experience isnt for everyone. She said schools should prepare students with the skills employers are looking for. Hornbuckle also brought up the subject of utility bill prices. He supports a freeze on utility bills to give the legislature time to find policy fixes. He also called for reforms to the Public Service Commission to make it more responsible to the people. However, none of the suggestions from the Democrats has a chance of reaching bill status unless Hanshaw agrees to move it onto the legislative agenda. Folks think they have all the ideas and it never works out that way, Hornbuckle said. I think we have to make a concerted effort to put people first this legislative session. The opening salvo in the global war on drugs took place in a Dutch royal palace a century ago, and involved not guns but fountain pens. The Hague 1912 International Opium Convention committed the great powers to the suppression of the abuse of opium and cocaine, and was signed by envoys of everyone from George V to Tsar Nicholas II and the Shah of Persia. Even back then when cheap gin was still deemed a far greater threat to British morals, and opium and cocaine could be bought in British chemist stores authorities were waking up to the burgeoning threat of narcotics. Yet while his majestys government was moving to declare drugs to be dangerous vices, to be eradicated like slavery a century before, it had previously peddled opium on a huge scale. That was during the notorious mid-19th-century Opium Wars, which began as a trade dispute between Britains empire and the protectionist monarchs of Chinas Qing dynasty. Then as now China had far more goods to sell to Britain than vice versa. So to even up the balance of payments, Britains East India Company began selling Chinese merchants vast quantities of opium from colonial Bengal. Advertisement Advertisement Alarmed at soaring rates of addiction, the Qing authorities began mass confiscations of the drug, sparking the first of two wars in which they proved no match for Britains imperial might. Instead, they were forced to hand Britain control of Hong Kong and open up Chinese ports to foreign goods. Britain, hypocritically, justified it in the name of free trade even though in this case, Adam Smiths invisible hand was clutching an opium pipe. China, meanwhile, has never forgotten it. In a speech in Hong Kong in 2022, president Xi Jinping referred to the Opium Wars as heralding Chinas century of humiliation. Shameful as they were, the Opium Wars show how narcotics can influence geopolitics with Washingtons capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro just the latest example. Snatched from Caracas last Saturday by US special forces, he and his wife are now in custody in New York, accused of shipping thousands of tonnes of cocaine to the US. Donald Trump says Maduros arrest is part of a new war on narco-terrorism, targeting drug cartels he perceives as destabilising Americas backyard. However, Trumps critics say that as long as demand exists, wars on drugs are unwinnable. Advertisement Advertisement The US, after all, has been trying to stop Latin American cocaine cartels since the 1980s. Tony Blair, meanwhile, sent troops to stamp out Afghanistans opium trade (along with the Taliban), only to lose many British soldiers lives. Yet Trumps strategy also has its backers who say the only problem with Americas previous wars on drugs was that they werent tough enough. Among them is retired US narcotics agent Derek Maltz. He started his career busting crack dealers on New York housing projects in the 1980s and headed the Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) Special Operations Division from 2005 to 2014. He says the current Trump onslaught, with its missile attacks on suspected Venezuelan drug boats in the Caribbean, shows the US finally means business. Former US narcotics agent Derek Maltz says it is only now... really true that the US is conducting a war on drugs - Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty In the past, we always said that it was a war on drugs, but only now is that really true, Maltz says. Weve lost far more American lives to drugs than weve ever done to terror attacks. The US is no longer going to tolerate any organisations that are shipping drugs into our country. As someone who has seen first-hand the damage that drugs can do, Maltzs tough line is perhaps unsurprising. Advertisement Advertisement Yet, why do drugs more than alcohol cause such alarm, and when did the panic first start? In Britain, a watershed moment was the publication of Thomas De Quinceys 1821 book Confessions of an English Opium Eater. A no-holds-barred account of his years using the opium extract laudanum, it was the Victorian answer to Trainspotting, Irvine Welshs novel on heroin addiction. De Quincey intended it as a cautionary tale, warning that if educated men like himself could become addicted, then opium was clearly a threat. What really horrified temperance-minded Victorians, however, was that he spent much of the book detailing how enjoyable opium was. In an era when Britain was rapidly industrialising, with factory workers required to turn up on time, the last thing society needed was inebriants even more tempting than gin. According to historian Ryan Gingeras, whose new book Mafia: a Global History charts the rise of drug-related crime, Confessions became a milestone for the movements that compelled states to punish anyone found dealing in dangerous intoxicants. Gin Lane and Beer Street: a depiction of inebriation on the streets of London circa 1751 - Three Lions/Getty The First World War underscored the need for a fit, sober workforce, paving the way for Americas failed experiment with alcohol prohibition, which ran from 1920-33. That, in itself, fuelled the rise of the modern American mafia, which had sidelines in narcotics as well as bootleg booze. Advertisement Advertisement For many years, though, drugs remained a minority pursuit, confined largely to bohemians and jazz musicians. Consumption then soared in the socially permissive 1960s prompting President Richard Nixon to launch the first modern war on drugs. Blaming drug addiction for spiralling urban crime rates, Nixon declared Americas drug habit an international problem, and made it clear that he expected other countries to co-operate. With France and Turkeys help, the infamous French Connection network, which smuggled heroin from Marseille to New York, was shut down. Meanwhile, Operation Intercept temporarily sealed the US-Mexico border to stop marijuana imports during harvest season in autumn 1969 a tactic criticised by the psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane, whose song Mexico complained the country was under the thumb of a man we call Richard. Drug tests were also introduced for GIs returning from Vietnam, where around one in five were using local heroin. Yet as with Trumps operation against Maduro which some believe is more about control of Venezuelas oil wealth than cracking down on the trade in narcotics there were suspicions about Nixons true motives. It allowed Nixon to have a go at students protesting the Vietnam War and demanding civil rights, whom he figured all took drugs, says the journalist Harry Shapiro, formerly of the British think-tank DrugScope. A war on drugs can be an easy smokescreen for political objectives. President Nixon calls a meeting of US ambassadors to drug-source nations as part of his war on drugs - Bettmann The severing of the French Connection, however, also proved that drugs were a whac-a-mole problem. Heroin started coming into America via Mexico instead, while its source shifted from South-East Asias Golden Triangle to Afghanistan. And just as drug use was shaping geopolitics, geopolitics also shaped drug use. After the Shah of Irans overthrow by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, waves of Iranian refugees fled to London. Soon after, British police noticed a mysterious surge in heroin use. Advertisement Advertisement Some of the fleeing Iranians converted their assets into Afghan heroin, because it was easy to smuggle out and could be sold for a lot, Shapiro says. Cue Britains first big drug addiction crisis, devastating inner-cities from London to Glasgow. Americas slums, meanwhile, were facing a huge surge in Colombian cocaine, which was no longer just a drug for wealthy rock stars. Crack, the cheap new smokable form of the drug, helped prompt a renewed Latin American drug war by President Ronald Reagan, who accused the Marxist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua of facilitating its spread. In a 1986 speech, he brandished photos purportedly showing Sandinista officials loading duffel-bags of cocaine onto a plane. Every American parent concerned about the drug problem will be outraged to hear that top Nicaraguan government officials are deeply involved in drug trafficking, he said. In fact, there was limited evidence of direct Sandinista involvement. But Washington dramatically increased its foothold in Colombia, using crop-duster planes to spray coca plantations, and sending in advisers to help Colombian security forces hunt down drug barons like Pablo Escobar, who was killed in 1993. His Medellin cartel had become a state-within-the state, murdering thousands of Colombians. In 1989, it also planted a bomb on an airliner to kill a Colombian presidential candidate, killing 107 people. Cocaine traffickers from the Medellin cartel arrested in 1988 in Bogota, Colombia - Eric Vandeville/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Another figure who incurred Americas wrath was Panamas military dictator Manuel Noriega, who had allegedly partnered with the Medellin cartel. A 27,000-strong US invasion force arrested him in 1989, in what was described as the most expensive drug bust in history. As with recent events in Venezuela, critics claimed drugs were being used as a pretext. The real reason for Noriegas ouster, it was claimed, was because America sought tighter control of the Panama Canal. Advertisement Advertisement Post 9/11, Washingtons drug wars took a new direction, amid concerns that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda were being funded by narcotics sales. Maltz headed up a new DEA Special Operations Division, tasked with tracking connections between terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering worldwide. Wiretaps helped reveal that Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, was heavily involved in cocaine, using facilitators in Latin Americas Lebanese diaspora. We had to get Arabic-speaking agents in to monitor the calls we had no previous idea about Hezbollahs level of involvement, Maltz recalls. We also learned that Al-Qaeda cells in Africa were safeguarding shipments of cocaine across the Sahara into Europe. It was this perfect storm where terrorists worldwide were getting ever more involved with drugs. Maltzs team took several significant scalps, including the 2005 arrest of Afghan opium lord Bashir Noorzai, then one of Americas most-wanted drug traffickers. But a British war on Afghan opium launched that same year had less success. The Blair government tasked troops with eradicating poppy-growing in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand, aiming to end the militants income stream and cut off the key source of Britains own heroin addiction problem. Labour ministers confidently predicted it could be done within a decade, only for the eradication mission to peter out after the loss of more than 100 British soldiers lives. Taliban soldiers stand guard as a heroin-making factory goes up in flames in Helmand; October 2000 - Banaras Khan/AFP It came down to simple economics the farmers got far more money for growing poppies than they did for growing wheat, and the Taliban, despite officially disapproving of drugs, were pushing them into it, James Glancy, a former Royal Marines officer who served in Helmand, told The Telegraph. Advertisement Advertisement With hindsight, it was strategically illiterate to send a small force into Helmand, next door to the Talibans spiritual home, Kandahar, and begin a counter-narcotic operation and [attempt at] nation-building. The campaign had zero benefit to Britains national interests. It was partly Britains generals wanting to atone for failures in Iraq, and partly Blair being desperate to ingratiate himself in Washington [and it] ended in failure. Americas cocaine war in Latin America has also had limited success. Crackdowns on Caribbean trafficking routes in the 1990s fuelled the rise of land-based smuggling cartels in Mexico instead. Despite the arrest of kingpins like Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the Sinaloa cartel leader jailed in the US in 2017, Mexicos cartels remain as powerful as ever, with private armies that sometimes outgun the state. Today, the US is also struggling with new Class-A+ drugs such as fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin. It claims the lives of up to 70,000 Americans a year, many in the Trump-supporting Rust Belt regions. The drug has also stoked tensions with China, a major source of fentanyl precursor chemicals. Under US pressure, Beijing proscribed most of the precursors in 2019, but black-market supplies continue. Weve had a tsunami of addiction through America recently because of opioids like fentanyl, and also methamphetamine, says Maltz, who backs the Trump governments recent designation of fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. Advertisement Advertisement Drugs are being weaponised to destabilise our country, so yes, were at war a chemical war, he adds. American liberals do not seem to have much of an alternative. While nearly half of US states have legalised recreational cannabis, the drug legalisation lobby still has no real idea what to do about cocaine, a far bigger problem in terms of drug crime. One analysis predicted that if cocaine were legalised, America would have to expect up to 20-million problem users a prospect that is politically unsellable. Legalisation of any illegal drugs would require cross-party support, a thorough cost-benefit analysis, and the backing of public opinion, says Shapiro. I have never seen anyone present a credible road map to that effect. Maltz, for his part, concedes that shutting down the supply line wont solve matters alone. America needs better drug education, he says, along with much better mental health services, to help those struggling with or prone to falling into addiction. But in the meantime, he fully supports Washingtons new gloves-off stance. Ever since he first headed the DEAs Special Operations Division 20 years ago, Maltz says Venezuela has grown as a drug command and control hub. And he loses no sleep over Maduros downfall, or the drug-trafficking boats being blown out of the water by US missiles. Advertisement Advertisement They wont be hitting innocent fishermen there, theyll have proper intelligence on whos who, he insists. Those who have a problem with it should open their eyes and look at how many Americans are dying from the drugs coming in. Enough is enough. 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. The video from the incident contains disturbing footage involving the animals. According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Office, a routine traffic stop on the Key Peninsula early Jan. 6 quickly escalated into a short vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash, the discovery of drugs and two dogs being thrown from the vehicle. Deputies said they attempted to stop a vehicle around 12:45 a.m. for expired registration that was more than three years out of date. Advertisement Advertisement Instead of pulling over, the driver accelerated and tried to escape. The pursuit lasted less than 30 seconds before the vehicle failed to make a turn at a T-intersection and crashed into an embankment. During the crash, a large dog was ejected through the front windshield and ran from the scene. Deputies took a 39-year-old male driver and a 28-year-old female passenger into custody. Investigators said drugs and drug paraphernalia were found on the male driver. A second, smaller dog was found inside the vehicle, behind the drivers seat. The driver was arrested on multiple charges, including eluding with endangerment, driving under the influence, driving while license was suspended in the first degree, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and second-degree animal cruelty, according to deputies. Advertisement Advertisement The vehicle was seized so deputies could apply for a search warrant. Authorities said there was no probable cause to arrest the female passenger. She was identified as the owner of both dogs and was released at the scene with the smaller dog. Deputies said she was allowed to retrieve the larger dog, which had run to a nearby property. The sheriffs office said both dogs were ultimately found to be OK. The incident, deputies said, highlights the risks of drug use and driving, especially when it puts other lives including animals in danger. This story was originally published on Utility Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Utility Dive newsletter. New year, same theme: data centers. The PJM Interconnections market monitor is once again blaming data centers for the results of its latest capacity auction. Meanwhile, Texas large load queue exploded last year, largely due to you guessed it! data centers. Here are those and other numbers that caught our eye in the early days of 2026. 40% How much revenues in the PJM Interconnections most recent capacity auction are attributable to data centers, both existing and forecast, according to the grid operators independent market monitor. The December auction was held to secure energy for the delivery year starting June 1, 2027. Data center load accounted for $6.5 billion, or 40%, of the $16.4 billion in costs to procure power supplies, it said. The current conditions in the capacity market are almost entirely the result of large load additions from data centers, both actual historical and forecast, it said. The extreme uncertainty in the load forecasts based on uncertainty about the addition of large data center loads is also unique and unprecedented and raises questions about the meaning of clearing a capacity auction based on those forecasts. 300% The approximate growth last year in the large load queue for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas region. Grid planners in Texas are assessing more than 233 GW of large load interconnection requests, with more than 70% coming from data centers, an official said at a December board of directors meeting. We have outgrown the process that was established for reviewing these large loads, said ERCOT Vice President of System Planning and Weatherization Kristi Hobbs. The Public Utility Commission of Texas, which regulates ERCOT, is working to implement a new state law, known as SB 6, that requires standardized interconnection rules and improvements to load forecasting. $1M to $5M How much offshore wind developers, including utilities, say they are losing every day due to the Trump administrations freeze on all construction of offshore wind facilities, according to legal filings. This week, rsteds 924-MW Sunrise Wind project filed a legal challenge to the block, bringing the number of wind farms that are seeking relief from the courts to four of the five affected by the administrations action. Dominion Energy Virginia, which was nearing completion on its 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, said the administration was refusing to divulge the nature of the national security concerns that it said necessitated the pause. It said the governments actions depart from established practice of sharing information with critical infrastructure operators and foreclose any possibility that the government will follow normal protocols. Seven people from Paterson have been arrested following the Dec. 30 shooting at the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, officials announced. Three suspects were arrested at the scene following a fight in the food court and a shot being fired, the Wayne Police Department posted on Facebook. Four additional individuals were arrested on Jan. 9 in Paterson and Winslow Township following an investigation, police said. The three men arrested at the mall were pointed out by an eyewitness as having been involved in the fight and officers detained them, said the Wayne PD, who said surveillance footage was used to confirm their involvement. Advertisement Advertisement The three arrested on Dec. 30 were: Ashir Walker, 18, Paterson: charged with inciting a public brawl, disorderly conduct and simple assault. Kashjeme Powell, 18, Paterson: charged with inciting a public brawl, disorderly conduct and simple assault. 17-year-old juvenile, Paterson: charged with inciting a public brawl, disorderly conduct and simple assault. The other suspects involved in the fight fled the mall on Dec. 30. The Wayne Police Investigative Division with help from the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, Paterson Police SIU, ATF and others conducted an investigation, officials said. "Man hours of reviewing surveillance video, interviewing witnesses and obtaining information through various investigative means over the next several days led to the development of one adult and two juvenile suspects," Wayne PD said in a release. Advertisement Advertisement Early on Jan. 9, Wayne police officers also with Paterson PD, Passaic County SWAT, ATF, FBI, Winslow Township PD and Camden County sheriffs searched locations in Paterson and Winslow resulting in the arrests of the three suspects along with one additional arrest. A stolen handgun was also recovered, police said. The four people arrested on Jan. 9 were: Kayson N. McCaskill, 18, Paterson: charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a large capacity magazine, underage possession of a handgun, community gun, riot involving a firearm, simple assault, inciting a public brawl, risking widespread injury and possession of stolen property. 17-year-old juvenile, Paterson: charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, terroristic threats, riot involving a firearm, simple assault, inciting a public brawl, risking widespread injury, underage possession of a handgun and community gun. 17-year-old juvenile, Paterson: charged with possession of a large capacity magazine, riot involving a firearm, simple assault, inciting a public brawl, risking widespread injury and tampering with evidence. Wilhelmina Kelson, 62, Paterson: charged with hindering apprehension This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne NJ police arrest seven over Willowbrook mall shooting More than a dozen vigils, protests and other actions are planned Jan. 10 and 11 in cities and communities across Arizona in response to a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis. The Arizona events are part of hundreds of actions taking place nationwide, according to organizations that have quickly come together to demand accountability after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a mother and U.S. citizen, by an ICE officer who officials say was acting in self-defense. The events have been dubbed "ICE Out for Good Weekend of Action." Advertisement Advertisement "The mobilization comes in response to the escalation of ICE violence in our communities, the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old wife and mother of three, and the months-long pattern of unchecked violence and abuse in marginalized communities across America," the American Civil Liberties Union said in a written statement. "Across the country, communities will gather in nonviolent, lawful, and community-led actions to honor the life lost, demand accountability, and make visible the human cost of ICEs actions." The coalition of organizations include the ACLU; Indivisible: MoveOn Civic Action; Voto Latino; United We Dream; 50501; and the Disappeared in America Campaign of the Not Above the Law. Here is a list of events taking place on Jan. 10 and 11 in Arizona: Saturday, Jan. 10 Surprise 9-10:30 a.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, Bell Road and Civic Center Drive, hosted by Northwest Valley Indivisible. Tucson 9-11 a.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, outside the offices of U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, 1636 N. Swan Road, organized by Indivisible. Arivaca 9-10 a.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, 17160 W. Arivaca Road, organized by Indivisible. Tempe 9:30-11:30 a.m.: ICE Out for Good protest and food drive, Cole Park, 2000 E. Carson Drive, organized by Indivisible. Chandler 10 a.m.-noon: May Day ICE Out protest, Chandler Boulevard and Arizona Avenue, organized by May Day Strong. Advertisement Advertisement Noon-2 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, 3 S. Arizona Ave., organized by Indivisible. Central Phoenix 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: No Occupation of Our Cities protest, outside the ICE Phoenix Field Office, 2035 N. Central Ave., organized by May Day Strong. Noon-2 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, outside the ICE Phoenix Field Office, 2035 N. Central Ave., organized by Desert Democracy. Globe-Miami 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, Adonis Avenue and U.S. 60 (the sidewalk next to the Miami Senior Center), organized by Indivisible. Mesa Noon-3 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, 1203 E. Southern Ave. (Southern Avenue and Stapley Drive), organized by Indivisible. Payson Noon-1 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, 110 E. Bonita St., organized by Indivisible. Flagstaff 2-4 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, Flagstaff City Hall, 211 W. Aspen Ave., organized by Indivisible. Sunday, Jan. 11 San Tan Valley 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Stop the ICE Violence protest, Gantzel Road and Combs Road (all four corners), organized by Indivisible. Anthem 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, Anthem Way and Gavilan Peak Parkway, organized by Indivisible. Patagonia Noon-2 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, North Third Avenue and State Route 82, organized by Indivisible. Mesa Noon-2 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest and know your rights distribution, 330 S. Gilbert Road, organized by Indivisible. Prescott Noon-1 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest, 120 S. Cortez St. (Gurley and Montezuma streets), organized by Indivisible. Sedona/Verde Valley 5:30-7 p.m.: ICE Out for Good protest and candlelight vigil, Jack Jamesen Memorial Park, 25 Northview Road, organized by Indivisible. What we know: Sen. Ruben Gallego warns AZ 'cooks, mechanics' ICE is targeting them This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Where are the ICE protests this weekend in Arizona? The Buddhist monks traveling across South Carolina on a Walk for Peace will appear in downtown Columbia on Saturday afternoon. At previous stops in South Carolina, the group of two dozen Buddhist monks have followed a familiar routine in interacting with their supporters. But in a Facebook post Friday night, the monks said they would avoid having public visitation during their daily lunch stop before noon, due to limited parking at the undisclosed location. Advertisement Advertisement Instead, the monks will participate in two peace gatherings on Saturday. One will gather on the West Columbia side of the Gervais Street bridge at 2 p.m. The group and supporters will then walk into Columbia to the south steps of the State House from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., according to local non-profit Be the Ones. As part of the State House gathering, the monks will be presented with a city proclamation by Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and a state proclamation by state Sen. Deon Tedder. The next overnight stop on the journey had not been confirmed Friday night. The live map of the journey can be seen on Walk for Peace website. Since they set out Oct. 26, the Walk for Peace has become a social media sensation, partly based on the appeal of the monks rescue dog, Aloka the Peace Dog, who has traveled with them the entire way. Large crowds have gathered to greet the monks every stop of the way, and will doubtless do the same in South Carolinas capital city. Advertisement Advertisement On Friday night, visitor parking at Toms Den on Augusta Road just outside Lexington filled up shortly after 4 p.m., hours before the monks had actually arrived at their overnight stop. The Walk for Peace entered South Carolina from Georgia on Monday, more than two months after the monks left from their home temple in Forth Worth, Texas. The monks have walked more than 1,500 of the 2,300 miles they intend to travel to Washington, D.C. So far, the group has traveled across six states and Columbia will be the fifth state capital the monks have visited. From the Savannah River, the Walk for Peace has spent a week going across McCormick, Edgefield and Saluda counties before the trek passed through Lexington on Friday. After visiting Columbia, the monks will turn north on their way to the nations capital, passing through Rock Hill on the way into North Carolina early next week. President Donald Trump fired rhetorical warning shots at several governments across the globe this week. Nations from Scandinavia to the Middle East found themselves in Trumps crosshairs, as he also doubled down on his desire to assert U.S. dominance across the Western Hemisphere. Trump seems intent on remaking the global order in the wake of the U.S. military raid on Venezuela and his subsequent declaration that Washington would run the South American nation. A year of strikes: US military operations surge under Trump Advertisement Advertisement Hours after Operation Absolute Resolve a mission that saw U.S. forces capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their compound in Caracas the White House posted a black-and-white photo of Trump with a caption that read, No Games. FAFO. The acronym stands for f--- around and find out. Trumps first instinct is always diplomacy, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Military Times, noting its the presidents dealmaking expertise that helped him end wars. But she underscored that Trump always has a host of options at his disposal, and all of his actions have put America First while making the entire world safer. Here are the countries Trump has put on high alert. Greenland The United States has renewed its pursuit of Greenland, which the Trump administration deems vital for the protection of U.S. national security interests in the Arctic specifically, to counter China and Russia. The White House said the president is considering a range of options to acquire the island, including the possible use of force. Advertisement Advertisement Trump ramped up his rhetoric over Greenland on Friday, saying he would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we dont do it the easy way, were going to do it the hard way. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proclaimed that a U.S. attack on Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, would spell the end of NATO. Trumps approach to Greenland has also caused broader consternation among European allies. Iran Anti-government protests have erupted across Iran in recent weeks, fueled by crippling economic conditions and political discontent. Trump has stopped short of endorsing regime change in Tehran, but has suggested the U.S. would intervene if Iranian authorities resort to egregious use of lethal force against demonstrators as they have done in previous episodes of unrest in the country. Advertisement Advertisement If they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots were going to hit them very hard, Trump said Thursday, adding that the Islamic Republic would have to pay hell for violent repression. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a speech broadcast on state TV Friday, vowed to not back down, and accused protesters of acting on behalf of Trump. In this photo released by the White House, President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Venezuela, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, left, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday. (Molly Riley/The White House via AP) Mexico U.S. land strikes on Mexico targeting drug cartels could be imminent, according to Trump. We are going to now start hitting land with regard to the cartels, Trump told Fox News on Thursday, framing the military campaign as his war on drugs. Advertisement Advertisement He previously said that drugs are pouring through Mexico and indicated that the cartels are running the country, not President Claudia Sheinbaum. Nigeria Trump said he could authorize additional U.S. strikes on Islamic State militants in Nigeria if attacks on Christians continue unabated. Id love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike, Trump said Thursday. Last month, Trump ordered lethal Christmas Day strikes, which he called a Christmas present, after a series of warnings that the U.S. military would go guns-a-blazing into Nigeria if the government continued to allow the killing of Christians. Advertisement Advertisement The degree to which violence in Nigeria is primarily motivated by religion is disputed, however, with struggles over land and water rights and general criminality among the other factors at play. A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor parks following military actions in Venezuela in support of Operation Absolute Resolve. (U.S. Air Force) Colombia Tensions between the U.S. and Colombia showed signs of thawing Wednesday following a phone call between Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, wrote that his Colombian counterpart called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had. Trump said he appreciated his call and tone, and suggested that he invited Petro to meet at the White House in the near future. The apparent rapprochement between the two countries came days after Trump told reporters an invasion of Colombia sounds good to me, and disparaged Petro as a sick man who better watch his a--. Advertisement Advertisement Petro, who criticized the U.S. military operation to depose Maduro, said he would take up arms against the United States if it were to attack. Venezuela The president announced on Friday a previously expected second wave of attacks on Venezuela has been canceled, citing the South American nations cooperation with the United States. The U.S.A. and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes. At a meeting with more than a dozen oil companies at the White House on Friday, Trump said Venezuela has been very smart in the way they have dealt with us after the U.S. ousted Maduro. That whole place could have been obliterated with one more strike and we didnt want to do that. The relationship between President Donald Trump and one of his most fervent supporters grew so fraught Secret Service was alerted. Marjorie Taylor Greene, MAGAs top defector, is suspected of setting up the president to be protested at a restaurant Greene suggested he visit, White House aides told Axios. The White House then tipped off the Secret Service about the alleged betrayal. Trumps visit to the popular lobbyist hangout Joes Seafood, in Washington, D.C., in September was hijacked by activists who shouted Free D.C! Free Palestine! and Trump is the Hitler of our time! before they were hauled out. US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks alongside former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump at a campaign event in Rome, Georgia, on March 9, 2024. / ELIJAH NOUVELAGE / AFP via Getty Images Trump visited the joint, just minutes from the White House, to prove how safe D.C. streets were amid his crime crackdown in the capital. But his trip to the restaurant, where a tuna steak costs more than $45, became a public relations disasterand some White House insiders believe MTG was the mastermind. Advertisement Advertisement The White House reportedly told the Secret Service that Greene, once one of Trumps fiercest allies, directly tipped off the anti-war activist group Code Pink that Trump would be at the restaurant, according to Axios. The claim is based on suspicion rather than evidence, though, and Greene vehemently denied it. Greene told Axios that the claim she set the president up to be protested is an absolute lie, a dangerous lie. I would never do that. MTG with Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin. / Medea Benjamin/X Code Pink, too, shot down the suggestion. That absolutely did not happen, to the point it is comical, a spokesperson for the group told Axios. But White House insiders say that something fishy went on down at Joes Seafood, basing their hunch on two factors: The fact that MTG recommended Joes, and her known relationship with Code Pink members. Pro-Palestinian protesters at the restaurant as the president dines inside. / SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images Greene allegedly hammered the phones of White House staffers on the day of Trumps surprise visit, in a bid to confirm that the 79-year-old was definitely going to show up. As a result, Trump allegedly confirmed he would, but MTG didnt join, as expected. This struck some Trump aides as odd, Axios reported. Advertisement Advertisement Greene, a Joes regular, has also publicly declared that she has an unlikely friendship with Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin, with whom she shares an anti-war sensibility. I have enjoyed a friendship with Medea for a few years now, even though politics says thats not allowed, Greene said in December. White House insiders said the first signs of trouble in the presidents relationship with Greene reared last spring, after he sent her polling which indicated she could lose a Senate race to a Democrat. Trump arrives at Joe's before the Code Pink debacle unfolded. / SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images She was reportedly rankled by this. After that, her very public criticisms of Trump intensified both in regularity and fury, they said. Advertisement Advertisement Greene conceded to Axios that she did indeed recommend the seafood spot, but only White House aides and restaurant management knew of the reservation. The story you should be writing is why didnt the Secret Service sweep the restaurant, she added. She went further in an angry X post, saying the story has come about because the White House is mad at me for telling the truth about the President and forcing the release of the Epstein files. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Trump's former cheerleader, has broken from the president over the release of the Epstein files. / ELIJAH NOUVELAGE / AFP via Getty Images She blamed the saga on the Secret Service being lax and suggested that a White House insider or Joes staffer may have tipped off Code Pink. She said her relationship with Trump was good at the time, and he didnt brand her Marjorie Traitor Greene until weeks later. And even now, I would NEVER do what they are accusing me of! she added. Greene, who also attempted to distance herself from Medea Benjamin, said she will seek legal counsel. Anyone saying this is true is absolutely lying!!! she raged. Advertisement Advertisement It remains unclear whether Greene is being investigated by the Secret Service. The agency refused to confirm when contacted by the Daily Beast. Nothing is more important than ensuring the highest level of safety for those we protect, but we are not able to confirm or comment on matters of protective intelligence, Anthony Guglielmi, U.S. Secret Service Chief of Communications, said. The White House and Greene have also been contacted for comment. A person was transported to a local hospital "out of an abundance of caution" after a suspicious white powder was discovered at the Rhode Island Department of State's office in Providence, a Providence Police Department spokeswoman said. The Providence Fire Departments hazardous materials team responded and is handling the situation in coordination with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, with support from the Rhode Island State Police, the spokeswoman, Kristy DosReis, said. The person taken to the hospital was not exhibiting symptoms, according to DosReis. Advertisement Advertisement "At this time, there is no credible threat," DosReis said. "We will provide additional information if necessary." The Rhode Island Department of State's elections division received the suspicious envelope today, Friday, Jan. 9, according to Faith Chybowski, director of communications and public affairs for the office. "In line with their training, Department of State staff immediately alerted emergency services, including the Rhode Island State Police and FBI," Chybowski said. "The facility was cleared while law enforcement responded." 'This was an attempt to frighten the dedicated public servants' Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore said, "While we wait to learn more, one thing is clear this was an attempt to frighten the dedicated public servants who keep Rhode Islands elections safe, secure, and fair. I have no tolerance for threats, intimidation, or acts of violence against our staff, and I remain committed to doing everything I can to keep them safe. Advertisement Advertisement "I thank law enforcement and emergency services for their swift response," he said. The office is at 148 West River Street. A message on X from the department said the office is temporarily closed. "To contact the Business Services Division, please use corporations@sos.ri.gov. To contact the Elections Division, please use elections@sos.ri.gov," it said. "Your message will be answered as soon as possible." This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: One taken to hospital after suspicious powder sent to RI state office The post Montanas Docile Bison: The Myth That Sends Visitors to the ER appeared first on A-Z Animals. Quick Take Achieving population restoration required surviving a historical collapse to fewer than 1,000 total bison . The brucellosis classification forces legal disputes over grazing access outside Yellowstone . The plains bison is counter-intuitively not Montanas official state animal despite universal recognition . Completing veterinary screening is mandatory for the Bison Conservation Transfer Program to support sovereignty. Across Montanas eastern plains, few sights register as strongly as a bison herd navigating open grassland. Although the grizzly bear is the official state animal, the plains bison has come to represent the states history, contested landscapes, and deep ties to Indigenous nations. Its story tracks closely with Montanas own, shaped by extraction, displacement, recovery, and ongoing debate over land and wildlife. From tribal herds to national parks and private ranchlands, bison continue to influence how Montanans think about stewardship, sovereignty, and the future of open country. Why Bison Carry the Big Sky Story Montanas official state animal remains the grizzly bear, selected by schoolchildren in the early 1980s. Grizzlies represent mountain wilderness, but they inhabit only parts of the state and remain difficult to see. Bison once ranged across most of Montanas plains, making them familiar to a wider range of communities. Their presence in tourism, ranching debates, tribal life, and conservation policy explains why many residents treat the plains bison as an unofficial emblem of the state. Meet the Plains Bison (Bison bison bison) The plains bison is one of two surviving subspecies of American bison, adapted to grasslands that stretch across the northern Great Plains. Adult bulls commonly weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds and can run faster than many people expect. Heavy forequarters, curved horns, and a thick winter coat allow the animal to withstand Montanas wind and cold. Plains bison shape prairie ecosystems through grazing, movement, and wallowing. Steve Creek/Shutterstock.com (Steve Creek/Shutterstock.com) Bison shape grasslands through patchy grazing, trampling, and wallowing, which helps maintain plant diversity and habitat for insects and birds. Their movement patterns once structured entire prairie ecosystems, giving the species lasting ecological importance in the state. Bison and Indigenous Life Before Statehood For thousands of years, bison supported the economies and cultures of Plains tribes such as the Blackfeet, Assiniboine, Sioux, and Salish and Kootenai peoples. Meat provided food, hides became shelter and clothing, and bones and sinew were shaped into tools. Hunting practices reflected deep environmental knowledge and careful use of seasonal landscapes. Beyond material use, bison held spiritual and social meaning, appearing in stories, ceremonies, and kinship systems. That long relationship remains central to modern tribal restoration programs, which often describe bison as relatives rather than resources. Near Elimination on the Plains During the late nineteenth century, bison populations collapsed due to commercial hide hunting, railroad expansion, and federal policies aimed at undermining Native resistance. Herds that once numbered in the tens of millions across North America fell to fewer than one thousand animals. By the late nineteenth century, commercial hunting and expansion had reduced bison populations to near extinction. Tim Evanson from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 Original / License (Tim Evanson from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0) In Montana, mass kills left prairies scattered with carcasses, and trainloads of bones were shipped east for industrial use. The loss disrupted ecosystems and devastated tribal food systems, turning ecological destruction into a humanitarian crisis. The species survival into the twentieth century depended on a handful of remnant herds. Early Conservation and the National Bison Range At the start of the twentieth century, tribal members and private landowners helped gather surviving bison into protected herds. In 1908, the National Bison Range was established on land taken from the Flathead Reservation, creating one of the first wildlife refuges in the country. While the range contributed to population recovery, its creation displaced the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes from land they had long used. In 2020, federal management of the site was formally transferred back to the Tribes, marking a shift toward tribal stewardship and acknowledging that conservation and justice are often intertwined. Yellowstone Bison Yellowstone National Park, which extends from Wyoming into southern Montana, supports the largest continuously wild bison population in the United States. As a keystone species and ecosystem engineers, bison exert a profound influence on Yellowstone by actively manipulating the parks grasslands and nutrient cycles. Through a phenomenon known as engineering an endless spring, massive herds intensely graze emerging vegetation, which prevents plants from maturing and instead stimulates the constant regrowth of young, nutrient-rich shoots that can be up to 150% more nutritious than ungrazed forage. This heavy grazing, combined with the deposition of nitrogen-rich manure and urine, speeds up the nitrogen cycle and boosts soil microbial activity without depleting nutrient storage. Advertisement Advertisement Beyond the soil, bison shape the physical landscape by wallowingcreating depressions that catch rainwater and serve as micro-habitats for specialized plants and insectsand by horning or rubbing against trees, which helps maintain open grasslands by suppressing forest encroachment. These activities create a heterogeneous mosaic of habitats that increases overall biodiversity, supporting everything from pollinators and grassland birds to large predators and scavengers. Yellowstone bison remain fully wild while living at the center of tourism, conservation, and political debate. CherylRamalho/Shutterstock.com (CherylRamalho/Shutterstock.com) A Tourist Draw Bison serve as a cornerstone of Montanas multibillion-dollar tourism industry, acting as one of the most significant wildlife draws for the millions of visitors who flock to the region each year. At sites like the CSKT Bison Range and the Montana gateway entrances to Yellowstone National Park, these iconic mammals attract nearly 4.5 million annual visitors who contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to local economies through guided tours, photography, and lodging. However, the proximity of these 2,000-pound animals to popular roads and parking lots often creates a dangerous illusion of docility for tourists. Statistically, bison are the most dangerous animals in Yellowstone, injuring more visitors than bears or wolves; since 1980, they have caused dozens of injuries, with incidents often peaking during the summer months when travelers ignore the 25-yard safety regulation to take photos. While the annual average remains relatively lowtypically between one and five gorings per yearthe severity of these encounters is high, frequently resulting in significant trauma for those who mistake these unpredictable wild animals for slow-moving cattle. Law, Disease, and Management Debates Montanas approach to bison reflects long standing tension between wildlife conservation and livestock interests. State policy classifies plains bison under special management categories tied to disease control, particularly brucellosis. The Interagency Bison Management Plan coordinates state, federal, and tribal responses to bison movements beyond park boundaries. Measures have included hazing, capture, slaughter, and relocation. Supporters argue these controls protect ranching livelihoods, while critics contend they reduce a native species to the status of nuisance livestock. The debate remains one of the most contested wildlife issues in the state. Tribal Bison Programs Across Montana Conservation programs managed in cooperation with tribal nations is helping restore the species to more of its historic range. Robert Harding Video/Shutterstock.com (Robert Harding Video/Shutterstock.com) Tribal nations have taken leading roles in restoring bison to Native lands. Programs such as the Bison Conservation Transfer Program move disease free Yellowstone bison to tribal herds, combining veterinary screening with cultural goals. On the Flathead Reservation, the CSKT Bison Range now operates under tribal management, welcoming visitors while prioritizing ecological health and cultural education. For many tribal communities, bison restoration supports language revitalization, youth education, and food sovereignty alongside habitat recovery. Private Lands and Prairie Restoration Bison have also returned to private landscapes through large scale conservation efforts. American Prairie, operating in central and northeastern Montana, manages extensive grasslands where bison graze under wildlife-oriented management. A moving bison herd on privately managed grasslands operated by American Prairie illustrates both restoration goals and ongoing land-use debate in Montana. YegoroV/Shutterstock.com (YegoroV/Shutterstock.com) The project aims to restore prairie processes while coexisting with surrounding ranches. Supporters view it as ecological repair, while critics raise concerns about land ownership, fencing, and local economies. County meetings and legislative hearings reflect how bison continue to spark debate over property rights and rural identity. Where to See Bison in Montana Visitors can observe bison in several regions of Montana. Yellowstones northern range offers regular sightings, especially during seasonal movements near Gardiner. The CSKT Bison Range allows self-guided driving routes where bison share habitat with elk and deer. Additional viewing opportunities exist on tribal lands and conservation properties in central and northeastern Montana, though access rules vary by site. Bison frequently slow traffic in places such as Yellowstones northern range, reminding visitors to observe wildlife with patience and respect. Haofei Xu/Shutterstock.com (Haofei Xu/Shutterstock.com) Advertisement Advertisement Seeing bison in Montana often involves patience and respect for distance. People tend to put them mentally in the category of slow-moving, docile, cow-like creatures; an impression reinforced by how they might behave when casually walking near cars. However, once a person gets out of the car, the danger level spikes. Wildlife managers emphasize staying in vehicles and remembering an agitated bison (or a whole herd of them) can move fast if they feel they need to flee or attack a threat. Under the Same Wide Sky Montana has yet to designate the plains bison as its state animal, yet the species occupies that role in public imagination. Across parks, reservations, and working lands, bison remain central to debates about conservation, justice, and coexistence. Their continued movement across the plains keeps important questions visible, reminding residents that the states future, like its past, remains tied to how people choose to live alongside wildlife. The post Montanas Docile Bison: The Myth That Sends Visitors to the ER appeared first on A-Z Animals. The post Why Did North Dakotas Bison Vanishand How Did They Muscle Back? appeared first on A-Z Animals. Quick Take The plains bison was chosen as North Dakotas state animal because it reflects the prairie landscape, Indigenous history, and a powerful story of loss and recovery. Once nearly wiped out, bison now symbolize resilience, conservation, and renewal across the state. Today, living herds connect North Dakotas past, ecology, and cultural identity in a single enduring emblem. Several years ago, I had the chance to drive around the Dakotas and was struck by the haunting beauty and the sheer immensity of the landscape but also its utter emptiness. Our family drove long stretches of highway without a house, fence, wild animal, or even a bird in sight. Maybe it was the time of year or the time of day, I dont know. It felt like an ecosystem waiting for something that was no longer present. Looking at the history of North Dakota, that feeling was warranted. What was missing was the plains bison, which once roamed this landscape in the millions. Advertisement Advertisement As I learned more about the bisons story, I discovered that the species is recovering well despite coming close to extinction. The state selected the plains bison as its official animal because it embodies core values leaders wanted to highlight: expansive grasslands, resilience, deep Indigenous roots, and a recovery story that transformed a nearly lost species into a living symbol. Today, bison on public lands and private ranches remind visitors that this animal still represents endurance, survival, and respect for the prairie landscape. A Symbol of the Prairie Past When North Dakota lawmakers considered official state symbols, the bison stood out as the animal most closely tied to the regions history. Before large-scale commercial hunting in the nineteenth century, vast herds of plains bison moved across what is now North Dakota, shaping grasslands and sustaining Indigenous nations such as the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, and Lakota. These herds influenced plant growth, soil health, and seasonal movement patterns across the plains. Bison once shaped the landscape and now remain a symbol of resilience and renewal on North Dakotas prairies. angie oxley/Shutterstock.com (angie oxley/Shutterstock.com) As Euro-American settlement expanded westward, unregulated hide hunting, railroad access, and disease devastated bison populations. Within a few decades, wild herds collapsed to only a small number of survivors. That sharp decline, followed by gradual recovery, turned the bison into a symbol of loss and renewal across the Northern Plains. For a state that continues to value its prairie roots, the bison became an obvious emblem of its past and persistence. The Plains Bison (Bison bison bison) The plains bison is a powerful grazer built for life on open grasslands. Adult bulls can weigh more than 2,000 pounds and stand over six feet tall at the shoulder. A massive head, short curved horns, and a pronounced shoulder hump give the animal its unmistakable profile. Thick fur on the head and forequarters provides protection from winter cold, while leaner hindquarters support long-distance movement in search of forage. Advertisement Advertisement In the spring, calves are born with a lighter reddish coat that darkens as they mature. Bison move in herds, grazing steadily and pausing to wallow or rest. Watching a group feed, run, or cross uneven ground reveals the strength and calm presence that helped secure the bisons place as North Dakotas state animal. Buffalo or Bison? Names and Meanings Many residents still refer to these animals as buffalo, even though the correct common name is American bison. The plains subspecies is scientifically classified as Bison bison bison. Early European explorers used the word buffalo generically for large, shaggy cattle-like animals, and the term became part of place names, songs, and ranching culture across the Great Plains. Often called buffalo, the American bison is North Dakotas state animal and a key species in modern wildlife conservation. iStock.com/Jillian Cooper (iStock.com/Jillian Cooper) True buffalo, such as African buffalo and Asian water buffalo, live on other continents and differ in appearance. They lack the tall shoulder hump of a bison and have longer, sweeping horns. In everyday speech, both names remain common in North Dakota, but scientific classification connects the state animal to modern wildlife research and conservation efforts worldwide. Indigenous Nations and Bison Long before statehood, Indigenous peoples across the Northern Plains built entire ways of life around the bison. The animal provided meat, hides, bones, and sinew that were used for food, clothing, shelter, and tools. Bison also held spiritual importance, appearing in stories, ceremonies, and teachings that emphasized respect, gratitude, and balance. Advertisement Advertisement The destruction of bison herds in the nineteenth century severely disrupted tribal societies. This removed a central food source and undermined economic independence and cultural continuity. In recent decades, many tribal nations have led efforts to restore bison to reservation lands. These projects support cultural renewal, food sovereignty, and youth education initiatives. By choosing the plains bison as a state animal, North Dakota acknowledges these long-standing connections and ongoing restoration work. Frontier History and Theodore Roosevelt The bison is also tied to one of North Dakotas most influential historical figures, Theodore Roosevelt. During the 1880s, Roosevelt ranched in the Badlands near present-day Medora. While there, he witnessed firsthand how overhunting and land misuse were damaging wildlife populations, including bison. Bison in North Dakotas Badlands symbolize the states natural heritage and the conservation vision inspired by Theodore Roosevelt. Robert Harding Video/Shutterstock.com (Robert Harding Video/Shutterstock.com) These experiences shaped Roosevelts conservation philosophy and later influenced national policies. As president, he supported the creation of wildlife refuges, national parks, and early efforts to protect remaining bison herds. Today, Theodore Roosevelt National Park preserves large areas of prairie and badlands where free-ranging bison still roam. The states decision to honor the bison aligns with this conservation legacy rooted in its own landscape. How States Use Animals to Express Identity Across the country, states select official animals to represent shared history, values, and landscapes. These symbols are often native species with deep cultural meaning or strong ties to local economies and ecosystems. The selection process frequently involves educators, civic organizations, or student-led efforts, turning the choice into a public lesson in history, biology, and government. Looking from a safe distance, residents and tourists engage with the plains bison, a living emblem of the state. Tiffany Noel Videography/Shutterstock.com (Tiffany Noel Videography/Shutterstock.com) Once adopted, a state animal becomes a visual and educational shorthand. It appears in classrooms, tourism materials, and public discussions, helping residents connect wildlife to the history of their home. In North Dakotas case, the plains bison reflects the states prairie environment, agricultural traditions, and long relationship between people and land. Advertisement Advertisement Official recognition can also influence conservation outcomes. State symbols tend to raise awareness and encourage research, funding, and protective policies. For the animal, this attention can support habitat preservation and science-based management. For the state, it reinforces pride in natural resources and promotes stewardship, linking cultural identity with responsibility for the landscape. Lawmakers Make It Official Making the bison an official state symbol required legislative action. When North Dakota lawmakers moved to recognize the species officially, they drew on strong public support and long-standing use of the animal in education, tourism, and cultural imagery. Legislators described the animal as a defining feature of the prairie and a reminder of the states frontier history and ranching traditions. The decision also reflected a broader conservation context. In 2016, the American bison was named the national mammal of the United States. By placing the bison in state law, North Dakota reinforced its connection to this larger story while asserting its own identity through an animal deeply tied to local land and history. From Near Extinction to Recovery The decline of the bison remains one of the most dramatic wildlife collapses in North American history. By the late nineteenth century, tens of millions of animals had been reduced to fewer than a thousand. Market hunting, habitat loss, and disease nearly eliminated the species from the wild. Recovery began through the efforts of ranchers, conservationists, and tribal leaders who protected small herds and began selective breeding. Over time, numbers increased. Conservation and stewardship have helped the bison make a strong recovery in Yellowstone and other parts of the American West. YegoroV/Shutterstock.com (YegoroV/Shutterstock.com) Today, the United States supports hundreds of thousands of bison, most of them managed on private ranches, tribal lands, and public preserves. They are raised for meat, serve as symbols of tribal culture, and help restore the ecosystems they once shaped. Federal agencies manage several conservation herds, including those in national parks and wildlife refuges. Bison Herds in North Dakota Today Modern herds in North Dakota provide a window into the states prairie ecosystems while requiring careful management. Theodore Roosevelt National Park maintains free-ranging herds that graze among badlands, river bottoms, and open grasslands. Visitors frequently encounter bison near roads, overlooks, and hiking areas. Advertisement Advertisement More herds exist at sites such as Cross Ranch Nature Preserve and on private ranches across the state. These animals play a role in grassland management and support tourism. Managing the species today involves fencing, veterinary care, and coordinated grazing plans, reflecting the balance between conservation goals and modern land use. Ecology: How Bison Shape the Prairie Bison influence prairie ecosystems in ways few other animals can. Their grazing creates varied plant heights, which supports a wider range of insects, birds, and small mammals. Wallows formed by rolling behavior create shallow depressions that collect water and support specialized plants. As they move, they spread seeds through their fur and manure, helping native plants establish and regenerate. These natural processes align with North Dakotas interest in soil health, rangeland sustainability, and wildlife diversity. The plains bison functions not only as a symbol but as an active participant in maintaining prairie landscapes. Grazing bison help sustain the prairie while symbolizing North Dakotas natural heritage and conservation efforts. iStock.com/Karel Stipek (iStock.com/Karel Stipek) Ranching, Tourism, and Modern Culture The bison appears throughout North Dakotas modern cultureon license plates, school mascots, business branding, and tourism materials. Bison meat is sold as a lean, grass-fed product, and many ranchers raise herds that serve commercial and conservation purposes. Advertisement Advertisement Tourism linked to bison viewing supports local economies, especially near parks and preserves. For many residents, the animal represents endurance through harsh winters and economic changes. These layers of meaning help explain why the bisons status as a state symbol continues to resonate rather than fading into mere tradition. Is the Bison Still a Good Symbol of North Dakota? State symbols remain relevant only if they reflect shared values. The plains bison continues to mirror North Dakotas story of resilience, land stewardship, and adaptation. Ongoing restoration projects, especially those led by tribal nations, demonstrate cooperation and long-term planning. A plains bison observed from a car is a thrilling, but dangerous, sight. iStock.com/Joseph Tointon (iStock.com/Joseph Tointon) In classrooms, the bison offers a practical way to connect ecology, history, and culture. Students learn how one species can influence landscapes, economies, and social systems, making the state animal more than a historical emblem. Prairie Power in the Future Looking ahead, the plains bison is likely to remain central to North Dakotas identity. Climate change, energy development, and evolving grazing practices may shape how bison are managed, but their symbolic role remains strong. As long as people can watch a herd move across open land and sense the weight of history, the decision to honor the plains bison as North Dakotas state animal will remain grounded and meaningful. The post Why Did North Dakotas Bison Vanishand How Did They Muscle Back? appeared first on A-Z Animals. The post Why Missouris Economy Hitched Its Fate to a Hybrid Animal That Refused to Quit appeared first on A-Z Animals. Quick Take Missouri monopolized 60,000 mule sales annually, defining the 19th-century westward expansion . Experts navigated biological sterility by refining Jack donkey lineages for specialized farm labor . Uncovered how George Washington utilized Spanish imports to transform the struggling Missouri agricultural landscape . Breeders confronted the 1904 Worlds Fair standard to validate the Missouri Mule as a superior hybrid. Picture a long wagon train creaking across Missouris rolling hills, each wagon pulled by a pair of big-boned, long-eared mules that refuse to quit. These hybrid animals, born from horse and donkey parents, powered farms, freight wagons, and military supply lines for generations. When Missouri lawmakers named the mule the official state animal in 1995, they were honoring more than muscle. They were recognizing an animal that helped build the states economy, supported families through hard labor, and shaped Missouris public image at home and abroad. Before Missouri claimed its iconic 'Show-Me' spirit, a unique hybrid animal battled biological odds and transformed the statepowering everything from farms to armies. A-Z Animals No other animal played such a consistent role across farming, transportation, and war. The mule became closely linked to the Show-Me State through everyday work rather than display. Its steady pace and endurance matched the values many Missourians admired. Long before any law was passed, this species already represented Missouri in popular culture, politics, and trade. The 1995 designation simply made official what history had already decided. What a Mule Is and Why It Matters A mule is the offspring of a male donkey, known as a jack, and a female horse, called a mare. Most working breeds like this were bred from large draft horses such as Belgians or Percherons. This pairing produced an animal with the strength and size of a horse combined with the endurance, caution, and hardiness of a donkey. The result was well suited to demanding labor and rough terrain. Mules combine the strength of horses with the endurance and caution of donkeys, making them well suited for demanding work. BlackDorianstock/Shutterstock.com (BlackDorianstock/Shutterstock.com) Mules are known for long ears, strong legs, and dense bone structure. They can pull heavy loads for long hours while requiring less feed than horses. Their reputation for stubbornness comes from intelligence rather than defiance. When this animal refuses to move, it is often not laziness but a response to unsafe conditions. This trait saved wagons, equipment, and lives. For farmers and freighters, a powerful and hardworking animal that thought before acting was an advantage, not a flaw. Early Arrival in Missouri Mules arrived in Missouri in the early nineteenth century as settlement expanded westward. Farmers quickly discovered that mules handled rocky soil, steep slopes, and uneven roads better than horses. These traits made them ideal for plowing fields in the Ozarks and hauling timber and crops to market. As trade increased, so did demand for reliable draft animals. Advertisement Advertisement German immigrants played a key role in Missouris mule industry. By crossing strong European draft horses with large donkeys, breeders produced animals known for size and power. These animals soon gained a national reputation. By the mid-1800s, mule breeding and trading had become a major part of Missouris rural economy. Buyers traveled long distances to purchase teams, helping the state earn nicknames tied directly to mule production. Hauling Freight on the Santa Fe Trail The animals reputation grew along major trade routes such as the Santa Fe Trail, which began in Missouri towns including Franklin and Independence. Freighters learned that mule teams handled long distances better than oxen and reacted more calmly than horses. Mules required less water, recovered faster after long days, and remained steady under pressure. Mule teams hauled goods along major trade routes such as the Santa Fe Trail, supporting long-distance commerce across the Great Plains. Ezequiel Laprida/Shutterstock.com (Ezequiel Laprida/Shutterstock.com) These traits made them valuable for hauling goods across the Great Plains. Teams carried tools, manufactured items, and military supplies between Missouri and the Southwest. Each successful journey reinforced the animals image as dependable and tough. Missouris position as a transportation center depended in part on mule labor. The animal became linked not only to farming, but also to long-distance commerce that connected the state to national markets. Backbone of Missouri Agriculture On farms, mules became essential to daily work during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They plowed heavy soils, cultivated crops such as corn and cotton, and hauled produce to town. Farmers valued them for their long working lives and ability to stay healthy longer than many horses. Advertisement Advertisement A strong team represented a serious investment. With proper care, the same animals could serve a family for decades. This reliability shaped rural life across Missouri. After the Civil War, the phrase forty acres and a mule reflected how central the animals labor had become to agricultural success. For many households, progress and stability depended directly on the steady pull of mule teams. Military Service and Wartime Demand Mules also played a major role in American wars, and Missouri became a leading supplier of these animals. During World War I, the state shipped thousands of horses and mules overseas. These animals hauled artillery, ammunition, food, and medical supplies through terrain vehicles could not cross. Mud, shell damage, and narrow paths made animal power essential. Mules carried military supplies through difficult terrain, making them essential to wartime logistics. w:User:Dario u / User:Dario urruty, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Original / License (w:User:Dario u / User:Dario urruty, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Military leaders preferred mules for their sure footing and calm response to noise. They could work on limited rations and survive harsh conditions. Many animals died in service, but their contribution remained widely recognized by soldiers. Veterans often described them as dependable partners during exhausting campaigns. Their wartime service strengthened the argument that the animal deserved lasting recognition. Public Displays and National Reputation By the late 1800s, Missouri had become nationally known for mule breeding. Breeders promoted their animals at fairs and exhibitions. At the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis, large teams of Missouri mules attracted attention from visitors across the country and overseas. These events helped turn the phrase Missouri mule into a widely recognized label. Advertisement Advertisement Public figures reinforced the image. Photographs show President Harry S. Truman posing with mule teams at fairs, linking political identity with agricultural tradition. Newspapers and advertising materials repeated the association. Long before legal recognition, the mule had become a symbol many Americans connected directly to Missouri. Decline During Mechanization The introduction of tractors and trucks in the mid-twentieth century reduced the need for working mules. As farms changed and machinery replaced animal labor, mule populations dropped. Younger generations began to associate mules with the past rather than daily work. Mules continued to be used for recreation and work in rugged terrain even as farming became mechanized. Shaiekkhan/Shutterstock.com (Shaiekkhan/Shutterstock.com) Despite this shift, mule culture did not disappear. Rural festivals, auctions, and trail-riding events kept traditions alive. Owners continued breeding and training mules for recreation and work on difficult terrain. These communities preserved knowledge and bloodlines that later supported efforts to honor the mule officially. The animal remained visible, even as its role evolved. Efforts to Gain Official Recognition Although many people assumed the mule was already Missouris state animal, no law supported that belief until the 1990s. The push for recognition began with Charles Woody Woodford, a World War II Navy veteran. While organizing a Missouri Day event, he discovered the mule lacked formal status. Advertisement Advertisement Woodford worked with American Legion posts, mule owners, and editors of mule publications to raise awareness. Supporters wrote letters, published articles, and organized public events. Their argument was simple. The mule had served Missouri in peace and war and already represented the state in the public mind. Making it official would align law with history. Passage of House Bill 84 The campaign reached the Missouri General Assembly as House Bill 84, often called the Mule Bill. In 1995, Missouri officially designated the mule as its state animal through House Bill 84. slowmotiongli/Shutterstock.com (slowmotiongli/Shutterstock.com) Representatives Jerry McBride and Mary Kasten sponsored the proposal. During hearings, experts such as University of Missouri professor C. Melvin Bradley testified about the states mule industry and its national importance. Some lawmakers raised concerns about political symbolism, noting the donkeys use as a symbol of the Democratic Party. Supporters responded that the mule belonged to Missouris history, not partisan politics. After debate and minor amendments, the bill passed both chambers. Governor Mel Carnahan signed it into law on May 31, 1995, officially naming the mule Missouris state animal. Values Behind the Symbol Lawmakers chose the mule to represent more than agriculture. Supporters highlighted traits such as patience, strength, intelligence, and steady effort under pressure. Veterans emphasized its wartime service, calling the animal a fellow contributor to national defense. Rural families saw the designation as recognition of generations who depended on mule labor. The symbol honored work done quietly and consistently rather than through display or speed. The mule came to symbolize patience, reliability, and quiet strength rather than speed or display. Ellen Lynch / Equine Advocates (Ellen Lynch / Equine Advocates) The Mule in Modern Missouri Today, mules appear more often on trails, at festivals, and in historical reenactments than in fields. Trail riders, hobby breeders, and Amish communities continue working with them. The University of Missouri maintains a Mule Collection that preserves photographs, documents, and artifacts related to mule history. Advertisement Advertisement The phrase stubborn as a Missouri mule remains common, though many now understand the intelligence behind that reputation. School lessons, museum exhibits, and local celebrations keep the story alive. The mule remains a reminder of how effort and endurance shaped the state. Where to See Missouri Mules Today Visitors can still encounter Missouri mules in several parts of the state. Ozark trail systems host riders who favor mules for their balance and calm behavior on rocky paths. Agricultural fairs and heritage festivals often include mule demonstrations that show traditional harnessing and driving techniques. Mules remain visible in Missouri through trails, fairs, and heritage events. Einar Faanes / Creative Commons Original (Einar Faanes / Creative Commons) Historical sites and museums also highlight mule history. Events tied to Missouri Day sometimes feature live animals or educational displays. These opportunities allow residents and visitors to see firsthand how the mule continues to connect modern Missouri with its working past. What About a Mule as a Pet? A mule can be a surprisingly good backyard pet for the right kind of owner, but it is definitely not a casual, low-maintenance animal. Mules are intelligent, curious, and often very affectionate once they trust someone. Many people who keep them describe them as more thoughtful than horses and less impulsive, which makes them feel almost like a very large, opinionated dog with hooves. They can form strong bonds, enjoy routine, and seem to genuinely enjoy human interaction, especially if they are handled calmly and consistently from a young age. Advertisement Advertisement That said, mules demand space, patience, and respect. They need secure fencing, regular hoof care, proper nutrition, and mental stimulation or they will invent their own hobbies, which usually involve creative problem-solving that frustrates humans. Because they are so smart, they do not respond well to harsh training or being rushed. A backyard mule works best for someone who has land, time, and a sense of humor about negotiating with an animal that absolutely knows when something does not make sense. In the right setting, a mule can be a loyal, entertaining, and deeply rewarding companion. In the wrong one, it will outthink you by Tuesday. Mules can be intelligent and willful creatures. They can be good pets, but they arent for everyone. Pak Lang/Shutterstock.com (Pak Lang/Shutterstock.com) More Than a Work Animal Thinking of the mule just as a labor tool overlooks its deeper role. From early breeding efforts to frontier freighting and wartime service, the animal shaped Missouris development. The campaign behind House Bill 84 reflected decades of shared memory rather than sudden interest. By naming the mule the state symbol, Missouri honored an animal that was instrumental in building the state. The hardworking mammal reflects a heritage built on persistence and reliability. Long after tractors largely replaced teams (except in communities like the Amish), the mule remains integral to the identity of the state of Missouri. The post Why Missouris Economy Hitched Its Fate to a Hybrid Animal That Refused to Quit appeared first on A-Z Animals. The post Why No Animal Represents Arkansas Better Than the White-Tailed Deer appeared first on A-Z Animals. Quick Take Arkansas has a population of 1 million white-tailed deer . The signature of Jim Guy Tucker on Act 892 created a permanent paradox with the states hunting economy. The official state mammal remains subject to strictly regulated annual hunting seasons. Implementing the 1930s recovery process was vital to prevent the total collapse of the local population. Choosing a mammal to represent a state can be difficult. Strong reasons for selection may relate to the animals majesty, the strength it exudes, or the states history with the species. Some places across the nation have had an official mammal since the 1940s. Other states have only recently named an animal to represent them. One of those states is Arkansas, which chose the white-tailed deer as its official state mammal. For some, this may seem like a dull choice, but for those in Arkansas, the white-tailed deer was the only true contender. The White-Tailed Deer Is Part of Arkansass Natural Heritage The white-tailed deer inhabited the United States long before the nation was settled by non-Indigenous people. Before Europeans came ashore, the white-tailed deer played an important role in the survival of Indigenous people, both through the nutrition the animal provided and the warmth its hides offered. Advertisement Advertisement As territories and later states became populated, the white-tailed deer was still an important component of survival. This is why states like Arkansas have a history intertwined with the deer. Consequently, Arkansas sees the white-tailed deer as part of the states natural heritage. White-tailed deer are the state mammal of Arkansas. Herbie Pabst/Shutterstock.com (Herbie Pabst/Shutterstock.com) With its glorious landscapes and ties to the white-tailed deer throughout history, Arkansas didnt need to look beyond this beautiful animal to find a state mammal. With its majestic antlers and confident strides, the white-tailed deer personifies the natural beauty of Arkansas. Interestingly, the white-tailed deer was not named the Arkansas state mammal until recently. But when the idea of the white-tailed deer was finally floated, many wondered what took so long to officially recognize this special animal, given how important it is to both the states history and economy. How Did the White-Tailed Deer Become Arkansass State Mammal? Despite the fact that the white-tailed deer has been part of the Arkansas landscape since before Europeans settled in the area, official recognition of the animal didnt occur until three decades ago. White-tailed deer officially became the Arkansas state mammal in 1993. Mircea Costina/Shutterstock.com (Mircea Costina/Shutterstock.com) In March 1993, the Seventy-ninth General Assembly of Arkansas passed House Bill 2110, which named the white-tailed deer the official mammal of Arkansas. This piece of legislation was introduced by Representative Arthur F. Carter. The bill was later signed into law in April 1993, known by then as Act 892, making the white-tailed deer the face of the state. Arkansas Did Not Have a State Mammal Until the White-Tailed Deer Was Named Arkansas only had a state bird until it named the white-tailed deer as the state mammal. Jim Cumming/Shutterstock.com (Jim Cumming/Shutterstock.com) Arkansass admission to the Union in 1836 made it the 25th state. Until 1993, however, the only animal representing the state was the state bird, the Northern mockingbird. By that time, a multitude of other states had named their official state animals, not to mention their official marine animals, official wild animals, and even their official dogs and horses. Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas was not the last state in the country to choose an animal to represent it; that honor goes to Alabama in 2006. However, it was late to join the party. Despite this, the white-tailed deer is not any less significant to the state. In fact, what the white-tailed deer stands for has remained the same for centuries. What Does the White-Tailed Deer Represent About Arkansas? Arkansas is known as The Natural State, a moniker earned for its beauty. Between mountain ranges, rolling hills, dense forests, glorious rivers, hot springs, and caves, Arkansas is a nature enthusiasts dream. The white-tailed deer was chosen, in part, because it symbolizes the states beauty and represents the states wildlife diversity. Conservation efforts have allowed many of Arkansass natural wonders to be preserved. One of these wonders is the wildlife, including the white-tailed deer. White-tailed deer were chosen as the Arkansas state mammal for their majestic beauty, which is a hallmark of Arkansas landscapes. iStock.com/Wirestock (iStock.com/Wirestock) During the early 1900s, white-tailed deer were severely hunted. By the time the 1930s rolled around, only a few hundred deer remained in Arkansas. Conservation efforts were implemented to increase their population. These efforts proved successful, and today there are approximately one million deer roaming the state. Advertisement Advertisement White-tailed deer represent a commitment to conservation that has not wavered. By returning wildlands and waterways to what they once were, and ensuring animal populations thrive, Arkansas is protecting the natural beauty of the state for generations to come. There Are More White-Tailed Deer in State Other Than Arkansas Despite the fact Arkansas claims the white-tailed deer as its representative, other states have larger populations of the animal. Not all of these states, however, see the white-tailed deer as a symbol of strength and conservation. Despite being named the official state mammal of Arkansas, white-tailed deer populations are larger in other state. Amy Lutz/Shutterstock.com (Amy Lutz/Shutterstock.com) Currently, Arkansas has approximately one million white-tailed deer. States that have a larger population of white-tailed deer include: Texas: 5.5 million white-tailed deer Michigan: Two million white-tailed deer Alabama: 1.75 million white-tailed deer Mississippi: 1.75 million white-tailed deer Wisconsin: 1.6 million white-tailed deer Pennsylvania: 1.5 million white-tailed deer Missouri: 1.4 million white-tailed deer Georgia: 1.27 million white-tailed deer New York: 1.2 million white-tailed deer Arkansas Is Not the Only State with the White-Tailed Deer as the State Mammal Arkansas is not the only state to name the white-tailed deer as its mammal, nor was it the last to do so. Interestingly, these other states have even lower white-tailed deer populations than Arkansas. Each state that chose the white-tailed deer to represent it has its own reasons for doing so. This lovely animal is important to multiple states in specific ways, and to the entire nation as well. Multiple other states have named the white-tailed deer as their official mammal. Danita Delimont/Shutterstock.com (Danita Delimont/Shutterstock.com) The states that also selected the white-tailed deer to represent them in an official capacity include: Advertisement Advertisement Georgia Illinois Michigan Mississippi Nebraska New Hampshire Ohio Oklahoma (states game animal) Pennsylvania South Carolina Wisconsin (states wildlife animal) White-Tailed Deer May Be the Arkansas State Mammal, But They Are Still Hunted Despite the white-tailed deers designation, they are not protected in Arkansas. Instead, as part of conservation efforts and to keep populations in check, white-tailed deer are hunted annually in The Natural State. White-tailed deer have been hunted in Arkansas since the early 1900s. While a lack of limits jeopardized the population in the past, today, there are restrictions on what can be bagged and when. These strict limits ensure mature deer can bring the next generation into the world year after year. White-tailed deer are still hunted, despite being named the official mammal of Arkansas. EEI_Tony/iStock via Getty Images (EEI_Tony/iStock via Getty Images) Arkansas is divided into multiple hunting zones that allow deer hunting from September to February. State officials advise consulting local hunting guidelines before setting out to bag deer. A broad overview of the current guidelines for hunting white-tailed deer in Arkansas is as follows: Early Velvet Buck Hunt: early September Main Archery Season: end of September through the end of February Modern Gun Season: early November through late December Alternative Firearms Season: mid to late-October and again in mid-December Advertisement Advertisement While 5 deer are generally allowed, with two of those being bucks, it is best to check local regulations before heading out to ensure compliance. It may seem odd that the animal special enough to earn state-recognition status is also allowed to be hunted. However, in Arkansas, the white-tailed deer is not only the state mammal but also an animal that contributes significantly to local economies. However, strict regulations on hunting limits ensure that white-tailed deer populations remain healthy and that Arkansas iconic representation of beauty and conservation will never be in jeopardy again. The post Why No Animal Represents Arkansas Better Than the White-Tailed Deer appeared first on A-Z Animals. Choice Hotels International has seen its fair value estimate nudged down from US$107.67 to US$105.20, reflecting a modest reset in how analysts are framing the stocks price target. Recent research points to a split view, with some analysts trimming targets while still seeing long term appeal and others keeping a guarded stance until they gain more comfort on growth quality and cash generation. As you read on, you will see how this evolving mix of optimism and caution shapes the narrative and how you can keep on top of future shifts in the story. Analyst Price Targets don't always capture the full story. Head over to our Company Report to find new ways to value Choice Hotels International. What Wall Street Has Been Saying Bullish Takeaways Baird keeps an Outperform rating on Choice Hotels while trimming its price target to US$110 from US$122, which signals that, even with a lower target, the firm still sees room for the shares to work for long term investors. The more constructive voices focus on execution and fee based growth potential, rewarding the company for its ability to support earnings and cash generation over time, even as they temper expectations for how much upside is already reflected in the current share price. Across the more positive and Neutral commentary, analysts largely treat recent target cuts as a reset on valuation expectations rather than a wholesale shift in their views on the underlying franchise or its long term growth runway. Bearish Takeaways Wells Fargo initiated coverage with an Underweight rating and a US$84 price target, flagging pressure on free cash flow conversion and saying it wants to see a fee growth inflection before turning more constructive. Barclays also stays cautious with an Underweight rating and trims its price target to US$99 from US$101, pointing to what it describes as a low quality Q3 beat tied to softer domestic rooms growth. UBS keeps a Neutral rating while edging its price target down to US$118 from US$120, which reinforces the idea that some analysts see limited upside at current levels given questions around growth quality, valuation support and near term cash generation. Do your thoughts align with the Bull or Bear Analysts? Perhaps you think there's more to the story. Head to the Simply Wall St Community to discover more perspectives or begin writing your own Narrative! NYSE:CHH 1-Year Stock Price Chart What's in the News Andrew Vigil and Joseph Vigil place a wreath at the site of the Agent Orange Memorial that is being built in Sunset, Utah, on Dec. 13, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Nelson Thibault) At the Agent Orange Memorial wreath laying ceremony conducted in Sunset, Utah on Dec. 13, 2025, the flag of South Vietnam was prominently displayed opposite Old Glory. The placement of the yellow and red South Vietnamese flag at the ceremony was a symbolic gesture intended to send a meaningful message to Vietnamese-Americans living in the Beehive State. Advertisement Advertisement The wreath laying event was an inaugural ceremony presided over by Larry Kerr, chairman of the Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation (UAOVF), at the site of the Agent Orange Memorial in Sunset Veterans Park. On that momentous occasion, Larry wanted to recognize Vietnamese veterans who were U.S. allies during the Vietnam War. Those veterans were also exposed to Agent Orange and similar toxic herbicides. Displaying the South Vietnamese flag at the wreath laying ceremony seemed like an appropriate way to express such a worthwhile message. So on the morning of the ceremony, Larry took the flag from his garage and brought it with him. That particular flag has quite a notable history. Larry, a Vietnam veteran, brought the flag home from South Vietnam about 57 years earlier. The wreath laying ceremony afforded him a great opportunity to put it to good use. Advertisement Advertisement After the flag was put on a short pole, it was set to the right of the U.S. flag. Each flag flanked the Agent Orange Memorial information stand, where a specially prepared wreath was laid. A short distance beyond the stand, the partially completed monument towered high above the ground. Even without its panels and other attachments, the memorial is quite an imposing structure. Larry plans to display the South Vietnamese flag at future UAOVF events. He feels that it will resonate with Utahs Vietnamese-American community, because it represents something that was worth fighting for. In the spring of 1975, that struggle to preserve freedom ended quite tragically with the fall of Saigon. And soon after, the displaying of a South Vietnamese national flag essentially came to an end as well. At the wreath laying ceremony however, the yellow and red flag was displayed to pay tribute to South Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange exposure who struggled to preserve their freedom in an ill-fated and costly war. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory has been issued for parts of Massachusetts. The advisory has also been issued for parts of New Hampshire. The advisory extends from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday for parts of Franklin County, Worcester County, Hampshire County, Hampden County, and Middlesex County - including the cities of Ayer, Chesterfield, Barre, Charlemont, Blandford, and Fitchburg. Advertisement Advertisement According to the National Weather Service, freezing rain is possible from late Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. A Winter Weather Advisory is in place tonight across the interior/higher elevations with the risk for some freezing rain/ice. Watch out for some slippery conditions, mainly on untreated surfaces. pic.twitter.com/PhaEAoRrIU Vicki Graf (@VickiGrafWX) January 10, 2026 Areas with great risk of ice accumulation are across the higher elevations of the east slopes of the Berkshires, where one tenth to two tenths of ice accumulation is possible. Less ice accumulation will occur a few hundredths of an inch across the northern Worcester Hills. Most of Massachusetts, according to our Boston 25 meteorologists, rain will move in around 5 to 6 p.m. Southern New Englanders should expect a fairly steady period of rain Saturday night, with lingering showers into Sunday morning. 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 UNION GROVE, Wis. (WFRV) A 35-year-old Wisconsin man faces a two-count federal indictment for alleged sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. According to a release from Brad D. Schimel, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Hector Duarte of Union Grove could face lifetime imprisonment if convicted, as he was charged with the following crimes: Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud or Coercion Minimum of 15 years in prison, up to lifetime and possible fines of up to $250,000 Interstate Transportation for Prostitution Up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines Advertisement Advertisement Fatal crash in Manitowoc leaves teenager dead, 65-year-old with serious injuries The indictment alleges that Duarte used force, threatened to use force on an adult victim to engage in commercial sexual activity between May 31 and June 25 in 2025 in both eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. The case was investigated by the FBIs Milwaukee Field Office and the Cudahy Police Department. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) The mother of a 13-year-old who was killed after he crashed a car police said was stolen in New Haven shared her grief in an exclusive interview with News 8 on Thursday. The crash took place early Sunday morning on Whalley Avenue while two New Haven Police Department cruisers were in pursuit. Driver of deadly crash involving alleged stolen vehicle in New Haven was 13 years old: PD Advertisement Advertisement Jen Baker said her son, 13-year-old Marshall Curry, may have stolen a car and shouldve been punished but he didnt deserve to die. She said shes wondering why police didnt call off the pursuit. I know my son, and he got scared, Baker said. I love him and I am proud of him. I just wish he didnt get in that car. I wish he came home. I just want him to know I love him. Baker said her son wasnt perfect, but he was a good kid who got all As and Bs in school and had never been in trouble before. She said her son made a bad choice, but should still be here. I want him to know I love him so much, Baker said about what she would tell her son. I know the peer pressure is hard, and I know you want to fit in and I know you want to be seen but you are seen, just be yourself. Advertisement Advertisement A girl who was riding in the car was also killed. Her name and age have not been released. The crash is still under investigation by Connecticut State Police. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. There is confusion over Illinois' new squatter law, after it went into effect last week. It allows law enforcement to remove squatters from someone's home, treating them as trespassers instead of tenants. But a Chicago homeowner said, despite the new law, she still has alleged squatters living inside her property. Chicago police said the squatter law is new, and they're working out the kinks to make sure they're abiding by everyone's legal rights. Advertisement Advertisement One property owner thought she could finally have the alleged squatters removed from her home. But, on Friday, she learned it's not that simple. "I'm helpless now. I put all of my faith in the new law," Mary Welch said. Welch has owned a condo unit in a Chatham building for more than a decade. She's been renovating the unit, hoping to rent or sell it. But, last month, she says she discovered a stranger living there. "I knock. Then, all of a sudden, the door opened. Then, all of a sudden, a woman with a gun pointing at me appeared and began screaming that she was going to begin shooting if I didn't leave because I had no authority to be on the premises," Welch said. Advertisement Advertisement She said the person inside claimed that her mother signed a lease, and they had a right to be there. "I said, 'you couldn't possibly have a lease because I'm the owner,'" Welch said. Welch said CPD came out, but she didn't have her deed on her. So, she left, went to get it and called police again. She said, ultimately, police informed her there was nothing they could do. That's when she learned about the new squatter law going into effect Jan. 1. "So, I Googled. I Googled, and I encountered your TV interview segment," Welch said. ABC7 Chicago has been covering Illinois' squatting problem for years. Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, police, state Rep. La Shawn ford and Alderman Michelle Harris arrived at the property to try to help. After hours of investigating and speaking with a person inside, police said they were not able to get the people and their dogs out of the property because they had been living there before the new law went into effect. Ford says he'll be addressing this in Springfield. "Talking to Chicago PD and the alderman, we know there's work that needs to be done to improve this law," he said. "Today is an example of us needing to do more with law enforcement to educate them on what the intent of the law is." Advertisement Advertisement It's a painful reality for Welch, who says she just wants her property back. "I am angry beyond words. Because despite the new law, they are not going to remove my squatters. I will have to go through another process that will take God knows how much time," Welch said. The Chicago Police Department said it does not carry out evictions. CPD said it does enforce criminal trespass to property when officers can verify and establish whether an individual is illegally trespassing. But Welch says she showed officers her deed Friday, and still couldn't get the people out. The woman who moved in said she's not a squatter and has a lease. She did not immediately provide a copy of the lease to ABC7 Chicago. ST. CROIX, U.S.V.I. A woman vacationing at a popular tourist destination in the U.S. Virgin Islands lost her life after she was attacked by a shark while swimming. Just off the coast of Dorsch Beach in St. Croix on Jan. 8 around 4:30 p.m., witnesses heard shrieking coming from the water, the St. Thomas Source reported. Tornado Rips Through Purcell, Oklahoma Spawning Trail Of Damage After hearing the scream, a Good Samaritan in the area dashed to the water to help 56-year-old Arlene Lillis, who had just been attacked by a shark. A Diamond DA-40 Diamond Star flying over the Saint Croix, USA USVI coastline. (Getty Images) The victim was about 10 yards off the beach and surrounded by a pool of blood, and witnesses said her arm had been bitten off below the elbow. Advertisement Advertisement In an instant, several bystanders assisted Lillis out of the water and urged fellow beachgoers to alert emergency services. These Are The Most Dangerous Beaches In America She was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital, where island officials said she later died from the suspected shark attack. A search and rescue operation was conducted after there were reports of a second victim, though the Virgin Islands Police Department was unable to confirm the reports of another missing swimmer. FILE: BAHAMAS, CARIBBEAN SEA - DECEMBER 2007: A bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) swimming on a sandy bottom on December 21, 2007 in the Bahamas, Caribbean Sea. Carcharhinus leucas belongs to the group of the five most dangerous sharks in the world, it is often implicated in attacks on humans. Shark encounters in the U.S. Virgin Islands are very common, though attacks are extremely rare. How To Watch Fox Weather Advertisement Advertisement According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been four confirmed shark attacks in the U.S. Virgin Islands since 1749. Witnesses did not see the shark that attacked Lillis, though the warm waters off of Dorsch Beach are home to several different shark species. Scared Of Sharks? Find Out Where You Are Most Likely To Get Attacked By A Shark "Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of the victim, and with everyone who witnessed this tragedy," Minnesota Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. wrote in a statement. "We have been briefed on the information known at this time, and we are grateful to the bystanders who acted immediately to render aid and to the first responders who worked urgently and bravely in an effort to save her life." Original article source: Woman killed in bone-chilling shark attack at popular US Virgin Islands tourist destination Asifs comments came following the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, and he stated that he would support the capture of Netanyahu. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said in a televised interview on Pakistan's largest television channel, Geo, on Thursday that the United States should kidnap Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and bring him to court. Asif added that Turkey could also abduct Netanyahu, whom he called the worst criminal of humanity, asserting that the International Criminal Court had acted against him. Advertisement Advertisement The comments were made during a live studio segment, which ended with the newscaster saying Asif would not remain on air after the break. Asifs comments came following the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, and he stated that he would support the capture of Netanyahu. Turkey may abduct Netanyahu, and we Pakistanis are praying for it, he said. Asif used ICC warrants to justify capture of Netanyahu Asif repeatedly referred to the ICC as the basis for his claims, saying the court had acted against Netanyahu and that nations should enforce justice. The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, a move that has remained the focus of legal battles through 2025. In the interview, Asif speculated about Turkey kidnapping Netanyahu and taking him to Ankara. His remarks come after a severe downturn in IsraelTurkey ties since 2024, including trade freezes and airspace closures, with analysts warning of a prolonged rupture. Wyoming businessman Reid Rasner formally launched a bid for Congress this week. Its his second bid for public office. Rasner, a fourth-generation Wyoming native and Omnivest Financial CEO, previously wanted to buy TikTok when it was up for sale and to bring the headquarters to the Mountain West. Im a Wyoming businessman. Im not a career politician, Rasner said in an interview with the Deseret News. Why Im running is because Washington wastes money, drives up costs for families and businesses, and Wyoming truly deserves representation that knows how to cut waste and grow an economy. Advertisement Advertisement Rasner is set to face off against Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray in the Republican primary. Current Rep. Harriet Hageman announced she run for the Senate with hopes of replacing Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who is retiring. President Donald Trump gave Hageman his Complete and Total Endorsement, something Rasner is also looking to earn, calling himself a 100% Trump Conservative Republican. Asked how he feels competing against someone already holding a statewide position like Gray, Rasner said the race isnt about politics or personality, but rather about results. He highlighted his long history of being a successful businessman based out of Wyoming, beginning when he bought his first company at 18 years old. Advertisement Advertisement Rasner put forward a hefty bid to buy TikTok when it was up for sale, as it was required by U.S. law for ByteDance to divest from the popular social media app. After months of delay, and Trump extending the deadline several times, Rasner said he knew the chances of being the apps owner were dwindling. When we realized that TikTok was unwilling to sell the algorithm, we knew that we just couldnt make a deal, because thats what the bulk of our bid was preserving the algorithm for American sovereignty, he said. With that tech opportunity for Wyoming gone, Rasner said he hopes to be elected to Congress as the states lone member of the House to bring a different kind of economic change to the state. Wyoming needs a do-er, not another politician, and someone that knows how to run and operate businesses and budgets and can actually get this done and make life more affordable for Wyoming, and deregulate industries, bringing in really good businesses and business opportunities in Wyoming, like TikTok, like our nuclear opportunities that we have recently lost in Wyoming, he said. I want to create a fourth legacy industry in the state revolving around finance and technology and I think this is so important to stabilize our economy. Advertisement Advertisement Rasner put $1 million of his own money toward his campaign, and now, he said, outside donations are coming in. Its his second political campaign, after previously challenging Sen. John Barrasso in the 2024 Republican primary. He said this time around, hes hired FP1 Strategies and a solid team. He has a campaign that is fully funded and he is going to continue to fundraise, Rasner said. Rasner shared that if elected hed be enthusiastic about being on the energy, agriculture and finance committees in the House. They are some of the strongest committees for Wyoming, he said. Im running to take Wyoming business sense to Washington, D.C., and make Wyoming affordable again, and make Wyoming wealthy, he said. Its so important that we get business leadership and someone who knows what theyre doing outside of politics in the real world to deliver that message in Washington. Jan 10 (Reuters) - Yemen completed on Saturday the evacuation of more than 600 tourists who had been stranded on the remote Yemeni island of Socotra after the United Arab Emirates withdrew its troops from Yemen last week amid a rift with Saudi Arabia. Four flights operated by Yemenia Airways, Yemen's national carrier, transported 609 tourists to Saudi Arabia's city of Jeddah, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Air traffic at the island's main airport came to a halt as a deepening crisis between the UAE and Saudi Arabia translated into fresh conflict on Yemen's mainland, where the two Gulf powers now back opposing groups in the country's civil war. Advertisement Advertisement Socotra, which lies more than 300 km (186 miles) south of Yemen's coast and until recently was mainly accessible by air via the UAE, has been a haven of tranquillity through the years of conflict on the mainland. (Reporting by Hatem MaherEditing by Mark Potter) CAIRO (AP) Yemen's main separatist group and its institutions will be dismantled effective Friday, the group's secretary-general said, following weeks of unrest in areas of southern Yemen and a day after its leader fled to the United Arab Emirates. Abdulrahman Jalal al-Sebaihi said the Southern Transitional Council would shut down all of its bodies and offices inside and outside Yemen, citing internal disagreements and mounting regional pressure. But that decision was contested by the council's spokesman, Anwar al-Tamimi, who said on X that only the full council, under its president, can take such steps highlighting the internal divisions within the separatist movement. Advertisement Advertisement Yemen has been mired for more than a decade in a civil war that involves a complex interplay of sectarian and tribal grievances and the involvement of regional powers. The Iran-aligned Houthis control the most populous regions of the country in the north, including the capital Sanaa. Meanwhile, a loose regional coalition of powers including Saudi Arabia and the UAE has backed the internationally recognized government in the south. The separatists seize territory, then lose it The turmoil follows an advance last month by STC forces into the governorates of Hadramout and al-Mahra, where they seized oil-rich areas and facilities and the presidential palace in the main southern city of Aden. Those moves pushed out the Saudi-aligned National Shield Forces, and brought tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi into the open. Advertisement Advertisement The Saudi-backed forces have since regained control of Hadramout, the presidential palace in Aden and camps in al-Mahra. In explaining the STC's dissolution, al-Sebaihi said the council had not approved the military operations, which he said fractured unity in the south and damaged relations with the Saudi-led coalition. As a result, "the councils continued existence no longer serves the purpose for which it was established, al-Sebaihi said. The STC was established in April 2017 as an umbrella organization for groups that seek to restore southern Yemen as an independent state, as it was between 1967 and 1990. Advertisement Advertisement Al-Sebaihi said the group's members would now focus on achieving a fair solution for Yemen's south and prepare for a conference in the Saudi capital. A win for the Saudis The military operations by the STC on Saudi Arabia's borders were viewed as a threat to the kingdom's national security, and Saudi officials welcomed the council's announcement that it would dissolve. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman said the southern issue is now on a real path nurtured by the kingdom and endorsed by the international community." Mohamed al-Jaber, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, called the decision courageous" and said the Riyadh conference would include all influential southern figures. A date for the conference has not been announced yet. Advertisement Advertisement Yemen's Shura Council, which is backed by the internationally recognized government, also welcomed the STC decision, and said the southern issue should be solved through a comprehensive political process. Abdulsalam Mohammed, the head of the Yemeni Abaad Studies and Research Center, said Friday that Saudi Arabia managed to contain the situation on the ground. Riyadh has proven that it will not allow any foreign interference to change the Yemeni roadmap by supporting one side over another, especially if force is used and chaos continues to threaten the security of Yemen, the region, and the world, he said in a comment on X. Separatist leader flees to the United Arab Emirates Advertisement Advertisement The STC announcement comes a day after the councils leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi fled Yemen to the UAE. The Presidential Leadership Council said the STC leader was charged with treason after he reportedly declined to travel to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for meetings, and after he deployed STC forces to head to al-Dahle, where his village is located. The STC's national assembly had called for a march Saturday in Aden and Hadramouts port city of Mukalla in support of the right to self-determination in Yemen's south and in support of al-Zubaidi. However, its unclear whether the march will still take place with the announcement of the council being dissolved. A curfew imposed earlier across Aden due to the security situation was lifted Friday, according to Presidential Leadership Council member Abu Zarae Al-Mahremy, who is responsible for overseeing security across Aden. The civil war in Yemen, on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula and bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians. It also has created one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters. The share price of Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE:CVE) fell by 6.32% between December 31, 2025, and January 7, 2026, putting it among the Energy Stocks that Lost the Most This Week. Here is Why Cenovus Energy (CVE) Fell This Week Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE:CVE) is an integrated energy company with oil and natural gas production operations in Canada and the Asia-Pacific region, and upgrading, refining, and marketing operations in Canada and the United States. Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE:CVE) was among the Canadian oil stocks that took a hit following the recent US action in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolas Maduro. The prospects of large amounts of Venezuelan crude making its way to Americas Gulf refineries spell bad news for Canadian oil providers, especially those linked to Canadian oil sands, as Venezuelas oil is similar to that produced in Alberta. Nearly 60% of American crude oil imports come from Canada, and even if a portion of this is replaced with Venezuelan crude, it could impact producers in the short term. Moreover, the cheaper oil coming from Venezuela would potentially drive down the price American buyers pay to Canadian producers, putting further pressure on margins and profits in an already low-priced environment. However, the markets reaction seems to be overdone, as getting Venezuelas dilapidated oil infrastructure back to peak production would still require significant time and tens of billions of dollars in investment, in addition to political stability. In other news, on January 2, Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta reinstated coverage of Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE:CVE) with a Buy rating and a price target of $20, representing an upside of over 26% from the current levels. While we acknowledge the potential of CVE as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Best Natural Gas Stocks to Buy Right Now and 11 Best Performing Energy Stocks in 2025. Disclosure: None. NEW YORK (AP) New York's attorney general sued the Trump administration on Friday over its decision to halt two major offshore wind projects expected to power more than 1 million homes in the state. State Attorney General Letitia James said in legal challenges filed in federal court in Washington that the U.S. Department of the Interior's Dec. 22 order suspending construction on the projects off Long Island, citing national security concerns, was arbitrary and unwarranted. The Democrat said Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind projects had already cleared more than a decade of security and safety reviews by federal, state and local authorities. She said pausing them now threatens New Yorks economy and energy grid, and she asked the court to intervene. Advertisement Advertisement New Yorkers deserve clean, reliable energy, good-paying jobs, and a government that follows the law, James said in a statement. This reckless decision puts workers, families, and our climate goals at risk. Spokespersons for the Interior Department and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which are both named in the litigation, declined to comment Friday, citing the pending litigation. The Interior Department's order last month suspended Sunrise Wind, Empire Wind and three other offshore wind projects under construction along the East Coast. The department maintains that the movement of massive turbine blades can cause radar interference called clutter" that can obscure legitimate moving targets and generate false ones. Trump has also dismissed offshore wind developments as ugly, expensive and a threat to wildlife as he pushes fossil fuels over renewable energy for electricity production. Advertisement Advertisement Empire Wind is located about 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) southeast of Long Island and is projected to power more than 500,000 homes. Equinor, the Norwegian company developing the project, has said it's about 60% complete. Sunrise Wind is located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Montauk and is expected to power about 600,000 homes. Orsted, the Danish energy company developing the project, has said it's roughly 45% complete. Both developers have also filed their own legal challenges, as have the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island. James previously led a coalition of attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., in challenging Trump's executive order pausing approvals, permits and loans for all wind energy projects, both onshore and offshore. Last month, a federal judge in Massachusetts sided with the attorneys general and vacated the Jan. 20, 2025, order. Days later, the Trump administration issued the stop-work order on the East Coast projects. Get the day's news. Sign up for our Daily Headlines newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning at 7 a.m. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Becky Berkan, a small-business owner in Wisconsin, called Dave Ramsey with a big-business question. Berkan is owner-operator of Wilson Aesthetics Company in Madison, Wisconsin. She spends $10,000 to $20,000 a month buying products for the business, using a debit card to do so. Must Read My question is in regards to getting a business credit card and the downfall of what that would be, she said in an appearance on The Ramsey Show (1). She proudly told Ramsey that her business is debt-free and she only buys what she can afford. But as an entrepreneur, she was curious about the pros and cons of getting a business credit card. So youre only interested in points? Ramsey asked, noting that technically Berkan doesn't need credit. Well, yes, she admitted, laughing. Ramsey had a firm answer for her, calling rewards programs a momentary flex that distracts entrepreneurs from what actually builds long-term wealth in a business. Points: Real value or illusion? According to a 2025 J.D. Power study, the vast majority (89%) of U.S. small businesses use credit cards for purchases and many rely on features such as rewards and payment plans (2). With constant expenses and tight margins, small business owners swipe credit cards more than almost anyone since theyre always looking for an edge on the bottom line. Read More: The average net worth of Americans is a surprising $620,654. But it almost means nothing. Heres the number that counts (and how to make it skyrocket) But nearly half of small business owners who use credit cards say theyre struggling financially. Meanwhile, the payoff from rewards drops if business owners are carrying balances on their cards, as interest charges eat into profits. Thats why Ramsey argues that points dont build real wealth. They dont boost cash flow, grow your customer base or strengthen your business. At best, rewards programs give a small discount on money you were already going to spend. But they can also encourage owners to spend more and lean harder on bank credit. Ramsey argued that the real secret sauce of business success isnt reward points, but profitability and operational excellence. A Kashmiri man was detained after allegedly attempting to offer namaz inside the Ram Mandir complex in Ayodhya and raising slogans when stopped, prompting security concerns. Police and intelligence agencies are questioning him to ascertain his intent, while authorities have reviewed security arrangements ahead of upcoming religious events. You should know how these Health Passport or Health Certificate would be issued in the future for work. At present, there is no standard procedure but there is a strong possibility of it in the future. Hrithik`s fan clubs also shared some pictures from the location in which the actor was seen waving to his fans from his balcony who were standing below, cheering at the sight of the superstar. Fans also sang a Happy birthday song for the actor. Starstruck fans from various cities queued at his Mumbai residence since morning to wish the star in their own special ways. Steph McGovern is set to the return to the BBC. Steph McGovern is returning to the BBC The 43-year-old TV presenter joined Channel 4 back in 2020, but Steph is returning to her former employer in order to host a new show called The Big Deal. Looking forward to the show, Steph told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "While lots of people are happy to splash out on theatre tickets, music festivals or holidays abroad, spending time and money looking at or buying art can feel a bit more intimidating. This show dispels the myth that the art world is exclusive. "Im buzzing for you to see how our dealers, from all walks of life, get on when we take them into the heart of the art market, and along all the arteries that stem from it, with the ultimate aim of making money." The six-part BBC Arts series is set to air on BBC2. The overarching ambition behind the show is to help demystify the global art market. BBC Arts boss Suzy Klein said: "This series pulls back the curtain on one of the most fascinating but mysterious industries in the UK - the art market. "Offering a fresh insight into how art is discovered, bought, and sold, The Big Deal with Steph McGovern is a brilliant example of how BBC Arts can demystify the creative industries and inspire the next generation of art-lovers and collectors, while having fun along the way." Steph previously teased the new show back in August, when she took to social media to share her career plans. The TV star wrote on Instagram at the time: "Big work news. I cant tell you the specifics yet. But it involves hosting 3 shows all out in the next 12 months "1) A brand new series on BBC One daytime (Not a magazine/chat show). "2) A brand series on BBC Two evenings (Still not a magazine/chat show). "3) A longstanding TV programme thats been going nearly as long as I have been alive. "I AM ABSOLUTELY BUZZING!!! (sic)" The greater one-horned rhinoceros population is declining due to poaching in Kaziranga National Park, which is one of the last remaining habitats for the species. Conservationists and park officials are concerned about poaching of the greater one-horned rhinoceros. The greater one-horned rhinoceros is an endangered species whose population has been threatened by illegal hunting for its horn. Protests in Iran began on December 28, 2025, sparked by rising prices and the falling value of the rial. They are now in their 13th day and have spread across all 31 provinces of the country. Women are leading the protests and burning pictures of Khamenei, marking a significant shift from economic grievances to demands for a revolution against the regime. Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! President and chief executive officer of the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) Leah M. Howard discusses her article Pharmacy benefit manager reform vs. direct drug plans. Leah analyzes the recent emergence of direct-purchase drug programs and argues that while innovative thinking is welcome, it cannot replace the need for deep systemic change. She advocates for bipartisan legislative solutions such as the Safe Step Act to address the root causes of high costs in the U.S. health care system rather than relying on siloed fixes that may not help everyone. The conversation emphasizes that true relief for patients with chronic diseases requires transparent pharmacy benefit manager reform and a move away from profit-driven incentives that punish the sick. Join us to learn how we can push for lasting policies that prioritize patient health over corporate profits. This episode is presented by Scholar Advising, a fee-only financial advising firm specializing in providing advice for DIY investors. If you want clear, actionable strategies and confidence that your financial decisions are built on objective advice without AUM fees or commissions, Scholar is designed for you. Physicians often navigate complex compensation structures, including W-2 income, 1099 work, production bonuses, and practice ownership. Scholars highly credentialed advisors guide high-earners through decisions like optimizing investments for long-term tax efficiency and expert strategies for financial independence. Every recommendation is tailored to the financial realities physicians face. VISIT SPONSOR https://scholaradvising.com/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 Leah Howard. She is the president and chief executive officer of the National Psoriasis Foundation. Todays KevinMD article is Pharmacy benefit manager reform versus direct drug plans. Leah, welcome to the show. Leah Howard: Thanks for having me, Kevin. Kevin Pho: All right. Tell us briefly a little bit about yourself and then the events that led you to write this article in the first place. Leah Howard: Sure. As you said, I am Leah Howard, president and CEO of the National Psoriasis Foundation. I have been with the organization since 2012. The NPF is a really fascinating organization. We were started in the late 1960s in Portland, Oregon, by a woman who lived with severe psoriasis. At the time, there was no internet and no way for patients to connect with other people sharing the same challenges they were. She felt very alone and isolated. As a gift to her for her 30th birthday, her husband put a tiny ad in The Oregonian that just invited people to call this number to share information. From that, she got a hundred phone calls in the first week and realized there was a real need to connect people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis to one another. Fast forward nearly 60 years, and we are the largest nonprofit supporting psoriatic disease, really driving progress on behalf of this community of about 8 million people. I have enjoyed the opportunity to do that for many years. I am a lawyer by background and came here actually to head up our government affairs team. This article and this work that we are doing to really push for change on behalf of this community is work that is near and dear to my heart. It is really a key part of our current strategic plan, which has two goals: finding a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and optimizing the health of our community today. Kevin Pho: Your KevinMD article is Pharmacy benefit manager reform versus direct drug plans. For those who didnt get a chance to read your article, tell us what it is about. ADVERTISEMENT Leah Howard: For about a decade, the National Psoriasis Foundation has been leading an effort across the country to improve access to therapies, in part through legislation that puts guardrails around step therapy. This is a very frustrating practice probably for both your clinician listeners as well as the patients they serve. For many people, the frustration of step therapy really comes from the fact that it is driving patients toward a therapy that might not be the most appropriate for them and might not be the one that their clinician thinks, based on their personal health history, they really should be using. What we have been working to do in partnership with others is to bring this common-sense reform first at the state level and now at the federal level to patients. Through that legislation, we want to put some guardrails, an exception process, and some timelines around the use of step therapy. The legislation at both the state and federal levels doesnt ban the practices but really gives both patients and providers the guidance on how to work within a step therapy protocol to get the patient on whatever therapy they think is best. We have been pushing that work at the state level for about 10 years and at the federal level now for the last several. We had a lot of really good progress last year. That legislation actually got folded into the Senate version of pharmacy benefit manager reform, which was exciting to see. But of course, we got to the end of the Congress and the end of the calendar year, and that bill didnt pass. So we have gotten the legislation reintroduced, and our advocate network, which includes both patients and providers, has been working to share information about the value of this bill with federal and state policymakers. What caused me to write this article was that earlier this fall we also started seeing some discussion, both by individual pharmaceutical companies as well as the current administration, around making more products available directly to consumers. From our perspective, anytime there are barriers standing between patients and providers that actually prevent them from getting patients on whatever treatment they think is best, that is frustrating. We started watching the conversation that was happening nationally around these direct-to-consumer offerings and noted that there really werent any patient voices that were a part of that process or speaking out on this topic. I thought this was a really hot issue, and this should be something that the patient voice is represented in. I saw an opportunity here to both comment on these offerings as well as just remind people that as we consider new solutions like this, there are other solutions out there that have been studied and talked about for the last several years that ought not to be forgotten. Kevin Pho: For those who arent familiar with psoriasis treatment and the various options, give us an example of what step therapy would be, and then give us some examples of some of these direct purchase drug programs that we are talking about. Just for those who arent familiar with the various medications and treatments we are talking about here. Leah Howard: Absolutely. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic, systemic, immune-mediated diseases. When someone is diagnosed with one of those, that is a diagnosis that they will now live with for the rest of their lives. There are about 8 million people in the U.S. impacted by psoriatic disease. Because it is a disease that presents in different ways for different people, some people have more mild forms of psoriasis. For them, it may be appropriate to take a topical therapy. For those that have more disease coveragemore places on the skin, more prevalence of the disease, or disease in those harder-to-treat areas or more sensitive areas like the face, genitals, hands, or feeta more aggressive agent would be appropriate. That would be something that would be consumed inside the body, either injected, infused, or ingested. Those would be biologic agents, which are typically the most well-known systemic therapies. Most folks tell me they cant turn on their TV and not see a commercial for a psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis drug. It is really amazing how far those therapies have come in the last 20 years since they were first approved. Typically what happens is a patient will work with their dermatologist or their rheumatologist to get that diagnosis of psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. Then that specialist will say you really need to be on a systemic agent, something that can work from the inside of the body out to reduce that inflammation and prevent permanent joint damage, which does occur with psoriatic arthritis. So they would prescribe one of the more than a dozen biologics that are available in our space. Typically what happens is that because of the business agreements between pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies, that health insurer will come back to that physician and say: These are the therapies that that patient may access that are preferred for that patient based on their health insurance plan. The physician might want to go with one therapy, and the health insurance company is saying no, you need to use this other one instead. So they have to put that patient on that therapy and see how they do. I think the challenge of this practice is that not every patient is the same, and not every treatment works the same. For a variety of reasons, a physician or a prescriber might think that one treatment is going to work better or be more appropriate for that patient based on their personal experience with the disease and their overall health history. What we have been doing with these step therapy bills is really working to put in those guardrails that enable the prescriber to work through the system if something, for whatever reason, does not make sense for that patient to take. Over the last few months, a number of companies, as well as the federal government, have announced these direct-to-consumer options where patients will be able to work directly either through the company or through TrumpRx to purchase one of these therapies. I think there are still a lot of question marks as to how exactly that will work, how the patients provider will be kept in the loop, how their pharmacist will be aware of the patient taking that therapy, as well as how the cost-sharing will work for patients, which is always an issue. There are still a lot of question marks about that process that we will be waiting to see unfold in the coming months as those are rolled out. Kevin Pho: Just so I am clear, what is proposed is that patients can now directly purchase some of these biologics, bypassing the drug plan and the physician. So presumably they would have to have a prescription from a physician, but they would be going outside of their plan and outside of the specialty pharmacy that has a contractual relationship with their health insurance company. From the perspective of the patient, what are some of the risks of that approach? Leah Howard: We have been getting a lot of questions, not surprisingly, from our patient community about how these would work. I mentioned one of those questions: What will happen with my out-of-pocket costs? Will this count against my deductible? Those sorts of things. How will my pharmacist be kept in the loop? There is certainly a question about when people are taking two different therapies, how those therapies might work together inside that patients body. For our patient community that has a number of comorbidities, it is really important that they are sharing with both their health professional as well as their pharmacists all the different treatments that they are on so that there is no worry about contraindications or any adverse events because they are taking more than one therapy. I think there are a lot of practical questions about how this will happen in practice. At the end of the day, our role is to really try to drive a conversation forward that is going to be about how we can support some of these system issues. While this is a big issue for our community, it is also going to impact many other chronic disease communities and is really emblematic of the fact that there are a number of challenges happening right now for patients living with chronic disease within this health care system. I think there is an opportunity for us to really put our heads together to think about better ways to deliver care. Kevin Pho: Where are we legislatively in terms of that approach, and how likely is it to come to fruition? Leah Howard: The Safe Step reform legislation that I mentioned has been reintroduced at the federal level earlier this year in both the House and Senate. I would encourage your listeners to contact their members of Congress and share more about their experiences with step therapy and how it has impacted their patient communities. We are hopeful that that legislation will move forward in this Congress. We have had unbelievable support over the last few years for that bill and have had that legislation passed in more than two-thirds of states at the state level. As we all know, health insurance is a little complicated regarding who has oversight of that. For marketplace plans, it is states that have that oversight. That is why it was important for us to pass the state bills. Now at the federal level, for folks that get health insurance through their employer, we would like to see those same protections extended to that community as well. That is why the federal bill is now pending. Kevin Pho: For those who arent familiar with the Safe Step Act, just give us some of the highlights and specifics that the bill contains. Leah Howard: Absolutely. The two most important things to know about the bill are first that it puts in place a set of exceptions. It outlines five exceptions that a provider can identify as appropriate for that patient to get around the step therapy protocols within their plan. Those could be things like the patient has already tried and failed on that therapy under another plan at another point in time, or that the required therapy is contraindicated for them, maybe because of other health history. So a set of five exceptions is the first part of the legislation. The second part is the timeline. What it does is put in place a required timeline by which an insurance company will make a determination of whether that patient can get onto the requested treatment. So 72 hours in typical cases and 24 hours in emergency cases. This is important because, as I said, these are chronic diseases that are covered by these protocols, and it is critical that we not have a delay between when a patient is seen by a health care professional and when they are ultimately able to begin a treatment. That 72 or 24 hours ensures that that patient and provider have the opportunity to get that determination and make a decision about how to move forward. Kevin Pho: So if this bill passes, in effect, it will allow the prescriber to directly prescribe biologics to those with psoriasis without getting any pushback saying, Hey, you have to try this and this and this first. Right? Leah Howard: That is exactly right. And it is not specific to the psoriatic disease drugs. It really covers all of the therapies that a plan might be using these step therapy protocols in. That is why the NPF has been working in coalition with about 150 other organizations on these bills across the country over the last 10 years. I think there are a number of communities that are really challenged by these utilization management step therapy protocols. This would bring relief to many, many individuals living with chronic disease. Kevin Pho: Where do you see the foreseeable future going forward? You have the potential passing of the Safe Step Act, and then concurrently you have these direct drug plan models. So what do you see the future hold when you have these two competing pathways going forward? Leah Howard: We are incredibly optimistic about the future for our community and so many others living with chronic disease. I mentioned the amazing scientific progress that has happened over the last 20 years. When I talk to people in our community that were diagnosed with their psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis in the eighties or nineties, they talk about the frustration of not having options, not being able to manage their disease well, and really living with the shame and stigma associated with that. In 2002, the first biologic was released in psoriatic disease, and it was a game changer. Now, more than 20 years later, these therapies are incredibly safe and effective and do amazing things for this community. In fact, for someone, almost regardless of how extensive their psoriasis is, they can get today to clear or almost clear skin, which is just phenomenal. Their psoriatic arthritis can be really well managed as well. So from a scientific standpoint, we are unbelievably hopeful about the future with patients being able to access and well manage their disease. On the other side, I think our community really serves as a warning to other disease communities about the challenges of accessing treatments. All the scientific progress in the world doesnt mean anything if at the end of the day people are not able to get on those therapies and use them. That is why our second goal focused on optimizing health is really centered around those barriers and those pain points that clinicians and patients face when it comes to getting individuals on these amazing life-changing therapies that are available today. Kevin Pho: So it sounds like whether it is through the Safe Step plan or these direct purchase initiatives, it sounds like these biologics are going to be a little bit easier to access going forward for those with chronic conditions. Leah Howard: We are certainly hopeful that is the aim of our organization and of the patients and clinicians that engage with us in our advocacy efforts. There should be no reason why all this great advancement is not ultimately available to the end consumer at the end of the day. Kevin Pho: We are talking to Leah Howard. She is the president and chief executive officer of the National Psoriasis Foundation. Todays KevinMD article is Pharmacy benefit manager reform versus direct drug plans. Leah, lets have some takeaway messages that you want to leave with the KevinMD audience. Leah Howard: The main thing that I would say is, as I said, it has been an amazing time of progress in psoriatic disease and so many other chronic diseases. If your listeners are not engaged in advocacy around these issues, or if they are not familiar with the success we have had at the state level in getting step therapy bills passed, I encourage you to visit psoriasis.org to learn more about our work and to get involved. We would love to have you engaged in our efforts. Kevin Pho: Leah, thank you so much for sharing your perspective and insight. Thanks again for coming on the show. Leah Howard: Thanks for having me. Katseye leader Sophia Laforteza was recently spotted at Hong Kong Disneyland with rumored boyfriend Leon Barretto and their families, reigniting dating speculation that has followed the pair for months. Leon posted photos from the January 2026 trip on Instagram, showing the group enjoying rides and attractions at the theme park. The internet personality, who is the younger brother of Filipina actress Julia Barretto, captioned the post: "Starting the year in the happiest place on earth with the people I love most." He was accompanied by his mother, Marjorie Barretto, and sisters Dani and Erich, while Sophia brought her own family members along for the vacation. The Disneyland sighting comes shortly after a video circulated online allegedly showing Sophia and Leon sharing a New Year's kiss at midnight. Though the footage quality was reportedly poor, fans on social media platforms interpreted it as confirmation of their romantic relationship. Neither Sophia nor Leon has publicly addressed the video. Dating rumors between the two intensified in early January 2026 when a video appeared to show them holding hands during an outing, according to Koreaboo. Prior speculation dates back to September 2025, when photos of the pair in close poses went viral on social media. In December 2025, eagle-eyed fans noticed what appeared to be intimate photos of a couple displayed in Leon's home during his Instagram story, with many assuming the images featured him and Sophia. The 22-year-old influencer and the Katseye star have known each other since high school, having attended the same school in the Philippines, GMA Network reported. They even went to prom together in 2020, with Sophia's mother posting about the occasion on social media at the time. Leon has consistently supported Sophia's career, attending Katseye events and posting content featuring her on his social media platforms. Despite the mounting evidence and repeated sightings, neither Sophia nor Leon has confirmed or denied the relationship rumors. International fans have had mixed reactions, with some supportive of a potential relationship while others remain skeptical, insisting the two are simply longtime best friends. Unlike some Katseye members who have been more open about their relationshipswith Lara coming out as queer and Daniela being linked to TikToker Jonah DavidSophia has maintained privacy regarding her personal life. Representatives for Katseye and HYBE have not commented on the speculation surrounding Sophia's relationship status, as per KAMI. 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 U.S. adolescents spend more than one hour per day on smartphones during school hours, with social media accounting for the largest share of use, according to research published in JAMA. The findings have relevance for educators, parents and policymakers. The study reflects the behavior of 640 adolescents ages 1318 who were enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. They and their parents had consented to have software placed on their Android cellphones that allowed use to be passively monitored. Usage was measured between September 2022 and May 2024. Key findings: Adolescents spent an average of 1.16 hours per day on smartphones during school hours. Social media apps Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat accounted for most use, followed by YouTube and games. Older adolescents (1618) and those from lower-income households showed higher smartphone use, compared to peers of the same age. "These apps are designed to be addictive. They deprive students of the opportunity to be fully engaged in class and to hone their social skills with classmates and teachers," said Dr. Dimitri Christakis, the paper's senior author. He is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and practices at Seattle Children's Hospital. Based on a national sample of students, the results build on findings published last year in JAMA Pediatrics. That study had fewer participants but also included iPhone users. At least 32 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to ban or restrict students' use of cellphones in schools. The effect of those policies "remains to be seen," Christakis said. "To date, they've been very poorly enforced, if at all. I think the U.S. has to recognize the generational implications of depriving children of opportunities to learn in school," he added. The paper's lead author is Dr. Jason Nagata, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California San Francisco. "This moves the conversation beyond anecdotes and self-reports to real-world behavior. Teens are not always accurate reporters of their own screen time. Objective smartphone data gives us a clearer picture of actual use," Nagata said. Key medical concepts Pediatrics 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 photo shows Peter Akor, with a prototype of the AI Epilepsy Headset. Credit: Gibson Digital / Glasgow Caledonian University / PA A "unique" AI-powered headset that can predict epileptic seizures minutes before they occur has been developed by scientists in Scotland. The Glasgow Caledonian University team behind the research say the wearable device could dramatically transform the way the condition is managed. Millions of people around the world live with epilepsy. However, there is currently no readily available device that can give people advanced warnings of seizures. The headset analyzes brainwaves and heart functions to detect an impending seizure, allowing the wearer to take precautions or warn those around them. The scientist behind the project says its greatest benefit could be giving people with epilepsy more confidence about the condition, helping them to avoid any secondary injuries caused by a seizure. Professor Hadi Larijani, who leads the research team at Glasgow Caledonian University, said, "Providing even a few minutes' warning could be life changing. "Our goal is to empower patients and families with time to act to stay safe and live more independently." He told the Press Association the headset is "very unique" and they hope to one day release it as a wearable device similar to a cap. He said, "We want it to be as discreet as possible, to be wireless, lightit's a lot of features that none of the other tools right now have." The system was trained using thousands of hours of historical electroencephalography and electrocardiography recordings. The researchers also used a custom-made "phantom head," attaching electrodes to it to simulate a real user. By learning to identify the subtle electrical and physiological patterns that precede a seizure, the AI can issue a timely alert, giving patients and families crucial minutes to prepare and stay safe. It has an accuracy of up to 95% and the AI algorithm can display its levels of confidence about the chances of an impending seizure. Prof Larijani added, "For families affected by epilepsy, even a brief warning means they can prevent injuries and reduce fear. "That is the true measure of success for us." The team are still refining the design for the headset, which they intend to be suitable for children to wear. Their initial prototypes used third-party hardware but they hope to develop their own models. Due to the need for regulatory approvals, it will likely be some years before the product becomes widely available. Prof Larijani said, "The most regulated things are medical devices. It takes time to get through the hurdles. "But I think we've done the initial feasibility testing both on the software and the hardware characteristics. "Now we're looking at a more commercial-ready product that hopefully will be going through the hurdles of the initial accreditation for medical devices." Key medical concepts EpilepsyElectroencephalographyElectrocardiography 2026 dpa GmbH. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. With all eyes on the drivers seat at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, every major political party is making the turnaround of the ailing and loss-ridden BEST bus services into an emotive and populist poll plank. So, if the Shiv Sena-UBT combine is promising 10,000 electric buses of which 900 will be double deckers, Mahayuti is promising the same number, but with a 100 per cent electric fleet by 2029. Not to be left behind, Congress is promising 6,000 new buses with a halt to the privatisation of the fleet. Heres the reality check: BESTs fleet currently stands at 2,743 buses, of which 2,494 are wet-lease vehicles given out to private contractors. Of the 249 BEST-owned buses, only six are electric and the rest run on diesel. The wet-lease fleet is all-green 1,225 CNG and 1,269 electric buses. Urban planners and transport experts, however, are sceptical about the tall claims being put forward by the parties. Shiv Sena (UBT): Service, Not Business Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and South Mumbai MP Arvind Sawant described BEST as an essential public service rather than a profit-driven enterprise. BEST is for the common man and reaches every corner of the city, Sawant said. Across the world, transport services run at a loss. It is a service, not a business. Recalling former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackerays proposal, Sawant said the BEST budget should be merged with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations budget, similar to how the Railway Budget was merged with the Union Budget. Once there is a single consolidated budget, funds will automatically flow, he said, adding that BEST has ample assets that can be leveraged to raise funds. Sawant also spoke about fleet expansion, stressing that the proposed 10,000 buses would be added in phases to replace ageing vehicles, but said there is currently a serious shortage of buses, forcing commuters to seek alternatives. He advocated the use of minibuses in narrow lanes and supported electric buses despite their higher initial cost. Highlighting growing privatisation, Sawant said accidents increased due to poorly trained contract drivers unfamiliar with Mumbais roads. BEST was once the best transport service in the country because of its trained workforce, he said. Sachin Padwal, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Sewri, stressed that profitability should not be the benchmark for public transport. If one bus with 4050 seats is added, at least 10 taxis are taken off the road. This directly addresses traffic and parking, he said. Padwal recalled that during the Uddhav Thackeray-led govt, BEST planned to procure buses through a World Bank loan in a phased manner. The BMC gave guarantees, but once the govt collapsed, the process stopped. We need to restart it. He added that reviving closed routes and improving frequency from 1520 minutes to five minutes was crucial for bringing commuters back to buses. MNS: Public Transport Is Mumbais Identity Ketan Naik, General Secretary of the Maharashtra Navnirman BEST Kamgar Sena, said that subsidies for electric buses were withheld earlier due to political reasons. There are central government and Pollution Control Board subsidies available. In BJP-ruled corporations, these were released. However, in Mumbai, they were not released, unlike during the tenure of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi, he claimed. Naik criticised contractors who failed to deliver buses on time. Olectra still has around 2,200 buses pending. Contracts must be given only to those who can ensure time-bound delivery. He argued that BESTs revival was an emotional issue. The red BEST bus is Mumbais identity. MNS consistently fought to protect it, whether opposing the scrapping of double-deckers or demanding fleet ownership. If we come to power, we will deliver. Congress: Privatisation Is Bleeding BEST Mumbai Congress President and MP Varsha Gaikwad accused the Centre of undermining BEST through gradual privatisation, particularly in the electric bus segment. She alleged that the push for smart meters is a conspiracy to divert funds to private entities like Adani. The introduction of smart meters, costing around Rs 13,000 each and partly funded by the Centre, diverted money away from BEST and towards private players. Earlier, the Centre did not intervene in BEST matters, but over the last five-six years, it pushed smart meters supplied by Adani. Mumbai has the cheapest electricity, but areas served by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (MSEDCL) or Adani pay much higher tariffs. Now, the money that earlier sustained BEST is going to private companies, while trained BEST staff and infrastructure are being used for free, she said, calling it a slow privatisation conspiracy that threatens the survival of the transport wing. On plans to increase the fleet to 6,000 buses, Gaikwad said the expansion must happen in phases and be backed by proper planning. Mumbai needs a coordinated transport roadmap covering buses, Metro, railways and even water transport. Instead, buses are bought without considering road conditions or quality. Several buses purchased earlier failed on slopes, broke down mid-road, or even caught fire, she said. Criticising contract-based employment, she highlighted poor working conditions at BEST depots, especially for women conductors. There are no proper seating arrangements, toilets or canteens. Staff are cramped into tiny rooms, while prime BEST land has been handed over for malls and five-star hotels. Those spaces are not meant for BEST workers, she added. BJPShiv Sena (Shinde): Electric, Expanded and World-Class BJP, along with Shiv Sena which is yet to present its manifesto pledged to transform BEST into the worlds best public transport service. According to the manifesto accessed by Mirror, the parties promised a comprehensive plan to strengthen the system, expand the fleet, improve reliability, and ensure that Mumbaikars receive a modern, efficient and world-class bus service. Rahul Shewale, General Secretary of Shiv Sena, said governance capacity mattered. We have both the Centre and the state with us. Opposition parties can make claims, but they lack decision-making power. He added that BEST bus routes would be redesigned to complement Metro services and improve end-to-end connectivity. The Experts Reality Check: Outlandish Figures Urban planners and transport experts, however, are sceptical about the tall claims being put forward by the parties. Transport activist Rishi Agarwal, founder of the Walking Project, labelled the 10,000-bus promise as outlandish. Over the past decade, the same parties actively sabotaged BEST, he said. He criticised the focus on large, unrealistic numbers. Electric bus manufacturers consistently failed to meet targets. Instead of promising 10,000 buses, commit to adding 100 buses every month. He argued that the obsession with Electric Vehicles (EVs) is actually harming the city. An electric bus costs Rs 1.25 crore, while two CNG buses cost Rs 5060 lakh each and are readily available. BEST already has excellent CNG infrastructure. Based on national standards (50 buses per 1 lakh population), Mumbai (with a population of roughly 1.5 crore) technically requires 7,500 buses. Currently, the fleet is significantly lower, leading to 45-minute wait times for the 3 million daily commuters. Public Transport Is a Right: Voices from Civil Society Sandhya Gokhale of Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST argued that more buses will not help if they are stuck in traffic. She also warned that outsourcing and contractual operations were eroding safety and service quality. Contractors cut corners on maintenance and training. Drivers are underpaid, overworked and stressed, she said. She stressed that transport and healthcare cannot be profit-driven. You invest in buses because there are commissions, not in staff because there are none. This mindset is destroying public services. Gokhale also criticised the lack of bus lanes, poor route planning and car-centric policies. Why not charge cars parked on roads to generate revenue? Why burden commuters instead? Individuals named Keoki are often perceived as having a strong connection to nature and community, reflecting both the agricultural roots of the name's meaning and the communal values of Hawaiian culture. They tend to be grounded, practical people with a strong work ethic, yet maintain the warm, friendly disposition associated with Hawaiian hospitality. Keoki's are typically seen as reliable and steadfast, much like the farmers their name honors, but with the adventurous spirit of the islands. They often possess a natural leadership quality combined with humility, making them respected members of their communities. Their personality blends traditional values with adaptability, reflecting the name's history of cultural synthesis. Keoki's are generally approachable and good-natured, with the ability to bridge different social groups and perspectives. They typically exhibit patience and perseverance, qualities that serve them well in both personal and professional endeavors, while maintaining the characteristic Hawaiian value of ohana (family) in their relationships and priorities. Women named Maitilde are typically perceived as possessing a unique blend of strength and compassion, reflecting the name's 'battle maiden' heritage. They often demonstrate natural leadership qualities, combined with a protective instinct toward those they care about. These individuals tend to be determined and resilient, capable of facing challenges with both strategic thinking and emotional intelligence. Their strength is not merely physical but manifests as moral courage and the ability to stand firm in their convictions. At the same time, they maintain a nurturing aspect, often serving as pillars of support within their families and communities. This combination makes them effective in roles requiring both authority and empathy. Maitildes are frequently described as having a quiet confidence that inspires trust in others, along with a practical approach to problem-solving that makes them reliable in difficult situations. They value loyalty deeply and often form strong, lasting relationships built on mutual respect and shared principles, embodying the ideal of the strong protector who leads with both heart and determination. Individuals named Zavrina typically exhibit a fascinating blend of strength and sensitivity that reflects their name's dual nature as both royal and elemental. They often possess natural leadership abilities combined with deep empathy, making them effective in roles that require both authority and compassion. Zavrinas are frequently described as intuitive and perceptive, with an uncanny ability to understand unspoken emotions and complex social dynamics. This emotional intelligence, coupled with their name's watery origins, gives them remarkable adaptability - they can navigate challenging situations with the fluid grace of a river finding its course around obstacles. Creativity flows naturally for most Zavrinas, whether expressed through artistic pursuits, innovative problem-solving, or visionary thinking. They often feel a strong connection to nature, particularly water elements, and may champion environmental causes or find solace in natural settings. Despite their gentle exterior, Zavrinas possess an inner resilience and determination that surprises those who underestimate them. They balance traditional values with progressive ideas, honoring heritage while embracing innovation. Their communication style tends to be diplomatic yet persuasive, and they often serve as peacemakers in conflicts. The combination of their name's royal connotations and natural symbolism creates individuals who lead with both authority and understanding, making them respected and beloved in their communities. NewsVoir Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], January 10: Premier educational institution REVA University hosted 'Founder's Day' at the REVA University campus on January 6, 2026. The annual event was held on the occasion of the birthday of Dr. P. Shyama Raju, Chancellor, REVA University. Air Chief Marshal Fali H. Major, Former Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force; Nirupama Menon Rao, Indian Diplomat, Former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador and Jayasudha, Indian Actress, were honoured with the prestigious REVA Lifetime Achievement Award. Addressing the gathering during the celebrations held on campus, Dr. P. Shyama Raju reflected on his inspiring journey - from growing up in a small village in Andhra Pradesh to founding REVA University. He shared how Founder's Day has evolved into a meaningful annual tradition that celebrates excellence and service. "Founder's Day at REVA University is a cherished occasion for the entire REVA family. Each year, we honour eminent personalities from diverse fields, recognising their outstanding contributions to society. The REVA Lifetime Achievement Award is our way of expressing gratitude to individuals whose lives and work continue to inspire generations," he said. Speaking about the values that have guided him through his journey, Dr. Raju emphasised, "Ethics, discipline, hard work, respect for elders, and the courage to face challenges are what truly sustain me. These are the qualities students must imbibe, and to me, this is the true essence of education." Speaking after receiving the award, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major expressed his heartfelt gratitude and reflected on the principles that shaped his distinguished career. He said that everything he had achieved stemmed from professionalism, unwavering commitment, and consistent hard work. Emphasising leadership, he noted that true vision is rooted in courage, commitment, and perseverance. He also highlighted three core lessons everyone should strive to emulate in life. The first, he said, is discipline - never a limitation, but a source of freedom. The second is integrity, which he described as non-negotiable. The third lesson, he emphasised, is the importance of making a positive difference through one's work. "Innovate, strive for excellence, stay grounded, and always give back to the nation," he urged. Speaking after receiving the award, Nirupama Menon Rao observed that universities are never created by accident. She described them as temples of learning - acts of collective belief that education must shape not only professional ambition, but also a deep sense of responsibility. She also said that learning was considered as pilgrimage not merely transactional. Reflecting on the contemporary moment, she noted that we live in an age marked by anxiety about leadership, making thoughtful leadership more vital than ever. Drawing from her years in public service, she said, "I have learnt that leadership is quieter than we imagine. It is far more demanding. Leadership is not about dominating a room, but about holding it - listening carefully, reading context, understanding complexities, and knowing when restraint is wiser than action." Speaking candidly about her journey as a woman leader, she addressed the realities of breaking glass ceilings and navigating power structures. "For most women, the path is linear and involves constant negotiation with expectations and invisible rules - often even before entering the space," she said. "Yet women persist not because we seek exception or indulgence, but because society cannot afford to waste talent." She emphasised that sidelining women in leadership is not merely unjust, but ineffective. She concluded by noting that what women bring to leadership is not softness or sentimentality, but depth - an acute sensitivity to consequences and a clear understanding that power always has human costs. In her acceptance speech, Jayasudha said she was deeply honoured to receive the award alongside other eminent personalities. Reflecting on her journey in cinema, she noted that every film she acted in reminded her of the responsibility she owed to her audience and well-wishers. She added that the moment reaffirmed her belief that true excellence is rooted in integrity, perseverance, and unwavering commitment. As part of its Founder's Day celebrations, REVA University unveiled RIA - the REVA Intelligent Assistant, an AI-powered humanoid developed in-house by REVA students and faculty, marking a significant milestone in the university's innovation-led academic journey. The humanoid was unveiled by the Chancellor in the presence of industry leaders, senior leadership, faculty, students, parents, and guests. Designed as a smart campus assistant, RIA will welcome visitors, answer queries on academics, admissions, and facilities, provide digital campus navigation, and share QR codes for routes and information downloads, enhancing the overall visitor experience. The Founder's Day Event held at the REVA University campus, was presided over by Chancellor Dr. P. Shyama Raju. The occasion was also graced by Umesh S. Raju, Pro Chancellor; Dr. Sanjay R. Chitnis, Vice Chancellor; and Dr. M. Dhanamjaya, Registrar, family members, trustees, faculty and his well-wishers. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) VMPL New Delhi [India], January 10: "The security framework in India is going through a structural transformation. Today, the front line in security is not marked merely by fencing, checkpoint security, or physical boundaries; rather, it has been extended into data communication systems that enable the very fabric of life. In a world where real-time intelligence plays increasingly critical roles in governance and security strategies, the role of technology in national preparedness assumes pivotal proportions." In this context of change, Brihaspathi Technologies, a technology firm based out of Hyderabad, stands out as a key player in the developing Indian system of digital security and governance. Right from the inception of the last fourteen years of the twenty-first century, Brihaspathi has managed to create a niche for itself in AI-based surveillance and command systems. Brihaspathi Technologies was formed back in 2009 as an IT and software services company, but over the years, they have been widening their horizon to cater to the challenges faced by governments related to operations at a larger scale. This is just another step towards a national initiative to have platforms that can work on a population scale. Reflecting on this transition, Rajasekhar Papolu, Managing Director of Brihaspathi Technologies, said, "Our vision at Brihaspathi is to pioneer ICCC platforms that redefine India's governance landscape which deliver real-time visibility, seamless coordination, and comprehensive accountability - empowering secure cities, transparent elections, and resilient critical infrastructure for Digital India's future." COMMAND CENTRES AS THE NEW NERVE SYSTEMOne of the most visible pillars of Brihaspathi Technologies' work lies in the development and deployment of Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC) - a centralized environment that consolidates video feeds, alerts, and operational data into a single decision-making interface. These systems have been used in public settings. During the Bihar Assembly Elections, Brihaspathi Technologies helped in large-scale surveillance and monitoring projects with the purpose of enhancing coverage and coordination in multiple polling stations. During an exercise with millions of voters participating, the monitoring system helped in following events in different districts, thus enhancing transparency in administrative operations. In terms of transportation, its ICCC solution has aided MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation). Handling one of the largest transportation networks requires perpetual awareness of situations. Brihaspathi's Command Platforms consolidated depots, vehicle movements, as well as surveillance feeds into common control domains, making it easier for the administration to react to situations. The education sector, too, has not been left behind in such centralized systems. The company, in support of examination monitoring initiatives for TGBIE (Telangana Board of Intermediate Education), ensured that real-time visibility and centralized control were met. In high-stakes academic ecologies, technology-driven oversight is paramount in maintaining public confidence. These deployments demonstrated how command centers can extend beyond city surveillance into education governance. DESIGNED FOR LARGE-SCALE DEPLOYMENTSA defining aspect of Brihaspathi Technologies' approach is its focus on large-scale deployments rather than limited pilots. Its systems are designed to function across cities, districts, and states - handling high data volumes and continuous operations. The company places emphasis on integration, combining AI-based video analytics, centralized dashboards, and field-level visibility into unified platforms. This reduces fragmentation and allows authorities to view situations holistically rather than through isolated tools. On the importance of indigenous development, Rajasekhar added, "Developing ICCC platforms within the country empowers authorities to retain full control over how systems grow and adapt over time, ensuring they remain aligned with local governance structures and long-term public service requirements." RECOGNITION ACROSS PLATFORMS THAT REFLECTS IMPACTThe Industry Leadership in Tech Solutions recognition at the Hyderabad Business Awards 2025 acknowledges Brihaspathi Technologies' sustained role in delivering large-scale technology platforms across security, surveillance, and governance domains. The award recognizes organizations that demonstrate long-term leadership rather than short-term performance. Awards for leadership recognition have been a vital part of the company's background. The APTA Catalyst Youngest Entrepreneur Award (2025) and BICCI Award for Commitment to Excellence & Innovation (2025) showcase how the leadership vision of Brihaspathi is well-aligned with industry platforms. The Excellence Business Titans Award 2024 - Chapter 3, presented in Abu Dhabi, recognizes Indian enterprises that have demonstrated relevance and capability beyond domestic markets. Brihaspathi Technologies received this honor for its growing international visibility and its ability to present India's indigenous technology capabilities on a global platform. On the regional platform, the company won the Hyderabad Radio City Business Icon Award in the years 2022 and 2025. On the national platform, it received the Economic Times Excellence Award for the year 2022 as an acknowledgment for the contribution to technology-based public solutions. The Partner Leadership Award 2019 marked an early milestone in Brihaspathi Technologies' growth journey. This award recognized the company's collaborative approach, execution reliability, and ability to deliver as a trusted technology partner. PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS AND PURPOSEBehind Brihaspathi's deployments is a multidisciplinary team that includes engineers, system architects, and domain specialists with experience in public-sector operations. The company's execution model emphasizes collaboration with government bodies, system integrators, and institutional stakeholders - recognizing that large public systems require coordination as much as technology. A BROADER ROLE IN INDIA'S DIGITAL GOVERNANCEThe journey of Brihaspathi Technologies reflects the overall digitalization taking place in India, where intelligence in governance, security, and infrastructure is steadily increasing. As India expands its digital public infrastructure, the role of domestic technology providers capable of operating at scale is becoming increasingly relevant. Brihaspathi Technologies' trajectory - from an IT services firm to a participant in national-scale security and governance initiatives - reflects the growing maturity of India's technology ecosystem. LOOKING AHEAD Brihaspathi Technologies is also engaging in the development of systems to help institutions see clearly, to react with confidence, and to function together effectively. For further details, you can also check out our website or take a look at our page on LinkedIn. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 10: Country Club Hospitality & Holidays Ltd., one of India's leading leisure and lifestyle brands, successfully hosted its Annual Marketing Meet in Mumbai, bringing together a large and dynamic marketing force from across the country. The meet served as a strategic platform to review performance, align future growth plans, and energize the organization's expanding sales and marketing ecosystem. The event highlighted Country Club's strong nationwide presence, expanding franchise network, and renewed focus on growth in the zero-debt era, powered by digital transformation and strategic partnerships. Senior leadership shared insights on the company's roadmap, new revenue streams, product innovations, and aggressive expansion plans across India and select international markets. A key highlight of the meet was the company's open call for ambitious, result-oriented professionals to join its fast-growing marketing force. With clearly defined growth paths, performance-linked incentives, and leadership development opportunities, Country Club positioned itself as a preferred career destination for sales and marketing talent seeking stability, scale, and long-term growth. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Y. Rajeev Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director, Country Club Hospitality & Holidays Ltd., said, "Our growth journey has always been powered by people. As we enter the next phase of expansion, we are creating unmatched opportunities for talented, driven professionals to grow with us. Country Club offers not just a job, but a long-term career platform built on performance, trust, and shared success." The Mumbai meet reaffirmed Country Club's commitment to talent development, nationwide expansion, and sustained business growth, setting the tone for the next phase of the company's journey. For further details, please visit www.countryclubindia.net or contact Nirav at 9845035959, nirav@countryclubmail.com or Hiram at 9849030540, hiram@countryclubmail.com About Country Club Hospitality and Holidays Ltd When Country Club Hospitality and Holidays Ltd. was established in 1989, it was a pioneer in the conception of offering comprehensive leisure, recreation and hospitality membership services in India. Constituted as a fully equipped club, Country Club has now flourished into a provider of member exclusive clubbing hubs, breathtaking holiday destinations, avant-garde fitness centres and star-studded events. Country Club Hospitality & Holidays operates a network of over 100 properties, including owned, managed, and affiliated resorts across India and overseas." This colossal network encompasses social clubs in urban hotspots, luxurious city-centric hotels, rejuvenating wellness centres, beach-front resorts, serene hilltop vacation homes, wildlife jungle lodges and water amusement parks. Country Club is a leading lifestyle and leisure club that provides its members with a range of facilities and services. With a focus on health, wellness, and recreation, the club offers a unique experience for its members. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) VMPL New Delhi [India], January 10: In India, the stock market has provided opportunities for investors to grow their wealth, but for many years, investors had to deal with confusing fees and hidden charges when buying or selling stocks. The traditional brokerage models have relied mainly on these charges, often making trading complex and expensive. These days, a new trend of zero brokerage charges has made the trading experience not only simple but also budget-friendly. This article explains how zero brokerage trading accounts are gaining traction among investors. Why the Number Zero Brokerage Accounts is Rising A zero brokerage trading account is designed specifically to eliminate the commission fees for equity delivery trading. This helps investors to buy and hold stocks without paying any extra amount to the broker. This method has become beneficial to small investors, first-time traders, and millennials who are cost-conscious and digitally savvy. In India, there are many platforms that support zero brokerage charges. These platforms have combined zero brokerage with simple, mobile-friendly interfaces. They have made investing more accessible and less complicated. Investors can now easily open their accounts digitally, view clear pricing, and place trades without worrying about hidden fees on their returns. The Role of Transparency in Investor Decision-Making The main reason why investors are choosing zero brokerage accounts is transparency. Previously, most investors were always confused about the precise cost of their transactions, where the brokerage fees, statutory charges and taxes were all included in a package in a manner that was not easy to understand. Platforms now are focusing on transparent cost breakdowns, displaying precisely the fees charged and how much of the investment is actually being invested in the market. This clarity encourages more informed decision-making. Investors can compare brokers, plan trades strategically, and avoid overpaying. Transparent costs also reduce the likelihood of impulsive trading since investors know the precise financial impact of every transaction. Pressure on Traditional Brokers There are many full-service brokers who have traditionally depended on brokerage fees as a major revenue source. The rise of zero brokerage accounts has disrupted this model, compelling these institutions to reevaluate their pricing and services. Many have responded by offering hybrid models, where basic trades are low-cost or free, while advanced services, such as personalised advisory, research reports, or wealth management, are available for a fee. This allows them to retain clients while remaining competitive in a market increasingly dominated by discount brokers. Sustainability Challenges for Zero Brokerage Investors benefit from having no broker fees, but for brokers, maintaining these types of business models is often a struggle. Brokers typically earn their income through other means like selling derivatives, intraday charges, providing margin financing, or selling research subscription services. There are many reasons why profit margins can be affected. Changes in government regulations, changes in the economy (market) and/or large reductions in volume (the total number of shares that are traded on each day) can all affect profitability. Despite these challenges, brokers are exploring ways to balance affordable trading with business sustainability, such as by offering different service levels or integrating wealth management products. Benefits for Investors and Market Participation The move to zero brokerage and transparent prices has expanded the reach of the market. The smaller town investors, youngsters, and first-time traders are now able to engage in equity markets without the fear of high charges. This shift has led to a rise in the number of people choosing to open Demat account, resulting in stronger overall retail participation. In addition, transparency promotes improved investment practices. Investors know the true value of what they are paying and make investments based on what they are actually investing in instead of the costs that remain hidden. This assists in building a culture of long-term and disciplined investing as opposed to speculative investing. The Future of Transparent Investing Zero brokerage trading accounts are not a niche offering anymore because they are establishing a new benchmark on cost transparency in financial markets. Investors have become very demanding in terms of clarity in pricing, low costs, and easy-to-access platforms, and it is upon the brokers to fulfil the demands to stay at par with the times. The industry is also progressing to a stage where transparency and efficiency are considered as significant as execution and advice. The brokers who adapt to this change and provide quality and affordable services will be in a position to develop, and those models relying on commissions or high fees may get left out. Conclusion The shift towards a zero brokerage trading account reflects a broader shift towards not only transparency but also fairness in the Indian stock market. Removing hidden charges and providing clarity in costs can help these accounts make investments simple, affordable, and easy to understand. With this transparency, investors can easily plan their trades, compare platforms, and focus on long-term wealth creation. This shift is also encouraging firms to transform their brokerage industry by adopting hybrid models and delivering accurate value beyond commissions. The rise of transparent, low-cost platforms like BlinkX is strengthening investor trust and participation, reinforcing their growing role in modern investing and trading decisions. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) NewsVoir Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 10: India's first AI-augmented multidisciplinary university, Chandigarh University Uttar Pradesh, in collaboration with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, hosted the first of its kind AI Convergence Summit 2026. The AI Convergence Summit 2026 is one of the official pre-runup event and part of Union Government's upcoming India AI Impact Global Summit 2026 that is being held in New Delhi from 19th to 20th February. The AI Convergence Summit 2026 hosted by Chandigarh University Uttar Pradesh has brought together AI & Tech-Experts from 5 countries including Government policymakers, global industry leaders, researchers, start-ups, venture capitalists, investors, and academicians on one platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges for India & its citizens in emerging fields like Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing. As a part of AI Convergence Summit 2026, Chandigarh University Uttar Pradesh is also hosting India's First AI Healthcare Hackathon as the state of Uttar Pradesh has been assigned the national theme of 'Health & AI' by Union Government. The AI Convergence Summit 20026 saw participation of more than 70+ AI experts, Researchers, Healthcare experts, startup leaders, CEOs, Founders, Academicians, government agency experts and innovators from countries of USA, Denmark, Germany, India and UK. 1500 teams comprising of 5000 YOUTH Participants from all over India are participating in the AI Healthcare hackathon which saw tech-oriented AI Solutions being worked upon by young technocrats and engineers. There are more than 100+ problem statements in the field of healthcare being provided by Government Agencies and Industry for which AI Augmented results are being discussed and formulated during the AI Healthcare Hackathon. While giving details about the AI Convergence Summit 2026, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Member Parliament and Chancellor Chandigarh University Uttar Pradesh said, "The Summit is being hosted to provide a platform to Young Innovators to meet Global AI Industry Experts who would apprise them about the technology advancements and applications of AI and Quantum Computing. In addition, the AI Convergence Summit also helps common man to understand the Government Policies and Initiatives that being taken with the help of AI to maximize the benefits of the welfare schemes." He further added that, "The summit is aimed to bridge India's AI policy framework with real-world deployment, fostering collaboration across government, academia, industry, and the start-up ecosystem." The summit featured participation and collaboration from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India; Government of Uttar Pradesh; MeitY Startup Hub; IndiaAI; and Digital India, reflecting strong institutional and policy backing. Prominent speakers included (Chief Guest) Nivedan Rathi, Founder, Future and AI; Prasad Menon, CEO, President, CIBA, ISBA; Dr. Pannirselvam Madanagopal, Chief Executive Officer, MeitY Startup Hub, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; Teja Chintalapati, Principal Manager, Cyber Innovation, Data Security Council of India (DSCI); JBV Reddy, Mission Director, National Quantum Mission, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India; Himanshu Joshi, Director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog; and Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, among others. A key highlight of the summit was the Strategic Policy Dialogue on Shaping India's AI and Quantum Future: From Policy to Platforms, which examined the operationalization of India's AI and Quantum strategies across governance, defense, industry, start-ups, and international cooperation. The dialogue positioned Uttar Pradesh as a critical execution partner in India's AI and Quantum journey ahead of the India AI Impact Global Summit 2026. MP and Chancellor Chandigarh University Satnam Singh Sandhu along with Global AI Experts launched Chandigarh University's "Quantum for Bharat" a National Initiative aimed to build capacity in terms of Building Quantum Computing Infrastructure, providing training & upskilling programs to build next-gen talent pool in the field of AI & Quantum Computing and also opening gateway for young innovators to foster research and entrepreneurship in the emerging fields of AI. Jai Inder Singh Sandhu, Managing Director Chandigarh University Uttar Pradesh said, "Through Quantum for Bharat Mission, Chandigarh University aims to make India a Global hub for Quantum Computing by nurturing talent right from school level to university level. In addition, it will also foster the spirit of start-ups and research amongst the Indian youth in the emerging fields of AI and Quantum Computing." Chandigarh University Uttar Pradesh also launched its "AI for ALL" mission which is a national initiative to take forward PM Narendra Modi's vision to increase AI Literacy amongst the citizens of the nation across all the fields. The AI for All mission of Chandigarh University will also work upon the propagation of specialized training programs and workshops across India so that youth of the nation could be embarked with the skills of tomorrow that can enhance their employability. The summit also witnessed a series of panel discussions on topics including Operationalizing the Vision: Uttar Pradesh as India's AI and Quantum Powerhouse; Industry Leadership in Responsible and Inclusive AI; Women's Leadership in AI; AI-Augmented Healthcare; From Lab to Launch: Building AI-First Deep-Tech Start-ups; and Funding Pathways for AI Innovation. Envisioned to foster a culture of sustainability and empower future global leaders, Chandigarh University, Uttar Pradesh, immerses 21st-century learners in a personalised and experiential learning experience, integrating an AI-powered academic model and a multidimensional, futuristic perspective on education. Our Uttar Pradesh campus carries forward the venerable legacy of more than a decade of Chandigarh University, Punjab, which has established itself as India's No. 1 Private University and a torchbearer of groundbreaking pedagogy and research-driven innovation. The AI-augmented new campus offers a broad spectrum of industry-driven futuristic academic programs encompassing data-driven insights, virtual reality experiences, real-world simulations, corporate mentorship, international perspective, interdisciplinary research, cultivation of entrepreneurial spirit, and professional competencies. For more information, please visit: www.culko.in. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) For many Hindi film lovers, Sharmila Tagore will forever be the woman in 'Kashmir Ki Kali,' 'Aradhana,' and 'Amar Prem': graceful, romantic, and effortlessly luminous. However, long before the actress became a mainstream star, Tagore's journey into cinema began in a far more intimate space. It all started in Bengali cinema, under the watchful eye of one of India's greatest filmmakers, Satyajit Ray, when she was barely in her teens. Tagore was just 14 when Ray cast her in 'Apur Sansar' (1959), the final film in his acclaimed Apu Trilogy. At that age, she had no formal "exposure" to films, no understanding of the mechanics of acting, and little sense of the cinematic legacy she was stepping into. Looking back now, the actress recalls that the experience felt less intimidating than one might imagine, thanks largely to Ray's gentle approach. Speaking to ANI, the veteran actor recalled her very first shot on set, a moment she says she still remembers clearly. "Oh my God, that's going to take a long time. But it was wonderful. And I still remember it. So my first shot was entering the house and looking around. And of course, one doesn't forget one's first shot..." She credits the first Indian Oscar-winning director, whom she affectionately refers to as "Manik da," for creating an environment where even a newcomer felt at ease. According to her, he never made actors feel that a scene was "difficult." For a young girl stepping onto a film set for the first time, that reassurance made all the difference. "It was all kind of new for me to discover. So it was lovely, it was very stress-free. And that is the beauty of Manik da. Because he never made his actors feel that the scene was difficult. So it was my first day, I was very new, and I had no exposure to films. He just made it all very easy for me," she told ANI. Over the years, Tagore and Ray went on to collaborate on five films to form one of Indian cinema's most celebrated actor-director partnerships. Beyond 'Apur Sansar,' their work together included 'Devi,' 'Nayak,' 'Aranyer Din Ratri,' and 'Seemabaddha.' That legacy was revisited recently in Delhi, where Ray's 'Aranyer Din Ratri' (Days and Nights in the Forest, 1970) was screened in a restored 4K version. The film, which explored urban alienation and social tensions, remains one of Ray's most layered works, and one that holds vivid memories for Tagore. Recalling the shoot, she spoke about the physical demands of filming in Jharkhand. The cast had to travel via Ranchi before driving to the location, which Ray had chosen deliberately for its seasonal look. She remembered the "heat," the sparse trees without leaves, and the "absence of electricity," all elements Ray wanted to capture visually. While she had access to a generator and a cooler, she added how the rest of the cast endured the discomfort together but chose to laugh instead of complain. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJtsUsMh7CA/?igsh=MWd1b2Y1azQ2d3RzZQ== "Yes, in Jharkhand. We had to get off at Ranchi and then drive. It was beautiful, I mean, he wanted that particular location and that time of the year. So it was very hot, and the trees were all sparse. There were no leaves, and he wanted that kind of look. We didn't have electricity, but I was given a generator with a cooler. The boys were all very uncomfortable, but we just laughed about it. In the evenings, it was very pleasant," she said. Each film Tagore did with Ray had its own speciality, and even today, these masterpieces hold a special place in fans' hearts. All five films revealed a different side of her restrained, introspective, and modern qualities, which often stood apart from the more glamorous roles she later played in Hindi cinema. (ANI) The release day appeared to have turned into a memorable occasion for many as celebrations erupted outside cinema halls. Adding to the joyous moment, Sivakarthikeyan arrived at a Chennai theatre on the morning of his film's release, leaving the crowd highly excited. In visuals from the site, the actor could be seen being greeted by cheering fans, loud whistles, and flower garlands as he met moviegoers and celebrated the release. Sivakarthikeyan's presence sparked immense enthusiasm, with fans calling out to him and expressing their love. The actor briefly interacted with the fans and thanked them for their support. Meanwhile, cinema halls across the state also witnessed a festive atmosphere. Posters of Sivakarthikeyan were adorned with garlands, drums were played, and fans danced their hearts out as they expressed the strong connection they share with the actor and his films. Over the past few days, Sivakarthikeyan's 'Parasakthi' faced delays due to censor issues. On Friday, the makers confirmed the CBFC clearance on social media and wrote, "A fire that speaks to all ages #Parasakthi censored with a U/A - striking theatres worldwide from Tomorrow." https://x.com/DawnPicturesOff/status/2009519640419140003 Written and directed by Sudha Kongara, the film stars Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa and Sreeleela in the lead roles. The film's trailer was unveiled recently, offering a glimpse into a politically charged story centred on Tamil Nadu's resistance to Hindi imposition. The three-minute and sixteen-second trailer opens with Sivakarthikeyan's face-off with Ravi Mohan on the rooftop of the train. In the film, Sivakarthikeyan portrayed a grounded character as a coal tosser at the Indian Railways. https://www.instagram.com/p/DTGF6-BAf2v/ The trailer highlights the raging protests against the Central Government for the Hindi imposition in Tamil Nadu. Atharvaa Murali plays the younger brother of Sivakarthikeyan's character, whose decision to join the agitation initially creates tension within the family. Sivakarthikeyan delivers a strong performance, with impactful dialogue and playful chemistry with Sreeleela. (ANI) Veteran actor-politician Kamal Haasan has issued a strong statement amid the ongoing controversies surrounding the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), raising broader concerns about the freedom of expression and the censoring process in the film industry. While refraining from mentioning any institution or any specific film, Haasan, in his statement, noted, "India's Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, guided by reason, never diminished by opacity. This moment is larger than any one film; it reflects the space we accord art and artists in a constitutional democracy. Cinema is not the labour of an individual alone but the collective effort of an ecosystem of writers, technicians, performers, exhibitors, and small businesses whose livelihoods depend on a fair and timely process." https://x.com/ikamalhaasan/status/2009897879532634495 Emphasising the need for clarity, the actor underscored how such censorship processes could stifle creativity and disrupt livelihoods across the film ecosystem. "When clarity is absent, creativity is constrained, economic activity is disrupted, and public trust is weakened. Tamil Nadu and India's cinema lovers bring passion, discernment, and maturity to the arts; they deserve openness and respect. What is required now is a principled relook at the certification processes with defined timelines for certification, transparent evaluation, and written, reasoned justification for every suggested cut or edit," he said. Haasan called for the film industry to "unite and engage in meaningful, constructive dialogue" and added, "Such reform will safeguard creative freedom, uphold constitutional values, and strengthen India's democratic institutions by affirming trust in its artists and its people." Kamal Haasan's reaction came in the wake of Thalapathy Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' row. On Friday, the Madras High Court directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a U/A 16+ certification for the film, days after the makers postponed its theatrical release. "The matter was postponed, and today the order was pronounced. The writ petition has been allowed by the MHC. If the movie is not screened on time, it will be a huge loss for people, so reimbursement is being given. The lawyers informed that 27 scenes have been cut. If CBFC goes for an appeal, we will face them in court," Indra Dhanraj, joint coordinator for the state legal wing, TVK, told the media. 'Jana Nayagan' producer Venkat Narayana, in a video message, stated that the matter remains "subjudiced." He revealed that the film was initially cleared after the makers incorporated a few cuts as suggested by the board. https://x.com/KvnProductions/status/2009674892657184828 "Just a few days before our planned release, we were informed that the film had been referred to the revising committee based on a complaint. With the time running out and without knowing the complainant, we approached the High Court. After hearing the matter, the court directed that the certificate be issued, but CBFC challenged the decision immediately. The order to issue the certification has been stayed." Directed by H. Vinoth and produced by Venkat K. Narayana under KVN Productions, 'Jana Nayagan' is dubbed as Thalapathy Vijay's last film. (ANI) Actor Vidyut Jammwal, known for his strong bond with nature and fitness, once again demonstrated his commitment to fitness and his love of pushing his limits. On Saturday, the actor posted on Instagram, sharing moments from his time in nature as he followed his annual yogic routine, giving fans a glimpse into a side of his life away from film sets. Vidyut posted a video of himself climbing a tree without clothes. This immediately caught attention on social media, and soon the clip went viral. The video also shows him sitting calmly in deep snow, offering prayers, and walking carefully on a thin rope across open plateaus. Alongside the video, the 'Commando' actor also added a caption explaining the meaning of this ritual. In the note, he explained that, as a Kalaripayattu practitioner, he follows the yogic practice of "Sahaja," which he described as a return to natural ease and instinct. He shared that the practice helps him connect more deeply with nature and his inner self. "As a Kalaripayattu practitioner, I delve into the yogic practice of Sahaja once a year. Sahaja means returning to a state of natural ease and instinct, fostering a deeper connection to nature and inner awareness. Scientifically, it activates numerous neuroreceptors and proprioceptors, enhancing sensory feedback and improving balance and coordination. This leads to greater body awareness, heightened mental focus, and a profound sense of grounding," read his Instagram post. https://www.instagram.com/p/DTUhhL8DHwt/ Soon after the post was shared, fans chimed in on the comment section to share their reactions. Many praised his strength and discipline, while some compared him to a "real-life Tarzan." One even called him the "strongest man on Earth." This is not the first time Vidyut has followed this ritual. In December 2023, he shared pictures from the Himalayan ranges, where he spent time in nature. For the actor, these mountain visits are part of a regular retreat he follows. On the work front, Vidyut Jammwal is set to appear in Legendary's live-action film based on the popular video game series Street Fighter. The actor will play Dhalsim, a yogi with fire-spitting abilities, a fundamentally peaceful man who fights to support his family. (ANI) Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on Friday underlined the role of language in nation-building, saying that Hindi serves as a unifying thread in India's diverse linguistic landscape. Attending World Hindi Diwas organised at the CB Muthamma Hall in Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, Singh said, "Language plays an important role in nation building, and hindi is our common language. There are many languages in the country, and Hindi is one that unites us all. It won't be exaggerated to say that language keeps the culture alive." Norwegian Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener extended her greetings on the occassion, underlining how Hindi plays an important role in connecting people across cultures. "My greeting for all on Hindi Diwas. Hindi is a language that connects people, cultures and different parts of the world," she said to the reporters. Echoing similar sentiments, Slovak Ambassador to India Robert Maxian conveyed his wishes through a post on X. "Dear Citizens of India, heartfelt wishes for the New Year and warm greetings on #WorldHindiDay. Indo-Slovak relations continue to grow through strong political ties, rising trade & investments and cultural exchanges. May 2026 bring prosperity to all," the post read. https://x.com/RobertMaxian/status/2009514313325912492 Every year on January 10, World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, is commemorated. Vishwa Hindi Diwas was formed to mark the day when Hindi was first spoken in the UNGA in 1949. With about 600 million speakers globally, Hindi is the third most widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and English. In 1950, Hindi was made the official language of the Union of India. The official language of India is designated as Hindi in the Devanagari script in Article 343 of the Indian Constitution. Rashtra Bhasha Prachar Samiti, Wardha, had the idea for the inaugural World Hindi Conference in 1973. On January 10, 1975, Nagpur hosted the event. Its goal was to spread the language throughout the world. A total of 122 representatives from 30 nations attended the conference. The very first World Hindi Day was celebrated on January 10, 2006. Dr Manmohan Singh, a former prime minister, adopted it. Numerous activities are planned on this day all around the world to honour the language's rich legacy and to promote it. These are frequently hosted by educational institutions and take the form of literary contests, public forums, and cultural events. (ANI) Travancore Devaswom Board President K Jayakumar has declined to comment on the questioning of former chief priest Kandararu Rajeevaru by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, saying he did not want to create any controversy. Speaking to the media on Friday, Jayakumar said, "I have nothing to say. I am not supposed to say. I won't say anything. One should speak only on matters they deserve to speak. I don't want to say anything and create controversy." Meanwhile, the Crime Branch arrested Thantri Kandharar Rajeevar, the chief priest (Tantri) of Sabarimala and the 13th accused, in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case. He was questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Kerala police said. The arrest was made after multiple charges, including criminal breach of trust, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act were levelled against him. According to the arrest notice issued under Section 48 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the case pertains to alleged irregularities in the removal and handling of gold-plated copper panels and ornamental structures fixed on the sanctum sanctorum door of the Sabarimala temple. The controversy centres on alleged irregularities in the gold plating work carried out at the Sabarimala temple. The issue stems from a 1998 donation of 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper by industrialist Vijay Mallya, intended for the cladding of the sanctum sanctorum and the wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. On Monday, the Kerala High Court expressed satisfaction over the progress of the investigation and granted the SIT an additional six weeks to complete the probe. A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar was hearing a suo motu writ petition related to the alleged removal and misappropriation of gold from the gold-clad Dwarapalakas and other structures of the Sabarimala Sreekovil. (ANI) Madras High Court Justice G R Swaminathan has expressed strong displeasure over the failure of Madurai district authorities to file their response in a contempt of court case concerning the non-lighting of the ceremonial lamp on the Deepa Thoon at the summit of the Thiruparankundram hill. The court adjourned the matter to February 2.The contempt petition was filed against government officials for allegedly failing to comply with an earlier order passed by Justice Swaminathan, directing that the ceremonial lamp be lit on the Deepa Thoon (lamp pillar) located atop the Thiruparankundram hill. The petition came up for hearing on Friday, during which the Madurai City Police Commissioner, the Madurai District Collector and several other officials appeared before the High Court. During the hearing, Justice Swaminathan also questioned the temple administration on why no criminal trespass case had been registered against the concerned dargah for allegedly tying a flag on temple property. "That is temple property. How did you permit the tying of the flag by the dargah?" the judge asked, seeking an explanation from the authorities. The contempt petition was filed against government officials for allegedly failing to comply with an earlier order passed by Justice Swaminathan, directing that the ceremonial lamp be lit on the Deepa Thoon (lamp pillar) located atop the Thiruparankundram hill. The petition came up for hearing on Friday, during which the Madurai City Police Commissioner, the Madurai District Collector and several other officials appeared before the High Court. The case relates to the long-standing dispute over the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam lamp at the hilltop temple. Earlier this week, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court upheld Justice Swaminathan's order permitting the lighting of lamps on the "Deepa Thoon" at the Tirupparankundram temple. The Division Bench, comprising Justices G. Jayachandran and K.K. Ramakrishnan, observed that the district administration should have treated the issue as an opportunity to bridge differences between communities through mediation. The Bench further held that since the hill is a protected site, all activities must strictly adhere to the provisions of the relevant Act. It clarified that the ceremonial lamp may be lit, with the number of persons allowed to participate being fixed in consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Petitioner Rajesh welcomed the ruling, calling it a remarkable order, and said the temple administration should make necessary arrangements to ensure that the lamp is lit on the Deepa Thoon. He added that the court rejected the arguments advanced by the Tamil Nadu government on the matter. The issue has also triggered political reactions. During the Winter Session of Parliament, over 100 INDIA bloc MPs submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an impeachment motion against Justice Swaminathan over the order. In December, tensions had flared during the Karthigai Deepam festival, with clashes reported between right-wing activists and police. In the first week of December 2025, the Madurai Bench had directed that the petitioner and ten others be allowed to light the lamp atop the hill, with CISF providing security, after observing that its earlier directions had been wilfully disobeyed. (ANI) In a post on X, Sharma said, "The valiant land of Rajasthan, enriched with a glorious cultural heritage, extended a warm welcome and heartfelt felicitation to Amit Shah, Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, upon his arrival, by presenting a bouquet of flowers at Jodhpur Airport." Shah was received at the Jodhpur airport early Saturday morning, marking the start of his two-day visit to Rajasthan. As part of his schedule, Shah will attend a key programme at the Rajasthan Police Academy in Jaipur. Ahead of the visit, Chief Minister Sharma personally reviewed the programme venue and security arrangements at the academy. Director General of Police Rajeev Sharma was also present during the inspection. https://x.com/bhajanlalbjp/status/2009710775884284021 Addressing a press conference, the DGP said a state-level police conference was organised at the academy on January 8 and 9, with the participation of senior police officers from across the state. He noted that detailed discussions were held on the role of police in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Vision 2047 for a developed India, with emphasis on making policing more modern, accountable and people-centric. During his Jaipur visit, Amit Shah will distribute appointment letters to 10,000 newly recruited police constables. Toppers of the recruitment process will receive their letters directly from the Union Home Minister, while senior officers will hand over the rest. The DGP also announced that, on the Chief Minister's directions, students will visit police stations on January 12 to mark Youth Day, aiming to familiarise them with police functioning and legal procedures. https://x.com/BhajanlalBjp/status/2009704991230177316 Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed deep condolences over a tragic road accident in Jaipur's Journalist Colony. "The road accident that occurred in Jaipur's Journalist Colony is extremely tragic and heart-rending. Instructions have been given for the appropriate and prompt treatment of all the injured. May Lord Shri Ram grant peace to the departed soul and bestow swift recovery upon the injured," he said. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Somnath in Gujarat on 10-11 January 2026 and will participate in Somnath Swabhiman Parv. At around 8 PM on 10 January, PM Modi will participate in Omkar Mantra chanting, and thereafter he will view the Drone show at Somnath temple, the release said. According to the Prime Minister's Office, on 11 January, at around 9:45 AM, the Prime Minister will participate in the Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession organised to honour the countless warriors who laid down their lives defending the Somnath Temple. The Shaurya Yatra will feature a symbolic procession of 108 horses, reflecting valour and sacrifice. Thereafter, at around 10:15 AM Prime Minister will perform Darshan and Pooja at the Somnath Temple. At around 11 AM, the Prime Minister will participate in and address a public function in Somnath. The Somnath Swabhiman Parv, held from 8 to 11 January 2026, is being organised in Somnath. It is being held to remember the countless citizens of India whose sacrifice to defend the Temple continues to inspire the cultural consciousness of future generations. The programme marks the 1,000th anniversary of Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion of the Somnath Temple in 1026. Despite repeated attempts to destroy it over centuries, the Somnath Temple stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith, and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory. The release stated that, after independence, Sardar Patel led the effort to restore the Temple. One of the most important milestones in this journey of revival was achieved in 1951, when the restored Somnath Temple was formally opened to devotees in the presence of the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The 75th anniversary of this historic restoration in 2026 adds special significance to the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. The celebrations will witness the participation of hundreds of saints from across the country, along with 72 hours of continuous chanting of 'Om' within the temple premises. Prime Minister's participation in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv underscores the enduring spirit of India's civilisation and reaffirms his commitment to preserve and celebrating India's rich cultural and spiritual heritage. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed his eagerness to interact with young leaders from across the country during the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders' Dialogue 2.0, scheduled from January 10 to 12 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The first edition of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue was held in January 2025 at the same venue. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2009816021709037578?s=20 In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Our youth power, filled with amazing enthusiasm and unparalleled zeal, is committed to a strong and prosperous nation. I am extremely eager to engage in dialogue with my young counterparts from across the country in the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders' Dialogue. I look forward to meeting all of you in this program on January 12." In his monthly edition of the Mann Ki Baat radio program last month, the Prime Minister said he is "looking forward" to the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD), to be organised on January 12. PM Modi also confirmed his participation in the event. "Many young people ask me how they can give a presentation of their ideas to me? The solution to this curiosity of young minds is the 'Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue'... On the 12th of next month, 'National Youth Day' will be celebrated on the occassion of Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary. The 'Young Leaders' Dialogue' will also be organised on that day, and I will definitely participate in it as well... I am looking forward to this event," PM Modi said. Prime Minister Modi will visit Somnath in Gujarat on 10-11 January 2026 to participate in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. Today, at around 8 PM, the Prime Minister will participate in Omkar Mantra chanting, and thereafter he will view the Drone show at Somnath temple. On 11 January, at around 9:45 AM, the Prime Minister will participate in the Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession organised to honour the countless warriors who laid down their lives defending the Somnath Temple. (ANI) Principal Media Advisor to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, Naresh Chauhan, said that the state government has always been in favour of the Panchayat elections and the opposition's claims are nothing more than "false propaganda." Speaking with ANI after the Himachal Pradesh High Court's direction to conduct Panchayati Raj elections before April 30, Naresh Chauhan said, "Just like the CM said, we will review the order, and take a further decision. The state government has always been in favour of the elections, and delimitation of wards is going on as of now... What were the remarks of the High Court on this? That was also the High Court's order. The Disaster Act is already in force. The government will look into whether elections clash with students' exams, and then we will request 10-15 days." "This is false propaganda that the government does not want an election. The opposition does not have any other issues to speak about," Naresh Chauhan added. Petitioner's Advocate Nand Lal Thakur flagged the completion of the tenure of Panchayati Raj institutions and said that the process should've been initiated in November. "Four municipal corporations completed their tenure in mid-January 2026, five municipal panchayats also completed their tenure, and the tenure of Panchayati Raj institutions ended on January 31, 2026. Therefore, the election process should have been initiated in November itself," Nand Lal Thakur said. Speaking about the government's reasoning of the delimitation process, he said, "If delimitation were to be undertaken, public opinion and objections should have been invited, and the process completed by July 2025. Copies of the relevant communications were also sent to the State Election Commission, which had expressed its disagreement with the government's decision." Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the State Election Commission to ensure that elections to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) are conducted at the earliest and, in any case, before April 30, holding that elected local bodies cannot be allowed to continue beyond their five-year constitutional term on the pretext of administrative delays or disaster-related orders. A division bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Romesh Verma passed the order while deciding a public interest litigation filed by Dikken Kumar Thakur and another petitioner, who sought directions to the state and the State Election Commission to hold Panchayat elections before the expiry of the present term on January 31, as mandated under Article 243-E of the Constitution. The High Court held that while the Disaster Management Act is a special statute meant to deal with emergencies, it cannot override constitutional provisions or the authority of a constitutional body like the State Election Commission. The state government had also cited pending delimitation, court cases relating to the reorganisation of local bodies, and amendments to election rules as reasons for the delay. However, the bench held that delimitation is a continuous exercise and cannot be used as a ground to defer elections that are constitutionally due. The Court relied on several Supreme Court judgments, including Kishansing Tomar v. Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad, Suresh Mahajan v. State of Madhya Pradesh and Rahul Ramesh Wagh v. State of Maharashtra, to reiterate that elections to local bodies must be completed before the expiry of their term and that administrative or legislative delays cannot defeat this mandate. (ANI) He was accompanied by Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva. Nabin is also scheduled to travel to Tamil Nadu to meet local party workers. In a recent post on X, he criticised the state government, alleging that its governance failures have adversely affected various segments of Tamil Nadu. "Tomorrow, January 10th, I will be in Coimbatore for a series of meetings with our committed BJP karyakartas. DMK-INC's corruption and governance failures have impacted every segment of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is ready to move on from this oppressive regime and embrace real change," the 'X' post said. In addition to visiting Tamil Nadu, Nitin Nabin is expected to visit West Bengal soon, ahead of the state's upcoming elections. Senior leaders and Union ministers have begun public outreach initiatives and indoor meetings across the state. So far, the BJP has held over 1,500 street sabhas in West Bengal to engage with citizens and disseminate its message. The party is targeting all of the state's 80,000 booths as part of its election strategy. In 2026, states going to the polls include West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. While some parties face the challenge of retaining power, others are aiming to make history for the first time. West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala are states where the BJP has not yet won Assembly elections. The party has expressed confidence in winning this time. Meanwhile, the BJP is seeking a third consecutive term in Assam and a second term in Puducherry. (ANI) Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday strongly criticised the VB-G-RAM-G Bill, stating that it was against Article 21 of the Constitution and infringed upon the fundamental right to livelihood. Speaking to the media here, Kharge said, "This bill is against Article 21 of the Constitution. The right to work is being snatched away. The right to livelihood is being ended. It also destroys the federal structure, where consultation is important. They (the central government) should go among the public and tell them why they are ending MGNREGA. How can it be a progressive bill if they are snatching power from panchayats?" The minister alleged that the proposed legislation also weakened the country's federal structure by bypassing the spirit of consultation between the Centre and the states. He said consultation was a cornerstone of federalism and could not be ignored. He asserted that the state government would continue to oppose any move that diluted constitutional rights, weakened federalism, or undermined the role of panchayats in rural development. Earlier, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday announced that the state will hold a two-day special assembly session to discuss issues related to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The Karnataka government plans to hold a two-day special assembly session to discuss concerns over the impact on rural workers after the Centre replaced the MGNREGA scheme with the new VB G RAM G act. Speaking to the reporters, Shivakumar said, "We have decided to hold a two-day special session on the MGNREGA issue. We will discuss it extensively. The BJP is going to campaign. What are their programs? Let them tell us. We will also inform the people about what will happen with this program."Shivakumar challenged Union Minister Pralhad Joshi to a debate on the differences between MGNREGA and the new VB-GRAM G Bill. "Tell him to come for a debate to discuss what the difference is between MGNREGA and the new MGNREGA (VB-GRAM G Bill). Let's fix a date. We should also create awareness among the people. Tell his party's president, the opposition leader, or the central government leaders to come. Tell him to have a debate on a TV channel. If there is Rs 11 lakh crores worth of corruption (at the time of the UPA time, as alleged by Prahlad Joshi), tell the CBI to take it," he said. In December 2025, Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM-G Bill) during the Winter Session. The government has proposed Rs 1,51,282 crore to be allocated for the scheme, meant to facilitate employment opportunities and comprehensive development of villages. The Bill guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work. As per Section 22 of the Bill, the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir), it will be 90:10.Section 6 of the Bill allows the state governments to notify in advance, a period aggregating to sixty days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government will release full details of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe against Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and others within the month of January. He said the findings would be "damning". The Chief Minister also reiterated his allegations against Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi's links to Pakistan, adding that further investigations by Central agencies would reveal more facts. Addressing a press conference on Friday, CM Sarma said, "We will reveal all details of the SIT investigation against Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and others in January itself. The revelations will be damning, and further investigation by Central agencies will bring out the full picture of the heinous acts." Sarma alleged Pakistani links of Gogoi through his British wife. He reiterated the charges and claimed that the Congress leader was a "Pakistani agent", planted by "foreign power", and that he had evidence to prove it. "Gaurav Gogoi is a Pakistani agent. He is a pure Pakistani agent. If he has the courage, lodge a defamation case against me. What I have is the evidence, he is a 100 per cent Pakistani agent. He has been planted by a foreign power in our country. He is a planted person. I am saying this with facts. As a Chief Minister, I am saying that he is a pure Pakistani agent. After giving justice to Zubeen Garg, I will prove it," Sarma told reporters. In October last year, Sarma said the SIT report was informally discussed at a state cabinet meeting held at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati. He said the SIT report probing the alleged link between Gaurav Gogoi and Pakistan was "very damaging and damning." In May 2025, CM Sarma described Gogoi as a "deep-rooted Pakistani agent." The Assam Chief Minister claimed that Gogoi had only revealed 10 per cent about his visit to Pakistan and that he and his wife are deeply involved in anti-India activities. In February, the Assam Chief Minister said that Ali Tauqeer Sheikh had visited India at least 18 times. (ANI) Senior Karnataka Congress leader K N Rajanna on Saturday said that any possible changes in the state government or within the party would be decided solely by the Congress high command. Speaking in Bengaluru with ANI, "If at all any changes are expected in the government and the party in Karnataka, then the party high command will decide it." Whether or not I am in the Cabinet, I will always be a party worker. There is no power tussel (in Congress), unlike in the BJP." His remarks come amid ongoing political discussions over possible reshuffles in the Karnataka government, with Congress leaders reiterating unity and discipline within the party ranks. Earlier, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said on Thursday that any decision on the state's Chief Ministership rests solely with the Congress high command, even as speculation and internal party dynamics continue to fuel debate over a possible leadership change. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Parameshwara clarified that he has neither formed any group nor issued instructions to supporters demanding that he be made the next Chief Minister. "There is no 'my team'. Some people, friends or well-wishers, may express their views on their own. Even when I visit districts, some people say such things. It is their interest, but ultimately, the high command will make a decision," he said. The Home Minister's remarks come amid an alleged ongoing power tussle within the Karnataka Congress, with the Chief Ministership emerging as a contentious issue after the government reached its halfway mark. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Home Minister G Parameshwara are seen as key figures in the unfolding political churn. Earlier, Karnataka Minister MB Patil on Thursday addressed the ongoing discussion about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's tenure and stated that the party's high command can decide the future of the state's leadership. Minister MB Patil responded to the issue of full-time CM Siddaramaiah and said, "In our party, the high command is the supreme. Whatever the high command says is final, and that what I said is of no value, even Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, and all told it." Responding to DK Shivakumar's statement that "power is not permanent, he added, "Today this is here, and tomorrow it will be gone. Power is not permanent, man, life is not permanent". Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed confidence in the Congress high command amid speculation about a change in the state's Chief Minister, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. "I have complete faith in the high command. I am confident I will complete my full term as Chief Minister. Whatever happens, the high command will decide everything. The high command's decision is final. I once thought it would be enough if I became an MLA just once. But I have become an MLA, Deputy Chief Minister, and Chief Minister," he said. Furthermore, speaking about his meeting with AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, the Chief Minister said the meeting did not involve any political discussions or a Cabinet reshuffle."He was travelling to Delhi via Bengaluru through Mysuru. That's why I met him, that's all. No political discussion took place. I also did not discuss the cabinet reshuffle with him. Regarding the cabinet reshuffle, whenever the high command calls me to Delhi, I will go to Delhi," he stated. The row over the Karnataka Chief Minister's post is an ongoing power struggle within the Congress. The controversy began when the government reached its halfway mark, sparking speculation about a possible leadership change. Key players include Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Home Minister G Parameshwara, who is also a prominent Dalit leader. (ANI) Kerala BJP Chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched a sharp attack on the Congress and the CPI(M) over the Malayalam Language Bill 2025. Reacting to the bill, Chandrasekhar accused both parties of repeatedly attempting to divide people for electoral gains. He further took a direct aim at Congress leadership for talking about language, in what he termed as "ironical", when they are led by a "Italian lady" and has fielded a "non-Malayalam speaking MP from Wayanad. Speaking to ANI, the Kerala BJP chief said the CPI(M) had historically tried to divide society on class lines and was now resorting to religion and appeasement politics. He alleged that the Congress, particularly in Karnataka, was playing the "Language chauvinism card" whenever it found itself on the defensive. Launching an attack on Congress leadership, Chandrasekhar said, "It is ironical that the Congress party, on top of whom sits an Italian lady (Sonia Gandhi), who's the leader, who has brought to Kerala and put on the heads of Wayanad, a non-Malayalam speaking MP (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra), should talk about language and regional identity." He further claimed that the Congress leadership underestimates the electorate by assuming people could be mislead with what he described as "nonsensical narratives". "The entire calculation of the Congress party is that people are foolish and they can be made fools of by giving them any kind of nonsensical narrative. But those days are over now. People are asking tough questions that you have to answer clearly and precisely," he asserted. The remarks come amid escalating tensions between Kerala and Karnataka over the proposed bill. Earlier on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, expressing grave concerns over the bill. In his letter, Siddaramaiah warned that making Malayalam compulsory even in Kannada-medium schools could weaken minority-run educational institutions and burden children in border areas. Emphasising India's pluralistic ethos, the Karnataka CM noted that regions like Kasargod have historically thrived on linguistic harmony, with Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, Beary and other languages shaping everyday life and identity. While reiterating Karnataka's pride in the Kannada language, he stressed that language promotion must never become imposition. Calling for reconsideration, Siddaramaiah urged the Kerala government to engage in wider consultations with linguistic minorities, educators and neighbouring states. He maintained that Karnataka would oppose the bill, if passed, using every constitutional means to defend minority rights and uphold the plural spirit of the Constitution. (ANI) The accused were operating a large-scale SIM Box setup, exploiting telecom loopholes to commit cyber fraud targeting unsuspecting citizens nationwide, an official press release said. During the operation, investigators seized thousands of SIM cards obtained illegally. A SIM Box is a device designed to hold hundreds of SIM cards simultaneously and is used to route international calls as local calls, thereby bypassing telecom charges and regulatory norms. Police said the SIM Boxes were also used to send bulk SMS messages containing phishing links, fake loan offers and fraudulent investment schemes. By masking the origin of calls and messages, the accused made it difficult for agencies to trace the scams. Further investigation is underway. Earlier in December 2025, in a major crackdown on cyber-enabled fraud, the IFSO Unit of Delhi Police allegedly dismantled a sophisticated fake government recruitment racket that targeted hundreds of job aspirants by impersonating the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Ministry of Culture, officials said on Saturday. According to Delhi Police, the accused allegedly created a forged and deceptively authentic ASI recruitment portal and advertised non-existent government vacancies to exploit unemployed youth across the country. The case has been registered vide FIR No. 268/25 under Sections 318(4), 319(2), 336(3), 340(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at PS Special Cell. Police alleged that the accused projected vacancies for seven posts of Curator and 84 posts of Junior Assistant, and circulated links to an alleged fake recruitment website across college student groups, online forums, and messaging platforms. The fraudulent portal allegedly replicated the official ASI website, using authentic logos, colour schemes and layouts, making it nearly indistinguishable from a genuine government site. (ANI) Delhi Police have arrested three more individuals in connection with the Turkman Gate stone-pelting case, which erupted following a demolition drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) near the mosque. With this arrest, the total number of accused persons held in the case so far has risen to 16, police said on Friday. On Friday, the Delhi Police said they have arrested three more individuals, identified as Mohd. Naved, Mohd. Faiz and Mohd. Ubaidullah. On Thursday, Delhi police also confirmed that 30 individuals have been identified for their alleged involvement in the violence. The identification was made using CCTV footage and viral videos circulating on social media. Police teams have launched raids at multiple locations to take the remaining suspects into custody. A video from a police bodycam, taken before the stone-pelting, was recorded when the encroachments began to be removed. Similar videos are being viewed from police bodycams, which may have captured rioters. In a related development, the Delhi Police is set to issue a summons to Samajwadi Party MP Mohibbullah Nadvi, asking him to join the investigation. Nadvi was present at the site shortly before the violence broke out. Police said that despite repeated requests by senior officers, he remained in the vicinity at the time of the incident. The demolition drive was conducted near Turkman Gate, close to Ramlila Maidan, following directions from the Delhi High Court. Police said the operation was carried out in the early hours of January 7 after several coordination meetings with the members of the Aman Committee and local stakeholders to maintain peace. Meanwhile, the Tis Hazari court on Friday remanded eight accused to judicial custody till January 21. Accused persons were produced before the court following fresh arrests in the Turkman Gate stone-pelting case. Delhi Police sought judicial custody of all the accused persons. Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Sayesha Chaddha remanded the accused, namely Imran Farrukh, Imran Sultan, Mohd Affan, Amir Hamza, Mohd. Ubaid Ullah, Shahnawaz, Mohd. Athar, Mohd. Adil in judicial custody till January 21. (ANI) Congress MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), questioning its governance over the last 11 years and handling of various issues while expressing concern over increasing water and air pollution. He also highlighted the law and order situation in the country, saying that killings were happening "wherever you look". Sibal said that despite the "Har Ghar Nal se Jal" scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has remained silent over the past five years, asserting that "Na nal rahe na jal raha, bas desh jal raha". "Look at the condition of the water in Indore. They want to destroy the Aravalli, from where Delhi gets its clean water. They want to destroy it and promote mining. Over the past five years, we heard about 'water to every household through taps'. They ran a very big scheme. 'If there is no tap, there is no water anyway--and the country is burning'. Manipur burned. Wherever you look, killings are happening," Kapil Sibal said while addressing a press conference here. Sibal further claimed the central government plans to destroy the Aravalli range, which provides Delhi with clean water, while promoting mining. He expressed concern over rising air pollution in the national capital, saying the government has shown "zero policy" in addressing these critical issues. "The question arises as to what every human being needs. I want the air I breathe to be clean, and the water I drink to be clean as well. These are the two things a human being needs. In the 21st century, over the last 25 years, the BJP has ruled for 15 years and the UPA for 10 years--so did they think about these two things? Look at Delhi: over the past 11 years, pollution has been increasing. Their policy has been zero," Sibal said. The senior Congress leader also criticised the Centre for failing to ensure safety and harmony, noting that while the Prime Minister offers greetings at churches, Bajrang Dal members continue acts of violence. "On one side, the Prime Minister goes to churches and offers greetings, and on the other side, people from the Bajrang Dal commit violence--they are their own people. What kind of India are you building?" he asked. Sibal added that education and health are equally important, but have received little attention in the last 15 years, particularly since 2014. Taking a dig at the ruling BJP, he mentioned that at present the priority in the country was "cleanliness" of the voter list. Sibal accused the Election Commission of acting against the opposition. "So these two things are needed by everyone. Two more things are very important: education and health. No attention has been paid to these either over the last 15 years, especially the last 11 years since 2014. No new policy has been brought that has been implemented on the ground. What issues are being raised in this country now? Change votes, bring "cleanliness" into the voter list--and it seems that the Election Commission is against the opposition," Sibal said. (ANI) Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has said the state government is considering handing over the investigation into the Hubballi incident to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to ensure a thorough and impartial probe. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Parameshwara said he is in discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about transferring the case to the CID for further inquiry. "I am discussing with the CM to hand over the case to CID for further inquiry; let the truth come out..." We know what to do to bring out the truth," he said. The Home Minister's statement comes amid growing political and public attention surrounding the incident. While the case remains under investigation, the government has indicated that all necessary steps will be taken to establish the facts and ensure accountability. Parameshwara added that maintaining law and order remains the state government's priority and assured that no one would be spared if found guilty. Further decisions on the probe are expected after consultations at the highest level of the state government. Earlier, Karnataka Assembly Leader of Opposition R Ashoka condemned the alleged disrobing of a BJP woman worker in a police van in Hubballi and demanded the suspension of police officials involved in the incident. Showing mistrust of the Karnataka Police, R Ashoka also demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident."The recent Hubballi incidents, reports that a woman was assaulted inside a police van, are an affront to the women of Karnataka and demand an immediate, independent inquiry. I call for a judicial inquiry led by a sitting judge so the victims can obtain real justice. The circle inspector and any officers involved should be suspended at once; if this does not happen, I will personally visit Hubballi to press for a formal inquiry," R Ashoka said. This comes after a video surfaced on social media of an alleged assault and stripping of a BJP woman while being arrested over a dispute in a voter revision exercise in Hubballi. The police have denied the charges and said the woman, who faces multiple charges, removed the clothes herself."While she was being taken into custody by 8-10 women police officers, she undressed herself and tried to escape from police custody. Our staff only tried to get alternative clothes for her and made her wear them," Hubballi-Dharwad Commissioner of Police N Shashikumar said, rejecting allegations of police misconduct. The Police Commissioner added that the woman has nine cases registered against her, including four this year, and warned that circulating the video of the incident was an offence."The video being circulated is obscene. We will take suo motu action against those who recorded and circulated it. I have directed my DCP to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit a report to me," he said. Elaborating on the January 5 incident, CP Shashikumar said that the woman resisted arrest and assaulted police personnel."She bit one of our sub-inspectors, and three to four staff members were injured. . The information that she was misbehaved by the police is completely incorrect," he added. Earlier, Karnataka police detained 21 BJP workers, including Hubballi Mayor Jyoti Patil and Deputy Mayor Santosh Chavan, for staging a protest over the incident in front of the Keshwapur Police Station in Hubballi.Leader of Opposition in the state's Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, alleged collusion between the police and Congress leaders. "It is a woman's act against a woman. The police are colliding with the Congress leader. Particularly, the local Congress Party councillor and the police are very close associates," he said. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the police action, stating that the woman had resisted arrest. He said, "That woman bit the woman police officer after stripping herself. When the police went to arrest her, she bit them. There were 10 women police officers at that time. Don't take the law into your own hands; if you do, legal action will be taken." (ANI) Lovely Professional University (LPU) has celebrated its 12th Annual Convocation, marking a major academic milestone for over 50,000 graduating students, with Hon'ble Vice-President of India CP Radhakrishnan attending as the Chief Guest. Addressing the convocation on Friday, the Vice-President congratulated the graduating students and said that while living for oneself is not wrong, "living only for yourself is." He urged students to give back to society and uphold the values of integrity, compassion and service. Describing convocation as a moment of fulfilment and responsibility, he said the role of universities extends beyond imparting education to shaping national character. The Vice-President appreciated LPU's initiatives, such as the promotion of Made-in-India products on campus and the Jai Jawan Scholarship for families of armed forces personnel. Expressing concern over drug abuse among youth, he appealed to students to stay away from drugs and actively help prevent their peers from falling into addiction. The convocation was presided over by the Hon'ble Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, who congratulated the graduates and emphasised that education must focus on character-building, ethics and civic responsibility. He said India's vision of becoming a global leader by 2047 depends on the capability and integrity of its youth and called upon students to contribute constructively to nation-building. Adding global significance to the ceremony, LPU conferred the Degree of Doctorate Honoris Causa upon Rt Hon Mary Elizabeth Truss, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in recognition of her leadership and public service. Addressing the graduates, she described India as a key force in the emerging global order and encouraged students to take risks, innovate, learn from failures and lead with conviction. Ashok Kumar Mittal, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Founder-Chancellor of LPU, said the university is committed to nurturing leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers who can address national and global challenges. He urged students to translate their education into meaningful societal impact. The convocation honoured students from the graduating batches of 2023-24 and 2024-25 across regular, online and distance education programmes. A total of 320 students received academic medals, including 37 gold medallists, while 861 PhD scholars were awarded degrees for their research contributions. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Lovely Group Chairman Ramesh Mittal, Vice-Chairman Naresh Mittal, Pro-Chancellor Dr. Col. Rashmi Mittal, Punjab Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat and LPU Director General HR Singla. (ANI) Highlighting the inclusivity of the Indian Constitution, AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi said that one day a hijab-clad daughter will become the Prime Minister of India. Speaking at the election meeting in Solapur, Maharashtra, on Friday, Owaisi argued that such inclusivity is not offered in Pakistan's constitution, which restricts people of other religions from holding top posts. "The constitution of Pakistan clearly states that a person belonging to only one religion can become the Prime Minister of the country. Baba Sahib's constitution says that any citizen of India can become Prime Minister, CM, or mayor. It is my dream that a day will come when a hijab-clad daughter will become the Prime Minister of this country," he said. Owaisi further said that those who "spread hate against Muslims will come to an end" and when love becomes common, people will realise "how their people's mind was poisoned." "The hate that you are spreading against Muslims, this will not go on for long. Those who spread hate will come to an end. When love becomes common, then they will realise how people's mind was poisoned," he said. BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla sharply reacted to Owaisi's remarks, challenging him to make a 'Pasmanda' muslim or hijab-clad woman the president of AIMIM. "Hijabwali will become PM says Miyaan Owaisi. Miyaan Owaisi - constitution stops nobody but I challenge you to make a Pasmanda or Hijabwali as your president of AIMIM first," Poonawalla said in a post on X. Earlier, Owaisi slammed former Home Minister P Chidambaram for strengthening stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which has resulted in prolonged incarceration of undertrial prisoners, including scholars Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The Supreme Court did not grant bail to two undertrial accused, and the Supreme Court explained why it did not grant bail. During the UPA government, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act was amended, and included a definition of what constitutes terrorism." "Using this very basis of 'by any other means', which the Congress had legislated, and about which I had already said that it would be misused, today two young men, who are in jail for five and a half years, didn't get bail. The people who made the law were from the Congress, and the Home Minister was Chidambaram. Has any leader of the Congress ever been in jail for one year, two years, or five and a half years since independence?" he added. This comes as the amid intense campaigning for Mumbai's upcoming civic elections, which are scheduled to be held on January 15. The results will be announced on January 16. (ANI) Chinese FM highlights deep-rooted friendship on Africa visit Xinhua) 11:50, January 10, 2026 ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The inheritance of China-Africa friendship, the stability of China's Africa policy, and the solidarity of developing countries together are the reasons why Africa has been the destination of Chinese foreign minister's first overseas visit each year for 36 years, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while co-chairing the ninth China-African Union (AU) Strategic Dialogue with AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Wang said that this year marks the 70th anniversary of launching diplomatic relations between China and Africa, and that China-Africa friendship was forged in their arm-in-arm struggle for national independence and liberation, and has matured through their respective national development and economic construction. At the start of the new year, it is only natural for China to visit its African brothers and sisters first, just as one would pay a New Year visit to relatives, he added. The Chinese foreign minister said that China's domestic and foreign policies have remained highly stable, providing the world with much-needed certainty, and this consistency extends to China's engagement with Africa. He emphasized that no matter how international and regional circumstances change, China will always be the first to extend a helping hand when Africa needs assistance, and the first to stand by Africa when it seeks partners for cooperation. Noting that China and Africa both belong to the Global South and share similar historical experiences and common aspirations, Wang said that with the 2.8 billion people of China and Africa united in solidarity and endeavor, they can overcome any difficulty or challenge, accelerate the pace of their shared path toward modernization, and contribute to a more equitable, cooperative, harmonious and stable world. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Sheng Chuyi) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday said that the state government has recommended a CBI inquiry into the 2022 Ankita Bhandari case, keeping in mind the sentiments of her parents and the difficulties they have faced after losing their daughter. Speaking to ANI in Dehradun, CM Dhami said, "I had met the parents of Ankita Bhandari. They lost their daughters and faced many difficulties. Respecting the sentiments of her parents, we have recommended a CBI inquiry into the case." On Thursday, Chief Minister Dhami met the parents of late Ankita Bhandari and assured them of the state government's full support and commitment to ensuring justice in the case. According to the Uttarakhand Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Dhami met Ankita Bhandari's father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, and mother, Soni Devi, at the Chief Minister's residence in Dehradun. During the meeting, the bereaved parents shared their views and emotions related to the case with the Chief Minister. CM Dhami listened to them with complete sensitivity and assured them that the state government stands firmly with the affected family. The release stated that CM Dhami said that ensuring justice in this matter is the state government's highest priority. He also assured the bereaved family of all possible support and positive action on their demands. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court restrained several defendants, including the Indian National Congress (INC) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), from publishing or circulating social media content allegedly linking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam to the Ankita Bhandari murder case, after finding that a prima facie case of defamation was made out. The controversy traces back to the murder of Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old resort receptionist in Uttarakhand, whose body was recovered from a canal in September 2022. The case involved allegations that she was being pressured to provide sexual favours to guests at a resort run by Pulkit Arya, the son of a former BJP leader. A trial court subsequently convicted Arya and two others, sentencing them to life imprisonment. (ANI) Thantri Kandharar Rajeevar, the chief priest (Tantri) of Sabarimala, arrested a day earlier in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case, was shifted to the hospital on Saturday following health complications. He was lodged at the Thiruvananthapuram Special Sub Jail. Jail authorities shifted him to the Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital in a prison ambulance for medical treatment. The Sabarimala gold controversy centres on allegations of irregularities in the gold plating at the Sabarimala temple. This situation arose from a 1998 donation of 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper by industrialist Vijay Mallya, intended for the cladding of the sanctum sanctorum and the wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala. A day earlier, the Crime Branch had arrested Thantri Kandharar Rajeevar and the 13th accused in connection with the gold theft case. Investigators state that Rajeevar, a member of the Thazhamon Madam, Chengannur, and a hereditary Thantri under the Travancore Devaswom Board, was fully aware of the presence of gold plating done earlier by the Bengaluru-based UB Group. Despite holding the Thantri post during the relevant period, he allegedly failed to object or report the removal of the temple assets, which were handed over to a private individual without following prescribed rituals, customs, or obtaining divine consent. The Crime Branch further alleges that Rajeevar remained present at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam during key rituals on May 18 and 19, 2019, when the panels were removed, and later when they were reinstalled in June 2019, but did not take steps to prevent or report the violations. This, according to investigators, amounted to criminal silence and tacit consent, facilitating unlawful gain to the accused persons and causing loss to the Travancore Devaswom Board. The arrest was effected after the probe revealed his alleged role in the conspiracy and violation of provisions under the Travancore Devaswom Manual, which mandates that repair works of valuable temple assets be carried out within temple premises and not taken outside. (ANI) A recent Special Investigation Team (SIT) report submitted to the Maharashtra Home Department has triggered fresh political and administrative tremors. The report alleges an attempt to falsely implicate Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in a criminal case during the previous regime, when Fadnavis was Leader of the Opposition and Shinde was a minister in Uddhav Thackeray's cabinet. The findings of the SIT led by former DGP Rashmi Shukla, compiled after months of inquiry, suggest that the revival of an old 2016 police case in Thane district was not a routine legal exercise but part of a calculated effort to target the two senior leaders, LoP and Cabinet Minister of the time. According to the report, several police officers were pressured to shape the investigation to justify action against Fadnavis and Shinde, despite a lack of substantive evidence. The SIT, in its final report, recommended criminal action against former Maharashtra Director General of Police Sanjay Pandey and two other senior officers associated with the case at the time. The report points to internal communications, recorded conversations, and inconsistencies in official records as indicators of undue influence on the investigation process. One of the key elements examined by the SIT was a set of audio recordings provided by the original complainant. These recordings allegedly capture discussions among senior officers on how the case should proceed, including references to arresting political leaders. Investigators noted that such conversations raised serious concerns about misuse of authority and political interference in policing. The case concerns a land dispute registered nearly a decade ago. Although it had remained dormant for years, it was reopened during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, prompting allegations that the timing and manner of the investigation were politically motivated. The SIT report also flags irregularities in police documentation, including vehicle movement logs, suggesting possible tampering or record destruction. The report was submitted by outgoing DGP Rashmi Shukla shortly before her retirement, adding further significance to its conclusions. Political circles are now closely watching the state government's next steps, as the findings raise uncomfortable questions about the use of state machinery for political ends. The 2016 case concerned a partnership dispute between 2 businesses, Businessman Shyam Sundar Aggarwal and Sanjay Punamiya. According to records, this case was investigated and documents were filed before the court in 2017 itself, but in 2021, Sanjay Pandey ordered for reopening and re-investigation of this case and according to the allegations this reopening and re-investigation of the case was actually to target Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde. Later, when the regime changed and the BJP-Shivsena Mahayuti alliance came into power, Sanjay Punia made an allegation against DGP and Mumbai Commissioner Sanjay Pandey that by reopening the case, Sanjay Pandey tried to extort money from him. On Sanjay Punamiya's complaint, an FIR for extortion was filed against Sanjay Pandey and others in 2024. During the investigation into the same case, ACP Sardar Patil confessed to the investigating team that he was pressurised by Sanjay Pandey and other officers to frame then LoP Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. After these allegations came to light, the matter was raised by BJP leader, Praveen Darekar, in Maharashtra legislative Council, after which government announced to constitute an SIT in the matter, which was led by Now now-retired DGP of Maharashtra. Rashmi Shukla the SIT, continued with its investigation for many months and just before her retirement. Rashmi Shukla submitted her report to the Home Secretary of Maharashtra and recommended criminal action against Sanjay Pandey and other officers involved in the conspiracy to frame Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and others in this case. (ANI) Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina NC on Friday reacted to All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi's "hijab-clad women as PM" remarks, stating there is "no vacancy for the Prime Minister's post". Speaking to ANI, Shaina NC emphasised that leadership should be based on performance and popular mandate, not caste, creed, or community. She added that a woman Prime Minister could be supported in the future on merit. "Asaduddin Owaisi, there is no vacancy for the Prime Minister's slot. Narendra Modi's popularity is known to one and all. First, let your members of parliament be elected, then dream about a Prime Minister. Yes, at some stage, we too would want a woman Prime Minister, but not based on her caste, creed, or community, but on her good work and the popular mandate of the people of India," Shaina said. Her remarks came after Owaisi said that one day a hijab-clad daughter will become the Prime Minister of India. Speaking at the election meeting in Maharashtra's Solapur, Owaisi on Friday argued that such inclusivity is not offered in Pakistan's constitution, which restricts people of other religions from holding top posts. "The constitution of Pakistan clearly states that a person belonging to only one religion can become the Prime Minister of the country. Baba Sahib's constitution says that any citizen of India can become Prime Minister, CM, or mayor. It is my dream that a day will come when a hijab-clad daughter will become the Prime Minister of this country," he said. Owaisi further said that those who "spread hate against Muslims will come to an end" and when love becomes common, people will realise "how their people's mind was poisoned". "The hate that you are spreading against Muslims, this will not go on for long. Those who spread hate will come to an end. When love becomes common, then they will realise how people's mind was poisoned," he said. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla sharply reacted to Owaisi's remarks, challenging him to make a 'Pasmanda' muslim or hijab-clad woman the president of AIMIM. "Hijabwali will become PM says Miyaan Owaisi. Miyaan Owaisi - constitution stops nobody, but I challenge you to make a Pasmanda or Hijabwali as your president of AIMIM first," Poonawalla said in a post on X. This comes amid intense campaigning for Mumbai's upcoming civic elections, which are scheduled to be held on January 15. The results will be announced on January 16. (ANI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that the state government will hold a special session of the Assembly to discuss issues related to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Speaking to the media in Mangaluru, Shivakumar said the government would also organise padyatras across all Assembly constituencies from January 26 to February 2, to safeguard the rural employment scheme. "To save MGNREGA, AICC has planned one programme. However, as far as Karnataka is concerned, we have planned a different program. We are calling a special session of the Assembly on MGNREGA. We will see that in every Assembly constituency a padyatara is organised to save MGNREGA," the Deputy CM said. He said that with the padyatra, the party wants to inform people of how they will be affected if MGNREGA is replaced with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G Ram G) law. Providing details, Shivakumar said the padyatras will be held from January 26 to February 2 in every Assembly segment across Karnataka. Each padyatra will cover a distance of five to 10 kilometres and will involve panchayat members and labourers. "Now, I think, they want to kill this entire project. So we want to encourage all stakeholders. We will call them, educate them. We want to see that the act will be rolled back," he told the reporters. In December 2025, Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM-G Bill) during the Winter Session of Parliament. The government has proposed Rs 1,51,282 crore to be allocated for the scheme, meant to facilitate employment opportunities and comprehensive development of villages. The Bill guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work. As per Section 22 of the Bill, the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir), it will be 90:10. Section 6 of the Bill allows the state governments to notify in advance, a period aggregating to sixty days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting. (ANI) Thantri Kandharar Rajeevar, the arrested accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, who was rushed to the General Hospital Thiruvananthapuram this morning, remains stabilised after facing health complications, Medical Officer Dr Vinu said on Saturday. Rajeevar, the chief priest of Sabarimala, was shifted from the Thiruvananthapuram Special Sub Jail to the General Hospital for treatment. Speaking to ANI, Dr Vinu said, "He had a variation in his blood pressure levels, and we were treating him for that. He has stabilised now. He has pedal edema, and for that, we have advised further consultation." The Sabarimala gold controversy centres on allegations of irregularities in the gold plating at the Sabarimala temple. This situation arose from a 1998 donation of 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper by industrialist Vijay Mallya, intended for the cladding of the sanctum sanctorum and the wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala. Earlier, the Crime Branch had arrested Thantri Kandharar Rajeevar and the 13th accused in connection with the gold theft case. Investigators state that Rajeevar, a member of the Thazhamon Madam, Chengannur, and a hereditary Thantri under the Travancore Devaswom Board, was fully aware of the earlier gold plating by the Bengaluru-based UB Group. Despite holding the Thantri post during the relevant period, he allegedly failed to object to or report the removal of the temple's assets, which were handed over to a private individual without following prescribed rituals or customs or obtaining divine consent. The Crime Branch further alleges that Rajeevar remained present at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam during key rituals on May 18 and 19, 2019, when the panels were removed, and later when they were reinstalled in June 2019, but did not take steps to prevent or report the violations. According to investigators, this amounted to criminal silence and tacit consent, facilitating unlawful gain for the accused persons and causing loss to the Travancore Devaswom Board. The arrest was effected after the probe revealed his alleged role in the conspiracy and violation of provisions under the Travancore Devaswom Manual, which mandates that repair works of valuable temple assets be carried out within temple premises and not taken outside. (ANI) The Indian Navy is organising a Joint Services Multi-Speciality Medical Camp in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep from January 12 to 16, reaffirming the Navy's commitment to healthcare outreach, community welfare and sustained civil-military cooperation. According to an official release, the five-day health camp will be formally inaugurated by Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, the Chief of the Naval Staff, and is aimed at delivering comprehensive medical care to the residents of Lakshadweep through specialist consultations, treatment services and selected surgical interventions, including cataract surgery. This initiative is part of the Indian Navy's continued efforts to support and augment the existing healthcare services in the island territory through regular conduct of camps as part of the Navy Day outreach activities. The medical camps, over the years, included various primary care specialities and dental surgery across most islands of Lakshadweep. With advances in healthcare and continued support of UTL Administration, as well as a highly encouraging response from the local populace, the health camp has been upgraded to a multi-speciality camp. Lakshadweep has an established Govt healthcare system comprising district hospitals, community health centres and primary health facilities. The multi-speciality health camp is designed to complement these services, along with providing access to specialist and super-specialist medical expertise in a coordinated and patient-centric manner. Emphasis will be placed on early diagnosis, timely intervention and appropriate clinical management of common and chronic medical conditions. The camp will cover Agatti, Kavaratti, Androth, Amini and Minicoy islands. It will be conducted by a Joint Services Medical Team comprising experienced medical officers and specialists from the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The participation of professionals from all three Services will ensure a broad spectrum of clinical expertise, facilitating comprehensive and integrated healthcare delivery during the camp period. Medical consultations will be provided in several basic specialities, including dental surgery and a few super-specialities such as Cardiology. Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology and Gastroenterology. In addition to outpatient consultations, cataract surgeries and select general surgical procedures will be carried out during the camp by surgical teams. These procedures will be undertaken in coordination with local health authorities. The surgical component of the camp is expected to significantly enhance the quality of life for patients requiring operative intervention. Screening by medical specialists is already in progress in the islands. Medical teams will also provide guidance on follow-up care to ensure continuity of treatment beyond the duration of the camp. Alongside curative and surgical services, the camp will place strong emphasis on preventive healthcare and health awareness. Medical officers will interact with community members to address lifestyle-related conditions, maternal and child health issues, nutrition and general wellness. The Indian Navy has a long tradition of contributing to humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and community support initiatives. The Lakshadweep health camp continues this tradition of service and outreach. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by senior leadership of the Indian Navy, including V Adm Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Surg V Adm Arti Sarin, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services and Surg V Adm Kavita Sahai, Director General Medical Services (Navy). In addition, Advisor to the Administrator, UTL and senior officials from the Lakshadweep Administration and Armed Forces would also be present. The camp is expected to benefit a large number of residents and further reinforce the trust and goodwill shared between the Indian Navy and the people of Lakshadweep. (ANI) Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta issued notices to Punjab's DGP, Jalandhar Police Commissioner, and Special DGP Cyber Cell, giving them 48 hours to respond regarding an FIR filed over a doctored video clip of Assembly proceedings. "The DGP Punjab, Police Commissioner Jalandhar, and Special DGP Cyber Cell, Punjab, have been issued notices and given 48 hours to submit their written explanations along with all relevant documents in response," said Gupta on Saturday while addressing a Press Conference held in the Conference Room at Delhi Assembly Premises. According to the release, the Delhi Legislative Assembly Secretariat has issued a formal notice regarding the FIR registered in Jalandhar concerning the alleged doctored video clip of the Assembly proceedings. The notice states that the House is already seized of the issue, and the video clip has been referred for forensic examination and to the Committee of Privileges. It also conveys the Speaker's concern about the Punjab Police's involvement in a matter considered to fall within the House's privileged domain and seeks a detailed explanation, along with relevant documents, from the relevant authorities. The Speaker said that the matter is of extreme seriousness and constitutional importance and is directly linked to the dignity, authority, and privileges of the House. He emphasised that the issue is not confined to any individual or political party. He stated that the video on the basis of which the FIR has been registered is not a personal recording but the official recording of the proceedings of the House, which is wholly the property of the Delhi Assembly. Misuse of the property of the House in this manner, and registration of an FIR against a Minister on the basis of such material, is not only unfortunate but also extremely serious and condemnable. The Speaker clarified that any recording of proceedings inside the House is the exclusive property of the Assembly and does not belong to any political party, individual, or external agency. He questioned on what basis and under what authority the FIR in this matter was registered. Gupta termed this a breach of legislative privilege, stating the video is the Assembly's property Expressing concern, Speaker Vijender Gupta said that the role of the Police Commissioner of Jalandhar in the entire episode is highly questionable and appears prima facie to be a clear breach of the House's privilege. A direct case of privilege violation is therefore made out against him, and the House will consider it seriously. He further stated that, at the Opposition's request and to ensure complete transparency and fairness, the video clip has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory. However, describing the official recording of the House as "tampered" or "doctored" amounts to a direct attack on the dignity of the Assembly. The Speaker stated that this is not merely a false allegation but appears to be a well-planned conspiracy aimed at undermining the prestige of the House and maligning constitutional institutions. He assured that anyone found directly or indirectly involved in this conspiracy will face the strictest possible action by the House. As per the release, he reiterated that the Assembly knows how to safeguard its rights and privileges and will not compromise, at any cost, the dignity of the House, its assets, or its constitutional sanctity. The House has formally taken cognisance of the matter, and the necessary action, as per the rules, will be taken. The Speaker further said that, despite repeated calls, the Leader of the Opposition did not appear before the House and did not participate in the discussion on pollution. During the ongoing discussion, Opposition members walked out of the House. She was asked to offer a brief apology, but she refused; otherwise, the matter would have ended there. (ANI) The Congress on Saturday announced the launch of a nationwide campaign titled 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram', with party general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh accusing the Modi government of undermining the rural employment guarantee scheme and "snatching" the right to work and livelihood from people. Congress has announced a nationwide three-phase agitation titled "MGNREGA Bachao Sangram", after the Centre enacted a new law - Viksit Bharat -- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Act - to replace MGNREGA. In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh said the Indian National Congress would hold press conferences at every District Congress Committee (DCC) office nationwide. "Today, the Indian National Congress is launching the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram with a Press Conference at each of the District Congress Committee offices across the country," Jairam Ramesh said in his post. https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/2009914260487581800 Targeting the Union government, the Rajya Sabha MP alleged that the Modi government has severely diluted the flagship rural employment scheme through policy decisions and administrative measures. "@INCIndia is committed to seeing this struggle through - until we secure the restoration of the right to work, livelihood, and accountability that the Modi Government has snatched with its bulldozer demolition of the MGNREGA," he added. MGNREGA, enacted in 2005, guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The Congress has repeatedly alleged that the scheme has been weakened in recent years due to delayed wage payments, reduced allocations, and the introduction of mandatory Aadhaar-based payment systems. The party announced the launch of the first phase of its 45-day 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram' across all states, districts, blocks, and gram panchayats. On January 3, Venugopal said the CWC had finalised the future strategy on MGNREGA and approved a structured campaign titled "MGNREGA Bachao Sangram." "Phase 1 will begin on January 8 with a full-day preparatory meeting at Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) offices in the presence of general secretaries and in-charges. District-level press conference will be held at District Congress Committee (DCC) offices on January 10, followed by a one-day fast at district headquarters on January 11 near the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar," he said. The second phase of the agitation will run from January 12 to January 30. During this period, panchayat-level chaupals will be organised across all gram panchayats, along with the delivery of a letter from the Congress president. "Vidhan Sabha-level nukkad sabhas and pamphlet distribution are also planned. On January 30, Martyr's Day, the party will hold peaceful sit-ins at the ward level with MGNREGA workers," Venugopal said. "Phase 3 will begin on January 31 with district-level MNREGA Bachao dharnas at DC/DM offices till February 6. This will be followed by state-level gheraos of Vidha Sabha buildings from February 7 to February 15 and four zonal AICC rallies across the country between February 16 and February 25," he added. (ANI) The Solan district police have arrested five persons in connection with a brutal assault incident in Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh, on Saturday, after a video of the attack went viral on social media. The incident is linked to a long-standing rivalry between two groups of bus and taxi operators in Kalka over passenger pickups. According to Solan Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh, on Wednesday, the Parwanoo Police Station received information from the ESI Hospital Parwanoo that an injured person involved in a fight had been brought for treatment. Acting on the information, a police team immediately reached the hospital, where one person was found admitted in an injured condition. "On verification, the injured was identified as Eeshan, son of Vijay Kumar, a resident of Tehsil Kalka in Panchkula district of Haryana, aged 27 years," SP Gaurav Singh said. Preliminary investigation revealed that on January 7, Eeshan arrived in Parwanoo from Kalka by taxi with one of his associates. After dropping passengers, while they were returning towards Kalka from Kasauli Chowk, around six to seven youths suddenly attacked Eeshan with iron rods and assaulted him, causing serious injuries. "In this connection, a case was registered at Police Station Parwanoo," the SP said. On January 8, a video related to the incident went viral on social media, clearly showing some youths mercilessly beating a person with sticks and rods. "The police took serious cognisance of the viral video and made it part of the investigation," SP Gaurav Singh added. Given the gravity of the case, the Parwanoo police team immediately conducted a detailed, scientific investigation, analysing CCTV footage from the area, the viral video, technical evidence, and other physical evidence. "Based on this analysis, the accused involved in the case were identified. All of them were found to be residents of the Kalka area in Haryana," the SP said. The police have arrested five accused under charges including attempt to murder and other relevant sections - 109, 126(2), 115(2), 191(2), 191(3) and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The arrested accused has been identified as 23-year-old Harshdeep Singh, resident of Kalka in Panchkula district, Haryana, Aman, 22 years from Kalka in Haryana, 31-year-old Nikhil Chaurasiya from Paniwala Padao, Aod Kalka, Bharat Bhushan, Tehsil Kalka, Panchkula district, Haryana, aged 25 years, and Yograj alias Pinki Gujjar, resident of village Majra Mehtab, Tehsil Kalka, district Panchkula, Haryana, who is nearly 35 years old. SP Gaurav Singh said the investigation revealed that the incident stemmed from an ongoing dispute between two rival groups of bus and taxi operators in Kalka over passenger pickups. "Cases are already registered against both groups at the Kalka police station. When one group came to know that the victim Eeshan, who belonged to the rival group, was alone in Parwanoo, they attacked him," he said. "The Solan police are taking strict legal action against the accused in the matter," the Superintendent of Police added. "The main mastermind of this incident is the accused Yograj alias Pinki Gujjar, who carried out the act in a pre-planned manner to settle a personal rivalry. This accused played the biggest role in providing shelter to the other accused, he said further. (ANI) Ayodhya Food Commissioner, Manik Chandra Singh, on Saturday announced a strict ban on non-vegetarian food in hotels and restaurants within Ayodhya Dham. The ban includes online deliveries, and authorities will penalise platforms violating the rule. Speaking to ANI, Food Commissioner Ayodhya Manik Chandra Singh said, "... Non-vegetarian food has been banned from being served in hotels and restaurants in Ayodhya Dham." Singh also announced to take action against hotels and delivery platforms flouting rules. "However, online delivery was still taking place through various platforms. We are ensuring that in these areas, meat will neither be served nor delivered through online platforms. We will also ensure that delivery platforms tied up with hotels strictly follow the rules, failing which strict action will be taken against them...," added Singh. Speaking on the ban, Shubham Srivastava, a hotel General Manager, welcomed it as a measure to preserve the sanctity of the Ayodhya Dham. "Consumption of non-veg is prohibited in our holy scriptures; it is considered a sin in our religion. We, thus, are appreciative of this ban and aim to safeguard and maintain the holy spirit of Ayodhya Dham by not serving non-veg in our hotel," he told ANI. The decision aims to align with Ayodhya's cultural and religious significance, respects local sentiments and pilgrim preferences. Earlier on Thursday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta flagged off a group of Ram devotees for Ayodhya Dham, describing the pilgrimage as a strong message of Sanatan faith, cultural unity, and spiritual consciousness. A group of around 35-40 devotees was sent off by the Chief Minister at the Chief Minister's Jan Seva Sadan on Raj Niwas Marg. The journey from Delhi to Ayodhya has been organised by the Valmiki Chaudhary Sarpanch Committee, enabling devotees to seek Lord Ram's darshan at the newly constructed grand temple. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Gupta said the pilgrimage is imbued with devotion, faith and Sanatan values, and further strengthens India's rich cultural consciousness and spiritual traditions. She said the devotees were fortunate to receive the opportunity to seek Lord Ram's darshan in the very first month of the New Year. The Chief Minister noted that visiting the grand Ram Temple, offering prayers at the feet of Lord Ram and walking through the streets, lanes and temples of the holy city of Ayodhya is a divine and transcendent experience in itself. She said such journeys help deepen spiritual connection and reinforce cultural roots. Referring to the construction of the Ram Temple, Gupta said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the grand temple in Ayodhya stands as a historic achievement. She described it as more than a religious structure, calling it a symbol of the dignity of faith, the honour of tradition and the reawakening of India's national consciousness rooted in Sanatan values. (ANI) The YSR Congress Party State Coordinator Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy on Friday raised serious questions over the Chandrababu Naidu government's handling of the Amaravati capital project, accusing it of ignoring farmers' unresolved problems while hurriedly moving towards the second phase of land pooling. Speaking to the media, Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy said that former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had raised legitimate questions about Amaravati that the ruling government has been unable to answer. He noted that nearly 50,000 acres were taken from farmers in the first phase, yet basic development has not yet been completed. There are no proper roads, no connectivity, and no plot development, leaving farmers in distress. Sajjala said Jagan questioned whether it was not true that returnable plots were allotted in tanks and low-lying areas, making them unsellable. He asked who would buy such plots if they were not developed. He said Chandrababu Naidu's problems in Amaravati are directly affecting farmers' lives, while the government is making unrealistic promises to second-phase farmers without resolving first-phase issues. He further stated that Chandrababu Naidu spent only around Rs. 5,000 crore on Amaravati over the past five years, while the first-phase development alone would require nearly Rs. 1 lakh crore. At the current pace, he asked when the capital project would be completed. Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy also alleged that Amaravati has turned into a hub of scams. He said the government has already borrowed over Rs 40,000 crore in Amaravati's name but is not spending it on priority works. He questioned the need for an oversized Secretariat, cited inflated construction costs, and alleged that contracts were driven by commissions. Chandrababu Naidu has turned Amaravati into the "mother of all scams," Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy said, while making it clear that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has never been opposed to the Amaravati region. He said Jagan wanted development in Amaravati and had demonstrated this commitment even before the 2019 elections by building his house and the party office in the area. After Amaravati was declared the capital, Jagan continued to reside there. In contrast, Chandrababu Naidu has not built a house in Amaravati to date and is staying in an illegal residence, which has become another scandal. Sajjala said the public can easily judge which of the two leaders has acted with honesty and integrity. (ANI) BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday slammed the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin regarding the delay in the censor certification for the actor-turned-politician Vijay's film, 'Jana Nayagan'. Speaking to ANI during Pongal celebrations, she asserted that the Congress and DMK have no moral authority to criticise the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), citing the Congress's history of "stifling freedom of expression" during the Emergency and their past record of banning films. "... Tamil Nadu CM has no moral responsibility to talk about incidents like the central sensor board because it is an independent body...," she stated. The leader further raised concerns about the arrests of YouTubers who spoke against the CM. "Even if someone posts something against him on YouTube, he/she is being arrested. An elderly woman was criticising the CM's poster. They are looking to arrest her. It is suppression of freedom of speech," she said. She further levelled allegations against the Chief Minister for questioning every matter, relevant or not. "The CM has become very jittery. For everything, they blame the Central government, whether it's raining or there's a drought. People won't believe them like this," she accused. The row began when Chief Minister MK Stalin condemned the CBFC, labelling it a "new weapon" of the BJP government, similar to the CBI or ED, used to target creative works. Her remarks come in the wake of Thalapathy Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' row. On Friday, the Madras High Court directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to issue a U/A 16+ certification for the film, days after the makers postponed its theatrical release." "The matter was postponed, and today the order was pronounced. The writ petition has been allowed by the MHC. If the movie is not screened on time, it will be a significant loss for attendees, so reimbursement is being offered. The lawyers informed that 27 scenes have been cut. If CBFC goes for an appeal, we will face them in court," Indra Dhanraj, joint coordinator for the state legal wing, TVK, told the media. 'Jana Nayagan' producer Venkat Narayana, in a video message, stated that the matter remains "subjudiced." He revealed that the film was initially cleared after the makers incorporated a few cuts as suggested by the board. "Just a few days before our planned release, we were informed that the film had been referred to the revising committee based on a complaint. With the time running out and without knowing the complainant, we approached the High Court. After hearing the matter, the court directed that the certificate be issued, but the CBFC immediately challenged the decision. The order to issue the certification has been stayed," the producer said. Directed by H Vinoth and produced by Venkat K Narayana under KVN Productions, 'Jana Nayagan' is dubbed as Thalapathy Vijay's last film. (ANI) Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi were warmly welcomed at Keshod Airport by office bearers and officials of Junagadh district. They arrived to participate in the Swabhiman Parv at Somnat and were welcomed by District Panchayat President Shri Haresh Thummar, MLAs Deva Malam and Bhagvan Kargatia, District Collector Anilkumar Ranavasia, District Development Officer HP Patel, Superintendent of Police Subodh Odedara, Assistant Collector Vandana Meena, President of Keshod Municipality Mehulbhai Gondaliya, District BJP President Chandubhai Makwana, Chairman of Savaj Dairy Dineshbhai Khatariya, along with other local dignitaries. Meanwhile, at the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv', Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend, cultural performances from states such as Karnataka, West Bengal, and others are being presented on around 20 stages along the Shaurya Yatra route from Shankh Circle to Hamirji Circle, giving living expression to the concept of 'Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat', according to a release from CMO. Ahead of the arrival of PM Modi, devotees and local citizens gathered in large numbers to witness various cultural programmes presented by artists from different states along the Shaurya Yatra route. These performances, showcasing unity in diversity, included Yakshagana, Kuchipudi dance, Maniyaro Raas, Bharatnatyam, and many others. PM Modi will participate in Omkar Mantra chanting at the Somnath Swabhiman Parv and thereafter view the Drone show at the Somnath Temple. On 11 January, at around 9:45 am, the Prime Minister will participate in the Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession organised to honour the countless warriors who laid down their lives defending the Somnath Temple. The Shaurya Yatra will feature a symbolic procession of 108 horses, reflecting valour and sacrifice. Thereafter, at around 10:15 am, the Prime Minister will perform Darshan and Pooja at the Somnath Temple. At around 11 AM, the Prime Minister will participate in and address a public function in Somnath. The Somnath Swabhiman Parv, held from 8 to 11 January 2026, is being organised in Somnath. It is being held to remember the countless citizens of India whose sacrifice to defend the Temple continues to inspire the cultural consciousness of future generations. The programme marks the 1,000th anniversary of Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion of the Somnath Temple in 1026. Despite repeated attempts to destroy it over centuries, the Somnath Temple stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith, and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory. The release stated that, after independence, Sardar Patel led the effort to restore the Temple. One of the most important milestones in this journey of revival was achieved in 1951, when the restored Somnath Temple was formally opened to devotees in the presence of the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The 75th anniversary of this historic restoration in 2026 adds special significance to the Somnath Swabhiman Parv.The celebrations will feature hundreds of saints from across the country, along with 72 hours of continuous chanting of 'Om' within the temple premises. (ANI) Assam Police have seized 1.357 kg of morphine in Cachar district and apprehended three persons on Saturday, officials said. Partha Protim Das, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Cachar district, said that, based on intelligence input, a team of Cachar district police launched an anti-narcotics operation at Kachudaram Pt-IV, Ganguli area under Silchar police station. "During the operation, the police team recovered 1.357 kg of Morphine from the possession of three accused persons, and they were also apprehended," Partha Protim Das said. The apprehended persons were identified as, Ruhul Alom Laskar (41 years old), Moinul Haque Laskar (53 years old) and Sirajul Hoque (36 years old). "Legal action has been initiated to ascertain the forward and backward linkages," the senior police official said. On January 9, Cachar district police apprehended two persons and recovered heroin. "On the basis of reliable source input, an operation was conducted at ISBT Bypass, Silchar, by the Silchar police station team and apprehended a person, namely Abul Hussain Laskar (30 years old). 66.76 grams of heroin recovered and seized. 2 vehicles bearing registration numbers AS-11K-6423 and AS-01EB-4457 also seized. Accused along with seized articles brought to the police station for further legal action," Partha Protim Das said. In the second operation, on the basis of specific information, a raid was conducted at the residence of Santi Begum Laskar, wife of Nazmul Hussain Laskar of Saidpur Part-IV area under Silchar police station in Cachar district. "29 plastic vials containing NDPS substances, approximately 17 grams recovered and seized. 2 mobile handsets, 1 KTM motorcycle bearing registration number AS-11AG-4736 and cash Rs 2,860 were also seized," the police official said. Additionally, on January 7, Assam Police seized 20,000 Yaba tablets worth Rs three crore in Assam's Cachar district, officials said. Based on intelligence input, a team of Cachar district police on Tuesday launched an operation at Jirighat PHE road area and apprehended a woman."One woman, namely Rahenliu of Tamenglong in Manipur, was apprehended at Jirighat PHE Road. During a search, 20,000 Yaba tablets weighing 2155.2 grams were recovered and seized from her possession," said Partha Protim Das, Senior Superintendent of Police of Cachar district. He added that the seizure was carried out in the presence of independent witnesses, strictly in accordance with the provisions of the NDPS Act. According to a press release, reacting to the development, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X, "We are squeezing the drugs network in Assam to save our youth from going down the path of misery. Based on reliable inputs, @cacharpolice apprehended a woman and seized 20,000 YABA tablets worth 3cr from her possession." (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday warned against divisions based on caste, creed, and community, citing Bangladesh's situation as a cautionary example. Attending the 726th birth celebration of Jagatguru Ramanandacharya in Prayagraj, he emphasised that such divisions can lead to destruction, just like what's happening in Bangladesh, where Hindus are facing violence. "Division based on caste, creed and community will destroy us exactly as we see in Bangladesh," he said. He further took a jab at "so-called secularists" and mocked them for their silence on the repeated victims of atrocities in the neighbouring country. "Nobody is talking of Bangladesh; those so-called secularists who try to break the Hindu community are quiet on the Bangladesh issue," said the CM. "It's like their mouths have been shut with fevicol, or somebody put a tape on their mouth. Not a single word is coming out of their mouths," he mocked. During his address, he also remembered the Jagadguru Ramanandacharya, saying, "700 years ago, Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Bhagwan had called for unity among all communities. He said that every person had the right to take refuge in God. He took disciples of different castes to unite the society." Meanwhile, in December 2025 alone, at least 51 incidents of violence were reported in Bangladesh. These included 10 murders, 10 cases of theft and robbery, 23 incidents involving the occupation of homes, business establishments, temples and land, looting and arson, four cases of arrest and torture on false allegations of religious defamation and being "agents of RAW", one attempted rape, and three incidents of physical assault, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said in a statement. The trend of violence has continued into the first week of January this year. On January 3, businessman Khokan Chandra Das was hacked and set on fire, leading to his death in Shariatpur. On the same day at dawn, the family of Milan Das in Ward No. 4 of Amuchia Union under Boalkhali Upazila in Chattogram was held hostage during a robbery. A similar incident occurred the same day at Sanu Das's home in Homna, Cumilla, from which 10 bhori of gold ornaments, 12 bhori of silver, and cash totalling 20,000 taka were looted, the statement said. Another incident involving a Hindu youth in Bangladesh was reported on January 7, a man identified as Mithun Sarkar, died after he was chased by miscreants who claimed he was a suspect of theft. While he was being chased, Sarkar was forced to jump into a water body, where he drowned and died. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's announcement to observe the year 2026 as 'Krishan Varsh' will be officially implemented on Sunday, January 11, with a state-level programme to take place at Jamboree Maidan here. According to an official release, prior to the programme, CM Yadav will flag off a 'Krishi Rath' and a farmers' tractor rally at the Kokta Bypass in the state capital. The Chief Minister will brief farmers about the activities to be undertaken during the Farmer Welfare Year. Farmers attending the programme will be informed about the state government's farmer-friendly schemes and the initiatives planned under Farmer Welfare Year 2026. The Chief Minister said that the focus sectors of Farmer Welfare Year include horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries and food processing. The objective is to transform agriculture into a profitable, sustainable, and technology-driven model for employment generation. Emphasis will be laid on promoting district-level cluster-based development by integrating agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and forestry. Besides this, farmers' incomes will be enhanced through higher productivity, promotion of natural farming, expansion of digital services and strengthening of agricultural processing. Employment opportunities will also be created for rural youth in agriculture-based sectors such as agri-tech, drone services, FPO management, food processing and hydroponics, the CM added. He further said that agriculture and allied sectors are the foundation of Madhya Pradesh's economy. While the state government is continuously increasing the agriculture budget, several welfare schemes are being implemented for farmers. These include procurement of crops at the Minimum Support Price, the Bhavantar scheme for soybean growers, distribution of relief assistance to farmers affected by excessive rainfall, pest infestations and natural calamities, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Mukyamantri Krishan Kalayan Yojana, Mukhyamantri Krishi Unnati Yojana and the Rani Durgavati Shri Anna Incentive Scheme. (ANI) Chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanshin Council and successor of the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah, Syed Naseruddin Chishty, on Saturday met Union Minister Kiren Rijiju at his residence. In an X, post Chishty stated that the meeting turned out to be a fruitful discussion on the role of Dragahs in promoting peace, harmony, and mutual understanding in society. "Today, a fruitful meeting was held with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju at his residence. We discussed the rich heritage of Sufi culture and traditions, and the vital role of Dargahs in promoting peace, communal harmony, and mutual understanding in society," he wrote on X. Earlier on Friday, Rijiju announced that President Droupadi Murmu has approved the convening of both Houses for the Budget Session 2026, commencing on January 28. Rijiju, in an X post, stated that the first phase of the session will end on February 13, with Parliament reassembling on March 9. The time period of the Budget session 2026 will continue till April 2. "On the recommendation of the Govt. of India, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu ji has approved the summoning of both the Houses of Parliament for the Budget Session 2026. The Session will commence on 28 January 2026 and continue till 2 April 2026. The first phase concludes on 13 February 2026, with Parliament reassembling on 9 March 2026, a vital step towards meaningful debate and people-centric governance," he wrote on X. The budget session is the first session of Parliament in a calendar year and begins with the President's address to the joint sitting of the two Houses. The budget session of Parliament is usually divided into two parts with a break in between to allow the standing committees to examine the demands for grants of various ministries. (ANI) Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal said on Saturday accused the government of misusing the Enforcement Directorate to "harass opposition leaders" and said it reaches a state "when elections are there". Sibal, MP, who was interacting with the media, referred to the ED search at the I-PAC office in Kolkata and said, "the ED only reaches when the elections are there". He also compared the ED's functioning under the Congress-led UPA government, when he was a union minister, and under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government. "This morning, I was reminded of the UPA's tenure, from 2004 to 2014. The kind of news stories that are circulating in the newspapers today we didn't see during those 10 years because we didn't give the ED such a free hand... We didn't prosecute any political party or leader based on false information. Let's start with West Bengal. When the Enforcement Directorate was formed, we didn't know that it was an omnipresent prosecuting agency that could go anywhere in India, at any time, and attack the entire federal structure, in such a way as to harass opposition leaders," he said. "When there is an FIR anywhere, the ED reaches there... The ED only reaches when the elections are there... The coal scam has been going on for years," he added. He also said that West Bengal created a dispute between the state and the Centre. Anticipating that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) would approach the Supreme Court against alleged interference by the West Bengal government in its search operations, the Mamta Banerjee-led state government has filed a caveat before the apex court, seeking that no order be passed without hearing it. The caveat comes in the backdrop of ED's search raids conducted on Thursday at the headquarters of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) - a political consultancy firm linked to the All India Trinamool Congress, and at the Kolkata residence of its director, Pratik Jain. Calcutta High Court had adjourned the hearing on ED's urgent plea in which the central agency accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of obstructing ED officials and preventing them from performing their public duties, allegedly in a "flagrant and blatant disregard of law," during a search operation conducted in Kolkata on January 8. The agency also alleged that the situation escalated after the Chief Minister entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain during an ED search and removed what the agency described as "key evidence", including physical documents and electronic devices. Separately, the West Bengal government has filed a plea in the Calcutta High Court, alleging that the ED seized all data and digital records from I-PAC's office. In its petition, the Mamata Banerjee-led government has sought directions to the ED to return all seized materials, including private, sensitive and confidential data, along with information and documents taken in both physical and electronic form. The State government claimed that the allegedly unlawfully seized data belongs to the Trinamool Congress and relates to its party operations. The matter was adjourned by a bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh on Thursday due to chaos and commotion inside the courtroom, which made it difficult to hear the case. The High Court has now posted the matter for hearing on January 14. Earlier on January 8, the controversy erupted when the ED conducted searches at I-PAC's premises and at the Kolkata residence of its director in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam. (ANI) Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary M.V. Govindan has asserted that opposing communalism has always been the party's principled position, while accusing the Congress-led UDF of hypocrisy on the issue. Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Govindan, citing an affidavit filed by the Oommen Chandy government describing Jamaat-e-Islami as an extremist organisation, said senior UDF leaders and ministers were part of the same government at the time, but now project criticism of communalism as an attack on Muslims. He stressed that religious faith should not be conflated with communal politics. "Speaking out against communalism is the party's stand. The Oommen Chandy government had filed an affidavit stating that Jamaat-e-Islami is an extremist organisation and had also recommended that it be banned. At that time, Ramesh Chennithala was the Home Minister and V.D. Satheesan was an MLA in the same Assembly. There were five Muslim League ministers in the Cabinet then... The UDF is a front that has no hesitation in associating with them. But whenever anyone raises criticism against this, the UDF projects it as criticism against Muslims. There is no need to link religious faith with communalism," said Govindan. He further asserted that religious faith and communalism are two entirely different things, and said believers of all religions must come together to fight communalism. "Some people are using religion for political purposes. Such communal forces are a danger to any society... There is an attempt by certain sections to project criticism against Jamaat-e-Islami as an attack on the Muslim community. This needs to be exposed. The Left is capable of clearly placing before the people the reality that religious faith and communalism are two entirely different things. In the fight against communalism, believers of all religions must come together. Only then can communalism be isolated...," said Govindan. However, during the press conference, Govindan alleged that the Congress, as a whole, aligned with the BJP in the local body elections. He further said that a mass mobilisation campaign will be organised across the state on January 30 to help people understand the difference between communalism and religious faith. "The difference between Gandhi and Godse itself explains the difference between religious faith and communalism. In the local body elections, the Congress as a whole aligned with the BJP. In standing committee elections too, Congress and the BJP moved forward together in many places... A people's movement will be built against this, helping people clearly understand the distinction between communalism and religious faith. A mass mobilisation will be organised on January 30," added Govindan. Earlier, AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal strongly criticised Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for supporting A.K. Balan's controversial remarks related to Marad. Venugopal said that he initially thought it was only Balan's personal statement, but the Chief Minister's endorsement made it far more serious. "What the Chief Minister has said reflects a kind of communalism that even the Sangh Parivar hesitates to express. These are issues that should never be used for political gain," Venugopal said. A.K. Balan had claimed that if the UDF came to power, Jamaat-e-Islami would control the Home Department, and that it could lead to more incidents like Marad. He had also warned that many more "Marads" would occur. Venugopal said it was shocking that a Communist Chief Minister chose to support such a statement. Following his remarks, Balan further said he would not withdraw his remarks on Jamaat-e-Islami in connection with the Marad riots. He had also stated that he would neither apologise nor pay compensation despite receiving a legal notice from the Jamaat-e-Islami secretary. "At a time like this, the Chief Minister is speaking a language of communalism that even the Sangh Parivar avoids. He is using communal issues for political advantage," Venugopal alleged. (ANI) News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. US President Donald Trump met top oil and gas executives at the White House and assured them of safety and security in Venezuela. Saying that the United States built the Venezuelan oil industry with American talent, now US would do "everything" about the assets which were 'stolen'. Trump said he was delighted to welcome almost two dozen of the biggest and most respected oil and gas executives in the world to the White House. The US President said that the departure of Maduro made it possible to have an incredible future for both nations and said that there would be deeper integration of the economies of the two major energy powers of the Western hemisphere. Assuring the industry leaders of safety and security in Venezuela, Trump said, "You're dealing with us directly, not Venezuela. You have total safety, security; it's a whole different Venezuela". Trump added, "Decades ago, the United States built Venezuela's oil industry with American skill, technology, know-how, and dollars... but those assets were stolen from us, and we had Presidents that did nothing about it... now, we're doing everything about it." He further mentioned, "Our giant oil companies are spending at least $100B of their money, not the government's money... to rebuild the capacity and the infrastructure necessary." Trump was flanked by US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among several senior members of his administration as he met the top oil and gas executives. On the operation in Venezuela, VP Vance said it is "going to make our country richer, it's going to make our country more powerful, it's going to make our country safer, and it's going to lead to the further decline of drug overdose deaths in the United States of America -- an amazing thing." Answering media, Trump said that the companies going into Venezuela would have security guarantees. On the relationship with Venezuela with Delcy Rodriguez as the Interim President, Trump said, "Right now they seem to be an ally and I think it will continue. We don't want Russia and China there." The meeting comes amid a broader US strategy to capitalise on Venezuela's vast crude reserves and reshape its energy landscape following Trump's "large-scale strike" in the South American country on Saturday, which captured its leader, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro and Flores were flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement. They were indicted on charges of alleged "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies" in the Southern District of New York and are currently facing trial. Following this, Maduro's longtime vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, was sworn in as the acting president on Monday, despite Trump saying, "We're in charge," after the operation, signalling that the US will closely monitor developments in Venezuela. (ANI) United States President Donald Trump said on Friday (local time) that the situation in Iran is being monitored very closely and hoped for the protestors in the country to be safe. He warned that if protestors were killed, the US would get involved and would hit the country where it hurts. Trump made the remarks while responding to media questions during a meeting with top oil and gas executives at the White House. When asked about Iran, he said, "Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts so we don't want that to happen." The US President further said, "But this is something pretty incredible that is happening in Iran. It's an amazing thing to watch. They've done a bad job, they have treated their people very badly and now they are being paid back, so, let's see what happens. We are watching it very closely". On the protestors, Trump said, "I just hope the protestors in Iran are going to be safe because it is a very dangerous place right now and again I tell the Iranian leaders you better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too". According to Policy research organisation, Institute for the study of War, protest activity in Iran has expanded dramatically in both rate and magnitude since January 7, including in major cities like Tehran and in northwestern Iran. The think tank further said that the regime has intensified its crackdown including by taking the rare step of using the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces to suppress protests in at least one province. Earlier on January 9, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei accused the US administration of being behind the large-scale protests in Iran. Speaking at a public interaction, Khamenei said protestors were acting to please the President of America. "There are also those whose work is destruction. Last night in Tehran, and in some other places, a bunch of vandals came and destroyed a building belonging to their own country. For example, suppose they destroyed a certain building or a wall, just to please the President of America. Because he said... some irrelevant nonsense... that "if the government of Iran does such and such, I will come to the side... I will take your side." The side of these rioters and individuals who are harmful to the country. These people have their hopes pinned on him. If he can, let him manage his own country! In his own country, various incidents are occurring," Khamenei was reported as saying by Iranian state media. The Ayatollah also accused US President Trump of acting like a despot and said that despots are deposed at the peak of their pride. He said, "Our nation does not tolerate mercenaryism for foreigners. Whoever you may be, once you become a mercenary for a foreigner, once you work for a foreigner, the nation considers you rejected. As for that fellow (Trump) who sits there with arrogance and pride, passing judgment on the whole world, he should also know that usually, the despots and arrogant powers of the world--such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, Reza Khan, Mohammad Reza, and the likes of them--were overthrown exactly when they were at the peak of their pride. This one will be overthrown as well." (ANI) US President Donald Trump again reiterated the claims of having to do "something" about Greenland, saying that if US doesn't take any action, Russia and China would spring in and that Washington does not want to have them as neighbours. In the context of Denmark, he said that landing a boat 500 years ago in Greenland "doesn't mean they own the land". The US President made the remarks while interacting with mediapersons during his meeting with the top oil and gas executives. When asked about Greenland, Trump said, "We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland -- and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. I would like to make a deal the easy way but if we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way". He added, "And by the way, I'm a fan of Denmark as well. They've been very nice to me. I'm a big fan but the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn't mean that they own the land. We had lots of boats go there also. But we need that because if you take a look at outside of Greenland right now, they are Russian destroyers, Chinese destroyers and bigger there are Russian submarines all over the place. We're not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland and that's what they're going to do if we don't. We will do something with Greenland either the nice way or the difficult way." When asked why it was important to "own" Greenland, when the US has a military presence that it could expand, Trump said that one defends ownership and not leases. "When we own it we defend it. You don't defend leases the same way. You have to own it. Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership. You don't defend leases. If we don't do it, China or Russia well. That's not going to happen... NATO has to understand that. I'm all for NATO. I saved it. If it weren't for me, NATO would not be there." Trump has renewed his push to take over a semi-autonomous Danish territory rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron. The new push to annexe Greenland comes after Trump's use of military force against Venezuela on Saturday to seize its President Nicolas Maduro. For decades, Washington has viewed Greenland as strategically important, and the Trump administration has once more placed the island at the centre of its Arctic agenda by reviving discussions around altering the status of the Danish territory. Trump previously made an offer to buy the island in 2019, during his first presidential term, only to be told it was not for sale. The fear of Russia and China laying a "claim" to foreign territories has been repeated by President Trump before too. Speaking in regard to the recent operation in capturing Nicolas Maduro, Trump said, "If we didn't do what we did, China or Russia would have been in Venezuela." In another query about Europe, Trump expressed sharp disdain over energy generated from windmills and said, "I'm not much of a windmill person. I can proudly say that we have not approved one wind mill since I've been in office and we're going to keep it that way. My role is to not let any windmill get build. They're losers. They lose money, they destroy your landscape, they kill your birds, they are all made in China". Trump added that Europe should question China on how much windmill area does China itself have. "They (China) use coal, oil and gas and some nuclear but they don't have windmills. They make them and sell them to suckers like Europe and suckers like the United States before. They are the worst form of energy, most expensive form of energy". The remarks come after he signed a memorandum on Wednesday (local time), directing the withdrawal of the United States from international organisations, conventions and treaties that are "contrary to the interests" of the US. The announcement was made in the statement of the Presidential Memoranda shared by the White House that mentioned withdrawal from 35-non non-UN organisations and 31 UN entities. The Non-UN organisations include the India and France-led International Solar Alliance, key environmental bodies like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Other non-UN bodies International Energy Forum, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation and the Global Counterterrorism Forum, among others. (ANI) Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, highlighted how global military spending continues to rise amidst ongoing conflicts, reaching a record $2.7 trillion in 2024. Meanwhile, the spending on global health initiatives has declined significantly. He gave a call for the world to focus on saving lives and not escalating confrontations, calling peace the best medicine. In a post on X he said, "Global military spending reached a record $2.7 trillion in 2024, with continued rises projected for 2025 amidst ongoing conflicts. Meanwhile, spending on global health initiatives has declined significantly. What the world needs is a greater focus on saving lives, not escalating confrontation. Peace is the best medicine." The post also had a video message where he said, "For an organisation working on the ground in 150 countries with a vast mission and mandate that member states have given us, $4.2 billion for two years or $2.1 billion a year is not ambitious. It's extremely modest. $2.1 billion is the equivalent of global military expenditure every eight hours. $2.1billion US dollars is the price of one steel bomber and 2.1 billion US dollars is one quarter of what the tobacco industry spends on advertising and promotion every single year." He added, "It seems somebody switched the price tags on what is truly valuable in our world. Countries spend vast sums protecting themselves against attacks from other countries, but relatively little on protecting themselves from an invisible enemy that can cause far more havoc and damage. If we think $2.1 billion in a year is ambitious, or $4.2 billion for a biennium, then either we must lower our ambitions for what WHO is and does or we must raise the money. And I know which I will choose, and I hope you will choose the same." https://x.com/DrTedros/status/2009354487040012580?s=20 His remarks come amid developments such as US President Donald Trump on Wednesday saying that after prolonged negotiations with senators, congressmen, secretaries and other political representatives, the 2027 military budget should be increased to 1.5 trillion USD, from the current 1 trillion USD. Trump said that this would allow the US to build a "dream military" and keep America safe and secure. Making the announcement via a Truth Social post, Trump said that this comes after the tariffs brought in more income to the United States, with the country now having the ability to not only pay down the debt, produce an 'unparalleled military force' and also pay a substantial dividend to "moderate-income patriots" in the US. Also on Wednesday (local time), he signed a memorandum directing the withdrawal of the United States from international organisations, conventions and treaties that are "contrary to the interests" of the US. The announcement was made in the statement of the Presidential Memoranda shared by the White House that mentioned withdrawal from 35-non non-UN organisations and 31 UN entities. The move came almost a year after the Trump administration had announced the withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in January 2025, citing the mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. The US had also withdrawn from UNESCO in July 2025, saying that the latter was not in the "national interest" of the United States. (ANI) Posting about his tribute on Friday, EAM highlighted how Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar continues to be a guiding light. He said, "Paid my respects to Babasaheb Ambedkar @UNESCO Headquarters today. His ideals of social justice and inclusivity are a guiding light for humanity." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2009639367938113937?s=20 On his meeting with UNESCO DG Khaled El-Enany, EAM said, "Pleased to meet @UNESCO_DG Khaled El-Enany in Paris today. A multilateral world is inherently multicultural. Underlined India's commitment to advance engagement with @UNESCO in culture, education and heritage preservation globally." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2009627090904358946?s=20 He also held conversations with the members of India - France Parliamentary Friendship Group and parliamentary friends of India and held discussions on contemporary global developments. The EAM affirmed possibilities for deeper India - France cooperation driven by the shared strategic outlook. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2009612808376250506?s=20 On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had met French President Emmanuel Macron and conveyed Prime Minister Modi's warm wishes. He also addressed the Ambassadors' Conference of France and underlined contemporary global shifts driven by factors like trade and energy. During the meeting with his met his French counterpart, Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot on Wednesday, the two leaders discussed advancing bilateral cooperation and elevating India-EU engagement, while also sharing perspectives on contemporary global developments. EAM had called France amongst India's oldest strategic partners and underlined how the two countries are active in the international arena, they are committed to multipolarity and their working together is important not only for the bilateral relationship but also for stabilising global politics. On Wednesday, he also attended the first India-Weimer format meeting along with Polish Deputy PM Radoslaw Sikorski, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. The meeting focused on three key issues; India-European Union relations, the Indo-Pacific, and the Ukraine conflict. (ANI) Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said on Friday (local time) that the exploration of opening the US Embassy in Venezuela and vice versa responds to the objective of continuing to "denounce the aggression" of January 3rd on national territory, as per El Cooperante. In an event at the La Candelaria parish, Rodriguez stated that the response to the US after the operation will be diplomatic and in accordance with the international law. "The Venezuelan and US governments are exploring avenues for opening embassies. What is their objective? To reiterate their condemnation of the aggression suffered by our people, because our women, our men, our girls were deeply affected by such aggression," she said, as quoted by El Cooperante. Rodriguez also thanked the states that expressed their support after the US operation and the capture of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores, noting that the Venezuelan people appreciate their courage. He reported that he held meetings with Presidents Pedro Sanchez of Spain, Gustavo Petro of Colombia, and Luiz Inacio Lula of Brazil, who expressed their "support". "I want to express my deepest gratitude to the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was very attentive to Venezuela and our people on the very day of the invasion. That day he asked us how he could help, and we told him about the bombing of a medicine warehouse. (...) The medicines to treat our dialysis patients have already arrived in Venezuela," El Cooperante quoted Rodriguez as saying. She further thanked Emir (ruler) of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for facilitating talks with the US to obtain the first "proof of life" of the deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The Venezuelan government announced the start of an "exploratory diplomatic process" with the US, and confirmed the arrival of a State Department delegation from the US. The announcement came almost a week after the US military operation that shoved Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores into a plane and imprisoned them in a New York prison, as per El Cooperante. (ANI) Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected the presence of three sorties of Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels operating around its territorial waters as of 6am (local time) on Saturday. Of the three, a sortie crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. In a post on X, the MND said, "3 sorties of PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 out of 3 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/2009792306808029564?s=20 Earlier on Friday, the MND detected the presence of 23 Chinese military aircraft, six naval vessels and an official ship. Of the 23, 19 crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. In a post on X, the MND said, "23 PLA aircraft, 6 PLAN ships and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 19 out of 23 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/2009430175495434251?s=20 Earlier, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said that he would continue safeguarding Taiwan and would not allow China to reach into, Focus Taiwan reported. Focus Taiwan said that the Taiwanese President said that as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he was pledging to protect the country and safeguard the lives and property of all citizens. "I will certainly safeguard the nation and absolutely not allow Chinese pressure or China's hand to reach into Taiwan," President Lai said. He also said on Thursday that China's "cross-border pressure" against the people of Taiwan proves that Beijing's authority does not extend to Taiwan and confirms that Taiwan is not part of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Focus Taiwan reported Lai cited the recent visit to Taiwan by China-born Japanese lawmaker Hei Seki, who has been sanctioned by China and barred from entering PRC, saying that the visit demonstrated that how the Republic of China (ROC) -- Taiwan's official name -- and the PRC are not subordinate to each other. (ANI) Protests in Iran entered their thirteenth day on Friday as the movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living has now morphed into a call for the end of the present regime that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the pro-Western Shah. According to a post on X from Nicholas Carl, research fellow at Critical Threats, " Protests have expanded dramatically across Iran over the past day. Scenes of hundreds of protesters across major cities have circulated despite the countrywide internet shutdown that the regime imposed. Regime security forces appear to be using extreme violence across the country to end the protests...The protests have likely reached the point where they are challenging the ability of the regime to repress effectively. The security forces are seemingly facing bandwidth constraints and cannot be everywhere at once." internet freedom monitor Netblocks documented the internet blockade enforced by the regime and said on Friday, "It has now been 24 hours since Iran implemented a nationwide internet shutdown, with connectivity flat lining at 1% of ordinary levels. The ongoing digital blackout violates the fundamental rights and liberties of Iranians while masking regime violence." Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi warned that security forces in the Islamic Republic could be preparing to commit a "massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout" after imposing a nationwide internet shutdown, reported the Times of Israel. Ebadi said she had received information that hundreds of people had been taken to a Tehran hospital on Thursday with "severe eye injuries" caused by pellet gun fire. Posting videos that she says she received from people in Iran via Starlink, prominent Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad said, "It's been over 24 hours now that the dictator of Iran has shut down internet connections for 90 million Iranians. Internet access is the lifeline of Iran uprising and by making Starlink services available for Iranian revolutionaries, Elon Musk has made a crucial and indispensable contribution to the fight for democracy in Iran." Lending support to the protestors is the Iranian Crown Prince in exile Reza Pahlavi, who called for people to work together to deal the final blow to the regime. "I have a message for our compatriots in the diaspora. At this moment, you can play a critical role. More important than anything at this time is the continuation of protests in your host countries and major cities and also sharing information with political, governmental, and media entities. You should get in touch with them however you can, via phone or email. The continuation of this coverage of Iran will ensure Iranians are a priority and are not forgotten. We must not allow this voice to be silenced on the international level. They must know the people of Iran, despite all of the limitations placed on them, with remarkable courage, are continuing the fight. And Iranians inside will see you are working alongside them and will be energized. Let us, at this time, work hand in hand to deal the final blow to the regime, achieve freedom, and rebuild our country," he said in a video message on X. This follows, US President Donald Trump saying that the situation in Iran is being monitored very closely. Trump warned that if protestors were killed, the US would get involved and would hit the country where it hurts. "Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts so we don't want that to happen," the US President said on Friday. Meanwhile, according to reports from Iran, the protest marches have now spread across the 31 provinces of the nation. A TIME magazine report quoted a Tehran doctor on condition of anonymity that just six hospitals in the capital had recorded at least 217 protester deaths, "most by live ammunition. State Media Press TV reported a counter narrative saying that tens of thousands of Iranians had rallied nationwide after Friday prayers to denounce what they termed were recent foreign-backed riots. The report further claimed that police said several armed terrorists were killed and others arrested during overnight security operations. Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali Larijani told Press TV that security forces and the judiciary were prepared to respond "in the strongest manner" to what he termed were foreign-linked individuals involved in armed violence and organized attacks targeting the Iranian nation. Larijani said security forces had been instructed to exercise maximum caution to avoid harm to the public, but added that groups entering the scene with weapons or intent to interfere in Iran's internal affairs would face decisive action. With the regime hardening its position and the US watching closely the situation in West Asia is once again tense. (ANI) German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann on Saturday spoke about cooperation between India and Germany in defence and security areas, and said that the strategic partnership between the nations has grown over the years. "India is a key partner for Germany. This strategic partnership has grown over the years. India is also a very important partner in defence," Ackermann told ANI. He pointed to an increased German presence in engagements with the Indian Armed Forces in recent years, including greater participation in joint exercises. "You have seen much more German presence in cooperation with the Indian Armed Forces over the last couple of years. There is clearly an enhanced willingness and preparedness to join hands in some exercises. Because we feel that India is more and more an important partner in this region of the world, and a partner with whom we share common values and views on the international global order," Ackermann said. "Therefore, security will be one of the areas where we will be developing a much more differentiated partnership in the years to come," he added. Speaking on the overall bilateral ties between India and Germany, he said that Chancellor Merz's official visit will lead to a renewed effort to make the partnership between the two nations "even stronger". "I think we are at an all-time high. Our partnership was never as good as it is now. I am very happy to see how strong the partnership is, how strong the attention in Germany toward India is, and how strong the friendship in India toward Germany is. But a strong partnership can always be stronger and better. This visit will lead to a renewed effort to make this partnership even stronger," Ackermann said. His remarks come ahead of Friedrich Merz's, the Chancellor of Germany, visit to India on January 12 and 13. Earlier, Ackermann met with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi to discuss bilateral security and defence issues. In a post on X, the MoD Spokesperson further mentioned that discussions were also held on priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment. "German Ambassador Dr Philipp Ackermann called on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh today. The Ambassador conveyed new year greetings to the Defence Secretary on behalf of German side. They also discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development & co-production of defence equipment." (ANI) World leaders on Saturday condemned the killing and arrest of protesters as they gripped Iran as threat looms over the administration. In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union lauded the bravery displayed by the citizens of Iran and condemned the reported crackdown by the regime. "We commend the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest. We strongly condemn the killing of protestors, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people," the statement read. The nations called on Iranian government to end the use of aggressive force against the protesters and preserve their right to freedom of expression. "Iran must immediately end the use of excessive and lethal force by its security forces including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij against protestors. Too many lives - over 40 to date - have already been lost. The Iranian regime has the responsibility to protect its own population and must allow for the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal," as per the statement. Meanwhile, Israeli experts say that the situation has reached an inflection point and could could worsen and even threaten the regime, Mako Israel reported. As per Mako, over a million people have taken to the streets of Iran and the protest has spread to many regions. There is also an indication that the Revolutionary Guards have begun suppressing the protests. Additionally, Time magazine quoted an Iranian doctor who said on the condition of anonymity that just six hospitals in the capital Tehran had recorded at least 217 protester deaths, "most by live ammunition." Posting videos that she says she received from people in Iran via Starlink, prominent Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad said, "It's been over 24 hours now that the dictator of Iran has shut down internet connections for 90 million Iranians. Internet access is the lifeline of Iran uprising and by making Starlink services available for Iranian revolutionaries, Elon Musk has made a crucial and indispensable contribution to the fight for democracy in Iran." Lending support to the protestors is the Iranian Crown Prince in exile Reza Pahlavi, who called for people to work together to deal the final blow to the regime. "I have a message for our compatriots in the diaspora. At this moment, you can play a critical role. More important than anything at this time is the continuation of protests in your host countries and major cities and also sharing information with political, governmental, and media entities. You should get in touch with them however you can, via phone or email. The continuation of this coverage of Iran will ensure Iranians are a priority and are not forgotten. We must not allow this voice to be silenced on the international level. They must know the people of Iran, despite all of the limitations placed on them, with remarkable courage, are continuing the fight. And Iranians inside will see you are working alongside them and will be energized. Let us, at this time, work hand in hand to deal the final blow to the regime, achieve freedom, and rebuild our country," he said in a video message on X. This follows, US President Donald Trump saying that the situation in Iran is being monitored very closely. Trump warned that if protestors were killed, the US would get involved and would hit the country where it hurts. Protests in Iran entered their thirteenth day on Friday as the movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living has now morphed into a call for the end of the present regime that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the pro-Western Shah. Internet freedom monitor Netblocks documented the internet blockade enforced by the regime and said on Friday, "It has now been 24 hours since Iran implemented a nationwide internet shutdown, with connectivity flat lining at 1% of ordinary levels. The ongoing digital blackout violates the fundamental rights and liberties of Iranians while masking regime violence." (ANI) LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- After a four-day run, the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2026) drew to a close in Las Vegas, USA. Making its debut at the event, BiLight , a global leader in flexible perovskite photovoltaic (PV) technology, emerged as a dark horse in the green tech track with a portfolio of world-first products and disruptive technical solutions. Guided by its brand vision of "Energy Equity," the company is driving the global scenario-based adoption of flexible PV technology. Bilight Innovations unveiled three revolutionary perovskite PV products at CES 2026 Themed "Defining the Physical Boundaries of AI," this year's CES highlighted the deep integration of green energy and AI as a key trend. BiLight showcased three core product lines at the Las Vegas Convention Center, shattering the inherent perception of traditional PV products as "bulky, rigid, and single-scenario." Among the highlights, the world-premier rollable flexible perovskite solar curtain garnered significant attention, integrating sunshade, heat insulation, and power generation functions to directly supply electricity to home and office devices, reshaping the "PV + Space" application ecosystem. Additionally, the handheld rollable solar product became a hot favorite for outdoor PV applications, thanks to its portability and efficient energy supplementation capabilities. The lithium-free perovskite electronic nameplate set a new benchmark for office innovation: optimized with low-light power generation technology, it can stably supply energy under ordinary indoor lighting. Paired with low-power e-paper display and Bluetooth refresh functions, it achieves "seamless charging and permanent use," addressing the resource waste of traditional paper nameplates and the environmental concerns of lithium-ion battery devices. This innovative solution attracted extensive consultations and negotiations with office equipment manufacturers and purchasers. During the show, BiLight's technical strength sparked a wave of cross-industry collaborations. A leading energy storage enterprise held in-depth discussions with BiLight, exploring joint R&D around the "flexible PV + portable energy storage" scenario to solve the battery life anxiety of outdoor devices through technological integration. In the automotive sector, industry representative SHM focused on applications such as rollable solar sunroofs and automotive curtain PV, engaging in detailed discussions on technical adaptation and product implementation to open up new paths for upgrading automotive energy endurance. AI hardware firm BleeqUp and satellite equipment companies also held talks with BiLight, exploring the potential applications of flexible perovskite technology in smart terminals, space energy, and IoT tracking. Beyond product displays, at a themed roadshow hosted by TMTPost, James Fang, Co-Founder of BiLight, elaborated on the company's strategic layout. During the roadshow, BiLight released a three-year product roadmap, aiming to gradually achieve full-scenario coverage across consumer electronics, automotive energy storage, building-integrated PV, and satellite energy, constructing a "PV+" ecosystem. The vision of "Energy Equity" and the clear product roadmap demonstrated BiLight's development potential to global industry partners, strengthening their confidence in future collaborations. Looking ahead, BiLight will continue to prioritize technological R&D as its core, deepen cooperation with global industry partners, and promote the widespread adoption of flexible PV technology in more fields. With innovative strength, the company is committed to reshaping the global energy application landscape, fulfilling its brand promise of "Energy Equity," and making green energy accessible to everyone. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Bilight Afghanistan appointed diplomat Noor Ahmed Noor at the Afghan Embassy in Delhi, sources told ANI on Saturday. Earlier on December 20, Afghanistan's Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali said that India is emerging as a key alternative partner for Afghanistan's pharmaceutical needs, as its relationship with Pakistan stands "deteriorated". Jalali said Afghanistan is looking to open a "new chapter" of cooperation with India, highlighting the long-standing ties between the two countries and India's role as a reliable health partner. "We have a strong relationship with India, and we are here to open a new chapter of cooperation and collaboration. When it comes to Pakistan, the relationship stands deteriorated." His remarks came during his visit to India for the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, held in New Delhi. 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. Jalali's visit followed the Ministry of External Affairs welcoming him on his first official visit to India, underlining New Delhi's continued humanitarian outreach to Afghanistan despite changing regional dynamics. Jalali's visit was part of a broader pattern of official exchanges between the two countries. In October 2025, 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." Afghanistan's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, on November 24 had announced that long-standing visa hurdles between India and Afghanistan have been resolved, allowing Afghan citizens to obtain Indian visas for both medical treatment and business purposes. Adressing a press conference following his five-day offical visit to the country, the Afghan Minister added that the Afghan Embassy will play a key role in facilitating these services. At the same time, the Embassy of India in Kabul will also develop programs to support Afghan nationals. (ANI) Bangladesh's National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman met with Allison Hooker, Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Paul Kapur, Assistant Secretary of State at the State Department in Washington DC on Friday. During the meetings, they discussed upcoming elections in Bangladesh, economic and trade relations, Rohingya issue, and regional matters, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Press Wing said in a statement on Saturday. Rahman underscored the prospects of increased trade between the two countries following substantially enhanced Bangladeshi import of American farm products. He requested Hooker to ease travel of Bangladeshi businessmen to US in the context the of the recent visa bond, and if possible, to exempt B1 short term business visa for Bangladeshi businessmen from the visa bond. Hooker recognized the matter and assured that the US government will positively consider the step. She also indicated that if the overstay by the tourists declines substantially in future, the US might review the bond requirements that have been put in place. She also expressed deep appreciation for the cooperation of Bangladesh to the return of undocumented Bangladesh nationals, the statement said. Rahman expressed sincere thanks to the US for its continued support to the displaced Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh. Recognizing that the US is the largest donor for Rohingyas, he requested continuation of US support and assistance for them. Hooker thanked Bangladesh for continuing to carry substantial burden by hosting Rohingya refugees. She underscored the need for broad based burden sharing and finding a solution to the crisis. She also requested Bangladesh to expand livelihood options for the Rohingyas as long as they are in Bangladesh. NSA Rahman requested the US side to consider granting access to DFC financing for Bangladeshi private sector and also access to financing for semi-conductor development in Bangladesh. Under-Secretary Hooker assured US consideration of these proposals. Rahman also expressed Bangladesh's interest in principle to be part of the international stabilization force that would be deployed in Gaza. Under Secretary Hooker said that the US is willing to work together with Bangladesh on this important matter. In a separate meeting with Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur, NSA Rahman discussed issues of mutual interest including the forthcoming election in Bangladesh, US-Bangladesh bilateral relations, Rohingya crisis, US Visa bond, trade and investment and other regional issues. As a special invitee, NSA Rahman also attended the swearing-in ceremony of Brent Christensen, the new appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh held in the State Department. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Michael J. Rigas administered the oath. The ceremony was attended by Bangladesh Ambassador to US, Embassy officials, senior State Department and Military officials, former US ambassadors to Bangladesh, and US business leaders. In his remarks, Deputy Secretary of State reiterated US commitment to continue to support Bangladesh in its journey to democratic transition. Ambassador Christensen said, "The U.S supports Bangladesh in its journey towards a bright democratic future. I am excited to see the results and look forward to what the new elected government and I can do together to advance the U.S. -Bangladesh relations." Earlier in December, The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated India's consistent support for democratic processes in Bangladesh, stressing its call for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in the neighbouring country. Outlining New Delhi's position, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "India stands for strengthening our ties with the people of Bangladesh. We favour peace and stability in Bangladesh and have consistently called for free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh." (ANI) Iran's former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who is living in exile, on Saturday called on Iranians working in economic sectors to strike work and to move to occupy the centre of Tehran. Pahlavi voiced support for protesters across the country, praising continued demonstrations against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ruling establishment. "My dear compatriots, through your courage and resilience, you have earned the admiration of the world. Your magnificent presence once again in the streets across Iran on Friday evening was a crushing response to the threats of the treacherous and criminal leader of the Islamic Republic. I am certain that he saw these images from his hideout and trembled with fear. Now, with your decisive response to the first call, I am confident that by making our street presence more purposeful and simultaneously cutting off financial lifelines, we will bring the Islamic Republic and its worn-out, fragile apparatus of suppression completely to its knees," he said in a video message posted on X. The exiled Crown Prince has called for further protests and strikes for Saturday and Sunday, after Friday marked the 13th day of Protests in Iran. "I call upon the workers and employees of key economic sectors--especially transportation, oil, gas, and energy--to begin the process of nationwide strikes. Furthermore, I ask all of you today and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday (January 9 and 10/Day 20 and 21), starting from 6:00 PM, to take to the streets with flags, portraits, and national symbols to reclaim public spaces. Our goal is no longer merely to be present in the streets; the goal is to prepare for the capture and holding of city centres," he said. "To achieve this objective, move toward the central parts of cities from as many different routes as possible and merge separate crowds together. At the same time, prepare yourselves from this moment to remain in the streets and secure the necessary provisions. To the youth of the "Immortal Guard" of Iran, and all members of the armed and security forces who have joined the National Cooperation Platform, I say: slow down and disrupt the machine of suppression more than ever before, so that on the appointed day, we may disable it entirely." he added. Pahlavi further claimed that he is preparing to return to Iran. "I, too, am preparing for my return to the homeland to stand beside you, the great nation of Iran, at the moment of our national revolution's victory. I believe that day is very near." Pahlavi concluded his statement. Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War, a policy research organisation, on Saturday said it recorded 116 protests across 22 provinces since 3:30pm (local time) on January 8. As per the report, Iran saw 20 huge protests- ones that have a turnout of over 1,000 people. In a post on X, the Institute said, "Critical Threats and ISW have recorded 116 protests across 22 provinces since 3:30 PM ET on January 8. Twenty of these protests were large protests, which CTP-ISW defines as protests with more than 1,000 participants. CTP-ISW's protest data since its last data cutoff likely reflects only part of the protest activity that has taken place in Iran since that time, given that the internet shutdown restricts protesters' ability to publish and share videos of the protests. Some protesters have reportedly used Starlink to send reports of protests to foreign media." Internet monitor Netblocks detailed the reported Internet blocks across Iran, "It's now 8:00 am in Iran where the sun is rising after another night of protests met with repression; metrics show the nationwide internet blackout remains in place at 36 hours, severely limiting Iranians' ability to check on the safety of friends and loved ones ." Earlier, world leaders on Saturday condemned the killing and arrest of protesters as they gripped Iran as threat looms over the administration. In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union lauded the bravery displayed by the citizens of Iran and condemned the reported crackdown by the regime. (ANI) (ANI) Protests in Iran entered the thirteenth day on Friday, evolving from demonstrations over rising living costs into a nationwide movement calling for the end of the Islamic Republic, which has ruled the country since the 1979 revolution. Now, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has come out in support of the Iranian protestors. In a post on X, Rubio said, "The United States supports the brave people of Iran." The statement follows US President Donald Trump who said on Friday that the situation in Iran is being monitored very closely and hoped for the protestors in the country to be safe. He warned that if protestors were killed, the US would get involved and would hit the country where it hurts. "Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts so we don't want that to happen," Trump said. Meanwhile, Iran's former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who is living in exile, on Saturday called on Iranians working in economic sectors to strike work and to move to occupy the centre of Tehran. Pahlavi voiced support for protesters across the country, praising continued demonstrations against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ruling establishment. "I call upon the workers and employees of key economic sectors--especially transportation, oil, gas, and energy--to begin the process of nationwide strikes. Furthermore, I ask all of you today and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday (January 9 and 10/Day 20 and 21), starting from 6:00 PM, to take to the streets with flags, portraits, and national symbols to reclaim public spaces. Our goal is no longer merely to be present in the streets; the goal is to prepare for the capture and holding of city centres," he said. "To achieve this objective, move toward the central parts of cities from as many different routes as possible and merge separate crowds together. At the same time, prepare yourselves from this moment to remain in the streets and secure the necessary provisions. To the youth of the "Immortal Guard" of Iran, and all members of the armed and security forces who have joined the National Cooperation Platform, I say: slow down and disrupt the machine of suppression more than ever before, so that on the appointed day, we may disable it entirely." he added. Earlier, in a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union lauded the bravery displayed by the citizens of Iran and condemned the reported crackdown by the regime. "We commend the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest. We strongly condemn the killing of protestors, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people," the statement read. The nations called on Iranian government to end the use of aggressive force against the protesters and preserve their right to freedom of expression. (ANI) Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor of Germany is scheduled to arrive at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on January 12, a statement by the MEA said. Merz would then visit Sabarmati Ashram and participate in the Kite Festival. He is then scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and issue press statements at Mahatma Mandir. He will also visit the Dandi Kutir. On January 13, Merz will visit Bosch, followed by Nano Science and Engineering, CeNSE and then depart for Germany. PM Modi and Merz had met earlier on November 22 at G20 Summit. The two leaders will review the progress made in the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which has recently completed 25 years. Their discussion will also focus on further intensifying cooperation in trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility, while also advancing collaboration in important domains of defence and security, science, innovation and research, green and sustainable development, and people-to-people ties. Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance, and engage with business and industry leaders of the two countries. The visit is expected to build on the momentum generated by regular high-level political interactions and provide an opportunity to reaffirm the shared vision of India and Germany to develop a forward-looking partnership for the benefit of both countries and the wider global community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Merz last held discussions on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where the two leaders agreed to further broaden the bilateral strategic partnership. During that interaction, Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to the German Chancellor for an official visit to New Delhi. The visit is also taking place in the lead-up to the India-EU Summit scheduled for January 27. (ANI) Danish Conservative MP Rasmus Jarlov said that it was deeply troubling for Denmark to be threatened with military forces. Jarlov, while speaking on Trump's remarks on Denmark, said that the only threat to the nation is the US. He said, "It is deeply troubling, and unacceptable, that we are being threatened with military force by the United States... It is shocking and unprecedented that you would threaten allies, countries that have done nothing against you except remain loyal. This is worrying for other countries as well, because if Denmark can be the target of such aggression, then no one is safe... In the case of Greenland, however, there is absolutely no excuse: no threat, no hostility," he said. He also said they have no threat from China. "There are no threats against Greenland. The only threat is the United States. The notion that China is threatening Greenland is a fake story. China has virtually no presence there: no consulate, no mining operations, no ownership, and certainly no military footprint... Even if it were true, the Americans already have military access to Greenland, and they have actually scaled it down by 99%, from 15,000 troops to 150," he said. Under a little-known Cold War agreement, the United States already enjoys sweeping military access in Greenland. Right now, the United States has one base in a very remote corner of the island. But the agreement allows it to "construct, install, maintain, and operate" military bases across Greenland, "house personnel" and "control landings, takeoffs, anchorages, moorings, movements, and operation of ships, aircraft, and waterborne craft," as per New York Times. It was signed in 1951 by the United States and Denmark, which colonised Greenland more than 300 years ago and still controls some of its affairs. Greenlanders now have the right to hold a referendum on independence, and Danish officials have said it's up to the island's 57,000 inhabitants to decide their future. A poll last year found 85 per cent of residents opposed the idea of an American takeover, as per New York Times. (ANI) A widely shared video on Chinese social media has sparked intense outrage among Tibetans both inside Tibet and in exile after it showed a Chinese tourist desecrating sacred items inside a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, according to a report by Phayul. The viral footage shows the tourist drinking liquid directly from a shrine altar before pouring the remaining drink into a butter lamp, an action Tibetans say represents a grave violation of religious sanctity and cultural values. Tibetans online condemned the act as far more than mere disrespect, calling it a "shameless provocation" and a "direct insult," while stressing that monasteries are holy spaces and not places for tourists seeking publicity or social media attention, Phayul reported. "Monasteries are not platforms for tourists to perform for attention," a Tibetan social media user wrote, urging judicial authorities and cyber police to take strong action against behaviour they believe threatens social stability and national unity. The Tibetan commenter stressed that the act cannot be dismissed as ignorance. "It's not about misunderstanding the rules. This isn't ordinary disrespect. It is humiliating. This is an open provocation," the user stated. "Cultural boundaries cannot be violated. I hope relevant authorities investigate thoroughly." He further added that such conduct insults not only Tibetan religion and culture but also other visitors who genuinely respect Tibet. "Your actions are not only disrespectful toward Tibetan culture; they offend everyone who visits Tibet with sincerity," he said. Prominent Tibetan writer and poet Tsering Woeser also commented on the incident, linking such behaviour to what she described as prolonged tolerance by authorities toward tourists' misconduct in Tibet, Phayul reported. "The shocking behaviour of tourists is the direct outcome of long-standing leniency," Tsering wrote on X. She explained that with "cultural tourism" promoted as one of Tibet's primary industries, tourists have gradually become "untouchable figures," while incidents violating Tibetan beliefs and traditions continue to increase. "We are exhausted," she wrote. "These serious incidents keep happening because local authorities deliberately ignore them. As a result, increasingly outrageous behaviour goes almost unpunished, while Tibetans who suffer are left with anger and rarely receive justice," Phayul quoted. Bhuchung K. Tsering, Head of the Research and Monitoring Unit at the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), also expressed concern about the lack of official reaction. "A video of a Chinese tourist drinking an offering at a #Tibetan monastery and then desecrating a butter lamp by pouring the leftovers inside is circulating on Chinese social media," Bhuchung posted on X. "Yet there is still no indication of any action by Chinese authorities, whose censors are usually highly active," Phayul reported. (ANI) A two-day sit-in by the Hindu Kohli Community that brought traffic on the Thar coal road to a halt in Badin district concluded on Friday after senior police officials assured protesters that action would be taken against the influential landlord accused of murdering a young peasant. The protest was staged by thousands of men, women and children belonging to the minority Kolhi community, with support from more than a dozen political, nationalist and religious parties. Demonstrators blocked the Thar coal supply route as well as the main road connecting Badin to Hyderabad via Tando Muhammad Khan, pressing authorities to arrest Sarfaraz Nizamani, who is accused of killing 22-year-old peasant Kailash Kolhi earlier this month, reported The Express Tribune. According to the protesters, Kolhi was shot dead on January 4 in a village near Talhar. They alleged that the accused, a powerful local landlord, opened fire following a dispute and later fled the scene with armed associates. Despite the registration of a case, the accused had not been arrested, prompting outrage within the local community. Deputy Commissioner Yasir Bhatti and Senior Superintendent of Police Qamar Raza Jikani held three rounds of talks with the protesters. The negotiations were led by the victim's father, Chetan Kolhi, who demanded immediate justice for his son. Following assurances from the administration, the protesters agreed to call off the sit-in, but issued a one-week ultimatum for the arrest of the accused. Speaking to the media, Chetan Kolhi claimed that Nizamani was intoxicated and enraged at the time of the incident. He said the family rushed to the area after hearing gunshots and found Kailash lying on the ground with fatal bullet wounds. "When we reached there, the accused and his men pointed guns at us and then escaped," he alleged, as reported by The Express Tribune. Minority rights activist Sodhi Kolhi strongly criticised the police, saying the killing of an unarmed peasant in daylight reflected the vulnerability of poor communities. She questioned the delay in arresting the main suspect despite public pressure and appealed to authorities to show compassion and uphold the law. In a show of solidarity, the Badin District Bar Association boycotted court proceedings on Friday. Lawyers condemned the killing and accused the police of showing reluctance in pursuing the case due to the accused's influence. Members of the bar joined the protest alongside leaders of Sindh Kolhi Ittehad and various political and nationalist groups, demanding swift and impartial justice. (ANI) Former Indian diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar has warned that NATO could "completely disintegrate" if US President Donald Trump moves to occupy Greenland, saying such an action would undermine the alliance's core principles of sovereignty, collective security and the rules-based international order. Speaking with ANI, Sajjanhar said statements by senior US officials questioning Denmark's claim over Greenland were alarming and revealed deep contradictions within the Western alliance. This comes as Trump earlier said that the United States needs Greenland for national security reasons, a day after strikes on Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump said Greenland was critical to US security due growing presence of Russia and China in the Arctic region."We need Greenland. ... It's so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place," Trump said. "We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it." Referring to remarks by US Deputy White House Chief Stephen Miller, Sajjanhar said American officials were openly challenging Denmark's sovereignty by arguing that the United States, as a NATO power responsible for Arctic security, had a greater claim over Greenland. "They are not willing to talk to Denmark. They just want to occupy it," Sajjanhar said, recalling Miller's remarks questioning Denmark's claim over the Arctic territory. "The real question is what right does Denmark have to assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?" Miller said during the interview with CNN on Monday afternoon. Sajjanhar pointed out that Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had repeatedly offered dialogue on cooperation, including commercial activities and mineral exploration, but had drawn a clear red line on sovereignty. "She has suggested many times that we can discuss collaboration, commercial activity and exploitation of minerals. Except for sovereignty. Sovereignty is out of bounds. But Mr. Trump has not responded positively to any of that," he said. According to Sajjanhar, this demonstrated that the intent was not to negotiate but to coerce. "It is not as if they want to engage in negotiations. They just want to go and occupy it," he added. The former diplomat also criticised the muted response from European countries, noting that while several NATO allies had issued a joint statement backing Denmark, their opposition remained cautious. "And can they (Europeans) expect that if they were to make a move, if they were to go into Greenland, what would be the status of NATO, the NATO alliance as such. And it will completely disintegrate. That is why they have been mealy-mouthed. Because they think that they need the support of the United States, both in the context of Ukraine, because if the United States would completely disengage itself from there, then it's going to create very many difficulties," Sajjanhar said, linking Europe's hesitation to its dependence on Washington, particularly amid the Ukraine conflict. He warned that if the US were to disengage from Ukraine, it would create serious difficulties for Europe, which explains why European leaders are trying to strike a balance, opposing Washington's position on Greenland without firmly defending Denmark's territorial integrity. "And I think that is why they have been sort of, you know, so trying to balance while coming out against the US position on Greenland. So opposing it, but still not, you know, going to the extent that we are going to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of one of the European member states, he added. Sajjanhar also referred to growing anxiety in the Western Hemisphere, including in Canada, as Trump has repeatedly mentioned countries such as Greenland, Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia and Mexico. "Canada feels that it needs to come together with others because so many countries are being mentioned.. I think, fortunately for Canada, when he was mentioning Cuba, Colombia, Mexico and Greenland, and I think till yesterday the discussion, the furore was who exactly will be after Venezuela, and as you mentioned very correctly, the Americans have said Greenland comes first. So, at least the Canadians must be heaving a temporary sigh of relief that they have not been mentioned by Mr. Trump like this," he said. (ANI) The Embassy of India in Kathmandu on Friday organised a cultural programme at its premises to mark Vishwa Hindi Diwas, celebrating the shared linguistic and cultural heritage of India and Nepal. As part of the event, several schools from Kathmandu participated in Hindi poetry recitations and skits. Students presented poems on a range of thought-provoking themes, while artists from the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre also performed during the programme. Addressing the gathering, Gopal Thakur, President of the National Language Commission of Nepal, highlighted the close linguistic ties between the two countries. "Hindi and Nepali, both these languages are common languages of both India and Nepal. In the Constitution of India, under the Eighth Schedule, Nepali is listed. In the Constitution of Nepal (2072), Section 6 mentions that all the languages spoken here are national languages. Apart from the two censuses during the royal regime, from 1952 till now, all national censuses have recorded the population of those with Hindi as their mother tongue," Thakur said. Rakesh Pandey, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, read out Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message on the occasion. An India-Nepal Maitri Kavi Sammelan was also organised, during which distinguished poets recited Hindi poetry, captivating the audience. The event was attended by several prominent dignitaries, including Mangal Prasad Gupta, Member of Parliament and President of Hindi Manch Nepal; Dr. Gopal Thakur, Chairman of the Language Commission, Government of Nepal; and Nisha Sharma, Vice Chancellor of Nepal Music and Drama Pragyana Pratishthan. Vishwa Hindi Diwas traces its origins to the first World Hindi Conference, which was held on January 10, 1975, in Nagpur, India. Since then, the day has been observed annually on January 10 to promote the Hindi language. (ANI) NEW YORK, Jan. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer365 has recognized QuickBooks Payroll as the easiest payroll software for beginners, citing its guided setup, intuitive workflows, and ability to reduce complexity for first-time employers. The recognition reflects the growing importance of payroll software that prioritizes clarity and automation as small businesses expand and begin managing employees, compliance obligations, and recurring pay cycles. Easiest Payroll Software for Beginners QuickBooks Payroll - known for its simple setup experience and easy-to-use payroll workflows built specifically for small and growing businesses. Payroll is often one of the first operational systems that small business owners must formalize as they grow. Moving from solo work to employing staff introduces responsibilities that extend well beyond issuing payments. Employers must manage tax withholdings, filings, labor regulations, recordkeeping, and year-end reporting. For beginners, these requirements can feel daunting, particularly when errors can lead to penalties or strained employee relationships. As a result, demand has increased for payroll platforms that simplify processes without requiring prior payroll expertise. Why Ease of Payroll Matters for Growing Businesses Consumer365's review highlights a broader shift in how small business owners approach payroll software. Ease of use is no longer a convenience. It has become a baseline requirement. Business owners increasingly expect payroll to function as a dependable background system that runs accurately with minimal manual intervention. This expectation reflects wider trends in small business software adoption. Owners are balancing multiple roles, from sales and operations to hiring and compliance. Payroll systems that demand constant oversight or specialized knowledge create friction at a time when efficiency matters most. In contrast, platforms that emphasize automation and guided workflows help reduce administrative burden and lower the risk of costly mistakes. QuickBooks Payroll was recognized for aligning with these expectations. Its onboarding process walks users through payroll configuration step by step, introducing employee information, pay schedules, and tax details in a structured flow. Clear prompts and explanations reduce confusion and help beginners complete setup with confidence. This approach minimizes the risk of errors that can surface later during payroll runs or tax filing. Once payroll is configured, the platform is designed to remain predictable. Payroll can be scheduled to run automatically, while alerts and notifications keep employers informed without requiring daily involvement. This balance allows owners to maintain visibility while avoiding manual data entry each pay period. How QuickBooks Payroll Supports Beginner-Friendly Workflows Consumer365 also pointed to usability beyond initial setup as a key reason for the recognition. The platform organizes payroll tasks within a centralized dashboard that prioritizes clarity. Users can review upcoming payroll runs, access historical payroll records, and manage settings from a single interface. This consistency helps beginners build familiarity quickly, reducing the learning curve over time. Mobile access further supports flexibility. Payroll can be reviewed and managed outside the office, which is increasingly important for owners who operate on the go. The mobile experience mirrors core desktop functionality, allowing payroll tasks to remain accessible without compromising accuracy or control. Employee self-service features were another factor highlighted in the evaluation. Employees can access pay stubs, retrieve tax documents, and update personal or direct deposit information independently. This reduces routine administrative requests and helps maintain accurate records. On supported plans, time tracking data integrates directly into payroll, ensuring that hours worked align with wages paid and reducing reconciliation issues. Tax handling remains one of the most challenging aspects of payroll for beginners. QuickBooks Payroll automates payroll tax calculations, filings, and payments once setup is complete. Year-end processes, including preparation and filing of W-2 and 1099 forms, are also handled within the platform. This automation lowers the risk of missed deadlines and reduces reliance on external services. Reporting capabilities also play an important role for new employers. Payroll reports covering employee earnings, taxes withheld, benefits contributions, and paid time off provide visibility into labor costs and upcoming obligations. Real-time reporting supports better planning and helps businesses anticipate payroll expenses rather than reacting after payments are processed. The platform's recent introduction of AI-supported payroll tools reflects an industry-wide shift toward proactive system guidance. These tools help identify inconsistencies in time and attendance data and provide updates that allow payroll to be reviewed or managed remotely. For small businesses with limited administrative resources, this type of assistance can reduce errors without adding complexity. Plan Flexibility and Features That Grow With the Business Consumer365's recognition also considered how well QuickBooks Payroll supports businesses over time. The platform offers multiple plan tiers that allow employers to start with core payroll functionality and expand features as needs evolve. This flexibility supports early-stage employers while accommodating growth in team size and operational complexity. Depending on the plan, QuickBooks Payroll provides access to HR-related tools and benefits management. These include healthcare options, retirement plans, workers' compensation administration, and HR advisory resources. Managing these services within the payroll environment reduces the need for disconnected systems and supports a more cohesive operational setup. The evaluation also reflects a broader market trend toward payroll platforms that serve as foundational business systems rather than isolated tools. As small businesses increasingly rely on integrated software ecosystems, payroll solutions that align with accounting, time tracking, and HR workflows provide continuity as organizations scale. QuickBooks Payroll's ability to operate as a standalone payroll solution or within a broader business environment supports this approach. For new employers, payroll software has become a core operational system rather than a secondary consideration. It influences employee trust, financial accuracy, and overall efficiency. Platforms that focus on simplicity, automation, and guidance are increasingly favored by businesses navigating their early stages of growth. Readers can read the full review on Consumer365. About Intuit Intuit is the global financial technology platform that powers prosperity for the people and communities we serve. With approximately 100 million customers worldwide using products such as TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks and Mailchimp, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to prosper. We never stop working to find new, innovative ways to make that possible. Please visit us at Intuit.com and find us on social for the latest information about Intuit and our products and services. About 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 Former Indian Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar has said that the United States' actions against Venezuela amount to a serious violation of international law, raising concerns over sovereignty, the use of force, and the precedent such actions could set globally. In an interview with ANI, Sajjanhar also said that people of Venenzuelan-origin outside the country are in favour of a change of government in the South American country, but within the country, the Army, the law enforcement authorities who have power with them, "they still appear to be very much with Nicolas Maduro" . He said the US action in Venezuela is a violation of the UN Charter. "First, if you look at the UN Charter, the UN principle, you know, there is an independent country, there is a sovereign country, and you have violated its territorial integrity and sovereignty, that is a huge gross violation of international law," he said. "The second would be in terms of Article 2 of the UN Charter, where it is mentioned that use of force in settling any disputes that is not permitted. There are two very short exceptions to that. One, if you are (in) self-defence. And the second is if it is authorized by the United Nations. And none of that really held in this particular case," he added. Sajjanhar, who was India's envoy to Sweden, Kazakhstan and Latvia, referred to the international legal principle that protects a sitting head of state from arrest, noting that even the Permanent International Court of Justice has ruled against forcibly detaining a head of state. "The Permanent International Court of Justice has ruled against picking up a ruling head of state, a person in position as the head of state, because his persona is to be treated as inviolable," he said. He added that several political figures in Venezuela are demanding elections, but that does not justify external intervention. "And there are others also waiting in the wings like, you know, Edmundo Gonzalez, who fought the election. They want new elections. Maria Corina Machado, she wants elections," Sajjanhar noted. The former diplomat also questioned the legality of the action under US domestic law, saying the US Constitution requires Congressional approval before engaging in military action against another country. "The charge that has been levelled against them (US) also is that you did not take permission from the Congress. And you cannot wage war against any other country without... getting the authorization from the Congress," he said. Sajjanhar said the US administration is attempting to justify the move as a law enforcement action rather than a military operation. "That's what they are trying to defend in their domestic context. That it is a legal, it's a law enforcement measure. We have not gone to war," he said, adding that US authorities argue Maduro was indicted earlier and is being brought to face justice. He also referred to an earlier US intervention and said "two wrongs does not make it right". "...Coming back to what George HW Bush has done to, you know, to (Manuel) Noriega in Panama in 1989... two wrongs does not make it right. You know, that was wrong as it stood. This is also wrong as it stands. both international law and domestic law," Sajjanhar said. He also questioned claims concerning US action in Venezuela. "Are they going there to restore democracy as they have done in Afghanistan? The sort of democracy that they have restored in Iraq, in Libya, meaning is that the sort of democracy?" he asked. "I think there is evidence to suggest that Venezuela has not been the biggest transporter of drugs into the United States. Much more of it is being processed in Colombia and the other places," he added. Sajjanhar said the US President Donald Trump's remarks soon after Maduro was captured in military action, raised further alarm. "Mr. Trump used it on Saturday evening in his press conference that now we are going to run Venezuela. What does that mean?" he asked. He added that Trump later claimed that Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez had agreed to U.S. demands, but her public statements contradicted this claim. "And he said she didn't have any choice. But after that, we have seen what Delcy Rodriguez has said. She said, we do not want to be again a colony of any other empire," Sajjanhar said. "There might be one-fourth of the population which is outside, which has fled the diaspora, which wants change. But within the country, and, you know, particularly as far as the army is concerned, the law enforcement authorities, they have the power with them. and they still appear to be very much with Nicolas Maduro," he added. Sharing a personal anecdote, Sajjanhar recalled meeting Delcy Rodriguez during her visit to India in February 2025. "I don't have a connection in that sense, but I was totally unaware that she will be rising to this particular position," he said, adding that she had visited India to attend India Energy Week and is also Venezuela's oil minister. Sajjanhar also spoke about the influence of India'sn spirituality in South America. "In South America, there is a lot of interest in Indian spirituality, Indian spiritualism... The Brahma Kumaris, they have huge followings there," he said. (ANI) Iran's Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad has issued a stark warning amid escalating nationwide protests, declaring that anyone participating in the demonstrations or aiding those involved would be treated as an "enemy of God", a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law, i24 news reported. In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, Movahedi Azad said individuals who have taken part in the protests, assisted rioters, or contributed to acts of vandalism and insecurity would face swift and uncompromising legal action. He instructed prosecutors to move quickly and decisively, stressing that there would be no leniency or compassion in dealing with those accused. "Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country," the statement read. "Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence." According to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, the Attorney General reiterated that legal proceedings against protesters would be carried out "without leniency, mercy or appeasement," signalling an intensified crackdown by authorities as unrest continues to spread across the country. "The charges against all rioters are the same," Movahedi Azad was quoted as saying by Tasnim. "Whether they are individuals who have helped rioters and terrorists in the destruction and damage of public security and property, or mercenaries who have taken up arms and caused fear and terror among citizens, " Times of Israel reported. He further asserted that "all criminals are enemies in this matter," leaving little ambiguity about the government's position toward demonstrators and those accused of supporting them. Tehran's prosecutor also said on Friday that acts of vandalism targeting public property would be classified as "moharebeh," a term translated as "waging war against God," under Iran's penal code. The charge of moharebeh (enemy of God) is among the most serious offences in Iran and can carry punishments including execution. The protests, which began over rising living costs, have rapidly evolved into a broader anti-government movement calling for the end of the Islamic Republic, which has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution. Demonstrations have now entered their thirteenth day and have spread to at least 100 cities across Iran's 31 provinces, according to CNN. Authorities have responded with arrests and restrictions to curb the unrest. One hundred people were arrested in the Iranian county of Baharestan near the capital city of Tehran on charges of disrupting public order and leading "riots," Iranian media reported. In an apparent move to prevent further mobilisation, officials also announced the closure of schools in several provinces. Schools across the central Iranian province of Isfahan will be closed on Sunday, with classes held remotely. "Schools across the central Iranian province of Isfahan will be non-face-to-face tomorrow at all levels of education," the Director General of Crisis Management of Isfahan Governorate said. As tensions rise domestically, international reactions to the situation in Iran have intensified. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly expressed support for the protesters, stating Washington's backing for what he described as their courage. In a post on social media platform X, Rubio said, "The United States supports the brave people of Iran." His statement followed remarks by US President Donald Trump, who said the situation in Iran was being monitored "very closely" and warned of potential consequences if protesters were killed. "Iran's in big trouble. It appears that people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully," Trump said on Friday. He further warned that if Iranian authorities resorted to lethal force, the United States would respond. "I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people as they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts, so we don't want that to happen," Trump said. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also voiced her support, saying that ' Europe stands behind the protestors. "Tehran's streets, and cities around the world, echo with the footsteps of Iranian women and men demanding freedom. Freedom to speak, to gather, to travel and above all to live freely. Europe stands fully behind them, she wrote in an X post. Meanwhile, Iran's former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has been living in exile since the 1979 revolution, issued a call for intensified civil resistance. In a message released on Saturday, Pahlavi urged workers in key economic sectors to strike and encouraged protesters to move toward occupying central areas of Tehran. "I call upon the workers and employees of key economic sectors, especially transportation, oil, gas, and energy, to begin the process of nationwide strikes," Pahlavi said. He also called on citizens to take to the streets over the weekend, urging coordinated action to reclaim public spaces. "Starting from 6:00 PM, to take to the streets with flags, portraits, and national symbols to reclaim public spaces. Our goal is no longer merely to be present in the streets; the goal is to prepare for the capture and holding of city centres," he said. Pahlavi appealed to members of Iran's security forces to slow down enforcement actions and disrupt what he described as the "machine of suppression." "To the youth of the 'Immortal Guard' of Iran, and all members of the armed and security forces who have joined the National Cooperation Platform, I say: slow down and disrupt the machine of suppression more than ever before," he added. International concern has also been voiced by Western nations. In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union praised the courage of Iranian citizens and condemned reports of a violent crackdown. "We commend the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest," the statement said. "We strongly condemn the killing of protestors, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people," it added. The joint statement called on the Iranian government to halt the use of aggressive force against demonstrators and to uphold citizens' rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. As protests continue across Iran, the situation remains tense, with authorities signalling a hardline response even as international pressure and global scrutiny intensify. (ANI) Senegal has reiterated firm support for the Royal initiative for Atlantic Africa seeking to transform Africas Atlantic coast into a zone of shared prosperity, offering Sahel countries access to the Ocean and promoting economic integration, energy security, and regional stability. The supportive stand was voiced by Speaker of Senegalese National Assembly El Malick Ndiaye during a meeting held Friday in Rabat with Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita. He said his countrys Parliament is preparing a second session in Dakar devoted to the implementation of this strategic project gathering 28 African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, stretching from North to Southern Africa, plus island nations like Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe. The Royal initiative, launched to promote Africas Atlantic coast and enable landlocked African countries have access to port and airport infrastructure, reflects the values of African solidarity and proves that the Continent has taken its destiny into its own hands, underlined M. Ndiaye. Regarding the Sahara issue, he reiterated Dakars steadfast support for Moroccos territorial integrity and the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara under the Kingdoms sovereignty. He also congratulated Morocco for the adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 2797 endorsing the Moroccan Autonomy plan as the only basis for the resolution of this five-decade regional conflict. Mr. Ndiaye said his talks with Bourita focused on topics of common interest, including bilateral cooperation prospects in the economic, social, religious, and cultural fields. M. Ndiaye congratulated Morocco for the impressive 2025 Africa Cup of Nations the Kingdom is currently delivering, saying the world-class organization of this African tournament will be an inspirational model for other countries. Moroccos airports handled 36.3 million passengers in 2025, up from 32.7 million in 2024, driven by strong demand across major hubs and boosted by fan arrivals for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, aviation authorities said. The rise comes amid a record year for tourism. Morocco welcomed 19.8 million visitors in 2025, a 14% increase from a year earlier, according to the Tourism Ministry. Tourism revenues reached 124 billion dirhams ($13.5 billion) between January and November, also an all time high. The aviation performance reflects momentum generated by the national Aeroport 2030 strategy, which aims to anticipate traffic growth, expand infrastructure and strengthen Moroccos air connectivity, the airports authority ONDA said. Casablancas Mohammed V Airport surpassed 11 million passengers in December, reinforcing its role as a regional hub. Marrakech Airport crossed the 10 million passenger milestone for the first time, while Rabat Sale recorded a 26% jump to exceed 2 million passengers. The five largest airports accounted for nearly 90% of national traffic. Casablanca handled 32% of total passengers, Marrakech 28% and Agadir 10%, with Tanger and Rabat posting annual increases of 17% and 26% respectively. The strong demand comes as Morocco moves to expand capacity nationwide. Earlier this month, the government approved construction of a major new terminal at Casablancas Mohammed V Airport as part of the Aeroport 2030 plan. The project will cover 600,000 m and is designed to handle up to 20 million passengers, with future expansion potential to 30 million. Officials say the upgrade is essential as rising tourism continues to stretch existing infrastructure. The current US administration has made the expansion of nuclear power a key priority, and through the Janus Program, the United States Army is placed to implement new, portable nuclear technology. The program unveiled last year aims to supply microreactors which are 100 to 1,000 times smaller than conventional nuclear reactors to military bases by 2028. The units can produce up to 20 megawatts of electricity and could provide dependable power for remote communities, military bases, data centers, and college campuses, especially in areas vulnerable to grid failures, states NBC Montana. They differ from Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which range from 20 to 300 megawatts, and are designed to be portable, with some able to be hauled by a semi tractor-trailer. Unlike traditional nuclear plants that take years to build, microreactors would be factory-built and deployed quickly. The biggest portable generators for the U.S. military are currently about 800 kilowatts, so microreactors would be a significant power upgrade. The U.S. Army is leading the way on fielding innovative and disruptive technology, said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll. We are shredding red tape and incubating next-generation capabilities in a variety of critical sectors, including nuclear power. While the Energy Department and the U.S. Army will be responsible for supplying uranium fuel for the Janus program, the microreactors will be owned and operated commercially. Related: Washington's Venezuelan Oil Push Falters on Funding Questions Eventually, small nuclear reactors may be licensed to other sectors, like power-hungry AI data centers. The U.S. Department of Defense is pursuing the concept as its military operations become more energy intensive and require portable, dense power sources, states Idaho National Laboratory. In a press release, the U.S. Army says the Janus Program aims to deliver secure, resilient and reliable energy to support national defense installations and critical missions in accordance with Executive Order 14299, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security. Army leaders say on-site nuclear power would help protect bases from grid failures and from cyber or physical attacks on civilian energy infrastructure, NBC Montana reports. The Army has identified nine installations under consideration to host microreactor power plants: Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort Drum, Fort Hood, Fort Wainwright, Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and Redstone Arsenal. The sites were selected based on factors such as energy requirements, power infrastructure, and environmental and technical considerations. The Army says an Area of Interest (AOI) notification has been released via the Department of Innovation Units (DIU) website to solicit industry deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. Specific timelines for each location will be announced in future updates. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said probably 10 different reactor designs will be demonstrated in the next 24 months. Despite skepticism from some quarters on the safety of nuclear, there are just as many who believe it is a relatively benign form of baseload power that is necessary for the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Nuclear, the argument goes, is emissions-free but does not suffer the intermittency problem of wind and solar. Last May President Trump signed executive orders pledging to quadruple American nuclear energy capacity from approximately 100 gigawatts in 2024 to 400 GW by 2050. There are currently 54 nuclear power plants operating in the United States, with 28 states having at least one reactor. According to the Energy Information Agency (EIA), Unit 3 at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia entered service on July 31, 2023 as part of a two-unit expansion project. It has 1,117 megawatts (MW) of net summer electricity generation capacity. Unit 4, a Westinghouse AP1000 pressurized light water reactor, began commercial operations in April 2024. It is now the largest nuclear power plant in the United States, with four reactors and a total of 4,536 MW net summer electricity generation capacity. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy has selected two Small Modular Reactor projects for federal funding. The Tennessee Valley Authority and Holtec will each receive USD$400 million in federal cost-shared funding to support early deployments of advanced light-water small modular reactors in the US, according to World Nuclear News. Holtec plans to deploy two SMR-300 reactors at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station site in Michigan, while TVA's application was selected for funding to accelerate the deployment of the countrys first Gen III+ SMR at its Clinch River site in East Tennessee. By Andrew Topf for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com US power markets are still underestimating the economically disruptive role of renewables in power generation. According to a German study released last week (Weidlich, et al, 2025 Base load power plants are not essential for future power systems, Cell Reports Physical Sciences), their next target or victim could be base load power generation itself. This multi-authored study by German academics was tasked with answering a big question: could the German economy decarbonize in twenty years relying solely on incremental investment in renewables? Their answer was a definite yesassuming some other stuff happens and youre willing to assume some consequences like stranded assets. The fact that a high level group of almost two dozen academics could theoretically design a future power system thats fully decarbonized in twenty years doesnt strike us as all that amazing. However, they also provided a broad investment framework for thinking about the integration and implications of a renewables-dominant grid. The study claimed that providing a fully functioning, fully decarbonized power grid had four components: 1) most obviously, a big expansion in renewable investments (solar/wind), 2) a robust and flexible grid (more transmission to move power), 3) diverse short and long duration battery storage options, and 4) demand side flexibility. There is nothing revolutionary or dramatic in the above list. Build more renewables and transmission? OK. More batteries for addressing off peak needs? Sure. And greater use of demand side management? With the proliferation of large commercial loads like data centers, it becomes a lot easier to find or negotiate flexible terms with large, sophisticated power users. Related: Washington's Venezuelan Oil Push Falters on Funding Questions But there is always something. Constructing a decarbonized grid like the one envisioned literally destroys the economics for all their base load power plants. Even worse, literally all new power generating technologies fossil, nuclear, and geothermal would be economically undercut by greater penetration of renewables and demand flexibility. Why? Because all the deployment of solar and other resources, being discussed here, could provide all power needs much more cheaply (and more cleanly). Nothing else would be able to compete. Even though there are likely to be gaps in generation needed, say during off peak hours, the meager revenues these are likely to provide wont support the expense of maintaining a large base load power plants. At this point, this is no longer an academic exercise. The studys conclusion seems pretty straightforward. Large-scale renewable deployment will destroy the economics of base load power generation, which, obviously, would have major implications for future capital allocation and stranded asset exposure for the power generation sector. And we see no reason why this economic logic does not apply in other Western economies. For those of us on this beat for a while, none of this is a surprise. Renewables like wind and solar always win the economic battle in power generation. Always. They have almost zero operating expenses. Conventional fossil-fired facilities, by contrast, pay enormous sums for fuel every year of operation, and for this reason, they cant compete. Solar power is produced from a chemical reaction. And the technology keeps improving and getting cheaper or more productive. Fossil-fueled technology is not getting cheaper while fuel costs, especially gas, remain volatile. The German study concluded that gas-fired power plants were closest to offering some prospective economic grid value, but new nuclear plants, both big and small, were so expensive as to be irrelevant in this grid planning context. The financially interesting question is whether our recently completed fleet of new base load power generating facilities is already on its way to becoming extinct, so-called stranded assets, that is stranded economically by a superior (i.e cheaper) power producing technology. We see this as a matter of tipping points. Once or if renewables -plus- batteries erode power market economics beyond a certain point, large expensive base load lower stations could become economically unstable. So the conclusion of the German grid decarbonization study is that yes, we can construct and operate a decarbonized grid, but that will financially kill all our base load power plants. In their own words: System level modeling for Europe shows that the question is not whether new base load plants are essential for a secure, net, zero gridthey are not. The defining question is whether they can become economical in a system dominated by low-cost renewables. And note the wording, whether a new base load plant can become economical, which implies to us that they are already out of the money. And the study points to one more conclusion. We always assumed that renewables would pick up a large percentage of incremental electricity demand. This study implies that renewables will not only pick up incremental demand but also replace legacy equipment, which, over two decades, would double or triple demand for renewable energy assets. Finally, this is all about economics. By Leonard Hyman and William Tilles for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Sanctions relief is the most important near-term variable, as it could quickly reverse the commercial and logistical factors that shut in barrels, allowing for a noticeable short-term production increase. Structural damage, such as deteriorated infrastructure and loss of a technical workforce, will take a decade or more to repair, even if political conditions stabilize. Venezuela's oil decline is due to two main factors: structural damage from the 2007 expropriations and the internal collapse of PDVSA, and later, the accelerated disruption caused by 2019 US sanctions. After the latest political shock in Venezuela, speculation has surged over the prospects of a recovery for the countrys oil industry. On paper, Venezuela still holds the worlds largest proven oil reserves. In reality, production remains a fraction of what it once was. How quickly Venezuelas oil production ramps up will depend in part on what happens with sanctions. But Venezuelas collapse did not begin with sanctions, nor can sanctions relief alone undo the damage. However, that could have a significant short-term effect. The countrys oil decline has two primary elements. One is structural damage that began years earlier and will take many years to repair. The other is sanctions-driven disruption that arrived later and shut in barrels much more quickly. Understanding the difference is essential to understanding what might come next, and why sanctions will likely impact Venezuelas oil future in the near-term. The Structural Collapse Came First Venezuelas oil decline traces back to the 2007 expropriations. That year, the government forced foreign operators into minority positions and seized assets when companies such as ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil rejected the new terms. These were not simple oil fields. The Orinoco Belt is among the most technically demanding heavy oil regions in the world. Sustaining production requires advanced reservoir management, steady diluent supply, and multi-billion-dollar upgraders to make the crude usable. When foreign operators left, they took future investment capital, technical expertise, operational discipline, and project management systems. Venezuelas state?owned oil company, PDVSA, was awarded the assets but not the capabilities. Maintenance deteriorated. Equipment failed. Skilled workers left. Production began falling years before oil sanctions were imposed, a trend clearly visible in the following graphic. The steep decline in Venezuelas oil production after 2015 was driven by the internal collapse of PDVSA, which was marked by political purges, mismanagement, loss of technical staff, and the deterioration of critical infrastructure. This damage cannot be reversed quickly. Rebuilding infrastructure and restoring a technical workforce is a multi-year effort even under stable political conditions. Sanctions Hit Later and Accelerated the Decline The second layer arrived in January 2019, when the United States sanctioned PDVSA directly. Earlier sanctions targeted individuals and had little impact on production. The 2019 measures were different. They cut off Venezuelas largest customer, restricted payments, blocked diluent imports, and complicated shipping and insurance. Heavy oil that could have been produced became stranded almost overnight. Without diluent, crude could not move. Without U.S. refiners, Venezuela lost its most natural market. Without reliable payment channels, joint ventures struggled to operate. By late 2025, U.S. sanctions and shipping restrictions had severely disrupted Venezuelas exports. Reuters reported that tanker movements nearly halted after U.S. interdictions, and Vortexa data showed a 36% drop in December alone. But this is the portion of the decline that could reverse faster. Wells shut in for commercial reasons can restart. Joint ventures can normalize operations. Diluent flows can resume. That would not restore Venezuela to its former peak, but it could produce a meaningful short-term increase. Chevrons Structural Advantage If sanctions ease, Chevron stands apart. It is the only major U.S. oil company that never fully exited Venezuela. Through exemptions, Chevron maintained joint ventures, kept personnel on the ground, and preserved operational continuity. That continuity is important. Chevron does not need to renegotiate entry terms or rebuild relationships. It needs a clearer commercial framework. But if sanctions ease, Chevron can scale faster than any other Western operator because it never lost its foothold. ConocoPhillips and the Compensation Question ConocoPhillips occupies a very different position. It was expropriated in 2007 and later won an $8.7 billion arbitration award, plus interest, for seized investments in the Orinoco region. The ongoing Citgo sale is one pathway for recovery. If meaningful compensation is secured, re-entry becomes possible. ConocoPhillips was once a top-tier Orinoco operator, but unlike Chevron, it would be rebuilding from the ground up. Further, ConocoPhillips is a fundamentally different company today than it was in 2007. After the 2012 spinoff of Phillips 66, ConocoPhillips became a pure?play exploration and production company, no longer an integrated major. And it redirected a significant portion of its long?cycle, heavy?oil investment portfolio toward Canada after exiting Venezuela. It may therefore have no interest in re-entering the country. Why Sanctions Still Matter Most How quickly could Venezuelas oil sector rebound? It depends on which layer is being discussed. Structural damage will take years to repair. Sanctions relief cannot change that. It will likely take a decade or more in the best-case scenario for Venezuelas oil production to rebound to pre-2007 levels. But barrels shut in for commercial and logistical reasons could return much faster if restrictions ease. That is why sanctions remain the wildcard. They will not restore Venezuela to three million barrels per day, but they could unlock a noticeable short-term increase. Over the long term, recovery requires political stability, credible contracts, and tens of billions in investment. In the near term, the most important variable is simpler. Venezuelas immediate oil future hinges less on geology than on whether the sanctions landscape changes. By Robert Rapier More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Opening of the CES 2026 INCHEONIFEZ Booth Promoting IFEZ's AI City vision through the Global AI City Forum LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ) announced that it has opened the IncheonIFEZ Pavilion at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2026 in Las Vegas, welcoming visitors from around the world. The IncheonIFEZ Pavilion, spanning 139 (approx. 1,496 sq ft), is located in the AI Zone of North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Featuring Incheon's "AI City" vision, the pavilion showcased the city's direction for urban innovation on the global stage. Built around the theme "Destination Incheon From Smart City to AI City," the pavilion is organized into three zones: AI SMART LIVING ZONE a "place to live" that advances citizen-oriented services such as mobility, safety, energy, and health . a "place to live" that advances citizen-oriented services such as AI INNOVATION HUB ZONE a "place to work" that drives innovation across industries including manufacturing, logistics, food, and pharmaceuticals . a "place to work" that drives innovation across industries including . AI CREATIVE CITY ZONE a "place to play" that creates content and experiences. Through these zones, IFEZ systematically presented AI-powered urban services and innovation models applied across city life, industry, and cultureoffering a vision of a sustainable city of the future. A key program held during CES was the Global AI City Forum, bringing together the global city and industry experts to share Incheon's next-generation AI city strategy and pathways for collaboration. In particular, an exchange session with Fairfax County, Virginia, explored expanded cooperation based on the long-standing economic development partnership between the two institutions, including collaboration in innovation ecosystem building, startup support, and technology demonstration (testbeds). Throughout CES, IFEZ also rolled out programs focused on global networking and generating tangible cooperation outcomes, alongside pavilion operations. On the evening of Jan. 7, the "CES 2026 Incheon Night" program facilitated partnership discussions and networking between Incheon participating companies, overseas firms and stakeholders. On Jan. 8, IFEZ hosted a Business Day for visiting delegations, featuring 1:1 business meetings and on-site business matching with buyers and investors. Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok of Incheon stated, "CES 2026 is an important stage for presenting Incheon's vision for its next growth leapone that has led Korea's transformation and innovation for over the past two decadesinto an AI City," adding, "We will continue to do our utmost so that Incheon can establish itself as a leading global AI city." Information on participating companies at CES 2026 and the IncheonIFEZ Pavilion program is available on the official website: https://www.ces-ifez.com/ SOURCE The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority For months, anger has been building in the communities that are involuntarily footing the bill for the AI boom. As data center clusters pop up around the globe to feed AIs massive and growing computational needs, nearby communities are seeing their utility bills skyrocket, even if they themselves dont benefit from the sector at all. And now, in the United States, the backlash against data centers resource consumption and its impact on consumers bottom line has spilled out of the bounds of local politics and landed in the Senate. A consortium of U.S. senators including Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is opening a probe into Big Tech practices that offload the cost of operating data centers onto the communities that host them. In open letters written to seven AI companies, the senators pushed for accountability and transparency, citing a study that found electricity prices have increased by as much as 267 percent in the past five years in areas located near significant data center activity. While the probe is being led by Democrats, there has been a rare bipartisan groundswell over the issue in the states where data centers are concentrated. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis reports that in Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia, data centers are responsible for 65% to more than 85% of projected load growth for utilities. Due to this intense demand growth, major utilities in these states, plus North Carolina, project that they will collectively add 32,600 MW of electrical load over the next 15 years. And its consumers of energy, not necessarily of AI who will have to pay the price for all of that additional demand. Its estimated that Virginians can expect average electricity prices to increase by another 25 percent by 2030. "We are witnessing a massive transfer of wealth from residential utility customers to large corporationsdata centers and large utilities and their corporate parents, which profit from building additional energy infrastructure," Maryland People's Counsel David Lapp told Business Insider earlier this year. "Utility regulation is failing to protect residential customers, contributing to an energy affordability crisis. And the terms behind that transfer of responsibility are extremely opaque, as is typical for the AI sector. In the Senators letter to AI companies, they blast these firms for operating in the shadows against public interest. The letter notes that AI firms ask public officials to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) preventing them from sharing information with their constituents, operate through what appear to be shell companies to mask the real owner of the data center, and require that landowners sign NDAs as part of the land sale while telling them only that a Fortune 100 company is planning an industrial development seemingly in an attempt to hide the very existence of the data center, senators wrote. Not only are data centers adding undue pressure to Americans already considerable financial burdens, they are also competing for scarce resources in rural and agricultural economies. Data centers require huge amounts of land and considerable water sources, which could lead to conflict and issues of scarcity in certain hotspots such as drier climates and agricultural communities concerned about land competition and environmental impacts, noise and lack of transparency. In many ways, the country and the world simply is not prepared for the scale of the AI boom, and all of the resources and regulations that it will require. There are serious concerns about whether ageing power grids can keep up with demand, and whether energy output can keep up with surging demand. Plus, the way that our systems are designed simply never saw this coming. As the senators express in their letter, the current, socialized model of electricity ratepaying in which costs are shared by all grid users, was not designed for an era where just one customer requires the same amount of electricity as some of the largest cities in America. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Tidal energy is gradually growing in popularity as companies worldwide invest in innovative clean energy solutions in the pursuit of a green transition. Unlike solar and wind energy, tidal power is highly reliable. In the past, the slow uptake of tidal power technology has made some companies wary of investing in new projects, meaning we are still in the early days of commercial tidal turbine development. However, several success stories in recent years have encouraged greater investment in the sector, with several projects planned for 2026. Tidal power is a form of renewable energy that uses the tides to generate electricity. There are several types of tidal energy. The first is tidal power, which relies on the rise and fall of the tide, using the movement of water to produce electricity. Second is wave power, which uses the movement of the waves for the same purpose. Third is current power, which uses the kinetic energy of marine currents. And, fourth is thermal gradient or ocean thermal energy conversion, which relies on the temperature difference between surface waters and deeper waters. Tidal energy is becoming increasingly popular, as it allows operators to produce clean power, and it is highly reliable thanks to the predictability of the tides. In December, the market research firm DataM Intelligence published a report that forecast the wave and tidal energy market to grow to $1.85 billion by 2032, from $983.11 million in 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 8.23 percent between 2025 and 2032. The increased rollout of tidal energy is expected to boost grid reliability in several regions of the world, thanks to the predictable generation cycles, which are known years in advance. This helps utilities to manage the advanced planning of grid power. In addition, as coastal nations prioritise domestic energy security, several countries are looking to reduce dependence on both foreign energy and fossil fuels. Tidal power offers localised clean energy generation, which could help reduce dependence on long-distance transmission. The report states that tidal energy systems contributed around 58 percent of the global market in 2024, or around $570 million. This is most likely because tidal energy systems are viewed as more predictable and having higher capacity factors and lower technology risks, compared to wave energy, making them more reliable for utilities. However, DataM Intelligence suggested that wave energy systems are expected to grow in popularity after 2028 as the technology improves. The company stated, Tidal energy systems will remain the primary commercial driver through 2031, while wave energy will play a critical role in long-term market expansion and technology diversification. At present, Europe leads the world in tidal power capacity, with favourable regulatory frameworks and offshore engineering expertise in the U.K., France, Norway, and Portugal encouraging development. Some of the most powerful tidal turbines are in Scotland, which has become a hub for tidal power projects thanks to the extensive expertise in a region that is well-known for its oil and gas operations, as well as major offshore wind projects. In 2025, one Scottish project achieved a major milestone after more than six years of operation. The MeyGen tidal energy project consists of four tidal turbines submerged around 40 metres under water, which produce around now 1.5 MW of power each and can now collectively power around 7,000 homes a year. For years, regulators and energy companies have been sceptical about whether tidal turbines can operate effectively in the long-term. Many did not believe that the turbines would be able to endure the harsh conditions of the seawater. Andrea Copping, an expert in marine renewable energy development, explained, Sceptics, and that includes investors, of course and governments, said, How on Earth are you going to operate these things, especially for any length of time in this very tough environment? And thats what I think [MeyGen] proved. The firms turbines are located in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth, a narrow channel between the Scottish mainland and Stroma Island known for strong tidal currents. Tidal power systems require strong currents to efficiently generate electricity, which makes for harsh conditions. MeyGen now plans to add 20 turbines to the project by 2030, once upgrades to the grid are completed. Meanwhile, the architect of the London Eye, Julia Barfield, wants to expand tidal power further in the U.K., with a $14.9 billion plan to develop a vast tidal power station in a 14-mile arc off the coast of Somerset, in the south of England. Barfield believes that new tidal power systems could provide a clean way to meet the countrys growing energy demand. The CEO of the consortium managing the project stated, We have got people who want to fund it, but they will only do so if the government is supportive. Tidal power is beginning to take off in various parts of the world, particularly across Europe. Greater investment in technology and expansion is expected to support the wider commercial rollout of tidal and wave power production over the coming decades, as several new projects show positive results. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com By Lars Larson NW and national radio host, The Northwest Nonsense Portlands hopeless, hapless transit agency Trimet has been circling the financial drain for years. Now, the sucking sound you hear signals its imminent demise. Start with the 850 million bucks Trimet lost last year. Add to it the insane multi billion dollar light rail system that always costs more and delivers far less than promised. Trimet actually proposes the single most expensive rail line on planet earth in its two billion dollar, less than two mile long extension over the troubled, not yet built, interstate bridge. So, what does the agency propose? Cut 15 bus routes altogether and dramatically change 20 more. Trimet planned to get another hundred million from the legislatures crazy transportation package. That got sidelined when a quarter million voters signed an initiative to put it to a vote 11 months from now. Even that still leaves Trimet hundreds of millions of dollars short. Bottom line, the failed transit agency with ridership thats been falling the past decade, promises much less service at much higher cost. Not exactly a prescription for success. At this point the only bailout I can imagine is opening a Somali style daycare center, and given the kleptocratic Kotek administration, dont put it past them. Thats the Rose City Rap. Join me at noon on KXL for 4 hours of Honestly provocative talk. Im Lars Larson By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com Fox News revealed the criminal background of the two gang suspects who were involved in an altercation with US Border Agents yesterday. Journalist Andy Ngo had this added information: Heres what I found about the alleged Tren de Aragua sx ring operative that Democrats, leftists and local Portland law enforcement are rallying behind: https://t.co/NuMFQ51W1f Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) January 9, 2026 Was this list helpful? If yes, please contribute online at OregonWatchdog.com (learn about a Charitable Tax Deduction or Political Tax Credit options to promote liberty). 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: Markus Winkler from Pexels Rising trade frictions over the past decade have sparked urgent questions about their long-term impact on global economies. The U.S. now applies tariffs of 66.4% on Chinese exports, which is higher compared to the average rate of 19.3%, while China retaliates with a 58.3% import tariff on U.S. exports, higher than the average rate of 21.1%. These frictions not only disrupt regular trade flow, but also have long-term economic impacts. The geographical location of the market involved also plays an important role and is often influenced by tariff models. However, this aspect is often understudied and poorly understood. Researchers examine industry location and tariffs Economists Professor Colin Davis from the Institute for the Liberal Arts, Doshisha University, Japan, and Professor Ken-ichi Hashimoto from the Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University, Japan, address this gap by adapting a two-country model to understand how a national tariff policy influences productivity growth through the link between industry location patterns and firm-level investment. While talking about the motivation behind this study, Prof. Davis mentioned, "Prof. Hashimoto and I have spent more than a decade conducting theoretical research on the impact of the structure and geographic location of an industry on long-run productivity growth. Our work has focused on understanding the deep economic mechanisms linking innovation, industrial organization, and growth over time." The two-country framework used in this study was previously developed by the authors. Prof. Davis added, "The recent resurgence of import tariffs in global trade policy provided a timely and compelling real-world application for our framework. It offered an opportunity to use tools we had developed over many years to shed light on an active policy debate and to better understand the long-term growth consequences of trade interventions. "In that sense, this project grew naturally out of our ongoing research agenda while responding to an important contemporary policy question." The study is published in the journal Economic Modelling. Key findings and policy implications The study utilizes the model of industry location, international trade, and endogenous productivity growth with two industries and two countries. The researchers have examined how unilateral import tariffs affect industry location patterns and productivity growth, and have considered the implications for welfare. They have also conducted numerical evaluations of the welfare effects of tariff policies. The study explains why similar trade policies can lead to very different growth outcomes across countries. It provides a theoretical framework for understanding how unilateral tariff policies can affect long-run productivity growth by reshaping the location of industries and innovative activities. The results also suggest that the growth and welfare effects of tariffs depend critically on a country's existing industrial structure, implying that similar policies may have very different outcomes across economies. The study has multiple practical applications. The model identifies specific mechanisms, such as firm relocation, knowledge spillovers, and changes in innovation incentives, that can be tested using data on trade policy, industrial composition, and productivity. Over the next five to 10 years, similar research studies on tariffs could significantly influence government perspectives on trade policy, innovation, and economic growth. By elucidating the impacts of tariffs on trade flows, industry location, and innovation, this framework can enhance economic policymaking. Improved trade and industrial policies can lead to higher productivity, increased innovation, and stronger economies, potentially avoiding policies that hinder growth or lower living standards. Well-designed policies can support job creation in innovative sectors and improve wage growth in the long run. "Empirical studies, applying this framework, can yield insights into the long-term effects of trade interventions, fostering stable economic conditions and better outcomes for the firms, as well as the workers and consumers involved," concluded Prof. Davis. More information Colin Davis et al, Asymmetric tariffs and productivity growth in an endogenous market structure, Economic Modelling (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2025.107383 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: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels The old saying goes: Money can't buy happiness. But it sure can make or break a relationship. That's according to new research spearheaded by University of Cincinnati doctoral candidate Sharmeen Merchant that took an in-depth look at the psychological role money plays in households with two sources of income. Her team's study was recently published in the Journal of Business and Psychology. "This is about the values of money and how we approach money in our partnerships. It's not just about the objective dollar amount you earn," Merchant said. "Do we think it's a source of achievement? Do we see it as materialistic?" Scott Dust, Ph.D., professor in the management department at UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business and Merchant's adviser, also worked on the study, "Gender Differences on Dual-Earners' Money as Achievement Congruence and Needs-Supplies Fit." The results? Men's sense of fulfillment at work is embedded with their partners' views on money. "This study was the first to acknowledge that money is not made in isolation. Money is made within a household," Dust explained. "We found that you can't really look at money and its impact on work unless you consider if employees are partnered. You have to consider the whole household." Merchant and Dust worked closely with fellow Lindner doctoral candidate Sodiq Babatunde, Lindner assistant professor Laurens Steed and Joseph Rode from Miami University, to analyze nearly 200 working couples and their views on money. By focusing on achievement-related money attitudes, the study highlights how men in particular integrate their partners' perspectives into how they evaluate their own professional success. For wives and girlfriends, this trend was significantly less pronounced. So if a married couple is aligned on what money means to them, the husband tends to feel more fulfilled with his job. If a couple has totally different perceptions of money, that workplace fulfillment dissipates. Interestingly, Merchant noted, men's fulfillment was lowest when couples were only moderately misaligned on financial values, not when they had completely opposite views. "That uncertainty on your partner's values creates this kind of 'messy middle,' where indifference makes it harder for couples to feel confident," she said. Babatunde likened the methodology to the cultural expectations on marriage in his home country of Nigeria. Parents conduct what he described as essentially "background checks" on their children's partners once marriage is on the horizon. "They look into a potential partner's familyhow they see success, how they perceive money and how they navigate the world," Babatunde said. "This study helped me better understand why older generations look at relationships that way." "That's the practical takeaway: Choose your spouses wisely," Dust said. "Your choice of work will certainly impact how satisfied you are at your job. But your choice of partner and what your partner's values are can also influence how you feel about your income." 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. Mid-century expectations, modern pressures So why was this result practically nonexistent for women? The data showed that their partners' opinions on money did not have an impact on how fulfilled women felt at work. The research team found that this could be due to lasting cultural expectations in a changing society. The stereotypical breadwinning husband and caretaking wife may not be as common as it was decades ago, but those expectations are baked into peoples' perceptions of work to this dayespecially the men. "For men, there's also this added pressure of maintaining this breadwinner identity in a changing society. This identity is still really important to them, and they're trying to grapple with that in this evolving society," Merchant said. Merchant explained that the contemporary workforce is largely composed of people whose partners also earn a living. "But this identity men have to be breadwinners is still prevalent. It's sticky," Merchant said. "Because of that, we found that alignment with their partners on finances will affect men's fulfillment at their jobs." From classroom to cutting-edge research The idea for Merchant and Babatunde's joint research venture came from a doctoral seminar they took together called Dynamic Relations, which looked at the complications of researching the relationships between people in the workplace. "We came into the Ph.D. program as naive students just wanting to jump into data analysis," Babatunde said. "Our professors encouraged us to find new ways to look at data, to find those interesting, under-researched stories." "Merchant and Babatunde are great examples of what Lindner College of Business aims for in terms of high-quality research that makes a difference for the world," professor Dust said. "It is well-done and well-executed methodologically, but it is research questions that are interesting and impactful for society at large." Publication details Sharmeen M. Merchant et al, Gender Differences on Dual-Earners' Money as Achievement Congruence and Needs-Supplies Fit, Journal of Business and Psychology (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s10869-025-10094-9 Journal information: Journal of Business and Psychology 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 NASA crewmembers aboard the International Space Station (ISS) could return to Earth as soon as Thursday, the US space agency said, after a medical emergency prompted the crew to return from their mission early. "NASA and SpaceX target undocking Crew-11 from the International Space Station no earlier than 5pm ET on Jan. 14, with splashdown off California targeted for early Jan. 15 depending on weather and recovery conditions," the agency said in a post on X. Details of the medical evacuation, the first in ISS history, were not provided by officials, though they said it did not result from any kind of injury onboard and that the unidentified crewmember is stable and not in need of an emergency evacuation. The four astronauts on NASA-SpaceX Crew 11 have been on their mission since August 1. These expeditions generally last around six months, and the crew was already due to return to Earth in the coming weeks. American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, as well as Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russia's Oleg Platonov, would be returning, while American Chris Williams will stay onboard the international body to maintain a US presence. Officials indicated it was possible the next US mission could depart to the ISS earlier than scheduled, but did not provide specifics. Continuously inhabited since 2000, the ISS functions as a testbed for research that supports deeper space explorationincluding eventual missions to Mars. The ISS is set to be decommissioned after 2030, with its orbit gradually lowered until it breaks up in the atmosphere over a remote part of the Pacific Ocean called Point Nemo, a spacecraft graveyard. 2026 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: Artist's concept of NASA's Pandora mission, which will help scientists untangle the signals from the atmospheres of exoplanets worlds beyond our solar system and their stars. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab Pandora, the latest in a long portfolio of University of Arizona's space science missions, has cleared its last major milestone on its journey into space. This week, Pandoraa satellite about the size of fridgewas mounted inside the launch vehicle, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Pandora now awaits blast-off from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch window opens at 6:19 a.m. Arizona time (8:19 a.m. EST) on Sunday, Jan. 11. SpaceX will provide a livestream of the event. The Pandora satellite will provide in-depth study of at least 20 known planets orbiting distant stars to determine the composition of their atmospheresespecially the presence of hazes, clouds and water. It consists of telescope with an 18-inch mirror and instrumentation that allow it to analyze light spectra and measure brightness to an extreme level of accuracy. Light spectra are like signatures that provide scientists with information about the chemical makeup of a star and the atmosphere of a planet that orbits it, while subtle dips in brightness are tell-tale signs that a planet is crossing in front of its star as seen from the observer. The first space telescope built specifically for detailed multi-color observations of starlight filtered through the atmospheres of exoplanets, Pandora will help interpret data both from previous missions like NASA's Kepler Space Telescope and ongoing missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope, said Daniel Apai, the U of A lead of the mission and its exoplanet science team, and a professor for astronomy and planetary sciences at the U of A Steward Observatory and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. "Pandora opens a new chapter in exoplanet science, and it will guide future projects in their search for habitable worlds," he said. Credit: University of Arizona The Pandora SmallSat was selected as an inaugural NASA Astrophysics Pioneers mission in 2021. NASA Pioneers are fast-paced missions that are uniquely able to respond to exciting, newly emerging science questions, according to Apai. By design, more than half of the Pandora mission leadership roles filled by early-career scientists and engineers, providing an exciting opportunity for emerging leaders in space sciences. After launching into low Earth orbit, Pandora will undergo a month of commissioning before embarking on its one-year prime mission. All the mission's data will be publicly available. Once the Pandora satellite has reached its orbit and passed all initial tests, the mission will be operated by the U of A's Multi-Mission Operation Center, or MMOC, which is part of the Arizona Space Institute. Through a contract with NASA, the MMOC, housed at the Advanced Research Building on the U of A's main campus, will manage and track the spacecraft's operations in real time, monitor telemetrydata sent down from the satelliteand overall spacecraft health. This view of the fully integrated Pandora spacecraft was taken May 19, 2025, following the mission's successful environmental test campaign at Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette, Colorado. Visible are star trackers (center), multilayer insulation blankets (white), the end of the telescope (top), and the solar panel (right) in its launch configuration. Credit: NASA/BCT "This is the first time an orbiting astrophysics mission is operating from our new Mission Operations Center at the university," said Erika Hamden, director of the Arizona Space Institute. "The PHOENIX Mars Lander and the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission were operated very successfully from the U of A, and now we're excited to continue that legacy with Pandora. We hope this represents just the first of many transformational NASA missions that ASI will operate out of the Advanced Research Building." Pandora will stare at each of its 20 target planets and their host stars for 24 hours at a time before moving on to the next and repeat that process for a total of 10 observations for each system. The data will establish a firm foundation for interpreting measurements by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and future missions aimed at searching for habitable worlds. "From combining Pandora's observations with data from James Webb, we will better understand the atmospheres of those exoplanets," Apai said. "At this point, our goal is not to assess these planets for life, but to probe their atmospheres for any water vapor andimportantlyunderstand their host stars." 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. Until just over three decades ago, no one knew whether there were planets outside our solar system, let alone planets that could potentially be habitable to life forms. The first exoplanet was discovered in 1992, kicking off a hunt for planets hiding elsewhere in our home galaxy, the Milky Way. As of the time of writing, scientists have discovered more than 6,000 worlds orbiting stars other than our sun. Among exoplanets, the search for worlds that could potentially harbor life has naturally attracted outsized attention from researchers and the public alike. To determine whether a planet even has the potential of sustaining life, scientists look for certain clues in its atmosphere, such as chemical signatures of oxygen or water. "With the Pandora satellite poised for launch, we stand at the cusp of a new era in cosmic discoveryone in which we will, for the first time, peer deeply into the atmospheres of distant worlds and expand humanity's understanding of what lies beyond our own sky," said Tomas Diaz de la Rubia, senior vice president for research and partnerships. "At the University of Arizona, space missions like Pandora reflect our enduring legacy of excellence in observational astronomy and our commitment to research that deepens human knowledge and serves the public good." Because of the enormous distances involveddozens, if not hundreds of light-years from Earthobserving exoplanets directly has proven extremely challenging. Any planet with conditions conducive to life would be too cool to register in telescopic observations. To get around this, astronomers have resorted to zooming in on their host stars and detecting any planets that may be present through indirect means. One such technique measures the tiny dip in brightness that occurs when a planet passes in front of its star while traveling along its orbit. Taking this so-called transit method a step further, astronomers such as Apai's group use spectroscopy to analyze the star light that is filtered as it passes through the planet's atmosphere, in search for clues about the chemical elements and molecules present in the atmosphere. The only problem with that approach, Apai explained, is that stars aren't the immaculate, uniform, shiny objects familiar from books and illustrations. Most are swirling balls of roiling gas and plasma, their faces smudgy and dotted with sunspots, and some even have atmospheres with cloud-like features wafting across the bright disk. Depending on whether a transiting planet happens to be backlit by a "clean" section of its star or one that is "smudgy," the light measurements will vary, and all bets are off. "Pandora is the first mission really designed to study the stars and their planets together," he said. "We will have a much better ability to separate the contribution from the star from that of the planet." NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 12, 2026 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Stride, Inc. ("Stride" or the "Company") (NYSE: LRN), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's securities between October 22, 2024 and October 28, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Get Help Stride investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-lrn-4 or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit Stride and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On September 14, 2025, it was reported that the Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education had filed a complaint against the Company, alleging fraud, deceptive trade practices, systemic violations of law, and intentional and tortious misconduct, including inflating enrollment numbers by retaining "ghost students" on rolls to secure state funding per student and ignoring compliance requirements, including background checks and licensure laws for its employees. On this news, the price of Stride's shares fell $18.60 per share, or 11.7%, to close at $139.76 per share on September 15, 2025. Then, on October 28, 2025, the Company disclosed that "poor customer experience" had resulted in "higher withdrawal rates," "lower conversion rates," and had driven students away, and that the Company estimated the impact caused approximately 10,000-15,000 fewer enrollments and that, because of this, its outlook is "muted" compared to prior years. On this news, the price of Stride's shares fell $83.48 per share, or more than 54%, to close at $70.05 per share on October 29, 2025. The case is MacMahon v. Stride, Inc., et al., Case No. 25-cv-02019. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. SOURCE ClaimsFiler Bulgarian newspapers and news websites 24 Chasa (24 ) One of the most widely-circulation Bulgarian-language daily newspapers. Dneven Trud ( ) Bulgarian national daily newspaper published since 1936. Dneven Trud is one of the oldest newspapers in Bulgaria still in publication. Dnevnik () Bulgarian daily newspaper published in Sofia. The newspaper published by Economedia. Duma () Bulgarian Journal featuring local and international news, economy, culture, and more. Monitor () Independent newspaper published in Bulgaria. Telegraph () Bulgarian national daily newspaper published in Sofia since 2005. Standart () Bulgarian news source, standartnews.com providing 24 hrs news and information. Bulgaria Dnes Leading daily newspaper published in Bulgarian-language. Sega () Independent newspaper published six days a week. The newspaper featuring politics, economy, sports, and more. Mont Press Popular newspaper based in Montana (), Bulgaria. Banker () Weekly business newspaper covering financial news as well as society, policy, sports, and more. Capital () Bulgarian weekly newspaper was first published in 1992. Featuring politics, economics, sports, technology, finance, and more. Borba ( ) Newspaper serving Veliko Tarnovo ( ). One of a few French newspapers in Comoros. The newspaper covering local, national, and world news on sports, arts & culture, economy, politics, opinion, and more. Art & Antiques American arts magazine for the collectors of decorative and fine arts. The magazine features gallery, artist and artwork reviews, contemporary art, news on the domestic and international markets and expert advice. ARTnews Leading art magazine based in New York City. Founded in 1922, ARTnews is one of the oldest art magazines. ARTnews magazine published 11 times a year. Art in America Leading American art magazine featuring articles about visual art, annual guide to museums, galleries, sculpture, reviews, artist profiles, and more. The magazine creates a fascinating image of the ever-changing global art scene. The Artist's Magazine Fine Art resource for artists covering general art, instructions, competitions, blogs, advice and ideas for anyone studying or teaching art. ART PAPERS magazine American award-winning contemporary art magazine with engaging features on music, film & performance, books reviews, culture, national and international art exhibitions. American Art Collector Art magazine published by International Artist Publ Inc, the magazine specially for collectors, galleries and painters of traditional fine art. Southwest Art Leading magazine of American Western art. Architectural Digest Monthly magazine published in America covering interior design and architecture from the worlds leading designers and architects. The magazine is published by Conde Nast Publications. Print American visual culture & design magazine published bimonthly. In 2009, print was nominated for the American Society of Magazine Editors national magazine award for general excellence in its circulation category. Dance Magazine for professional dancers, students and teachers. Dance magazine based in New York. ArtAsiaPacific Top art magazine featuring art and culture from Asia, Asia Pacific & Middle East, film, architectural artists, as well as top art events by ethnically Hawaiian artists. The magazine was first published as Art and Asia Pacific in June 1993 in Australia. ArtAsiaPacific (AAP) published six times a year. I.D. (International Design) Magazine contains articles about art, interior design, graphics, business & culture of design, architecture, interactive design, and more. I.D. has won five national magazine awards: one for Design (1997), one for Special Interests (2000), and three for General Excellence (1995, 1997, 1999). Artforum Contemporary art magazine based in New York City. Bomb (New York City) Peru based non-profit organization, providing information and analysis about events across Latin America and Caribbean . Providing regional news coverage in English and Spanish-language with emphasis on business information in Latin America. Authorities collect over 4 kilos of medical waste reported dumped in green area Playa del Carmen, Q.R. Health authorities in Playa del Carmen collected over four kilos of medical waste that had been tossed into the trees. Municipal personnel from the Quintana Roo Health Secretariat (Sesa) were made aware of the garbage through a citizen report Friday. In coordination with state and municipal authorities of Playa del Carmen, authorities immediately responded to the discovery of medical waste found thrown in a public space. The garbage was located on a vacant lot in the vicinity of Paseo Central and Petempich Avenue, where approximately four kilos of sharp waste was collected and transported, Sesa reported. These were secured in accordance with current regulations and transferred to the General Hospital of Playa del Carmen for confinement in the area of Hazardous Biological-Infectious Waste (RPBI), under the corresponding protocols, they explained. The medical waste was found by a citizen Friday. January 9, 2026. During the visual inspection, vacutainer-type tubes containing blood, used syringes, hypodermic needles and items used for intravenous infusions were found without labels, records or data that would allow their origin to be identified. Additionally, only the lid of a red biohazardous waste container was located. The complete container was missing. Elements of the Municipal Police, Civil Protection, the State Attorney Generals Office, as well as personnel from the Coordination of Protection against Sanitary Risks, participated in carrying out the work of securing, collecting and transferring the waste in safe conditions. The Quintana Roo Health Secretariat reiterates its commitment to the responsible management of healthcare waste and strict compliance with established health regulations. The agency said they are also working with the relevant authorities who are already investigating the origin of these materials with the aim of identifying the causes and determining responsibility. Medical facilities and those generating medical waste are urged to reinforce the responsible handling of these materials. The public is also asked to report any findings that pose a health risk so that immediate and coordinated action can be taken. Approximately four kilos of used vials and needles were collected. January 9, 2026. Riviera Maya News serving headline news for Playa del Carmen since 2014 Your official online newspaper Canadian guest sustains two meter fall inside Playa del Carmen hotel Playa del Carmen, Q.R. A Canadian man was taken to Playa del Carmen hospital Friday after falling inside a hotel. The accident happened Friday morning inside the Luciana Hotel and Beach Club. Hotel staff requested an ambulance to the 8th Street address where the man of approximately 60, fell two meters. The man was a guest at the hotel. After an initial on-site assessment, paramedics stabilized him for a hospital transfer. The man fell inside the hotel Friday January 9, 2026. Municipal Civil Protection arrived at the hotel in response to a report of the internal accident. Municipal inspectors have begun their own investigation into the accident. Authorities did not provide information as to how the man fell or where he fell from. His injuries are not reported to be life threatening. Riviera Maya News serving headline news for Playa del Carmen since 2014 Your official online newspaper Second shooting in less than 12 hours reported connected to Tulum music festival Tulum, Q.R. Police in Tulum responded to another shooting that took place Friday reported to be connected to a Thursday music festival. It was the second attack in less than 12 hours that, this time, left three people injured inside a private cenote. The attack, which occurred around 2:00 p.m. south of Tulum Avenue, was the second involving gun fire on Friday. According to initial reports, armed subjects opened fire on event workers inside the private cenote club, injuring three people, one seriously. Guests inside the cenote reported hearing bursts of gunfire which caused them to take cover. Three people were found with gunshot wounds. One was treated at the scene. Two others were rushed to hospital, one in serious condition after being shot several times. Due to the severity of their injuries, two of the victims were rushed to a Playa del Carmen hospital. The two shooting victims taken to hospital have been identified as 30 year old D.J.P.N. with a gunshot wound to the back. The injured were rushed to hospital Friday. January 9, 2026. The second shooting victim has been identified as 37 year old J.E.M.N., an Argentine citizen, reported in serious condition with multiple gunshot wounds to the neck, face, arms and chest. The identity of the third injured person treated at the scene has not been confirmed. There are reports that this second shooting was against people related to the electronic music festival that was held Thursday night in Tulum. Authorities have not commented on either of the Friday Tulum shootings. Arrests have not been announced. Early Friday, a man reported at the festival was lead away by two others. His body was found on a dirt road Friday morning. He had been shot to death. According to local media, this latest incident is being reported as also connected to the Thursday night music festival. Riviera Maya News serving headline news for Tulum since 2014 Your official online newspaper Three arrests made related to dead woman found in Cancun shopping cart Cancun, Q.R. Three people have been taken into custody after the finding of a body in a shopping cart earlier this month. All three, police say, are believed involved in the death of the woman found left near a public park. The State Attorney General (FGE) said in a statement that police executed an arrest warrant against three people, two males and one female, for their probable involvement in events that could constitute the crime of femicide. The FGE has identified those in custody as Freddy N, alias Barbas, Mario Francisco N, alias Paco and Estefania Iyujari N, alias Fanny. The events for which police are investigating them occurred on January 4, 2026, following the report of the discovery of a womans body, wrapped in a sheet inside a shopping cart near a park located in Superblock 68, the FGE reported. The womans body was found in a shopping cart near a public park January 4, 2026. Initial investigations indicate that on January 1st of this year, the now-detained individuals were at their home located on 9th Street at the corner of Francisco I. Madero Avenue in Superblock 65 when the victim arrived with other people and they spent time together. Later, Estefania Iyujari N argued with the victim, physically assaulted her and then suffocated her. Estefania Iyujari N later carried the unconscious victims body to the ground floor of the house. At that moment, Freddy N noticed that the victim was still breathing so the woman ordered him to finish the job. Later, the man suffocated the victim, killing her. After the events, Mario Francisco N transported the victims body in a green, double-basket supermarket cart to a park, where he abandoned it and subsequently left the place. Police said that based on the autopsy, the victim showed signs of sexual abuse. The cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation by strangulation. Police also reported that Estefania Iyujari N was recently captured on Jose Lopez Portillo Avenue between Maracaibo and 23rd Streets for drug dealing. 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We found out the lip balms that can keep your lips moisturized and prevent chapping. The cold, dry winter air means your lips dont stand a chance. We found out the lip balms that can keep your lips moisturized and prevent chapping. Photograph: Tracy Allison/The Guardian The cold, dry winter air means your lips dont stand a chance. We found out the lip balms that can keep your lips moisturized and prevent chapping. Photograph: Tracy Allison/The Guardian (Photograph: Tracy Allison/The Guardian) Chapped lips can happen any time of year, but winter is especially tough. The skin on your lips is thinner and more sensitive than elsewhere on your body. Lacking oil glands, your lips dont stand a chance exposed to the elements. Hence: lip balms tucked away in coat pockets, makeup bags, purses, totes, briefcases, diaper bags, and desk drawers. Related: How to actually reduce your screen time this year: 15 expert tips Many of us have dozens of sticks and tubes and tubs: some add a hint of color, SPF, anti-aging ingredients, a dab or flavor, a drop of medicine, viral internet cachet. But which one do you turn to the most? What is the one that really does the job of keeping you moisturized and preventing (or treating) chapping and cracking lips? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That is what we tasked 29 different testers with finding out. Unlike a blender, which can objectively grind up carrots better or worse than the next one, the beauty of a top-rated lip balm is definitely on the lips of the beholder (or wearer). What some people call glossy, others call it gloppy. Some people hate a flavored balm; some are ready to eat it with a spoon. The reactions were all over the map. So we relied on lots of opinions, and lots of categories, to help find the lip balm thats best for you. The best lip balms at a glance Best lip balm overall Kiehls Lip Balm #1 $14 at Kiehls Best budget lip balm Vaseline Lip Therapy Original Mini $5.98 for pack of two at Amazon Best tinted lip balm Burts Bees Tinted Balm $4.99 at Burts Bees Best flavored lip balm Starface Star Balm $6.99 at Ulta Beauty Best for super dry, chapped, cracked lips Dr. Dans Cortibalm $8.25 at Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Best lip balm with SPF Supergoop Glow Gloss $22 at Dermstore Why you should trust me As a beauty and wellness writer and editor for decades, I have reported stories with dermatologists, cosmetic chemists, researchers, influencers, makeup artists, estheticians and real people. I have worked on beauty awards and best of lists for Self, Health, Cosmopolitan and InStyle, among other publications. At this point in my life, it feels like Ive tried almost every product under the sun. I have been a frequent lip balm user since I was a child. I started with ChapStick and am old enough to remember Bonne Bell Lip Smackers, followed by matte-brown lipsticks, glassy-looking lip glosses (with or without obvious lip liner), nude makeup, the natural look, contouring, and the total beauty lie that there is a flattering red lipstick out there for everyone. How I tested lip balms To test the full range of options, I scoured retail shelves for old standbys, consulted data on consumer behavior for bestsellers, and plumbed the depths of TikTok and Instagram to uncover viral hits and up-and-comers. Most companies provided samples for evaluation, but we also bought others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I asked 29 testers ranging in age from 20s to 90s to test our samples for up to a week they could stop immediately if they hated a product or if it caused irritation. Each tester sampled no more than four balms, except for me I tried every one. After trying each sample, testers filled out a survey asking them to evaluate flavor, tint, smell, SPF, dryness, extreme chapping, whether they would buy it, and how it ranked overall. While we ordinarily return or donate review samples, for lip balms, testers were allowed to keep them. I also consulted two professors of dermatology to help break down the claims of different lip balms and answer common questions, which you will find at the bottom of this article. *** The best lip balms in the US Best overall lip balm: Kiehls Lip Balm #1 Why we love it This balm got multiple perfect or near-perfect scores when measuring hydration, overall satisfaction, and willingness to repurchase. Our testers liked that it lived up to its fragrance-free claims with no obvious smell or taste. One person said it felt thick on first application, but then absorbed into lips, as advertised. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our testers found this combo of squalane, shea butter, and vitamin E very effective. Squalane is a hydrating ingredient similar to our natural oils, shea butter is a fat that is solid at room temperature and liquifies on contact with skin, and vitamin E is an antioxidant nutrient used in skincare to hydrate and protect skin from sun damage. A longtime fan of this lip product called it moisturizing without being gloppy and its not medicinal-feeling. I like that its basically neutral and, because its liquidy, it even gives lips a little gloss. Its a shame that At $14 a tube, some testers found it a little pricey compared with the lip balms they currently rely on. Another tester preferred a solid balm over this liquid formulation and thought that the applicator tip was not ergonomic. Someone else said: I felt my lips basically needed reapplication within 20 minutes. The brand reformulated in 2024 (with the removal of petrolatum), leading to some negative reviews on the brands site from longtime users. The change stemmed from reformulating the product into a vegan-friendly version and to reflect changes in ingredient availability and technology, a Kiehls spokesperson told us. Advertisement Advertisement $14 at Kiehls $14 at Nordstrom Key components: Squalane, shea butter, vitamin E *** Best budget lip balm: Vaseline Lip Therapy Original Mini Why we love it Vaseline is pure and simple petroleum jelly, also known as petrolatum or white petrolatum. Manufacturers refine hydrocarbons (the main components of petroleum and natural gas) into an odorless, semi-solid product, called Vaseline by chemist Robert Chesebrough, who patented a method of making it in 1872. Testers with chapped lips found that it worked especially well to seal in moisture, without clogging pores. Occlusives like petrolatum and beeswax help keep moisture in the lips by forming a protective barrier on top, which helps reduce moisture loss, says Dr Corey L Hartman, a board-certified dermatologist and adjunct associate professor of dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birminghams Heersink School of Medicine. Advertisement Advertisement Related: I tested 26 packing cubes on 14 trips here are best ones to travel smarter No one is mistaking this for a fun, viral or cosmetic lip balm; its a workhorse that feels almost medicinal, but without the medicated ingredients such as camphor or menthol that can cause irritation. It also has no taste or smell (except the cocoa butter version) a plus for many of our testers who loathe flavored balms. Its also readily available and inexpensive at drugstores, convenience stores and supermarkets. Dont let the petroleum base deter you, say dermatologists. People think its like putting gas on your face thats not whats happening, says Dr Oyetewa Asempa, an assistant professor of dermatology, specialist in hair and scalp disorders, and the director of the Skin of Color Clinic at Baylor Medicines Department of Dermatology in Houston, Texas. Its not allergenic. Ive never had a single patient have a problem with it. It can also be helpful after minimally invasive lip enhancement procedures, which are increasingly popular, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Asempa recommends that those who undergo lip filler injectables or lip flips (where a neurotoxin such as Botox is injected to push out the lips) use petrolatum after procedures. Advertisement Advertisement Its a shame that Some testers said it can slide outside the lip line, especially in warmer conditions. And theres an eco concern: It is derived from petroleum, which is a nonrenewable carbon product, says Asempa. An alternative and sustainable occlusive is beeswax, which, according to Hartman, also helps keep moisture in the lips by forming a protective barrier on top, which helps reduce moisture loss. Some testers described the pot-finger delivery system as messy. Hartman advises tossing any lip product in whatever format if youve had it longer than six to eight months. That being said, you should always wash your hands before dipping them into any product, including a lip balm, he says. This will help lessen the risk of cross-contamination of things you dont want on your lips, like bacteria. $5.98 for pack of two at Amazon $8.17 at Walmart Key components: Odorless, skin protectant, non-comedogenic Advertisement Advertisement *** Best tinted lip balm: Burts Bees Tinted Balm Why we love it This tinted balm makes marketing claims of eight-hour moisturization and a hint of color in eight different shades. Multiple testers liked that the product didnt dry out lips, which is a win in the tinted category. These balms offered good hydration, with a tester saying she didnt have to reapply for two hours. It was the most hydrating tinted balm I tried, another tester said, long-lasting and very comfortable to wear. The 100% petrolatum-free product includes a botanical wax blend (various flower waxes) and olive, coconut and canola oil, plus shea butter and, of course, beeswax. One tester found the rose tint a very pretty color and not at all drying. If you need extra moisture, try Burts Tinted Boosted Balm, which claims 24-hour protection. The boost is a center core containing vitamins C and E, plus vitamin F (which, if youve never heard of it, is actually made of two essential fatty acids). Around that is a ring of balm in one of four tints. I liked that it didnt have scent or flavor and the color was subtle but present, one tester said. Its not smeary. Another said: It was the most hydrating tinted balm I tried, long-lasting and very comfortable to wear. The price is right and the brand is easily available in supermarkets and pharmacies, and TerraCycle will recycle the packaging for free by mail. Advertisement Advertisement Its a shame that The hint of tint was too subtle for some testers, who felt it was barely noticeable. Another tester said that it bled noticeably outside my lips I reapplied it on my way out of the office and caught a glance of myself later looking mildly clownish. This one sat on the lips in a good way, but didnt feel like it would repair already chapped lips, said one tester. I would use this balm more for looks than to aid in chapped lips, another concurred. It didnt dry my lips out it; just kind of sat there and looked pretty. Burts Bees Tinted Lip Balm $4.99 at Burts Bees $5.79 at CVS Burts Bees Tinted Boosted Balm $5.60 at Amazon $7.99 at Burts Bees Key components: Petroleum-free, botanical ingredients, long-lasting *** Best flavored lip balm: Starface Star Balm Why we love it Its so cute, how could you not buy it? beamed one tester. Whats so darling about it? The little smiley face imprinted on the balm, the bright hues of the chunky applicators, subtle tints, and a multitude of fruit-bowl flavors such as guava, starfruit, watermelon and mango. Its worth the money for the little happy pop you get looking at this while you use it, one tester said. Our testers consistently gave it top scores for taste, describing the taste as fun and pleasant, nice and light, juicy, tangy, and in the case of the coconut flavor, beachy. Reviewers also liked the texture a vegan mix of shea butter, coconut oil, and cocoa butter and found it protective and comfortable to wear. One of the most-liked features was that the balm seemed to sit as a nice, protective layer that didnt absorb too quickly. Another liked the minimal tint, making it nice for applying over lipstick for a nice shine. One tester concurred with the cushion-y feeling described on the package. For our flavor haters, never fear: its also available unscented. Its worth noting that if a flavored balm causes you to lick your lips often, the saliva can irritate the area, according to Asempa. Our lips just want to be left alone. Its a shame that not everyone loved the texture. It felt kind of cakey/chalky on application, or heavy on the lips, one tester said. Another felt this prevented it from moisturizing. I wore it to exercise, and it lasted through the class, but after it wore off, my lips didnt feel particularly hydrated. The cute and hard to resist packaging was also polarizing, with some testers feeling the overall vibe was too young for them, and not loving the wide-diameter tube: Its larger than one lip, but not big enough to cover both at the same time. $6.99 at Ulta Beauty $6.99 at Starface Key components: Shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil *** Best tinted and flavored lip balm: Nivea Fruity Cuties Why we love it In general, both tinted and flavored lip balms were the most polarizing, but Nivea struck a balance in this challenging category. One tester liked that the tint left lips a little bit shiny. She also praised the comfortable applicator and called the balm the best one I tried in terms of being moisturizing. Another tester found that neither the tint nor the taste were over-the-top. The twisting, lipstick-like applicator was also a hit: The top clicked in place so it wouldnt likely fall off in your purse. Another tester appreciated both the watermelon tint and taste, calling it very pretty and very moisturizing. This is really great balm for a pop of color and to keep your lips moisturized. Definitely a good choice for winter. Nivea uses a combination of sunflower seed and castor oil, waxes, and shea butter sourced according to the ethical standards of the Global Shea Alliance. Some of the tints (not all!) contained titanium dioxide, a pigment that works as a sunscreen though SPF is not advertised on the packaging. Its a shame that Tinted lip products are known for leaving lips feeling dry due to ingredients, such as alcohol, that affix the pigments to the lips and fewer hydrating ingredients like oils. One tester felt the Nivea demonstrated the quintessential issues with tinted balms. Totally drying [and the] color is pretty, but not competitive with lipsticks, glosses, oils, stains in terms of color payoff and longevity. Another found the tint faint and said it didnt last. $8.52 for pack of four at Amazon $17.99 for pack of four at Walmart Key components: Vegan formula, ethically sourced shea butter, vitamins C and E *** Best for super dry, chapped, cracked lips: Dr Dans Cortibalm Why we love it Dr Dans Cortibalm contains 1% hydrocortisone, which is a mild topical steroid used to relieve itching, redness and swelling. This is the highest concentration of topical steroid you can get without a prescription in the US, and our testers found it effective. Theres a nice sheen to it, it doesnt dry me, said a tester with cracked lips. Other hydrocortisone over-the-counter products are not a texture or taste I would use on lips, echoed another. It felt a little medicated in a way I like. Also: I like the simple no-nonsense packaging, it looks very medical. One said: The feel was smooth, not waxy. A user of Accutane (a retinoid that can dry lips) liked the no-frills packaging and the combo of petroleum jelly, beeswax and mineral oil. What makes a lip balm medicated? If the labeling claims to soothe, heal or protect lips, it is classified as a medicine. Look for active ingredients on the label; those are the medicated ones they often include camphor, menthol or phenol that give a cooling or numbing sensation (Asempa points out that they can also be irritating). There may also be ingredients to numb the pain of cracks or cold sores. Its a shame that We cant use this balm indefinitely. If products contain hydrocortisone, they should not be used long-term, says Asempa, who recommends using them twice daily for up to two weeks only, then switching to petrolatum alone. Dr Dans also makes a maintenance balm for longer-term use: the Maintain Lip Balm contains petroleum jelly, beeswax, mineral oil and vitamin E. Our testers found Maintain similar to classic ChapStick. Another noted the slight beeswax flavor. I didnt mind that because it was very subtle and not overly sweet. However, he said, it definitely did not apply great, and felt kind of thick on my lips. But it lasted a while and moisturized chapped lips. $8.25 at Amazon $13.50 for two at Walmart Key components: Beeswax, petroleum jelly, 1% hydrocortisone *** Best lip balm with SPF: Supergoop Glow Gloss Why we love it Sunburn on the lips happens frequently, and it can be quite painful, says Hartman. If you spend a lot of time outside, a lip balm with a mineral filter like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide would be beneficial to protect your lips. This product offers a rare combination of nice texture, pleasant flavor, unobtrusive tint, and tada! broad-spectrum SPF 40 sun protection. Lighter-skinned patients with a high risk for skin cancer or people who are in the sun a lot should look for SPF 30 or greater, says Asempa. A tiny bit oily but normal for a gloss I think! wrote a tester. Another found it neither chalky nor oily. Didnt seem that different from a non-SPF balm. One raved about the very nice light feel and no obvious taste and said she would buy it despite finding it pricey, due to the importance of SPF. The gloss, which comes in three tinted flavors (Vanilla Soft Serve, Strawberry Spritz, and Pink Peppermint) seems to be slight variations on sheer pink and isnt too shiny. Ingredients include shea butter, and a peptide complex (though Asempa cautions there are no large studies about peptides anti-aging efficacy). Its a shame that Once you add SPF into lip balm, you definitely end up increasing the risk of irritation, says Asempa. Its a balancing act: this brand uses chemical sunblock (oxybenzone and padimate) rather than mineral sunscreens (zinc or titanium dioxide), which can have a white-ish tone. Testers voted down another option, Sun Bum SPF 30 Coconut Lip Balm, because of a strong, chemical tang, but the taste here was not strong or off-putting. If you prefer mineral sunscreens, we liked CoverGirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm SPF 15. The tint didnt register with our testers, who found it glossy but no real visible tint. Another wrote: Maybe a slight pink tint? But not very obvious once on. Others found fault with the sweet but kinda soapy flavor and scent, which another found kind of childish. $22 at Dermstore $22 at Revolve Key components: Shea butter, peptide complex, subtle gloss *** The best of the rest Best viral lip balm: Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm What makes a lip balm go viral? Pretty packaging, a celebrity creator, a cool applicator, some sometimes even a gadget like a special phone case with a lip balm slot. We tried several of these more gimmicky viral brands before arriving at Eadem, which is branded as a multi-use lip treatment, offering exfoliation, moisture and shiny gloss. It comes in eight buildable shades, meaning none are too obvious. We tried the Croissant au Beurre, which is clear with a slight gold shimmer. One tester wrote: I liked the applicator it went on smooth and spread easily. It lasted quite a while very surprising for a balm that has this viscous texture. She added: The flavor was subtle, so I liked that I didnt really notice it. Another said: [I like that] the metallic applicator head feels cool on contact. The exfoliating ingredients are hibiscus enzymes, lactic acid (which helps remove dead skin cells), and pyruvic acid (the brand claims it will diminish ashiness). Moisturizers include the humectant Brazilian acai butter and African mongongo butter and moringa oil emollients. The brand claims that hexapeptide boosts collagen, but Asempa again cautions that those claims have not been proven in large studies. A trademarked polymer offers a gloss that our testers found stays put. The website mentions that it will not mask dual-toned lips, common to many women of color. It didnt make the final cut because Virality seemed beside the point for most of our testers, who were more concerned with functionality. One said: I just didnt like how shiny/glossy it is. I would prefer something that doesnt have so much shine, but some people may like the balm-gloss combo. $24 at Eadem $24 at Sephora *** Best eco-friendly lip balm: Sustain Yourself Lip Balm When almost every competitor comes in plastic, Sustain Yourself stands out with a cardboard tube thats biodegradable, compostable and FSC-certified (one of the green badges that actually means something). The certified organic and fair trade balm is made of just three main ingredients: coconut oil, beeswax and golden jojoba oil. The peppermint flavor adds one more: peppermint essential oil. The unscented version is free of essential oils, which can cause allergic reactions according to Asempa. The large size of the tube offers a good amount of product for the price. It didnt make the final cut because The cardboard tube could be hard to figure out, according to some testers you have to push up the product from the bottom. I found that you had to sort of stuff the product back with your finger if you pushed it out too far, which defeats the hands-free purpose of having a stick of product. $12 at Sustain Yourself *** Best premium lip balm: Prada Balm Lip Optimizing Care Our testers mostly liked this designer product, saying the lack of flavor or tint were the best. It comes in five colors; we tried Universal, which looks green in the tube but goes on clear. The formulation relies on hydrating jojoba oil and touts a probiotic (bifidus extract) as a barrier repair ingredient. Testers also loved that the logo-forward satisfying magnetic-closure case can be re-used with refills ($40). It didnt make the final cut because Label-mania only went so far. Even the testers who liked it balked at the price. Much too expensive, said one, but the best of the ones that I tried by far. Still not worth $50! Another tester said: I could never justify spending that much on a lip balm. $50 at Sephora $50 at Nordstrom *** Best giftable lip balm: Eos 100% Natural & Organic Lip Balm With Amazon currently selling a package of four flavored balms for $10, this is a fun balm you can afford to share. I have given the sets as stocking stuffers or birthday gifts several times. Ingredients include USDA certified organic shea butter, sunflower seed oil, organic beeswax, coconut oil, and jojoba seed oil. The tube has a cover that clicks in place no accidental purse messes here. One tester wrote: I like the lipstick-style applicator. It is very easy to use and the various bright colors make this easy to find in your purse. Its my favorite of the ones I tried. Another noted that the low price means you wont freak out if it falls out of a pocket and gets lost. Our testers found that the flavors they tried werent too strong and several called them pleasant. Another called the vanilla pretty subtle, so I didnt mind. He added: This applied very lightly and felt like a thin film. While there was a little runoff or [it] felt a little wet on the lips, I never felt the need to reapply after applying it once. One gave a thumbs up to the nondescript (not too teenybopper) tube. It didnt make the final cut because Flavored balms were really divisive. One tester thought the product was light but still fake-smelling and the feel was waxy. Another tester called the flavor really bad and artificial. $9.97 for pack of four at Amazon $10.99 for pack of four at Eos *** Best lip balm packaging: Get Balmy Lip Balm Jewelry Get Balmy comes packaged in a cute ring, bracelet or pendant with a secret. We tried the ring. You scoop off the top of a lip balm stick into the compartment. Each piece of jewelry (in this case a 14-karat gold-plated steel ring with a round of black onyx on the front) comes with a tube of the brands own balm, but you could sub in your fave product the provided balm is nothing special. The dozens of jewelry styles offered are attractive from simple and clean styles to more ornate and colorful designs. It didnt make the final cut because Not everyone is willing to wear their lip balm on their wrist (or finger or neck). The ring was also a bit heavy, and I found it hard to open the locket full of balm while I was wearing it. My usual ring size was a bit too large for my finger and slid around, but the brand sells a four-pack of silicone ring size adjusters for $6. $57 at Get Balmy *** What else did I test? *** What you need to know about lip balm We spoke with two experts to find out about how lip balms work, how long they last, and whether lip balm addiction is myth or reality. Dr Oyetewa Asempa , an assistant professor of dermatology, specialist in hair and scalp disorders, and the director of the Skin of Color Clinic at Baylor Medicine Department of Dermatology in Houston Dr Corey L Hartman, a dermatologist and adjunct associate professor of dermatology at University of Alabama at Birminghams Heersink School of Medicine How do lip balms work? When youre using lip balm, you are usually looking for moisturization. Balms address that need with three different classes of ingredients humectants, occlusives and emollients according to Asempa. Humectants such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin draw water to the skins surface from the atmosphere or from deeper layers of skin. Emollients including ceramides, squalane oil and dimethicone work by filling in gaps between skin cells, which otherwise cause skin to look rough, dry or flaky. Occlusives such as petrolatum and beeswax dont add hydration to skin; instead, they form a barrier on top of skin to keep existing moisture from evaporating. Can I develop an allergy to my lip balm? Absolutely. You can develop an allergy to anything at any time, says Asempa. She is seeing a lot more contact allergies from lip tints with colors or fragrances, which can contain dyes or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are potentially irritating. Asempa recommends that people with sensitive skin steer clear of lanolin (found in the popular Lanolips multipurpose ointment), as it may trigger a reaction. She also counsels against most plumping balms. They are almost always going to be a little irritating, she says. They contain vasodilators such as capsaicin, vitamin B3, menthol or cinnamon oil. They are basically causing a contact dermatitis. Youre irritating your lips, so the body sends blood full of different types of inflammatory cells to the site of irritation. How long should I keep a lip balm? All cosmetics have an expiry date 12 to 24 months after being opened, especially if theyre in a tub, says Asempa, even if you wash your hands before using. They can become contaminated faster than stick products, which have a lower risk of bacteria growth. Related: The best winter gloves are two pairs, actually (and one is hiding at Home Depot) Signs that a product is past its prime include changes in smell, color, or texture; it feels gritty. She also says to look for the period after opening date, which is the number in a circle on the bottom of a cosmetic product. Hartman suggests replacing lip balms every six to eight months after opening. Many people who use lip balms frequently will find that they use the entire product before six months, he says, so they replace as needed. If a lip balm changes color or texture or looks or feels off sooner, its a sign that the formula has degraded and should be thrown away. Can I get addicted to using lip balm? Lip balms themselves are not addictive, says Asempa, but theres a reason we all know someone who seems as if they cant live without them. It doesnt cause true dependence like nicotine, but you can develop a behavioral habit. She finds that some ingredients, such as camphor and menthol, can dry lips out and create a cycle of re-applying. As for the idea that frequently applying lip balms will stop your skin from producing oil and make them dependent on added hydration, thats not true, says Hartman. Its a myth that if you apply lip balms frequently your skin will become addicted and youll need to keep applying lip balms to soothe your lips. Most patients like the feel of a lip balm on their lips and they apply when they feel they need to. Its more of a psychological desire versus a need. Netflixs highly anticipated adaptation of People We Meet on Vacationthe 2021 bestseller from the popular American romance novelist Emily Henryis finally here. The movie, the first of five adaptations of Henrys megahit romance novels currently in the works (and the first of three to be distributed by the streaming giant), follows a nonlinear narrative of two friendsPoppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth)who built their friendship via annual summer vacations together, until an incident on one of those vacations caused a rift so deep that the duo hasnt spoken to each other for a couple of years. In the present day, we watch as Poppy and Alex reunite ahead of his younger brothers wedding and attempt to reconcile, while flashbacks from the past reveal to us why they separated in the first place. While the crown for Best Emily Henry book is oft-debated, People We Meet on Vacation is one of Henrys more divisive works, so much so that the original American version of the novel even includes a plot point that was removed from some U.K. editions. How does Netflixs adaptation handle that controversy and the other sticky plot points? By changing three very key things (and some other small ones). Heres a breakdown of the biggest differences between Henrys and Netflixs versions of People We Meet on Vacation. Related From Slate Everything That Annoyed Me About a Megapopular Novel Gets Even Worse in Netflixs Adaptation Read More A Massive Location Change: Palm Springs to Barcelona In the movie, in the present-day part of our timeline, Alexs younger brother, David (Miles Heizer), calls Poppy to invite her to his wedding that weekend in Barcelona after realizing she never sent in her RSVP. (How he only realized this the week of his wedding is beyond me.) Despite Poppys reservations about seeing Alex for the first time in two years since their friendship went on a hiatus, she agrees to go. Poppywho writes professionally about travel for a magazineeven convinces her boss to let her forgo the feature she was supposed to write about a hotel opening in Santorini that weekend in favor of a piece on destination weddings in Barcelona. She bumps into Alex at the airport, and he offers her a ride to her rented apartment, where they find that the heat doesnt work and the balcony is under construction. Alex throws out his back trying to fix the AC, which is how the movie creates a scenario in which Alex has to stay with Poppy in the sauna-like rental. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The present-day version of the movies story unfolds rapidly. The day Poppy arrives is the same day as the groomsmens wine tasting (which Alex misses because of his hurt back), while the following day is the rehearsal dinner, and the ceremony is presumably the day after that. This fast pace gives present-day Alex and Poppy only three days or so to hash out their differences and reconcile. But it all feels a little contrived: Not only is that less time for them to get reacquainted than what they are given in the books, but it makes no sense that Poppy and Alex would stay in a place so dilapidated and hot if Poppys job is footing the bill. In the books, however, the wedding is in Palm Springs, California. When Poppy and Alex reengage in conversation after years due to some random texts they send each other, Poppy suggests they go on another trip, and Alex informs Poppy of the wedding, creating the opportunity to combine the trips. The catch is that Poppys job does not greenlight a piece about Palm Springs weddings or anything of the sort, meaning Poppy pays for the trip herself, which is why they do everything on a budget, including staying in a half-broken rented apartment. Poppy lets Alex think her magazine is paying, and they spend days together before the wedding to confront what ended their friendship years before. Advertisement Advertisement The whole point of the setting is that the heat in the apartment is literal and metaphorical, representing their bubbling lingering tension, like being stuck in a boiling teakettle thats about to blow. Not only does the movie not portray that emotional subtext of the setting (the movie version has them only spending one night in separate beds in the steamy rental before they get together the following evening), but it also doesnt give the couple any believable reason to stay in the same accommodation in the first place. Advertisement The Infamous Vasectomy Plotline Fans will know: The vasectomy plotline of People We Meet on Vacation is already a divisive situation when it comes to the source material. In the book, as in the movie, Poppy has a pregnancy scare while she, Alex, and their respective partners are all vacationing together in Venice. However, in the written version, Alex gets so freaked out about the thought of Poppy possibly dying in the same way that his motherwho died in childbirth with one of Alexs younger siblingsdid that he decides, on his own, to get a vasectomy. The issue? Well, there are many. First, he wasnt even with Poppyhe was with his longtime off-and-on girlfriend Sarah, whom he didnt think about for a second before making a pretty major life-changing decision. Not to mention, even if he did it for Poppy (once again: someone he was not dating and had never slept with at that time), its not like he asked her if she wanted that, either. (Instead, he says he froze some of his sperm in case the procedure, which can be reversible in some cases but isnt intended as such, was not reversible.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not only was this decision a wake-up call to Alex about his true feelings for Poppy, but the move is also a large part of why he and Sarah finally, officially, permanently called it quits. The catch is that this detail was mystifyingly omitted in the U.K. version of the book. It is similarly omitted in the film adaptation. Poppys Trauma In the book, Poppys parents are pretty eccentric. They are loud, seemingly boundary-less, and crafted a house full of animals and chaos and big personalities and secondhand clutter because theyre practically hoarders who never buy anything new. Their nature has made them a little off-putting to other residents of the small town of Linfield, Ohio. Poppy is bullied harshly from the end of middle school throughout high school, not only because of her family, but also because she is quirky and the subject of a rumor accusing her of performing oral sex on a kid named Jason Stanley in the janitors closetin reality, gossip made up by Jason when Poppy rejects him after a kissearning her the derisive nickname Porny Poppy. Book Poppy spends most of her childhood feeling lonely and misunderstood by both her zany parents and her peers. This explains her deep hatred of Linfield and her vehement determination to never move back, which fuels a core part of the big debates she and Alex have about their futures and settling down. This is ultimately a large part of why they never got together previously, even though they both harbor feelings for each other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a later scene in the novel, Poppy actually runs into Jason Stanley. He apologizes, and she realizes that he has grown and matured and has a family of his own now. Witnessing this evolution sparks her revelation that she can move on from the maltreatment she suffered and that she doesnt need to let it define her. This is why Poppys grand gesture toward the end of the novelin which she returns to her high school to confess her love to Alex, a teacher thereis so important. Its her way of showing him that she would do anything for him, including going to the one place on Earth that she vowed never to return to. Related From Slate Everything That Annoyed Me About a Megapopular Novel Gets Even Worse in Netflixs Adaptation Read More This is still present in the movie, but dampened significantly. Poppys mother and father, played by Molly Shannon and Alan Ruck, arent such a mess; theyre merely eccentric, perhaps too-open, parents. Theres no real focus on Poppy coming from a somewhat suffocating and alienating house of chaos, one where even her younger two brothers (who exist in the book but not in the film) have each other to lean on, while she feels like she has no one. Additionally, the movie mentions her being bullied with the nickname Porny Poppy, but only for a moment. Its not harped on or made to feel like a prominent part of Poppys background the way it is in the books. Furthermore, Poppy doesnt travel to the high school to find Alex and confess; she does it in Linfield, but not at the particular scene of the crimes of her adolescence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These might not seem like big changes, especially since a form of each is present in the movie, but this diminishment of each element almost entirely nukes the books grounded sense of Poppys motivations behind her noncommittal approach to life. And thats, like, her whole thing! Thats not a conflict, but the conflict! Without it, Movie Poppy unfortunately just seems hard to relate to and even a little annoying. Not to mention that Poppy and Alex being able to admit their feelings so freely to each other is because they both go to therapya pretty valuable part of the novel thats not present in the film. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. I dont know exactly what I should be doing right now, as a person who lives in the United States in 2026 and cares about others. But I know Im falling short. I think about this often: When Im sobbing over a news report about a toddler orphaned after his parents are swept up in an ICE raid, asking myself, How are you helping, other than donating money here and there and sharing Instagram stories? When Im imagining what Ill one day tell my children I did for the people who were scared and suffering back in 2026, when Im reading a post that commands me to reject hopelessness and get involved in my community, I immediately start to hear my own excuses about work and kids and energy and time. It feels awful to disappoint myself. What feels worse is my feeling that Renee Good, who was killed by a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis during a raid on Wednesday, was the kind of person I want to be, and as a result, shes dead. When I say she was the kind of person I want to be, Im talking specifically about her presence at the scene of the immigration raid. The New York Post reported that she was involved with an ICE Watch group; though the tabloid claims that such groups can turn confrontational, their purpose is to help prevent immigrants from being suddenly swept into detention centers. It is exceedingly clear that Good was not threatening agents when she was shot. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told NPR that Good was anything but a domestic terrorist, despite the claims of Trump administration officials who say she was interfering with the ICE agents work. Instead, he said, she was a compassionate neighbor trying to be a legal observer on behalf of her immigrant neighbors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If thats the case, it means she must have felt the same horror I feel when I see how so many people in this country are living through pain I cant imagineand then she did something. Instead of taking a break from the news, or fantasizing about leaving the county, or despairing over the world her kids will inherit (or who knows, maybe she did these things too!), maybe she thought, How can I help? She didnt have the power to change the outcome of the election, or change the minds of all the people who voted for this horrifying reality, or even to stop ICE from chasing down the people in her community, or to reunite kids with their parents. But she still showed up, to be the kind of person we all hope will be there if were having the worst day of our life. I imagine that, before she was killed, her presence was a comfort that showed that someone was watching and that someone cared. Advertisement Renee was one of the kindest people Ive ever known, her mom told the Minnesota Star Tribune (she also disputed the idea that her daughter was involved in any kind of protest against ICE). She was extremely compassionate. Shes taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being. It is very easy to leave to others the job of showing up when people are in dangerthe job of documenting and witnessing. Memes about how the world is terrible but being a mother is enough (evolutionary, even!) appear often in my Instagram feed. I understand why Im seeing them. My algorithm is undoubtedly shaped by two kinds of content. The first: Reels about things like the way 3-year-olds yell at their parents for singing, and how 1-year-olds do gymnastics while breastfeeding. The second: Footage documenting the unspeakable suffering of kids in Gaza, stats about the number of people around the world who will face hunger or die as a result of this administrations policies, and reporting on people in Latino neighborhoods in Chicago who form a walking school bus for kids whose parents are too afraid of ICE to leave the house. So Im served content perfectly tailored to someone peeking out from the working-mom-with-two-little-kids trenches, looking around, and despairing over the worlduntil someone needs a snack or the potty or the kind of comfort I wish I could give to all the kids in the headlines. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate The MAGA Reaction to the Minneapolis ICE Killing Is Part of a Bigger Plan Read More These messages about how Im doing my part by raising kind humans are always beautifully illustrated with whimsical drawings and pleasant fonts. I really do appreciate them and the comfort they bring to others. But these Youre enough when you feed your child breakfast messages just dont resonate with me. Maybe its because my kids, while very sweet, are still young enough that theyd walk through an active crime scene to get to a veggie straw, so its just hard to picture them fixing the world. Maybe its because I think of myself as a decent person, but I wonder if I am really contributing if I raise people who are every bit as empathetic as I am, but I fail to give them the example of what to do with that empathy. Or maybe its because I know that plenty of women throughout history have had just as much on their plates asand the same cliched struggle to work and parent and showerand still managed to try to make the world outside their homes better. Advertisement Women like Renee Good. She was the mother of three, including of a 6-year-old whom she dropped off at school Wednesday morning. Afterward, she could have filled her time with countless other things: laundry, a summer camp lottery, taking down holiday decorations, finding a lost glove. Or maybe she could have done something for herself: calling a friend, getting a haircut, or finally doing that 10 minute daily meditation or 25 minutes of weight-bearing exercise that are supposed to solve so many of our problems if we can squeeze them in. Instead, something brought her to a residential street in south Minneapolis where some of her neighbors were living through a nightmare and others were trying to help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What I keep thinking about isnt that she was killed even though she was a good person (many good people have been killed, and ICE isnt supposed to kill bad people either!). I believe she was killed because she was a good person. Because she decided to be there. Shes gone now, her kids dont have a mom, and the world is missing the kind of woman who found the time to go stand in the street and let her neighbors know they werent alone. She should still be alive. But because shes not and I am, I hope I can honor her memory by being more like her. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. On Friday, the Supreme Court decided Bowe v. United States, a procedural case that will meaningfully reshape how federal prisoners challenge unlawful convictions and sentences. The court held that a key restriction Congress imposed on state habeas petitions does not apply to federal prisoners, and that federal prisoners may seek Supreme Court review when courts of appeals deny permission to file successive post-conviction motions. Together, the pair of holdings loosens a set of procedural choke points that have blocked many federal habeas claims from merits review even when the underlying law has shifted decisively in a prisoners favor. In practice, it means more prisoners will have the opportunity to secure post-conviction relief when new law is established that supports their claims, even after previously failed appeal bids. The case emerged from Michael Bowes mandatory 10-year added sentenceon top of an initial 14-year sentenceunder a federal firearms statute that applies only when a defendant commits a qualifying crime of violence. His predicate offenses were conspiracy and attempted Hobbs Act robbery. After Bowe was sentenced, the Supreme Court dismantled the legal basis for treating those crimes as violent. In 2019, the court followed with United States v. Davis, which struck down part of the crimes of violence statute as unconstitutionally vague. In 2022, the court followed with United States v. Taylor, holding that attempted robbery, as defined in the Hobbs Act, does not qualify under the remaining part of the statute. The 11th Circuit has also held that conspiracy does not qualify, either. If Bowe were sentenced today, his firearm enhancement would almost certainly disappear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But post-conviction law does not move in straight lines. Federal prisoners typically get one opportunity to challenge their convictions or sentences. A second or successive motion is permitted only if the prisoner can show either newly discovered evidence establishing innocence or a new rule of constitutional law made retroactive by the Supreme Court. Statutory interpretation decisions, standing alone, do not open the gate. That framework created a procedural trap for Bowe. After Davis, he sought relief arguing that his firearm conviction rested on an unconstitutional basis. The 11th Circuit rejected the claim because, at the time of his conviction, circuit precedent still treated attempted Hobbs Act robbery as a qualifying crime for a sentence enhancement even under Davis. Even if the portion of the statute struck down in Davis was an invalid reason for sentence enhancement, the court concluded, the conviction survived anyway under the separate portion of the statute. Then Taylor arrived and eliminated that fallback theory. When Bowe returned to court, the 11th Circuit blocked him again, this time on procedural grounds. His Davis claim had already been raised once in a prior motion and was therefore barred as an old claim. His Taylor argument could not open the door because it was statutory rather than constitutional. The sequencing of Supreme Court decisions left him trapped between two doors that would never open at the same time. Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court granted review to resolve two questions that had divided the lower courts. First, the court addressed whether it had jurisdiction to review denials of authorization to file successive federal habeas motions. A provision of federal law bars Supreme Court review of authorization denials in state habeas cases. Several circuits had treated that bar as extending to federal prisoners as well. The court rejected that reading. The statute speaks in terms of state habeas applications, while federal prisoners file post-conviction motions under a different statute. Congress did not clearly withdraw the courts jurisdiction over federal authorization decisions, and absent a clear statement, the court declined to read its own authority away. That holding restores a meaningful layer of appellate oversight in an area that had become largely insulated from review. Advertisement The decision reinforces the value of Supreme Court review itself in a corner of the legal system where access to any forum is often vanishingly thin. Post-conviction litigation frequently turns not on whether a claim has merit, but on whether any court remains available to hear it at all. When authorization denials become effectively unreviewable, legal error hardens into permanence by default. In a system built on layered review, preserving a path to Supreme Court review keeps open a forum of last resort in cases where liberty depends on whether the courthouse door has closed forever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate This Is the Nastiest Opinion by a Supreme Court Justice in 2025 Read More The second holding addressed the mechanism that had blocked Bowes claim. The statute that bars repeat claims applies, by its terms, only to second or successive habeas petitions filed by state prisoners under a specific section of the statute. Federal prisoners proceed under a different section, which contains its own gatekeeping rules. Some courts had imported the state-law old-claim bar into federal practice by assumption and policy reasoning. The Supreme Court refused to do so. Congress used different language in the two statutes for a reason. Writing for the court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor confirmed that courts cannot graft additional restrictions onto the federal scheme simply because they think the result would be cleaner or more restrictive. That correction matters because it removes the procedural device that trapped Bowe. Without the old-claim bar, federal prisoners are no longer automatically foreclosed from re-presenting claims that were previously rejected under legal assumptions the Supreme Court has since repudiated. Bowe may now again seek authorization to file a successive motion based on Davis, using Taylor to show that once the unconstitutional residual clause is removed, no valid predicate remains. Advertisement Importantly, though, the decision does not dismantle the draconian framework for seeking renewed appeal. Prisoners must still satisfy the strict requirements for successive motions. Statutes of limitations remain in force. Courts of appeals continue to screen habeas filings aggressively. While Bowe leaves unchanged the existence of barriers, it eliminates a uniquely arbitrary one that punished prisoners for the timing of legal change rather than the legality of their sentences. Advertisement Advertisement More broadly, the case corrects a distortion in post-conviction law. Constitutional doctrine and statutory interpretation often evolve in stages. When procedural rules freeze prisoners at an intermediate moment in that evolution, legal error becomes permanent by accident of timing. Bowe restores coherence by allowing federal prisoners to return to court when later developments reveal that earlier denials rested on conclusions the Supreme Court has since rejected. For Michael Bowe, the ruling offers another opportunity to challenge a decade of imprisonment that may no longer be legally justified. For the federal system and similarly situated prisoners, it reopens a path that had narrowed over time and ensures that procedural rules in federal post-conviction practice do not entrench legal error simply because the law evolved in stages. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. The Wyoming Supreme Court struck down its states sweeping abortion ban on Tuesday, preserving access to reproductive health care by a 41 vote. Its opinion found that Wyoming had (perhaps inadvertently) enshrined a right to abortion access when it ratified the freedom to make medical decisions in 2012 as part of a backlash to Obamacare. The majority also dismantled lawmakers justifications for its draconian abortion restrictions, reflecting a sensitivity toward the complexity of pregnancy that stands in stark contrast to the U.S. Supreme Court. Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discussed the ruling, its ironic backstory, and its clear-eyed refutation of SCOTUS on this weeks Slate Plus bonus episode of Amicus. An excerpt from their conversation, below, has been edited and condensed for clarity. Dahlia Lithwick: This is a pretty bold ruling, coming from a court in an extremely red state. Can you just talk us through how Wyoming, of all places, wound up with such incredibly robust protection for reproductive freedom? Mark Joseph Stern: The Wyoming Supreme Courts five justices are all Republican appointees. But the Wyoming Constitution explicitly declares that each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own health care decisions. How did a ruby-red state wind up enshrining that fundamental right? Well, when Congress enacted the Affordable Care Act back in 2010, GOP politicians and activists decided they were going to fight back by banning socialized medicine in state constitutions. They claimed they were worried that the government would force everyone into a state-run health care system in which bureaucrats dictated exactly what would be provided. So they pushed for these constitutional amendments that would preserve private insurance and give everyone the right to access and pay for medical treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Michigan State University College of Law professor Quinn Yeargain has documented, five states ultimately enacted those amendments, including Wyoming in 2012. But their proponents wrote them in broad language rather than framing them as an explicit rebuke to Obamacare. So Wyomings amendment begins by granting every adult this sweeping right to make their own health care decisions, and it shields that right from undue government infringement. Everybody ignored that this was part of the state constitution until the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Then the Wyoming Legislature passed a ban on virtually all abortions at every stage of pregnancy. A group of doctors sued and said: These abortion bans violate the right to medical decisionmaking secured in our state constitution. And on Tuesday, the Wyoming Supreme Court said they were correct. I can hear the woodwinds and strings in your ode to creative lawyering in the states. But I think its really worth flagging that, as you said, these are not rabid lefty judges. They are Republican appointees. And you could certainly imagine conservative judges finding a way to get the results they wanted by saying: Look, this was all about Obamacare. This has nothing to do with abortion. This decision does not take the easy route. It says that words have meaning. Advertisement Advertisement Ill note two things. First, even though these are not flaming liberal judges, Wyoming does have a merit-based judicial-selection system. So these are also real judges who are committed to trying to figure out what the law means. Second, the key move here is the courts holding that terminating a pregnancy is a health care decision. The state of Wyoming argued that it wasnt. It said: Abortion isnt health care, so it doesnt fall under this provision whatsoever. And the majority said that that was wrong; given the often detrimental impact of pregnancy on an individuals health, the choice to terminate is clearly a health care decision. That means all restrictions on it must be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling interest. Advertisement This led to another interesting analytical move, which Mary Ziegler wrote about in Slate: The court held that Wyomings ban was not narrowly tailored to protect fetal life. And it did so by pointing to its lack of meaningful, coherent exceptions. So, for instance, state law allows termination for lethal fetal defects only if the baby would die within hours or days of birth. But the plaintiffs had doctors testify that they could not know for certain whether an infant with these defects would live for days, weeks, or maybe even a few months before suffering a painful death. So the majority said: Look, its illogical for the state to make patients carry a doomed high-risk pregnancy just because that infant might live a few more days or a few more weeks before inevitably dying. In legal terms, the law was tailored in a very arbitrary way, seemingly to prolong the suffering of women, as well as fetuses who were not going to survive if they were born. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority also pointed to Wyomings exception for rape, which is barely an exception at all, and noted that it really violates the logic of the ban: If Wyoming has an obligation to protect life from conception, as the state claims, how can it deem a life unworthy of protection because it was the product of sexual assault? The majority also pointed out that rape victims can terminate a pregnancy only if they report their assaultbut many victims do not file a police report for a variety of reasons, including fear of retaliation by the perpetrator, who is often a family member. This is especially perverse because a minor who becomes pregnant from rape is not, under Wyoming law, allowed to request an abortion herself; she has to go through her parents or guardians. And if her parent or guardian is the person who raped her, they can veto her attempt to terminate the resulting pregnancy. Advertisement Advertisement The majority said this was all deeply irrational and unworkable, and not remotely tailored to serve the states alleged interest. That is just solid legal analysis that really should not have a partisan or ideological slant. Its just rooted in reason and the real world. Related From Slate This Is the Nastiest Opinion by a Supreme Court Justice in 2025 Read More What you are describing is the anti-Dobbs opinion, right? This is a rebuke to Justice Samuel Alito and his completely inane analysis about the complexity of pregnancy. But its also a rebuke to state lawmakers who think they understand how medicine works, and to the entire pro-life industrial complex, which keeps treating pregnancy as though its a simple, check-the-box enterprise. This is an opinion that deeply honors the fact that pregnancies are complicated. They are fraught. They are a big deal. It sweeps in questions of rape and abuse and power differentials and reporting and how the criminal justice system works. It sweeps in granular questions about when life begins and whose life matters. Advertisement This is not the kind of thing that Alito can just imagine away, because he likes the idea of fetuses above all. What youre describing is a court that is really sensitive to the principle that Alito missed completely in Dobbs, which is that when the government tries to regulate pregnancy and abortion in simpleminded cartoonish ways, women are oppressed and tortured. But then theres the other piece of this that I want you to just amplify, which is that this is a court doing actual, principled, Scalian textual analysis. Ive almost forgotten what that looks like, because you sure as hell dont see it at the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Those are the two pieces that braid together so nicely. This is a court saying that constitutional language has consequences and courts cant just pretend that the words in the Constitution dont exist because theyre inconvenient. This amendment, whatever its intent, was ultimately approved by the voters of Wyoming. We dont know exactly what those voters thought they were approving when they enshrined this into their founding charter. People had different ideas. You cant read their minds. Maybe a lot of them thought it was about socialized medicine. But what they ended up doing was create a fundamental right to make health care decisions. And because that right still exists, the state Supreme Court felt an obligation to enforce it. Advertisement Advertisement That meant striking down Wyomings whole anti-choice regimewhich, as you say, collapsed under its own internal contradictions. What the court did was say: This is a fundamental right, so we have to apply real, meaningful scrutiny to it. And once you do that, you see how horrible and irrational these abortion laws are on the ground. Forcing minors to get approval from the parent who raped them in order to terminate the resulting pregnancy. Forcing doctors to tell a patient: Sorry, you have to give birth to this doomed fetus because I cant certify that itll die within days rather than weeks. All of these realities of pregnancy on the ground that Alito totally glossed over are front and center in this opinion. Advertisement I find that to be the ultimate kind of rejoinder to Dobbs, because in Dobbs, there are no acknowledged victims. The victims of that decision are concealed and hidden. Its presented as this great win for fetal life and democracy. And the women who die because they cant get a medically necessary abortion? The women whose lives are forever altered in a terrible way because they are forced to carry a pregnancy with lethal defects to term? The rape victims who cannot terminate a pregnancy that results from assault? Alito pushes them under the rug. But this Wyoming Supreme Court opinion brings them out and says they matter too. And that is the opinion that I felt I needed to read since the day the Dobbs draft leaked. And Im just shocked that it came from Wyoming. Nelly Antonia Richards Campero, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose life was marked by courage, generosity, and unwavering love for her family, passed away peacefully on January 6, 2026. She will truly be greatly missed by all who knew her. Nelly's beautiful story began when she was born on June 13, 1929, in La Paz, Bolivia, to parents John Joseph Richards and Matilde Alvarez. After growing up in Bolivia and being a champion runner, winning countless medals and setting records for Bolivia then going through nurse's training, Nelly embarked on a remarkable journey at a young age. In 1952, with just $13 in her pocket, an English dictionary and a nursing scholarship, she emigrated to the United States alone on a voyage by bus, plane and ship. She traveled over the ocean and through the Panama Canal on an Italian Cruise Liner called Antonieto Uso di Mari, where she landed in Miami. Nelly studied nursing in New Jersey and after graduating as valedictorian, she later married the love of her life, Ricardo Miguel Campero in 1958, after he emigrated to the United States from Bolivia. Together they built a life filled with joy, shared passions and hard work to create the 'American Dream" for their family. Nelly dedicated her career to caring for others, retiring as a Registered Nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Beyond her professional life, she served her community in meaningful ways, including as a Head Start teacher, helping underprivileged children prepare for elementary school, as a Hospice Volunteer and at their Church as a Eucharistic Minister. Nelly and Ricardo raised their family in Knoxville, Iowa, where they formed lasting friendships and were active members of St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Known for their vibrant spirit and love of dancingespecially traditional Bolivian dancesthey delighted audiences by performing at local school events and other events in their community. Nelly's legacy of compassion extended far beyond her immediate family. She personally sponsored and assisted her five siblings, her mother and stepfather, her husband, and her brother-in-law in immigrating to the United States. Through her tireless efforts, more than 44 people either emigrated or were born in America as a result, including multiple doctors, attorneys, teachers, social workers, and other productive citizens whose successes trace back to Nelly's journey and selfless support. In 2019, Nelly and Ricardo moved to Maryland to live with their daughter, Mary, and her family. Where they enjoyed going for walks, and sharing their Bolivian culture with family and friends through dancing and cooking Bolivian food. In 2020 her beloved Ricardo went to heaven to be with our Lord and in 2022, as her dementia progressed, Nelly moved to Fenwick Landing Assisted Living Facility where she was loved and well cared for. Nelly is preceded in death by her parents, John Joseph and Matilde Alvarez Richards; her sisters Betty Richards and Mary Osuji; her brother Willie Richards; her stepfather, Rafael Silvetti; and her beloved husband, Ricardo Miguel Campero. Nelly is survived by her siblings: Dr. George Richards; Dr. Carlos Richards (Aida); Adela Leon (Jorge), two children Michael John Campero (Barbara) of Iowa City, Iowa, and Mary Campero Berkley (Bruce) of Owings, Maryland; and three adoring grandchildren: Gabriela Berkley, Grant Berkley, and Katie (Berkley) Johnson (Dallas); and two great-grandchildren: Harper Rose Johnson and soon to be born Hudson Grant Johnson. Nelly's life was a testament to living the "American Dream" and to resilience, family, and community. Her warmth, kindness, and enduring impact will live on in the hearts of those she touched. She will be greatly missed. The services for Nelly will be livestreamed on Jesus the Good Shepherd's YouTube page at the following link https://www.youtube.com/@ccjgs Visitation Tuesday, January 13, 2026 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic Church 1601 W Mt Harmony Road Owings, MD 20736 Services Tuesday, January 13, 2026 12:00 PM Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic Church 1601 W Mt Harmony Road Owings, MD 20736 Interment Tuesday, January 13, 2026 Jesus the Good Shepherd Cemetery 1601 W Mt Harmony Road Owings, MD 20736 Sugar Pie Honey left one final win picture behind for her original connections before being claimed off a sweet score in the Friday, Jan. 9 feature Woodbine Mohawk Park, a $22,000 fillies and mares conditioned claiming pace. Driven by Louis-Philippe Roy, Sugar Pie Honey left aggressively from the outermost post seven and set the tempo with panels clocked in :28.1, :58 and 1:28.2 over the 'good' track. In the stretch, she held off the pocket-popping Niagara Series runner-up, Kiki Dee Hanover (J.R. Plante), to win by a nose in 1:57. After launching her four-year-old season with a victory in the same class a week ago, Sugar Pie Honey was the 3-2 second choice and paid $5.10 to win. The 3-5 race favourite, La Miki N (Jody Jamieson), tracked cover in the final turn and finished third, 3-3/4 lengths behind the claimed winner. Owned and bred by Millar Farms of Stouffville, Ont., Sugar Pie Honey was claimed for $90,000 and completed her campaign in the Nick Gallucci stable with 11 wins in 23 starts and earnings totalling $167,695. The Bettors Delight-Kloof Street mare, who was last year's Kin Pace champion and runner-up in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots final, was claimed by A1stable of Dundas, Ont. and will now be trained by Jodie Cullen. In other Friday night action, Southwind Infusion ($3) was a repeat winner in a conditioned Pop-Up Series for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Ashley Lendvoy, taking a $15,000 division in 1:54.2. A runner-up to Southwind Infusion in the opening round, Gentleonmymind ($11.40) was a 1:54.1 winner in leg two for conditioner Anita Ouellette with Scott Young in the sulky while the Anthony Montini-trained Instantaneous ($12.50) and Billy Davis Jr. took the other split in 1:55. This series is for male pacers that were non-winners of $30,000 or not averaging $1,250 per start in a minimum of 10 starts in 2025. To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park. (Standardbred Canada) It's a lot easier to save money on airfare when your dates are flexible. Blame dynamic pricing: Fares are constantly rising and falling in response to supply and demand, seasonality and competition, among other factors. But if you know the cheapest times of year to fly, you can plan the timing of your trip accordingly. Christian Petzold, travel and tourism expert at BCN Travel, says the best time to book a flight for less is during off-peak seasons, when tourism slows down. The only snag? "Off-peak seasons differ significantly by location because they are directly related to local climate, holidays and travel patterns," he explains. "For example, ski resorts have their lowest prices in late spring and autumn when there's no snow, while the seaside resorts may be more affordable during hurricane or rainy seasons." That said, there is some general guidance worth following. Here's what to know about the cheapest times of year to fly. What is the cheapest month to fly overall? It's a misconception that summer is the most costly time to travel after all, that's when school is out, and many families take vacations. But according to the 2025 Expedia Air Hacks report, August is actually the cheapest month to fly, both domestically and internationally, and you can save up to 12% by booking your flights during the month. Advertisement Advertisement A 2025 Kayak report on summer travel reveals that during August, domestic airfare costs about $376 on average, and international airfare costs about $868 on average, making it the cheapest month for warm-weather travelers. If you're on a budget, you may want to avoid planning a trip in March. Expedia's report shows that this is the most expensive month to travel it's spring break for many U.S. schools, and drier, less humid weather lures travelers to popular destinations like Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. And while it may go without saying, experts agree that airfare is more costly around major holidays that are celebrated internationally, like Christmas. "There is going to be a ton of demand during these times, and that's when airline companies can react with higher pricing," explains Kyle Maltz, chief operating officer of Dollar Flight Club. Maltz recommends booking your flights mid-week whenever possible. That's because there's lower demand, so prices tend to be lower. In fact, according to a 2025 Google report, it's roughly 13% cheaper to fly Monday through Wednesday than it is to fly over the weekend. What is the cheapest time of year to fly domestically? Joe Cronin, a travel expert and president of International Citizens Insurance, says it's more affordable to fly domestically from January through early March, and then late August through the week before Thanksgiving. Advertisement Advertisement To get more granular, U.S. flight prices are lowest for the summer Aug. 11-Aug. 31, according to Kayak's data. Kayak found that another budget-friendly time frame for domestic travel is May 19-June 8, just slightly before most U.S. schools let out. Considering upgrading your tickets? Flying premium is cheapest in July and steepest in February, according to Expedia. What is the cheapest time of year to fly internationally? Cronin says you can also often save on international flights by booking during a shoulder season, like September to October, or after the holidays are over, between January and February. Petzold has observed similar trends: "I usually find a lot of discounts from mid-January to early March and October to early December," he says. As for summer travel, according to Kayak's report, international flight prices are lowest Aug. 4-Aug. 31. Advertisement Advertisement Keep in mind that nabbing the lowest fare will depend on your specific destination. For instance, warm weather means summer is high season for Europe, but wet weather means the same period is low season for Southeast Asia, Petzold says. Adds Cronin: "Europe's lowest fares are usually during winter months, apart from the Christmas holiday, while Southeast Asia experiences the lowest airfares during the monsoon season from mid-May to October. In the Caribbean, lower airfare often coincides with hurricane season, which runs from June to November." You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Joint BRICS maritime exercise to be held in South Africa: Chinese defense ministry Xinhua) 13:48, January 10, 2026 BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A joint maritime exercise is set to include the participation of BRICS members including China, Russia and South Africa, according to a statement released by China's Ministry of National Defense on Friday. The exercise, "Will for Peace 2026," will be held from early to mid-January in waters and airspace off the Port of Simon's Town, South Africa. Themed "Joint actions to ensure the safety of key shipping lanes and maritime economic activities," the exercise will see participants conduct counter-terrorism, rescue and anti-sea-strike operations, as well as other activities such as professional exchanges and onboard tours. The exercise aims to deepen military exchange and cooperation among participating nations, and to enhance their joint capabilities in tackling maritime threats. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Sheng Chuyi) If I asked you (the reader): do you think most people can be trusted? Would you answer yes o While ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro should be brought to justice, it should be done in Venezuela by Venezuelans, says a University of Arizona assistant professor of Latin American studies. I think one important aspect of this that we need to keep in the front of our minds is that the case against Maduro who was a dictator who should be brought to justice but in Venezuela by Venezuelans is the pretext of him as this drug kingpin and this being the main justification for the (U.S.) intervention. This for me is a false premise, said Susan Brewer-Osorio, who works in UA's School of Government and Public Policy and researches conflict, peace-building and organized resistance to militarized drug policies. Theres no evidence of fentanyl trafficking out of Venezuela, which has been our major concern. At best, Venezuela has a secondary role in cocaine trafficking out of Latin America. We dont know of any maritime routes between Venezuela and the U.S. with respect to cocaine trafficking, Brewer-Osorio told the Arizona Daily Star in an interview after the U.S.s Jan. 3 invasion of Venezuela and capture of Maduro under President Donald Trump. The U.S. incursion on Jan. 3 began with strikes on Venezuelas military infrastructure and ended with a raid on Maduros residence in Caracas, in which he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured, then flown to New York to face drug-trafficking charges. The Trump administration has given many reasons for the incursion including drug trafficking, leveraging oil, and Maduros dictatorship not aligning with U.S. values. Trump cited oil as a key motivator, saying American oil companies would modernize Venezuelas oil production and refinement capabilities. Alex Braithwaite, a UA professor in international relations at the School of Government and Public Policy, said he was shocked by the news the morning of Jan. 3 since the attack wasnt consistent with the way foreign policy tends to be practiced in the U.S. or in democracies generally. Braithwaite said stability in the international system is predicated on a set of deep underlying connections or interactions between states and the ability for states to develop trust with one another. And I think this kind of action of foreign policy behavior speaks to uncertainty, dismantling norms that have existed for decades and engenders massive amounts of distrust in the international system, said Braithwaite, who researches international relations and conflict processes. Thomas Volgy, a UA distinguished professor emeritus of political science, said there doesnt seem to be a plan here beyond the action plan to get Maduro. He said the U.S. has learned the hard way that regime change is very, very difficult to execute by outside power and much of that regime change ultimately happens inside the country, and that means extensive conflict inside of Venezuela (with) heavy military forces supporting the status quo. Volgy listed reasons Trump may have been motivated to act, beyond seizing the oil and claiming to fight drug trafficking, including: Deflecting from the Epstein Files about the politically-connected child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; Taking attention away from Trumps decreasing polling numbers; Reasserting the Monroe Doctrine (Trump now dubs it the Donroe Doctrine in a play on his first name) as justification for the U.S. claiming dominant influence and intervening in Latin America; The administration wanting to establish that the U.S. is willing to use force or the threat of force to achieve foreign policy objectives; And Trumps need to create constant, continued chaos to exhaust domestic and foreign critics. Michael Schaller, a UA Regents professor emeritus of history, said he wasnt totally surprised by the Jan. 3 events. He pointed to historic American bullying of Latin America and what he called Trumps fixation on 19th century metrics of power, the oil industry, the coal industry, the steel industry, battleships and his projection of U.S. power the traditional way. At the same point in time, its sort of implicitly acknowledging that China and Russia have a right to throw their weight around in their backyards Eastern Europe or South Asia and East Asia, Schaller told the Star. He added that all those things aside, almost no one is a member of the Maduro Fan Club and that he was a petty tyrant, a thug, and at some level, Venezuela is better off without him, but not necessarily this way. It doesnt excuse the breaking of norms and laws abroad, just the same way Trump breaks them at home, Schaller said. Jeanne Clarke, a political science and public policy professor emerita at UAs School of Government and Public Policy, said she wasnt surprised by the incursion into Venezuela and Maduros capture since Trump and his administration act impulsively and theres no thought, no knowledge of history. Theyre just out for whatever they can get materially at any point in time, she said. This invasion of Venezuela is an act of war on the part of the United States government, pure and simple. There are other countries invading their neighbors and its following in the footsteps of dictatorships elsewhere in the world, Clarke said. We dont learn from our mistakes, Clarke said, referencing past presidents, including George W. Bush, who authorized the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. If we ignore history, its going to repeat itself, and tragically, Trump is amassing more and more power in the presidency," she said. Drug trafficking charges Pointing to the drug trafficking charges against Maduro, Brewer-Osorio said it's important to remember that Trump recently pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted of U.S. drug trafficking charges, to possibly sway an election there. And so, in my mind, we need to stay focused on the political and economic motives that are driving this policy, and not be swayed into thinking this has anything to do with U.S. security or the security and well-being of Americans, she said. Schaller said targeting the drug trade is often used as an excuse for other goals. Trump, in the last few months, attacking these small boats carrying drugs. They probably are, but its such a minor factor in the global drug trade; Venezuela is a bit player compared to many other countries, he said. And in any case, the drug theyre carrying is mostly cocaine bound for European markets, not fentanyl bound for American markets. But historically, for 100 years, Americans and other countries have used the threat of drugs as a sort of moral pretext for intervention. As for Venezuelas oil industry and vast oil reserves, Brewer-Osorio said, The infrastructure for extracting that oil is going to be very expensive. Venezuela has struggled in recent years to maintain that infrastructure and has been significantly under-producing." There are potential long-term benefits from the U.S. intervention to U.S. oil companies and business interests, but not really to everyday consumers in the country, she said. Roles of Russia, China; US reactions Tracing the larger geopolitical connections, Clarke said there are four major players in this situation the U.S., Venezuela, Russia and China. Russia is a major importer of Venezuelan oil and a supporter of Maduro, but its response to his capture was akin to merely a slap on the wrist, she said. China, on the other hand, issued a strong statement after the U.S.s capture of Maduro and told Trump it was illegal and against international law. Clarke said its quite plausible that Russia and China are working together to undermine the U.S. and Trump since they view him as a fool and ignorant. Schaller said that while Russia and China are supporters of Maduro, theyre probably pleased with Trumps move because it gives them a moral cloak for Chinas threatening of Taiwan and Russias ongoing war after its invasion of Ukraine. Trump gives them added cover to do what they want to do in Ukraine and Southeast Asia, he said. So, I think despite their nominal support of the Maduro regime, theyre actually sort of pleased that they now wont be seen as lawbreakers (and) theyre just following the lead of Trump. Domestically, Schaller said its revealing to see that the only Republicans who were criticizing Trumps actions in Venezuela are the ones who are leaving Congress or retiring, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and a few others. The rest of the elected base and the voter base are pretty unshakeable, because I dont think MAGA (Make America Great Again) is really a set of principles, he said. Its something of a personality cult, and Democrats often feel themselves in a bind they dont want to criticize the bravery of American special forces, who in terms of technique are terrific, whatever the policy is. Theyve mostly criticized procedure, that Congress shouldve been notified in advance as per the War Powers Act and other things, Schaller said. Future threats to Colombia, Greenland Brewer-Osorio noted that Trump is now threatening Colombia, a country she focuses on in her research and studies. She said that while relations between the U.S. under Trump and Colombia under leftist leader Gustavo Francisco Petro are tense, a similar military operation there is extremely unlikely. She cited three reasons: Colombias oil sector is open to foreign investment and has no history of nationalization and expropriation of U.S. company assets, as Venezuela's did; Colombian democracy is an established, competitive democracy in contrast to Venezuela; and Colombia has been the U.S.s most consistent and important ally in South America for decades. Schaller said Trumps Venezuelan actions contradict his America First pledges as a candidate in 2016, 2020 and 2024. I think his lack of reliability, his whimsical willingness to change policy at the drop of a hat is likely to cause real doubts abroad, if not at home, he said. The reliability issue is liable to be taken more seriously by Americas foreign allies, our NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allies, where hes threatened to seize the territory of one NATO member Denmark. If allies say they cant trust or rely upon this administration, once that trust is broken, its very hard to build, Schaller said. Braithwaite said theres very little to suggest the U.S.s actions in Venezuela will improve its position in the international system. Russia and China have always been competitors, opponents or enemies to the U.S., depending on how you want to describe them, he said, so the relationship with them doesnt change dramatically with this. But what does change is the relationship U.S. has with its many, many allies around the world, most of whom now are going to be less certain about the extent to which they can rely on the U.S. or trust the U.S., he said. So, thats where I would see the biggest concern is. Schaller said the U.S. has discovered, especially in the last year, if not in the first Trump administration, how much of its democracy depends on observing democratic norms the role of Congress, courts, free speech, press, universities, etc. I think thats the real danger that a forceful president can get away with much more than we realized. We look back historically, you know, I look back at the (Richard) Nixon administration, who broke norms, but was called to account and ultimately forced from office, right? Trump has not been and in fact, its expanding his power by breaking norms and threatening institutions. Thats what worries me about the future more than any particular policy. Cong-BJP, AIMIM-BJP alliances rock 2026 Maharashtra Civic Elections The ongoing elections in Maharashtra for the Municipal bodies have been rocked by, what is being termed, as unholy alliances between arch-rivals Congress and BJP, and Owaisis AIMIM and BJP [Grok AI image for representation.] 2026 Maharashtra Municipal Civic Elections: The ongoing elections in Maharashtra for the Municipal bodies have been rocked by, what is being termed, as unholy alliances between arch-rivals Congress and BJP, and Owaisis AIMIM and BJP. Congress, BJP alliance in Ambarnath The opposition Congress and the ruling BJP have teamed up along with the NCP (Ajit Pawar) in the Ambarnath Municipal Council to keep Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) away from Power. In the Maharashtra Municipal Elections results of which was declared on December 22, Shiv Sena (Eknath SHinde) had emerged as the single largest party winning 28 of the total 59 seats. But to keep the Shinde Sena away from power, the BJP with 14 members extended its support to the Congress and NCP (Ajit Pawar). The Congress has 12 members and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) has 04, and their total tally exceeds that of the Shinde Sena. AIMIM, BJP alliance in Akot, Mira-Bhayandar In another case of alliance between the rivals, the BJP joined hands with Asauddin Owaisis All India Majlis e Ittihadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in Akot Municipal Council, Akola district. In Akot, the BJP succeeded in electing Maya Dhule as council president and also emerged as the single largest party winning 11 of the total 35 seats, which is short of the total needed to rule the Akot Civic Body. To overcome this, the BJP formed "Akot Nagar Vikas Manch" with the AIMIM, both factions of Shiv Sena and NCP, claiming the support of 25 members. Similarly, there are also reports that the BJP has formed an alliance with the AIMIM in Mira-Bhayandar where polling for the Municipal Corporation is scheduled to be held on January 15, 2026. Outrage, Suspensions The development received sharp condemnations from the Congress and BJP both, and also from Shiv Sena. There are also reports that the Congress has suspended its office bearers involved. This is unacceptable. What has happened in Ambarnath and in Akola is not okay. If this has been done by the local leadership, it will have to be broken. This is indiscipline. We will take action against them. Alliance with Congress, AIMIM wont be tolerated. I have given orders to take action, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters. Following this, the BJP's Maharashtra Unit issued a show-cause notice to Akot MLA Prakash Bharsakale, accusing him of promoting the alliance without consulting the party leadership. Vice President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Ganesh Patil said the Ambernath Congress Block President, Pradeep Patil has been suspended. We have fought elections on Congress symbol and we won 12 seats, but without informing the state leadership or the state office, you have done alliance with BJP. This has come to our knowledge through media sources. This is not a good thing, so as per instructions by the state president, Harshwardhan, you are being suspended from the party, Ganesh Patil said in a letter addressed to Pradeep Patil. Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut also criticized the Congress and BJP for teaming up with Owaisis AIMIM. Raut said the BJP has teamed up with the AIMM to win the support of Muslim votes. In a related development, the matter of 68 Mahayuti candidates winning the corporation elections unopposed has also sparked a political row in Maharashtra. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language to Translate in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic Katra Medical College closure under right wing pressure sets a dangerous precedent The newly established medical college named Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) was closed following the ruckus created by the RSSBJP communal elements after admission of 42 Muslim students on Merit [Students outside the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence on Wednesday. (Photo Courtesy: Arun Sharma/Indian Express)] It was deeply disturbing to witness the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) openly rejoicing over the closure of the Medical College at Katra in Jammu and Kashmir. At a time when people across the country are demanding the opening of more medical colleges to ensure access to advanced medical care closer to their homes, this decision runs completely counter to public interest. For this very reason, the granting of permission to the Katra Medical College last year was widely welcomed. The college is run by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and functions under a dual administrative framework involving both the Trust and the government. The Shrine Board already manages several institutions that function efficiently and serve the public well. Millions of devotees visit the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine every year and offer donations, which are utilized for public welfare activities, including the running of educational and healthcare institutions. The newly established medical college was named Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME). In accordance with constitutional principles and established admission norms, admissions to 50 seats were made strictly on the basis of merit. What provoked the ire of RSSBJP communal elements was the fact that 42 out of the 50 students admitted on merit were Muslims. This triggered a communal agitation, with the absurd and unconstitutional demand that the college should admit only Hindu students, and that Muslims have no place in an institution funded by a trust associated with a Hindu religious shrine. Such arguments strike at the very heart of Indias secular Constitution. The National Medical Commission (NMC), the statutory body responsible for regulating medical education, subsequently ordered the closure of the college, citing alleged deficiencies in infrastructure. This justification is astonishing and completely unconvincing. The college had received permission only recently, and the intake was for the first batch, which requires relatively minimal infrastructure. Established practice dictates that if infrastructural shortcomings are found, institutions are issued notices and given time to rectify them. Closure is resorted to only after repeated non-compliance despite multiple warnings.. There are several medical colleges in the country which lack infrastructure but NMC has not shown any concern for them. In this case, no such process was followed. The abrupt closure appears to be nothing more than a pretext, with the real reason being intense political and communal pressure exerted by the RSSBJP, which currently holds power at the Centre. The public celebration of the closure by these very forces only reinforces this conclusion. This single factthe religious identity of students admitted purely on meritseems to have triggered a politically motivated and sectarian campaign by the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). They have openly argued that since the college is run by the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, admissions should be restricted to Hindus. This argument is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and legally untenable. The Katra Medical College does not enjoy minority status, and therefore any demand for religious exclusion in admissions is illegal and violates the Constitution of India. Admissions based on merit, irrespective of religion, caste, or creed, are the cornerstone of a democratic and secular education system. The Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD), an organization of health professionals committed to universal healthcare, has strongly criticized the closure of the college. IDPD has described the decision as arbitrary, unjust, and deeply troubling, stating that it strikes at the foundations of merit, constitutional values, and institutional autonomy. The National Medical Commission is a statutory, autonomous regulatory body and is expected to function independently, guided solely by law, ethics, and public interest. Its apparent capitulation to sectarian and political pressure in this matter is extremely unfortunate and raises serious concerns about the erosion of institutional autonomy. Such surrender sets a dangerous precedent and threatens to have grave long-term consequences for medical education, social harmony, and the rule of law in the country. By shutting down the medical college, the NMC has not only punished students who were admitted fairly and lawfully, but has also sent a chilling message that merit can be overridden by communal considerations. This is wholly unacceptable in a constitutional democracy. It is therefore of utmost importance that the Medical College at Katra is immediately reopened and allowed to function strictly in accordance with the law. Education cannot be communalised; Merit cannot be punished; Constitutional institutions must not surrender to sectarian pressure. [The writer, Dr Arun Mitra, is a Practicing ENT Surgeon in Ludhiana, Punjab. He is also the President of the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) www.idpd.org.] Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language to Translate in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic January 9, 2026: Murmansk is a city in northwest Russia with a peacetime population of 270,000. Murmansk is also the capital of Murmansk province, which has a population, including the city, of 725,000. Nearly four years of war in Ukraine have had an impact on the region. Since 2022 the province has lost 73,000 people. In late 2025 there were only 650,000 people left in Murmansk province. Some of the many villages dotting the province have lost up to 30 percent of their pre-war population. Only about one percent of those losses were due to the Ukraine fighting. The rest are due to an aging population that cannot replace natural deaths plus younger people leaving for less frozen areas further south. Many of the military age men left the country because of the war. The government would welcome them back because, even without the war, the Russian population is shrinking. The heavy war losses just accelerated. Not everyone will leave because Murmansk contains military facilities and industrial enterprises, as well as commercial establishments, including clinics and hospitals, serving the population. The war has had some impact. A year ago, the air defenses of the Murmansk were upgraded to deal with possible Ukrainian drone attacks. Now that Russia was attacking Ukrainian power supplies and heat supplies, officials in Murmansk feared the Ukrainians would do the same to them. So the Murmansk government ordered all facilities related to keeping Murmansk warm be fortified and protected in other ways. In a place like Murmansk, loss of heat during the coldest part of the year can be fatal. In mid-2024 Russia announced that it was reinforcing air defenses at their Olenya air base in Murmansk province. This came after Ukrainian long-range drones attacked and damaged two of the Tu-22M3s used to attack Ukrainian targets 1,800 kilometers to the south. With the Ukrainians reciprocating, Russia is trying to upgrade air defenses before the Ukrainians strike again. Ukrainian drone developers and manufacturers have an advantage in that entrepreneurial developers and manufacturers are encouraged. In Russia such intellectual and manufacturing freedom is discouraged. The Russian state must control everything because that is how Russia became mighty and remains so. Thats the official explanation. Russians consider the Ukrainians seduced by, and addicted to, heretical Western ideas and concepts like innovating without official permission. Ukrainians see those Russian attitudes as an asset for the Ukrainian war effort. This gives Ukraine an edge in the development and use of new drone technology. Ukraine encourages individuals and small groups of entrepreneurs to develop, manufacture and share new drone designs and technologies. The government or wealthy individuals will often finance effective new concepts so that production can be rapidly expanded before the new tech becomes obsolete or be simply replaced by a more effective version. Russia adapted to their disadvantage in drone development by concentrating on electronic jammers. By rapidly upgrading their jammer technology, Russians can disrupt a lot of new Ukrainian drone tech for a while. This disruption is becoming more important for the Russians because Ukraine has developed several generations of long-range drones that can reach targets over 1,000 kilometers distant. In 2023 this meant attacks near Moscow and St Petersburg as well as nearby factories and industrial operations. Ukrainian drones are increasingly reaching their targets deep inside Russia. That means Russian economic and military facilities far from Ukraine are suddenly under attack. These targets include refineries and fuel storage sites as well as weapons development, manufacturing, and storage facilities. In 2023 these attacks destroyed about fifteen percent of Russian refining capacity, reducing the amount of vehicle fuel available for commercial and military users. Ukrainian air strikes are not the only danger in the far north. Winters are much worse in Murmansk, which is the only city in the world north of the Arctic Circle. Winters arent as bad as you might think because Murmansk weather is moderated by the warm Gulf Stream current which also warms up Britain and much of northwest Europe. The Gulf Stream originates in the Gulf of Mexico between the southern United States and east coast Mexico. Murmansk has other problems to deal with. For example, a significant Russian nuclear accident took place at the Andreyeva Bay Soviet naval base 569 in February 1982. Andreyeva Bay is a radioactive waste repository 55 km northwest of Murmansk and 60 km from the Norwegian border, on the western shore of the Kola Peninsula. The repository entered service in 1961. In February 1982 a nuclear accident occurred in which about 700,000 tons of highly radioactive water was released into the Barents Sea from a pool in Building 5 of the repository over the next few years. Cleanup of the accident took place from 1983 to 1989. About 1,000 people took part in the cleanup effort. The nuclear power plant fuel repository, constructed in the early 1960s, was a naval base on the shore of the Zapadnaya Litsa bay. It consisted of two piers, a stationary mooring bay, a sanitation facility, spent fuel pools in Building 5 that have been unused since the cleanup ended in 1989, three 1,000 cubic meter dry storage containers, a 40,000-ton crane, an open-air field for storing spent nuclear fuel containers, a security checkpoint, and other technical facilities. In 1982 the area contained spent nuclear fuel in storage facility Building 5 consisting of about 22,000 spent nuclear fuel assemblies, solid radioactive waste in storage facility Building 7, and liquid radioactive waste in storage facility Building 6. Building 5 contained two pools for storing spent fuel assemblies, encased in steel drums. Each drum contained 5-7 spent fuel assemblies, weighing 350 kg fully loaded. Each of the pools was 60 meters long, 3 meters wide, 6 meters deep, and had a volume of 1,000 cubic meters. Each was designed for about 2,000 drums. The drums were suspended underwater from massive chains, which were attached to anchor points a certain distance from each other to hopefully avoid an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction from starting. The water served as a radiation shield for people on the deck around the pools. The drums were placed underwater using the chains and a crane cart, but due to the construction's unreliability, drums often fell to the bottom of the pool. As a result, spent nuclear fuel drums dangerously piled up at the bottom which defeated the water protection from uncontrolled nuclear reactions by the chains and anchor points. Someone who worked there remarked that the first time they saw all this they were shocked. The facility seemed like a nightmare. The facility was an enormous black windowless building atop a cliff. The entrance to building 5 was decorated with deformed trucks previously used for carrying nuclear fuel and half-torn-down heavy gates. Inside, the building was dilapidated, and deteriorating electrical equipment was another hazard. Building 5 was completely radioactive. The right-hand pool in building 5 started leaking in February 1982. Finding cracks in the drums metal coatings required diving into the pool, which was out of the question due to the gamma radiation levels in the vicinity of the nuclear waste drums. An attempt to eliminate the leak was made by pouring in 20 sacks of flour, thus filling the cracks with dough. That did not last and the leak continued. Later it was found there was ice on the right side of the building. This indicated that earlier containment efforts were ineffective. In April 1982, the basement part of the building was filled with 600 cubic meters of concrete but this was ineffective. There was a risk of contamination of nearby Zapadnaya Litsa bay. In order to safeguard against radioactive leaks, iron-lead-concrete covers, weighing thousands of tons, were built over the pool. In fact it was later discovered that it was only good fortune that prevented the collapse of the whole structure. In early 1983 government officials confirmed the closing of the repository, except for work related to the cleanup of the accident. No more spent nuclear fuel was loaded in Building 5. March 1983 through September 1987 saw spent fuel unloaded from the left-hand pool. All of the fuel was unloaded and sent to the Mayak nuclear facility. As of December 1989, all 1,500 drums of nuclear waste from Building 5 were declared dealt with. This was not the case. Poor welding seam quality in the pools' coating led to more leaks. The left pool sprouted a leak due to the building sagging under the weight of the iron-lead-concrete covers over the right pool. Specialists believed that temperature changes in the pool's water stressed welding seams, tearing them. When Building 5's repository was designed, it was assumed that the water would be kept at a constant temperature by heat from the nuclear assemblies suspended under the surface. A separate water heating system was thus deemed unnecessary. That did not work because the extreme Arctic climate created a thick layer of ice in winter. In order to solve this problem, the ice was melted using steam from the boiler. This was a violation of radiation safety guidelines. Radioactive air spread through the building and leaked into the outside atmosphere. Several workers were killed during the cleanup efforts due to accidents, inadequate protective equipment and the generally dangerous state of the facility. Six Reasons Why Netanyahu is Prolonging Gaza, ME Conflicts The war on Gaza is not merely a military campaign, it is the linchpin holding together Benjamin Netanyahus political survival, ideological project, and regional ambitions one he appears determined to keep firmly in place Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concluded his visit to the United States, returning home after reportedly securing yet another round of political backing from Donald Trump. As with previous encounters, the meeting provided Netanyahu with diplomatic cover and strategic reassurance, reinforcing Israels ability to sustain its military posture in Gaza and across the region with limited external constraint. The talks, held between December 29 and January 1, did not signal a shift toward de-escalation. Instead, they underscored Netanyahus central objective: Preserving a prolonged state of war in the Middle East. This is not necessarily about maintaining full-scale genocide in Gaza at all times, but about keeping the Strip trapped in a condition of permanent instability one that allows Israel to violate the October 10 ceasefire agreement at will, recalibrating violence while avoiding the political fallout associated with openly sustained mass killing. This approach exposes a central contradiction in Israels official narrative. Netanyahu and leading figures within his extremist coalition repeatedly claimed that Israel has already won the war. If that is the case, why insist on keeping the Gaza file open? The answer lies in a convergence of political, ideological, and strategic calculations. 1. First, Netanyahu continues to gamble on the possibility that international and regional opinion may eventually become receptive to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and subsequently, from the occupied West Bank. Sustained warfare, humanitarian collapse, and forced displacement are not unfortunate byproducts of the conflict; they are essential mechanisms for keeping that option alive and politically imaginable. This logic explains Israels systematic manipulation of aid, including its haggling over food, medicine, fuel, and cement. These items bear little meaningful relationship to the strength of the Gaza resistance. Their restriction is designed to keep Gazans suspended between survival and death. It also explains why Israel, after sustained pressure, agreed to open the Rafah border crossing from only one sideout of Gaza. This, too, is part of a broader scheme aimed at driving Palestinians out of the Strip incrementally, supported by a well-funded political and logistical machinery that has been operating for months. 2. Second, the genocidal war on Gaza is being actively exploited to escalate conditions in the occupied West Bank. Under the cover of regional war, Netanyahu and his coalition partners have accelerated settlement expansion, intensified repression, and advanced a long-term colonial project of de facto annexation with minimal international scrutiny. Throughout the genocide, many observers rightly warned of the deteriorating situation in the West Bankincreased Israeli violence, mass arrests, and the ethnic cleansing of entire communities. While Gaza was experiencing annihilation, the West Bank appeared to fade from global attention. In reality, the two were linked from the very beginning. The escalation in the West Bank was designed to achieve similar outcomes to those in Gazafragmentation, dispossession, and controlalbeit through different tactics. Unlike Gaza, resistance in the West Bank has been largely subdued through joint IsraeliPalestinian Authority security coordination. 3. Third, the persistence of war serves a critical domestic function. By maintaining a permanent state of emergency, Netanyahuand the Israeli far right more broadlycan preserve political relevance while postponing any serious reckoning over the failures of October 7 and the catastrophic war that followed. War suspends accountability, fractures opposition, and recasts political survival as a matter of national security. This pattern has repeated itself since October 7, 2023. Each time Netanyahu faced mounting domestic pressure to investigate the events leading to the war, he destabilized the internal political front by escalating on one of several fronts he had deliberately kept active. 4. Fourth, closing the Gaza file would inevitably intensify pressure on Israel to pursue a political solution to the occupation of Palestineprecisely what Netanyahu seeks to avoid. Any meaningful political process would constrain his ability to govern through force, crisis management, and perpetual escalation. This explains Netanyahus refusal to seriously engage in the Trump administrations push for a broader regional settlement, despite the fact that the initiative was deliberately designed by Washington to overwhelmingly benefit Israel. For Netanyahu, even discussing resolutions implies a commitment to a longer, more sustainable peace processthe very antithesis of his governing strategy since first becoming prime minister in 1996. 5. Fifth, the narrative of unfinished business in Gaza is being deliberately leveraged to justify a broader regional agenda. Gaza functions as both a pretext and a testing ground for extending Israeli military and political ambitions into Lebanon, Syria, and beyond. This assessment is reinforced by Netanyahus own language, including repeated references to reshaping the region into a new Middle East and rhetoric that aligns with the ideological concept of a Greater Israela long-standing aspiration within Israels far-right political imagination. In fact, Netanyahu was very clear that the latter was his exact objective, declaring last August that he is on a historic and spiritual mission to pursue the vision of Greater Israel. 6. Finally, any return to normalcy would place Netanyahu back at the center of Israels unresolved legal and political crises. Ending the war would strip away the shield of emergency rule and reopen scrutiny of corruption cases and institutional failures. Here, Netanyahus legal team has played a decisive role, repeatedly invoking national security concerns to delay court appearances and stall proceedings. In this sense, the war on Gaza is not merely a military campaign. It is the linchpin holding together Netanyahus political survival, ideological project, and regional ambitions one he appears determined to keep firmly in place. [Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His forthcoming book, Before the Flood, will be published by Seven Stories Press. His other books include Our Vision for Liberation, My Father was a Freedom Fighter and The Last Earth. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net.] Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language to Translate in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic Concept iPhone 18 Pro Max expected to launch in 2026. Photo: MacRumors Apple has long run its iPhone development roadmap in multi-year cycles. The company works in parallel with suppliers on several future generations, so it is hardly surprising that rumors often emerge very early, long before launch day. The iPhone 18 lineup is no exception. Even now, the tech world already has a relatively clear picture of what Apple may be preparing for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Notably, Apple is said to be planning a major shift in its iPhone launch strategy starting with the iPhone 18 generation. Specifically, the company may adopt a two-stage release model. Under this plan, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and an iPhone Fold model would debut in September 2026, while the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e would arrive later, in spring 2027. Overall design: Carrying forward the iPhone 17 Pro look Recent leaks suggest iPhone 18 Pro will not undergo a dramatic exterior reinvention, instead largely inheriting the iPhone 17 Pro design. The rear camera module is expected to retain the familiar raised platform, with three lenses arranged in a triangular layout. Screen sizes are also said to remain unchanged, with the Pro using a 6.3-inch display and the Pro Max a 6.9-inch display - similar to the earlier iPhone 16 Pro generation. However, Apple may drop the two-tone finish on the back that was rumored for iPhone 17 Pro, replacing it with a more seamless look. The company is also believed to have improved the back-glass replacement process, helping reduce color differences between the Ceramic Shield 2 glass and the aluminum frame, resulting in a more uniform, premium overall appearance. Thicker body: A sign of a bigger battery? Another rumor claims the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Its weight could reach around 243g, heavier even than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is currently Apples heaviest iPhone model. The reason behind the change has not been confirmed, but it is likely linked to Apple fitting a larger battery. If true, this would be welcome news for users who have long hoped for a clear improvement in battery life on Pro Max models. Smaller Dynamic Island: A bridge toward under-display Face ID? The prospect of Face ID hidden under the display remains a contentious topic. Some sources claim iPhone 18 Pro will completely remove the Dynamic Island, replacing it with a small camera hole in a corner of the screen. However, many credible experts have taken a more cautious view. Display analyst Ross Young and Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman both suggest Apple is not ready to kill off the Dynamic Island yet. Instead, the company may significantly shrink the cutout. Apple is also said to be testing ways to miniaturize the front camera and Face ID sensors to reduce the screen area they occupy. Overall, iPhone 18 Pro could be a transitional step before Apple moves toward a truly full-screen design in later generations. A20 Pro chip: Power from 2nm process iPhone 18 Pro is expected to be equipped with the A20 Pro chip, built on TSMCs advanced 2nm process. This would represent a major leap in manufacturing technology, allowing higher transistor density and improving both performance and power efficiency. Early estimates suggest A20 Pro could be about 15% faster and up to 30% more power-efficient than the A19 in iPhone 17. Notably, Apple is said to adopt WMCM packaging technology, enabling RAM to be integrated directly on the same wafer as the CPU, GPU and Neural Engine. This is expected to deliver stronger performance for AI tasks and extend battery life. C2 modem: Apples push for independence from Qualcomm Apple is reportedly set to use its in-house C2 modem for iPhone 18 Pro. As the successor to the C1 and C1X modems, it would mark another step in Apples strategy to reduce reliance on Qualcomm. The C2 modem is expected to deliver higher speeds, lower power consumption, and, notably, support mmWave 5G in the United States - a capability missing from Apples earlier self-developed modems. New camera sensor from Samsung Another major change could come in the camera system. Samsung is reportedly developing a three-layer stacked image sensor, called PD-TR-Logic, specifically for iPhone 18. The sensor is expected to improve processing speed, reduce noise and expand dynamic range. If this becomes reality, it would be a rare instance of Apple bringing Samsung into its camera supply chain, which has long been dominated by Sony. Variable aperture: iPhone moves closer to DSLR-like control iPhone 18 Pro is also rumored to debut a variable-aperture lens for the first time. Instead of a fixed aperture like /1.78 on previous generations, users could adjust the physical aperture, similar to a DSLR camera. This would enable better control over depth of field, producing more natural background blur in portraits, or keeping more of the scene sharply in focus when needed. 5G satellite internet: Connection without limits Apple is also planning to support true 5G satellite internet connectivity, going beyond todays emergency-focused features. If it is ready in time for 2026, iPhone 18 Pro could become one of the worlds first smartphones to access full internet services via satellite. A simplified Camera Control button To reduce costs, Apple is expected to simplify the Camera Control button design. Instead of combining capacitive touch with a force sensor as it does now, the new version would reportedly keep only force detection, while still retaining full functionality. New colors: Burgundy, brown and purple Finally, Apple is said to be testing three new colors for iPhone 18 Pro: burgundy (wine red), brown and purple. If realized, it would mark the first time the Pro line offers a deep red shade, as well as a true brown - color choices that could make the new generation stand out more clearly from previous models. With a wide range of expected upgrades - from design and performance to cameras and connectivity - the iPhone 18 Pro lineup is being viewed as one of Apples biggest leaps in years, enough to make many users consider waiting. Hai Phong For those seeking a different side of Hanoi, a one-day journey through ancient villages and traditional crafts offers a window into the citys rich cultural heritage. The tour brings visitors to Cuu Village - once renowned for its wealth and charm - then to the inlay lacquer village of Chuyen My, and finally to Van Tu, famed for its suit tailoring tradition. Discover the vibrant Essence of Vietnamese craft villages In October 2025, the Hanoi Department of Tourism launched three new tour packages under the theme Essence convergence, including: Southern Thang Long Heritage Road Essence of Vietnamese Craft Villages, Path of Confucian Heritage, and Tuong Phieu Blossoms. Among them, the "Southern Thang Long Heritage Road" connects the four communes of Dai Thanh, Hong Van, Ngoc Hoi, and Chuyen My. The tour invites travelers to explore centuries-old craft villages that have endured through generations. Visitors can admire the refined lacquer art of Ha Thai Village, immerse themselves in the East-West blend of Cuu Village, learn about the craft of traditional suit tailoring, taste royal chrysanthemum wine in Ngau Village, and experience the unique folk beliefs of Phuc Am Village. Each stop reveals a story of cultural fusion and creativity, painting a vivid portrait of the Essence of Vietnamese craft villages. Cuu Village: A timeless gem Cuu Village exudes a peaceful, nostalgic charm, with century-old homes featuring unique architecture. Photo: Huy Nguyen The ornate gate of Cuu Village resembles an open book, symbolizing a welcome to visitors. Photo: Huy Nguyen Today, Chuyen My Commune is collaborating with the Hanoi Department of Tourism to improve the quality of tourism services in Cuu Village and connect with travel agencies, especially to attract international tourists to both the village and the broader Chuyen My area. Cuu Village captivates with its tranquil, nostalgic charm, lined with hundred-year-old houses showcasing unique architecture. The village gate is a striking structure with layered roofs and staircases, built in the style of an open book - symbolizing the opening of a grand story for guests. Located about 40 kilometers south of central Hanoi, Chuyen My is a cultural cradle that preserves numerous intangible heritage values. Notably, Tu Can and Gie Ha Communal Houses, built during the Le Dynasty, have been designated as national historical sites. The ancestral temple dedicated to the founder of the inlay craft is also a national heritage site, commemorating those who established and preserved this traditional lacquer inlay technique. Often referred to as a living museum, Cuu Village draws architecture enthusiasts, photographers, and history buffs. It blends traditional elements - banyan trees, village wells, communal courtyards - with French-style two- to three-story villas. These colonial-era mansions are architectural testimonies to the village's former affluence, once earned through its prestigious suit-making industry. Beyond Cuu Village, travelers can explore three other traditional craft villages officially recognized by the city: Van Tu for suit tailoring, Chuyen My for lacquer inlay, and Phu Yen for leather shoes. Van Tu: The tailoring capital Dao Ngoc Hung has dedicated over 30 years to the tailoring profession. Photo: Huy Nguyen Gate of Chuon Ngo Village - a traditional destination for lacquer inlay craftsmanship. Photo: Huy Nguyen The villages product exhibition center in Chuyen My. Photo: Huy Nguyen Van Tu is widely known for its century-old tradition of tailoring Western suits. Despite changes over time, the village has maintained its craft, now boasting around 1,000 tailoring and retail establishments. Many of its bespoke products are popular both domestically and internationally. Tourism and craft preservation go hand in hand Dao Ngoc Hung, Director of Hung Luyen Garment Co., Ltd., shared: Beyond production and business, we are ready to innovate and collaborate with local authorities to develop tourism. Visitors can explore cultural and historical sites, then visit tailoring shops to observe suit-making processes, choose designs, and even get fitted. To support the local craft industry, Chuyen My Commune has launched an e-commerce platform, organized online sales training sessions, livestream workshops, and utilized social media to broaden customer outreach. Those with a passion for inlaid lacquer art and elegant souvenirs should visit the Chuon Ngo inlay village, where many artisan families still practice the craft. These craftsmen warmly welcome visitors who wish to observe each step of the meticulous lacquer inlay process. Chuyen My has also transformed a former elementary school into a 12,000-square-meter tourism and product display center. This center serves as a creative design hub, promoting OCOP (One Commune One Product) goods linked with tourism. Its a city-recognized model that combines heritage conservation with tourism development, preserving cultural identity while generating sustainable livelihoods for the community. Linh Trang Social media buzzed with photos and videos of dazzling weddings, where brides wore layers of gold necklaces and bracelets. These viral moments captivated netizens and became the talk of the town for weeks on end. Nghe An bride receives nearly 15 taels of gold In February 2025, the wedding of Quynh Huong (born 1997) and Ngoc Khanh (born 1996), both from Nghe An province, made headlines for the sheer scale of its wedding gifts. The couple received nearly 15 taels of gold (roughly 562 grams) from both families, along with a generous amount of cash. A video captured the moment relatives showered the bride and groom with gold jewelry. Quynh Huong was seen wearing gold necklaces stacked around her neck, while her groom also flaunted multiple gold pieces around his neck and wrists. The clip drew hundreds of thousands of views at the time. Quynh Huong admitted she was overwhelmed by the gifts, as neither side had informed the couple beforehand. During the wedding, the couple publicly announced they would donate 300 million VND (approximately 12,400 USD) to support those in need. The donation came from their personal savings and moved many attendees and viewers online. The bride and groom wear gold necklaces stacked around their necks. The couple received nearly 15 taels of gold on their wedding day. Bride from An Giang gifted over 20 taels of gold At a wedding ceremony held at the brides home in April 2025, Nguyen Hoa from An Giang received lavish gifts from her in-laws, including over 20 taels of gold (around 750 grams), 100 million VND (about 4,130 USD) in cash, and an additional 100 million VND and 1 tael of gold from her own parents. Nguyen Hoa shared that the ancestral ritual ceremony lasted around two hours, with the gold-giving segment alone taking more than 30 minutes. A video showing her covered in gold jewelry circulated widely on social media, garnering hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of likes. Her husbands family is from the former Hau Giang province, 170km from her hometown. Though her husband is ten years her senior, Hoa said that age no longer matters when you find the right person. The bride covered in gold jewelry drew wide attention online. Doll-like bride crowned with 10 taels of gold In June 2025, Hua My Linh from Ho Chi Minh City caught the internets attention with her doll-like beauty and a custom-made golden crown. Footage of her sparkling appearance went viral on social media. My Linh shared that she and her husband received valuable gifts from both sides, including 1 billion VND (approximately 41,300 USD) in cash, three land titles, and jewelry made of gold and diamonds. Among these, the golden crown-crafted from 10 taels of gold (about 375 grams)-was especially meaningful. It was a gift from her mother, who works in the jewelry industry. Wanting to offer her daughter a one-of-a-kind wedding gift, she designed a meticulously detailed crown especially for the occasion. My Linh and her husband met in mid-2022, officially started dating six months later, and got engaged in 2024 with a romantic proposal on a pedestrian street in Ho Chi Minh City. The beautiful bride My Linh on her wedding day. Ca Mau bride receives wedding gifts worth 20 billion VND The wedding of Ngoc Thien from Ca Mau went viral in June 2025. A video of the bride in traditional wedding attire, adorned with layers of gold jewelry, surrounded by stacks of cash, gemstones, and land titles on display, drew 1.8 million views on TikTok within two days. It was reported that the total value of gifts from both families amounted to 20 billion VND (around 826,000 USD). As her husband is Chinese, Ngoc Thien chose to wear a traditional Chinese wedding outfit instead of the Vietnamese ao dai during the ancestral ceremony. She hoped the wedding would reflect both cultures in harmony. Thanh Minh According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, total import turnover of meat, meat products, and edible animal by-products after slaughter in 2025 was estimated at $1.95 billion, up 11.6 percent year on year. Cumulative data through the end of November 2025 show that Vietnam mainly imported poultry meat and edible offal under HS group 01.05, fresh, chilled or frozen, accounting for 18.06 percent; buffalo meat at 31.1 percent; pork at nearly 21.6 percent; edible by-products after slaughter of pigs, buffaloes, and cattle at 12.8 percent; beef at 13.7 percent; and other products at 2.77 percent of total import value. India remained the largest supplier of meat and meat products to Vietnam, accounting for nearly 18.9 percent of total national meat and meat product imports, with a volume of 168,100 tonnes and a value of about $601.8 million, down 4 percent in volume but up 3.6 percent in value compared with the same period in 2024. Russia, Brazil, the US, and Australia were also major suppliers of meat and animal post-slaughter by-products to Vietnam. Specifically, imports from Russia increased by 70.1 percent in volume and 72.3 percent in value; imports from Brazil increased by 51.3 percent in volume and 70.8 percent in value compared to the same period in 2024. The imports became a large source of supply for the domestic market over the past year, especially for pork products. Despite large imports, in December 2025, the price of live hogs in the domestic market continued to escalate and exceeded the VND70,000/kg mark. Live hog prices in the Northern region jumped to VND68,000-VND69,000/kg in December from VND53,000-55,000/kg in late November, even reaching VND71,000/kg at times. On the last day of December, live hog prices in the Central and Central Highlands regions fluctuated from VND64,000-VND68,000/kg, a sharp increase of VND14,000/kg compared to the end of November. Live hog prices in the Southern region also rose from the level of VND52,000-VND55,000/kg to VND61,000-VND65,000/kg. In the early days of 2026, farm-gate live hog prices fluctuated slightly but remained anchored at VND62,000-VND69,000/kg. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in the first 11 months of 2025, Vietnam had to cull more than 1.23 million pigs due to African Swine Fever. In many localities, pig farming is gradually recovering after the epidemic. However, in Central provinces, the repopulation process still faces many difficulties due to the heavy impact of prolonged rain and floods, which narrowed the farming scale and disrupted production. Tam An General Secretary To Lam receives US Ambassador Marc Knapper. Photo: VNA The Party chief congratulated Ambassador Knapper on the successful completion of his tenure and highly valued his important contributions to the positive development of the VietnamUS comprehensive strategic partnership. He welcomed the many notable achievements the two countries have recorded across a wide range of fields, including politics and diplomacy, economy and trade, defence and security, post-war legacy issues, as well as science and technology. Vietnam stands ready to further promote deeper and broader cooperation with the United States, including the signing of a reciprocal, fair and balanced trade agreement, the General Secretary said. He reaffirmed that Vietnam consistently pursues an independent and self-reliant foreign policy of cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of external relations, along with its defence policy of four nos. Vietnam always attaches importance to relations with the United States and wishes to continue close cooperation to further deepen bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions, thereby contributing positively to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. On this occasion, General Secretary To Lam shared with Ambassador Knapper several of Vietnams major achievements since the 13th National Party Congress, particularly the strong progress that has earned international recognition, such as policies on innovation and the development of science and technology. The upcoming 14th National Party Congress, he noted, will mark a new stage of development aimed at peace, independence, democracy and national prosperity. Regarding regional and international issues, the Party leader stressed the need to uphold the United Nations Charter and international law, and to resolve disputes through dialogue and other peaceful means. On regional matters, he called on the United States to continue supporting the maintenance of peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Activities by all parties in the East Sea should contribute to this shared objective, he said. General Secretary To Lam expressed his confidence that, regardless of his future position, Ambassador Marc Knapper would continue to support the promotion of VietnamUS relations and help the two countries achieve further positive outcomes in the time ahead. For his part, Ambassador Knapper sincerely thanked the leaders of the Party, the State and the people of Vietnam for their attention and support, which enabled him to fulfil his duties successfully. He congratulated Vietnam on its remarkable achievements, noting in particular the countrys sustained economic growth, improving living standards and rising international stature and prestige. Ambassador Knapper said he was proud to have taken part in major milestones in bilateral relations, especially the upgrade of VietnamUS ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2023, as well as key activities marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. He affirmed that, in whatever role he may hold in the future, he will continue to make every effort to nurture the relationship between the two countries, contributing meaningfully to peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region and the world. Tran Thuong January 8, 2026: Anthropic, an American AI/Artificial Intelligence company was recently attacked by Chinese hackers using Anthropic AI technology. Anthropic believes this hack was ordered by the Chinese government. The September attack, GTG-1002, was highly automated with the AI doing more than 80 percent of the work. Anthropic's AI coding tool, Claude Code, was configured by the hackers to use the Model Context Protocol/MCP tools to carry out the numerous technical tasks. MCP was one of several Claude Code components used to penetrate and document the target site's security and organization. This included finding and using permissions documents, which are often encrypted. Defeating the encryption is another task that is automated and orchestrated by the AI. What once took hours or days a decade ago can now be done in minutes or seconds. The lack of a human controller occasionally caused problems, as AI systems have a tendency to occasionally and unexpectedly hallucinate irrelevant data or tasks. Current AI systems are equipped to detect this aberrant behavior and recover from it. The victims are not revealing what was copied and sent back to China. In most cases its difficult to measure the extent of the data stolen. The length of the attack, if that could be measured, provides a general estimate of how much data was stolen, but not what data. The AI powered hacks go into the victims server, which can hold up to 100 terabytes/TB, while the average server holds 10 TB. Data can be moved off the hacked server at speeds of up several gigabytes a second. Transfers are also subject to restrictions and verification. Hackers have to carefully map the server configuration to determine the security systems and how they regulate data leaving the server. Anthropic revealed that there have been at least 30 other attacks and that Anthropic products are being modified accordingly. All AI products suffer from this criminal misuse. One of the new security measures will be to identify where Anthropic systems used by criminals are and disable them remotely, or at least release data of who is misbehaving where and to what end. China denied any responsibility, which is what they usually do when caught. This is nothing new, nineteen years ago, because of new laws in the United States, Internet criminals were forced to move many of their operations from the United States to China. That puts a lot more hacking activity in China, a country that is more inclined to get cooperation, rather than convictions, from computer criminals. The most visible form of Internet crime is spam/unsolicited email. In the previous two years, the amount of spam coming from PCs in the United States fell from nearly fifty percent, to 24.5 percent. This was the result of anti-spam laws, and prosecutions that were putting spammers in jail. The United States was still the prime target for spam, because the U.S. had the largest number of affluent PC users that could be scammed. Chinese, however, still got hit with lots of viruses and worms, mainly because few Chinese PCs had any defenses against these nasties. Chinese governments, long before the communists came along, were willing to do business with criminal gangs. This was a cheap and discreet way of getting dirty work done. These relationships were usually with local governments, but in the case of Cyber War assets, the government showed an interest in hacking clubs and informal organizations of Internet criminals. Because the Chinese government exercise such tight control over the Internet in China, it was believed that the computer criminals had to cooperate, or get nailed. The extent of that cooperation was unknown, but the criminal hackers were a large repository of knowledge and expertise on how to break things on the Internet. Over the last two decades Chinese Cyber War efforts have been betrayed by increased professionalism. What? In the past, Chinese hacking efforts were typically numerous, and often sloppy. Being able to trace some of the attackers back to Chinese neighborhoods known to contain military or government bureaucracies, made it pretty clear who the intruders probably were. The Chinese denied everything, although they admitted that there were Chinese students who might do that sort of thing, and, of course, there were criminal elements out there as well. But more recently, a lot of the attacks from China have been much better organized, possessing a, shall we say, military precision. These hackers were not trainees, bored students or inept criminals. The latest batch of Chinese hackers are going after American military servers, and are trying to plant Trojan Horse type software that will enable them to return, at will, to grab data from the infected PC, or quickly shut it down. A Trojan Horse can also be used to monitor what goes on in the infected PC, but that requires sending stuff back to China, which makes it more likely that the PC infection will be discovered. Many of the infections are being discovered, although it's a secret how many, and how. The big question was how many of the infections were not detected. The Chinese are also going after American defense contractors, and U.S. government systems in general. Many of these attacks appear to be to collect secret information. Cyber War begins in peacetime, as you constantly scout enemy networks, trying to get a good idea of how vulnerable they are to infection. When the real war comes, whoever can do the most damage, the quickest, wins. While the rest of the Chinese army may not train a lot, the same cannot be said for the Cyber War troops. They are training hard, and doing it on the networks they would attack in wartime. According to official announcements, Truong Quoc Huy asked to step down from his role as provincial party secretary, withdraw from the provincial party executive committee and standing committee, and cease serving as a National Assembly deputy, along with other related positions. The Politburo agreed to his request and approved his departure from office for the 20252030 term. Based on practical requirements and a comprehensive assessment of political integrity, professional capacity, expertise, experience, and credibility, the Politburo decided to transfer and appoint Pham Dai Duong to serve as secretary of the Phu Tho provincial party committee for the 20252030 term. Pham Dai Duong is a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and currently serves as deputy head of the Central Policy and Strategy Commission. He was designated to join the Phu Tho provincial party executive committee and standing committee and to participate in the party committee of Military Region 2. The decision was announced at a conference of the Phu Tho provincial party committee attended by senior central leaders. At the event, Head of the Central Organization Commission Le Minh Hung described Pham Dai Duong as a capable and experienced official with a scientific, democratic, and decisive working style, and called on the provincial leadership to maintain unity, stabilize internal affairs, and focus on implementing political tasks and promoting socio-economic development. Mr. Truong Quoc Huy. In his acceptance remarks, Pham Dai Duong thanked the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Central Organization Commission for the trust placed in him, pledging to continue learning and to work closely with the provincial leadership and political system to fulfill assigned responsibilities. Pham Dai Duong, 52, from Hanoi, holds a masters degree in science and technology management and bachelors degrees in chemistry and banking. He is a National Assembly deputy of the 15th legislature. His previous positions include deputy and head of the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park management board, deputy minister of science and technology, chairman of the Phu Yen provincial peoples committee, secretary of the Phu Yen provincial party committee, and senior roles in central economic and policy bodies. Since February 2025, he has served as deputy head of the Central Policy and Strategy Commission. Truong Quoc Huy, 56, from Ninh Binh, holds a bachelors degree in labor economics and a masters degree in economic management. He is a National Assembly deputy of the 15th legislature. His career includes senior management roles at Vicem Hoang Mai Cement Company and Vicem But Son Cement JSC, leadership positions in Ha Nam province, appointment as chairman of the Ha Nam provincial peoples committee in September 2020, and elevation to provincial party secretary in March 2025. He was transferred to lead Phu Tho in late September 2025. Tran Thuong - Thanh Hue Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on January 9 for Yan Jiehe, founder of the China Pacific Construction Group, one of Chinas largest private enterprises in infrastructure investment, construction, operation and management. Praising the groups recent role as a contractor in major infrastructure projects in Hanoi, PM Chinh welcomed its proposals to join large-scale infrastructure developments in Vietnam in the coming years and encouraged more investment in the country. He suggested the group work more closely with Vietnamese companies through concrete and flagship projects, particularly those involving technology transfer, as a way to directly contribute to Vietnams socio-economic development. Highlighting the importance of long-term, forward-looking planning, he called on the group to study continued involvement in projects that better unlock development spaces in Vietnam, including a proposed metro line linking Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City with the new Long Thanh airport in neighbouring Dong Nai province. The reception in Hanoi on January 9 (Photo: VNA) For his part, Yan said the group has secured bids and embarked on three major projects in Hanoi, including the Tu Lien bridge and its access roads, which broke ground on May 19, 2025; the Ngoc Hoi bridge and its access roads launched on August 19, 2025; and Hanois urban railway line No. 5 linking Van Cao and Hoa Lac, with groundbreaking on December 19, 2025. Updating the host on the progress of these projects, he outlined the groups future cooperation plans in Vietnam, expressing a desire to engage in major infrastructure projects and pursue long-term partnerships in Vietnam as guided by the PM./. VNA The Netherlands remained Vietnams largest trading partner among the 27 European Union (EU) members for the second consecutive year in 2025, while also being the European market Vietnam posted the biggest trade surplus with, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in the Netherlands. Bilateral trade reached 14.3 billion USD in 2025, up 3.8% year on year, with Vietnam recording a trade surplus of 12.7 billion USD, the highest among its European markets. Data from Vietnam Customs show that Vietnams exports to the Netherlands totalled 13.5 billion USD last year, up 3.7% compared to 2024, while imports stood at 825 million USD, rising 5.2%. Within ASEAN, Vietnam is currently the largest supplier of goods for the Netherlands. Agricultural, forestry and fishery products continued to witness strong growth. Cashew nut exports reached 495 million USD, up 22.3%; coffee 373 million USD, up 57.9%; aquatic products 215 million USD, up 8.7%; fruit and vegetables 158 million USD, up 41.3%; pepper 70 million USD, up 9.8%; and rice 10.7 million USD, up 17.4%. Shipments of timber and wooden products amounted to 104.7 million USD, a year-on-year increase of 32.3%. Footwear, garments, and textile, garment, leather and footwear materials also saw growth of 9.3%, 11.7%, and 2.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, some manufactured goods experienced only marginal growth or declines. Exports of computers, electronic products and components reached nearly 3.5 billion USD, up 0.4%; phones and components 1.06 billion USD, up 0.4%; while machinery, equipment, and spare parts fell 8.8% to 2.24 billion USD. Vietnam imported 825 million USD worth of goods from the Netherlands in 2025, up 5.2% year on year. Machinery, equipment, and spare parts accounted for 24.5% of total imports, rising 22.5% compared to 2024. Other key import groups that maintained solid growth included processed food, animal feed and feed materials, pharmaceuticals, and milk and dairy products. Investment ties between the two countries also saw progress. The Netherlands has, for many years, been the largest EU investor in Vietnam. As of the end of 2025, Dutch investors had 466 valid projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 14.938 billion USD, ranking ninth among 154 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation. Dutch investment spans multiple sectors, including energy, processing and manufacturing, semiconductor, trade, services, logistics, and warehousing. In the opposite direction, Vietnam currently has 12 investment projects in the Netherlands with a total registered capital of 107.2 million USD, down 13.9% year on year. The Netherlands ranks 22nd among 85 countries and territories where Vietnam has outbound investment, mainly in construction, trade, food services, software production, and the import and distribution of telecommunications equipment, electronics, automobiles and components, as well as capital contributions to oil and gas projects./. VNA According to the Ministry of Construction, Vietnam currently has around 2,991 real estate projects that are stalled or facing unresolved difficulties, with a total investment value of nearly $100bn. This represents an enormous pool of resources that has yet to be mobilised to serve socio-economic development. Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh speaks at the forum. Photo: Nguyen Le Speaking at the Vietnam Real Estate Market Forum (VREF 2026) held on January 9 by the Vietnam Association of Realtors, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh said many projects remain entangled in legal issues or have been left half-built, resulting in significant waste. Official figures show that the 2,991 stalled projects nationwide account for total investment of about $100bn. While this capital has yet to contribute to economic growth, it has also placed considerable strain on businesses involved. The deputy minister noted that in recent years, the government has issued strong directives to address these bottlenecks. Initial results show that 926 projects, with total capital of around $30bn, have already been resolved. In 2026, relevant authorities will continue efforts to remove obstacles for the remaining stalled projects. Preliminary assessments indicate that among more than 2,000 unresolved projects, about 248 are related to land issues, 479 involve legal provisions under the authority of the National Assembly, and 208 fall within the jurisdiction of the government, the prime minister, and ministries. In addition, roughly 1,104 projects are subject to resolution by local authorities in areas such as land, investment and planning. Central agencies will issue guidance to help localities address these problems. About 80 projects are also facing difficulties linked to build-transfer (BT) arrangements. Sinh added that several key laws have been amended, including the Land Law, Housing Law, Law on Real Estate Business and Investment Law. The revisions aim to cut administrative procedures, reduce compliance costs, create more favourable conditions for businesses, and strengthen decentralisation to local governments. The government has also proposed, and the National Assembly has passed, a series of resolutions introducing breakthrough mechanisms. These include Resolution 201 on special policies for social housing development, and Resolution 171 on piloting commercial housing projects through agreements on land-use rights. These measures have had a strong impact on boosting housing supply. At the same time, the National Assembly has approved Resolution 254 to address difficulties encountered during the implementation of the Land Law. In recent times, the government has paid particular attention to correcting distortions and adjusting property prices in a way that improves affordability, Sinh said. The key solution is to accelerate the development of social housing. So far, there are 698 social housing projects underway nationwide, with a total scale of about 657,000 apartments. Of these, 193 projects have been completed, while many others are continuing. In 2026, the government aims to bring 160,000 social housing units to the market, with an average price of around $830$1,040 per square metre. Compared to prevailing market prices, this level is considered affordable, according to the deputy minister. On the supply side, Pham Thi Mien, deputy head of the Vietnam Institute of Real Estate Research and Evaluation (VARS IRE), said that in 2025 the market recorded more than 128,000 newly launched housing products, up 88 per cent year on year and the highest level in the 20192025 period. However, she stressed that the imbalance between supply and demand persists. In several southern localities, the supply of more affordably priced commercial housing has increased sharply, helping to partially rebalance the market. By contrast, in Hanoi, Da Nang and the former Ho Chi Minh City administrative area, the mismatch has become more pronounced. Despite strong growth in social housing supply, it still lags far behind the volume of commercial housing priced at over $3,300 per square metre. Data show that in 2025 the market saw more than 80,000 new apartment units, double the figure in 2024. About 25 per cent of this new supply, equivalent to over 20,000 units, was priced above $4,170 per square metre, nearly ten times higher than the previous year. In Hanoi and the former Ho Chi Minh City area alone, around 85 per cent of newly launched apartments were priced above $3,300 per square metre. The market structure continues to shift strongly towards luxury and ultra-luxury segments, while affordable commercial housing has all but disappeared. Nguyen Le January 8, 2026: Palantir Technologies is a defense firm that does not provide the military, or commercial customers with anything. Palantir provides insights, knowledge and rapid updates on any situation they are tasked to monitor. Palantir is currently valued at over $400 billion. Financial analysts say that Palantir is overvalued. Palantirs civilian and military customers believe Palantir is well worth what its software services provide. The Ukraine War is notable for all the novel new weapons that quickly evolved. The drones and electronic warfare and special operations methods were all tangible and understood. Palantir software systems used a lot of statistical analysis and Artificial Intelligence/AI to keep track of forces on both sides. Initially this involved developing a data collection and analysis system to accurately predict where the Russians will attack next and how to deal with that most effectively. This is nothing new as similar systems were used nearly two decades ago in Iran and Afghanistan by American forces to successfully predict where roadside bombs were and the location of those manufacturing and placing these bombs. The new system is based on the work done since the 1990s by Palantir, one of the pioneers in this field, especially its use of Predictive Analysis. This is a system that uses known data on the enemy to develop estimates of what they will do next. This sort of thing has been around for a long time and became more useful as more data became available and new software allowed that data to be analyzed and acted on in real time. Now such systems can not only predict but also show what the enemy is doing right now and recently. NATO is involved because they have the financial resources to get this done quickly and Ukraine is at war where the new system can be tested realistically. Palantir AI software has also been used to improve how the Ukraine government supplies and supports combat operations, including aid for refugees and reports from refugees of Russian activities. This includes where supplies are stored, particularly fuel and munitions. Misbehavior by Russian forces is also important to document, and it too goes into databases for use in locating as-yet unknown bodies of victims and identifying individual perpetrators for suitable attention. Massacring civilians and rape are considered war crimes. Worse, such activity is considered newsworthy and quickly covered by the media in countries not responsible. For the nation that is responsible, its a troublesome public relations problem that never completely goes away. This is what Russia has been dealing with since it invaded Ukraine, plus the suitable attention already given to some of the many perpetrators. For nearly a decade the American military has been using software incorporating AI to select targets for air strikes for a human to approve or modify. In most cases the air force personnel assigned to check what this software finds discover there is nothing requiring modification. In 2023 the software-based target selection system was able to quickly identify 85 targets in seven different areas in Iraq and Syria. This use of enhanced mission planning software has been around for a short time, but the concept has been around for decades until technology and software capabilities reached the point that such systems became reliable and useful. While some civilians regard AI enhanced target selection as a nightmarish and improbable effort, the reality is that it works for the troops whose lives depend on it. Success in using the AI based software for target selections is being expanded to include other types of intelligence collection. The fact of the matter is that the AI-based system can make accurate decisions more quickly than human analysts. Human operators must constantly monitor this process to watch out for errors. Some of those problems were caused by faulty software which is ultimately created by human software engineers. There are always humans in the loop, either directly or indirectly. U.S. Central Command, while responsible for American operations in the Middle East, Central Asia, and some parts of South Asia, has regularly used algorithms to help decide the state of these regions and what actions the United States should take. Central Command began using Project Maven's computer vision systems in real campaigns after Hamas' surprise attack on Israel during October 2023. Israeli intelligence was criticized for not detecting the Hamas operation. Israeli intelligence did detect the Hamas plans, but Hamas devised a deception that persuaded the Israelis that there was no danger. Successful deception and surprise are one of the most effective military techniques if you can make it work. Hamas made it work, assisted by several senior Israeli officers and politicians who underestimated what Hamas was capable of. Project Maven scrutinizes large quantities of video and still photos of a combat zone, or potential combat zone, looking for patterns that identify or indicate the possibility of combat or violence occurring. The AI bases system is trained to detect such possibilities and provide warnings of attacks or unexpected military or militant movements. The October 2023 Hamas surprise attack was the sort of thing Project Maven could have convincingly predicted. More so than the politically polished Israeli intelligence analyses that did not indicate any dangerous actions by Hamas. Project Maven can monitor trouble spots in the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Far East where North Korea remains an unstable threat. In combat situations, Project Maven can determine where targets are and what impact attacking them would have. Project Maven can also examine past combat situations, if there is enough visual and textual data available, and clarify what happened, how it happened and how that contributed to the outcome. This is a form of predicting the past, which is a standard tool for determining if a prediction system will be accurate and used in situations that have not taken place yet. Currently there are several active combat zones in the Middle East and Ukraine that would be more effectively monitored with a system like Project Maven, while also using Project Maven to see how useful Project Maven would have been in predicting if these situations would occur and how they will develop in the future. Project Maven doesnt predict the future but can provide likely future developments. Compared to current intelligence prediction techniques, Project Maven would be faster and incorporate actual outcomes to develop a real-time prediction of how these events are likely to evolve. Intelligence organizations already try to do this manually and have done so for a long time. The results have often not been timely enough or accurate enough to be useful to combat commanders or even planning staff. Having an AI give the same warning that humans give also provides intelligence officials a little bit more credibility with their civilian bosses impending trouble. With Project Maven the combat commanders and their intelligence staff personnel can quickly evaluate actual or potential combat situations and do so in real time, or at least quickly if potential situations are being examined and evaluated for useful predictions. Project Maven will also strive to overcome the old problem of no combat plan surviving contact with the enemy. Warfare has two sides, and Project Maven strives to better understand what the enemy is likely to do. One lesson of military history is that while enemy reactions to your moves are difficult to predict, it would be a major advantage if you could come up with accurate estimates of future reactions by the enemy. Experience has shown that such estimates, at least accurate and useful ones, are nearly impossible to achieve. Project Maven will try to overcome that problem. Project Maven is still in use but the results are kept secret. If actual or potential enemies know what Project Maven is predicting they will do, the enemy will change their plans. This has always been a problem with intelligence work, but Project Maven does it in more detail and can change predictions in real time to adapt to changes in enemy activity. Project Maven may prove to be a major new intelligence tool, or maybe not because there may be unexpected pitfalls. Youll never know unless you try and then you may find yourself reminded of the ancient ironic expression; may you live in interesting times. January 10, 2026: As more transformative technology became available to the military over the last fifty years, something strange happened. The technologies began to generate new capabilities faster than the military could adapt and absorb the new tech into their operations. These changes became obvious in the course of the Ukraine war, although the new tech is showing in many other wars, rebellions, Islamic terrorist operations, and criminal enterprises. Governments are no longer obliged to get everything via long-term development and manufacturing contracts. A growing number of firms have something the military needs and deliver it unsolicited, with the option to pay for a long term use. One of the first examples of this was in 2022 when SpaceX provided their Starlink satellite communications services to Ukraine. This happened because the Ukrainian minister of digital transformation contacted SpaceX for help in dealing with Russian efforts to cut Ukrainian access to the Internet. SpaceX officials had already been negotiating with Ukraine to provide Starlink service locally. SpaceX founder Elon Musk agreed to help and within four days hundreds of Starlink satellites were moved into position to provide Ukraine with high-speed Internet service using hundreds of Starlink user kits Musk also sent to Ukraine. Musk ultimately supplied Ukraine with nearly 2,000 terminals and managed to persuade countries supplying military aid for Ukraine to include Ukrainian requests for more Starlink terminals, especially the more expensive, and capable commercial models. In this way Ukraine was able to obtain over 50,000 terminals so far. Most of these are used to keep the economy going and the ones used by the military are subject to combat losses. Civilian users face a similar but lesser risk and hundreds of terminals have been lost during Russian attacks. These have to be replaced and most, if not all, of the replacements are paid for by military aid for Ukraine. Last year American military aid to Ukraine included shipping container size 3D-printing drone factories for Ukraine. A new American tech startup raised $12 million from corporate backers like Lockheed Martin to develop cheap miniature 3D-printing drone factories for battle zones like the Ukraine. A U.S. firm, Firestorm Labs, was founded after an American 3D printing engineer visited Ukraine in early 2024. The drone factory shipping containers come in two variants, one with a 6 meter long container and the other with a 12.2 meter container. Firestorm Lab claims these units should be able to produce around 50 UAVs a month. A feature of these 3D-printing factories is that they can be placed in remote areas and blend into the background. These operations are semi-automated manufacturing facilities that can be operated by only a few people. Power can be supplied by generators if local electric power is unavailable. Automated manufacturing makes it possible to quickly produce large numbers of UAVs. The basic Firestorm Labs 3D-printed drone is the Tempest, which has a maximum takeoff weight of 25 kg, can carry a payload of 4.5 kg, and has a wingspan of 2.1 meters. It is 1.8 meters long and can be adapted to handle a range of ranges, loitering times, and cruise speeds. This drone can be broken down into portable cases that one soldier can carry for easy transport. There are swappable propulsion systems for different mission needs. There is also a quick connect/disconnect system that enables rapid reconfiguration. There were many more examples like this in Ukraine, many of them involving the armed forces growing dependence on commercial datafication software and hardware. The war in Ukraine demonstrates a shift in the substance of combat operations. Armed forces are concurrently regionalizing distributed decision-making, so it is closer to the troops and centralizing command and control through dependence on commercial firms that provide key services like cloud computing; ISR/Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance analytics; and scalable machine learning platforms for AI/Artificial Intelligence. Increasingly, military procurement officials no longer describe problems that are primarily responsible for defining the challenges of the modern battlespace and then producing tenders for technological fixes. Instead, private tech companies increasingly explain the ideal battlespace to militaries, offering software and hardware products needed to establish real-time data dominance. Another important factor is the large number of civilians in or adjacent to the combat zone with cell phones. In the first year of the Ukraine War local app developers created the ePPO cellphone app to enable civilians to quickly report incoming Russian cruise missiles, especially the new Iranian Shahed 136 Russia obtained. This drone flies low, under 100 meters, slow at 180 kilometers an hour and is noisy. They are often sent in small swarms of 4 to 12 missiles and at night. With ePPO, all a user has to do is point the phone in the direction of the missile and press a large button on the phone display to transmit useful sound and location data to a special phone network. The information quickly arrived at the local air defense headquarters where numerous such reports are instantly combined on a computer display so the officer on duty can instantly send the data to nearby air defense units. With that kind of information, more and more of the Shahed 136s and even some larger, faster cruise missiles were detected and shot down. Civilians with a Take Cover app get an alert to do that if they are in the target area. Suppliers of this data are verified by another app, Diia, which contains user identification data. Earlier the phones with Diia had a similar app to instantly report any enemy activity. For Ukrainians in Russian occupied territory, this often provided important target locations so Ukrainian guided missiles could destroy weapons storage sites as well as headquarters or troop concentrations. Technically, the use of this app in enemy territory makes the user a partisan and subject to being shot on sight. This did not discourage many Ukrainians, who noted that the Russians were already attacking civilians without any provocation. As soon as the invasion began in February, civilians were using chat apps to quickly report where the enemy had been spotted. Ukraines cell phone services kept operating during the invasion because of access to the Starlink satellite system. The Russians had no such access and not many military radios. The Russians were moving and fighting blind compared Ukrainian troops and civilians with cell phones. This persistent cell phone service enabled families to keep track of their men, and women, in the military. Apps for that had already been used in many other countries, as well as numerous navigation, first aid and fire-control apps that had been developed over the last decade. Many of these apps were also used by police, firemen and first-responders. The military has had problems with some of these apps revealing troop locations to an enemy equipped to detect such use. This led to many apps being banned from use in combat zones until the flaws could be fixed. Although Russia also had some military apps, they had fewer of them and less opportunity to get cell phone service in Ukraine. The Russians were also unable to develop new apps to deal with new developments in the war. Ukraine always had a more robust and prolific app development community and that turned out to be a military superiority the Russians did not expect, much less deal with. Another innovation was the use of commercial surveillance satellite photos to track your own troops and those of the enemy. Russia had fewer of these satellites in orbit and Western economic sanctions gradually reduced their ability to build and launch satellites. There is also the ability to store large quantities of data in server farms, otherwise known as the cloud. Technologies to specify and implement what can be done with this data using newly developed analytical tools were available before military procurement officers could even conceive of such things. Thats because this new tech was initially created for commercial users, with the military one of several possible secondary markets. The military gets publicity for issuing multi-million and billion dollar contracts for new items, but more important new capabilities show up unannounced. These commercial firms will offer this new tech to the military before defense officials realize what it can do for the armed forces. In Ukraine local software and hardware engineers often surprised American tech personnel in the country maintaining or offering new tech. Ukraine had to keep much of their new tech secret from all foreigners. When NATO nation personnel in Ukraine found out about these new developments, their first reaction was to offer co-production deals and help in selling consumer grade versions to worldwide markets. There were a lot of American venture capital firms with tens of billion dollars to invest and the new tech market in wartime Ukraine was an attractive market. Senedd set to debate ending Wales Stamp Duty The Senedd are set to debate abolishing Wales Land Transaction Tax (LTT) on primary residences. The motion, submitted by the Welsh Conservatives, comes after UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch announced that a future Conservative Government would abolish stamp duty for homebuyers in England. The Welsh Conservatives say they would do the same in Wales by removing the equivalent levy. Land Transaction Tax, which replaced Stamp Duty in Wales in 2018, raises around 147 million annually. Buyers must pay LTT if they purchase land or property over a certain threshold. In Wales, this is 225,000 for residential properties (if you do not own other property) and 225,000 for non-residential land and property. Since its introduction, LTT and the Landfill Disposal Tax have raised more than 2 billion. However, the Welsh Conservatives have previously urged the Welsh Government to use unallocated funds in its budget to offset the cost of removing the charge for those buying their main homes. Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing, Joel James MS, said: The Welsh Labour Government, with the support of Plaid Cymru, has made home ownership more and more difficult and unaffordable for young people, and downsizing a great challenge for older people. The aspiration-sapping Welsh Stamp Duty must be scrapped to get our housing market and economy moving, and to give people the dignity of owning their own home. Also commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Finance Secretary, Sam Rowlands MS, added: Land Transaction Tax is yet another tax from Labour and Plaid that is putting home ownership out of reach for far too many young people and Land Transaction Tax stands in the way of mobility in our housing market. Thats why a Welsh Conservative Government will scrap this tax and put more money in peoples pockets. In January 2025 Members of the Senedd backed a 7 million increase in the higher rate of LTT. Speaking at the time Finance Minister Mark Drakeford said the rise made rates in Wales broadly comparable with the equivalent stamp duty land tax in England and Northern Ireland. He added: We believe in progressive taxation and the Welsh Conservative party does not. The number of transactions that the higher rates affect is a small minority and these are all transactions being undertaken by people who have the broadest shoulders. The motion, which will be debated in the Senedd on Wednesday, calls on the Welsh Government to support Welsh Conservative calls to scrap Land Transaction Tax for primary residences in Wales. New Year campaign offers NHS help to quit smoking in Wales Public Health Wales has launched a new campaign to help people across Wales quit smoking as the New Year begins. The Break Its Hold campaign highlights the real-life challenges smokers face, from stress and busy routines to finding time for themselves, while offering practical support through Help Me Quits free, expert-led services. Most smokers want to quit and many try each year, but research shows that using structured NHS support greatly improves the chances of success. Help Me Quit provides free, personalised advice at times and locations that suit individuals, along with free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) or other stop-smoking medication. Giving up smoking also brings significant financial benefits. With the average pack of 20 cigarettes now costing 16.45, someone smoking a pack a day spends around 115 a week, or roughly 6,000 a year. Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of illness and death in Wales. Between 2020 and 2022, an average of 3,845 deaths among adults aged 35 and over were linked to smokingmore than one in ten deaths in that age group. Over the same period, smoking caused more than 17,000 hospital admissions every year. The National Survey for Wales reported that 10% of adults smoked in 202425, showing progress but also underlining the continued challenge. Mary-Ann McKibben, Consultant in Public Health, said: Smoking continues to harm thousands of lives in Wales every yearbut change is happening. Fewer people are smoking than ever before, and with the right support, even more smokers can be part of that positive trend. Were urging people to make this a New Years resolution that they stick to and we know that using our free expert-led advice will help them do that. Public Health Wales wants to help people live longer, healthier lives. To do this, our expert Help Me Quit advisers are available to support people to quit smoking for good. People seeking support can visit www.helpmequit.wales or www.helpafiistopio.cymru for free expert help and access to stop-smoking medication. Find out details about how to sign up to Help me Quit here: Help Me Quit The City of Reno is hosting its annual Senior Resource Fair this month. The event is taking place at the Neil Road Recreation Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, January 22. City officials say the event is free and is open to the public. The fair will offer free blood pressure checks, fraud prevention services, and other services. We're so proud to offer a convenient one-stop shop for our senior residents, helping them connect with vital services available in our area, said Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. I encourage seniors in our community to take advantage of this incredible opportunity provided by the city. Many local organizations and groups will be in attendance, including first responders, health organizations and food organizations. The fair was made possible in part of the Reno EngAGED program involving Rescue Plan Act funding. January 10, 2026: In Ukraine Russia expected a quick victory and did not have sufficient munitions for a World War Two-length war. Unlike Ukraine, which had substantial military and economic support from NATO nations, all Russia had were Iran and North Korea. These two nations had long been under economic sanctions for misbehavior. This made them ideal allies for wartime Russia. Iran provided missiles and drones while North Korea supplied artillery and lots of 152mm and 122mm shells to feed the guns. The North Koreans took advantage of Russian desperation and sold them older munitions. Some of those shells were past their use-by date and unreliable. The Russians were desperate and didnt bother to check for this. That was a costly mistake because their artillerymen found that many of the shells did not work and some exploded when fired. This destroyed the gun and sometimes killed or injured some of the artillerymen. North Korea also loaned the Russians two or three brigades of its own units. There were some Russian and North Korean bilingual officers and troops attached to the staffs of these brigades. That helped the brigade commanders to understand what the Russians wanted done, but there were problems getting that information to the North Korean soldiers in a timely and useful manner. One thing the Russians did notice was that the North Koreans were far more professional than Russians. Their attack tactics were more disciplined, and, unlike the Russians, the North Koreans took their dead and wounded off the battlefield. Russians also discovered that North Korean battlefield medical care was superior to what Russia offered. North Korea had also agreed to treat seriously wounded Russian soldiers in North Korean hospitals. The Russian patients noted that the care was far superior to what they would encounter in a Russian hospital. At the end of 2024 about 12,000 North Korean soldiers arrived in Russia and, after a short amount of additional training, were sent to fight along Russian troops in Ukraine. The North Koreans were first seen in combat during December. The Ukrainian forces facing them estimate that the North Koreans have suffered about 30 percent casualties so far because the Russians were using their Korean troops for frontal assaults. There were few Russian soldiers available for such costly attacks. Most remaining Russian troops were on the defensive. Ukraine had developed attack tactics that relied on self-propelled machine-guns and other close combat weapons as well as robotic vehicles to clear minefields. Russia urgently needed more soldiers and ammunition. Russia agreed to treat any wounded North Koreans but, when hundreds of wounded North Korean soldiers were taken to Russian military hospitals, it was discovered there were few, if any interpreters who could translate for the medical personnel to treat wounds. This complicated treatment and led to many avoidable deaths. There were few translators in combat, which led to at least two incidents of North Korean and Russian troops firing on each other. To the North Koreans, the Russians and Ukrainians looked similar, spoke similar languages and wore similar combat uniforms. The lack of interpreters led to the North Korean troops becoming a liability to the Russians as well. The Ukrainians captured two of the North Korean soldiers. This was not easy because the North Koreans had been ordered by their leaders back home to kill themselves rather than be captured. Many did so, to spare their families retribution from the North Korean government. The Ukrainians told their North Korean prisoners that they would not be identified. This would keep their families safe. In return, the North Korean prisoners would submit to questioning about the North Korean military and life in North Korea. The two soldiers revealed that they were trained more thoroughly and intensively than the Russian soldiers they worked with in Ukraine. The two prisoners knew little about the war before being sent to fight in it. They then discovered a new world outside the very confined and restricted lives they led in North Korea. There, young men are conscripted into the army at 18 and serve up to ten years. During that time most have little or no contact with their families. Home visits are allowed only when a parent dies. Many North Korean soldiers in Ukraine were able to obtain cell phones, most likely by trading some of their equipment for cell phones with corrupt Russian supply sergeants, and enough understanding of Russian to use the phones. This was a shocking and revealing experience. The phones enabled them to find out about a world they didnt know existed. They were shocked to find out how different life was in prosperous and democratic South Korea, although many North Koreans already knew this. Saying that out loud in North Korea was a criminal offense that often resulted in a long and often fatal time in a labor camp. It is likely that any of these North Korean troops who return to North Korea will be put in prison camps for the rest of their lives. North Korea has worked with Russia in the past but never to the extent that North Korean soldiers were sent to fight for Russia in Ukraine. That was because Russia finally agreed to upgrade North Korean strategic missiles. In June 2024, Russian and North Korea signed a Strategic Partnership treaty that obliged each nation to assist the other in wartime. In peacetime the two nations will supply mutual aid in military matters. North Korea wants assistance in perfecting and upgrading their nuclear weapons and launch platforms, including a modern SSBN/nuclear submarine carrying ready to launch missiles with nuclear warheads. Russia has such submarines but North Korea does not, and has been trying to develop them on its own but those keep sinking. The need for the North Korean treaty is because Russian troops in Ukraine have suffered such high losses since early 2022 that the Russian army has run out of soldiers. Russia has lost over a million killed, disabled or missing while fighting in Ukraine. Many of the wounded suffered further when they found that the Russian medical system was unable to adequately treat them. This led to many thousands of desertions and millions of military age men leaving the country. The North Korean army, or Choson inmin gun, has benefited greatly from its participation in the Ukraine War. As a longtime ally of Russia, North Korea responded to calls from Russia to supply weapons, munitions and eventually troops for the Ukraine operation. North Korea currently has one of the worlds largest armies with around 1.3 million active-duty soldiers, who spend most of their service time as slave labor for senior military officers. North Korea has not been directly involved in any major wars for over 70 years. Lack of battlefield experience is a source of considerable concern for North Korea anxious to counter South Koreas more technologically advanced military. Now North Korean soldiers are learning the realities of modern drone warfare first-hand. That included learning how to shoot down drones. These North Korean soldiers were young, motivated, disciplined, physically fit, brave, and good at using small arms. Russia pays North Korea $2000 per soldier each month. For North Korea the real prize was access to advanced Russian military technology. North Korea received support in increasing its anti-aircraft, submarine, and missile capabilities. Ukraine was a valuable testing ground for North Korea to assess the effectiveness of the weapons it supplied to Russia. Now North Korea can improve the quality of its own domestic arms industry and adapt future output to the realities of the modern battlefield. Troops who survive their time on the Ukrainian front lines are nominally expected to return home and become instructors, sharing their knowledge of modern warfare with colleagues. More likely they will immediately be sent to prison camps for many years. At this point, North Koreas participation in the Ukraine War looks to be less about supporting Russia's imperial ambitions and more about graft for North Korean senior officers and politicians. In the short term, the presence of North Korean soldiers allowed Russia to overcome growing manpower shortages. At the time Russia was losing tens of thousands of troops each month. For the first time in decades, the North Korean army might be gaining real military experience which might conceivably make it more capable of waging war against South Korea or Japan. North Korea continues to be a threat over 70 years since the Korean War ended in 1953. An armistice was signed and prisoners of war were exchanged, but troops remained lined up along a four kilometers wide DMZ/DeMilitarized Zone that stretched from coast to coast. There was a ceasefire agreement, not an end to the war. All attempts at negotiating an end to the war in the last half century have failed. The three years of fighting caused 325,000 American casualties, including 33,651 dead. South Korean troops suffered 415,000 killed, while other nations fighting North Korea suffered 15,000 casualties. The communist forces suffered 1.5 million killed, most of them Chinese because North Korea would have lost without massive reinforcements from China. There were several million civilian dead. After the war, North Korea experienced a period of economic growth as its industrial facilities were rebuilt with Russian aid. From 1904 to 1945, Korea was a Japanese colony, and the north had mines, railroads and factories built by the Japanese. The south, which always had more farmland, was turned into a largely agricultural area to help feed Japan. During the Korean War, industrial and transportation facilities were heavily damaged, and reconstruction was slower in the south. In the 1970s, foreign investment in the south began to grow, and local entrepreneurs began to start, or expand their businesses. By the 1980s, North Korea's centrally planned economy was falling apart because so much money was diverted to military spending, and lack of marketing resulted in products that could only be sold to other communist nations. When the Soviet empire fell apart in 1991, the markets for most North Korean goods disappeared. Corruption and lack of investment in agriculture resulted in food shortages, as well as the collapse of most industrial enterprises, except those that made weapons. Food aid from the Soviet Union ceased and that led to widespread hunger in North Korea during the 1990s when several million civilians starved to death. Post-1991 documents from the Russian archives showed that Stalin appointed Kim Il Sung as ruler of North Korea and in 1950 ordered him to invade South Korea and unite Korea. When that did not work, Russia ordered China to rescue the North Koreans. China complied and told Russia that the Chinese debt was paid to Russia for assistance in the 1949 Chinese Communist Party victory during the 22 year long civil war. In 2010, an article appeared in a Chinese magazine describing the beginning of the Korean War in 1950. What was unusual about the article, in a government approved publication, was the frank admission that North Korea had started it all, by invading South Korea. But once news of the article spread, and was posted on Internet sites, the Chinese government ordered the article withdrawn and denounced it as untrue. The unofficial reason was that China wished to avoid angering North Korea. This, despite the fact that Chinese participation in the war killed or wounded over a million Chinese soldiers. Even Chinese leader Mao Zedong lost a son in Korea. Since 1950, it had been the official Chinese position that the war started with a South Korean invasion of the north, to which the north responded by moving into South Korea. For decades, all communist nations accepted this version, even though all evidence pointed towards the north invading first. Then, in the 1990s, the Russian government released telegrams sent before 1960, by Russian and North Korean leaders, making it clear that Russia wanted the invasion, and that North Korea duly carried it out. Chinese troops entered North Korea in late 1950, to prevent American forces from occupying all of Korea, and that resulted in a two year stalemate along the current inter-Korean border which is now the DMZ Demilitarized Zone. To justify the Chinese losses, and maintain good relations with North Korea, China continued to insist that South Korea had started the war, even after everyone agreed that Russian leader Josef Stalin and North Korea had been the instigators. What this incident really tells North Korea is that China has admitted the truth about who started the war by authorizing the article's publication in the first place but is so sorry for this accident and officially sticks by the earlier lie. The Korean War lies and deceptions linger longer because China and North Korea want it that way. AceShowbiz - While several Netflix series have captured the public's attention and become cultural phenomena, many others quietly achieve remarkable viewership numbers without gaining mainstream fame. One such example is the Mexican telenovela Rosario Tijeras. Despite being relatively unknown to American audiences, this four-season crime drama has emerged as one of Netflix's standout offerings. According to FlixPatrol, Rosario Tijeras amassed an impressive 303.4 million hours viewed and 7.6 million views in the first half of 2025. This success has positioned the series as the 15th most popular action show globally, trailing only behind acclaimed titles like The Equalizer and Designated Survivor. So, what is Rosario Tijeras all about? Based on Jorge Franco's original novel, Rosario Tijeras chronicles the harrowing journey of its titular character, portrayed by BArbara de Regil. Set against the backdrop of Mexico City's perilous drug and crime landscape, Rosario is a stunning yet hardened assassin, shaped by a life filled with trauma and systemic injustice. Faced with the harsh realities of her environment, she adopts the mantra akill or be killed,a leading her into dangerous confrontations with powerful drug lords and gangs. The series opens with a dramatic scene where Rosario is shot and left in critical condition in a hospital. From this gripping starting point, the narrative unfolds her life story, detailing the events that led to her precarious situation. Beyond the action, Rosario Tijeras also weaves a poignant love story involving Rosario and two men, Emilio (played by Antonio Gaona) and Antonio (portrayed by JosA MarAa de Tavira), each hailing from different social backgrounds. As these relationships develop, the series poignantly highlights the stark class disparities within Mexico. Through its complex characters and gripping storytelling, Rosario Tijeras delves into profound themes such as loyalty, survival, revenge, and the lengths to which women will go to defend themselves against violence. This multifaceted approach not only captivates viewers but also invites them to reflect on the societal issues that resonate throughout the narrative. In conclusion, the quiet success of Rosario Tijeras serves as a testament to its powerful storytelling and character depth, making it a significant player in the world of Netflix crime dramas. AceShowbiz - SPOILER ALERT: This article contains significant plot details from His & Hers, now streaming on Netflix. Readers who have not yet finished the limited series may wish to proceed with caution. The highly anticipated Netflix thriller, His & Hers, based on the acclaimed novel by Alice Feeney, has captivated audiences with its intricate plot and truly shocking finale. The six-episode limited series stars Tessa Thompson as Anna Andrews, a driven TV news anchor, and Jon Bernthal as Detective Jack, her estranged husband. The narrative plunges viewers into a dark murder mystery that forces these two separated individuals back into each other's lives when a haunting crime shatters their seemingly quiet hometown of Dahlonega, Georgia. The series opens with Anna returning to her career after a period of intense grief following the tragic death of her and Jackas daughter. However, she finds her anchor position usurped by new reporter, Lexy Jones (Rebecca Rittenhouse). A brutal stabbing in Dahlonega involving her high-school friend, Rachel (Jamie Tisdale), presents Anna with a dual opportunity: to seek answers for a personal tragedy and to reclaim her professional standing. Back in the small town, Anna inevitably crosses paths with Detective Jack, who has been assigned to lead the investigation. Their reunion is fraught with tension and mutual suspicion, each viewing the other as a potential suspect in Rachel's murder. As Anna and Jack delve deeper into the twisted web of secrets, the body count chillingly rises. Helen (Poppy Liu) and Jackas sister Zoe (Marin Ireland), both members of Annaas former prep school friend group, also fall victim to the mysterious killer. The escalating violence sends shockwaves through Dahlonega, forcing the estranged couple to confront not only their fractured relationship but also long-buried truths from their shared past. Every new clue seems to deepen the mystery, pulling them further into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. For a time, it appears the case is solved. Anna is lured to a lake house by her cameraman, Richard (Pablo Schreiber), where she uncovers that Lexy Jones is not who she claimed to be. In a dramatic confrontation, Jackas detective partner shoots and kills Lexy, and Richard is subsequently arrested, seemingly for all the murders. This resolution, however, proves to be a masterful misdirect, setting the stage for the seriesa true, mind-bending climax. In a truly astounding and unexpected twist, the final reveal of His & Hers unveils the unassuming figure of Annaas mother, Alice (played by Fox), as the true murderer. Years after a horrific incident occurred at Annaas 16th birthday party, Alice discovers the full extent of what transpired. Her subsequent actions, driven by a profound and misguided sense of maternal protection and justice, unleash a deadly chain of events. This shocking revelation forces Anna and Jack to confront the darkest secrets of their family and community, redefining everything they thought they knew about loyalty, love, and the consequences of hidden truths. The series concludes by leaving viewers to grapple with the devastating implications of Alice's actions and the irreparable damage caused by a past left unaddressed. San Francisco Elon Musk's artificial intelligence venture xAI has made a significant move to secure the energy infrastructure needed for its ambitious AI supercomputing ambitions, confirming the purchase of five industrial-scale natural gas turbines from South Korean manufacturerElon Musk's xAI confirms purchase of five 380 MW natural gas turbines from Doosan Enerbility to power massive AI supercomputing expansion in 2026.. The acquisition, personally confirmed by Musk on social media platform X, represents one of the largest power infrastructure investments by an AI company to date and underscores the massive energy demands of cutting-edge artificial intelligence development. Strategic Power Play for AI Dominance The five turbines, each capable of generating 380 megawatts of electricity, will collectively provide approximately 1,900 MW of power capacity for xAI's expanding supercomputer clusters. To put this in perspective, that's enough electricity to power roughly 1.4 million homes, all dedicated to training and running advanced AI models. According to industry analysts who first reported the deal on social media, the turbines will support an additional computing infrastructure equivalent to over 600,000 NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 systems. This scale of deployment would position xAI's facilities among the largest AI computing centers in the world, potentially rivaling or exceeding those operated by tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Meta. When asked to confirm the reports on X, Musk responded with characteristic brevity: "True," validating the information shared by technology analysts tracking the AI infrastructure race. The Doosan Enerbility Connection South Korea's Doosan Enerbility, a leading manufacturer of power generation equipment, first announced in October 2025 that it had secured a contract to supply two 380 MW gas turbines to a major American technology company. At the time, the customer's identity remained undisclosed, though speculation within industry circles pointed toward AI-focused enterprises given the specific power requirements and delivery timelines. In December 2025, Doosan followed up with news of an additional order for three more turbines of the same capacity, bringing the total to five units. The staggered announcement pattern suggests xAI's infrastructure plans evolved rapidly as the company secured additional funding and refined its supercomputing expansion strategy. The 380 MW class gas turbines represent some of the most powerful commercially available power generation units, typically used for large-scale industrial applications or utility-grade power plants. Their deployment for AI computing infrastructure highlights both the enormous energy appetite of modern artificial intelligence systems and the urgency with which companies like xAI are racing to build capacity. Record-Breaking Funding Fuels Expansion The turbine purchase comes on the heels of xAI's announcement that it successfully closed an upsized Series E funding round totaling $20 billion, significantly exceeding the company's initial $15 billion target. The fundraising success demonstrates strong investor confidence in xAI's vision and competitive positioning within the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The Series E round attracted a diverse consortium of investors, including prominent firms such as Valor Equity Partners, Stepstone Group, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Qatar Investment Authority, MGX, and Baron Capital Group. Strategic technology partners NVIDIA and Cisco Investments also participated, continuing their support for what xAI describes as building the world's largest GPU clusters. In a statement on its website, xAI outlined how the capital will be deployed: "This financing will accelerate our world-leading infrastructure buildout, enable the rapid development and deployment of transformative AI products reaching billions of users, and fuel groundbreaking research advancing xAI's core mission: Understanding the Universe." The company's ambitious mission statement reflects Musk's broader philosophical approach to artificial intelligence development, positioning xAI not merely as a commercial venture but as a scientific endeavor aimed at fundamental breakthroughs in machine intelligence. The Colossus Supercomputing Project The new turbines will support xAI's Colossus supercomputing initiative, which has already achieved remarkable scale. The company reported that Colossus I and II collectively harness computing power equivalent to over one million NVIDIA H100 GPUs, representing one of the most concentrated AI computing deployments anywhere in the world. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the Colossus facility has not been without controversy. Local environmental groups and some politicians have raised concerns about the project's power consumption, water usage for cooling, and potential environmental impacts. The facility's energy demands have sparked broader discussions about the sustainability of AI development and whether the benefits justify the enormous resource requirements. The decision to power expansion with natural gas turbines, rather than waiting for renewable energy infrastructure, reflects the practical realities facing AI companies racing to maintain competitive advantage. While natural gas produces fewer emissions than coal, it remains a fossil fuel, putting xAI and similar companies in a complicated position regarding environmental commitments versus business imperatives. Grok's Evolution and Market Position The infrastructure investment directly supports development of xAI's flagship product line, the Grok series of large language models. Throughout 2025, xAI launched multiple iterations and features, including the Grok 4 Series, Grok Voice, and Grok Imagine, each representing incremental advances in the model's capabilities. Grok has distinguished itself in the competitive AI assistant market through several notable characteristics. Recent independent testing showed Grok recording the lowest hallucination rate among major AI models, a critical metric for reliability and trustworthiness. The model's integration with X (formerly Twitter) also provides it with access to real-time information and cultural context that other AI systems may lack. However, xAI isn't resting on current achievements. The company confirmed that work is already underway on Grok 5, the next generation of its AI model. "Looking ahead, Grok 5 is currently in training, and we are focused on launching innovative new consumer and enterprise products that harness the power of Grok, Colossus, and X to transform how we live, work, and play," xAI stated. The reference to transforming "how we live, work, and play" suggests xAI's ambitions extend beyond chatbots and text generation into broader applications that could reshape multiple aspects of daily life and business operations. The AI Arms Race Intensifies xAI's aggressive infrastructure expansion occurs against the backdrop of an intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence development. The United States and China are engaged in what many analysts characterize as an AI arms race, with both nations viewing leadership in artificial intelligence as crucial to economic competitiveness, national security, and geopolitical influence. American companies like xAI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Meta are collectively investing hundreds of billions of dollars in computing infrastructure, talent acquisition, and research. Chinese firms including Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, along with numerous well-funded startups, are pursuing parallel development paths, often with substantial government support. The scale of xAI's turbine purchase and supercomputing buildout reflects a broader industry consensus that success in AI development correlates directly with access to computational resources. Training state-of-the-art models requires massive parallel processing capabilities sustained over extended periods, consuming enormous amounts of electricity in the process. Industry estimates suggest that training a single large language model at the frontier of current capabilities can cost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in computing resources alone. As models grow more sophisticated and dataset sizes expand, these costs continue to escalate, creating significant barriers to entry and concentrating advanced AI development among well-capitalized players. Energy Infrastructure Challenges The AI industry's voracious appetite for electricity is creating unprecedented challenges for power utilities and grid operators. Data centers and AI facilities are among the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand in the United States, with some projections suggesting AI computing could account for 10-15% of total U.S. electricity consumption by 2030. This surge in demand comes at a time when the broader economy is also electrifying, with transportation, heating, and industrial processes shifting away from direct fossil fuel use toward electricity. The simultaneous growth in electricity demand from multiple sectors is straining infrastructure built for a previous era's consumption patterns. xAI's decision to procure its own dedicated power generation capacity, rather than relying solely on grid connections, represents one approach to addressing this challenge. By controlling its own power generation, xAI can ensure reliable electricity supply for its computing operations without competing for limited grid capacity or contributing to regional power shortages. However, this approach also raises questions about energy policy, environmental regulation, and the appropriate role of private infrastructure in meeting public needs. As more companies follow similar paths, the landscape of power generation and distribution in the United States could undergo significant transformation. Looking Ahead: The Future of AI Computing The commitment to such substantial physical infrastructure indicates xAI's confidence in the continued relevance of large-scale centralized computing for AI development. Some industry observers have questioned whether future AI advances might require less computational intensity or whether distributed computing approaches might reduce the need for massive data centers. For now, at least, the dominant paradigm remains one of scalingbigger models, more parameters, larger datasets, and consequently, more computing power and electricity. xAI's turbine purchase represents a bet that this paradigm will persist for at least the next several years, given the time required to deploy such infrastructure and the expectation of returns on the investment. The company faces competition from well-established players with their own substantial resources. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft's Azure cloud infrastructure, has access to enormous computing capacity. Google DeepMind leverages Google's vast data center network. Anthropic has secured major investments from Amazon and Google. Meta operates some of the world's largest data centers for its social media platforms and is aggressively expanding AI capabilities. In this context, xAI's strategy of rapid, aggressive expansion makes sense as a competitive necessity. The company is racing to achieve sufficient scale to train the most advanced models while simultaneously developing the commercial products that can generate revenue to sustain operations and justify continued investment. Broader Implications for the Tech Industry xAI's infrastructure investments carry implications that extend beyond the company itself. The willingness of investors to commit $20 billion to a relatively young AI company signals extraordinary confidence in the sector's potential returns and strategic importance. This confidence is reflected in the valuations commanded by leading AI companies. OpenAI reportedly achieved a valuation exceeding $150 billion in recent funding discussions. Anthropic has raised billions from high-profile backers. Even newer entrants are securing substantial investment based largely on team credentials and technical approaches rather than demonstrated revenue or profitability. The flood of capital into AI development is accelerating technical progress but also raising concerns about sustainability, both financial and environmental. If AI development fails to deliver the transformative economic benefits many expect, the industry could face a significant reckoning. Conversely, if AI does prove as revolutionary as proponents claim, current investments may appear modest in retrospect. For now, companies like xAI continue pushing forward, investing billions in infrastructure, talent, and research while working to develop products that can validate the enormous expectations surrounding artificial intelligence. Pattern recognition -- the brains ability to perceive similarities and relationships between objects, numbers, and events -- is used in IQ tests as a way to help measure cognitive intelligence. Advertisement Heres a pattern to consider. Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City on the steps of an old, abandoned City Hall subway station early on New Year's Day. Advertisement His father, Mahmood Mamdani FBA (Fellow of the British Academy) is a Ugandan academic, political commentator, and the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University. He also serves as the chancellor of Kampala International University in Uganda. Mahmood teaches African and international Politics, colonialism and post-colonialism, and his work is based on Marxist theory, although he identifies as a democratic socialist, not as a Marxist. His son, Zohran, identifies as a Democratic Socialist as well, and is a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Zohran was born in Uganda, but is a naturalized U.S. citizen. However, his mother, left-wing filmmaker Mira Nair, explains; Zohran was born in Uganda, raised between India and America. He is at home in many places. He thinks of himself as a Ugandan and as an Indian. Advertisement Both Mamdanis parents are Indian born, but live in America. Judging from their work and rhetoric, they dont like America very much. Neither does their son. However, they seem to like living here. Like Zohran Mamdanis mother and father, former Democratic Party presidential candidate Kamala Harris mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was born in India. Gopalan became a naturalized American citizen in 1970. She was involved in the American civil rights movement while a graduate student at wildly progressive UC Berkley and met her future husband, Donald Harris, at a meeting of the Afro-American Association -- a students' group whose members would eventually go on to help found the Black Panther Party. While neither a prominent Marxist nor a university professor, Gopolan was involved in radical, neo-Marxist political circles in the 1960s. Advertisement However, Kamala Harriss father, Donald Harris, is Professor Emeritus at Stanford University. Donald Harris claims to be a Neo-Keynesian economist. But, according to the left-wing New Yorker Magazine, Harris taught courses in Marxian economics. While calling himself a Neo-Keynesian, Mr. Harris gives great credence to Marxs economic theories. For example, he wrote an article in the Journal of Political Economy in 1972 called On Marx's Scheme of Reproduction and Accumulation. Harris was born in Browns Town, Jamaica but was naturalized as an American Citizen. He taught at University of Wisconsin (Madison), Northwestern, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: all bastions of far left, progressive (Neo-Marxist) ideology. Advertisement Harris also worked as an economic adviser to the Jamaican government for many years. According to Atlas of Economic Complexity Jamaica rank(s) as the 76th richest economy per capita out of 145 studied. Its 2.75 million inhabitants have a GDP per capita of $7,032 ($11,856 PPP; 2023). GDP per capita growth has averaged 0.6% over the past five years, above regional averages. It appears that Harris expert, Neo-Keynesian advice hasnt done much to help Jamaicas economy -- or its people. Advertisement Like Donald Harris and Mahmood Mamdani, former Secretary of Transportation and potential Democratic Party candidate for President Pete Buttigieg s father, Joseph A. Buttigieg was a left-wing professor. Born in the small island nation of Malta, Joseph Buttigieg was a Professor at University of New Mexico Las Cruces and at Notre Dame, where he served as chairman of the English Department. Buttigieg retired as the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English. He co-translated and co-edited the three-volume English edition of Antonio Gramscis Prison Notebooks, and was a founding member and president of the International Gramsci Society. In the far-left publication The Nation, Sara Marcus wrote Joseph A. Buttigieg was internationally renowned for his authoritative translations of Antonio Gramsci, Italys most enduring Marxist intellectual. Joseph A. Buttigieg , like Zohran Mamdani, Donald Harris, and Shyamala Gopalan, became a naturalized American citizen. Closely matching the pattern is former President Barack Obama. Obamas father, while not a professor, was an economist of a "leftist bent." His economic and political views were influenced by mid-20th-century "development economics" and a form of Africa Socialism -- an ideology which focused on state-led development to address poverty and inequality. Although he hardly knew the man, former President Obama wrote Dreams From My Father about him. Obamas mother, Anne Dunham, held a PhD from the university of Hawaii. Dunham completed her coursework at the University of Hawaii for an M.A. in anthropology in December 1974 but wasnt awarded her PhD until August 9, 1992 - more than 20 years of university affiliation. Moreover, Obama was closely tied to radical Neo-Marxist mentors and surrogate father-figures Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, and Frank Marshall Davis. The pattern is clear: foreign born, Neo-Marxist academics come to America, work at major universities, teach Neo-Marxist ideas to their students, and their children, inheriting their parents ideologies, enter politics. The apples havent fallen far from the tree. The question is, to what end? Joseph A. Buttigiegs favorite communist, Antonio Gramsci, was head of the Italian Communist party. After an assassination attempt on Benito Mussolini, he was imprisoned in 1923 as a threat to the state." Gramsci died behind bars in 1937. While in prison he wrote his Prison Notebooks, which contained, among other communist ramblings, his theory of cultural hegemony -- the claim that a ruling class maintains power by controlling a societys worldview as much as by use of direct force. Gramsci argued that social change requires protracted cultural and intellectual struggles in order to build a new counter-hegemony within civil society. Only after winning this battle for public consciousness can a "war of maneuver" (direct revolution) succeed; a "war of maneuver like the BLM/Antifa riots of 2020. During the turbulent 1960s a prominent German student leader and activist Rudi Dutschke advocated radical social change through a "long march through the institutions. Dutschke's idea was for Marxist to take positions in institutions -- government bureaucracies, the judiciary, and the universities -- and undermine the culture from within. Inspired by Gramsci, Dutschke named his strategy after Maos 6,000-mile tactical retreat in 1934, the Long March. The retreat kept Maos communist army from annihilation and led, eventually, to the Chinese Communist Party taking control of China. Rudi Dutschkes long march through the institutions, based on Antonio Gramsci's counter-hegemony theory, has had some success. Vladimir Lenin famously said, Give me just one generation of youth, and I'll transform the whole world. His adherents have been taking his advice. The pattern is clear. A.F. Cronin is a writer living in Los Angeles. He has written for American Thinker, The Federalist, and other publications. Image: Public Domain CES 2026 has already delivered a lot of new technologies to look forward to, and some are already available to buy or preorder. Best CES 2026 Tech Now Available to Buy or Preorder Many products revealed at CES 2026 are either previews of what's to come later this year, prototypes, or concepts that are yet to be released. However, there are various products that are already available for sale to customers who are interested in purchasing them. Check out the list below to. Corsair Galleon 100 SD Mechanical Keyboard Elgato became famous for its Stream Deck accessory that users plug directly to PCs to launch direct access to platforms, but they are taking this to the next level with Corsair's latest CES 2026 release. The new Galleon 100 SD is a 100% mechanical keyboard, meaning that its layout is complete. However, the traditional mechanical keyboard aspect to it is only in 80% layout, and the remaining 20% is the retrofitted Stream Deck, complete with a 5-inch 720x1280 IPS screen, two rotary dials, and the stream buttons that will take users directly to the platforms. The Stream Deck built into the Galleon 100 SD replaced the numpad, which is traditionally placed there in 100 percent keyboards. The Corsair Galleon 100 SD is now available to preorder on its website for $349.99, and it will launch on January 29. Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro Wireless Earbuds For those looking for a 2-in-1 wireless earbud, Anker's Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro is the one for you. The new wireless earbuds from Anker feature either an open-ear setup or an in-ear version that delivers active noise cancellation. Users only need to slide it in or out of the ear to change its type. The Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro Wireless Earbuds are now available to purchase via its website for $179.99, with a $30 off limited promotion now available. Xreal's 1S Smart Glasses and Neo Power Bank If you like game streaming on the go with your handheld consoles, then Xreal's new 1S smart glasses and Neo power bank are products you might want to consider. The new Xreal 1S smart glasses can serve as a monitor for your Nintendo Switch 2 or other handheld consoles, offering a wide field-of-view (FOV) and 120Hz refresh rate available for $449.99. On the other hand, the new Neo power bank offers a 10,000mAh capacity and up to 40W of fast charging rate for your handheld consoles and the Xreal 1S smart glasses. It is available for $119.00. LG 27GX790B OLED Gaming Monitor LG's newest brightest and fastest OLED gaming monitor is now here with the 27" QHD 27GX790B that features either a 540Hz QHD or 720Hz HD refresh rate and quality. It features DisplayPort 2.1, DisplayHDR True Black 500, NVIDIA G-SYNC, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro compatibility, and a borderless design. The new monitor is available to preorder via LG's website for $999. Aqara U400 Smart Lock with UWB Upgrade your smart home with the new Aqara U400 smart lock that debuts the first-ever support for Apple's Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology for hands-free locking. It uses the U1 UWB chip that is the same chipset used by the iPhone and Apple Watch. The Aqara U400 smart lock is available for $269.99 via Amazon. The Minneapolis ICE shooting story has been evolving the way these stories always do but not in the direction that the Left would prefer. Advertisement Its clear that the Left wanted another George Floyd martyrdom, one that would cripple Trump administration efforts to maintain the law and possibly even lead to nationwide disturbances like those that marred the summer of 2020. A kindly lesbian mother of three, fresh-faced and smiling, cut down for no reason beside her horrified wife by a masked, black-clad ICE agent looking as if hed lurched his way out of a Road Warrior sequel. But now is not then, and unfortunately for the Left, this narrative has steadily fallen apart as the week has progressed. Advertisement The original videos were ambiguous at best, many of them taken from so far away they may as well have been shot from the surface of Mars. But now we have a complete video taken by ICE agent Jonathan Ross himself, who -- smart man -- was holding his cell phone during the entire encounter. This shows Renee Nicole Good, dressed much as you might expect, shouting something at Ross (the audio here is not very clear) as he circles her car. Rebecca Good then appears, demanding that Ross remove his mask, along with other disparaging remarks. (Why dont you go get lunch, big boy?) She opens the car door as Ross orders the two of them to get out no less than three times. (At no point does he order them to drive off, as legacy media has reported.) Rebecca Good shouts, Drive, baby, drive, just as Ross passes the front of the car. Renee Good immediately accelerates (it appears that she turns the wheel to steer toward Ross as well, though thats not completely clear) and audibly strikes Ross. He then fires a shot before stumbling out of the way. Clearly, this was a deliberate attempt to run Ross down, one in which Rebecca Good played a key role. (She admitted as much directly afterward, crying out that it was her fault.) She needs to be indicted. Advertisement It turns out that Ross, again in his role as an ICE officer, was injured by a car driven by an illegal last June. Roberto Carlos Munoz, an illegal with a heavy rap sheet (including sex crimes against an underage victim), attempted to drive off while Ross had one arm inside the car. Ross was dragged over a hundred yards. A wound to his arm required 33 stitches. No wonder he was skittish about cars with dubious hands at the wheel. Both Renee and Rebecca Good had received training from anti-ICE group Minnesota ICE Watch on the most effective methods of resisting ICE officers and de-arresting illegals. The group bills itself as an autonomous collective documenting, archiving, and resisting against ICE, Police, and all Colonial Militarized Regimes. It runs a hotline where people can call in sightings of ICE operations so that members can show up to obstruct them. Its evidently part of a national network. Who organized and funded the network is not yet known. At the end of the week, Homeland Security released a memo detailing repeated efforts to attack ICE officers and other officials using automobiles while tying it in to the rhetoric being heard from Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, J.B. Pritzker, and numerous other Democrat politicians. According to Homeland Defense: From January 21, 2025 January 7, 2026, ICE law enforcement officers experienced 66 vehicular attacks against them, compared to only 2 during the same time period the previous year. This is a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks. Advertisement These attacks include this incident in Elgin. Ill., in which a Tren de Aragua member slammed an ICE agents car into a tree. Advertisement The illegal fled, pursued by ICE agents, and hid out in a nearby apartment. A mob then attacked the ICE agents, while local cops looked on and refused to intervene. After a standoff of a few hours, the gangbanger was captured. In the Chicago area, ICE agents were attacked with cars twice late last year. Advertisement In both cases the cars were driven by criminal illegals. Last September, an ICE agent in Homestead, Fla. was run down and injured by a criminal illegal. The illegal then drove off and collided with a black van driven by a totally innocent third party before being captured. The ICE agent was hospitalized in stable condition. These represent only a handful of the vehicle assaults carried out against ICE agents over the past year. But theyre more than enough to show how deadly the vehicle threat can be and how dangerous it has been for ICE operatives in recent months. If you find them unfamiliar, dont feel bad the legacy media has made it their mission to bury all such reports lest the poor, simpleminded public get the wrong idea about our new batch of foreign-born Democrat voters. The Minnesota/United States border remains quiet three days after Generalissimo Walz declared war on the U.S. Whether diplomatic overtures are bearing fruit or Walz is preparing his National Guard forces (since renamed the Minnesota Nice Peoples Liberation Army) for an advance against Washington remains unknown. Rumors that Governor-for-Life Walz has ordered a double-breasted military jacket with gold epaulets, a pair of cavalry boots with spurs, and a bicorne hat to be worn sideways remain unconfirmed. (Seriously, here we have a loser in a presidential campaign threatening the winners government with military force. How Central American is that?) Jacob Frey: who is that again? On the other hand, Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, and most impressively, J.D. Vance, are all doubling down in their support for ICE and its mission. In a news conference on Thursday, Vance addressed the incident directly: This was an attack on federal law enforcement, this was an attack on law and order, and this was an attack on the American people The President stands with ICE, I stand with ICE, we stand with all of our law enforcement officers. In particular, Vance made it clear that the incident would in no way halt the efforts to bust open wide Somalian-related corruption in Minnesota, which no doubt is what Walz was hoping for. He announced the creation of a new Associate AG position in the Justice Department devoted solely to Minnesota corruption. Its a good thing that this latest attempt to trigger social chaos by waving the bloody shirt has collapsed. But at the same time, its an indictment of the current political culture, yet another example of the Lefts willingness to lubricate their programs with the blood of their opponents, of innocents, and of their own. Eventually, theyll be called to account for it. That day cant come soon enough. Although news junkies long knew that childcare in Minneapolis was often a vehicle for fraud, Nick Shirleys expose, which has now reached 139 million views, really brought the issue home for Americans. And its not just in Minneapolis, but its also in blue-governed regions all over America that immigrant scammers, who seem to have massive support from NGOs and politicians, have been milking American taxpayers for home healthcare services, childcare services, transport services, etc. Its a pure grift. Advertisement Image created using AI. Advertisement Into this corrupt morass have walked New York Citys communist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and New York States execrable far-left Democrat governor, Kathy Hochul, to announce even more spending on childcare, much of which is likely to go to home-based childcare. Its worth noting that its almost impossible for the government to police fraud if its spread out amongst hundreds of homes. At the state level, Hochul has announced almost $2 billion in taxpayer funding for childcare: Advertisement New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced plans on Thursday to invest $1.7 billion to expand universal childcare for children under age five so that it is more affordable and accessible across the state. At the same time, New Yorkers may face added pressure from a federal childcare funding freeze that could make it harder for parents to balance work and family. Hochul said the new investment, which is part of her 2026 legislative agenda, would ensure universal pre-K for all four-year-olds in the state by the start of the 2028-2029 school year. Hochul committed to delivering affordable childcare for nearly 100,000 more kids. Advertisement What will be especially important to this plan is a partnership for little children to get care in New York City: New York City parents would have access to free child care for their 2-year-olds under a plan unveiled Thursday by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the first step for the mayor in delivering on a signature campaign promise. Advertisement Amusingly, the same AP article quoted immediately above calls Hochul a moderate, something only true for a far-left news outlet. Less amusing is the same outlets use of the word free. Nothing is free, except perhaps the moon and the stars. What will happenagainis that taxpayers will be on the hook for funding a zillion home-based businesses that are very likely to be vehicles for fraud. Now, I could be nice and say that this is necessary, especially in an unaffordable city like New York, where both parents have to work. However, Im more cynical. I see a few more negative things at play here as the Democrats act like altruists while spending other peoples money: Advertisement 1. This ensures more government control over peoples children. 2. This is an easy way, as Minnesota shows, for the fraudulent transfer of taxpayer funds to buy Democrat votes (or fund overseas terrorism and governments). 3. This is intended to benefit immigrants (who have more children) at the expense of Americans (who, sadly, have fewer children, in significant part because theyre losing money paying for immigrant children). 4. This is a way to keep alive the true horror of unwed motherhood, which is so destructive to children. In other words, I believe the Democrats motives are entirely cynical, with no altruism involved. And if youre wondering why Im so cynical, think about this core fact about Democrats: They hate children. The climate changistas and other Earth freaks consider children to be destructive parasites sucking life out of the Earth. The anti-Americans consider all children born in the First World (presumably, even to Third-World immigrants) to be parasites sucking the life out of the Third World. The LGBTQ+ crowd and fellow travelers consider children to be sexual mutants who must be rectified through mutilating surgery and toxic hormones. And of course, the entire left considers babies in utero to be clumps of cells that can be snuffed out without conscience. Considering whos pushing all these childcare initiatives, you can bet that the one thing they dont care about is the children. There is a dead lady in Minneapolis, and lots of people saying that ICE killed her. In reality, what we saw up there was a perfect storm of local governments not enforcing immigration laws, plus a lot of social media looking for clicks. Much of what happened in Minneapolis could have been avoided if the local authorities would have turned over the people sitting in jail or living in their communities. Advertisement As Professor Turley wrote, the Democrats have a little explaining to do: It was an outright murder. Those words from Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) were echoed by Democratic leaders from coast to coast almost immediately after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, 37, as she sped toward him in a vehicle. Goldman has become the Madame Defarge of American politics the character from Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities who knitted as she gleefully called for the heads of aristocrats and counterrevolutionaries during the French Revolution. Advertisement Goldman has made a career of dismissing due process for his political opponents while engaging in willful blindness toward the conduct of his allies. He has denied the existence of Antifa as an organization, while also claiming he has seen no evidence of an increase in attacks on ICE officers. He apparently needed no further proof to declare this officer a murderer: It was an outright murder. This officer needs to not only be fired and suspended but based on the video charged. Advertisement The video does not establish such a claim. Under governing case law, an officer may use lethal force when facing an imminent threat to his life or the lives of fellow officers or third parties. In this case, the officer had a fraction of a second to decide whether to fire his weapon after Good sped toward him. Good appears to have been attempting to flee the officers, and flight alone is not a justification for lethal force. However, when a suspect accelerates toward an officer, the vehicle may be treated as a weapon, permitting the use of lethal force in self-defense. Advertisement Goldman is fully aware that past case law supports the officer in this case. However, he is also aware that he is facing a Mamdani-backed socialist, Brad Lander, a popular local politician. Goldman is escalating his rhetoric to appeal to the radical left from promising impeachments to calling for this officers prosecution. This officer is no longer treated as a human being; he is a prop to be used for political gain. If he has to go to jail to secure a third term for Goldman, he is viewed as a small price to pay. Outright murder? Easy for Representative Goldman to say that. Wonder what Mr. Goldman would say if he were standing in front of a car moving toward him? Wonder if hed be talking like this without a primary challenge from the left? Wonder how much of this anti-police talk is related to those primary challenges about to hit many Democrats? Advertisement The big picture here is that cities and states have decided that federal immigration laws do not apply to them. Its the kind of strategy that usually terminates in a civil war, or the federal government arresting mayors or governors. No happy outcome here. I am sorry that there is a dead mother in this story. The teachable moment here is that citizens should not interfere with law enforcement. Furthermore, dont hit the accelerator if an officer tells you to get out of the car. Its like the dad-son talk that we have with our sons when they start driving, i.e. respect the police officer because he is the authority figure. The Democrats should lower the volume by telling their supporters to channel their anger via voting, not by blocking law enforcement from doing its job. Advertisement P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos. Image generated by ChatGPT. As America approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we will rightly celebrate the Continental Army Washingtons line soldiers who endured Valley Forge and carried the young republic to victory. But if we stop there, we repeat a historical injustice that has persisted for nearly two and a half centuries: the erasure of the militia men who fought, bled, and died for American independence yet were never granted equal status as veterans of the Revolution. Advertisement The American Revolution was not won by the Continental Line alone. It was won by a One Army in everything but name a force composed of Continental regulars and colonial militia operating together, often indistinguishably, against the British Crown. Today, the United States Army formally recognizes this reality. Under the modern One Army/Total Force concept, the National Guard and the Army Reserve are not auxiliaries; they are integral components of the U.S. Army. Guardsmen deploy, fight, and die alongside active-duty soldiers and are recognized equally as veterans. Advertisement Yet when it comes to the men who fought Americas first war, we refuse to apply the same principle. The Militia Were Not Bystanders Revolutionary-era militia were not ceremonial home guards. They Advertisement fought at Lexington and Concord, firing the opening shots of the Revolution. reinforced Continental forces at Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Cowpens. conducted guerrilla warfare, intelligence-gathering, and local defense that the Continental Army could not sustain. decisively defeated the British at Kings Mountain, a turning point of the Southern Campaign. filled the ranks when enlistments expired and the regular army collapsed. In many engagements, militia units were operationally indistinguishable from Continental units. They were armed, organized, and commanded by commissioned officers, and they were subject to military discipline often under Continental command. Arguing that they were not real soldiers imposes a modern bureaucratic distinction that did not exist in 1776. Advertisement The Founders Understood One Army The Founders rejected the idea that liberty could be defended by a standing army alone. The militia was not a backup force; it was a coequal pillar of national defense. George Washington repeatedly emphasized the need for militia support. Congress authorized militia service as a legitimate military duty. The Constitution itself enshrines the militia as essential to national security. Advertisement If anything, the Continental Army was designed to supplement the militia, not replace it. A Double Standard in Veteran Recognition Here is the contradiction: Advertisement A National Guardsman today who deploys alongside active-duty forces is a veteran. A militiaman who fought the British Army in 1776 is not. Both served under lawful authority. Both defended the nation in times of war. Both filled gaps that the standing army could not. Only one is recognized. Why This Matters Now As we prepare to commemorate Americas 250th anniversary, we must decide whether we honor the full truth of our founding or continue to sanitize it. The Revolution was not won by professionals alone. It was won by farmers, tradesmen, and shopkeepers who took up arms sometimes for days, sometimes for months, sometimes repeatedly because liberty demanded it. To deny them equal status is to deny the very citizen-soldier ideal upon which the republic was built. The Remedy is Simple Congress should formally recognize Revolutionary War militia participants as veterans of the American Revolution, granting them status equal to that of Continental Line soldiers just as the modern Army recognizes National Guard service today. The United States Army already operates under One Army. It is time our history did the same. America did not begin with a standing army. It began with citizens who became soldiers and they deserve to be remembered as such. Kevin Mason, a former Army infantry officer, holds a Masters degree in U.S. history. He is a direct descendant of a Virginia militiaman who fought in the battles of Reedy Fork and Guilford Courthouse and supported the French Artillery with his wagon and team during the Yorktown Campaign. Image via Picryl. Donald Trump learned some valuable lessons from his first term. Trump 45s Cabinet picks were a whos who of swamp creatures. His Cabinet picks this go-around are (mostly) all-stars. Advertisement Susie Wiles (except for her Vanity Fair misstep) has been a solid chief of staff. Some restraint appears to be softening some of Trumps Bronx instincts. J.D. Vance has been a solid communicator of the MAGA agenda and has taken some of the burden off Donald Trump to have to defend each and every action taken by the administration. He perfectly chastised the press corps yesterday regarding their narrative shaping around the ICE shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Advertisement Marco Rubio has been a shining star, handling all of his duties with aplomb, whether working the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, the Israel-Gaza peace talks, or most recently our action in extricating Nicolas Maduro into custody to stand trial in New York City. Most pertinently, and showing maturity that he did not seem to possess a few years ago, he's smartly framed his work in service to the presidents goals and objectives. This humility has certainly garnered favor with the president and the American people. After a potentially career-ending blunder at the outset with his Signal mishandling, Pete Hegseth has proven the leader needed to advance Donald Trumps military objectives in service to his strategy to re-establish American dominance abroad, and more importantly in our hemisphere. Hegseth has set a tone (lethality) and has empowered his generals to work cooperatively toward a common set of objectives. Complex execution of myriad moving parts is difficult to pull off, particularly as they involve complex systems within a hierarchical structure. The bombing of Iranian nuclear sites was perfectly executed. The targeting of drug boats and interdiction of ghost ships in the Caribbean has been stellar. The attack on Venezuelas infrastructure, capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and exit two and a half hours later was executed perfectly. Advertisement Kristi Noem has effectively done what Donald Trump has asked her to do, what he ran on: securing the southern border and deporting criminal illegal aliens. Although this task has been complicated by domestic terrorism perpetrated by radical leftists, and incited by state and local Democrat leadership, her track record so far has been one of success. Economically, Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick, and Kevin Hassett have maneuvered through a very tenuous re-ordering of our trade relationships with allies and adversaries. Advertisement Honorable mentions go to Stephen Miller, Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, Karoline Leavitt, Tom Homan, RFK Jr., and assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon. The only failing grade that I would offer is for Attorney General Pam Bondi. Whats notable in the successes of Trump 47 is his seeming leadership style respectful empowerment. If youve hired qualified people to manage complex operations, engage them in helping craft your and their objectives, give them the tools to perform their tasks with authority and accountability, and support them unequivocally (as long as theyre getting the job done). Advertisement Donald Trump is still the man, but his (yuge) ego does not seem to get in the way of letting his all-stars shine. Great things, they say, can be accomplished when people arent concerned about who gets the credit. Hire and appoint great people, based on merit. Set objectives. Empower your team to empower the people to get the job done. Stand beside them when theres incoming flak, and allow them to shine when theyve achieved what you set out to achieve. Advertisement Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. While California has long been caricatured as the land of fruits, nuts, and the soiled streets of San Francisco, Minnesota is now acquiring a reputation of its own. To critics, it is becoming the home of mighty Minnesotan megalomaniacs leaders who, facing scandal, tragedy, and federal pressure, have chosen escalation over retreat. Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, both entering what appear to be their final acts of power, are casting their state and city as defiant bastions against a resurgent federal authority under President Trump. Supporters call it principled resistance; detractors see ego-driven confrontation masquerading as moral leadership. Advertisement By megalomania, critics mean scale: the insistence that local officials are not merely administrators, but central protagonists in a national moral drama, regardless of the costs to governance, stability, or credibility. The saga began on January 5, 2026, when Governor Walz announced he would not seek a third term. Ordinarily, such a declaration marks the beginning of a quiet lame-duck fade. Walz, however, chose the opposite path. Under growing scrutiny over alleged fraud in Minnesotas social service programs particularly claims involving childcare and Medicaid funding he framed his decision as freedom to focus on the work without campaign distractions. Advertisement The controversy, fueled by viral online reporting and federal estimates suggesting massive losses, has become the defining shadow of Walzs final year. Federal prosecutors have alleged billions in improper Medicaid payments statewide over several years figures the administration disputes in scope and attribution. Walz points to audits, new investigators, and program pauses as evidence of action while accusing Republicans of politicizing the issue and scapegoating immigrant communities. Critics, however, argue that his newfound defiance is less reform than narrative control an attempt to recast oversight failures as partisan attacks. That same day, January 5, Jacob Frey was sworn in for a third and final term as mayor the first under Minneapoliss expanded strong mayor charter. In his inaugural address, Frey framed city leadership as the front line of a national struggle: Local officials may not sit in Congress, he argued, but they stand where federal policy meets human consequence. Since then, his rhetoric has only sharpened. Advertisement Tensions exploded following the January 7 fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good during an ICE enforcement operation in South Minneapolis. Federal officials claim Good attempted to use her vehicle as a weapon, a characterization they cited to justify the use of lethal force. Frey, after reviewing available video footage, publicly rejected that account, calling it reckless and dishonest. In profane terms that drew national attention, he demanded that ICE leave the city, accused federal authorities of withholding facts, and barred federal staging on city property. Protests, vigils, and clashes followed, further inflaming a city already marked by unresolved trauma from 2020. Governor Walz escalated the response by declaring January 9 a Day of Unity in Goods memory. Framed as a call for reflection on democracy, decency, and shared values, the day included a statewide moment of silence. Walz also authorized the Minnesota National Guard for potential support not to assist federal enforcement, but, as his office stated, to protect public safety and peaceful protest. Republicans denounced the move as defiance bordering on nullification, with some openly calling for federal intervention. Advertisement To supporters, Walz and Frey are drawing a necessary line, defending local control, progressive values, and vulnerable communities against what they view as a hostile Washington. To critics, the pattern looks less like courage than hubris: a governor under investigation reframing scrutiny as persecution and a mayor inflaming confrontation in a city still struggling to rebuild trust. Federal audits, funding freezes, and congressional hearings continue, even as independent investigations into the shooting proceed. As Treasury task forces probe deeper and federal agents increase their presence in the Twin Cities, Minnesotas leaders are treating their lame-duck periods as historic missions. Whether this defiance inspires reform or accelerates collapse remains to be seen. What is already clear is that the state once known for Minnesota nice has become a flashpoint where local ambition collides with national power and governance gives way to spectacle. Advertisement Every city eventually earns the name it deserves. Advertisement Image: Tim Walz. Credit: Lorie Shaull via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Some things I can't understand. Advertisement Such as the bizarre stance of the Vatican taking the lead to 'save' Venezuelan drug-lord dictator, Nicolas Maduro from the long arm of U.S. law. According to the Washington Post: Advertisement VATICAN CITY On Christmas Eve, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, second-in-command to the pope and a longtime diplomatic mediator, urgently summoned Brian Burch, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, to press for details on Americas plans in Venezuela, according to government documents obtained by The Washington Post. Would the United States target only drug traffickers, he asked, or was the Trump administration really after regime change? Nicolas Maduro had to go, Parolin conceded, according to the documents, but he urged the U.S. to offer him a way out. Advertisement For days, the influential Italian cardinal had been seeking access to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the documents show, desperate to head off bloodshed and destabilization in Venezuela. In his conversation with Burch, a Trump ally, Parolin said Russia was ready to grant asylum to Maduro and pleaded with the Americans for patience in nudging the strongman toward that offer. What was proposed to [Maduro] was that he would go away and he would be able to enjoy his money, said a person familiar with the Russian offer. Part of that ask was that [President Vladimir] Putin would guarantee security. That would be the same dictator who dealt lethal illegal drugs that killed millions of Americans, which was the basis for the spectacular military raid on Jan. 3 in an undoubtedly just action. Advertisement But what ought to be of even more concern to the Vatican were Maduro's and the rest of his regime's death squads against dissidents. And the torture chambers, the terrorists operating bases handed over to Hezb'allah, and the impoverishment of 90% of the citizenry, driving a third of them into exile. So much for the Vatican's pontifications about 'human dignity.' Advertisement Why on Earth would the Vatican have an interest in seeing this ogre 'enjoy his money,' which, without a doubt, was ill-gotten? Wouldn't jail be better for him, along the lines of, as the lefties like to say, 'if you want peace, work for justice'? At least he could 'repent' in jail. It's positively Richelieu-like, Machiavellian, some kind of Realpolitik from the curia, a battle of power politics and interests instead of a shepherding of the flock. Advertisement Parolin paid lip service to getting Maduro out of there, but only after the big pressure campaign began from Trump, meaning, he saw the ouster as inevitable and sought to retrieve some scraps for the brutal leftist thug, frantically contacting Trump officials for information that was none of his business. The vague claims about avoiding chaos and violence make no sense -- the violence of socialism was already there against Venezuela's people, and Trump's embrace of Delcy Rodriguez over the actual democratic winners of the 2024 election certainly was a seemingly pragmatic means of preventing more of it, though it's working out imperfectly. Getting Maduro out of there but not his regime left things the same, not more violent. Why all the desperate diplomatic effort to save Maduro from the consequences of his actions, after the Vatican had been utterly silent about Maduro's nakedly stolen election in 2024, the mass protests crying out for democracy and justice that followed, the thousands of mass 'avalancha' protests carried out for years and years, the death squads, and the impoverishment and exile of nearly every Venezuelan by Maduro's regime, which is ultimately premised on an inhuman, atheistic ideology combined with a huge round of drug dealing as a means of waging war on the West? Why the silence over the near-thousand of Maduro's political prisoners? We know they holler about political prisoners in other places, and certainly direct a lot of 'human dignity' complaints to President Trump. Nothing at all about this: UPDATE: The release of Venezuelan political prisoners has stalled. pic.twitter.com/oaY5a5qUS1 Alex_Vzla (@at_tvzla) January 9, 2026 Even the religions don't match up. Venezuela is a historically Catholic country with a huge base of Catholics for the Church to consider. But Maduro is not one of them. He and his wife and their successor, Delcy Rodriguez, all practice an eastern cult religion called Sai Baba, the New York Times reports, which, oddly enough, has a center on Motor Avenue in the Cheviot Hills in Los Angeles, which is nearly walking distance from where she used to live in Santa Monica in the 1990s, reportedly as a student. Stephen Miller, a native of the famously leftist city, ironically, would likely have been there at the time, as would Deb Haaland, a leftist radical who became Joe Biden's interior secretary, attending UCLA. It could be where Delcy first joined that India-based cult, eventually bringing the rest of the inner circle along. The bottom line here is that Marxists don't like Catholicism, except when it's politically useful. I suppose it could be worse, of course -- in Nicaragua, the ruling Ortega pair reportedly practice witchcraft. But in contrast, Venezuela's democratic opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado, and Edmundo Gonzalez, are devoutly Catholic, which is very much in its humanist tradition that eventually set the stage for democracy to emerge in the West. They believe in fairness, they believe in rule of law, they believe in human dignity -- they would seem to be logical people for the Vatican to embrace or at least offer words of encouragement to. The Vatican has held one meeting that I know of with Maria Corina Machado, but far more of them with Maduro's crew. Why on Earth was it so important to them to 'save' this guy and ensure that he enjoy his ill-gotten gains after all he's done to create poverty, misery, dependence, violence, and exile? Why him? I've never seen them try to save any other crummy dictators. Are they trying to save the embattled Iranian tyrants? The thugs in Russia and Belarus? The terrorists persecuting Christians in the Middle East, China and Nigeria? They aren't. So this save-Maduro action makes zero sense. What this strange, incongruous picture does raise is that they have Realpolitik interests in keeping the Maduro dictatorship in place. Two things spring to mind as to what those interests may be. It's possible the Vatican is holding big stores of gold and other money for Maduro to help him evade sanctions, possibly fearful it will be taken away from them, leaving their finances in a parlous state. Or, they have an interest in keeping the migrants flowing, the better to ensure that the Catholic NGOs can obtain federal funding, and a big base of obedient leftist voters dependent on charity can emerge as the leading Catholic voting bloc, over the conservative Catholics who go to church on Sunday and vote for Trump on election Tuesdays. It sounds far-fetched, but maybe it's a bid to replace the pews. Or a bid to head off the growing calls for Latin masses by younger Catholics, which is a major area of growth for the Church, as are the migrant Masses. In any case, it's not a good look. Someone needs to corner Parolin and get answers from him about why he's so intent on preserving an evil dictator instead of allowing justice to take its course, and declining to support Venezuela's Catholics. It's so disgusting that I, as a Catholic, can't wrap my head around this. Why does Pope Leo allow this? Is there some other explanation for this? Or are they really that bad? Image: Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed For Democrats, including those who run most of Americas media, the only news is that Trump illegally extradited Maduro and his wife for crimes against America and that an ICE agent murdered an innocent lesbian poet and mommy. For people living in the real world, the most important news this weekend may be that the Islamic Republic of Iran is almost certainly on its last legsthanks in large part to long overdue action from Israel and America against this violent, terror-fomenting regime. Advertisement Image created using AI. Advertisement The regime has been in trouble for a while, thanks to a terrible drought and to its awful economic policies. These policies were exacerbated by the fact that the mullahs directed money away from the people and into supporting worldwide terrorism and, especially, funding Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in their genocidal war against Israel. That this war provided no benefit to the Iranian people was irrelevant. It was Irans necessary war with both Eastasia and Eurasia (Im referring to Orwells 1984) because the government needed something to keep the Iranian peoples focus away from the mullahs failures and atrocities. Advertisement However, in 2025, both Israel and the U.S., thanks to Trump, finally confronted Iran directly, destroying all of its air defenses and its nuclear program. Suddenly, the mullahs, like the fabled Emperor, stood there naked before the world. The Iranian people took notice. Things got even worse for the mullahs because of plunging oil pricesagain thanks to President Trump, who revitalized Americas oil production. That was another hit on the Iranian economy that the mullahs were unable to address. Advertisement And so, the protests began and, this time, the mullahs couldnt stop them. Instead, as I tried to document a little bit here, the protests got bigger and bigger, to the point at which the mullahs clearly could no longer trust their own police forces and military troops. And since my post from two days ago, things have escalated further. Here are some of the tweets (because the America media are useless) that I find most important. First, unlike Obama in 2009, who was so anxious for a deal with the mullahs that he abandoned the people who were rising up, the United States has expressed its strong support for the Iranian people. It began with Trumps threat against the mullahs (which may help explain fleeing mullahs now that people are getting killed): Advertisement Just after midnight (Eastern Time) today, the United States government officially stated its support for the Islamic people: Advertisement The United States supports the brave people of Iran Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 10, 2026 Aside from being the morally correct position, I would also call this identifying the winner right before the victory. In addition, as I noted above, mullahs are fleeing, almost certainly because of their fear that Trump will make good on his threat now that people have been killed. (They would also be wise, at this point, to fear their own people.) First, heres some of the recent news about people being killed: MASSACRE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN IRAN ISLAMIC TERRORISTS have shut down the internet and are murdering Iranians RIGHT NOW: "Hi, Mr. Trump. Here is Mashhad city. Ayatollah killed my people. Please help to my people. Please. Help to Reza Pahlavi, come to Iran (help bring pic.twitter.com/mgJDVHsqBk Goldie Ghamari | (@gghamari) January 8, 2026 And second, here are the most recent reports about the fleeing mullahs: Islamic Regime Mullahs and their families spotted in Moscow. These Muslim savages have held Iranians and Iran hostage in the name of Islam and Mohammed for the last 47 years. And now they are scattering across the globe like cockroaches. pic.twitter.com/zaWChhAl80 Goldie Ghamari | (@gghamari) January 10, 2026 We are reliably informed that many of the ruling Mullahs have now left Iran. Foreign offices across Europe have received multiple applications and some even spotted at Moscow airport a few days ago. As to when the fall of the regime will be officially announced, the latest https://t.co/6lJno3A4AA pic.twitter.com/d1OVGMEnog Omid Djalili (@omid9) January 10, 2026 And speaking of picking winners, the Shah of Iran (son of the deposed Shah) has announced his return and urged people to take to the streets for a final push against the government. He must be hearing things from within Iran that make him confident enough to do this: For everyone just waking up, the Shah of Iran has delivered the following call: Begin taking over cities 6 PM local time tonight and tomorrow, focusing on regime power structures rather than only streets Bring supplies and whatever necessary to stay out for longer periods pic.twitter.com/tBvr4WUXo5 (@NiohBerg) January 10, 2026 Significantly, the Shah will almost certainly return secular governance to Iran, since the revolution is decidedly anti-Islamic: Iranian protesters burn down the Islamic shrines and Mosques! Islam has no place in the future of Iran! People have been awakened! pic.twitter.com/E9LFEEVfyv Marziyeh Amirizadeh (@MAmirizadeh) January 10, 2026 Iran (Persia) will be again a torch bearer as this great nation was used to be in ancient history Khamenei should resign from his position then after might be protesters should call off protests against the Khamenei regime. This is the need of an hour for the country . otherwise pic.twitter.com/JoE1HrnsUQ Emon Mukherjee (@EmonMukherjee21) January 10, 2026 Islam was forced on Iranians and on the Persian Empire. Once the Islamic regime fall, Iran will be the largest Ex-Muslim country and trust me, people will fight to death to not allow it back in power. Islam was rejected by Iran. pic.twitter.com/sMdxUaVc8Q (@SKYRIDER4538) January 8, 2026 And second, here are the most recent reports about the fleeing mullahs:And speaking of picking winners, the Shah of Iran (son of the deposed Shah) has announced his return and urged people to take to the streets for a final push against the government. He must be hearing things from within Iran that make him confident enough to do this:Significantly, the Shah will almost certainly return secular governance to Iran, since the revolution is decidedly anti-Islamic: One could say that the U.S. government, the Shah, and people on social media are being unduly optimistic, but the scale of the protests suggests that were witnessing a populist movement as big as, if not bigger than, the one that swept the foul mullahs into power back in 1979. In 1926, in The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway included this great bit of dialog: How did you go bankrupt? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly. I think were at the suddenly phase of the Second Iranian Revolution, one that promises to sweep out the tyrants who have clamped down on Persia for so long. I hope Im right because the world will be a better place if the mullahs are swept onto the trash heap of history. UPDATE: And yes, the Trump administration is on it: BREAKING WSJ: The Trump administration has held initial discussions on potential strikes against Iran. Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 10, 2026 And Israel seems to be on it, too...maybe: Just got this SMS. pic.twitter.com/PEvcLxbuyP Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) January 10, 2026 And speaking of Israel: It appears that many Republicans, and most people for that matter, are more afraid of being accused of being racist, bigoted, or heartless, than they are of losing their freedoms, self-worth, dignity, and country. Advertisement It appears they are more afraid of what a karen or a rogue federal district court judge might say or do to them than they are of a ruined society that they will leave for their children and grandchildren. It appears they are content to let fraud, sloth, and outright evil win, as long as no one calls them names. Advertisement That in itself is evil. Personified. What has happened to a country that was founded on the proclamation and defense of individual freedoms as granted by our creator? That was a rhetorical question. Sadly, I know what has happened to it. Dear God, how I wish it wasn't so. We have lost our courage. We have lost our character and integrity. We have lost our sense of right and wrong. We have lost our ability to stand up for whats right our own rights included. We have lost touch with our values and history. We have lost our vision, mojo, and raison detre. We have lost our unity and cohesion, the sense of our uniqueness, and of what makes us Americans. Advertisement We have been gaslighted, atomized, tribalized, feminized, infantilized, brainwashed, indoctrinated, and hypnotized. We have allowed ourselves to be steamrolled by the Lunatic Left and prodded and coerced into letting our country become a One-Party State led by democratic socialists. Too many of us consciously choose to let illegals, fraud, and violent crime run amok rather than telling the truth or doing the right thing. And then we tell ourselves that, by doing this, we are doing the right thing. This is existentially dangerous. Advertisement If, out of fear, we lie to ourselves about others rather than facing the consequences of holding fast to the truth, we pave the way for a crime and chaos-ridden society in which the quality of life will rapidly deteriorate. And we needlessly sentence our children and theirs to, at minimum, a life of more pain and less prosperity than we ourselves enjoyed. Which, to my mind, makes that very lack of courage, truthfulness, and integrity a crime. Advertisement Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License Googles Material 3 Expressive has been gradually finding its way to the companys apps since the time it became official. This brings bright colors and bold design elements. Next on the list to get this new design is the backup section in Google Photos. However, that wont be the only change, it seems. Google Photos might soon get the most-requested backup schedule option. Google Photos could finally gain the backup schedule feature The backup page in Google Photos is the place where you can control how your photos are stored in the cloud. You have options to toggle the feature on or off, choose to only back up your favorites, pick the quality you want to save your photos in, and others. Now, folks at Android Authority, through the Google Photos app version 7.58.0.853810532, have spotted that this page is getting a revamp. This change organizes things neatly. Options like Backup Mode, Backup quality, and Back up device folder are now present in containers. Google is separating them under new headings, including How to back up, What to back up, and Backup tools. Expressive UI revamp The biggest addition to this page that wasnt there before is the Backup schedule. The feature could let users set a specific time to upload photos or set a time frame, like daily, weekly, or monthly. Theres a chance it could be similar to the Backup schedule for Android. Unfortunately, more details about the feature are not available at the moment. Its also not clear when Google will make this official. Google sort of pulled a rabbit out of the hat when it introduced AirDrop support in Quick Share. This lets users send files between Android and Apple devices. However, this ability is currently only exclusive to the Pixel 10 series. But that might be changing soon, as new evidence suggests that AirDrop support in Quick Share might be coming to older Pixel phones, starting with the Google Pixel 9. AirDrop support in Quick Share might be coming to the Pixel 9 series next Android Authority reports that while digging through the latest Android Canary build (ZP11.251212.007), they have discovered that Google has added new system files required for Quick Share to send files to iPhones for the Pixel 9 series. Weirdly, the Pixel 9a is excluded. These files were apparently not present in earlier firmware for the older Pixels. This change appears to be arriving on the Pixel 9 series first. The new system files that enable AirDrop-style transfers arent yet available for other old Pixel phones, including the Pixel 8. However, this doesnt mean to imply theyll never get the feature. It could be that Google is preparing this for the Pixel 9 series, for now, and hasnt laid the foundation for others yet. No release timeline yet This isnt surprising, as Google previously promised that Quick Shares interoperability with Apples AirDrop would come to more Pixel devices over time. However, it didnt share any specific timelines for that, though. We dont get to see Quick Share in action between a Pixel 9 and an iPhone yet. But the inclusion of system files in the latest Canary build is enough to suggest that Google is expanding this. Its also not clear when the Pixel 9 series will get the AirDrop-style file sharing. It may arrive as a part of Android 16 QPR3, or Google might bundle it with Android 17. After years of watching Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and many other companies launch foldable devices, Motorola has finally decided that 2026 is the right time for it to jump on this bandwagon. This is the Motorola Razr Fold. Now, this is not a full unveiling, Motorola is only teasing the device at CES this week, and releasing very few specs for the device. But heres what we know so far: Motorola Razr Fold Specs External Display 6.6-inches Main Display 8.1 2K LTPO Primary Camera 50MP Sony LYTIA Camera Ultrawide 50MP ultrawide/macro Telephoto 50MP 3x Periscope Telephoto Front-facing cameras 32MP external selfie camera; 20MP internal camera Colors PANTONE Blackened Blue; PANTONE Lily White Stylus support Moto Pen Ultra View Device Specs Essentially, we know nothing more than just the camera and display specs of this phone right now. However, in our briefing with Motorola ahead of CES, they did tell us that this would be an ultra phone, meaning top-of-the-line specs everywhere. That means we will likely see this with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Honestly, I am very excited for this phone, and will get to see it in person this week in Las Vegas. Motorola also has a handful of moto things to announce Motorola is also using CES 2026 to announce a few other accessories, which the company calls moto things. This includes a new moto watch which does not run Wear OS but does promise 13 days of battery life. It will be IP68 certified and work with other 22mm watch bands. The moto pen ultra is also being announced which will work with the new Motorola Razr Fold. This is a stylus that will offer an intelligent stylus experience. And finally, the moto tag 2, which is going to be Motorolas longest-lasting tag yet. With up to 500 days of battery life. It, of course, has UWB, Bluetooth Channel Surrounding and the Find Hub available for actually finding what it is attached to. Motorola doesnt have much to say in terms of availability here. The moto watch will be available in PANTONE Volcanic Ash on Motorolas website starting on January 22. The moto pen ultra will arrive in North America in the coming months, and the moto tag 2 is arriving at some point. Samsung has made significant progress in the chip department, thanks to its 2nm Exynos 2600. It made a statement that it can leverage its cutting-edge technology and maintain healthy yields to close in on rivals like TSMC. These advancements helped the brand secure a deal with Tesla. But when it comes to contract manufacturing for brands like Qualcomm, a new development suggests that talks are yet to materialize. The upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will reportedly leverage TSMCs 2nm N2P process exclusively. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 TSMC 2nm Tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo says that Qualcomms upcoming chips, presumably the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and 8 Elite Gen 6, will reportedly have unique identifiers: SM8975 and SM8750. He says that Qualcomm is sticking with TSMC as its foundry partner. Theyll both be fabricated on TSMCs 2nm N2P node. Having said that, Qualcomm was previously reported to have completed design work on Samsungs version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, hinting that if things fall in place, the future chips could be mass-produced on Samsungs 2nm GAA node. Adreno 850 GPU and LPDDR6 RAM Samsung had reportedly sent Qualcomm samples of its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 flagship SoC for evaluation. However, well only know later if that meets the companys tight expectations. For what its worth, its ideal if Qualcomm enters talks with Samsung. This is considering a dual-sourcing strategy will help its prospects. This is considering Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro could be very expensive and reserved for Ultra flagships. This could help reduce its manufacturing costs and help maintain better margins. Furthermore, Digital Chat Station claims that the upcoming Snapdragon chips will feature a 2 + 3 + 3 CPU cluster. This is different from the 2 + 6 cluster of the Snapdragon 8 Elite and 8 Elite Gen 5. The chips will get an Adreno 850 GPU, with the Pro model supporting new generation LPDDR6 RAM tech. (ES Composite) Antony and Cleopatra. John and Yoko. Timothee and Kylie They might not slot seamlessly into the annals of great romance, but an unlikely celebrity couple can certainly capture the collective imagination. And while the new year has barely begun, its already shaping up to be dominated by high-profile couples that feel somehow mismatched. Theyre not new pairings, but the fact that their romance has endured only adds to the intrigue. Take Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau , for example. The pop star and sometime space tourist kicked off 2026 with an Instagram photo dump from the festive season, which included a sunset snap with the former Prime Minister of Canada. Thats still a sentence you never thought youd read, even though the pair have been in the press for more than six months. Katy Perry shares holiday snaps over the festive season kissing Justin Trudeau on her Instagram account (@katyperry/Instagram) Read also: Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner relationship timeline: A look back at their oddly enduring romance They were first spotted together in July 2025, after Perrys split from Orlando Bloom, her partner of almost a decade, was announced. They then staged the hard-launch of the century over lunch with the former prime minister of Japan , before becoming Instagram official last December. Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry with the former Japanese prime minister (X) Also gunning for the odd couple of our times title are Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner. With awards season appearances, break-up rumours and matching dressing stunts , theyve made headlines throughout their relationship. But at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, Chalamet ramped things up with a very public declaration of love as he accepted the Best Actor trophy for his role in Marty Supreme. And lastly, Ill just say, thank you to my partner of three years, he said. Thank you for our foundation. I love you. I couldnt do this without you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This was followed by a camera-cut to Jenner, who mouthed I love you in return. I cant put my finger on why, but Ive barely been able to stop thinking about the moment ever since. And Im not alone. An internet frenzy ensued, highlighting our ongoing fascination with this particular genre of couple. Whats behind it all? Unexpected couples tend to attract attention because they disrupt our assumptions, says psychotherapist Dr. Gisele Caseiras. When we dont immediately get why two people are together, it becomes intriguing. Sometimes these relationships can feel hopeful or even liberating. If they can cross these boundaries, maybe we can too. Theres something comforting in watching people refuse the roles we assume are fixed. At the same time, these couples often attract criticism or judgement, as people may project their own fears, values or prejudices onto them. They become a screen for other peoples anxieties about class, gender, taste or status. This has been especially true of the criticism of Chalamet and Jenner, the bulk of which has been aimed, unsurprisingly, at the latter. When they were first spotted in public together at a Beyonce concert in September 2023, some responses were vitriolic and unashamed in their misogyny. Why is he going out in public with this blow-up doll? read one social media comment. Others were more light-hearted, including a now-deleted British Vogue article that asked, among other questions: Does he give Stormi French lessons? (Getty Images) Whatever the response, Caseiras has no doubt that it says more about us than the couple. When people label celebrity couples as ill-matched, it usually says more about our assumptions than about any real incompatibility, she says. The discomfort often comes from rigid binaries. Intellectual versus sexy, political versus pop, depth versus surface. When those categories collide, it might unsettle us. Rather than questioning the anxieties and asking why we hold these divisions in the first place, we can avoid the discomfort by deciding the couple doesnt make sense. Its often a similar case for age-gap relationships. Look at Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, who have earned a place on the couples of interest list thanks to a 20-year age gap (shes 30, hes 50). Despite the difference in decades, rumours are flying that an engagement could be on the cards. Its undeniably hard not to be intrigued. Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus (Ian West/PA) (PA Wire) But instead, Im going to focus my attention on my favourite surprising union that has carried over into 2026: that of Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus (father of Miley). An Instagram post shows that the couple rang in the new year with Hurleys 23-year-old son, Damian. The pair reportedly first met on the set of the 2022 film, Christmas in Paradise, and became Instagram official in April 2025. Ive been hooked ever since. Theres just something wonderfully weird about the British glamazon and the Kentucky country star with an achy breaky heart. Are they a screen for my anxieties about class and taste? Maybe. But heres hoping they make it through another year together. Victor Osimhen was involved in both goals as Nigeria beat Algeria in AFCON quarter-final (AFP via Getty Images) Nigeria are through to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final after beating Algeria on Saturday. With the legendary figure of Zinedine Zidane watching on from the stands at the Grand stadium in Marrakesh, the Super Eagles found their ruthless touch early in the second half to seal a deserved quarter-final win. Victor Osimhen opened the scoring with a fine header, taking his tally to four at AFCON 2025, before Akor Adams doubled the lead to set up a semi-final showdown with host nation Morocco next week. Algeria, by their own high standards, were surprisingly flat from start to finish, with Riyad Mahrez virtually non-existent before being replaced on the hour mark on what is expected to be his final-ever AFCON appearance. Nigeria were the dominant team in the first half but failed to turn that dominance into goals. Calvin Bassey went close to breaking the deadlock after getting a touch on Ademola Lookmans free-kick. The defenders effort was deflected by Luca Zidane and the ball crawled towards the line before Ramy Bensebaini hacked it away. However, replays suggested Basseys effort did cross the line before the clearance, strengthening calls for goal-line technology to be introduced at future AFCON tournaments. Controversy: Calvin Bassey (AFP via Getty Images) Adams, a scorer in the 4-0 win over Mozambique, then let Algeria off the hook by missing a golden chance after being put clean through by Alexi Iwobi. Less than two minutes into the second half, Osimhen broke the deadlock on his 50th appearance for Nigeria. The striker rose highest at the back post to head Bruno Onyemaechis cross into the back of the net. Osimhen, who was criticised by his own supporters following an altercation with team-mate Lookman in the round of 16 win, then turned provider for Adams to double the lead. The ever-impressive Iwobi started the move with a superb pass with the outside of his boot to Osimhen who unselfishly squared for Adams who took the bal around Zidane and finished into an empty net. Nigeria had further chances to extend their lead, with Adams hitting the post from close range, but the only negative was knocks suffered to captain Wilfried Ndidi and Bright Osayi-Samuel ahead of the semi-final. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates sent nearly $8 billion to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, for charity work, instantly making her foundation one of the worlds largest nonprofits, a new report has revealed. The pair announced their divorce in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage. They subsequently split up their philanthropic efforts, with French Gates announcing in May 2024 that she would resign as co-chair of the Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation has spent $53.8 billion since 2000 on health, gender equality, global development and education, according to its website. When French Gates announced her resignation, she wrote on X, Under the terms of my agreement with Bill, in leaving the foundation, I will have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates sent nearly $8 billion to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, for charity work, instantly making her foundation one of the worlds largest nonprofits, a new report has revealed (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Most of that money has reportedly been allocated to Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 2022 as part of the broader group, Pivotal, which French Gates founded in 2015 to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the U.S. and around the world, according to its website. Gates made a $7.88 billion donation in 2024 to Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, according to a tax filing reviewed by The New York Times. A spokesperson for Pivotal told The Independent that the donation was part of Gates and French Gates's agreement when she left the Gates Foundation. The pair announced their divorce in May 2021 and subsequently split up their philanthropic efforts (Getty Images for Global Citizen) The spokesperson said the $12.5 billion commitment has been fulfilled. Its unclear where the remaining $4.62 billion was allocated. According to Pivotals website, French Gates has committed $2 billion to expanding womens power and influence, which is presumably separate from Gates donation. Before Gates donation was reported, his net worth was $118 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. According to Forbes, French Gatess net worth is $29.4 billion, with the outlet estimating that her divorce settlement was worth $25 billion. As Ukraine is gripped by a bitter cold snap, more than one million people have been left without heating and electricity as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure. Elderly residents and those with vulnerable family members told The Independent they are cold and unable to cook proper meals as they face temperatures as low as -15C. Despondent and fearing death, many are struggling through the winter as blackouts plunge Ukraines cities into darkness, lit up only by the bright flash of Russian drone and missile attacks. It gives you depression, 33-year-old Dnipro resident Kyril Tulenev says. You cannot do anything. You cannot check the news. You cannot properly use your things. Sometimes you cannot call anyone because there is no connection. A grandmother in Kryvyi Rih, who says she thought she had survived the worst after living through the Second World War (Rozvitok Mista) Hundreds of thousands were left without electricity and heating across large swathes of Ukraines central and southeastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions on Thursday. On Friday, an attack on Kyiv left 500,000 without power, with mayor Vitali Klitschko calling for people to temporarily evacuate with temperatures set to plummet. Kyril paints an even bleaker picture of life outside the home. Petrol stations freeze over, the streets are lifeless, and traffic lights no longer function. The family of Kyrils girlfriend including an uncle with disabilities and an elderly grandfather are struggling. Unlike Kyril, who lives in an apartment, the family lives in an ageing house, riddled with cracks and exposed to freezing weather. The missile attack on Kryvyi Rih killed one and injured 24, authorities said (State Emergency Service of Ukraine) The uncle cannot move by himself, so they need to take care for him. They need to bring him to the toilet. They need to do the bath for him. When there is no electricity, you dont have water, and it's kind of difficult for them to take care for him, he says. Residents are also struggling without access to a fridge to keep food fresh, running water due to very low pressure, and wifi to allow them to contact family. The family of Kyrils girlfriend owns an electric oven; when power is down, they cannot cook themselves a proper meal. Kyril says Ukrainians fear the cold snap currently gripping large parts of Ukraine. The power plants, Kyril explains, restrict their output when it is very cold when Ukrainians need electricity the most because of the added pressures cold weather puts on energy facilities. One elderly grandmother, who did not wish to be named, told The Independent that, having been born during the Second World War, she thought she had survived the worst. Dragan Petrovich says the poor conditions make him appreciate simple things (Rozvitok Mista) Wrapped up in bed, staring at the ceiling with a candle lit on her bedside table, she says she cant believe there is a war between groups of people who stood shoulder to shoulder to fight the Nazis. Several Ukrainian organisations, such as Rozvitok Mista in Kryvyi Rih, are supporting vulnerable and elderly people through the blackouts, visiting those who dont have people to care for them. Hope for Ukraine, another organisation, is handing out solar kits in blackout zones, helping reshape the long-term resilience of Ukrainian civilians living in or near frontline towns. It is in these towns where sustained drone and missile attacks create such difficulty in daily life. Olena Yanchenko, a 54-year-old grandmother in Kryvyi Rih, was nearby when a Russian missile struck apartment buildings in the city, killing one person and injuring 24, including six children. Ukraines cities and towns are facing a bitter winter (Ukrainian Armed Forces) The early evening strike plunged the city into darkness, Olena says. It came hours after an overnight strike had caused blackouts across Dnipropetrovsk. Its really scary, she says of the moments the cities go dark during a Russian air attack. Every time I feel like its my last day of life. Olena was going to the shop to buy food for her cat when she heard a noise in the sky, rushed into the shop, and took shelter with the shop assistant. At this time, there was a great explosion. We were in shock, I remember that my hands were shaking and my heart was beating, and then [the shop assistant] cried. It was a real shock for me, I even dont remember how then I got home. After that the electricity disappeared in all the city. It was really dark. I was really scared. The first blackout in Kryvyi Rih began when a huge overnight Russian attack caused mass blackouts across the Dnipropetrovk region, hours before the early evening missile strike seen by OIena on Thursday. Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk were in darkness on Thursday as around one million were left without power (REUTERS) Olena, a school teacher, says the city was still without electricity and heating on Friday, as temperatures dropped to -3C. Children are due to return to school on Monday. Many schools have generators, which means they will have light to work in but without heaters, they may have to learn with their coats on. We do everything which we can, she says. But its really hard. We try to prepare for it. We have warm clothes, of course. Any way [we can], we are going to stay alive. The Ukrainian people are brave. Dragan Mikhail Petrovich, 84, another resident in Kryvyi Rih, told The Independent that he feels anxiety, fear and exhaustion as the city faces another several days in near-total blackout, during one of the coldest parts of the year. Such conditions make us appreciate simple things and the support of loved ones, he adds. Especially in my condition, when you are bedridden. NGOs warn that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the lack of heating, especially those who are not fit to move around easily and do not have family to assist them. I am worried, because the cold and possible power outages create additional difficulties for everyday life, says Mr Petrovich. The boiler that heats our home almost does not work without electricity. It is cold in the house. Protecting yourself from the cold in such situations is quite difficult. These actions are criminal and inhuman. A landfill collapse in the central Philippines killed four people and left dozens missing, prompting an urgent search and rescue operation. The incident occurred at the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City, with 110 workers on site at the time. Several structures and facilities inside the landfill were damaged during the collapse. Many of the missing were believed to be landfill workers. Thirty-six people were missing based on a Friday tally. An update on the number of missing was not immediately available. Search efforts are continuing, although conditions on the ground are reportedly unstable. Some 300 responders from government agencies and civil groups are engaged in rescue work at the privately run landfill, aided by excavators and fire trucks, local media reported. Relatives wait for news after a mound of garbage collapsed in Binaliw, Cebu city, on 9 January 2026 (AP) All response teams remain fully engaged in search and retrieval efforts to locate the remaining missing persons with strict adherence to safety protocols, Cebu city mayor Nestor Archival said. City councillor Joel Garganera said the collapse could be linked to unsafe waste management practices. He said operators had been cutting into the garbage pile, reshaping it over time. They had also been mining the soil and then piling garbage to form another mountain of waste, Mr Garganera told local newspaper The Freeman. Its not a sanitary landfill. Its already an open dumpsite. The steel trusses are massive, the garbage is soft, and there is a constant risk of movement, he said. There is also a serious concern about toxic air, which could endanger anyone trapped for too long. An aerial view shows a landslide at the landfill in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu, on 9 January 2026 (AFP via Getty) Joey Boy Gealon, a landfill worker, told the Cebu Daily News the collapse happened without warning. He said workers had raised concerns for years about how high the rubbish had been piling up. Jaylord Antigua, an office worker at the landfill, told the Associated Press the collapse of the garbage mountain unfolded rapidly, even in good weather. The surge of rubbish crushed his office but he managed to crawl out from beneath the debris, suffering bruises to his face and arms. Relatives wait for news after a garbage mound collapsed at a waste segregation facility in Binaliw, Cebu city, on 9 January 2026 (AP) I saw a light and crawled toward it in a hurry because I feared there would be more landslides, he said. It was traumatic. I feared that it was my end so this is my second life. Prime Waste Solutions Cebu, which operates the facility, said in a statement that the safety and well-being of our employees, contractors, and neighbouring communities remain our top priority. Landfills are widely used in major Philippine cities, including Cebu, a key commercial and transport hub in the Visayas. The Binaliw landfill is spread over 10 hectares. The cause of the collapse is yet to be confirmed, even as investigations continue. Around 50 sanitation workers were buried when the mound of rubbish toppled on them in Cebu City - Lisa Marie David Dozens of workers were buried alive after a huge mound of rubbish collapsed. Six people have been confirmed dead, and a further 12 were rescued with workers racing to find the 32 who remain missing in the Philippines. Around 50 sanitation workers were buried when the mound of rubbish, which had reached the height of a 20-storey building, toppled on top of them at the Binaliw landfill site in Cebu City. Mayor Nestor Archival said on Saturday that signs of life had been detected at the site, two days after the incident. But rescuers are now facing the danger of further collapse as they navigate the still-shifting wreckage, Cebu rescuer Jo Reyes said on Saturday. Rescuers are facing the danger of further collapse as they navigate the wreckage, which had reached the height of a 20-storey building - Lisa Marie David Operations are ongoing as of the moment. It is continuous, Mr Reyes said. [But] from time to time, the landfill is moving, and that will temporarily stop the operation. Drone footage shows a vast mass of rubbish cascading downhill, which is understood to have crushed administrative buildings and a warehouse where workers had been sorting waste. The facility also included staff housing where most people who were buried stayed, Joel Garganera, a Cebu City councillor, said. Crews working in 24-hour shifts recovered two additional bodies on Saturday, Cebu City councillor Dave Tumulak said, but retrieving them had proven difficult. We found another two bodies, but we cannot retrieve the bodies because of the heavy metal beam that fell on them, so we are trying to cut the metal, he said. Credit: Reuters Twenty trucks equipped with hydraulic cranes and specialised cutting equipment have been sent to help rescuers, who have been forced to crawl to reach areas blocked by debris. Our rescuers are struggling because the metal beams are big, he said. With [the trucks], the metal can be lifted, and our rescuers can navigate the site more efficiently. We are just hoping that we can get someone alive. We are racing against time, thats why our deployment is 24/7, Mr Tumulak added. The Binaliw landfill site processes around 1,000 tonnes of municipal waste each day - Ezra Acayan Families have gathered at the site, waiting anxiously for information about missing relatives. One worker narrowly escaped death. Rita Cogay, a compactor operator at the site, said she had stepped outside for a drink of water moments before the building she was in was crushed. I thought a helicopter had crashed. But when I turned, it was the garbage and the building coming down, the 49-year-old said. Jerahmey Espinoza, whose husband is missing, told Reuters news agency at the site on Saturday: They havent seen him or located him ever since the disaster happened. Were still hopeful that hes alive. Families have gathered at the site as they await news on their loved ones - Ezra Acayan Mr Garganera suggested that rain most likely contributed to the collapse. The garbage is like a sponge, they really absorb water, he said. It doesnt [take] a rocket scientist to say that, eventually, the incident will happen. He described the disaster as a double whammy for Cebu, as the facility was the lone service provider for the city and adjacent communities. According to the website of its operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, the landfill processes around 1,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste each day underscoring the scale of operations, and the risks, at a site now at the centre of one of the citys deadliest industrial disasters. The former head of the RAF has warned that increased defence spending in the UK is being eaten up by the Ministry of Defence (MoD)s overdraft with the UKs military footprint shrinking at a critical moment. The intervention by retired Air Marshall Edward Stringer comes just days after Sir Keir Starmer committed to sending UK troops to Ukraine as part of the coalition of the willing to protect any peace agreement from Russian aggression. But it represents the third warning by a former member of the UKs military top brass in less than a week over how the UKs commitments to Ukraine and elsewhere are not matched by resources in the armed forces and manpower. Retired Air Marshall Edward Stringer (Cpl Nicholas Egan RAF/UK MOD Crown copyright 2021) Air Marshall Stringer, in his report for Policy Exchange, warned that the UK gets much less bang for its buck than its competitors so despite headline budget increases to 3 per cent of GDP with an aim of 3.5 per cent, the front line continues to shrink. The report, entitled The Say-Do Gaps in Defence, notes that the British Army now has just 14 howitzers in total; the Royal Navy has been unable to put more than one attack submarine to sea for a while; and the RAF had to send training unit pilots to sea to guarantee certification of the F-35 Force on the carrier. Warning that not a single formation in the British military is currently sustainable in combat as a sovereign entity with the full Order of Battle, Air Marshal Stringer wrote: Our national defences have been revealed to be a flimsy facade. The tide has gone out, and we can now see that the UK military was not wearing any trunks. It comes as a debate is set to be held next week in the Commons on the beleaguered Ajax heavy army project, with the government likely to come under pressure to ditch it after continued failures with around 6bn spent on its development. Meanwhile, another Policy Exchange report earlier in the week from another retired air marshal, Lord Stirrup, outlined how the UK had become too reliant on possessing nuclear weapons for deterrence, which he warned was not scaring Vladimir Putin. The Ajax tank project is in trouble after costing around 6bn (Ministry of Defence) The former chief of the defence staff warned the UK has been hamstrung by an outdated nuclear doctrine and needs to recognise that deterrence relies on a spectrum of capabilities, not just nuclear weapons themselves. It came as Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as Nato's deputy supreme allied commander in Europe between 2011 and 2014, said allied forces would need at least 50,000 troops in Ukraine to deter an attack from Russia, while the army currently has less than 75,000 personnel. Meanwhile, former defence secretary Gavin Williamson warned that a token number would not be enough and said that the UK would need an equivalent of the army of the Rhine of more than 40,000 stationed in West Germany after the Second World War as a Cold War deterrent. With Donald Trump looking to pull out of European defence and even threatening a Nato ally, Denmark, over Greenland, Air Marshal Stringer warned the UK had become too reliant on America and not its own sovereign capabilities. He said: During the period of American-policed 'rules-based international order', we increasingly relied on borrowing off the Americans while making cuts to vital capabilities. The optics of occasional tactical excellence obscured the increasingly hollow nature of our sovereign capacity. But now the USA is signalling strongly that it is putting America First and the rest of Nato will have to look after its own defences. This fundamentally challenges the model that we had semi-accidentally slipped into: our national defences have been revealed to be a flimsy facade. The tide has gone out and we can now see that the UK military was not wearing any trunks. Warning of a huge gap between what politicians claim on defence spending and the reality of the UKs relative military weakness, he went on: The Say-Do gap between the image of ourselves we have come to believe and the reality of the hard power we can project in practice, is stark. The first necessary step is to recognise that, and recognise that the methods that got us into this mess have to be discarded ruthlessly. The paper argues that whilst the government has been voluble in resetting the narrative of decline in our defence capacity, the reality is that neither spending nor front-line capabilities have kept pace with the rhetoric. Target dates in the 2030s are far too late, and such assurances are neither reassuring our allies our impressing our adversaries. The governments procurement agencies have not absorbed the governments message on the seriousness of the times and the threats we now face, and the 'business as usual' ticks along, promising to be better by the 2030s while troubled programmes such as Ajax absorb billions for equipment that simply doesnt work. An MoD spokesperson said: This government is delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War with a 5bn boost this year and hitting 2.6 per cent of GDP by 2027, a level not seen since 2010. This will see over 270bn invested into defence across this parliament, meaning no return to the hollowed out and underfunded armed forces of the past. The government is also bolstering the UKs readiness and resilience, signing over 1,000 major contracts since the election, building at least six state-of-the-art munitions and energetics factories this parliament, and implementing at pace the recommendations in the Strategic Defence Review." Generation Z isnt making a long-term commitment to their jobs, according to a new survey. The demographic cohort born roughly between 1997 and 2012, following Millennials and preceding Gen Alpha, is characterized as the first true digital natives. Researchers at Gateway Commercial Finance spoke to more than 1,008 employees, half of whom were Gen Z and half of whom were managers or employees with hiring experience. Results found that 58 percent of interviewees viewed their jobs as situationships a short-term, low-commitment relationship that isnt meant to last. 47 percent of respondents said they planned to leave their job within a year of starting it, and nearly half of those surveyed were ready to quit at any time. The survey also revealed how Gen Z views their jobs: only 46 percent believe there are benefits to staying with a single employer in todays job market. Meanwhile, 37 percent see their current role as nothing more than a paycheck, and just 25 percent consider it a long-term opportunity theyre truly invested in. Gen Z professionals dont want to stay at their job long-term, according to a new survey (Getty Images) When asked why they might leave their positions, 55 percent cited higher salaries elsewhere. At their current jobs, 34 percent of Gen Z professionals report poor mental health and burnout, and 22 percent feel undervalued or unrecognized. Hiring managers, however, arent impressed by this lack of loyalty. One in four sees short-term roles lasting less than a year on a Gen Z resume as a red flag, and more than one in three admit theyve decided not to hire a Gen Z candidate because of job-hopping. Previous studies have explored Gen Zs career priorities, including a strong focus on financial well-being. According to Bank of Americas 2025 Better Money Habits financial education study, 72 percent of Gen Z took steps to improve their financial health over the past year. Yet only 39 percent reported receiving financial support from their families a decline from 46 percent in 2024. Holly ONeill, president of consumer, retail, and preferred banking at Bank of America, said in a statement that Gen Z is challenging the stereotype when it comes to young people and their finances. Even though theyre facing economic barriers and high everyday costs, they are working hard to become financially independent and take control of their money, ONeill said. Groks AI tool stripping women on X opens up a new frontier in systemic abuse of women in India When Ruchi Kokcha posted her first selfie of 2026 on Elon Musks X, she believed she was projecting an image of confidence and optimism for the new year. Yet even in an online landscape where women are routinely subjected to abusive messages from men, she wasnt prepared for what followed. Anonymous handles on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter had asked its in-built artificial intelligence tool Grok to strip her of her clothes and post morphed pictures of her in a bikini. And Grok obliged. The handles asked Grok to put her in a bikini or in a micro bikini, with the demands getting increasingly voyeuristic as more joined in. I had posted a really positive and confident new year post along with a picture of mine to set the tone for my coming year, the Delhi-based author tells The Independent. I was getting a lot of warm new year wishes below that post. However, I noticed there were some anonymous handles who had asked Grok to edit my picture and strip me into a bikini. Indian women, at work or at home, are dealing with the menace of unknown men using the AI tool to undress them the most advanced form of harassment yet in a country which consistently ranks poorly for rates of crimes against women and womens safety. The issue is far from limited to India, with governments around the world taking notice of how Xs artificial intelligence tool is fulfilling requests from strangers, mostly men and pornographic accounts, requesting the digital undressing of women, much to the horror of hundreds of victims. In a 24-hour period from 5 January to 6 January, Musks Grok generated at least 6,700 images every hour, which were identified as sexually suggestive or nudifying, data from deepfake researcher Genevieve Oh showed. This was nearly 85 times more than the top other five websites for such content, which published 79 new AI undressing images every hour, the research showed. On Friday, after days of backlash from people across the world over abusive images of women and children , X finally stopped its AI system for generating images for most of its users and restricted it to a paid service. This means the image generation can still happen, but for paid subscribers who offer their name and payment details to Musks platform. Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers, the message reads, and it gives users a link to sign up for the premium version of X, formerly known as Twitter. The Independent reached out to Grok for comment on this article, but had not received a response at the time of publication. Other recent media enquiries on the issues around Groks image creation tool have been referred to Musks tweets. For many the damage has already been done. Terming it the blatant objectification of women, Kokcha says: In India women have always been judged for what they wear and how they behave in public. But the same men don't leave any stone unturned to objectify or sexualise women. They didn't even spare children and babies. This is a clear violation of consent. As an anti-establishment voice on social media, Indian historian Dr Ruchika Sharma is used to being trolled and slut-shamed by those whose opinions differed from hers. On many days, her comment section is filled with abusive language. Now, the addition of Groks digitally altered images has left her scrambling for a lawyer. With a public profile on Instagram, I have seen many men use my photo and leave comments or attempt to shut me down. That is something that I've become immune to, but these requests to Grok asking me to be shown in lingerie is really preposterous, the Delhi-based historian on medieval India tells The Independent. Dr Ruchika's photo of no-make up look was among the more than 6,700 images morphed by X upon request from strangers (X/ Dr Ruchika Sharma) Dr Sharma says her photos on Instagram have an element of consent but with Grok, there is absolutely no control and no agency. I was filled with utter disgust and also, slightly with helplessness, you know, thinking what can I even do about this? she said. This is already a very bad tool in the hands of men globally, but in the hands of Indian men, it's an absolute disaster. This week, Musk celebrated that Grok was the most downloaded app in various countries. As the owner of the likely fastest advancing AI in the world, Musk was seen making light of the issue that has affected so many women around the world. He reposted an image of a toaster with a digitally added bikini on it and captioned: Grok can put a bikini on everything. The X owner added: Not sure why, but I couldnt stop laughing about this one, alongside laughing emojis. This is the real-world cost of cyber harassment. Someone is continuously morphing/editing photos of innocent women into nudes. Its not just online trolling it is destroying families. The stress has literally put my parents in a hospital bed, said one user on X, Nandini, sharing how her gym photos were morphed by Grok into a bikini. "Aaj mere parents hospital me hai" (My parents are in the hospital today). Bas ek edited photo nahi hai ye. Ye kisi ki zindagi barbad kar rahi hai. Some sick minds are continuously editing decent photos of girls to make them look nude. As a victim I know , "Better hai pic.twitter.com/F2CNgLc1jl Nandani S (@ChaiCodeChaos) January 7, 2026 Indian MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said she noticed the way Grok was being abused and how it was impacting multiple women on her timeline on X. I saw a couple of women outraged about it, saying that their photos are being used without consent. This is an absolute misuse of the prompt and Grok as a tool so immediately, without wasting any time, I wrote to the Indian ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity), she says. Calling it an unacceptable and gross misuse of an AI function in its third-largest market worldwide, Chaturvedi in her letter said: "What is worse is that Grok is enabling this behaviour by adhering to such requests. This is a breach of women's right to privacy as well as unauthorised use of their pictures, which is not just unethical but also criminal. She added that India cannot be a bystander to women's dignity being violated publicly and digitally with zero consequences. Shortly after Chaturvedis letter, Britain's data regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office, said it had asked Musk's X to clarify how it was complying with data protection laws following concerns that Grok was flooding the site with sexually abusive images of women. While acknowledging that womens self-respect and dignity need to be respected beyond borders, Chaturvedi added that the problem is deeply concerning in India's heavily patriarchal society. We have seen how tools have been misused, how even platforms are misused at times, and how character assassination comes easy, how sexualising something comes easy. How women are silenced and bullied into submission is a well-known fact in India, the lawmaker tells The Independent. Chaturvedi was the first MP in India and one of the first across the world to seek accountability from X over what she says is a dangerous and exploitative tool. Her letter to the federal government led to Xs team in India being summoned, and given 72 hours to respond to the violations of Indias information technology act. Musk has previously defended it by saying that its like a pen the author decides what to write but in these obscene cases, it was not an author deciding. It was a prompt given to Grok and Grok was responding to it, she says. Groks AI menace has further exposed women to victim-blaming. Kokcha was told by a user: Dont post photos if you dont want them sexualised. It is just the digital version of Don't wear a short dress if you don't want to be raped, she tells The Independent. As of Thursday, women have started sharing a no consent prompt to Grok, asking them to deny such requests. However it clearly did not work as Grok went back to showing Kokcha again in a swimsuit after several men continued with their requests. Ruchi's new year wish photo that was altered by X's Grok after request from a stranger (X/ Ruchi Kokcha) The onus, in the end, rests with Big Tech platforms playing with AI, says Chaturvedi. Rather than allowing such men who bully women, accuse or point fingers at them, ask them to go silent, platforms like X should understand their responsibilities, she says. Unfortunately in India, they take the safe harbour route by saying we're just a platform, don't kill the messenger. But when the messenger becomes destructive, then we need to hold them to account. Experts monitoring the controversy have said this misuse of AI was not by accident Platforms at scale do not forget safeguards; they consciously defer them when engagement velocity is the primary optimisation target. They could have chosen to incorporate consent checks, output blocking, and throttling, but these would have slowed diffusion and reduced engagement signals for Grok, says Nikhil Pahwa, founder of the MediaNama website, which reports on Indias digital and ICT ecosystem in India. The digital rights activist says that the bigger question is that if this has been going on for days now, why didnt Musk or X team shut it down straight away. These are choices that the company is making. It is not a mistake. A mistake like this, which can cause reputational damage to the business, gets shut down very very quickly, and usually someone loses their job because of it, he told The Independent. Now the bigger question is: Does X even care about reputational damage? Royal Ascot hero Sober returns to the jumping game in a bid to provide Willie Mullins with a 12th victory in the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday. The Grade Two contest has a glittering roll of honour, with Closutton stars like Mikael dHaguenet (2009), Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Min (2016) and last years winner Salvator Mundi among the previous winners. A dual Group Two winner on the Flat for Andre Fabre, Sober made a successful hurdling debut at Killarney in May before reverting to the level to justify odds-on favouritism in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at the royal meeting in June. The champion trainers assistant, David Casey, said: He hasnt run since Ascot so well see how he gets on. He seems in good order. Hes working well and is a good horse. Hopefully hell run well. Mullins also saddles Free Spirit, who makes his stable debut having won on his second and most recent start over hurdles in France. Hes a nice horse, but has only had the two runs over hurdles. He has no Flat experience or bumper experience, Casey added. Hes learning the whole time, and I think hell run well, too. Gordon Elliott runs dual winner Road Exile, with the field completed by Denis Hogans Frankie John, although he would appear unlikely to line up having finish fifth in the Ballymore Novice Hurdle at Naas on Friday. Casey said: Its a disappointing turnout for the race and we need to support it. People take part in a protest in Kermanshah in western Iran on 8 January. Photograph: Kamran/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images (Photograph: Kamran/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images) Irans internet shutdown, now in place for 36 hours as the authorities seek to quell escalating anti-government protests, represents a new high-water mark in terms of its sophistication and severity, say experts and could last a long time. As the blackout kicked in, 90% of internet traffic to Iran evaporated. International calls to the country appeared blocked and domestic mobile phones had no service, said Amir Rashidi, an Iranian digital rights expert. This is far from the first time a country has blocked the internet for political reasons. Egypts Hosni Mubarak blocked the internet for six days during the 2011 Tahrir protests, and the Taliban shut down Afghanistans for 48 hours in September, ostensibly to curb immorality. Related: New protests erupt in Iran as supreme leader signals upcoming crackdown But the level of shutdown in Iran is unprecedented and in some ways far harsher than its 2019 digital blackout, which internet observers described at the time as the most severe disconnection they had seen anywhere. There is no reception on the phones. There is no antenna. Its like you are living in the middle of nowhere, with no BTS towers, said Rashidi. Even Elon Musks Starlink satellite system, which was a lifeline for Iranians during the 2022 protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, was being jammed, Rashidi said, although the extent varied from one neighbourhood to another. While Iranians across the country were suddenly cut off from the internet, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, continued to post on X. He did so at least 12 times on Friday, inveighing against Donald Trump and US action in Venezuela. This is what makes this blackout different from previous internet blockages in Iran, said Doug Madory, an expert in internet infrastructure who studies such disruptions. It is more sweeping, but also appears to be more fine-tuned, which potentially means Tehran will be able to sustain it for longer. Rashidi said: There are things that are important for the government to do. If they want to put out their propaganda they need to have access to Telegram, they need to have access to Twitter, they need to access Instagram. Alluding to Mubaraks 2011 shutdown, Madory said there were big costs to taking everything down. If you look at what happened in Egypt the government couldnt operate, he said. People really use the internet for a lot of things, and when they take it all down, nothing works. Related: In isolation, well never flourish: What Iranians think about the protests and an end to the Islamic Republic Based on external evidence, Madory and Rashidi believe the Iranian government has whitelisted some sites, allowing some officials and institutions to continue to access the internet. Some of its Telegram channels appeared to be working, Rashidi said, indicating that its administrators must have internet service. The government appeared to soften the blackout briefly for university websites on Friday, then shut service down again. All of this suggests Iran has developed more precise tools for censoring the internet. If they end up implementing a whitelist, and it works as planned it may enable them to operate in some kind of degraded state for an extended period of time, said Madory. What theyre doing is trying to set this up so that they dont have to turn everything back on. They want just the bare necessities to be able to communicate and then shut everything else off. Iran has been working to upgrade its ability to censor the internet for some years, said Rashidi and Madory, trying to build a internal service similar to Chinas that connects domestic users while cutting them off from the outside world. It is not alone in trying to refine government control over the internet. India is building a government-managed messaging app to rival WhatsApp, and Russia is pushing a state-backed super app similar to Chinas WeChat. Irans national model may not yet be working, however, because sites linked to it are currently inaccessible, said Rashidi. National internet or no, however, Madory suspects the blackout may last some time. This might be for the long haul, he said. Ive been doing this for a while and I think its going to be a big one. Portrait of Renee Nicole Good outside an immigration detention facility in Broadview, Illinois, on 9 January. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images (Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images) State and local leaders say they do not believe that the FBI investigation of the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good will be fair and impartial, and are sounding alarms about the impact of federal officials holding onto evidence in a potential prosecution of the ICE agent who killed her. Minnesotas lead investigative agency, the bureau of criminal apprehension (BCA), initially began investigating the shooting in conjunction with the FBI. But the BCA issued a statement Thursday morning saying that the US attorneys office had reversed course: the investigation would now be led solely by the FBI, and the BCA would no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation. Hennepin county attorney Mary Moriarty, an elected Democrat and the countys prosecutor, clarified at a press conference Friday that the BCA force investigations unit which was established in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd case has a very high investigative standard and that this standard cant be met when the organization doesnt have access to all the evidence. It does not preclude an investigation, she said. But a lack of access to evidence hampers the investigation. When the BCA came to the scene, the evidence had been taken by the FBI, she said. They collected the car and took it wherever the BCA does not have access to the car. And the problem isnt that the FBI took the car, its that the BCA doesnt have access to the car, or right now, even access to the forensic evaluation that happens as a result of the investigation with that car. In a press conference on Friday, the Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, described the federal governments narrative casting Good as the villain as garbage and called on the state to conduct its own investigation. This is a time to follow the law, he said. This is not a time to hide from the facts. This is a time to embrace them, making sure that were pushing for transparency every step of the way. The fact that Pam Bondis Department of Justice and this presidential administration has already come to a conclusion about those facts is deeply concerning, he added. Media reports have identified the agent who shot Good as Jonathan Ross. ICE agents allowed Ross to leave the scene in the moments after the shooting, taking the weapon used in the shooting with him. It doesnt preclude a state investigation, but if the feds are saying, for example, you dont even get to look at the firearm that was used to kill this person, that would certainly complicate it, said Eric J Nelson, a defense attorney in Minneapolis with a long record of defending police officers accused of crimes. Nelson represented Derek Chauvin in his murder trial for killing Floyd. The legal standard for proving a case of excessive force rests on the objective reasonableness of the act as given in the Graham v Connor case decided by the US supreme court in 1989. From that case flows policies governing when and how police officers can use force. The standards are essentially the same for both state and federal prosecutions, he said. The breakdown in cooperation between state and federal agencies in this investigation is shocking, Nelson said, and flies in the face of the publics expectations of legal norms. There may be political differences, but ultimately in a question in a case like this, I dont really think politics should have a place, he said. Moriarty and the Minnesota attorney general, Keith Ellison, called on the public to send whatever evidence they have to state and local investigators, given their concerns about access to material held by the FBI. We dont know what were going to get now, Moriarty said. We think that there may be other evidence out there, video, that kind of thing. We wont know. And so, as the attorney general and I know, it is critical to preserve evidence. Statements by Donald Trump and others about the case amplify the concerns of bias from local leaders. Trump described the 37-year-old US citizen and mother of three killed by an ICE agent as a high-level agitator and a professional troublemaker, without evidence. Claims that Good was somehow harassing agents have been widely disputed by both local and state leaders in Minnesota as well as by eyewitnesses. Within hours of the shooting, the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, declared that the shooting was justified, and that the driver deliberately aimed her car at the officer in an act of domestic terrorism. Noem also said that state-level prosecutors dont have any jurisdiction in this investigation. On Thursday, JD Vance said in response to a question about sharing the investigation with Minnesota law enforcement agencies that the agent is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job. Attorneys familiar with state and federal law and the prosecution of police officers say that the assertions of the vice-president and Noem are simply untrue. Just because the FBI is taking over the investigation, that does not preclude the state from conducting its own investigation, Nelson said. Both independent jurisdictions, state and federal, would make a decision about charges. I would expect that the state of Minnesota will continue to conduct its own investigation into this matter. The statements by federal officials raise questions about whether a federal investigation would be fair. Frey described the prospects as pretty grim. We know that theyve already determined much of the investigation, Frey said, and even if they havent, there is the appearance that there is some conclusion drawn from the very beginning. This article was amended on 12 January 2026 to clarify that Minnesotas BCA established its force investigation unit in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd case. Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales said she was detained near her home on 14 December. Photograph: Courtesy of Sanabria & Associates (Photograph: Courtesy of Sanabria & Associates) A Maryland woman has been released and reunited with her family after spending 25 days in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody despite her attorneys saying documentation showed she was born in the US and therefore is a citizen. Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales and her legal team maintain she was born in the US and possess records supporting that claim. ICE, however, had disputed this, asserting she is a Mexican citizen who entered the US unlawfully. According to Diaz Morales, ICE agents detained her near her home on 14 December while her family watched. She told the DC, Maryland and Virginia news outlet WRC-TV that she attempted to explain she was born in Maryland but said authorities did not accept her explanation. She added that her faith and the hope of reuniting with her family helped her endure the detention. Diaz Morales said she lived in Mexico starting at age seven and returned to the US more than a year and a half ago. She believes confusion arose because she used her mothers last name while living in Mexico, whereas US records list both her fathers and mothers last names. Related: Renee Nicole Good said Im not mad at you before ICE agent shot her, video shows Four days after her arrest, a Maryland federal district court judge issued an order preventing the government from deporting her while the court reviewed a petition filed by her attorneys challenging her detention. One of her lawyers, Victoria Slatton, told the Washington Post that the government has not dismissed the case against Diaz Morales, meaning deportation proceedings could still move forward despite her release. But Slatton said she remains confident that her clients citizenship has been proven. She is a US citizen, Slatton told the Post. She was born here. I think that weve presented more than enough evidence, but we will continue to fight it until every single court accepts and acknowledges it. Her attorneys say that Diaz Morales entered the US to escape cartel violence in 2023 without proper paperwork and was mistakenly processed as an immigrant, placing her into deportation proceedings. They say that classification was an error. The legal team said they submitted her US birth certificate along with additional documents they say establish her citizenship but those materials were still insufficient to secure her release from ICE custody. In my years now of being an immigration attorney, I have never had to go this far for a case, attorney Zachary Perez, who also represents Diaz Morales, told WRC-TV. What we were finally able to get and what we worked on getting was a lengthy affidavit from a medical professional, a doctor who described why the birth certificate was authentic. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement: Dulce Consuelo Madrigal Diaz is NOT a US citizen she is an illegal alien from Mexico. She did NOT provide a valid US birth certificate or any evidence in support of her claim that she is a US citizen. On December 14, ICE arrested this illegal alien in Baltimore, Maryland. On October 20, 2023, when CBP encountered her near Lukeville, Arizona, Madrigal-Diaz claimed she was a citizen of Mexico and was born on October 18, 2003, the statement added. Diaz Morales told WRC-TV that she holds dual citizenship with Mexico and is in the process of applying for a US passport. She also said she has an upcoming check-in with immigration officials and will attend it alongside her legal team. The issue of ICE targeting US citizens has been thrown into the international spotlight after a federal agent fatally shot a woman during a large-scale immigration enforcement action in Minneapolis. The victim, Renee Nicole Good, was a US citizen and a mother of three. Good is shown on video saying everything was fine and Im not mad at you seconds before an on-duty ICE agent fired at her as she drove away. Clashes erupted outside an ICE facility in Minneapolis on Friday in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images (Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images) More than a thousand protests are planned across the US this Saturday and Sunday after an ICE agent killed US citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis this week. This weekend, people all over are coming together not just to mourn the lives lost to ICE violence, but to confront a pattern of harm that has torn families apart and terrorized our communities, said Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of Indivisible, an organizer of ICE Out for Good Weekend of Action. Large crowds marched down the streets of Manhattan, New York, many carrying umbrellas amid the rainy winter weather. Related: Renee Nicole Good shooting casts scrutiny on ICEs use of deadly force In Tucson, Arizona, demonstrators lined up outside Republican representative Juan Ciscomanis office. In downtown Stuart, Florida, a crowd gathered outside representative Brian Masts office. Mast, a Republican who is also the chair of the House foreign affairs committee, has defended the actions of the ICE agent who shot and killed Good, saying he acted reasonably. Were thrilled that so many people came out to memorialize Renee Good, Stuart protest organizer Barbara Turitz told Treasure Coast News. About 200 people joined a protest in Fairfield, Connecticut, outside a Home Depot store. Were raising awareness of whats happening in our country, Meg Doyle, a member of Bridgeport Resists, who organized the protest, told CT Insider. People can follow their own hearts about how they respond to it, but this is about showing up in the community, our beloved community, and letting people know we care about them, and that were angry, and were energized and were going to make change. Protesters in Philadelphia began their march at city hall before arriving at the federal detention center. The crowd could be heard chanting phrases such as ICE has got to go and no fascist USA, reported 6abc. The protest was one of several demonstrations held in the city in recent days. Several North Carolina cities, including Durham and Raleigh, also joined the nationwide protests. Demonstrators carried upside-down American flags and signs that said Stop Looking Away! and Its ICE Cold in America. What justice means to us is for ICE to not be in our streets any more, Amy Aponte, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, told ABC11. It just made me realize that really, none of us are safe. You know, Renee Good is a white woman. And if they can shoot her, if they kill her, they can kill you. They can kill me for no reason. The action comes as tensions escalate in communities where ICE and federal agents have been deployed to crack down on undocumented immigrants, often resulting in threats, attacks and arrests of community members. On 7 January, Minneapolis resident Good was killed by an ICE agent during an immigration sweep. Footage of the shooting taken by community members attempting to disrupt ICE operations more than 2,000 agents had recently been deployed to the Twin Cities quickly spread across the internet. By the evening of Goods death, thousands of people had gathered at the site of the shooting, some Democrats had threatened to withhold funding to the Department of Homeland Security and the Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, had told ICE to get the fuck out of the city. From New York to Oakland to Kansas City, thousands more took to the streets. Related: Leaders alarmed about fairness of FBI inquiry into Minneapolis ICE shooting The following day in Portland, Oregon, border patrol agents shot Venezuelan immigrants Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras and Luis David Nico Moncada outside a hospital. Protests across the country continued to swell and so did pushback, with six protesters arrested in Portland. For the ICE Out for Good weekend of action, events are planned in nearly every corner of every state, from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Machias in eastern Maine. Indivisible, one of the groups behind last years No Kings protests, is continuously updating its online tracker to note every vigil, rally and protest. Other coordinating groups include the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and the 50501 movement. We demand justice for Renee, ICE out of our communities and action from our elected leaders, said Greenberg. Enough is enough. Steven Eubanks, 51, told the Associated Press that he felt compelled to attend a Saturday protest in Durham, North Carolina, after the horrifying killing of Good. We cant allow it, he said. We have to stand up. The headline and text were amended on 11 January 2026. The shootings in Portland, Oregon, involved US border patrol agents, not ICE agents. East Sussex council has spent over 7,000 on the removal of flags Cash-strapped councils spent more than 100,000 paying contractors to take down Union flags and St Georges crosses, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal. Data obtained through freedom of information requests and publicly available sources show that 47 councils spent a combined 115,115.35 removing British and English flags from lamp posts and council-owned properties. Among the biggest spenders was the London borough of Bexley, which paid 13,500 to employ 12 people to remove flags from just two roundabouts one night in October 2025. Meanwhile, the London borough of Bromley paid contractor Festive Lighting almost 14,000 to remove scores of English and British flags over three days during the same month. Oxfordshire county council spent more than 15,000 removing 330 flags from lamp posts across the county an average cost of around 45 per flag. Bexley council has spent over 14,000 since January 2020 to remove flags Elsewhere, Liberal Democrat-controlled Rutland county council paid contractors Thomas Bow 110 to remove a single flag, while Lib Dem-led Shropshire council paid maintenance firm Kier around 1,760 for flag removals. On average, Kier charged around 80 to remove a single flag under an emergency attendance. A breakdown of spending shows that councils led by Tories spent 43,359.96 on flag removals, while Labour-led councils spent around 35,000. Liberal Democrat-controlled councils spent just under 25,000. The spending comes despite councils collectively owing almost 150bn in debt, prompting criticism from campaigners and politicians who argue that the money could have been better spent on front-line services. Richard Tice, Reform UKs deputy leader, told The Sunday Telegraph: The English and Union flags are proud, unifying symbols of our nation. Yet Tory, Labour and Lib Dem councils are ripping them down and wasting tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers money to do it. Its nothing short of a disgrace. Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems should hang their heads in shame for squandering public cash to erase British identity. Councils cry poverty while splurging thousands John OConnell, the chief executive of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: Councils crying poverty while splurging thousands to take down the Union flag is an insult to taxpayers and to basic common sense. When town halls are hiking council tax and cutting services, paying contractors eye-watering sums just to remove flags looks terrible to local taxpayers. If councils really are cash-strapped, they should stop wasting money on pointless, politically driven stunts and focus on delivering the services residents actually pay for. Liam Walker, a Conservative Oxfordshire county councillor whose council spent more than 15,000 on removals, said: I can think of far better things that 15,000 could have been spent on [such as] fixing dangerous roads, supporting front-line services, or easing pressure on stretched budgets that really matter to local people. Priorities matter. Right now, it feels like theyre badly misplaced. The removals followed the grass roots campaign known as Operation Raise the Colours, during which thousands of St Georges Cross and Union flags were erected in public spaces during last summer. Protesters carrying flags and banners march through Faversham - Anadolu Critics of the campaign said the displays were provocative and that organisers were exploiting national symbols to intimidate minority communities. Councils that removed the flags claimed that they posed serious safety hazards and stressed that removing unauthorised objects from public property was part of routine maintenance. Oxfordshire county council said: As a council, we proudly fly both the Union and St Georges flags. However, placing flags or painting them on or near highways can create serious safety hazards. These include reduced visibility for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and increased risk of distraction. The Local Government Association was contacted for comment. A Palestinian Action protester is deteriorating after nearly 70 days on a hunger strike while in prison awaiting trial, her friends have warned. Heba Muraisi, 31, is struggling to breathe and suffering from headaches and lightheadedness after turning down food while being held at HMP New Hall in Yorkshire over alleged break-ins on behalf of the group. After 69 days, she is one of three activists still on strike over demands including immediate bail, with doctors warning they face permanent injury or death if they continue. Ms Muraisis friend Amareen Afzal told Sky News following a visit on Tuesday: I think shes lost over 10kg now. She looks very different to the photographs that youll see of her. Heba Muraisi has been held awaiting trial since November (Prisoners For Palestine) She said that Ms Muraisi struggles to sleep on one side of her body because its too painful, and sometimes feels so lightheaded that she gets nauseous. Shes aware that shes deteriorating and physically dying, you know, that her body could fail her at any moment, she added. Ms Muraisis next of kin, Francesca Nadin, said this week that she has been having difficulty breathing and in thinking clearly: It is really concerning. But mentally, she is still strong and able to laugh and joke. We just dont know when that deterioration will come. Ms Nadin noted that Ms Muraisi had been on a hunger strike for as long as IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, who died while imprisoned in Northern Ireland in 1981. Physicians have warned that Ms Muraisi and fellow striker, 28-year-old Kamran Ahmed, are now in a critical stage, in which their condition is likely to worsen quickly and irreversibly, according to the Prisoners for Palestine group. Kamran Ahmed was charged with aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder in relation to the alleged Elbit break-in (Prisoners For Palestine) Mr Ahmed, who is being held on remand at HMP Pentonville, has been taken to hospital six times since he began his hunger strike, the organisation said. He was most recently taken to hospital at 1am on Wednesday for a heart complication, 59 days into his hunger strike, his sister said. Lewie Chiaramello, who is type 1 diabetic, has been fasting every other day. All three say they will starve until Palestine Action is de-proscribed and until the UK ends support for companies sending weapons to Israel. They deny charges related to alleged break-ins or criminal damage at the UK subsidiary of Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, based in Bristol, and at an RAF base in Oxfordshire, on behalf of Palestine Action, before the group was banned under terrorism legislation. Dr David Nicholl, a neurologist who has studied prison hunger strikes, told Sky News that the strikers could be at risk of permanent harm and death, even if they stop now. The biggest risk immediately is whats called refeeding syndrome, he said. He explained that there was a risk to suddenly ending a hunger strike after such a long time without food. Police detaining a protester outside The Royal Courts of Justice in November as the High Court heard a judicial review on the proscription of Palestine Action under the terrorism act (Getty Images) Prisons minister Lord Timpson said hunger strikes are very concerning but not a new issue for prisons. Over the last five years, weve averaged over 200 a year and we have long-standing procedures in place to ensure prisoner safety, the minister said. Prison healthcare teams provide NHS care and continuously monitor the situation. HMPPS is clear that claims that hospital care is being refused are entirely misleading they will always be taken when needed, and a number of these prisoners have already been treated in hospital. These prisoners are charged with serious offences, including aggravated burglary and criminal damage. Remand decisions are for independent judges, and lawyers can make representations to the court on behalf of their clients. Ministers will not meet with them we have a justice system that is based on the separation of powers, and the independent judiciary is the cornerstone of our system. It would be entirely unconstitutional and inappropriate for ministers to intervene in ongoing legal cases. An Iranian protester takes down the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran outside the London embassy as part of demonstrations calling for political change. Photograph: Dinendra Haria/LNP (Photograph: Dinendra Haria/LNP) A protester has climbed on to the balcony of the Iranian embassy in central London and pulled down the countrys flag during an anti-regime demonstration. Social media footage appeared to show a man replacing the flag with the pre-Islamic revolution lion and sun flag, often used by opposition groups in the country. The Iranian embassy later posted a picture on its X account of the flag back in place with the caption Irans flag is flying high. The Metropolitan police said an estimated 500 to 1,000 people attended the protest on Saturday at its peak in Kensington. Two arrests were made, one for aggravated trespass and assault on an emergency worker and one for aggravated trespass. Officers are also seeking another individual for trespass. Related: Iranian cultural figures condemn internet blackout as blatant tool of repression The force said: We saw no serious disorder and officers will remain in the area to ensure the continued security of the embassy. People demonstrating against the regime have been gathering outside Iranian embassies across the world. In Berlin, hundreds of people were seen waving Irans former imperial flag and carrying pictures of exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi as they marched through the German capital. The demonstrations in Iran began on 28 December and have transformed into the most significant challenge to the regime for several years. Iranian protesters taking to the streets in the face of violent repression by the Tehran regime were praised by the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper. She said those speaking out against supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis government should not face the threat of violence or reprisals. Cooper said: It takes real courage to speak up in an authoritarian system, especially for young women, but it should not require courage just to make your voice heard. These are fundamental rights: free speech; peaceful assembly; and the exercise of those rights should never come with the threat of violence or reprisals. That is why the UK, France and Germany made the statement we did, and we urge the Iranian authorities to listen. Earlier this week, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, condemned the killing of protesters in the country and urged Tehran to exercise restraint amid a crackdown on demonstrations. At least 62 people are reported to have been killed and 2,300 detained during weeks of protests initially sparked by anger over the countrys ailing economy. Irans leaders have shut down access to the internet and international telephone calls in response to the protests. A UK government spokesperson said: We are deeply concerned by reports of violence against protesters in Iran who are exercising their legitimate right to peaceful protest and are monitoring the situation closely. Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former shah of Iran, called for protesters to take to the streets on Saturday and Sunday and seize control of their towns. Based in the US, Pahlavi, 65, asked people on social media to hoist the pre-1979 lion and sun flag, which was used during his fathers rule. He said the Islamic Republic would be brought to its knees, adding: Our goal is no longer merely to come into the streets; the goal is to prepare to seize city centres and hold them. Brazilian, Spanish leaders discuss Mercosur-EU deal, Venezuela Xinhua) 15:04, January 10, 2026 BRASILIA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday discussed the Mercosur-EU free trade agreement and the situation in Venezuela, Brazil's presidential office said. During their telephone conversation, Lula thanked the Spanish government for supporting the agreement and called the deal "a very positive signal in defense of multilateralism and predictable, stable trade rules." On Venezuela, they highlighted a joint statement issued along with Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay, which rejects any division of the world into spheres of influence and opposes the use of force in international relations without authorization under the UN Charter. They also welcomed the announcement made on Thursday in Caracas by Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on the release of Venezuelan and foreign detainees, including four Spanish nationals. Lula confirmed that Brazil sent 40 tons of dialysis supplies and medicines on Friday to help replenish stocks at a distribution center damaged by U.S. bombings on Jan. 3. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of organizing a new edition of the forum "In Defense of Democracy: Combating Extremism" in Spain in the coming months. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Sheng Chuyi) Hoxton Wealth CEO Chris Ball started out in business after attending a KPMG careers' fair. (Paul Adams) Chris Ball's early penchant for graft and work ethic started as an 11-year-old in Watford doing newspaper delivery rounds and washing cars. Twenty years later as a CEO, Ball was at pains to make sure the carpets were clean and the dishwasher emptied in the morning as he got his international wealth management startup off the ground in Dubai, along with numerous 12-hour flights to meet potential clients and returning the next day to a young family. Its not all glamour and it was tough work in the beginning, says Ball. "But if you cant enjoy those parts and not go big time too early you will never have a successful business going forward. Read More: 'The reality is that it's a lonely experience when you first become a CEO' Balls business, Hoxton Wealth, largely caters for expats and advising the growing band of globally mobile clientele on financial planning, pensions and investments. Now employing 300 staff across 20 countries since launching in 2018, Balls firm manages 2.5bn of its 10,000 clients investments, with the companys latest turnover set to exceed 30m. The firms average client has just shy of 600,000 of assets invested with Hoxton Wealth. Its not all high net worth, however, with some clients investing as little as 20,000. You dont have to be a high-flying C-level executive to have an international posting, says Ball. You might want to retire in Spain and just want to be able to get the correct advice. Hoxton Wealth's founder Chris Ball, front right, now employs 300 staff worldwide. Ball had early aspirations of becoming a mechanic in his teens until his father intervened. He then set his sights as a Royal Navy marine, but asthma put paid to that dream. At sixth form college, Ball was wide-eyed at seeing suits and well-spoken employees during a careers open day at KPMG. It was something I wanted to be part of, he recalls. Ball enrolled on its school leaver programme and stayed at the firm for seven years before making the leap from accounting and tax advising to wealth management at Abu Dhabi-based deVere Group via a close friends father. He moved with his girlfriend and, tasked with cold calling, thought he would be heading home within weeks. He soon applied himself despite the couple living on an airbed in their cramped apartment. Six months on, Balls girlfriend discovered she was pregnant with twins. Read More: 'Our nut butter brand is on people's dating profiles we're now courting 35m sales' Three years and promotions later, Ball was asked to head up deVeres Qatar operations. He would fly from Abu Dhabi every Sunday and return home on Thursdays. However Ball harboured ambition to work for himself and be able to advise clients globally on cross-border financial planning. I could see the rest of the world was going from upfront fees to generating long term relationships and working across multiple assets they had, says Ball. His wife, now pregnant with their third child, proved a supportive and driving asset in Balls decision to branch out as he co-founded Dubai-based Hoxton Wealth in 2018 with Matt Dean. There is a lot of DIY investor talk but getting the time to do that as a busy professional and having the ability to execute on an investment platform is quite difficult, says Ball. There is a real need for this service. Hoxton Wealth CEO Chris Ball says giving clarity to clients is key. Most people dont wake up and say they need a financial plan or a holistic view of their finances. Most people come to us with a specific problem, like a pension left in the UK or an expat whose insurance needs to move from Europe to Asia. There are complexities having assets booked across different regulatory regimes and dealing with tax planning, retirement saving, legal advice on wills and different currencies. The firm's back office system called Matrix which works across different entities has helped to mitigate these issues, says Ball. The 38-year-old says purpose bigger than revenue comes by helping as many people as possible to seek clarity with their finances. He points to Hoxton Wealths free app, currently numbering 12,000 clients, which is people led, technology enabled and consumers (the average client age is mid 50s) able to consolidate their global assets into one platform. Read More: 'This wasn't a get rich quick scheme - it took years for Nails.INC to become a 30m business' The earlier we can help people before they get older, the easier it is and not bamboozle or leave them with more questions than they came with, that clarity piece is so important, he says. Hoxton Wealth has acquired eight financial adviser businesses to date since 2024, with seven in the UK, and is eyeing India in its future growth plans. The firm says since 2020 its US division has also grown "aggressively" where the need for financial planning is rising with expat Britons. Ball, a passionate Arsenal fan, freely admits having learned from spread betting early in his career and lives by the mantra If something is too good to be true early on, it probably is'. The average client Hoxton Wealth deals with is in their mid-50s. (Jacob Wackerhausen via Getty Images) He lost 10,000 during one period in 2008. Spread betting is very speculative and not a form of long term investing so there are probably personal scars, he notes, and especially when you're younger they shape who you become. Hoxton Wealths boss says it now makes more sense than ever to utilise stocks and shares ISAs. Indeed, most of what Hoxton Wealth advises isnt individual stocks and shares or buying low, selling high, but about investing for the longer run. If people take the longer term view and make sure they dont draw down for assets in an emergency they will generally do quite well, adds Ball. CEO Says: Chris Ball on... How to be effective in financial planning Where I have seen others set up on their own and fail, they are great financial planners but arent business owners and want autonomy. That is a distraction from what they are good at and they get caught up in the HR, hiring, firing and recruiting. As a financial planning business our clients are the most important as well as having great human capital with our planners. The average age of our advisors is 37, compared to the average age of a UK financial planner which is 55. Read more: Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. An online start-up aiming to attract former customers of the collapsed car-sharing firm Zipcar is offering Londoners the chance to rent their cars to strangers for an average of 400 a month. Turo, which describes itself as Airbnb for cars, says it already has more than 2,000 motorists in the capital offering their vehicles for hire and hopes to replace Zipcar as a household name. Unlike Zipcar, which quit the capital at the end of December to widespread dismay, sparking concern about the future of eco-friendly car-sharing in London, Turo does not have its own fleet of vehicles. Rory Brimmer, its 32-year-old UK managing director, said: All our vehicles are provided by private car owners. Rather than putting a new fleet of vehicles across the city, we are activating the fleet that is already there. Theyre sat there in peoples driveways or parked on residential streets. Theyre idle 95 per cent of the time. Its an asset sat there on your driveway doing nothing. That asset can be generating you an income, especially if you are only using it five per cent of the time. Our business model is to build a technology platform that allows residents to rent out their cars when theyre not using them. Within 72 hours of news breaking of Zipcars demise, Turos London-based team had devised a marketing strategy to promote their firm as the obvious replacement backed up by a 120,000 high-profile advertising campaign on the Tube and London Overground network. No Zipcar, no worries: A Turo advert on the London Overground (Ross Lydall) We see this as a unique opportunity to fill the void that Zipcar is leaving to keep London moving, Mr Brimmer said. When Londoners need a car, they need to be aware that Turo is the next-best option. The ambition is to become a household name that fills the Zipcar void. He even rents out his own car, an Audi Q3. Car owners are known as hosts. People hiring cars are known as guests. Like other hosts, he offers to deliver his car to a location chosen by the person hiring the vehicle. Often this can be the short stay car park at Heathrow where he hands over the keys in person before catching the Tube home. In an interview with The Standard, Mr Brimmer said: Every one of our guests loves the fact they have not had to queue at a car rental counter or get stung with additional rental fees. We are focused on disrupting the traditional car rental experience by providing access to local cars that are convenient, because theyre close-by or can be delivered. Rory Brimmer: Turo boss rents out his own Audi car and makes about 800 a month (Turo) Asked whether drivers were reluctant to loan their car to strangers, Mr Brimmer said: These are totally rational fears. We do a huge amount through our back end systems to verify every guest. We run driving licence checks we are integrated with the DVLA. We know we have to build a marketplace of trust so car owners know that, when someone turns up at their door, that person is trustworthy. Its very rare that there is ever an issue. Mr Brimmer said Zipcars strategy was doomed and unsustainable because it owned or leased its own fleet of vehicles meaning it was also responsible for the costly and time-consuming hassle of parking, re-fuelling and cleaning the vehicles. Under Turos system, the host is insured against any damage to their vehicle. The guest is insured by Turo and is responsible for paying road charges, from parking tickets to the central London congestion charge. The host has to pay any penalty fines incurred by the guest driver but is reimbursed via Turos app. Hot rod: A Ford Mustang can be hired on Turo (Turo) Under Turos dynamic pricing model, hire prices range according to demand and the time of year. About 50 vans one of Zipcars most popular hires, often for young Londoners moving home - can also be rented on Turo. On Friday, a year-old Tesla could be hired for three days for 199 while an eight-year-old Vauxhall Corsa was listed for 68 for three-day hire. A 10-year-old Fiat 500 was available for collection in Camden Town for 62. Turo deducts 25 per cent or 35 per cent of the fee, depending on the hire arrangement with the host owner, before passing on the remainder. The average host makes 400 a month renting out their car, Mr Brimmer said. I rent my Audi Q3 50 per cent of the time. I make close to 800 a month. Turo focuses on three UK cities London, Manchester and Edinburgh and in four other countries: the US, Canada, France and Australia. Its global headquarters is in San Francisco. Worldwide, more than 3.5m people have hired a car through Turo in the last year. Turo launched in the UK in September 2018. Mr Brimmer joined as an intern after deciding that a career as a PWC management consultant was not for him. The firm is due to move offices, to a location with a roof-top terrace near Oxford Street, in the coming weeks. Turo also partnered with Ford to allow a handful of its new Explorer electric vehicle to be available to be hired on the platform, offering prospective buyers the opportunity of paying for an extended test drive. There have been calls from across the political spectrum for car-sharing to be encouraged. About 62 per cent of residents in inner London and 33 per cent in outer London do not own a car. The London Assembly was highly critical of what it saw as a lack of encouragement from Transport for London for car clubs. Last month, Southwark council offered Zipcar free use of on-street parking bays if it was prepared to continue operating in the borough. This week a similar call was made by the opposition Lib-Dem group on Lambeth council. Lib-Dem group leader Cllr Donna Harris said: With so many households in our borough not owning a car, car clubs are essential for those journeys that cant be made on public transport. They also help to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and meet climate goals. The transport strategy of London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan sets a target for 250,000 fewer cars to be owned in London by 2041, compared to 2016. In 2023, 2.6 million cars were registered in Greater London, 70,000 fewer cars than in 2016. Mr Brimmer said: With Zipcar leaving London, its very clear there is a threat to local mobility. Zipcar was a legend of the car-sharing game. I think they have done an amazing job of paving the way for car-sharing. There were 550,000 Zipcar users in London who are now looking for an alternative. The risk is that they now go out an buy a car. That is not going to solve Londons problems. We dont need half a million more cars in the city. Republicans refused to override a veto by President Donald Trump for a bill Rep. Lauren Boebert, Republican of Colorado, authored. (AFP via Getty Images) On Thursday, the House failed to override President Donald Trumps veto of a bill championed by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) to secure clean drinking water for her constituents. This came even though just last month, the bill had passed unanimously. This time, only 24 Republicans voted for the initiative. This is a bill that, in policy, no one in that chamber disagreed with, Boebert told The Independent in a gaggle after the vote on Thursday. This was purely political, and it's very unfortunate, but I'm not taking it out personally on anybody. I'm going to use my frustration as motivation to continue to get this over the line. Republicans refused to override a veto by President Donald Trump for a bill Rep. Lauren Boebert, Republican of Colorado, authored. (AFP via Getty Images) While its not clear why exactly Trump vetoed the legislation, its hard not to see that Trump hung Boebert, one of his most enthusiastic supporters in the House, literally out to dry after she joined the discharge petition to force a vote to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein. It reveals the double-bind Republicans face: as the president becomes increasingly unpopular or when he directly defies their local interests, they have to find ways to break with him. But his megaphone and sway on the Republican electorate remains tight. On Thursday, five Republicans joined with Senate Democrats on a War Powers Act resolution to rein in any future activity in Venezuela. One of the Republicans, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, insisted to reporters that he did not mean to cross the president. This is all about going forward, if the president should determine, you know what, I need to put troops on the ground in Venezuela, I think that wouldn't require Congress, Hawley said. It didnt work. Later that day, Trump lit into Hawley and his cohorts Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Todd Young of Indiana for voting for the resolution, saying they should never be elected to office again. President Donald Trump lit into Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) as well as other Republicans who joined in on a War Powers Act resolution with Democrats. (Getty Images) Its a bold statement, considering Collins is up for re-election in what will be a tough race and her occasional votes with Democrats are the only thing that keeps her afloat in liberal New England. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who is up for re-election this year, told reporters not to make too much of it. I think you should check back with him and see how he feels in a few days, he told reporters on Thursday. But obviously, he was irritated with that outcome. I think it was a bad outcome myself, because I think people are interpreting this as somehow a rebuke. Cornyn needs to stay on Trumps good side to survive a bruising primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton and avoid Trump endorsing the super-MAGA Paxton. That might give Republicans less of an incentive to vote on a War Powers resolution pushed by Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego to prevent Trump from putting troops on the ground in Greenland. The only Republican who seems comfortable lighting into Stephen Miller, the most vocal champion of the idea, is retiring Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. It should be to Stephen Miller that if he wants to take a position that the president supports, that's fine. He doesn't speak for me, he told The Independent. And I'm just saying, keep in your lane or know what you're talking about and never represent it. On the other side of the Capitol that same day, 17 Republicans defected to vote for legislation with Democrats to extend the expanded tax credits for the Affordable Care Acts health insurance marketplace. Almost all of them are in tough re-election races. But dont expect Trump to give them breathing room for siding with Democrats. Its only a matter of time before he turns his attention to them the way he did Boebert. And Republicans learn they have to tread lightly around Trump. Many Hispanics in South Florida who voted for Trump hoped that his capture of Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro would be the beginning of Democracy. But Trump has shown little interest in supporting opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, instead propping up Maduros deputy Delcy Rodriguez. But when asked about it, Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida, who is Cuban-American, did not seem bothered. It's a means to an end, he told The Independent. It's up to the Venezuelan people to that's whoever the Venezuelan people want. And right now, I believe the Venezuelan people want Maria Corina Machado. And Republicans need only look at the fate of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Boebers former friend and colleague, who formally tendered her resignation at the beginning of this week after she clashed with Trump about the release of Epstein files. The dandelion armour is designed to protect against attacks by Ukrainian kamikaze drones First came Russias turtle tank, a metal shed rumbling across the battlefield. Then Ukraine laughed at the so-called hairy tank, coated in long, wavy metal wires. Now the dandelion tank has arrived. Moscows latest crude design, which features flexible metal rods arranged in branched layers, attempts to shield the body of the tank from the ever-present threat of small kamikaze drones. It may look ridiculous, but analysts say the Oduvanchik (dandelion) anti-drone armour might offer the best protection currently available for the expensive vehicles. It is the latest in a series of odd-looking Russian inventions that have appeared over the past week, each inspiring some level of mockery online. They include a camouflage net disguised as rubble and a patent for giant rotating propellers to protect Soviet-era vans. But in such a protracted and largely static war, which demands endless innovation at cheaper and cheaper costs, any edge may save lives at the front. The unorthodox dandelion-inspired modification was pictured for the first time last week, covering a Russian T-90M tank inside a warehouse. It is unclear when it will be deployed for combat, but Russias defence ministry recently patented the design. The reinforced metal rods are welded together to form a tree-like structure that branches out into several tiers, forming a three-dimensional barrier, like the florets of a dandelion. In any gaps, a high-strength mesh is stretched between them. b' ' If an explosive-rigged FPV (first-person-view) drone flies towards the tank, the rods should detonate it at a distance, shielding the hull from most of the blast. For every extra inch the drone is kept away, the tank has a better chance of survival. On top of a T-90s significant base armour, Russia often adds explosive reactive armour and metal cages. Pair this with the dandelion defence and youve got the best passive anti-drone protection currently available, David Axe, a military correspondent, wrote on his blog, Trench Art. It is an upgrade of the hedgehog armour, of thick broom-like bristles protruding from a vehicles side, used across the front by Russian forces last year, and later by the Ukrainians. Credit: @GrandpaRoy2/ X At the front, anything you can experiment with, all different kinds of spikes, chains, cages, or a mixture of all, that can save the lives of soldiers is worth doing, said David Kirichenko, a Ukraine-Russia weapons expert. Ukrainian soldiers once mocked the Russians for putting cages on their vehicles; now they are doing it too, he told The Telegraph. Ukrainian forces were pictured earlier this week showing off a new design on a large infantry fighting vehicle that featured dandelion-like anti-drone armour, hair-like bristles, and metal sheets hanging from chains. Ukraine also uses a version of the hedgehog tank It is a part of [the] endless development of experimental and wacky inventions by both sides, said Mr Kirichenko. There is a constant race to identify weaknesses, produce measures and countermeasures and adapt to changing battlefield conditions. Yet, as with many other anti-drone systems, there are drawbacks. All the extra gear adds to the vehicles weight, slowing it down and leaving it more exposed to the drones that haunt the front. Plus, the dandelion armour is far from impregnable. Ukraine is proving increasingly efficient at flying drones beneath tanks and vehicles to strike them from below, where the armour is weakest, or to use FPVs to drop mines in their path. Valerii Riabykh, a Ukrainian weapons analyst and editor of Defence Express, also pointed out how such protection was ineffective against traditional weapons, such as an artillery shell, especially a high-precision one. But when it comes to drones, he said: It may be effective for some time until the opposing side picks up the key to this protection, or breaks it. Photographs have also recently been shared of a new type of Russian camouflage net. It can disguise gun, artillery or infantry positions underneath a rug of fake smashed-up bricks that look like rubble and rubbish, hiding equipment from Ukrainian drone operators. The nets, made out of fake rubble, are able to hide the vehicles from an overhead drone Mr Riabykh said that, like the dandelion tank, it would probably only be useful for a limited time. With the rise of AI and image processing tools installed within drones, its specific features could automatically highlight the nets to drone operators, he said, becoming an unmasking feature which will lead to even faster destruction of those who use them. A Russian vehicle camouflaged by a net of fake rubble Another rudimentary tactic that emerged last week is the use of large propellers mounted on the roof, front, rear and sides of civilian vehicles used at the front. Short on modern armoured vehicles, Russia has for two years been using vans, trucks and jeeps for front-line tasks. Such unprotected vehicles are easy targets for Ukraine. A Russian civilian van with rotating propellers used as a counter-drone measure According to a Russian patent, when the drone attempts to attack a protected vehicle, there is a high probability that he will enter the rotation zone of one of the blades. Analysts The Telegraph spoke to largely dismissed such a design, owing to how much of the van is exposed and the fact that the propellers probably cost more than the vehicle they are intended to protect. Yet any modifications, no matter how seemingly trivial, could allow either side to buy time, said Mr Riabykh, and time on the modern battlefield is everything. Shay Given has unreservedly apologised for describing Wilfried Nancys brief time as Celtic manager as an absolute Holocaust on live television. The former Newcastle and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper who began his career at Celtic was asked for his thoughts on Nancys 33-day reign on BBCs Final Score show on Saturday and replied with insensitive language. An estimated six million Jews died during The Holocaust, which was carried out by Nazi Germany during World War Two between 1939 and 1945. On live television this afternoon, I used a word that I didnt fully understand the meaning of, and I certainly wouldnt use again, Given said on his personal X account. We all have areas of ignorance in our knowledge, and I hope to use this as an opportunity to become better educated going forward. I am genuinely mortified and apologise unreservedly to everyone offended, and will be donating my fee from todays show to the Holocaust Educational Trust. Wilfried Nancy was sacked as Celtic manager after just 33 days and eight games in charge (Andrew Milligan/PA) (Andrew Milligan) Final Score presenter Jason Mohammad apologised later in the show for the inappropriate language used. Nancys sacking came after eight games in charge of the Scottish champions, six of which were lost. Martin ONeill has since taken charge at Celtic for the second time this season, marking his return on Saturday with a 4-0 Scottish Premiership victory over Dundee United. A firefighter works to extinguish a fire at a house in Pacific Palisades, California, on 8 January 2025. Photograph: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images (Photograph: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) More than a year after a devastating wildfire tore through Pacific Palisades, all but obliterating one of the west coasts most iconic neighborhoods, prosecutors are honing their case against the man they say is responsible. Jonathan Rinderknecht, a 29-year-old occasional Uber driver who used to live in Pacific Palisades, was charged with three felonies by federal prosecutors in October, who claim he was in the neighborhood in the early hours of New Years Day. According to a federal complaint, Rinderknecht allegedly used an open flame likely a lighter to start a small blaze that grew to about 8 acres (3.2 hectares) before firefighters rushed to the area and extinguished it. Related: The LA wildfire victims still living in toxic homes: We have nowhere else to go That blaze was known as the Lachman fire. But on 7 January, just five days after the Los Angeles fire department (LAFD) said they had put the Lachman fire out, the embers were whipped into a frenzy by 100mph (161km/h) winds and fed by tinderbox conditions quickly growing to become the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history. It was a wildfire known as a holdover or zombie fire, a type of blaze that scientists say is becoming more common as the climate warms. Now, experts say the case against Rinderknecht will turn on a central question: should he have foreseen the destructive potential of his actions? Or are the firefighters who failed to fully extinguish the zombie fire the ones at fault? Aya Gruber, a criminal law expert and the Harold Medill Heimbaugh professor of law at the University of Southern California, says the outcome will depend on how responsible a jury would deem Rinderknecht for the ultimate deaths of 12 people and the loss of 7,000 structures in what became the Palisades fire. If a person sets a fire and it burns continuously, that is generally considered one fire in the eyes of the law, Gruber said. The case will have to delve into the continuity of the burning, and whether the rekindling into the catastrophic Palisades blaze could have been predicted. Even if [the initial Lachman fire] was a modest fire, was it foreseeable that this turn of events would happen? she posed. I dont think its completely unjustified, from a criminal law theory standpoint just with the environmental conditions in California, that when you set small fires, they can pretty easily turn into out-of-control big fires. Who deserves the blame? The story of how the Lachman blaze resurrected just days later, and the shortcomings of the firefighting effort to suppress it, have come into sharper focus in recent months. Related: The Los Angeles wildfires were the perfect storm. Is the city ready for the next one? The Los Angeles Times published a series of bombshell allegations, citing concerns from firefighters that the Lachman fire was not fully contained before they were ordered by superiors to leave the burn area. Another investigation by the paper also found the LAFDs after action report on the Palisades fire and the departments response was watered down over the course of seven drafts. Two weeks after the Times published those details, the new chief of the LAFD, Jaime Moore, admitted they were true. It is now clear that multiple drafts were edited to soften language and reduce explicit criticism of department leadership in that final report, he told the citys board of fire commissioners on Tuesday, noting the report was written and edited before he was appointed to the role. I can assure you that nothing of this sort will ever again happen while I am fire chief. While Rinderknechts attorney appears to be centering his clients defence on the departments response to the Lachman fire, experts say the LAFDs efforts or failures will probably not hurt the federal case against Rinderknecht, who faces between five and 45 years in prison. Federal prosecutors have described Rinderknecht as destructive and reckless, saying his actions caused one of the worst fires Los Angeles has ever seen. But Steven Haney, Rinderknechts attorney, said in October he believed his client is being scapegoated and strongly suggested the duty to extinguish the Palisades fire, and its ultimate destruction, rested on the fire department. Haney noted that Rinderknecht called 911 multiple times after the fire broke out to report it. The complaint also notes Rinderknecht told investigators he offered to help firefighters help fight the fire. Blaming it on Jonathan Rinderknecht seems a little bit misguided, Haney told reporters at the time. It will be heavily litigated what happened during the Lachman fire, why it wasnt put out. If the government says the Palisades was caused by the Lachman fire, then somebody, not my client, had a duty to extinguish that fire. But prosecutors wrote in the complaint Rinderknechts actions, including the 911 calls and questions about wildfires posed to ChatGPT, seemed to indicate that he wanted to preserve evidence of himself trying to assist in the suppression of the fire and he wanted to create evidence regarding a more innocent explanation for the cause of the fire. Anatomy of an arson case Federal investigators will have spent months combing through the wreckage of the Palisades fire and the initial blaze, as well as what or who they believe is responsible. Wayne Miller, a retired special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said arson investigators quickly move to home in on the exact cause of a suspicious fire. Teams on site can examine burn scars to narrow down where, and often how, a blaze began, with those investigations regularly finding the initial pinpoint of a wildfire to an area of just a few feet. Investigators were aided with their Lachman fire investigation by cameras and sensors that detect wildfires that monitor the area where it first began 24 hours a day. You look at indicators, you look for directional burning, you know if you have small trees and brush, you look to the side that has char, said Miller, who has been to about 2,300 fire and explosion scenes over the course of his career. It leads you back to where the fire began. Investigators could even pinpoint a cigarette butt on the ground if they look really hard, Miller said. Miller said that in his reading of the complaint against Rinderknecht, investigators seemed to have discounted many other potential causes. Refraction of sunlight on broken glass was ruled out as it was night-time; nobody saw fireworks in the area or found any evidence of them; there were no lightning strikes or electrical infrastructure in the area. Smoking was also discounted as a cause, as the weather conditions were inconsistent with a cigarette as a source at the time, the complaint says. Miller said over his career, arson sentences often depended on the prosecutors ability to craft the story of how a fire began, and how destructive it became to life and property. Related: Then and now: one year on from the Los Angeles wildfires in pictures Unless a person is caught with a match in their hand, arson prosecutions are difficult, he added. But from everything Ive read, theyve got a darn good case where they can nail it right to one person. A battle of narratives Other anecdotal details about Rinderknechts behavior and actions in the lead-up to the fire will also play a role in the trial. The federal complaint cites two of his Uber passengers that night, who described the man as agitated and angry. Cellphone data also shows Rinderknecht listening to a song by the French rapper Josman called Un Zder, Un The in the days and hours leading up to the Lachman fire, the lyrics of which are about despair and bitterness. The music video for the song shows the main character lighting things on fire, the complaint reads, noting Rinderknecht listened to the song at 11.54pm on New Years Eve, just moments before the Lachman fire began. Digital evidence also revealed that months before the fire, Rinderknecht used ChatGPT to generate images fixated on fire and destruction. Those included a scene of a city being burned down, as well as an image of a burning forest with people running away. On the other side of the gate and the entire wall is a conglomerate of the richest people, one of the prompts entered into the AI software read. They are chilling, watching the world burn down, and watching the people struggle. They are laughing, enjoying themselves, and dancing. Rinderknecht will go to trial on 21 April 2026, and has pleaded not guilty to the felony charges. Gruber said the trial and any potential punishment will probably become a battle of legal narratives between prosecutors and Rinderknechts defense attorney over different accounts of the zombie fire. The first is: this isnt so unusual, its not on the outer limits of foreseeable. We have Santa Ana winds every year, thats not unforeseeable, she said. You could also argue that this type of zombie fire is very unusual, so that is what it would turn on. Gruber said while shes skeptical that major cases and their punishments deter other bad actors, if Rinderknecht is convicted and sentenced to a lengthy prison term, it could send a message to small fire-setters: If you cause a major fire, youre going to get a lot of time, so dont even start the small fires. Patrick Duffy in 2024. He published an autobiography in 2013, titled Growing Up Irish in Britain and British in Ireland. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian (Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian) The former Labour minister Sir Patrick Duffy, who has died aged 105, was one of his partys foremost experts on defence and disarmament during the cold war and its immediate aftermath. It was his misfortune that 19 years of his quarter of a century as a Labour MP were spent on the opposition benches, although he had the gratification of 13 years as a member of the Nato parliamentary assembly, of which he served as president for two years from 1988. Duffy first stood for parliament in Tiverton, Devon, in 1950, and was successfully elected as an MP on his fourth attempt at a byelection in the Colne Valley, West Yorkshire, in 1963. He was an economist by training and entered the House of Commons in midlife, after an eventful career during the second world war in the Royal Navy and subsequently as an academic in Britain and the US. His experience made him an Atlanticist and a fervent European for most of his life, although in 2016 he supported Brexit on the grounds that the eurozone had made the EU no longer practical. He was always prepared to stand up for his convictions, even if these were at variance with those of his party. This was notably the case when Labour was committed to a unilateral defence policy in the early 1980s, coinciding with his Nato assembly role to which he was appointed after the 1979 general election defeat, which had cost him his job as the navy minister. The post gave him a suitably dignified status and his term as president earned him a customary knighthood in 1991, albeit awarded on the recommendation of the then Conservative prime minister, John Major the Labour leader, Neil Kinnock, having refused to nominate any candidates for a knighthood. Duffy was proud of this elevation, given the humble circumstances in which he was raised. He was born in Wigan, the eldest of four children of Irish parents, James and Margaret Duffy, who came from the same village of Raith, near Aghamore in County Mayo. James worked as a miner and in 1925 moved his family to Rossington, on the outskirts of Doncaster, as the pit was developed there. Patrick attended Rossington primary and secondary schools, was an altar boy at his local Roman Catholic church and was taught Latin by his priest, inculcating a love of reading. He was badly injured during six years war service from 1939, partly with the Fleet Air Arm, and a disability pension funded his studies at the London School of Economics from 1946, where he was awarded a BSc (Econ) and a PhD. He also studied at Columbia University, New York. During the war he had developed a growing sense of his Irish identity, which would inform both the rest of his life and also his politics. He had grown up in a household that read the Labour movement newspaper the Daily Herald, and as a student he joined the Labour party. From 1950, when he first stood for parliament, until his election in Colne Valley, Duffy was a lecturer at the University of Leeds. In the general elections of 1951 and 1955 he stood again in the safe Conservative seat of Tiverton, and was rewarded with the Labour candidacy for the high-profile Yorkshire byelection contest he won in 1963. He held the seat by just 187 votes in the general election the following year, but was the only sitting Labour MP to lose in the election of 1966. He returned to lecturing at Leeds and at Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, before being found a comfortable Labour berth in Sheffield Attercliffe, where he was MP from 1970 until standing down in 1992. At Westminster he was parliamentary private secretary to Roy Mason as defence secretary (1974-76), before being appointed as junior minister with responsibility for the Royal Navy. He was opposition defence spokesman from 1979 until Michael Foot became Labour leader in 1980 and again briefly in 1983. Duffy was critical of many leftwing party policies, provoking a challenge to his incumbency as an MP from local activists during Labours internal problems of the 80s. He survived one attempt to deselect him by five votes. As a devout Catholic he was strongly opposed to abortion and embryo research. He also voted against Sunday trading and televising the House of Commons. He was forthright on Irish issues, criticising the colossal and criminal incompetence of Conservative policy in Northern Ireland at the time of the death by hunger strike of the IRAs Bobby Sands, an elected MP, in 1981. He was also critical of the imprisonment of the Birmingham Six, before their release from wrongful imprisonment for an IRA bomb attack in Birmingham in 1974, and of the SAS killings of three members of the Provisional IRA in Gibraltar in 1988. He voted against the Anglo-Irish agreement because it gave legitimacy to the partition of Ireland. After leaving Westminster, Duffy resumed academic work in the US and at the universities of Hull and Lancaster. He made a series of annual pilgrimages on foot to the Walsingham shrine, to Croagh Patrick in County Mayo, and to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. In 2013 he published an autobiography, Growing Up Irish in Britain and British in Ireland, and two years ago a second volume, From Wigan to Westminster. He is survived by his sister Patricia. (Albert Edward) Patrick Duffy, politician and economist, born 17 June 1920; died 2 January 2026 Police officers walk outside the ICE facility during a protest in Portland. Photograph: Jenny Kane/AP (Photograph: Jenny Kane/AP) Six protesters were arrested by police in Portland, Oregon, late on Thursday, as an appeal for calm from local leaders largely held despite growing outrage over federal immigration enforcement in the city and two people being shot by US border patrol agents. On Friday afternoon, dozens of protesters gathered again outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland, holding signs that denounced ICE agents as thugs and Nazis. One sign taped to a pole simply displayed the name of the woman killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday: Renee Nicole Good. As a black pickup truck entered the facility, a man on an electric unicycle, wearing a red inflatable dragon costume and the Venezuelan flag, shouted: Murderers! Late Friday, hundreds of marchers swelled the size of the protest outside the facility, chanting as they arrived: Stand up on your feet! Killer ICE off our streets! The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the two people who were shot by the federal agents in Portland in a statement as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras and Luis David Nico Moncada, undocumented immigrants from Venezuela. A department spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, told Fox News that both were suspected of ties to a Venezuelan gang, but that connection appeared to be less certain than originally stated by federal authorities in the immediate aftermath of the shootings. At a news conference on Friday afternoon, the Portland police chief, Bob Day, said both of the shooting victims were in stable condition in the hospital. He added that criminal investigations in the area suggest that they do have some nexus to involvement with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Authorities have not made public documentation for that claim and the Guardian has not been able to confirm it. Related: Minneapolis mayor accuses federal authorities of hiding facts in ICE killing Zambrano-Contreras and Moncada were shot on Thursday afternoon outside a Portland hospital. The DHS said that US border patrol agents had stopped a vehicle to search for a person they suspected of being an undocumented immigrant connected to Tren de Aragua. According to the agents, they opened fire when the driver of the vehicle tried to run them over, the DHS said. Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene, the DHS said in a statement. A man who was at the medical building told the Oregonian he saw federal officers follow a Toyota pickup truck into the parking lot of the office building and try to corner it. One officer pounded on the window, he said. The driver then backed up and moved forward at least a couple of times, striking a car behind them, before turning and speeding off. The FBIs Portland office said it was investigating the shooting. Authorities have not confirmed the condition of the injured, but emergency dispatch audio obtained by Fox 12 Oregon indicated that the 911 call came from a man who said he was shot twice in the arm and his wife had been shot in the chest. The shooting, which came one day after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, intensified criticism in Portland of the Trump administrations aggressive immigration crackdown. Last year, Portland saw months of protest centered on an ICE processing facility in the citys south waterfront. Donald Trump tried to deploy national guard members to the city in response, but the deployment was blocked by a federal judge who said the presidents claim that the city was war-ravaged as a result of small-scale protests was simply untethered to the facts. On Thursday, city leaders forcefully condemned the shooting, while urging residents to protest peacefully. Jeff Merkley, one of Oregons two Democratic senators, urged protesters to remain calm in light of the shooting. Trump wants to generate riots, he said in a post on X. Dont take the bait. A banner at the top of the Portland city government website late on Thursday advised residents: Respond with calm and purpose. The Portland police chief echoed those pleas. We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more, Day said. Residents appeared to heed that call. On Thursday evening, about a hundred protesters gathered outside city hall in downtown Portland to chant Abolish ICE! A smaller number of protesters also returned to the ICE facility, many of them dressed in the animal costumes that have helped defuse tensions in recent months. Later, police used force to clear protesters from the street outside the facility, arresting six, including a man who usually wears an inflatable frog costume to protests but was in street clothes. Portlands mayor, Keith Wilson, said at a news conference: We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time is long past. We cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts. Portland is not a training ground for militarized agents, and the full force threatened by the administration has deadly consequences. As mayor, I call on ICE to end all operations in Portland until a full investigation can be completed. Maxine Dexter, the Democratic representative for the district where the shooting took place, who is also a doctor, called on ICE to leave Portland. ICE has done nothing but inject terror, chaos and cruelty into our communities, Dexter said. Trumps immigration machine is using violence to control our communities straight out of the authoritarian playbook. ICE must immediately end all active operations in Portland. Portland leaders were firm in demanding a local investigation. We must allow our local law enforcement to do its work, Dexter said. There must be a comprehensive investigation without Trumps interference. The Oregon attorney general, Dan Rayfield, said late on Thursday that his office was opening a formal investigation into the incident to examine whether any federal officer acted outside the scope of their lawful authority. We have been clear about our concerns with excessive use of force by federal agents in Portland and nationally, Rayfield said. On Thursday, the FBI took control of the investigation into the shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, and the Minnesota bureau of criminal apprehension said its access to the case materials, witnesses and evidence had been revoked. The headline of this article was amended on 9 January 2026. An earlier version said incorrectly that the two people had been killed. The Prime Minister is seeking to reverse the referendum through gradual unaccountable deceit - Olivier Hoslet/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock In a typically sneaky move, the Government organised an unnamed official to leak the news of a fundamental repudiation of the referendum to leave the EU and of our sovereignty not a reset, a capitulation. No white paper mentioned only a Bill, probably in March. I have warned for several years in The Telegraph that this was Starmers plan. He called for a further referendum within a few days of the 2016 result. This Reset Bill would seek to override the sovereignty of the UK as well as the constitutional obstacles they know exist, such as my Section 38 of the Withdrawal Act 2020. They are already overriding sovereignty by statutory instruments. The sovereignty of Parliament cannot be parcelled up or whittled away. You either have it, or you dont. No one should be taken in by Starmers assertions that Labour have ruled out rejoining the single market and the customs union. His stooges, including David Lammy, are openly campaigning for both; so as are all the dedicated Remainers and think tanks and other political parties who are preparing the ground. From 1986, I campaigned for self-government and a sovereignty amendment, which in those days I was not even allowed to debate. However, by secret ballot I was then elected as chairman of the Conservative backbench European Affairs Committee in 1989 and 1990. Step by step and by rebellions we backbenchers overcame the Heathite policies in the Conservative Party and won the support of the British voters. The decades-long campaign in Parliament about who governs this country could only be achieved by making legislative changes to restore our sovereignty, which was achieved by that Section 38. The fundamental issue was who makes our laws; they must be made by our MPs, elected by our voters, not laws imposed by the EU through the Council of Ministers behind closed doors, with no transcript, and by majority vote of other countries. The European Communities Act 1972 imposed EU laws on our voters and our Parliament, including binding obligations to obey EU laws and through the Court of Justice, which has now been repealed. Starmer now wants to reverse this by gradual unaccountable deceit. Many grassroots voters in other European countries began to wake up and to resent this loss of their own democracy, even despite the massive subsidies doled out to them by the European Commission. As to the dominance of France and Germany, their economies are now in profound distress, as for example explained in the case of Germany in Wolfgang Munchaus recent book Kaput The End of the German Miracle. Of course, as to defence and Nato we will always need to find common ground with others for our national security. However, the EU is now demanding billions of pounds from us for our assistance as if they could not even remember what happened in the Second World War. Massive payments are now demanded across a wide range of policy areas including energy, Gene-editing, student mobility, education, fishing, agriculture, illegal and net immigration, and weasel words about financial services, all under the betrayal of so-called dynamic alignment, which is the imposition of EU laws by the back door. For example, the Rayner Employment Bill, undermining the dismissal laws for small and medium-size businesses is an act of economic suicide. This really is capitulation, driven by ideology and defying common sense; which is what the reset amounts to. The cabal in the Government includes Nick Thomas-Symonds, minister for the Constitution and the European Union, and Starmer, Hermer and ideological intimates in the Civil Service, who have never forgiven the British people for voting to leave the EU. All the draft legal proposals and the constitutional vandalism have been conducted without parliamentary accountability. To achieve a veil of silence and non-disclosure, Starmer within a matter of days after the general election of 2024 abolished the one select committee they feared most, the European Scrutiny Committee, in one sentence and one motion without debate. This committee by Standing Orders had received all European-related papers and proposed laws and had the power to summon ministers and make them accountable to Parliament and the British people. It was created in 1973, it was cross party and had successive and Labour and Conservative chairman. It investigated, analysed, held evidence sessions and created accountability over all EU lawmaking, in every government department. Furthermore, Starmers Government will not remove the accumulated anti-growth EU laws, as required by the Conservative Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023. This is one of the biggest con-tricks and cover ups of all time. Starmer could only do this because he had a massive majority, even with fewer votes than Corbyn, and because about 100 Conservative MPs lost their seats with interventions in seats Reform knew they could never win. Those of us who believe in democracy and sovereignty and in the freedom of self-government in the whole of the UK know that others died for these freedoms, and we will fight this betrayal by Starmer and his henchmen with all our might. He and his party are plummeting, and we will explain simply to the public how this monstrously misleading reset will affect all voters in their daily lives. We intend to organise a massive campaign in every region, in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is a vital part of the United Kingdom, and to this day is still damagingly undermined by EU laws. This in itself requires special constitutional and statutory attention. In every town and village throughout the United Kingdom, we will expose this betrayal and consign it to the rubbish bin of history. We have the knowledge, the capacity and the determination do this in the national interest, so we will make the United Kingdom great again. Sir Bill Cash CH was MP For Stafford and then Stone 1984-2024, was Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee 2010-2024, and Former Shadow Attorney General and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Daimon Benson, a now 19-year-old charged in connection with a 2022 murder in Kansas City, Missouri, has claimed hes shot 400 people in his life, according to court records (Jackson County Detention Center) A teenager charged in connection with a 2022 murder in Kansas City, Missouri, has claimed hes shot 400 people in his life, according to court records. Daimon Benson, now 19, has been accused of second-degree murder, among other charges, after authorities found a woman in her car with a gunshot wound to the head on a highway in Jackson County on October 21, 2022. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department was responding to a report of a shooting when they found the woman in a white Toyota Camry that had crashed against a concrete barrier, according to court documents. The woman later died at the hospital. Detectives found a bullet hole in the Camrys trunk and one in the front drivers side window, which was partially shattered, the documents said. The Jackson County Prosecutors office stated on Thursday that detectives found that a gray Dodge Charger had chased the Toyota after it cut off the Charger. Benson, who was in the passenger seat of the Charger, allegedly fired into the Toyota, the prosecutors office said. The Toyota then crashed, and the Charger fled the scene, according to officials. Daimon Benson, a now 19-year-old charged in connection with a 2022 murder in Kansas City, Missouri, has claimed hes shot 400 people in his life, according to court records (Jackson County Sheriff's Office/Jackson County Detention Center) Several witnesses gave some insight into the shooting between the Toyota and the Charger and the events leading up to it. A witness told investigators that when he stopped to help the driver, he saw her leaning over inside the vehicle and bleeding from her face, according to the court documents. Two other witnesses said they heard several gunshots before seeing a white Toyota swerve and hit a concrete barrier, the documents said. Benson told detectives he did not remember being involved in the shooting but said he had shot about 400 people before, the prosecutors office said. A woman was found shot dead in her car on a highway in Jackson County on October 21, 2022 (Scott Olson/Getty Images) When detectives asked him how many people he had shot in his life, Benson replied, Roughly like, my whole life, like 400 people, according to court documents. He said that in 2019 and 2020, he and another person robbed an average of three people a day, which resulted in about 150 of the shootings he was involved in, the documents said. Benson explained the other shootings were battles with rivals, adding that in a given month, there were about ten instances in which he, or someone he was in a car with, would shoot at someone outside of the car, according to the documents. He is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond, and, according to local outlet Fox 4, he is scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing on Thursday. It was not immediately clear whether Benson had legal representation. Marjorie Taylor Greene fell out with Donald Trump over his opposition to the release of the Epstein files - Eric Lee/ 2025 Bloomberg Finance LP Donald Trump reportedly ordered the Secret Service to investigate whether Marjorie Taylor Greene tipped off pro-Palestine protesters who accosted him at a restaurant. Axios reported that the president suspected the former Republican representative, who has become one of his most virulent critics, could have paved the way for the confrontation at Joes Seafood in Washington, DC, last September. White House officials were mystified and angered by the appearance of Code Pink demonstrators at a dinner which had not been on the list of the presidents public engagements. The mob approached Mr Trump as he took his seat, shouting: Free DC! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time! Credit: Samantha Waldenberg/CNN A furious Mr Trump said the demonstrators should be jailed. Ms Taylor Greene, who was once one of Mr Trumps most vocal supporters, fell out with the president over his opposition to the release of the Epstein files. The feud was intensified when she opposed his intervention in Iran and Venezuela, and she was also opposed to cuts in Obamacare subsidies to her constituents in Georgia. He also sought to dissuade her from running for the Senate. According to Axios, the White House told the Secret Service that it believes Ms Taylor Greene, who resigned from Congress on Jan 5 may have been responsible for leaking details of the visit to the restaurant a few blocks from the White House. Mr Trumps dining plans were only known to a handful of people. Concern was intensified by the presence of knives on the tables especially given that there were two attempts on Mr Trumps life during the 2024 election campaign. Ms Taylor Greene, who was a frequent customer at the restaurant, reportedly recommended Joes to Mr Trump. However, to the officials surprise, she was not present when the president came to dine. Donald Trump and JD Vance outside Joes Seafood in Washington, DC on Sept 9 - SAUL LOEB/AFP Aides suspicions were also prompted by the former representatives apparent friendship with Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin. Ms Benjamin also praised Ms Taylor Greene for her opposition to Mr Trumps bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. However, Ms Taylor Greene and Code Pink have denied suggestions that she was responsible for the leak. The accusations were an absolute lie, a dangerous lie. I would never do that, Ms Taylor Greene said. She added that the blame for the security lapse rested with the Secret Service. The story you should be writing is why didnt the Secret Service sweep the restaurant, and have metal detectors at the door? The Telegraph has approached the White House for comment. Composite: Artwork by Alex Mellon and Guardian Design. Source Photographs by Getty Images, Reuters (Composite: Artwork by Alex Mellon and Guardian Design. Source Photographs by Getty Images, Reuters) default The attack on Venezuela and the seizure of its president was a shocking enough start to 2026, but it was only the next day, when the smoke had dispersed and Donald Trump was flying from Florida to Washington DC in triumph, that it became clear the world had entered a new era. The US president was leaning on a bulkhead on Air Force One, in a charcoal suit and gold tie, regaling reporters with inside details of the abduction of Nicolas Maduro. He claimed his government was in charge of Venezuela and that US companies were poised to extract the countrys oil wealth. Clearly giddy with the success of the operation, achieved without a single US fatality but several Venezuelan and Cuban ones, Trump then served notice on a string of other nations that could face the same fate. Cuba is ready to fall, he said. Colombia was run by a sick man who was selling cocaine to the US but who would not be doing it for very long. Trump said he would postpone for 20 days to two months any discussions about his desired takeover of Greenland, the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a Nato ally, but made clear he was determined to seize it for the sake of US national security. New imperialism Lest there was any doubt about the scale of Trumps territorial ambitions, his administration posted its message to the world in capital letters, some of them red, on social media. This is OUR hemisphere, the state department declared on X above a black and white picture of Trump looking grimly determined. The White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, went on CNN to provide the rationale for Trumps new approach to foreign policy. We live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time, he said. Miller is one of the few aides to have served in high positions in both the first and second Trump tenures. He has emerged as chief ideologue, channelling the impulses of the president and packaging them as policy. In a social media post on Monday, Miller addressed the bigger picture and argued it was time for the west to stop apologising for its imperialist past. Not long after World War II the West dissolved its empires and colonies and began sending colossal sums of taxpayer-funded aid to these former territories (despite have [sic] already made them far wealthier and more successful), Miller wrote. The neoliberal experiment, at its core, has been a long self-punishment of the places and peoples that built the modern world. The US has invaded a long list of countries and changed regimes many times over the past few decades, but this is the first time it has done so since the second world war as a self-proclaimed exercise in imperialism. The extraordinary change in rhetoric coming from Washington means all three of the worlds military superpowers are overtly pursuing revanchist aims, the recovery of lost imperial greatness. Vladimir Putin has taken on the mantle of Peter and Catherine the Great in restoring historical Russian lands, at the cost so far of a million Russian troops killed or injured in Ukraine, according to the British Ministry of Defence, the culmination of a string of conquests in Chechnya and Georgia. Xi Jinping has dedicated himself to Chinas great rejuvenation, which includes recovering the territorial expanse of the Qing empire at its high-water mark before the century of humiliation at the hands of foreign powers from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries. Beijings projection of force with military bases around the South China Sea draws from that rationale, but Xi has repeatedly made clear the mission will not be completed until Taiwan is back under Beijings rule. Like the other two ageing autocrats, Trumps vision for his country harks back to a bygone imperial past. His favourite president is William McKinley, who led the US through a surge of territorial expansion at the end of the 19th century, including the military takeover of Cuba and the annexation of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines and American Samoa. Trump has also looked to the early 19th century for inspiration for his new bout of territorial acquisitiveness, in the form of the Monroe doctrine. It was very important, but we forgot about it. We dont forget about it any more, the president said on Saturday. The reference not only reflected a view of the past uncomplicated by any detailed reading on Trumps part, but also the changing relationship between the US and the notion of empire. The country was founded as a rejection of British imperialism and when President James Monroe developed his doctrine in 1823, setting out the leading US role in the Americas, it was to act as a barrier to any further European colonialism. The version of the doctrine that Trump appears to embrace, however, is its repurposing by Teddy Roosevelt in 1904 at the height of a US exercise in traditional imperialism. Under the Roosevelt corollary, the US took on the role of police power which would intervene in any country in the region where it perceived there to be flagrant cases of wrongdoing or impotence. In its national security strategy document published in November, a blueprint for the expansionism of early 2026, the White House laid out a Trump corollary to the Monroe doctrine to restore American pre-eminence in the western hemisphere. Trump calls it the Donroe doctrine, copying a New York Post front page from a year earlier. The difference from previous versions, he boasted characteristically, was that it would be bigger and better. The original Monroe doctrine was a big deal, he said, but added: Weve superseded it by a lot, by a real lot. For all the febrile talk of doctrine and the sharp swerve in rhetoric coming from the White House, it is far from clear how it intends to proceed in Venezuela. New president, old policy? There appears to be disagreement within the administration to the extent there is detailed discussion at all on how to turn the presidents self-image of hemispheric emperor into a plan of action. Until that happens, what Trump has done in Venezuela is arguably not out of line with what the US has done around the world, but particularly in the Americas, when it was supposed to be abiding by the post-1945 rules-based order. Some argue that, as seen from the global south, US imperialism has remained a constant, and that all Trump has done is to drop the mask of hypocrisy. The idea that this is new is ridiculous, said Kehinde Andrews, a professor of black studies at Birmingham City University in the UK and the author of The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World. The US has been doing this all along, but the only difference here is its just brazen. Theres nothing new about this at all. This is what the west does; Trumps just honest about it. I actually find it refreshing to be honest. Andrews added that if Trump carried out his threat to seize Greenland, directing his imperialist appetites towards another western state and thereby crippling Nato, it would mark a significant break with the past. But for that same reason, he doubted it would happen. If it was a black or brown place, it would have happened already, Andrews said. Daniel Immerwahr, a historian and humanities professor at Northwestern University in Illinois, and the author of How to Hide an Empire, agreed that the US empire never really ended. He pointed out that the US still owns five permanently inhabited territories Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa and maintains 750 military bases around the world. On the other hand, Immerwahr argued that, for all the US hypocrisy and double standards under the rule-based international order, it remained markedly different to the imperial era. The notion that as the US got more powerful it would grow larger that was largely broken by the end of world war two, Immerwahr said. While the liberal international order did not stop invasions and wars, it is also true that the post-1945 era has seen far more decolonisation than imperial expansion, in terms of territory. And that has helped bring down war deaths enormously, he said. The left has historically condemned the post-1945 global order because it baked in western advantage, but the more extreme elements of the right have despised it because it involved surrendering colonial assets, and helping old adversaries recover from the war. Trump spent much of his career as a property developer railing against Japanese competition, an antipathy he has since broadened to China. Much of his rhetoric over Venezuela and other would-be imperial targets revolves around reclaiming assets, such as oil industry infrastructure, that had been stolen from the US. So in Trumps view, making America truly great again inevitably demands a return to expansion. Putin and Xi are bent on making Russia and China great again, for similar motives. Potential clash of empires The US seizure this week of an oil tanker, the Marinera, despite the fact it was Russian flagged and escorted by a Russian submarine, brought into urgent focus the question of whether, and for how long, the ambitions of the three superpowers can be reconciled without major conflict. There can be really rather a protracted period of time in which empires can coexist, Nathalie Tocci, the director of Italys Institute of International Affairs, said. Its not as if Trump is saying: I want to be the only empire; Trump is basically signalling and acting as if hes absolutely fine with Russia and China being empires. In the short to medium term, I would say that the greater risk is not the empires clashing with one another, but the subjugation of the colonies, she said. Putin and Xi would certainly be content with a world sliced into spheres of influence. During the first Trump administration, Russia informally floated the idea that the US could have a free hand in Venezuela in exchange for Russia holding sway over Ukraine in its sphere of influence. Fiona Hill, who at the time was serving in the Trump White House as the national security council director for Russian and European affairs, said: The Russians were trying it on. It was all vague and a matter of hint-hint, wink-wink, saying: Lets talk about the Monroe doctrine, and then giving a meaningful look. Hill said the first Trump administration rejected the suggestion of any such deal, but she acknowledged that the presidents views on empire had clearly evolved. I remember actually telling people before that he was a real estate mogul. He didnt want to own your country, just put up his buildings on it, she said. But I suppose its a quick jump for him from real estate to state acquisition, and thats what we werent anticipating before. Hill is not confident that the three great revanchist empires can stay out of each others way. In his newly whetted appetite for US expansionism, Trump has reserved the right to act far beyond his hemisphere, bombing Iran or even running Gaza. Hes saying: Hands off and keep away from the western hemisphere, but hes not necessarily going to leave China unchecked in the Asia-Pacific, Hill said. The US is still supposed to be an Asian-Pacific power, and part of the western hemisphere is in the Pacific. This world is much more complex now, she added. Its all very fragile, especially because we dont know what mistakes hes going to make. Domestic considerations Trumps imperial impulses may be constrained, to some extent, by US politics. Post-Venezuela polling suggested that large majorities, among Democrats and Republicans alike, were opposed to any long-term involvement in the country. However, Trumps Maga base was thrilled by the success of the operation, and his long-sagging popularity gained a minor bump. For a president seeking to distract from an intractable affordability crisis at home and the looming threat of more child-trafficking revelations in the Epstein files, that may be enough to seek out other quick military spectacles abroad. With the guardrails of the old order demolished, Trumps US would be an ever more chaotic factor in the world, not coherent enough to be called an empire but imperial in the imposition of suffering by the strong on the weak. Writing in Mother Jones this week, the magazines Washington editor, David Corn, suggested that is the essence of the real Trump doctrine: Violence is ours to use, at home and abroad, to get what we want. What was the Monroe doctrine? The Trump administration has revived the 203-year-old Monroe doctrine, and made it the cornerstone of its newly aggressive policy in the Americas. The US national security strategy (NSS) published in November, stated that: After years of neglect, the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe doctrine to restore American pre-eminence in the western hemisphere. Trump himself has bandied the term about, characteristically adapting it to the Donroe doctrine, a play on his first name to emphasise his ownership of the idea. The original doctrine, put forward by President James Monroe in 1823, meant something quite different. He proposed that the recently established United States act as a guarantor against European imperialism in the region, declaring the nations of the American continents were not to be considered as subjects for future colonisation by any European powers. In 1904, however, the doctrine was updated by President Theodore Teddy Roosevelt to suit the enthusiasm for US colonialism at the time, in the aftermath of the Spanish-American war. The Roosevelt corollary bestowed international police power on Washington to intervene anywhere in the Americas where it perceived there to be chronic wrongdoing by a sovereign government. The NSS declares a new Trump corollary to the doctrine, marking a return to colonial appetites, and the presidents focus on natural resources. It states no outside power has the right to own or control strategically vital assets. The truth about how many drugs in the US come from Venezuela | Debunked U.S. president Donald Trump has claimed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was responsible for the overdose deaths of countless Americans, accusing him of trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the country. Those allegations were used in part to justify Maduros arrest by U.S. authorities on 3 January, following a series of U.S. military attacks on boats off Venezuelas coast that have killed more than 115 people since September. Maduro has since been charged with conspiracy offences and has pleaded not guilty, while his government condemned the operation in Caracas as an imperialist act. But do Trumps claims about the drug trade stack up? US Special Operations forces hit multiple narco boats off the Venezuelan coast in December (Donald Trump/Truth Social) Analysis by The Independent has examined how much cocaine and fentanyl is actually illegally imported into the United States from Venezuela. Does Venezuela produce Fentanyl? Illicit opioids, particularly Fentanyl, remain the primary drivers behind the epidemic of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. according to the U.S. governments 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment. However, Venezuela is not mentioned as a fentanyl producer in this assessment. Instead, Mexico is the dominant source of illicit fentanyl entering the United States, according to the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking. The government doesnt list fentanyl by country of manufacture the same way it does for other drugs, but it does identify Mexico as the primary source and also mentions Canada. Venezuela is not a place where Fentanyl is produced. Fentanyl is produced in Mexico for the U.S. market, Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies drug policy, told The Independent. It's produced in Canada for the Canadian market, and it's produced in China for shipments elsewhere, such as to Europe, she added. The Trump administration has obviously tried to make the Fentanyl justification very broad, including to pressure Canada and then to impose tariffs on Canada, Vanda Felbab-Brown said. The White House has been contacted for comment on this claim. Government estimates show that in 2024, about 22.7 kilograms of Canada-sourced fentanyl were seized at the U.S.Canada border, compared to 9,354 kilograms seized at the U.S.Mexico border. Criminology specialists test cocaine seized in Maracaibo, Zulia state, northwest of Venezuela (AFP/Getty) Does Venezuela produce cocaine? Cocaine is derived from coca leaves grown in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia and the manufacturing process takes place in remote jungle labs, according to the DEA. Venezuela is not mentioned in the DEAs 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment as a country where cocaine originates. U.S. government data shows 84 per cent of the cocaine seized by authorities in 2024 originated in Colombia. Peru and Bolivia are also mentioned as sources. However, experts note that some cocaine production does take place in Venezuela. There is some cultivation of coca in Venezuela that has increased in recent years as new cultivars of coca allow its cultivation in much lower altitudes with greater humidity than has traditionally been the case, but that production is still small, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. The vast majority of production takes place in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. Is Venezuela used to traffic cocaine? A Criminal Investigation Technical Agency (ATIC) agent carries a package with of cocaine next to two of the five Venezuelan and Colombian alleged drug traffickers from whom it was seized (AFP/Getty) According to U.S. estimates detailed by the United Nations, around 70% of cocaine leaves Colombia via the Pacific route. The DEA also says most cocaine entering the U.S. is trafficked through Mexico. Venezuela is a place where a lot of cocaine is exported to Europe and to the United States. It's not the sole place through which those exports, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. Despite repeated claims by Trump that Venezuela is a major source of drugs harming the U.S., data and expert assessments tell a different story: Venezuela is not a principal producer or trafficking country for cocaine or fentanyl destined for the United States. Certainly Trump believed that the counter-narcotics narrative would appeal to his base and would create both domestically and internationally a justification for removing Maduro from power, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. The Trump administration maintains that its actions are legally justified. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela, it is a narco-terror cartel, and Maduro, it is the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Kris Hopkins and Gurinder Singh Josan. Hope Unlimited provides grants to support community-led initiatives challenging far-right hate. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian (Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian) They are nursing their cups of tea on opposing sides of the table, and sit on opposing sides of the party political divide, but Gurinder Singh Josan and Kris Hopkins find common cause when it comes to the rise of populism, 1970s-style racism and community division and finding ways to resist it. Josan, 53, is a Labour MP; Hopkins, 62, a former Tory MP. Its bracing how different they are: different politics, different pasts, different manners, different modes of expression, everything is different, but on this issue at least they have ended up under the same banner Both are trustees of Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust, one of the Guardian 2025 appeals five partner charities. The appeal is raising funds for practical grassroots voluntary projects that build hope, tolerance and trust as an antidote to division, hatred and despair. Josans interest was sparked as a student at Royal Holloway, University of London in the 1990s. He was in the Labour club, and a member of the far-right British National party (BNP) had just started at the university as a fellow student. That was a major thing, says Josan. The UK representative of the Ku Klux Klan also lived in Egham, the university town. Josan became deeply embedded in Labour politics as a councillor in Sandwell in the West Midlands from the early 2000s. In 2024, he was elected MP for the newly created constituency of Smethwick. He has been Hope Unlimiteds chair of trustees formore than 10 years, and oversaw its recent revamp. Hopkinsspath to Hope Unlimited came via an altogether different route. He served in the army, became a Tory MP in the coalition government in 2010, and was a minister for local government before losing his seat in 2017, since which time he has been a special adviser and a political consultant gun-for-hire. His first encounter with racist extremism came 50 years ago. Id be 12 years of age, sat at the stop for the 702 Braithwaite bus, and there was me and a young Pakistani-heritage guy, and a group of white lads just abusing him. Ill be honest, I didnt even know what racism was. But the instinct sort of stepped in to say, fuck off or Ill smack you in the face. Hopkins was a member of Bradford council from 1998, the year after he joined the Conservative party. Like Josan, he believes passionately in the power of communities to resist the politics of division and hatred. They came by that belief, even while remaining loyal to their respective parties, by seeing what happens when people feel let down by politics. When mainstream parties stop doing what they should be doing, Josan says, referring to the surge of the BNP in the mid-2000s, stop representing the community, stop engaging, leave a vacuum, that makes it easy for populists to walk in. Youve got to create environments where people can develop relationships, understand and respect each other, Hopkins says. Parts of Bradford are predominantly Pakistani heritage. You go to the Worth Valley, where I live, its predominantly white, and theres very little interaction between the two. Hope Unlimited gives out grants to community projects, a little hub on the estate, as Josan describes them: Somewhere young people can get together, employment support can be provided, they might be running a food bank there, none of that can happen unless that facility exists. Everybodys struggling, and if that organisation goes, people end up with the dead end of nothing. If those places dont exist , theres nowhere to congregate in a crisis. Hopkins remembers 7/7, a devastating time for Bradford, perpetrators from not too far away, people from all communities were frightened. Hope Not Hate [the anti-racism group] brought together an event, maybe 10,000-strong, the police, the council, the NHS, the university, the third sector, but also, regular people. I wanted to go home and cuddle my daughter. People recognised that we had to go to one place. We wanted reassurance. You saw it in Southport [in 2024] Josan adds, the community came together very quickly, standing up and saying, were not having this, were not going to let this divide us. I genuinely believe that people are generally good. Keeping the faith involves an element of tact: Josan and Hopkins are resolute about accepting different views. Diversity comes in lots of different ways, Josan says, when I see people put flags on lamp-posts, I dont automatically assume, Oh, theyre racist. My constituency office has the union flag flying outside all year round, except St Georges Day, when we take it off for a St Georges flag. Black Country day, we put up the Black Country flag. We can let these symbols divide us, or we can let them bring us together. Politicians have a responsibility to address the reasons why people are angry, Hopkins says, But what we shouldnt be doing is giving away our values to people who have become angry. I go back to my party, and say, youve got to represent everybody. Youve got to look at the needs of people who arent throwing things. Josan sometimes asks at Labour party meetings, who is a school governor? Who volunteers? Who is a trustee? By the time he has finished, everyone has their hand up. Our communities are full of people who want to do the best for the people around them, says Josan. The strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike - US Central Command The US has carried out large-scale strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria. Action was take at around 12.30pm US eastern time (5.30pm UK) in response to an attack last month that left three Americans dead, according to US Central Command. It said in a post on X: These strikes are part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched and announced on 19 December, 2025, at the direction of President Trump, in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on US and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria, on 13 December, 2025. That ambush, carried out by an ISIS terrorist, resulted in the tragic deaths of two American soldiers and one US civilian interpreter. It added: Our message remains strong: if you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice. The statement did not make clear whether anyone was killed in the strikes. Mission preparations took place at US airbases in the Middle East - US Central Command The strikes took place after Donald Trump vowed very serious retaliation - US Central Command Grainy aerial video accompanying the post showed several separate explosions, apparently in rural areas. Capt Tim Hawkins, a US Central Command spokesman, said that more than 35 targets were struck, along with more than 90 precision munitions fired and more than 20 aircraft were involved in the strikes. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said: We will never forget, and never relent. Meanwhile, RAF Typhoons deployed guided bombs in a joint operation with the French air force targeting a suspected weapons stockpile previously used by Islamic State in Syria last weekend. The United States and Jordan carried out a round of strikes last month in response to the Palmyra attack, with the US saying at the time that more than 70 targets had been hit. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, later reported those strikes killed at least five IS members, including a cell leader. Utah public schools have banned Gregory Maguires 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, for good. The dark fantasy that reimagined author L. Frank Baums The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, from the wicked witchs perspective, is now among dozens of titles from the Utah State Board of Educations list of banned books. Wicked, along with Stephen Chboskys Perks of Being a Wallflower and Jodi Picoults Nineteen Minutes, was reportedly added to the statewide list on Monday. The move is in accordance wth Utahs Sensitive Materials Law. The law was originally passed in 2022 and amended in 2024 to identify and remove pornographic or indecent material. The novel was first removed in the Davis County, Tooele County and Washington County School Districts, local outlet KUTV reported. Since three school districts found the book to contain objective sensitive materials, it was banned statewide. Utah public schools have banned Gregory Maguires 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, for good (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images) Despite the popular Wicked films that are based on Maguires book being PG, the author admitted his novel is different from the movies and the Wicked Broadway show. He said his book is completely not for children, in a November 2024 MassLive interview. I purposefully put somewhat raunchy material in the first few pages of Wicked, the novel, to show what people were getting into. The Independent has reached out to Maguire and the Utah State Board of Education for comment. Utahs book bans have been challenged in court by some of the affected authors. Gregory Maguire previously admitted his novel is completely not for children (John Moore/Getty Images) The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah filed a lawsuit earlier this week on behalf of authors Elana K. Arnold, Ellen Hopkins and Amy Reed, as well as the estate of author Kurt Vonnegut, claiming the states book-banning efforts violate the First Amendment. The right to read and the right to free speech are inseparable. The First Amendment protects our freedom to read, learn, and share ideas free from unconstitutional censorship, Tom Ford, attorney at the ACLU of Utah, said in a statement. The banning of books is a nationwide issue, with the literary freedom advocacy group PEN America keeping tabs on book bans since at least 2021. According to the groups Index of School Book Bans for 2024 through 2025, there were more than 6,700 novels banned within school districts nationwide. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk insisted they intend to use the FA Cup to prove a point and will not under-estimate Barnsley. Arne Slots side earned a creditable goalless draw at Premier League leaders Arsenal on Thursday as they extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches. Most pundits had given them little chance of avoiding defeat at the Emirates as despite not losing since November the team have been far from convincing. But having enjoyed the better of the second half Van Dijk is keen for them to start rebuilding their reputation. I am really looking forward to the FA Cup, and the Champions League too, he said. There are still a lot of games to play and a lot of opportunities to go out and show why we are Liverpool and why we are the reigning champions. Any competition is important, but definitely the FA Cup is important. Barnsley will come to us on Monday and I am looking forward to that game. They will try everything in order to get through, and we have to be ready for a big fight and the chances to finish them off. The last time Barnsley went to Anfield, then as a Championship team in 2008, they stunned Liverpool with Brian Howard scoring a 90th-minute winner. The last time Barnsley visited Anfield Brian Howard scored the winner in an FA Cup tie (Peter Byrne/PA) (Peter Byrne) They return 17th in League One having lost four of their last six matches and the test for Slot will be not only to win but win convincingly after accepting their recent games have not been very exciting. The Dutchman was slightly puzzled as to why they received so much praise for the draw against Arsenal. I am a bit surprised that people think this is a good performance because when we have 60 or 70 per cent ball possession against other teams people find it boring and now it is a good performance, he said. But again we hardly created a chance and now we say, What a performance. This is who were are we can dominate possession, we know how to do build-up, but we struggle, obviously, in a few things. Set-pieces are one of them, dominating moments when we are in the final third, to find the right pass and the right execution, that is something that is still not at the level some other teams are and thats why we are working every single day. Liverpool head coach Arne Slot found praise of their goalless draw at Arsenal puzzling (John Walton/PA) (John Walton) Yes we did really well in ball possession but for me it wasnt that much different than playing Leeds at home or Fulham away, where we dominated ball possession as well. But then people are annoyed that these teams are not of the magnitude of Arsenal it is not good enough, which I completely agree on, by the way, because I want to see us creating more chances as well. Slot will hope to have striker Hugo Ekitike back after the France international missed the last two matches with a hamstring problem. Dr David Harris believes he lost his title over a rather dull academic examination of CRT - Jim Wileman A university professor claims he was stripped of his academic title after he critiqued critical race theory (CRT). Dr David Harris was professor emeritus at Plymouth Marjon University until last September when he was stripped of the title. Internal emails seen by The Telegraph show that university staff dismissed his research as controversial following the publication of his critique of the contested racial concept which claims racism is embedded in every structure in society. Dr Harris lost his emeritus professorship, a title given to him in 2011 when he retired from the university after 37 years of service, on the grounds that his tone in emails did not reflect the Marjon values. He is now demanding answers over whether his self-published 2024 criticism of CRT played a part in his dismissal by Professor Claire Taylor, the universitys vice-chancellor. This has been awful and they really must take research seriously, Dr Harris said. And they must learn to tolerate academics, even if they do disagree and produce controversial research. Theres nothing wrong with that. Its what academics do. Emails disclosed to Dr Harris in a subject access request (SAR) included one between two senior members of staff in April 2025 which said the vice-chancellor believed Dr Harriss research was controversial. The university said it does not comment on individual cases - Roy Perring/Alamy Stock Photo One of the staff members said the vice-chancellor had made it clear to me that the research he undertakes in the Marjon name is poor quality and often controversial. Dr Harris said he believes the remarks related to his critique of CRT, which was published the previous year. Maybe (the vice-chancellor) thinks this is a Right-wing Trumpist denunciation of critical race theory? he said. In fact, its a rather dull academic examination of the central arguments in critical race theory and whether they apply to Britain. Critical race theory has done some useful research, especially in the early days when they exposed a lot of serious omissions, especially in American law, which just neglected the issue of black people and their rights altogether. But it has overcommitted. It tends to find prejudice and things like microaggressions everywhere. So that stops it, I think, from investigating things particularly well. Formal complaint The Campaign for Academic Freedom (CAF) has written to the university demanding the return of the emeritus title to Dr Harris, saying it was removed without due process. The university also did not claim Dr Harris had breached the only ground for removal given when he received the emeritus title bringing the university into disrepute. Dr Harris said the rise of cancel culture in universities meant it was now very difficult for academics to investigate controversial subjects like CRT. I think its a lot easier if you are retired and emeritus, because lots of people who are still employed have reported getting into difficulty if they face controversial topics, and difficulty in getting funded to do them and in getting published, he said. The chain of events prior to Dr Harriss dismissal began in July 2024 when his university email and online library access stopped working. He was assured by Prof Taylor that the disruption did not affect his emeritus status, but in March last year a staff member at the universitys library mistakenly concluded his emeritus title had lapsed in 2015, meaning his access would not be restored. The academic then submitted a formal complaint to the university, which was investigated by human resources consultants BRHR. The firms probe concluded that Dr Harriss title had not been revoked in 2015 and that his perception of unfair treatment was understandable. Values and standards In August, Prof Taylor issued an apology for some of the communications his SAR had uncovered including the claim his research was controversial but said the university would not enter into further correspondence on the matters. When Dr Harris replied criticising a member of university staff for not having apologised for the scandalous suggestion that I ceased to be an emeritus professor in 2015, Prof Taylor said he had corresponded with the university in an unacceptable manner. I recognise that you may still feel wronged, and it is not our intention to dismiss your feelings, she wrote. However, I must also be clear that the tone and content of your recent communications have not been in line with the values and standards we expect from those that are affiliated with the University. The vice-chancellor added that she believed it sensible to draw the Universitys relationship with yourself to a conclusion. This letter therefore confirms the withdrawal of your emeritus professor status, she wrote. No investigation The CAF has now written to the university saying Dr Harriss dismissal was procedurally improper and that his emeritus status should be restored. Freddie Attenborough, research manager at the CAF, said: No investigation was conducted, no panel convened, and no recognisable process followed. The decision was inconsistent with the terms of Dr Harriss 2011 appointment and with the Universitys own prior confirmations of his status. The vice-chancellor should now remedy this by formally reinstating his emeritus title. A spokesman for the university said: Plymouth Marjon University recognises the contribution of all its emeritus professors, past and present. Decisions on emeritus status follow established policies, and the university is committed to academic freedom, free expression, and fair governance. We do not comment on individual cases. David Bowie filmed the video for Blackstar in September 2015, just four months before his death When the V&As record-breaking exhibition David Bowie Is opened in March 2013, Bowie was not to be found at the private view and dinner. But eventually, he, his wife Iman, their daughter, Lexi, and long-serving PA Coco Schwab headed to London and visited early on the morning of Sunday, July 7. They were given a private tour by one of the curators, Victoria Broackes, who would later say that Bowie was sincerely moved by the experience, and that he spent about an hour and a half wandering around, looking at his life spread out before him. On display were the best-known items from Bowies personal collection, such as the blue suit that he wore in the Life on Mars video, and his handwritten lyrics to Station to Station. But there was space for irreverence, too; including his cocaine spoon from the height of his drug period in the mid-1970s and a warm note from his birth twin Elvis Presley [both were born on January 8]. By the time he and his family left, there was a queue of 200 people waiting to be admitted when the exhibition opened, none of them with the slightest idea that, a few moments before, the subject of the show had been walking round the gallery. On the few occasions that Bowie did return to Britain late in life carefully choreographed trips that he undertook with the support of his long-standing tour manager, so as to minimise the potential for recognition or hassle he usually kept his movements low-key. It was therefore a surprise that Iman, in an interview with the Observer, casually disclosed that the family had visited London that summer. Bowie and his wife, Iman, in 1990 - Ron Galella Collection/Getty No one knew we were there! We flew in on the jet to Luton and every day we went and did different things and the press never knew. Its absurd, this idea that celebrities cant be anonymous. We even went on the London Eye. We queued separately, Lexi had a friend with her and they went with the bodyguard and then we all met on board. Bowie even took his daughter to revisit a specific aspect of his past. He took her to Brixton. They went and took a photo outside the house he grew up in. It is debatable as to when Bowie realised that the decline in his health was terminal. Received wisdom is that he was diagnosed with liver cancer in the summer of 2014 but that he did not realise it was inoperable until November 2015. This has been questioned by some well-placed figures in the Bowie camp, who have suggested that he knew his health was poor long before then but are reluctant to speak about this on record for fear of betraying confidences placed in them by those who are still around today. Yet what seems clear is that Bowies final visit to Britain had a valedictory quality to it. It is easy, in retrospect, to regard the period between the release of his first studio record in a decade, The Next Day (2013), and his final album, Blackstar (January 2016), as being one of Bowies most intensely active, despite or because of the impact of his diagnosis. Though he continued to keep a low profile in public, he was not above pieces of postmodern japery. When he was named best British male artist at the Brit Awards on February 19 2014, he did not appear at the event, but instead sent Kate Moss, dressed in Bowies original Ziggy Stardust costume, to read out a speech on his behalf as his representative on Earth. Noel Gallagher presented the award, saying, You maniacs didnt think David Bowie was actually going to be here? David Bowies too cool for that. He doesnt do this s---! Kate Moss, wearing the original Ziggy Stardust costume, collects an award on Bowies behalf from Noel Gallagher at the 2014 Brits - David M Benett/Getty After the usual whimsical platitudes, Moss then delivered a piece of provocation, in which Bowie, apparently randomly, weighed in on the then-pressing question of Scottish independence, when he declared, Scotland, stay with us. This unexpected intervention caused the then-prime minister and noted Bowie fan David Cameron, who was campaigning fervently against independence, to let out a little cry of joy. In any case, Bowie had other matters on his mind. He was intrigued by the idea of working on a piece of musical drama rather than simply a musical so, when he returned to London in the summer of 2013, he sought an audience with the theatrical impresario Robert Fox, with a view to exploring a new project: a show entitled Lazarus and based on The Man Who Fell to Earth, for which he would need a writer. Fox suggested Enda Walsh, who had achieved considerable early success with his 1996 play Disco Pigs and had also done a credible job of turning the popular film Once into a Tony Award-winning musical. Bowie was already familiar with Walshs work and when Fox introduced the two of them in New York, it was the beginning of what Walsh would call a year and a half of really wonderful, open collaboration. If Bowie had any health concerns, he hid them well. At this point, David seemed completely fine and in great shape, said Walsh. He was wonderful, inspiring company. The script was completed by the summer of 2014 and credited to both Walsh and Bowie. After hiring Henry Hey, who had played keyboards on The Next Day, as musical director, Bowie turned his attention away from Lazarus to recording new music. The four songs that he had written for the show were similar to the style that he had been working in on The Next Day, but he was also interested in a broader, more complex kind of composition. He contacted drummer Zachary Alford in spring 2014 to ask him if he would return to the studio with him and the two recorded some scratch demos. Still, something had changed. As Alford says: Just prior to that recording session, [Bowies regular producer] Tony Visconti had his 70th birthday party, so we were all there, but David seemed a little cranky. He was fine, but there was a weight on his shoulders [In the studio] I did notice a slight difference. He looked older than he was assumed to be. He was getting close to the end, but I still had no clue he was sick. I was still having difficulty divorcing myself from Davids past, because my dream would be to be on Station to Station. So I was trying to recreate that, and he was really, really trying to go in a new direction. And hearing what Blackstar ended up being, it was way different from my approach. There was a reason Bowie wished to switch styles and it came from his interest in the work of the jazz musician Maria Schneider, who performed Grammy-winning music with her eponymous orchestra. Bowie had flirted with jazz before on previous records; now, however, he wanted to try something wholly new and unexpected, and to transform his interest in jazz into his own album. Jazz musician Maria Schneider worked with Bowie on the song Sue - Frederick M Brown/Getty Bowie visited Schneider in the summer of 2014 to discuss a potential collaboration. Details of what he was after were initially unclear but as she said, David wanted dark and I went dark. Bowie recorded Sue with Schneiders jazz orchestra and Visconti at Avatar Studios on July 24 2014, the first new music he had recorded since The Next Day two years before. Those who spent a considerable amount of time around Bowie are notable for two things in particular: the affection in which they held and hold him, and their discretion about issues that he and his family would prefer not to be made public. His biographer Wendy Leigh told the BBC that physically, he didnt just battle cancer. If thats not enough, he had six heart attacks in recent years; she claimed that I got this from somebody very close to him. The photographer Mick Rock, who worked on a 2002 account of Bowies Ziggy career with him, Moonage Daydream, said: I knew about the strokes, and I knew there had been a complication and he had to go back in [to the hospital], but I didnt know he was as ill as he was. And one member of the Bowie circle told me, under condition of anonymity: There were problems going on for the last 10 years before he died, and those problems were quite severe at times. On at least one occasion, he was lucky to survive, and that was a few years before he died. Bowie undoubtedly knew that he was ill by the time he came to record Sue, but rather than his condition leading him to retreat from the industry, as he had done in 2004 after a heart attack, he was now galvanised into producing another record. He contacted several of the musicians who had played on Sue, including jazz guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Donny McCaslin, and asked whether they would be interested in recording a new album with him in early 2015 (Schneider was unavailable). Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust tour, circa 1972 - MediaPunch Inc/Alamy Unbeknown to the musicians, Bowie had started to undergo chemotherapy and broke the news to Visconti in early January by taking off his cap to reveal his newly bald head. There were days he couldnt come in, said the producer, but when he got in front of the microphone, he sang his balls off. Id never seen him happier. He told the musicians that he was unwell, but no further details were forthcoming; it was a private matter, for a deeply private man, and respected as such. Stringent NDAs [non-discolure agreements] ensured that nothing would be leaked into the public domain. The time in the studio was undeniably intense and focused, but according to those who worked with Bowie, there was no clear sign of ill health. I was the only one in the room that had no idea that he was sick, says Monder. I thought he looked great. I thought this guy was super-healthy for someone who had had a heart attack 10 years prior. Bowie was relaxed and humorous, but when it came to work, he was the consummate professional. It was amazing to see how focused he was when he was singing, said McCaslin. He was completely on point. Monder echoes this, saying: He was really open to everyones input. He had a clear idea of what he wanted, and the material dictated a specific approach because it was idiosyncratic, but there was a lot of room within it for interpretation. Bowie himself was really enthusiastic and that was infectious. He was very excited to be making a record again and super-positive. And he enjoyed himself, albeit with black humour to the forefront. He sent McCaslin one email saying: I havent had this much fun since my heart attack. All the music and vocals were recorded by May, and under normal circumstances, Bowie would have been allowed a rest. His cancer had briefly gone into remission Dont celebrate too quickly, he warned Visconti but it was now time to move on to the second major project of the year, in the form of Lazarus. While any show that had Bowies imprimatur upon it could easily have been a sell-out Broadway triumph, the decision had long been made not to stage it at a large theatre, but instead at the 199-seater New York Theatre Workshop, before a London opening. Before rehearsals began, Bowie headed to Brooklyn to film the video for the title track of Blackstar with the director Johan Renck. He had previously confided in Renck, saying, I have to tell you something. I have to tell you that Im very ill and that Im probably going to die. To Rencks astonishment, he clarified this by saying, I feel I have to tell you this because Im not sure I will be around to be in the video. As Renck later said, He wanted death to be a third collaborator in this video. He wanted death to be there as a presence in terms of formulating all the ideas and lying as a middle instigator for all his thoughts. A portrait of the star in 1976 - Michael Ochs Archives/Getty The video for Blackstar not only featured a dead astronaut the final hurrah of Major Tom but was rich in strange, disturbing imagery, not least a now grey-haired, drawn-looking Bowie portraying the final persona he would take on in his career: an Aleister Crowley-esque warped messiah. It was released on November 19 and greeted with enthusiasm that was only mildly tempered with bewilderment. Between filming the video for Blackstar in September and its release, Bowie was as involved as his health allowed in the rehearsals for Lazarus, which took place from early October until the show opened on December 7. Shortly before earlier workshops of the play could begin, Bowies health meant that he would be unable to be with director Ivo van Hove and the creative team in person, necessitating the disclosure of his illness. As the director explained, He was on Skype and he was clearly sick. Then he told us. I was blown away. I dont think I uttered two words because it was totally unexpected. But did it influence the work? No. Because I felt from the first time I met him that this project was for him very urgent and very important. Of course, it then became even more urgent to tell that story, to finish it, hopefully with him alive. When he was well enough to attend rehearsals, Bowie was a vital, supportive and generous presence, enthusiastic and excited about the show and how it would be received. Comprehensive feedback was offered, and welcomed, but only ever sent after the days work. A particular highlight came one day after a run-through when Hey anxiously asked, Is everything OK? Would you like anything else? Yes, replied Bowie. I think Id like to sing. For the final time in public, Bowie performed a song, launching into Lazarus along with Hey and his band. It would be the only time that he ever sang any of the music from The Next Day or Blackstar outside the studio. Yet the remission that had granted him a few extra months of vitality was soon to come to an end. In early November, he was told by his doctors that his cancer was terminal and that they were withdrawing all treatment, save for palliative care. Rather than giving in to despair, Bowie remained a dedicated professional and filmed another video with Renck, this time for the song Lazarus. A disturbing watch: the video for Lazarus It was shot in Brooklyn, where Blackstar had been filmed, and although the shoot was inevitably exhausting for its ailing star, he was utterly committed to perfecting what would be the final visual accompaniment he would leave to his music. It would eventually be released on January 7 2016: the day before the Blackstar album and three days before Bowie died. It is undeniably a disturbing watch. As Renck remarked, the final shots were improvised on the day. Little did I know how extraordinarily powerful this was, to end the last video he ever did by him going into his own f------ coffin and closing the door and disappearing, for all eternity. Yet even in extremis, Bowie retained his sense of humour. When the implications of this once famously bisexual man eschewing life and love alike became clear, Bowie giggled and said, Yeah, look, David Bowie has come back into the closet! F--- yeah, weve got to do that. Lets do that right away. Even at the very end of things, Renck observed, he would have a laugh and he would be audacious. He was far less of a presence at Lazarus rehearsals, although no formal announcement needed to be made. As van Hove said, No one from the cast knew anything because he only came when he was feeling well. But I could see, when he looked at me, in his eyes there was really a troubled man, anxious about dying and also about leaving a family behind. You could see a heartbroken man in his eyes, if you knew it. Preview performances for Lazarus began on November 18, nearly three weeks before opening night. But it was unclear whether the rapidly ailing creator would survive until the first night. In the end, a grey-haired, gaunt Bowie was able to attend the shows premiere on December 7 the first time that he had publicly supported his own work in years and the last time that he would ever be seen in public. Bowie attended the Lazarus premiere on December 7 2015; his last appearance in public - Price/Face to Face Getting to this stage had been hard. Robert Fox noted: The work was great and working with him was wonderful, but it wasnt great that he wasnt well. It was not good at all. Some days he just wasnt able to be around, but whenever he could be, it [his cancer] didnt interfere with his contribution. It was just horrible for him, rather than difficult for us. He was photographed by hordes of fans and paparazzi, and managed to make it on stage at the curtain call, to tumultuous applause, but the strain exhausted him. He had to recover his strength backstage before van Hove helped him to his nearby car. I somehow knew it was the last time I would see him, said the director. When Bowie left the New York Theatre Workshop that day, he had a little more than a month to live. He spent the final weeks that he was able to work undertaking as much activity as he could manage; Visconti suggested that he was urgently demoing five new songs. I thought, and he thought, that hed have a few more months. So the end mustve been very rapid. Blackstar had originally been intended to be released on October 30 2015, shortly before Lazarus opened, but it had been impossible to film his final video before November because of rehearsal commitments, to say nothing of his ill health, and so a delayed release date of January 8 2016 his 69th birthday was decided upon. Bowie was not able to follow the critical and popular reaction to Blackstar. Nevertheless, he, and those around him, knew he had produced something beautiful, strange and unique. In one of his final emails to his record company, Sony, he modestly described it as not bad for an old rocker. As he realised, to his reluctance, that it would be his final album, he began to take stock. Bidding farewell to his most beloved collaborators became his priority. Performing at Glastonbury in 2000 - Hayley Madden/Redferns His publicist, Alan Edwards, visited him for the final time in late 2015, at Electric Lady Studios, where his client was watching The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and observed that he looked tired and thin, but this was in no way unusual. They listened to Blackstar, swapped stories and there was no business discussed. At the end, Bowie and Edwards embraced. Bowie wrote a warm, irreverent email to Brian Eno, alternating between in-jokes and proud summation of their peerless artistic achievements. He ended it with, Thank you for our good times, Brian. They will never rot, before signing off Dawn. As Eno later said, I realise now he was saying goodbye. Mike Garson, his keyboard player and longest-standing lieutenant, received a similar note, saying, Mike, we did an incredible body of work together, which led the musician to remark to his wife, presciently, Im not going to hear from him again. He was proved correct. There were others who received similarly cryptic messages, but the idea was not to make a grand farewell statement of any kind. Blackstar, after all, would become his final artistic legacy. Bowie, circa 1972: his legacy lives on - Ian Dickson When it was released on January 8, it received unanimous praise, tempered only occasionally with the faint suspicion that Bowie was being obscure for obscuritys sake. But, as Visconti put it, I think he thought if he was going to die, this would be a great way to go. This would be a great statement to make. The producer also suggested, perhaps giddily: I think Blackstar is his best album, his magnum opus He just got better and better. Blackstar was released in a strange year for the music industry. Four major figures died in 2016 the others were Leonard Cohen, George Michael and Prince and when the record found its appropriate place in the album of the year pantheon, it was jostling against Cohens similarly mortality-fixated swansong, You Want It Darker, and Nick Caves deeply affecting collection of songs, Skeleton Tree. Blackstar will always be remembered, fairly or otherwise, as its creators death album. If Bowie had been healthy enough to witness its release, he would undoubtedly have been both thrilled and amused by the reaction. However, it was precisely because of his terminal illness that the album takes the form it does. When he died at home in downtown New York on January 10, he could at least have known that his corporeal body may have expired, but, as he anticipated on the title track of his final album: Something happened on the day he died / Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside. David Robert Jones David Bowie was no more. But the spirit that found its final flowering in his defiant, remarkable farewell to the world was about to receive the acknowledgement and boundless love that it, and he, had always merited. His legacy would live on, as long as the art form that he had so excelled in lasted. Extracted from Lazarus: The Second Coming of David Bowie by Alexander Larman (New Modern, 25), which is out on New Years Day The LKAB iron ore mine at Kiruna in Sweden is close to one of Europes largest-known deposits of rare earths. Photograph: ED Torial/Alamy (Photograph: ED Torial/Alamy) It is deep winter with temperatures dropping to -20C. The sun never rises above the horizon, instead bathing Swedens most northerly town of Kiruna in a blue crepuscular light, or civil twilight as it is known, for two or three hours a day stretching visibility a few metres, notwithstanding heavy snow. But 900 metres below the arctic conditions, a team of 20 gather every day, forgoing the brief glimpse of natural light and spearheading the EUs race to mine its own rare earths. Despite identification of several deposits around the continent, and some rare earth refineries including Solvay in France, there are no operational rare earth mines in Europe. Across the globe, the scramble for rare earths has become the source of huge geopolitical tension, with China accused last year by the EU of weaponising its near monopoly on raw materials and end products, essential for everything from smartphones, to electric cars, to fridges, music speakers and military jets. Chinas willingness to slap export bans on rare earths led to the vicious trade war with Donald Trump last year and is partly driving his current bid to take over Greenland, which is rich in these materials, now among the most precious in the world. Every day the team at LKAB mine in Kiruna drive 4km (2.5 miles) down an impressive network of tunnels to get closer to what is known as the Per Geijer deposit of magnetite-hematite-phosphate named after the Swedish geologist who identified it more than 100 years ago. The team are now operating at two levels 900m and 1.3km deep underground as they try to connect the existing vast iron ore mine in Kiruna with Per Geijer about 2km away. Using remote technology they drill a fan of 84 holes in the rock face; pump them with explosives which are then blasted between 1.15am and 1.45am every night, sometimes disturbing the inhabitants overground, and causing subsidence that has led to the state-owned compamy moving parts of the town and its church. Less than four hours later the team are back. At 5am in the morning, when we have ventilated out the blasting fumes, we start the mucking out, says 37-year-old Kiruna native Jim Lidstrom, who leads the tunnelling to what is one of Europes largest deposits of rare earths. Once cleared, a separate team of men and women, sitting in a modern console centre 1.3k below ground, scale the rock, remotely controlling machines that break the detritus into transportable chunks for onward transport to a driverless train. Lidstroms team then set about making the tunnel stable and usable, drilling bolts into the freshly made walls and then spraying it with a layer of concrete or shotcrete before the whole process starts all over again. We do about five metres a day, Lidstrom says. The hunt for rare earths is slow. The 17 rare earth elements all found in Kiruna include neodymium and praseodymium, critical materials for the powerful permanent magnets needed for everything from electric cars to household appliances and military jets. Although geological surveys show large ore bodies across the west including the Fen complex in Norway, thought to be Europes largest deposit from mine to refined end production could take 10 to 15 years, say experts. I think people often miss the point. They say why dont we just produce rare earths in Europe?. But you have to have the entire supply chain to do that, says Nigel Steward, a professor at Imperial College London, a materials scientist and a former executive in the US mining industry. The experience in Kiruna shows just how challenging it is to reduce the EUs dependency on China, which is now the core supplier of rare earth magnets and willing to choke supplies, as it did last year, if politically desirable. State-owned LKAB is now trying to accelerate the process of mining, extraction, and separation of the crumbs from the ore, to help the EU de-risk as quickly as possible. Jan Mostrom, the chief executive of LKAB, explains that it could take years and years if the company tried to expose the entire length of the Per Geijer deposit for mining purposes. But that is not what we are going to do. What we are going to do is to open up incrementally, he says. He refuses to give a timeline because of its sensitivity, instead explaining the complex task ahead in the vast network of tunnels circling the deposit. The main focus for us now in the Kiruna system is to find a mine design to deal with the mining of the present reserves down to the main level, at 1,365 metres , then to work out how we go beneath that and develop that resource into reserves, and also how to connect the Per Geijer deposit into the [existing iron ore mining] system. We will start to develop it incrementally, and that is the huge difference [from previous approaches], he says. For Mostrom, who has spent his career in mines, the last 11 with LKAB, the stranglehold Beijing has built in rare earths was no accident, and something he has been pressing home in Brussels repeatedly. As the US and Europe started to regulate against toxic waste in the 1980s, China, which had none of the environmental concerns, ploughed on, charring the landscape as it went, building a chokehold on raw materials now critical for modern life. Ive been talking in Brussels the past two or three years about the huge disadvantages we created in the 1970s and the 1980s when we closed the mining industry and started importing metals from South America, Africa, Australia, he says. Asked why it has taken the EU so long to wake up to the dangers of dependency on Chinas rare earth supply, he is blunt: Politicians will never be more courageous than the voters. Nobody saw any future in mining, then the super-cycle started and China started to consume enormous volumes of metals, he says referring to the boom at the turn of the century when China drove a huge commodities boom on the back of urbanisation. I have the perception that the European Commission, the commissioners, really understand the importance of domestic mining and some sort of self-sufficiency, Mostrom says. As part of the acceleration efforts, LKAB has put 80m (69m) into a new demonstration plant in the nearest iron ore hub port, in Lulea, to test the process of separation before mining even begins. It has also taken a stake in the Norwegian company REEtec to develop an environmentally friendly way of refining the extract. Contrary to what the name suggests, rare earths a group of 17 soft metals with unique properties such as strong magnetismor high temperature resistance are not rare. Speckled like crumbs in the earths crust, the tag rare stuck because of the difficulty accessing them, mining them, and separating them from the ore in which they are found, a process that can take a decade. LKAB has already been visited by a line of Brussels dignitaries, including industry commissioner Stephane Sejourne in September, because is represents the EUs best current hope of weaning itself of a dependency on Chinese supplies that has left Europe vulnerable to increasing geopolitical tensions. Despite the rhetoric in Brussels, London and Washington over the need to wean industries off China, Beijing will hold the rare earth cards for years to come. Right now China controls 85% of the final processing of light rare earths and it control 100% of the heavy rare earths, says Darren Wilson, the chief executive of LKABs industrial minerals division. According to senior European Commission officials in December the EU uses 20,000 tonnes of permanent magnets, a year of which 17,000 to 18,000 come from China, creating an unbalanced and high-risk trade relationship. Last April, in retaliation against Trumps reciprocal tariffs, China imposed global export restrictions on rare earths, hitting Europes car industry. It threatened to impose more restrictions in October, until a 12-month truce was agreed with Trump at in Korea the same month. As George Riddell, a senior adviser at Flint Global and a trade expert, says: China has not just got the capacity to weaponise its trade but shown it has the willingness to do so. All hopes rest on LKAB now being the first to reduce the EUs reliance on China, with a pre-existing highly developed mining operation employing about 2,000 workers directly and double that indirectly. Magnetic appeal: what are permanent magnets? Magnetic properties of some metals were discovered by the Greeks 4,000 years ago. Permanent magnets, found in speakers, headphones, toys, cars and military equipment are typically manufactured from a neodymium-iron-boron alloy. The process begins by melting suitable raw materials, placing them into a mould that is then chilled, resulting in a powder. All the particles have then to align in the right direction to create a powerful magnetic force. The powder is sintered in a furnace, bonding the particles together into a mass that is then cut for final use. Permanent magnets were developed in the research department of the General Motors Company in the US and by the Japanese materials scientist Masato Sagawa in the 1980s. But making these powerful magnets generates radioactive byproducts that can contaminate water and soil. As the west introduced environmental regulations in the 1980s, US rare earth suppliers started exporting their product to China because they were willing to process it, says Imperial College Londons Steward. GM is now working with Mountain Pass, the only operational rare earth mine in the US, which is thought to be about two years away from producing products for the American market. There is no reason why we cant remake magnets. They were our inventions, in the west. That is the crazy thing, Steward says. Labour have been told to ban Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - Hossein Beris/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to block any attempt by leaders of Irans regime to seek asylum in the UK. Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, said the countrys rulers and senior officials must be barred from fleeing to Britain, should they be swept from power by protesters. Pressure is growing on Labour to ban Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the wake of the widespread protests across the country. Mrs Badenoch has written to the Prime Minister calling on him to use articles under the UN Refugee Convention to refuse asylum to members of the regime and to instruct Border Force and other agencies to be on their guard for any attempt by them to flee here. She wrote: For decades, the mullahs in Tehran have led a terrible regime which has made the lives of countless Iranians miserable. Within Iran, people have been harassed, tortured, imprisoned and executed. Beyond its borders, from the Middle East to Argentina, the Iranian regime has fomented terror murdering Jews and destabilising whole regions. Iranians protest in Tehran on Friday - UGC via AP Even here in Britain, Iran poses a very significant threat and, according to our security services, has sought to carry out multiple assassination attempts. The very people who have been central to sustaining this Islamist regime may now seek to escape and claim asylum in the UK along with their families. They cannot be allowed to do so. It would be a moral outrage were that to happen, and their presence would pose a risk to our national security. Cross-party calls for the IRGC to be proscribed have increased as thousands of Iranians take to the streets demanding political change. Irans supreme leader has placed the countrys security services on their highest state of alert as protests threatened to topple the regime. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the IRGC which has more than 190,000 active personnel and operates its own ground forces, navy and air force to take control of the crackdown amid fears of defections by the regular armed forces and police. More than 50 Iranians, including nine children, have been killed during two weeks of demonstrations against the countrys collapsing economy and continued repression by the regime. Politicians have said a ban on the IRGC operating in Britain is long overdue and must be implemented now by the Labour Government to show solidarity with the protesters. Lord Walney, a crossbench peer and former independent government adviser on political violence and disruption, said: This is the moment for the UK to act decisively and fully proscribe the Ayatollahs pernicious terror squad that is responsible for exporting so much violence across the world. It is understood that Yvette Cooper was privately pushing for this in her role as home secretary, like her predecessors, so she is in the ideal position to follow through now she has moved to the Foreign Office, the department which has long advocated appeasing the regime. Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said: As the situation in Iran develops at pace and the regime grows more desperate, the UK Government must do more to ensure Irans autocratic rulers cannot endanger British interests. There are numerous organisations affiliated to the regime that are active in Britain such as the Islamic Centre of England that the Government must shut down immediately. And ministers must look seriously at the activities of the IRGC in Iran itself and around the world, including how it has put British citizens at risk on our own soil. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, told a rally in London on Saturday: Back in 2015, President Obama, the European Union, the British Foreign Office and then later on Boris Johnson and all the rest, did a deal with this appalling, evil, regime thats been there 50 years and thats continued their theocratic, appalling, barbarous rule. I want to say to those brave men and women out there on the streets of Tehran and elsewhere fighting to get back their liberties: long live the revolution. I pray for the Persian people. Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, said: Reform will proscribe the IRGC and ban the Muslim Brotherhood. Both Tories and Labour have feebly kowtowed to Foreign Office cowardice. Strong, clear leadership is required. These are extremist terror groups who wish us harm. Protesters set alight a building in defiance of the regime. The demonstrations were triggered by anger over the Irans failing economy Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader, said: Our hearts go out to those in Iran who are bravely protesting against a brutal regime that executes protesters, tortures and brutalises its own citizens, and supports terrorist groups around the world. It is time for the UK Government to show its support by proscribing the IRGC, who are responsible for so much of this violence and destruction. Luke Akehurst, a Labour MP, told The Telegraph: The need to find some mechanism to proscribe this vile organisation, the IRGC, has been urgent for years, but is even more essential at this inflection point where the IRGC is all that stands between the Iranian people and freedom and democracy. Protesters will gather outside Downing Street on Sunday in a show of support for the Iranian peoples fight for freedom, calling for the IRGC to be proscribed under UK law and for Iranian-British residents to be protected from intimidation. Organisers of the protest said on Saturday: Sir Keir Starmer understands better than most what it means to defend human rights under the law. As a former human rights lawyer, he knows that silence in the face of repression is not neutrality. We are calling on him to stand with the Iranian people and to ensure that those who threaten lives and freedoms, whether inside Iran or here in Britain, are held to account. Democracy campaigners say that for more than 43 years, the IRGC has been responsible for plotting global terrorist attacks, hostage-taking and other offences on foreign soil including in Europe and the UK as well as human-rights violations in Iran. A structure burns in the city of Ahwaz after the protests spread from Tehran - MEK/The Media Express/SIPA/Shutterstock Lord Austin, an independent and former Labour MP for Dudley North, said: As we once again see the IRGC brutally crack down on peaceful protesters demanding freedom in Iran, the Government must urgently bring forward proposals to ban this terror army as pledged in Labours manifesto. Not content with persecuting the Iranian people, the IRGC has been responsible for kidnapping British citizens, sponsoring terrorism across the Middle East, Europe and here in the UK, and developing nuclear weapons that present an existential threat to our ally Israel. Martyn Day, the SNP MP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, said: Across Iran, people are risking their lives for freedom and democracy. Iranians want a democratic republic, not dictatorship. No return to monarchy, no continuation of clerical rule. The UK should act now and proscribe the IRGC. Sir Tony Blairs Institute for Global Change has long pressed ministers to introduce a ban on the IRGCs ability to operate in Britain. It has previously stated: Formally banning or proscribing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation will send a clear message to the clerical regime in Iran that the terrorism and militancy pursued through the Guard, including on UK soil, will not be tolerated. Proscription entails a six-month jail sentence for displaying support for the terrorist group and up to 14 years in prison for being a member or recruiting people to it. Successive governments have resisted proscribing the IRGC as a terrorist group because of concerns over the impact on diplomatic relations with Iran and the legal complexities involved in doing so. In May last year, Jonathan Hall, the Governments independent adviser on terrorism law, set out a new legal framework for how the IRGC could be proscribed as a state-linked group. Mr Hall said the IRGC would not be treated like a terrorist group such as Hamas or al-Qaeda under the Terrorism Act, but would instead be covered by a new proscription-like designation to deter people from helping it. His review was published after five Iranian men were arrested in connection with a suspected plot to mount a terror attack on the Israeli embassy in London. Following Mr Halls report, the then home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the Government would draw up new legislation allowing the IRGC and other state actors to be banned. She said the Government would create a new power of proscription stronger than the current National Security Act powers in allowing us to restrict the activity and operations of foreign state-backed organisations in the UK, including new criminal offences. Now Foreign Secretary, Ms Cooper told the Sunday Times: It takes real courage to speak up in an authoritarian system, especially for young women, but it should not require courage just to make your voice heard. These are fundamental rights - free speech, peaceful assembly - and the exercise of those rights should never come with the threat of violence or reprisals. That is why the UK, France and Germany made the statement we did, and we urge the Iranian authorities to listen. Officials said that Border Force did not have legal powers to block asylum claims before they were processed by UK Visas and Immigration. They added that all illegal arrivals were subject to security checks, including the checking of biometric data against criminal databases. A government spokesman said: We are deeply concerned by reports of violence against protesters in Iran who are exercising their legitimate right to peaceful protest, and are monitoring the situation closely. Irans actions at home and abroad pose a serious threat to regional stability and this Government will not tolerate hostile state activity or threats to national security. Thats why we have imposed sanctions on hundreds of individuals linked to the regime, preventing their entry and residence in the UK. Border Force carry out rigorous security checks to swiftly stop anyone entering the UK illegally and existing laws already block anyone who raises national security concerns from being granted asylum in this country. British commandos training in the Arctic. Military chiefs are drawing up plans for a possible Nato mission to Greenland - Lee Blease/Royal Navy Downing Street is in talks with European allies about deploying a military force to Greenland that would guard the Arctic for Donald Trump. Military chiefs are drawing up plans for a possible Nato mission on the island, which the US president has threatened to seize for security reasons. British officials have met with counterparts from countries including Germany and France in recent days to start the preparations. The plans, still at an early stage, could involve British soldiers, warships and planes being deployed to protect Greenland from Russia and China. European nations hope that significantly stepping up their presence in the Arctic would persuade Mr Trump to abandon his ambition to annex the strategic island. It would allow him to claim a victory for American taxpayers by arguing that Europe was paying more of the cost of policing the Atlantic. Mr Trump has threatened to take ownership of Greenland through the use of force. It is a self-governed island but is territorially part of Denmark, a Nato member. He has cited concerns that Moscow or Beijing will seize the island if he does not, insisting that were not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. Greenland is also rich in natural resources, including copper, nickel, and rare earth minerals crucial for powering modern technology. Government sources said Sir Keir Starmer took the threat from Russia and China in the area extremely seriously and agreed that action must be taken. Sir Keir Starmer agreed that action must be taken to protect Western interests in the Arctic, government sources said - Kin Cheung/Reuters We share President Trumps view Russias growing aggression in the High North must be deterred, and Euro-Atlantic security strengthened, one told The Telegraph. Nato discussions on reinforcing security in the region continue, and we would never get ahead of those, but the UK is working with Nato allies to drive efforts to bolster Arctic deterrence and defence. The UK will continue to work with allies as we always have on operations in our national interest, protecting people back at home. Mr Trump has floated the idea of effectively buying the territory by offering each of its 30,000 citizens up to $100,000 to switch allegiance to the US. He has also not ruled out using military force to take the island, insisting that we are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not. His pursuit of the territory has plunged Nato into crisis and prompted speculation that the 75-year-old alliance could fall apart. b' ' European countries are hoping to pull Mr Trump back from the brink by offering to station a military force on the island. The idea was discussed at a meeting of Nato allies in Brussels on Thursday. Members instructed the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the alliances military headquarters in Belgium, to determine what more could be done to secure the Arctic. Sources told The Telegraph that the potential operation was in the early planning stages. It could be a full-blown troop deployment or a combination of time-limited exercises, intelligence sharing, capability development and rerouted defence spending. Any operation would likely be carried out under Natos banner and would be separate from existing missions in the Baltic and Poland. British officials said the Armed Forces were already preparing for a greater role in Arctic security. Preparations include commandos and Royal Navy ships taking part in last years Exercise Joint Viking, a joint Nato drill in Norways sub-zero temperatures. This year, 1,500 Royal Marines will also deploy to Norway, Finland and Sweden for Exercise Cold Response, a training mission on defending frozen terrain. A Nato mission to Greenland could involve a full-blown troop deployment or time-limited exercises - Heathcliff O'Malley for the Telegraph The Telegraph also understands the European Union is drawing up plans for sanctions on US companies should Mr Trump reject the offer of a Nato deployment. Technology giants such as Meta, Google, Microsoft and X could be restricted from operating on the Continent, as could American banks and financial firms. A more extreme option could be to evict the US military from its bases in Europe, denying it a key staging post for operations in the Middle East and elsewhere. Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, is set to meet his Danish counterpart next week, with European officials hoping he can act as a moderating influence on Mr Trump. Analysts said the presidents actions were typical of his negotiating strategy, which involves making maximalist demands to extract money from other countries. Examples include his threat to impose massive tariffs on European pharmaceuticals but exempting countries, including Britain, that agreed to pay more for US drugs. In recent months, the White House has also suggested that it wants Japan to pay more towards covering the cost of the 55,000 American troops based there. Donald Trump has said the US will take action on Greenland whether they like it or not - Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Justin Crump, the chief executive of risk analysis firm Sibylline, said Mr Trump was likely weighing the unity and resolve of European nations over Greenland. He said allies could call Trumps bluff by proposing a Nato force in Greenland, suggesting security wasnt the presidents real reason for wanting the island. It came as a former RAF chief cast doubt over Britains ability to protect the Arctic, saying the nations defences had become a flimsy facade. Air Marshal Edward Stringer said that the gap between the perception of the UKs military strength and its actual capabilities had become cavernous. Our defences are a facade In a report for Policy Exchange, he warned that not a single formation in the British military was currently sustainable in combat in its own right. He wrote: Now the USA is signalling strongly that it is putting America First and the rest of Nato will have to look after its own defences. This fundamentally challenges the model that we had semi-accidentally slipped into our national defences have been revealed to be a flimsy facade. The Say-Do gap between the image of ourselves we have come to believe, and the reality of the hard power we can project in practice, is stark. The first necessary step is to recognise that, and recognise that the methods that got us into this mess have to be discarded ruthlessly. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: The UK is committed to working with Nato allies to strengthen Natos Arctic deterrence and defence. Nicolas Maduro, pictured being escorted towards a Manhattan courthouse on Jan 5 2026, is accused of shipping thousands of tonnes of cocaine to the US - Adam Gray/Reuters The opening salvo in the global war on drugs took place in a Dutch royal palace a century ago, and involved not guns but fountain pens. The Hague 1912 International Opium Convention committed the great powers to the suppression of the abuse of opium and cocaine, and was signed by envoys of everyone from George V to Tsar Nicholas II and the Shah of Persia. Even back then when cheap gin was still deemed a far greater threat to British morals, and opium and cocaine could be bought in British chemist stores authorities were waking up to the burgeoning threat of narcotics. Yet while his majestys government was moving to declare drugs to be dangerous vices, to be eradicated like slavery a century before, it had previously peddled opium on a huge scale. That was during the notorious mid-19th-century Opium Wars, which began as a trade dispute between Britains empire and the protectionist monarchs of Chinas Qing dynasty. Then as now China had far more goods to sell to Britain than vice versa. So to even up the balance of payments, Britains East India Company began selling Chinese merchants vast quantities of opium from colonial Bengal. Alarmed at soaring rates of addiction, the Qing authorities began mass confiscations of the drug, sparking the first of two wars in which they proved no match for Britains imperial might. Instead, they were forced to hand Britain control of Hong Kong and open up Chinese ports to foreign goods. Britain, hypocritically, justified it in the name of free trade even though in this case, Adam Smiths invisible hand was clutching an opium pipe. China, meanwhile, has never forgotten it. In a speech in Hong Kong in 2022, president Xi Jinping referred to the Opium Wars as heralding Chinas century of humiliation. Shameful as they were, the Opium Wars show how narcotics can influence geopolitics with Washingtons capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro just the latest example. Snatched from Caracas last Saturday by US special forces, he and his wife are now in custody in New York, accused of shipping thousands of tonnes of cocaine to the US. Donald Trump says Maduros arrest is part of a new war on narco-terrorism, targeting drug cartels he perceives as destabilising Americas backyard. However, Trumps critics say that as long as demand exists, wars on drugs are unwinnable. The US, after all, has been trying to stop Latin American cocaine cartels since the 1980s. Tony Blair, meanwhile, sent troops to stamp out Afghanistans opium trade (along with the Taliban), only to lose many British soldiers lives. Yet Trumps strategy also has its backers who say the only problem with Americas previous wars on drugs was that they werent tough enough. Among them is retired US narcotics agent Derek Maltz. He started his career busting crack dealers on New York housing projects in the 1980s and headed the Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) Special Operations Division from 2005 to 2014. He says the current Trump onslaught, with its missile attacks on suspected Venezuelan drug boats in the Caribbean, shows the US finally means business. Former US narcotics agent Derek Maltz says it is only now... really true that the US is conducting a war on drugs - Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty In the past, we always said that it was a war on drugs, but only now is that really true, Maltz says. Weve lost far more American lives to drugs than weve ever done to terror attacks. The US is no longer going to tolerate any organisations that are shipping drugs into our country. As someone who has seen first-hand the damage that drugs can do, Maltzs tough line is perhaps unsurprising. Yet, why do drugs more than alcohol cause such alarm, and when did the panic first start? In Britain, a watershed moment was the publication of Thomas De Quinceys 1821 book Confessions of an English Opium Eater. A no-holds-barred account of his years using the opium extract laudanum, it was the Victorian answer to Trainspotting, Irvine Welshs novel on heroin addiction. De Quincey intended it as a cautionary tale, warning that if educated men like himself could become addicted, then opium was clearly a threat. What really horrified temperance-minded Victorians, however, was that he spent much of the book detailing how enjoyable opium was. In an era when Britain was rapidly industrialising, with factory workers required to turn up on time, the last thing society needed was inebriants even more tempting than gin. According to historian Ryan Gingeras, whose new book Mafia: a Global History charts the rise of drug-related crime, Confessions became a milestone for the movements that compelled states to punish anyone found dealing in dangerous intoxicants. Gin Lane and Beer Street: a depiction of inebriation on the streets of London circa 1751 - Three Lions/Getty The First World War underscored the need for a fit, sober workforce, paving the way for Americas failed experiment with alcohol prohibition, which ran from 1920-33. That, in itself, fuelled the rise of the modern American mafia, which had sidelines in narcotics as well as bootleg booze. For many years, though, drugs remained a minority pursuit, confined largely to bohemians and jazz musicians. Consumption then soared in the socially permissive 1960s prompting President Richard Nixon to launch the first modern war on drugs. Blaming drug addiction for spiralling urban crime rates, Nixon declared Americas drug habit an international problem, and made it clear that he expected other countries to co-operate. With France and Turkeys help, the infamous French Connection network, which smuggled heroin from Marseille to New York, was shut down. Meanwhile, Operation Intercept temporarily sealed the US-Mexico border to stop marijuana imports during harvest season in autumn 1969 a tactic criticised by the psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane, whose song Mexico complained the country was under the thumb of a man we call Richard. Drug tests were also introduced for GIs returning from Vietnam, where around one in five were using local heroin. Yet as with Trumps operation against Maduro which some believe is more about control of Venezuelas oil wealth than cracking down on the trade in narcotics there were suspicions about Nixons true motives. It allowed Nixon to have a go at students protesting the Vietnam War and demanding civil rights, whom he figured all took drugs, says the journalist Harry Shapiro, formerly of the British think-tank DrugScope. A war on drugs can be an easy smokescreen for political objectives. President Nixon calls a meeting of US ambassadors to drug-source nations as part of his war on drugs - Bettmann The severing of the French Connection, however, also proved that drugs were a whac-a-mole problem. Heroin started coming into America via Mexico instead, while its source shifted from South-East Asias Golden Triangle to Afghanistan. And just as drug use was shaping geopolitics, geopolitics also shaped drug use. After the Shah of Irans overthrow by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, waves of Iranian refugees fled to London. Soon after, British police noticed a mysterious surge in heroin use. Some of the fleeing Iranians converted their assets into Afghan heroin, because it was easy to smuggle out and could be sold for a lot, Shapiro says. Cue Britains first big drug addiction crisis, devastating inner-cities from London to Glasgow. Americas slums, meanwhile, were facing a huge surge in Colombian cocaine, which was no longer just a drug for wealthy rock stars. Crack, the cheap new smokable form of the drug, helped prompt a renewed Latin American drug war by President Ronald Reagan, who accused the Marxist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua of facilitating its spread. In a 1986 speech, he brandished photos purportedly showing Sandinista officials loading duffel-bags of cocaine onto a plane. Every American parent concerned about the drug problem will be outraged to hear that top Nicaraguan government officials are deeply involved in drug trafficking, he said. In fact, there was limited evidence of direct Sandinista involvement. But Washington dramatically increased its foothold in Colombia, using crop-duster planes to spray coca plantations, and sending in advisers to help Colombian security forces hunt down drug barons like Pablo Escobar, who was killed in 1993. His Medellin cartel had become a state-within-the state, murdering thousands of Colombians. In 1989, it also planted a bomb on an airliner to kill a Colombian presidential candidate, killing 107 people. Cocaine traffickers from the Medellin cartel arrested in 1988 in Bogota, Colombia - Eric Vandeville/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Another figure who incurred Americas wrath was Panamas military dictator Manuel Noriega, who had allegedly partnered with the Medellin cartel. A 27,000-strong US invasion force arrested him in 1989, in what was described as the most expensive drug bust in history. As with recent events in Venezuela, critics claimed drugs were being used as a pretext. The real reason for Noriegas ouster, it was claimed, was because America sought tighter control of the Panama Canal. Post 9/11, Washingtons drug wars took a new direction, amid concerns that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda were being funded by narcotics sales. Maltz headed up a new DEA Special Operations Division, tasked with tracking connections between terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering worldwide. Wiretaps helped reveal that Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, was heavily involved in cocaine, using facilitators in Latin Americas Lebanese diaspora. We had to get Arabic-speaking agents in to monitor the calls we had no previous idea about Hezbollahs level of involvement, Maltz recalls. We also learned that Al-Qaeda cells in Africa were safeguarding shipments of cocaine across the Sahara into Europe. It was this perfect storm where terrorists worldwide were getting ever more involved with drugs. Maltzs team took several significant scalps, including the 2005 arrest of Afghan opium lord Bashir Noorzai, then one of Americas most-wanted drug traffickers. But a British war on Afghan opium launched that same year had less success. The Blair government tasked troops with eradicating poppy-growing in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand, aiming to end the militants income stream and cut off the key source of Britains own heroin addiction problem. Labour ministers confidently predicted it could be done within a decade, only for the eradication mission to peter out after the loss of more than 100 British soldiers lives. Taliban soldiers stand guard as a heroin-making factory goes up in flames in Helmand; October 2000 - Banaras Khan/AFP It came down to simple economics the farmers got far more money for growing poppies than they did for growing wheat, and the Taliban, despite officially disapproving of drugs, were pushing them into it, James Glancy, a former Royal Marines officer who served in Helmand, told The Telegraph. With hindsight, it was strategically illiterate to send a small force into Helmand, next door to the Talibans spiritual home, Kandahar, and begin a counter-narcotic operation and [attempt at] nation-building. The campaign had zero benefit to Britains national interests. It was partly Britains generals wanting to atone for failures in Iraq, and partly Blair being desperate to ingratiate himself in Washington [and it] ended in failure. Americas cocaine war in Latin America has also had limited success. Crackdowns on Caribbean trafficking routes in the 1990s fuelled the rise of land-based smuggling cartels in Mexico instead. Despite the arrest of kingpins like Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the Sinaloa cartel leader jailed in the US in 2017, Mexicos cartels remain as powerful as ever, with private armies that sometimes outgun the state. Today, the US is also struggling with new Class-A+ drugs such as fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin. It claims the lives of up to 70,000 Americans a year, many in the Trump-supporting Rust Belt regions. The drug has also stoked tensions with China, a major source of fentanyl precursor chemicals. Under US pressure, Beijing proscribed most of the precursors in 2019, but black-market supplies continue. Weve had a tsunami of addiction through America recently because of opioids like fentanyl, and also methamphetamine, says Maltz, who backs the Trump governments recent designation of fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. Drugs are being weaponised to destabilise our country, so yes, were at war a chemical war, he adds. American liberals do not seem to have much of an alternative. While nearly half of US states have legalised recreational cannabis, the drug legalisation lobby still has no real idea what to do about cocaine, a far bigger problem in terms of drug crime. One analysis predicted that if cocaine were legalised, America would have to expect up to 20-million problem users a prospect that is politically unsellable. Legalisation of any illegal drugs would require cross-party support, a thorough cost-benefit analysis, and the backing of public opinion, says Shapiro. I have never seen anyone present a credible road map to that effect. Maltz, for his part, concedes that shutting down the supply line wont solve matters alone. America needs better drug education, he says, along with much better mental health services, to help those struggling with or prone to falling into addiction. But in the meantime, he fully supports Washingtons new gloves-off stance. Ever since he first headed the DEAs Special Operations Division 20 years ago, Maltz says Venezuela has grown as a drug command and control hub. And he loses no sleep over Maduros downfall, or the drug-trafficking boats being blown out of the water by US missiles. They wont be hitting innocent fishermen there, theyll have proper intelligence on whos who, he insists. Those who have a problem with it should open their eyes and look at how many Americans are dying from the drugs coming in. Enough is enough. Dame Ann Limb was awarded a peerage by Sir Keir Starmer in December - PA A charity led by a Labour donor who lied about having a PhD is being investigated by the Charity Commission. City & Guilds of London Institute (CGLI) has been accused of making false claims about incentives that encouraged executives to sell part of the organisation. The charity, chaired by Dame Ann Limb who was nominated for a peerage by Sir Keir Starmer last year, will be subject to a statutory inquiry regarding the sale of its commercial operation to a private company in October 2025. Dame Ann, 72, an education specialist who also chairs the Kings Foundation, the charitable arm of Lloyds Bank, faced criticism last month when she admitted making false claims about her academic qualifications. She previously claimed that she earned a PhD while studying at the University of Liverpool and described herself as Dr on a CV on her website. She later admitted that she never completed a doctorate degree. Regulator examining new information The Charity Commission inquiry follows what the regulator calls new information that has been reported in relation to the sale and bonuses awarded to its executives. The vocational charity completed the sale of its commercial operation and skills training activities to PeopleCert, an international certification company, on Oct 31. It then issued a statement in January 2026 in which it rejected claims that bonuses had been agreed by the charitys board before the sale took place. It said that trustees were not involved in any pre or post-deal conversations regarding remuneration matters for CGLI executives that would apply after the sale. However, The Telegraph can now reveal that discussions were taking place regarding such bonuses with trustees as early as July 2024 and the proposed bonuses, around four times the executives salary, were approved by the charitys board in May 2025. The charity accepts this, with a spokesman saying the trustee board did discuss and agree an incentive scheme on May 13. They added that on Oct 8 the board took the decision to not pay the bonus, principally because a higher sale price had already been achieved. The Telegraph understands that bonuses were paid after the sale concluded by the new company, C&G Ltd. These included 1.74m to Kirstie Donnelly, the chief executive, and 1.2m to Abid Ismail, the chief financial officer. The chief customer officer was also paid 828,555 and the chief brand and communications officer pocketed 360,000. A CGLI trustee during the period said that City & Guilds had started developing a bonus structure for executives for a successful sale during 2024. And then at a board meeting on May 13 2025, a trustee vote occurred on the remuneration committees proposal to award a bonus to executives, including the CEO and CFO of four times their gross salary. A majority of trustees present at that meeting approved the vote. Trustees raised concerns The Telegraph understands that during that meeting concerns were raised by trustees as to whether this was a proper and lawful use of charity funds, and one trustee insisted the matter was put to a vote. Dame Ann is claimed to have told those raising concerns to be quiet and insisted that the organisations remuneration committee had already approved these payments. Commenting on the Charity Commission investigation, a trustee said they were confident that the regulator will get to the truth. They said: From May 2023, when the chair and CEO came to the trustees with a plan to sell, there had been a complete lack of governance, oversight or consideration for the work that City & Guilds does. A spokesman for the Charity Commission said: The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into City & Guilds of London Institute. The regulator is examining information about the charitys sale of its City & Guilds awards operation (C&G) to a private company in October 2025. The Commission was previously made aware of the proposed sale by the charity, and had sought and received assurances about the trustees decision making, but the sale did not require the Commissions regulatory consent. The statutory inquiry will now examine new information that has been reported in relation to the sale. The regulator said its inquiry would examine information provided by the charity to the Commission regarding the sale following concerns raised in public reporting relating to the sale and bonuses awarded to its executives. It will also consider the trustees decision-making regarding the sale. A report is expected to be published after the inquiry finishes. Dame Ann has given 50,000 to the Labour Party and was awarded a life peerage in December. The Prime Minister has faced calls to suspend the whip from Dame Ann following the revelations that she lied about her qualifications. In a statement, a spokesman for the City & Guilds of London Institute said: We acknowledge the Charity Commissions statutory inquiry and are cooperating fully with their investigation. We remain confident that all actions taken by the trustees have been proper, transparent and in line with our charitable purpose. We are committed to maintaining public trust and will continue to act in the best interests of the charity and its beneficiaries. Private jets at an airport in Arizona, US. Not only are the super-rich responsible for most carbon emissions, but they also invest in the most polluting industries. Photograph: Ross D Franklin/AP (Photograph: Ross D Franklin/AP) The worlds richest 1% have used up their fair share of carbon emissions just 10 days into 2026, analysis has found. Meanwhile, the richest 0.1% took just three days to exhaust their annual carbon budget, according to the research by Oxfam. The charity said the worst effects of the emissions would be faced by those who had done the least to cause the climate crisis, including people in low-income countries on the frontlines of climate breakdown, Indigenous groups, women and girls. Lower- and middle-income countries are most at risk from the detrimental effects of these emissions, with global economic damage potentially adding up to $44tn (32.7bn) by 2050. Oxfam has called on Britains chancellor to increase taxes on climate-polluting extreme wealth, saying: The wealthiest individuals and corporations hold disproportionate power and influence. It said the UKs richest 1% produced more carbon pollution in eight days than the poorest 50% used in a year. Not only are the super-rich responsible for most carbon emissions, but they also invest in the most polluting industries. A billionaire carries, on average, an investment portfolio in companies that will produce 1.9m tonnes of CO 2 a year roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 400,000 petrol cars. To stay within the agreed global heating limit of no more than 1.5C above preindustrial levels set by the Paris agreement in 2015, the richest 1% of the worlds population would have to reduce their emissions by 97% by 2030. Beth John, a climate justice adviser at Oxfam GB, said the UK government should focus on the richest polluters in order to limit damage caused by emissions. Repeated opportunities to make the richest pay their fair share for climate action have been missed in the UK, but there is still so much that can be done, she said. Fairly taxing the biggest polluters, such as private jets and oil and gas companies, is an obvious place to start to generate the funds needed to transition to a fairer, greener future. This article was amended on 14 January 2026. Oxfams research found that by 2050 the global economic cost of climate breakdown could reach $44tn, not 44tn as an earlier version said. Protesters march during a rally in Minneapolis, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer earlier in the week. Credit - Christopher KatsarovThe Canadian Press via Associated Press Protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis, Portland and other cities on Saturday, with more than 1,000 anti-ICE demonstrations planned across the United States over the weekend after the killing of Minneapolis woman Renee Nicole Good by an immigration agent. Tens of thousands marched Saturday in Minneapolis, where protests and vigil gatherings have been ongoing for days since Good's death. Read more: What We Know About the People Shot by Federal Agents in Minneapolis and Portland Anger over her killing, and the shooting of two Venezuelan immigrants outside a hospital by border agents in Portland on Thursday, quickly led to calls for nationwide protests. Organizers of the 'ICE Out For Good' rallies said the shootings demonstrated an alarming pattern of unchecked violence and abuse by federal immigration enforcement agencies. Across the country, communities will gather in nonviolent, lawful, and community-led actions to honor the life lost, demand accountability, and make visible the human cost of ICEs actions, the organizers said in a statement. Partner organizations in the protests include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). On Saturday morning, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that the vast majority of protests were peaceful. Frey has been a vocal advocate of ICE leaving Minneapolis, both before and after Goods death. Minnesota Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison of Minnesota accused ICE of obstructing members of Congress conducting oversight duties after they were told to leave the facility after just 10 minutes. "They do not care that they are violating federal law," Craig told reporters after being turned away. Large demonstrations took place in Philadelphia, where protesters marched from City Hall to a rally outside a federal detention facility. In Manhattan, hundreds marched past an immigration court that has been targeted by ICE agents for arrests. More protests were planned in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and many small towns across the country. Joycelyn Henderson protests outside of Austin City Hall in Austin, Texas, on January 10, 2026, as hundreds gather to rally against ICE in the wake of the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. Stephanie Tacy/NurPhotoGetty Images We cannot wait here in despair. We cannot do nothing. We cannot fall into hopelessness. Texas Rep. Greg Casar told protestors at an ICE Out For Good protest in Austin, Texas on Saturday. Cesar called for the firing of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, who has defended the ICE agent responsible for Goods death, calling it an act of self-defense. Kristi Noem endangers us all by creating a culture of impunity at the federal level, Casar said. The protests come as a new poll suggests public support for ICE is plummeting. A YouGov poll conducted the same day as Goods killing found that 52% of respondents now either somewhat or strongly disapproved of how ICE was handling its job, compared to 39% who somewhat or strongly approved. Some 44% of adults approved of recent ICE protests, according to the poll, which surveyed over 2,600 U.S. adults. Last February, at the beginning of President Donald Trumps mass deportation operation, YouGov reported a +16 net approval rating for ICE, which dipped to -14 in November. Good, 37, was shot while in her vehicle amid an ongoing immigration crackdown in the Minnesota city. The White House has defended the agent who fired the fatal shots, alleging that Good tried to ram the officer and that he fired in self-defense. Videos of the encounter show an immigration agent shoot Good three times at point-blank range as she attempts to drive away after taking part in a protest. At least one of the shots appears to have been fired into the side of the vehicle. Good, a mother of three and a poet, was an active volunteer in a network of neighborhood patrols that organized to witness and record ICE activity in Minneapolis. She sustained gunshot wounds to the head before being transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Contact us at letters@time.com. Steam rises from storage tanks at an oil refinery facility. Photo: Brett Sayles / Pexels (The Center Square) - Federal regulators have begun a study of the environmental effects of a large-scale LNG export facility proposed by Louisiana-based Argent LNG for a site about 100 miles south of New Orleans at the Port of Fourchon, one of the worlds most active energy shipping hubs, a recent government filing shows.The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission formally requested public comments on the scope of issues that should be addressed in the environmental document, the filing shows.Metairie-based Argent, which wants to build a liquefaction plant with annual capacity of 25 million tons per year on a 900-acre site on Bayou Lafourche, would be the first homegrown company operating in Louisianas rapidly expanding LNG export industry. Jonathan Bass, a native Louisianan, is the companys founder, chairperson and CEO.The five large-scale LNG exporters now building plants in Louisiana, all owned by out-of-state companies, will add about 75 million tons of capacity over the next five years, according to industry analysts. The LNG exporters building the plants are based in Houston, Arlington, Virginia and Australia.Argent LNG says its "Louisiana First" approach prioritizes local hiring and local manufacturing partnerships. The company prioritizes the use of local contractors and suppliers and keeping investments in the regional economy, citing its partnership with Grand Isle Shipyard, a firm based in Galliano, Louisiana.Argents project received support last week in a vote in the Louisiana Senate, according to a report in LNG Industry. The resolution, which passed in 36-3 vote, was introduced by state Sen. Michael Fesi, a Republican representing Louisianas District 20, which includes the Port Fourchon area.This resolution sends a clear message: Louisiana is open for business and fostering world-class energy investment, built by Louisiana workers, with American technology, and for the benefit of our allies, Fesi said in a statement.Port Fourchon is uniquely positioned to host a project that will define our states energy future for generations, while leaning in to support the Presidents Energy Dominance Council in supplying countries of shared values with base-load energy to develop sustainable energy solutions. Louisiana will lead the world in delivering affordable energy to provide opportunity to citizens around the globe who align with US principles, said Fesi.Last July, the Greater Lafourche Port Commission acquired a 743-acre tract from the state to add to an existing 150-acre site, with the purchase specifically intended to provide Argent with the space needed to build a large-scale LNG facility.Argent LNG hosted a community open house in early December at the Greater Lafourche Port Commission office, attended by 200 local government officials and community members, reported The National Law Review.Port Fourchon is the base of operations for over 250 companies which currently service over 95% of the Gulf of Americas deepwater energy production. More than 400 large ships traverse the ports channels each day. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra transformed an RV park into a boutique hotel. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Robin Singh and Sharan Samra turned an Oregon RV park into a boutique hotel. They bought the property in November 2024 and opened the Florentine Waterfront Hotel less than a year later. They gave each cabin on the property a unique theme and aesthetic. Many burned-out workers daydream about what they might do once they retire from their 9-to-5 jobs. For some, it's traveling the world, while others think about how they would use the time to learn to bake or sew. Robin Singh's dream was to open a bed and breakfast. When he got the opportunity to make it happen while still working and with his partner, Sharan Samra, by his side Singh jumped at the chance. In 2024, Robin Singh was feeling stuck. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Overall, Singh, 32, was happy. He loved living in San Jose, California, and he was planning to propose to his then-girlfriend, Sharan Samra, 28, by the end of the year. His work as an engineering lead at Google, though, wasn't completely fulfilling him. "I was feeling very frustrated with the way the job was going, the way that things were completely out of my control," he told Business Insider. He added that he wanted a creative outlet and a project he could have more control over. As he considered his situation, Singh decided it might be time to make a long-held dream come true. "Having a little bed and breakfast has been a dream of mine for 10 years," he said. "I was like, 'You know what? Now's the time. If I'm gonna preserve my sanity, I need something I really, really, really love.'" Soon, Singh started looking at properties in Northern California and Oregon, hoping to find a location where he could bring his dream to life while continuing to work full time at Google. Samra, the head of marketing at a startup, was supportive of Singh's goal, but she didn't realize how serious he was about it until he took her to a property in Oregon that he had fallen in love with. Singh fell in love with a run-down RV park on the Oregon Coast. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Singh was open-minded about where his B&B might be, but he started his search along the coast of Northern California and Oregon because of a long-held love for the area. "That area, I think, is one of the most beautiful stretches of the entire country," he said. "Having gone there a bunch of times, I've always wanted a place that's really cool that I can stay at, and I knew that was something I was really missing." Then, he found a listing for an RV park and motel called Fish Mill Lodges and RV Park, located just outside Florence, Oregon, in the town of Westlake. The property, which dates back to the 1940s, was about a 10-minute drive from the coast and sits on Siltcoos Lake. When he saw it, Singh said he felt like his dream was finally coming together. "As soon as I pulled up, I was in love with the place," he said. By the time he saw it in person, he was already imagining transforming it into a boutique hotel, even though the property needed a lot of work. The structures weren't in great shape, and the land itself was overgrown. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Fish Mill Lodges and RV Park was home to six one-bedroom cabins, one larger cabin, and a bigger house. The 2.5-acre property is situated on the water, with a bridge providing access to the docks. Singh said when he first toured the property, the walls of the cabins were rotting, the floors were creaking, and algae was growing in the toilet bowls. The exterior wasn't doing well, either. Singh said there were untended blackberry bushes that had grown to be nearly 10 feet high, and the docks weren't safe to walk on. The place was going to need a lot of work, but Singh was ready to take it on anyway. Samra needed to see the space in person before she was sold, too. "I just had so many doubts," she told Business Insider. "We've never owned a small business. We don't have experience in hotels, and we both have full-time jobs that we need to keep, and we live so far away." "Everything seemed so impossible," she added. "And then we went up there, and I just fell in love with the place." They closed on the property in November 2024 for $1.23 million. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Singh said he had money saved to put toward the land, and he and Samra were planning to continue working their day jobs to help pay for the property's renovation. Still, he struggled to get a loan from a bank for the initial purchase. "I had banks and stuff lined up, and all of them backed out in the end, saying, 'Hey, it's a tough time in hospitality right now. And if this thing fails, we're going to have a building that is in a state of disrepair,'" Singh said. Singh and Samra ultimately worked with a hard money lender to finance the purchase, and they were able to close in November 2024 just a few days before Singh proposed to his now-wife. Singh used the extra time before closing to prep for the renovations. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Because securing financing took a bit longer than he anticipated, Singh said he was able to get almost completely prepared for renovations before they even closed on the property. Singh doesn't have a background in design, but he had a clear vision for what he wanted the hotel to look like, drawing out designs himself. "Robin's not an artist," Samra told Business Insider. "Even the drawings that he's talking about, imagine a 3-year-old scribbled something. That's what the drawings are." Singh was able to give those drawings to professionals, who created renderings of rooms or furniture designs. He said he even flew to India just four days after he proposed to Samra to start working with custom furniture designers. Singh planned to focus the renovation on the cabins and big house, deciding not to rehab the RV hookups. When they bought the hotel, the dated cabins needed a refresh. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra The one-bedroom cabins had a lot of potential, but Singh and Samra said they weren't too appealing for modern travelers before the renovation. "Originally, when you walked in, you would open the door, and you would walk straight into the kitchen, which we thought was a little odd," Samra said of the cabins. Samra and Singh also said the kitchens were dated, with older appliances and decor. They liked the setup of the main living area, though, which featured windows that overlooked the property and a Murphy bed attached to the wall. The cabins also had separate bedrooms that needed facelifts. Adding massive windows to make the view the focal point of the cabins was key. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Although the windows that overlooked the lake at the cabins were great, Singh and Samra thought they were too small. "One of the very first things we did was replace all those windows with floor-to-ceiling windows so that you can actually enjoy the lake view," Samra said. The process was a bit intensive, particularly because they found that some of the cabins had rotting wood, which meant they needed to replace entire walls. They collaborated with their contractor, Rafael Gonzalez of Home Remodel Specialist, and his team to implement the changes. The main house was also in rough shape. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra In addition to the cabins, the property included a larger house that was also in disrepair when Singh and Samra purchased it. They said the floors were rotted and moldy, and that birds had once lived in the house, leaving their mark all over the place. There were also four studio apartment-style rooms in a structure together on the property, which needed a facelift as well. Singh and Samra said they had a great time transforming the property. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Singh and Samra said it takes them about 10 hours to drive from San Jose to Westlake, and they made the drive frequently during the months they transformed the RV park, taking the trip whenever they could as they balanced their day jobs. Luckily, the drives turned out to be fun and productive for the new business owners. "We're figuring out the names, the story for the place, and the theme for the place as a whole," Singh said of the conversations they would have. "Those drives were some of my favorite times." During one of their drives, they even decided on the name of their new hotel: the Florentine Waterfront Hotel. They also figured out that Samra would oversee operations for their new venture. "She's the one who makes all the operations for the hotel possible," Singh said, adding that Samra has spearheaded creating efficient processes and the best guest experience they can have. By June 2025, the Florentine Waterfront Hotel was up and running. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Singh and Samra told Business Insider it feels like work on the hotel will never be completely done, but by June 15, all of their rooms were open and rentable. However, they started opening rooms in April 2025 so they could do some testing. "We gradually opened so that we could test out the concept to see if it would be successful or not," Samra said. Both said their experience in the tech and startup worlds made them easily adaptable and ready to pivot when needed, allowing them to learn as they opened new rooms over time. For instance, they said that cleaning rooms after guests left took them close to two hours when they first opened, so they had to strategize on how to make that process more efficient while maintaining quality. "I'm grateful that we opened one at a time so we could give that really personalized attention to one person, and then two people, then three," Samra said. When renovations were finished, each of the cabins had its own aesthetic. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra On their many drives to and from the hotel, Samra and Singh came up with a different theme and catchy name for each room on the property. They wanted each space to have a distinct aesthetic and vibe so they could appeal to a variety of guests. Music fans might appreciate the Record Room, which is filled with retro musical decor, while the Sage Suite (photographed above) has a restful, relaxing feel. "The minute you walk in, you feel like the load on your shoulders has just been lifted," Samra said of the Sage Suite. "The whole environment in that room is calm and meditative and peaceful. If you need to escape the world for a while, that's the room." As of January, the cabins cost an average of $237 per night, while the studio apartments cost $137. Every cabin has a stunning view of the lake. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Regardless of the theme, for the six cabins, Singh and Samra made the large windows they added to the structures the focal point of each living room. For instance, the living room of the Vanilla Villa (photographed above) offers the best views of the water, according to Singh and Samra. Each cabin has one bedroom, but the couple also kept the original Murphy beds that are in the living areas because they offer such stunning views. "We encourage everyone to sleep on the Murphy bed because when you wake up, the first thing that you see is the gorgeous view," Samra said. Singh and Samra slightly changed the layout of the cabins to make them feel more elevated. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra To make it so you don't walk right into the kitchen in each cabin, Singh and Samra added a small entryway to each space, separating it from the kitchen with an archway. The kitchens also got major updates, with counters and cabinets lining the hallway-like space. Singh and Samra made the counters into a DIY project to help cut costs. "Having blown all the budget on buying the place, everything had to be very, very creative," Singh said. They said they wanted marble counters, but they knew they couldn't afford them. Instead, they installed epoxy countertops to create the perfect colors that matched each room. They also tweaked the layout of the bathrooms. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra In addition to the Murphy beds in the living area, the cabins feature a private bedroom and bathroom, which Singh and Samra have made some changes to. Much like they did in the kitchens, they decided to separate the vanities from the shower and toilet in their cabins. "We were thinking that a lot of times when we go to hotels, we really appreciate the places that have the sink and vanity outside the shower and toilet area," Samra said. "If one person's showering or using the bathroom, you can still have the vanity area to get ready." The countertops on the vanities match those in the kitchens as well. The big house became the Funky Fortress. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra The Funky Fortress, which costs $337 a night as of January, wasn't previously rented out to guests, but Singh and Samra said they knew immediately they wanted to make it a rental property. "That's where the managers used to live and stay to run the place, but we converted that into a rental as well because it has the best views," Samra said. "It has panoramic views all around because the hotel sits on a peninsula," Singh said. "We're right at the tip of it, so when you're sitting here, just in every direction you see the lake." The Funky Fortress is full of color, from a blue curved couch that Singh had custom-designed to bright artwork. It can also sleep eight, as it has a queen bed and a queen-sized bunk bed. They also did plenty of work on the exterior. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Singh and Samra said the landscaping at the Florentine was in disrepair, with vegetation overgrown and the dock falling apart. As they brought it back to life, the couple made some discoveries. "All the blackberries being gone is the biggest thing we've done," Singh said, adding that it was so transformative that they discovered seven metal boats hiding underneath the thick bushes as they removed them. "We still have them," Singh said of the boats. "We gave away two of them to our friend who helped us cut down some of the blackberries." "It became a passion project for everyone," Singh said of transforming the Florentine. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Singh and Samra used their income to finance the bulk of the renovations, but they said when their budget got tight, their community rallied to help bring the hotel to the finish line. "I had to take out extra home equity and everything to actually fund the construction and also borrow from other friends and family when we ran out of that budget," Singh said. Singh said Gonzalez also worked with him when cash got tight, rather than putting the project on hold. "Rafael, my home remodel specialist, gets so much credit for this place because he worked with me on everything," Singh said. "He prioritized this project over everything else that he had, and we grew to be such great friends over this." Their first summer was a hit. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Since they were fully operational by June, Singh and Samra were able to host guests at the hotel for the duration of summer, which is the busy season on the Oregon Coast. The couple told Business Insider they were booked to capacity for the majority of the summer. "Our first summer has been beyond expectations, and we're so grateful for that," Samra said. For the moment, Singh and Samra aren't thinking of the money they make from the Florentine as profit. "Any money that we make just goes back into everything that needs to happen to the place," Singh said, including additional projects they hope to take on in the coming months. And for Singh and Samra, making money wasn't really the goal either way. Robin Singh and Sharan Samra Although they're glad the hotel has had a steady stream of guests, Singh and Samra said making a dream a reality was the real win. "It was a passion project, and it was so gratifying," Singh said. "It wasn't numbers. It was heart and soul into it." Now, their attention is on how to keep growing their business and help the community they have come to love thrive. "We're working with the local community, Dune City, the city of Florence, and the county to try to see what we can do to make the entire area attractive to where visitors want to visit year-round," Samra said. "We're working with all the local business owners because everyone has this mindset of when one business succeeds, or we bring people to the whole area, we all win." As they look back on the work on the hotel, Singh and Samra who got married in November 2025 say that the experience of becoming business owners together has only helped them grow as a couple. "It made our relationship stronger," Samra said. "I'm grateful to say that." "I think our strengths and weaknesses go really hand in hand," she added. "Creativity is his zone, and thinking of the big ideas and bringing them to life is my zone." Read the original article on Business Insider As protests against Irans government swelled significantly in size on Thursday night, the regime responded in many places by opening fire. A Tehran doctor told TIME on condition of anonymity that just six hospitals in the capital had recorded at least 217 protester deaths, most by live ammunition. The death count, if confirmed, would signal a feared crackdown presaged by the regimes near-total shutdown of the nations Internet and phone connections since Thursday night. It would also constitute a direct challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump, who earlier in the day warned that the regime would pay hell if it killed protesters who have taken to the streets in growing numbers since Dec. 28. The demonstrations, which now span all 31 provinces, began as a protest against an economy in freefall. But they soon broadened to demand the overthrow of the authoritarian Islamic regime that has ruled the nation of around 92 million since 1979. Though the rallies have been largely peaceful, with chants of Freedom and Death to the Dictator, some government buildings have been vandalized. The doctor said authorities removed corpses from the hospital on Friday. Most of the dead were young people, he said, including several killed outside a northern Tehran police station when security forces sprayed machine gun fire at protesters, who died on the spot. Activists reported at least 30 people were shot in the incident. Human rights groups on Friday reported much lower death tolls than the physician, though the discrepancy might be explained by differing reporting standards. The D.C.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, which tallies only victims who have been identified, reported at least 63 deaths since the start of the protests, including 49 civilians. TIME has been unable to independently verify these figures. The death tolls arrived as the regime broadcast a series of ominous messages. The Islamic Republic will not back down in the face of vandals seeking to please Trump, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech broadcast on Friday. Meanwhile, Tehrans prosecutor declared that protesters could face the death penalty. And on state television, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard official warned parents to keep their children away from protests, saying, If... a bullet hits you, dont complain. People gather on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on Jan. 8, 2026. Social Media/Reuters For the first 11 days of protests, uncertainty had surrounded the regimes response. There is a lot of disagreement now among security forces over whether a massive crackdown will restore order or further inflame public anger, a black-clad riot-police officer in a Kurdish city in northwest Iran told TIME on Wednesday. There is 100% confusion within the riot police, he said, speaking anonymously. Key decisions were being made in meetings that were not being communicated to officers like him, he said. Im a senior rank here, and I dont know whats happening. Theyre doing things in secret, and were afraid of whats coming. There is chaos everywhere, in the city, in homes, in the streets and within the police forces, too, he added. I know all the officers in my station, and they believe the regime is collapsing. But bloody social media posts emerging on Friday, coupled with the blunt warnings from the regime, appeared to signal clear orders had been issued. I think that under current circumstances, since the protests have extended to middle-class areas, the regime will not hesitate in using brute force, as it has to quell previous unrest, said Hossein Hafezian, a New Jersey-based Iran expert and political scientist. At this time, it is considered an existential threat. From now on, the casualties will increase rapidly, he predicted, but added, if Trump attacks a few anti-riot police barracks, it might be a game changer! Trumps threats, along with the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro, the sitting President of Venezuela, were offered as one explanation for the uneven response of Iranian authorities during the earlier days of the protests. In Malekshahi, in western Ilam province, at least five protesters were killed by gunfire outside a building operated by Irans Basij paramilitary forces, according to Paris-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network. But at the original source of the protests, Tehrans Grand Bazaar, a traditional base of regime support, security forces had largely dispersed crowds using tear gas and arrests rather than live fire. Others noted the sheer number of challenges facing the Islamic Republic. It's still a very solid regime, said Afshon Ostovar, a professor of international security at the Naval Postgraduate School in California and the author of two books on Iran, but if you look around, it's weaker than it's ever been on just about every front since just after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The leadership is still reeling from its June conflict with Israel, when airstrikes destroyed its air defenses and set back Irans nuclear programwith an assist from U.S. B-2 bombers dispatched by Trump. At the same time, a currency collapsing under international sanctions, water shortages and recurring power outages have sharpened a sense of crisis across the country. They cant provide even basic economic welfare for their own population, Hafezian said. They are in survival mode now. Deepening the regimes dilemma is that, unlike the Women, Life, Freedom protests that swept across Iran in 2022, the current demonstrations were launched by bazaar merchants and spread to working-class communitiesgroups the authorities are wary of alienating, according to a Tehran-based political analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity. The establishment finds it more difficult to suppress working-class people, he said, adding, however, that some harsh treatment has been seen in some places and the degree of the regimes restraint will be tested as the protests expand. Also complicating matters is the structure of Irans ruling regime. At its apex is Khamenei, who controls the security apparatus, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The elected President, Masoud Pezeshkian, has taken a conciliatory line in public, but his cabinet favors a crackdown, two cabinet members said on condition of anonymity. The majority have argued the protests should be met with force under the current circumstances because they believe there are signs of Israeli and U.S. involvement, one member said. Pezeshkians personal influence remains limited both by his office and lack of access to the Supreme Leader. Regular meetings between the two men have stopped since Khamenei went into hiding during the Israel-Iran war, according to the second member of cabinet. He now communicates with Khamenei through multiple intermediaries, he said. Government public relations advisor Mashallah Shamsolvaezin said the Trump Administration wants to encourage Iranians to take to the streets, and then, under the pretext of saving the people, attack Iran and implement the Venezuelan model here. He noted that the government had taken a trial and error approach, holding talks with protest representatives, changing the Central Bank governor and handing out money1 million tomans, or about 7 dollars, per month to each Iranian for the next four months, trying to buy time. Shamsolvaezin said the regime also has resumed indirect nuclear negotiations with the West over suspending Irans uranium enrichment. The regime is hoping that negotiations over Irans nuclear and missile programs will deliver some relief, he said. Interviewed before Thursday nights bloodletting, analysts named several wild cards in how the protestsand the regimes responsemight evolve. One is whether even larger numbers of middle- and upper- class Iranians and minority ethnic groups continue to join the demonstrations despite the growing threat of a violent response. Many chanted support for Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the Shah, or King, deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the clerics to power. Pahlavi, who lives in the United States, had called for a massive showing on both Thursday and Friday nights. He has promised to return to Iran and usher in a secular democracy. Kurdish opposition groups issued a call of their own. Rebin Rahmani, a board member of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, said many Iranian Kurds have been taking to the streets because they feel they have nothing left to lose and they realize the regime is vulnerable. This awareness has reduced fear and increased the boldness of the protesters, he said. Still, one Kurdish demonstrator argued, little will change unless even more residents in major citiesas well as President Trumpget involved. Our hope is with Trump, he said on condition of anonymity. He should do to Iran what he did to Venezuela. Perhaps the biggest wild card is the security apparatus itself. While observers saw few significant signs of defection at the leadership level, they said every round of protests sees more rank-and-file police and members of the Basij (a volunteer militia of regime loyalists) refusing to take part in a crackdown. My own family is urging me to take off my uniform and leave this job, the riot-police officer said, adding that he fears the moment his commanders order live fire. If I disobey, theyll kill me. Im in the police force for the income, he added, not to kill people. Contact us at letters@time.com. Diner eating Chinese dim sum - ChristyCRose/Shutterstock Chinese restaurants occupy an old and beloved part of the American culinary landscape. The style of dining was already embedded in the U.S. by the 1850s, when immigrants arrived in California following the Gold Rush. Originally, such eateries whipped up dishes of Cantonese origin, increasingly tweaked to suit American ingredients and palates. So flash forward well over a century, and the modern Chinese-American repertoire think chow mein or chop suey, crab rangoons, orange chicken has evolved into a distinct branch of the cuisine. While certainly delicious, don't make the mistake of always ordering such dishes at a Chinese restaurant. Instead, explore the world of traditional Chinese cuisine, which covers an enormous breadth of styles. Venture to eateries that sell niche specialties: say Beijing-style Peking duck, Sichuan-style hot pot, or the wide selection of foods offered at a dim sum eatery. Verse yourself in the minutiae of the country's regional cooking, noting the offerings of Cantonese as opposed to Sichuanese restaurants. And even if the eatery does offer a selection of Chinese-American favorites, stray off and order something unfamiliar. Every once in a while, an American-Chinese restaurant may offer an alternate selection of dishes dubbed the secret menu. Designed to cater to local crowds and regulars, you'll find tantalizing new options, often only written in Chinese. Rather than breaded chicken dishes, think flavorful braises, and instead of beef options (a protein not common in China), mouth-watering pork creations. Expect exciting new textures, flavors, and dish presentations Chinese cuisine delivers wondrous culinary experiences. Read more: You're Making The Same 10 Mistakes When Cooking Eggplant Parmesan Dive into the regional varieties of Chinese cuisine Diners enjoying Chinese hot pot - kitzcorner/Shutterstock Much like Mexican-Chinese cuisine or Chifa (Chinese-Peruvian food), American Chinese dining is an Asian-influenced culinary tradition that developed in the Americas. The culinary style warrants its own recognition; just don't make it your exclusive experience. After all, Anthony Bourdain thought Chinese cuisine was underappreciated in the U.S., meaning there's more mouth-watering magic to uncover. Not sure where to jump in? Understandable Chinese foods encompass a dizzying array of options. Classically, the nation's food is delineated into eight major cuisines, although some believe over five dozen categories is more accurate. The scope of Chinese restaurants in the U.S. is ever-increasing, but unfortunately not all styles are widely represented. Historically, Cantonese restaurants comprise the most common category, and serve dishes you likely long spotted on menus, like wonton noodles, char siu, or clay pot chicken. Especially in urban areas like Los Angeles and New York City, you'll find decades-old Cantonese eateries dedicated to specialties like Cantonese barbecue, congee, or dim sum, too. More recently, Sichuanese food has also become more prevalent, especially on the East Coast. New restaurant concepts showcase both established classics like dan dan noodles and mapo tofu, as well as less common offal and spiced hot pot dishes. Furthermore, look out for a growing presence of Chinese-owned food and drink options in the United States. Mixue Bingcheng, the world's largest chain restaurant, is opening a location in the U.S., along with other enterprises. So sure, there's still a time and place for reliable Chinese takeout, but it's an exciting era to sample something new, too. 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 Food Republic. An electric substation with transformers and power lines. Photo: Alan Wooten / The Center Square (The Center Square) - Energy advocates warned against green energy demands that are driving up prices across the country. As anti-oil and gas activists across the country are seeking legal pathways to straddle the energy industry, U.S. companies are making less effective products at higher prices to comply with demands while customers suffer, industry insiders argue. On Monday, justices in the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Plaquemines Parish v. Chevron. The case centers around whether the energy company Chevron can move a case to federal court when federal government contracts are involved. Plaquemines Parish, in Louisiana, originally sought damages from multiple oil and gas companies for allegedly engaging in oil and gas production on the coast without securing proper permits or violating preexisting permits. Some of the violations date back to the World War II-era, when the federal government had production contracts with energy companies now owned by Chevron. Louisiana argues these contracts did not detail the methods by which companies were to obtain the oil and gas, still leaving them liable for violating state permitting laws. Louisianas coastal parishes have filed more than 40 similar lawsuits, alleging that oil and gas companies are responsible for coastal land loss in Louisiana. As the first case to reach a jury, Plaquemines Parish won a verdict of $744.6 million in damages against Chevron. Jason Isaac, founder of the American Energy Institute, told The Center Square a Supreme Court ruling in favor of Plaquemines Parish could be devastating for American energy companies. Its essentially a tax on energy, Isaac said. This could be bad for consumers, it could be really bad for American energy independence and American energy dominance. He said the case is an attempt to pin the loss of coastal wetlands and certain weather events to a particular company over a period of several decades. Theyre trying to make the claim that they can go back and look at every single bit of emissions and attribute certain weather events to that, Isaac said. A separate case, Suncor Energy v. Boulder County Commissioners, has also caught the attention of the nations highest court. The case focuses on whether state and local governments can file public nuisance lawsuits against oil and gas companies for global climate change effects. Public nuisance cant be used for global problems. It can be used for local problems, O.H. Skinner, executive director of Alliance for Consumers, told The Center Square. The U.S. Supreme Court distributed the case for its Dec. 12 conference but did not decide whether to deny it or pick it up. The court relisted the case for its Jan. 9 conference and may decide whether to take it on Monday. Isaac said the only reason the high court is still considering another energy case is because lower courts have yet to hear its merits. Courts recognize that cities cant use local lawsuits to control global climate policy or rewrite federal energy law, Isaac said. Boulders longevity reflects delay and avoidance, not legal strength. While not all are being heard before the Supreme Court, similar litigation against energy companies is occurring throughout the country. Wrongful death lawsuits, state nuisance laws and near-total plastic bans are seeing fierce litigation. Isaac said the cases stem from political desires to affect lasting change in the U.S. energy industry. He said Democrat-backed organizations will offer to cover attorneys and legal fees in law firms across the country to pursue litigation against large energy companies. Theyre essentially a private firm becoming a de-facto government agency going after legitimate businesses here in the United States, Isaac said. The implications of these cases are to the tunes of billions of dollars. Some companies and independent producers have experienced uncertainty due to fears associated with energy procurement lawsuits. Isaac said American Energy Institutes member companies have settled certain lawsuits to avoid expensive court proceedings. That increases the cost that gets passed on to the consumer in the end, Isaac said. Increased consumer prices lead to less effective appliances in the home, Skinner told The Center Square. As executive director of the Alliance for Consumers, he said rules imposed on manufacturers to be climate friendly results in a less effective product. If you keep telling somebody that they have to use less water, less heat, less electricity, things take longer and they dont do as well, Skinner said. As climate litigation is pursued across the country, Isaac and Skinner said they are concerned about increasing regulations that straddle companies from making the most efficient product. I dont think people are recognizing that theyre truly getting hammered with their electric utility bills because these companies and states continue to mandate so-called green energy, Isaac said. BOGOTA, Colombia Colombian officials began frantically calling Republicans in Congress seeking help to prevent a feared U.S. attack after President Donald Trump issued searing comments about their countrys leader in the wake of the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a senior Colombian official tells NBC News. Aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump called his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, adding: And hes not going to be doing it very long. Petro, a former Marxist revolutionary and one of the few Latin American leaders willing to vocally criticize Trump, on Tuesday said the American president had a senile brain. The Colombians asked members of Congress to help set up a phone call between Petro and Trump, which the Colombian government had wanted for some time. The official said the mediation paid off, with the two leaders speaking by phone on Wednesday, shortly before Petro was set to lead nationwide demonstrations in support of the countrys sovereignty. Colombia's Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez attends a ceremony in Bogota in June. (Ivan Valencia / AP file) (Ivan Valencia) The Trump-Petro call resulted in a dramatic de-escalation in tensions between the two men, with both leaders praising each other and announcing plans for a meeting in Washington next month. Colombias Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez told NBC News on Thursday that he planned to travel to Washington along with Petro to meet with American officials and that he no longer had concerns the U.S. would launch a military attack on his country. I trust in the word of the president of the United States, he said, adding that the conversation had been a crucial icebreaker for the two leaders and countries. Something Trump said on the call made a particular impression on Petro, the Colombian leader said in a Thursday interview with NBC News partner Telemundo. I know you have been surrounded by lies like I have, Petro said Trump had told him during a 55-minute telephone conversation. In a Truth Social post sent a short while later, Trump wrote that it had been a Great Honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had. In another post on Friday, Trump said he was looking forward to meeting Petro at the White House in February, adding: I am sure it will work out very well for Colombia, and the U.S.A., but, cocaine and other drugs must be STOPPED from coming into the United States. The White House did not respond to questions about the flurry of calls that preceded the conversation between the two leaders, nor about Trumps comment to Petro that they both were surrounded by lies. Colombian leaders, including Petro and Sanchez, appeared gratified by the language Trump used when describing the conversation. Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks at a rally to protest comments by President Donald Trump on Wednesday. (Luis Acosta / AFP via Getty Images) (Luis Acosta) He said yesterday that it was an honor to speak with the president of Colombia to solve a common problem, said Sanchez, a decorated career Air Force officer with a key role in engaging with the U.S. and tackling drug trafficking. Those common problems are the drug trade Colombia is one of the worlds leading producers of coca, which is used to make cocaine, and the United States the largest consumer of the drug and gangs that enable the cross-border flow of people, narcotics and other illicit goods. Colombia is the United States main drug-fighting ally in the hemisphere, Sanchez said. We share a lot of history, we share democratic values, and also we have a strong cooperation between the both countries, especially in defense, he said. Colombian leaders are especially alert to the movement of the leaders of Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren de Aragua and Colombias ELN, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and which has bases in Venezuela, among others, Sanchez said. Some 30,000 troops had been deployed to help guard the 1,400-mile border with Venezuela. We are ready to defeat or to confront those groups, he added. While the U.S. has historically had strong relations with Colombia, sending hundreds of millions of dollars in military and other assistance every year, these cooled after Petro came to power in 2022. Ties truly frayed under Trump. In October, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Petro and members of his family over alleged ties to the drug trade charges he denies. Pedro Sanchez during an interview with NBC News. (Erika Angulo / NBC News) (Erika Angulo) In November, Petro called Trump a barbarian who wants to frighten us, and said the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean was undoubtedly an aggression against Latin America. The recent escalating rhetoric reached a boiling point on Wednesday, when Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio warned the U.S. to back off. If such aggression were to occur, the military must defend the national territory and the countrys sovereignty, she said at a news conference in Bogota. Still, Sanchez said he believed in-person communication is key, and two weeks ago sent a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, inviting him to Colombia to see first hand the work the country is doing to combat the supply of drugs. (Hegseth has not responded publicly to the invitation.) He is a soldier and Im a soldier, he said. The enemies are the criminals, not the nations. EXCLUSIVE: As protests erupted in Iran and a dramatic U.S. operation unfolded in Venezuela, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) moved quickly to push information into some of the worlds most tightly controlled media environments, the agencys head, Kari Lake, told Fox News Digital in an interview. In the early morning hours of Jan. 3, reports began to trickle out about a law enforcement operation carried out by the U.S. military to remove Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, prompting USAGM, the agency responsible for broadcasting U.S. news in areas where press freedom is restricted, to take immediate action. "I found out about the situation in Venezuela, the incredible bravery of our service members who extracted Maduro," Lake said. "And the minute I heard about it, I had the team down in Miami that operates our office of Cuba broadcasting on the phone." Lake described a rapid expansion of coverage, with the agency ramping up broadcasts, expanding language services and surging personnel within hours to reach audiences via Radio Marti and Marti Noticias out of Miami, broadcasting directly into Cuba, Venezuela, and across Latin America. Trump Discusses Expansion Of Drug Cartel Crackdown, Issues Grim Warning To Iran Venezuelans living in Peru celebrate near the Venezuelan Embassy in Lima on Jan. 3, 2026, after President Donald Trump (left) announced that U.S. forces had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. "They were immediately deployed into the newsroom, and they started coverage right away, bringing out exactly what was happening," Lake explained. "They were covering it in Spanish to the folks in Cuba, and then we also have affiliates all around the Caribbean. We're taking our broadcast and pushing it in and pumping it in so that more people in Cuba were able to hear it." Read On The Fox News App "When people in Cuba hear that Maduro has been taken down, it gives them hope that they too can one day have that freedom. What we want to see is the people rising up and saying, we want freedom, we want conditions that are improved. We don't want to live this way any longer. So we've been doing incredible nonstop coverage." USAGMs Voice of America carried Trumps major addresses on Venezuela live while covering the latest developments, congressional reaction, and responses within Venezuela, reaching more than 6.6 million global audience impressions. Iran Regime Cuts Nationwide Internet Access As Protests Claim 44 Lives Across Major Cities Senior Advisor for the U.S. Agency for Global Media Kari Lake. Roughly a week before explosions rocked Venezuela during the Maduro extraction, USAGM sprung into action in another global crisis when protests erupted on the streets of Iran as citizens mobilized against the Khomeini regime in one of the worlds most media-restricted regions. Lake spoke to Fox News Digital about how her team took action in that instance as well and immediately began trying to reach as many Iranians as possible with U.S.-backed coverage. "Think about the people on the ground in Iran," Lake said. "Iranian people have been subjected to such horrible conditions with a dictator and a regime that has been just cruel for 47 years. They don't get fair media. They don't get honest coverage over there. We've been able to provide them with honest coverage." "We're working to get more of it in. We're hiring contractors to up our coverage and add more additional hours to coverage. What we're watching on the streets in the country of Iran is historic. The people are rising up saying we don't care anymore. We have to get our freedom back and we're there to do that coverage." After protests erupted in Iran, the USAGM moved quickly to expand coverage through Voice of Americas Persian-language service, significantly increasing satellite television programming aimed at Iranian audiences. Over the first 12 days of unrest, the service added seven additional hours of live broadcasts, including two hour-long primetime breaking newscasts on Jan. 3 and Jan. 4, while extending its regular evening newscasts from one hour to two as demonstrations spread. Iranian Military Leader Threatens Preemptive Attack After Trump Comments Iranian protesters try to take control of two cities in western Iran as nationwide unrest continues, with demonstrators chanting, "Death to Khamenei" in the streets. As the unrest continued, VOAs Persian-language service also ramped up its digital and social media footprint, publishing 52 web stories focused on the protests by Jan. 7. During that same period, the service pushed more than 1,700 pieces of content across six social media platforms, including over 170 user-generated videos sent from inside Iran that showed demonstrations and documented the regimes crackdown. The surge in coverage, according to the agency, resulted in a surge in audience engagement in the form of VOAs Persian website recording a record 1.69 million daily visits on Dec. 28. Over the first 12 days of protests, video views jumped more than 160 percent and article views rose nearly 80 percent, driving a total of roughly 13 million visits to the site during that period representing a 15% increase. Lake told Fox News Digital that there is overlap between their Iran and Cuba coverage, explaining that they are pumping information about whats happening in Venezuela to the people of Iran. "People in Iran are very interested in what happened in Venezuela, and so we're using both our Office of Cuba broadcasting with our Persian Farsi language services, and we're kind of combining forces and making sure that everyone realizes, everybody living under these regimes realizes that the people are rising up all over the world right now." Click Here To Download The Fox News App Nicolas Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5, 2026, in New York City. "This is such a historic moment and the people in Cuba know what's happening in Venezuela. The people in Cuba now know what is happening in Iran and vice versa. Iran realizes what happened in Venezuela and what's happened in Cuba as well. It's amazing. We're at the precipice, I believe, of not only just a peaceful world, but one where the people are free in places where they haven't experienced that lovely feeling of freedom for a long time. I'm happy with the work that we're doing. We're doing it with a smaller staff, and it shows that the federal government doesn't have to be a bloated, slow-moving dinosaur anymore." Lakes reference to the agency no longer being a "dinosaur" stems from her efforts to streamline an agency she says was wasting taxpayer dollars and not delivering a message across the world that was defending Americas interests. "We came into the agency and I had a very tough job to go in and right-size the agency," Lake explained, telling Fox News Digital that the previous administration's USAGM was inefficient and at times put out messaging that was not "aligned" with the best interests of American foreign policy. "It was bloated. The president put out an executive order saying, bring this agency down to its statutory minimum, which means, go back to what is statutorily required and not more than that. Get rid of the bloat and just do what's statutorily required, and we were able to do that, and our detractors sued us and said, oh, you'll never be able to cover the news. What happens if a big story breaks?" "Well, I worked in the media for 30 years," Lake said. "I know that when a big story breaks, you ramp up coverage and that's exactly what we've done." Original article source: Inside the Trump administrations effort to quickly reach audiences behind media walls in Venezuela, Iran Protests in Iran continued in the Islamic Republic, online videos purported to show, despite threats from the country's theocracy to crack down on demonstrators after shutting down the internet and cutting telephone lines off to the world. An external rights group that relies on information from contacts inside Iran said Saturday that at least 116 people have been killed in the protests, which began in Tehran in late December as anger over Iran's ailing economy, but quickly spread and morphed into the most significant challenge to the government in years. The protesters appeared to be taking encouragement from repeated declarations of support by the Trump administration, and by the country's exiled crown prince, who called on them to try and overwhelm security forces and seize towns and cities. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused President Trump of having hands "stained with the blood of Iranians" in remarks aired Friday on Iranian state TV, as supporters gathered before him shouted "Death to America!" Protesters are "ruining their own streets ... in order to please the president of the United States," the 86-year-old Khamenei said to the crowd at his compound in Tehran. "Because he said that he would come to their aid. He should pay attention to the state of his own country instead." Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei comments on nationwide protests, on Iranian State Television in the capital Tehran, Jan. 9, 2026 / Credit: IRIB/Handout/Anadolu/Getty Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation, without discussing dead demonstrators, whom it increasingly refers to as "terrorists." However, it also acknowledged protests went on into Sunday morning, with demonstrations in Tehran and in the holy city of Mashhad to the northeast. Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings. Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with the Iran's attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an "enemy of God," a death-penalty charge. The statement carried by Iranian state television said even those who "helped rioters" would face the charge. "Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country," the statement read. "Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence." Trump issues fresh warnings to Iran's leaders Mr. Trump has repeatedly pledged to strike Iran if protesters are killed, a threat that has taken on greater significance after the U.S. military raid that seized Venezuela's former President Nicolas Maduro. He issued a message of support to protestors on Saturday afternoon. "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote on Truth Social. A day earlier, Mr. Trump said that any possible American strike wouldn't "mean boots on the ground but that means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts." "Iran's in big trouble," Mr. Trump said. "It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago." He added, "I tell the Iranian leaders you better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too." In a brief social media post published in the very early hours of Saturday morning in Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "the United States supports the brave people of Iran." Iranian regime warns protesters will be punished "without any legal leniency" Iran's judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei separately vowed that punishment for protesters "will be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency." According to the Washington D.C.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which was founded by anti-regime activists, as of Saturday, the 14th day of unrest in Iran, at least 116 people had been killed, including at least 37 members of the security forces. More than 2,600 people had been arrested, and protests were recorded in at least 185 cities. The agency found that those who were killed died by live ammunition or pellet gunfire, predominantly from close range. Protesters are seen near burning vehicles amid evolving anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in a screengrab obtained from a social media video released on Jan. 9, 2026. / Credit: Social media via REUTERS (Social media via REUTERS) Iranian authorities shut down the internet on Thursday night as protests escalated sharply, seemingly as people heeded a call by the exiled crown prince, a vocal opposition figure, for Iranians to raise their voices against the regime. Iranian state media has shown only pro-government demonstrations. But the few social media videos that have made it through the internet blockade tell a different story. According to an update posted online Sunday morning local time by the monitoring organization NetBlocks, stated that the blackout "is now past the 60 hour mark as national connectivity levels continue to flatline around 1% of ordinary levels. The censorship measure presents a direct threat to the safety and wellbeing of Iranians at a key moment for the country's future." That communications blackout has made it incredibly difficult to gain a clear picture of the scale of the protests overall and the Iranian authorities' response to it. Some other reports put the death toll from unrest much higher, with TIME citing a doctor in Tehran as saying at least 217 people had been killed, for instance. Staff at three Iranian hospitals told CBS News partner BBC News that their facilities were overwhelmed by the number of dead and injured patients. BBC Persian verified that about 70 bodies were brought to Poursina Hospital in Rasht Friday night local time, but because the morgue was at full capacity, the bodies had to be taken away. A hospital worker in Tehran told BBC News there were so many wounded patients brought in that staff did not have time to perform CPR. Iranian authorities have acknowledged a few deaths, but usually only those of security forces. A doctor and medic at two hospitals in Iran told CBS News partner BBC News that their facilities were overwhelmed with injuries. The doctor said a Tehran eye hospital had gone into crisis mode, while the BBC also obtained a message from a medic in another hospital who said the facility did not have enough surgeons to handle the influx of patients. The medic claimed many of the wounded had gunshot injuries to the head and eyes. Asked by CBS News how seriously he believes Iran's autocratic rulers are taking the warnings from Mr. Trump not to kill protesters, Maziar Bahari, editor of the IranWire news website, said he was certain it had "really scared many Iranian officials, and may have affected their actions in terms of how to confront the protestors." "But at the same time ... it has inspired many protesters to come out, because they know that the leader of the world's main superpower is supporting their cause," said Bahari, who spent months in Iranian prisons after being arrested during a previous round of massive unrest in 2009. "Many people have called what is happening in Iran right now a revolution," Bahari told CBS News' Haley Ott. "And we can see different signs of revolution in Iran at the movement. But a revolution usually needs a leader for the revolution. But we don't have that leader." But while decades of draconian control over the media and the deliberate sidelining of dissident voices in the country have deprived Iran of a clear opposition figurehead inside the country's borders, many in the vast Iranian diaspora hope the nation's ousted royal family could stage a comeback. Online videos contradict state media Saturday marks the start of the work week in Iran, but many schools and universities reportedly held online classes, Iranian state TV reported. Internal Iranian government websites are believed to be functioning. State TV repeatedly played a driving, martial orchestral arrangement from the "Epic of Khorramshahr" by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showing pro-government demonstrations. The song, aired repeatedly during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last year, honors Iran's 1982 liberation of the city of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war. It has been used in videos of protesting women cutting away their hair to protest the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini as well. Meanwhile, state television reported that "peace prevailed in most cities of the country" overnight, with "no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces." That was directly contradicted by an online video verified by the Associated Press that showed demonstrations in Tehran's Saadat Abad area. Thousands gathered in the street, and one man could be heard chanting "Death to Khamenei!" In this frame grab from video taken by an individual not employed by The Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran shows people during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. / Credit: UGC via AP The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of the few media outlets able to publish to the outside world, released surveillance camera footage of what it said came from demonstrations in Isfahan. In it, a protester appeared to fire a long gun, while others set fires and threw gasoline bombs at what appeared to be a government compound. The Young Journalists' Club, associated with state TV, reported that protesters killed three members of the Guard's all-volunteer Basij force in the city of Gachsaran. It also reported a security official was stabbed to death in Hamadan province, a police officer was killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas, and another in Gilan, as well as one person was slain in Mashhad. State television also aired footage of a funeral service attended by hundreds in Qom, a Shiite seminary city just south of Tehran. Iran's theocracy cut off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls on Thursday, though it allowed some state-owned and semiofficial media to publish. Qatar's state-funded Al Jazeera news network reported live from Iran, but they appeared to be the only major foreign outlet able to work. Head of Iran's exiled royal family predicts his return is "very near" Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has been seen by many analysts as a galvanizing force behind the momentum of this round of protests. On Saturday, he called on Iranians not only to continue coming out into the streets, but to try to seize control of towns and cities from the authorities by overwhelming them. "Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centers," Pahlavi said in his latest video message posted on social media, calling for more demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday." Striking an optimistic tone, Pahlavi declared that he was "preparing to return to my homeland," suggesting the day on which he would be able to do so was "very near." A protester holds a placard of Iranian opposition leader and son of the last Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, during a demonstration against the Iranian regime's crackdown on protests in central Paris, France, Jan. 4, 2026. / Credit: Blanca CRUZ/AFP/Getty But Pahlavi has lived in exile for nearly 50 years, and while he has long sought to position himself as a leader-in-waiting, it's far from clear how much real support he has inside the country. His father, Iran's Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was widely despised inside Iran when he fled into exile himself amid street protests in 1979, as the Islamic Revolution that brought the current regime to power took hold. Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some protests, but it isn't clear whether that's support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Video shows ICE officer's point of view, Renee Good's last words before being shot People mocked his mangled truck, until one man stepped up to help Senate votes to hang Jan. 6 plaque after yearslong stalemate gofundme Leonard Mercury and Nicole La Guerre; Mercury NEED TO KNOW Massachusetts man Leonard Mercury went missing from Heywood Hospital in Gardner on Oct. 31 Two months later, his wife, Nicole La Guerre, said she is still searching for answers into how her husband vanished La Guerre launched a GoFundMe to raise money to hire private investigators to join in on the search The wife of a man who went missing after entering and leaving a Massachusetts hospital isnt giving up on her search. Leonard Mercury, 57, was last seen at around 2 a.m. on Oct. 31 leaving Heywood Hospital in Gardner in the direction of a bike path, according to a missing persons poster shared by the Gardner Police Department. Police noted that he is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs around 195 lbs. He was last seen wearing hospital clothing and no shoes. Police said that they were concerned for his wellbeing and believed that he may be in need of medical attention. Authorities added that community awareness and assistance was also crucial. gofundme Leonard Mercury More than two months since his disappearance, his wife, Nicole La Guerre, told WHDH-TV that she has not given up hope yet for his safe return and that she often returns to Heywood Hospital to search for clues as to where her husband could have gone. Hes not here, but then the question is where? Where are you? she questioned, adding that shes been out here behind Heywood hospital so many times. She shared with WHDH-TV and Boston 25 News that her husband was admitted to the hospital after facing mental health issues and he was placed on a Section 12 mental health hold. She said hours later, police came to her door and told her that her husband went missing from the hospital. Thats when [they] told me that he broke the window, she recalled to WHDH-TV, explaining that she had also been told that he had somehow managed to get on the roof of the hospital, jump to the ground and then run into the woods. His disappearance prompted a search from the Gardner Police Department and volunteers, who have searched the woods near the hospital and parts of a nearby lake in order to find clues as to what may have happened to him. La Guerre also launched a GoFundMe to help raise money to hire private investigators to join in on the search. The website said that since his dissapearance, "our family has been living in heartbreak and uncertainty, not knowing if hes safe, if hes hurt, or where he might be." gofundme Leonard Mercury and Nicole La Guerre 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. Patrick Aubuchon, a private investigator, told WHDH-TV, He only had hospital pants and a shirt on, so he wasnt well insulated. You would have to look at hypothermia right away. We are trying to just clear this area to give the family the answer that hes not here. He said the search has not garnered any clues as to where Mercury has gone. gofundme Leonard Mercury The Gardner Police Department shared an updated missing persons poster in November asking for the publics assistance in locating him. They added in their update that he may be disoriented. As for La Guerre, she said she is still really upset about what happened, and told WHDH-TV that she spends most days really angry because I dont have answers. However, she said she isn't giving up and has continued to follow tips looking for any sign of her husband. Read the original article on People Getty Images In 1774, King Louis XVI ascended the throne of France alongside Queen Marie Antoinette. Inside the Palace of Versailles, life appeared full of glitz and glamour, but beyond its walls, frustration began to build as the peoples needs went unmet. The French Revolution began in 1789, and tensions peaked with King Louis and Marie Antoinettes failed escape attempt in 1791, which ultimately led to their execution in 1793. Youve likely heard this story before, but another tale was unfolding simultaneouslyone in which the escape actually succeeded. During her time as queen, Marie Antoinette was known for her extravagant fashions and lavish parties, and her jewelry was no different. In many of her portraits, the queen is seen wearing a pearl pendant with diamond detailing. On November 14, 2018, her collection of pearls and diamondsincluding her signature necklacewere put up for auction in Geneva and sold for more than triple the asking price. Here is everything we know about the infamous pearl pendant and where it is today. Before the monarchs attempted escape, Marie Antoinette had her jewelry smuggled out of France. Getty Images Marie Antoinette in a historical portrait wearing pearls and lace attire. As tensions in France grew, King Louis and Marie Antoinette planned to flee to Varennes. They hoped to reach a small town called Montmedy near Frances northeastern border, where loyalist troops awaited them to help launch a counter-revolution. Three months before they attempted their flight, the queen stowed her most prized jewelry in a wooden chest. She entrusted a loyal ally, Count Mercy-Argenteau, to smuggle the jewels out of France. Her possessions were sent to Brussels and later to Marie Antoinettes home country. Her jewels may have made it out of France, but Marie Antoinette did not. The royal family was captured in Varennes and imprisoned; the king and queen were later executed. The pendant was hidden for over 200 years. Sotheby's Marie Antoinettes pearl pendant. Despite the rest of the royal family being executed, their eldest daughter, Marie-Therese, survived. After three years in solitary confinement, she was released and returned to Austria, where she was reunited with her mothers hidden jewels, safeguarded by the Austrian Emperor. Following her death in 1851, the pendant passed to her niece, the Duchess of Parma. It remained in royal hands unseen by the public for more than two centuries, until it surfaced at a 2018 Sothebys auction. The pendant was sold in 2018 alongside nine other pieces from the Bourbon-Parma Family Collection. Initially valued at $1.6 million to $2.9 million, intense bidding ended in the necklace being sold for $36.8 millionsurpassing the previous jewelry auction record held by Elizabeth Taylors La Peregrina pearl, which sold for $11.8 million in 2011. The pearl on the pendant is natural, which is extremely rare. Getty Images Maria Antoinette in a formal portrait with pearls. The pendant features an oval setting with a diamond bow supporting a baroque natural pearl drop. Natural pearls, which, unlike cultured pearls, form spontaneously without human intervention, have become increasingly rare. Natural pearls develop organically when a tiny grain of sand becomes trapped inside a mollusk. "As the organisms coats the irritant with nacrea luminous substance that gives pearls their famous glow, per Dale Jewelersthe pearl slowly forms. Due to overfishing and environmental changes, natural pearls are harder to find, making the pendant incredibly rare even before you consider its famous owner. The other record-breaking treasure at the auction was a necklace worn by the late monarch. Sotheby's A triplestrand pearl necklace with a decorative clasp. In addition to the pearl and diamond pendant, Marie Antoinettes three-strand pearl necklace, later updated with a diamond clasp in the 20th century, sold for $2.3 million at the same auction. In the end, the Bourbon-Parma family sold nine pieces for over $42.7 million. Besides their relation to France's last monarchy, the Bourbon-Parma family will be remembered for their historic jewelry collection. Read the original article on InStyle The mother and stepfather of a missing 12-year-old boy in Oklahoma have been arrested for alleged child abuse, authorities said, as the search for the child continues a week after he was last seen. Ryan Davis was last seen on Jan. 2 in Chickasha, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), calling his disappearance "suspicious." Police in Chickasha have issued an endangered missing advisory for Ryan, who also goes by RJ or Ryker. Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation - PHOTO: This undated photo of missing 12-year-old Ryan Davis was released by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. After state authorities joined the investigation into his disappearance, his mother, Kimberly Cole, and stepfather, George Cole, were taken into custody late Wednesday night on child abuse, child sexual abuse and conspiracy complaints, according to OSBI. "During the conversation with them, it was learned that there was apparent harm done to this child while he was living with these two parents," OSBI spokesperson Hunter McKee said during a press briefing on Thursday announcing the arrests. McKee said police also executed search warrants before the couple was arrested. Parents arrested for keeping 5 children in 'dungeon' with 'deplorable living conditions,' DA says McKee did not go into detail on the alleged abuse pending the filing of official charges, but said, "It was not a safe environment for him." "This is extremely sad. This is a horrific case so far for everybody involved," he said. Cado County Sheriff's Office - PHOTO: The booking photos for Kimberly Cole and George Cole. The parents remain in custody in the Caddo County Jail, online jail records show. Charges have not yet been filed against them, McKee said Friday. The urgent search for Ryan continued on Friday, with OSBI announcing a $5,000 reward for anyone who can "confirm RJ's location, leading to his safe return." The search has involved the use of drones, canines and other resources, focusing on a rural area between Caddo and Grady counties, according to McKee. Multiple law enforcement agencies are also involved. "We're still receiving several tips, we're still following up on those tips, but the boy has not been found," McKee said during Thursday's press briefing. "We do believe he is alive at this time, so we are doing everything we can to locate him." Chickasha Police Department - PHOTO: An endangered missing alert was issued by the Chickasha Police Department for Ryan Davis. The child has gone missing before, according to McKee, though the circumstances around that are unclear and are under investigation. Law enforcement has been in touch with the state's human services department, McKee said. "All we want to do is lay eyes on this child, get him the medical care that he needs, and assure him, physically and emotionally, he will not be returning back to that environment," Chickasha Chief Goebel Music said during Thursday's press briefing. 3 missing California boys found safe after overnight search: Sheriff It is unclear if the Coles have an attorney. Prior to the arrest, Kimberly Cole thanked those who helped in the search in an interview with ABC Oklahoma City affiliate KOCO, saying, "We just want our son back home, we want him back." Ryan's last confirmed sighting was on Jan. 2 at approximately 11:20 p.m. on foot at the intersection of Fourth Street and Grand Avenue in Chickasha, which is about 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, according to police. He is 4 feet 11 inches and weighs 85 pounds, police said. He was last seen wearing a red and black plaid shirt, dark jeans and brown steel-toe boots, police said. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is asking residents in Chickasa to check their personal and business surveillance cameras for any evidence of the missing preteen. Anyone with information is urged to call an OSBI tip line at 800-522-8017. An adult mountain lion has been spotted in Palm Springs and wildlife officials are monitoring the situation. The Palm Springs Police Department received a report of a mountain lion between 6 and 6:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 9, near the 500 block of Vista Chino. The animal was briefly photographed, which was shared with police. However, the reporting party soon lost sight of the creature. A mountain lion was spotted in Palm Springs on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. "As a precaution, residents are reminded that wildlife does frequent our desert community," PSPD said on social media. "We encourage everyone to remain aware of their surroundings when outdoors." Police encouraged residents with pets to keep them supervised while outdoors. Animal Control officers have responded to the incident. Mountain lions have been known to kill pets, especially in rural areas, although fatal attacks on humans are rare. The most recent death by a mountain lion in America occurred on New Years Day in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colorado. That was the first such death recorded in Colorado in 30 years. The last fatal mountain lion attack in California occurred in 2024 in El Dorado County. Residents who see a mountain lion are encouraged to report it to the Wildlife Incident Reporting System at wildlife.ca.gov to allow officials to track activity. PSPD can also be reached at 760-327-1441. Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Mountain lion spotted in Palm Springs Friday morning When travel writers compile their annual best places lists, I always find myself daydreaming about where I would go first. The kind of places that make me want to open my calendar, start a packing list, and imagine what it would feel like to step off the plane. In Time Outs Best Places to Travel in 2026, several Canadian locales shine with fresh reasons to visit. From glacial lakes framed by jagged peaks to charming towns full of culture and color, Canada feels like its both close to home and completely transformative. Even without ever setting foot there, I can picture the crisp air, the wide-open landscapes, and the feeling of being somewhere truly different. What draws me to Canada in 2026 goes beyond the usual tourist hype. I find myself imagining long walks through towns that encourage slow exploration, cozy cafes where I could linger over a coffee, and trails that invite me to get lost in nature without feeling rushed. Wellness retreats set against dramatic scenery, thoughtful design, and authentic cultural experiences make it feel like a destination designed for curiosity and reflection. I can almost feel the contrast between the frantic pace of everyday life and the kind of space Canada seems to offer. Canadian destinations are appearing on global lists because they reflect evolving ideas about leisure; wellness, slow travel, design-centered experiences, and cultural richness that captures the imagination of travelers who are done with cookie-cutter beach trips. The Canadian Rockies redefine adventure and wellness It is hard to talk about epic travel without mentioning the Canadian Rockies, and for 2026 they stand out even more. Beyond the classic postcard views of jagged peaks and turquoise lakes, this region is becoming a wellness refuge where nature and tranquility meet world-class experiences. Lake Louise and its surrounding trails have been calling hikers, skiers, and photographers for generations. Now addition of new spa and thermal experiences on glacial waters elevates the trip for travelers who want to recover and reflect between hikes and lakeside picnics. Long days can start with sunrise over glacier rims and wind down with a soak in mineral-warmed waters while the alpine horizon glows pink. Related: This might be the most unique hotel in all of Canada What makes this region especially satisfying is its effortless contrast; it can feel both raw and refined. You can spend a morning traversing a marked summit trail and the next afternoon sipping estate wine with a chef-prepared appetizer overlooking a valley that seems untouched by time. Prince Edward County blends beach and boutique If your travel aesthetic leans toward sunshine and style rather than snow and peaks, Prince Edward County offers an approachable getaway on the edge of Lake Ontario. This region, recently recognized as a top destination for 2026, is redefining Canadas beach town vibe with creative hospitality scenes, boutique stays, and vineyards that seem to sprout out of nowhere. Instead of a boardwalk filled with crowds, Prince Edward County boasts white-sand beaches backed by rolling farmland and quiet coves that feel like you discovered them yourself. Days here unfold at your pace, morning coffee beside the lake, an afternoon wine tour through boutique estates, and evenings in cozy inns with thoughtful local cuisine. Get the latest travel inspiration and news delivered straight to your inbox. The charm of this place is how seamlessly it blends relaxation with design sensibility. Boutique hotels and friendly local producers give this area a vibe that appeals equally to couples, families, and solo explorers seeking both calm and a touch of sophistication. Urban culture and heritage in Quebec City and Banffs timeless landscapes Canadas appearance on 2026 travel rosters is broader than any single region. Quebec City enchants with its European-style streets, centuries-old stone buildings, and vibrant cultural calendar, making it feel like a place you could explore for days without retracing your steps. Meanwhile, Banff National Park remains a timeless pilgrimage for travelers wanting iconic lakes, tranquil forests, and wildlife encounters that transform a good trip into a great one. Quebec Citys cobblestones and bistros capture the heart of anyone who savors heritage, history, and gastronomy. Banffs trails and glacial lakes offer a completely different but equally powerful draw, inviting you into some of North Americas most pristine wilderness. These classic destinations anchor Canadas overall tourism appeal and pair perfectly with newer spotlight locations like the Rockies wellness escapes and beach-adorned Prince Edward County. The Canadian travel boycott of the United States reshapes where people choose to go In an unusual twist on North American travel patterns, many Canadians are choosing to travel less to the United States in 2025 and into 2026. This shift is not purely economic or logistical, it is deeply tied to broader geopolitical and political sentiments. Recent tracking shows that more than six out of ten Canadians are less likely to visit the United States because of U.S. policy and political rhetoric, especially concerns about trade tensions and rhetoric involving Canadas sovereignty. Statistics Canada and travel analytics groups have documented significant declines in Canadian outbound travel to the U.S., with Canada-to-U.S. car travel down more than 35 percent in recent months and similar steep drops in air travel. That translates into millions fewer trips across the border compared with previous years. Related: Air Canada expands service to major US cities This trend matters for American tourism. In 2024, Canadian visitors were the largest single international group and spent more than $20 billion. Reduced travel from Canada has had measurable economic impacts on border-state tourism businesses. The reasons travelers cite for avoiding U.S. destinations in 2026 are varied but themes include political tension, tariff concerns, perceived safety and welcome, and a desire to support Canadian businesses. Surveys indicate that more than three-quarters of Canadians are less likely to travel to the United States in 2026 compared with 2025, a dramatic shift in sentiment. However, the boycott is not uniform. Some demographic groups and provinces remain more open to U.S. travel, and younger Canadians tend to anticipate thawing attitudes over the longer term. Canada benefits as Canadians choose to explore closer to home The consequence of this shift is that domestic Canadian travel has grown stronger. With fewer travelers heading south, Canadians are discovering or rediscovering destinations they may have once overlooked. Domestic tourism spending in Canada has been rising, partly because of these redirected travel plans. Travelers who might once have crossed the border for a weekend getaway, a national park pilgrimage, or a cultural city break are now exploring their own backyards. This makes 2026 especially promising for Canadian tourism: new services, storytelling, and investments are pouring into regions that are ready for international and domestic discovery. Adventure starts with a clicksign up for our newsletter for travel tips and stories. For adventurous travelers north of the borders neighborly frontier, Canada in 2026 brings both familiarity and surprise. It offers landscapes that redefine close escape, pairing natural wonder with cultural vibrancy. In a time when global travel trends are being rewritten and many Canadians are rethinking their travel habits, Canada itself stands out as a destination that inspires deeper connection and exploration. For American travelers, the proximity is part of the joy of visiting Canada. It is a place that can be reached quickly, enjoyed deeply, and remembered long after the journey ends. This story was originally published by TravelHost on Jan 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Attractions section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Angie Polushkin/Rick Harrison/Instagram From left: Angie Polushkin and Rick Harrison on their wedding day; and the couple's wedding ceremony NEED TO KNOW Rick Harrison married Angie Polushkin in Las Vegas on Jan. 3, 2026 The Pawn Stars lead explained his choice to get married in "a flashy little wedding" in a new interview The couple will tie the knot again in a larger wedding in Cancun, Mexico later this month Rick Harrison is opening up about his intimate Las Vegas wedding. PEOPLE exclusively revealed that the Pawn Stars lead, 60, married Agripina "Angie" Polushkin in an Elvis Presley impersonator-officiated ceremony at the Little White Chapel, followed by a celebration at Rick's Rollin Smoke BBQ & Tavern in Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 3. Now, Harrison is explaining why he and his wife decided to tie the knot in Sin City. "We're gonna get married in Cancun, but we had to get married in the States first. We didn't want to go to the courthouse, so we had a flashy little wedding," Harrison told Fox News in an interview published on Friday, Jan. 9. Angie Polushkin/Rick Harrison/Instagram From left: Angie Polushkin and Rick Harrison on their wedding day He continued, "Literally had a little reception at my bar, and then later we're going to go to Mexico where it's the big thing." While sharing their marriage news with PEOPLE over the weekend, the newlyweds gushed over their small ceremony and expressed their excitement to exchange vows again at their larger wedding in Mexico at the end of January. "We are so excited to start this next chapter as husband and wife and celebrate with friends and family in Las Vegas, and also at our wedding later this month," the couple said. "It has been such an adventure already, and we are looking forward to all of it." Mike Dancel for Little White Wedding Chapel From left: Rick Harrison and Angie Polushkin on their wedding day The day after their Las Vegas nuptials, Harrison and Polushkin posted a compilation of photos from their ceremony and reception in a joint Instagram reel. Wearing casual wedding attire, the couple embraced and shared a celebratory drink in the pictures, which had NHD Studios Official's popular wedding-themed song, "We Just Got Married," playing in the background. "1/3/26 we became Mr & Mrs Harrison ," Polushkin, who is a registered nurse, wrote. Angie Polushkin/Rick Harrison/Instagram From left: Angie Polushkin and Rick Harrison on their wedding day 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. Harrison and Polushkin met in early 2024, and they announced their engagement in separate Instagram posts in March 2025. Read the original article on People Earlier this week, Nicolas Maduros vice president was sworn in as Venezuelas president in a ceremony attended by the same officials who have led the regime for years. The countrys senior military commanders were present, along with the interior minister who oversees much of the states repressive security apparatus. Also on hand to congratulate her were the most powerful ambassadors in Caracas, from Russia to China to Iran. Despite the successful operation by our military and intelligence community that took Nicolas Maduro into federal custody, control of the Venezuelan state has not meaningfully shifted. The same individuals continue to command the institutions that matter. That continuity has consequences. The networks tied to drug trafficking and official corruption remain entrenched in the government, as do the conditions that have driven more than seven million people to flee the country, many of them to the United States or to neighboring countries like Colombia and Peru. The American adversaries most invested in preserving this system remain actively engaged. After Maduro, Venezuela Power Vacuum Exposes Brutal Insiders And Enforcers Changing that reality is far more complex than the removal of a single leader. It would mean reforming Venezuelas security forces, dismantling criminal enterprises embedded in the state, stabilizing a collapsed economy and supporting a credible path to democratic elections. Those efforts would require significant American resources and carry real risks, with no guarantee of success. At this early stage, the United States has committed major military forces and personnel to the region. Roughly fifteen thousand U.S. personnel and about 20% of U.S. Navy assets were positioned in the region during the buildup, supported by air assets. That scale illustrates how quickly a limited operation can become a lasting obligation. Read On The Fox News App Any expectation that Venezuela could quickly finance its own recovery, or offset the costs of U.S. involvement, is unrealistic. Restoring Venezuelas oil production is a long-term undertaking. Years of mismanagement have degraded infrastructure and driven out skilled workers. Bringing production back online at scale would require lengthy technical work and substantial private investment, under security and governance conditions that do not currently exist. Further, U.S. refineries already have their hands full they cannot drop their work to refine domestic crude oil to prioritize Venezuelas oil. Thats why President Trump even recently acknowledged that U.S. taxpayers may be called upon to reimburse oil companies who want to set up shop in Venezuela. Meanwhile, the administration has dismantled U.S. economic and democracy assistance, including cost-effective and targeted tools that would be essential to stabilizing Venezuela and supporting a transition away from corruption and criminal control. China, by contrast, has consistently used infrastructure, financing, and humanitarian support to expand its influence in Venezuela and across the region. Undermining U.S. economic engagement while signaling interest in extracting resources risks strengthening Beijings position, not weakening it and this would be a message sent around the entire world: the U.S. takes while China invests. Taken together, tackling these challenges would amount to a multi-year commitment of resources, attention, and political capital, with uncertain outcomes and competing demands elsewhere. That commitment could grow, with the President indicating interest in ever-expanding interventions in the hemisphere. These tradeoffs are not abstract. Long-term involvement abroad competes with pressing domestic priorities, including lowering household costs, protecting access to health care, and maintaining investments at home in affordability and economic growth. More than anything, I hear from my constituents in New Hampshire that they want their elected leaders to focus on their pocketbook economic concerns, on making their lives more affordable and lowering the cost of key expenses like housing, health care, energy as well as everyday essentials. They recognize the importance of America playing a constructive and muscular role in the world, but dont want their elected leaders to ignore their very real economic priorities. Click Here For More Fox News Opinion President Trump acknowledged those concerns when he campaigned for office, but his agenda since from blanket tariffs to health care cuts have had the opposite effect. Americans increasingly feel squeezed by the high cost of living. The president also campaigned on a restrained foreign policy that avoided the sort of open-ended nation-building commitments weve seen in the past, but when it comes to Venezuela and the Western Hemisphere, we see him pursuing a very different approach. Threats and actions to seize or run sovereign territory are not only unpopular among the American people; they are among the costliest and strain partnerships and alliances, creating even more space for U.S. adversaries like Russia and China to take advantage. Click Here To Download The Fox News App Americans know that our country and the world is stronger, safer and more prosperous when we are engaged in and shape what happens beyond our border. But theyre deeply mindful of the real trade-offs that exist when our leaders draw us into costly commitments overseas without a clear end-game or strategy. Right now, the president has drawn the United States into a potentially protracted involvement in Venezuela and beyond. Thus far, we have not heard a consistent rationale for our involvement, much less a plausible long-term strategy for how we stabilize and transition Venezuela to a thriving democracy long the shared objective of Republicans and Democrats. It is critical that the administration be transparent with the American people and Congress about the costs that involvement will incur and the real tradeoffs it entails. And in the process, it is vital that the administration not preserve the very autocratic systems and institutions they once saw as a U.S. national security threat. Original article source: SEN JEAN SHAHEEN: Maduro is gone, but the same power structures remain in Venezuela A suspect was arrested in Illinois for the fatal shootings of an Ohio dentist and his wife, according to police. Columbus police issued a warrant for Michael McKee, a 39-year-old Chicago resident, on Saturday and police said authorities arrested him on the same day in Rockford, Illinois, without incident. He was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Spencer Tepe and Monique Tepe, police said. McKee is the ex-husband of Monique, according to Franklin County court records obtained by CBS News. The arrest came days after police released footage of a person of interest seen walking near the home of the victims around the time the dentist and his wife were killed. Investigators believe Spencer, 37, and Monique, 39, were fatally shot between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30 in their home located in the Near East Side neighborhood of downtown Columbus, local police said. The Tepe family said in a statement that McKee's arrest on Saturday was "an important step toward justice for Monique and Spencer," thanking law enforcement and investigators for their effort. "Monique and Spencer remain at the center of our hearts, and we carry forward their love as we surround and protect the two children they leave behind," the statement read in part. "We will continue to honor their lives and the light they brought into this world." Police in Ohio released footage of a person of interest who was seen walking near the home of Spencer and Monique Tepe around the time the dentist and his wife were killed. / Credit: Columbus Police Officers were dispatched to the Tepes' home in the late morning of Dec. 30 for a welfare check, according to a statement from the Columbus Division of Police. When they arrived, they found Spencer and Monique Tepe dead with apparent gunshot wounds. Investigators said no weapons were found at the scene and there were no signs of forced entry. Two children, a 1-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, were found inside the home uninjured. Last week, CBS News obtained a 911 call from last April between a dispatcher and an unknown woman at the same address where the Tepes lived. At around 2:45 a.m. on April 15, 2025, someone called 911 but hung up before speaking to an operator. Authorities called back to ask if everything was OK, and a woman said, "Me and my man got into it, but I'm OK, I promise." She said she did not need police or paramedics. The call lasted around one minute. Spencer and Monique Tepe / Credit: Rob Misleh Extended Interview: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes remembers Bob Weir as "a sharp guy who knew things about everything" Jacksonville Jaguars coach gets pep talk from reporter after playoff loss U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem at a roundtable discussion with local ranchers and employees from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on January 7, 2026 in Brownsville, Texas. Photo by Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images Top Trump administration officials inadvertently helped journalists identify the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official involved in the Minnesota shooting by revealing a detail about his background. Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters after the Wednesday incident that the agent, who opened fire on a driver, had previously been dragged by someones car during a pursuit in June. Though they meant to defend the agent, the comments gave journalists and internet sleuths what they needed to find the case in public court records and name him as 10-year deportation officer Jonathan Ross. (RELATED: Renee Good Was A Legal Observer Heres The Leftist Group That Popularized The Term) Ross fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good at a protest in Minneapolis after she abruptly drove her car toward him during a confrontation with multiple agents. In the prior case described by Vance and Noem, Ross helped chase down a convicted child rapist from Mexico who accelerated his truck while Ross was partly inside, dragging him about 100 yards, according to multiple reports published after their remarks. That very ICE officer nearly had his life ended, dragged by a car, 6 months ago, 33 stitches in his leg, Vance said Thursday. So, you think maybe hes a little bit sensitive about somebody ramming him with an automobile? The Guardian, one of the first outlets to report Ross name, referenced court records that closely match the description of a June 2025 incident involving the agent in Bloomington, Minnesota, cited by the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, and JD Vance. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the record, but one White House official referred the DCNF to the DHS. The Trump administration has maintained that masks and anonymity are needed for ICE agents safety and reiterated that stance in comments to the Daily Caller News Foundation without answering why Ross involvement in the June chase was revealed in press conferences. We are not going to expose the name of this officer. He acted according to his training, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. Doxxing our officers [puts] their lives and their families in serious danger, she said. Our law enforcement officers are on the frontlines arresting terrorists, gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists. Now, thanks to the malicious rhetoric of sanctuary politicians, they are under constant threat from violent agitators. McLaughlin took aim at the Minnesota Star-Tribune as one of the earliest to expose Ross identity. Publicizing their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk, she said. The Star Tribune should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for their reckless behavior, and they should delete their story immediately. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporters byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. Donald Trump, child care centers A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration on Friday from cutting off more than $10 billion in social services and child care funding to five Democrat-led states over fraud concerns. New York District Judge Arun Subramanian, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, issued the 14-day temporary restraining order in response to a lawsuit filed by state attorneys general in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York the states targeted by the Trump admins funding freeze. This relief is preliminary in nature and is designed to protect the status quo while plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction is briefed and decided, Subramanian wrote in a two-page order. Subramanian found that the Democrat-led states showed good cause in arguing that the funding freeze would have immediate and devastating impacts. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the four other states suing the Trump administration, celebrated the legal victory. The Trump administration notified California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York earlier this week that certain HHS funding would be frozen amid fraud concerns. AP This decision is a critical victory for families whose lives have been upended by this administrations cruelty, James said in a statement. From childcare to shelter services for survivors of domestic violence, these funds provide resources that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers depend on, the Democratic AG continued. This illegal funding freeze should have never happened, and I will keep fighting to uphold the law and protect funding that our communities need. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had sought to cut off the five Democrat-led states from access to more than $7 billion from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash to low-income families with children; $2.4 billion from the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for eligible parents; and about $870 million from the Social Services Block Grant program. To prevent fraud, we asked states to provide receipts before sending taxpayer money for child care, HHS Deputy Secretary Jim ONeill wrote on X after the ruling. Five blue states sued and an activist Biden-appointed judge just ordered us to stop asking. What are they afraid of? ONeill said HHS would follow Subramanians order but vowed to fight. We will comply with the court, but we will fight. We will appeal. We will keep asking questions, the Trump administration official wrote, adding, We will stop the fraud. The Trump administration had asked the states to provide comprehensive lists of funding recipients between 2019 and 2025. AP The Trump administration plans to appeal the order. AP The funding pauses were announced via letters from HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to each state sent Tuesday, citing concerns that benefits were fraudulently going to illegal aliens. These concerns have been heightened by recent federal prosecutions and additional allegations that substantial portions of federal resources were fraudulently diverted away from the American families they were intended to assist, ACF Assistant Secretary Alex Adams wrote in each letter to the states. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul were also asked to hand over comprehensive lists of funding recipients between 2019 and 2025. The Democrat-led states countered in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that the spending halt amounted to an unconstitutional act of political retribution. Defendants have publicly stoked allegations of fraud, including Plaintiff States purportedly providing unlawful benefits to undocumented immigrants, regardless of whether they have been substantiated, the lawsuit stated, arguing that the Trump administration has used those speculative allegations as a pretextual justification to punish perceived political enemies. Two men were shot and wounded inside a New York City deli Friday afternoon -- as the gunman still remains on the loose, cops said. Two men were shot and wounded inside a New York City deli Friday afternoon and the gunman still remains on the loose as cops continue to investigate sparked the burst of violence, police said. A 24-year-old was shot in the face and a 26-year-old was hit in the back when gunfire erupted inside Alex Deli & Grocery at 1256 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn around 3:47 p.m., according to an NYPD spokesperson. Both victims were rushed to Kings County Hospital in stable condition. A 24-year-old was shot in the face and the 26-year-old victim was hit in the back when gunfire erupted inside Alex Deli & Grocery. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Its unclear whether both men were employees of the bodega or customers. Sources said the perp described as a man last seen wearing a black puffer jack and ski mask, ripped navy jeans, and black and white sneakers fled the scene westbound on Newkirk Avenue. No arrests have been made, police said. Authorities have yet to determine a motive for the shooting. Both victims were rushed to Kings County Hospital in stable condition. Paul Martinka Authorities have yet to determine a motive for the violent shooting. Paul Martinka No arrests have been made, police said. Paul Martinka The United Bodegas Association condemned the violence and offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for Fridays incident. We are sending a clear message to Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul, said Fernando Mateo, spokesperson for the United Bodegas Association, ABC News reported. The United Bodegas Association condemned the violence and offered a $5,000 reward. Kyle Mazza/UNF News/Shutterstock We need funding for panic buttons and real security measures. Our members cannot do this alone. The City and the State must step up to protect the men and women who own and operate these bodegas. The investigation is ongoing. Traditional Greenlandic housing is seen from the Myggedalen viewpoint in Nuuk, Greenland, on March 28, 2025. Credit - Leon NealGetty Images President Donald Trump has had his sights set on Greenland for years. He first offered to buy the island, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, in 2019 during his first term in what he described as essentially a real estate deal. Since his reelection he has redoubled the push to acquire the territory and repeatedly threatened to annex it, despite pushback from Greenland itself, Denmark, other European leaders, and even some prominent members of his own party within the U.S. We do need Greenland, absolutely, the President told The Atlantic on Sunday. Extending from the Atlantic Ocean up to the Arctic Ocean, the island holds rich troves of natural resources and is uniquely situated to monitor Russian and Chinese military activity, offering a strategic position for further U.S. control of the region. Trump has framed Greenland as essential for U.S. national security, saying in his interview with The Atlantic that it is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships, which necessitates increased U.S. defense. Reiterating his desire for the territory last January, he also asserted that it was needed for economic security. The President and Administration officials have gone so far as to suggest, more than once, that military force could be deployed to acquire Greenland if it cant be purchased. Trump has declined to rule out the possibility on multiple occasions, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that "utilizing the U.S. military is always an option." Read more: The Republicans Breaking Ranks With Trump Over Greenland Threats: This Is Appalling Eight of Europes top leaders came to the defense of Greenland in a joint statement on Wednesday, saying that security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said earlier in the week that a U.S. attack on the territory would end NATO. Both Denmark and the U.S. are founding members of the military alliance, established after the Second World War. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that he intends to speak with Danish officials next week on U.S. involvement in the territory. Later the same day, Jesper Mller Srensen and Jacob Isbosethsen, Denmarks ambassador and Greenlands envoy, respectively, met with officials on the White House National Security Council to urge the U.S. to step back from its proposed takeover of the island. The Administration is also considering the idea of offering cash payments to Greenlanders, ranging from $10,000 to $15,000, in exchange for joining the U.S., Reuters reported. Read more: The Ways Trump Could Try to Take Greenland But as the Administrations efforts to acquire Greenland intensify, experts contend that the U.S. doesnt need to fully control the territory to benefit from its strategic security position or natural resources. Theres a way for the Trump administration to get what it says it wants, and that's mineral access and military bases, by doing something that should be normal, Nick Burns, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and U.S. ambassador to China, tells TIME. And that's respecting Denmark, working with them diplomatically on the basis the Danes have suggested: we are sovereign, but we welcome American investment and military presence. Heres what to know. National security The President has cast his interest in acquiring Greenland as being primarily motivated by national security concerns. The island is situated along the GIUK Gap, a strategic chokepoint for surveillance in the Arctic region whose name references the first letters of Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. As a result of climate change and melting ice, which have allowed for further exploration, international shipping, and military presence in the area, it has become increasingly competitive. Russia, which stretches over half of the Arctic Ocean coastline, currently controls a majority of the region. Greenland is so strategic in a world where China and Russia havemajor Arctic ambitions, Burns says, noting that Russia considers itself to be the Arctic power and therefore its very important that the United States up its game. China, meanwhile, declared itself a Near-Arctic State in 2018 with the release of a strategy plan for arctic exploration and shipping. Malte Humbert, an expert on Arctic geopolitics and founder of the Arctic Institute, says that Russian dominance in the region should concern the U.S., citing Russias Northern Fleet, the largest ice-capable naval fleet in the world. Both Burns and Humbert emphasize to TIME that controlling all of Greenland isnt necessary to accomplish Trumps national security goals, however. Humbert points to the defense treaty from 1951 between the U.S. and Denmark, which already grants the U.S. the right to construct, install, maintain, and operate military bases in Greenland. If it's purely a security aspect, there's really no reason why the U.S. would like to claim or acquire Greenland because they already have access to Greenland in terms of military bases, he says. The U.S. currently has one military base in Greenland, Pituffik Space Base, which is situated on the northwest coast. During the Second World War, the country built many bases on the island, but then scaled back its presence following the Cold War. Read more: The Greenland Crisis Could Break NATO I think it's clear that we do not need to invade Greenland or even to buy it to get what President Trump says he wants, Burns says. Both the Danish government and the Greenland regional authorities have consistently said they welcome the U.S. to do that on the military side. And more important and a greater asset to U.S. national security than dominance in the Arctic, he stresses, is the countrys membership in NATO. He notes that it is in the American national interest that we stay in NATO and framed the coalition as our vehicle for international protection. The stakes are so high here, Burns says. Vast, untapped resources Greenland holds rich natural resources, including oil, rare earth minerals, and uranium, an important element for nuclear power. These offerings add to the islands strategic importance, and its appeal for the U.S. The President has dismissed the idea that these resources have a significant role in his push to acquire the territory, saying, "We need Greenland for national security, not minerals. But Mike Waltz, the current U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and Trumps former national security advisor, said that the Administrations draw to Greenland was about critical minerals and natural resources in a 2024 interview with Fox. And experts familiar with the island's landscape say those offerings would be of significant interest to the U.S.. Rare earth materials, a group of metallic elements that are abundant in Greenland, are used in magnets, which are really important for a range of technologies, both for defense as well as for the renewable energy transition, says Saleem Ali, a professor of energy and environment at the University of Delaware. He adds that products like wind turbines, sensors, and laptops require these elements to function. They're used in small amounts, but they're very important, sort of the secret sauce, sometimes, to make it work, he tells TIME. Uranium is also present in Greenland: Kvanefjeld, in the islands south, is home to one of the largest deposits for uranium in the worldAli says that the geology of Greenland makes it very appropriate for these uranium deposits. Tapping into them could stoke the U.S.s nuclear production. Read more: Trumps Potential Next Targets After Venezuela Access to the island and its resources will likely only expand in the years ahead. So much of Greenland is unexplored With climate change, you are going to get a retreat of the ice sheet, and that will allow for exploration to occur, Ali explains. He notes that roughly 80% of Greenland is covered by an ice sheet that is retreating. He adds, however, that the U.S. would not need control over the island to make use of its natural resources. There has been no curtailment of U.S. investment going into there, he says. Multiple billionaire American businessmen, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, are already exploring increasingly navigable regions of Greenland for metals like nickel and cobalt that are used for powering electric vehicles. Bob Loeffler, a professor of public policy at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, who has visited Greenland three times to advise the State Department on its mineral policy, warns that the U.S.s investment in Greenland might not be worth its time, despite the potential for untapped resources. People misunderstand how long it takes to develop a mine, he tells TIME, noting that it can take up to 20 years to develop a viable mining site, given that the discovery of materials requires multiple exploratory expeditions. We expect that Greenland has a lot of minerals, but without a lot more exploration, we don't know what's economically feasible. Loeffler believes that many of the resources on the island can be sourced elsewhere, and pushes back against the narrative that rare earth minerals, among other resources, can only be found in remote Arctic regions. Rare earths have that name, but they're not particularly rare, he says. And we have a number of them in the U.S., so it's not necessarily clear we need to go to Greenland. Contact us at letters@time.com. I lost everything. I lost my kidss future. I lost my future. Joe Novak thought he had found love on social media. When the 51-year-old New Jersey father posted on Facebook about the troubles he faces while taking care of a son with celiac disease, a kind, attentive woman messaged him about the post. Must Read I dont know you, you are my recommended friend on FB so I added you, hope this doesnt disturb you, the message read, according to CNN (1). I find your post about your son very heartwarming. Maybe we can connect? After Novak agreed to connect, it didnt take long before the two were messaging each other on WhatsApp, with their messages eventually turning into a daily ritual of sharing photos, voice notes and affection. The woman reportedly made Novak feel seen in a way he had not felt in years. Then the conversations shifted from romance to opportunity. Ailis, as she identified herself, urged Novak to invest in a safe, high-return crypto strategy. The website she recommended showed quick gains and promised more if he added extra cash. Novak then began moving over his savings, trusting both Ailis as well as the numbers on the website. And by the time the truth had become clear, a large portion of his life savings $280,000 was gone. Novak, as he would come to learn, had become a victim of a sophisticated pig butchering scam. I lost everything. I lost my kidss future. I lost my future, Novak told CNN. I cried every day. How do you tell your 78-year-old mom who has medical problems that everythings gone? What are pig butchering scams? Pig butchering is a long-con scam that blends romance, confidence tricks and fake investment opportunities, often involving cryptocurrency. The scam gets its name from the farming practice of fattening up pigs before theyre slaughtered. Scammers build trust over weeks or months, fattening up their targets with affection and romance before slowly introducing a cant-miss investment that shows impressive, but fake, returns (2). U.S. authorities say many of these schemes are run by organized crime groups abroad. Some scam operations even use trafficked workers who are forced to spend long hours grooming victims online (3). These groups systematically target Westerners through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, dating apps and text messages. Once the target is emotionally invested and convinced the investment profits are real, the scammers push for large deposits until the victim is drained. Thats when the scammers typically cut off all contact with the victim. Read More: This $1B private real estate fund is now accessible to non-millionaires. Heres how you can get started with as little as $10 Who is at risk of being targeted? Law enforcement estimates that pig butchering schemes strip tens of billions of dollars from innocent victims worldwide every year. In the United States, investment fraud has become the costliest category of cybercrime, with losses in the billions each year and a large share tied to cryptocurrency scams, according to the Federal Trade Commission (4). Older Americans are a prime target for these scammers because the elderly often have retirement savings, home equity or access to credit that scammers can tap. U.S. officials warn that large criminal networks abroad now run industrial-scale scam centers that focus specifically on U.S. victims (5). They use social media, messaging apps and dating platforms to reach thousands of people at the same time, then concentrate on anyone who responds. Romance scams overlap heavily with pig butchering, and older adults often suffer the worst losses. In fact, people over 60 lose more money to online fraud than any other age group, according to AARP (6). Scammers know that loneliness, grief or fear about money can make someone more likely to trust a stranger who seems kind, attentive and financially successful. How to protect yourself from these scams First and foremost, unsolicited messages on Facebook or any other platform should be a major red flag, especially if the person starts flirting soon after making contact. You should also be wary if they refuse to video chat, dodge basic questions or push risk free crypto or investment opportunities. Secondly, its important to set boundaries for yourself before you reply to a random text message. The hardest part of a romance scam is remembering that anyone can be susceptible to love bombing. Though it might feel cruel and cold-hearted, any time a person asks about your finances, you have to ask yourself, who will benefit from me sharing this information? And do not, under any circumstances, let anyone you have not met in person gain access to your phone or computer with remote software. If you think you have been scammed, you have to act fast. Contact your bank immediately and ask if any transfers can be frozen. You should also immediately file a report with the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center, the FTC and your local police or state consumer protection office. At the first inkling that the person you have been messaging might not be who they say they are, take a screenshot of all your messages, receipts and transaction pages that might be of help to investigators down the road. People who claim they can recover your money for an upfront fee should also be viewed with suspicion because recovery scams are designed to target victims a second time. What To Read Next Join 200,000+ readers and get Moneywises best stories and exclusive interviews first clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now. Article sources We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines. CNN (1); United States Secret Service (2); PBS (3); Federal Trade Commission (4) U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (5); AARP (6) This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Patt Says - In-N-Out Two people allegedly used $100 counterfeit bills at dozens of In-N-Out Burger restaurants in Southern California in a wide-reaching scam. Glendale police officials said in a statement Friday that 26-year-old Tatiyanna Foster of Long Beach was taken into custody last month. Another suspect, 24-year-old Auriona Lewis, also of Long Beach, was arrested in October. Police released images of $100 bills used to purchase a $2.53 order of fries and a $5.93 order of a Flying Dutchman. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office charged Lewis with felony counterfeiting and grand theft in November. Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes, Lewis' public defender, said that her client is 25 years old and is "presumed innocent." She said prosecutors could have brought misdemeanor charges, but they didn't. "The real story is about why are Black people disproportionally charged with felonies in Los Angeles County," Lashley-Haynes said. The district attorneys office said in a statement that it "does not charge individuals based on their background or identity. "Our charging decisions are based solely on the facts, evidence and circumstances of the crime and the law." Glendale police said that Lewis was arrested in Palmdale in an operation involving the U.S. Marshals Task Force. Foster is expected in court later this month, officials said. Lewis was found to be in possession of counterfeit bills matching those used in the Glendale incident, along with numerous gift cards and transaction receipts believed to be connected to similar fraudulent activity, according to a police statement. A representative for In-N-Out Burger told KTLA-TV that restaurants in Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties were also targeted by the alleged scam. Their dedication and expertise resulted in the identification and apprehension of the suspects, helping to protect our business and our communities, In-N-Out Chief Operations Officer Denny Warnick said. We greatly value the support of law enforcement and appreciate the vital role they play in making our communities stronger and safer places to live. The company, opened in 1948 in Baldwin Park, has restaurants in nine states. An Oakland location closed in 2024, with the owner blaming crime and slow police response times. Company Chief Executive Lynsi Snyder announced last year that she planned to relocate her family to Tennessee, although the burger chain's headquarters will remain in California. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Humberto Rodriguez Martinez has been extradited to Orange County after eight years on the run in Mexico. (Anaheim Police Department) A man accused of ambushing and fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend has been extradited to Orange County to face a murder charge after eight years on the run in Mexico, authorities said. Humberto Rodriguez Martinez, 39, is accused of working with a friend to kill his romantic rival outside his ex-girlfriend's apartment in 2017, according to the Orange County district attorney's office. Martinez is a Mexican citizen and was in the U.S. illegally at the time of the killing, prosecutors said. Prosecutors charged Martinez in 2017 with the murder of 32-year-old Daniel Reyes, as well as with felony enhancements for allegedly lying in wait and for using a knife. But for years police were unable to arrest him. Martinez's car was recovered in San Diego, while he remained wanted on a $2-million warrant. Read more:It took LAPD 23 years to identify one of their own as the culprit in this fatal love triangle His friend, Adan Zapot-Leyva, was arrested two days after the attack and later sentenced to 15 years to life after pleading guilty in 2023 to one felony count of second-degree murder. Mexican authorities, working with the U.S. Marshals Service, tracked down Martinez in 2024 in Mexico, where he was arrested at the request of the U.S. On Dec. 4, he was extradited to the U.S. and homicide detectives from the Anaheim Police Department took him into custody at Los Angeles International Airport. He pleaded not guilty to murder on Tuesday and is being held without bail. This arrest does not undo the pain the victims family has endured, but it reinforces our commitment and promise to our community: We will never stop working until justice is served, Anaheim Police Chief Manny Cid said in a statement. Read more:Prominent California farmer charged with killing estranged wife held on $5.5-million bail Prosecutors accuse Martinez of carrying out a deliberate, jealousy-driven murder plot. Martinez shared two children with his ex-girlfriend and they were co-parenting for several months after they broke up. On Oct. 17, 2017, Martinez and Zapot-Leyva went to the woman's apartment to watch the children while she went to work, prosecutors said. She returned home around 8:30 p.m. and the men left the apartment. About 30 minutes later, her new boyfriend arrived, prosecutors said. Early the following morning, Anaheim police officers responded to the intersection of Santa Ana and Helena streets after witnesses reported seeing two men chasing Reyes and one of them stabbing him. Reyes died at the scene. Read more:Suspected love triangle turns deadly as husband crashes into car carrying wife and another man, police say Zapot-Leyva later told authorities that he and Martinez had watched the apartment for several hours because they knew that Reyes was inside, according to his 2023 plea agreement obtained by City News Service. The ex-girlfriend had called Zapot-Leyva to ask where he and Martinez were and, in a "deliberate trick," Zapot-Leyva told her they had left the area hours ago, according to the plea agreement. The goal was to fool Reyes into thinking it was safe to exit the apartment. Once he did emerge, the men chased him down and attacked him, and Martinez stabbed him 10 times, Zapot-Leyva told authorities, according to the plea deal. Reyes begged them to stop, saying "please don't ... I have children," according to the plea deal. The pursuit of justice will never be derailed by time or distance, O.C. Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said in a statement Friday. We are grateful for the incredible work of our investigators and prosecutors and of our partners, both domestic and international, for their assistance in tracking down a wanted [murder suspect] and bringing him back to Orange County. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. [BBC] "Keir can't be the last gasp of the dying world order," warns a minister. The prime minister finds himself in charge when the globe is being bent into a new shape by his big pal in the White House. While a lot has gone wrong at home, Downing Street's handling of events abroad has broadly been considered a success. But as the pace of Donald Trump's activity around the world picks up - particularly in Venezuela and Greenland - the prime minister's increasingly assertive opponents at home are set on turning one of his few sweet spots sour. It is true there has been some squeamishness, particularly on the left of the Labour Party, over Starmer's closeness to Trump. It is a symptom of a traditional distaste for the schmaltz of the "special relationship", that did not start and will not end with Starmer and Trump. Think Blair being accused of being Bush's poodle over Iraq, or parodies of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan taking a spin on the White House dance floor. Whatever the personal vibes, it is always a transaction: "The unavoidable cost of doing business," one Labour MP says. This time, if you show loyalty and friendship to a controversial leader, it will be easier to agree a better trade deal than most of the rest of the world. Dangle royal invites to the US president, or be understanding of big US tech firms' desires, and there is a friendlier reception to requests for support for Ukraine. [BBC] So far, so successful, with senior figures in government believing their foreign policy guru, Blair-era adviser Jonathan Powell, is "playing a blinder". But according to one senior Labour MP, there is a growing risk of "being linked to the madness". The prime minister could find himself squeezed by accusations of weakness from both sides of the aisle and with one big policy problem rising up the rails: how much money to spend on defence. Traditionally, the official opposition in the UK tends to stick with the government on foreign policy - I wonder if that feels rather quaint in the turmoil of 2026. An increasingly confident Kemi Badenoch, who will join us on the programme on Sunday, is paying scant attention to that now. She chose, unusually, to try and blast the prime minister on foreign policy in the Commons this week - claiming Starmer was irrelevant because he had spoken only to Trump's senior advisers five days after the strike on Venezuela, not to the president himself. She also lambasted him for not giving MPs and the public the full details of the deal agreed with France and Ukraine to put UK troops on the ground in the event of a peace agreement. Her team reckons she managed to puncture his authority on foreign policy this week. And you can expect the Conservatives to keep building an argument that the UK is not showing enough strength abroad. That begs the obvious question: what exactly would Badenoch do differently? [PA] It is far from inevitable she would somehow be involved in the inner Trump decision-making team in a way that Starmer is not. Would she have been able to broker a deal that could help guarantee potential peace in Ukraine, or would she mount more operations against Russia's shadow fleet, like the UK-supported seizure of the Marinera tanker in the North Atlantic this week? In truth, the job of the opposition is to make arguments, not take action. Those arguments are coming thick and fast on foreign policy from the left too, both outside and inside Labour itself. The Lib Dems, who are within a whisker of Labour in some polls, also took the unusual step of using both their questions at PMQs this week to ask about foreign affairs. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey's team noted his comments about Venezuela were watched on Instagram more than anything else he had ever posted, with nearly 10 million views - not the be all and end all, but it is interesting that it cut through in this noisy world. With the frenzied pace of Trump's foreign activity picking up, a senior Lib Dem source says: "We see the opportunity - Starmer is so closely hitched to Trump there's a growing risk it's damaging - and it works on the doors: lots of Labour voters are anti-Trump but pro-Nato." Sources point to the party's significant breakthrough when they opposed Tony Blair over Iraq. The parallel is not pure, but Labour's discomfort is plain, and their rivals are keen to pounce. More from InDepth The surging Green Party are all too happy to scoop up unhappiness about Trump to Starmer's detriment, too. A senior party source says: "It's hugely problematic for the prime minister. He's put so many of our eggs in the Donald Trump basket. Lavishing him with a second state visit - to stroke his ego - was always going to end in tears." Inside Labour, there are pockets of unhappiness on the party's traditional left, with some MPs openly questioning the government's lack of condemnation of Trump's action against Venezuela, and there is unease for some after the UK backed the seizure of the Marinera, too. Even some supportive colleagues who praise the prime minister's actions on the world stage worry about how he handles the perceptions now at home. "The responses have been the response of a diplomat's brain, not a political one," says one, "and if you don't take a strong political position too, you'll be attacked by both sides." That said, such visible international turmoil may make the prospect of a challenge to Starmer less likely. Any leadership contender flirting with the idea of a challenge could look self-indulgent when the international situation is in such flux. While Trump's international rollercoaster gives new opportunities to Starmer's opponents, grave international moments make stability in his own party a greater prize. And foreign policy is not generally considered the strong suit of Labour's main current foe, Reform UK. It is easier for Labour to beat off their criticisms on foreign policy than attacks on immigration. Forget party political attacks for a second, the dramatic start to the year around the world has put a fresh focus on a conversation we have had regularly in recent months: how much more taxpayers' cash is going to have to go to defence as the world is less stable, and has the government really made the decisions to make it happen? One insider told me: "Defence spending is a proper wound now - it's not just the chiefs grumbling." How much of your cash to spend on protecting the country and by when was already a tricky issue. The prime minister is fond of saying we are in turbulent times - as he argued in our long interview last week. He believes the UK and the rest of Europe must put much more money aside to protect itself. On Friday, the defence secretary, John Healey, in response to reports of chunky shortfalls in the money available, reiterated that what is happening around the world demands a new era for defence. Ministers have already promised to increase defence spending at a rate faster than since the end of the Cold War - though it comes with a big "but". [Reuters] Before the turn of 2026, the former chief of the defence staff, Sir Tony Radakin, argued publicly that there may not be enough money to protect budgets from cuts. The defence secretary told us that was wrong. But the following week, the new chief of the defence staff told us yes, there had already been some cuts to some capabilities. Awkward! And that spat, and the government's big defence review, was before the United States' new security strategy, which, in dramatic language, laid bare the approach of the Trump White House. It was before the American strikes on Venezuela, which showed he would act, not just threaten. And it preceded the White House's re-stated ambition this week to possess Greenland, even using military force - yes, it may go after a member of the defence alliance the US itself is signed up to defend. After Trump's recent actions, the question of how much the UK is really willing to pay for its own protection, and what politicians are willing to sacrifice to make that happen, becomes more urgent by the day. Many argue, including some opposition parties, that ministers have already vowed to spend more on defence. But have ministers really accepted how big that shift needs to be, or levelled with the public about it? That's a different question. A rule of British politics has long been that voters do not switch on foreign policy: what happens at home is more important. As one government source said: "People want to see us handle the foreign stuff competently but it's not really what people care about - they only vote on foreign affairs grounds in genuinely exceptional circumstances." But the opposition parties are eager to open up a new front to attack the prime minister. There is a genuine and profound question over the government's priorities in a dangerous world. All politics is local, so the saying goes. But after the last seven days, could 2026 be the exception that proves the rule? Top image credit: Getty Images [BBC] BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. You can now sign up for notifications that will alert you whenever an InDepth story is published - click here to find out how. U.S. president Donald Trump has claimed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was responsible for the overdose deaths of countless Americans, accusing him of trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the country. Those allegations were used in part to justify Maduros arrest by U.S. authorities on 3 January, following a series of U.S. military attacks on boats off Venezuelas coast that have killed more than 115 people since September. Maduro has since been charged with conspiracy offences and has pleaded not guilty, while his government condemned the operation in Caracas as an imperialist act. But do Trumps claims about the drug trade stack up? US Special Operations forces hit multiple narco boats off the Venezuelan coast in December (Donald Trump/Truth Social) Analysis by The Independent has examined how much cocaine and fentanyl is actually illegally imported into the United States from Venezuela. Does Venezuela produce Fentanyl? Illicit opioids, particularly Fentanyl, remain the primary drivers behind the epidemic of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. according to the U.S. governments 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment. However, Venezuela is not mentioned as a fentanyl producer in this assessment. Instead, Mexico is the dominant source of illicit fentanyl entering the United States, according to the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking. The government doesnt list fentanyl by country of manufacture the same way it does for other drugs, but it does identify Mexico as the primary source and also mentions Canada. Venezuela is not a place where Fentanyl is produced. Fentanyl is produced in Mexico for the U.S. market, Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies drug policy, told The Independent. It's produced in Canada for the Canadian market, and it's produced in China for shipments elsewhere, such as to Europe, she added. The Trump administration has obviously tried to make the Fentanyl justification very broad, including to pressure Canada and then to impose tariffs on Canada, Vanda Felbab-Brown said. The White House has been contacted for comment on this claim. Government estimates show that in 2024, about 22.7 kilograms of Canada-sourced fentanyl were seized at the U.S.Canada border, compared to 9,354 kilograms seized at the U.S.Mexico border. Criminology specialists test cocaine seized in Maracaibo, Zulia state, northwest of Venezuela (AFP/Getty) Does Venezuela produce cocaine? Cocaine is derived from coca leaves grown in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia and the manufacturing process takes place in remote jungle labs, according to the DEA. Venezuela is not mentioned in the DEAs 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment as a country where cocaine originates. U.S. government data shows 84 per cent of the cocaine seized by authorities in 2024 originated in Colombia. Peru and Bolivia are also mentioned as sources. However, experts note that some cocaine production does take place in Venezuela. There is some cultivation of coca in Venezuela that has increased in recent years as new cultivars of coca allow its cultivation in much lower altitudes with greater humidity than has traditionally been the case, but that production is still small, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. The vast majority of production takes place in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. Is Venezuela used to traffic cocaine? A Criminal Investigation Technical Agency (ATIC) agent carries a package with of cocaine next to two of the five Venezuelan and Colombian alleged drug traffickers from whom it was seized (AFP/Getty) According to U.S. estimates detailed by the United Nations, around 70% of cocaine leaves Colombia via the Pacific route. The DEA also says most cocaine entering the U.S. is trafficked through Mexico. Venezuela is a place where a lot of cocaine is exported to Europe and to the United States. It's not the sole place through which those exports, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. Despite repeated claims by Trump that Venezuela is a major source of drugs harming the U.S., data and expert assessments tell a different story: Venezuela is not a principal producer or trafficking country for cocaine or fentanyl destined for the United States. Certainly Trump believed that the counter-narcotics narrative would appeal to his base and would create both domestically and internationally a justification for removing Maduro from power, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. The Trump administration maintains that its actions are legally justified. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela, it is a narco-terror cartel, and Maduro, it is the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The Trump administration is halting visa processing for countries whose nationals had high rates of dependency on social welfare in the United States. (belterz/Getty Images) Travelers from several countries visiting the United States for tourism and business purposes are now being required to pay a visa bond between $5,000 to $15,000 that experts say is designed to drown immigrants and travelers in bureaucracy. The State Department expanded its visa bond program this week to more countries, including Cuba, Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica. Under the pilot program, consular officers set hefty fees on people applying for B1/B2 visas, used to travel the U.S. for tourism and business. But the policys impact will be minimal for countries whose students, tourists, and professionals are already banned under a presidential proclamation in June blocking Cubans, Venezuelans, Antiguans, Barbudans, Dominicans and nationals from over a dozen other countries. Instead, the overlapping policies are part of an overarching strategy of layering bureaucratic hurdles to reduce legal immigration altogether, especially from certain nationalities, lawyers told the Miami Herald. The door thats immediately in front of you is closed, and if you somehow manage to open that one, you encounter another door that is also shut that you then have to deal with, said Jorge Loweree, managing director of Programs and Strategy at the American Immigration Council. Loweree added that the visa bond might also be the Trump administrations insurance in case the federal courts stop the travel ban. The presidential proclamation, announced in June 2025 and expanded in December, suspends a persons ability to enter the United States. Some countries are subject to a partial ban, others to a full ban. The State Department has stopped issuing many visas altogether for the 39 countries listed under the travel ban, save for limited exceptions. Under those narrow limitations like the persons entry into the U.S. being in the national interest or a professional athlete coming for a major sporting event someone could still be issued a visa and subjected to the bond, said Shev Dalal-Dheini, senior director of Government Relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. These exceptions are going to be in very rare instances, Dalal-Dheini said. The June proclamation included exceptions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens such as spouses, foreign adopted children, and others. The December proclamation did not have those exceptions. The development comes days after the United States snatched Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and as President Donald Trump foreshadows that the Cuban government will soon collapse on its own. It also comes as Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda brokered agreements to accept deportees from the United States as part of the Trump administrations aggressive expansion of third country deportations. Read more: Migrants deported from U.S. could soon land in two Caribbean countries The Trump administration announced the visa bond program last year. It runs through August 2026. The original list focused on African countries. After its expansion, the list continues to be dominated by nations in the African continent, but also includes Asian nations like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan; and island nations within Oceania, like Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The administration has clearly identified countries that they deem to be undesirable, and they are targeting very intentionally and carving their citizens out of our immigration system, said Loweree. Travelers from the countries with visa bond requirements can only fly in and out of Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport. A Herald review of future flights in the coming month shows no direct flights from the capital cities of Havana in Cuba and Rousseau in Dominica. There is one daily nonstop flight to JFK from St Johns in Antigua and Barbuda, but no directs to Boston and Washington D.C. There have been no direct flights from Venezuela to the U.S. since 2019. To enter the United States, travelers must clear customs at the first airport where they land, even with connecting flights to the U.S. That means travelers subject to the visa bond who make it past the travel ban will need to first travel to other countries with nonstop connections to those three U.S. airports and have the required visas to enter the other country adding burdensome airfare and travel time. Under the visa bond program, the federal government returns the bond amount to applicants whose visas are denied, if visas expire before travel, or if a traveler leaves before their visa expires. However, the State Department breaches of the visa bond program include overstaying in the United States and claiming asylum on a non-immigrant visa. According to the Federal Register, the rule targeting certain foreign nationals is based on factors including visa overstay rates, whether foreigners can acquire citizenship in those nations through financial investments, and gaps in screening and vetting information. Data from the Department of Homeland Securitys Fiscal Year 2024 Entry/Exit Overstay Report, which the Federal Register cites, show that Cuba and Venezuela do not have the highest overstay rates. Antigua and Barbuda nationals had a B1/B2 visa overstay rate of 1.19%, Dominicans nationals had a rate of 4.09%, Cuban nationals had a rate of 6.84 percent , and Venezuelan nationals had a rate of 8.42 percent. Other countries reported higher rates. Sir Ronald Sanders, the ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States, said in a statement that no government included in the expanded visa bond list had been notified of their inclusion. The record shows that our countrys visitor overstay rate is consistently low, significantly below that of many countries not subject to bond requirements, said Sanders. Discussions are ongoing on removing restrictions for visas on legitimate Antigua and Barbuda travelers. Neither the visa bonds nor the entry suspension apply to existing visa holders already in the United States. The Trump administration must periodically review the travel ban. If the administration removes the ban from certain countries, then the visa bonds would apply to more travelers from currently banned countries. That hasnt happened so far. Its just continuing to make life difficult for individuals from these countries, said Dalal-Dheini. The Washington National Opera, which has performed at the Kennedy Center since 1971, is leaving the performing arts venue. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) In what might be the most decisive critique yet of President Trump's remake of the Kennedy Center, the Washington National Opera's board approved a resolution on Friday to leave the venue it has occupied since 1971. Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity, the company said in a statement to the Associated Press. Roma Daravi, Kennedy Center's vice president of public relations, described the relationship with Washington National Opera as "financially challenging." "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship," Daravi said in a statement. "We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center." Kennedy Center President Ambassador Richard Grenell tweeted that the call was made by the Kennedy Center, writing that its leadership had "approached the Opera leadership last year with this idea and they began to be open to it." Read more:Drag artists launch petition asking Kennedy Center donors to halt funds: L.A. arts and culture this weekend "Having an exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety," Grenell wrote. "We have spent millions of dollars to support the Washington Operas exclusivity and yet they were still millions of dollars in the hole - and getting worse." WNO's decision to vacate the Kennedy Center's 2,364-seat Opera House comes amid a wave of artist cancellations that came after the venue's board voted to rename the center the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. New signage featuring Trump's name went up on the building's exterior just days after the vote while debate raged over whether an official name change could be made without congressional approval. That same day, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) an ex officio member of the board wrote on social media that the vote was not unanimous and that she and others who might have voiced their dissent were muted on the call. Grenell countered that ex officio members dont get a vote. Cancellations soon began to mount as did Kennedy Center's rebukes against the artists who chose not to appear. Jazz drummer Chuck Redd pulled out of his annual Christmas Eve concert; jazz supergroup the Cookers nixed New Years Eve shows; New York-based Doug Varone and Dancers dropped out of April performances; and Grammy Award-winning banjo player Bela Fleck wrote on social media that he would no longer play at the venue in February. WNO's departure, however, represents a new level of artist defection. The company's name is synonymous with the Kennedy Center and it has served as an artistic center of gravity for the complex since the building first opened. Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Krysten Ann Happel A Christmas morning wellness check escalated into a felony arrest after Fort Myers police say a mother sent a graphic video of herself abusing her young daughter, accompanied by text messages threatening to murder her husband with her "bare hands." Krysten Ann Happel, 36, was booked into the Lee County Jail on Christmas evening, charged with cruelty toward a child without great bodily harm. She is also being held as a fugitive from justice due to an active warrant out of Georgia. According to the arrest report filed with the Lee County Clerk of Courts, the investigation began when a concerned acquaintance contacted law enforcement. The witness reported receiving a series of "disturbing" texts and videos from Happel in the early hours of December 25. READ: Headphones, Dense Fog Scrutinized After Brandon High Student Killed By Train The report indicates that one text message allegedly sent by Happel read: "I ain't gonna be satisfied till i fu**ing kill him with my bare hands and spend the rest of my life in prison." The message also allegedly contained threats to set the man on fire. Police say a video sent alongside the texts showed Happel verbally and physically assaulting her child. The arrest affidavit describes Happel "forcefully tapping and nudging" the toddlers headwhich officers noted is "extremely vulnerable to injury"while telling the child to "Get your ugly ass out of here." At one point in the footage, Happel reportedly threw a blanket over the child's face in a manner that "could have significantly affected breathing," while referring to the toddler as a "demonized child." Officers located Happel at a Salvation Army, and upon making contact, officers noted the child was found "soaked in her own urine," appearing as though she had not been changed in hours. READ: Fatal Mistake: Two Dead In Lady Lake After Golf Cart Runs Red Light Investigators also discovered Happel had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court in Georgia. After being read her Miranda rights, Happel allegedly admitted to the conduct. The report states she "took credit for the text messages" and admitted to "doing what was done" in the video. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) was notified and has taken custody of the child. Happel is scheduled to appear in court on January 26, 2026. Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage. Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox A couple of my recent blogs here and here have saluted John Luther Adams as among the most esteemed present-day American composers for orchestra. . . . Encountering Adamss Become Ocean on a 21st-century symphonic program is so fundamentally enthralling that it risks cliche. It is the proverbial oasis in the desert. The Sahara here is contemporary American concert music inscribed in sand. Long a resident of Alaska, then of the American southwest, Adams moved to Australia two years ago. In a recent piece for Australias The Saturday Paper, he addresses Why I moved from the US to Australia. You can read it here. Some excerpts worth pondering: The culture creates the politics and, with tongue lightly in cheek, Ive taken to referring to my wife and myself as cultural refugees. The relentless commercialization, rising tides of xenophobia, the strident acrimony of social discourse, the violence and the increasingly hysterical tenor of life in the USA have simply worn us down. We are among the few privileged enough to be able to leave. Ive come to believe that ultimately art does more than politics to change the world. Music is not what I do, its how I understand the world. I dont believe that politics will change fundamentally until culture changes. Throughout history, the ideas that transform societies have come from writers, painters, novelists, poets, even composers. From scientists, philosophers, theologians and others whose lives are dedicated to asking new questions, to seeking beauty and truth, not power. by Nirmala Carvalho India has criticised a message of solidarity sent by the mayor of New York (of Indian origin) to the former researcher detained since 2020 for the Delhi riots. Respect for the independence of the judiciary emphasised. International organisations and legislators denounce the prolonged detention and call for a fair trial. Amnesty International: Derailment of justice. Delhi (AsiaNews) - The Delhi government has reacted harshly to a short letter sent by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to imprisoned activist Umar Khalid, 38, stating that elected representatives must respect the independence of the judiciary in other democratic countries. Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said that expressing personal prejudices is not appropriate for those in public office and advised them to focus on the responsibilities of their role. We expect public representatives to respect the independence of the judiciary in other democracies. Expressing personal biases is not befitting of those in public office. Instead of making such comments, it would be better to focus on the responsibilities entrusted to them. These are the words of spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, spoken during a press conference. In early January, a photograph of Mamdani's handwritten note to Khalid - a student activist and former researcher at Jawaharlal Nehru University, detained since September 2020 on charges of conspiracy linked to the Delhi riots that same year - was shared on X by his friend Banojyotsna Lahiri, on the day Mamdani was sworn in as mayor. Mamdani wrote: Dear Umar, I often think of your words about bitterness and the importance of not letting it consume you. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you. According to media reports, the note was given to Khalid's parents when Mamdani met them during their visit to the United States in December 2025. Lahiri told the Hindustan Times that Khalid's parents, Sahiba Khanam and Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, had travelled to the United States before their youngest daughter's wedding to meet another daughter who lives there and was unable to travel to India. On 5 January, the Indian Supreme Court denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the case of the 2020 Delhi riots, in which 36 Muslims and 15 Hindus were killed during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), both introduced a year earlier in 2019. The Delhi police were accused by activists of failing to intervene and acting in favour of Hindus: 16 of the 18 defendants are Muslims. Umar Khalid was not even present, but was sentenced to five years in prison. In denying bail, the Supreme Court noted that there was a prima facie case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria ruled that delays in the trial cannot serve as a trump card to ignore the guarantees provided by law. Eight US lawmakers also wrote an appeal to the Indian ambassador in Washington, expressing concern about Khalid's prolonged pre-trial detention. Democratic senators and members of the House called for him to be given a fair and timely trial, stating that the case raises serious questions about due process, human rights and India's obligations under international law. . International human rights organisations have also frequently sought to highlight the case. In September, on the fifth anniversary of Khalid's detention, Amnesty International wrote that his detention without trial is an example of a derailment of justice and is emblematic of a broader pattern of repression affecting those who dare to exercise their right to freedom of expression. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. 10 January 2026 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Azerbaijan is poised to take a significant step forward in both renewable energy and water infrastructure, as Saudi Arabias ACWA Power prepares to implement a large-scale seawater desalination project alongside its expanding renewable energy portfolio in the country. The announcement comes amid broader global and regional efforts to diversify energy sources and enhance climate resilience. The planned desalination facility, with a capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day, represents one of the largest water infrastructure projects in Azerbaijans history and will be built near Baku at the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park. The project was awarded to ACWA Power following a public-private partnership (PPP) tender, and a Public-Private Partnership Agreement valued at approximately USD 400 million has already been signed with the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency. The agreement covers the design, construction, financing, ownership, operation, and maintenance of the facility over a 27.5-year period, after which it will be transferred to the state agency. This initiative comes at a time when Azerbaijan is placing increased emphasis on water resource management and water security, recognizing that a significant share of the countrys water resources originates outside its borders. Desalination helps address growing demand in urban and industrial centers such as Baku and the surrounding Absheron Peninsula, which rely heavily on external water sources. Officials and experts have highlighted the strategic importance of diversifying water supply to complement traditional freshwater sources, especially in the face of climate change and increasing urbanization. By securing a reliable, high-capacity source of drinking water, the project is expected to significantly enhance water resilience for households, industry, and public services. ACWA Power did not arrive in Azerbaijan with its desalination plans alone. The company has already established a strong presence in the country through its 240 MW Khizi-Absheron Wind Power Plant, which was inaugurated recently and marks the largest renewable energy project of its kind in Azerbaijan and the wider Caucasus region. That project, co-financed by international lenders including the OPEC Fund for International Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, illustrates how foreign direct investment can complement national energy diversification goals. The wind plant, divided between Absheron and Khizi with a total of 37 turbines and producing enough clean electricity to power over 300,000 households, will also reduce natural gas consumption and cut hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon emissions annually once fully operational. ACWA Powers leadership sees Azerbaijan as more than just a project location. Selim Guven, Head of ACWA Power for Turkiye and Azerbaijan, emphasized that the desertion plant is part of a broader cooperation strategy, noting that Azerbaijans strong energy potential and commitment to renewables create favorable conditions for long-term investment. Guven has also mentioned plans to develop energy export interconnection lines that could enable wind and solar power capacity in Azerbaijan to reach markets such as Europe, enhancing regional energy integration. The inland desalination project is expected to help Azerbaijan not only address domestic water needs but also increase resilience against climate variability and manage long-term resource scarcity. It aligns with national water strategies that prioritize efficient resource use and support sustainable development goals. Internationally, ACWA Powers involvement underscores the growing trend of integrating energy transition projects with critical water infrastructure, which is increasingly seen as a key feature of climate-resilient development. The company, renowned as one of the largest private water desalination operators globally, brings extensive experience in deploying large-scale water technology solutions in multiple regions worldwide. For Azerbaijan, the combined momentum of renewable energy expansion and the deployment of advanced water infrastructure signals a maturing sustainability landscape. While renewable generation directly supports reductions in fossil fuel dependence, the desalination plant addresses another pillar of modern infrastructure: reliable access to freshwater. By attracting major foreign investment and leveraging public-private partnership frameworks, the country is building foundations for a more resilient and diversified economy. 10 January 2026 15:25 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more In recent years, Azerbaijan-China relations have demonstrated clear upward momentum, marked by a growing number of high-level visits, expanding economic ties, and deepening cooperation across strategic sectors. Against the backdrop of shifting global power balances and the restructuring of international supply chains, Bakus engagement with Beijing reflects a deliberate and forward-looking foreign policy choice. Developing relations with China, one of the worlds leading economic and political powers, has become one of Azerbaijans key foreign policy priorities. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on April 2, 1992, bilateral cooperation has evolved steadily, reaching a strategic level over the past few years. This trajectory is not accidental but the result of consistent diplomatic engagement and shared long-term interests. At the political level, relations between Azerbaijan and China are underpinned by strong mutual trust between President Ilham Aliyev and Chinese President Xi Jinping. This high degree of political confidence is reflected in regular contacts and symbolic gestures, including President Xi being among the first world leaders to congratulate President Ilham Aliyev on his re-election. Such signals carry particular weight in diplomatic practice, especially in relations with China, where continuity and trust are key pillars of foreign engagement. President Ilham Aliyev has described the strengthening of ties with China as one of the most important achievements of Azerbaijans foreign policy in 2025. In his assessment, the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed during his state visit to China in April last year, represents a milestone in bilateral relations. This declaration elevated cooperation to a new political framework, providing institutional and strategic depth to Azerbaijan-China ties. The political framework has translated into tangible economic results. During President Aliyevs state visit to China, 20 cooperation documents were signed, covering a broad range of areas including trade, energy, transport, science, education, culture, and media. As a result, bilateral trade turnover has reached a record level, exceeding $4 billion. Chinese investment activity in Azerbaijan has also intensified, particularly in the green energy sector - an area aligned with Azerbaijans long-term development strategy and its commitments to energy transition. Chinese companies are involved in the construction of solar and wind power plants, power generation infrastructure, and the production of electric buses, positioning Azerbaijan as an emerging hub for green energy development in the region. This growing investment cooperation reflects Chinas broader global strategy of supporting sustainable infrastructure projects, while allowing Azerbaijan to diversify its economy beyond hydrocarbons. One of the most strategically significant areas of cooperation between Azerbaijan and China is transport and logistics. Azerbaijan occupies a central position along the EastWest transport corridor, also known as the Middle Corridor, which connects China to Europe via Central Asia and the Caspian Sea. President Ilham Aliyev has noted that China will be the main driver of future growth in freight traffic along this route. Chinas multibillion-dollar investments in railway infrastructure across Central Asia - including projects through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan toward the Caspian Sea - signal Beijings long-term commitment to this corridor. Once operational at full capacity, these routes are expected to significantly increase cargo flows to Azerbaijan, strengthening its role as a key logistics hub. In this context, Azerbaijan is not merely a transit country but an active stakeholder in shaping a reliable, diversified alternative to traditional maritime routes, particularly amid global supply chain disruptions. Beyond economics and geopolitics, Azerbaijan-China cooperation is expanding into science, education, and people-to-people diplomacy - areas that ensure long-term sustainability of bilateral relations. A recent example is the interest expressed by Chinas Hubei International Professional Exchange Association in establishing partnerships with Azerbaijani scientific institutions. During a meeting with Aghshin Aliyev, Head of the Azerbaijani Language Department at Beijing Foreign Studies University, the associations leadership highlighted opportunities for joint research projects. These discussions reflect a broader trend: academic exchanges between Azerbaijani and Chinese universities and research centers are intensifying, supported by the comprehensive strategic partnership framework. Founded in 1988, the Hubei International Professional Exchange Association has implemented more than 200 international scientific projects across fields such as medical biology, agriculture, information technology, new materials, and ecology. Its interest in cooperation with Azerbaijan underscores the growing recognition of Azerbaijan as a reliable scientific and educational partner in Eurasia. Taken together, these developments indicate that Azerbaijan-China relations have moved beyond symbolic partnership into a multidimensional strategic alliance. Political trust has created the foundation, economic cooperation provides tangible benefits, transport connectivity strengthens Azerbaijans geopolitical relevance, and scientific collaboration ensures long-term institutional depth. As global competition intensifies and new economic corridors take shape, Azerbaijans pragmatic and balanced engagement with China positions the country as a key regional partner - capable of aligning national interests with broader Eurasian integration processes. In this sense, Azerbaijan-China relations are not only deepening but are becoming an integral part of Azerbaijans broader vision for sustainable growth and strategic autonomy. 10 January 2026 13:21 (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 2025, Azerbaijan imported heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems worth $134.571 million from Turkiye. 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! 10 January 2026 13:49 (UTC+04:00) During operations conducted by police officers on January 9, more than 31 kilograms of narcotics were seized, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The confiscated drugs included over 1 kilogram of heroin, nearly 25.9 kilograms of marijuana, more than 1.4 kilograms of the psychotropic substance methamphetamine, over 2.2 kilograms of hashish, and nearly half a kilogram of opium. Authorities said that firm measures to combat illegal drug circulation will continue. 10 January 2026 10:31 (UTC+04:00) The Vaticans Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has urged the U.S. administration not to rush into action against Venezuela, warning that such steps could lead to destabilization and bloodshed in the country. As reported by Azernews, citing The Washington Post, Cardinal Parolin raised the issue in late December during a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican Brian Burch. He reportedly inquired about Washingtons plans regarding Venezuela and sought to clarify whether the United States was pursuing a change of power in the country. Parolin also attempted for several days to contact U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, hoping to prevent violence and further destabilization in Venezuela. It was further reported that the cardinal asked the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to allow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to leave the country. According to the publication, Parolin suggested that Maduro could seek asylum in Russia. The article also cites a comment from the Holy Sees press office regarding the consultations, stating that the disclosure of fragments of confidential talks that do not accurately reflect the substance of the Christmas-period discussions was disappointing. The report additionally claims that U.S. officials discussed with Maduro the possibility of him leaving Venezuela and traveling to Turkiye. 10 January 2026 19:55 (UTC+04:00) Ukraine has accused Russia of attacking civilian vessels in the Black Sea, Azernews reports, citing foreign media. The statement was made by Aleksey Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction, on his official Telegram channel. According to Kuleba, a ship flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, entering the port of Chornomorsk to load grain, was targeted by a Russian strike drone. Near the port of Odessa, a cargo ship carrying soybeans under the flag of the Comoros was also reportedly hit in an airstrike. Earlier, on January 8, an oil tanker named Elbus flying the flag of Palau was attacked about 50 km off Katamanu in the Black Sea. The vessel sustained damage to its upper section, but no crew members were injured. So far, Russia has not issued any official comment regarding these incidents. 10 January 2026 16:22 (UTC+04:00) Over the past two weeks, gendarmerie units in 34 provinces of Turkiye have detained 77 individuals as part of ongoing security operations, Azernews reports, citing foreign media. The information was shared by Turkiyes Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on his official X account. According to the minister, the detainees were found to be active within the current structure of a terrorist organization, communicating with responsible members via payphones, providing financial support to aid organizations allegedly linked to the group, and promoting the organizations propaganda on social media. Of those detained, 43 individuals have been placed under pretrial detention. 10 January 2026 15:50 (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. From January to November 2025, Azerbaijan exported non-oil products worth $86.9 million to Kazakhstan, Azernews reports, citing the State Customs Committee. 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! 10 January 2026 16:44 (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 2025, Azerbaijan imported fruit and vegetable products worth $21.057 million from Turkiye , marking a 9.7% decline compared with 2024, Azernews reports, citing the Turkish Exporters Assembly. 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! 10 January 2026 17:44 (UTC+04:00) Authorities in Iran have arrested 100 individuals in the Baharistan region for leading unrest and disrupting public order, while schools across Isfahan province have been ordered to switch to remote learning, local media reported. As reported by Azernews, according to Tasnim news agency, the Baharistan governor stated that the arrested individuals used both cold and firearms against civilians and security forces during the disturbances. The crisis management director of Isfahan province confirmed that all schools, kindergartens, and pre-school institutions in the province and its districts will remain closed tomorrow, transitioning to online education at all levels. These developments come amid two weeks of mass protests across Iran against the current political administration. Over the past week alone, at least 217 protesters have reportedly been killed. President Trump has a new ally in defending free speech against the globalists who are pushing censorship. In his New Year's Message, Pope Leo XIV came out strongly for free speech and against the censorship that is rampant in many European countries. "It is regrettable to observe, particularly in the West, the space for genuine freedom of expression is being increasingly restricted, while a new language with Orwellian overtones is developing, which in its striving to be ever more inclusive, ends up excluding those who do not conform to the ideologies that inspire it", the Pope declared. The Pope also called on the United Nations to get back to promoting peace, instead of being driven by ideologies. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/pope-leo-criticizes-orwellian-western-restrictions-on-free-speech/ The European Union's president Ursula von der Leyden, who is NOT popularly elected, recently described free speech as "a virus" and government censorship as "the vaccine". https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2026-01-11/eu-commissar-free-speech-virus-censorship-vaccine In Germany, this month, the prime minister of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, a member of the center-right but globalist leaning Christian Democrats, called for media bans of publications whose postures the government disapproved of. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/cdu-leader-calls-for-ban-of-right-wing-media-outlets/ In neighboring Poland, the country's conservative president has vetoed a bill passed by the country's globalist majority parliament that would have implemented the EU's "Digital Services Act" in Poland, denouncing that legislation as Orwellian censorship of free expression by the government. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news-corner/polish-president-blocks-implementation-of-eu-digital-law-over-free-speech-concerns/ Claire Byrne on leaving RTE: It felt like the organisation was wagging its finger at me, saying youve been a bad person - you need to have a pay cap to stop your gallop Alleged New IRA chief accused of DCI John Caldwell murder bid faces child sex image charges Three of the five charges relate to Alan Lundys alleged possession of extreme pornographic videos Alan Lundy Brett Campbell Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 08:00 The alleged New IRA commander waiting to stand trial for the attempted murder of DCI John Caldwell is due to appear in court on a raft of offences including two child sex image charges next week. A once-classified file which included a secret garda briefing note that claimed Sinn Feins Gerry Kelly was a key figure in the IRA in the mid-1990s has been recalled after being publicly released by Irelands National Archives, it has been reported. It was among documents recently declassified in Dublin under the 20 and 30-year rules. However, the file has now been withdrawn, according to The Irish Times, who reported it was at the request of Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs. The department, Sinn Fein and Mr Kelly have all been contacted for comment. According to The Irish Times, the file was pulled following urgent consultations between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice in the Republic. Government files are released annually under the 20 and 30-year rules in Dublin, as well as in London and Belfast. They contain previously confidential summaries - often frank in nature - of political and security issues from the time. The Irish Times reported that files in Dublin are carefully vetted by senior and retired officials before release, and can be withheld if deemed to be against the public interest. However, there has been no explanation as yet about why the file with the references to Mr Kelly has been withdrawn. It contained a letter, written by assistant garda commissioner Noel Conroy, which identified Mr Kelly as the most dominant figure within the Provos in the 1990s. The North Belfast MLA has taken a number of libel actions over reports about IRA activities. He previously rubbished a classified British document, which formed part of the UKs State Papers, which claimed he had been put in charge of the IRA reorganisation to ensure centralised control for the peace process. Mr Kelly said the allegation was not true. Mr Kelly had served a prison sentence for the 1973 Old Bailey bombing before escaping from prison. He became a Sinn Fein politician and played a central role in the peace process and 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Mr Kelly is one of two MLAs - the DUPs Edwin Poots is the other - to still be a member of the Assembly. Mr Conroy, who would go on to become garda commissioner in 2003, wrote the briefing note to the Irish Department of Justice on May 21, 1996. The letter was addressed to the departments secretary general Tim Dalton and formed a two-page security analysis of the leadership of the IRA. It said: The current PIRA [Provisional Irish Republican Army] strategy continues to be dominated and controlled by the leadership of Gerry Kelly, Belfast; Brian Keenan, Belfast; Martin McGuinness, Derry; Pat Doherty, Donegal; and Thomas Slab Murphy, Louth. Gerry Kelly is emerging as the most dominant figure within this group. Martin Ferris is also emerging as highly influential in formulating strategy and is consulted and advised by the northern leadership on all major issues. In 1996 Mr Conroy was serving as the head of the gardas critical Crime and Security branch. The letter notes that there was growing dissatisfaction amongst many members of Sinn Fein and the IRA about the non-consultative attitude of the current leadership of both organisations. There is a growing feeling at grassroots level that the leadership is out of touch This is particularly evident in the Cork/Kerry, Limerick and Dublin regions. The constitutionality of the decision within Sinn Fein on the Mitchell Principles is being questioned. However, the Adams leadership has the approval of the Ard Comhairle of [Sinn Fein]. There is a growing feeling at grassroots level that the leadership is out of touch. Indeed, there are cynical comments about their infallibility being expressed. This feeling is more marked in the south with Northern Units being more supportive. Around six appliances are at the scene The scene at Fusco Vehicle Sales in Balloo Industrial Estate in Bangor, where a fire on Friday evening destroyed the dealership workshop. Jonathan Porter/PressEye The scene at Fusco Vehicle Sales in Balloo Industrial Estate in Bangor, where a fire on Friday evening destroyed the dealership workshop. Jonathan Porter/PressEye A large fire at an industrial estate in Co Down could have had devastating consequences, an MLA has said. Firefighters were called to the blaze at Fusco Vehicle Sales in the Balloo Industrial Estate in Bangor on Friday afternoon. At the height of the blaze, a series of fire crews were at the scene. The operation continued through the night, and crews finally left the area shortly after 9am today. The fire is thought to have started accidentally, the NI Fire & Rescue Service said. Local DUP MLA Stephen Dunne praised the emergency services for ensuring the fires impact was not more severe. The scene at Fusco Vehicle Sales in Balloo Industrial Estate in Bangor, where a fire on Friday evening destroyed the dealership workshop. Jonathan Porter/PressEye In an update, the NIFRS said: Following assessment early this morning firefighters have now left scene as of 9.20am. At the height of the incident six appliances, one aerial ladder appliance, one command support unit, one water tanker and three officers were in attendance. Firefighters utilised breathing apparatus, firefighting jets, aerial jets and unmanned ground monitors to extinguish the fire. We would like to thank the public and impacted business for their co-operation. The cause is believed to be accidental. In a post on social media, Fusco Vehicle Sales said: Firstly we would like to take a moment to wholeheartedly thank the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service who were with us throughout the night keeping the rest of our site and neighbours safe. We are absolutely amazed this morning at how much of our stock and site was kept away from the fire through their work. Fire crews tackling an ongoing Bangor fire at Balloo Road industrial estate. Pacemaker News Catch Up - Friday 9 January At the height of the blaze, the PSNI issued safety advice for those travelling or living in the area, urging those nearby to keep their windows closed. Large plumes of smoke could be seen over Bangor as the fire raged. Fire crews tackling an ongoing Bangor fire at Balloo Road industrial estate. Pacemaker Mr Dunne, an MLA for North Down, said he was relieved that everyone is safe. My thoughts are with the staff and management at Fusco Group at what will undoubtedly be a worrying time, he said. The Fusco group are significant local employers and have been for many years within the Bangor area. I want to place on record my sincere thanks to the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and the PSNI for their swift, professional and coordinated response, which ensured the situation was brought under control quickly and safely. There are a lot of local businesses within the Balloo area and many homes also in close proximity to the fire. "This fire had the potential to have devastating consequences so we can be very thankful that it was able to be brought under control thanks to the swift response of our emergency services." North Down MP Alex Easton paid tribute to emergency personnel as they responded to the fire. The scene at Fusco Vehicle Sales in Balloo Industrial Estate in Bangor, where a fire on Friday evening destroyed the dealership workshop. Jonathan Porter/PressEye Mr Easton added: My thoughts are with everyone involved, including those working to bring this incident under control. Meanwhile, Alliance MLA Connie Egan said: I am extremely grateful to the Fire and Rescue Service for their prompt and professional response to the fire, which could have caused even more damage had they not managed to bring it under control quickly. "This was a very major fire and has obviously caused quite a lot of concern to those living nearby. "My thoughts are with the team at Fusco, who will be incredibly distressed. I just hope that no one has been injured as a result." A 15-year-old from County Kerry has been named the winner of the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition for a tool that helps doctors improve the treatment of brain cancer. Aoibheann Dalys project GlioScope: Multi-task Deep Learning and Causal AI for Glioma & Glioblastoma Profiling allows doctors to predict what genetic mutations may be present in the brain using an MRI to make treatment quicker and easier for patients. Doctors currently rely on taking samples of brain tissue, which is expensive and carries a high risk of bleeding in the brain. Aoibheann Daly with Patrick Collison, co-founder of Stripe, and Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton (Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography/PA) Professor Catherine Darker, head judge for the Health & Wellbeing category said Aoibheanns development is an extraordinary achievement. Aoibheann has brought together scientific areas of medicine with computer science to improve the chances of early intervention for people with brain cancer, she said. The Stripe YSTE trophy was presented to Aoibheann on Friday by Minister for Education, Hildegarde Naughton, and Stripe cofounder and former YSTE winner Patrick Collison. In addition to receiving the grand prize of 7,500 euros, she will go on to represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Kiel in Germany in September 2026. Aoife Fadian and Jessica OConnor, fifth year students from County Sligo, were named Best Group, with their project Sheep Strength II: Using Sheep Wool to Reinforce Concrete. Aoibheann Daly with her mother Anne (Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography/PA) Expanding on their work from last year, the pair investigated the most effective, market-friendly form of sheep wool as a strengthening agent for concrete. The YSTE was founded in 1965 and attracts more than 40,000 visitors on average to the RDS in Dublin, making it one of the biggest events of its kind worldwide. More than 1,000 students presenting 550 projects competed for more than 200 prizes throughout the week. The projects were chosen from a pool of almost 2,000 entries. A staple of the new year political calendar, the exhibition attracted high-profile politicians who came to inspect projects made by schools in their constituencies. President Catherine Connolly officially opened the competition on Wednesday and a range of Cabinet ministers visited throughout the week. President Catherine Connolly speaking at the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (Niall Carson/PA) Friday saw the attendance of Tanaiste Simon Harris as well as Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who had just returned from a days-long diplomatic visit to China. The Fine Gael and Fianna Fail leaders spent hours interacting with secondary school students on the show floor, posing for photographs and interacting with projects. Nearly a quarter of the projects use or examine artificial intelligence (AI), while environment and climate-related projects also feature heavily this year. On the subject of AI, Mr Harris told reporters that he was grappling with whether politicians should deactivate their X account amid a controversy about the platforms Grok tool which has been used to create sexualised images of people, including children. Tanaiste Simon Harris at the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (Brian Lawless/PA) He also said the companys decision to move that capability behind a paywall would clearly not address the issue. This years main sponsor is Stripe, which has taken over from BT Ireland after 25 years. Stripe was founded by Irish brothers and former YSTE entrants John and Patrick Collison. Patrick won the competition in 2005 and attended the event on Thursday and Friday. The tech firm, which operates a dual headquarters in Dublin and San Francisco, offers programmable financial services for millions of businesses to accept payments. Taoiseach Micheal Martin (left) meets chief executive of Stripe Patrick Collison (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Collison joined the Taoiseach as he walked around the exhibition hall. One of the projects Mr Martin stopped at was the IronInsight app to promote haemochromatosis awareness, created by Transition Year student Ellen OShea at Ursuline College Blackrock, Co Cork. Ms OSheas project was part of a range of entries supported by the Teen Turn charity which is dedicated to providing teenage girls with hands-on Stem experience. Meanwhile, 15-year-old disability campaigner Cara Darmody entered with a project examining misconceptions and misinformation about autism diagnoses. Both Mr Martin and Mr Harris stopped to speak to the activist, who gained national attention with her campaign on the shortcomings in the assessment of needs system. DUP leader Gavin Robinson has criticised the Irish foreign ministers clear challenge to the UK over legislation to tackle the Northern Ireland Troubles. Mr Robinson urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer against spinelessly surrendering to the Irish Republic as work continues on the Bill. He was speaking after Helen McEntee said during a visit to Parliament Buildings in Belfast that any significant changes to the legislation must have the full agreement of both governments. Helen McEntee speaking to the media at Parliament Buildings in Belfast on Wednesday (Brian Lawless/PA) Sir Keir had indicated that new protections for military veterans will be added to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill his Government is taking through Parliament. The joint framework on legacy announced by London and Dublin last September outlined a range of measures and mechanisms for dealing with historical cases from the Northern Ireland conflict. The framework included commitments to fundamentally reform the structures established by the last Conservative governments contentious Legacy Act, including the removal of a controversial provision that offered a form of conditional immunity to perpetrators of Troubles crimes. At the same time it published the framework, the Labour Government also announced a separate set of proposals it described as new protections, rights and safeguards for Northern Ireland veterans. The measures included allowing witnesses who participate in new legacy processes the option to give evidence remotely without travelling to Northern Ireland. Ms McEntee said what was agreed in September is a very fine balance resulting from a huge amount of work. We are very clear as a government that in transposing that agreement and putting it into legislation, there cannot be any significant changes that shift that balance, she added. In a communication to DUP party members, Mr Robinson said he had challenged the Prime Minister to ensure that the legislation must properly protect our veterans. He paid tribute to military veterans for putting their lives on the line to protect others and uphold the rule of law. They deserve gratitude and respect, not the prospect of legal jeopardy decades later, he said. It is vital that any legal framework clearly distinguishes between those who upheld the law and those who sought to undermine it through terrorism and violence. To blur that line is morally wrong and unjust. The Prime Minister indicated that the Government would bring forward amendments to address these concerns. Of course, within minutes, the foreign minister of the Irish Republic responded to say any change required their support. Thats a clear challenge to the Prime Minister will he side with sovereignty and protect our armed forces or spinelessly surrender to the Republic who have delivered nothing for victims? Mr Robinson was also critical of Stormont Finance Minister John ODowds draft budget. He said the document was published without Executive agreement, and cannot be treated as settled. While we recognise the real financial pressures facing Northern Ireland, the priorities John ODowd has chosen raise serious concerns, he said. Public services, particularly education, are under severe strain, and significant changes will be required before this budget could ever secure DUP support. Northern Ireland must also show it can deliver major infrastructure projects if we are serious about investment, jobs, and economic growth. People attend a protest outside the US consulate in Edinburgh over the attack on Venezuela (Jane Barlow/PA) Protesters have gathered outside the US consulate in Edinburgh to demonstrate against the arrest and detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. People at the demonstration on Regent Street in the city on Saturday called for US President Donald Trump to release Maduro. The protest, organised by Stop the War Scotland, with the support of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), Scottish Venezuela Solidarity Campaign and the Scottish Cuba Solidarity Campaign, called on world leaders to intervene. STUC deputy general Linda Somerville told the crowd: Were along here today on behalf of Scotlands trade union movement to give our absolute backing to the people of Venezuela who stand trying to defend their own sovereignty and their right to determine their own government. People attend a protest outside the US consulate in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) We are completely opposed to the military aggression and intervention in Venezuela, which has seen the kidnapping of their president and the first lady, and we call on all of our politicians, particularly the Prime Minister in the UK, to stand up against the military aggression and to condemn this act that breaks all international laws. The protesters also called for the Scottish Government to suspend co-operation with the US Government. Sophie Johnson, secretary of Stop the War Scotland, said: These latest assaults by the US Trump administration on Venezuelan sovereignty are an open act of military aggression and imperial domination against a much weaker country. Trump has made no pretence of following international law and boasts that he is grabbing oil and asserting US sovereignty over the entire American hemisphere. Yet despite the openly offensive and criminal nature of these attacks, including the abduction of the head of state of a sovereign, independent country, the UK Government meekly bows to US power. We demand the release of Maduro and an end to all aggression. We further demand that the UK Government dissociate itself from these acts and likewise demand this rampage stops. The failure of US allies to oppose these acts has emboldened Trump to threaten numerous other governments in North and South America, and even to threaten Nato member Denmark over Greenland, which the US Government asserts it wishes to take over. Protesters called on the Scottish Government to suspend co-operation with the US Government (Jane Barlow/PA) The spineless collusion of our Government in this naked imperialism is aiding and abetting Trump. In Scotland, John Swinney has acknowledged the illegality of these acts, but pledged no action. Its time for the Scottish Government to end its trade talks with the US until aggression ceases and international law is complied with. Failure to confront Trump today will mean threats continue to multiply. These events show that, more than ever, we need a powerful anti-war movement to hold our leaders accountable and halt the rapid descent into global conflict. On Wednesday, RAF surveillance aircraft and a naval supply ship, RFA Tideforce, provided assistance to the operation to capture the Marinera in the Atlantic following a request from the US. As part of the operation, US special operations aircraft landed at Wick John OGroats airport in the Highlands before flying further north. But no British personnel took part in the boarding of the vessel, Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs on Wednesday evening. The Venezuelan-linked vessel, previously known as the Bella 1, was seized as it travelled north and eastwards through the waters between Iceland and Scotland. Mr Swinney said the Scottish Government was not involved in the operation to seize the Bella-1 and that it related entirely to reserved functions. Arrangements for US military aircraft to land at Wick Airport had been made some weeks ago, he said, but the Scottish Government was not informed of the details of the operation. People attend a protest outside the US consulate in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) Mr Swinney said: I think its important that there is the very closest of a dialogue about issues of a geopolitical nature about issues that could have an impact on the security of Scotland. I think its a matter of importance that the Scottish Government is fully sighted on what measures and interventions are happening in and around our waters, and thats a point that has been made to the United Kingdom Government. The First Minister said he had no details on whether the tanker could arrive in Scotland in order to refuel. Speaking to journalists in Holyrood later, the First Minister said he thought it was unlikely the aircraft at Wick were used in the seizure, as the bookings had been made in December. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: The First Minister has set out his position on the situation in Venezuela. The Scottish Government will continue to protect and promote the interests of the people of Scotland at all times. Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: The UK has long been clear that leadership of Venezuela must reflect the will of the Venezuelan people. The international community must come together to help achieve a transition to a democratic government that respects the rights and will of its people. That must mean action on the economic crisis, the release of political prisoners, the return of opposition politicians, an end to political repression, respect for human rights and plans for the holding of free and fair elections. Forget having a boyfriend these are the trends that will be embarrassing in 2026 In 2025, Vogue declared having a boyfriend was embarassing and as we enter a new calendar year, we have 12 months of new possibilities of what is hot and whats definitely not. Helen Coffey wades into the debate and decides who or what will be out in the cold for at least 365 days Selling Sunset Helen Coffey UK Independent Sat 10 Jan 2026 at 08:00 Boyfriends officially became embarrassing in 2025. Thats according to a viral article by Chante Joseph for British Vogue, which articulated a distinct vibe shift, that it is now fundamentally uncool to be a boyfriend-girl. Mum warns of danger of buying drugs online after finding son dead: I have no doubt he would never have taken those tablets had he known what they contained If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Quality local journalism needs your support Access this story and all of our stories with 24/7 unlimited access. Subscribe today. Cancel anytime. Subscribe now for 99 Subscriber Sign In | Return Home On Friday, Tina Packer, Shakespeare & Companys founding artistic director, died at age 87. Packer co-founded the organization in 1978 with a cadre of theater artists who helped renovate The Mount, its first home and the former residence of author Edith Wharton. She remained in that role through 2009, overseeing the company's transition into its current home on Kemble Street in 2000. She continued to direct and teach until her death. "Tina affected everyone she encountered with her warmth, generosity, wit, and insatiable curiosity," Shakespeare & Company Artistic Director Allyn Burrows said. "She delighted in peoples stories, and reached into their hearts with tender humanity. The world was her stage, and she furthered the Berkshires as a destination for the imagination. Tina had so much life in her that its hard to think of it going anywhere but to be held in all of us. Packer died at 7:05 p.m. at Berkshire Medical Center, Shakespeare & Company spokesperson Jaclyn Stevenson told The Eagle. Packer, a native of England and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, traveled to the U.S. in the 1970s "with the idea of creating a theater company that merged the power suits of British actors and American actors: the spoken word and the physical body," according to Shakespeare & Company. The Eagle reported that the idea came to her in 1974, when she received a one-year grant to form a group of English and American Shakespearean actors, after which she sought to bring together the two nationalities and their different acting methods. "What happened was my whole thinking really took off when I got to America," she told The Eagle in 1978. "The openness of mind and the Americans' willingness to experiment was exciting." Packer directed most of Shakespeares plays, acted in seven, and taught the entire canon at multiple colleges and universities, including Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University, where she taught its MBA program for four years. She is the author of the childrens book Tales from Shakespeare, which won a Parents Gold Medal Award, and received six honorary degrees. She was the 19992000 arts recipient of the Commonwealth Award, the states most prestigious cultural recognition. "Her indelible creativity will be carried forward by countless artists, students, colleagues, admirers, and friends, and her influence on the world of Shakespeare will be enduring," a statement from Shakespeare & Company reads. Information regarding memorial services will be shared in the coming days. The annual community food drive with a twist is organized by UNICO of Pittsfield, which is asking Berkshire residents to donate non-perishable foods that can be eaten from a bowl to a number of community partners serving as drop-off locations. Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the caliber of the firearm Biagio Kauvil was holding. PITTSFIELD It took 46 seconds for a mental health intervention to unravel in confusion and gunshots. The chaos that erupted Wednesday morning left Biagio Kauvil, a 27-year-old New York man, with a fatal gunshot wound; a police sergeant with multiple wounds requiring surgery; and a police chief likely still alive thanks to a bulletproof vest. During a 38-minute news conference Friday, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue laid out in detail the events that took place in a locked rear bedroom in a small house just south of Hinsdale's village center that led to the death of Kauvil, who reportedly was experiencing paranoia and delusions. Citing the early stages of that investigation, he declined to discuss certain aspects of the incident, including which Hinsdale police officer fired the shot that killed Kauvil. And he stressed the importance of making available mental health resources. This was a terrible tragedy, and it's just everybody was put in a very bad situation," Shugrue said at a news conference in his North Street office on Friday. "It was volatile, and it happened quickly. Hinsdale Sgt. Dominick Crupi and Police Chief Shawn Boyne were among five officers from two departments Hinsdale and Dalton that responded to the house Wednesday morning for a well-being check on Kauvil. Both were struck by gunfire and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. Shugrue said he met with Kauvils family for an hour on Friday morning, wanting them to hear from him before he met with the media. He said Kauvil had been living in New York state he did not know in which town and had no criminal record. I know his family had struggled with him having mental health [problems] they tried real hard to get services for but there's not a lot to be found, he said. "They're devastated. They've lost their son and their brother, and it's just an awful tragedy. While Shugrue would not address a number of specific questions about the shooting, he said he felt it was vital to inform the community about what happened to the extent possible, and correct inaccurate information being spread on social media. I haven't seen the ballistics; I haven't seen the autopsy report, he said. But I just felt the public deserved to know as quickly as possible what transpired. BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE He stressed that what unfolded was as quick as it was traumatic: A physical struggle to subdue a man in the middle of a mental health crisis, two police officers wounded with a single gunshot, and two Taser deployments that failed to enable police to bring Kauvil under control. Shugrue said he could not yet say which Hinsdale officer fired two gunshots six seconds apart the first hitting Crupi in the elbow, the second hitting Kauvil in the head. I'm not giving you that information yet; not until I get the ballistics report back so I can confirm and actually know, Shugrue said, noting that he has seen body camera footage from the incident. He said he did not know when or if that footage would be made public. He stressed that much remains unclear about what happened in that room as police negotiated with Kauvil. Shugrue said officers were not aware until they entered the bedroom and tried to subdue Kauvil that he had a .380 caliber handgun in his left hand. The weapon is visible in body camera footage from the incident, but Shugrue said it was unclear when police became aware that he was armed. The struggle to subdue Kauvil moved to a bed where Kauvil, now face down, was still holding the weapon and was telling police, Just kill me. Kauvil was still being subdued on the bed when the gun discharged. The bullet pierced Crupis hand and then struck Boyne in the bulletproof vest on his chest. It is not known if Kauvil intentionally fired the weapon or if it went off accidentally amid the struggle to subdue him, Shugrue said. While the bullet did not penetrate Boyne's vest, the chief was stunned by the impact and breathing hard, saying Im hit, Im hit, Shugrue said. Two subsequent attempts to subdue Kauvil with a Taser had only partial success, and the Taser was out of charges after being deployed twice, Shugrue said. Thats when the unnamed Hinsdale police officer fired, striking Kauvil in the head. Kauvil was still conscious when he was taken by ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center, Shugrue said. He was pronounced dead that afternoon. Boyne and Crupi also were taken to BMC; Boyne was treated and released, while Crupi was transferred to Albany Medical Center, where he underwent surgery on Thursday. A GoFundMe fundraising effort for Crupi and his family had raised $13,785 as of Friday afternoon. According to Hinsdale Town Administrator Robert Graves, Boyne, Crupi and a third, unnamed officer, are on medical leave. Peru Police Chief Bruce Cullett is covering administrative tasks, while Hinsdale Officer David Tarjick is serving as officer in charge. The officers [involved] are devastated. They're upset, Shugrue said. Everybody who was in the room is getting mental health treatment themselves right now. Its a very volatile, difficult situation. Everybody feels horrible. The investigation is being conducted by Shugrues office and state police detectives. Since Wednesday, those investigators have been working long hours to understand what happened, how it happened, and why. Theyve been through that [video] three hours at a time, going through a 42-second clip, just going frame by frame by frame, he said. At this time, it is far too soon to comment on if charges will be brought forward, he added. We will work to bring the investigation to a conclusion as soon as possible; however, I cannot comment nor do I know what that timeline will be. MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS Shugrue said Dalton police were informed by the FBIs National Threat Operations Center that Kauvil had called them with claims that raised concerns for his mental health. He had told the center that someone was trying to lure him into a machine in a basement that would damage his body and cause suicidal thoughts, and that police and organized crime were targeting him and his family. On Wednesday morning, Dalton police received five hang-up 911 calls from Kauvil. At 9:59 a.m., Shugrue said, Boyne reported he was responding to 53 Off South St. and requested mutual aid from Dalton. At 10:26 a.m., Kauvil called 911 again and remained on the phone with Dalton dispatch operators for 16 minutes, expressing paranoid thoughts but also stating he might be OK. During that call, a female voice could be heard in the background trying to make contact with Kauvil through a bedroom door. Throughout the 911 call, Kauvil continued to express paranoid thoughts and became agitated and argumentative with family members who were still in the house, Shugrue said. Those family members, including a juvenile, had left the residence when officers decided to breach the bedroom door. By 10:50 a.m., Dalton police contacted an ambulance and confirmed they were prepared to transfer Kauvil to Berkshire Medical Center for a mental health evaluation. We don't have enough mental health workers," Shugrue said. "Let's be honest, we just don't have enough. They don't get paid enough. We need more. And unfortunately, that's a big problem. Shugrue said it was not clear if a crisis intervention officer, such as those available in Pittsfield, was on the scene. But he stressed that mental health should be an important part of the criminal justice system, and called for more investment in those professionals. I think weve got to push our legislators to get more services for these departments to have social workers that are on scene, licensed clinical social workers that can deal with these issues, he said. Our Opinion: Congress should not allow Trump to remake DC in his own image President Donald Trump did not show the American people what his priorities are during Wednesday nights rambling White House address, an anth We were appalled when President Donald Trump slapped his name on The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Sadly, the reckless and lawless actions he initiated against Venezuela tarnished the Kennedy legacy in a more pernicious, if subtler, way. Perhaps one of the less-remembered elements of President John F. Kennedys short but eventful administration was an initiative called the Alliance for Progress, a bold American foreign policy plan for Latin America. While driven by U.S. self-interest particularly countering the perceived threat from Cuba and other communist adversaries in the region it was conceived as an effort to bring stabilization to South and Central America through economic cooperation and promotion of democracy rather than colonization and domination. In asking Congress to support the Alliance for Progress plan in 1961, President Kennedy described its aims thusly: Let us once again awaken our American revolution until it guides the struggles of people everywhere not with an imperialism of force or fear but the rule of courage and freedom and hope for the future of man. These lofty goals came with a healthy dose of humility rarely seen in modern American foreign policy. When speaking to more than 200 Latin American diplomats about the plan, President Kennedy said: Let me be the first to admit that we North Americans have not always grasped the significance of this common mission. President Kennedy understood the dangers that prioritizing conflict over cooperation posed to the entire hemisphere. Three years earlier, when a delegation from the Eisenhower administration visited the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, then-Vice President Richard Nixons car was attacked by an angry mob. For that reason, President Kennedy visited Venezuela first in his visits to Latin America to promote the Alliance for Progress. Now, Venezuela is in American headlines for a very different reason, exposing President Trumps lack of his predecessors humility and foresight. The MAGA method of foreign policy is the polar opposite of the Alliance for Progress. From a South American continent predictably agitated by this senseless campaign in Venezuela to our NATO friendships tested by the Trump administrations absurd push to acquire Greenland, this president is clearly more interested in making America a domineering superpower than maintaining healthy alliances. Meanwhile, progress appears to be the antithesis of this administrations foreign (and domestic) policy aims. To be sure, we should eschew rose-tinted glasses when looking back at the history of U.S. intervention in Latin America and elsewhere. While President Trump owns this Venezuela mess and its consequences, the worst instincts of American empire do not originate with him. Even the Alliance for Progress arguably failed to achieve its laudable goals given the mixed bag of cooperation from Latin American partners and the collapse of U.S. support for the plan after President Kennedys death. Still, its alarming that President Trump seems intent on perverting the loftiest ideals of American foreign policy while distilling its worst historical practices. President Trump might be able to force his name next to President Kennedys on a D.C. facade, but the former seems clinically incapable of modeling the latters essential decency and deference to democracy and human rights. President Trump might have co-opted what he now calls the Donroe Doctrine, but hes apparently too historically ignorant to recognize the Monroe Doctrine was initially conceived as a bulwark against, rather than a crude justification of, colonial adventurism in the Western Hemisphere. President Trump might admire Teddy Roosevelt, he fixates on brandishing a big stick while struggling mightily with the speak softly part whether its undermining the plausible opposition in Venezuela or threatening his own party members in Congress for daring to follow the Constitutions mandate about the use of military force. Instead, President Trump seems intent on speedrunning the worst American foreign policy projects of the last century. The indefensible strikes on boats in the Caribbean lay bare the moral hazard of expanded executive branch war powers. The weapons of mass destruction deception that led us into Iraq is mirrored in the Trump administrations flimsy narco-terrorism justification in Venezuela. As in Libya, a decapitating strike in Venezuela carries the very real risk of inflaming an already precarious region. Just as one need not defend Saddam Hussein or Moammar Gaddafi to realize the grave mistakes the U.S. made in Iraq and Libya, the simple recognition that Nicolas Maduro was a brutal dictator is not a blanket justification for imperial adventurism that nakedly prioritizes resource extraction over the promotion of peace, international order and the iron law of unintended consequences. After all, if the new world order allows for one sovereign countrys president to essentially kidnap another on capricious legal grounds, what risks does that raise for our felonious commander in chief? We have strenuously criticized President Trumps extralegal behavior, but we would deem it an act of naked aggression if another nation arrested him while killing scores of U.S. security personnel as well as civilians. If President Trump truly had the moral and intellectual stature of the previous presidents whose aura he wishes to appropriate, he would understand the U.S. is not immune to these basic principles that they lived by. We court blowback by ignoring them, and that makes our country, our hemisphere and our world less safe. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. First Name First Name should not be empty! Last Name Last Name should not be empty! E-mail Email address should not be empty! Password Show Password should not be empty! Confirm Password Show Confirm Password should not be empty! Newsletter E-magazine Biospectrum Infomercial Bio Resource I accept the terms & conditions & Privacy policy Actress Millie Bobby Brown is returning as mystery-solving sleuth Enola Holmes in a first-look for the third instalment in the film series, which is coming to Netflix this summer. The project is part of Netflixs 2026 film schedule, alongside a feature film for hit LGBT+ series Heartstopper Forever and the big-screen return of 1940s crime drama Peaky Blinders. It comes after fans saw the 21-year-old bid farewell to her character Eleven from the hit sci-fi show Stranger Things earlier this month, after 10 years in the role. Millie Bobby Brown will reprise her role as Enola Holmes in the third instalment of the film series (Jonathan Brady/PA) Enola Holmes 3 will see Browns crime-solving sister of Sherlock Holmes head to Malta to solve a new case. The star rocketed to fame after appearing in the critically acclaimed Stranger Things, and has since gone on to star in films The Electric State (2025) and Damsel (2024). Advertisement The films are based on the popular The Enola Holmes Mysteries book series by Nancy Springer, which reimagine the classic Sherlock Holmes detective novels to focus on his younger sister. The actress signed off from Stranger Things earlier this month, after the show came to an emotional conclusion almost 10 years since it premiered (Jonathan Brady/PA) Actor Louis Partridge is set to reprise his breakthrough role as Tewkesbury in the upcoming film, alongside Superman actor Henry Cavill, who will return as Sherlock. Bafta-winning actress Helena Bonham Carter is also back as Browns on-screen mother, Eudoria Holmes, with Yesterday star Himesh Patel to feature as Dr John Watson. Actress Sharon Duncan-Brewster will also reprise her role from the sequel as criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty. Browns husband and the son of musician Jon Bon Jovi, Jake Bongiovi, has been named as an executive producer on the project. The couple tied the knot in May 2024, and in August 2025 they announced they had adopted a baby daughter. Brown and Bongiovi tied the knot in May 2024, and in August 2025 they announced they had adopted a baby daughter (Ian West/PA) The beloved Birmingham-based crime family the Shelbys are also back on Netflix this year, in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The film will see award-winning actor Cillian Murphy reprise his role as Tommy Shelby, the ruthless leader of the fictional gangster family, as he is driven back from a self-imposed exile amid the chaos of the Second World War. It follows on from the shows sixth series, which was broadcast in 2022, and billed as the final series. The series finale saw Tommy almost shoot himself after being given false information that he had a brain tumour. Award-winning actor Cillian Murphy will reprise his role as Tommy Shelby in the upcoming Peaky Blinders film (Lucy North/PA) Returning cast members include Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby, Stephen Graham as union convener Hayden Stagg, and Packy Lee as Tommys friend Johnny Dogs. Saltburn star Barry Keoghan, Dune actress Rebecca Ferguson and Reservoir Dogs actor Tim Roth are among the new additions. Advertisement Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man premieres in select cinemas on March 6th and will be available on Netflix from March 20th. Also coming to Netflix this year is the finale to hit LGBT+ series Heartstopper. The film will follow on from the series, which follows the story of Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, two boys who meet at high school and fall in love. The coming-of-age drama is based on Alice Osemans graphic novel series of the same name. Heartstopper Forever will follow the couple as Nick prepares to leave for university, and Charlie navigates life at school without him, and will see them face the challenge of a long-distance relationship. Production details and its release date are yet to be confirmed by the streaming service. Doc Martin star Martin Clunes will portray disgraced BBC presenter Huw Edwards in a new drama. The two-part factual series, which has a working title of Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, is the first collaboration between 5s factual and scripted commissioning teams and will recount how one of the most recognisable figures in British television was at the centre of one of the biggest scandals at the public broadcaster. Edwards was one of the BBCs highest-paid newsreaders, known for presenting the BBCs News at Ten for decades, delivering some of the biggest stories to the British Public including Queen Elizabeth IIs death, before pleading guilty to making indecent images of children in July 2024. Former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children (Lucy North/PA) Clunes will portray the newsreader in the new 5 series, which says it will recount the presenters double life and how the scandal unfolded, featuring interviews from those who first reported the story. Ben Frow, chief content officer at 5, said: This is an important and shocking story of how a man in a position of power and trust betrayed that status. Advertisement By gaining exclusive access to the key individuals involved and those who investigated the story, we explore the human cost behind the headlines. As a close collaboration between 5s factual and scripted teams, this is a first for the channel. Edwards' downfall came after a report by the Sun in July 2023 alleged that a top BBC Star had paid a teenager for sexual pictures. Martin Clunes will play Huw Edwards in the drama (Lauren Hurley/PA) Entertainment First look at Millie Bobby Brown in Enola Holmes 3 as Netflix reveals 2026 films Read more Days later, his wife named him as the presenter at the centre of the scandal and the newsreader resigned in April. He was charged in June 2024, following a Met Police investigation. A month later, Edwards pled guilty to making indecent images of children and admitted to having 41 photographs on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type. The new series will be directed by Michael Samuels, known for The Windermere Children and Any Human Heart. More than 100 people have participated in a rally outside the US embassy in Dublin, protesting against intervention in Venezuela. The demonstration, which occurred at the junction of Elgin Road and Pembroke Road in the Ballsbridge area of the city, came a week after US forces entered Venezuela to capture its president Nicolas Maduro. Some of those gathered waved Venezuelan, Cuban and Palestinian flags, chanting slogans against US imperialism. The crowd also chanted US out of Venezuela and hands off Venezuela. People attend a protest outside the US embassy in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA) Several political parties were represented including Sinn Fein and People Before Profit (PBP) as well as the Eirigi grouping. PBP TD Paul Murphy and former MEP Clare Daly were among those attending. Speaking at the rally, civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey described the Trump administration as a fascist regime in the belly of the beast of US imperialism. At one stage, a smaller group of Venezuelan counter-protesters formed a group in front of the media and said they were grateful to Mr Trump and the US for removing Mr Maduro from power, describing him as a tyrant. Ms McAliskey said she expected those Venezuelans to live long enough that they will curse the tongue in your head that ever blessed imperialism, which she said was the reason for poverty in Venezuela in the first place. Thousands of Irish farmers have participated in a rolling protest in the heart of the country as anger grows over the progression of the EU-Mercosur deal. On Friday, the EU ambassador approved a trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay but it still needs to be backed by the European Parliament. The Government voted against the deal in its current form, with senior Cabinet figures insisting that negotiations are not finalised. The trade deal with the EU involves four Mercosur countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. A convoy of tractors in Athlone protesting against the EU-Mercosur trade deal (Cillian Sherlock/PA) Irish beef farmers are concerned that the deal could threaten their exports to Europe due to the introduction of lower-cost Brazilian beef. The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) welcomed the decision of the Government to vote no against the deal, insisting that the proposed safeguards in the document do not give assurances that Brazilian beef will meet EU standards. Advertisement On Saturday, the Independent Ireland political party organised a large-scale protest in Athlone, Co Westmeath, which saw scores of tractors participate in a rolling demonstration along the M6 motorway before a series of scheduled speeches at the Technological University of the Shannon. Thousands of people gathered to either participate in the protest by foot or shout encouragement along the route. Gardai previously warned of significant traffic delays in the area due to the demonstration. Some participants held signs critical of senior Government figures such as Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris, as well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Speaking ahead of the protest in Athlone on Saturday morning, Independent Ireland agriculture spokesman Michael Fitzmaurice said the attempt to stop the Mercosur deal is far from over. The No to Mercosur Protest will take place this Saturday, 10th Jan, in Athlone. IFA members and others travelling to the event by car can meet at The Mr Price carpark, Cornamaddy, junction 10. Eircode: N37 TK82 from 10am onwards. Our President and Senior officers will be pic.twitter.com/lEM1Ka7ZiD Irish Farmers' Association (@IFAmedia) January 9, 2026 Party MEP Ciaran Mullooly said he would call on all Irish MEPs to vote no against the deal, adding: There is opposition to this rotten trade deal right across the continent. Speaking to the Press Association during the protest, IFA president Francie Gorman said the strong turnout was a continuation of a very strong no campaign to Mercosur. Our message to MEPs is to follow suit with the Irish Government when they honoured the commitment in the Programme for Government to vote against this deal. Our MEPs now have to do the same and also work with MEPs across the spectrum in the European Parliament to build alliances and make sure they can build a majority vote against this deal which will probably be tabled some time in early spring. Advertisement Sinn Fein agriculture spokesman Martin Kenny said the progression of the Mercosur agreement at the EU council was a bad day for Irish farming. While the Irish government voted against the deal today, they had to be dragged kicking and screaming to this position by the combined opposition, the farm organisations and some of their own backbench TDs." Also at the protest, Green Party senator Malcolm Noonan told the Press Association that the demonstration was important for many reasons. We need to have a wider conversation about the sustainability of Irish farming and I think today is for the farmers themselves to vent their anger at the manner in which the Irish Government flipped and flapped on the issue. They secured the nitrates derogation were held up very favourably by Europe on that and then waited to see what the vote was going to going to play out in Brussels, and then went against it, purely under pressure from the independents and from Independent Ireland. Excuse the pun, but it is doing policy on the hoof and it is disingenuous to Irish farming. Mr Noonan called on the Government to think about the future in terms of generational renewal of farming, as well as regenerative practices. Earlier in the week, Mr Harris said the European Commission should not take for granted that MEPs will back the deal. While he said it looked likely it would pass, he added: It is not a done deal. He said theres still a window of time to outline the concerns that we have in relation to the agreement. He said the Government had not ruled out supporting the deal if if changes and improvements are made around food safety and parity with environmental standards. Mr Harris said Ireland benefits from free trade but that it has to be free trade that doesnt expect our farmers or our consumers to adopt a different set of standards. Newry could become Ireland's Malmo, according to a new report. The 64-page report, titled Newry Next, has suggested that the town could follow the lead of the southern Swedish city, which is home to thousands of people working in the nearby Danish capital, Copenhagen. It has set out a plan that would address Dublin's housing needs by making the Co Down town into a cross-Border commuter hub by facilitating the construction of 6,000 new houses over the next decade, The Irish Times reported on Saturday. The report was written by businessman Paschal Taggart and Ger Perdisatt, a strategy adviser on artificial intelligence (AI), and argued that Newry could leverage both its cross-Border location and its proximity to both Dublin and Belfast, to provide large homes for commuters for 150,000 less than they would pay in commuter towns such as Mullingar, Portlaoise and Carlow. Advertisement The initiative, supported by former senator Martin McAleese, has suggested the Newry and Bambridge areas of Co Down could use the same economic corridor model as other cross-Border commuter towns and cities throughout Europe. Under the model, workers live in one country where the cost of housing and living is cheaper, but work in another country where they pay their income taxes. European examples include the corridors connecting Malmo and Copenhagen; between Annemasse, France, and Geneva in Switzerland; and between Bratislava in Slovakia and Vienna, Austria. The report authors said there were 14,000 cross-Border commutes daily on the railway and motorways that linked Dublin and Belfast, and commuting time was 45 minutes to Belfast and 75 minutes to Dublin. In his foreword to the report, Dr McAleese said the lack of wastewater capacity had already stalled the delivery of more than 1,300 homes and almost 30 commercial projects in the area. That simply cannot continue to be a brake on progress and development, the report said. A central recommendation is an investment of more than 107 million (123 million) for wastewater treatment expansion and network reinforcement. It also recommended upgrades to railway and road infrastructure, as well as the establishment of an anchor development zone, similar to the Shannon Free Zone, which offers favourable tax arrangements to attract investment. A second phase of investment would allow more infrastructural upgrades, the report added. The report said that from the 107 million, the direct and economic benefits to the region could be as much as 1.5 billion over the next decade. Advertisement The wastewater upgrade would act as enabling infrastructure, allowing private capital to fund housing commercial development without ongoing public subsidy for construction. The resulting activity expands the local tax base, supports employment and strengthens long-term regional economic resilience, it said. Mr Taggart told The Irish Times how a house that would cost 400,000 in commuter towns in the Republic would cost 150,000 less in Newry. Mr Taggart said the construction of 6,000 houses would increase the population of the region by 15,000. The benefit for Dublin is that cross-Border commuters would pay Irish income taxes, but would then spend money locally in the Newry and Bambridge areas, he said. There would also be knock-on benefits, with more retail businesses and other economic activity. A variety of stories feature on Irish front pages on Saturday morning, but the death of a 12-year-old boy and his father in a suspected murder-suicide in Dublin features on multiple. The Irish Times lead with suspended DAA chief Kenny Jacobs rejecting claims of "sexist, misogynistic, racist, homophobic and ageist behaviour" in comments to or about employees, and a story about people in Greenland. The Irish Examiner lead with a planned protest by farmers against the Mercosur deal, Chinese students who failed a university exam in Cork being allowed to resit it in Beijing, and two men facing trial for 82 sexual offences. The Irish Independent lead with salary hikes being approved for the chief executives of commercial semi-state bodies, including Dublin Bus, CIE and Uisce Eireann. The RTE board has also applied for director general Kevin Backhurst to get a lift on his 250,000 salary, but a final decision has yet to be made on that, the paper reports. Advertisement The Echo lead with Cork University Hospital spending over 315,000 on debt collectors since 2023. The Irish Daily Mail lead with former finance minister Paschal Donohoe giving an extra 10 million in funding to the World Bank than it had requested ahead of taking up a new job with the bank. The Herald, Irish Daily Star and Irish Daily Mirror all lead with the death of a Dublin father and son in a suspected murder suicide in Dublin. The Belfast Telegraph lead with a top dissident republican being charged with having child abuse images. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview published on Friday that he hopes to "taper off" Israeli dependence on American military aid in the next decade. Netanyahu has said Israel should not be reliant on foreign military aid but has stopped short of declaring a firm timeline for when Israel would be fully independent from the US. "I want to taper off the military within the next 10 years," Netanyahu told the Economist. Asked if that meant a tapering "down to zero," he said, "Yes." Netanyahu said he told President Donald Trump during a recent visit that Israel "very deeply" appreciates "the military aid that America has given us over the years, but here too we've come of age and we've developed incredible capacities." In December, Netanyahu said Israel would spend 350 billion shekels ($110 billion) on developing an independent arms industry to reduce dependency on other countries. In 2016, the US and Israeli governments signed a memorandum of understanding for the 10 years through September 2028 that provides $38 billion in military aid, $33 billion in grants to buy military equipment and $5 billion for missile defence systems. Israeli defence exports rose 13 per cent last year, with major contracts signed for Israeli defence technology including its advanced multi-layered aerial defence systems. Thousands of people have marched in Minneapolis to protest against the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal immigration officer in the city and the shooting of two people in Portland, Oregon. It came as Minnesota leaders urged demonstrators to remain peaceful. The Minneapolis gathering was one of hundreds of protests planned in towns and cities across the US over the weekend. Demonstrators protest outside the White House in Washington (Jose Luis Magana/AP) It came in a city on edge since the killing of Renee Good on Wednesday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officer. Were all living in fear right now, said Meghan Moore, a mother of two from Minneapolis who joined the protest on Saturday. Ice is creating an environment where nobody feels safe and thats unacceptable. Advertisement On Friday night, a protest outside a Minneapolis hotel that attracted about 1,000 people turned violent as demonstrators threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, Minneapolis police chief Brian OHara said on Saturday. One officer suffered minor injuries after being struck with a piece of ice, Mr OHara said. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he added. Protesters gather during a rally for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an Ice officer earlier in the week, in Minneapolis (Jen Golbeck/AP) Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested. Minnesota governor Tim Walz echoed the call for peaceful demonstrations. Trump sent thousands of armed federal officers into our state, and it took just one day for them to kill someone, Mr Walz posted on social media. Now he wants nothing more than to see chaos distract from that horrific action. Dont give him what he wants. The demonstrations across the country come as the US Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation. Donald Trumps administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defence against drivers who weaponised their vehicles to attack officers. The killing of Renee Good has sparked an outcry across the US and the wider world (AP) Connor Maloney said he came to the Minneapolis protest to show support for his community and out of frustration over the ongoing immigration enforcement action. Almost daily I see them harassing people, he said. Its just sickening that its happening in our community around us. Advertisement Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to get out of his comfort zone and attend a protest in Durham, North Carolina, because of what he called Ms Goods horrifying death. We cant allow it, Mr Eubanks said. We have to stand up. Indivisible, a social movement organisation that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. Renee Good was fatally shot by an Ice officer in Minneapolis (AP) Many were dubbed Ice Out for Good using the acronym for the federal agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organised protests in all 50 states last year. In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups called for a demonstration at Powderhorn Park, a large green space about half a mile from the residential neighbourhood where 37-year-old Ms Good was shot on Wednesday. They said the rally and march would celebrate Ms Goods life and call for an end to deadly terror on our streets. A couple of miles from the park, just as the demonstration began, an Associated Press photographer witnessed heavily armed officers at least one in Border Patrol uniform approach a person who had been following them. Two of the agents had long guns out when they ordered the person to stop following them, telling him it was his first and final warning. Advertisement The agents eventually drove onto the interstate without detaining the driver. Protesters have been calling for an end to federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis (AP) Protests held in the neighbourhood have so far been largely peaceful, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and officers guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown. Mr OHara said city police officers have responded to calls about cars abandoned because their drivers have been apprehended by immigration enforcement. In one case a dog was left in the vehicle. He said immigration enforcement activities are happening all over the city and that emergency callers have been alerting authorities to Ice activity, arrests and abandoned vehicles. Protests have so far been largely peaceful (AP) Three congresswomen from Minnesota attempted to tour the Ice facility in the Minneapolis federal building on Saturday morning and were initially allowed to enter but then told they had to leave about 10 minutes later. US representatives Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison and Angie Craig accused Ice agents of obstructing members of Congress from fulfilling their duty to oversee operations there. They do not care that they are violating federal law, Ms Craig said after being turned away. If you want to say this woman's death is a tragedy, that we should pray for her soul as Christians and Americans, then I agree with you. But the media dishonesty about this officer is an all-time moment in shameless press propaganda. Does this law enforcement officer have a JD Vance (@JDVance) January 9, 2026 The Trump administration has been surging thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown. More than 2,000 officers were taking part. Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they were part of another operation that started last month and was expected to last until February. Protests sweeping across Iran are approaching the two-week mark, with the countrys government acknowledging the demonstrations as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world. With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations against the Iranian government from abroad has grown more difficult. The death toll in the protests has grown to at least 65 people killed and more than 2,300 others detained, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation. Protests have taken place across the country (UGC via AP) Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signalled a coming clampdown, despite US warnings. The United States supports the brave people of Iran, US secretary of state Marco Rubio wrote on the social platform X. Advertisement The US state department separately warned: Do not play games with President Trump. When he says hell do something, he means it. Saturday marks the start of the work week in Iran, but many schools and universities reportedly held online classes, Iranian state TV reported. Demonstrations in favour of the protesters have taken place across the world (AP) State TV repeatedly plays a driving, martial orchestral arrangement from the Epic of Khorramshahr by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showing pro-government demonstrations. The song, aired repeatedly during the 12-day war launched by Israel, honours Irans 1982 liberation of the city of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war. It has been used in videos of protesting women cutting away their hair in protest over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini as well. Field reports indicate that peace prevailed in most cities of the country at night, a state TV anchor reported. Authorities have warned of a coming crackdown (UGC via AP) After a number of armed terrorists attacked public places and set fire to peoples private property last night, there was no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces last night. That was directly contradicted by an online video verified by the Associated Press that showed demonstrations in northern Tehrans Saadat Abad area, with what appeared to be thousands of people on the street. The semi-official Fars news agency, believed to be close to Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of the few media outlets able to publish to the outside world, released surveillance camera footage of what it said came from demonstrations in Isfahan. Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he'll do something, he means it. pic.twitter.com/4tzBlzfNL9 Department of State (@StateDept) January 10, 2026 In it, a protester appears to fire a long gun, while others set fires and threw petrol bombs at what appeared to be a government compound. The Young Journalists Club, associated with state TV, reported that protesters killed three members of the Guards all-volunteer Basij force in the city of Gachsaran. Advertisement It also reported a security official was stabbed to death in Hamadan province, a police officer killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas and another in Gilan, as well as one person slain in Mashhad. State television also aired footage of a funeral service attended by hundreds in Qom, a Shia seminary city just south of Tehran. A Ukrainian drone strike has sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russias southern Volgograd region, regional authorities said. There were no immediate reports of casualties, the regional governor was quoted as saying in a Telegram post. The post did not specify the damage, but said that people living near the depot may have to be evacuated. The Russians are exploiting the cold snap trying to hit as many of our energy facilities as possible. So much for their respect for America and all diplomacy. The main Russian tactic is to try to completely shut cities down. Oreshnik was used again this time against the Lviv pic.twitter.com/I53NaCwBLC Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) January 9, 2026 Ukraines long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion. Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to weaponise winter. Saturdays attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, according to Ukrainian officials, killing at least four people in the capital. Advertisement For only the second time in the nearly four-year-old war, it used a powerful, new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine on Friday, in a clear warning to Kyivs Nato allies. A Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile is believed to have been used to hit the Lviv region (Ukrainian Security Service via AP) The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a US-led peace deal is struck. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said Fridays attacks have resulted in significant civilian casualties and deprived millions of Ukrainians of essential services, including electricity, heating and water at a time of acute humanitarian need. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said heat supply would be fully restored in Kyiv by the end of Saturday. She said areas lying on the right bank of the Dnieper river would gradually lift emergency blackouts and return to scheduled outages. But resuming power in the left bank, where Russian attacks were concentrated, is more complicated due to significant damage to the power grid, she added. Russias defence ministry said its forces used aviation, drones, missiles and artillery to strike Ukrainian energy facilities and fuel-storage depots on Friday and overnight. It did not immediately specify the targets or damage. Overnight into Saturday, Russia struck Ukraine with 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile, according to the Ukrainian air force. It said 94 drones were shot down. Separately, the Russian Defence Ministry said 59 Ukrainian drones were neutralised overnight over Russia and occupied Crimea. Advertisement Exclusive NationalNSWAirports The stench that overwhelmed Sydney airports air traffic control tower Andrew Rickert January 10, 2026 12:30pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A As Sydney Airport heaved during the holiday period, air traffic controllers were facing an unusually fetid issue the raw smell of sewage was overpowering the control deck. Almost 6 million passengers passed through the airport between Christmas and New Years in 2024, the busiest season for international travel on record. Sydney airport air traffic control, where the raw smell of sewage was overpowering the control deck. Artwork: Marija Ercegovac Air traffic controllers were dry heaving at their desks. An incident log from Air Services Australia, obtained under a freedom of information request, reveals the first complaint on December 17, 2024. Advertisement Foul smell entering tower cabin environment. Smell is particularly evident when local winds are from the North East. The gases from Sydneys sewer system were escaping directly into the control tower. Sydney Airport was heaving during the holiday period. Louie Douvis The waste of 1.8 million residents across Sydney, from Campbelltown to Fairfield and Concord, is sent to the Malabar Sewage Treatment System, which passes through the airport on the way from Arncliffe to Malabar. Employees are heavily affected by sewer odour concerns to the point of feeling sick, read the entry in a Sydney Water system. Advertisement Related Article Aviation What could fix airports long arrival queues? A race for the Olympics Smell emanating from Sydney Water Odour Control Unit (OCU), an air traffic controller wrote in an incident report. Conversations with Sydney Water indicate that the smell detected is excess hydrogen sulphide. The rate the OCU is outputting HS is in excess of 5PPM. The safe levels of exposure are in the realm of 1PPM. A Google of the effects of HS is quite alarming particularly given that staff are exposed to the smell often for the duration of the shift. Advertisement The Safe Work Australia exposure standards limit the maximum eight-hour exposure average to 10 parts per million (PPM). A concentration of 5PPM can irritate the eyes nose and throat, with possible headaches, dizziness, and nausea. It is reasonable to suggest that any and all staff working through December 2024 have been exposed to this smell, the air traffic controller wrote. Almost 6 million passengers passed through the airport between Christmas and New Years in 2024. AP Sydney Water technicians inspected the sewer. Everything was operating fine downstream of the airport. As the issue continued, staff in the control deck contacted Sydney Water again on January 7, 2025. Advertisement Sydney Water was advised all controllers get nauseous and sick heaving over the odour, the updated log reads. Related Article Aviation Things can move so fast: The Jetstar centre where flights are cleared or cancelled The water corporations lead engineer was now investigating, and told airport staff they believed the system may have been overloaded after a fire at another facility. An odour control unit at Padstow was offline after the fire earlier in December. A filter at the airport was also clogged, potentially after having to deal with the extra load. The filter had been due for routine replacement, which was delayed due to issues with the supplier of activated carbon. Sydney Water took action. The airport odour control unit was switched off, and a replacement filter was rushed in. Advertisement Sydney Water has thoroughly investigated and addressed two separate incidents at its facilities in Padstow and Mascot and found no strong evidence of correlation, a spokesperson said. The odour issue was found to be caused by an activated carbon filter reaching the end of its effective treatment capacity. This was promptly addressed by replacing the filter on January 10, 2025. No further odours have been reported at the facility since the replacement. 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 NationalVictoriaBushfires Heavier smoke to blanket the state amid air quality warnings Wendy Tuohy, Isabel McMillan and Cassandra Morgan January 10, 2026 4:50pm 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 Heavier smoke is set to blanket the state on Sunday after most Victorians experienced poor air quality caused by the devastating bushfire disaster. Smoke from the fires was visible and the smell obvious at street level in Melbournes CBD early on Saturday evening. Victorian Chief Health Officer Dr Caroline McElnay said there had already been a rise in hospital presentations by people with asthma-like symptoms as the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) rated air quality across most of the state as poor on Saturday. Smoke from the fierce blaze in the Yea area travelled long distances. Eddie Jim Weve seen a slight increase in asthma-like presentations to hospitals across Victoria over the past few days and we remain cautious given how quickly the situation can change, McElnay said. Advertisement More than 30 active blazes on Saturday produced a blanket of smoke across all Victorian regions other than Central including the Melbourne and Geelong areas and the far south-west, producing conditions which could trigger potentially fatal asthma. The EPA on Saturday rated air quality in the Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country and North Central regions, plus all parts of Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley as poor due to bushfire smoke. The Central region, including greater Melbourne, Port Phillip and Western Port bays, Ballarat, Daylesford, San Remo and Inverloch, remained fair on Saturday. Weather bureau meteorologist Daniel Sherwin-Simpson warned that smoke would get heavier across the state on Sunday as a new high-pressure system arrived. [On Friday], we saw that low-pressure system which brought hot weather and windy conditions, but lifted smoke up into the atmosphere, so it hasnt been too bad over the city, he said. Advertisement As we move into Sunday, though, were going to see a broad high-pressure ridge move across the state. The ridge would bring more settled weather, Sherwin-Simpson said, but that could trap the smoke: We could see it carry a bit further across the state, and pool through valleys. Loading As residents of the small town of Harcourt, in central Victoria, returned to find their homes razed, Melbourne residents from Reservoir to Croydon and the CBD reported ash coming into their homes on Saturday. The poor air quality in about two-thirds of the state prompted Asthma Australia to warn more than 700,000 Victorians living with the respiratory condition that even low-level bushfire smoke inhalation could be life-threatening. Advertisement It advised the 11 per cent of Victorians living with asthma that airborne material in the smoke could be toxic to them, and to follow safety precautions including using air filters or masks. Related Article Bushfires While this third-generation resident was saving the town, his own house was being razed The fine particle pollutants in smoke get deep into the lungs and inflame and narrow the airways, making it difficult to breathe, said Kate Miranda, Asthma Australia chief executive. We urge people in Victoria to minimise their exposure to smoke if it becomes an issue, stay tuned to symptoms and seek medical care in an emergency. Smoke from the Victorian fires had already reached New Zealand on Saturday, said Sherwin-Simpson, while back in Victoria light rain brought dust lower into the atmosphere, also potentially affecting air quality. Advertisement Jen Martin, chief environmental scientist with EPA Victoria, said on Saturday afternoon that bushfire smoke was still affecting air quality in many areas but the forecast for Melbourne in the next few days was good to fair as westerly and southerly winds prevailed. But Sherwin-Simpson later added that the Bureau of Meteorology was expecting a south-westerly wind would send more smoke across Melbourne on Saturday night from the worsening fires in the Otways. Its a bit of a wait and see, but it looks like that fire is going to be going for quite a while. Its got plenty of fuel to run into, he said. Dr Martin said weather conditions could change quickly, so she encouraged people to keep up to date with air quality conditions: If you can smell smoke, take the necessary precautions to protect your health. Dr McElnay urged people to monitor EPA air quality information and said that if they were concerned about their breathing, other than in an emergency, they could use the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department or Nurse on Call. If reliever medication was not working, she said to call Triple Zero (000). 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 PoliticsFederalSocial media Abhorrent: PM slams Elon Musks X over sexually explicit images Mike Foley January 10, 2026 3:09pm 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 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has slammed Elon Musks social media platform X for failing to meet community standards, declaring its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok is enabling abhorrent sexual images without consent of the people depicted. With his remarks, Albanese joined an international chorus of leaders pledging to take action against so-called nudify sites as the governments social media watchdog launched an investigation. Anthony Albanese says the government backs a crackdown on the use of AI to generate sexual images without consent. AAPIMAGE The fact that this tool was used so that people were using its image creation function through Grok is, I think, just completely abhorrent, Albanese said on Saturday. It, once again, is an example of social media not showing social responsibility and Australians and indeed, global citizens deserve better. Advertisement Opposition Leader Sussan Ley echoed Albaneses criticism on AI platforms and pledged her support for the government to crack down on images generated without consent. Related Article Elon Musk Elon Musks Grok AI floods X with sexualised photos of women and minors It is totally unacceptable and it needs the strongest possible response, and we support any efforts to deliver that strongest possible response, Ley said on Saturday. On Friday, Grok turned off image generation and editing capabilities for most of its users, announcing that those capabilities are currently limited to paying subscribers. The European Commission, the EUs enforcement body, has said it is investigating nudify services and many countries including the UK, Sweden, Italy, France, Malaysia and India have issued warnings for AI companies to stop the creation of sexual images without consent. Advertisement Australias eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant on Friday announced she would investigate the surge in sexually explicit images, which related to adults and children. She said companies had the capability to prevent misuse of their products and they must put a stop to the creation of sexual images without consent. Inman Grant clashed with Musk last year when eSafety demanded that X remove graphic footage of a church stabbing in Sydney, arguing that global removal was necessary because Australians could use VPNs to access the content. The case was abandoned. X said in a statement last week that it took action action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary. View post on X Musk also issued a post, which said anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content. Advertisement View post on X However, following this statement and the threatened crackdown in the UK, Musk has commented and reposted several messages on his platform in the past day that criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and claimed he was censoring free speech, including one that noted Grok currently ranked as the countrys most popular app. View post on X UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said on Friday she would endorse her countrys regulator if it banned X from her country. I would remind xAI that the Online Safety Act Includes the power to block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law. If Ofcom decide to use those powers they will have our full support, Kendall said. Advertisement Previously, Starmer on Thursday described the images as unlawful and intolerable and said his government would take action. Researchers at AI Forensics, a European non-profit organisation, examined 20,000 images generated by Grok between December 25 and January 1 and found that 53 per cent contained individuals in minimal attire. Of those depicted, 81 per cent were women and 2 per cent appeared to be 18 years old or younger. The researchers also identified Nazi and ISIS propaganda material generated by Grok. In Australia, new codes come into force on March 9 to compel AI services, among others, to limit childrens access to sexually explicit content, as well as violent material and themes related to self-harm and suicide. These regulations follow the eSafety Commissions enforcement action against a UK-based company that offered two widely used nudify services that allowed its users to manipulate photos of real people. Advertisement Related Article Social media US Congress threatens eSafety commissioner with contempt charges These services had attracted about 100,000 visitors a month in Australia, and eSafety said they had been used to generate explicit deepfake images of students in Australian schools. The sites were withdrawn from Australia in November after an official warning from eSafety. Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh said on Saturday that no moves to tackle nudify services had been taken seen since September and demanded the government take swift action. The government needs to act on this now; the time for talk, empty promises and premature PR tours is over, McIntosh said. The European Commission has ordered X to retain all documents relating to Grok while the bloc ensures compliance with its rules after condemning it for producing sexualised images. The Italian regulator is working with the Data Protection Commission the lead EU privacy authority for X, which has a base in Ireland and reserved the right to take further action. Sweden said AI-generated images were unacceptable after the countrys deputy prime minister was targeted by a Grok users prompt this week. Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter. Sign up to receive it every Friday. Advertisement PoliticsFederalBiosecurity Complacency crept in: Australia defenceless against feral rabbit boom Mike Foley January 11, 2026 4:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A Rabbit numbers are booming, but unlike three previous plagues of the marauding pests since the 1950s, Australia does not have a virus it can release to rein in the exploding numbers, a leading cause of environmental damage and agricultural losses. Steady rainfall over the past two years has fuelled growth of the vegetation rabbits need to breed their litters. Rabbit populations are booming in rural and urban areas. Rabbits can birth litters as often as once a month, and as those surviving kits mature and start breeding, it triggers the kind of exponential growth that creates populations so vast and widespread that experts warn devastating ecological damage is inevitable. Rabbits change entire landscapes by eating all the green vegetation and outcompeting native animals for food, digging burrows that cause soil erosion and damage waterways. The federal government has calculated rabbits cause about $250 million in lost agricultural production a year. Advertisement Since 1950, Australia has deployed three viruses deadly to rabbits, known as a biocontrol, to quickly cut rabbit numbers. It typically takes the rabbit population about 10 years to adapt to the disease and after that, numbers start to rise once more. Related Article Biodiversity Its gruesome work, but on Kangaroo Island, its one of the best things an animal lover can do The most recent biocontrol, a strain of calicivirus, was released in 2017. Centre for Invasive Species Solutions national rabbit coordinator Heidi Kleinert says: We are seeing a boom in populations in locations spread across the country. She says rabbits are flourishing in farming areas and outer suburban areas as well. Advertisement Their population growth is being driven by the food available, given rabbits are triggered to breed by regular growth of green vegetation that has been available for some time now, Kleinert says. Australias top science agency the CSIRO released the worlds first vertebrate pest biocontrol in 1950, in a desperate bid to quell the rabbit plague. That virus, known as myxomatosis or myxo, was extremely effective and killed around 99.8 per cent of infected rabbits and it took until the 1990s for rabbits to adapt and breed again in plague-like proportions. Since then, two strains of the calicivirus have been released into the wild, in 1995 and 2017, both of which cut rabbit numbers dramatically. But each time rabbits bounced back. Now, due to lack of funding, there is no deadly virus ready to release into the wild and scientists say that there is not enough funding to develop the next biocontrol for rabbits. Advertisement Invasive Species Council chief executive Jack Gough says funding a new rabbit virus must be a national priority. Related Article Extreme weather Antarctic phenomenon blamed for baking start to summer The government will be judged on what they funded today, when they know this is about to get worse. Were concerned that some complacency has crept into decision-making because rabbit numbers have been low, Gough says. Biocontrols take years or decades to develop and funding for the programs that developed them for rabbits, the Rabbit Biocontrol Pipeline Strategy, ceased in 2022 and the Investment in Genetic Biocontrol of Vertebrate Pests ran out of money in 2025. The Albanese government has committed $1.5 million to extend biocontrol research, but this will be exhausted by June next year and there is no prospect of a new biocontrol without more funding to extend the work for many years to come. Advertisement We dont have a good model nationally in terms of how to fund biocontrol. It requires long-term investment, which needs a long-term commitment, says Centre for Invasive Species Solutions director of research and development John Virtue. He says hes been alarmed at the proliferation of rabbits in the Riverland irrigation district in his home state South Australia, despite recent dry conditions. The lack of long-term funding for biocontrol is a critical risk for Australia. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins did not respond directly to questions about federal government funding shortfalls, but emphasised development of new biocontrols was a joint responsibility with states and says the Albanese government has committed $1.2 million to control measures like digging up rabbit warrens as well as fencing, shooting and trapping. The Australian government will continue working with state and territory governments, which are primarily responsible for on-ground management of invasive species, to help protect Australias environment and agriculture, Collins says. Advertisement CSIRO senior principal research scientist in rabbit biocontrol Tanja Strive says it would be an absolute disaster if Australia was unable to release another biocontrol targeting rabbits. Related Article Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. Explainer Biodiversity Why is Australia a global leader in wildlife extinctions? We need the next virus right about now because the last successful one was 10 years ago, Strive says. The last virus has been really good at keeping numbers relatively low for about the last 10 years. For eight of those years we actually have data that show that its kept them quite stable. It knocked rabbits down by 60 per cent and held them there for at least eight years. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Advertisement Analysis WorldEuropeGreenland Greenlanders tell absolutely insane Trump what they really think David Crowe January 11, 2026 4:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A Nuuk: The people of Greenland have a simple message for Donald Trump: no deal. On the streets of their capital, Greenlanders dismiss the US presidents idea of turning their land into an American territory even if he offers cash. Ruth Sholm, a retail worker in Nuuk, Greenland, says Donald Trump is insane with his talk of taking over Greenland. David Crowe Hes insane, absolutely insane, says Ruth Sholm, 65, a retail worker in Nuuk. We dont belong to America. We are Inuit. We dont want to be Americans. Advertisement Trump is trying to blast through every obstacle to achieve his dream of adding the vast Arctic territory to the US, spurning objections from Europe and letting speculation run about using force to get his way. Related Article Updated Trump diplomacy Military is always an option: White House escalates Greenland clash with NATO allies We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not, he said on Friday. Because if we dont do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and were not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. In the latest move, White House officials are said to be discussing a payment of up to $US100,000 in cash (about $150,000) to every resident to seal the deal. In Nuuk, however, derision of the president is palpable. A group of boys walking in the snow say just three words to this reporter: We hate Trump. One makes the shape of a gun with his hand and pulls the trigger. Advertisement Try as he might, Trump is failing to win the hearts and minds he needs to have any lasting success in Greenland. This former Danish colony, proud of its Inuit heritage, has its own parliament and government. Its people want their say when world leaders argue over their land. Sholm, speaking to this masthead at a bus stop, says Trump seems to want the land but does not care about the people. He should take care of his own people, she says. There are so many homeless and so many poor people in America. So why Greenland? Around the corner, outside one of the supermarkets, a giant screen displays world news, including the latest remarks on Greenland. This is a remote community, but not an isolated one. Some are worried about the idea that Trump might use force. Advertisement I hate Trump with my whole being, says Aviaq Fontain Markussen, 18, a grocery store worker. We all hate this. We dont want him to buy Greenland or be our president. Grocery store worker Aviaq Fontain Markussen, 18, in Nuuk. David Crowe We want Greenland to be Greenland, and not be bought. Our life was peaceful. We want it to be simple and peaceful, just like how it is. The resistance is so strong that money alone seems unlikely to clinch an agreement. Advertisement Many people wont agree. I wont, says Carl Petersen, a retiree in Nuuk. Even if you offer $500,000 each, or $1 million, we dont want their money. We want to be free. Related Article Trump diplomacy Trump wants Greenland. And Europe finally believes him Money can change minds, of course. There are about 57,000 people in Greenland. Reuters reported on Thursday that White House officials were canvassing an offer worth anywhere from $US10,000 to $US100,000 a person to gain control. At the top end of that range, the bill would come to $US5.7 billion (about $8.5 billion). The idea of the US controlling Greenland is not new. America discussed buying it from Denmark in 1867 and made a secret offer in 1946, revealed decades later. Trump, however, has turned the issue into a signature cause. He complained last week that Russian and Chinese ships were all over the place around Greenland. In his first term as president, he emphasised the commercial gain from buying it. Advertisement Essentially, its a large real estate deal, he said in 2019. White House officials have talked about gaining access to Greenlands critical minerals, which the US needs for technology and defence. Then there is the populist appeal of gaining space on a map. If Trump added Greenland to the US, he would expand the country by 2.16 million square kilometres. This would narrowly surpass the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, which added about 2.14 million square kilometres, and the purchase of Alaska in 1867 at 1.7 million square kilometres. Loading In the 1800s, of course, national leaders traded land without regard to their people. Native Americans had no say when France gave up its claims in America, nor the Inuit and others of Alaska when the Russian tsar needed money. So what do Greenlanders want? When they were asked a year ago, 85 per cent opposed joining the US. The poll, funded by Danish and Greenlandic newspapers, found only 6 per cent were in favour. Advertisement Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen both repudiate Trumps ambitions, knowing popular will is on their side. Talks continue, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expected to meet Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen in Washington in the coming days, but there is no sign this will lead to American control of the territory. Susan Bech hopes Greenland will one day be independent. David Crowe The people of Nuuk do not believe Greenlands future is for others to decide. Were trying to be independent, says Susan Bech, another resident, speaking to this masthead on one of the main streets. Advertisement I hope well be independent one day. The five political parties in the Greenland parliament all convey that message. In a rare joint statement, issued on Friday night in Nuuk (about 9am on Saturday, AEDT) they commit to cooperating with the US and western nations, but they ask the US to end its disrespect for their country. They say their future is for the Greenlandic people to decide: We will not be Americans, we will not be Danes, we are Greenlanders. 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. Advertisement WorldNorth AmericaDonald Trump Trump says hed accept Nobel Prize from winner. It doesnt work like that Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Maham Javaid January 10, 2026 10:27am 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: US President Donald Trump said he would accept the Nobel Peace Prize if winner Maria Corina Machado offered it to him when she meets with him next week, but Nobel officials quickly announced that the prize may not be shared or transferred. Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute said. The decision is final and stands for all time. President Donald Trump laughs during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House on Friday. AP I understand shes coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her, Trump said of the Venezuelan opposition leader during an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity. Trump added that he had heard Machado wants to give him the prize, and that it would be a great honour. Advertisement On Friday, the US and Venezuela took halting first steps towards a resumption of diplomacy. A delegation of Venezuelan diplomats is expected to arrive in Washington in coming days, according to a statement by the Venezuelan government. Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado in Oslo last month. Getty Images Diplomatic and security staff from the US Venezuela Affairs Unit including John McNamara, the interim charge daffaires also travelled to Caracas, according to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel movements in a fluid security environment. The Venezuelan delegation and US diplomats will discuss how the diplomatic missions in both countries can be re-established after the aggression and the kidnapping of the president of the Republic and the first lady, the Venezuelan government said in a statement, referring to the capture by the US of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores. Advertisement It is unclear whether the newly sworn in interim President Delcy Rodriguez would be part of the Venezuelan delegation arriving in Washington. Related Article Analysis World politics The new world disorder where might is right The White House on Friday morning did not provide details about Machados trip or specify what issues she and Trump would discuss. In an interview with Hannity this week in which she heaped praise on Trump, Machado said she had not spoken to the US president since October, when she was announced as the latest Nobel laureate. She had been in hiding in Venezuela during President Nicolas Maduros last days in power and turned up in Oslo, where her daughter accepted the prize on her behalf. But she promised to return to her country and called for elections to replace Maduro. Advertisement But I do want to say today, on behalf of the Venezuelan people, how grateful we are for [Trumps] courageous mission, Machado said on Hannitys show this week, adding that she and the Venezuelan people want to share the prize with Trump after the US military seized Maduro and his wife and brought them to New York to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges. Related Article Venezuela crisis Nobel winner backs courageous Trump over raid but issues warning Trump has openly coveted and publicly lobbied for the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming to have solved a number of international conflicts. Several world leaders have backed his claims. Machado, a former National Assembly member, won the opposition primary in Venezuela two years ago but was barred from running by Maduro in the general election. Maduro claimed victory over the candidate Machado backed, but ballot audits by The Washington Post and independent monitors show the reported election result was invalid. Advertisement Following the US operation to arrest Maduro on Saturday, Trump said that the US would run Venezuela with the co-operation of Rodriguez, Maduros vice president, who has become the countrys acting leader. Related Article Analysis Trump diplomacy If you look closely, behind the f-bomb and fury, you can see what Trump really wants Trump has not given a timeline for when elections would be held and said he did not believe Machado had the support to run the country after Maduros removal. I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader, Trump told reporters last weekend. She doesnt have the support within, or the respect within, the country. Shes a very nice woman, but she doesnt have the respect. Advertisement Two people close to the White House previously told The Washington Post that Trump was not willing to support Machado because she had accepted the Peace Prize. If she had turned it down and said, I cant accept it because its Donald Trumps, shed be the president of Venezuela today, one of the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation. Machado told Hannity she believed that if elections were held, she would win the presidency in a landslide. The Washington Post 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. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Honolulu: Authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant for director and Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield to face a child sex abuse charge. An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department filed a criminal complaint in support of the charge, which says a child reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately. The acts allegedly occurred on the set of The Cleaning Lady, a TV series Busfield directed and acted in. Actor Timothy Busfield. AP Busfield is known for appearances in The West Wing, Thirtysomething and Field of Dreams. The child said the first incident happened when he was seven years old and Busfield touched him three or four times. Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times on another occasion when he was eight. Sign up to get our news digest delivered directly to your inbox twice a week. While anime may be a major blind spot for Western awards voters, Mamoru Hosodas latest animated feature, Scarlet, has a pedigree that they likely cant ignore. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics and inspired by Shakespeares Hamlet, its a blend of prestige arthouse storytelling with top-notch anime visuals. The film follows the time-bending adventures of Scarlet (Mana Ashida), a medieval-era princess who is pursuing her villainous uncle Claudius (Koji Yakusho) to avenge the murder of her war-hero father, King Cornelius (Yutaka Matsushige). Hosoda uses Scarlet to explore the bitter cycle of vengeance, forgiveness, and the power of compassion. The films protagonist travels from her origin in 16th-century Elsinore to the wasteland of the Otherworld, where she meets a modern-day nurse who helps heal her broken heart through connection and caring. Hosoda and his animators at Studio Chizu collaborate with CG artists at Digital Frontier to merge their talents and create a breathtaking hybrid landscape. Cartoon Brew sat down with Hosoda-san and translator Mikey McNamara in Hollywood to discuss the directors evolution as an animator, his ambition to push Japanese animation into new areas of technique, and the timelessness of adapting Shakespeare for new generations. Scarlet opens in IMAX theaters on February 6, 2026, and nationwide on February 13, 2026. Cartoon Brew: Once you finished Belle and were thinking about what the studio was set up to do next, what kind of preparation was needed for the idea and its execution as you developed Scarlet? Mamoru Hosoda: Speaking of the order that everything kind of fell into place, first, I wanted to tell a revenge story, so that was already set. One of the original revenge stories, of course, is Hamlet, which takes place in 16th-century Denmark. And naturally, youre going to need royalty, so the main character is a princess. We knew the scale or scope of the production was going to be bigger, but so was the story and the background. In my past films, I tended to deal with more intimate stories, characters you might find in everyday life, like a high school student or a young boy. When working with a princess, and eventually a queen, as the main character, there are going to be events that affect the course of history. Thats what royalty is about. I felt the visual expression needed to be elevated to match the scale of the story and its themes, which naturally translated to a bigger budget as well. As you were making Scarlet and seeing stylistic changes in animation, like Arcane or the Spider-Verse films, did work by your peers influence how you handled 2D and 3D in this film? When I was promoting my last film, Belle, I had the opportunity to visit Studio Fortiche, which did Arcane, in Paris. They were doing a lot of innovative visual expression. Before the second Spider-Verse was released, I also had the opportunity to visit Sony Animation Studios and tour the facility right before the film came out. I got to see some of what they were doing as well, and I remember being very astonished. Rather than directly affecting me, it was more of a stimulant, thinking, Wow, I need to do something as well. More than the American or international public might realize, Japan is very rooted in 2D, hand-drawn animation, almost to a fault, with an artisanal approach to how we breathe life into characters. It can feel like theres an opposition between 2D animation and 3D animation, but I think that opposition is nonsense. Animation is simply a means to deliver something on screen, so why not take the best of both worlds? That was the starting point for the visual expression in Scarlet. I wanted to pay respect to the history of Japanese 2D animation, but also expand the possibilities and horizons of what we can do with it. I see what I did with Scarlet as an updatenot a revolution or a reset. Similar to how Arcane and Spider-Verse define their own unique styles, I wanted to find a new way for Japan to use CG while retaining the visual charm that makes hand-drawn animation unique. The prologue of Scarlet gives audiences a very effective primer for what theyre about to see. Was it always structured that way? With regard to the different animation styles, 2D hand-drawn and 3D, I did something similar in Scarlet to what I did in Belle, where I separated worlds by technique. In Scarlet, when we see Scarlet in 16th-century Denmark, its all cel-based, hand-drawn animation. When shes transported to the Otherworld, it becomes CG. I knew I wanted to develop a new look to match the gravity of the themes and story of the Otherworld. Initially, I thought it would be more different. Because the 2D and 3D pipelines were so different, it had the potential to diverge much more. In the end, the styles ended up closer than I expected, which isnt necessarily a bad thing. With the 3D style, I wanted to build on the history and learnings of 2D expression, but add another emotional layer by taking advantage of what can only be done in 3D. For example, the grit and dirt on Scarlets skin and face would be very hard to do in 2D, but in 3D, textures make that possible. Likewise, details like her chapped, messy lips were elements we fully leaned into. In the end, theres a unified tone, manner, and mood across both worlds. Was there a need to bring in new talent or technology to achieve what you envisioned for Scarlet? To give some context on how Studio Chizu works, weve traditionally been a hand-drawn animation studio. Our use of 3D goes back to Summer Wars in 2009, when we collaborated with a CG studio called Digital Frontier. Theyre more rooted in video games and CG for live-action films, and in many ways, weve grown together. In Summer Wars, about 10 to 20 percent of the film was CG. By Belle, it was about 50/50. In Scarlet, its closer to 80/20, CG to hand-drawn. As Studio Chizu and Digital Frontier evolved together, we developed a much deeper understanding of how to collaborate. In addition, the character design for Scarlet and Hijiri was done by Jin Kim, who designed characters for Frozen and Big Hero 6 at Disney. He has a strong background in 2D animation, but designs characters that translate very well into 3D models. His role was essential in establishing the new look of the film. Among the many ambitious sequences in Scarlet, was there one you spent the most time iterating on? One of the most challenging scenes is when the two armies fight over the wall, and Scarlets army smashes through and climbs toward what you might call heaven. Theres the technical challenge of animating huge crowdsalmost like a Ben-Hur scenario. But even more challenging was the social relevance of the scene. People fighting over a wall is very resonant right now. When I first wrote it, I had no idea how current events would unfold. The geopolitical climate made it harder, because I wanted to present something truthful that would evoke an emotional response. That responsibility made it one of the most difficult scenes to tackle. The sequence with Claudius after Scarlet ascends is quiet and intimate. How did the earlier large-scale moments impact that scene? In Act 3 of Hamlet, when Hamlet is about to strike Claudius, theres a huge inner struggle. I wanted to think about what Scarlet would do in that same context. In Hamlet, the ghost of Hamlets father demands revenge. In Scarlet, her father urges forgiveness, which creates an entirely different conflict. The massive mob scene before that shows humanity from a birds-eye view, while the confrontation with Claudius is deeply personal. Theyre the same theme expressed in two different wayshow we behave as a collective, and how an individual struggles internally. Which moment in the film moved you the most? Watching Scarlets journey as a whole was one of my proudest moments. In the beginning, shes obsessed with revenge and is almost frightening. By the end, shes crying like a child, regaining innocence and becoming someone worthy of leading her people. Showing that transformation through CG and animation was incredibly meaningful to me. Because this is based on Hamlet, the hurdle was very high. But thats what fascinates me about classical literaturewhat has stayed the same over 400 years, and what has changed. As a team, we felt we collectively achieved something new, and thats one of my proudest takeaways. Having transitioned to more CG than 2D in Scarlet, where do you see yourself going next as a storyteller? It depends on the story. Scarlet hasnt opened yet, but assuming audiences embrace it, Id like to take on a new challenge, perhaps a different kind of story or scale that hasnt been done in animation before. When you think about how Hamlet was originally performed, with actors on a stage, creating profound emotion and nuance, I wonder if animation can reach that same level. Thats the next stage I want to explore. In just this week, autonomous driving has taken a major leap forward. A driver crossed the country using Teslas full self-driving system, and NVIDIA open-sourced autonomous vehicle software that will accelerate deployment across the industry. At the same time, Chattanooga is distracted by wasting its time on rail. Not as a historical curiosity or a limited tourist novelty, but as if it represents the future of mobility. That contrast should concern everyone. The real miss here is opportunity cost. Every dollar, hour, and ounce of political capital spent revisiting rail is a dollar not spent preparing Chattanooga for what transportation is clearly becoming. Autonomous vehicles are no longer speculative. They are operational. They are scaling. And they are coming faster than most city leaders seem willing to admit. Instead of chasing a 20th-century solution that has failed repeatedly in places like California and struggled under its own weight in Florida, Chattanooga could be doing something genuinely forward-looking. We could be meeting with companies like Waymo now and positioning ourselves as the first midsize city to be fully serviced by autonomous ride-hailing. We could subsidize autonomous rides from the airport to downtown for visitors. We could already be identifying staging areas, charging infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks that invite the future rather than resist it. This should be a liberal dream: fewer cars, lower emissions, safer streets, broader access, and lower transportation costs. Yet instead, we are defaulting again to rail. There is also a deeper contradiction here. Rail does not fit the identity of a modern, progressive city that talks about innovation, the gig economy, and emerging technologies. It does not align with how people actually move, work, and live today. And it certainly does not square with a future shaped by AI, autonomy, and quantum-scale computing. Looking backward on transportation undermines every forward-looking narrative we claim to embrace. We also should not let rail enthusiasts who happen to work within city government drive transportation policy for an entire region. Passion is not a strategy. Nostalgia is not innovation. Public infrastructure decisions should be grounded in outcomes, not personal preferences for trains. I am sure someone will point out that the rail study was funded with federal dollars, not local ones. That distinction misses the point. Federal funds are still taxpayer dollars, and they are still finite. Spending $500,000 to reach conclusions that were not only obvious but could have been derived through basic logic or a quick ChatGPT search is difficult to justify. This was not insight. It was an expensive exercise in confirmation. Meanwhile, the future is not theoretical. Stand on a busy street corner in Buckhead and you will see Waymo vehicles passing by every three minutes. Spend time near Broadway in Nashville and you can already watch them operating in full training mode, preparing for launch this spring. Other cities are already building for this future. At a minimum, Mayor Tim Kelly should step down from chairing this rail-to-nowhere effort and allow someone else to carry it forward, ideally without the use of city staff, city time, or city resources. This project is a distraction, and taxpayers are not funding this administration so it can chase nostalgic transportation ideas with little upside. Chattanooga should be focused on becoming the best midsize city in America. That means leaning into our natural strengths as a transportation and logistics hub, especially with so many major companies headquartered here that depend on speed, efficiency, and modern infrastructure. Our transportation vision should reinforce that advantage, not dilute it. The future of mobility is arriving faster than most people realize. In the very near future, you will be able to get into an autonomous vehicle at night, go to sleep, and wake up in Memphis or even Chicago. That is the direction transportation is heading. Planning for rail while ignoring that reality is not just short-sighted, it is irresponsible. We cannot allow this administration to make Chattanooga look regressive or stuck pining for the past. Adam Boeselager * * * Autonomous driving will hopefully not be in our future. Since our current administration has all but stopped EV progress in the U.S. and the fact that it will never be as efficient at moving people to and from cities, airports or any urban dense environment, autonomous personal EVs are likely dead at least until we can ship Musk to Mars. We need to stop senselessly building more lanes onto highways just to see them fill up again in six months causing more and worse traffic loading onto local arterial roads. Theres even a name for this, its called induced demand - its when they build more lanes causing more people to use them resulting in traffic jams that were all too familiar with in places like Atlanta. If the idea is to move people, trains are hard to beat. If the idea is to purchase an expensive automobile so you can relax like youre in your living room Lazyboy while you haul-ass down the highway well then youre correct youll be the coolest inefficiency out there. John D. Mathna * * * While I dont agree with your reasoning about rail travel, you raise very good points about investing in the future. I love train travel and have been from coast to coast and seen things I would have never seen in America from a car or plane. The mayors staffer is to be commended for his enthusiasm, but I dont believe passenger rail service from Nashville to Atlanta through Chattanooga will ever happen. This is the third such study to have taken place in my lifetime with little variation in each - only the price. Two key phrases will sink this one: if $500 million can be secured and it becoming a reality in 5-7 years. These things always have a price tag that will grow drastically over that down the road date of it happening which never happens. So Mr Boeselager, I hope you will continue to advocate for money well spent on projects that will benefit the future of our city. Dont fret over it being used on what you see as a transit of the past because its not going to happen. In fact, Im going to predict what will happen will be another study in a decade or so. Ralph Miller * * * Might we consider a three-prong approach for moving forward? Unfortunately, its going to cost about 10 times as much.oh well. 1) Walk, pedal or drive your gas-powered car/motorcycle or lithium bike/Tesla through the neighborhood streets to central location like an old Kmart parking lot. 2) There you can rent (sized for 2, 4 or 10+ passengers) an autonomous drone, fueled by the old and yet up-and-coming battery technology made of super capacitor cells (very safe). These autonomous drones can only fly directly above existing major streets and highways so we dont have these obnoxious things buzzing our backyards. And their safety wouldnt be subject to potholes, drunk drivers, or debris. The Air lanes will be directly above major roads and highways so they wont block beautiful vistas. Then maybe an ultrasonic system to prevent birds from flying in the autonomous drone air lanes 3) Expand heavily in our rail system thats devoted to moving freight. I believe they already have a similar system moving sea containers out of the port of Savannah. Invest in that in a big way with efficient hubs for local distribution. Nobody has to give up anything that theyre using now and the future is considerate of what weve gotten used to with how we moved from point A to point B. I think we always need the option to go back to the old-fashioned way of moving around to prevent too much oversight and control of our movements like an all autonomous system would. Chris Glascock * * * Mr. Boeselager's opinion is obviously from someone that did not listen to the City Council session. Self driving cars and the restoration of access to passenger rail in Chattanooga are not mutually exclusive. Privately owned vehicles and technology happens independent of municipal funding. In fact, the monies needed to invest in passenger rail will not come from cities. It is a state and federal level funded effort. All this was made clear in the session. Citing California's failure in high speed rail is also apples and oranges. The plan here is far more attainable using freight lines once shared with passenger trains. Please take an opportunity to ride Amtrak or Brightline between cities. Compare that with an unpleasant commute or air travel. Nothing in the presentation was tied to what Chattanooga spends its money on. Instead, it was informational about what will be needed in the future to show support and encourage our state representatives to continue to move forward. Rest easy Adam; Chattanooga invests heavily in 'smart cities technology', that is directly complementary to self driving technology. Sam Hall * * * One question that should supersede all the shiny ideas and distractions mentioned above. Why can't we get a bridge to connect Harrison and Soddy / 75 to 111? Seems to me more feasible then all the pipe dreams. Jay Reed City officials, administrative staff, and the employees of the City of Collegedale are mourning the loss of Collegedale City Judge Kevin Wilson, who passed away on Friday. Judge Wilson was a highly-respected member of the Collegedale community and a dedicated public servant. He was elected as the Collegedale City Court Judge in 1990, the first year the position became an elected position. Over the course of his distinguished career, he was re-elected four times and faithfully served as city judge until his passing. Judge Wilson exemplified what it meant to serve with fairness and integrity, said Collegedale Police Chief Jack Sapp. He was a steady presence on the bench, a mentor to myself and countless colleagues, and a friend whose counsel I valued greatly. His absence will be felt throughout our community. In addition to his service to the City of Collegedale, Judge Wilson was an active member of the Chattanooga Bar Association, the Tennessee Municipal Judges Conference, the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conferences, and the American Collectors Association (ACA) International. He also served on the Board of the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation. Judge Wilson was deeply committed to civic engagement and education. He regularly spoke to local school groups, judged high school mock trial competitions, and participated in class functions at Southern Adventist Universitys School of Business, including serving as a judge for the Business Law Class Moot Court event. Collegedale Municipal Court Clerk Rachel Shuttles reflected on Judge Wilsons character and impact. He was a caring and compassionate judge as well as fair and firm when needed, Ms. Shuttles said. Judge Wilson loved his job, and it was an honor to be able to work with him for as long as I did. He will be greatly missed and will always have a special place in our hearts. City officials said, "The City of Collegedale extends its deepest condolences to Judge Wilsons family, friends, and all who were touched by his life and service. His legacy of integrity, dedication, and compassion will continue to be remembered throughout the community." After firefighters found a woman dead in a burning house early Saturday morning, the Dalton Police Department is investigating the death as a homicide and arson. During the early hours of the investigation, a person of interest in the death was located by authorities in Kentucky driving the victims vehicle. When that person ran from the Kentucky State Patrol, he crashed his vehicle and died from injuries sustained in the crash. The Dalton Fire Department was called to the scene of a house fire at 313 S. Grimes Street at 5:47 a.m. on Saturday. Firefighters discovered the badly burned body of the victim inside of the house while searching the structure. Due to the suspicious nature of the death, firefighters called in the Dalton Police Department, Whitfield County Coroners Office, and the state fire marshalls office to assist with the investigation. Police secured the scene and began an investigation. A positive identification of the victim will not be possible until examination by the medical examiners office. However, investigators believe that they know the identity of the victim. Her identity is not being released at this time pending positive identification and next of kin notification. After police were already at the scene, a woman called police to report that her brother had told her that he had killed his girlfriend at the Grimes Street residence. The caller requested a welfare check on the Grimes Street resident. Police had already identified that individual, who lives in Indiana, as a person of interest in the case. The victims vehicle was missing from the Grimes Street scene when police arrived. The vehicles information and license plate were entered into a national database as stolen. At approximately 9:30 a.m., Dalton investigators were informed that the Kentucky State Patrol had located the victims vehicle and were chasing it south of Lexington. That chase ended in a crash that killed the driver. Positive identification of the body in that crash has not yet been made. Release of his identity is pending positive identification and also next of kin notifications. This case is still under investigation. The Dalton Police Departments Crime Scene Unit has been waiting for toxic fumes inside of the structure to ventilate before entering the house and inspecting the crime scene. Investigators began their investigation inside of the house shortly after noon. Kevin Leckenby has been appointed as vice mayor of Lookout Mountain, Ga. He is taking the place previously held by Arch Willingham who is now serving as the citys mayor. Councilman Leckenby is also a volunteer firefighter and the councils liaison with the public works department. In that capacity he helps manage the department, which has been a little harder in recent weeks since staff is down two members at this time due to an injury. Hiring a temporary substitute is being explored. Vehicles and equipment are important to the department, and at this time, the motor of the leaf vacuum is out of service and being repaired. The city is in the process of shopping for another leaf vacuum and both a new debris and a leaf truck. If the current leaf truck and vacuum can be repaired , it will provide the city with a backup and two trucks that can be used at once for yard debris removal. In addition to equipment issues, leaf and brush pick up has been slowed this year because residents are not separating the debris when they take it to the street. That has required the employees to sort it before loading which is time intensive. Residents have always been asked to separate leaves and brush but now it is essential. With the combination of the labor shortage and equipment problems Councilman Leckenby announces that if the materials are not separated, they will not be picked up. Public works has also been in charge of taking down the citys holiday decorations and storing them. Other work done by the department this month includes patching the creek head wall erosion at the intersection of Lula Lake at McFarland, and the new fuel tank has been filled. Cleaning drains has been done in preparation for the heavy rain that is expected on Friday and Saturday. If stopped up drains become a problem, clearing them will take precedence over regular garbage pick-up. The stormwater system is expected to perform well after the Environmental Protection Department did a site visit this week and a five-year assessment and approved the system.Money that the city received from the federal government for COVID has now been depleted. One of the projects it was used striping a portion of the citys roads. The councilman said additional road marking will be discussed in spring. And at that time, reflectors will be added to the center lines after the icy weather when reflectors are lost as ice is being scraped off the roads. The gas line replacement is ongoing and is about halfway down Chickamauga Trail. Completion is expected in 2026, said the councilman. Council member Taylor Watson said that, in addition to clearing drainage around town, the fire department is ready to take care of any trees that may fall during the expected rain and storms this weekend. In May the city will be hosting a meeting of the Tri State mutual aid that now includes five states. And CPR training that is available for the public, will start Jan. 17. An application is being prepared for a grant from Firehouse Subs. If it is received the $40,000 would be used to purchase battery powered jaws of life equipment, said Councilman Jay Brooks. And training for the Firefighter II state certification will begin soon for 12 members of the department including the volunteer firefighters. It will start soon and will take 14 weeks to finish. This will give the firefighters advanced skills and training for many of the services the department provides. Activity at Fairyland Elementary School in December and the first of January, includes that 25 Fairyland families received gifts and food boxes for Christmas from the Giving Tree. A survey has been done that requested feedback to the school board about changing next years school schedule to four-days per week. If that is done, the four days that school is in session would each be lengthened. The administrators have not been told when a decision will be made or what the next step would be, said Councilman Tony Townes. Total enrollment at Fairyland is 294. There are 27 spaces for pre-K next year with registration opening March There are the same number of available spots for kindergarten with applications opening on April 1. Enrollment will be done on the Walker County School website. There are 40 fifth grade students and at this time, 27 of them have applied to private schools and Dr. Edwards has completed recommendations. There is a staff and student holiday scheduled for January 19 and Pastries with Parents on Jan. 30. A new Comprehensive Plan for the city and county kicks of with a meeting on Jan. 29, said City Manager Kenny Lee. It will be a joint plan for the city and Walker County, led by the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission. The first step will be to appoint a comprehensive plan committee and do a digital survey of the community, which was last done eight years ago. The survey will include the residents thoughts about the citys future including parks, density, zoning and more. The completed plan is due to be given to the state of Georgia on Feb. 28, 2027. The city has already begun planning and making improvements to the citys newest park on Cinderella. Mr. Lee said a couple of benches have been ordered and some boulders will be added and trees will be planted at a later date. Landscaping will not be extensive since this park is intended to be a stop for walkers, and not a place to drive to and park or for children to play. Wes Hasden told the council that visible progress is being made now for the sewer pump station rehabilitation. Work will begin in the next 10 days, he said. During the work, said Mayor Willingham, some roads will be closed or traffic re-routed to protect the workers. Other streets will continue to be affected as the gas line replacement project continues. Lee University will commemorate the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of events beginning Monday, Jan. 19, continuing through the week. Events are designed to reflect on Dr. Kings enduring impact on justice, unity, and equality, while also providing opportunities for community engagement, education, and celebration. The weeks theme, "A Day...On & A Life...On" emphasizes a life of action rather than apathy, encouraging participants to honor Dr. Kings legacy by engaging in learning and service. The essence of the week is to honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., his philosophy, his teachings, and his reliance on Godspecifically putting Jesus' words into practice, love your neighbor as yourself, said Gloria Scott-Richmond, director of racial and ethnic relations at Lee. This whole week serves as a reminder to us all at the beginning of the year to make sure that we have that biblical sense of equity and justice. The celebration begins Monday with the annual Cleveland Unity March in downtown Cleveland at 9 a.m. Participants are encouraged to gather at the Courthouse by 8:45 a.m. Following the march, refreshments will be provided in Lee Universitys School of Business lobby, and a community worship service will be held at 10:15 a.m. in Pangle Hall. The service will focus on unity among the Body of Christ and among our community, according to Scott-Richmond. After a lunch break, afternoon events will provide additional opportunities for reflection and learning. At 1:30 p.m., various seminars presented by community members, Lee employees, and students will be hosted in the Humanities Building; an interactive art activity in the Communication Arts Building; and a Quiz Bowl. Squires Library will provide a quiet space for reading and reflection and a screening of The Color of Friendship and Our Friend Martin, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. A drum circle will take place in the Science and Math Complex Medlin Great Room and less-known speeches by King will be featured in the Communication Arts Building Screening Room from 2-3:15 p.m. In celebration of MLK Jr. Day, as a pilot interactive workshop-seminar, one of the Sodexo chefs will prepare one of Dr. Kings favorite dishes for a limited number of guests to enjoy in the Deacon Jones Dining Hall on the Sharp Pedestrian Mall. The workshop will be held from 2:35-3:30 p.m. Another MLK Seminar will be hosted in Squires Recital Hall, located in the Humanities Building, from 2:35-3:30 p.m. This seminar will highlight composers of color and will be hosted by Dr. Joanna Pepple, assistant professor of musicology, and Dr. Leonardo Rosario, assistant professor of strings and orchestra director. Beginning at 3:30 p.m., there will be a Music of the Civil Rights Era presentation. Events will continue on campus throughout the week. On Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 10:45 a.m. a chapel service will take place in the Conn Center with a message from Scott-Richmond as well as post-chapel dining hall lunch conversation available to students and employees in the Deacon Jones Dining Hall glass rooms. At 7 p.m., a Table of Brotherhood discussion will be held. This discussion is inspired by Dr. Kings I Have A Dream speechI have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhoodand the audience will hear from differing perspectives on several topics. The table talk will host members of the Cleveland community, Lee students, and employees. On Thursday, Jan. 22, another chapel service will be hosted in the Conn Center at 10:45 a.m. with a message from Chris Singleton, a former professional athlete who has become an inspirational speaker and best-selling author following the loss of his mother in a racially motivated mass shooting. There will be a breakfast conversation prior to this service from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the dining hall. Both morning chapel services will be livestreamed on https://leeu.live. On Jan. 22 at 7 p.m., Lee will host A Life...On: Cleveland Trailblazers. The audience will hear from senior citizens in Cleveland who experienced the reality of the civil rights movement in Cleveland and across the nation. The weeks events will conclude with Songs and Stories: A Sing-Along Tribute to the Winans Family in the Lee Chapel on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. Instrumentalists and vocalists from surrounding areas will form a tribute band to honor the legacy of the Winans family. Members of the Cleveland community are encouraged to join faculty and students for the celebrations. In lieu of Monday classes, students are encouraged to attend the MLK Jr. Day events. Everyone is invited! said Ms. Scott-Richmond. Come with an open heart and open ears. Again, let's not just talk about unity, but lets be that person that God can rely on to be an agent of change and transformation. For more information or a detailed schedule of events, visit leeuniversity.edu/adayon/, email RandER@leeuniversity.edu, or call (423) 614-8238. Home News Christians in Iran imprisoned over affiliation with 'Zionist Christianity' activities deemed against Islam Quick Summary AI Summary Two Christians in Iran imprisoned for 'Zionist Christianity' activities deemed against Islam. Nayereh Arjaneh began serving a five-year prison term on Dec. 23 after her conviction. Her husband received a 3.6-year sentence, while two other Christian converts will be imprisoned for four years. An artificial intelligence-powered tool created this summary based on the source article. The summary has undergone review and verification by an editor. See Summary Two Christians in Iran sentenced to prison for their faith were locked up on Dec. 16 and 20, and a Christian woman was summoned to begin serving her five-year prison term two days before Christmas, according to an advocacy group dedicated promotion of religious freedom in Iran. Nayereh Arjaneh, arrested along with her husband at their home in Garmsar on July 7, 2025, began serving her term in Semnan Prison on Dec. 23 after her conviction for promoting deviant propaganda and teachings contrary to Islamic law that is, practicing and manifesting her faith, said Article 18. In a press statement, Article 18 added that Nayereh has been sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison; however, under Iranian law, only the most severe sentence five years of imprisonment in this case is enforceable. Arjaneh was among a group of Christian converts arrested after attending a seminar in Turkey in 2025, the group noted. She was sentenced to five years of unconditional imprisonment, a fine of 165 million tomans ($1,500), two years of internal exile in Kouhbanan in Kerman Province, a 10-hour drive from her home, and a two-year travel ban, according to Article 18. Arjaneh was also sentenced to an additional five years in prison and a fine of 60 million tomans ($500) for allegedly providing financial and material support to groups affiliated with Zionist Christianity. However, Judge Farshid Safdari of the Branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Garmsar, who issued the verdicts, acquitted her of a charge of insulting religious sanctities. Her husband, Qasem Esmaili, was sentenced to 3.6 years in prison, but it has not yet been enforced due to his ongoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, according to Article 18. Arjaneh previously received a six-month suspended prison sentence in 2022 for her Christian activities. Christian converts in Iran are not permitted to have a place to worship, build churches or establish Christian centers, so some travel to neighboring countries to attend church services and receive Christian religious teachings, the group noted. Upon arrest, Arjaneh spent nearly 40 days in detention and was initially released on bail of 500 million tomans ($4,000). On Oct. 7, 2025, however, she was summoned for interrogation and detained for three days until bail increased to 2 billion tomans (more than $15,000) was paid. She was then temporarily released on bail for a second time, Article 18 reported. During her detention, Nayereh was subjected to psychological torture, including being threatened with execution. Brothers imprisoned In Isfahans Dastgerd Prison, two brothers arrested at a Christmas gathering four years ago have begun serving their four-year sentences; Mahmoud Mardani-Kharaji on Dec. 16, and Mansour Mardani-Kharaji on Dec. 20, Article 18 reported. The Christian converts, both in their 50s, also face a two-year exile from their home province of Isfahan following their release and are banned from membership in any groups for five years. They were also fined the equivalent of about $1,500 each. They were convicted under the amended Article 500, which criminalizes deviant propaganda activities contrary to the holy religion of Islam. Charges against two other Christians arrested along with them, unnamed for security reasons, were dropped. Temporarily released Another Christian convert, Aida Najaflou, was temporarily released from Tehrans Evin Prison on Dec. 21 over concerns of risk of paralysis after fracturing her spine falling out of her prison bunk bed, Article 18 stated. Pending the outcome of her appeal against her 17-year sentence, the 44-year-old Najaflou was released after posting bail equivalent to more than $75,000, Article 18 noted, citing a post on X by her lawyer, Saeedeh Hosseinzadeh. She had raised serious concerns about Najaflous risk of spinal cord severance. Najaflou, mother of two children, underwent surgery after the Oct. 31 injury, but wasn't fully recovered when she returned to prison, and her condition deteriorated. In prison since her arrest in February, she was sentenced to 17 years on charges related to her Christian activities, though she will only have to serve the longest of her three sentences, which is 10 years, according to Article 18. Her case, along with those of four others Iranian-Armenians Joseph and Lida Shahbazian and Christian converts Nasser Navard Gol-Tapeh and another unnamed individual was heard by Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by notorious Judge Abolqasem Salavati, Article 18 noted. Among charges against them were acting against national security and propaganda against the system. Their prison terms were issued based on their Christian beliefs and peaceful religious activities, including the establishment of house churches and holding prayer meetings and the celebration of Christmas, the group stated. Iran is ranked at No. 9 on Open Doors 2025 World Watch List of the 50 countries where are most as risk of facing discrimination and persecution. The report noted that despite persecution, the church in Iran is growing. This article was originally published at Christian Daily International Home Opinion Minneapolis ICE shooting: Toxic empathy vs. the rule of law A couple of days ago in Minneapolis, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were conducting a lawful immigration operation when Renee Nicole Macklin Good allegedly weaponized her vehicle in an attempt to run over federal agents. An ICE agent fatally shot Good in what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as self-defense. The investigation is ongoing, and body camera footage has yet to be released (at the time of this writing). Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey immediately blamed federal agents for the shooting, telling ICE, in an expletive, to get out of Minneapolis and accusing them of sowing chaos. This despite the fact that ICE agents were performing their constitutional duty to enforce immigration laws the same laws that apply in every state, including Minnesota. The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association condemned the irresponsible and reckless rhetoric from political leaders attacking law enforcement, stating it has real and dangerous consequences for officers on the street and fuels hostility. DHS reports a 1,300% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats against ICE agents directly linked to the demonization by sanctuary politicians in deep-blue cities and states. Border Czar Tom Homan refused to pre-judge the incident, emphasizing the need for a full investigation, including body camera footage, before drawing conclusions. So, how should Christians think about all of this? First, reckless rhetoric from Left-wing leaders is endangering law enforcement and undermining the rule of law Mayor Freys inflammatory response is dangerous. When elected officials vilify federal agents who are enforcing the law, they create an environment where violence against law enforcement becomes justified in the minds of agitators and anarchists. Make no mistake: ICE agents risk injury or death while performing their duty. These are not rogue actors. They are federal law enforcement officers executing immigration laws passed by Congress and upheld by the courts. When politicians like Frey demonize them, they fuel the very hostility that leads to incidents like this. A 1,300% increase in assaults and an overwhelming increase in death threats against ICE agents didnt happen in a vacuum. It happened because Left-wing politicians and the Left-wing media have made federal immigration enforcement a villain rather than recognizing it as the legitimate exercise of governmental authority. When you repeatedly call people Nazis, dont be surprised when your supporters believe you and act accordingly. Second, federal agents have a constitutional duty to enforce immigration laws nationwide no city is exempt As Brit Hume observed, These ICE agents had every right to be there and had a duty to be there. They are this nations enforcers of the immigration laws. Theres no evidence here they werent doing their job or doing it improperly. The same Constitution that governs Texas, Florida, and Georgia also governs California, New York, and Minnesota. Local mayors dont get to declare their cities autonomous zones exempt from federal law. They dont get to treat American cities like independent city-states where the U.S. Constitution doesnt apply. Mayor Freys statement is reckless and irresponsible precisely because it suggests that Minneapolis operates under different rules. It doesnt. Federal immigration law applies uniformly across all 50 states. When ICE agents enforce that law in Minneapolis, theyre doing exactly what theyre authorized and required to do. Third, Minneapoliss history of anti-authority chaos is repeating itself under soft-on-crime leadership Lets not forget: Minneapolis under Mayor Frey was ground zero for the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots that metastasized across the country. Over $500 million in property destruction and over $200 million in uninsured losses to small businesses happened in that city, and lets not forget the burning out of the Third Precinct police station that also happened during the BLM riots. These werent federal agents causing chaos. These were Marxists and anarchists who had a problem with any authority, local or federal. Their view of utopia resembles the French Revolutions Reign of Terror, where violence and anarchy are celebrated as social justice in the name of protest. The same anti-authority mindset that burned Minneapolis in 2020 is at work today. When Department of Homeland Security (DHS) describes Macklin Good as weaponizing her vehicle to run over an agent and agitators are blocking lawful operations, were witnessing opposition to authority itself not opposition to specific policies. Fourth, while tragic, Macklin Goods death is the fault of no one but herself When law enforcement of any kind asks you to step out of your vehicle, you obey. This is incredibly basic, but if actually followed, the number of fatalities at the hands of law enforcement would drop to virtually zero. When police stop you, you do not try to run away and you certainly should not try to hit those officers with your vehicle. This tragedy was entirely avoidable, but because a mother decided her duty to obstruct law enforcement, try to flee, and accelerate straight at them superseded her duty to comply, she is now dead. Christians must recognize whats at stake here. Scripture is clear: Submit yourselves for the Lords sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to the governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right (1 Peter 2:13-14). This doesnt mean government is infallible or beyond critique. We have critiqued government numerous times, but it does mean that legitimate governmental authority including federal immigration enforcement deserves respect and obedience unless it commands us to sin. The loss of Renee Nicole Macklin Goods life is tragic. Every human life bears the image of God, and her death should grieve all of us. But we must also recognize that when someone attempts to weaponize a vehicle against law enforcement whether at a traffic stop or during an immigration operation there can be severe and potentially lethal consequences. This is not complicated. This is basic cause and effect. The social justice mindset has rotted peoples minds to the point where they no longer understand truth, justice, consequences, or personal responsibility. Toxic empathy has replaced biblical realism. We feel bad about outcomes while refusing to acknowledge that actions have consequences. Christians must stop the insanity of toxic empathy. We need a healthy dose of biblical realism: If you attack law enforcement, if you weaponize your vehicle against federal agents, you may be met with lethal force. Thats not injustice. Thats law enforcement protecting their lives while performing their duty. Politicians who win local mayoral elections dont have the right to make their own laws that contradict the Constitution. They dont get to set up independent autonomous zones where federal law doesnt apply. And Christians cannot side with lawlessness I dont care who you are simply because the left frames law enforcement as the enemy. The full investigation will reveal what happened, and body camera footage will provide clarity. Until then, we should not rush to judgment. But what we can say now is this: ICE agents have every right and duty to enforce immigration laws, even in Minneapolis. Mayor Freys inflammatory rhetoric endangers all officers. And Christians must stand for the rule of law while rejecting the toxic empathy that excuses violence against authority. Pray for law enforcement who risk their lives daily. Pray for Macklin Goods family. Pray for wisdom for our leaders. And pray for a return to sanity in our cities where the rule of law not the rule of the mob prevails. Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center. AI company Anthropic has signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with German insurance company Allianz. As part of the agreement, all Allianz employees will have access to the Claude Code coding tool, reports Techcrunch. For the sake of transparency, a system that logs all interactions with Anthropics AI tools will also be implemented at Allianz. CLEVELAND, Ohio A Euclid man continued forging checks even while facing prison time for similar crimes, according to the FBI. Jovaun Woodfolk, 38, launched a new check forging scheme less than a week after pleading guilty in federal court in Cleveland to forging checks stolen from the mail, according to a criminal complaint unsealed this week. Woodfolk on Tuesday was ordered held in custody. A bond hearing is set for Wednesday. A message left with Woodfolks attorney, Robert Botnick, was not returned. Woodfolk and four others were charged in 2024 with a check forging operation in which a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier stole more than 100 checks from the mail worth $1.9 million on his Lakewood route. He sold the stolen checks to four forgers, including Woodfolk, who doctored the checks and recruited others to cash them. Woodfolk linked up with the former mail carrier, Gregory Drake, and paid $600 for checks worth $197,500. Woodfolk also admitted to using other peoples identities to get more than $80,000 in fraudulent COVID-19 relief money during the pandemic. He faces between 27 and 33 months in prison at his Feb. 5 sentencing and agreed to pay $97,000 in restitution. Woodfolk pleaded guilty to the charges on Oct. 1. Five days later, he contacted an FBI informant about launching a new check-forging scheme, according to court records. FBI agents, using informants and phone records, wrote in court records that Woodfolk recruited people to cash checks forged from an unnamed Cincinnati law firms client bank account. In one conversation, Woodfolk mentioned he had innies who worked at banks and would help him cash fake checks, court records say. Woodfolk agreed to split any proceeds between the bank worker, the person who cashed the check and himself, according to the records. In October, a woman tried to cash two of the forged checks one at a Fifth Third Bank in Macedonia and another in Twinsburg, the FBI said. The Macedonia bank cashed the $4,987 check and later acknowledged to FBI agents that employees failed to follow the proper safeguards set up on the account, the complaint said. A Twinsburg teller, however, followed the protocols and refused to cash the check, according to court records. If you're hunting for your next remote-work base, look beyond the usual hubs in Portugal and Spain and consider Bulgaria. The country recently launched a digital nomad visa, according to Euronews. In addition to the new visa, last year Bulgaria also switched to the euro and joined the Schengen Zone a group of 29 European countries with open borders. To apply for the digital nomad visa, applicants must be non-EU/EEA citizens who work remotely and earn an income outside of Bulgaria. You must also fall within one of the three eligibility criteria below: Freelancers or independent contractors providing services to non-Bulgarian clients for at least one year before applying. Remote employees of companies registered outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Company owners or those holding more than 25% of a business registered abroad. Applicants need to show proof of an annual income of at least 50 times the Bulgarian monthly minimum wage, 620 euros or $723 USD, or at least 31,000 euros or $36,168 USD a year. U.S. President Donald Trump holds an umbrella as he speaks to members of the media while departing the White House en route to Florida in Washington, D.C., U.S., Jan. 9, 2026. A U.S. judge on Friday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's administration from freezing access by five Democratic-led states to more than $10 billion of federal funds for childcare and family assistance based on what it said were concerns about fraud. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan, an appointee of Democratic former President Joe Biden, said he issued a temporary restraining order for the reasons stated in a legal filing by California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, which filed the lawsuit. The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the ruling. The states sued the Trump administration late on Thursday, two days after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the freeze. Funds that were frozen include more than $7 billion from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash to low-income families with children. The funds also included $2.4 billion from the Child Care and Development Fund, which helps make childcare more affordable, and about $870 million in social services grants for children. HHS said it had concerns about "widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars" in the five states' welfare programs, including the possibility people other than U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents might be receiving benefits. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Friday that the Department of Agriculture had frozen federal benefit programs in Minnesota, citing fraud allegations. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat who was former Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 presidential election won by Trump, a Republican, announced on Monday he will not seek a third term so he can focus on the fraud scandal. The five states said HHS lacked a legitimate justification for this week's funding freeze and had usurped Congress's power to allocate the money. They also called the unsubstantiated fraud allegations a pretext to justify the lawsuit, whose real purpose was to "punish perceived political enemies of the Trump Administration by unlawfully withholding critical funding pending purported fraud detection measures unauthorized by any statute." People walk past the U.S. Supreme Court building on the first day of their new session in Washington, D.C., U.S., Oct. 6, 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear an appeal by Cisco Systems in which the tech company and President Donald Trump's administration are asking the justices to limit the reach of a federal law that has been used to hold corporations liable for human rights abuses committed abroad. Cisco has appealed a 2023 ruling that breathed new life into a 2011 lawsuit that accused the California-based company of knowingly developing technology that allowed China's government to surveil and persecute members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement. Cisco has called the lawsuit, which seeks monetary damages, unfounded and offensive, saying it sold technology to China that is expressly legal under U.S. trade policy. The lawsuit was premised on the Alien Tort Statute, a 1789 law that had been dormant for nearly two centuries before lawyers began using it in the 1980s to bring international human rights cases in U.S. courts. Cisco, with backing from the Trump administration, is asking the Supreme Court to use the case as an opportunity to limit the reach of the Alien Tort Statute. The lawsuit also alleged a violation of the Torture Victim Protection Act, a 1991 law that allows for the filing of civil suits in U.S. courts against foreign officials who commit torture. The Falun Gong plaintiffs alleged Cisco executives had facilitated torture on the part of Chinese officials, and therefore could be held liable under both the Alien Tort Statute and the Torture Victim Protection Act through a legal theory called "aiding and abetting" liability. A Cisco spokesperson said the company is pleased with the court's decision to hear the case and looks forward to oral arguments. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments and rule by the end of June. Paul Hoffman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Falun Gong, founded in China in 1992, combines meditation, slow-motion exercises, moral teachings broadly based on Buddhism and Taoism and leader Li Hongzhi's sometimes unorthodox theories such as his belief that aliens have started to take over the world. Falun Gong members founded a right-leaning U.S. media outlet called The Epoch Times that has been heavily critical of the Chinese Communist Party and supports Trump. The Chinese Communist Party saw the group's growing popularity as a challenge to its rule and banned it after 10,000 practitioners silently protested in Beijing in 1999, calling it an "evil cult" that threatened national stability, and imprisoned some of its members. The Human Rights Law Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Washington, sued Cisco in 2011 on behalf of a group of Falun Gong members. The lawsuit accused Cisco of designing and implementing the "Golden Shield," an internet surveillance system used by the Chinese Communist Party to locate and detain Falun Gong practitioners and other dissidents. The initial plaintiffs included Chinese and U.S. citizens who said they were subjected in China to forced conversion, among other abuses. Some of the plaintiffs said they endured beatings with steel rods, shocking with electric batons, sleep deprivation, and violent force-feeding. A judge dismissed the case in 2014, saying the alleged conduct did not have a sufficient connection to the United States to proceed. The case stalled for many years, in part because of a string of rulings in other Alien Tort Statute cases that made them harder to bring. In a 2023 ruling, a panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the plaintiffs plausibly alleged "that Cisco provided essential technical assistance to the douzheng (crackdown) of Falun Gong with awareness that the international law violations of torture, arbitrary detention, disappearance and extrajudicial killing were substantially likely to take place." In that ruling, the 9th Circuit panel said both aiding-and-abetting claims could be brought under both statutes invoked by the plaintiffs. In Friday's order agreeing to hear Cisco's appeal, the Supreme Court said it would focus arguments on whether that holding was correct. The Supreme Court in 2018 ended an Alien Tort Statute lawsuit claiming Jordan-based Arab Bank helped finance militant attacks in Israel and the Palestinian territories. That decision said foreign corporations cannot be sued in American courts for human rights abuses overseas, but left the door open to Alien Tort Statute cases against U.S. companies. Mikayla McGhee is a self-proclaimed military brat. Both of her parents are in the U.S. Navy her mom served 30 years, and her dad is still on active duty after 40 years. "My life was moving around from military base to military base," the 29-year-old American tells CNBC Make It. McGhee spent most of her life living abroad in Japan, which, she says, led her to realize she wanted to make a life for herself outside of the United States. "I was always working towards freedom, so I never knew exactly what I was going to do but I knew I wanted the freedom to be able to live wherever I wanted to and travel whenever I wanted to," she says. "Once you've experienced growing up abroad and you're exposed to that, you continue to search for it. So moving back to the States after living in Japan, I always knew I wanted to live outside of the U.S. I just didn't know how." In 2020, McGhee, who was living in Atlanta, Georgia, visited her parents in Bahrain, which is where her dad was stationed at the time. The country is located in the Persian Gulf and is home to the Naval Support Activity Bahrain, a U.S. military base. McGhee first visited Bahrain in 2020 before moving fulltime in 2022. Prakhar Deep Jain for CNBC Make It Before visiting the island for the first time, McGhee admits she had preconceived notions and didn't actually know what to expect. But was pleasantly surprised, she says. "The culture shock was that, actually, things were better, not worse. Don't just believe what you're told or what you see in the media because it's nothing like that at all," she says. "It's so calm. It's so peaceful. There was never a time where I didn't feel like I fit in or I was standing out as an expat. Every culture shock was a positive one." McGhee stayed for three months and says she fell in love with the country. "I met so many great people. I didn't want to go home, and as soon as I got home, I started planning how I was going to move because I knew I had to leave," she says. McGhee lives in a three-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom home with a pool and one-car garage that rents for $2,200 USD a month. Prakhar Deep Jain for CNBC Make It That first trip to Bahrain is what led McGhee to make the full-time move over in December 2022. She lived in her parents' three-bedroom home for six months before moving out on her own. Now, McGhee lives near the capital of Bahrain, Manama, in a three-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom home with a pool and one-car garage that rents for $2,200 USD a month. She says she and her partner split expenses, though he pays the majority, while most of her money goes to savings and to the trips the couple takes together. McGhee's expenses also include groceries, which range from 25 to 60 BHD or $66 to $158 USD multiple times a week, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. She also says she has the following bills: Nails: 20 BHD or $53 Hair: up to 30 BHD or $79 Cellphone: $150 USD Storage unit in Atlanta: $125 a month Living in Bahrain while working East Coast hours McGhee works as a senior performance marketing manager at an IT company and earns $140,000 a year, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. She works Eastern Standard Time, and her day usually starts at 5 to 6 p.m. local time. She ends her day between midnight and 1 a.m. local time. "That was my biggest thing when looking for a new role. It was finding a place that would let me live anywhere and gave me the flexibility to work across time zones," she says. McGhee works as a senior performance marketing manager for an IT company. Prakhar Deep Jain for CNBC Make It Since McGhee earns her salary in USD, she still pays U.S. taxes. McGhee also uses the health insurance offered by her company, which still allows her access to Bahrain's healthcare system. When McGhee is free during the day she likes to work out, shop for groceries, and create content. She shares a lot of her life in Bahrain on TikTok to her over 64,000 followers. "It is my duty to make sure that Americans know how great this country is," McGhee says. McGhee lives near the capital of Bahrain now. Prakhar Deep Jain for CNBC Make It watch now SAN FRANCISCO Daniela Amodei has an energy that's hard to place warm, unhurried, immediately present. She swept into a sunlit room on the ground floor of Anthropic's headquarters in December, sat down, and immediately apologized for her mug. "Is my, like, gigantic novelty mug going to be distracting if I have it?" she said. "I'll defer to the wise camera people in terms of what's in the shot." It was a disarming kind of normal for someone operating at this level. Five years ago, she and her brother, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, led an exodus from OpenAI. They took a core group of senior researchers and started Anthropic with a contrarian bet: That safety and business success weren't in tension, that the real money wasn't in viral consumer products, and that the artificial intelligence race would be won by the company that knew when to slow down. "We really just felt more like we were running towards something than running away from something," Daniela said of the decision to leave. The co-founders had known each other for years before OpenAI. Her brother and co-founders Tom Brown and Chris Olah worked together at Google Brain. Others overlapped at various labs. watch now Anthropic's headquarters is on "AI Alley" in San Francisco, a 230,000-square-foot glass high-rise in the shadow of Salesforce Tower. The neighborhood is a corridor of startups and tech giants reshaping the American economy from a handful of downtown blocks. Anthropic is now valued at $183 billion and on track to nearly double that, according to a newly signed term sheet, with Microsoft and Nvidia joining its cap table. Revenue has grown ten times annually for three consecutive years, thanks in large part to the fact that the company's AI assistant, Claude, has become the model of choice for enterprises that care about reliability as much as capability. Daniela Amodei mentioned, almost in passing, that Claude once helped diagnose her with a bacterial infection after multiple doctors missed it. With her human-scale, here-and-now energy, she is by most counts the opposite of the AI founder archetype personified by OpenAI's Sam Altman and Tesla /xAI CEO Elon Musk. Even her brother is a version of the technical visionary who speaks in timelines to superintelligence and treats interviews like TED talks. But Daniela Amodei is different. If her brother is the one looking for a path to the horizon, she is pouring the foundation that lets him get there. watch now Anthropic vs. OpenAI In November 2022, OpenAI fired the starting gun in the AI race. ChatGPT, a free chatbot anyone could talk to, went viral instantly, hitting 100 million users in two months. Google scrambled. Microsoft went all in. The entire tech industry lurched into motion. But Anthropic didn't sprint. From the start, Anthropic was defined by a contrarian posture toward OpenAI: move slower, ship later, and optimize for trust. While ChatGPT became a flashy consumer toy, the Amodeis made a different bet. They believed that the real money wasn't in viral moments, but in the less glamorous enterprise buildout behind them. It was in Fortune 500 contracts, developer tools, and APIs sold to companies where reliability, security, and compliance are mission critical. "I wouldn't necessarily say that we knew for sure," Daniela Amodei told CNBC about the enterprise bet. "Anthropic, as an organization, is well suited to be a B2B company. We really care about things like reliability and security and safety. That's baked into our DNA." Gil Luria, an analyst at D.A. Davidson, said the AI frontier has shifted toward real work coding, math, science the kinds of tasks companies will actually pay for. "The frontier isn't about making our chat better," he said, pointing to Anthropic's strength with developers, where Claude has built a reputation as a top-tier programming model, outpacing key rivals in many users' workflows. watch now Even back in 2020, Daniela Amodei said the team could see a future where Claude would handle many of the high-intelligence tasks humans do at work. "And we thought, that's a pretty big market." Anthropic said its business customer base has grown from under 1,000 to more than 300,000 in two years, and nearly 80% of Claude activity now comes from outside the United States. The customer list reads like a who's who of global enterprise, with Novo Nordisk , the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund the world's largest plus Bridgewater, Stripe, and Slack, all running Claude at scale. Sameer Dholakia, a partner at Bessemer Ventures who invested in Anthropic, said the bet made sense for one simple reason: enterprise customers don't churn the way consumers do. "We really love the focus that they had, and candidly, the focus of Anthropic on safety and trust, we knew was going to play really well with the enterprise buyer, and that's proven to be true." While OpenAI still leads in scale and cultural cachet, with ChatGPT a household name boasting nearly 900 million weekly active users, Anthropic is closing the gap fast and in some areas is already ahead. Today, Anthropic's revenue is roughly 85% business. OpenAI is more than 60% consumer. "One of the values and the things that we talk about a lot internally is just how not to believe the hype," Daniela Amodei told CNBC. "For us, it's never been about seeking attention or sort of being in the headlines. We're really here to do the work." watch now "As Anthropic goes, so goes generative AI," said Alex Kantrowitz, founder of the independent publication Big Technology. "They have the most pure bet on this technology working. If Anthropic is able to make it work, all of GenAI is going to work. And if not, we're going to have some serious problems." Anthropic's lead in enterprise is proving durable. And it's a lead the Amodei siblings have built together. "It's genuinely a privilege to run Anthropic with my sibling," Daniela Amodei said. "We've known each other our whole lives or my whole life, at least. He had four years without me, poor guy." "Dario and I really help each other," she added. "He's great at pushing me to think about the big picture... I am helpful in thinking about, like, how do we build an organization that is enduring, that's sustainable, that's filled with great people who really want to do the type of work that we set out to do five years ago." watch now According to the FBI, $240 million was lost to cryptocurrency ATM scams in the first six months of 2025 about double the pace of similar scams in 2024. The growing pace of crypto ATM fraud has some policymakers pursuing bans and others asking why the nation is blanketed in these machines in the first place. Spokane Police Detective Tim Schwering started noticing the rise in crypto crime in 2023. "Cases started flowing my way where people were getting ripped off by cryptocurrency machines," Schwering said. The money would find its way to China, Russia, Nigeria, and other far-off outposts. "You couldn't get to anyone or get the money back," Schwering said. People's life savings in Spokane were wiped away. Schwering said one man lost $900,000, all deposited into the shadowy crypto ATM at the corner. At least two people lost their life savings and, despondent, then took their own lives. It was usually elderly or lonely people roped in by an overseas crypto criminal masquerading as a romantic interest, or preying on a decline in cognitive function that leads people to become more easily scared, Schwering said. In some cases, scammers posed as government agents threatening to unleash the full power of the IRS. But that would all go away if victims would just go to a crypto machine and deposit $40,000. So the detective began visiting retirement homes and other community venues to educate people about the dangers posed by scammers wielding crypto ATMs. "My job is to try to protect people, and it's very frustrating, Schwering said, specifically because the criminals are usually overseas and safely out of reach of arrest. "So, we could at least change policy," he said. The biggest crypto ATM ban in the nation That's when Spokane Councilman Paul Dillon took up the cause, first championing a statewide ban that fizzled in the legislature. "We wanted to see what levers we could pull locally," Dillon said. As Schwering continued to investigate crypto scams, Dillon proposed an ordinance banning crypto ATMs in the city. "The compelling stories moved us into action. There are ideological differences on our city council, but the ban passed unanimously and I am proud," Dillon said. The resolution was implemented in June, and businesses have been using a grace period to remove the machines. The Spokane ban was one of the first in the nation, following a similar ordinance passed in Stillwater, Minnesota, after a resident was scammed there. "We've received no complaints about the removal," Dillon said. He is hopeful that the legislature will pass a statewide ban in the next session (which begins Monday) which would stop the crypto ATMs from simply being relocated to neighboring municipalities. Schwering said a federal ban something Dillion doesn't think is realistic given the Trump administration's crypto regulatory stance is the ultimate answer, noting the city is only 20 minutes from the Idaho border. Meanwhile, several states spanning the political spectrum, including Arizona, Arkansas, and Vermont are tightening laws or considering additional restrictions on the ATMs. Other cities, like St. Paul, Minnesota, are considering outright bans similar to Spokane's. The problem has gone nationwide, with a recent CNN report on crypto scammers using Circle K convenience stores across the country as a hub for this activity. Fighting fraud vs. empowering surveillance state Some experts especially ones working in the crypto industry say that getting rid of the ATMs wouldn't eliminate fraud and there could be unintended consequences to wholesale removal. "Eliminating them may reduce certain fraud vectors, but it also removes one of the last public-access tools for financial privacy and cash-to-crypto conversion," said Alex Davis, founder and CEO of Mavryk, a blockchain company focused on real-world asset tokenization. "The question isn't whether crypto ATMs should exist; it's whether society is comfortable with a future where every dollar must pass through a fully surveilled, fully permissioned gatekeeper." Davis said that crypto ATMs persist not because they are the safest option, but because they solve a problem that the regulated financial system still doesn't: accessible, private, and frictionless movement of money. "Fraud is a real concern, but focusing only on that misses the broader societal dynamic. A significant portion of the population still operates in a cash-heavy or underbanked economy, and for them, a crypto ATM is often the only bridge into digital assets," Davis said. He says the high fees often 10% or more aren't a feature of the technology, but a premium charged for privacy and immediacy. "There is a segment of society that does not want every transaction surveilled or intermediated," Davis said, adding that traditional finance has increasingly shifted toward restrictive guardrails, escalating compliance friction, and a shrinking tolerance for anonymous economic activity. "Crypto ATMs fill the gap that banks no longer service," Davis said. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as he signs executive orders and proclamations in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 5, 2025. "Republicans aren't always going to have the same views as the president," the White House official said. A senior White House official said the defectors represent just a "tiny fraction" of congressional Republicans. "This isn't an unusual situation, particularly coming into midterm elections, where you have senators that are in tough situations," Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said Friday on CNBC's "Squawk Box." But it was otherwise a less-than-stellar week for Trump on Capitol Hill, though Republicans are projecting confidence. Trump avoided defeat when most House Republicans declined to override the first of two vetoes of his presidency, which spiked a pair of nonpartisan infrastructure bills that would've benefited Colorado and Florida. President Donald Trump 's attack on Venezuela and threats to other countries, as well as concerns about affordability, exposed fractures within the congressional GOP this week at the start of a challenging midterm election year. Still, cracks in GOP unity emerged on multiple fronts. On Thursday, 17 House Republicans broke ranks and voted with Democrats on legislation to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years, despite opposition from House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and the widespread unpopularity of the Obamacare subsidies within the Republican party. The White House official said Trump opposes a three-year extension, but the vote was not viewed internally as a defeat. The enhanced tax credits were first enacted under President Joe Biden in 2021 and have been a focal point of Democratic messaging on health care and affordability. The credits expired at the end of 2025, resulting in sharply higher premiums for millions of Americans who get their health insurance on ACA marketplaces. Many of those who supported the bill to extend the tax credits were among the most vulnerable Republicans in the 2026 midterms. "I have long opposed the damage the Unaffordable Care Act has done to our country, but I will not watch Wisconsinites lose health care because Democrats let their own law collapse," Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., who voted for their extension, posted on X. Van Orden is running for reelection in a toss up district, according to Cook Political Report. Earlier on Thursday, five Senate Republicans bucked the president and joined Democrats on a procedural vote that could rein in his ability to take military action in Venezuela. Trump responded in a Truth Social post that "Republicans should be ashamed" of the senators who supported the preliminary vote and said they "should never be elected to office again." Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., one of the members called out by Trump, declined to comment on the president's comments on Thursday. When asked if he was open to changing his stance on subsequent War Powers votes, Young told reporters, "Why would I?" The White House, however, said there is a "significant" chance future votes on the resolution might go the president's way. "A number of these members have left the door open to additional conversations," the senior official said. Meanwhile, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is retiring at the end of his term in January 2027, has found himself at odds with the administration on several fronts. On Wednesday, Tillis took aim at White House senior adviser Stephen Miller from the Senate floor, calling Miller's comments about the U.S. taking over Greenland "amateurish" and "stupid." The White House official called those remarks "disappointing." A day after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents killed a civilian in Minnesota, Tillis also announced he was blocking all Department of Homeland Security nominees. Tillis, however, said the hold was not related to the shooting, and instead had to do with Trump's Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem so far refusing to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. "All I'm saying is, you need to show respect to a committee of jurisdiction," Tillis told reporters this week. And on Thursday, Tillis and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., secured passage of a resolution to place a plaque honoring police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 in the Senate. Language authorizing the plaque was passed into law as part of a larger appropriations bill in 2022. The monument was supposed to be displayed on the West front of the Capitol by March 2023, but had been blocked by House Republicans. Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have sought to shift the narrative on Jan. 6. On the five-year anniversary this week, the White House launched a web page casting blame on Democrats, then-Vice President Mike Pence, and Capitol Police for the violence that transpired that day. Officers "risked their lives to defend the United States Capitol and protect members of Congress. Their brave actions upheld the rule of law and ensured that our democratic institutions could continue to function as intended," Tillis said in a statement. When asked about the plaque, the White House official said, "The administration doesn't have a position on the decorations of the Capitol." U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions from members of the media during a meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 9, 2026 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order that aims to block the seizure of Venezuelan oil revenue held in U.S. Treasury accounts. The executive order states that the revenue, which is held in foreign government deposit funds, are "held solely for sovereign purposes" and that any court attempt to seize the funds will "materially harm the national security and foreign policy" of the U.S. The order, which declared a national emergency, said the funds are the sovereign property of Venezuela held in U.S. custody for governmental and diplomatic means, and are not assets subject to private claims. Any use of judicial process against the funds will interfere with efforts to "ensure economic and political stability in Venezuela," the order says. Trump signed the order nearly one week after U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas. Both were indicted on drug-trafficking charges and have pleaded not guilty. Since the military operation, Trump has said that both nations "are working well together" on rebuilding Venezuela's oil and gas infrastructure and that American oil giants will invest at least $100 billion in the South American country. Trump met with major oil industry executives on Friday afternoon in an effort to get U.S. oil companies to invest in Venezuela. In that meeting, ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods told Trump that right now Venezuela is "uninvestable." ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil exited Venezuela after its government, under President Hugo Chavez, nationalized the country's oil sector along with several other key industries. Both companies have filed arbitration cases against Venezuela seeking billions of dollars in compensation for assets that were expropriated by the government. Chevron is the only major U.S. oil company currently operating in Venezuela through a special license issued by the Trump administration. In his Friday order, Trump cited the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the 1976 National Emergencies Act as legal justification for safeguarding Venezuelan oil revenue in U.S. accounts. The White House did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment. Leading U.S. oil executives told President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday that Venezuela will need major reforms to attract investment. Trump said Friday the industry would invest at least $100 billion to rebuild Venezuela's energy sector with U.S. security guarantees. But the CEOs of big oil companies like ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips did not commit at the meeting to quickly re-enter Venezuela. Exxon CEO Darren Woods told Trump that the Venezuelan market is "uninvestable" in its current state. Venezuela seized Exxon's and Conoco's assets in 2007, and Caracas owes the companies billions of dollars in outstanding claims from arbitration cases. "We've had our assets seized there twice, and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes from what we've historically seen here," Woods told Trump at the White House. "If we look at the legal and commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela today, it's uninvestable." Exxon is prepared to send a technical team to evaluate the current state of Venezuela's oil industry and assets, Woods said. ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance congratulated Trump on ousting former President Nicolas Maduro. He said the banking sector will need to help restructure Venezuela's debt and provide billions of dollars in financing for the restore the country's infrastructure. Lance also called for the restructuring of state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). "As we think that big and bold, we need to be also thinking about even restructuring the entire Venezuelan energy system including PDVSA," Lance told the president. Trump told the Conoco CEO that the U.S. government is not looking at recovering the assets the company lost during the 2007 nationalization. "We're not going to look at what people lost in the past, because that was their fault," Trump said. "That was a different president. You're going to make a lot of money, but we're not going to go back." Chevron is the only U.S. oil major operating in Venezuela through joint ventures with PDVSA. Vice Chairman Mark Nelson said Chevron has a way forward to rapidly ramp up its production, which currently stands at about 240,000 barrels per day. "We have a path forward here very shortly to be able to increase our liftings from those joint ventures 100% essentially effective immediately," Nelson told Trump. "We are also able to increase our production within our own disciplined investment schemes by about 50% just in the next 18 to 24 months." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated Thursday that the U.S. might rely more on smaller oil companies, rather than the majors, to invest in Venezuela. "The big oil companies who move slowly, who have corporate boards, are not interested," Bessent said Thursday at the Economic Club of Minnesota. "I can tell you that the independent oil companies and individuals, wildcatters our phones are ringing off the hook," Bessent said. "They want to get to Venezuela yesterday." A Hindu man was killed in Bangladeshs Sunamganj district on Thursday, adding to growing concerns over a spate of violent attacks targeting minorities in the country. According to a report by Moneycontrol, the family of 19-year-old Joy Mahapatro alleged that he was assaulted by a resident and forced to consume poison, leading to his death.Mahapatro was admitted to the intensive care unit of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The incident comes amid a series of violent attacks against members of the Hindu community reported in recent weeks.Earlier this month, a 40-year-old Hindu man, Moni Chakraborty, was attacked with sharp weapons and killed at Charsindhur Bazar in Palash Upazila of Narsingdi district on January 6. In another incident, a Hindu businessman and acting editor of a local newspaper was shot dead in Jessore district. The victim, identified as Pratap, was reportedly called out of his ice factory in Kopalia Bazar and fatally shot by unidentified assailants.The recent killings follow a string of lynching incidents reported since December 18, 2025, when Dipu Chandra Das was lynched and set on fire in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy. Days later, Amrit Mondal was lynched in Rajbari over alleged extortion, while Khokon Chandra Das, a 50-year-old trader, was brutally attacked and set on fire.India has expressed concern over what it described as a disturbing pattern of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such incidents must be dealt with swiftly and firmly, warning that attempts to downplay them risk emboldening perpetrators and deepening fear among minority communities. What side are you on? All of us were expected to have an absolute response in the moments after an ICE agent shot a woman dead on Wednesday. Without any details, without any nuanced thought or critical questioning, without so much as a moment to take a breath and fully metabolize what's happening without even knowing the names of the victim and the shooter everyone from the President to cable news anchors to social media natives had knee-jerk, instantaneous, morally righteous verdicts. All, as of Wednesday, based on one amateur video clip, taken from one angle, of a tragedy in which only one thing is clear: We are, as a nation, now doomed to a culture of escalation. Escalation to conflict, to violence and to dead-certain interpretations that leave no room for nuance. Critical thought, it seems, died long ago. As did the concept of de-escalation: in politics, among law enforcement and among those of us who just hope to coexist in polite society. So, on the right, within minutes of the shooting, the only conceivable explanation was that the ICE agent's actions were clean, by the book, and the only rational outcome of the left's open-border policies, sanctuary cities and inflammatory rhetoric. All of us were expected to have an absolute response in the moments after an ICE agent shot a woman dead on Wednesday. Without any details, without any nuanced thought or critical questioning, without so much as a moment to breathe. (Pictured: Renee Nicole Good seconds before the shooting). To those on the left, the instantaneous response was that Trump's America has devolved into everything these protestors are fighting against and this young mother's death is absolute proof that their side is correct that the ICE agent, like the entirety of ICE, is racist, xenophobic and trigger-happy. The only logical reaction again, within minutes, hours and even days of this tragedy is one of humility. It's impossible to know the facts so quickly. That this happened in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed and the BLM protests were born as the city burned, only amplifies this crisis. Once upon a time, in the antediluvian epoch, leaders would seek to calm their populace rather than stoke. Think back to April 4, 1968, in the hours after Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated: Bobby Kennedy addressing black civil rights protestors at a rally in Indianapolis a potentially explosive situation and speaking for six minutes of anger, sorrow, outrage and the need for calm. For unity. He implored the crowd and the nation at large to 'dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.' That speech is considered among the greatest of the 20th century. Our current sorry lot of politicians and officials, on both sides, have failed us miserably. President Trump, in the immediate aftermath, posted this to Truth Social: 'The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense We need to stand by and protect our Law Enforcement Officers from this Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate!' By that afternoon, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had branded this case the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old wife and mother of three, by ICE agent Jonathan Ross an act of 'domestic terrorism'. Meaning that Good was the domestic terrorist. We are, as a nation, now doomed to a culture of escalation. Escalation to conflict, to violence and to dead-certain interpretations that leave no room for nuance. Critical thought, it seems, died long ago. By Wednesday afternoon, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (pictured) had branded this case an act of 'domestic terrorism'. The left is no better. Jacob Frey (pictured), the Democratic mayor of Minneapolis, held a press conference in which he was fairly shaking with what looked, to me, like performative righteous anger. And here was border czar Tom Homan on Wednesday evening, sitting with Tony Dokoupil of CBS News, insisting that although the investigation had just begun, ICE agents are never in the wrong. 'I trust the men and women of ICE,' Homan said. 'You're telling me, you've never seen, in your tenure any example of excessive force Zero issues, zero problems, zero comments?' Dokoupil asked. 'It's just not believable to a lot of people.' 'I have not seen ICE act outside of policy,' Homan said. That kind of retrenchment is not only unhelpful it sounds dishonest. A woman was shot in the face. Something clearly went wrong. Yet Noem takes to her media pulpit, dressed in her best Texas cowgirl drag, to authoritatively declare that Good 'harassed' and 'attacked' ICE agents. And Vice President JD Vance calls Good's death 'a tragedy of her own making'. How heartless. The left is no better. Jacob Frey, the Democratic mayor of Minneapolis, held a press conference in which he was fairly shaking with what looked, to me, like performative righteous anger. To ICE, he said, 'get the f**k out of Minneapolis'. He also said the DHS claim of self-defense was 'garbage'. Democratic Minnesota governor and failed VP candidate Tim Walz, doubtless grateful that eyes have been moved off the Somali fraud scandal, did much the same. 'Very, very difficult,' Walz said, to believe that a federal investigation will result in 'a fair outcome'. If Walz and Frey want Minneapolis to burn twice, they're doing a superlative job. As is Trump, who still refuses to correct his assertion that Good had actually run over the ICE agent even after he was shown the video during an interview. Is it any wonder the media and the general population follows suit? Is it any wonder everyone retreats to their political and ideological corners, so convinced that they are right? Is it any wonder the media and the general population follows suit? Is it any wonder everyone retreats to their political and ideological corners, so convinced that they are right? (Pictured: ICE agent Jonathan Ross and his wife). A little of what we've learned since Wednesday: Good was, in fact, part of a resistance group dedicated to disrupting ICE raids. She seemed to be trying to block ICE agents with her vehicle. Good was approached by three agents, dressed in balaclavas, yelling at her to get out of her car. Instead, she attempted to drive away. Did she panic? Quite possibly. What about the agent who shot her? We now know his name and some of his biography: Jonathan Ross, 43, is an Iraq War veteran who has worked for ICE for ten years. His wife is a Filipina immigrant. Last summer, he was seriously injured while trying to arrest an illegal immigrant during a traffic pullover, the suspect driving off while Ross's arm was stuck inside the car. So, Ross very well may have PTSD. He very well may have been as afraid of Good as she may have been of him. Why can't everyone take a beat and wait for details such as these? Both sides here, for the most part, are composed of people who truly believe they're doing the right thing. To acknowledge that would go a long way towards mitigating further violence. Until then, we're only in for more and it happened again, the very next night: US Border agents shot two people in Portland who, the feds say, are gang members. They shouldn't be surprised that half the country won't believe that. Since her early teens, Emma Cleary suffered light-headedness, extreme tiredness and was cruelly nicknamed Casper by classmates referring to her ghost-like appearance. I kept going back to the doctors but eventually I gave up and just started fending for myself, she says. It felt like they just wanted me to put up and shut up. At 16 she was eventually diagnosed with anaemia a blood condition caused by a lack of iron that leads to tiredness and lack of energy. But, she says, no one ever explained that it could be linked to her heavy periods. Research suggests that one in three women suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding yet many, like Emma, do not even realise they are affected, let alone the dramatic impact it can have on their health. I could easily bleed through dresses and down to my socks, so I became really conscious of what I was wearing, she says. I wore black a lot to try to hide it. But growing up, I just thought that was normal. It wasnt something I spoke about with friends or even my mum. I assumed this was what everyone was going through, so I just got on with it. Despite repeated visits to her GP, Emma says her heavy periods were never addressed, and the iron supplements she was prescribed did little to ease symptoms. By her late 20s, and working as a model, the impact became impossible to ignore when her hair began falling out. All women are conscious of their looks, but this was my livelihood, she says. I would go to shoots and the make-up artists would have to colour in my scalp to make the hair loss less visible. Now 42 and a mother of two, Emma has finally found relief. She has been given a private prescription for tranexamic acid and also receives annual iron infusions Although she suffered light-headedness and extreme tiredness from her early teens, it wasn't until years later that Emma got a diagnosis Though she paid thousands for a hair transplant, the problem remained. I was queuing in the supermarket one day and felt terrible dizzy, exhausted and bleeding heavily but I was just trying to get through, she recalls. The next thing I knew, I had a face full of flowers. Id fainted into a display by the till. When I came round, all I could see were flowers, and I genuinely thought Id died and it was my funeral. Then it hit me how embarrassing it was being 35 years old and having your dad come and pick you up from the shop. It's a fact... Premenstrual dysphoric disorder affects about one in 20 women, triggering depression and anxiety before a period. Advertisement Now 42 and a mother of two, Emma has finally found relief. She has been given a private prescription for tranexamic acid, which reduces menstrual bleeding, and she also receives annual iron infusions. Without it, theres no way I would have been able to start my own business or be a mum to my two boys, she says. The medication Im on now is supposed to be available on the NHS but no one ever asked about my periods when I went to the doctors. Experts say such failures amount to a silent public health crisis. Last month, an analysis published in The Lancet by researchers at Anglia Ruskin University found that thousands of women are admitted to hospital every year because of heavy menstrual bleeding. Dr Bassel Wattar, associate professor of reproductive medicine at the university, said: This is a silent crisis in womens health. We see thousands of women admitted to hospital for a condition that could often be managed earlier and more effectively in the community. Guidelines and services in the NHS do not provide a clear pathway for managing acute heavy menstrual bleeding efficiently. This mismanagement leads to women being discharged with temporary fixes, often still anaemic, and left to navigate long waiting lists. We need to shift from reactive to proactive care. Periods are considered heavy if blood loss interferes with daily life a problem affecting at least one in three women. This includes regularly bleeding through pads, tampons or clothing; needing to change sanitary products every 30 minutes to two hours, or having to plan work and social activities around periods because of the blood loss. The condition, known as menorrhagia, can be treated with hormonal contraceptives or tranexamic acid. But experts warn that prolonged heavy bleeding frequently leads to iron deficiency. Studies suggest that 36 per cent of UK women of child-bearing age may be iron-deficient yet only one in four is formally diagnosed. Iron is an essential mineral, vital for energy levels, cognitive function, digestion and immunity. While most people get sufficient amounts from food particularly meat and leafy green vegetables losses caused by heavy periods can quickly outweigh intake. Women with an iron deficiency get dizzy, suffer from shortness of breath and brain fog, and symptoms can be debilitating, says Professor Toby Richards, a haematologist at University College London. Symptoms are often comparable to and mistaken for ADHD and depression. He is calling for national screening for iron deficiency with a new charity, Shine. In a pilot study at the University of East London, his team screened more than 900 women. One in three reported heavy periods, and 20 per cent had anaemia. Women with iron deficiency were also more likely to report symptoms of depression. The Shine pilot has shown how targeted screening can prevent ill health and tackle inequalities, says Professor Amanda Broderick, vice-chancellor and president of the university. Its already made a real difference for our students raising awareness of heavy menstrual bleeding and its link to anaemia, and empowering women to take control of their health. A new 'super flu' racing across the US can cause a week-long fever and lingering illness, doctors warn, with experts saying the surge has not yet peaked. The newly identified subclade K strain, a never-before-seen variant of influenza A H3N2, is spreading fast, with the most recent CDC data showing 'very high' illness levels in 32 states. At least nine children have died from the flu this year, as brutal symptoms leave patients struggling to breathe and hooked up to machines. Doctors have since warned that the highly contagious variant is bringing harsher symptoms, with more intense fevers being reported nationwide - particularly among children, according to NBC 5 News. 'More fever with the flu this year than people are accustomed to,' Dr Mark Loafman, the chair of Family and Community Medicine at Cook County Health, told the outlet. 'The fever can last up to seven days, so five to seven days,' he added. 'And that's worrisome.' 'You feel ill, you feel sick and you worry that you're not getting better.' New data has revealed a grim reality: one in three flu tests now return positive, a 21 percent weekly jump and a shocking 76 percent surge from last year. The newly identified subclade K strain, a never-before-seen variant of influenza A H3N2, is spreading fast, with the most recent CDC data showing 'very high' illness levels in 32 states Dr Mark Loafman (pictured), the chair of Family and Community Medicine at Cook County Health, told NBC Chicago that the 'worrisome' fevers can last up to a week and that the surge has not yet peaked At least nine children have died from the flu this year, as brutal symptoms leave patients struggling to breathe and hooked up to machines. Pictured is Sarah Lopez, 2, hospitalized with flu Your browser does not support iframes. Since September, 97 percent of US flu samples have been influenza A, with 86 percent of those H3N2 - and 91 percent of the H3N2 samples belonging to subclade K. 'The question is, where will it peak?' Loafman told the outlet, warning that even though current levels arent extreme, the virus could spread much further. 'These are contagious viruses and people are indoors and we've had a lot of holiday travel and people together,' he added. 'So we would expect this spike would continue over the next few weeks.' Dr Santina Wheat, a family physician with Northwestern Medicine, also sounded the alarm that flu cases could surge next week as students head back to school after the break. Fevers are among the symptoms showing a change in the viruss usual pattern, with experts cautioning that in some patients, the fevers resist treatment with Tylenol or Motrin. According to Dr Juanita Mora, national spokesperson for the American Lung Association, it is 'one of those high fevers that wont break.' 'The other thing is any signs of shortness of breath,' Mora told NBC. 'So when kids or adults are having trouble breathing, they start using their chest muscles, they start wheezing audibly, they start having a cough that won't go away,' she added. 'That's a sign to go to the ER.' New data has revealed a grim reality: one in three flu tests now return positive, a 21 percent weekly jump and a shocking 76 percent surge from last year Your browser does not support iframes. She explained that patients are suffering from a relentless 'phlegmy cough,' vomiting, diarrhea and intense joint and muscle aches. Vomiting is usually a flu symptom seen in kids, but Loafman said that the new variant is sending more adults to the ER with GI problems. 'Children with flu do often have GI symptoms - nausea, vomiting - adults less often, but we are seeing anecdotally more signs of some GI illness for the adults who have the subclade K strain of flu,' the doctor told the outlet. He cautioned that people with gastrointestinal issues shouldnt rule out the flu and suggested confirming with an at-home test. 'The third sign I always teach patients: dehydration,' Dr Mora told NBC. 'When a kid is hit very hard with the flu or an adult, especially older adults, they don't want to eat or drink so they're just laying in bed but that can be very dangerous,' she added. New York recorded over 72,000 flu cases in the week of December 20 - a historic high. Across the Chicago area, the illness has also surged to 'very high' levels, the CDC's most severe category of respiratory activity. As hospital admissions explode, the Illinois Department of Public Health and other state agencies have issued warnings, noting that most ER visits are tied to severe respiratory illnesses caused by the 'super flu,' according to NBC Chicago. Vomiting is usually a flu symptom seen in kids, but Loafman said that the new variant is sending more adults to the ER with GI problems Experts explained that patients are suffering from a relentless 'phlegmy cough,' vomiting, diarrhea and intense joint and muscle aches Your browser does not support iframes. The spike in flu cases across Illinois is taking a serious toll on children, particularly those aged 5 to 17, who are seeing the highest number of hospital visits from the new strain and the acute illnesses it causes. On Monday, the state confirmed its first flu-related death in a child this season. 'Vaccinations remain the most effective tool to prevent severe illness from flu, COVID-19 and RSV,' Dr Sameer Vohra, IDPH director, said in a statement. The current flu shot wasnt made for the new variant, but Loafman stressed that receiving it can still help protect against more severe illness. 'There has been a lot of talk about the fact that the new variant is not well-covered by it. That is true, but you still get protection,' Loafman told NBC. 'What we typically see, the folks that are sick, hospitalized, are those who were not vaccinated,' he added. 'The vaccine isn't perfect. It doesn't protect all aspects of this from folks. It doesn't keep you necessarily from getting the flu as often as we would like, but it certainly mitigates the severity of illness.' He explained that people who get the flu shot tend to fare better when battling the illness: their symptoms are less likely to worsen, they are less likely to be hospitalized or die and they are more likely to recover quickly. The current flu shot wasnt made for the new variant, but Loafman stressed that receiving it can still help protect against more severe illness Despite hitting Australia first, the dominant flu strain seemed to have originated in the US, traveled around the globe to drive a harsh southern hemisphere season and has now returned to wreak havoc in America Your browser does not support iframes. 'It's never too late to get it until the flu season's over - so late March, April, sometime like that,' he said. Even if youve already had the flu, experts warned that getting the vaccine is important because reinfection is a real risk. 'There are three strains going around and probably a few more. So you can still be protected from the future,' Loafman told the outlet. A study published last month in the journal Eurosurveillance found the H1N1 strain of influenza A was initially dominant in Australia, but in August and September, influenza A H3N2 began to rise and was dominant by October and November. Australia has seen 457,906 flu cases between January and November 2025, the highest on record since flu became a reportable disease in 2001. Meanwhile, New Zealand experienced a more moderate flu season but still prolonged, fueled by H3N2 K viruses, which were introduced from Australia, the study found. In investigating where subclade K came from, researchers discovered that the first K influenza virus sequenced in June 2025 was actually from the US, more specifically, New York. It was then detected in Wisconsin and Michigan in July 2025. The study noted: 'This coincided with the first detections of clade K viruses in Australia.' Despite hitting Australia first, the dominant flu strain seemed to have originated in the US, traveled around the globe to drive a harsh southern hemisphere season and has now returned to wreak havoc in America. She had regular breast screenings from age of 19 that saved her life Zoe Chung was used to living with a quiet fear most women her age never have to consider. By 22, the Melbourne event manager had already learned she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation - a genetic fault that can dramatically increase a woman's risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. It was information she never asked for, but couldn't ignore at the age of 19, after her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 40. 'For my mum to be diagnosed, it was pretty shocking,' Zoe told the Daily Mail. Not long after, Zoe decided to take matters into her own hands and made the decision to get tested too. When she finally sat with a genetic counsellor eight weeks later at Peter Mac's Familial Cancer Centre, Zoe was told she was BRCA1 positive. From then on, she was committed to regular breast screening consisting of yearly scans designed to catch anything early, before it had a chance to spread. For years, they were clear and she insists she felt healthy and was living her 'best life'. Zoe Chung's (pictured) life was turned upside down after a routine check-up confirmed she had breast cancer at just 28 years old At 22, the Melbourne event manager had already learned she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation - a genetic fault that can dramatically increase a woman's risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. (Pictured on her wedding day in 2023) In April 2024, Zoe gave birth to her daughter, but shortly after, she developed a blood clot in her leg, which doctors initially thought was linked to pregnancy. She also battled relentless fatigue and months of night sweats, which were symptoms she dismissed as postpartum changes, especially as her newborn faced her own terrifying health crisis. At seven weeks old, Zoe's daughter was also diagnosed with congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS), a rare disorder that causes muscle weakness and, in her case, severe respiratory issues. Her baby spent 258 days in hospital in her first year of life. In the middle of all of that, Zoe's routine screening was almost put on hold. Her surgeon had warned her that pregnancy and breastfeeding can skew results, but a week before her appointment, the Familial Cancer Centre called and insisted she come in for a scan. Zoe wasn't breastfeeding so there was no reason to delay, and on reflection now, it was that call that may have saved her life. After welcoming her daughter in April 2024, Zoe developed a blood clot and struggled with relentless fatigue and night sweats, which she initially brushed off as postpartum symptoms. Just weeks later, her baby was diagnosed with a rare respiratory condition The scan flagged a 'non-mass enhancement' not a lump, but an area of increased blood flow. Her surgeon initially reassured her it was common postpartum, but still pushed for a biopsy. On Thursday, August 22, 2024, Zoe got the news she'd feared since her early twenties. She had triple negative breast cancer with a small tumour measuring just 13mm. It was an aggressive type that requires urgent surgery and chemotherapy. 'I remember driving there thinking, what kind of sick joke like, what more could happen to us this year?' she said. 'I was kind of inappropriately laughing. I was just trying to cope.' A routine scan (one of many she'd endured since aged 22) showed unusual blood flow in her breast rather than a lump. On August 22, 2024, Zoe learned she had triple-negative breast cancer a small but aggressive 13 millimetre tumour requiring immediate treatment Her surgeon immediately mapped out the plan: surgery within days, chemotherapy, and eventually a double mastectomy, which was something Zoe already knew she wanted due to her genetic risk 'When I heard the words triple negative and I was like, "well f***, that's not good."' Her surgeon immediately mapped out the plan: surgery within days, chemotherapy, and eventually a double mastectomy, which was something Zoe already knew she wanted due to her genetic risk. A week later on August 29, she had a lumpectomy and lymph node biopsy. The results brought a sliver of relief that, thankfully, the cancer hadn't spread to her lymph nodes, and it was only at Stage One. Zoe began chemotherapy in early October at Peter Mac, completing four gruelling rounds, every three weeks. 'Every round that first week was the worst I've ever felt in my life,' she recalled of the dark time that sparked a lot of depression and anxiety for her. Thankfully, the cancer hadn't spread to her lymph nodes, and it was only at Stage One. Zoe began chemotherapy in early October at Peter Mac, completing four gruelling rounds, every three weeks. (Pictured with her daughter during treatment) But the hardest part wasn't the nausea or the crushing fatigue, it was being separated from her small baby who, at just four months old, was still in the NICU ward full-time. 'We would just FaceTime for maybe a minute at a time as long as I could tolerate it,' Zoe said. 'I said to my husband, "I don't even think she knows that I'm her mum".' Around them, family and friends stepped in to keep the couple afloat with Zoe's dad and step mum travelling down from Queensland regularly. Her husband's family, who lived next door, cooked meals, cleaned and helped with practical care, while her best friend Sasha kept the freezer stocked. Zoe finished chemotherapy in December 2024 and by February 2025, she underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction. Now in remission, she sees her oncologist every six months, with scans only if she develops symptoms. Zoe began documenting her journey on TikTok after her diagnosis, not expecting it to take off. The community that followed, she says, became a source of strength during her darkest days And while she admits chemo left long-term side effects, she said her perspective on life has completely shifted. 'I really don't sweat the small stuff anymore. Anything that's not cancer, or someone dying, or your child being disabled for their entire life, nothing else matters.' Now she has created an online community by sharing her story through TikTok, which originally started as a 'bit of a joke' with her husband after receiving her diagnosis. This online community of cancer survivors and parents of medically complex children, she says, has been her lifeline on the hardest days throughout treatment. Now, her message is to spread the word about not underestimating genetic risks, and to not ignore the changes in your body. In her case, she had no lump and no obvious warning signs, but believes early screening is the reason she's alive. 'Knowledge is power,' she said. 'If I hadn't come for that scan my cancer could have been Stage Three or Four by 2025, and this would have been a very different story.' I didnt like water as a child, but I loved Ribena. I had a sweet tooth and when I got home from school Id always have a glass with a packet of crisps. My mum was super-healthy and hated us having sugary things wed eat Ryvita instead of bread and margarine instead of butter. So having a child who was obsessed with sugar freaked her out. My parents were very sociable and always throwing parties. I have two older brothers and the younger one was a bit naughty hed say things like, Lets have some alcohol or Lets have a cigarette. I was about 12, but wed sneak into the parties and help ourselves to champagne when no one was looking. Growing up in North London, my friends and I would meet at The Spaniards in Hampstead. In the summer wed drink outside. I must have been around 14 or 15 they didnt check ID then and I looked older than I was. I didnt (and still dont) like alcohol, so Id get drunk on something sugary like daiquiris or Malibu. Very 80s. Pearl Lowe, fashion designer, author and rock-star wife I met my husband, Danny [Goffey, the Supergrass drummer] at the Dour Festival in Belgium. It was 1995 and I was throwing one of my legendary parties in my little Primrose Hill flat when the manager of [indie band] Dodgy turned up. He was heading to the festival on the tour bus, I asked if I could go along, and off I went. When I arrived in Belgium the next morning, I was wearing a miniskirt and trainers and it was freezing. Feeling sorry for myself, I sat alone at a table wearing huge sunglasses when this boy came up to me and said, Are you all right? It was Danny. We hung out all weekend, I watched his gig and that was it weve been together ever since. I was completely starstruck when I met David Bowie. My husband and I dont share the same taste in music, but he is the one artist we both adore. Bowie invited Danny and his band to play at his Meltdown festival in 2002. Afterwards, we had a drink backstage. He was wearing a blue towelling gown and was shorter than I expected. Our car got stuck in the car park and Jonathan Ross was there with his wife. He said, Wed give you a lift, but were in a two-seater. Back in the 80s, Pearl drank Malibu underage at The Spaniards in Hampstead but prefers elderflower cordial today. Before midday, I drink three coffees with oat milk and agave. I have ADHD and caffeine helps. Ill have the first around 7am, another at 9.30am and the last just before midday. I stop then because Im quite an insomniac another part of my condition and my thoughts can loop throughout the night, so I have to be careful with stimulants. I stopped drinking in 2005. Alcohol was never an issue for me, but drugs brought me to my knees. I now see I was self-medicating because of my ADHD, but I didnt know that then. When I first got sober, I had to stop everything, including alcohol. Today, I could have a drink and be fine, but I dont like the taste. I love elderflower drinks. My husband and I recently sold our house in Frome, Somerset, but theres a cafe there called Bistro Lotte that serves a non-alcoholic elderflower cocktail I still dream about. At home, I always have fizzy water and Bottle Green Elderflower Cordial in the fridge. I have a glass with dinner, or one at lunch. Pearl with husband Danny We used to have a beach house in Winchelsea Beach, near Rye, and the Tillingham Winery restaurant does some of the best pizza Ive ever had. They also serve a fizzy raspberry drink I still think about. I havent been back in a while, but its such a magical place, especially when you can sit outside. Faded Glamour In The City by Pearl Lowe is published by Cico Books, 25. To order a copy for 21.25 until 25 January, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over 25. THE KITCHEN Phase out plastic Open your cupboards and youre likely to find an army of plastic tubs, spatulas and mysterious spare lids that you never use. These items continuously shed invisible particles known as microplastics tiny fragments that release harmful polymers and chemical additives such as BPA (Bisphenol A) and phthalates into our water, air and food. Over time, these particles can lead to liver and brain damage, as well as increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Where possible, replace plastic items with glass, stainless steel or wood. Peacewiththewild.co.uk sells a wide selection of stylish and plastic-free kitchenware. This Henley-on-Thames design project by sustainable kitchens.co.uk features recycled birch plywood and oak veneer cabinetry. Nkuku.com has a big range of bar stools. For a similar shade of climate-conscious paint, try Park Life, 30 for 1 litre, coatpaints.com. Be picky with paints Many conventional paint formulas contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) carbon-based chemicals that evaporate as paint dries and then linger in the air, contributing to headaches, dizziness and skin irritation. Despite what some brands claim, no paint can ever be truly zero VOC, as even regular tap water contains trace VOCs, says Anna Hill, brand director and colour consultant at paint company Fenwick & Tilbrook. Instead, look for paints with a high concentration of pigments and binders. The higher the pigment, the lower the carbon emissions. Francescaspaints.com and edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk are also good options. THE LIVING ROOM Invest in healthy furniture Marohome.co.uk offers an antidote to fast interiors made using harmful chemicals. All its sofas are made with FSC-certified materials and fillings include plant polymers and duck feathers. All covers are removable for an easy clean. Most sofas and armchairs made in the UK rely on polyurethane foam a petrochemical-based plastic often chosen for its springy cushioning. However, as this foam flexes and degrades over time, it sheds microplastic particles that accumulate in household dust, exacerbating respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. These particles also encourage the circulation of bacteria throughout the home, increasing the risk of infections. The disappointing elephant in the room is cost, says Meg Holloway, founder of sustainable furniture brand Maro Home. Petrochemical foam is far cheaper than sustainable alternatives like wool wadding, natural latex and plant-based foams, so the big brands continue to use it. To reduce your homes chemical load, seek out FSC-certified furniture with solid wood frames and seating with fillings such as wool, natural latex or coconut coir, all of which offer comfort without compromising health. Upholstery made from organic cotton, linen or recycled fibres can further minimise exposure to unnecessary chemical treatments. Plastic-free bedding from scooms.com is made with breathable, biodegradable cotton, goose down and wool fillings that regulate temperature while reducing microplastic pollution. Bust the dust Adults ingest an estimated 20 milligrams of household dust every day, which can affect the respiratory system. Children and pets are exposed to higher levels due to closer contact with surfaces. Rugs are one of the biggest culprits, capable of holding anywhere from one to 63 grams of dust per square metre before they begin to look dirty. This is the equivalent of several heaped tablespoons of dust in every square metre. To minimise build-up, choose low-pile rugs with a tight weave made from cotton, which is less likely to trap dust particles. Regular vacuuming and the use of a damp microfibre cloth to capture dust in common hotspots such as shelving, beneath sofas and on top of cupboards, where particles tend to accumulate and recirculate into the air, will also make a difference. Bathroom ventilation reduces the risk of mould and bacteria build-up. If you dont have a window, youll need an extractor fan. Plants help purify the air (try patchplants.com). Walls here are painted in Tusk and Panama, 28 each for 1 litre, fenwickand tilbrook.com. THE BEDROOM Sleep clean Conventional bedding undergoes extensive chemical processing before it reaches the mattress, including bleaching and dyeing. Over time, these chemicals can disrupt hormones, damage organs [the liver, the brain and the heart] and heighten the risk of cardiovascular disease, says Emily Attwood, co-founder of sustainable bedding brand scooms.com (pictured opposite). WATCH OUT FOR... Buzzword overload Claims like eco-friendly or natural without details are just marketing fluff. Always check ingredients on the label for specifics. No credible certifications Trustworthy badges such as GOTS, Oeko-Tex, FSC or Greenguard matter. Self-awarded claims? Ignore. Selective Ingredients shout-out Highlighting one sustainable component while ignoring the rest (such as organic fabric on a chemical-filled foam core) is a classic greenwashing trick. Dont be fooled. Advertisement Look for naturally dyed or undyed sheets made from fibres such as organic cotton, hemp and bamboo. Naturalmat.co.uk and pandalondon.com sell a wide range of hypoallergenic and antibacterial bedding. When it comes to mattresses, opt for those filled with 100 per cent natural latex foam, derived from rubber trees, rather than synthetic alternatives (try demko.co.uk). Prioritise toppers filled with wool or goose down (try soakandsleep.com), which help regulate temperature, reduce moisture and cut down on microplastic pollution. THE BATHROOM Clear the air Bathrooms are one of the most moisture-prone rooms in the home. Every shower, bath or hot tap releases steam that lingers on surfaces, creating the perfect environment for black mould and bacteria to grow. If left unchecked, these microbes can release spores into the air, which can cause chest tightness and headaches. Installing an extractor fan, such as the Envirovent Axial Extractor fan, 54.86 at diy.com, can dramatically reduce humidity and airborne pollutants. Just ensure you choose the right size for your bathroom and run the fan for at least 20-30 minutes after showers. Opening windows and drying surfaces after baths and showers also helps. Tesla is continuing its cut-price car approach to 2026 by bringing out a new Model 3 Standard - a more affordable version of its entry saloon car. Following in the tyre tracks of the Model Y Standard announced in December, the Model 3 Standard aims to 'further accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles amongst a broader audience'. It comes after a tumultuous year of sales for the US car maker, which seen its market dominance eaten away by Chinese rival BYD - which has officially overtaken the American brand in terms of global EV sales in 2025 - and customers wanting to steer clear of associations to Elon Musk. The Model 3 Standard hopes to rectify this by making Tesla products more attainable than ever. It will start from 37,990 - 7,000 less than the next cheapest Model 3, the Premium. This is the same saving the new Model Y Standard offers buyers. The Model 3 Standard will replace the current Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive EV in the brand's vehicle line up. Available to order now, deliveries are expected to start towards the end of February - here's what we know. Tesla has put its Model 3 Standard on sale for 37,990 - 7,000 less than the next cheapest Model 3, the Premium. Here's what we know Like with the Model Y Standard, Tesla has once more reduced the trim level and performance to drag down the price. Changes include a lowered top speed and slower acceleration - the Model 3 Standard is limited to 110mph and goes from 060 mph in just 6.2 seconds compared to the next step up Model 3 Premium which does it in 4.9 seconds. These changes also means the Model 3 Standard sits in a lower insurance group 32 - which is the lowest Tesla insurance group to date. The Model Y Standard received the same treatment but places slightly higher in group 34. Group 32 insurance also means Tesla can offer a 249 a month PCP offer (9,100 down payment, over 60 months and 10,000 miles) - it's best value option to date. Additionally, Tesla vehicles aren't subject to annual servicing, further aiding with a lower cost of ownership. Model 3 Standards also have new 18-inch Photon wheels - picked specifically for the UK market - which not only help reduce consumption and help the rubber to last longer, they crucially help maintain a strong residual value. The Model 3 Standard sits in group 32 for insurance - the lowest of any Tesla and bringing down the cost of ownership It's cheaper but has the same screen, remote mobile access, Sentry Mode, Dog Model and the Arcade features to name a few as the normal Model 3 Standard Updated Model 3 features such as replacing the indicator stalk have been maintained as well The efficiency of the Model 3 Standard means it can achieve a range of 332 miles on a single charge with consumption of just 20.9kWh per 100 miles. Inside, it doesn't lose any of the tech, with the same screen, remote mobile access, Sentry Mode, Dog Model and the Arcade feature (to name a few) that appear in the existing Model 3 line-up. Practicality is retained too with the 594-litre boot and 88-litre frunk, and towing up to 1,000kg. The efficiency of the Model 3 Standard means it can achieve a range of 332 miles on paper and a consumption of just 20.9kWh/100mile - extra miles to the charging pound Customers who opt for the Standard still get all the latest updates introduced to the Model 3 range in late 2025: the wide angle front-facing camera (complete with fluid washer and built-in heating to prevent fogging and icing) and the reintroduced indicator stalk. Adaptive headlights come as standard too. The main interior has new durable vegan leather and textile seats, the front seats are heated, and the panoramic glass roof stays. It also comes standard with Autopilot and is hardware-ready for Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which will be enabled remotely on applicable vehicles once approved by regulators. Drivers can place orders for UK models now, though first deliveries won't be in the country until next month at the very earliest. Investment trust Henderson Far East Income is a dividend-seeker's dream. Not only has it delivered 18 consecutive years of dividend growth, but its shares offer double-digit annual income of 10.2 per cent. A heavenly mix for income-focused shareholders. There's a catch, however, in the shape of a lacklustre share price performance, which mean the trust's overall returns don't stack up brilliantly against rival Asia Pacific equity income funds. But manager Sat Duhra is on the case, slowly repositioning his fund's portfolio to deliver more capital return while not sacrificing its income appeal. Duhra, who runs the 474 million stock market-listed trust from Janus Henderson's London office, after 12 years in Singapore, took the fund's helm in October 2023. He inherited a portfolio of high dividend stocks, many of which weren't providing attractive share price profits. Since then he has gently introduced more growth companies into the fund to boost returns the likes of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics, Taiwanese semiconductor specialist MediaTek and Chinese technology companies Alibaba and Tencent. It's a strategy that is beginning to deliver results. Over the year to January 8, 2026, and the year to January 8, 2025, it generated attractive total returns of 18.7 and 22.5 per cent respectively. The first figure is lower than the average for its peer group (28.5 per cent), but the second is higher, as that year the average return was 18.9 per cent. 'The trust is a great income story,' says Duhra, 'but if we can capture more capital growth, it becomes an even better overall investment proposition.' As part of the transition to a portfolio embracing both income and capital growth, Duhra is happy to boost income returns by selling 'call options' on a portion of some of the fund's newer growth stocks. These provide income from the premiums that the buyers of the options pay the fund, but they can make a dent in the fund's profits if the buyers are subsequently able to purchase (exercise their right to) the underlying shares on the cheap (below market value). It's an approach Duhra is 100 per cent comfortable with. He says: 'In effect, we are getting some good income from exposure to some great companies which further down the road will become far more dividend-friendly in their own right.' The income environment across Asia, says Duhra, is becoming far more shareholder-friendly, spreading from Japan to encompass companies listed in China, Indonesia, South Korea and Taiwan. With pay-out ratios still low, he believes the potential for future dividend growth is huge. 'Dividend surprises are now more of a feature in Asia,' he adds. For example, fund holdings such as South Korean semiconductor company SK Hynix and aluminium producer China Hongqiao have all recently paid dividends in excess of market expectations. The fund plays into key Asian economic themes such as the growth in banking (it has a top-ten stake in Indian bank HDFC) and spending power among the middle classes (Chinese online travel agent trip.com). In the last financial year (to the end of August 2025), the trust paid dividends totalling 24.9p a share. This compares to 24.6p in the previous year. The shares currently trade at 2.46. The fund's market ticker is HFEL, its identification code is B1GXH75 and annual charges total 1.08 per cent. Other Asia Pacific equity income trusts are run by Aberdeen, Invesco, JP Morgan and Schroders. The chairman of investment trust Edinburgh Worldwide has warned investors that its future is on a knife-edge as a showdown looms with US hedge fund vulture Boaz Weinstein. Jonathan Simpson-Dent has told The Mail on Sunday a vote to oust the trust's entire board tabled by Weinstein's firm Saba Capital is expected to be 'really close' when the results are announced at a meeting set for January 20. He warned that voting deadlines for some shareholders could be as early as tomorrow, while major platforms such as Fidelity and Hargreaves Lansdown will close voting on Wednesday, followed by AJ Bell and Interactive Investor a day later. 'We've got 24,000 shareholders that own half the trust, so we have to mobilise a lot of people to overcome Saba,' Simpson-Dent said. 'It's going to be tight.' On the attack: A vote to oust the trust's entire board tabled by Boaz Weinstein's firm Saba Capital is expected to be 'really close' Just before Christmas Weinstein announced that Saba, which is the trust's largest shareholder with more than 30 per cent, had tabled motions to remove all six of its directors and replace them with three of its own nominees. It is the US hedge fund's second attempt to unseat the board after a bid in February was defeated after overwhelming opposition from other shareholders. Weinstein targeted Edinburgh Worldwide as part of a wider campaign by Saba to oust the boards of seven London-listed trusts, all of which were voted down last year. The imminent deadline follows a fierce war of words between Saba and Edinburgh Worldwide, which Simpson-Dent described as 'horribly personal'. Weinstein has demanded answers over Edinburgh Worldwide's decision last year to sell down its stake in Elon Musk's SpaceX, which he has described as the 'crown jewel' in the trust's portfolio. Weinstein said the decision was 'self-evidently unacceptable' and was done 'without consulting shareholders'. Edinburgh Worldwide has countered this by accusing Weinstein of making 'numerous inaccurate statements' designed to 'mislead shareholders' as part of an 'aggressive campaign' by Saba to seize control of the trust 'on the cheap'. It was bolstered in its fightback last week when one of its major institutional investors Legal & General said it would vote against Saba's plans. Top shareholder advisory groups ISS and Glass Lewis have also recommended investors oppose Weinstein's proposals. This was supposed to be the year Primark made a dazzling 10 billion stock market debut, following a spin-off from parent Associated British Foods (ABF). But 2026 has not started well for the discount chain, once dubbed 'Primani'. ABF on Thursday issued a profit warning after a 5.7 per cent fall in sales at Primark's European arm, which accounts for 49 per cent of sales, in the final quarter of 2025. And there is more bad news for Primark with the arrival in Britain this year of Lefties, a super cheap and hip fast fashion chain from Spain. The firm is controlled by Inditex, the group behind clothing chain Zara, and is set to open stores at the Lakeside mall in Essex and the Liverpool One shopping centre over the summer period. Chic: Lefties is controlled by Inditex, the group behind clothing chain Zara It would also be easy for Lefties to mount a challenge to Primark's flagship store on London's Oxford Street given Inditex's billionaire founder Amancio Ortega already owns several major sites in the area through his property vehicle Pontegadea. Retail consultant Jonathan de Mello says that Zara branches in London and other locations could be swiftly repurposed as Lefties stores should the need arise. Seen as cooler and slicker than Primark, Lefties appeals to Gen Z with its 17.99 (15.60) jeans and even-cheaper shirts. Mounting a challenge: Seen as cooler and slicker than Primark, Lefties appeals to Gen Z A visit to one of its huge stores in the centre of the Spanish city of Malaga also revealed an expertise in selling 'dupes' or copies of higher-end outfits with a shaggy fake fur jacket, a copy of a designer piece, retailing for just 45.99. It stood alongside other offerings for a budget-conscious local clientele with racks of casual trousers starting at 12.99 and shelves full of trainers for 35, a respectable alternative for those unable to stretch to Adidas or Nike. Many will see this strategy as an echo of Primark, which also specialises in selling cut-price alternatives to high-end designs. Lefties was set up in 1993 to dispose of leftover Zara stock, but now sells its own ranges for men, women and children, as well as homeware. However, the link with its classy fashion-leading sister is still key to its appeal. One Spanish retail executive said: 'When you buy from Lefties, you feel as if you are buying from Zara but at a much lower price. The quality may not necessarily be better than Primark, but that association with Zara chic is crucial.' The chain operates in Spain, Portugal, the Far East and North Africa, but Inditex said in September it wanted to 'test Lefties in new markets'. Its plans could present a threat to Primark, which is still seeking a chief executive after its boss Paul Marchant quit last year after an admission of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague. Lefties sells in stores, but also online through a slick website that resembles something from Vogue magazine. By contrast, Primark does not sell clothes online, although it offers a click-and-collect service of selected pieces at its 200 UK stores. As De Mello notes, this has left it exposed to competition from Chinese giants Shein and Temu. Another threat is Inditex's ability to attract British shoppers. The 154 billion firm not only launched Zara in the UK but Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Stradivarius. Primark, established in 1969, is seen as the jewel in the crown at ABF, standing as an exemplar of the management flair of the Weston family, the firm's major shareholders. ABF last week said UK sales rose 1.7 per cent in the final months of 2025, but the 'difficult trading environment' had been forcing it to make large markdowns on stock. Despite slowing sales, De Mello said ABF was likely to keep considering spinning out Primark as a separate business, with a decision due in spring. Another challenge for the ABF board, led by Garry Weston, is its food business, home to brands such as Kingsmill and Twinings. If Weston had hoped to focus on these by splitting off Primark for a tidy profit, then Lefties' appearance is an unwelcome arrival from the left-field. How to invest in Asia's long-term growth story and the trusts to pick A millionaire banker has won a 'three-year' battle with his local council over his glitzy glass roof terrace after an appeal ruled 'all his neighbours already have one'. Dr Christopher Bremner was hauled into a planning row after being accused of installing the glass-and-metal roof terrace without obtaining listed building consent at his 3.2million maisonette apartment in Belgravia. Westminster City Council said the 'unattractive' alterations, including decking and glass balustrades 'harmed the special architectural and historic interest' of the Georgian residence and were 'entirely unacceptable'. Furious planners served him with an enforcement notice in June 2024, ordering the staircase, terrace and rooftop equipment to be removed within just four months. But an independent planning inspector last month quashed the council's case at an appeal - because so many multimillion-pound properties already boast rows of similar rooftop hideaways. The sleek terrace which juts out an angle, is located in an exclusive Belgravia street where townhouses routinely sell for 10 million-plus. Inspector Simon Hand concluded: 'The Council suggest [the terrace] is at odds with the historic building itself. 'That such a roof terrace is inherently out of place on a late Georgian building. This is the plush Belgravia roof terrace that sparked a furious row between a millionaire resident and his council The imposing glass structure can be seen hanging over the side of the million-pound mansion Wealthy investment banker Dr Christopher Bremner argued vociferously that his roof terrace was no different to those owned by his well heeled neighbours Westminster City Council said the 'unattractive' alterations, including decking and glass balustrades 'harmed the special architectural and historic interest' of the area 'That argument has considerable merit, except that there do seem to be a large number of roof terraces on the street and roads around. 'They can be seen in the photos attached to the [enforcement] notice, and I could see numerous examples as I walked the area. The appellant suggests eight at least have been given planning permission.' He added: 'I agree that discrete roof terraces are very much part of the fabric of the area and I find it difficult to identify any harm that is actually caused.' The embarrassing loss for Westminster Council potentially paves the way for other roof terraces built without listed planning consent to dodge the threat of demolition. Mr Bremner, who lives with artist wife Aida Emelyanovva and his twin daughters, on the exclusive street was defiant when approached by the Daily Mail. The Australian banker, 61, accused council bosses of incompetence and said the enforcement action against him should never have been served. He said: 'It's bull****. They threw drones over the place because there are so many public servants in this dump of a country which is being poisoned by bloated government. 'And they just started attacking everyone that had something built. 'Basically, when you hire millions of public servants you're going to get lots of problems and nothing created and nothing built. That's why this country is in ruins.' The embarrassing loss for Westminster Council potentially paves the way for other roof terraces built without listed planning consent to dodge the threat of demolition The sparkling terrace offers views out over Belgravia and indeed many other roof terraces When we visited the Belgravia enclave we saw examples of numerous other roof terraces Planning experts say the decision confirms what many wealthy homeowners already know: when you cant build down, you build up. Unlike basements, which can take years to excavate and cost tens of millions, a rooftop terrace can often be installed far more discreetly - and add enormous value. 'The mega-basement is effectively dead in prime central London', said one planning expert. 'Councils have become extremely hostile to them. Roof terraces, on the other hand, are emerging as the new gold rush.' Dr Bremner claimed his roof terrace - modest by comparison to some neighbours - was built in 1993, but only came within the sights of council planners three years ago. Westminster Council claimed in enforcement papers that the 'modern design in the construction of the staircase and terraced area is at odds with the traditional materials and design' of the early 19th-century residence and 'visible in public views'. But the Planning Inspectorate was quick to dismiss the case after Dr Bremner appealed. Mr Hand said: 'There is no real impact on the character of the area at all.' He added: 'No doubt from the upper floors of neighbouring buildings the terrace is more visible but that doesnt make it harmful, especially as it seems to be set back from the front edge of the roof. 'The best views would be from the other roof terraces in the area.' Planning experts have claimed that roof terraces have become the new must have accessory due to the difficulties of installing 'mega-basements' Harley Street cosmetic surgeon Yannis Alexandrides installed a sleek metal pergola on the roof terrace of his family's three-storey townhouse (pictured) in one of London's most prestigious neighbourhoods Pictured: Images of the street before and after the pergola was installed Dr Yannis, 58, and wife Eva, 50, (pictured) paid for the structure to enjoy sunset views from the comfort of their architect-designed home in one of the capital's most affluent streets As many of the capital's most exclusive regency properties are listed, or fall in conversation areas, owners and occupants often must apply for listed building consent to carry out even minor renovations and extensions. Authorities have taking enforcement action against others who have built on top of their period properties. The Daily Mail revealed last month how Harley Street plastic surgeon Yannis Alexandrides had been ordered to demolish a luxury rooftop structure on his 6.7million Chelsea townhouse. The cosmetic guru - whose cult skincare brand 111Skin is a celebrity favourite - installed a sleek metal pergola on the roof terrace of his family's three-storey townhouse in south Kensington. Council officials said the turret-like structure had been erected without planning permission and was 'jarring' against the elegant terraces of exclusive SW3. Dr Yannis, who counts Margot Robbie, Victoria Beckham and Kim Kardashian as fans of his skincare brand, was handed six months to tear down the structure after losing an appeal. An Australian expat has revealed how she survived China's military-style 'fat prison' after being forced to stay inside the complex for a gruelling 28 days. TL Huang, 28, claims to be the first Australian ever to have signed up for the rigorous month after her mother recommended it to her. The weight-loss facility, located in Guangzhou, is surrounded by tall concrete walls, steel gates and electric wiring, while entry and exit points are manned by security, and unhealthy foods such as instant noodles are banned and confiscated on arrival. Ms Huang said it took a toll on her mental and physical health as she was forced to attend weigh-ins in the mornings and evenings, her meals were controlled by staff, she worked out four hours a day, shared a dormitory and slept on bunk beds. At one point, she was struck down with the flu and had to be admitted to hospital, describing the moment as 'miserable'. China has established a network of commercial and government-affiliated weight-loss 'prisons' across the country to address the nation's growing obesity problem. More than half of its adult population of 1.22billion are classified as either overweight or obese, according to the latest data. A National Health Commission report estimated that the figure could rise to two-thirds by 2030. Aussie content creator TL Huang recently signed up for one of China's notorious 'fat prisons' to get her health back on track The Aussie expat has no regrets, despite the gruelling toll of the 28-day Attendees fork out hundreds of dollars to sign up for the program, with Ms Huang spending $600 for the experience. But Ms Huang, who now lives in Japan and China, told Daily Mail she has no regrets. 'I had been travelling full-time in Japan/China and due to an inconsistent routine of waking up at different times and eating only food-delivery meals, the stark difference between real life and the fat prison was very noticeable,' she said. 'There were strict weigh-in times in the morning that we all had to wake up and be on time for. 'All workouts were difficult for me as I hadn't worked out in almost two years, and while I enjoyed the food there, it was a challenge to adjust to clean, small portions.' Ms Huang said the $600 covered accommodation, food, and workouts. 'It was a good deal for me because the cost was cheaper than my rent in Melbourne and I wanted to lose weight, restart my routine and also build better habits,' she said. 'Mentally, I was able to force myself to build a better routine, and I was able to focus on myself, my health and just showing up for 28 days without worrying about cooking food and what workouts to do.' The hardest period was week three, when Ms Huang was struck down with influenza and a fever Having not worked out in two years, Ms Huang found the intense fitness workouts a challenge While the dormitory-style bunk bed accommodation allowed Ms Huang to make many new friends, she struggled with the squat toilet facilities, which are common across China. 'I also struggled with the realisation I had to work out 3-4 hours every day for 28 days, it was a big commitment mentally,' she said. She ended up losing 6kg in four weeks. 'I've been more active, and I'm more self-aware of the foods I eat and I've been more consistent in my daily routines. I walk more and try to be more active everyday,' she said. The camps accept people from all over the world and you do not need to speak Chinese or Mandarin to sign up. While the intense workouts were tough, Ms Huang insists the instructors weren't strict and that participants were welcome to take a break if struggling or out of breath during a session. Nor did she have an issue with the facility's 24/7 security, locked gates and strictly no leaving policy without a valid reason. TL Huang lost six kilos in 28 days at the fat camp Lunch was regarded as the main meal of the day. Pictured is one of Ms Huang's favourite meals 'I did not mind staying in there,' she said. 'I did not leave the compound for three weeks, until I got sick and needed to go to hospital to get medicine.' She documented life inside the fat prison on social media, admitting in one video the novelty had started to wear off during week three after she was struck down with the flu and a 39C fever. 'It's not that fun anymore,' she captioned the clip. 'I have less energy to keep exercising for four hours. Now I am sick and miserable and have no energy.' The video also showed her weighing her lunch so she could track her calorie intake. 'Not letting the bad moments faze me, just keeping it real,' she wrote. Ms Huang previously explained why the facilities were known as 'prisons'. The Aussie admitted that China's fat prisons aren't for everyone 'You're not allowed to leave the area without valid reasons, you may live with bunk mates, every day is regimented and controlled,' she said. 'The gate is closed 24/7 and you can't sneak out.' In terms of meals, lunches were regarded as the main meal of the day. Options included prawns with vegetables, duck, chilli steamed fish, and braised chicken with black rice. Ms Huang's videos sparked a divided response from viewers. Many hailed her as an inspiration and commended her on the drastic steps taken to improve her health. 'I don't think you know how many of us are planning to learn Mandarin and follow in your footsteps,' one wrote. 'You are an inspiration, you are investing in yourself and we are so proud of you.' Another added: 'Your pain and frustration is so valid. Thank you for keeping it real. A month is a long time and that's really intense for any one especially being in a new country and then getting sick on top of it.' Breakfast often consisted of eggs and vegetables Others raised concerns, questioning whether it was safe to put the body under such stress in such a short period of time. 'There's gotta be a million doctors saying this isn't healthy,' one commented. Another added: 'With this much activity you should actually be eating more than you think! That's probably why you got sick.' A third wrote: 'Unfortunately camps like these mean you put the weight straight back on as soon as you get out, and sometimes more, unless you can keep up with all the hours of exercise you did there. 'You're essentially just torturing yourself for nothing.' Ms Huang admitted that fat prisons aren't for everyone. 'Someone who is seriously looking for a jump-start to their health journey and want to be in a community that has the same goal will enjoy this experience more,' she said. TL has no regrets, despite the physical and mental toll the tough regime had on her body 'I do agree that the fat camp may seem really intense, but personally, stepping out of that camp felt liberating and rewarding because I completed the challenge I gave myself. It's all about perspective.' She urged others looking to sign up to do their research first and choose one that has well-maintained facilities. 'Ask to visit the location before committing to the camp so you are aware of what it's like in real life,' she said. 'I know how hard the first step is when it comes to losing weight, but if you do sign up for a fat prison, just remember it's an amazing first step to your health journey and it doesn't matter how much you lose when you get out - it's the habits, routine and knowledge you build from there that will help you keep going forward.' A company Bill Gates founded is on the cusp of building Wyoming's first nuclear power plant, leaving residents fearful about worst-case scenarios and suspicious about the motives of the people behind the project. Back in June 2024, TerraPower began building the non-nuclear portion of its 44-acre site in Kemmerer, a town with about 2,000 residents. TerraPower, founded by Gates in 2006, wants to build the western hemisphere's first Natrium nuclear power plant, which uses liquid sodium instead of water to cool the reactors and prevent them from overheating. Just last month, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed its final safety evaluation, saying there were no safety issues that would preclude the agency from issuing a construction permit to allow the reactors to be built. The five-member commission now has to vote on whether to officially grant the permit, which won't happen until January 26 at the earliest. TerraPower claims its 345-megawatt (MW) sodium-cooled fast reactor, which it aims to have operational by 2030, will be able to produce 500 MW during hours of peak electricity demand. Based on average electricity consumption figures from the EPA, the plant could be capable of powering more than 400,000 homes, nearly double the number of households in Wyoming. But lofty promises like these have done nothing to sway some residents, who are innately afraid of nuclear power. 'Why are they putting it in the least populated state, where we have plenty of energy for power plants other than nuclear?' Patrick Lawien of Casper, a Wyoming city about 290 miles away from the plant in Kemmerer, told the Daily Mail. The construction site for the forthcoming TerraPower nuclear plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, a town of around 2,000 people Bill Gates founded TerraPower in 2006 and has been the chairman of the board ever since Your browser does not support iframes. 'We're probably two hours away from that place when it comes to how long it takes the wind to get here. Obviously, if anything goes wrong, it's headed straight for us,' Lawien added. He continued: 'It sounds like maybe it's a safer bet to put it in the least populated state, maybe because they'll get less backlash, less people fighting it, but also because if something does go wrong, it's not in a highly populated place.' TerraPower has said it selected Wyoming because it is in the midst of transitioning away from its heavy reliance on fossil fuels, coal specifically. In fact, the nuclear energy site is being built near the Naughton coal-fired plant, which has been operational since 1963 and ceased coal production at the end of 2025. It is now in the process of switching to natural gas. Another factor in TerraPower settling in Wyoming has been the strong reception from local and state leaders. Governor Mark Gordon, a Republican, said in June 2024 that this 'first-of-its-kind' project 'demonstrates how good things can happen when the private and public sectors work together to solve problems.' On the national level, Senator Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, has expressed support for the project largely because of the 1,600 temporary construction jobs and 250 permanent, long-term jobs it is expected to bring to the state. 'The Kemmerer Power Station will bring quality employment opportunities to our area and establish Wyoming as the leader in next-generation nuclear power,' Lummis said in a statement to the Daily Mail. 'This facility will provide the reliable baseload energy our nation needs while creating both good paying temporary and lasting jobs for local workers. It's a win-win for Wyoming.' Senator Cynthia Lummis has long been in support of nuclear energy and likewise supports the TerraPower plant in Kemmerer A rendering of the 44-acre nuclear power plant. On the left are the energy-generating facilities and on the right are the nuclear facilities. TerraPower has been criticized for not putting a concrete dome or another more traditional containment method around the nuclear reactors Wyoming's other senator, John Barrasso, also a Republican, has also expressed support for nuclear power, though he has not commented on the Kemmerer plant. Barrasso did not return a request for comment. The scientific community is decidedly more split on TerraPower's nuclear gambit. The NRC, which employs hundreds of nuclear engineers, has blessed the project as 'a big step toward deploying innovative reactor designs.' The Union of Concerned Scientists (USC), a nonprofit science advocacy group, has not been convinced. In a statement on December 2, the day after TerraPower passed the NRC's final safety review, the organization pointed out multiple potential flaws with the plant's design. For instance, TerraPower does not plan to build a thick concrete dome around its reactors in case of a catastrophic meltdown, USC said. The NRC has not given the nod to TerraPower's 'functional containment' method, an alternative that eschews the traditional containment structure used by all American nuclear plants in favor of a complex system of barriers built within the components of the reactors. But the NRC has expressed 'an openness' to this concept, according to a September 2018 memo. 'The potential for rapid power excursions and the lack of a real containment make the Kemmerer plant a true "Cowboy Chernobyl,"' said Dr Edwin Lyman, USC's director of nuclear power safety. 'Even if the NRC determines later that the functional containment is inadequate, it would be utterly impractical to retrofit the design and build a physical containment after construction has begun.' TerraPower aims to have the nuclear plant built by 2030, assuming it receives all necessary permits Though it's expected TerraPower will receive the construction permit, it still needs to get an operation license from the NRC before it can lawfully run the nuclear plant Lyman also criticized the liquid sodium cooling system TerraPower has touted as the future of nuclear reactors. 'Its liquid sodium coolant can catch fire, and the reactor has inherent instabilities that could lead to a rapid and uncontrolled increase in power, causing damage to the reactors hot and highly radioactive nuclear fuel,' he said. TerraPower has countered that the reactors will operate at a temperature of 350 degrees Celsius, far below the boiling point of sodium. Also a concern for many is how the review process for TerraPower's nuclear plant was completed nine months ahead of schedule. This was made possible by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in May 2025 that explicitly set an 18-month deadline for new reactor reviews. Originally, TerraPower expected to have its construction permit by August 2026, but preliminary approval was granted on December 1, about 20 months after it applied for the permit. According to the Trump order, the NRC was slightly late. Though it's expected TerraPower will receive the construction permit, it still needs to get an operation license from the NRC before it can lawfully run the nuclear plant. 'I don't think there are, at least from our perspective, many communities that are out there raising their hands saying, "Yes. We want a nuclear project in our community with an expedited safety and environmental review,"' John Burrows, Wyoming Outdoor Councils energy and climate policy director, said over the summer. 'It's just not something that any community wants to see, especially for a pilot or demonstration project.' TerraPower executives, including founder and chair Bill Gates, symbolically break ground on the nuclear plant site in June 2024 Gates's role in the project has unnerved some in Wyoming. Pictured: Gates addresses a crowd at the site That's a view shared by Steve Helling, who has called Wyoming home for decades of his life. Helling, 72, now lives in Casper and believes his fellow citizens have been duped. 'Wyoming is being used as a guinea pig for this nuclear experiment,' he told the Daily Mail. 'Wyoming has everything I could want, beauty, clean air, clean water, wildlife, abundant natural resources. And I wonder, why would the people of Wyoming risk it all for an experimental nuclear power plant?' Helling said he was particularly concerned about how much it will cost at the end of the TerraPower plant's lifespan (80 years or more) to dispose of the nuclear waste it accumulates. Germany, which decommissioned its once significant fleet of nuclear reactors, spent $1.28 billion in last year's budget to dispose of radioactive material. Over the coming years, that price tag could rise into the tens of billions. Decades down the road, Helling does not want the US to be in the same position, especially when the nation still does not have a permanent storage solution for nuclear waste. Several states, including California and Connecticut, have moratoriums on the construction of new nuclear plants until the federal government identifies a feasible way to safely store or dispose of nuclear waste. Helling said the people of Wyoming 'have been hoodwinked' by Gates, TerraPower and their government officials. 'Of course, Bill Gates was a big part of this. He actually came to Wyoming in support of this experimental plant,' Helling said. 'And I wondered to myself, with regard to Mr. Gates, how much money is enough?' A notorious female killer who hacked off her mother's head and dumped it on the footpath for horrified neighbours to see faces having her prison sentence extended because of her disturbing behaviour in jail. The Daily Mail can exclusively reveal that Jessica Camilleri - who decapitated her mum Rita on the night of July 20, 2019, after a fight over a Red Rooster takeaway order - has been bragging about her ghastly crime to terrorise other women behind bars, and even threatens to behead fellow prisoners just like she did her mother. The unhinged 31-year-old - who has viciously attacked prison officers in the past, tearing out parts of their scalps in deranged fury - could now serve more time for assaulting other officers, as well as female inmates. Camilleri, who complains she is 'bullied' behind bars because of her ghastly crime, actually 'boasts' about it to inmates and tells them she will behead them the way she did her mother 'if they p*** her off', an officer revealed. When Jessica killed Rita Camilleri in the kitchen of their western Sydney home six and a half years ago, she also cut out her mother's tongue and gouged out her eyeballs. Gruesome details of that evening include the fact Jessica stood outside in a blood-soaked blue floral dress and asked police if her mother's head could be sewn back on. 'Mum's head is on the path,' she said in a spine-chilling conversation that was recorded on police bodycam. 'Half her nose fell off in the struggle.' 'Can you bring someone back to life if they don't have a head? 'Cos I know doctors can do miracles - they can't re-sew her head?' she added. Rita Camilleri (left) cared for her troubled daughter single-handedly until Jessica (right) turned on her in a rage and decapitated her, removing her eyes, nose and tongue before asking police if Rita's head could not be sewn back on Inside the family home, police found Rita's headless body on the kitchen floor, with knives strewn about and the woman's tongue, eyes and nose nearby The scene inside was like an abattoir, while outside Jessica urged police to find where she had placed her mother's head on the path, saying 'I know doctors can do miracles, they can't re-sew her head?' Gruesome details of that evening include the fact Jessica stood outside in a blood-soaked blue floral dress and asked police if her mother's head could be sewn back on However, since being arrested and incarcerated that night, Camilleri has played the victim when facing police. After attacking prison staff in 2021, she told one officer: 'I just wanted to give [her] a little bit of the taste of [her] own medicine for the s*** they've been doing to me since I've been here.' In reality, prison officers say the convicted killer has been the aggressor and has 'ruined the lives' of officers, leaving them traumatised and unable to work. Camilleri received just over 16 years' jail for her charge of manslaughter - downgraded from murder - but faces extra jail time for her latest assaults. She is due in court on February 17 for sentencing on one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm of a fellow inmate, and two offences of assaulting prison officers in May 2025. It's the fourth time since entering custody that she has been charged with ripping chunks of hair from officers' scalps. Graphic videos of the attacks, which left the victims with bald patches and psychological scars, were shown in court. In eerie police bodycam video of the aftermath of the original offence against her mother, Camilleri could be seen standing under a streetlight in her blood-soaked dress, eagerly discussing Rita's demise. The horrific crime - which occurred on a quiet street in the suburb of St Clair, about 40km from Sydney's CBD - did not come out of nowhere. After decapitating her own mother, Jessica Camilleri brags to other inmates about her crime and tells them she will do the same to them if they annoy her. (Pictured: the scalp of one of the female prison workers she attacked) 'I was so angry. I remember stabbing my mum, I wouldn't stop, was getting her everywhere. I was getting the adrenaline going,' Jessica Camilleri said after decapitating her mother Jessica's chilling final post before killing her mother (above). She later said her favourite films The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Jeepers Creepers inspired her to sever her mother's head Diagnosed with personality and learning disorders and bullied at school, Camilleri had been warned before that night that Rita was considering arranging her return to a mentalhealth facility to give herself respite from her daughter's rising aggression. Jessica had a lengthy history of assault and had harassed and threatened family members. In the year prior to killing Rita, she threatened to cut off strangers' heads. Her favourite films were Jeepers Creepers and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre - both horror movies featuring violent killings and dismemberment. In 2018, she became fixated on the manager of a Victorian meat business, developing a 'huge crush' and bombarding his butchery with hundreds of hoax calls. She threatened to decapitate unsuspecting staff - many of them his family - when they answered the phone. Her calls included threats such as, 'You're going to die of f***ing cancer, and if not, I'll stab you until you die, motherf***er,' and often ended with, 'I will cut your head off with a knife.' After apologetic calls from Rita Camilleri to the business owner, calls from Jessica would stop for a week or two before starting again. A mortified Rita would explain that she had 'found another phone in Jessica's room and confiscated it'. The day she killed her mother, Jessica was clearly agitated by the prospect of possibly returning to a mental health facility after she had threatened a random member of the public on a street. By killing Rita, Jessica destroyed the only friend she had, who had endured her obsessions and outbursts - behaviour that had already driven the rest of the family away Court exhibit of hair collected after it was wrenched from a prison officer's scalp behind bars by Jessica Camilleri in one of her continuing attacks on staff and inmates The scene the next day after Jessica Camilleri's relentless attack on her mother - the area where Rita's head was left on the pavement is covered by a tarp On the night of the killing, Rita had ordered Red Rooster for her daughter's dinner - but Jessica had complained that she was still hungry, and wanted a second order. The final straw came when Rita went to Jessica's room to try to wrest from her another mobile phone - and then the attack began. One account of the furious onslaught was told by Jessica to forensic psychiatrist Professor David Greenberg 'in a concrete, matter-of-fact tone without any emotion or remorse'. 'Mum was slapping me,' she said. 'She grabbed me by the hair. I grabbed Mum. I dragged Mum all the way to the kitchen by the hair. 'I saw red. I remember pulling the knife. I wanted to scare her at first. Mum... got the knife off me and chucked it away. 'I was so agitated, I lost it. I was stabbing her... I was so angry. I remember stabbing my mum, I wouldn't stop, was getting her everywhere. 'I was getting the adrenaline going. I think I had sick thoughts I got off horror movies. 'I got the idea to cut her head off from the movies... Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jeepers Creepers and Saw. I thought it might relieve her pain.' On the vinyl tiles of the kitchen, police found Rita Camilleri's headless body alongside a tongue and eyeballs. Underneath the fridge was a piece of skin believed to be a human nose Using multiple knives, Jessica inflicted at least '100 stab wounds to her mother's head', an autopsy stated. 'Innumerable overlapping stab wounds associated with decapitation to the neck' would sever Rita's head at the C2 vertebra at the top of her neck. The scene in the kitchen of the bungalow at 128 St Clair Avenue was like an abattoir. Jessica tried to get a neighbour to call the police, but in the end dialled Triple-0 herself. She told the operator: 'Mum has had enough of me. In self-defence, I think I killed her. 'I was so heated up with anger, I just kept stabbing and stabbing and stabbing her and I took off her head. 'I ran to my neighbour. I had my mum's head in my hand, I know this sounds insane...' Jessica outlined a scenario, which would prove baseless, that Rita had tried to stab her first. Police found Rita's headless body lying face down in pink pyjamas on the vinyl tiles of the kitchen floor. Six knives - some broken, some intact - lay strewn around her. Rita Camilleri was her daughter's only friend but was at her wit's end by 2019 when she ended up dying at her hands. A Facebook message illustrating her frustration is shown here In surreal scenes outside her house, Jessica asked police, 'There's nothing you can do, she's a goner? I thought doctors could do miracle surgeries and put the head back on. No?' According to a police statement later read in court, 'to the right was a human tongue, further to the right under the fridge was a piece of skin I believed to be a human nose. 'The head had numerous jagged and penetrating wounds exposing the cervical spine. Human eyeballs were on the tiles under the deceased's neck.' Rita was almost completely covered in blood and had defensive wounds on her right hand and wrist. A pair of earrings lay nearby, and by the injuries to Rita's earlobes, police concluded that they had been 'removed with force'. She was 57 years old. In the surreal conversation recorded between the blood-drenched Jessica and the officer on the bodycam, she asked, 'I won't get the death penalty or anything?' She pointed police to where she left Rita's head on the path and continued to ask about the possibility of it being sewn back on. 'There's nothing you can do, she's a goner? They can't restart her heart? I think her eyes and her tongue came out,' she said. 'The nurses can't do a miracle and bring her back? I thought doctors can do miracle surgeries and put the head back on. No?' Since being incarcerated, Jessica Camilleri has lashed out at prison officers and other inmates, threatening to decapitate them if they annoy her Camilleri attacked prison officers inside Silverwater Women's Correctional Centre, grabbing their hair and wrenching it from their scalps, leaving them with bald spots and trauma The officer replied: 'That's a bit of a stretch.' She also told the officer she was 'not fit' to go to jail because 'I've got a really bad illness. The only place I'm probably fit for is a group home.' Jessica Camilleri was sentenced to 21 years and seven months behind bars, which was reduced to 16 years and six months on appeal, making her eligible for parole in July 2031. In custody, her menacing behaviour and constant assaults have seen an additional piling on of 17 months to her sentence, although after an appeal she will serve that time concurrently with her manslaughter sentence. Next month, however, a magistrate will decide whether to extend her earliest release date with additional sentencing time so as to deter her from lashing out again. She faces an additional three charges, of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault, believed to have been carried out against an inmate. New to DailyMail+? Here are our most-read stories from the last week Chumpy Pullin's dad reveals heartbreaking rift with his late son's partner Ellidy that has torn him away from his only grandchild - and the 'hurtful' suggestion that triggered their estrangement Unlocked iPad blows up a society marriage... Plus, showdown between two of AFL's most powerful women - and the Silvagnis' curious living arrangement after son's shame: COSTELLO'S MELBOURNE I think I've discovered Tess Crosley's true agenda after the Lachie Neale scandal. I know you're reading... if this really is your plan, I promise it won't end well for you: JANA HOCKING Shocking suspicions about celebrity dentist Dr David Hurst's sudden death at a casino revealed a year later - as we track down his elusive widow at $8million home Regrets? He's had a few: It's all over for Lachie Neale as he moves into bachelor pad after his wife Jules left him... as we uncover telling post from the woman at the centre of their divorce Dark secrets at the heart of one of Australia's most elite schools: Behind the castle-like buildings, ex-students tell of horrors that left them broken men. Now the dam is about to burst What cocaine has done to the men of my generation is a tragedy. Humiliation in the bedroom, pity from their friends. Then days ago, a terrifying confession... The wife of billionaire digger boss and Tory 'super-donor' Lord Bamford has raised concerns that wealthy shoppers may be tightening their belts. Lady Carole Bamford's luxury farm shop - a firm favourite of the 'Chipping Norton' set - sells products such as watering cans, aprons and wicker baskets for upwards of 100. But Daylesford Organic has warned that its biggest threat is 'consumer spending remaining under pressure' amid Britain's 'uncertain economic environment'. The flagship artisanal store situated on 3,500 acres of farmland in the Cotswolds is the crown jewel of Lady B's homeware and hospitality empire. Equipped with its own Michelin restaurant, culinary school, juice bar, butchers, cheese cellar, homeware studio and members club, the store oozes opulence. And while customers would expect to pay a premium, the Daily Mail found ordinary household items on sale for nearly 1,000. They included a scarf for 995, a watering can for 135, an apron for 145, miniature dog coat for 125 and a wicker basket for 175. Despite the eye-watering prices and Lady Bamford's warning, the store was heaving, with customers willing to spend 15 on a glass of kombucha. Lady Bamford (pictured with Lord Bamford) has built up an impressive homewares and hospitality business in the Cotswolds Lady Carole Bamford's luxury farm shop (pictured) - a firm favourite of the 'Chipping Norton' set - sells products such as watering cans, aprons and wicker baskets for upwards of 100 Pictured: A wicker basket being sold at Daylesford Organic for 175 'Some things are very reasonable and then they have ludicrous things,' Kate Molloy said. 'I have just bought a bar of chocolate for 6.50. The meat quality is excellent it is a lot more than the supermarket though. 'It's the weird things that are novelties tourists buy that are too expensive and pointless. 'I think she needs to get back to basics and forget the silly fancy stuff. 'She can be a divisive figure in this area but I happen to be a Lady B fan everything she does she makes things better. 'I think she elevates everything but some people are fed up but I'm quite pleased when I hear she's buying and old pub and it's put my property up.' Lady Bamford, who famously let close friend Boris Johnson move into her 20million London pad after he stepped down as Prime Minister, is a divisive figure in the Cotswolds. Her company owns four pubs and 32 holiday cottages in the area and in August last year, a scheme was approved to revitalise the dilapidated Mill House Hotel in Kingham. Pictured: A brown engraved cooking apron being sold at Daylesford Organic for 145 Pictured: A mint green medium-sized watering can being sold at Daylesford Organic for 135 Pictured: A deep red scarf that can be found in the clothes shop attached to Daylesford Organic being sold for 995 As her property collection is expanding at pace, locals have become fed-up dubbing their once quaint village as 'Bamfordshire'. Indeed it seems her empire has attracted visitors from across the country with many incorporating Daylesford Organic into their holidays. Maria Dracos said it's the 'treat' element that encouraged her to visit the store. She said: 'We came for two days so we're passing through it's a high end treat shop not an everyday average shopping trip. 'We got organic meat and jams and cheese if money was no object I would be here all the time it's quality food. 'But if Lady B is expecting average people to shop here she's expecting too much.' JD Vance was hosted at the store during his visit to the area last year accompanied by a massive motorcade made up of 18 vehicles. The US Vice President was shown around the store by Lord Bamford and it was believed he staying in the shop for around three hours. Pictured: Kate Molloy, a local who is a huge fan of Lady Bamford and her store Pictured: The cheese room that customers of Daylesford Organic can peruse at their leisure Pictured: JD Vance inside the store, which he stayed at for around three hours Smaller iterations of the store can be found in London's most affluent neighbourhoods, where shoppers are happy to spend 10.50 on a small jar of jam and 4.25 on curry powder. In the latest financial year, the company made a pre-tax profit of 1.3million and seen a huge demand for their homeware gifts. John Clark, who was visiting with his wife thought the store was 'fantastic'. He said: 'I think you get what you pay for it's top end but that's the point you don't go to Harrods because it's cheaper to, you go because it's an experience.' Lady B founded Daylesford and its sister company Bamford, a skincare and wellness brand that is stocked at the flagship store. She is considered a pioneer of organic farming having converted four of the family's farms into adopting organic methods in the 1970s. The expanding property empire comes in addition to the Bamfords' primary residence, which is Daylesford House, a Grade I-listed Georgian country house found on an estate next to their beloved farm shop. It's here that Lord Bamford, one of the purported Tory 'super-donors', and his wife host lavish parties. Pictured: John Clark, who was visiting with his wife thought the store was 'fantastic' The flagship artisanal store situated on 3,500 acres of farmland in the Cotswolds is the crown jewel of Lady B's homeware and hospitality empire Pictured: An assistant makes his way back into No.10 with the day's deliveries in January 2021 Lord Bamford has gifted tens of millions to the Tories over the last decade, with both him and his wife being particularly generous to close friend Boris Johnson. The former Prime Minister was sent daily deliveries of Daylesford Organic ready meals, heated up and served to him by a personal Daylesford chef during the pandemic. He came under fire as it emerged he and Carrie had 27,000 of luxury food delivered to No 10. The Daylesford dishes, rich in iron, protein and vitamins, were designed to revive Mr Johnson's energy levels after his brush with death after contracting Covid. Codenames were used for the then PM and Lady B who organised daily deliveries to the No 10 back door. The food was smuggled in after being dropped off by a butler on one of London's rented 'Boris bikes'. The Bamfords also paid for Johnson and Carrie Symonds' wedding and hosted it on the Daylesford estate before giving the married couple access to Lady B's 20million mansion in Knightsbridge, on top of another of the cottages. A Jason Statham look-alike has been caught on camera swiping $1,700 worth of caviar from a Whole Foods store in California. The Irving Police Department shared their weekly #WantedWednesday post to Facebook this week, warning the public to be on the lookout for a man who bears an eerie resemblance to the British 58-year-old actor who starred in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Last month, the unidentified thief allegedly wandered the aisles like a routine shopper before slipping the fish eggs into a Whole Foods paper bag and heading for the exit. 'This is not Jason Statham filming an action scene in a grocery store,' the department said in the post. Instead, authorities said the man staged a 'typical shopping trip,' even tossing random items in his basket, before secretly stashing the caviar in a store paper bag he brought with him. He allegedly made a beeline for the door, discarding the basket and walking out carrying only the high-end goods. In the post, police released a photo of the suspect dressed head-to-toe in black, balancing a nearly empty basket in one hand and the brown paper bag in the other. Security footage showed the bandit casually strolling down one of the stores aisles - even passing other shoppers - before leaving the Irvine Center Drive store. A Jason Statham look-alike was caught swiping $1,700 worth of caviar from a Whole Foods store The Irving Police Department shared their weekly #WantedWednesday post to Facebook and warned the public to be on the lookout for a man who bears an eerie resemblance to the British actor (pictured) The unidentified thief allegedly made off with $1,700 of caviar. File photo of the fish eggs According to authorities, the man crammed the brown bag with dozens of expensive cans of fish eggs, each costing between $99 to $170. 'I don't know that we've had $1,700 worth of fish eggs stolen [before],' Irvine Police Department Public Information Officer Kyle Oldoerp told CBS. 'Definitely a large amount, and I don't know what he did with it,' he added. 'That's the million-dollar question.' Oldoerp said he expects the suspect to be caught, explaining that the department's weekly Wanted Wednesday posts often bring in several leads from the public. He told the outlet that he hopes a viewer 'notices this fishy suspect and gives us a call.' The post certainly grabbed the publics eye, though the hundreds of comments were more captivated by the bizarre heist rather than identifying the suspect. 'Caviar doesn't help with hair growth,' one commenter wrote, taking aim at the suspect's shiny bald head. Authorities said the man staged a 'typical shopping trip,' even tossing random items in his basket, before stashing the caviar in a store paper bag he brought with him Security footage showed the bandit casually strolling down one of the stores aisles. The Irvine Center Drive store is pictured According to authorities, the man crammed the brown bag with dozens of expensive cans of fish eggs, each costing between $99 to $170 Another read: 'Jason Statham is extremely generous.' 'Easy to recognize that face!!! YIKES!' a viewer added. 'Like Elizabeth Taylor would say, "You get the face you deserve." LOL.' 'That's a little fishy to me! Lol well I hope he gets caught in a net! That's a lot of Caviar!' said another. One viewer said: 'Imagine catching a felony over nasty fish eggs.' The comment section was flooded with opinions on his celebrity doppelganger - some dismissing the resemblance, others posting funny Statham memes. 'He sure as hell doesn't look like Statham. This guy has elf ears,' one commenter wrote. Another added: 'There is no universe where someone mistakes that for Statham. He looks like a lumpy Anton LaVey.' 'I think he was the brother that was chained up in the basement in the movie Goonies,' said a third. One viewer quipped: 'With those ears and with that face, he should be easy to recognize.' Interestingly, many commenters thought the caviar thiefs attire resembled a chefs uniform, leading to guesses that he could work in - or even run - a restaurant. 'Must be an underpaid executive chef!' one user wrote. Another said: 'Creepy! He probably owns a restaurant.' 'That's a chef's outfit also, shame!' added a third. The department is calling on the public to contact Detective Drake at jdrake@cityofirvine.org if anyone can identify the man - or has a clue about what became of nearly $2,000 worth of caviar. This is not the first time a store thief has been compared to a famous face. In 2018, a manhunt by police in Blackpool in the UK took a hilarious turn after their main suspect was likened as a dead ringer for 'Ross from Friends.' In 2018 Blackpool Police in the UK released footage of an alleged thief bearing a resemblance to Friends star David Schwimmer 'Officers, I swear it wasn't me. As you can see, I was in New York. To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation,' posted the actor, who plays Ross in Friends The original post read: 'Do you recognize this man? We want to speak to him in relation to a theft at a Blackpool restaurant on the 20th September.' However, Facebook users were quick to point out the similarities with the Friends actor David Schwimmer. Facebook user Nick Croston commented on the post: 'I don't think it's been this guy's day, his week, his month or even his year....' Aaron Milburn added: 'Please approach with caution. He is known to have studied karate and we believe he has mastered the art of Unagi, the state of total awareness.' Even the police and Schwimmer himself joined in on the joke. Police posted: 'Thank you to everyone for your speedy responses. We have investigated this matter thoroughly and have confirmed that David Schwimmer was in America on this date. We're so sorry it has to be this way.' Schwimmer posted a hilarious spoof video of himself with his arms full of beer cans in a New York store. 'Officers, I swear it wasn't me. As you can see, I was in New York. To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation,' Schwimmer posted. Abdulah Husseini, originally from Tehran, was arrested for stealing the beer and charged with a string of fraud and theft offences. Daily Mail has reached out to Jason Statham for comment. A monster husband who strangled his wife as their young daughters slept upstairs did it in a jealous rage because she planned to leave him over his abuse, her heartbroken family have revealed. Isobella Knight, 32, was choked to death by Paul Knight at the home they shared together in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, on June 13 last year, after telling him she had had enough of his controlling behaviour and bullying. The morning after killing Izzy - as she was fondly known by friends - Knight asked his mother to babysit their two children before making a botched attempt to kill himself, crashing his car in a McDonald's. This week Knight, 36, finally admitted murdering Izzy and was told he can expect a life sentence at his next court appearance. After his guilty plea Tim Davies, Izzy's father, said she had suffered years of mental and verbal abuse at the hands of Knight - and had finally told him that the marriage was over when he killed her. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mr Davies said: 'She suffered from his controlling behaviour and verbal and psychological abuse, particularly over the last few years. 'She told him that she wanted to split, and they had come to an agreement on how to handle things for the benefit of the kids. Izzy made it clear that she'd had enough.' Mr Davies, 58, revealed that what has added to the family's heartache is that she never shared her marriage woes with them, and they only discovered the truth after her death. Isobella Knight, 32, was choked to death by Paul Knight at the home they shared together in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, on June 13 last year The morning after killing Izzy - as she was fondly known by friends - Knight asked his mother to babysit their two children before making a botched attempt to kill himself This week Knight, 36, finally admitted murdering Izzy and was told he can expect a life sentence at his next court appearance Police outside the house in Donnington Road, Burton Latimer, where Isobella Knight died 'She never told me her troubles and that's hard for me to take,' he said. 'She discussed it with some of her close friends, but we only found out about the domestic pressure she was under after her killing. 'The truth about her marriage really shocked me and this has added to the emotional trauma the whole family has been going through.' Izzy's sister Georgia, added: 'We only found out the truth about her marriage afterwards and it was a huge shock. 'Izzy was my best friend, we spoke every day, but she never told me anything about the abusive behaviour she was suffering because she wanted to protect the family. She was a lovely sister and one of the most caring, selfless and loving people you could meet.' Mr Davies revealed that Izzy's two daughters, aged six and three, are now being cared for by her mother Helena and her partner David, who have become their legal guardians. He added: 'We as a family are supporting my ex-wife and granddaughters. We're helping out with the kids at weekends and are pulling together to make sure they have a good upbringing. 'We face the challenge united as a family of raising them and dealing with the future. Izzy was a wonderful mum and daughter. Her kids were more important to her than anything and we will do our best to honour her memory.' Mr Davies and Georgia said that they did not want to speak about Knight or comment on what sentence he deserves. But Mr Davies added: 'We've been told that he's looking at around 15 years imprisonment before he'd be eligible for parole. In my opinion that's not enough. 'My ex-wife, Georgia and I have all decided that we will read out our victim impact statements ourselves when Knight is sentenced. That's when you'll hear how we feel about him and the full extent of his behaviour towards my daughter.' Knight is due to appear for sentencing at Northampton Crown Court on 29 January. Mr Davies added: 'We were told on Christmas Eve that he had decided to change his plea. But we knew the truth all along and it doesn't change anything we think about him.' Mr Davies also expressed concerns at the failure of the Government to bring Jade's law into force. Izzy's father has told the Daily Mail she was subjected to years of 'controlling behaviour and verbal and psychological abuse' by Knight Knight, 36, previously admitted manslaughter but had denied murdering his wife - with a two-week trial due to begin on Thursday morning This is new legislation in the UK that automatically suspends parental responsibility for a parent who has been convicted of killing their partner. It means that a convicted parent cannot have a say in key decisions affecting their children's lives. But the law is not applicable yet meaning a court will have to rule if Knight should be exempted from making decisions about his children. Mr Davies said: 'If Jade's law was operating we would not have this concern. I may potentially have to pay for legal advice to get him exempted and that's not right. 'It's ridiculous that the Government has taken so long over this. It was passed through Parliament in April 2024 yet only remains prospective because of a disagreement between the Ministry of Justice and family court authorities.' After strangling Izzy and unsuccessfully trying to commit suicide, Knight left the family home and crashed his car in the car park of a nearby McDonald's restaurant. Officers from Northamptonshire Police Force responded to the collision and after finding his behaviour odd decided to search his home address, leading to the grim discovery of Izzy's body. In the summer, Georgia set up a fundraiser for Izzy's two children, who have now lost both their mother and their father. The GoFundMe page has already raised more than 16,000 from 459 donations. Georgia, who has two young children of her own said: 'Izzy was my older sister, and we've grown up together. We went to the same schools and shared a bedroom until we were 17. We've done like everything together in terms of our stages of life. 'We were extremely close, and because of the children and we would meet up like every week. We spoke every single day on voice notes. It was always about the children.' She added: 'The response to the GoFundMe has been amazing. I shared it on Facebook, and it just went up quicker than I had ever expected.' Knight, 36, previously admitted manslaughter but had denied murdering his wife - with a two-week trial due to begin on Thursday morning. However, just as the case was about to start, Knight, an area sales manager for a property business, changed his plea to guilty. His barrister, John Lloyd-Jones KC explained to Northampton Crown Court that he had met with his client before Christmas and he had decided to admit murder. Knight kept his head bowed during the hearing in court. Mr Lloyd-Jones said: 'He has never denied that he unlawfully killed the victim in this case. Just as the case was about to start, Knight, an area sales manager for a property business, changed his plea to guilty 'He pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the first opportunity. 'The events of that night have been a source of huge anguish for him as, of course he accepts, they have been for a very large number of other people.' Mr Lloyd-Jones then asked that the count of murder could be put to his client again. As the clerk read the charge, Knight looked down and then replied 'guilty'. Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking warned Knight that there was only one sentence she could pass, that of life imprisonment, but that she must decide the minimum amount of time he will serve before he becomes eligible for parole. Another Silicon Valley billionaire has left California, adding to growing fears that the state's wealthiest residents are taking their money elsewhere over a proposed tax to the ultra-rich. Google co-founder Sergey Brin, 52, moved a significant portion of his businesses out of the state in the days leading up to Christmas. That included 15 limited liability companies based in California related to the billionaire's business interests and investments, The New York Times reported. Seven of those companies were re-registered in Nevada, including entities linked to the management of a super-yacht and an interest in a private terminal at San Jose International Airport. Another entity affiliated with Brin also moved its registration to Nevada on Christmas Eve. Brin is the fourth richest person in the world today and is valued at $248.2billion, according to Forbes. He still owns multiple homes in California, according to the Times, but how much time he will spend in the state this year is unknown. Seven of Brin's limited liability companies previously based in California were recently re-registered in Nevada Pictured: Menlo Park suburb looking out to Palo Alto in Silicon Valley Brin's move away from California comes after his Google co-founder Larry Page also cut ties with the state late last year. Page transferred most of his business holdings to Delaware, according to Business Insider. He also incorporated some of his ventures in Florida. Brin is thinking about buying a home in Miami, the Wall Street Journal reported. Both men founded Google - based in Mountain View, about 45 miles south of San Francisco - in 1998 after meeting at Stanford while studying computer science. They stepped down from Alphabet Inc, Google's parent company, in 2019. The cofounders' decision to flee the west coast comes as a proposed billionaires' tax that would target California residents worth more than $1billion looms on the horizon. The proposal would hit billionaires in the state with a one-time tax worth five percent of their net worth. It would apply to assets such as stocks, bonds, artwork and intellectual property - not income. Join the debate Is California driving away its billionaires or protecting the interests of everyday residents? Brin (right) started Google with Larry Page (left) in 1998. They both stepped down from their roles at Alphabet, Google's parent company, in 2019 Page transferred most of his business holdings to Delaware and Florida late last year over California's proposed billionaires' tax Billionaires in California would have five years to pay, but the proposal has not been signed into law yet. The measure, which was proposed by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West union, first has to gain enough signatures to land on the November ballot. After that, it has to win voter approval. If that happens, the new tax would retroactively apply as of January 1, 2026. California currently has about 200 billionaires. It remains uncertain if the ballot measure will actually be enacted, but others besides Brin and Page have already made moves in relation to the tax proposal. Peter Thiel, who is worth about $25.9billion, announced on December 31 that his private investment firm had opened a Miami office to 'complement [its] existing operations' in Los Angeles. Tech investor David Sacks also relocated his office to Austin, Texas, in a move announced that same day. Sacks predicted on social media that Silicon Valley would soon be on its way out. 'As a response to socialism, Miami will replace NYC as the finance capital and Austin will replace SF as the tech capital,' he wrote on X. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has voiced his opposition to the proposed billionaires' tax Silicon Valley venture capital investor Chamath Palihapitiya, valued at about $1.2billion, called Brin's departure a 'complete and total unforced error.' 'I would not be surprised if 2026 ended with less than $1T of billionaire wealth in California and decades and hundreds of lawsuits,' he said on X. Palihapitiya added: 'If they don't kill this ballot initiative and entice those folks to come back, the California budget will be massively upside down.' He said the only place to 'get the money' was to either 'cut waste, fraud and abuse' or to increase taxes on the middle class. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has voiced his opposition to the proposed billionaires' tax. 'You can't isolate yourself from the 49 others,' he said in December. 'We're in a competitive environment. People have this simple luxury, particularly people of that status. They already have two or three homes outside the state.' Newsom added: 'It's a simple issue. You've got to be pragmatic about it.' Cradling her one-year-old granddaughter, Josephine, in her arms outside church earlier this week, raw pain and desolation were etched on Caroline Kennedy's face. In a rare but unavoidable public appearance, her jaw was set in a sombre grimace as she descended the steps outside the Church of St Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan, New York. Not only was she mourning the death of her beloved younger daughter, Tatiana, just 35, who lost her 18-month battle against acute myeloid leukaemia on December 30, but seeing that tiny tousle-headed girl, Tatiana's youngest child, dressed for the funeral in a blue frock and navy cardigan, must have felt like history repeating itself. For Caroline herself was just five years old when she lost a parent, her father President John F Kennedy, who was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Images of the president's young daughter attending his funeral, alongside his widow Jackie and son John, wearing a pale blue smock coat and a melancholy, distant expression, made front page news around the world. Sixty-three years on, Caroline can still vividly recall details of that dark day: her brother, whose third birthday it was, saluting their father's coffin; the long black veil hiding their mother's face; the grief and bewilderment she must have felt about saying goodbye. So to watch Josephine, and three-year-old grandson Edwin, facing the same pain that will cast a shadow over their lives must weigh heavy on the Kennedy heiress. Family tragedy is something Caroline, a respected diplomat, author and lawyer, known in American political circles as 'the last child of Camelot' a reference to the youthful optimism and idealism of her father's presidency has endured time and time again throughout her 68 years. Caroline Kennedy carries her one-year-old granddaughter, Josephine, as she leaves her daughter's funeral earlier this week Caroline at the age of five leaving her father's state funeral with her mother, Jackie, holding her and her three-year-old brother John's hands Famously private, it is sadly telling that most of her public appearances have seen her dressed head-to-toe in black, her head bowed in mourning. There was her Uncle Bobby, assassinated in June 1968 when Caroline was just ten years old. There was her mother, Jackie, who died at home in New York in May 1994, shortly after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, aged 64. Her funeral was held at the same church where Caroline would come to bid her daughter farewell three decades later. Then there was her adored younger brother John, who died alongside his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, when the plane he was piloting crashed into the sea en route to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, in July 1999. The history books dub it the 'Curse of the Kennedys', but those who know Caroline say the cross to bear has been hers, more than any other's. How one woman can endure so much heartbreak and somehow carry on is almost impossible to comprehend. Asked this very question by a reporter in 2000, shortly after the death of her brother, Caroline answered, somewhat wearily: 'Oh, you just do. You do it for the children. You have no choice, really. You have to soldier on.' Her words echoed those of her mother, who is said to have told those closest to her: 'One pulls it together because one must.' Biographer J Randy Taraborrelli, who has written four bestselling books on the Kennedy dynasty, including JFK: Public, Private, Secret, says Caroline has a natural instinct for surviving even the toughest of times. 'Unfortunately, Caroline has lived long enough with loss to understand that grief doesn't just disappear. It's managed with time,' he told the Daily Mail this week. 'But she has always met tragedy by leaning into responsibility, family, and steadiness rather than public expression. 'Caroline knows first-hand what it means for a kid's life to be divided into before and after. That experience has given her so much empathy and has fine-tuned her protective instincts, especially when children are involved.' Friends say that her mother Jackie's insistence on putting the next generation first will inform and guide her in the difficult months ahead. 'Caroline is going to have to do for Tatiana's children what Jackie had to do for her children: keep the memory alive of their parent that they might not remember,' a family friend said this week. 'She's going to have to try to preserve the memory of her and make sure they know about her and make sure they remember her.' In a touching social media post Maria Shriver, Caroline's cousin, paid tribute to Tatiana and her mother: 'My heart has always been with Caroline ever since we were little kids. My whole being is with her now. What a rock she has been. 'Those of us left behind will make sure Eddie and Josie know what a beautiful, courageous spirit their mother was and will always be. She takes after her extraordinary mother, Caroline.' 'Extraordinary' barely comes close to describing the world of Caroline Bouvier Kennedy, whose gilded life has been tinged with sorrow even from birth. A year before she was born, her parents had a stillborn daughter, Arabella. When she was six, another sibling, Patrick, died two days after his premature birth in 1963. Caroline's daughter, Tatiana Schlossberg, was just 35 when she lost her 18-month battle against acute myeloid leukaemia on December 30 Caroline and her mother and brother are followed by her Uncle Bobby, who was assassinated in June 1968 when she was just ten years old Aged three, Caroline moved to the White House with her parents after her father was sworn in as US president. Her brother, John, was born two weeks later. Life there was peaceful and idyllic for a time. She was often photographed riding her pony, Macaroni, around the grounds inspiring Neil Diamond to write his hit song, Sweet Caroline a fact he revealed when performing it for her 50th birthday in 2007. But her grandmother and Kennedy matriarch, Rose, insisted she was 'remarkably unspoiled'. 'She was too young to realise all these luxuries,' she said of Caroline's early childhood. 'She probably thinks it's natural for children to go off in their own airplanes. But she is with her cousins, and some of them dance and swim better than she. They do not allow her to take special precedence.' In a rare interview, Caroline recalled spending time with her father in the mornings, playing in the Oval Office, 'making construction paper necklaces, eating candy and running around his desk'. Politics was part of her family fabric. Early vocabulary included, 'plane', 'goodbye' and 'New Hampshire' learned on the campaign trail with her parents in 1960. But her childhood was shattered by her father's assassination, after which Jackie, fearing for her children's lives, moved them to New York, hoping to hide them from prying eyes and camera lenses. Her father's death hit Caroline hard. According to J Randy Taraborrelli, in his book The Kennedy Heirs, 'It would take years of therapy for her to even begin to reconcile it.' She was affected, too, by Jackie's grief, telling a nun at her convent school: 'My mommy cries all the time.' With the loss of her beloved Uncle Bobby, who had stepped in as a father figure after JFK's death, her heartache was compounded. 'Caroline would see a number of psychologists until she was about 12,' Taraborelli explains. 'At that time, Jackie feared therapy was only keeping her daughter tethered to her grief and stopped sending her.' Growing up a Kennedy was never going to be easy, but especially for Caroline who was for ever in the shadow of her glamorous mother. Taraborrelli recalls an argument between the pair, when a teenage Caroline stomped out of the room and declared: 'You know, not a single day goes by that I don't measure myself by the Jacqueline Kennedy yardstick.' She never took to Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping tycoon her mother married in 1968, reportedly telling her cousin David: 'I don't like him'. At school, classmates recall a timid girl, who loved animals even in their New York apartment, the family kept dogs, guinea pigs, finches and a snake as pets and tried her best to be ordinary. As a teenager, however, Caroline became aware of her status as a public figure. Holiday romances would be plastered across magazines, and she began to resent the constant presence of paparazzi around her home and school. On her first day as a summer intern at the New York Daily News in 1977, where she dreamed of becoming a photojournalist, she sat on a bench alone for two hours because staff were too intimidated by her surname to approach her. And death and danger surrounded her still. In 1975, she narrowly escaped an IRA car bomb while staying with the Conservative MP Sir Hugh Fraser and his then wife Antonia at their home in Kensington, London. Sir Hugh's car exploded into flames and a passer-by was killed. Seeing that tiny tousle-headed girl, Tatiana's youngest child, dressed for the funeral in a blue frock and navy cardigan, must have felt like history repeating itself for Caroline, who was herself dressed in blue for her father's funeral Her cousin, David, son of Bobby Kennedy, would later die of a drug overdose while Caroline was staying nearby in Florida. And another cousin, Anthony Radziwill, the son of her mother's sister Lee, died aged 40 after a decade-long battle with cancer. Yet as a young woman, she was determined to look forward, not back. Caroline graduated from prestigious Radcliffe College with a BA in fine arts in 1980, and went on to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. But her keen intellect required something more and in 1988 she graduated from Columbia Law School. The following year, she passed the New York State bar exam. Following in her father's footsteps as a politician was never the plan, however, and in 1992 Caroline shocked Americans by turning down the opportunity to serve as chair of the Democratic National Convention. Having dated a list of famous men, including Mark Shand, Queen Camilla's brother, and Jonathan Guinness, of the Guinness family, Caroline married Edwin Schlossberg, an exhibit designer and artist whom she'd met while working at the Met, in 1986. Jackie had to be convinced, reportedly telling her daughter that Edwin wasn't 'interesting' enough for her only daughter. Their children, Rose, born in 1988, Tatiana, born in 1990, and Jack, born in 1993, brought great joy to Caroline, who had always mothered her little brother and possessed a strong maternal instinct. 'Being a good mother mattered to Caroline,' Taraborrelli says. She volunteered for school events and always picked up her children at the end of the day, rather than sending a member of staff. Unlike many Kennedy marriages hers has endured and her children, and grandchildren, remain a source of immense pride, especially Jack (official name John, after his late grandfather) a Harvard law graduate running for Congress as a Democratic candidate in this year's midterm elections. Caroline coped well with the loss of her mother in 1994, and was supported by her brother John. His death five years later aged 38, and that of her sister-in-law Carolyn aged 33, was, however, a devastating blow. Caroline and John's relationship had come under much scrutiny, with critics claiming she was controlling and bossy, and had taken a dislike to Carolyn, a publicist. But those who knew the siblings best said there was simply 'no one in her life Caroline cared about more than her brother' and when he died, she went into a tailspin of grief. Somehow, however, Caroline held it together publicly, at least and worked through her pain. Materially, life today is comfortable. She inherited Red Gate Farm, her mother's 375-acre estate on Martha's Vineyard, and has a personal fortune estimated between 206 million and 370 million. With Edwin by her side, she went on to have countless career successes, and campaigned for Barack Obama in 2008. In 2013, he appointed her the US ambassador to Japan, making her the first woman ever to hold the post. She resigned in 2017, shortly before President Trump was sworn in. Five years later, she was appointed to another ambassadorial role this time in Australia. Caroline announced her resignation in 2024, the year Tatiana, an environmental journalist and author, was diagnosed with leukaemia. The family kept this devastating health battle a secret until, in November last year, Tatiana wrote a heart-wrenching essay for The New Yorker magazine. She revealed her leukaemia had a rare mutation, called Inversion 3, and that she had had two stem cell transplants one from her sister, Rose; the other from a stranger. But neither managed to halt the disease that was rapidly killing her, causing her muscles to waste, and leaving her unable to pick up her children. Poignantly, she wrote: 'For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good student and a good sister and a good daughter, and to protect my mother and never make her upset or angry. 'Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our family's life, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.' Her biggest fear was that her young children would forget her. 'My son might have a few memories, but he'll probably start confusing them with pictures he sees or stories he hears,' she wrote. 'I didn't really ever get to take care of my daughter. I was gone for almost half of her first year of life. I don't know . . . whether she will feel or remember, when I am gone, that I am her mother.' Tatiana need not have been afraid. For if there is one woman who understands only too well the importance of remembering, it is her mother. In her own private, gentle, yet determined way, Caroline will take the reins, guiding the Kennedy family through yet another torment. 'She understands that grief, family bonds and healing are pretty fragile, and that protecting them from public consumption is an act of care,' J Randy Taraborrelli explains. 'Being present for the next generation isn't about stepping into a spotlight as much as it's about providing stability, reassurance, and a sense that the family endures. 'That impulse has shaped her entire adult life. It's ingrained. It's Jackie, through and through. As her only daughter, Caroline has it, too. She will always step up.' Additional reporting: Daniel Bates in New York. Standing in front of symbolically bright red curtains, Elon Musk clasped hands with a Chinese government official in Shanghai. The world's richest man had just pulled off what seemed an economic coup and the boldest move of his career. His firm Tesla would become the first foreign car maker in history to operate in China. However, no one not even the financial markets knew exactly what that handshake would set in motion. For, within months of that photo-op in 2018, one of Musk's top Chinese engineers quietly walked out the door of Tesla's Silicon Valley HQ taking with him one of the vaunted 'crown jewels' of Musk's empire: the 'source code' that allows Tesla vehicles to drive automatically. The information had been simply uploaded to a cloud account and synced to personal devices. The billion-dollar technology promoted as the future of electric vehicles, the product of years of extensive research and development would now be accessible with a simple log-in. A critical technology for the future of electric vehicles and a closely guarded secret had been stolen in seconds. Soon, one question began to haunt the Tesla offices and the FBI: Had Elon Musk inadvertently handed the keys of his company to the Chinese Communist Party? Business deals such as this with the West don't happen without approval from the top in a country with a 'China First' policy. Indeed, the man who engineered it was Li Qiang, then Shanghai's powerful Communist Party secretary, who, five years later was named premier of China, the second most powerful man in the country after president Xi Jinping. Billionaire Elon Musk in Beijing with Tesla's Tom Zhu and Grace Tao in 2023 One Tesla insider recalls there had already been 'regular' conversations with the FBI about the proposed link-up. The FBI warned: 'If you don't want your intellectual property stolen, don't open a factory in China.' Yet Musk didn't seem to want to listen. Colleagues say his attitude was 'we're not skipping the biggest car market in the world because of espionage fears'. Also, with a swagger, he reckoned: 'We're more innovative. We'll move faster than the Chinese. By the time they catch up, we'll be ten steps ahead.' Today, Tesla has been outstripped as the world's biggest seller of EVs (electric vehicles), after announcing a week ago that its 2025 sales were significantly short of that of its rival BYD a Chinese manufacturer. Musk was not alone in such hubris. For years, many Western corporate leaders had been guided by such an approach toward the Chinese regime. Significantly, Tom Zhu, head of Tesla China, had said: 'If we're putting stuff in China, we have to be essentially okay with the Chinese getting it.' After the FBI was called in by bosses, Tesla's treacherous Chinese engineer confessed to uploading company software but denied transferring it to his new employer in China. However, if it was smuggled into China, it seems unfathomable to anyone familiar with the tactics of the Chinese Communist Party that it was not used for illicit purposes. This massive security breach is just one of countless examples of The Great Heist the theft of hundreds of billions of pounds' worth of critical data, intellectual property and technology that has been a driving force behind China's rapid industrial and military expansion. The Chinese Communist Party's unrelenting pursuit of stolen information from the West has propelled the country's economic and military might to heights previously unimaginable. Yet the West continues to underestimate the scale of this threat. The truth is that China's supposed 'economic miracle' is a mirage one built not on ingenuity but on grand larceny. It's imperative now that we all understand the depth and breadth of this predatory behaviour. This is not just a story about protecting sensitive information, it's about safeguarding the future of our freedoms, our way of life our very existence, even, on the global stage. As former intelligence officers, we have spoken to numerous people who have spent their careers tracking, confronting and exposing the scale of China's Great Heist against America, including counter-intelligence and security chiefs, former defence department staff and espionage experts. The Chinese Communist Party's unrelenting pursuit of stolen information from the West has propelled the country's economic and military might to heights previously unimaginable Li Qiang was named premier of China five years after orchestrating the deal with Musk Silicon Valley may have once harboured hopes about the power of the internet and technology to unite the world and usher in an era of peace. However, such assumptions have proven to be disastrously wrong as the prospect of a direct war between great powers becomes ever more likely. Along with Elon Musk, another leading Western figure who has, albeit unwittingly, allowed Beijing to transform espionage into industrial strategy is Bill Clinton. In 2000, as US President, he made the single most consequential economic and strategic gamble of the 21st century: permanent, normal trade relations with the People's Republic of China. It was framed as diplomacy, as engagement with a potential trading partner, even a future ally. Yet, in hindsight, it was the moment the malevolent virus entered the global trade system and became the launching pad for The Great Heist. Joint US/China ventures became Trojan horses, and state-sponsored espionage was scaled up with impunity. Washington had opened the gates to a foreign power with interests antithetical to its own. Beijing's goal was never subtle: to accelerate China's economic rise, modernise its military, and challenge the US for technological and geopolitical supremacy. US government estimates now put the annual cost of intellectual property theft to the American economy at between $225billion and $600billion, almost all of it by China. That sum almost matches the nearly $800billion the US spends on defence each year. These thefts include everything from counterfeit consumer goods to pirated software to the more insidious theft of trade secrets. Chinese spies have also been caught at the highest levels of the Washington administration from America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to top secret military projects, even the CIA itself. American universities have been flooded with hundreds of thousands of Chinese students who have helped steal cutting-edge research, scientific innovations and technical know-how all the while fully aware of the leverage Beijing's intelligence services can use on their family and friends back home. The speed at which this has happened is breathtaking. Ajit Khubani, boss of the TV marketing firm Telebrands, says: 'I started going to China in 1986, when they couldn't manufacture a fork. They were an agrarian society. They couldn't manufacture anything.' How things have changed. Quickly, piracy thrived as factories that once struggled with basic manufacturing processes replicated complex consumer product development with astonishing precision often from nothing more than photographs. Intellectual property was stolen without mercy. A landmark moment came in 2015 when president Xi launched Made in China 2025, an aggressive all-encompassing industrial development strategy to ensure the Communist Party's grip on power would never be challenged. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which analyses scientific and research innovation, has concluded that China now leads in 37 of the 44 fields of emerging critical technologies. That is above an 80 per cent success rate for achieving global leadership in many of the key technologies of the 21st century. Bolstered by stolen US and Western technologies, the Chinese military has embarked on an unparalleled modernisation programme. The People's Liberation Army began transforming itself into a cutting-edge force infused with foreign innovations, including stolen weapons designs and classified knowledge, all aimed at preparing for a potential future confrontation with the US, which had long been identified as its primary adversary. For decades, NASA led the world in hypersonic research. In 2021, however, the People's Liberation Army conducted a test that left US military and aerospace experts in shock: it launched a hypersonic missile with nuclear capability on a 'glide vehicle' able to glide and manoeuvre at unprecedented speeds. Travelling at low altitude at five times the speed of sound, the missile went around the globe and landed almost on-target. The low trajectory and ability to alter course mid-flight suggest it could hit US assets at indefensible speeds. The Liberation Army doesn't need to land troops on US soil to cripple America's defences in the event of war; it only needs to hit hard, first and with precision. Chinese military planners no doubt consider the possibility of such a strike could be enough to deter America from helping Taiwan in any conflict between the island nation and China. The baffled sentiment of observers of China's sudden hypersonic advance was captured in a now-infamous comment by a Pentagon official who said: 'We have no idea how they did this.' The answer, though, was simple. Indeed, what happened on a humid afternoon in the streets of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in January last year is just one piece of a global mosaic of espionage at the heart of The Great Heist. Inside a Toyota car that was idling on a quiet street were a Chinese national and a Filipino, posing as surveyors. On the dashboard: a mounted tablet, connected to a satellite-based navigation system. In the back seat: a high-powered imaging drone and a custom-built data relay antenna. The duo were mapping a sensitive US military base in meticulous detail. However, Philippine security forces were watching and arrested them. Days later, five more Chinese nationals were detained on an island just miles from key American facilities. Each arrest unravelled another layer of a chilling reality: the targets of the motley surveillance crews were airstrips, fuel depots, radar towers and ammunition storage sites everything that would need to be hit first in the event of war between China and the US. The Chinese spy ring in the Philippines was drawing up a kill list, a system of first-strike capability, powered by espionage and precision technology. All part of the Beijing regime's plan to make one of the most dangerous weapons on Earth China's hypersonic missile force even deadlier and more accurate. Of course, China is not new to espionage. It's been perfecting the art for more than 2,500 years through countless wars among competing kingdoms and with foreign 'barbarians'. As early as about 500BC, Sun Tzu, the military philosopher, said: 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.' And it was Chairman Mao's spymaster, Kang Sheng, who institutionalised the 'thousand grains of sand' doctrine: gathering intelligence through a vast web of informal, often unwitting, sources so broadly dispersed that counter-intelligence services must struggle to detect it. Another global giant impacted by The Great Heist is Apple. To an authoritarian regime, data collection is an obsession. Stolen data directly contributes to the Chinese Communist Party's strategic collection objectives. In 2021, the Beijing government forced Apple, a firm that prides itself on protecting data, to transfer the data of all its Chinese users to state-owned servers in the capital of China's Guizhou province. It is a national data centre and the place where, according to The New York Times: 'Chinese state employees physically manage the computers'. Also, Apple abandoned the encryption technology it used elsewhere because the Chinese government would not allow it. For its part, Apple said it had never compromised its users' security data. However, given that Apple makes nearly every component of its products in China and that the Chinese market accounts for about 20 per cent of its sales, Apple CEO Tim Cook evidently had little room to manoeuvre. The story is even more chilling with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Zhu Songchun, founder of the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence, said, in 2021: 'Artificial general intelligence is the strategic high ground of international scientific and technological competition in the next ten to 20 years, and its influence is equivalent to the atomic bomb in the field of information technology.' Step forward Linwei 'Leon' Ding, 37, an engineer who worked for Google in California and used an Apple program to download hundreds of files containing the tech giant's AI trade secrets. According to an indictment after his arrest, this was part of a secret plan to use his top-level access to create new opportunities in his native China with the sensitive information he pilfered. As yet, Ding's case has not come to trial but he faces 14 counts, including economic espionage and trade secret theft, and a possible 15 years in jail plus a $5million fine per count. The price for stealing America's trade secrets on paper at least appears severe. Even so, how does a $5million fine compare to the potentially exponential advantage, and opportunity costs, of allowing your greatest geopolitical rival to obtain critical information about one of the world's most important technologies? The hard truth is that China has waged an industrial espionage campaign of unprecedented scale that has hollowed out Western technological edge in a zero-sum contest for power. This is not merely a story of espionage as we know it but that of an existential struggle over the DNA of military and economic might. And it will never be won with bureaucratic half measures. Safeguarding our future requires mobilisation across government, industry and academia. It demands an urgent mindset shift: to regard today's battle front lines as running through corporate boardrooms, academic labs, courtrooms, energy grids, start-up firms and cloud storage infrastructure. A recent report called AI 2027, written with help from dozens of experts, paints a dystopian picture of the next decade: China's rise in superhuman AI will be seismic, exceeding even the impact of the Industrial Revolution. But unlike past revolutions, the report predicts this breakthrough will not be led solely by innovation. It will be driven by theft. Adapted from The Great Heist: China's Epic Campaign To Steal America's Secrets, by David R. Shedd & Andrew Badger (HarperCollins, 25), published on Thursday. To order a copy for 22.50 (Free UK p&p on orders over 25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call: 020 3176 2937. Longtime Greenlanders have told the Daily Mail they are furious with President Donald Trump for once again floating the possibility of taking over their country. Trump revived talk about the United States asserting formal control over Greenland on Sunday, one day after US soldiers captured Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela and brought the deposed leader back to New York to face a litany of criminal charges. 'It's so strategic,' Trump told reporters on Air Force One. 'We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.' Jrgen Bay-Kastrup is the CEO of Hotel Hans Egede, a four-star hotel in Nuuk, Greenland's capital and largest city of around 20,000 residents. Bay-Kastrup, who has lived in Greenland for the last 11 years, said Trump's treatment of the people of Greenland has been 'disgraceful' and 'disgusting.' 'He's talking about us as if we are just some kind of tool,' said Bay-Kastrup, who is originally from Denmark. 'This is disrespectful toward our country and toward our citizens.' Klaus Iverson, another Danish transplant to Greenland, told the Daily Mail that Trump's repeated demands to seize the country are 'offensive' and 'bizarre.' 'It is also a bit scary,' Iverson said. 'We have seen what President Trump - I wouldn't call him President Trump, just Trump - [is] capable of.' Colorful houses line the snowy coast of Nuuk, the capital city of Greenland. The city has a population of around 20,000 Around 1,000 Greenlanders gathered in March 2025 to protest Donald Trump's plans to seize the country The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are seen above Nuuk in this file photo President Donald Trump is once again floating the idea of the United States taking over Greenland, arguing it has to be done for national security purposes Jrgen Bay-Kastrup, the CEO of Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk, told the Daily Mail that Trump talks about Greenlanders with no respect Iverson, a veteran of the Danish military, is in the hospitality business as well. He and his wife run the 32-room Hotel Aurora Nuuk. 'I have been in Bosnia together with American troops. I have colleagues who died in Afghanistan and Iraq fighting alongside the US troops. So I find it extremely bizarre that Trump approaches Greenland in this manner,' said Iverson, who has lived in Greenland for the past 17 years. Both Iverson and Bay-Kastrup bristled at a Reuters report on Thursday that claims the Trump administration is considering giving payments of $10,000 to $100,000 to Greenlanders if they agree to join the US. 'It's another kind of slavery,' Bay-Kastrup said. 'If you buy the votes, it's not a democracy anymore. Then it's some kind of dictatorship.' Trump has consistently said the US needs Greenland in its possession to ensure national security and international safety, but both men pointed out that the US continues to operate a military base on the island unimpeded. The US had over 50 bases on Greenland during the height of the Cold War, but that has since waned to just the Pituffik Space Base, which remains a key asset for missile defense and space surveillance. In recent days, politicians in Greenland and Denmark have hit back at Trump for his public musings of annexation. 'No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation,' said Greenland's Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen. 'We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussions. But this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law.' Greenlanders have staged protests against Trump's land grab. A file photo from a March 2025 demonstration in Nuuk Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk. The hotel's CEO spoke to Daily Mail and bristled at claims the Trump administration is considering giving payments of $10,000 to $100,000 to Greenlanders if they agree to join the US Iverson and his wife run the 32-room Hotel Aurora Nuuk. He fears what Trump may do Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed Thursday that the Trump administration's ultimate goal is to purchase Greenland, not to take it over militarily Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said 'the US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom.' Although Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, it is a self-governing territory that handles its own domestic policy. But because Denmark remains responsible for Greenlands foreign policy and defense, any US attempt to annex Greenland would have to be negotiated with Denmark and approved by Greenlanders, likely through some sort of referendum. A mere six percent of Greenlanders support becoming a part of the US, according to a survey by pollster Verian in January 2025. Taking over Greenland is not popular with Americans either, with an April 2025 Pew Research poll finding that 54 percent of US adults were opposed to the idea. On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he plans to meet with Danish officials next week to discuss Greenland's future. Rubio also revealed that Trump wants to eventually buy Greenland instead of using military force. Rubio's statement came after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller refused to rule out a military escalation when asked in an interview. An American Islamist preacher who has praised Hamas and is accused of spreading 'fundamentalist, antisemitic poison' is set to arrive in Britain next weekend, amid calls for his visa to be revoked. Lebanese-born Mohamed Baajour, who has lived in the US for more than three decades, is due to speak in London, Manchester and Leicester. His three-day UK tour, which has been sponsored by charitable organisation Muslim Aid, includes an appearance at Didsbury Mosque - where notably Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi and his family worshipped prior to the 2017 attack. Described as a motivational speaker, Baajour is director of education at the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) in Texas. The organisation recently came under scrutiny after state Governor Greg Abbott accused EPIC of wanting to enforce Sharia law. In some Muslim countries, Sharia law is associated with capital punishment for adultery and homosexuality, which involves death by stoning. The allegation sparked an investigation into the organisation, but authorities have not uncovered anything untoward, with EPIC posting on social media that they are a law-abiding non-profit. The cleric behind the organisation, Yasir Qadhi - who works closely with Baajour - has a decades-old record of preaching hatred, homophobia and Holocaust-denial to his followers. In one of his chilling diatribes, Qadhi states that Jewish people have infiltrated religious departments of American universities in a bid to 'destroy' Muslims, while he has also previously called for the execution of gay people and adulterers. Baajour has been found to hold similar fundamentalist views as evidenced in recorded talks widely available to view online. American Islamist preacher Mohamed Baajour, who has praised Hamas and is accused of spreading 'fundamentalist, antisemitic poison', is set to arrive in Britain next weekend A poster advertising Baajour's UK tour, which will stop in London, Manchester and Leicester Baajour is director of education at the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) in Texas. The organisation recently came under scrutiny after state Governor Greg Abbott accused EPIC of wanting to enforce Sharia law During one lecture delivered in November in South Africa, Baajour can be heard lamenting 'Zionist interference'. Noting the country's diamond resources, he said Zionists 'want to put their nose in and ruin [South Africa], just like they ruined every other country'. He has also openly praised Hamas. In a lecture delivered in November 2023, just weeks after October 7 terror attack on Israel, Baajour said of the terror group's impact: 'They have exposed the enemy. They have ruined their economy. They have thrown horror in their hearts.' And when he mentioned the Palestinians killed as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas, Baajour said 'every true Muslim would love to have such a death'. Elsewhere, Baajour congratulated the 'people of Gaza' for 'scarring the enemy, a scar that will never, ever be forgotten', adding that they had 'reminded us what "honour" means. Glad tidings!' He has referred to the Hamas terrorists as 'mujahideen' or resistance fighters, adding: 'Allah, give victory to the mujahideen everywhere.' Nick Timothy, Conservative MP for West Suffolk, has called on the Home Secretary to refuse Baajour's entry to the UK. Nick Timothy, Conservative MP for West Suffolk, has called on the Home Secretary to refuse Baajour's entry to the UK MP Nick Timothy has called for Baajour to be banned from Britain over his 'shameless anti-Semitic rhetoric' and praise for Hamas Writing on X he said: 'Baajour has openly and proudly praised horrific violence. The Islamists here want him to help them remake Britain. We must stop them. 'The Home Secretary must act and exclude Baajour and every hate preacher from our shores.' The MP added in his letter to Shabana Mahmood that while free speech and open debate should be encouraged, 'This is not legitimate discourse.' He added: 'Hate preachers are being given a platform to actively promote violence and spread hate. 'The British public has a right to expect that our government will take decisive action to prevent extremists from freely entering our country.' Mr Timothy also called for Muslim Aid 'and other organisations facilitating tours by hate preachers who promote extremist views' to be stripped of their charitable status. News of Baajour's planned tour of the UK comes just days after the Home Secretary revoked a travel visa for Dr Shadee Elmasry, a US-based Islamic scholar who praised Hamas and said Israel was behind the 9/11 terror attacks. Elmasry had been due to speak in Birmingham, Bolton and Ilford during a three-day event organised by Muslim charity Global Relief Trust. EPIC cleric Yasir Qadhi, who works closely with Baajour, has a decades-old record of preaching hatred, homophobia and Holocaust-denial to his followers A day after the terrorist attack, Elmasry tweeted: 'They [Israel] are all in this (fake or real) state of shock that the people of Gaza finally punched back (after 50 years). In contrast, the very same people would celebrate a similar kind of attack from Ukraine against Putin.' In another post, he wrote: 'It's conceivable and maybe even expected that a legitimate resistant [sic] movement will make condemnable mistakes or go to excesses every once in a while. That doesn't take anything away from the morality of their resistance.' Mr Timothy, who urged the Government to bar Elmasry from the UK, had argued that allowing him to speak in Britain was effectively 'giving a platform to incitement and violent extremism'. The Daily Mail has contacted EPIC and Baajour for comment. The Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children and left paralyzed after a failed suicide attempt could try to take her own life again, her lawyer warned. Lindsay Clancy, 35, should be considered a 'danger to herself,' according to her defense attorney Kevin Reddington. Clancy is accused of strangling her three children Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eightmonthold Callan in January 2023. After the alleged murders, she tried to kill herself by jumping from a secondstory window, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Reddington told Plymouth County Superior Court on Wednesday that Clancy could attempt suicide again. 'If this woman kills herself during this trial, which there is a very real probability that could happen, it's on somebody, and it's not on me,' Reddington said, per Boston25News. Clancy was 'not a danger to others, but she's surely a danger to herself,' he added. Lindsay Clancy, 35, allegedly strangled her three children Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eightmonthold Callan to death in January 2023 The alleged murders happened on January 24, 2023, in the $750,000 Duxbury home that she shared with her husband Patrick Clancy allegedly strangled her three children using exercise bands in the basement of her $750,000 Duxbury home on January 24, 2023. She has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The momofthree's murder trial is scheduled to begin July 20, although Reddington raised concerns about her 'significant suicidal ideation.' Clancy requires aroundtheclock supervision and, according to her lawyer, will need an ambulance to and from court once her trial begins. 'This case is going to be a logistical nightmare,' Reddington said. He added: 'We have a person who is paralyzed, will be paralyzed for the rest of her life, and has lost any sensation and any motor control whatsoever.' Clancy, who is now in a wheelchair, 'is not able to even use a handicap bathroom stall.' She has been hospitalized at Tewksbury State Hospital, a mental health facility, since being arrested. Clancy pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon The Plymouth County Sheriff's Office argued that Clancy could get to court using a wheelchairaccessible van. Reddington shot back that she needed extra supplies and a nurse 'not just some random person from the sheriff's department that's going to sit in a jump seat in the sheriff's van.' On Wednesday, the sheriff's office said they would provide an ambulance, if needed. However, it would cost significantly more money. 'It's a much bigger ask,' Jessica Kenny, the sheriff's office general counsel, said. 'We would have to contract with a private ambulance company to provide that because we do not have an ambulance and Tewksbury does not have an ambulance.' She added that scheduling the emergency vehicle would be challenging due to the 'nature of what ambulances are.' Reddington eventually agreed that a van capable of carrying Clancy's wheelchair was 'sufficient.' He said: 'I know that Tewksbury has done that on a number of occasions with her, bringing her to various hospitals all over the place for various testing, and they use a van, so I may have misspoken in the sense of an ambulance.' Clancy tried to kill herself by jumping from the secondstory window of her home, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Her lawyer said she will need transportation to and from court The request has not been ruled on yet by Superior Court Judge William F. Sullivan. 'I certainly think that that may be something that the defendant may want to go forward on,' he told the court. 'So, I'm not gonna deny that motion at this time.' Clancy plans on pursuing an insanity defense, arguing that she suffered from postpartum depression at the time of the alleged murders. Prosecutors countered that Clancy had been evaluated by mental health professionals and not diagnosed with that. Clancy allegedly used her cellphone to research ways to kill in the days before her children died. After their deaths, she allegedly also cut her wrists and neck before the attempt to kill herself by jumping out of the second floor. Her husband Patrick Clancy was the first to find both his wife and the dead children, according to prosecutors. The Daily Mail has reached out to Reddington, Clancy's lawyer, for further comment. If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org. Cape Cod residents woke up on Friday to a legal reality they say has shattered their lives, with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts now owning their homes in order to make way for a new bridge. In a sweeping act of eminent domain, the state formally seized most of the houses in the Round Hill neighborhood of Sagamore. It means the state has ripped away longtime 'forever homes' to clear land for the project that officials claim is necessary but which residents say is devastating. The takings mark the first step in a $4.5 billion Massachusetts Department of Transportation plan to replace the aging Bourne and Sagamore bridges - the two critical crossings that funnel nearly all traffic between Cape Cod and the mainland. Built in 1935 and designed for a 50-year lifespan, the bridges now carry an estimated 38 million vehicles a year and require frequent maintenance that routinely paralyzes the region with traffic. State officials have argued for years that replacement rather than repair is the only viable option. The project will bulldoze through a tight-knit residential enclave overlooking the Cape Cod Canal and force families out with as little as 120 days' notice. For homeowners who built their lives and retirements around Round Hill, Friday's seizure is the moment their houses stopped being theirs. Joan and Marc Hendel, pictured, woke up on Friday, devastated to learn their brand new Cape Cod dream home is set to be demolished as a new $2.4billion bridge is built The takings mark the first step in a $4.5 billion Massachusetts Department of Transportation plan to replace the aging Bourne and Sagamore bridges - the two critical crossings that funnel nearly all traffic between Cape Cod and the mainland The Sagamore Bridge (pictured) was built in 1935 and designed to last 50 years, but it and its sister bridge have been operating for almost double the recommended time and were recently deemed 'structurally deficient' 'This is like losing a family member,' said Joyce Michaud to the Boston Herald, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 25 years and now faces the prospect of starting over in one of the most expensive housing markets in the state. 'Here I am at this age in my life, and I have to start all over again? How do you even do that?' Michaud said. The neighborhood, which hugs the Cape Cod Canal and offers sweeping views of the Sagamore Bridge, is home to residents who have lived there for decades - some for more than 60 years. Vacant lots and a commercial buildings have also been taken, but it is the occupied houses that have turned a long-planned infrastructure project into a crisis. Under the state's action, owners have been offered what officials describe as fair-market value for their properties. Once ownership officially transferred on Friday, residents were given 120 days to vacate. Those unable to move in that time can, in theory, pay rent to the state to remain temporarily in their own homes. Several residents say such an offer feels like a final insult. Joyce Michaud stands on her back patio that overlooks the Sagamore Bridge. Michaud lives in the Round Hill neighborhood in Sagamore. She is losing her Cecilia Terrace home Michaud never envisioned having to surrender her Cape Cod home and the views it offered of the Sagamore Bridge but now she will have to The Round Hill area is expected to serve as a staging ground for construction equipment before eventually being converted into green space 'There is no way I am doing that,' said Marc Hendel. 'I am not renting my home from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.' For Marc and Joan Hendel, the seizure feels especially cruel. The couple moved back to Massachusetts from Iowa and settled into Round Hill in October 2024 only months before learning their home would be taken. They say they had no knowledge of the bridge replacement plan when they bought into the neighborhood, and that neither their attorney nor anyone else warned them that eminent domain loomed. 'We spent our life savings building this house,' Joan Hendel said to the Daily Mail last summer. 'We don't take risks and would certainly have never even considered this neighborhood if we knew what was coming.' The Hendels purchased a vacant 0.64-acre parcel in December 2023 for $165,000, then spent roughly $460,000 constructing a 1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bathroom home - a retirement dream they believed would last the rest of their lives. Instead, they were notified in March 2025 that the property would be seized as part of the Sagamore Bridge replacement. 'We literally used our life savings to move here,' Marc said. 'This is our dream home, this is our dream location, it was our forever home. We were never gonna move again, ever.' Michaud is devastated at losing her home due to the construction of a new Sagamore Bridge. A closing on her home was held on Friday but she has yet to find another home to move to Joan and Marc Hendel say the state is forcing them out of the brand-new Cape Cod home they spent their life savings building for retirement, just months after they moved in, leaving them scrambling to replace what they believed would be their forever home The Hendels home, a newly built three-bedroom, three-bath Cape Cod retirement house completed just months before the seizure notice arrive, is now slated to be torn down The Hendels say they were blindsided and remain furious that they were allowed to buy land, secure permits, and build a brand-new house without any warning that the state might soon demolish it and take it all away. 'We totally understand that the bridge needs something done,' Marc Hendel said. 'It's a safety issue and it's an economic thing. We get it.' The Hendels, like the other residents, say they understand the need to fix the bridges. They do not dispute the safety concerns or the economic importance of keeping Cape Cod connected, but they say they cannot accept being treated as collateral damage. Massachusetts received a $933million grant from the federal government in July 2024 to replace the bridge. A rendering from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (pictured) shows the new bridge will be a near replica of the original 1935 Sagamore Bridge The videos do not stop. They come in waves, minute after minute. Iranians marching, in their hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands. Streets choked with people. Men and women side by side. Faces uncovered. Voices raised. Without fear and with little left to lose. This is not 2023. It is not 'Woman, Life, Freedom', noble though that revolt was. Then, the anger still focused on issues. The hijab. Police violence. Daily humiliation. Before that, it was the economy, rigged elections. Protests centred on the thin hope that the system could be, if not reformed, at least bent a little. That illusion is dead. This uprising is different. It is not about reform but rupture. It is about ending, after almost 50 years, the Islamic Republic. 'Death to Khamenei!' the crowds roar the ageing ayatollah who leads Iran. The phrasing matters. For decades, the regime drilled its people to chant, 'Death to America' and 'Death to Britain'. Now the curse is turned inward, aimed at the man who sits at the centre of the diseased state. The very language of the regime has been weaponised against it. What marks this moment out is scale. Footage verified by open-source analysts shows unrest across dozens of cities: Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, Ahvaz. Anti-regime demonstrators celebrate as they take control of the streets in the city of Kermanshah, western Iran, this week as protests sweep the nation Protesters mill around cars jamming a main road in Mashhad, 560 miles from Tehran The protests cut across regions, classes and ethnic lines. Kurdish towns. Arab provinces. Azeri cities. Persian heartlands. In multiple locations, crowds have moved beyond slogans to target regime symbols directly, including Basij bases and Revolutionary Guard sites. And then there is the other chant. The one the clerics fear most. 'Zendeh bad Pahlavi!' Long live Pahlavi. Long live the late shah's son, 65-year-old Reza Pahlavi, who sits in exile in Washington DC, and who for many Iranians is the king over the water. This is not sentimentality. It is a statement of intent. A refusal to accept the lie that Iran's history began in 1979. The state still has the guns. But fear is shifting sides. Over fifty years ago, my maternal family fled Iran as Islamist fascism took hold. Now, perhaps, it is finally losing its grip. Friends on the ground were sceptical at first. They have been betrayed too often to believe easily. But now they are starting to believe. 'Maybe this time, dear David...' writes a friend in Tehran. 'I have never seen anything like this.' An old woman, her face split open, blood streaming down her cheeks, was filmed walking through Tehran: 'I am not afraid to die,' she says. 'I have been dead for forty-seven years.' Life under the Islamic Republic, she tells us, has already killed her. I have seen footage of unarmed protesters marching toward the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard. No weapons. No cover. No panic. Just Iranians who have had enough moving forward, reclaiming what is theirs. The Guard is the regime's killing arm. Sadistic. Corrupt. Steeped in blood from Tehran to Damascus. To walk towards it empty-handed is a statement of contempt. The regime's response reeks of panic. It has shut down the internet, throttled mobile and messaging apps. Revolutionary Guard units have been called back from regional deployments and flooded into major cities. The Ayatollah makes his first comments on Iranian state television since the outbreak of unrest Awnings depicting the Iranian leadership over a road in Ahvaz in flames amid protests State television thunders about 'foreign agents' and shadowy plots while refusing to acknowledge the size of the crowds. This pattern is well-worn. Tehran shuts down information first. Then it moves on the people. In November 2019, the same sequence ended with hundreds dead in days. And yet in Britain, there is near silence. Turn on the BBC and, apart from a few brief clips, you would scarcely know a historic revolt was under way for most of yesterday. No urgency. No sustained coverage. No moral clarity. Iran's people are desperately trying to throw off the chains of their Islamist oppressors, and the British national broadcaster averts its gaze. Keir Starmer is just as bad. Awkward and hesitant. Reduced to limp, half-hearted statements that everyone ignores. I suspect our Prime Minister is most troubled by whether protesters might be violating some abstruse clause of international law as they lie bleeding and twitching on the ground. And, perhaps, Labour is equally wary of alienating sections of its expansive Muslim base by welcoming the overthrow of an explicitly Islamist regime. But despite Starmer's silence, these protests matter. And if you think they don't concern you, you are wrong. Iran is the hinge of the Middle East. It sits between the Caspian Basin and the Persian Gulf, astride two of the world's great energy reserves. Through the Strait of Hormuz flows roughly a fifth of global oil. When Iran moves, the world shakes. It is a country of around 90million people. And they are educated and capable. Its scientists built a nuclear programme under sanctions that would have crushed weaker nations. Its engineers, doctors and technologists are world class. And let me tell you something unfashionable but true. The overwhelming majority of Iranians are pro-Western to their core. I have never been anywhere else where strangers asked me to teach them English in an American accent. They watch our films. Read our books. Follow our music. And they loathe the men who rule them for stealing that world away. They know Iran should be rich, open and powerful as it has been for long stretches of history. Instead, it is plundered to fund medieval terror groups from Gaza to Yemen, its wealth burned on ideology, its future mortgaged to geriatric clerics and adolescent gunmen. If this regime falls, it will not be a regional footnote. It will be a global shock. If what replaces the mullahs is even halfway sane, then vast change will come, all of it good. Energy markets will open. Proxy wars will buckle. Terror networks will falter. Nuclear calculations will change overnight. Donald Trump has already warned that if the regime begins slaughtering protesters en masse, the White House is ready to act. Believe him or not, the words matter. They draw a line. And lines only hold if the world is watching. Silence is Tehran's greatest ally. Darkness is its shield. Every ignored video, every muted voice, gives the regime yet more space to kill unseen. Britain still has a voice, though one diminished by our leaders' decisions, over many years, which have reduced our global status. We should be using it. Loudly. Without apology. Without delay. What is happening in Iran is momentous. It may yet be historic. But history does not announce itself in advance. It depends on who speaks, and who looks away. The BBC might have averted its eyes. Keir Starmer may stall and squirm. We must not. Because if Iranians are brave enough to face batons and bullets with bare hands, then the least we can do is look at their efforts with open eyes. They are risking their lives to face down one of the world's great evils: Islamist oppression. And for that they deserve our solidarity, not our silence. Child serial killer Lucy Letby has allegedly landed the top job in prison, leaving other inmates 'jealous'. The former nurse will be handing out books and DVDs to her fellow prisoners in her new role as librarian at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey. It marks a promotion for Letby from her previous position as a cleaner at the all-female jail. She has been in custody since 2020 after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital. A source told The Sun: 'Letby is cock-a-hoop as it is the top job in a prison. She is the librarian on her unit and that can make her popular if she gives friends what they want. 'Jail librarians often do their mates favours. She can go round on a trolley and deliver boxsets to cells. 'A lot of prisoners are jealous. Letby also got quite a few birthday cards and letters and the other women think she's getting an easy ride.' The source suggested the promotion was a result of her good behaviour while behind bars and her friendly relationship with prison officers. Child serial killer Lucy Letby, pictured, has allegedly landed the top job in prison, leaving other inmates 'jealous' The former nurse will be handing out books and DVDs to her fellow prisoners in her new role as librarian at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, pictured Letby, who turned 35 this week, has been placed in Unit 4 of the jail alongside Sara Sharif's stepmother Beinash Batool and aristocratic baby killer Constance Marten. The Daily Mail has approached the Ministry of Justice for comment. Sodexo, the company which runs the prison, has also been approached for comment. It was claimed in October that Letby is known as a massive 'foodie' by her fellow inmates and is hooked on Come Dine With Me, binge watching the cookery show in her cell every weekend. She is said to watch five back-to-back episodes of Come Dine With Me on More4 every Saturday and again on Sunday. Letby is entitled to a Freeview TV package due to her good behaviour behind bars. Since Letby was jailed, there has been a furious debate over whether the evidence against her is flawed, with a growing body of supporters arguing she is innocent. Earlier this year, medical experts reviewing her convictions claimed they 'did not find any murders' amid questions over evidence used to convict the child serial killer. It marks a promotion for Letby from her previous position as a cleaner at the all-female jail Letby's trial at Manchester Crown Court heard the babies were attacked between 2015 and 2016 while she worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit. One method was injecting air into the bloodstream, which was said to have caused an air embolism that blocked blood supply and led to sudden and unexpected collapses. The court heard evidence from experts that Letby used various other ways to harm babies, including injecting air into the stomach, overfeeding with milk, physical assaults and poisoning with insulin. And she wrote a note saying: 'I don't deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I'm not good enough to care for them.' But in July, analysis conducted by a 'blue riband committee' of 14 neonatalogists -experts in care of newborn babies - was presented at a press conference in London. Dr Shoo Lee, a retired top neonatal medical expert, co-authored a 1989 academic text on air embolisms in babies - which featured prominently in Letby's ten-month trial. He chaired a panel of experts who compiled an 'impartial evidence-based report' and said their thoughts were with the families of the babies who died - but also claimed the prosecution misinterpreted his findings on skin discolouration. Dr Lee told the packed press conference: 'Death or injury of all the affected infants were due either to natural causes or to errors in medical care. There were serious problems related to medical care of patients at this hospital. 'There were problems related to teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration at the Countess of Chester Neonatal Unit. 'In summary, ladies and gentlemen, we did not find any murders. In all cases, death or injury were due to natural causes or just bad medical care. Lucy was charged with seven murders and seven attempted murders. Letby pictured while being arrested at home in Chester on July 3, 2018 'In our opinion, the medical opinion, the medical evidence doesn't support murder in any of these babies, just natural causes and bad medical care. 'Our full report will go to Lucy's barrister later this month and then it will be up to him and the courts to decide what next to do.' Letby's lawyer Mr McDonald said the revelations 'demolished' the case against her, adding: 'Lucy Letby was convicted because of medical evidence presented to the jury. That, today, has been demolished.' He claimed her conviction was 'unsafe' and should be referred back to the Court of Appeal, saying: 'She has hope, that's all I can say.' Since being jailed, Letby has been given a cleaning job and was fast-tracked to enhanced prisoner status, which allows her to have extra cash to spend on sweets. Her privileged status allows her a visit every week twice as many as standard prisoners, a source said. However, the baby killer is reportedly under 24-hour guard after inmates ruthlessly taunted her over her case's coverage in the press. The voice on the end of the phone in Switzerland is hesitant and nervous. Barely a week has passed since the horrific fire which engulfed the basement of the Le Constellation bar in CransMontana, killing 40 and seriously injuring 116 others most of them teenagers out celebrating the New Year. Over the past few days, the agonising grief of their parents has tipped into fury directed at the ski resort bar's French owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti. Yesterday, 49yearold Jacques, who reportedly has a criminal history, with a string of offences to his name, was dramatically taken into custody after being declared a 'flight risk' by Swiss prosecutors. There are disturbing claims, too, that his 40yearold wife was captured on CCTV running out of Le Constellation as the fire took hold, allegedly holding the cash register, while hundreds of young customers were trapped inside. A former model and actress, Jessica once worked alongside British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, the Daily Mail can reveal. More later of what happened during those final moments on New Year's Eve. More, too, of serious concerns previously raised by former staff about safety at the bar (which had a significant underage clientele, with some as young as 14), including those made by a French barman left in a coma following the horrific blaze. With pressure growing on the couple, Jacques Moretti's father exclusively told the Daily Mail over the phone this week that his son and daughterinlaw whose own father is a retired firefighter have been left devastated by the tragedy. 'We are a family. We are united. We'll see what happens next,' he said. The couple face possible charges of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence. They were formally interviewed by Swiss prosecutors yesterday. Owners of Le Constellation bar Jacques Moretti (L) and Jessica Moretti (R) arrive for a hearing at the Office of the public prosecutor of the Canton of Valais in Sion on January 9, 2026 Jessica Moretti (right) with Sacha Baron Cohen as The Dictator at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2012, Moretti was among a group of models hired to appear alongside Baron Cohen for a publicity stunt to promote his film They have always maintained there was no wrongdoing on their part. Jessica Moretti was in tears after the interview and, speaking for the first time about the disaster, said: 'It's an unimaginable tragedy. We never could have imagined this. I want to apologise. My thoughts are constantly with the victims, and with the people who continue to fight [for their lives].' She now has to wear an electronic tag, and report to police every three days. Meanwhile, questions are being asked about how the couple have, over a decade, built an empire in one of the most exclusive resorts in the Swiss Alps, given Jacques Moretti's criminal past not to mention how they managed to evade inspections for six years. Both born on the stunning French island of Corsica, sources there told the Daily Mail that the reason they moved to Switzerland ten years ago was because Jacques Moretti was no longer allowed to run businesses in France. According to one who is familiar with Mr Moretti's past: 'They don't ask too many questions in Switzerland. He was often in serious trouble in France, so Switzerland was an obvious place to set up.' His murky CV includes two years in prison in France for fraud in 2005 and another spell inside three years later for recruiting prostitutes for an erotic massage parlour in Geneva called The Hot Rabbit, where he worked as manager. Mr Moretti was convicted in 2008 by a court in Annecy in France for what is known as 'proxenetisme aggrave' aggravated pimping after procuring young women in France to work in the Swiss city in 2004 and 2005. According to the court, as well as accommodating all the women in a flat he rented, he also set their rates and the number of clients they worked for. Moretti, who was still living in Corsica at the time, was caught after his phone was tapped and found guilty by magistrates of having 'profited from prostitution' and acting as an 'intermediary' with other people 'exploiting or remunerating the prostitution of others'. He also recruited women to work in other Swiss massage parlours. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with eight suspended. Jacques and Jessica Moretti. With pressure growing on the couple, Jacques Moretti's father exclusively told the Daily Mail over the phone this week that his son and daughterinlaw whose own father is a retired firefighter have been left devastated by the tragedy Pictured: The moment sparklers on Champagne bottles started the deadly fire on New Year's Day His most recent conviction was in 2010 back in Corsica, where he received a twoyear sentence for social security fraud, relating to housing assistance. Moretti was born in 1977 into a longstanding Corsican family on an island which is notorious for gangrelated clan violence. Raised in the village of Ghisonaccia, he started work in the bar and restaurant industry soon after leaving school and moved to Bonifacio, a glamorous port city on the southern tip of the island, where the rich and famous like to anchor their superyachts. In 2009, he set up a nightclub bar called Lollapalooza. It was closed in 2014, shortly before his move to Switzerland. By then he was in a relationship with Jessica Maric. She was born in Corsica in 1985 but, aged six, moved with her family to the French Riviera where she later took a business course at the International University of Monaco at the end of the 2000s. According to her now shut Facebook page she also briefly studied at the University of Glamorgan in South Wales, as well as at Montpellier Business School in France. A hideous irony, given the events of last week, is that Jessica's father, JeanPaul Maric, is a former senior fire chief in Cannes and president of the city's charitable firefighters 'friendly society'. His brother JeanPierre Maric is also a former firefighter and president of a rural 'Forest Fire' committee, which as well as recruiting volunteer firefighters, visits schools teaching youngsters about the dangers of fire. Jessica with her husband yesterday. Before entering the hospitality business with her husband, Jessica worked for years as a fashion, underwear and swimwear model, while also acting in a series of short promotional videos in the early 2000s According to a family friend: 'Her father and other relatives are highly respected firefighters in the south of France. Protecting people from fire is part of family tradition.' Before entering the hospitality business with her husband, Jessica worked for years as a fashion, underwear and swimwear model, while also acting in a series of short promotional videos in the early 2000s. In 2012, she was among a group of models hired to appear alongside comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen for a publicity stunt to promote his film, The Dictator, at the Cannes Film Festival. Strikingly dressed in a red beret, khaki jacket and miniskirt and clutching a stunt Kalashnikov rifle, she was one of the socalled 'virgin guards' who accompanied Baron Cohen's character Haffaz Aladeen through the streets of Cannes, posing at the entrance to the Carlton hotel and next to a camel. She and husband Jacques moved to CransMontana in 2015, where Jessica cut a glamorous figure in an Alpine resort which is hugely popular with wealthy Europeans. He, meanwhile, was often seen driving around the town in a limousine, and more recently a Bentley, and went by the nickname 'Le Corse' the Corsican a title he is said to revel in. That same year the pair took over as managers of Le Constellation, which had opened in the early 2000s, but only as a basic cafebar. They set about renovating it themselves, posting photographs of their work on a dedicated Facebook page which has since been shut down. In one image Jacques Moretti can be seen smiling at the camera from inside the twostorey bar, the interior of which was demolished by a digger before being rebuilt and lined with wood to give the feel of an alpine cabin. Other images show the narrow staircase up which hundreds of youngsters desperately attempted to escape on January 1. The ceiling of the basement was stripped back before the addition of dimpled acoustic insulation foam to avoid disturbing residents living in apartments above the bar. That foam is now widely believed to have been fatally ignited by sparklers in champagne bottles on the night of the fire. Flowers in Crans-Montana left in tribute to the 40 people who died in the nightclub fire A Swiss investigating source with knowledge of local government administration in CransMontana told the Daily Mail this week: 'With the change of management, the bar was gradually used as a nightclub, despite not having a specific permit to operate as one. This fact is now key to the manslaughter inquiry against the Morettis.' The bar, known as 'Le Constel' to its loyal clientele, soon became popular among teenage skiers and students from nearby Le Regent International School. Five years later, in 2020, the Morettis opened a second venue, Le Senso, a burger bar in the resort. In 2023, they launched an upmarket Corsicanthemed restaurant, Le Vieux Chalet in Lens, a Swiss village that is also part of the CransMontana region. The couple own a house in Lens and another property on the French Riviera. While the pair have insisted that they operated within the law, lawyers for families of the victims are now asking a growing number of questions about where, exactly, the Morettis got all their cash. According to one lawyer, they spent around 2.7 million on property in recent years. According to financial records accessed by Swiss lawyer Sebastien Fanti, who is representing some of the victims, they paid 40,000 Swiss francs (around 37,000) a month in rent for seven years before buying Le Constellation in 2022 without a mortgage. They then bought Le Senso in 2023 and finally Le Vieux Chalet. Mr Fanti described Mr Moretti this week as 'a shady character whose practices raise questions'. 'I don't have a single foreign client who moves to Switzerland without taking out a mortgage, and I've been a notary for 26 years. We don't know where Mr Moretti's money comes from,' he said. He added: 'Do you know how many coffees and bottles of champagne you have to sell to pay 40,000 francs a month in rent?' Mourners look at tributes to the victims of the Swiss nightclub fire The entrance of the 'Le Constellation' bar and lounge pictured after the deadly fire The key question is who, ultimately, is to blame for the inferno. In its immediate aftermath, Jacques Moretti claimed he 'followed all safety regulations'. It has since transpired, however, that no fire inspections had been carried out at Le Constellation for the past six years, despite the fact it counted as a 'highrisk' location. 'We bitterly regret this,' CransMontana mayor Nicolas Feraud said this week, adding he couldn't explain why the inspections, which should have been yearly, had not been carried out. During previous inspections, including the last in 2019, the soundproof foam was never tested. According to Mr Feraud, it wasn't considered necessary. He added that he and his team were unaware the bar was using the kind of fountain sparklers said to have caused the fire. But others were and had raised concerns among them a former waitress, called Sarah, who said this week she quit due to safety concerns. A video filmed in Le Constellation on New Year's Eve in 2019 showed revellers carrying bottles of vodka loaded with ice fountain sparklers with a waiter calling out to one holding a bottle dangerously close to the ceiling: 'Watch out for the foam! Watch out for the foam!' Sarah said: 'I worked a few months as a waitress before leaving for several reasons. I refused to do a lot of things. This practice, encouraging customers to buy champagne bottles, seemed extremely dangerous to me. I categorically refused to sit on shoulders for the show because I was afraid my hair would burn. It's dangerous because of the balance, the stairs, there's the crowd, and then people are very drunk.' She said the emergency exit was kept locked with staff 'ordered' not to unlock it except to go upstairs to an apartment above the bar. She said she only saw fire extinguishers in an office that was 'often locked'. Another former bar employee called Maxime told French TV that extinguishers were kept in a locked room at the bar: 'I always said that if waitresses held up sparklers and they came into contact with the ceiling, everything could go up in flames. 'There was definitely a risk and the safety measures were a bit dicey. Staff weren't briefed on fire safety and the emergency exit was sometimes blocked or locked.' The coffin at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome during the funeral of Riccardo Minghetti - a 16-year-old victim of the bar-nightclub fire According to a French broadcaster, French bar manager Gaetan ThomasGilbert, 28, who was severely burnt in the fire, had previously told his father of his concerns about safety at the venue. JeanMichel Gilbert said his son told him in November that he wanted to quit his job but ultimately decided to stick it out until the New Year. He is being treated in a Paris hospital for thirddegree burns and only came out of a coma this week. What seems clear is that given the bar's habit of promoting the use of fountain sparklers, the fire was an accident waiting to happen. Mr Moretti was not at Le Constellation on December 31. His wife, who was in charge, sustained a burn to one arm as the blaze tore through the bar at around 1.30am on January 1 causing a mass stampede which left dozens crushed and dying. Media outlets in France and Italy this week reported Mrs Moretti was captured on security cameras fleeing with the cash register. Italy's La Repubblica said she had fled with the 'cash register containing the evening's takings'. French news site Public said: 'CCTV footage reportedly shows the bar owner leaving the premises with the cash register shortly after the start of the incident.' If this allegation is true, Mrs Moretti could face further criminal charges including 'failing to assist people in danger'. Meanwhile, another former employee told French media that Jacques Moretti ordered staff to turn the beer taps off and fill glasses with cans from Aldi, and that empty bottles of Grey Goose vodka were refilled with a cheaper version. Staff were also paid partly 'under the table' in cash to compensate for working more hours than they should. The Morettis face up to 20 years in prison if charged and found guilty of manslaughter. But as Jacques Moretti's father said yesterday, the couple 'are sentenced to life with this story'. 'It's the first time in my life that I've seen Jacques cry,' he told Le Figaro. 'I know my son, he would never run away. It is his honour. We think of the victims, we also lost loved ones and people we loved. We cry every day.' On Tuesday the Morettis pledged their 'full cooperation' with investigators. 'We will under no circumstances attempt to evade these matters,' they said. Meanwhile, a growing mountain of floral tributes sits outside Le Constellation, many accompanied by messages written by those affected by the tragedy. Among them are grieving parents and those whose injured children have been left burnt, in some cases, beyond recognition. An explanation about what happened that night is surely the very least they deserve. Additional reporting by Emma Carmichael. The UK will spend 200 million preparing British troops for deployment to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, the Defence Secretary has announced. John Healey was speaking after a one-day visit to Kyiv on Friday, where he discussed plans for the Multinational Force Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The money will pay for upgrades to vehicles and communications systems, counter-drone protection, and other equipment to ensure troops are ready to deploy. Healey said: 'We are surging investment into our preparations following the Prime Minister's announcement this week, ensuring that Britain's armed forces are ready to deploy, and lead, the Multinational Force Ukraine, because a secure Ukraine means a secure UK.' The announcement came just a day after Russia unleashed a terrifying nuclear-capable missile on Ukraine. After the meeting Mr Zelensky said he was 'grateful' for the UK's support, adding: 'It is crucial that the framework for ending the war includes a clear response from the allies should Russian aggression be repeated.' On Wednesday Sir Keir Starmer pledged to send troops to Ukraine as part of a 'reassurance force' organised by the 'coalition of the willing'. The size of the western force, which will also include soldiers from France, has not yet been announced, nor has the Government provided details of how many British personnel it expects to deploy. The UK will spend 200 million preparing British troops for deployment to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, the Defence Secretary has announced. Pictured: Volodymyr Zelensky meets with John Healey, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 9 John Healey was speaking after a one-day visit to Kyiv on Friday, where he discussed plans for the Multinational Force Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky The announcement came just a day after Russia unleashed a terrifying nuclear-capable missile on Ukraine Reports have suggested the whole force could amount to just 15,000 men, with the UK providing half the total. But in the Commons on Wednesday, Mr Healey declined to give details, saying it would 'only make (Vladimir) Putin wiser'. On Friday, Mr Healey also announced that production would start this month on new Octopus drones for Ukraine, designed to intercept other drones used by Russia to attack civilian targets. The UK aims to produce thousands of the drones per month, with each Octopus costing just 10% of the drones they are designed to intercept. On Thursday night Russia launched a huge wave of drones and missiles against Ukraine, striking civilian targets and energy infrastructure. The attack involved more than 200 drones and 20 missiles, according to a British Defence Intelligence assessment, including an experimental hypersonic Oreshnik missile launched against Lviv, in western Ukraine. The Oreshnik, an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), is believed to have been fired from 1,000 miles away and well within Russian territory. The menacing attack close to NATO and EU territory was aimed at Europe's largest underground gas storage facility, it is believed. The menacing attack close to NATO and EU territory was aimed at Europe's largest underground gas storage facility, it is believed On Thursday night Russia launched a huge wave of drones and missiles against Ukraine, striking civilian targets and energy infrastructure. Pictured: Firefighters stand in front of a building in Kyiv that was hit during a night of Russian drone and missile attacks There is no suggestion the overnight Oreshnik strike was nuclear - despite its atomic capability. Putin claims targets are incinerated by conventional Oreshnik missiles unleashing a temperature of 4,000C, almost as hot as the surface of the sun. Production of IRBMs was banned by the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty between the US and Russia, but the treaty collapsed in 2019 amid repeated accusations of Russian non-compliance. Defence Intelligence said Moscow was likely to have only a 'handful' of Oreshnik missiles, which cost far more than other missiles it has used to attack Ukraine, adding its use was 'almost certainly intended as strategic messaging'. Elon Musk's baby mama Ashley St Clair is one of many furious with the X CEO over Grok allowing users to create deepfake porn of her as a 14-year-old. The 27-year-old, who is in the process of fighting the Tesla CEO for custody of their nearly one-year-old son Romulus, is speaking out after friends alerted her to the vile, user-generated images. 'I found that Grok was undressing me and it had taken a fully clothed photo of me, someone asked to put in a bikini and it did,' she told Inside Edition, adding that one of the pictures was of her at the age of just 14. 'These are real images of me that they then took and had them undress me. They found a photo of me when I was 14 years old and had it undress 14-year-old me and put me in a bikini,' she added. St Clair, who said she was 'disgusted and violated,' reached out to Grok to try and get the disgusting images removed, she had mixed results. 'Some of them they did, some of them it took 36 hours and some of them are still up,' she said. St Clair even claimed on her own X account Thursday that she received a terms of service violation for complaining about it. 'They removed my blue check faster than they removed the mechahitler kiddie porn + sexual abuse content grok made (it's still up, in case you were wondering how the 'pay $8 to abuse women and children' approach was working,' she wrote. Elon Musk's baby mama Ashley St Clair (pictured) is one of many furious with the X CEO over Grok allowing users to create deepfake porn of her as a 14-year-old The 27-year-old, who is in the process of fighting the Tesla CEO (pictured) for custody of their nearly one-year-old son Romulus, is speaking out after friends alerted her to the vile, user-generated images St Clair claims that Musk is 'aware of the issue' and that 'it wouldn't be happening' if he wanted it to stop. When asked why he hasn't had the child pornography stopped, she said: 'That's a great question that people should ask him.' On her account, she continued to slam the world's richest man, writing that 'I'm starting to think the $44billion' Musk spent to purchase X 'wasn't for free speech.' X CEO Musk appeared to address complaints about the app in a response to a user who asked: 'So what if Grok can put people in bikinis? So can photoshop? So can millions of apps already? This isnt a new problem, its a new tool. If a user does it someone unconsentually, the user should be punished, not the platform.' Musk simply quote-tweeted and added: 'Exactly.' X did not respond to The Daily Mail's request for comment but did announce Friday that only paid subscribers are able to use Grok meaning their name and payment information must be on file. An internet safety organization said its analysts have confirmed the existence of 'criminal imagery of children aged between 11 and 13 which appears to have been created using the (Grok) tool'. The chatbot, which is accessed through Musk's social media platform X, has in the past few weeks been granting a wave of what researchers say are malicious user requests to modify images, including putting women in bikinis or in sexually explicit positions. 'I found that Grok was undressing me and it had taken a fully clothed photo of me, someone asked to put in a bikini,' St Clair said, adding that one of the pictures was of her at the age of just 14 Researchers have warned that in a few cases, some images appeared to depict children. Governments around the world have condemned the platform and opened investigations. On Friday, Grok responded to image altering requests with the message: 'Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.' While subscriber numbers for Grok aren't publicly available, there was a noticeable decline Friday in the number of explicit deepfakes that Grok is now generating compared with just days earlier. Grok was still granting image requests but only from X users with blue checkmarks given to premium subscriber who pay $8 a month for features including higher usage limits for the chatbot. The Associated Press on Friday confirmed Friday afternoon that the image editing tool was still available to free users on the standalone Grok website and app. The restrictions for users save for paying subscribers did not appear to change the opinions of leaders or regulators in Europe. 'This doesn't change our fundamental issue. Paid subscription or non-paid subscription, we don't want to see such images. It's as simple as that,' said Thomas Regnier, a spokesman for the European Union's executive Commission. The Commission had earlier slammed Grok for 'illegal' and 'appalling' behavior. St Clair claims that Musk is 'aware of the issue' and that 'it wouldn't be happening' if he wanted it to stop Grok is free to use for X users, who can ask it questions on the social media platform. They can either tag it in posts they've directly created or in replies to posts from other users. The feature launched in 2023. Last summer the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, that included a so-called 'spicy mode' that can generate adult content. The problem is amplified both because Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative to rivals with more safeguards, and because Grok's images are publicly visible, and can therefore be easily spread. Musk has previously insisted 'anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content'. X has said it takes action against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, 'by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary'. Eric Nelson knows what happens when politics collides with law enforcement tragedy. He represented perhaps the most notorious cop in American legal history: Derek Chauvin, who was jailed for George Floyd's murder. Now, as another deadly encounter divides Minneapolis and the nation, he warns the same forces that engulfed his last case are gathering again - with potentially disastrous results for justice. ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot dead Renee Good, 37, as she drove her Honda Pilot at him during a protest over immigration raids in Minneapolis on Wednesday. The Trump administration says the federal agent was justified because the protester was using her car as a deadly weapon. Democrats call her killing 'murder.' But for Ross, the legal nightmare may be just beginning. There is no statute of limitations on murder in Minnesota. Even if federal prosecutors decline to indict, which Nelson believes likely given the Trump administration's public support, state prosecutors could file charges tomorrow, next year, or a decade from now. The sword of Damocles will hang over Ross indefinitely, regardless of what the Trump administration says about his actions being justified. 'I've just been through enough of these cases where if there's a political agenda, then the law gets thrown to the side,' he told the Daily Mail. 'It is entirely possible that the federal system could say we're not going to indict him, but the state could prosecute him for some form of homicide or manslaughter. 'The Feds have no power to stop that.' Nelson warned that 'what's happened politically is there has been an erosion in the public trust between the state and the federal systems.' Defense attorney Eric Nelson, left, and Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, right, at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis on March 17, 2021. Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd New bodycam footage released Friday, captured by Ross himself, showed Good speaking to the agent before revving her engine and driving off ICE agent Jonathan Ross pictured moments before the deadly shooting New bodycam footage released Friday, captured by Ross himself, showed Good speaking to the agent before revving her engine and driving off as her wife shouted 'drive baby, drive.' Ross fired three shots, one striking Good in the head, killing her. Vice President JD Vance immediately seized on the footage as evidence 'that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense,' calling Good 'a victim of left-wing ideology.' Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey branded the self-defense argument 'garbage,' saying the video showed Good calmly engaging with Ross and turning her car away from him. Through the political fog of war, Nelson sees a complicated set of facts which are growing more clouded by the day. He explained that the case will boil down to whether or not Ross's use of force was justified as an authorized use of force. The benchmark test for this is Graham vs. Connor - decided by the Supreme Court in 1989. Nelson said this is a three-part test based on the severity of the crime, whether the suspect was resisting, and finally 'the most important prong' - whether the person presents an active threat of death or bodily harm. But crucially, Nelson explained, the test hinges on what a 'reasonable officer' in that exact moment would perceive, not what can be seen in hindsight. 'The officer is allowed to make mistakes, because these are rapidly evolving, high-intensity situations,' he said. Whether Good's wheels were pointed left, right, or straight becomes irrelevant if Ross reasonably believed in that split-second he was about to be run down. If the case were to be prosecuted, Nelson foresees issues for the defense. Similar to the George Floyd case, the prosecution will argue that law enforcement was dealing with a misdemeanor. Federal agents clash and arrest protestors outside an ICE facility during a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), after a U.S. immigration agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in her car in Minneapolis, Minneapolis, on Friday A supporter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) waves a U.S. flag amid tear gas, after clashes with demonstrators protesting the shooting in Minneapolis on Friday Federal agents detain a protester as violence broke out on Friday in Minneapolis following the deadly shooting Renee Good, 37, had been obstructing federal agents in her vehicle at an anti-ICE protest when she was shot dead 'They're going say he wasn't confronting a violent person,' Nelson said. 'That it was not a felony-level offense that they were investigating. That it was really just more obstructing the legal process or resisting arrest type of offense.' On the second prong, whether Good was resisting, Nelson sees less dispute. 'I think there would be less argument over whether or not she was resisting. In the Chauvin case, the question was, at what point did the resisting stop? Here, arguably, she is actively resisting by trying to flee the situation.' The final and most important consideration, whether or not the suspect presents an active threat, Nelson believes could spin on policing guidelines - including shooting into a moving car and standing in front of a vehicle. Nelson said: 'I would guarantee that if this case were to be prosecuted, there would be experts on both sides to say that that the force was justified or that it was excessive. 'They are going to point to the ICE policies on the authorized use of force. 'Almost every police department that I'm aware of, have prohibitions against shooting into or out of moving vehicles.' He added that most police departments, including ICE, tell officers that they should not position themselves in a way that makes deadly force more likely. 'If you're trying to stop a car, you shouldn't position yourself in front, because if they speed away, it's going to increase the probability that you would have to use deadly force,' he explained. Justice Department guidance bars shooting at moving vehicles unless the driver poses an imminent threat 'beyond the car itself,' and specifically says officers should step out of the vehicle's path when possible. Surveillance footage shows Good's SUV had been blocking the street before Ross approached, giving him time, prosecutors could argue, to choose a safer position rather than positioning himself directly in front of her vehicle. On the side of the defense, Nelson also sees strong arguments. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is taken into custody as his attorney Eric Nelson, left, watches, after his bail was revoked after he was found guilty on all three counts in his trial for the 2020 death of George Floyd, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis Eric Nelson speaks as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides over pretrial motions before jury selection, Monday, March 8, 2021, in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin Regarding police guidelines about shooting into and standing in front of vehicles, Nelson is emphatic: 'Policy is just that. It's policy. It is not the law. Every policy will contain the exception that says: unless you feel that you are justified in using deadly force.' Beyond the arguments on the facts, a thorny jurisdictional question looms: can Minnesota prosecute a federal agent if the Department of Justice declines to act? All 50 states have concurrent jurisdiction, meaning state and federal law are supposed to operate 'in a sort of harmony,' Nelson explained. Nelson believes it is unlikely that the federal investigation results in an indictment given the statements so far from the Trump administration. However, there is no federal homicide statute, so the investigation is over whether there is a violation of her civil rights that resulted in death. 'The state question is whether this constitutes some form of murder, manslaughter, or some other crime,' Nelson said. What normally happens is that the federal and local authorities will investigate simultaneously. 'In the George Floyd investigation, at every interview that was conducted, there was both an FBI or Federal officer and a state officer,' Nelson said. 'So the normal course is to share information to conduct independent investigations, but to do that harmoniously between the two agencies, or whatever agencies there are.' In this highly politicized case, things are far from harmonious. Donald Trump on Friday called Minnesota officials 'crooked' as a reporter asked why federal investigators are refusing to share information with their state counterparts. Donald Trump on Friday called Minnesota officials 'crooked' as a reporter asked why federal investigators are refusing to share information with their state counterparts Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks during a press conference at City Hall on Friday People ride in the back of a truck during a demonstration against increased immigration enforcement, days after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, outside the Canopy by Hilton hotel that demonstrators believe is being used by federal agents, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday Minneapolis Police and Minnesota State Police declare an unlawful assembly at the intersection of Park and Third Street in Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota on Friday ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Good on Wednesday, and his wife, Patrixia 'It is entirely possible that the federal system could say we're not going to indict him,' Nelson said. 'But the state could prosecute him for some form of homicide or manslaughter, and so in that situation, the feds have no power to stop that, because Minnesota is a sovereign state, as are all states.' The attorney struck a somber tone as he reflected on the similarities between the George Floyd case five years ago and the shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday. 'It is reflective of the political divide in this country,' Nelson said. 'No matter what anybody says, it's very difficult to change people's minds these days. 'It's going to haunt this agent. 'This woman is dead. 'People have to remember that these are human beings on both sides that are involved in this situation, and that the consequences to anyone involved are tragic and profound.' Donald Trump said he's going to do 'something on Greenland, whether they like it or not.' The president was asked how much money could be offered to purchase the territory after Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers Trump's intention was to buy it. Trump told reporters Friday that he's not 'talking money' with regard to Greenland yet but he may do so in the future. 'Right now we are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland and we're not gonna' have Russia or China as a neighbor.' The president said that he would like to make a deal 'the easy way' to acquire Greenland. 'If we don't do it the easy way, we're going to do it the hard way,' Trump said, without explaining what the 'hard way' entailed. He also added that he is 'a fan' of Denmark, just a day after Trump admitted that his own morality was the only limit to his global power. Denmark's ambassador, Jesper Mller Srensen, and Jacob Isbosethsen, Greenland's chief representative to Washington, met on Thursday with White House National Security Council officials to discuss the renewed push by Trump to acquire Greenland, perhaps by military force. Donald Trump said he's going to do 'something on Greenland, whether they like it or not' US Special Forces Operators conduct training in austere conditions at Pituffik Space Base, Greenland The envoys have also held a series of meetings this week with American lawmakers as they look to enlist help in persuading Trump to back off his threat. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet next week with Danish officials. Trump, in a New York Times interview published Thursday, said he has to possess the entirety of Greenland instead of just exercising a long-standing treaty that gives the United States wide latitude to use Greenland for military posts. 'I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can't do with, you're talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document,' Trump told the newspaper. The U.S. is party to a 1951 treaty that gives it broad rights to set up military bases there with the consent of Denmark and Greenland. Meanwhile, Trump's vice president, JD Vance, told reporters that European leaders should 'take the president of the United States seriously' as he framed the issue as one of defense. 'What we're asking our European friends to do is take the security of that landmass more seriously, because if they're not, the United States is going to have to do something about it,' Vance said. But the administration is starting to hear pushback from lawmakers, including some Republicans, about Trump's designs on the territory. North American Aerospace Defense Command F-35 Lightning II aircraft fly over Greenland In a floor speech Thursday, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska warned that the rhetoric from some in the Trump administration is 'profoundly troubling.' Trump wants to avoid using military force to acquire the Danish territory, Rubio told a secret meeting of lawmakers Thursday. His comments came in a briefing by top White House officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, over the operation to capture Nicolas Maduro and the plans for Venezuela's future. Rubio made the statement after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked whether Trump planned to use the military in other parts of the globe, such as Mexico and Greenland, a source told the Journal. Denmark, a NATO member, last week requested talks with the US over Trump's renewed threats against Greenland after Maduro's capture. Tensions with the bloc ratcheted higher this morning when Trump attacked the alliance for not paying its fair share and relying on US defense. The President ripped into 'fans' of the post-WWII military alliance with a reminder that 'most weren't paying their bills' - just two percent of their GDP on defense, well short of the five percent target set last summer at the Hague. 'Until I came along,' Trump wrote on Wednesday morning. 'The USA was, foolishly, paying for them.' The president was asked about what possible money would be offered to purchase the territory after Secretary of State Marco Rubio (pictured right) reportedly told lawmakers Trump's intention was to buy it Danish military forces participate in an exercise with troops from other NATO members in the Arctic Ocean in Nuuk, Greenland, on September 15 last year 'Russia and China have zero fear of NATO without the United States, and I doubt NATO would be there for us if we really needed them,' he added. 'We will always be there for NATO, even if they won't be there for us. The only nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT-rebuilt USA.' Europe is on edge after Trump threatened to seize Greenland following his capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in the early hours of Saturday. Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen warned earlier this week that a US takeover would amount to the end of NATO. The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom joined her in a statement Tuesday reaffirming that the mineral-rich island, which guards the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, 'belongs to its people.' The island of Greenland, 80 percent of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home to about 56,000 mostly Inuit people. Iran's religious dictatorship was under huge pressure last night amid protests across the nation and an internet blackout. With buildings on fire, cars overturned and cries of 'death to the dictator' in the streets, the country's Supreme Leader was said to be making plans to leave. According to Donald Trump, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was 'looking to go some place', with Moscow mooted as a possible sanctuary. Desperate to salvage their cruel regime, Iran's clerics last night cut off the country's 90 million citizens from the world, even resorting to military technology to block Elon Musk's Starlink service. With internet access reduced to 1 per cent connectivity, phone lines cut and payment systems shut down, protests spread to 31 provinces. The death toll since the uprising began a fortnight ago rose to 62 yesterday, with more than 2,300 detained, according to human rights activists. Heroic protesters who spoke to the Daily Mail said they had 'nothing to lose' due to living conditions in the country after 50 years of religious rule. Khamenei blamed Mr Trump for triggering the uprising, accusing protesters of 'ruining their own streets' to please the US President. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (pictured). With buildings on fire, cars overturned and cries of 'death to the dictator' in the streets, the Ayatollah was said to be making plans to leave Iranians on the streets of Tehran. The death toll since the uprising began a fortnight ago rose to 62 yesterday, with more than 2,300 detained, according to human rights activists Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022. Iran's Supreme Leader is said to be eyeing Moscow as a possible sanctuary should the Islamic Republic fall In his first address since the protests began, he told state TV: 'Trump's hands are stained with the blood of Iranians. This man said he ordered it and commanded it. So he confessed that his hands are stained with Iranian blood.' Khamenei said the regime would not tolerate 'vandals and rioters' acting as 'mercenaries for foreigners'. Mr Trump has repeatedly threatened to launch military action against the Tehran government should protesters be killed. On the Supreme Leader's future whereabouts, Mr Trump said: '[Russia] or some place, he's looking to go some place. It could be [on the verge of collapse]. In the past they've started shooting the hell out of people. 'Or they've taken them to prisons and hung them and killed them. I said if they do that we're going to hit them hard, we're ready to do it.' Last night, Downing Street called on Iranian authorities to 'exercise restraint'. Former UK security minister Tom Tugendhat predicted the fall of the regime was a question of when rather than if. In an interview arranged by the Lotus Advocacy think-tank, an Iranian protester said they had been arrested, adding: 'I was detained for several days and abused repeatedly. We are suffering. 'Protesters are being shot with live ammunition and the wounded arrested in their hospital beds. This is a war by the government against its people.' The late shah of Iran's exiled son, US-based Reza Pahlavi, yesterday appealed for Mr Trump's support. Hundreds of Iranians on the streets of Tehran. Khamenei blamed Trump for triggering the uprising, accusing protesters of 'ruining their own streets' to please the US President Posting on X, he said: 'Ali Khamenei... has threatened people with a brutal crackdown. Please Mr President, be prepared to intervene.' His father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was deposed by the Islamic Revolution in 1979. He had been installed in 1953 after the CIA and MI6 toppled premier Mohammad Mossadegh following his nationalisation of Iran's oil industry, previously controlled by Britain. Reza Pahlavi, 65, who left Iran aged 15, could receive US backing to return and assume power. He has already promised a democratic future for all Iranians. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said last night: 'We stand with the Iranian people who want a secular, democratic Iran.' The little sister of the Bondi terror attack's youngest victim, Matilda, has spoken out for the very first time, revealing her life was saved that day by a mystery woman. Six-year-old Summer was playing in the petting zoo with Matilda, 10, at the Hanukkah by the Sea event on December 14 when shots began ringing out. Matilda was shot in the stomach and died in hospital despite efforts to save her. Much has been made of the family's unimaginable agony over the last few weeks, with Summer now recalling she was cared for by a mystery woman during the attack. Her parents, Valentyna and Michael, are now desperate to locate the Good Samaritan who protected their daughter. Summer told Woman's Day she wanted to thank the woman for 'helping [her] hide and making sure [she] didn't run away'. 'I remember how she looks but I don't know her age. She didn't have a dress on I don't think, but I think she was taking care of the animals, she had kind of a farm outfit, she was holding a big rabbit,' she said. 'She had ginger-coloured hair.' Sisters Summer (left) and Matilda were playing together just before the attack began at Bondi Matilda with her parents, Valentyna and Michael, and sister Summer at the Hanukkah by the Sea event - this is the last picture taken of the family Valentyna is now looking for a mystery woman (believed to be young) who saved her youngest daughter Summer in the attack Valentyna said the family only found out about the woman's existence after a friend witnessed the woman bravely hiding Summer from harm. 'When the attack started, she was holding Summer and grabbed her and hid her behind the vehicle that was next to the petting zoo. She held Summer during the attack,' Valentyna told the publication. 'That's the only information that I have about her, but I would love to see her and say thank you. And at least know who the person was who saved Summer.' The grieving mother also recalled the heartbreaking moment she couldn't find her two little girls as shots began ringing out around them. 'I was with Michael when the shooting started. Firstly I thought it was firecrackers and said to Michael, 'What a bad joke,' but Michael looked to the side and said, 'It's shooting,'' Valentyna said. Forced to hide behind a van, Valentyna waited until the gunfire stopped to search for Matilda and Summer, only to learn from Michael that their eldest daughter had been shot but was still alive. Valentyna travelled with Matilda to hospital and stayed with her through to the operating room, but sadly the 10-year-old could not be saved. She described the weeks following Matilda's death as unimaginably difficult. The sisters were playing at the petting zoo just before the attack began, pictured here with their dad Michael who was receiving a traditional Jewish Tefillin ritual at the event It's understood Summer stayed with her grandparents while Matilda fought for life in hospital Valentyna and Michael wore bee stickers at Matilda's funeral in honour of their little girl 'I miss Matilda badly when it gets too hard I hug her photograph and kiss and comfort it as if it was her I ask her for forgiveness because we couldn't save her I say that we loved her, love her and will always love her,' Valentyna said. 'I asked Michael to laminate that photo because my tears will ruin it.' The family, who described the two sisters as 'inseparable' and 'like twins', said Matilda's passing has been 'very hard' for Summer. They are now seeking support from Grace's Place - a children's service for grief and loss. Little Summer was spotted at Matilda's funeral on December 18, proudly wearing a bumblebee rosette in honour of her sister. Michael later shared a heart-wrenching video of Summer dancing along to 'Waltzing Matilda' at the funeral - a song that has become synonymous with the devastating attack. It was confirmed earlier this week that a pair of Matilda Bee's shoes and a selection of memorial items are set to be included in a permanent exhibition at a Sydney history museum. The exhibit, which will pay tribute to the victims of the terror attack, is expected to be housed at the Sydney Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst. A Pittsburgh woman and her dog were knocked to the ground in violent convulsions by a live electrical current while jogging on a city sidewalk, authorities confirmed. The shocking incident unfolded on Tuesday afternoon near a light pole at Smallman Street and 11th Street in the Strip District. Montana Mitchell said her dog, Denim, suddenly began howling and seizing after stepping onto rain-soaked concrete charged with electricity. Mitchell was shocked herself while trying to free her dog, collapsing amid what officials now believe was a stray current leaking from a city-owned streetlight pole. The incident that has triggered an urgent investigation and renewed fears following a similar deadly electrocution in Pittsburgh less than two years ago. 'He reacted like he was being tased,' Mitchell later wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. Witnesses said both Mitchell and the dog went down, their bodies seizing, as the electrical current surged through the streetlight pole and into the rain-soaked concrete beneath their feet. Mitchell said the moment turned frantic as she tried to save her dog. Montana Mitchell is seen recovering in her hospital bed after a routine jog turned terrifying when a live electrical current surged through a city sidewalk causing her to convulse Both Mitchell and Denim were hospitalized and later released, physically stable but shaken. Denim is seen in a younger photo City officials confirmed the pole involved was city-owned and has since been taken offline 'I was shocked through him while trying to rip off his collar and drag him to safety,' she wrote. A passerby, whom Mitchell later described as a 'guardian angel', stopped, helped pull Denim away from the pole, and drove Mitchell back to her car. From there, the ordeal escalated into a race for medical care. Denim was rushed to an emergency veterinary hospital, where doctors ran a battery of tests amid fears he had suffered internal injuries. Mitchell also went to the emergency room herself. 'Physically okay,' she wrote. 'Emotionally, still very shaken.' Doctors said Denim may have fluid in his lungs and is being closely monitored, but tests so far have been normal. Mitchell was released after her own tests came back clear. Mitchell shared her story publicly to warn other runners and dog owners about the hidden danger The incident happened near Smallman Street and 11th Street in Pittsburghs Strip District Her dog, Denim, had violent convulsions after stepping onto electrified rain-soaked concrete near a light pole She said she agonized over whether to make the incident public but ultimately decided others needed to know. 'What's terrifying is this has happened before in Pittsburgh,' she wrote. 'Almost exactly a year ago, a woman and her dog were electrocuted in a similar situation, and the dog didn't survive.' She urged dog owners to be especially cautious during wet weather and said she and her partner are pressing the city to take action. 'The city needs to pay closer attention to what's happening beneath our sidewalks, especially in wet conditions,' she wrote. Despite the trauma, Mitchell said she has already returned to running. 'The simple, wholesome act of running with my dog - something that is such an outlet for me - could have been fatal,' she wrote. 'I can let this scare me, or I can let it inspire me to take action so no one else experiences this.' Fire officials believe a live electrical current from a nearby light pole traveled through the wet sidewalk, turning the concrete into a conduit. Mitchell said she did not immediately feel the shock because she was wearing rubber-soled running shoes. 'Denim's paws were directly on the cement,' she explained. Denim is being closely monitored and is mostly just sleepy, says Mitchell Mitchell says she is already back out running again and pounding the streets of Pittsburgh City officials later confirmed the light pole involved is owned by the City of Pittsburgh and appeared to be missing a base component seen on surrounding poles - a detail that is now under investigation. Crews quickly took the pole offline. 'In the last couple of hours, we've begun an immediate investigation to understand what happened,' said Dan Gilman, chief of staff to Mayor of Pittsburgh, Corey O'Connor. 'The pole has been and was several days ago immediately taken offline, so it is no longer a live pole. There's no threat to the public,' Gilman said. The accident mirrors one that occurred almost two years ago to the day when another dog was electrocuted and killed after stepping on a metal plate along the Murray Avenue Bridge in Squirrel Hill. Bob Robinson-Dassel was walking his dog Nikki in January 2024 when she suddenly collapsed and died after contacting a low-voltage electrical closure embedded in the sidewalk. 'It's sad to see that another person has had to experience this same type of thing that I did,' Robinson-Dassel said after learning of Mitchell's ordeal. 'I really, really hope she and her dog recover physically and that she recovers emotionally from it because it's not something that makes you forget quickly.' Mitchell decided to share story so that the public would be made aware of what had happened Denim is now being closely monitored after the shock, with vets watching for complications A third-party consultant later found that Nikki's death was caused by a fault in an electrical conductor. At the time, the city pledged sweeping inspections of its streetlight system to prevent another tragedy, but according to Gilman, that plan was never fully carried out. 'That never occurred,' Gilman said. 'So we gave a directive today to begin immediately implementing the entire plan that was issued previously, including an immediate survey of all streetlights, poles, mastheads, et cetera.' Gilman acknowledged that while some targeted repairs were made after the earlier dog's death, a comprehensive citywide analysis never happened. 'It's enough priority that we immediately authorized the work to start today,' Gilman said. 'When you're talking about public safety issues, there's no time to wait.' Crews from Allegheny City Electric, the company contracted to maintain Pittsburgh's light poles, were seen opening and inspecting the pole involved in Tuesday's incident later in the week. On the Falls Road in Belfast, the mural of hunger striker Bobby Sands has achieved a status that is close to a holy shrine. It shows him smiling, with a phoenix rising to break the chains which surround him. Sands, 27, a convicted IRA bomber who died from starvation in the Maze prison in 1981 after refusing food for 66 days, is regarded by Irish Republicans and the hardLeft in Britain as a martyr. Fired by their intense hatred of Israel and Jewish 'Zionists', the Left are again intent on creating fresh martyrs for their cause. And as three activists, who call themselves Prisoners For Palestine (PFP), continue to starve themselves in prison this week, it appears they are close to achieving their morbid goal. One of the strikers, Heba Muraisi, a 31yearold lifeguard and florist, who lives in Barnet, north London, has now gone without food for 69 days, three days longer than Sands. She is said to be struggling to breathe, with muscle spasms in one arm, indicating possible neurological damage, by an unnamed spokesman for PFP an offshoot of the banned Palestine Action group. Those who claim to be 'supporting' the hunger strikers the lawyers, the activists, the Corbynites, even some of their own parents have not uttered a word in public to discourage them from refusing food until they die. Muraisi, who is originally from Yemen and has family in Rafah, Gaza, is accused of being connected to an alleged breakin at the UK site of the Israeli military tech company, Elbit Systems, in Bristol in August 2024. She denies the charges. As Muraisi began her hunger strike, she issued a statement in which she described Sir Keir Starmer as 'pathetic' and vowed to 'fight and to resist' from behind 'steel walls and sensors'. Heba Muraisi, who is originally from Yemen and has family in Rafah, Gaza, is accused of being connected to an alleged breakin at the UK site of the Israelimilitary tech company, Elbit Systems, in Bristol in August 2024 A protester holds a picture of Teuta Hoxha during a demonstration outside the Department of Health in solidarity with pro-Palestine activists. When Hoxha ended her hunger strike this week, another of the strikers, Heba Muraisi, a 31yearold lifeguard and florist, who lives in Barnet, north London, has now gone without food for 69 days Bobby Sands, 27, a convicted IRA bomber who died from starvation in the Maze prison in 1981 after refusing food for 66 days Muraisi said she was acting for the people of Gaza and for her family, 'who,' she added, 'I don't even know if they've made it out of Rafah'. She signed off with the controversial phrase: 'Long live the intifada' the Arabic word for uprising. Police have started to arrest protesters who shout slogans involving calls for intifada for 'racially aggravated public order offences'. Muraisi's mother, Dunya, is claimed to be too ill to visit her in prison but has written a public letter of encouragement notable for lacking any plea to her daughter to eat. 'We are here behind you, supporting you and loving you without limits,' she wrote. 'No matter how long the night of waiting lasts, the sun of freedom will surely rise.' When Muraisi began her strike, the 31yearold said she wanted to 'make it abundantly clear that this is not about dying'. But on Tuesday, she admitted she was 'terrified' of its likely conclusion. 'My body shakes, I get dizzy to the point of nausea and now breathing is getting hard,' she told the Metro newspaper. 'I am deteriorating in this cell, I am dying.' The hunger strikers have reportedly only been drinking water and a homemade mix of electrolyte solutions to stabilise their blood pressure. Muraisi is said to be unable to sit down because of extreme weight loss. She has gone from weighing 9st 2lb in November to about 7st 11lb on January 5. Kamran Ahmed one of the Palestine Action supporters on hunger strike Qesser Zuhrah one of the Palestine Action supporters on hunger strike Muhammed Khalid one of the Palestine Action supporters on hunger strike Supporters of the Palestine Action hunger strikers protest in Parliament square. Police have started to arrest protesters who shout slogans involving calls for intifada for 'racially aggravated public order offences' Anthony Daniels, a former prison doctor and psychiatrist, says: 'We can go up to 50/70 days without food but, by then, [the body] has used all its spare energy reserves and is in effect feeding on itself. The heart slows, kidneys give out and when they [the hunger strikers] have lost 50 per cent of their weight, damage has become permanent and death usually occurs.' At a news conference in London before Christmas, physician Dr James Smith said the hunger strikers were at 'a critical stage'. Mr Daniels explains: 'If, at a late moment, the hunger strike is abandoned, it may be too late and permanent brain damage may have occurred.' He adds: 'For a person to refuse treatment, they must have the mental capacity to do so. If they do not have that capacity, the doctor must act in the patient's best interests. 'What are the best interests of a patient on hunger strike who has expressed a wish to continue it, but has lost the mental capacity to refuse treatment?' The other two strikers are Kamran Ahmed, 28, and Lewie Chiaramello, 22, who has diabetes and is refusing food only every other day. A fourth prisoner, 29yearold Teuta Hoxha ended her strike this week. Ahmed, a mechanic from east London, is being held at HMP Pentonville in north London. Last week, he was hospitalised for the fifth time. By Christmas, his weight had dropped from 11st, 11lb to 9st 6lb. He told The Sunday Times last month he was 'literally a shell' of himself. 'My head just feels suddenly hot and it feels like I'm going to drop. There have been times when I felt like I'm getting tasered my body's vibrating or shaking. I'll basically lose control of my feelings. I've been scared since the seventh day, when my blood sugar dropped. 'The nurse said, 'I'm scared you're not going to wake up. Please eat something'. But I'm looking at the bigger picture of perhaps we can relieve oppression abroad and relieve the situation for my codefendants.' The strikers' demands include their immediate release on bail and for negotiations with Justice Secretary David Lammy. But they are also calling for the Government to shut down Elbit Systems' sites in Britain and for the ban on Palestine Action, which is classed as a terrorist organisation, to be lifted. Asked about the hunger strike at PMQs by MP Jeremy Corbyn, Labour's former leader, Sir Keir replied that the Government was following 'rules and procedures'. Those rules and procedures are unbending. Every Prime Minister knows as thenpremier Margaret Thatcher did in 1981 that hunger strikes are a form of emotional blackmail and cannot be allowed to succeed. According to the prisons minister Lord Timpson, about 200 hunger strikes a year are staged in British jails. If the Government grants legitimacy to any of them by recognising their demands it would quickly lose control. Supporters of Bobby Sands outside the Maze prison where Sands was carrying out his hunger strike Activists leave the outside of the Ministry of Justice covered in red paint on December 12, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. Protesters were demonstrating against the government's refusal to engage with pro-Palestinian hunger strikers The PFP strikers might not understand this. But their political backers and allies abroad will certainly know that the real value of the protest does not lie in what concessions it can wring from the authorities. This is about using human lives as leverage. Kevin Blowe, from campaign group the Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol), says that those backing the strike want to find out if Labour can be pressured into a climbdown. 'It becomes a game of chicken, who blinks first and how far the Government is prepared to do nothing,' he told an Australian journalist. 'I don't know if anybody really knows what this Government is capable of.' Out of the eight prisoners initially involved in the hunger strike, five have now resumed eating. Jon Cink and Umer Khalid ended their strike after 41 days. Qesser Zuhrah and Amy GardinerGibson went 52 days without food. While Hoxha stopped after 58 days, declaring that some of her demands had been met, such as receiving letters and a book. Most of the strikers face charges including aggravated burglary, violent disorder and criminal damage following the alleged breakin at Elbit's Bristol site. At a hearing last month, Woolwich Crown Court was told that six protesters had wielded sledgehammers and sprayed fire extinguishers at security guards. One activist allegedly struck a female police officer, causing a fractured spine. Zuhrah is being held at Bronzefield prison in Surrey. Muraisi was also there but has been moved to New Hall jail in Yorkshire. Jail authorities will provide the protesters with hospital treatment, while prison officers, who must find it extremely distressing to see inmates starving to death, urge them to eat. But that is all they can do. The World Medical Association ruled 50 years ago that forcefeeding hunger strikers was unethical and potentially a form of torture. They cannot be made to eat and it seems their socalled supporters want to see them continue to refuse food. The hardLeft want martyrs. And tragically, it appears they may get them. A group of young boys seen standing on top of a high-rise building above a bustling strip in the Gold Coast have been slammed over the 'stupid' act. The eight boys, believed to be in their early teens, were seen on the rooftop of the Oaks Gold Coast Hotel on Friday afternoon. In terrifying photos captured by a member of the public dining at the Crowne Plaza's 26th floor restaurant, the boys can be seen in various positions. Five members of the group can be seen sitting on the edge of the rooftop while two boys stand precariously on the 'A' and 'K' letters. The boys standing on top of the sign were looking down on their mobile phones, in a move described as 'stupidity in action' by the poster. The stomach-churning stunt was quickly slammed by Aussies, with many asking how they were able to access the rooftop in the first place. 'Oaks would want to explain how they got there and why access to the roof was not secured,' one resident wrote, with another asking, 'Hello Security?' Others shared their horror at the photos, with one writing: 'Oh lawdy I'm getting that tingly feeling I get when at a considerable height just looking at this picture'. A group of eight boys are seen balancing on top of the Oaks Gold Coast Hotel on Friday The group's actions were slammed by people online as 'stupidity in action' The Oaks Gold Coast Hotel is located on the bustling Gold Coast Highway (pictured) '[It's] making my palms sweat,' another agreed. 'Oh god that made me feel instantly ill. Please pass this onto the police,' a third wrote. A Queensland Police spokesperson told Daily Mail police received reports of the incident at around 1.20pm. However, the juveniles fled the scene on e-bikes before officers arrived. It's not known how the group accessed the roof, if access to the rooftop is usually secured, and if hotel security was involved in getting them down. Daily Mail has put those questions to Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites. It echoes a similar incident that occurred just weeks ago at the Meriton World Tower in Sydney's CBD. In video shared exclusively to the Daily Mail, a group of teens can be seen walking along the edge of the rooftop of the 230-metre high building, while taking photos of themselves. The incident is believed to have occurred on December 8. The Home Office has had to rescue a police force from going bankrupt for the first time over a 65million black hole in finances. South Yorkshire Police has become the first force in the UK to issue a 114 notice asking the Government to step in to help. It blamed a major accounting error which went unnoticed for five years, plunging the force 65million in the red and teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. The development comes weeks after police chiefs warned that Labours soft justice reforms will unleash a crimewave which may push some forces to bankruptcy. Forces are preparing for a surge in all crime types across the country costing police 800million later this year when the Government goes ahead with plans to jail fewer offenders by ditching short sentences. In recent years, several councils unable to balance their books have issued section 114 notices, effectively declaring the organisation bankrupt, but no police force has ever done so. An inquiry has now begun into the activities of the office of the former South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Dr Alan Billings after a 65million loan was taken out in 2019 to pay for equipment including investment into police kits, vehicles and IT services, which went unpaid. Over the next five years, 16million worth of repayments were missed and future payments of 49million had not been included in spending plans, meaning money had been wrongfully allocated to other services. South Yorkshire Police blamed a major accounting error which went unnoticed for five years, plunging the force 65million in the red and teetering on the brink of bankruptcy (file photo) The blunder was not picked up until Dr Billings left office when the PCCs powers were taken over by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) in May 2024. This week, Policing Minister Sarah Jones wrote to the authority to confirm that the Home Office had provided 17million in exceptional financial support, which means that the force can resolve the debt. Ms Jones said a series of historic accounting errors had resulted in South Yorkshire becoming the first police force in England and Wales to issue a S114 notice. She said: South Yorkshire Police have been issued with a capitalisation direction to support them in correcting a historic and unforeseen financial error which, if left unaddressed, would have prevented them from setting a balanced budget and maintaining efficient and effective policing in future years. A spokesman for the mayoral authority said the force had issued a notice relating to an accountancy error, but it had not had to declare bankruptcy as the Home Office had been supportive through the provision of funding, technical interventions, and the award of a capitalisation direction which means available resources are adequate to meet proposed expenditure for the financial year. The capitalisation direction allows for one-off exceptional costs to be spread over an extended period of time. She said: Since that (114 notice) report, SYMCA and South Yorkshire Police set a balanced budget for financial year 2025/26 and are in a position to set a balanced budget for financial year 2026/27. The identification of the accounting and budgetary omissions does, however, place material strain on the financial health of the South Yorkshire Police Fund, exacerbating financial challenges felt by Police Forces across the country. The Mayor of South Yorkshire commissioned an independent review by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy into the circumstances of the omissions, and in parallel, significant progress has been made to address the financial challenges. The review is in its final stages and will be published in due course. A pensioner believed to be Scotland's oldest domestic abuser walked free from court Friday despite admitting he choked his 84-year-old wife in their bedroom. But 90-year-old Charles Morrison was banned from any contact with frail spouse Catherine who told a court she was in favour of a non-harassment order. The OAP admitted a course of abusive conduct towards his wife over an 11-month period at their home in Condorrat, near Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire. This included shoving her on to a bed, restraining her there, putting his hand around her neck and choking her causing her breathing to be restricted. Morrison also admitted acting aggressively towards his wife on other occasions, shouting, swearing, making derogatory remarks and pushing her on to a chair. The abuse happened between September 2023 and August the following year. The prosecution had alleged that his behaviour spanned a period of more than five years from April 2019, but Morrison pleaded guilty to an amended charge. He appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court as a first offender. The couple had been together for many years but bail conditions have kept them apart since Morrison, now of Abronhill, Cumbernauld, made an initial court appearance in October 2024. The court heard that his wife has 'significant health issues' and would have been unable to attend to give evidence had the case gone to trial before a jury. A pensioner believed to be Scotland's oldest domestic abuser walked free from court Friday despite admitting he choked his 84-year-old wife in their bedroom. But 90-year-old Charles Morrison (pictured) was banned from any contact with frail spouse Catherine The prosecution had alleged that his behaviour spanned a period of more than five years from April 2019, but Morrison pleaded guilty to an amended charge. He appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court (pictured) as a first offender However, she had made clear to the procurator fiscal her support for a non-harassment order. Defence lawyer Jim Sloan told the court: 'This is a very sad case as the couple have been together for so long.' Sheriff Tony McGlennan put Morrison under social work supervision for a year, telling him: 'You pled guilty to what is a serious matter. 'I take account of the fact that at the age of 90 you have never offended before. 'The terms of the justice social work report are generally positive and there is a recommendation for a community payback order with supervision. 'I consider that is an appropriate alternative to custody. 'Be aware, however, that if you breach this order you will return to court and I shall require to consider sentence anew.' The sheriff said the issue of a non-harassment order was 'particularly sensitive given the ages of victim and offender'. He banned Morrison from contacting his wife or entering the street where she lives for a year. The pensioner must also stay away from Airdrie Road, Condorrat, after she informed the court he would 'go there to watch her'. Sheriff McGlennan warned Morrison: 'Contact includes approaching her in person, writing to her, phoning, texting and sending social media messages. 'Given what is stated in the report, it is also important to emphasise that you must not send messages to her through any third party.' Heavily armed militia on motorbikes roam the deserted streets of the Venezuelan capital in packs, hunting for traitors. Citizens leave their homes only if they have no choice. Each time they do, they risk kidnap, torture and death in the regime's El Helicoide, the brutalist prison that looms menacingly over the city. Those venturing outside hold their breath at every turn, praying another checkpoint does not appear at which a single 'anti government' message discovered on their phone will be enough to be 'disappeared'. Meanwhile, members of the national guard have shed their uniform and mingle with civilians, listening for collaborators. A week after the dramatic capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro by US special forces from his tightly guarded compound, the shock and awe has not given way to a bright new dawn. Instead, an insidious paranoia grips Caracas. It possesses everyone and everything, spreads out across the country, and flows over its frontiers to border towns where the secret police 'mark, identify and track' members of the foreign Press to their hotels. It haunts the presidential Miraflores Palace, too. Within hours of the raid, desperate to shore up her reign, hastily inserted interim leader Delcy Rodriguez invoked constitutional rights usually reserved for natural disasters. She swiftly deployed the full force of the omnipotent, militarised state she had freshly inherited to 'search and capture any person involved in promoting or supporting the armed attack of the US'. Militia men now roam the deserted streets of the Venezuelan capital in packs, as citizens fear kidnap if they leave their homes Those that venture outside hold their breath at every turn, praying another checkpoint does not appear But she herself is suspected of collaborating with the 'gringos' to betray Maduro. Why else would Donald Trump give her leadership his blessing? Around Ms Rodiquez, ruthless rival factions within the regime who each control forces capable of unleashing untold chaos weigh up each other carefully. United solely by their lust for power, they are held in check now only by the threat of another Delta Force raid from the skies. But should that risk fade with Mr Trump's attention drawn elsewhere this land, which crawls with narco gangs and private armies, risks exploding into bloody conflict. An estimated six million firearms are in circulation, and there would be little to stop the bloodshed spreading to Colombia on Venezuela's porous western border, where a deadly guerrilla war is already raging. Meanwhile, with every day Ms Rodriguez remains in power, the people fear that the euphoria of Maduro's removal was a mirage - a deft sleight of hand by Washington to sell out their democratic ambitions in exchange for the country's vast oil reserves. Of course, Venezuelans have become grimly accustomed to living in one of the most militarised and surveilled states in the world. They are used to the guns, tanks and missiles that have enforced the feared and loathed Bolivarian regime ushered in by 'El Comandante' Hugo Chavez in 2002 and preserved on his death in 2013 by Maduro, his chosen successor. Colombian soldiers pictured patrolling near the border with Venezuela in Cucuta this week A military guard at La Parada border crossing in Cucuta, Colombia, observing the flow of civilian traffic crossing the bridge from Venezuela But at 1.50am last Saturday, the greatest humiliation imaginable befell the Marxist tyrants who rule this once vibrant and beautiful country on the Caribbean coast. 'The gringos arrived, and it seems the full moon was the only one who saw them enter,' a journalist in Caracas, who cannot give their name for fear of reprisals, says, summarising the mood on the street. 'No radar worked, no alert was issued. They arrived, they bombed, they touched down, they took Nicolas and [wife] Cilia away, and they left practically without a scratch. Citizens are wondering how on earth was this possible?' My source says there appear to be just two possibilities. 'Option one: the Venezuelan government was always bluffing, and the regime was completely unprepared for any attack,' the journalist tells me. 'Or option two: betrayals, negotiations, pacts.' William Rodriguez, whose socialist party PODEMOS is allied to the ruling administration, adds: 'There must have been an informant and, therefore, betrayal. There must be an explanation as to why the armed forces were taken by surprise.' American Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted it is all part of a carefully scripted plan. First, America will work with Ms Rodriguez to stabilise Venezuela by tightening control over the country's oil before granting Western firms access to a rejuvenated market. Then Venezuela will transition to a more representative democratic government and charismatic exiled leader Maria Corina Machado will return for elections. The Trump administration has put a 37million bounty on Maduro's head, indicted him on drug-trafficking charges, and made clear that should he not help Ms Rodriguez maintain order, the same fate Maduro suffered awaits him But Benigno Alarcon, a political analyst in Caracas, warned the plan appears to be an 'unprecedented experiment' born from the scars of America's failures in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan. They are 'seeking to have the outgoing regime's own actors dismantle the system that sustained them, a high-risk manoeuvre that seeks stability through total control of resources'. It is certainly unorthodox. Washington has put all its eggs in Ms Rodriquez's basket, says political consultant Edward Rodriguez. 'She holds the keys to a devastated economy and, most importantly, knows every crevice of the Chavista apparatus: its loyalties, fears and networks,' he adds. 'Trump doesn't need an idealist; he needs someone capable of pressing a button and making the machinery or what remains of it obey. 'Is it a risky bet? Undoubtedly. But it comes with a brutal insurance policy: comply or it will go worse for you than for Maduro. It is the crudest pedagogy of power.' Residents in Caracas, left powerless to see how it plays out, say the feeling since last Saturday has been one of 'total sleeplessness'. One, whose home was hit in the deafening US raid, said when they woke, their building was 'shaking side to side'. 'Everything slowed down,' they added. 'As the curtains moved, the room lit up with an explosion it was red, a war red, a blood red. Outside, there was a fire. 'It's happening. It's really happening,' I thought.' Maduro pictured in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by armed US federal agents as they made their way to court on January 5 But instead of the regime removal Venezuelans dreamed of, the Americans left as quickly as they had arrived, while Maduro aside the oppressors who ruled over them remained intact. Alarmingly, Ms Rodriguez is by no means the only autocrat in town. 'We have to see to what extent radical sectors of Chavismo will allow it,' says Caracas-based political scientist Pablo Andres Quintero of the US plan. And already there are warning signs. Within hours of Ms Rodriquez being sworn in on Monday, hardline interior minister Diosdado Cabello slung a rifle over his shoulder and began marching the streets of Caracas. Surrounded by gun-toting members of his 'Colectivos' the fearsome paramilitary force of 7,000 heavily armed men that control the streets of Venezuela Cabello raised his fist in the air and led a chant railing against 'traitors'. His co-operation is essential to Ms Rodriquez's survival. Cabello, a former army captain, was a close ally of Chavez. For some hardliners it should have been him, not Maduro, who took over in 2013 and there is no doubt that, given the chance, he would like to seize the reins of power. The Trump administration has put a 37million bounty on his head, indicted him on drug-trafficking charges, and made clear that should he not help Ms Rodriguez maintain order, the same fate Maduro suffered awaits him. For now, Cabello is just about complying. But this would change rapidly if he senses he is being isolated. 'While the armed forces' commander in chief is Delcy Rodriguez, Mr Cabello can use his Colectivos and paramilitary groups to create chaos,' says Hernan Lugo, a Venezuelan journalist. 'He can destabilise the country, start riots and ultimately make it so that nobody can rule the country.' Pictured: people crossing the border into Colombia from Venezuela. A week after the dramatic capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro by US special forces from his tightly guarded compound, the shock and awe has not given way to a bright new dawn Today, under Cabello, the Colectivos control more than a quarter of a million streets across Venezuela. They have been whipping up anti-American sentiment, plastering the streets with signs reading: 'Hands off the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Yankee!' 'Right now the Colectivos are in survival mode, because they completely depend on the government,' Mr Lugo says. 'If the regime falls, then they fall.' Another key figure is defence minister Padrino Lopez, a close ally of Chavez. He effectively stands at the head of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela (123,000 active personnel and 8,000 reservists). They are bolstered by the Bolivarian Militia, which integrates up to 300,000 civilian volunteers into the military. While Ms Rodriguez is seen as a pragmatist, willing to swallow American imperialism so long as she clings to power, Lopez and the military forces are not so inclined. They have long benefited from the oil and drug markets and surely will calculate that Mr Trump is desperate not to get bogged down on the ground in a mountainous country, twice the size of Iraq and thick with jungle. At any moment, any one of these factions could move. A simple calculation alarms Mr Lugo. While the Venezuelan population voted overwhelmingly for the opposition in last year's stolen presidential elections, the hardline elements of the regime are the only ones with the weapons. 'They have been preparing themselves, they have been waiting for the war,' he says. 'Not only against the opposition, but against any external force.' Should they do so, it would light the touch paper across the region. Ivan Lozada, the commander of the feared Colombian far-Left guerrilla group FARC, has called for insurgent commanders across Colombia and Latin America to convene in response to the 'interventionist threat from the US'. Colombia has moved 30,000 troops to its border. All the while, the combustible, paranoid factions in Caracas assess their options. 'These Colectivos and commanders are just waiting,' Mr Lugo says. 'They created all these structures. For them, they will be pleased if there is fighting.' Trump stunned the world with his surgical strike but what comes next may be infinitely more challenging. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey defiantly dismissed the new footage that emerged from the moments before an ICE agent fatally shot protester Renee Nicole Good. The Democrat shrugged off the footage when it was shown to him during an interview with ABC correspondent Whit Johnson, saying it did not change his perspective on the shooting that unfolded Wednesday in Minneapolis. Crystal-clear clips, filmed from the ICE agent's perspective, showed Good speaking from her Honda Pilot before she accelerated and was killed in front of her wife. 'He walked away with a hop in his step from the incident,' Frey said of ICE agent Jon Ross, 43, who fatally shot Good during the confrontation. 'There's another person that's dead. He held on his cell phone. I think that speaks for itself.' Speaking on the new cellphone footage, Frey said that 'an investigation could change or affirm my perspective,' on what happened on the fateful day. 'But we've [all got] two eyes, and I can see a person that is trying to leave. I can see an ICE agent that was not run over by a car. That didn't happen.' Frey has been no stranger to shocking exclamations since the shooting in Minneapolis on January 7, and now his city has been stormed by protesters. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey defiantly dismissed the new footage that emerged from the moments before an ICE agent fatally shot protester Renee Nicole Good Frey was reacting to newly released footage allegedly recorded by ICE agent Jonathan 'Jon' Ross showing how Renee Nicole Good (seen in her car) and her wife apparently taunted ICE agents before the fatal shooting In the immediate aftermath of Good's death, the mayor came out to slam the Trump administration's argument that Ross was right to kill the protester - telling ICE at a press conference: 'Get the f**k out of Minnesota.' The latest footage, shared for the first time Friday by Alpha News, showed Good's wife Rebecca taunting ICE agents in the moments before the tragic shooting, as she said: 'You want to come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy. Go ahead.' Good's shooting has sharply divided the nation, as conservatives argue Good accelerated into ICE agents while liberals such as Frey say shooting her was excessive force. In a press conference hours after Good was killed, Frey captured headlines as he said claims Good accelerated into ICE agents was 'bulls***.' State Representative Aisha Gomez, a Minneapolis Democrat, believes the shooting was unjustified. Gomez said the release of the footage was 'clearly designed to be like, "Look at these terrible people who are interfering with law enforcement. Don't they deserve to get executed in the middle of the street in the United States of America?" 'The answer,' she said, was 'no, they don't.' The shooting sparked protests across the US on Friday night - including in Frey's own city, which was swarmed with horn-blowing, window shattering demonstrators. The Democrat shrugged off the footage (pictured) when it was shown to him during an interview with ABC correspondent Whit Johnson, saying it did not change his perspective on the shooting that unfolded Wednesday in Minneapolis Protesters banged drums, pounded on windows and chanted profane anti-ICE songs as terrified guests cowered inside the hotel A window of the Residence Inn Minneapolis Downtown at The Depot hotel was broken after protesters broke in during a protest Anti-ICE profanities were spray painted on the exterior of the building, which had been shattered Protestors, many in masks, blew on horns, whistles and trumpets to make as much noise as possible. Police were nowhere to be seen Demonstrators played instruments during the demonstration against increased immigration enforcement, just days after the fatal shooting of Renee Good People were seen riding in the back of a truck during the protest outside the Canopy by Hilton hotel on Friday night Fury over Trump's immigration policies reached boiling point after the death of Good Lines of armed police officers are seen in downtown Minneapolis They drummed in defiance and blew whistles and trumpets before police eventually showed up around 10.30pm local time and arrested 14 people. In the new clip, Good, 37, could be seen smiling at Ross while sitting in her Honda Pilot on Wednesday afternoon and saying, 'That's fine dude. I'm not mad at you.' Her wife, Rebecca Good, 40, could be heard urging the agent to 'show his face' as she asks him, 'You want to come at us?' 'You want to come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch big boy,' Rebecca said, with her own cellphone in hand. 'Go ahead.' As the tension mounted on the Minneapolis street, Good was told to get out of the car but ignored the order. She began revving the engine and drove off during what the Trump administration says was part of a protest against the planned detention of Somali migrants in the area. Rebecca can be heard shouting 'drive baby, drive' as Ross's camera jerked. It is unclear if he was struck by the car or jumped to get out of its way. Ross fired three shots, including one through the front windshield of the Honda, which struck and killed Good. An agent is heard calling Good a 'f***ing b***h' as shots rang out. Moments later, her car crashed into the back of two vehicles parked nearby. It comes as the fatal shooting of Good on Wednesday in Minneapolis ignited a political firestorm across the US this week, sharply dividing opinions over whether the shooting was justified Good and her wife, Rebecca, moved to the Minneapolis area just last year with their six-year-old son Blood splatter was seen in her SUV after the shooting Good and Rebecca are understood to have fled the US after Trump's victory in 2024, going briefly to Canada before settling in Minneapolis. They have a six-year-old child together. Rebecca told MPR News that she brought Good out to protest against ICE on the day she was shot, saying that they left to 'support our neighbors.' Good's friend Leesa told to the New York Post that she was part of a network of activists coordinated through her six-year-old son's charter school who were actively resisting ICE. 'She was a warrior. She died doing what was right,' she said. '[Renee Good] was trained against these ICE agents what to do, what not to do, it's a very thorough training. 'I know she was doing the right thing. I watched the video plenty of times but I also know in my heart the woman she was, she was doing everything right.' According to the publication, Southside Family Charter School has publicly boasted of having a 'social justice first' approach to learning and 'involving kids in political and social activism'. The crowds at the protest began to retreat after officers with batons and weapons fired rubber bullets and gas A protestor holding the flag of Somalia was seen marching as part of a massive demonstration against ICE A crowd of more than 100 protesters also marched elsewhere in Minneapolis, carrying anti-ICE signs ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Good on Wednesday, and his wife, Patrixia Wearing balaclavas and half-face masks to shield their identities, agents descended on the quiet street to collect Ross's belongings from his empty home, including a computer tower and personal items packed into large plastic storage bins More agents from the fleet retrieved storage bins from the house - the Daily Mail counted five Amid the national outrage over the shooting, a GoFundMe set up to support Good's widow and son has received more than $1.5 million in donations. The crowdfunder sought $50,000 to support the Good family as they 'grapple with the devastating loss of their wife and mother.' But the campaign was raised more than 28 times the requested amount, with one anonymous donor alone generously contributing $50,000. The total sits just above $1.5 million as of early Saturday morning. On Friday morning, exclusive Daily Mail images showed investigators swarming Ross's home where he lives with his wife and children. Daily Mail images captured gun-toting cops wearing masks and balaclavas canvassing his home, one carrying pepper spray and another wielding an assault rifle. They entered the smart five-bed home before carrying out five large plastic crates, a computer tower and a stack of picture frames. The agents climbed back into their unmarked trucks afterwards to form a defensive formation around a personal vehicle that drove out of the garage. The driver of the black Jeep SUV wore a full-face mask, making it impossible to identify him. Ed Ross, (right), Jon Ross's father, called his son a 'tremendous' parent and husband Ross, 43, an Iraq veteran, married his Filipina wife, Patrixia, in 2012. They've lived near Minneapolis since 2015, and he has been an immigration officer since at least 2013 'How much money are you making' growled one agent as he approached the Daily Mail reporting staff. Another climbed out and took a close-up cell phone video of our photojournalist before the convoy drove away. The fresh activity comes after the Daily Mail revealed that Ross is an Enforcement and Removal Operations agent and Iraq veteran, married to a Filipina immigrant. He has become the focus of rage over ICE actions around the country after he shot and killed Good on Wednesday afternoon while she was driving her SUV down a street where agents were on duty. Ross's shaken father defended his son's decision to shoot Good dead in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail. 'She hit him,' said Ed Ross, 80. 'He also had an officer whose arm was in the car. He will not be charged with anything. 'You would never find a nicer, kinder person,' the father added of his son. 'He's a committed, conservative Christian, a tremendous father, a tremendous husband. I couldn't be more proud of him.' The Trump administration has come to Ross's defense over his shooting of Good, while Democratic officials in Minneapolis say it was a murder. Witnesses claimed Good and her wife, Rebecca, were acting as legal observers and filming the protest when she was shot. But ICE insisted she tried to use the SUV as a deadly weapon. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has slammed the actions of an individual accused of cutting a telecommunications cable just hours before a cyclone is expected to hit the state's far-north. It's believed the person cut the cable in Deeragun, a suburb on Townsville's outer west, to steal the copper inside. Crisafulli said the person's actions meant Telstra, Optus and NBN customers across Townsville have lost access to services ahead of a storm. 'My message to that low-life is you have put at risk the lives of north Queenslanders in their hour of need and you can't get a lower act than that,' he said. 'We intend to throw the book at this individual when they are caught. 'It's a pretty low act at anytime, but during a disaster, that's about as low as you can get. Telecommunications are life and death.' It's believed Telstra and Optus customers and NBN users could be impacted. It comes as residents in Townsville have been ordered to take shelter immediately. Premier Crisafulli slammed the actions of the individual who is alleged to have put 'lives after risk' after cutting a telecommunications cable in the middle of the disaster Flooding is seen at Peets Bridge in Cairns this week, with more flooding expected to hit QLD An emergency alert was issued for the Townsville Local Government Area, which includes from Mutarnee to Cungulla, including Magnetic Island, earlier this afternoon. The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group warned the tropical low is forecast to reach tropical cyclone intensity later this evening, before crossing the coast near Townsville, most likely early on Sunday. Conditions will be dangerous as it gets closer to land, with gale-strength winds expected from 4pm (AEST) today. A 'Watch and Act' emergency alert has also been issued for the Burdekin region, with destructive winds forecast to hit on Saturday evening. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Tropical Low 12U is forecast to reach tropical cyclone intensity this afternoon as a category two system. With it would come destructive wind gusts up to 130 km/h from late tonight and early Sunday morning, more likely offshore or about exposed coastal locations from south of Townsville to Proserpine. Gales with wind gusts up to 100 km/h are expected to develop along coastal areas between Innisfail and Airlie Beach, on Saturday afternoon or evening. Gales may extend to Proserpine and adjacent inland areas. The Bureau of Meteorology said the cyclone is forecast to reach tropical cyclone intensity this afternoon as a category two system A man was winched to safety after his campervan was caught in floodwaters, west of Cairns Heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash flooding, is forecast to develop from Innisfail to Proserpine today. Despite the concern, Crisafulli said swift-water rescue craft, police, SES officers and paramedics were in position and would work with residents on the ground. 'The locals know their patch and the challenges,' he said. 'In many ways, it has replicated what we saw a little less than 12 months ago when people from the north and central and western parts helped colleagues in the southeast. 'I want Queenslanders to know we are better prepared than ever.' The federal and Queensland governments have now activated funding support for primary producers in flooded areas. Under the arrangements, farmers can claim eligible veterinary fees associated with the health and welfare of production livestock, as well as costs for carcass disposal on their properties. Freight subsidies up to $5,000 per property will be made available to transport essential materials such as fodder, building and fencing supplies, machinery, and livestock for restocking. Parts of Queensland faced severe flooding this week, with more expected as the cyclone grows in strength Crisafulli said a preliminary survey of property owners indicated some 40,000 stock had already been lost, a number he expects to increase significantly. People between Innisfail and Proserpine, including Innisfail, Townsville, Palm Island, Bowen and Airlie Beach, are advised to take precaution and monitor the next update at 5pm. If your life is in danger, call Triple Zero (000) immediately. For cyclone help, call the SES on 132 500 or download the SES Assistance QLD app. Had no links to organised crime A gunman remains on the run after a man was shot dead in what police described as a 'targeted' attack in Sydney's west. Police were called to a unit complex in Newman Street in Merrylands about 6.40am on Saturday after a neighbour found Bosco Josic, 44, inside his apartment suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was unable to be revived. Homicide detectives spent the day examining the crime scene and doorknocking residents. Chief Inspector Tim Calman revealed that the man was known to police for 'only a minor matter' but had no links to organised crime. 'It appears at this stage it was not a random attack ... it would look as if it was actually targeted,' he said. 'He was shot to the chest. It's only a single shot. 'The incident is all contained within the unit.' Forensic officers spent Saturday examining a Merrylands complex where a man was shot dead inside his unit Bosco Josic, 44, was shot in the chest and could not be revived A manhunt is now underway to track down the gunman. Police are yet to reveal a description. 'At this stage we have no firm indication of who we are looking for, suffice to say it is a male,' Chief Inspector Calman said. Shocked neighbours reported hearing yelling from the apartment earlier in the morning. They described him as a nice man. 'We didn't see no one leave the place, we just heard yelling, and then we didn't see anything after it,' one man told Ten News. 'I was the best man at his wedding quite a long time ago but haven't seen him for a few years. He has had a hard life. Another added: 'You're not expecting that. Not at all. The manhunt for Mr Josic's killer continues 'You expect fights and the police to come because they've come but nothing like this.' The police investigation continues. Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers. A young medical student and published author seriously injured in a horror high-speed crash involving an allegedly stolen ute a month ago has died in hospital. Lidija Faamau, 21, was rushed to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition following the crash in Sydney's south-west on December 10. She was a passenger in a BMW sedan when an allegedly stolen Ford Ranger ute being driven by a 17-year-old boy ran a red light and crashed into the vehicle. The ute had allegedly been involved in a police pursuit prior to the crash. Ms Faamau suffered a major brain injury, a fractured spine, fractured ribs, and serious internal injuries to her liver and spleen. NSW Police revealed on Saturday that Ms Faamau has since died in hospital. She had been in her fourth year of a medical science degree at Western Sydney University with dreams of becoming a paediatrician. She was described by loved ones as strong-willed, compassionate, and exceptionally intelligent. 'She was the life of the party, a bright light in this world who lit up every room she walked into,' a recent fundraiser read. Lidija Faamau, 21, died more than four weeks after she was struck by an allegedly stolen ute during a police chase in December 2025 Ms Faamau was in the passenger seat of a BMW involved in a horror high-speed crash after a teenger allegedly ran though a red light 'Independent and confident, Lidija had the rare gift of being able to strike up a conversation and build genuine relationships with anyone she met. 'She has always fought fiercely for what she believes in, standing firm in her values and never bending to anyones will if it doesnt align with her convictions.' Ms Faamau was also a published author who released 'Le Demyon' in 2020. The female driver and a second passenger in the BMW were also seriously injured in the crash. They have since been released from hospital. Police had been patrolling the area that night when they allegedly saw a ute speeding through a red light on Elizabeth Drive in Liverpool. Officers launched a pursuit after the driver allegedly failed to stop. The pursuit was terminated a short time later due to safety concerns after the ute allegedly reached speeds of up to 140kh. Ms Faamau was an aspiring doctor and published author Police resumed the pursuit a short time later, before the ute allegedly drove through another red light and collided with the BMW and a Toyota Yaris hatchback at a busy intersection in Liverpool. The alleged driver of the stolen ute - a 17-year-old male - was charged with eight offences. They include two counts of aggravated dangerous driving, causing grievous bodily harm, escaping pursuit, driving unlicensed, breaching bail, and two counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct. He remains behind bars and will reappear in a children's court at a later date. 'A report will be prepared for the coroner as a critical incident team continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident,' a police spokesperson said. A mother was left fighting for her life after being shot multiple times in front of her one-year-old son by two hooded men, police said. Police were called to a house on Cronin Street in Peckham, south-east London, to reports of shots fired just before 11pm on Christmas Eve. They found the victim in a critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds, and she was rushed to hospital in an ambulance. She spent Christmas in a critical care unit and is still on the ward receiving treatment. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the victim's one-year-old son was in the house at the time of the attack, but was thankfully unharmed. The force believes that two men walked up to the front door of the house in dark, hooded clothing, before firing off seven rounds through the front door. Both then fled on foot in the direction of Commercial Way. Detective Inspector Jordan Gardner, who is leading the investigation, said: 'This was a shocking act of violence, carried out at a family home where a young child was present. It is vital we identify those responsible and ensure justice for the victim. Cronin Street in Peckham, south-east London, where a woman was shot multiple times in her home 'We know there will be people who saw or heard something that could help us. Even if the information seems minor, please come forward. 'We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was in the area of Cronin Street, Commercial Way or Moody Road between 21:45 and 23:45hrs on the evening of Wednesday, 24 December.' Police have urged anyone with information about the attack to call 101 and quote CAD 6674/24DEC25. Alternatively, you can give information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Defence Secretary John Healey has said he would 'take' Russian President Vladimir Putin 'into custody and hold him to account for his war crimes'. The Labour MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, 65, spoke after a fatal drone strike of a residential block tower, which killed four, on January 9 in Kyiv. When asked if he would kidnap any world leader, Healey said he would 'take' the Kremlin leader and 'hold him to account' for the war crimes he has committed. He said these included what he saw in Bucha on his first visits to the country and 'the abduction of some of the Ukrainian kids that I met in Irpin.' Bucha, a northwest suburb in the Ukrainian capital, became a symbol of the Kremlin's vicious war crimes after mass graves were found in April 2022 following the expulsion of Russian troops. More than 1,400 civilian killings have been documented in the district, with 637 in the suburb, and 37 of those being children, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023 over Moscow's illegal deportation of civilians, including children, to Russia from occupied areas of Ukraine. It comes as US special forces captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in a shock raid in the capital of Caracas last week. The president raced to close a 6inch thick steel safe room door just seconds before he and his wife Cilia were snatched by the US. Defence Secretary John Healey meets emergency service workers at the scene of last night's drone attack in Kyiv An airstrike hitting a residential tower block in Kyiv on January 9 Meanwhile, Mr Trump compared the raid to a 'television show' and suggested it was the greatest military operation since World War II. Maduro faces drug trafficking charges in New York, as top Venezuelan officials are accused of working with international drug trafficking rings to syphon drugs into the US. Elsewhere in Kyiv, the Defence Secretary stood before the carnage caused by brutal drone attacks which killed at least four and injured 24 others. Among the dead was a paramedic. The airstrike also saw hundreds of thousands without electricity as temperatures are set to plummet to 17C over the weekend. Pointing to the wreckage, he said it tells you 'all you need to know about President Putin and his determination not just to wage a war on Ukraine, but to target civilians, cities, [as well as] the infrastructure people depend on during the frosty winter. 'This is a man who must be stopped. This is a war that must be stopped. 'And our mission is to support Ukraine in its fight today and to help work to secure the peace for the moment.' When Mr Trump was asked if he could envisage Putin being taken into custody, he said he didn't believe it would be 'necessary'. However, he later admitted he was 'very disappointed' at Putin continuing the war instead of engaging in peace efforts. Ukraine faced another night of bone-chilling cold caused by Russian strikes, targeting power plants while civilians are forced to endure temperatures of -11C. Trump shared a picture of Nicolas Maduro in US captivity on his platform, Truth Social, last week US President Donald Trump during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House on January 9 Putin unleashed Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 121 strike drones, 94 of which were struck down by UAVs, the Ukrainian Air Force reported via Telegram . A resident on the left bank of the Dnipro River said: 'There's not just a power outage in the city networks - there's absolutely no electricity since 4 am. 'It's been almost a day without electricity, heat, or water. This is sheer hell. All their promises are futile.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned: 'The Russians are exploiting the weather the cold snap trying to hit as many of our energy facilities as possible. 'So much for their respect for America and all diplomacy.' Mayor Vitali Klitschko said nearly half of the capital's apartment buildings around 6,000 blocks are now without heat, and urged residents to leave the city if they had somewhere warm to go. Cruel new Russian Shahed drone strikes targeted electricity substations in Dnipro amid harsh subzero temperatures. Meanwhile, Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih was yet again targeted by Putin, triggering power and heating outages. The Labour MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough spoke after a fatal drone strike of a residential block tower, which killed four, on January 9 in Kyiv mpu_mobile_top When asked if he would kidnap any world leader, Healey said he would 'take' the Kremlin leader and 'hold him to account' for the war crimes he has committed (Pictured: A missile attack on Kyiv) This came a day after Russia unleashed its new Oreshnik 8,000 mph hypersonic nuclear-capable missile on Lviv, just 40 miles from the border with NATO member, Poland. And in the Black Sea, Russian strikes hit two foreign civilian ships used for Ukrainian food exports in what was described by the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Oleksiy Kuleba, as an 'act of terror' A Syrian crew member was killed after a vessel, near the port of Odessa, was targeted while carrying soybeans. Another attack was carried out near the port of Chornomorsk, according to the Kyiv Post. The ship was on its way to load grain. In Kyiv, Healey also said British soldiers will start special training imminently, enabling them to be scrambled to Ukraine 'within days' of any peace deal with Russia. He refused to say how many Brits would be stationed in the Eastern European country; however, it is estimated up to 7,500 could be sent, The Sun reported. Healey said the troops will have relevant rules of engagement to ensure their protection. There is growing outrage over the BBC's coverage of protests in Iran after a blundering report was aired on its flagship News At Ten programme. Viewers hit out at embarrassing editing errors and the tone of the report, which aired a lengthy statement from the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The BBC was already under scrutiny over allegations it was not giving the nationwide protests enough coverage, after thousands of Iranians took to the streets for the 13th day in a row on Friday. The movement marks the biggest threat to the Islamic Republic in years and has seen a typically brutal crackdown from the country's Revolutionary Guards. Protests begin in the capital Tehran in reaction to dreadful economic conditions, but have now spread to more than 30 towns and cities in every province of the country. The death toll since the uprising began a fortnight ago rose to 65 yesterday, with up to 2,500 detained, according to human rights activists. But although the issue made it to the top of the news agenda for the BBC's ten o'clock programme, hosted by Jane Hill on Friday, the report was marred somewhat by a series of errors that left viewers demanding an apology. The report featured comments from Diplomatic Correspondent Caroline Hawley which were clearly not meant to make the final cut. People gather on the streets during a protest in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran this week as activists gathered in towns and cities in all 31 of Iran's provinces Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8 The movement marks the biggest threat to the Islamic Republic in years and has seen a typically brutal crackdown from the country's Revolutionary Guards Issues began after Hawley said: 'What started in late December as an economic protest has quickly spiralled into a major political and security challenge.' She then immediately is heard to say: 'Sorry, I'll take that again,' all while images of protests, burning vehicles and damaged ATMs continue to roll. Hawley then repeats her line about economic protests turning political, before she is heard musing to herself: 'And then one more little bit...' Later on, loud crowd noise from protesters appears to cut in while US President Donald Trump is speaking. The report was also chastised for its tone in the context of the deadly clashes, featuring 30 seconds of Iran's leader Khamenei in which he referred to the protesters as 'vandals' who only wanted to 'please' Trump. Khamenei was described during the footage as 'characteristically uncompromising'. Actor John Cleese was one of those to take to social media to air their discontent over the broadcast, describing the BBC's coverage as 'shameful'. 'The BBC's way of reporting on the protests in Iran is to quote a statement by Khamenei that the protestors are vandals trying to please Trump. 'What on earth are [they] thinking of?' he wrote. Others criticised the poor edit, with one viewer stating the report had been 'thrown together', adding: 'Mistakes left in voiceover edit and overlapping audio of protests under Trump. The Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei described protesters as 'vandals' - 30 seconds of his speech was aired during the BBC's news report Back in Iran, a nationwide internet blackout has now been going on for more than 36 hours, making monitoring of events increasingly challenging (Pictured: Protesters in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8) 'No apology after... Disrespectful of audience and subject.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'The BBC has been covering the protests in Iran daily across all of our platforms, including our main news bulletins, in English and via BBC News Persian. Last night's package for the News At Ten saw a small glitch which meant a line of reporting was repeated.' The corporation has been accused of not giving enough attention and reporting time to events in Iran, with the Daily Mail's Special Correspondent David Patrikarakos saying the BBC has 'averted its eyes'. And it is the latest faux-pas from the BBC after threats made by Trump to sue the corporation sent its leaders - and news editors - into a tailspin. The scandal, which saw the US President vow to sue for up to $5billion over the editing of a Panorama clip of a speech he gave on the day of the Capital Riots, saw Director-General Tim Davie and CEO of News Deborah Turness resign. Back in Tehran, a nationwide internet blackout has now been going on for more than 36 hours, making monitoring of events increasingly challenging. On Friday, Trump said it looked like Iran's leaders were 'in big trouble' and repeated an earlier threat of military strikes if peaceful protesters are killed. 'It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,' Trump said. Protests have taken place across Iran for 13 days in a movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, with growing calls for the end of the clerical system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, which ousted the pro-Western shah. In Tehran's northern Sa'adat Abad district, people banged pots and chanted slogans deriding Khamenei, as cars honked in support. Other social media images showed similar protests elsewhere in Tehran, while videos published by Persian language television channels based outside Iran showed large numbers taking part in new protests in the eastern city of Mashhad, Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Qom. The US-based son of Iran's ousted shah urged Iranians on Saturday to stage more targeted protests with the aim of taking and then holding city centres. Hundreds of protesters gather in Tehran on Friday night as protests continue to sweep the country A fire is filmed by protesters in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on Friday 'Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres,' Reza Pahlavi said in a video message on social media. He urged more protests on Saturday and Sunday and said he was 'preparing to return to my homeland' in a day he believed was 'very near'. It came after he appealed for the help of Trump on Friday. While many protests have been peaceful, videos in some cities show burning buildings, overturned cars and authorities opening fire. These protests followed giant demonstrations on Thursday that were the biggest in Iran since the 2022-2023 protest movement sparked by the custody death of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the dress rules for women. The rallies came as internet monitor NetBlocks said authorities imposed a 'nationwide internet shutdown' for the last 24 hours that was violating the rights of Iranians and 'masking regime violence'. Amnesty International said the 'blanket internet shutdown' aims to 'hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations and crimes under international law they are carrying out to crush' the protests. Iranian rights group HRANA reported 65 deaths including 50 protesters and 15 security personnel as of January 9, while the Norway-based human rights group Hengaw said more than 2,500 people have been arrested in the last two weeks. On Saturday morning, a local governor of the Tehran province told Tasnim news agency, which is associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, that 100 people had been arrested. Those detained were accused of having 'disrupted public order' and 'used firearms and cold weapons against the people and security and law enforcement forces' in the county of Baharestan. In a joint statement Friday, the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union issued a strong condemnation and called on Iran to 'immediately end the use of excessive and lethal force by its security forces'. In his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, Khamenei on Friday called the demonstrators 'vandals' and 'saboteurs'. Khamenei, in a speech broadcast on state TV, said Trump's hands 'are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians', in apparent reference to Israel's June war against the Islamic republic, which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own. He predicted the 'arrogant' US leader would be 'overthrown' like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution. 'Everyone knows the Islamic republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people, it will not back down in the face of saboteurs.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on a visit to Lebanon on Friday accused Washington and Israel of 'directly intervening' to try to 'transform the peaceful protests into divisive and violent ones', which a US State Department spokesperson called 'delusional'. Iranian women have been defiantly lighting cigarettes with burning images of supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Smoking in women is seriously frowned upon in the Middle Eastern nation, while setting pictures of the country's leader on fire is against the law - making the move a bold act of protest. Videos and pictures showing women lighting their cigarettes with burning images of Khamenei have been trending on social media, with viewers hailing their resistance to state authority and social controls. In several images, the female protesters are also shown not wearing a hijab despite it being a mandatory requirement in Iran for women to wear headscarves. While some of these clips and pictures are believed to have been taken in the Islamic Republic, one viral video was filmed by an Iranian woman who is based in Toronto, Canada. The social media trend comes as nationwide anti-government protests continue to rock Iran, with videos showing buildings and vehicles ablaze across several cities. Iranian officials said the country was on higher alert than during the war with Israel last year, and that underground 'missile cities' had also been activated to deal with foreign threats. Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday warned that safeguarding security was a 'red line' and the military vowed to protect public property, as the clerical establishment stepped up efforts to quell the most widespread protests in years. Iranian women have been sharing photos and videos of themselves lighting a cigarette with a burning picture of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei The images have been trending on social media Women posing for the photographs appear to not be wearing hijabs - even though it is mandatory to wear them in Iran Unrest continued overnight. State media said a municipal building was set on fire in Karaj, west of Tehran, and blamed 'rioters'. State TV broadcast footage of funerals of members of the security forces it said were killed in protests in the cities of Shiraz, Qom and Hamedan. Demonstrations began last month over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country's economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran's theocracy. As unrest nears the two-week mark, the government has acknowledged the demonstrations despite an intensifying crackdown from Iranian security forces. The country was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities blacked out the internet to curb growing turmoil. In a televised address, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to back down, accusing demonstrators of acting on behalf of emigre opposition groups and the United States, as rights groups reported police firing on protesters in the south. At least 65 people have been killed and some 2,300 detained, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The social media trend comes as nationwide anti-government protests continue to rock Iran. Picture shows security forces guarding a road in Iran Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei addresses a gathering of the people of Qom in Tehran amid ongoing protests Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026 At least 65 people have been killed and some 2,300 detained, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite US warnings. 'The United States supports the brave people of Iran,' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote Saturday on the social platform X. The State Department separately warned: 'Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he'll do something, he means it.' Iran's fragmented external opposition factions called for more protests, and demonstrators have chanted slogans including 'Death to the dictator!' and praising the monarchy that was overthrown in 1979. Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who called for protests Thursday and Friday, asked demonstrators to take to the streets Saturday and Sunday with Iran's old lion-and-sun flag, used during the time of the shah. Pahlavi's support of and from Israel has drawn criticism in the past particularly after the 12-day war. Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some protests, but it isn't clear whether that's support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Images published by state television overnight showed what it said were burning buses, cars and motorbikes as well as fires at underground railway stations and banks. It blamed the unrest on the People's Mujahedin Organisation, an opposition faction headquartered abroad that splintered off after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and is also known as the MKO. A state TV journalist standing in front of fires on Shariati Street in the Caspian Sea port of Rasht said: 'This looks like a war zone - all the shops have been destroyed.' Videos verified by Reuters as having been taken in the capital Tehran showed hundreds of people marching. In one of the videos, a woman could be heard shouting 'Death to Khamenei!' Germany condemned violence against protesters, saying the right to demonstrate and assemble must be guaranteed and media in Iran must be able to report freely. President Donald Trump showed off a jaunty new pin during talks on the future of Venezuela's oil. He sported a miniature version of himself, which he said was called a 'Happy Trump', just below the traditional US flag pin on his lapel. When quizzed about his new accessory during the White House East Room meet with oil executives, Trump said: 'Somebody gave me this. Do you know what that is? That's called a Happy Trump. The badge shows Trump open-mouthed with a comically large head, and many have likened it to a bobblehead version of the Commander-in-Chief. Trump appeared chuffed with the new adornment, holding out his lapel and gazing at it fondly, though didn't reveal who gave it to him. He continued: 'Considering the fact that I'm never happy, I'm never satisfied. I will never be satisfied until we make America great again, but we're getting pretty close, I tell you what. This is called a Happy Trump.' Trump did have reason to be happy after the blinding success of his raid to capture Nicolas Maduro last weekend. The Venezuelan President was plucked from the arms of his enormous security detail in the capital Caracas alongside his wife and flown to New York. President Trump appeared chuffed with his new pin The badge, known as 'Happy Trump', shows the president with an inflated head and open mouth Trump was hosting a round table with leaders from the oil industry, in the hope of rousing investment in Venezuela He was hauled before a court to face drug and weapons charges, to which he pleaded not guilty and insisted he had been kidnapped. President Trump suggested America would 'run' Venezuela until a viable alternative was found, and interim power has been handed to Maduro's former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez. With Maduro out of the way, Venezuela's vast oil reserves have become accessible to US firms. In the meeting on Friday, Trump promised oil giants 'total safety, total security' as he tried to drum up investment in Venezuela's oil infrastructure to the tune of $100billion. The President has worn a pin of this design at least once before, during a ceremony in February to swear in Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of National Intelligence, though he didn't comment on it then. Anyone taken with the new pin can get one of their own, with Amazon selling what appears to be the same design bundled with a US map badge map for $9.99. The American flag badge has traditionally been worn by US presidents since the September 11 attacks in 2001. Former President Joe Biden sometimes added his own flourish with a pin bearing the American flag cross with a Ukrainian flag, as a show of support for the country's war effort. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as he was flown to the United States Maduro this week was brought before a court in New York to enter a plea on drug and weapons charges Barack Obama was criticized while first running for president in 2007 when he said he would no longer wear a flag pin because he feared it had become a substitute for 'true patriotism'. He resumed the practice the following year, however, after a veteran handed him one at a Pennsylvania town hall and he attached, to cheers from the crowd. Friday's was not the first Trump likeness to pop up on a lapel pin in Washington. In April, Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Commissions Commission, wore a small gold medallion fashioned in the shape of Trump's profile as a lapel pin. It could be seen in Carr's post on X about a meeting on Capitol Hill with Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter. A former MI6 chief has expressed support for Donald Trump as he believes the US president obtaining control of Greenland is in the interests of 'European security'. Sir Richard Dearlove, the ex-head of Britain's intelligence agency, said there was a 'strong argument' for the US to have Greenland in a bid to deter Chinese threats. The 80-year-old has urged Denmark to lease the territory to the Americans for a hundred years in a bid to strengthen security in Europe. It comes shortly after Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro was captured by US special forces in a shock raid in Caracas last week. Maduro faces drug trafficking charges in New York, as top Venezuelan officials are accused of working with international drug trafficking rings to syphon drugs into the US. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Trump did not have the right to claim Greenland before adding its future should be decided by the island and Denmark. Sir Richard told TalkTV on Friday: 'There is a strong argument for reinforcing Europe's security by putting a much greater representation of American forces, which are the only ones that can effectively cope up in Greenland. 'Now, I would have thought that it's possible for Denmark and the United States to make some agreement. Why the hell don't the Danes lease them Greenland for a hundred years? Former MI6 boss Sir Richard Dearlove has said there is a 'strong argument' for the US to seize control of Greenland Donald Trump's plan to acquire Greenland, either through purchasing the territory or through military means, has been criticised by political enemies and allies across Europe and in the US 'I think it's really important that we look at this, not in terms of, "Gosh, isn't Trump doing dreadful stuff?" It's about European security and the safety of the area in which we live.' Sir Richard added that he believes the Danish could 'make concessions', which would be a 'big plus for Europe's security'. The ex-MI6 chief cited the US's purchase of Alaska from Russia as well as Louisiana from France in the 19th Century as 'precedents'. When asked if he believed it would be positive if the US president annexed Greenland, he said 'definitely'. 'It makes the Northern approach a hell of a lot safer for all Europeans, and it keeps the Chinese out too, which is also massively important,' he added. It comes as Sir Keir was frantically trying to persuade Trump that NATO can defend the Arctic without a US takeover of Greenland. European leaders have backed Denmark in a dispute with the US, which threatens to tear the Nato alliance apart. The Prime Minister held calls with the Danish leader and the head of NATO before speaking to the US president for the second time in two days. Join the debate Should Europe let the US control Greenland for security, or does this threaten sovereignty and unity? Members of the Danish armed forces practice looking for potential threats during a military drill on September 17, 2025 Keir Starmer launched a frantic bid on Thursday night to persuade Donald Trump that Nato can defend the Arctic without a US takeover of Greenland Downing Street said Sir Keir had attempted to persuade Trump that Europe was defending the Arctic, but did eventually concede that more could be done. It said the leaders had 'discussed Euro-Atlantic security and agreed on the need to deter an increasingly aggressive Russia in the High North'. A statement added: 'European allies had stepped up in recent months to defend Euro-Atlantic interests, but more could be done to protect the area, the Prime Minister said.' In a day of intensive diplomacy, the PM spoke to Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen, who previously said if the US chooses to attack another Nato country militarily, 'then everything stops'. However, both agreed: 'NATO should step up in the area to protect Euro-Atlantic interests.' Nato secretary General Mark Rutte agreed with Sir Keir that 'more needed to be done to deter Russia in the High North'. Both welcomed discussions on how allied countries could 'further protect the region from increasing Russian threats'. President Trump's plan to acquire Greenland, either through purchasing the territory or through military means, has been criticised by political enemies and allies across Europe and in the US. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed outrage over the use of artificial intelligence on Elon Musk's X to enable exploitative sexual content. While the number of reports received by Australia's eSafety Office remains small, it says there has been a recent increase relating to the use of the X chatbot, Grok, to create sexualised or exploitative imagery. The online watchdog warned on Friday it would use its powers including removal notices where such material meets the thresholds defined in the Online Safety Act. 'X, Grok and a wide range of other services are also subject to systemic safety obligations to detect and remove child sexual exploitation material and other unlawful material as part of Australia's world-leading industry codes and standards,' it said. Albanese on Saturday joined a growing list of international leaders including British counterpart Keir Starmer in criticising the social media platform. 'The use of generative AI to exploit or sexualise people without their consent is abhorrent,' he told reporters in Canberra. 'The fact that this tool was used so that people were using its image creation function through Grok is, I think, just completely abhorrent. Anthony Albanese has expressed outrage over the use of artificial intelligence on X to enable exploitative sexual content Albanese joins a growing list of international leaders in criticising the social media platform owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk (pictured) 'It, once again, is an example of social media not showing social responsibility and Australians and indeed, global citizens deserve better.' The criticism is part of a global backlash to the Grok chatbot that this week prompted X to limit the use of AI to create or edit images by restricting the tool for paid subscribers. On Friday, Grok was responding to image altering requests with the message: 'Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.' Some of the complaints received by the eSafety Office relate to images of adults but others concerned potential child sexual exploitation material, a spokesperson told AAP. 'The Image Based Abuse reports were received very recently and are still being assessed, they said. 'In respect of the Illegal and Restricted Content reports, the material did not meet the classification threshold for class 1 child sexual exploitation material.' As a result, eSafety did not issue removal notices or take enforcement action in relation to those specific complaints. However, the spokesperson said concerns remained about the increasing use of AI to sexualise or exploit, particularly where children are involved. Australia's eSafety Office has received increased reports about the use of the X chatbot, Grok, to create sexualised or exploitative imagery Australia's codes and standards required online services to implement systems and processes to safeguard Australians. The latest stoush comes one year after Musk slammed the Albanese government over its world-first social media ban for teens under-16, which came into effect last month. 'Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians,' Musk captioned a retweet of the PM spruiking the age-limit reforms. New poll reveals a major rise in its popularity Anthony Albanese has suffered a fresh political headache after a new poll revealed that support has plummeted for the Prime Minister in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley also continues to cop backlash as voters abandon both major parties. Primary support for Pauline Hanson's One Nation has tripled to 21 per cent nationally since the May 2025 election, according to the poll conducted by research firm Fox & Hedgehog. The surge is the equivalent of two million additional votes for One Nation, buoyed by Hanson's persistent calls to cap Australia's net overseas migration at 130,000 per year. Labor remains ahead, despite its primary vote dropping six points to 29 per cent in the last seven months since the election. Support for the Coalition has also slumped - down seven points to 25 per cent, while the Greens have seen a two point rise at 14 per cent. On personal ratings, almost half of the voters surveyed disapproved of Albanese's leadership while only one-third of voters approved of his performance. Ley's hopes of remaining at the helm of the Coalition remain on shaky ground with 19 per cent approval and 32 per cent disapproval. Primary support for Pauline Hanson and One Nation has tripled in the last seven months Support for Anthony Albanese has slumped in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack Another third of voters were unsure of Ley's leadership. Hanson's net approval was reported at minus three, well ahead of Ley (-13) and Albanese (-15). Fox & Hedgehog founder Michael Horner believes One Nation could become a genuine threat across the country. 'In dozens of seats, it could replace either Labor or the Coalition as the main challenger,' the former Coalition strategist told News Corp. One Nation can win seats on a primary vote in the mid-20s when running against Labor, but would likely need a primary in the 30s to beat the Coalition.' More than 1600 voters were surveyed last week, before Albanese on Thursday finally announced a federal royal commission into the Bondi terror attack which claimed 15 lives on December 14. Albanese was booed when he attended a memorial in Bondi a week after the attack, as the Jewish community accused the government of ignoring warnings about rising anti-Semitism. Families of the victims, Jewish community leaders, business figures, industry groups, sporting names and security experts were among those publicly pressing the government day after day. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's hopes of remaining in charge of the Coalition have taken a hit He finally caved in following a private four-hour meeting with senior figures from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry on Wednesday, the day before announcing the inquiry. The royal commission's proposed terms of reference were reportedly central to the discussion, along with possible candidates to lead the inquiry. Justice Michael Lee was said to be viewed as a 'good friend of the Jewish community' and was believed to have support among ECAJ figures. Instead, Albanese chose former High Court Justice Virginia Bell to lead the inquiry. Inside Labor, MPs were reported to be stunned by the political damage, particularly after the party's landslide victory and 94-seat majority in May. One Nation's support has experienced a surge since the Bondi Beach terrorist attack The Prime Minister's earlier refusal of the families' requests for a federal probe reportedly angered the Jewish community and unsettled some of his own colleagues. 'How are we ending the year fighting with the families of terror victims?' one MP was quoted as saying late last month. Those close to Albanese insisted he believed existing measures - hate-speech reforms, gun controls, the Richardson review, the NSW royal commission and action on Jillian Segal's report - would be enough. A video captured the moment a Russian drone struck an apartment block in Ukraine in Vladimir Putin's latest attack on the war-torn country. Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in a large-scale overnight assault, officials said Friday, killing at least four people in the capital. Footage shows a drone whizzing over Kyiv and striking a tower block, as the sound of a thunderous explosion rings out. The building is then seen erupting into flames while car alarms go off in the background. According to the city authorities, the drone attack damaged residential buildings and infrastructure, including critical ones, and resulted in deaths and injuries. In some areas of the city, there are power and water outages as a result of the strike. For only the second time in the nearly four-year-old war, Russia also used a powerful, new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv's NATO allies. The nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile struck the city of Lviv after it was fired from Russia's Kapustin Yar test range near the Caspian Sea in southwestern Russia. A Russian drone is seen here whizzing over Kyiv before striking a tower block Footage shows the moment the drone strikes the apartment building before the tower block erupts in flames Smoke is seen billowing out from a residential building after a drone struck Kyiv It took less than 15 minutes to explode over the city in a trademark shower of bright flashes with the night sky turning red. Russia claimed the strike was a response to a Ukrainian bid to kill Putin with a strike on his palace in Valdai, which Kyiv denies. Moscow didn't say where the Oreshnik hit, but Russian media and military bloggers said it targeted an underground natural gas storage facility in the Lviv region. Western military aid flows to Ukraine from a supply hub in Poland just across the border. Putin has previously said the Oreshnik streaks to its target at Mach 10, 'like a meteorite,' and is immune to any missile defense system. Several of them used in a conventional strike could be as devastating as a nuclear attack, according to Putin, who has warned the West that Russia could use it against allies of Kyiv that allow it to strike inside Russia with longer-range missiles. Ukrainian intelligence says the missile has six warheads, each carrying six submunitions. Russia first used the Oreshnik missile on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024. Analysts say it gives Russia a new element of psychological warfare, unnerving Ukrainians and intimidating Western countries that aid Ukraine. A man takes a photo from his window of the aftermath of the Russian attack on a residential apartment building on January 9, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Firefighters put out a fire in a destroyed brick building after a Russian drone-and-missile attack on January 9, 2026 in Kyiv, A man looks at a damaged ambulance after a Russian drone-and-missile attack on January 9, 2026 in Kyiv Russia launched a massive attack on the Ukrainian capital with drones and missiles, hitting multiple districts of Kyiv The latest strikes from Russia come as Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine would be initiating international action in response to the use of the missile, including an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council and a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council. The Security Council scheduled a Monday afternoon meeting on Ukraine. 'Such a strike close to EU and NATO border is a grave threat to the security on the European continent and a test for the transatlantic community. We demand strong responses to Russia's reckless actions,' he said in a post on X. Ukraine's request for an emergency meeting of the Security Council has been conveyed to the council, and six of the 15 members have called for a meeting on Monday, but no date has been set yet, a UN diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions have been private. Pope Leo XIV, speaking at the Vatican, urged the international community to keep pushing for peace and end the suffering in Ukraine. 'Faced with this tragic situation, the Holy See strongly reiterates the pressing need for an immediate ceasefire, and for dialogue motivated by a sincere search for ways leading to peace,' the pontiff told ambassadors to the Vatican from around the world. The leaders of Britain, France and Germany said they spoke about the attack and deemed it 'escalatory and unacceptable.' This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Security Service on January 9, 2026 reportedly shows a fragment of a Russian Oreshnik ballistic missile at an undisclosed location EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the Oreshnik launch was 'meant as a warning to Europe and to the U.S.' 'Putin doesn't want peace, Russia's reply to diplomacy is more missiles and destruction,' Kallas wrote on social media. Bondi attack hero Ahmed Al-Ahmed has suffered another health setback after becoming unwell during his trip to the US. The Syrian-born Sydneysider, 43, was shot five times after he confronted alleged gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, when they opened fire on the crowd on December 12, killing 15 and wounding dozens more. He flew business class to the US earlier this week for the next phase of his 'treatment journey'. He has since conducted several television interviews, was the guest of honour at a Jewish gala dinner in New York, and met with Australias Ambassador to the US, former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd. Mr Al-Ahmed was scheduled to undergo more medical treatment in New York before he suffered severe pain and swelling in his hand. A clip shared on his Instagram page on Saturday night showed the former tobacconist lying in bed in his hotel room surrounded by visitors after he was forced to cancel several meetings. 'My health has declined again,' he captioned the video. 'When the pain returns after the medicine wears off, I feel discouraged. Ahmed Al-Ahmed is recovering in a New York hotel room after his health deteriorated Mr Al-Ahmed (right) travelled to the US after taking part in a guard of honour for the Bondi heroes at the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney He suffered severe pain and swelling in his hand hours after meeting Australias Ambassador to the US, former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd (right) 'But when I remember that I did what I did to protect innocent people and that so many people love me and are wishing for my recovery, I feel hope, optimism and joy.' He was also thankful for the group of visitors who came to check on him in his hotel room after he was forced to cancel meetings with them. 'Despite that, they came with such kindness and respect to check on me in my modest hotel room, just to make sure I was okay,' he added. Mr Al-Ahmed ended the post by thanking well-wishers. 'Thank you from all my heart. Please remember me in your prayers,' he wrote. Hours earlier, he shared a video of meeting and embracing Rudd, which Mr AlAhmed described as a great honour. He told Rudd that doctors believed he was months away from making a full recovery. 'You did an extraordinary thing, my friend,' the former PM told him. A group visited the Sydneysider recovering in his New York hotel room after he was forced to cancel several meetings 'Your image went across the world. We love you for it.' Earlier in the week, Mr AlAhmed was presented with a large gold Menorah by billionaire Bill Ackman at a lavish $1,000-a-head dinner in New York. Ackman, who donated $99,999 to the Bondi hero's GoFundMe, praised the Syrian refugee at the Colel Chabad Gala on Wednesday night. Mr AlAhmed received a threeminute standing ovation from guests as he took the stage with his injured arm in a sling. Ackman was visibly moved as he addressed the crowd and presented Al-Ahmed with the gold menorah, which was inscribed with the words 'Light Will Win'. '[Jews] are 0.2 per cent of the world. So seeing someone step forward on behalf of people he didn't know, to risk his own life, and the calculus of going after a guy with a gun,' Ackman told the crowd. 'It's really one of the great acts of heroism, and I think it was very reaffirming to the Jewish community to have someone stand up on behalf of our community in the most profound, lifeaffirming way. That's why we were here.' Pope Leo XIV has greeted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a ceremony in the Vatican today, as the new Pontiff revealed details of a trip abroad to fulfil one of his predecessor Pope Francis's last wishes. The Pope was at a special audience to meet with volunteers and partners of last year's Papal Jubilee, a celebratory event which typically takes place every 25 years. Pope Leo and Meloni were pictured meeting at the event and appeared to be engaging in friendly conversation. Meloni was dressed in a black suit and shoes and a white blouse as the pair exchanged smiles and spoke to one another, watched on by a cameraman. The Italian Prime Minister previously met with the Pope on July 2, shortly after his ascension to the role, although the pair are understood to have also spoken over the phone. Meloni sent the Pope a touching message on his 70th birthday in September Pope Leo XIV was in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican and used the ceremony to express his gratitude to the government, security forces and other organisations involved in the jubilee. He presented volunteers with a Jubilee Crucifix, before offering his blessing and wishing them a 'happy new year'. Pope Leo XIV has greeted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a ceremony in the Vatican today which celebrates the work of volunteers for the Papal Jubilee last year Meloni was dressed in a black suit and shoes and a white blouseas the pair exchanged smiles and spoke to one another, watched on by a cameraman During the meeting, which came just days after new international travel plans for the leader of the Catholic Church were announced, Pope Leo XIV was also pictured blessing several babies During the meeting, which came just days after new international travel plans for the leader of the Catholic Church were announced, he was also pictured blessing several babies. The Pope is planning to travel to Spain this year, with stops in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands to fulfil Pope Francis' wish of visiting a key migration entry point to Europe, a Spanish cardinal revealed on Friday. Cardinal Jose Cobo Cano, the archbishop of Madrid, said plans for the trip were underway after meeting with a top official in the Vatican secretary of state to discuss the itinerary. While June had been rumored as the possible date, Cobo said the timing of the trip was still up in the air. Spain had long lobbied for Francis to visit, but over 12 years he always declined. Francis preferred to travel to smaller countries, oftentimes far away, where Catholics were a minority. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Cobo said the current proposal calls for Leo to visit the capital, Madrid, and the city of Barcelona, where he would visit the Sagrada Familia basilica. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of the basilica architect Antoni Gaudi, who is on the path to possible beatification. The plan calls for Leo to also visit the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off northwest Africa. The islands experience large numbers of migrant arrivals from West Africa. While Francis had long declined to visit the Spanish mainland, he had had hoped to visit the Canary Islands as part of his longstanding outreach to migrants and refugees. Leo has echoed Francis' concerns on Friday, telling the Vatican's diplomatic corps in his annual foreign policy speech that migrants enjoy inalienable rights. He said he hoped that countries' efforts to crack down on human trafficking 'will not become a pretext for undermining the dignity of migrants and refugees.' Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Leo XIV converse as they met again in the Vatican on Saturday Their exchange appeared friendly and the Pope thanked the government and security services for their role in the Jubilee Pope Leo XIV caresses a baby during an audience with volunteers and workers of the 2025 Jubilee, in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican The Pope spoke to volunteers and representatives of organisations before presenting them with a Jubilee Crucifix The Spain trip would mark the first known travel plans for Leo in 2026. The American pope has said he wants to visit Africa this year, especially Algeria, which played an important role in the life of St. Augustine, the inspiration for Leo's Augustinian religious order. Leo has also said he hopes to return to his beloved Peru, where he lived for two decades as a missionary, and to Argentina and Uruguay, which had unsuccessfully lobbied for a visit by the Argentine pope during his pontificate. The announced trip came a day after the Spanish government said that the Spanish Catholic hierarchy had agreed to let state ombudsman have the final say in compensating victims of clergy sexual abuse, a remarkable concession by the church. Justice Minister Felix Bolanos, who led the talks with the Spanish bishops, credited the Vatican with having pushed for the deal despite the opposition of some Spanish bishops. Spanish abuse survivors had criticized the bishops' original in-house compensation proposal as lacking any oversight. 'I have the feeling that the Holy See has pushed for this, that the Spanish church has signed the agreement, but I also have the feeling that some bishops in Spain are not entirely enthusiastic about this agreement,' he said in an interview with Cadena Ser radio. The deal is a remarkable concession by the Spanish church to allow the state to intervene in its internal handling of abuse claims. It is evidence of how the Spanish hierarchy has lost credibility over revelations of decades of abuse and cover-up by the hierarchy that were documented in 2023 by the ombudsman's office. Former prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys are speaking out about the Trump administration's refusal to share investigative materials on the Minneapolis ICE shooting with local authorities, calling the situation highly unusual. State and local prosecutors in Minnesota say the FBI is stonewalling them. The FBI is leading the probe into the death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed in her car on Wednesday by an ICE agent. 'This is what a cover-up looks like,' Dan Gelber, a former federal prosecutor and Miami Beach mayor, told Axios. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty claimed during a Friday press conference that the FBI has not been cooperative and has not shared evidence with her office. That, in part, has prompted her to set up an online portal for citizens to submit whatever information they have about the shooting. Both Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have said they have the authority to conduct investigations into the shooting and file charges against the ICE agent, who was later identified as 10-year veteran Jonathan Ross. At the same time, the Minneapolis Bureau of Criminal Apprehensions has said it is being barred from the crime scene, is not being given evidence and is not being permitted to conduct interviews. 'At this time, the BCA is not conducting a use-of-force incident investigation,' the agency said in a statement on January 9. Renee Nicole Good, 37, was in her car on Wednesday when she was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota Local and state authorities are claiming that the FBI is not sharing evidence with them. The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting, which was done by Jonathan Ross, a 10-year veteran of ICE Ross, who was identified days after the shooting, is pictured with his wife 'The BCA remains open to conducting a full investigation of the incident should the US Attorney's Office and FBI reconsider their approach and express a willingness to resume a joint investigation or to share all evidence and evidentiary reports held by FBI investigators.' Eric Nelson, one of the defense attorneys for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, has also expressed surprise that federal authorities are taking complete control of the investigation. 'It's shocking to me that this is the route and the path that it's taking, because I do believe that it undermines the public trust in the government,' Nelson told Axios. The Department of Justice claimed it stopped cooperating with local detectives after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the idea that the ICE agent was defending himself from Good's vehicle was 'bull****.' 'They have no intent to pursue a good-faith investigation,' a DOJ official said in response. President Donald Trump, who immediately sided with the ICE agent in the aftermath of the shooting, has also defended the decision to cut out local authorities, calling them 'crooked'. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during a press conference in New York City on Thursday that Good was following and harassing ICE agents who were in the middle of an operation. Noem characterized Good's conduct as an act of 'domestic terrorism'. The agent who shot her was acting in self defense, Noem said, adding that his actions were consistent with his training. 'This vehicle was used to hit this officer,' she said. 'It was used as a weapon, and the officer feels as though his life was in jeopardy. It was used to perpetuate a violent act, and this officer took action to protect himself and to protect his fellow law enforcement officers.' Pictured: The moment Ross fired his weapon into the windshield of the SUV, killing Good President Donald Trump and members of his administration have all defended Ross and said the shooting of Good was justified and in self defense Vice President JD Vance said Ross has 'absolute immunity' from criminal charges because he was on duty at the time of the shooting Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty contradicted Vance, saying that Ross does not have complete immunity here' A conservative news outlet, Alpha News, released cellphone footage from the officer's perspective. The video shows him getting out of his vehicle and approaching Good's SUV, which was sideways and partially blocking the street. He then walks around the SUV, and like in the other videos posted to social media, it's clear that Good initially went in reverse. As the car moves forward, the cellphone camera points up toward the sky as three shots are heard. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the video proved Good tried to run over the agent. State Representative Aisha Gomez, a Minneapolis Democrat, said the new video has not convinced her that the shooting was justified. She told The New York Times that the video's release was 'clearly designed to be like, "Look at these terrible people who are interfering with law enforcement. Dont they deserve to get executed in the middle of the street in the United States of America?"' Vice President JD Vance has also been vocal in defending the ICE officer, saying on Thursday that he 'deserves a debt of gratitude'. Vance pointed out that the agent, Jonathan Ross, was dragged 100 yards by a car in June as he tried to arrest an illegal immigrant sex offender in Bloomington, Minnesota. An FBI agent who spoke to the Daily Mail on condition of anonymity confirmed that Ross was involved in this incident. He ended up needing 20 stitches for his right arm and 13 for his left hand. Pictured: The cellphone video from Ross the moment before he opens fire on Good, who is seen in the driver's seat Ross (pictured to the left of the SUV) is seen holding his pistol up as the vehicle drives off Ross is pictured walking away from Good's vehicle after it crashed into a parked car After assailing the media for allegedly prejudging Ross as a murderer, Vance accused Good of being part of a 'broader left wing network' that used 'domestic terror techniques' to go after ICE agents. Vance then commented on Ross's ability to be prosecuted, claiming that he enjoys 'absolute immunity' from criminal charges because he was on duty at the time of the shooting. Moriarty contradicted Vance, saying that Ross 'does not have complete immunity here'. Federal agents have what is called qualified immunity, which protects them from civil lawsuits unless a judge determines that they have clearly violated a person's constitutional rights. Qualified immunity does not protect agents from facing state or federal criminal charges. Given that the Trump administration has already sided with Ross, it is a near certainty that the Department of Justice will not pursue a case against him. If Ross is charged, it will likely come from Moriarty's office. As authorities weigh whether criminal charges are warranted in this case, anti-ICE protests have spread across the country. Tensions were only further inflamed after two more people were shot by US Customs and Border Protection agents during operations in Portland, Oregon. After the Minneapolis ICE shooting, protestors have taken to the street, demanding that federal agents be held accountable Pictured: A man walks by the memorial for Good on January 9, 2026 Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to 'get the f*** out' of his city in his first press conference after the shooting Demonstrators were burning American flags and holding signs that call the ICE agent a 'murderer'. Some people in a New York City protest were heard chanting: 'save a life, kill an ICE'. In downtown Minneapolis, police declared that a protest going on overnight was an unlawful assembly. Dozens of people were detained. More than 1,000 'ICE Out For Good' protests are set to take place this weekend to call for ICE to leave cities. The coalition of groups organizing the protests, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the 50501 protest movement, said the events are a response to the shooting of Good and 'the months-long pattern of unchecked violence and abuse in marginalized communities across America'. This comes after government officials in Minnesota and elsewhere have told ICE that they should drastically reduce their footprint in the wake of what has happened. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was the most explicit in his demand, telling agents to 'get the f*** out' of his city in his first press conference after the shooting. A former military general issued a chilling warning to Iran after President Donald Trump threatened the Middle Eastern country over cost-of-living protests. Last week, Trump threatened Iran with war amid a violent crackdown on anti-regime protesters, telling the country's leaders that the US would 'come to [protesters'] rescue' if they kept being killed. Jack Keane, a retired general and Fox contributor, is now cautioning the Iranian regime to deeply consider Trump's threats as legitimate. 'I would take President Trump dead serious here,' he said on Fox News Friday night. 'Anybody at this point that doesnt take President Trump serious when hes saying something like this, given the last year, is certainly reckless and irresponsible,' he said. Keane's comments came just hours before Iranian security personnel killed at least 50 protesters in a sign of the regime's defiance of Trump's warning of intervention if bloodshed continued. The US has already struck Iran in June using B-2 bombers at the Fordow site to neutralize the country's nuclear program. Operation Midnight Hammer marked the end of a 45-year stand-off between the United States and Iran, and the president warned the country to not rebuild its nuclear program. Jack Keane, a retired general and Fox contributor, warned Iran to take President Donald Trump's threats 'dead serious' Last week, Trump threatened Iran with war as civilians were being killed during protests Last weekend, Trump struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro for drug trafficking charges after months of threats. 'Don't play games when this president's in office,' Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, told the press after the Venezuela strike. 'It's not going to turn out well.' Earlier this month, Trump told Iran in a Truth Social post: 'We are locked and loaded and ready to go.' Regime spokesman, Ali Larijani, who serves as the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, responded to the President's threat on X at the time by blaming Israel and the US for encouraging the protests. Iran and Israel have been engaged in a 40-year proxy war that escalated in 2024 as the two Middle East countries launched missiles directly at each other. Trump, in June, backed Israel by launching Operation Midnight Hammer after Israel and Iran faced a 12-day war. Iranian officials have repeatedly blamed Western countries for stoking anti-regime protests amid economic slowdown in the country. However, Keane said Iran's regime is at its 'weakest point' and has 'no prospect of recovering.' Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, reportedly has a backup plan to flee to Moscow if the US strikes. He also predicted the US leader would be 'overthrown' like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution So far, at least 50 protesters have been killed during the protests The protests started following the collapse of Iran's rial currency 'Politically, [the Iranian regime] can't meet the social and political and economic aspirations of the people,' Keane said on Fox News. 'Economically, they're in the tank, to be sure, and with no prospect of recovering. 'And, militarily, they just lost a war. They've lost their platform in Syria. Their proxies are, by and large, decapitated and almost eliminated, to be sure. The result of all of that is they are in a fundamentally weak position, and it's serious in terms of the regime.' Although he admitted he didn't know if the Trump Administration would administer a military strike, he said he does believe that the president is 'dead serious.' Civilian demonstrations are said to have taken place in over 220 Iranian towns and cities in 26 of Iran's 31 provinces - resulting in the arrests of up to 2,500 people. Speaking aboard Air Force One, the Republican said earlier this week, without elaborating: 'We're watching it very closely. If they start killing people, like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States.' The Iranian death toll is expected to increase as local hospitals report being overrun with casualties, including many with gunshot wounds. Iranian rights group HRANA reported 65 deaths including 50 protesters and 15 security personnel as of January 9. Trump's threat appeared to have spooked Iran's dictatorial leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, who reportedly has a backup plan to flee to Moscow if his security forces fail to suppress the ever-growing protests. The US has already struck Iran in June using B-2 bombers at the Fordow site (pictured) to neutralize the country's nuclear program Last weekend, Trump struck Venezuela (pictured) and captured its President Nicolas Maduro for drug trafficking charges The Times of London reported that the 86-year-old autocrat is planning on fleeing with up to 20 aides and members of his family, should his army and security forces desert, deflect, or fail to quell the demonstrations. An intelligence source told the newspaper: 'The "plan B" is for Khamenei and his very close circle of associates and family, including his son and nominated heir apparent, Mojtaba.' They added that Khamenei has already laid the groundwork needed to escape the country, which included 'gathering assets, properties abroad and cash to facilitate their safe passage.' However, on Friday, Khamenei insisted the republic would 'not back down.' Internet monitor Netblocks said authorities had imposed a total connectivity blackout late Thursday and added early Friday that the country has 'now been offline for 12 hours...in an attempt to suppress sweeping protests.' The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges yet to the Islamic republic in its over four-and-a half decades of existence, with protesters openly calling for an end to its theocratic rule. But Khamenei struck a defiant tone in his first comments on the protests that have been escalating since January 3, calling the demonstrators 'vandals' and 'saboteurs,' in a speech broadcast on state TV. Up to 2,500 Iranians have been arrested from the protests Khamenei insisted the republic would 'not back down' and cut internet access to help stale the protests from continuing Khamenei said 'arrogant' Donald Trump's hands 'are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians', in apparent reference to Israel's June war against the Islamic republic which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own. He predicted the US leader would be 'overthrown' like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution. The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment. A forensics expert says a video of a 'fraught confrontation' between an immigration officer and a female driver and her wife which led to the driver's death shows us for the first time 'how antagonistic' they were to him. Jonathan Baran, a visual forensics reporter, also says the newly emerged video filmed by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officer, now named as Jon Ross, which he confirmed as authentic, reveals where the officer was standing immediately before the shooting for the first time. Mr Baran, who works for the Washington Post in San Francisco, says Mr Ross was standing in front of Renee Good's car filming her at the wheel of the Honda Pilot SUV while her wife Rebecca was outside the car filming the incident urging her to 'drive, baby, drive'. He confirmed that the video also shows the officer being 'taunted' and 'trolled' by the women as he asked Renee Good, who had blocked the road with her car in apparent protest at a nearby immigration raid, while he 'remarkably' remains silent. And Mr Baran said that the footage shows Mr Ross could see Ms Good turning the wheel and starting to drive seconds before shots were fired but the camera 'swings up' into the air when the gun is fired missing 'crucial moments'. Mr Ross controversially shot and killed Ms Good during the incident last Wednesday in Minneapolis after she refused officers' requests to get out of her car, leading to further clashes with protesters there and elsewhere. Tensions have escalated around the country since the shooting but Mr Ross's supporters including Donald Trump and JD Vance say that he acted in self-defence as she drove towards him. But despite the confrontation where Mr Ross is heckled by the pair, Mr Baran says the video makes it impossible to 'exonerate or vindicate anyone completely in their actions'. A forensics expert says a video of a 'fraught confrontation' between an immigration officer and a Renee Good (pictured) and her wife shows us for the first time 'how antagonistic' they were to him before the fatal shooting People attend a demonstration against increased immigration enforcement, days after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, outside the Canopy by Hilton hotel that demonstrators believe is being used by federal agents, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 9, 2026 Dozens of armed Minnesota police officers are seen during a protest outside of one of the hotels where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are thought to be staying in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 09 January 2026 'The new video shows us a video taken from the agent's perspective and it shows us an interaction with Renee Good and Rebecca Good as Renee is in the driver's seat,' he told the BBC today. 'The officer is filming as he walks around the vehicle. It also gives us a position of the officer which we didn't have before in the other perspectives and videos and it shows some action that Renee Good is taking: she is turning the driver's wheel and she is visible to Ross, the ICE agent, while he is standing and filming in front of the vehicle.' Mr Baran, who analysed the video frame by frame, said: 'The camera swings up and away so the video does not show us some crucial things it does not show us what he is looking at exactly when he fires and whether he is hit or not. 'While we can't say for sure whether or not he was hit in this incident by the vehicle, we can see Renee Good turning the steering wheel to the right which matches up with the other videos that we analysed previously.' And Mr Baran said that the women 'troll' the ICE agent, with Rebecca Good saying 'we don't change our plates every morning just so you know', referring to allegations that ICE agents change their number plates regularly to avoid detection. 'The couple are taunting and are sarcastically and sardonically nice to the agent. He doesn't engage with them which I think is remarkable,' he explained to Radio 4's Today programme. 'We don't hear him say anything but Renee Good is sort of pretending to be nice and saying 'hey, I'm not mad at you' and then he comes round to the back and is filming and Rebecca Good makes some sarcastic remarks a sort of criticism of ICE switching plates which they have been criticised for switching plates on their vehicles so it makes it harder for protesters and observers to track the vehicles. Lines of armed police officers are seen in downtown Minneapolis It comes as the fatal shooting of Good on Wednesday in Minneapolis ignited a political firestorm across the US this week, sharply dividing opinions over whether the shooting was justified Good and her wife, Rebecca, moved to the Minneapolis area just last year with their six-year-old son 'This is something in previous videos that we weren't previously able to see just how antagonistic they are.' However, Mr Baran says that he does not think the video proves any definite intent to injure Mr Ross by driving at him. He explained: 'The video provides an interesting clue at the moment where Renee Good drives off, her partner says 'drive baby drive' and there is not like a domestic terrorist intent at least it doesn't seem that way. 'She is telling her partner to drive away not to drive at the officer. It is not like a violent 'I am going to get you way' kind of moment. It is just 'drive baby drive'. And he warned that investigators had 'some information gaps' that they were 'going to have to fill', adding: 'I don't think this video can exonerate or vindicate anyone completely in its actions. It is clearly a very fraught moment and it happens very quickly.' In previous videos of the incident, it was unclear who shouted at Ms Good to 'drive, baby, drive'. Following the incident, her car careered off the road and crashed. Blood splatter was seen in her SUV after the shooting Her family have since accused the officer of 'murdering' her. On Friday, Rebecca Good, who shared a six year old son with her wife, who also had two other children, said they had 'stopped to support neighbours' who had been protesting. Separate footage released on Friday showed Renee Good moving the car to the middle of the road after a passenger, believed to her wife, got out and started filming. ICE agents were seen around the car with one trying to open the door, at which point the car moved forwards. At the same time, Mr Ross, who appears to step out of the way, appears to shoot three shots through the driver's window. The White House have accused Ms Good of being a domestic terrorist who attempted to run over Mr Ross. Vice President JD Vance said the new footage showed that the 'reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self-defence'. 'Watch this, as hard as it is. Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn't hit by a car, wasn't being harassed and murdered an innocent woman,' he said. Protesters have clashed with immigration officers near the scene of the incident with tear gas and pepper balls deployed to disperse the crowds. In Portland, Oregon, two people were shot and wounded by ICE agents last Thursday as they attempted to flee. The two Democrat cities of Minneapolis and Portland, which the President sees as centres of left wing radicalism, have been targeted by the Trump administration in a major clampdown on illegal immigrants and spiralling crime. Iranian security personnel have killed at least 50 protesters in a sign of the regime's defiance of US President Donald Trump's warning of intervention if bloodshed continued. The death toll is expected to increase as local hospitals report being overrun with casualties, including many with gunshot wounds, while some families are too terrified to get medical help for fear of being arrested. Iranian rights group HRANA reported 65 deaths including 50 protesters and 15 security personnel as of January 9, while the Norway-based human rights group Hengaw said more than 2,500 people have been arrested in the last two weeks. It comes after Trump said on Friday it looked as if Iran's leaders were 'in big trouble' and repeated his earlier threat of military strikes if peaceful protesters are killed. 'It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,' Trump said. And speaking on Air Force One earlier this week, he told journalists: 'We're watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States.' Protests have taken place across Iran for 13 days in a movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, with growing calls for the end of the clerical system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, which ousted the pro-Western shah. Unrest continued overnight, with state media reporting a municipal building was set on fire in Karaj, west of Tehran, for which they blamed 'rioters'. Protests have spread to more than 220 towns and cities in every one of Iran's 31 provinces. Protests have taken place across Iran for 13 days in a movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, but which have escalated into calls for regime change Demonstrations continued overnight in Tehran's Kaj Square (pictured) as unrest across Iran entered its third week Thousands of people took to the streets in Tehran as well as cities and towns across all of Iran's 31 provinces (Pictured: Protesters in Mashhad, northeastern Iran) It comes after US President Donald Trump said on Friday it looked as if Iran's leaders were 'in big trouble' and repeated his earlier threat of military strikes if peaceful protesters are killed Social media images showed thousands participating in Tehran, while videos published by Persian language television channels based outside Iran showed large numbers taking part in new protests in the eastern city of Mashhad, Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Qom. But the country's infamous Revolutionary Guards and other law enforcement agencies are launching a brutal crackdown, with the nation's attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning anyone taking part in protests would be considered 'an enemy of God'. This offence is punishable by death under Iran's strict laws, and even those who assisted protesters would also be prosecuted, a statement on state TV reported. 'Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country,' it read. 'Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence.' It appears to be a desperate bid to try and limit the number of protesters after Friday night saw some of the largest swells of activists yet. Videos show many chanted 'death to the dictator' and 'death to Khamenei', while others banged pots and pans. While some protests have been peaceful, videos in some cities show burning buildings, overturned cars and authorities opening fire. A doctor in northwestern Iran said that since Friday, large numbers of injured protesters had been brought to hospitals. Some were badly beaten, suffering head injuries and broken legs and arms, as well as deep cuts. At least 20 people in one hospital had been shot with live ammunition, five of whom later died. The US-based son of Iran's ousted shah urged Iranians on Saturday to stage more targeted protests with the aim of taking and then holding city centres. Thousands of protesters gather in Tehran on Friday night as protests continue to sweep the country A fire is filmed by protesters in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on Friday The movement marks the biggest threat to the Islamic Republic in years and has seen a typically brutal crackdown from the country's Revolutionary Guards A nationwide internet blackout has now been going on for more than 36 hours, making monitoring of events increasingly challenging (Pictured: Protesters in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8) The Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei described protesters as 'vandals' - 30 seconds of his speech was aired during the BBC's news report 'Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres,' Reza Pahlavi said in a video message on social media. He urged more protests on Saturday and Sunday and said he was 'preparing to return to my homeland' in a day he believed was 'very near'. It came after he appealed for the help of Trump on Friday. These protests followed giant demonstrations on Thursday that were the biggest in Iran since the 2022-2023 protest movement sparked by the custody death of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the dress rules for women. The rallies came as internet monitor NetBlocks said authorities imposed a 'nationwide internet shutdown' for the last 36 hours that was violating the rights of Iranians and 'masking regime violence'. Amnesty International said the 'blanket internet shutdown' aims to 'hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations and crimes under international law they are carrying out to crush' the protests. On Saturday morning, a local governor of the Tehran province told Tasnim news agency, which is associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, that 100 people had been arrested. Those detained were accused of having 'disrupted public order' and 'used firearms and cold weapons against the people and security and law enforcement forces' in the county of Baharestan. In his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, Khamenei on Friday called the demonstrators 'vandals' and 'saboteurs'. Khamenei, in a speech broadcast on state TV, said Trump's hands 'are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians', in apparent reference to Israel's June war against the Islamic republic, which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own. Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8 People gather on the streets during a protest in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran this week as activists gathered in towns and cities in all 31 of Iran's provinces He predicted the 'arrogant' US leader would be 'overthrown' like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution. 'Everyone knows the Islamic republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people, it will not back down in the face of saboteurs.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on a visit to Lebanon on Friday accused Washington and Israel of 'directly intervening' to try to 'transform the peaceful protests into divisive and violent ones', which a US State Department spokesperson called 'delusional'. In a joint statement on Friday, the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union issued a strong condemnation and called on Iran to 'immediately end the use of excessive and lethal force by its security forces'. A Republican running for the Texas House has been declared ineligible after using the wrong candidate filing form, a move she claimed was politically motivated. Zee Wilcox of a Southlake was ruled ineligible to run in the House District 98 race after filing with a federal form insteaZee Wilcox is one of three candidates running for House District 98 in North Texas.d of the required state paperwork. The mom-of-three, who was one of three Republicans vying for the open seat, said she filled out her forms on December 8, the last day before the deadline. She paid the $750 fee and had her paperwork notarized and accepted. However, Wilcox was later notified by Tarrant County GOP Chair Tim Davis that her application did not meet legal requirements because she used a federal filing form instead of the required state version. Davis, a lawyer elected chairman in November, emailed Wilcox directly to inform her that she was therefore ineligible to appear on the ballot. 'I've never done this before - my first time - but I assumed they'd tell me if the form was wrong when they accepted it,' Wilcox told the Star Telegram. Emails reviewed by the Star-Telegram show Wilcox asked to correct the mistake but received no response, leading her to accuse Tarrant County Republicans of orchestrating her removal. Wilcox, a mom-of-three and small business owner, has accused local GOP leaders of orchestrating her removal from the ballot Wilcox sent Davis a cease-and-desist letter accusing him of spreading false information about her candidacy. Zee Wilcox is pictured with her husband Brian The mom of three moved to the United States and became a citizen after growing up in communist Czechoslovakia, according to her campaign biography Wilcox has since appealed the decision and contacted the Texas Secretary of State, which told her it lacks the authority to overturn a county party ruling. She later sent Davis a cease-and-desist letter accusing him of spreading false or misleading information about her candidacy, a claim he dismissed as baseless. 'I have a hard time believing this is happening in this country,' she said. 'These elections are now selections. They're not elections, and I wasn't selected by them, so therefore I need to be forcibly removed.' Davis rejected those claims, claiming the issue was straightforward and rooted in election law, not politics. 'Given the matter, I will keep the details to a minimum, but the issue is pretty simple. 'Mrs Wilcox filed for a state office using a federal form,' he said in a Facebook post. 'The forms are different, and the duty is on the candidate to ensure her filing complies with the law.' Davis also claimed Wilcox was given adequate time to challenge the decision, and that he met with a lawyer beforehand. Tarrant County GOP Chair Tim Davis declared Wilcox ineligible for the primary, claiming her application failed to meet statutory requirements for a state House candidate Wilcox has appealed the decision and is weighing legal action as the March 3 primary approaches Wilcox is one of three candidates running for House District 98 'Ms Wilcox had the opportunity to respond and she did,' Davis said. 'This was not the result of some fast conspiracy, despite whatever Mrs Wilcox wants to allege.' 'Instead, its the outcome of choices she made with her filing, The rule of law matters in the TCGOP, and we believe election integrity begins with the very first step in the process: when our candidates files for office.' House District 98 is currently represented by Giovanni Capriglione, who is not seeking reelection. The other candidates in the race are Armin Mizani, the mayor of Keller, and Fred Tate, a Colleyville businessman. Two Democrats are also running for the seat. Texas' primary elections are scheduled for March 3, with the winners advancing to the November 3 general election ballot. President Donald Trump's emergency command aircraft has been spotted in Los Angeles, California, sparking panic and conspiracy theories on social media. The Boeing E-4B Nightwatch, colloquially known as the 'Doomsday plane,' serves as a flying command post for top officials during times of crisis and is built to survive a nuclear attack while coordinating military action. The aircraft touched down at Los Angeles International Airport for the first time in 51 years on Thursday night. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was on board as well as a slew of conservative media correspondents. But despite the rumors circulating online, the Pentagon clarified the Los Angeles stop was planned as part of Hegseth's nationwide 'Arsenal of Freedom' tour, a campaign focused on highlighting US defense production and strengthening military recruitment efforts. The plane's takeoff sent social media into a frenzy, with users linking its presence to the recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and fearing it signaled an escalation toward war. 'The Presidential 'Doomsday Plane' is airborne so either something very serious is happening, or Patel is on another date,' said one user. Another account, @ConcernedCitizen, pointed out that the plane's deployment, which can withstand nuclear level attacks, was 'probably not a good sign.' The Boeing E-4 'Nightwatch', also known as the 'Doomsday plane,' serves as a flying command post for key officials during times of crisis, particularly designed to survive a nuclear attack and coordinate military actions The movement comes just days after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduroduring a covert operation on Saturday 'Is LA about to get nuked? Should I leave?' chimed another. This is not the first time the arrival of the Doomsday plane has caused a stir on social media. Two days earlier, flight trackers recorded the E-4B leaving its home base in Omaha and landing near Washington, DC. Though primarily stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, the nuclear-proof aircraft is periodically deployed to other locations, including Kelly Field in Texas and Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, to maintain readiness and support diverse missions. The E-4B has a storied history as an airborne command center during crises, including Hurricane Opal in 1995, and famously served as a secure refuge for President George W. Bush after the September 11 attacks. Despite its morbid nickname, the plane is not reserved solely for doomsday scenarios, senior officials have used it for overseas travel. The purpose of Tuesday's mission has remained unclear but comes amid a surge in global tensions. Trump has threatened multiple nations this week, escalating disputes with NATO ally Denmark by warning the US military could seize Greenland to counter Arctic threats from China and Russia. Join the debate What's YOUR take on the 'Doomsday Plane'? Two days before landing in Los Angeles, flight tracking sites recorded the E-4B departing Omaha, Nebraska and arriving in Washington, DC three hours later Trump has escalated tensions with Denmark, warning the US military could seize Greenland. The administration has said they are weighing options from purchasing the territory to assuming its defense, insisting the issue 'is not going away.' Meanwhile, the US seized two tankers linked to Russia and Venezuela, enforcing oil blockades, as Iran faces its largest anti-regime protests in three years. At least 20 people have died amid unrest, and Trump vowed severe retaliation if crackdowns continue. A border patrol agent and a protester shared a moment of kindness amongst the political unrest in Minneapolis after the deadly shooting of Renee Nicole Good. An unidentified federal agent and a woman stood nearly chest-to-chest as protests continue to intensify across the Twin Cities after Good's death on Wednesday. However, instead of yelling in each other's faces and pushing back, the pair shared a civilized conversation about their history of being veterans, a video captured by Brenden Gutenschwager showed. 'If you had been a Marine, I would have brought you some cookies and crayons,' the woman, who was wearing a veteran pin on her crocheted hat, joked with the masked officer, who could be seen smiling and laughing. She was referring to the inside joke that Marines eat crayons, a good-natured jest picking at the stereotype that those joining that branch are all about brute strength rather than excelling academically. 'I love you,' the agent said, while bent over laughing. 'I want to hug you.' 'We can't do that,' the woman sweetly replied. 'I mean, I could,' the agent replied. An unidentified federal agent and a woman hugged at a protest after having a conversation about being veterans The agent told her he loved her and wanted to hug her and she agreed Protests have broken out across the country after Renee Nicole Good (pictured) was shot dead by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday 'I would let you,' she said, to which he said: 'I don't mind.' 'You can hug me,' she said, gesturing toward herself. 'I would embrace it. You would hug me.' The agent unstuffed his hands from behind his bulletproof vest, where he was keeping them warm, and stepped toward her, saying: 'Alright, come over.' The man wrapped his arms around the woman, who kept her hands outstretch to avoid any conflict and avoided moving from the picket line, as they were told not too. 'We have a heart,' the agent replied afterward. She encouraged him to take off his gear and come to the protesters' side. He replied with a hearty laugh as they smiled at each other. Both of them were veterans from Puerto Rico, according to Gutenschwager. Good's shooting by an ICE agent on Wednesday saw protests continue across the US on Friday night - including in Minneapolis, which was swarmed with horn-blowing, window shattering demonstrators. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to 'get the f**k out of Minneapolis' after the shooting They drummed in defiance and blew whistles and trumpets before police eventually showed up around 10.30pm local time and arrested 14 people. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey defiantly told ICE to 'get the f**k out of Minneapolis' after the Wednesday shooting. On Friday, he dismissed the new footage that emerged from the moments before ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Good. He said it did not change his perspective on the shooting. Crystal-clear clips, filmed from the ICE agent's perspective, showed Good speaking from her Honda Pilot before she accelerated and was killed in front of her wife. 'He walked away with a hop in his step from the incident,' Frey said of Ross, 43. On Saturday, Minnesota Representatives Ilhan Omar, and Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison were denied access to an ICE detention facility. Omar and the other representatives said the visit was part of an oversight visit and that they were invited by invited former acting director, The Minnesota Star Tribune said. Other protesters were seen holding signs that said 'f**k ICE' as they faced off with federal agents Women were seen dressed up as handmaids at a Friday protest in Minnesota as tensions continue between ICE and citizens Other protesters were seen banging on drums and playing instruments 'We were initially invited in to do our Congressional oversight and to exercise our Article I duties,' Omar said. 'Shortly after we were let in, two officials came in and said they received a message that we were no longer allowed to be in the building and that they were rescinding our invitation and denying any further access to the building.' While inside, Omar said the trio saw around 20 people being detained, The Star Tribune reported. On Wednesday, Omar sod: 'I am beyond outraged that their reckless, callous actions led to the killing of a legal observer in Minneapolis. 'My heart breaks for the victims family, who will have to forever live with the pain caused by the Trump Administration's reckless and deadly actions.' DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Good's actions were an 'act of domestic terrorism' as the federal agency insisted the mother's death was a cause of the agent Ross acting in self defense. However, many lawmakers have disregarded this narrative, with Frey calling it 'bulls**t.' A reality star and DJ has been found dead at a beach in Portugal after disappearing on New Year's Eve. Brazilian-born Maycon Douglas, 26, was lest seen DJing at a bar in the coastal town of Nazare before heading home with a friend. A week later - on January 7 - his body was found by a local fisherman washed up on the beach. Just days before his body was discovered, cops had located his car in a nearby spot. Maycon's mother, after days of anguish without news of her son, fell ill and needed to be hospitalised the day before his body was found. The DJ found fame on season 8 of the Portuguese reality show 'Secret Story - Casa dos Segredos' broadcast by TVI. He built up an online following on Instagram and TikTok where he had 50,000 and 22,000 followers respectively. His last post was on December 30, the day before his disappearance. Maycon Douglas was found dead on Wednesday at a Portuguese beach - a week after going missing He wrote: '2025 was intense. We learned a lot, and lived even more. '2026 is about vision, discipline, and consistency.' His heartbroken girlfriend Raquel Coelho has paid tribute to him on social media. She said: 'I would give anything to have you back, anything. 'You appeared in my life unexpectedly, and you don't know how grateful I am that you did.' Although Brazilian, Maycon had lived in Portugal since he was four years old. The police are waiting for the results of an autopsy to establish his exact cause of death. They haven't yet ruled out the possibility of foul play. Police are hunting down a man who subjected a woman to 'serious sexual assault' in a British port city. Devon and Cornwall Police were called to the Mutley Plain area of Plymouth at around 4am on Saturday morning following a report of a woman being sexually assaulted. The suspect is described as a 5ft 6-8ins tall white man with 'blondish' hair. While enquiries are ongoing to locate him, the force confirmed the victim is being 'supported by specially trained officers'. 'We are carrying out door to door enquiries in the area, and a scene guard is currently in place on Furzehill Road,' a statement from Devon and Cornwall Police said. A scene guard is in place on Furzehill Road in Plymouth, according to Devon and Cornwall Police 'Residents can expect to see an increased police presence today and this evening,' a spokesman for the force added. 'We are asking anybody in the area who noticed anything suspicious, or who may have relevant home footage to get in touch via 101 or our website quoting log 116 of 10 January.' Greenland's Prime Minister boldly rejected President Donald Trump's ploy to purchase the semiautonomous Danish territory. In a scathing statement issued Friday, Jens-Frederik Nielsen and party leaders succinctly condemned the president's grab for their island. 'We don't want to be Americans, we don't want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,' their statement said. 'Greenlands future must be decided by the Greenlandic people,' it continued. 'As Greenlandic party leaders, we would like to emphasize once again our wish that the United States contempt for our country ends.' Trump stated on January 9, he was interested in a deal to acquire the territory 'the easy way,' per the Associated Press. 'Right now we are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland and we're not gonna have Russia or China as a neighbor,' he said. The president added that he was 'a fan' of NATO ally Denmark, but if the US can't easily acquire Greenland, 'we're going to do it the hard way.' Greenland's prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen addressed the US in a statement with party leaders Territory officials stated they were not interested in being purchased by the US Trump said the US plans to acquire the semiautonomous from Denmark 'the easy way' Vice President JD Vance told reporters that European leaders should 'take the president seriously.' 'What we're asking our European friends to do is take the security of that landmass more seriously, because if they're not, the United States is going to have to do something about it,' Vance said. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned the US on Monday that a takeover would mean the end of NATO. 'If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,' she told Danish broadcaster TV2, per ABC News. 'That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.' Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (left) and Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (right) have each warned the US against attempting to acquire Greenland European leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom joined Frederiksen in her sentiments in a statement issued Tuesday. 'Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe and it is critical for international and transatlantic security...' it read. 'Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,' the statement continued. 'These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.' The esteemed government officials concluded in defense of Greenland. 'Greenland belongs to its people,' they said. 'It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.' Government officials including Emmanuel Macron (center) joined Denmark's prime minister (left) in a bold statement to the United States Greenland lies mostly above the artic circle and is home to 56,000 people Officials from Denmark, Greenland and the US met on Thursday to discuss the renewed push by Trump to acquire Greenland, perhaps by military force. Trump called for US jurisdiction over Greenland repeatedly in the early months of his second term, but his demands had since died down. Denmark requested talks with the White House over its renewed target on Greenland following Maduro's capture. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet next week with Danish officials. The island of Greenland, 80 percent of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home to about 56,000 mostly Inuit people. Two people have been arrested after a protestor climbed onto the balcony at the Iranian embassy in London and removed the flag. The protestor replaced it with the old flag of Iran before the Islamic revolution of 1979 in act of anti-regime defiance, as thousands gathered around the UK and across Europe today to rally against the Islamic Republic's government. In an update on Saturday evening, Scotland Yard said two arrests had been made - one for aggravated trespass and assault on an emergency worker and one for aggravated trespass. Officers said they were also looking for another person for trespass. Activists burned pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and chanted anti-regime slogans as they went out in support of the thousands of ordinary people taking to the streets in Iran. Protests have taken place across Iran for a fortnight in a movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, that has spiralled into growing calls for the end of the clerical system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Beginning on December 28, the demonstrations have transformed into the most significant challenge to the regime for several years. Iranian rights group HRANA reported 65 deaths including 50 protesters and 15 security personnel as of January 9, amid a brutal crackdown by the country's infamous Revolutionary Guards. Meanwhile the Norway-based human rights group Hengaw said more than 2,500 people have been arrested in the last two weeks. In London on Saturday a male protester was seen climbing onto the balcony of the Iranian embassy in Kensington and tearing down the flag of the current regime He was filmed replacing it with the lion and sun flag instead, which was used by Iran prior to the Islamic revolution in 1979 But the protestor's flag was later taken down and replaced with the old flag by an embassy official this evening A mother and young daughter attend a protest for Iranians in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday Over a thousand protestors gathered in Manchester on Saturday waving the pre-Islamic revolution flag Around 100 people gathered in Newcastle on Saturday afternoon in support of protesters in Iran In Newcastle city centre, protesters burned photographs of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iranian expats and allies have now taken to the streets across Europe to call for an end to the Khamenei regime and express support for those risking arrest and even their lives in their home country. In London on Saturday a male protester was seen climbing onto the balcony of the Iranian embassy in Kensington and triumphantly tearing down the flag of the current regime. To cheers and applause, he briefly replaced it with the former Iranian lion and sun flag that the nation used prior to the Islamic revolution of 1979. The former Iranian flag, used during the rule of the ousted shah, stayed in place for several minutes before being removed. At around 5pm, the flag usually used was seen being hoisted back up by an embassy official on the balcony. As the evening drew in, a large crowd continue to protest peacefully. They were heard taking part in loud chants including 'the homeland will not be free until the mullahs die' and 'death to Khamenei.' The demonstrators were also heard chanting: 'Democracy for Iran. Shah Reza Pahlavi. Justice for Iran,' referring to the son of the late shah of Iran who now lives in the United States. Some also held placards reading 'Free Iran'. 'I'm here to support Iranians, my loved ones inside Iran - they've been protesting for two weeks today,' said one demonstrator, Taraneh, 33, who declined to give her last name. 'The internet has been shut down ... We get very little information from inside Iran,' she added. 'But, you know, people are still in the streets. They're being attacked. The Islamic Republic is murdering people,' she said. 'I want this regime to go. I just want to be able to go back.' The Metropolitan Police said additional officers were sent to the scene in Kensington. Several officers in riot gear were seen standing guard outside following the incident. In a statement on social media, the force said: 'We are aware of a protest currently taking place outside of the Iranian Embassy which has seen a protester climb onto the balcony of the building. Participants in the Manchester protests held aloft portraits of Reza Rahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last Shah A woman with a map of Iran painted on her face joins a protest in Glasgow on Saturday A man holds a sign reading 'Free Iran' during a protest in the German capital, Berlin, on Saturday Hundreds of people gathered in central Berlin on Saturday to protest against the Iranian regime 'Officers are on site and additional officers are being deployed to prevent any disorder.' In video footage taken at the scene, the embassy's white walls appeared to have had red paint thrown at it, with splotches of red visible around the balcony. Hundreds of people earlier gathered outside the embassy in London on Saturday, waving flags and expressing solidarity with protesters in Iran. The Iranian embassy was the site of a famous siege in 1980 when six armed men took 26 people hostage. The hostage-takers were Iranian-Arabs campaigning for the sovereignty of Khuzestan, a province in the south-west of the country, but SAS soldiers stormed the embassy in 17 minutes on day six of the siege, rescuing all but one of the hostages - killing five of the six hostage-takers in the process. Similar protests were held in other cities across Europe, including Glasgow, Nottingham, Dublin and Brussels on Saturday. Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer condemned the killing of protesters in the country and urged Tehran to 'exercise restraint' amid a crackdown on demonstrations against the regime. Unrest continued overnight in Iran, with state media reporting a municipal building was set on fire in Karaj, west of Tehran, for which they blamed 'rioters'. Protests have spread to more than 220 towns and cities in every one of Iran's 31 provinces. Social media images showed thousands participating in Tehran, while videos published by Persian language television channels based outside Iran showed large numbers taking part in new protests in the eastern city of Mashhad, Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Qom. Protesters also gathered in Malieveld Square at The Hague, Netherlands today A woman holds a sign that reads 'death to Khemenei' during a protest in Milan, Italy Hundreds of people join a march through central Berlin in support of protesting Iranians in Berlin on Saturday Protesters in the Netherlands had a huge Iranian flag and signs which declared Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former shah of Iran, the 'King' Protests have taken place across Iran for 13 days in a movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, but which have escalated into calls for regime change Demonstrations continued overnight in Tehran's Kaj Square (pictured) as unrest across Iran entered its third week Thousands of people took to the streets in Tehran as well as cities and towns across all of Iran's 31 provinces (Pictured: Protesters in Mashhad, northeastern Iran) But the country's infamous Revolutionary Guards and other law enforcement agencies are launching a brutal crackdown, with the nation's attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning anyone taking part in protests would be considered 'an enemy of God'. This offence is punishable by death under Iran's strict laws, and even those who assisted protesters would also be prosecuted, a statement on state TV reported. 'Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country,' it read. 'Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence.' It appears to be a desperate bid to try and limit the number of protesters after Friday night saw some of the largest swells of activists yet. Videos show many chanting 'death to the dictator' and 'death to Khamenei', while other banged pots and pans. While some protests have been peaceful, videos in some cities show burning buildings, overturned cars and authorities opening fire. A doctor in northwestern Iran said that since Friday, large numbers of injured protesters had been brought to hospitals. Some were badly beaten, suffering head injuries and broken legs and arms, as well as deep cuts. Thousands of protesters gather in Tehran on Friday night as protests continue to sweep the country A fire is filmed by protesters in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on Friday The movement marks the biggest threat to the Islamic Republic in years and has seen a typically brutal crackdown from the country's Revolutionary Guards A nationwide internet blackout has now been going on for more than 36 hours, making monitoring of events increasingly challenging (pictured: protesters in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8) The Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei described protesters as 'vandals' - 30 seconds of his speech was aired during the BBC's news report At least 20 people in one hospital had been shot with live ammunition, five of whom later died. The US-based son of Iran's ousted shah urged Iranians on Saturday to stage more targeted protests with the aim of taking and then holding city centres. 'Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres,' Reza Pahlavi said in a video message on social media. The rallies came as internet monitor NetBlocks said authorities imposed a 'nationwide internet shutdown' for the last 36 hours that was violating the rights of Iranians and 'masking regime violence'. Amnesty International said the 'blanket internet shutdown' aims to 'hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations and crimes under international law they are carrying out to crush' the protests. On Saturday morning, a local governor of the Tehran province told Tasnim news agency, which is associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, that 100 people had been arrested. Those detained were accused of having 'disrupted public order' and 'used firearms and cold weapons against the people and security and law enforcement forces' in the county of Baharestan. In his first comments on the escalating protests since January 3, Khamenei on Friday called the demonstrators 'vandals' and 'saboteurs'. Khamenei, in a speech broadcast on state TV, said US President Donald Trump's hands 'are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians', in apparent reference to Israel's June war against the Islamic republic, which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own. Airlines have warned of possible disruption this weekend as Storm Goretti sweeps the country with ice and snow. Both Ryanair and Jet2 issued statements telling customers to monitor their channels and be prepared for last minutes changes of schedule. Ryanair said there was 'potential disruption' to flights to and from the UK due to de-icing measures on runways. It said: 'Affected passengers will be notified and we encourage all passengers due to travel to/from the UK to keep an eye on the Ryanair app for the latest updates.' Jet2, meanwhile, said they would be closely monitoring the weather from Saturday until Monday in light of fresh Met Office warnings. It wrote: 'The Met Office have issued various Amber warnings due to Storm Goretti affecting parts of the UK from Thursday evening, warning of high winds, rain, sleet and snow in parts. These conditions are forecast to continue into the weekend. 'If you are travelling with Jet2.com we plan to operate our flights as close to schedule as possible, however, there may be some disruption should the weather or the forecast deteriorate.' Customers were advised to travel to airports and check in as usual, but pay attention to updates from the airlines 'Red Teams' who will keep passengers updated on the situation. People walking on Pen y Fan in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (formerly Brecon Beacons) on Saturday morning Deserted platforms and a departure board at Old Hill station in Sandwell, West Midlands, on Friday Your browser does not support iframes. Texts and emails will also be sent to any passengers affected by disruption, it said. The airline concluded: 'Jet2.com would like to apologise in advance for any disruption you may experience. Your comfort and safety is our number one priority, we will have you on the way as soon as possible.' Storm Goretti has seen trees felled en mass, large areas flooded, towns blanketed with snow and roads transformed into ice rinks. Birmingham Airport was forced to suspend use of its runway operations on Thursday night after 'heavy snow' made it unsafe to fly, while Heathrow cancelled dozens of flights due to severe weather. Passengers were urged to contact their airline about the status of their flights - with photos showing planes blanketed in a thick layer of snow and ice. News of its worst impact emerged when police announced a man had died after a tree fell onto his caravan in Cornwall. Emergency services were called to the Mawgan area of Helston at around 7.35pm on Thursday after the tree came down. Officers worked through Friday to safely remove the tree from the mobile home, and tragically a man in his 50s was found dead at the scene. Although the storm has eased slightly, a yellow warning for snow and ice was in place until 3pm on Saturday, with further snowfall possible across parts of northern England and much of Scotland. A widespread risk of ice was expected to cause disruption across services. Forecasts predicted a further 2-5cm of snow was likely in areas affected by the warnings, and 10-20cm possible above 200 metres. A separate yellow warning for ice covered large parts of England and Wales until midday on Saturday as partially thawed snow refreezes, accompanied by wintry showers and freezing fog. In Northern Ireland, a yellow warning for snow and ice ran until 11am on Saturday, with the Met Office warning of icy patches and some hill snow. On Sunday, yellow weather warnings cover the north of England, all of Northern Ireland and the whole of Scotland, for a mixture of rain, wind and snow and ice. Central Scotland is under an amber warning for snow from 3am until 2pm on Sunday, with up to 30cm forecast on higher ground. The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting after Vladimir Putin launched nuclear-capable missile at Ukraine. Kyiv has also accused Russia of reaching 'appalling new level of war crimes and crimes against humanity by its terror against civilians.' It comes after the Kremlin confirmed it had fired an Oreshnik ballistic missile on Ukraine for the second time since the war began in February 2022. The hypersonic missile can be equipped with both nuclear and conventional warheads and according to Russia is impossible to stop. The brutal show of force from Moscow has prompted an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council which is scheduled to take place on Monday. In a post on X, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha said: 'The meeting will address Russia's flagrant breaches of the UN Charter. 'We urge Security Council members to demonstrate unity of purpose by demanding an end to the aggression, protection of civilians, and unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty.' Following the missile strikes yesterday on western Ukraine, Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Melnyk wrote in a letter to the Security Council: 'The Russian Federation has reached an appalling new level of war crimes and crimes against humanity by its terror against civilians. Russian President Vladimir Putin taking part in military drills in September 2025. Kyiv has accused Russiaof reaching 'appalling new level of war crimes and crimes against humanity by its terror against civilians' The aftermath of a Russian ballistic missile strike in Ukraine yesterday. The Kremlin confirmed it had fired an Oreshnik ballistic missile on Ukraine for the second time since the war began in February 2022 'The Russian Federation regime officially claims that it used an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the so-called "Oreshnik", against the Lviv region. 'Such a strike represents a grave and unprecedented threat to the security of the European continent.' Meanwhile in Russia, a Ukrainian drone strike has sparked a fire at an oil depot in the country's southern Volgograd region, regional authorities said. There were no immediate reports of casualties, the regional governor was quoted as saying in a Telegram post. The post did not specify the damage, but said that people living near the depot may have to be evacuated. Ukraine's long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion. Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid, seeking to deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv officials say is an attempt to 'weaponise winter'. Saturday's attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, according to Ukrainian officials, killing at least four people in the capital. CCTV footage showing an Oreshnik ballistic missile strike on Ukraine. The hypersonic missile can be equipped with both nuclear and conventional warheads and according to Russia is impossible to stop For only the second time in the nearly four-year-old war, it used a powerful, new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine on Friday, in a clear warning to Kyiv's Nato allies. The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further Moscow aggression if a US-led peace deal is struck. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said Friday's attacks 'have resulted in significant civilian casualties and deprived millions of Ukrainians of essential services, including electricity, heating and water at a time of acute humanitarian need'. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said heat supply would be fully restored in Kyiv by the end of Saturday. She said areas lying on the right bank of the Dnieper river would gradually lift emergency blackouts and return to scheduled outages. But resuming power in the left bank, where Russian attacks were concentrated, is more complicated due to significant damage to the power grid, she added. Russia's defence ministry said its forces used aviation, drones, missiles and artillery to strike Ukrainian energy facilities and fuel-storage depots on Friday and overnight. It did not immediately specify the targets or damage. Overnight into Saturday, Russia struck Ukraine with 121 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile, according to the Ukrainian air force. It said 94 drones were shot down. Separately, the Russian Defence Ministry said 59 Ukrainian drones were 'neutralised' overnight over Russia and occupied Crimea. Tensions in Minnesota reached a boiling point Saturday as Representative Ilhan Omar faced off with agents just four days after 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Good was shot dead by ICE during a protest. Omar, 43, was flanked by Representatives Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison outside an ICE detention facility around 9am on Saturday as they attempted to gain access for a tour, but were denied entry, according to Axios. As the city remains on edge after Good's deadly shooting, the trio arrived at the Whipple Federal Building in St Paul. They were initially let into the facility, before being swiftly led out after 'two officials then got the message' of their arrival, Axios said. Omar, who was elected in the House of Representatives in 2018, said she saw two planes departing the facility, but she was told they were not deportation flights. The aircraft reportedly were taking detainees to other facilities. Politicians are allowed to visit ICE buildings, but the federal agency has attempted to limit access and has accused Democrats of using the visits as political theater. Omar and her 'woke army' said the visit was part of an oversight visit and that they were invited by invited former acting director, The Minnesota Star Tribune said. 'We were initially invited in to do our Congressional oversight and to exercise our Article I duties,' Omar said. Minnesota Representatives Ilhan Omar (middle), and Angie Craig (right) and Kelly Morrison (left) were denied access to an ICE detention facility on Saturday They were initially allowed into the building, but were swiftly led out after an official learned of their presence, Omar said 'Shortly after we were let in, two officials came in and said they received a message that we were no longer allowed to be in the building and that they were rescinding our invitation and denying any further access to the building.' While inside, Omar said the trio saw around 20 people being detained, The Star Tribune reported. 'We're here because we're members of Congress. We have every right and responsibility if we're doing our jobs to be here today, to see what the conditions are in that detention center,' Craig said. 'We need Minnesota Republicans, we need Republicans across this country, to stand up to their own party. This is beyond the pale.' Morrison said they were denied entry to the building due to the structure being funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill, 'which makes no sense,' she said. 'With the recent reaffirmation of the court case in December, they're breaking the law,' Morrison said on Saturday. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia Mclaughlin said in a statement to Daily Mail that Omar 'led a group of protestors to the Minneapolis ICE facility' and didn't follow proper protocol of giving the agency a seven-day notice to visit. 'For the safety of detainees and staff, and in compliance with the agencys mandate, the Members of Congress were notified that their visit was improper and out of compliance with existing court orders and policies which mandate that members of Congress must notify ICE at least seven days in advance of Congressional visits,' she said. 'This is an all-hands-on-deck process,' Omar said outside the facility 'If Congresswoman Omar and her colleagues with to tour these facilities, then they must follow the proper guidelines.' Tensions have been rising between lawmakers and citizens against ICE after the death of Good, who lawmakers said was 'murdered' by the federal agency on Wednesday during a protest in Minneapolis. Outside the St Paul facility, Omar told the press: 'In Minnesota, we know how to protect one another. 'This is an all-hands-on-deck process.' She insisted ICE agents' aggression and angry stemmed from citizens' resistance to their doings, she said at a press conference outside the facility. An ICE agent was seen entering the facility on Saturday with his window rolled down and a can of pepper spray in his lap. 'Why do you have your pepper spray out? Why do you have your pepper spray out?' a journalist yelled from the press line outside the facility's gate. 'What's the danger? Members of Congress are here. Why is the pepper spray out?' Renee Nicole Good (pictured) was shot and killed by an ICE agent on Wednesday during a protest Good's burgundy SUV was seen with a bullet hole at the crash site on Wednesday Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis Omar said agents don't understand the love the Minnesotans have for each other. 'They have never experienced the kind of love that we experience here in Minnesota,' the congresswoman said. 'We know they will disappear one day, but we will be here, caring for one another and carrying out policy with love in Minnesota.' Omar, alongside 156 other lawmakers, have demanded accountability after Good's death. They demanded 'an immediate suspension of the current surge of federal officers and agents to Minneapolis and an investigation into this reprehensible event by an independent agency.' 'We write to express our horror and outrage at the actions that have taken place under your command. This is not the first time your agents have used unnecessary force on civilians without provocation,' the lawmakers wrote in a statement. 'You have lost the faith and confidence of the American people. 'We demand that you immediately suspend the current surge of federal officers and agents to Minneapolis and that you work with an independent agency to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the course of the investigation into this reprehensible event.' Pictured: A man burning a flag at a protest after Good's death Pictured: Federal agents spraying pepper spray against protesters in Minnesota On Wednesday, Omar called death the of Good 'unconscionable and reprehensive.' 'I am beyond outraged that their reckless, callous actions led to the killing of a legal observer in Minneapolis,' she wrote. 'My heart breaks for the victims family, who will have to forever live with the pain caused by the Trump Administration's reckless and deadly actions.' Craig had confronted Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer on Wednesday evening during a break in proceedings, challenging his public defense of ICE just hours after the shooting. Their tense exchange was captured by C-SPAN and circulated online. Craig later told Minneapolis CBS affiliate WCCO that Emmer 'didnt let me get three words out before he went from zero to 60,' adding that 'if you cant have a conversation with someone without it escalating in the first three words, then youre not really ready to have a conversation and youre not listening.' Craig said that 'having ICE on the ground in Minnesota is simply not making Minnesota any safer. In fact, its having the opposite effect.' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has promised to send more agents to the Twin Cities as they conduct their largest operation 'ever.' Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to 'get the f**k out of Minneapolis' at a press conference on Wednesday She also claimed Good's actions were an 'act of domestic terrorism' as the federal agency insisted the mother's death was a cause of the agent, Jonathan Ross, acting in self defense. However, many lawmakers have disregarded this narrative, with Mayor Jacob Frey calling it 'bulls**t.' The Democrat angrily told ICE to 'get the f**k out of Minneapolis' on Wednesday during a press conference. Britain is bracing for another blast of wintry chaos after the Met Office upgraded a snow and ice warning to amber, with some areas facing up to a foot of snow as Storm Goretti continues to wreak havoc. The amber warning comes into force from 3am on Sunday and stretches from the North East of Scotland into Tayside and Central Scotland, remaining in place until 2pm. There is also a yellow warning for snow and ice in north-east and north-west England, the East Midlands, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber from 2pm to 3pm on Sunday. Forecasters warned of severe travel disruption, power cuts and a potential risk to life and property as bitterly cold conditions persist for a second weekend. Elsewhere, a series of yellow warnings for snow, wind and rain cover much of the rest of the UK, with National Rail warning of disruption across England, Wales and Scotland through the weekend. Scottish government officials, police, local authorities and other agencies met on Saturday to discuss their response to the worsening weather situation. Forecasters say a further 25cm of snow is expected at low levels, with up to 30cm possible on higher ground raising fears that some areas could see close to a foot of snowfall. Transport Scotland warned of 'challenging conditions', possible route closures and the threat of power cuts, adding there was a potential risk to life and property. Around 28,000 properties were without power in the South-West at 6am on Saturday, according to the National Grid, along with close to 1,700 in the West Midlands and around 150 in the East Midlands. Power has since been restored to all homes in Wales. Downing Street said support was being offered to households left without electricity. Britain is bracing for another blast of wintry chaos after the Met Office upgraded a snow and ice warning to amber on Sunday Snow settles around the A465 in the Dowlais area of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales on Friday A pony walks though a frosty landscape as the sun rises in the New Forest, Hampshire Birmingham wakes up to a thick covering of snow on Friday morning as Storm Goretti sweeps in A Government minister said it is 'entirely unacceptable' people are experiencing water supply issues after the cold weather and Storm Goretti. In a statement on Saturday evening, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister Mary Creagh, said: 'I remain very concerned that people in several areas in the South East and South West are experiencing water supply issues following both cold weather and Storm Goretti. 'This is entirely unacceptable. This afternoon, I chaired a further meeting with the water companies, and local resilience forums to restore supplies as quickly as possible, prioritising vulnerable customers and essential public services. 'Action by this Government means compensation rates have increased for customers and businesses affected by disruption. 'It underlines why this Government is prioritising investment in infrastructure to improve the resilience of our water system.' Airlines have also issued a warning over potential flight disruption. East Midlands Airport was forced to close the runway after heavy snowfall, while flights were grounded after a temporary airfield closure at Birmingham Airport while snow and ice were cleared. Forecasters also warned that a dangerous combination of melting snow and heavy rain could significantly increase flood risks in the coming days. Snowfall totals already recorded include 15cm at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys and 7cm at Preston Montford in Shropshire and Nottingham. In Scotland, 27cm was recorded at Altnaharra in Sutherland, 26cm at Loch Glascarnoch and 22cm at Durris in Kincardineshire. The heaviest rainfall was logged in Cornwall, with 61.8mm at Colliford Dam, followed by 57mm at Ddolwen Bridge in Dyfed and 54mm at White Barrow in Devon. The latest warnings come after police earlier hit out at Instagram-loving tourists for their 'ridiculous parking' on a snow-covered Welsh mountain. Hordes of visitors descended on Snowdonia in North Wales to capture images of the winter wonderland, despite police urging motorists not to abandon vehicles on icy mountain roads. North Wales Police warned that drivers were putting others at risk of 'serious' injury and 'pushing them into the paths of oncoming vehicles'. Officers said vehicles left dangerously could be towed away if it was safe to do so. Brazen hikers have also been pictured attempting to climb Snowdon, despite Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team issuing an avalanche warning. The extreme conditions follow the devastation caused by Storm Goretti, which has battered parts of Britain in recent days. One man in his 50s died after a tree fell onto his caravan amid hurricane-force winds. A trail of people make their way up Snowdon despite the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team issuing an avalanche warning Your browser does not support iframes. A full car park at the base of Pen y Fan mountain during Storm Goretti Deserted platforms and a departure board at Old Hill station in Sandwell, West Midlands, on Friday Emergency services were called to the Mawgan area of Helston, Cornwall, at around 7.35pm on Thursday after the tree fell, with officers working through Friday to safely remove it from the mobile home. Cornwall has since been lashed by gusts of up to 100mph as the UK braces for further snow, ice and flooding. A yellow warning for snow and ice remains in place until 3pm on Saturday, with further snowfall possible across parts of northern England and much of Scotland. A widespread risk of ice is also expected to cause disruption. A separate yellow warning for ice covers large parts of England and Wales until midday on Saturday as partially thawed snow refreezes, alongside wintry showers and freezing fog. In Northern Ireland, a yellow warning for snow and ice runs until 11am on Saturday, with icy patches and hill snow expected. Another yellow warning will be in force from 2am until 3pm on Sunday for much of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, North-East and North-West England and Yorkshire. Forecasters say a further 25cm of snow is likely, with 1020cm possible above 200 metres. Dan Stroud, Met Office meteorologist, said the weather over the weekend will remain 'unsettled and cold'. A horde of people walk up Pen y Fan in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park on January 10 Police have hit out at Instagram-loving tourists for their 'ridiculous' parking on Snowdon while it has been covered with snow He said: 'Wintry showers will continue to affect some coastal areas on Saturday, although these will increasingly become confined to northern and eastern parts as the day progresses. 'Elsewhere, after a cold and frosty start, it should be a mostly dry day with variable amounts of cloud. It will be a widely cold day, with frost lingering across parts of the country. 'Sunday will start dry in the East, but cloud and rain already present in the West will move steadily eastwards. 'The rain will fall as snow inland across the North Midlands and areas further North. However, temperatures will rise through the day, meaning the snow will become increasingly confined to higher ground by the afternoon. 'It will be windy for all, with coastal gales and the potential for severe gales in the north west later in the day. 'The unsettled but increasingly milder theme continues into next week, with persistent rain at times in northern and western areas, along with strong to gale force winds. However, it will feel much milder than recently, with temperatures returning to near-normal values.' He is said to have amassed a fortune of around 4million, allowing him to buy a stunning countryside home, a classic car collection and even a vineyard in France. However, while his endeavours with wine have gone well, celebrity chef James Martins encounters with whisky have left something of a sour taste. The Mail On Sunday can reveal the TV star has lost a legal battle with a Scotch whisky firm over a bid to register his own name as a trademark. The ITV presenter sought exclusive ownership of James Martin and James Martins as trademarks for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in an effort to expand his brand. However, lawyers for Edinburgh firm Macdonald & Muir, owner of famous Scotch whiskies including Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, opposed the application and said the name was identical to one of its long-established products. Now, the UKs Intellectual Property Office (IPO), which rules on trademark disputes, has found in favour of Macdonald & Muir, stating the trademarks cannot proceed to registration in relation to drinks. It said the average consumer would be likely to mistake one product for the other if it gave Martins plans the green light. As a result, the 53-year-old star has been ordered to pay 1,900 towards the whisky companys costs in the case. The TV star has lost a legal battle with a whisky firm over a bid to register his own name as a trademark Macdonald & Muir's 30-year-old whisky James Martin's sells for 300 and more per bottle Mr Martin had challenged whether Macdonald & Muir had actually made use of its trademarks in recent years Mr Martin became the head chef at the Hotel du Vin in Winchester Hampshire, at the age of 22 before starting a TV career on Ready Steady Cook and the Big Breakfast. He has hosted ITVs James Martins Saturday Morning show since 2017, following his departure from BBC Ones Saturday Kitchen. Discussing another venture in 2023, he said: I own a vineyard in the South of France. I got approached during Covid to invest and its been great. He made headlines in 2024 when it emerged he was in a romance with socialite Kim Johnson the former wife of English actress Liz Hurleys ex Arun Nayar. The whisky that has scuppered the chefs trademark hopes is a premium 30-year-old blended malt called James Martins which is popular in Portugal and retails for more than 300 a bottle. Macdonald & Muir has held the trademarks James Martin and James Martins for the whisky since 1998 and claimed a spirit launched by the TV star could lead customers to confuse the two products. At the IPO hearing Mr Martin represented by his agent challenged whether Macdonald & Muir had actually made use of its trademarks in recent years. In response, Macdonald & Muir said James Martins was not mass produced due to its ageing being significantly longer than other products, but said 11,382 bottles of the whisky were made and exported between 2017 and 2022. The company also provided evidence in the form of invoices for a UK packaging company, photos of the stickers being affixed to the bottles and details of exports. The IPO trademark hearing officer said, The average consumer is likely to mistake one for the other, adding: Therefore, I consider there to be a likelihood of direct confusion. The Glenmorangie Company, the parent firm of Macdonald & Muir, said: We are pleased with the decision and the confirmation that it provides in relation to our James Martins brand. Mr Martins representatives have been approached for comment. Sharon Osbourne breaks down in tears as she takes to the stage at the 2026 Grammys for Yungblud's win as he honours 'idol' Ozzy Osbourne - six months on from his tragic death Scotland's fishermen are being forced to install expensive cameras on their boats so officials can snoop on them at sea. New Scottish Government laws which come into force in March require vessels fishing for mackerel and herring to fit Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM). Under REM, cameras cover every area on the vessel where fish are caught, handled or processed and automatically start recording as soon as nets are cast. Ministers claim the surveillance system will gather vital scientific data to ensure that fish stocks remain healthy. But fishermen believe the Big Brother cameras are being introduced because the government simply doesnt trust them. As well as paying tens of thousands of pounds to install the cameras, fishermen are worried that the new regulations are backed by massive fines, meaning skippers could face heavy penalties even for honest mistakes. The new system also makes fishing vulnerable to IT glitches. If the monitoring equipment breaks while a boat is at sea, fishermen are legally obliged to stop fishing immediately. This means that entire trips could be abandoned at huge expense until the tech is fixed. Under the rules, cameras must be fitted to all Scottish pelagic trawlers, that tow nets in mid-water and not on the sea bed, as well as to any foreign boats fishing in Scottish waters. But fishermen fear officials will mostly spy on Scottish vessels as they are an easy target for enforcement. Scottish Pelagic Fishermens Association chief executive Ian Gatt believes the move is 'about control, enforcement and a complete lack of trust in the countrys fishermen' Veteran skipper George Anderson, who fishes out of Whalsay, Shetland, has spent 60,000 installing nine cameras throughout his vessel, the 230ft Adenia The Scottish Pelagic Fishermens Association, which represents the countrys fleet of 21 boats landing mackerel, herring and blue whiting, is strongly opposed to REM. Chief executive Ian Gatt said: They claim its about science but really its about control, enforcement and a complete lack of trust in the countrys fishermen. Mr Gatt said that Scottish waters are routinely fished not just by the local fleet but also by around 70 Norwegian, 50 EU and 20 Faroese boats meaning thousands of hours of footage will potentially be generated every month. He added: It will simply be impossible to check it all. Our concern is that whoever is doing the monitoring will concentrate on Scottish boats, because theyre the easiest target. The Association is now demanding that the policy be reviewed after six months to guarantee that Scottish boats are not being unfairly targeted. From March 7, REM will be mandatory on pelagic boats over 39ft effectively all commercial vessels. Costs are met by boat owners, with breaches punished by anything from a 500 fixed penalty notice up to an unlimited fine and confiscation order. Veteran skipper George Anderson, who fishes out of Whalsay, Shetland, has spent 60,000 installing nine cameras throughout his vessel, the 230ft Adenia. New Scottish Government laws which come into force in March require vessels fishing for mackerel and herring to fit Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM), like those above He said: Big Brother has taken over. Were being presumed guilty and now we have to install cameras that spy on us constantly to prove were innocent. It feels like a breach of human rights. There arent cameras constantly watching surgeons, teachers or farmers. In 2011, a large group of Shetland fishermen were found guilty of a black market scam where millions of pounds of fish were caught and sold without being properly documented or declared. Scotland is the only part of the UK to introduce mandatory REM, although voluntary schemes are being trialled in some areas in England. A Scottish Government spokesman said: Remote Electronic Monitoring protects the Scottish fleet by requiring non-Scottish vessels to follow the same rules and regulations, ensuring we can better protect our fish stocks from illegal fishing. He added that ministers plan to review the policy at various points following its introduction. Scottish households and businesses are crying out for help as they struggle to keep afloat in a sea of rising bills. Any sensible government would recognise that support is essential in this weeks budget and act accordingly. Sadly, I wont be holding my breath because its being presented by the party that has actively fuelled the cost-of-living crisis for years. The SNPs tax-and-spend policies have brought families and businesses to breaking point to pay for a spiralling benefits bill. The majority of Scots workers already pay more income tax than they would in England, with middle-earners on around 50,000 being hit for 1,500 more. Without a reversal of the freeze on thresholds proposed by Labour and the Nats, most full-time workers will be dragged into higher tax bands by 2029. Yes, thats right, the average full-time worker, not those with the broadest shoulders as the SNP like to pretend. If this continues, by the end of the next Scottish Parliament they will be forking out an extra 1,800 per year. Hammering Scots with the highest taxes in the UK might be justifiable if we got more in return, but under John Swinneys government our NHS, schools and other frontline services are going backwards. The SNP are incapable of reducing costs. They announced that they intended to save 1billion a year on government admin. Since then, theres been a huge increase in salary costs. Scottish households are crying out for help as they struggle to keep afloat in a sea of rising bills While people struggle with soaring energy, food and housing bills, the SNP are spending 1.3 billion more on benefits than they receive through the block grant every single year. By the end of the decade, Scotlands total welfare bill will be nearly 10 billion. The only place to get that money will be from the taxpayers pocket. And John Swinney, if hes still First Minister, wont hesitate to take that option, because he doesnt just excuse higher taxes as an unfortunate necessity he thinks theyre a good thing, and frequently boasts about it. He and Shona Robison are fond of saying that they are asking people to pay more, as if it were an option, like donating to charity. But Scottish taxpayers have to pay for the disastrous political choices of the SNP, whether they like it or not. The other Holyrood parties have all lined up to vote with the nationalists on some of their worst legislation, including tax rises. Anas Sarwar has already said that he wont oppose the SNP budget this week even though he doesnt know whats in it. That tells you everything you need to know about Labours uselessness as an opposition, and their readiness to pursue exactly the same wasteful left-wing agenda as the Nats. Every other party, including Reform, would maintain or extend current welfare spending, even though independent economic analysis says that it is unaffordable and unsustainable. In contrast, the Scottish Conservatives are proposing lower taxes and fairer benefits. In the budget, the SNP should increase both the higher rate threshold and the point at which you start paying tax and accept our calls for a cut in the basic rate to 19 per cent. Thats the bare minimum. Those measures alone would save Scots workers up to 718 a year. After almost 20 years of nationalist rule, Scottish households and businesses are feeling the pinch as never before. Eye-watering energy costs also drive up the price of almost everything else, from the grocery shop to construction and manufacturing. Now that Scotland has two left-wing governments, we are getting a double dose of this medicine, and it is paralysing the economy. Labours national insurance hikes have had a devastating impact on businesses, while the SNPs additional income tax rates, endless regulations and red tape are strangling growth. The business rates revaluation, due to come into force in April, is the latest existential threat to Scottish firms. The hospitality sector is facing Armageddon, with some businesses being handed a 400 per cent rise in bills. The UK Labour government were forced into a partial U-turn on rates rises by the outcry in England and its imperative that the SNP take action in Scotland, where the business climate is even more hostile. Otherwise, its game over for many Scottish firms. My party are demanding an immediate pause to the rates revaluation, as well as full rates relief for the hospitality sector for commercial properties valued up to 100,000 and an extension of the Small Business Support Scheme to provide 100 per cent relief for properties worth up to 20,000. Growth is the only way to produce prosperity. It is crucial to expand businesses, create jobs and open up new opportunities. If the SNP dont heed the call from us and business groups, they risk killing off thousands of Scottish jobs. That is the bleak and stark reality. The Nationalists hostility to business must end. The US reportedly used a powerful sonic weapon against Venezuelan soldiers while capturing Nicolas Maduro, which left them with nose bleeds and vomiting blood, an account shared by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. On Saturday morning, Leavitt took to X to share an interview with an unnamed security guard who claimed to be working the night the US struck Venezuela and took Maduro on drug trafficking charges. 'Stop what you are doing and read this' she wrote, alongside five American flag emojis. The interview saw the security guard reveal the terrifying capabilities of the mysterious new US military weapon, which he described as a 'very intense sound wave' that disabled Venezuelan forces. Mike Netter, the vice chairman of Rebuild California, first shared the insight on Friday in an X post that received over 15 million views in a day, and he said the apparent use of the sonic weapon 'explains a lot about why the tone across Latin America suddenly changed.' 'Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside,' the security guard reportedly said. 'We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move. 'We couldn't even stand up after that sonic weapon or whatever it was.' The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (middle) was captured by the US on January 3 The US implemented a strike against the South American country before taking the alleged criminal The security guard claimed moments before the raid that snatched Maduro, 'all our radar systems shut down without any explanation.' Then eight helicopters arrived and around 20 soldiers descended. 'They didn't look like anything we've fought against before,' the guard claimed. According to the unverified account, the 20 US soldiers 'killed hundreds of us.' President Donald Trump said 150 aircraft took off from 20 bases across the western hemisphere in an operation that had been in the works since August. White House officials decided they were ready to seize Maduro and his wife last month but had to wait for optimum weather before launching their strike, which took place on January 3. CIA spies on the ground in Venezuela had been keeping track of Maduro and Flores' movements, with the security-conscious pair sleeping somewhere different every night in a bid to avoid capture. Members of Delta Force, the US Army's most elite unit, flew low by helicopter across the Atlantic and into Venezuelan airspace, supported by a fleet of military aircraft. Once inside the country's borders, US planes and drones were able to destroy Venezuelan anti-aircraft defense and cut power lines. Join the debate What's your take on America's use of sonic weapons? On Saturday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt retweeted an account about the strike, which claimed a sonic weapon had been used to disable Venezuelan forces 'Stop what you are doing and read this' Leavitt wrote, alongside five American flag emojis Mike Netter, the vice chairman of Rebuild California, first shared the insight on Friday in an X post that received over 15 million views in a day Delta Force soldiers entered Maduro's compound at 1:01am ET Saturday. Maduro went to flee to a metal safe room but was seized before he could secure himself inside, Trump said. He and Flores were then taken by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima warship, where they landed at 3:29am ET. Venezuelan officials say 80 members of the armed forces and civilians were killed during the capture mission. One US service member was injured by return fire, but there were no American fatalities. President Maduro was brought to New York City, where he is being held at a Brooklyn jail on federal charges. Trump alleged that Maduro is the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, drug trafficking operation. The president has accused Maduro and his alleged cartel cronies of flooding the United States with illegal narcotics and has charged him with drug smuggling and weapons offenses. Maduro maintained his innocence in New York this week, saying he considered himself a 'prisoner of war.' President Donald Trump said 150 aircraft took off from 20 bases across the western hemisphere in an operation that had been in the works since August Maduro has denied the charges and claimed he is a 'prisoner of war' His wife, Cilia Flores, who was also captured, pleaded not guilty as well. Maduro complained that he had not seen the indictment listing the charges against him prior to his arraignment hearing and added that he had not been made aware of his rights. The couple were ordered to be held in custody until their next court appearance on March 17. Trump first indicted the Venezuelan leader in 2020 and seized him from his compound last week after Maduro ignored repeated orders to stand down as president and go into exile, in return for amnesty from criminal charges. With his shaggy brown hair, deep brown eyes and gentle nature, it is little surprise that Achilles has become an adored family pet since his adoption last year. But the Italian hunting dog is also an unlikely star - winning admiration among members of the British Royal Navy and becoming the toast of Italian media, featuring on television and in Vanity Fair. His unexpected fame stems from the heartwarming adoption which saw him brought from a dog rescue shelter in Tuscany to live with a retired Gloucestershire couple, Rachael and David Hyde, last year. Having been put to work for years before being abandoned, nine-year-old Achilles - a pedigree spinone, which are traditionally used for tracking and retrieving game - was distressed and undernourished when he arrived at the shelter. He was also wary of humans. But after UK-based charity Spinone Overseas For Adoption (Sofa) placed him with the Hydes, he was given a new lease of life. When the Hydes read about a submarine which was being commissioned called HMS Achilles, they contacted Navy commanders about their pet - and were astonished to receive a letter back making Achilles an unofficial mascot of the vessel, complete with bandana, Navy merchandise and a water bowl. And when Italian media heard the news, Achilles also became a poster boy for the breed. 'It was a lovely letter and Achilles wears his bandana with pride,' said Mrs Hyde, from Hucclecote, near Gloucester. 'When we got him he was quite skinny, as he had spent a year and a half in a Tuscan kennel after he was abandoned in a pretty bad way. With his shaggy brown hair, deep brown eyes and gentle nature, it is little surprise that Achilles has become an adored family pet since his adoption last year Achilles, an Italian hunting dog, is an unlikely star - winning admiration among members of the British Royal Navy and becoming the toast of Italian media, featuring on television and in Vanity Fair 'But we knew we could give him a warm, comfortable safe home for the rest of his life and we had lost our previous spinone a few months earlier. He's now put on weight and looking great.' Thousands of hunting dogs, whose tails are typically docked, are abandoned every year in Italy when they are seen to become 'unworkable'. But Sofa warns that a new Bill banning dogs with docked tails coming to the UK could prevent adoptions of pets such as Achilles in future. It is urging people to contact their MPs to bring about an exemption to the Bill for registered-charity rescues. Police have seized a 'record-breaking' 24million haul of cannabis after raiding a rural farm. Officers executed a warrant at Leigh Tenement Farm in Blackrod, Bolton, on 9 January, uncovering what is believed to be one of the largest single cannabis seizures ever made in the UK. Inside the unit, officers discovered an estimated two tonnes of cannabis, with a street value of around 24million. Two men, aged 27 and 35, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of drug offences and remain in custody for questioning. Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop, from GMP's Serious Crime Division, said officers had uncovered a 'large-scale and sophisticated illegal operation'. He said: 'Our officers uncovered a large-scale and sophisticated illegal operation at the location, housing a significant volume of illegal drugs. 'This seizure marks a major success for our officers - it removes a major source of harm, disrupts criminal networks and helps make neighbourhoods safer. Police have seized a 'record-breaking' 24million haul of cannabis after raiding a rural farm Officers executed a warrant at Leigh Tenement Farm in Blackrod, Bolton, on 9 January, uncovering what is believed to be one of the largest single cannabis seizures ever made in the UK 'Our work demonstrates the ongoing commitment to targeting large-scale drug production and distribution and is key in safeguarding vulnerable people. 'It sends a clear message that this kind of criminal activity will not be tolerated and our officers will work hard to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.' Police believe the scale of the operation highlights the increasing sophistication of organised drug gangs using rural and industrial locations to grow and distribute cannabis on an industrial level. The investigation remains ongoing. President Donald Trump has revealed his plans to retaliate against Iran after its regime killed more than 50 protesters despite the president's dire warnings. Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that the US is 'ready to help' Iranians. 'Iran is looking for FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!,' Trump posted on Truth Social at 1.27pm. He later claimed the US is the 'hottest and most successful country anywhere in the world'. The president previously warned the Iranian leaders would be 'hit very hard' if demonstrators continued to die. US officials revealed to the Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration has had preliminary discussions on executing an attack against Iran. The administration reportedly discussed a large-scale aerial strike on multiple military targets. While several options have been mentioned, officials warned they are a part of normal military planning. President Donald Trump addressed the Iranian people in a Truth Social post Saturday The president stated that the US will continue to stand behind Iranian protestors as the speak out against the country's regime One official told the WSJ that no military equipment or personnel have been moved and there are no signs of an imminent attack on the regime. This comes after Trump said on Friday it looked as if Iran's leaders were 'in big trouble' and repeated his earlier threat of military strikes if peaceful protesters are killed. Speaking on Air Force One earlier this week, he told journalists: 'We're watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States.' The death toll rose drastically overnight with Iranian rights group HRANA reporting 65 deaths, including 50 protesters and 15 security personnel, as of January 9. An Iranian doctor reported a large number of injured protestors had been brought to hospitals. Some were badly beaten, suffering head injuries and broken legs and arms, as well as deep cuts. Protests have taken place across Iran for 13 days in a movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, with growing calls for the end of the clerical system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, which ousted the pro-Western shah. Protests have spread to more than 220 towns and cities in every one of Iran's 31 provinces. The country's infamous Revolutionary Guards and other law enforcement agencies are launching a brutal crackdown on demonstrators, with the nation's attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning anyone taking part in protests would be considered 'an enemy of God'. Doctors reported some protestors had been taking in for treatment after being badly beaten and suffering head injuries This offense is punishable by death under Iran's strict laws, and even those who assisted protesters would also be prosecuted, a statement on state TV reported. It appears to be a desperate bid to try and limit the number of protesters after Friday night saw some of the largest swells of activists yet. In response to the president's threats, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Trump's hands are 'stained with the blood of Iranians.' '[The terrorists] are ruining their own streets in order to please the president of the United States because he said that he would come to their aid,' he said Friday. On Saturday, Trump reshared an X post from South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham on the ongoing unrest in the Middle East. 'This is truly not the Obama administration when it comes to standing up to the Iranian ayatollah and his religious Nazi henchmen, and standing behind the people of Iran protesting for a better life,' he wrote, in part. 'To the regime leadership: your brutality against the great people of Iran will not go unchallenged. Make Iran Great Again.' Graham posted again an hour later, telling the Iranian people their 'long nightmare is soon coming to a close'. Iranian officials have said anyone who took part in protests would be considered 'an enemy of God' 'When President Trump says Make Iran Great Again, it means the protestors in Iran must prevail over the ayatollah. That is the clearest signal yet that he, President Trump understands Iran will never be great with the ayatollah and his henchmen in charge,' Graham continued. 'To all who are sacrificing in Iran, God bless. Help is on the way.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed support for Iran. 'The United States supports the brave people of Iran,' he said on X. Trump also posted in support of the Venezuelan people on Saturday afternoon, one week after the country captured and imprisoned President Nicolas Maduro. 'I love the Venezuelan people, and am already making Venezuela rich and safe again,' Trump posted. 'Congratulations and thank you to all of those people who are making this possible!!!' The United States launched another strike against ISIS in Syria over the deaths of three Americans. Last month, two National Guard soldiers and their American interpreter were killed in Syria by the terrorist organization. On Saturday, the US issued another strike against the Middle Eastern country in revenge for the deaths of Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres Tovar and Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard, who were killed on December 13, Fox News reported. US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said that multiple strikes across several ISIS targets in Syria took place around 12:30pm EST. It was a part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which launched December 19. 'The strikes today targeted ISIS throughout Syria as part of our ongoing commitment to root out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent future attacks, and protect American and partner forces in the region,' Centcom said in a statement. 'Our message remains strong: If you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice.' Three hours after the strikes, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, writing: 'The United States of America is the Hottest and most Successful Country anywhere in the WORLD!!!' The attack comes after US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and members of their team in Damascus to discuss recent developments in Aleppo. US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said that multiple strikes across several ISIS targets in Syria took place around 12:30pm EST on Saturday It was a part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which launched December 19, when the first strikes happened Fox News said the strikes were in revenge for the deaths Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown, Iowa 'The United States Government welcomes Syrias historic transition and extends its support to the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa as it works to stabilize the country, rebuild national institutions, and fulfill the aspirations of all Syrians for peace, security, and prosperity,' he wrote on X. 'The United States has long supported efforts to defeat ISIS and promote stability in Syria.' The US previously struck Syria on December 19. The Trump Administration announced last month that it had killed at least seven ISIS fighters and captured around a dozen members of the terrorist group. US Central Command said in a statement that 11 missions were carried out from December 20 through December 29, following initial airstrikes on IS weapons and infrastructure. Those airstrikes, conducted in coordination with Jordanian authorities, struck 70 targets across central Syria. In the operations since, the US military and other forces from the region, including Syria, four weapons caches have been destroyed, Centcom said. 'We will not relent,' Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads the command, said in the statement. 'We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to US and regional security.' The US previously struck Syria on December 19 (pictured). US forces struck again on Saturday, but no information has been released US forces will now continue 'to hunt down terrorist operatives, eliminate ISIS networks and work with partners to prevent an ISIS resurgence,' Cooper vowed. Targets ranged from senior Islamic State (IS) members who were being closely monitored by military officials to lower-level foot soldiers, according to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations. The official said a growing collaboration between the United States and Syria's relatively new government meant that American forces were able to attack IS in areas of the country where they previously did not operate. Syrian forces were the driving force behind some of the missions against the militant group this year, the official added at the time. The US now maintains a military presence of roughly 1,000 troops in Syria. The US' latest operations came as retaliation for a December 13 ambush that occurred near the ancient city of Palmyra while American and Syrian security officials had gathered for a meeting over lunch. Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown, Iowa, were killed in the attack as well as a civilian interpreter from Michigan. Both soldiers were members of the Iowa National Guard, which began deploying roughly 1,800 troops to the Middle East as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US mission to defeat ISIS. Three hours after the strikes, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, writing: 'The United States of America is the Hottest and most Successful Country anywhere in the WORLD!!!' The attack comes after US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack (middle), met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and members of their team in Damascus to discuss recent developments in Aleppo Three other Iowa National Guard members were also injured in the December 13 attack, as were members of Syria's security forces. Authorities have since said that the gunman, who was killed, joined Syria's Internal Security forces as a base security guard. He had recently been reassigned over suspicion he might be affiliated with ISIS, though the terrorist group has not claimed responsibility for the attack, according to CNN. Following the attack, US President Donald Trump vowed retaliation, saying there would be 'a lot of damage done to the people that did it'. 'We had three great patriots terminated by bad people and not the Syrian government - it was ISIS,' he said. Trump has not made a public statement on Saturday's attack. The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment. A seven-year-old girl was among the six people killed by a deranged shooter who rampaged through a town in northeastern Mississippi on Friday evening, according to authorities. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott confirmed in a press conference Saturday afternoon that the suspected shooter, Daricka M. Moore, 24, systematically attacked three different homes in the town of West Point. 'This is really, really shaking our community. And for me, in my almost 30 years, this is one of the toughest ones we've had to work,' Scott said. The first shooting took place at a home on David Hill Road, where three people were killed, Scott said. The next occurred at a residence on Blake Road, where Moore allegedly attempted to commit a sexual battery. It was at this home that deputies would later find the dead body of the seven-year-old girl, who had a gunshot wound to the head. The girl was shot in front of other witnesses, Scott said. It's not clear who those witnesses were. After this, Moore is said to have fled the scene in a stolen pickup truck to a home on Siloam-Griffith Road. There, police found two men dead with gunshot wounds to their heads. They were identified as Barry Bradley and Samuel Bradley. Daricka M. Moore, 24, allegedly shot six people at three different homes in West Point, Mississippi, on Friday evening The home where the seven-year-old girl was found shot in the head Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said during a press conference on Saturday afternoon that this case was one of the worst he's had to deal with in his 30 years on the force Moore was later arrested without incident while driving the stolen truck. He was taken into custody by a massive coalition of law enforcement agencies, including the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the US Park Service and the US Marshals. Moore was booked into the Clay County jail at 3.25am on Saturday on a charge of first degree murder. 'I will say at this point, we do not know a motive for these acts. We are continuing work with all our partners to complete a full and thorough investigation. Again, this is ongoing and information is subject to change,' Scott said. Also at the press conference was Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom, who vowed to pursue a capital murder case against Moore. He also said there will likely be multiple counts of first degree murder. 'This is the type of case where the death penalty is going to have to be really looked at,' Colom said. 'We have to continue the investigation. You have to go through with mitigation experts. 'There's going to be mental evaluations done, but after all that is all said and done, if he's eligible for the death penalty, the district attorney's office is going to go for the death penalty.' Your browser does not support iframes. 'There's some cases that they've got to get the worst punishment. Six people, one night, several different scenes. You've heard the allegations. They're about as bad as it gets,' he added. Moore's first court date is scheduled for January 12, Scott said. The cardiovascular surgeon ex-husband of a woman who was discovered shot dead alongside her new dentist husband in their Ohio home has been charged with their murders, the Daily Mail can reveal. Michael David McKee, 39, has been charged with two counts of murder over the killings of Monique Tepe, 39, and Spencer Tepe, 37, who were found gunned down in their Weinland Park home in the early hours of December 30. Spencer suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and Monique was shot once in the chest. Their one-year-old son, four-year-old daughter, and dog were discovered unhurt and are in the care of relatives. Cops revealed there was no sign of forced entry or the supposed murder weapon, but police did find three 9mm shell casings at the scene. They said they did not believe the deaths to be a murder-suicide. Ohio court records obtained by the Daily Mail reveal Columbus Police identified a suspect through neighborhood video surveillance. A summary statement of facts in support of probable cause, reads: The suspect was then tracked to a vehicle which arrived just prior to the homicides and left shortly after the homicides. Detectives were able to identify this vehicle further and link to Michael McKee. Detectives located the vehicle in Rockford, Illinois and found evidence of McKee in possession of the vehicle prior to and after the homicides. McKees mugshot was shared on the Winnebago County Sheriffs Office website, which showed he was booked into jail on Saturday just before noon. He is due to appear in court Monday. Michael David McKee, 39, has been charged with two counts of murder over the killings of Monique Tepe, 39, and Spencer Tepe, 37, who were found gunned down in their Weinland Park home in the early hours of December 30 Spencer and Monique Tepe's neighbor made a distressed 911 call just over a week before their murder Eerie surveillance footage shows a hooded figure walking calmly through a snowy alley near the Tepe home during the time the couple were murdered Monique, then under her maiden name Sabaturski, was married to McKee, a surgeon, briefly from August 2015, with pictures shared on social media of the couple on their wedding day on August 22. The couple had no children and separated seven months later in March 2016. In the complaint for divorce, the plaintiff, Monique, stated they were incompatible.' Divorce documents viewed by Daily Mail show proceedings started in May 2017 and were quickly wrapped up by June. The documents reveal he paid for her engagement and wedding rings and listed them as his separate property, stating he paid $2,500 for the engagement ring and $3,500 for the wedding ring. The couples separation agreement included a requirement that Monique had to pay McKee $1,281.59 back for miscellaneous debt, with the added clause that if she did not reimburse him buy July 1, 2018, she would be hit with 23 percent interest. When the pair filed for divorce, they were living in different states, with Monique living in Westerville, close to her parents Ignatius and Nereida Sabaturski, and working for Nationwide. McKee lived in Roanoke, Virginia, working for the Carilion Clinic. He was listed in the documents as practicing as a vascular surgeon at the OSF Cardiovascular Institute. The couple was found in their $700,000 Weinland Park home the morning of December 30 When the divorce documents were filed, they also included a standard mutual temporary restraining order, requiring both parties to refrain from harassinginterfering with, assaulting or doing bodily harm to the other spouse. The exes paid their own attorney fees and Monique paid the filing fee and fee for a private judge, in a bid to expedite the proceedings privately. The shock charging of McKee comes a day before friends and family will gather for a visitation and celebration of life for the Tepes in Columbus, Ohio, tomorrow afternoon. The visitation at the Schoedinger Northwest funeral home Upper Arlington will be followed by a Celebration of Life at an Italian restaurant in the city. Rob Misleh, who is married to Spencers sister Maddie and is the Tepe familys unofficial media spokesperson, has yet to return the Daily Mails request for comment on the latest development. The Tepe murders sent shockwaves through the tight-knit local community in Weinland Park, with their closest neighbors still too traumatized to speak about what happened. A redacted dispatch log obtained by the Daily Mail from the morning of December 30 paints a distressing picture of the couples panicked friends as they struggled to reach them before the couple were found deceased. At 9.57am, a caller later revealed to be Spencers friend, Alexander Ditty - is logged as being outside the Tepes home and saying he can hear kids inside and that he thought he heard one of them yelling. Loved ones described the couple as 'remarkable inside and out' Spencer and Monique Tepe were shot to death upstairs while their two young children slept unharmed inside the family home The caller wants the police to return to the property, the log states, after cops who did an initial welfare check at the home received no response to their knocks at the door. Dr Mark Valrose, the owner of the Athens dental practice where Spencer worked as a dentist, is described as the business owner who called for the welfare check on Spencer, from his vacation in Florida, after he didnt arrive for work that morning and neither he nor his wife could be reached. Per the logs, another concerned co-worker is recorded to have made another call to police saying their boss never showed up for work this morning and she thinks something is wrong and is enroute. A 10.05am log entry captures the distressing moment Alex sees Spencer dead, as he tells dispatchers there is a body inside and that he is laying next to the bed and there is blood laying next to him.' Alex insists his friend has not been ill and does not do drugs and the logs record that a baby can be heard crying in the background. Three men are later recorded to have entered the home through an open door or window. The logs mention gun casings being found inside the home before alluding to 29s or children being inside the home, before neighbors take them next door. By 10.17am, the logs report one male shot multiple times and a female at least once through the chest.' Friends say the couple shared a deeply happy marriage built on laughter, travel and family life Less than half an hour later, they record that Spencers mother and father, named as Tim Tepe, are more than two hours away from the scene in a grey pickup truck. Friends and family described the Tepes as a warm, kind and happy couple who were devoted to their children and whose lives were filled with joy, love and deep connection to others, per a family statement. A small memorial of floral tributes, teddy bears and other gifts had amassed outside the couples home when the Daily Mail visited. On Tuesday evening, neighbors gathered in grief at a private event at a community space in Weinland park, with a police liaison officer stationed outside for support. Several shared a group embrace before attending a private gathering to remember the Tepes, who bought their three-bedroom home in May 2020. Approached by the Mail, one woman in the group said the Tepes were our friends and that they did not want to speak to the Press. Another neighbor who gave his name as Chris told the Mail he had only come across the Tepes five or six times and they would always smile and wave when he saw them. He said he did not hear anything in the 2am-5am window cops believe the couple were gunned down, but that he had frequently heard gunshots when he first moved to the neighborhood in 2014. Concerned coworkers called police after Spencer (pictured) failed to show up for his shift at an Athens dentist's office Police are seen carrying out their investigations following the couple's killing Another local, who did not want their name published, said the killings felt like a violation of our peace in a neighborhood they said had had its bad times with drug-related violence. They said the Tepes were lovely people, wonderful people, just very sweet and very kind.' Another neighbor said he knew Spencer as a great dude, great guy, very friendly, great part of the neighborhood. That's what you'll hear from everybody, he told the Mail. He said their killings are shaking the community a good bit and that there is a lot of grief, and a lot of unknowns.' There's no reason or rhyme to this, and it makes zero sense as to why this happened. Asked for comment, Columbus Police told the Daily Mail: On January 10, detectives filed warrants charging Michael D. McKee, 39 with two counts of murder in the deaths of of Spencer Tepe and Monique Tepe. 'Mr McKee was arrested in Rockford, Illinois without incident. He is currently incarcerated in the Winnebago County Jail.' A police spokesman told the Daily Mail that no further information will be released at this time so as not to compromise the active and ongoing case progress.' He said more information would be released when appropriate. Prince William has hired a crisis management expert as the Royal Family continues to wrestle with the fall-out from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Liza Ravenscroft - described as 'bulletproof sunshine' by a former boss - has been recruited from the blue-chip communications firm Edelman, where she works 'arm in arm with big names facing into their toughest times'. That description could apply to William as the Andrew saga rumbles on - while the monarchy also deals with dramas surrounding Prince Harry and the cancer treatments undertaken by both the King and the Princess of Wales. Ms Ravenscroft, who runs the UK Crisis & Issues team, is understood to have been championed by Julian Payne, a former communications secretary to Charles and Camilla who is now the CEO of Edelman. A source told The Mail on Sunday: 'Julian Payne has stayed close to the King, so it is unlikely to be a coincidence that one of his most senior and respected members of staff has taken a key role in William's office after a period of turmoil - and when they are looking for closer alignment between Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace as minds turn to William's eventual succession'. A Kensington Palace source said that communications experts for the royal family boasted 'a range of experience' and Ms Ravenscroft would be operating in a 'non-crisis' role. Ms Ravenscroft declares on her CV that 'multinational brands have never had higher expectations nor more scrutiny when things go wrong', and boasts that she tells companies 'how to get past an issue as quickly as possible with minimum dents....It's often front-page stuff: from boycott campaigns to sexual allegations to serious safety issues, geopolitical and ethical risks'. Andrew has been stripped of his royal titles and evicted from his 30-bedroom mansion Royal Lodge in Windsor, but questions continue to mount about the extent and duration of his links to the late paedophile. Prince William and Princess Catherine at Charing Cross Hospital last week. The Prince of Wales has hired a crisis management expert as the Royal Family continues to wrestle with the fall-out from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein Liza Ravenscroft (pictured) - described as 'bulletproof sunshine' by a former boss - has been recruited from the blue-chip communications firm Edelman, where she works 'arm in arm with big names facing into their toughest times' Meanwhile, Prince Harry continues to attract attention for his relationship with Charles and William, his battles with the media and his security arrangements. Ms Ravenscroft, who previously held roles at British Airways and Marriott hotels, says on the CV that a former boss described her as 'bulletproof sunshine', and that she is a 'seasoned media handler who believes in the power of strong relationships to defend and charm in equal measure'. She adds that as she is 'off to adventures new' there is a 'gem of a job' available at her company. She writes: 'If crisis makes your eyes sparkle and supporting big-name companies through them gets you out of bed in the morning then try mine on for size'. The British Monarchy - known as 'The Firm' - was recently rated by the US data firm Statista as the world's fifth strongest brand after Facebook, Amazon, Google and Apple. Mr Payne spent five years as communications secretary to Charles, after a stint as director of communications for the BBC, leaving in 2021. Talking to royal author Robert Hardman last year, Mr Payne described the monarchy as a 'brand' with a communications operation of around a dozen people but 'a boss with a thousand years of history behind him'. He said: 'People could see the King come and go during his illness and looking happy. That transparency has been so important.' A Kensington Palace source told The Mail on Sunday: 'Liza is joining in a non-crisis based role in the KP press office, working on the day-to-day press interaction Kensington Palace has. They explained: 'People who work in communications for the Royal Household come from an array of backgrounds.' The owner of a Swiss nightclub where 40 people were killed in a devastating New Year fire has told investigators he was forced to prise open a locked service door only to discover bodies piled up behind it. Jacques Moretti, the French co-owner of the Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, was taken into custody on Friday as prosecutors investigate one of Switzerland's deadliest nightlife disasters. Most of those who died were teenagers, while a further 116 people were injured in the blaze, which broke out during New Year celebrations in the basement of the venue. Moretti told the Vallais public prosecutor's office that he only became aware after the fire that a service door inside the bar had been locked from the inside. According to excerpts from police reports published by several French and Swiss media outlets and confirmed to AFP by a source close to the case, Moretti said that when he arrived at the scene he forced the door open. He told investigators that he then found several people lying behind the door. Initial findings suggest the fire was sparked when sparklers came into contact with soundproofing foam fitted to the ceiling of the bar's basement. Investigators are also examining whether fire extinguishers were present and accessible, and whether the venue's exits complied with safety regulations. Jessica with her husband yesterday. Before entering the hospitality business with her husband, Jessica worked for years as a fashion, underwear and swimwear model, while also acting in a series of short promotional videos in the early 2000s Flowers in Crans-Montana left in tribute to the 40 people who died in the nightclub fire Moretti's wife and co-owner, Jessica, who was released after Friday's hearing, told investigators: 'We always add a sparkler candle when we serve a bottle of wine in the dining room.' Jacques Moretti insisted he had previously carried out tests and claimed the candles were not powerful enough to ignite the acoustic foam. He told investigators that he bought the foam from a DIY store and installed it himself during renovations after purchasing the bar in 2015. Questions have also been raised over the number of underage customers inside the venue at the time of the tragedy. Moretti said the bar prohibited anyone under the age of 16 and required customers aged between 16 and 18 to be accompanied by an adult. He said he had given these 'instructions' to security staff, but admitted that 'it is possible that there was a lapse in protocol'. The couple are suspected of 'negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson' as the investigation into the deadly blaze continues. Jacques Moretti, co-owner of the Constellation bar in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana was taken into custody Friday, as prosecutors investigate the tragedy. Most of the 40 people who died were teenagers, and another 116 people were injured. Moretti told the Vallais public prosecutor's office that he had found out about the locked door just after the deadly fire. Mourners look at tributes to the victims of the Swiss nightclub fire The entrance of the 'Le Constellation' bar and lounge pictured after the deadly fire When he arrived at the scene, he forced open the door, according to excerpts from police reports published by several French and Swiss media outlets confirmed to AFP by a source close to the case. Moretti said he had found several people lying behind the door after opening it. Initial findings suggest that the fire was caused by sparklers coming into contact with soundproofing foam installed on the ceiling of the establishment's basement. Questions are also being raised regarding the presence and accessibility of fire extinguishers, and whether the bar's exits were in compliance with regulations. 'We always add a sparkler candle when we serve a bottle of wine in the dining room,' said his wife and co-owner, Jessica, who was released after Friday's hearing. Jacques Moretti told investigators that he had carried out tests and the candles were not powerful enough to ignite the acoustic foam. Moretti said he bought the foam in a DIY store and installed it himself during renovations carried out after buying the establishment in 2015. Regarding the presence of numerous underage kids in the bar at the time of the tragedy, Jacques Moretti said the establishment prohibited anyone under the age of 16 and that customers aged 16 to 18 had to be accompanied by an adult. He said he had given these 'instructions' to the security staff, but acknowledged that 'it is possible that there was a lapse in protocol'. The couple is suspected of 'negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson'. JD Vance believes manipulated images of women and children that are sexualised by the Grok artificial intelligence chatbot are 'entirely unacceptable', David Lammy said after meeting the US vice president. Elon Musk, the boss of Grok's creator xAI and the X social media platform where images have been shared, has accused the UK Government of being 'fascist' and trying to curb free speech after ministers stepped up threats to block his website. Allies of Donald Trump have also criticised Sir Keir Starmer's Government after ministers backed regulator Ofcom to take any action necessary against X. Ofcom has been in contact with X and xAI over Grok's manipulation of images to create undressed individuals and sexualised images of children. The regulator is now carrying out an 'expedited assessment' of the firms' response. But the Deputy Prime Minister said Mr Vance was sympathetic to the UK's position on the issue and described the images being produced as 'hyper-pornographied slop'. The pair met in the US earlier this week, with Mr Lammy telling The Guardian that he raised the issue of Grok 'and the horrendous, horrific situation in which this new technology is allowing deepfakes and the manipulation of images of women and children, which is just absolutely abhorrent'. 'He agreed with me that it was entirely unacceptable,' Mr Lammy said. JD Vance believes manipulated images of women and children that are sexualised by the Grok artificial intelligence chatbot are 'entirely unacceptable' The US Vice President described the images being produced as 'hyper-pornographied slop', David Lammy revealed after their meeting Billionaire Elon Musk has accused the UK Government of being 'fascist' and trying to curb free speech after ministers stepped up threats to block his website 'I think he recognised the very seriousness with which images of women and children could be manipulated in this way, and he recognised how despicable, unacceptable, that is and I found him sympathetic to that position.' The tech tycoon claimed the Government 'want any excuse for censorship' and 'just want to suppress free speech' - defiantly posting an AI generated image of the Prime Minister in a bikini. Responding to a chart showing arrest figures for online posts with the UK at the top, Mr Musk said: 'Why is the UK Government so fascist?' Criticism of X has focused on Grok's production of images of child abuse and manipulation of photographs of real women and girls to remove their clothes. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she would back regulator Ofcom if it decided to effectively block X should it fail to comply with UK laws, saying: 'Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent.' She added: 'I would remind xAI that the Online Safety Act Includes the power to block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law. If Ofcom decide to use those powers they will have our full support.' Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has threatened to put forward legislation to sanction both Sir Keir Starmer and the UK if X was blocked in the country. And the US State Department's under secretary for public diplomacy, Sarah Rogers, posted a series of messages criticising the UK on X. Downing Street reiterated the Prime Minister was leaving 'all options' on the table as regulator Ofcom looks into X and xAI, the firm which created the Grok AI tool Ofcom 'urgently contacted' X and xAI over the sexualised images of children, which Grok admitted to in a post on the social media platform On Friday, X appeared to have changed Grok's settings, with the chatbot telling users that only paid subscribers could ask it to manipulate images. However, reports suggested this only applied to those making requests in reply to other posts, and other ways of editing or creating images, including on a separate Grok website, remained open. Ms Kendall said it was 'totally unacceptable for Grok to allow this if you're willing to pay for it', and added she expected an update on Ofcom's next steps 'in days, not weeks'. Sir Keir Starmer also dismissed Musk's changes to his AI tool and said it was 'insulting' to victims. The PM's spokesman said: 'That move that simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service. 'It's not a solution. In fact, it's insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual violence. What it does prove is that X can move swiftly when it wants to do so.' The PM's spokesman added: 'You heard the Prime Minister yesterday. He was abundantly clear that X needs to act and needs to act now, it is time for X to grip this issue. 'If another media company had billboards in town centres showing unlawful images, it would act immediately to take them down or face public backlash.' Maya Jama ordered Grok not to edit her pictures after her mother received fake nudes created from her bikini snaps The Love Island presenter has joined X users in calling out sexualised images of real people In a second post under her withdrawal of consent, she said: 'Lol worth a try' Maya later added: 'If this doesn't work then I hope people have some sense to know when something is ai or not' Grok appeared to acknowledge the consent withdrawal, replying: 'Understood, Maya. I respect your wishes and won't use, modify, or edit any of your photos' Sir Keir on Thursday called on X to 'get their act together' amid concerns about the AI creation of sexualised images of adults and children on the site. 'This is disgraceful. It's disgusting. And it's not to be tolerated,' the PM told Greatest Hits Radio. 'X has got to get a grip of this. Ofcom has our full support to take action in relation to this. This is wrong. 'It's unlawful. We're not going to tolerate it. I've asked for all options to be on the table. 'It's disgusting. X need to get their act together and get this material down. We will take action on this because it's simply not tolerable.' Ofcom has powers under the Online Safety Act to fine businesses up to 18 million or 10% of global revenue, as well as to take criminal action. It can also order payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a site, effectively banning them, though this would require agreement from the courts. Ms Kendall also pointed to plans to ban nudification apps as part of the Crime and Policing Bill going through Parliament and said powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent would come into force in the coming weeks. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, warned Sir Keir against any effort to ban X, formerly known as Twitter, in Britain The UK Government's criticism of X was backed by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese. Speaking in Canberra, he said: 'The use of generative artificial intelligence to exploit or sexualise people without their consent, is abhorrent.' Celebrities meanwhile have also hit out at the AI tool. Maya Jama ordered Grok not to edit her pictures after her mother received fake nudes created from the presenter's bikini snaps. She branded the internet 'scary and getting worse' as she revealed her mother had previously sent her some of her bikini pictures from Instagram which had been photoshopped into nudes. 'Hey @grok, I do not authorize you to take, modify, or edit any photo of mine, whether those published in the past or the upcoming ones I post,' Maya wrote on the site on Wednesday evening. 'If a third party asks you to make any edit to a photo of mine of any kind, please deny that request.' In a second post under her withdrawal of consent, she said: 'Lol worth a try.' Mr Musk has previously insisted: 'Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content' Maya later added: 'If this doesn't work then I hope people have some sense to know when something is ai or not, saying that a few years ago before "grok" someone photoshopped bikini photos I had on my Instagram to nudes and they went around, I only found out because my own mum sent them to me worried, the internet is scary & only getting worse smh.' Grok appeared to acknowledge the consent withdrawal, replying: 'Understood, Maya. I respect your wishes and won't use, modify, or edit any of your photos. 'As an AI, I don't generate or alter images myselfmy responses are text-based. If anyone asks me to do so with your content, I'll decline. Thanks for letting me know!' Mr Musk has previously insisted, 'Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content.' X has said it takes action against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, 'by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary'. READ MORE: Cyclone Koji prepares to make landfall in north QLD A raging bushfire tearing through rugged country 25km west of Walwa has sparked a fresh emergency warning in Victoria's northeast, with residents told to leave immediately in the early hours of Sunday morning. The alert was issued just after midnight as the fastmoving blaze roared towards Granya, Bungil, Burrowye, Walwa and nearby communities. Authorities warned the fire was out of control, fuelled by dangerous conditions that could shift without warning. By 6.30am the situation had worsened, and officials urged anyone still in the path of the inferno to take shelter immediately, saying it was now too late for a safe escape. The crisis comes as fierce winds and scorching heat ignite more than 200 fires across Victoria, destroying at least 300 buildings, including dozens of homes, and leaving entire paddocks of crops and livestock wiped out. In the early hours of Sunday, authorities also issued a rapid series of upgraded warnings for communities around Carlisle River, south of Colac, as the fire threat escalated. Residents in Gellibrand, Kawarren, Barongarook West, Irrewillipe, Irrewillipe East, Chapple Vale, Charleys Creek, Kincaid, Pile Siding and Weeaproinah were all told to leave immediately as the blaze intensified and conditions deteriorated. Fires continue to burn across Victoria, with fresh outbreaks in the Otways forcing the closure of part of the Great Ocean Road and putting Colac on alert. Fierce winds and scorching heat ignite more than 200 fires across Victoria, destroying at least 300 buildings Police footage released on Sunday shows the scale of destruction across the region A family and their pet cat were rescued by Victorian Police on Saturday (pictured) North-east of Melbourne, shifting winds drove the Longwood fire towards Bonnie Doon, heightening concern for Mansfield and surrounding communities. Victoria Police launched a daring helicopter rescue on Saturday, swooping in to save two generations of a family, along with their treasured cat, after a ferocious bushfire tore through their isolated Caveat property earlier in the week. The family, who lost their home to a fierce bushfire, spent two terrifying nights sheltering in a shipping container and sleeping in their car before being dramatically rescued by police air crews. The 59yearold woman had tried desperately to manage the unfolding crisis on her own after flames wiped out the family home. But after two days without help, and growing fears for the health of her elderly mother and uncle, she finally called authorities. Newly released police footage shows the tense rescue operation from above, with the helicopter descending onto scorched earth. Smoke still lingered over the blackened terrain as officers helped the stranded family aboard. The footage reveals the devastating scale of the disaster, exposing vast stretches of countryside left charred and lifeless More than 300 buildings have been destroyed across the state as a result of the inferno Tactical flight officers managed to land at the scorched property around 8.30am, where they found the exhausted family, along with their muchloved cat, Grisha, also known as 'Bubba'. The officers loaded all three adults and Bubba into the helicopter and transported them back to Seymour. Paramedics assessed the family, while Bubba was gently given water by syringe after the ordeal. Authorities believe the 82yearold woman suffered singeing to her hair during the blaze and burns to her hands, which required treatment. Police Air Wing Tactical Flight Officer LSC Brittany Smith said the devastation was overwhelming from above. 'The destruction we can see from the air is heartbreaking,' Ms Smith said. 'By no means do we encourage people to shelter in shipping containers however on this occasion all I can say is this family is extremely lucky.' Fires continue to burn across Victoria, with fresh outbreaks in the Otways forcing the closure of part of the Great Ocean Road and putting Colac on alert. The crew was relieved to reach the stranded property in time. 'It was good we were able to get in and get them out. We were glad we could provide assistance when they needed us,' Ms Smith said. Nigel Farage has condemned Sir Keir Starmers spineless approach to defence spending, which he says has left Britain looking like a pygmy as the world teeters on the edge of multiple incendiary conflicts. With Iran facing meltdown, Donald Trump threatening war over Greenland and Vladimir Putin menacing Europe through Ukraine, the Reform UK leader said it was terrifying that the UK faced a 28 billion shortfall in defence funding. Just look whats happening in the world, Mr Farage writes in todays Mail on Sunday. We could soon be embroiled in operations in Iran, and are being drawn closer towards conflict with Putin, and yet thanks to spineless Starmer failing to properly fund our Armed Forces we are now military pygmies on the international stage. Last week it was revealed that the UKs top military chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, told the Prime Minister that the MoD faces a 28 billion shortfall between now and 2030. Mr Farages words came amid the escalation of violent street protests against Irans Islamic regime, with diplomatic sources predicting that the UK could be drawn into military action if President Trump acts to topple the countrys Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tonight, exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi the man tipped to be the next Shah of Iran if Khamenei is ousted told the MoS that the UK Government should stand with the Iranian protesters in their hour of need. The 64-year-old said: The Iranian people are moving forward with great courage and determination. In the last few days they have responded to my calls to action in their millions. Reform leader Nigel Farage said it was terrifying that the UK faced a 28 billion shortfall in defence funding Farage has condemned Sir Keir Starmers spineless approach to defence spending, which he says has left Britain looking like a pygmy Thousands of protesters took to the streets of major cities across Iran on Friday night chanting Bring back Pahlavi! Pahlavi, who fled to the US with his father, the deposed Shah, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, also revealed that he is spearheading regime change by offering members of Irans hated Revolutionary Guard and military the chance to secretly switch sides using a secure QR code. Diplomatic sources predict that Mr Trump could launch a direct attack on the Iranian regime in response to its crackdown on protesters, which has led to the death of more than 50 people. That could involve the use of British military assets. In other developments: Sources said that Mr Trump has ordered his Joint Special Operations Command to prepare a detailed plan for the invasion of Greenland, to annex the Danish territory on the grounds of its strategic location and mineral wealth. The BBC faced growing criticism over its coverage of the Iranian protests, which were described as blundering and shameful for understating their significance. The defence row was stoked further by retired Air Marshal Edward Stringer, who described Britains national defences as a flimsy facade. US aircraft flew from the Mildenhall base on Thursday as part of an operation to seize the ghost Russian tanker, Bella 1 which has been accused of breaking American sanctions on shipping Iranian oil as it sailed through the North Atlantic. Join the debate Is Britain neglecting its military at the risk of national security and global influence? Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi (pictured) the man tipped to be the next Shah of Iran if Khamenei is ousted told the MoS that the UK Government should stand with the Iranian protesters in their hour of need Last week it was revealed that the UKs top military chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton (pictured), told the Prime Minister that the MoD faces a 28 billion shortfall between now and 2030 The interception of the tanker, which had been trading with Iran and Venezuela since 2021, came after President Trumps daring raid last weekend to capture Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro and fly him to New York to face drugs and weapons charges. In a report for the influential Policy Exchange think-tank, retired Air Marshal Stringer said that the UK had been left exposed as the Western-favouring, American-policed, rules-based international order gave way to the use of transactional hard power to provide security. He added: The tide has gone out and we can now see that the UK military was not wearing any trunks. In his MoS article, Mr Farage says of the 28billion defence shortfall: At a time when China is attempting to infiltrate us at every turn and Russian submarines lurk menacingly beneath our waters, this is nothing short of terrifying. The Prime Minister and his Chancellor repeatedly argue that the government has committed to raising defence spending to 3 per cent by 2035. But thats a decade away. Just look whats happening in the world. We need to get a move on, pronto. He also said he would vote against the absurd plan to send British troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force should the war cease, saying the Army possesses neither the manpower nor the supplies required for a long-term operation. A No 10 source said: While Nigel Farage acts as Putins puppet by admitting he would not stand up for Ukraine, the Prime Minister is raising the UK defence budget to record levels by delivering the biggest spending boost since the Cold War. It's been almost three years since Alex Murdaugh, the heir to a powerful legal dynasty, was banished to a maximum-security prison in South Carolina for the remainder of his days. But the man convicted of slaying his wife and son is not going away quietly. In a state penitentiary - which remains undisclosed due to his high-profile status - the 57-year-old disgraced attorney is still fighting his murder conviction, and his appeal could reach a critical crossroads this spring. Thanks to sources close to the inmate, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal what life has really been like for Murdaugh behind bars, and how his only living son feels about his father. South Carolina Corrections Department records show that Murdaugh - who is also serving concurrent 40-year federal and 27-year state sentences on financial crimes alongside his two life sentences - passes the time working as a wardkeeper's assistant. It's a role he's held since August 2023 - the same month he faced disciplinary action for feeding information to a documentary team. At the time, Murdaugh was banned from using the phone or buying canteen items for 30 days for violating prison policies. Since then, Murdaugh has managed to stay out of trouble behind bars. According to his attorney, Dick Harpootlian, the convicted felon also spends his time squirreling away at the details of his ongoing case, hopeful for a retrial later this year. Harpootlian told the Daily Mail that Murdaugh is heavily involved in this legal battle even from the confines of his prison cell. Alex Murdaugh (seen during his 2023 sentencing on state financial crimes) is passing the time in prison fighting his murder conviction 'You can talk to him, unlike normal clients who have no concept of the appellate process or how all this works,' Harpootlian said. 'He is interested because he is a lawyer, so we talk about where we're at and what we think the grave issues are with the case and what our weaknesses are.' They talk every week, 'generally and about the case,' Harpootlian added. Overall, Harpootlian thinks 'he's got a good attitude,' is in good spirits and has largely settled into prison life. 'I think Alex understands he did a bad thing in stealing all that money. He is adamant he didn't kill Paul and Maggie. He always has been... and when we get a fair trial, I think the jury will determine he didn't do it.' Harpootlian called Murdaugh 'hopeful' about getting a new trial - but 'not confident of anything.' While Harpootlian told the Daily Mail his client regularly speaks with his surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, 32, a source close to the relative told a different story. 'Brooklynn [White Murdaugh, Buster's wife,] says he doesn't visit his dad much - hardly talks to him,' the insider told the Daily Mail. And while his dad continues to profess his innocence, and is pinning his hopes on a second chance in court, Buster has a far less positive outlook. 'He has a lot of anger about the loss of his mom and brother,' the source added. 'He doesn't talk about them much. 'Whether or not Alex killed them, he definitely did enough to tarnish Buster's name forever, and he's angry about that.' Pictured from left: Paul, Maggie, Alex and Buster Murdaugh. Alex was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in June 2021 Maggie and Paul were gunned down, with two different firearms, at the dog kennels on the Murdaugh family's Moselle estate on June 7, 2021 Murdaugh's attorney Dick Harpootlian (pictured) told the Daily Mail about their fight for a new murder trial According to the insider, Buster - who married long-term girlfriend Brooklynn last May - avoids talking about his family or 'the scandal' surrounding his father whatsoever. 'He distances himself from it all. He hates that everywhere he goes, he's recognized.' As the sole survivor, Buster's life will forever be tarnished by his father's crimes. The tale of Murdaugh's spectacular fall from grace was one that captivated the public in 2023 - the trial was watched, gavel to gavel, all across the country. This was a man who had it all, born into a powerful, wealthy family that had dominated the justice system in South Carolinas Lowcountry for more than a century. On June 7, 2021, Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, 52, and younger son, Paul, 22, were found shot dead on the family's sprawling 17,000-acre Moselle estate. That's when the patriarch's power and reputation began to unravel. Other mysterious deaths tied to the prominent family entered the conversation, and his multi-million-dollar fraud schemes came to light. Murdaugh even allegedly tried to hire a hitman and stage his own shooting months after the family killings. The double life of the prominent attorney was finally laid bare, culminating in his arrest and conviction for his wife and son's murders. Buster (pictured with his now-wife, Brooklynn White, and other family members during the murder trial) doesn't often speak about what happened to his family, a source told the Daily Mail On February 11, Murdaugh's legal team and the South Carolina Attorney General's Office will return to court for a showdown over his bid for a new trial. The South Carolina Supreme Court in Columbia agreed to hear arguments from both sides, before deciding whether the Lowcountry's so-called 'trial of the century' will be thrown out - and a second trial set. Murdaugh's fight for a retrial is chiefly based on allegations that Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill tampered with the jury. Hill pleaded guilty in December to obstruction of justice, perjury and two counts of misconduct in office, admitting to showing graphic crime scene photos to a reporter and then lying about it. She also admitted to taking bonuses and promoting her book about the trial through her public office. Prosecutors also investigated allegations of jury tampering, but found there wasn't evidence to prove charges. Hill, who resigned in disgrace in 2024, was handed three years' probation. In their appeal, Murdaugh's team argues Hill tried to influence the jury to return a guilty verdict. Murdaugh's team also argues the jury should not have heard about his financial crimes. At trial, prosecutors presented a motive that he killed Maggie and Paul to salvage his crumbling finances and reputation. Murdaugh later pleaded guilty to a string of federal and state financial crimes, for which he is currently serving time. 'By the time the jury heard two-and-a-half weeks of testimony about him stealing $12million from invalids and orphans, he was so vilified it didn't matter what [Murdaugh] said on the stand, the jury wasn't going to believe him. That's number one,' Harpootlian told the Daily Mail. Pictured from left: Paul, Maggie and Buster. A source close to Buster said he has not spoken to his father much, though Harpootlian tells a different story Murdaugh has 'got a good attitude' about life in prison, his attorney said, and is actively involved in his appeal from behind bars 'Number two, we didn't know it at the time, but it certainly makes sense now that the clerk of court was fixing the jury, trying to persuade jurors to vote guilty, because she needed a guilty verdict to sell books those two factors totally distorted the trial.' Prosecutors, meanwhile, argue Murdaugh was convicted because he was 'obviously guilty' and that the jury tampering claims were settled in 2024 by former Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal, who, while condemning Hill's actions, said she did not impact the verdict. Harpootlian insisted to the Daily Mail that he still firmly believes in Murdaugh's innocence - and stands by his theory that two shooters committed the double murder. 'There is strategic evidence to indicate that's correct,' he said. 'Two different guns shooting two different people... The forensics supports two people [committing the crime]. 'But that's something we'd have to deal with in a second trial.' But, for now, life on the inside doesn't seem to be going too badly for Murdaugh. It seems there is no end in sight for the severe weather that sent more than four tornadoes spinning across the United States this week. Friday morning, Mississippi locals were given just minutes to take cover as severe thunderstorms created a terrifying tornado threat. 'TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building,' an alert issued by the National Weather Service rang out in Jackson Thursday morning. 'Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.' The sudden warning was issued just before 9am, with potential cyclones spinning through the state as soon as 9.05am. Winds gusts kicked up to 80mph, and hail was spit out as the storm brewed. At least four tornadoes were also spotted in Oklahoma and Kansas this week, leading to roof damage, power outages and toppled utility poles. It seems strong winds, looming thunderstorms and tornado threats will be a theme for the weekend as more severe weather grips the country. Severe weather this week brought tornado warnings to the Southern US, with conditions expected to continue over the weekend. Pictured are broken powerlines in Purcell, Oklahoma The Midwest and Northeast US could see some snowfall along with high winds Oklahoma and Kansas were rocked by multiple tornadoes this week High wind gusts will rock much of the Eastern US as looming thunderstorms and snowfall threaten the region Resident Richard Hill shovels the sidewalk outside his home in Vergennes, Vermont this week Lower Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia and Alabama are set to be hit with more severe thunderstorms as the weekend continues, according to The Weather Channel. Saturday morning could mean more tornadoes for Coushatta, Louisiana and Carson, Mississippi, with two possible cyclones brewing, causing damage already on Friday night. Isolated severe thunderstorms will extend to the eastern US and into the Carolinas, churning up a tornado threat. The Great Lakes, Midwest and New England may see light to moderate snowfall, but without majorly cold temperatures, heavy snow is unlikely. Rain coupled with wind gusts up to 50 mph may lead to dangerous driving conditions. The deep south will continue to be afflicted by heavy rain and flash flooding. Mississippi and Alabama are predicted to accrue more than five inches of rainfall. Severe thunderstorms with the proper ingredients for tornadoes could roll over the eastern US on Saturday afternoon. Strong wind gusts are expected to move east across the country from Saturday and into Sunday. While some snowfall is expected, meteorologists do not predict bitterly cold tempuratures Precipitation in the Eastern US could lead to five inches of accumulation in some southern states Even without a tornado present, high wind gusts can be dangerous As severe weather begins to die down on Sunday, the Midwestern and Eastern US should only have continued strong winds to worry about. Rain may continue on Sunday on the East Coast, but snow showers make a pleasantly wintery appearance in the Great Lakes, Appalachia and New England. Fortunately, the mixed bag of weather will not be met with bitterly cold temperatures. The National Weather Service reported highs in the 70s in the Southern US, while the Northeast is not likely to dip below the 30s and 40s. The Midwest is projected to see weather in the 40s and 50s over the weekend. With more tornado warnings in sight, Americans in vulnerable areas should continue to monitor local weather alerts, per the Red Cross. Gathering food, water, medicine and other emergency supplies could be crucial in preparing for severe weather. Even without a cyclone present, high wind gusts can still cause power outages, damage homes and send debris flying. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders' children made a jaw-dropping archaeological discovery in Israel. While visiting the West Bank, the family of five toured a cave near Naela in the Binyamin region with archeologists, where they discovered 2,000-year-old coins, the Yesha Council announced. 'Grandpa, look what we found!' the three children - Scarlett, George, and William - told the grandfather. The five coins are believed to be from around 132 and 135 AD from the Bar Kokhba Revolt period. They found them near Shilo. The Sanders family also found fragments of a jar from the second century in a different cave, the council said. 'Watching my kids uncover and hold coins buried for more than 2,000 years was unforgettable,' the governor told Fox News in a statement. Huckabee Sanders' father, Mike Huckabee, who is a US Ambassador to Israel, was also delighted in his grandchildren's discovery. 'Its amazing to come to a place that proves that 3,000 years ago and even today,' he said. While visiting the West Bank, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her family went on an archeology tour, where her children found 2,000-year-old coins. The family is pictured in Bethlehem in December 'Grandpa, look what we found!' the three children - Scarlett, George, and William - told the grandfather, 'Grandpa, look what we found!' the three children - Scarlett, George, and William - told the grandfather, Mike, who is the US Ambassador to Israel, after finding the coins It's unclear when the discovery was made, but the family did visit the Jewish State in December to spend Christmas there. 'Merry Christmas from Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square - the site of the birth of Christ!' the Christian governor wrote on Instagram. The governor and ambassador made a family trip to Bethlehem as part of their visit. Huckabee Sanders also visited Israel and the United Arab Emirates in August for a trade mission, her office announced in July. She traveled to the country to 'deepen Arkansas' economic ties' with the Jewish Nation. 'Israel is a hub for innovation, especially in agriculture and manufacturing, and as my dad likes to say, is the one place in the world you visit for the first time and it feels like coming home,' she said in a statement. Ambassador Huckabee was stationed in Israel in June while the tensions between Israel and Iran heated up. 'Watching my kids uncover and hold coins buried for more than 2,000 years was unforgettable,' the governor told Fox News in a statement (pictured: the family in Bethlehem) The five coins are believed to be from around 132 and 135 AD from the Bar Kokhba Revolt period. They found them near Shilo He told President Donald Trump that he would be the last to leave and 'will not abandon his post' in Tel Aviv as Iran bombed the country. 'My job is to be the last one to leave. I will not abandon this post. Our flag will NOT come down... it is my honor to serve you,' he messaged Trump, who posted the interaction on Truth Social. Trump has now threatened to strike Iran over civilian deaths during the past two weeks of protests. At least 50 civilians have died. The four astronauts making a historic medical evacuation from the International Space Station (ISS) will be coming home in less than a week, NASA has revealed. Space agency officials announced that Crew-11 would leave the station no earlier than 5pm ET on Wednesday, January 14, roughly one month sooner than their scheduled departure date. The SpaceX Dragon capsule bringing the astronauts home is excepted to splash down off the coast of California around 3.40am Thursday morning on January 15. The sudden exit was triggered by what new NASA administrator Jared Isaacman described as a 'serious medical condition' suffered by one of the astronauts which required further treatment back on Earth. 'Mission managers continue monitoring conditions in the recovery area, as undocking of the SpaceX Dragon depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors,' NASA said in a statement Friday night. While NASA did not reveal which astronaut experienced the emergency or what happened, officials said they were 'erring on the side of caution' and evacuating the entire Crew-11 team as soon as possible. Crew-11 includes four astronauts: NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. NASA's chief medical officer Dr James Polk has said the ailing astronaut is currently in 'stable' condition, noting that their medical issue did not occur because of an accident on the station or anything related to their work in space. Crew-11 before launching to the ISS. Pictured (L to R): Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and NASA's Zena Cardman Crew-11's SpaceX return capsule will depart the International Space Station on Wednesday, January 14 'Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member,' NASA added. 'It's mostly having a medical issue in the difficult areas of microgravity,' Polk explained without going into specifics at a Thursday press conference. Elon Musk's SpaceX, which created the Dragon capsules used to ferry NASA astronauts and cargo to the ISS, confirmed the evacuation plan on social media last night. According to NASA, the four astronauts will close the hatch on the Dragon capsule around 3.30pm on Wednesday and begin undocking procedures at 4.45pm. Once Crew-11 leaves the ISS, it will take approximately seven hours for the spacecraft to fly to the point above Earth where its deorbit will begin. The deorbit, scheduled for around 2.50am Thursday morning, involves Crew-11 firing its engines briefly to reduce the capsule's speed, slowing the craft down enough for gravity to take over and pull it back toward Earth. Without this slowdown, the Dragon capsule would just keep circling endlessly in space. Crew-11 arrived at the ISS on August 1, 2025, and their original return date had been scheduled for late February. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman (Left) and NASA chief medical officer Dr James Polk (Center) revealed on Thursday that Crew-11 would be returning as soon as possible JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui (center) was helping NASA astronaut Zena Cardman (left) and Mike Fincke prepare for the spacewalk before it was postponed NASA previously planned for the four astronauts to leave after their replacements from Crew-12 arrived in a new Dragon capsule around February 15. Isaacman said no decision had been made yet on whether Crew-12's launch will be moved up because of the medical evacuation. Until their launch, NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who arrived at the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in November 2025, will be maintaining the station. Until now, there had never been a crew evacuated ahead of their scheduled departure time from the ISS. However, just 10 months ago, SpaceX and NASA carried out a historic rescue mission to retrieve astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been stranded on the ISS for 286 days after their Boeing spacecraft Starliner malfunctioned. A Thursday morning press conference has already been scheduled once Crew-11 returns safety to Earth. Isaacman noted that the medical evacuation and potential change in Crew-12's launch would not impact the upcoming Artemis moon mission, currently scheduled for February 2026. Calling the two situations 'totally separate campaigns,' the NASA chief said Artemis II was still on track to become the first manned spaceflight to orbit the moon since 1972. Lexi Rivera kicked off 2026 by launching a massive bikini campaign with Cupshe, called Island Time. In an interview with Daily Mail, the 24-year-old TikTok star said: 'I love swimwear so when Cupshe pitched this collection idea, it immediately caught my eye. After some discussion on how the partnership would work, product direction, new quality materials and the overall tone of the campaign the partnership fell into place.' Shot on location in Hawaii, the stunning collaboration features snaps at Kaaawa Beach and surrounding beach-town streets. Bikini: Levi Rivera teamed up with Cupshe to launch a stunning swimsuit campaign Impressive: The 35-piece collection includes 23 bikinis and one-pieces, along with 12 swim cover-ups and vacation dresses Inspiration: The collaboration showcases the sun-kissed moments of island life and the spirit of fun vacation days Lexi also talked keeping her confidence up, adding: 'I try to remember that there will always be days like this and it is how you move forward after realizing you don't feel confident or your best internally. She was thrilled to do the photo shoot in Hawaii and said: 'The collection has a natural beach/island vibe so I was excited to showcase some of the pieces in beautiful Hawaii,' the star noted. 'It definitely helped me and the Cupshe crew come together to make the idea come full circle.' It's a winner: When asked what her favorite look was, she did not hesitate: 'I like the leopard print. It's perfect when you are looking for something fun and different.' Proud: Promoting her new collab, Lexi said: 'I hope people feel proud and excited when they put on a piece from the collection.' Stunner: The TikTok star looked incredible as she posed in an array of swimsuits She is thankful social media has put her on the map. 'It is definitely a huge part of my work and I look at social media as a vessel to create content and opportunities,' Lexi said. As for her day to day life, she is always bust working: 'Meeting with the team, working on content flow across platforms and planning for upcoming projects.' On-brand: Lexi said she loved how 'authentic' Cupshe felt to her style, adding: 'These are pieces I would actually wear and feel confident in.' Dream job: The TikToker was thrilled about the photo shoot and said it was 'super exciting getting to see the looks that lived on paper come to life in Hawaii' Iris Yen, chief marketing officer at Cupshe, said: 'Cupshe is stepping into a whole new era, new logo, new vibe, new energy, so choosing Lexi felt natural. 'She's one of the OG TikTokers with a community that's young, loyal, and always looking to her for what's next. 'We're also introducing new silhouettes, which makes this collaboration feel exciting, fun, and totally different for us.' Favorite look: Lexi sent temperatures soaring in the leopard-print two piece she raved about Back in 2020, TikTok and holidays were uncomfortable bedfellows; the social media platform was only just going mainstream and, thanks to a certain global pandemic, no-one was going anywhere. Five years on, however, and Travel on TikTok has exploded - the app says nearly half of UK users now search for content related to their next trip. And while the platform has an average user age of 30 in the UK, bury misconceptions that it's all Gen-Z content about Ibiza beach clubs - almost every type of travel experience - including #holidaynightmares - has flourished on the short-form video app. A quick browse can take you around the globe in seconds; there's steam trains puffing through verdant Yorkshire valleys, family gangs serving up tips on how to backpack through Thailand with toddlers and foodies documenting the best NYC spots for a viral croissant pizza (yes, that exists). No-one is more surprised by the seemingly infinite diversity of content than the brand's Head of Travel. Hannah Bennett took on the role during those uncertain days of lockdown, and has seen the app's ability to inspire holidays go from zero to hero in five short years. She tells the Daily Mail: 'What we've seen in the last 18 months is that people are coming to TikTok specifically to search - it's up 131 per cent year-on-year and 46 per cent of people are searching for travel on a weekly basis.' AI-generated content aside - of which there is plenty, Bennett says the appeal of TikTok for many travellers is that much of it is warts-and-all honest; there are as many holiday hell videos as there are FOMO trips. TikToking around the world: The short-form video app's fans are using it more than ever to help them plan holidays, says the brand's Head of Travel, Hannah Bennett Travel content is ever more diverse on the platform, with almost every holiday niche finding a home; pictured: videos about steam train adventures on TikTok Bennett says: 'When I was growing up, it was all about glossy travel brochures, with gorgeous people and gorgeous beaches. 'On TikTok, it's authentic; there's that behind-the-scenes element - 80% of content might be amazing but you'll also get 'this went wrong' content, which makes it feel more realistic.' The destinations being tipped by the app for this year might surprise many too. According to the brand's research, Central Europe is the place for 2026 city breaks with Frankfurt, Germany's financial hub, set to woo weekenders away from the likes of Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. Tiny Liechtenstein, which sits betwixt Switzerland and Austria, could also grab a slice of the tourism pie, TikTok says search suggests. While it has beautiful mountains, views of the Rhine and turreted castles - its capital city, Vaduz, is home to just 6,000 residents, roughly the same as a UK village - and there's no direct flights. However, TikTok says the rise of 'slow travel' has put the fairytale country on the map for tourists looking for an alpine destination that is still relatively unknown. Elsewhere, classic Mediterranean destinations and alternative staycations look likely to be on people's travel wishlist. In Italy, the resort town of Milano Marittima, on the less well-known Adriatic coast, is garnering interest, as is Bologna. Family travel - including tips - is a significant area, with travellers sharing advice Where's hot for 2026? According to TikTok, less explored destinations, including Liechtenstein are set to be on people's travel radars this year The birthplace of Spaghetti Bolognese, the latter is also home to the world's oldest university, and is already rivalling big hitters Venice and Rome thanks to low-cost flights with Ryanair and British Airways. Plenty of old favourites also look likely to continue to attract huge amounts of tourists, with Spain's Malaga and the Costa Brava receiving plenty of attention. When it comes to city breaks, TikTok says Copenhagen, Budapest, Florence and Naples also featured in the most popular destinations searched. In the UK, St Andrews Lakes in Kent has also seen a burst of interest, says the social media platform. The waterscape is on the site of a former quarry and boasts blue water that wouldn't be out of place in the Med. It's become a hit thanks to its sauna, lodge accommodation and activities; there's an aqua park, open water swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding. TIKTOK'S 2026 TRAVEL TREND PREDICTIONS Milano Marittima, Italy Liechtenstein Frankfurt, Germany Bologna, Italy St Andrews Lakes, UK Advertisement The way we search for holidays is changing too, says Bennett, with people more open to finding new travel ideas, rather than simply being served content. Bennett says: 'I think a lot of people a few years ago would spend the majority of their time on the 'For You' page, where the content is curated for you - if you're interested in cats doing silly things, that's what you'll see. If you're interested in travel, you'll see travel. 'However, over the last 18 months, we've seen that shift from passive discovery to active discovery, so people coming to TikTok specifically to search [for travel content].' What does the social media app's Head of Travel have to say about one of the hottest topics of last year: overtourism? 2025 saw impassioned protests across Europe about the negative impact of mass tourism, with tourists targeted in destinations including the Balearics, the Canaries, mainland Spain, Greece and Italy. Overtourism protests in Tenerife in May 2025: Social media platforms have been accused of fuelling mass tourism in recent years In the UK, residents in the Cotswolds and Cornwall have been vocal about how they feel the arrival of thousands of tourists year-round, many taking selfies and video for social media, are ruining the places they live in. Says Bennett: 'We really understand that concern, and the element of virality that exists across all social platforms - people want to know where the hot destination is.' TikTok has been helpful in its own way for diverting too tourists though, she suggests with destination dupes - swapping out a popular city or resort for a lesser known - hugely popular on the platform. 'TikTok plays a really key role in that element of discovery. People want to explore somewhere new, where maybe they haven't been before, and where their friends and their family haven't been. So, instead of going to Barcelona, for example, they'll discovering a new alternative'. Victoria Wood is renowned as one of nation's most beloved comedians, entertaining millions with her witty takes on mundane marriages and daily life woes. But behind her one-liners and famous piano numbers, the star went through strife of her own in her marriage to her husband Geoffrey Durham, 76, with a revealing new documentary set to bring insight into the star's life. Becoming Victoria Wood, which was released in cinemas on Friday, is set to explore the life of the late comedian alongside insights from famous friends like Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Michael Ball and Joan Armatrading. Despite happier origins - Victoria said that things 'clicked' between her and Geoffrey when they met back in 1976 - the comedian frequently implied they were troubles in the relationship, including her reluctance to get married in the first place. Details about the cause of their split have been questioned for many years, with a spokesperson simply announcing saying: 'The separation is entirely amicable - there are no other parties involved. They have asked for their privacy to be respected.' Victoria herself was impartial on the subject, saying in an interview she felt like a 'failure' when the marriage ended, and following her death from oesophageal cancer in 2016, both her children and ex-husband Geoffrey kept details about her death to minimum. Despite being known as one of the nation's most beloved comedians, Victoria Wood battled a secret heartache, when her marriage to Geoffrey Durham ended in 2002 (pictured in 1991) A new documentary is set to share insight into the star's life, including her failed relationship with the magician, to whom she left nothing in her 9.3million will (pictured in 1997) Given the lack of insight, it was a surprise when it was revealed that Victoria had left nothing to her ex-husband Geoffrey in her will, instead donating half of her 9.3million fortune to a charity set up in her name. She first met her husband Geoffrey, a magician and actor, in 1976 shortly after she won New Faces, when they were both appearing at the Phoenix Theatre, Leicester. She later said of him: 'It was just one of those things when you click. He was encouraging because comedy's a very lonely thing to do without someone in your corner. I don't think it would have worked as well with him. We just did everything together.' The couple married in 1980 and they went on to have two children together, but the comic previously confessed she was reluctant to tie the knot, given her own parents' failed relationship. Speaking in Let's Do It: The Authorised Biography Of Victoria Wood, she said: 'I didn't want to get married. He did. Every day he'd ask me to marry him,' confessing she finally relented after a string of rows over why they had not wed. During her relationship, Victoria confessed that she was disillusioned with the idea of sex, saying: 'It's never got any better. Sex. There's something so stressful about it. I keep thinking in the end they will just have to faze it out altogether.' But after winning the first of her five BAFTAs for As Seen On TV, she and Geoffrey retreated further and bought their first home together in a small village in Lancashire. 'I wanted to cut myself off. I wanted to be separate,' she said. Despite happier origins - Victoria said that things 'clicked' when they met back in 1976 - the comedian frequently implied they were troubles in the relationship (pictured in 1991) The couple married in 1980 and they went on to have two children together, but the comic previously confessed she was reluctant to tie the knot (pictured in 1986) Victoria (pictured in 2015) died in 2016 at the age of 62 after a battle with oesophageal cancer Victoria herself was impartial on the subject, saying in an interview she felt like a 'failure' when the marriage ended (pictured on stage with her spouse in 1982) The couple were together for 26 years, but when they split in 2002, little was known about the cause of the end of their marriage. Within four months of Geoffrey moving out, the star was photographed kissing his tour manager, Helen Morris-Brown, while the comic never had another long-term relationship. Victoria also shared that she suffered from depression after they separated, admitting on Desert Island Discs that she felt 'like a cartoon character who had run over a cliff'. In a later interview, she said: 'I take a lot of responsibility. I bear the consequences. I don't feel hard done by. 'I've felt very guilty about my part in it. I felt a failure, completely. That's quite hard to live with.' Victoria was tight-lipped about the cause for her marital split, but did tell The Guardian in 2005 she 'f****d up' and felt 'guilty' about her part in the relationship's failure. She said: ''I take a lot of responsibility. If I f****d up, then I bear the consequences. I don't feel hard done by. I've felt very guilty about my part in it. 'I felt a failure, completely. That's quite hard to live with. If you're quite a punishing sort of person anyway, then: woah, you've suddenly got the biggest mallet to whack yourself over the head with.' The star has implied that the end of the marriage came as a shock, adding: 'You look back at the good bits and the bad bits and you think, "Were the good bits that good?" 'You churn the whole thing over and oh, it's exhausting, trying to make sense of something that, in the end, you can't make sense of. But it shakes your perception of yourself on a really basic level.' Within four months of Geoffrey moving out, the star was photographed kissing his tour manager, while the comic never had another long-term relationship (pictured in 1995) It then came as a huge shock when she died, she left him without a penny in her will, and instead left her 4million Highgate mansion and Lake District cottage to their kids Grace, 28, and Henry, 24. But the Dinnerladies star made no mention of her comedy magician ex partner, known as the 'Great Soprendo', who she was married to for 22 years. The comic left half of her fortune to set up the charity Victoria Wood Charitable Trust, to support causes like helping young and disabled people, The Sun reported. Handing over her Lake District property to her children, she gave the instructions that it should not be sold 'so long as it's enjoyed by family'. Grace and Henry were also given her letters, diaries and photos which it's believed she wanted to be kept private. She also gave 50,000 each to her three siblings - Rosalind, Penelope and brother Chris Foote Wood, 76. The screenwriter gave between 2,000 to 25,000 to ten of her closest friends, including her two godchildren. Tim Allen has amusingly described meeting Tom Cruise during the Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning premiere and how Scientology played a part in the exchange. Speaking to the crowd at Laugh Factory, the famed comedy club in Los Angeles, on Thursday night, Allen, 72, revealed that he often yells out while watching movies in a theater, before giving the example of when he attended the last Mission: Impossible premiere. 'You know, this celebrity s**t, I say hi to these people like I know them. When I go in there, I want the swag. I want the Mission: Impossible hat,' he started the joke, according to a Daily Mail reporter who attended the show. But about 30 minutes into the film, he couldn't help himself and shouted 'bulls**t' during a scene that he claimed was too unrealistic. 'Some BMW seven series goes off of a parking structure, lands - nose first - flips over. Cruise gets out and just does this...,' he told the crowd as he motioned the action star looking perfectly put together after a car crash. 'It would've killed Batman, so I said "bulls**t"!' he spilled. Tim Allen shared his story about meeting Tom Cruise with the audience at Laugh Factory in Los Angeles on January 8 The comedian insisted he humiliated Cruise at a Mission: Impossible premiere after shouting 'bulls**t' following a car crash scene that he did not find believable (Cruise is pictured at The Final Reckoning premiere in New York City on May 18, 2025) He went on to say the 'whole theater' went quiet and everyone turned to look at him. '"Yeah, it's kind of funny Mr. [Buzz] Lightyear?"' he recalled a theatergoer shouting at him, referring to his popular animated character in Toy Story. 'I try to apologize. "Yeah, I'm just f**king around,"' he said, while noting, 'Cruise's ears are bright red.' After the movie ended, Allen said that Cruise didn't forget what he had shouted in the theater, and ended up confronting him about it. Allen continued his story: 'He walks down the f**king aisle, looks at me. I'm scared to death, even though the dude is literally this tall,' motioning his 5' 7" height. 'My grandpa always said eat crow while it's fresh, so I apologized. I said, "hi, bye." 'And the guy was a nice guy, you know. I think he put a spell on me though because he's a Scientologist. His eyes got really red and something hit me.' Allen ended the story by telling the audience that considers himself a 'religious guy' since he was 'forced to' follow religion when he was a kid, and still goes to church 'every Sunday' with his family. He's married to wife Jane Hajduk and has two daughters: Elizabeth Allen-Dick, 16, and Katherine, 36, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Laura Deibel. Allen joked that Cruise, a Scientologist, 'put a spell on me' and that his 'eyes got really red' Allen appears to be a longtime fan of the Mission: Impossible franchise having attended the Mission: Impossible 2 premiere in Los Angeles in 2000 Cruise has been a longtime Scientologist and was previously an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology. He wasn't the only celebrity who Allen mocked during his hour-long set. When speaking about Tom Hanks, Allen recalled how the Forrest Gump star landed a role he was vying for - Detective Scott Turner in 1989's Turner & Hooch. After learning he was beat by Hanks, 69, Allen joked to the crowd that he told 'the guys at Disney' that he was a 'no talent motherf**ker' and added, 'He has no p***s.' Allen also threw shade at Ryan Reynolds when he joked about superhero costumes and his distaste for having to wear costumes, especially playing Captain Zoom/Jack in 2006's Zoom movie. He said that every time he sees Deadpool, he isn't sure if Reynolds, 49, is actually in the costume or not. 'Every time I see Deadpool... Ryan Reynolds isn't even in this costume right now. He's back getting his nails done in his trailer,' he said, suggesting that his stunt double perhaps takes over for certain scenes. During the set, Allen revealed that it was his Santa Claus outfit that he found to be the worst costume of his career, with the actor having to wear a '58 pound' fat suit and be in the makeup chair for six hours. The actor played Santa Claus many times, including in 1994's The Santa Clause, 2002's The Santa Clause 2, 2006's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, and a Disney+ series in 2022 called The Santa Clauses. Allen brought up Ryan Reynolds during his stand-up show, suggesting that the Deadpool star gets 'his nails done in his trailer' while his stunt double takes over for certain scenes The Home Development star told the Laugh Factory audience that he wanted to star in 1989's Turner & Hooch, but rather the leading role went to Tom Hanks - someone he believes is a 'no talent motherf**ker' (Hanks and Allen both voice characters in the upcoming Toy Story 5) Allen shared his annoyance over wearing his Santa Claus outfit in The Santa Clause movies since they weighed '58 pounds' and he was in the makeup chair for six hours Allen remembered how when he first started out as the iconic cheery, white-bearded character, he would smoke cigarettes when cameras were not rolling and how 'Disney folks' scolded him since he was exhibiting inappropriate behavior in front of the 125 kids who were on set. 'The Disney folks came up to me, they're creepy... they said can you please stop saying "f**k" when you're in a Santa suit?' he said during his stand-up set - which is part of his ongoing 2026 tour. He went on to say that he didn't realize all the children on set were actually kids and not actors, and revealed that they often assumed he was the real Santa Claus - which he found ironic since he stated he 'hates kids'. Allen's anti-woke sitcom, Shifting Gears, returned for the second season on January 7 after having a midseason hiatus. The ABC show features the comedian starring as Matt Parker, a widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. He returns as Buzz Lightyear in the much-anticipated Toy Story 5, which is expected to hit theaters on June 19. The cast coincidentally features the voices of Tom Hanks, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee, Ernie Hudson, Tony Hale and Conan O'Brien. Today show lifestyle contributor Jill Martin has revealed she must undergo more surgery due to complications from her cancer treatment. The 49-year-old journalist who declared she was cancer-free in early 2025 - shared on the January 9 segment that she will have an urgent procedure to repair damage to her skin caused by radiation therapy for breast cancer. 'Just when you think the fight is over, life reminds you that healing isnt always linear,' she said. Martin - whose close friend and former co-anchor Hoda Kotb previously shared her own breast cancer battle - made it clear that she was returning to hospital as a reconstructive patient, not a cancer patient. 'Its preventative and proactive - an emergency only in the sense that if we dont act now, it could turn into something much bigger,' she said, per People, adding, 'Its important to say this clearly: my cancer is not back.' This will mark Martins eighth surgery since being diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in 2023. Today show lifestyle contributor Jill Martin has revealed she must undergo more surgery due to complications from her breast cancer treatment; pictured in November 2025 The journalist, 49 - who declared she was cancer-free in early 2025 - shared on the January 9 segment that she will have an urgent procedure to repair damage to her skin caused by radiation therapy for breast cancer; pictured with Hoda Kotb in 2024 The diagnosis came one week after tests determined Martin carried the BRCA gene, which significantly increases the risk for certain cancers like breast cancer and ovarian cancer. The same year, she underwent a double mastectomy and had 16 lymph nodes removed followed by four months of chemotherapy, plus three weeks of radiation, reconstructive surgery, and the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes as a precautionary move. Dr. Elisa Port, chief of breast surgery for Mount Sinai Health System and one of Martins doctors, told the Today show that radiation, which is applied through the skin to get to cancer cells, can cause skin breakdown. 'When a person has a mastectomy, obviously the goal is to get all the breast cancer out,' Port told the news program. 'But there's another goal, especially in a BRCA mutation carrier like Jill... to get all the breast tissue out. And when you do that, the skin left behind can be very thin. It's just a lot for the skin to tolerate,' the doctor added. Port explained Martins upcoming procedure will be done to reinforce the surgery wound, similar to a skin graft, so it doesnt open up again and pose a risk for infection. Martin expects to remain in hospital over three nights, then she will recover at home another few weeks. 'I feel worn out and grateful all at once,' the Emmy Award-winninng TV personality admitted. Martin's doctor told the Today show that the upcoming procedure will be done to reinforce the surgery wound, similar to a skin graft, so it doesnt open up again and pose a risk for infection; pictured in December 2024 The Emmy Award-winning TV personality has been transparent about her health ordeal and spoken at length about it on the NBC program; pictured with colleages Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer in June 2024 Martin made it clear that she was returning to hospital as a reconstructive patient, not a cancer patient, saying, 'My cancer is not back' 'Sometimes it feels like it never really ends. And still Im grateful. Grateful for early action, for great doctors, and for the chance to keep moving forward.' Martins health ordeal began a year after her 2022 wedding to Ethos Capital founder Erik Brooks. However, the couple decided to call it quits in 2024 after just two years of marriage. 'Jill is focused on getting healthy and making a difference. She's launching a new initiative on TODAY Oct. 1 for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And she's starting a new business this month,' a source told People at the time. Still, Martin told the publication back in 2024 that she was 'grateful' the diagnosis came after her wedding to Brooks, as it 'was such a purely happy event.' 'I feel like this is a new chapter with a new journey - that's not bad because I am going to take this. It will just be different,' she added. Last March, Martin told her Today show colleagues she was giving internet dating a try. 'Im on these dating apps, and Ive perfected the FaceTime date as being super efficient, she admitted. Martin's marriage to Erik Brooks - pictured with her in October 2022 - ended in divorce in 2024 just two years after the wedding 'So, I schedule either a coffee or a drink depending on the time zone, because people come up from different places, and Ive actually made a list.' She shared: '[On] Zoom calls, you dont have to put pants or anything fancy on, just waist up, and then, its very efficient.' Martin said FaceTime dates spared her from the burden of finding something suitable to wear and that 'first date anxiety.' She added: 'You can tell on FaceTime, even with friends, when you have chemistry and [if] theres juju there. And friends of mine who are single say theyre afraid to ask for a FaceTime date. And I say lets normalize it because its 15, 20 minutes, and then, you can move on with your life.' Conan OBrien has had it with comedians who ditch punchlines in favor of pure rage - especially when it comes to Donald Trump. Speaking during an appearance at Oxford University, the former Late Night with Conan OBrien host said Trumps second term has created a comedy trap that too many comics are falling into. Some comics go the route of, Im gonna just say F Trump all the time, or thats their comedy, OBrien said. Now, a little bit, youre being co-opted. Because youre so angry, youve been lulled into just saying F Trump, F Trump, F Trump, screw this guy. I think now youve put down your best weapon, which is being funny. And youve exchanged it for anger. While OBrien didnt deny the fury is justified, he warned that anger without humor is a dead end. 'You just have to find a way to channel that anger... because good art will always be a great weapon, he said, later adding that if youre just screaming and youre just angry, youve lost your best tool in the toolbox. His comments land as late-night comedy faces fresh scrutiny, with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel accused by critics of leaning too hard into politics. Conan OBrien has had it with comedians who ditch punchlines in favor of pure rage - especially when it comes to Donald Trump Speaking during an appearance at Oxford University, the former Late Night with Conan OBrien host said Trumps second term has created a comedy trap that too many comics are falling into In mid-2025, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was cancelled by CBS, officially for financial reasons - though the timing raised eyebrows amid Paramounts Trump-linked legal settlement and merger talks with Skydance. Kimmels show faced its own turbulence after a temporary suspension following controversial remarks about Charlie Kirk, a move ABC attributed to business considerations, despite Trump allies publicly cheering it on. Asked directly about his fellow hosts being sidelined, OBrien didnt hesitate. Well they are both friends of mine, I think theyre really talented comedians and theyre fantastic, so Im biased, he said. Addressing Kimmels situation, he added that it was very clear to all of us political pressure played a role, calling it just wrong and against a very sacred principle of free speech. Expanding on Colberts situation, OBrien acknowledged that late-night television simply isnt the powerhouse it once was - something he knows firsthand. With Stephens situation there was some economic realities with these shows, which is they are not the cash machines that they were. Ive lived it too, he said. Especially with the internet now and so many choices. I thrived at 12:30am - people in the 90s in America, because people up that late had nothing else to do. That is not the case anymore. Join the debate Has political anger ruined what used to make comedy sharp, clever, and fun? 'You just have to find a way to channel that anger... because good art will always be a great weapon, he said, later adding that if youre just screaming and youre just angry, youve lost your best tool in the toolbox' Still, he suggested money wasnt the whole story. The terrain is not the same, but I also feel in Stephens case theres a little bit of a clearly theres a merger going on, OBrien said. And sometimes I think people are eager to make the administration happy. And that can speed things up a bit. He then pointed to what he called the flip side of the argument, pushing back on claims that comedians are being silenced altogether. OBrien said hes arguably had a bigger platform since his own show ended, thanks to podcasts and digital outlets expanding comedians reach. So Jimmys not going anywhere, and Stephens not going anywhere, he added. Earlier in the Oxford discussion, OBrien also pushed back on the lazy assumption that Trumps presidency is a gift to comedians. People who know less about comedy or maybe havent given it a lot of thought often assume it must be so great for comedy, he said - before shutting that idea down. Asked about Stephen Colbert (pictured) and Jimmy Kimmel being sidelined, O'Brien said, Well they are both friends of mine, I think theyre really talented comedians and theyre fantastic, so Im biased, he said. Addressing Kimmels situation, he added that it was very clear to all of us political pressure played a role, calling it just wrong and against a very sacred principle of free speech' Its not, OBrien said flatly. Drawing on his days at The Harvard Lampoon, he explained how some subjects are so extreme theyre almost impossible to parody. One publication the Lampoon could never quite crack was The National Enquirer. How do you parody that? You cant, he said, pointing to its already outrageous headlines. For OBrien, Trump presents the same problem. He recalled comedians pitching sketches that rely on exaggerating the former presidents behavior - only to realize reality has already beaten them to the punch. People say, Weve got a great Trump sketch for you. In this one, hes kind of talking crazy! Hes saying stuff and he tears down half the White House to build a giant ballroom, OBrien joked. Yeah, no. That happened yesterday. The issue, he explained, is that comedy needs something solid to push against. Comedy needs a straight line to go off of, he said. And we dont have a straight line right now. Instead, he quipped, We have a very bendy, rubbery line. We have a slinky. An array of dazzling stars were out in force at the AFI Awards in Los Angeles on Friday. Ariana Grande, 32, was the belle of the ball as she arrived to the event, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, in a romantic blush pink strapless lace gown that highlighted her arms. Meanwhile Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow, 53, showed off her sleek and minimalist style in a black and white dress with a tank-style top. Bugonia star Emma Stone, 37, wowed in an effortlessly chic strapless ivory dress from Calvin Klein Collection. The AFI Awards are annual honors presented by the American Film Institute (AFI) that recognize the most outstanding films and television programs of the year. With awards season in full swing, the AFI Awards are a key stop for Oscar hopefuls, who posed on the red carpet before heading into the luncheon event. Ariana Grande, 32, Gwyneth Paltrow, 53, and Emma Stone, 37, led the glamour at the AFI Awards in Los Angeles on Friday Grande accessorized her look with pearl earrings and wore her hair swept up into an elegant updo. Grande plays Glinda (also known as Glinda the Good Witch) in Wicked: For Good, the second part of the Wicked film adaptation, which was among the 10 honorees for outstanding motion pictures at this year's event. During a recent interview with Variety, Grande commented on her co-star Cynthia Erivo's SAG nomination snub. It came after the nominees were announced earlier this week on Wednesday - with Grande garnering a nod for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. 'Cynthia's performance is the most truthful, vulnerable and fierce Elphaba we've seen, and it will be referenced and adored for generations. That can't be taken away,' the songstress expressed. She added that 'every good thing that happens to me belongs to them, too. None of this exists in isolation. 'We informed each other every single day. Of course, it's hard - they deserve all the flowers this world can grow.' Grande also offered her thoughts on the film's director Jon M. Chu who was also snubbed by the DGA (Director's Guild Awards). Join the debate Was Ariana the obvious standout at the AFI Awards, or did her look get overhyped next to Gwyneth and Emma? Grande was the belle of the ball as she arrived to the event, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills Her hair was swept up into a chic updo She wore a romantic blush pink strapless lace gown that showed off her arms The AFI Awards are annual honors presented by the American Film Institute (AFI) that recognize the most outstanding films and television programs of the year Paltrow showed off her sleek and minimalist style in a black and white dress with a tank-style top She wore her blonde tresses in her signature straight style 'There aren't enough flowers on this earth for Jon M. Chu. He's an extraordinary human being and director.' She added that the Wicked films will be loved by fans for many years while gushing that Chu 'set out to move people, to challenge them, to make them better allies and better humans - and he succeeded.' Meanwhile Paltrow completed her look with black heels and wore her blonde hair in her signature straight style. Inside the event she was pictured mingling with Titanic hunk Leonardo DiCaprio, 51. One Battle After Another star Teyana Taylor, 35, showed off her unique style as she donned a fitted black suit with just a high-neck white collar and no shirt underneath. She wore her hair in twin, waist-grazing braids. Keri Russell, 49, was the epitome of elegance in a black blazer paired with matching skirt and clutch. Chase Infiniti, 25, had all eyes on her in a baroque-inspired gold mini dress with a subtle keyhole neckline that showcased her cleavage. The dress was heavily embellished with floral accents. Frankenstein star Mia Goth, 32, opted for an all-black look consisting of an off-the-shoulder dress, strappy heels, and sunglasses. Bugonia star Emma wowed in an effortlessly chic strapless ivory dress from Calvin Klein Collection She completed the look with a dark belt She was joined by filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and her Bugonia co-star Jesse Plemons Chase Infiniti, 25, had all eyes on her in a baroque-inspired gold mini dress with a subtle keyhole neckline that showcased her cleavage The dress was heavily embellished with floral accents One Battle After Another star Teyana Taylor, 35, and Frankenstein star Mia Goth, 32, both opted for sleek dark-hued looks Keri Russell, 49, was the epitome of elegance in a black blazer paired with matching skirt and clutch Irish star Jessie Buckley, 36, stunned in a sleeveless black leather dress with a sultry leg slit She paired the sizzling outfit with black pointed-toe heels Chase Sui Wonders, 29, looked stylish in a grey suit with structured shoulders Marty Supreme actress Odessa A'zion, 25, showed off her effortlessly cool style in a violet cardigan and oversized black leather pants Jay Kelly star Laura Dern, 58, looked spectacular in a sequin burgundy dress paired with a brown trench coat. Britt Lower opted for an elegant dark brown dress Dern was also joined by her dapper Jay Kelly co-star George Clooney on the red carpet Emilia Jones, 23, went with a patterned look, donning a polka dot halter top with a grey pencil skirt Patricia Arquette, 57, showed off her quirky style in an orange blazer paired with a gold skirt. Filmmaker Chloe Zhao, 43, was a vision in a delicate pink dress with metallic embellishments Kathryn Hahn, 52, wore a unique grey skirt with fringe like panels and a matching blazer Erin Doherty opted for a business chic look at the event Rhea Seehorn, 53, wore a monochrome dress with pointed toe black heels Trinity Jo-Li Bliss wowed in an all-red look Adolescence star Stephen Graham, 52, was joined by wife Hannah Walters, 51 The two put on a loved-up display Marty Supreme actress Odessa A'zion, 25, showed off her effortlessly cool style in a violet cardigan and oversized black leather pants. Jay Kelly star Laura Dern, 58, looked spectacular in a sequin burgundy dress paired with a brown trench coat. Dern was also joined by her dapper Jay Kelly co-star George Clooney on the red carpet. Irish star Jessie Buckley, 36, stunned in a sleeveless black leather dress with a sultry leg slit. Emilia Jones, 23, went with a patterned look, donning a polka dot halter top with a grey pencil skirt. Patricia Arquette, 57, showed off her quirky style in an orange blazer paired with a black silk top and a sequin gold skirt. Chinese filmmaker Chloe Zhao, 43, was a vision in a delicate pink dress with metallic embellishments. Kathryn Hahn, 52, wore a unique grey skirt with fringe like panels and a matching blazer. Rhea Seehorn, 53, wore a monochrome dress with pointed toe black heels. Euphoria heartthrob Jacob Elordi, 28, set the tone for men's fashion as he hit the red carpet Puerto Rican hunk Benicio del Toro, 58, sported a black suit with a pair of sunglasses Mark Ruffalo, 58, was clad in a grey suit Ethan Hawke, 55, ditched the traditional tuxedo in favor of a more colorful ensemble He mingled with Joel Edgerton Adam Sandler, 59, rocked a navy suit and a blue-hued floral shirt underneath Jeff Goldblum, 73, cut a dapper figure in a black suit Adam Scott and Mark Ronson were also in attendance Stellan Skarsgard, 74, opted for a laid back look Rufus Sewell, Tom Pelphrey, and Seth Rogen were also present Chase Sui Wonders, 29, looked stylish in a grey suit with structured shoulders. Adolescence star Stephen Graham, 52, was joined by wife Hannah Walters, 51. Euphoria heartthrob Jacob Elordi, 28, set the tone for men's fashion as he hit the red carpet. He looked dapper as ever in a cream suit paired with a dark tie and black leather shoes. Puerto Rican hunk Benicio del Toro, 58, sported a black suit with a pair of sunglasses. Adam Sandler, 59, rocked a navy suit and a blue-hued floral shirt underneath. Ethan Hawke, 55, ditched the traditional tuxedo in favor of a more colorful ensemble. He sported a peach toned suit over a blue shirt and paired it with crocodile boots. Jeff Goldblum, 73, cut a dapper figure in a black suit, while Stellan Skarsgard, 74, opted for a laid back look. Mark Ruffalo, 58, was clad in a grey suit. Adam Scott and Mark Ronson were also in attendance. Inside the event Gwyneth was pictured mingling with Titanic hunk Leonardo DiCaprio, 51 The duo laughed it up They shared a warm hug They looked happy to catch up She was also joined by Hawke and George Clooney Kylie Jenner's boyfriend Timothee Chalamet, 30, was pictured inside the event but skipped the red carpet He was joined by Marty Supreme co-star Odessa. His billionaire girlfriend was not present for the event Chalamet accessorized with a Cartier 18ct white-gold and diamond panther necklace with an estimated cost of $34,000 The Marty Supreme actor chatted with filmmaker Josh Safdie Frankenstein co-stars Mia and Jacob were seated together Jacob also mingled with Teyana He also caught up with Sandler Ariana posed with Jessie and Chloe inside She kept warm with a cream silk coat inside Benicio, mingled with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and Leonardo They enjoyed lunch inside with their co-star Chase They also posed with CEO of Netflix Ted Sarandos and actor Edward James Olmos Leo was also seen chatting with Apple's Tim Cook Michael B. Jordan and Alexandre Desplat were also in attendance Clooney and Jordan were seen having a conversation Clooney, Carol Burnett, Dern and Sandler posed for a snap Sandler was seen chatting with Burnett Graham caught up with Arquette Leonardo DiCaprio and Kylie Jenner's boyfriend Timothee Chalamet were pictured inside the event but skipped the red carpet. Chalamet accessorized with a Cartier 18ct white-gold and diamond panther necklace with an estimated cost of $34,000. AFI's top 10 movies of 2025 are Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios), Bugonia (Focus Features), Frankenstein (Netflix), Hamnet (Focus Features), Jay Kelly (Netflix), Marty Supreme (A24), One Battle After Another (Warner Bros), Sinners (Warner Bros), Train Dreams (Netflix) and Wicked: For Good (Universal). Meanwhile the programs of the year honors went to Adolescence, Andor, Death by Lightning, The Diplomat, The Lowdown, The Pitt, Plur1bus, Severance, The Studio and Task. AFI also gave a Special Award this year to Iranian director Jafar Panahi's film It Was Just an Accident. Davina McCall has revealed the touching reason why she keeps her husband Michael Douglas's 'eyeball' in her wedding ring, as she opened up about their 'emotional' ceremony. The TV presenter, 58, tied the knot with the hairdresser, 49, last month and explained that she had her ring transformed into a deeply personal keepsake so she can always feel close to him. Speaking to Geoff Lloyd on Virgin Radio UK, Davina said: 'Whats so nice for me is if Im at work or Im not with Michael and I catch sight of the ring, I feel like hes with me.' Michael added: 'They are actually made by a prosthetic eye company. They make eyes for people who need an eye and then they get put into rings.' Elsewhere in the interview, the couple revealed they tied the knot in London in front of just 11 guests, with the wedding day proving to be an emotional affair. Michael admitted there were plenty of tears, adding: 'The wedding felt like a therapeutic event in some way.' Davina McCall has revealed the touching reason she keeps her husband Michael Douglas's 'eyeball' in her wedding ring, as she opened up about their 'emotional' ceremony The TV presenter, 58, tied the knot with the hairdresser, 49, last month and explained that she had her ring transformed into a deeply personal keepsake so she can always feel close to him The couple tied the knot in a small London ceremony just three months after getting engaged in Ibiza, and the intimate celebration was attended by 'everyone who is special in their lives.' 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.' Last month, Davina broke her silence on the wedding to praise her 'lovely' new husband Michael in a social media post. Davina 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. Speaking to Geoff Lloyd on Virgin Radio UK, Davina said: 'Whats so nice for me is if Im at work or Im not with Michael and I catch sight of the ring, I feel like hes with me' (pictured November 2025) Michael added: 'They are actually made by a prosthetic eye company. They make eyes for people who need an eye and then they get put into rings' (both pictured 2024) 'It's voting frozen pizza over fancy grub with you. Because some nights, nothing can beat a slice of comfort food.' Davina also reposted Michael's latest hairdressing video, writing '@mdlondon Christmas tips. (Michael u r lovely)'. 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. Davina has been close friends with Michael for years after meeting the skilled hairdresser at Hertfordshires Elstree Studios during her spell as the presenter of Big Brother. But their platonic friendship became romantic after McCalls 17-year marriage to Matthew Robertson, the father of her three children Holly, 24, Tilly, 22, and Chester, 19, collapsed in 2017. Davina married her devoted partner after he supported her through surgery to remove a benign tumour from her brain as well as a recent breast cancer diagnosis Davina's platonic friendship with Michael became romantic after her 18-year marriage to Matthew Robertson (pictured) - the father of her three children - collapsed in 2017 In October, the presenter confirmed Douglas had proposed after whisking her off to Ibiza for a romantic mini-break. Recalling the unexpected proposal during an appearance on the Chris Evans Virgin Radio Show in September, she said: What was quite funny was after lunch Michael had booked a lunch which was like, not that usual on a beach and he wanted to take me to a beach where wed been with all the kids before. So I was like: Oh, this is really nice. And then he said: Lets go for a walk around the cliffs. Im in some god-forsaken cowboy boots, little pink cowboy boots with steel toe caps and Im not in a cliff climbing outfit. I could see he really wanted me to like it, it would make him happy. And I thought, Oh, bless like he wants to show me something beautiful. So I was like: "Stop being miserable and get up the cliff."' Confirming the engagement earlier that month, a close friend told The Sun: 'She has a ring but is only wearing it in private. 'It is wonderful news and everyone who knows them is just so thrilled. They really do make the most gorgeous couple.' Ali Wong has been seen for the first time since news broke of her shock split from Bill Hader earlier this week. The 43-year-old star appeared despondent as she was spotted running errands in the Culver City neighborhood of Los Angeles. The stand-up comedienne was alone as she wore casual clothing that consisted of a navy blue hoodie with matching shorts that showed off her toned legs. The petite actress added black-and-white Vans socks with chunky white sneakers as she had a large black purse worn crossbody style. With her long black hair worn down, she was makeup free and had on cat-eye tortoise-shell sunglasses for a chic touch. This sighting comes after Daily Mail revealed the real reason Wong and the 47-year-old Hader went their separate ways after two years of dating. Bill Hader's ex-girlfriend Ali Wong has been seen for the first time since news broke of their shock split earlier this week The 43-year-old star appeared despondent as she was spotted running errands in the Culver City neighborhood of Los Angeles Wong's mood on Friday appeared tense. The star did not look relaxed as she clenched one of her fists and frowned with her eyebrows pushed down. Not seen were her two daughters with her former spouse Justin Hakuta. It has been a difficult last month for Wong who had a very public split with fellow comedian Hader. Daily Mail has learned that the reason for the breakup: it was partially due to Hader's 'moody' personality. 'Bill is not the easiest to be around, he is tense and harsh a lot of the time, everyone knows this in Hollywood, that is why his nickname is Bill Hater, because he hates on certain things,' an insider told the Daily Mail. 'That is how Bill gets so many cute girls; he can be kind at times, but then he can be prickly. You never know what you're going to get with him.' People magazine, however, blamed the end of their relationship on busy work schedules that ultimately made things 'too difficult'. The break-up was 'amicable' and 'they are very much friends', People said. The stand-up comedienne was alone as she wore casual clothing that consisted of a navy blue hoodie with matching shorts that showed off her toned legs. The petite actress added black-and-white Vans socks with chunky white sneakers Daily Mail also learned that the split was a long time coming. The former couple's close friends were hardly surprised. 'He was already on the outs with Ali,' said the insider, who noted that the pair had been distant for several months now. In fact, right at the start of their relationship in the spring of 2023, their friends had placed bets on how long the romance would last, with the common feeling being that they were mismatched. 'No one thought it would last because she is a super sweet girl, very normal, very fun and easy going, and he is not. I guess she could take only so much,' the insider said, who was nonetheless keen to stress that though Hader can be 'cranky', he is also 'hilarious' and 'clever'. Ever since Hader's 12-year marriage to director Maggie Carey collapsed in 2018, his more recent romances have all been short-lived. The Saturday Night Live funnyman split from actress Rachel Bilson in July 2020 after dating her for less than a year. The stars seen at the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica in 2024 In a rather crude podcast interview, Bilson later revealed that the thing she still misses about her ex is 'his big d***'. Hader moved on to actress Anna Kendrick, who he dated for two years until the summer of 2022. And then, in December of that year, he was 'very briefly' linked to 43-year-old Wong hot on the heels of her own divorce from businessman Justin Hakuta before the comedian pair ended things, Page Six reported at the time. In April 2023, they rekindled the romance. Wong later told how Hader got her phone number through a mutual friend and messaged her to admit that he'd had a crush on her 'forever'. The last month has been a trying time for Hader. Hader's friend, director Rob Reiner, was stabbed to death in his Los Angeles mansion alongside his wife Michele. The couple's son Nick Reiner (pictured with his father in 2016) has been charged with both their murders Wong with her friends Jenna Dewan and Chrissy Teigen at the 2025 Baby2Baby Holiday Distribution at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on December 10, 2025 On December 14 came the grim news that Hader's friend, director Rob Reiner, had been stabbed to death in his Los Angeles mansion alongside his wife Michele. The couple's son Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged with both their murders. But, in an awful twist for Hader, it has since emerged that, in the hours before Nick's alleged killings, the Reiners' troubled son reportedly caused a scene at a holiday party, held at the nearby LA home of Conan O'Brien on December 13, after having got into a tense chat with Hader. A source claimed to NBC News that Nick, who has a long history of addiction, had been acting erratically at the party and 'interrupted Hader' who told him he was 'in the middle of a private conversation.' The source claimed that Nick then became incensed and 'stormed off'. Hours later, Rob and Michele Reiner were killed. A Sydney man has been charged with allegedly breaking into the home of Double Bay eyebrow queen Kristin Fisher. The man, who cannot be named due to a court order preventing the release of his identity, was arrested last October. Police claim he allegedly broke into Fisher's apartment 'with intent', though further details of the incident have yet to be released, reported The Daily Telegraph. The eastern suburbs man was charged with aggravated break and enter with intent, and has since been granted bail. It is understood he knows Fisher, who had an AVO in place to protect her from the man. The alleged perpetrator has yet to enter a plea and will appear in court next week. A Sydney man has been charged for allegedly breaking into the home of Double Bay eyebrow queen Kristin Fisher, 40. Pictured in her bedroom Fisher is best known for her successful career as an eyebrow artist, with clients such as Jesinta Franklin, Sylvia Jeffreys, Elle Ferguson and Pip Edwards. She is also considered a pal of Dina Broadhurst and has made headlines in the past for her tumultuous friendship with MCoBeauty cosmetics founder Shelley Sullivan. Fisher has faced a string of controversies in recent years that have made her one of the most talked-about women in Sydney's east. Her salon, Kristin Fisher Eyebrows, entered voluntary administration in November 2023 with debts exceeding $900,000. The ATO initially rejected a proposed restructuring plan that would have repaid $216,000 of the debt, leading to the appointment of joint administrators. Factors contributing to the financial difficulties included the impact of lockdowns, the breakdown of Fisher's marriage, and a lack of financial advice. In January 2024, Kristin struck a deal with the tax authorities to wipe out nearly $1 million in unpaid taxes. She celebrated the resolution with expensive champagne. In July 2021, she was arrested for buying cocaine after police found her in the passenger seat of a car with two bags of white powder at her feet. Police claim he allegedly broke into Fisher's apartment 'with intent', though further details of the incident have yet to be released She failed to appear in court three times, blaming her children for losing her court notice by removing it from where it was pinned to the fridge. Kristin later appeared in court to have her criminal conviction annulled. She expressed deep remorse, describing the incident as a 'dreadful mistake' and saying she was deeply embarrassed by her actions. Magistrate Ross Hudson accepted her guilty plea and opted not to record a conviction, provided she was on good behaviour for six months. But in annulling her conviction, Magistrate Hudson also criticised the widespread cocaine use in the eastern suburbs, calling it a 'stain on our community'. Gwyneth Paltrow got a chance to mingle with Leonardo DiCaprio at the star-studded AFI Awards Luncheon in Beverly Hills on January 9. The meeting comes two years after Paltrow revealed she refused to go on a date with the actor in the 1990s due to his reputation with the ladies. There appeared to be no awkwardness as the two warmly greeted and embraced each other at the event being held at the Four Seasons Hotel. At one point, Paltrow, who recently recalled a scary incident after her father's death in which she thought she might having a heart attack, looked at DiCaprio and gave him a big smile, and he seemed to return the favor. During another moment that was captured on camera, Paltrow, who was wearing TACORI's stunning Dahlia Collection, wrapped her arm around the star's neck to bring him in for a bear hug. Other famous people at the celebration, which spotlights the American Film Institute's top 10 films and television programs of the year, included Emma Stone, George Clooney, Laura Dern, Adam Sandler, Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Rhea Seahorn, Ariana Grande and Michael B. Jordan. Gwyneth Paltrow and Leonardo DiCaprio got a chance to mingle at the star-studded AFI Awards Luncheon in Beverly Hills on January 9 - after she admitted in an interview that she turned down a date with the actor in the 1990s Patrow did hang out with DiCaprio after moving to New York back in the day and gave him partial credit for turning her on to vegetarianism; pictured at an event in NYC in 1994 Other attendees were Steven Spielberg, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Patricia Arquette, and Keri Russell. Of course, all eyes were on Paltrow and DiCaprio are they chatted in a friendly way. Back in 2023, Paltrow was asked by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper about some of her Hollywood flirtations and mentioned the Titanic actor. 'Nope, never made out with Leo,' the Emma actress answered. 'He tried back in the day. But he was already like, you know, he was very loose with the goods from when he was 19.' But Paltrow did hang out with DiCaprio after she moved to New York and gave him partial credit for turning her on to vegetarianism. 'He was vegetarian and he'd talk about how dirty meat is and how bad factory farming is. I haven't eaten red meat in 20 years and although Leo's not totally responsible he definitely planted a seed,' she previously told The Guardian. In the same podcast interview, Paltrow gushed about exes Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck's bedroom prowess. She mentioned they were both 'good kissers,' but was at a loss to say who was better in bed. The two stars greeted each other warmly and chatted a bit at the event held at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills There was no sign of awkwardness between them Paltrow reached around DiCaprio to give him a bear hug at one point Paltrow cut a glamorous figure in monochrome dress featuring a knee-high split and stunning jewelry part of TACORI's Dahlia Collection 'That is really hard because Brad was like the sort of major chemistry, love of your life, kind [of hookup],' Paltrow shared. 'And then Ben was, like, technically excellent,' she added. When playing the podcast's signature F***, Marry, Kill game, Paltrow revealed she would marry ex-husband Chris Martin all over again, sleep with Pitt and kill Affleck. Paltrow, who is currently married to producer Brad Falchuk, ended her engagement to Pitt in 1997 and from there had an on-and-off romance with Affleck until their final split in 2000. Meanwhile, DiCaprio hasn't publicly said much about Paltrow, and he has dated a long list of models since Paltrow spurned his reported advances. DiCaprio is currently in a relationship with Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, and former loves include Bridget Hall, Amber Valletta, Gisele Bundchen, Bar Rafaeli, Blake Lively, Kelly Rohrbach, Nina Agdal, Camila Morrone, Victoria Lamas and Gigi Hadid. A reality TV star has shared a very sobering image in the midst of the shocking Victorian bushfires. The state is under a total fire ban as it battles an escalating bushfire crisis that has killed one person, destroyed at least 10 homes, and razed more than 50,000 hectares of bushland. Bachelor star Alex Nation took to her Instagram story on Saturday to share a photo that showed a terrifying view from her driveway. A gigantic, ominous cloud of smoke could be seen rising over the horizon just outside her home. She also shared a very harrowing message on another news photo that showed a plane flying amid a sickening cloud of thick smoke. 'Last night, life felt like it was balanced on a knifes edge,' she began. Bachelor star Alex Nation, 35, has shared a very sobering image in the midst of the shocking Victorian bushfires 'Were sitting near suburbs that have been urged to evacuate, advised to pack our valuables, gather what matters most, and be ready to leave at a moments notice. Its a strange, heavy limbo where every decision feels loaded and every minute stretches longer than the last.' Referencing her earlier post, Alex, 35, added that watching the hill just outside her home was the 'hardest part' of the ordeal. 'Staring at it. Willing the wind to change. Hoping with everything we have that we dont see flames crest over the top,' she continued. 'Just on the other side, the fire is out of control, tearing through beautiful towns we love so much, places filled with memories we cherish. 'Communities are losing homes, livelihoods, pieces of themselves, and the grief of that loss hangs thick in the air, even from afar.' The mother-of-three went on to praise the hard work and bravery of emergency service workers and volunteers. 'And through it all, there is nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for our firefighters, SES workers and volunteers,' she added. 'The courage it takes to stand in front of something so fierce and unpredictable is beyond words. They are risking their lives to protect strangers, homes, forests, livestock, wildlife, beloved pets and futures.' She took to her Instagram story on Saturday to share a photo that showed a terrifying view from her driveway. A gigantic, ominous cloud of smoke could be seen rising over the horizon outside her home Alex also shared a short video that showed a plane flying overhead preparing to dump water on the chaos below 'Running toward danger while the rest of us prepare to run away. We owe them more than thanks; we owe them our deepest respect,' she added. Alex also shared a short video that showed a plane flying overhead preparing to dump water on the chaos below. Premier Jacinta Allan announced overnight a state of disaster had been declared across 18 local government areas and the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, as authorities in Wahring warned some communities had been 'completely obliterated'. She said the declaration was made due to the threat to life or property and 'sends a clear message to those who have been advised to leave: If you can, you must'. State authorities have described the crisis as the worst bushfires since the 2019-2020 Black Summer blazes. Two adults and a child who disappeared after a fire destroyed their house in the hard-hit town of Longwood, about 50km north of Melbourne, have since been found. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed they were safe on Saturday. Sadly, a man in his 60s was found dead in his vehicle in Harcourt late on Friday night. Jackie 'O' Henderson flaunted her svelte form on Saturday, stepping out for an early morning beach dip. As Sydneysiders braced for sweltering conditions, the radio queen, 50, headed to Clovelly Beach in the eastern suburbs to beat the heat. She did so in fine style, wearing a chic white, one-piece swimsuit that showed off her beach-ready frame. The $139 swimwear from Sea Level Australia featured an eye-catching U-bar at the decolletage and textured horizontal ribbing. The swimsuit clung to Jackie's bronzed body perfectly and showcased her trim and toned arms. Jackie arrived at the beach wearing a pair of Daisy Duke cut-off denim shorts with a frayed hem. Jackie 'O' Henderson, 50, flaunted her svelte form on Saturday, stepping out for an early morning beach dip As Sydneysiders braced for sweltering conditions, the radio queen headed to Clovelly Beach in the eastern suburbs to beat the heat She also wore a $560 T-shirt from Swedish fashion house Acne Studios. The designer T-shirt featured an elaborate illustration of an angel and the company branding. Finishing her summery look, Jackie wore a pair of classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses. She also came prepared with a colourful beach towel that she splayed out on the concrete promenade adjacent to the water. Jackie had a second bright yellow towel she used to dry herself after a cooling dip. Before heading into the water, Jackie spread out on her towel to survey the crowded scene and was spotted chatting to a shirtless male beachgoer. She eventually took the plunge, and emerged from the azure water with her wet, flaxen locks slicked back over her shoulders. It comes after Jackie rang in the new year with her bestie Pip Edwards. She did so in fine style, wearing a chic white, one-piece swimsuit that showed off her beach-ready frame The $139 swimwear from Sea Level Australia featured an eye-catching U-bar at the decolletage and textured horizontal ribbing The swimsuit clung to Jackie's bronzed body perfectly and showcased her trim and toned arms Before revealing her chic swimwear, Jackie arrived at the beach in a pair of Daisy Duke cut-off jean shorts with a frayed hem She also wore a $560 T-shirt from Swedish fashion house Acne Studios. The designer T-shirt featured an elaborate illustration of an angel and the company branding Jackie donned a cheeky nod to the night ahead with a tank top that read 'wrong party babe' which she paired with tan cargo pants. Pip, meanwhile, flaunted her figure in an all-white ensemble featuring a fitted bodysuit. She later changed into a sheer skirt, bikini and T-shirt, and posed up a storm in a series of Instagram Stories. The glamorous duo joined a group of genetically-blessed friends at a mansion that sits on Sydney Harbour - a perfect location to take in the NYE fireworks. She also came prepared with a colourful beach towel that she splayed out on the concrete promenade adjacent to the water Jackie had a second bright yellow towel that she used to dry herself after a cooling dip Before heading into the water, Jackie lay on her towel to survey the crowded scene and was spotted chatting to a shirtless male beachgoer Hailey Bieber took to Instagram on Friday to share sultry new photos with her 55.7 million followers. The 29-year-old beauty, who showed off her abs in red lingerie this week, flashed the flesh as she appeared to go nude while cuddled up in white bed sheets. Bieber smiled and teased her pert backside while curled up in a luxurious bed, and subtly revealed a tattoo near her ankle. There were also snapshots of the Victoria's Secret model posing in a long-sleeve white T-shirt and nude-toned briefs. She wore minimal makeup in the images, which included a final photo of a clay-colored tub with running water. 'Butter color kitchens,' read the Rhode skincare founder's caption. Hailey Bieber took to Instagram on Friday to share sultry new photos with her 55.7 million followers There were also snapshots of the Victoria's Secret model posing in a long-sleeve white T-shirt and nude-toned briefs The post has already collected 1.3 million likes from the mother-of-one's online audience. Earlier this week Bieber stunned in a new campaign for Victoria's Secret ahead of Valentine's Day. In one scene the Arizona native painted her toenails while seated in the bottom drawer of an antique chest as she modeled the fancy undergarments. It was a re-creation of a previous VS ad starring Gisele Bundchen. On Friday the skincare enthusiast appeared in new content with husband Justin Bieber. The 31-year-old Canadian pop star surprised fans with a visual for his song Things You Do, off his album SWAG. The longtime couple put on a loved-up display in scenes from the clip, which showed them each in oversize sweats as they hugged and kissed. The husband and wife celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary in September. 'Butter color kitchens,' read the Rhode skincare founder's caption as her margarine-toned home was displayed in the background She wore minimal makeup in the images The post has already collected 1.3 million likes from the mother-of-one's online audience Bieber also appeared in husband Justin Bieber's new visual for his song Things You Do. The longtime couple put on a loved-up display in scenes from the clip The video gave fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the mogul Their son Jack was born on August 22, 2024 and the Rhode exec marked his first birthday by sharing portraits of her and her son on Instagram. '1 year of you my beautiful boy. Happy 1st Birthday Jack Blues, you are joy personified,' she captioned. The proud parents have maintained their son's privacy by not sharing his face with the world, strategically only posting photos that give fans small glimpses of him. In October Bieber appeared on actor Owen Thiele's In Your Dreams podcast and discussed motherhood. 'I do have help,' she said about raising the toddler. 'I have full-time help and Im super not ashamed to say that, and I would never shy away from talking about that because I wouldn't be able to have my career and do the things that I do without the help, and I'm really grateful for that.' She added about the tot, 'If he's not with me, he's with his dad. He's always with his family, and he's always with one of us, or with his godparents.' Candace Cameron Bure paid tribute to Bob Saget on Friday, the fourth anniversary of his death. The 49-year-old actress, who recently addressed her public feuds, used Instagram to remember the comedic actor, who died at age 65 in 2022. Sharing a series of photos with Saget, who played her dad on the family sitcom Full House, she wrote: 'I miss you. Not just today, but every day.' She then tagged the late star's Instagram account, which has been idly sitting since his final post on January 9, 2022, the same day he died. Bure portrayed D.J. Tanner, the oldest daughter to Saget's character Danny, on ABC's Full House from 1987-1995. They later reprised their roles on Fuller House, which streamed on Netflix from 2016 to 2020. Candace Cameron Bure paid tribute to Bob Saget on Friday, the fourth anniversary of his death; pictured in 2024 The 49-year-old actress used Instagram to remember the comedic actor, who died at age 65 in 2022 Four years ago Saget was found dead in his room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando. Foul play was ruled out as it was later discovered that he had suffered blunt head trauma following a fall. He had recently kicked of a US tour and raved about his latest performance online just hours before his death. In the wake of his passing, Bure appeared online to share multiple heartbroken reactions to the news. 'I don't know what to say. I have no words. Bob was one of the best humans beings I've ever known in my life. I loved him so much,' she wrote in one post. In a separate tribute she wrote, 'I love you sooooo much. I don't want to say goodbye [broken heart emoji]. 35 years wasn't long enough.' There was another post in which she lamented, 'Oh, Bob. Why'd you have to leave us so soon? We are all family, but you were the glue. The sticky, messy, squishy, sweet, lovable glue.' She continued: 'My childhood is wrapped up in you, my formative teenaged years and the rest of adulthood. 'We've always been so deeply connected since the day we met when I was 10 years old. You weren't just like a father, but one of my closest friends in life. This hurts like nothing I've ever felt before.' Sharing a series of photos with Saget, who played her dad on the family sitcom Full House, she wrote: 'I miss you. Not just today, but every day' Bure portrayed D.J. Tanner, the oldest daughter to Saget's character Danny, on ABC's Full House from 1987-1995; L-R: Dave Coulier, Mary-Kate / Ashley Olson, Saget, John Stamos, Jodie Sweetin, and Bure in 1989 Stamos, Bure, and Saget pictured in Los Angeles in April 2019 John Stamos, who also appeared on Full House with Bure and Saget, used social media to pay his respects on Friday as well. The 62-year-old star wrote on Instagram: 'Missing Bob feels like standing in a quiet room after the laughter stops. 'Your ears still ring with what was there, but the sound is gone. The heart of it is gone. Its empty. 'Its not a sharp pain. Its a low hum. Soft. Constant. Something you carry until everything gets quiet.' His heart-wrenching note continued, 'Missing someone is love with nowhere to go. So it sits beside you. It waits. Hoping theyll walk back through the door and the laughter will start again.' And finally, he added, '4 f***ing years. Cant believe it. I miss you, Bob.' Hailey Bieber looked sensational as she joined fellow A-listers Demi Moore, Emily Blunt and Mindy Kaling at Women's Wear Daily's 2026 WWD Style Awards on Friday night. The wife of Grammy-winner Justin Bieber, 29, put on a busty display in a glitzy Giorgio Armani dress and sky-high black heels. She stunned in over 30-carat Asscher-cut diamond earrings and diamond rings by Lorraine Schwartz. Bieber's brunette hair was styled sleek and straight and she opted for her go-to natural glam look for the star-studded soiree in Los Angeles. After getting in her solo shots on the WWD Style Awards step-and-repeat photo op, the mother-of-one mingled with WWD editor-in-chief Michael Atmore. The Women's Wear Daily WWD Style Awards are held annually in celebration of 'the artistry, creativity and impact of fashion and beauty on the red carpet and across celebrity culture,' as per the official website. Bieber is the 2026 recipient of the coveted Style Trailblazer award. Hailey Bieber looked sensational as she led arrivals at the 2026 Women's Wear Daily WWD Style Awards on Friday night. Bieber was joined by the likes of fellow A-listers Demi Moore, Mindy Kaling and Emily Blunt at the event 'It's always surprising to me what things kind of take off, but I think it's really cool to be able to put something out into the world that resonates with people,' she told WWD of the affect her style has had on pop culture in recent years. Bieber chose to wear Armani for Friday night's event as the late Italian fashion designer is being honored posthumously with WWD's Red Carpet Visionary Award. Moore wowed onlookers in a sparkling black floor-length gown with a sexy halter neckline. The dress was semi-sheer, teasing the 63-year-old Oscar nominee's toned legs as she made her way down the red carpet. Her sleek black hair flowed down her slender body while her soft glam makeup highlighted her enviably youthful visage. Moore, who was joined at the event by her longtime stylist Brad Goreski, received WWD's coveted Fashion Icon award. Blunt flashed her toned midriff in a black jeweled bra top and matching shrug during her red carpet stint. The Quiet Place star, 42, styled her upper half with a matching pencil skirt and sexy stiletto heels. Blunt's dark brunette hair was styled in a chic updo and she accessorized with sparkling diamond jewels. The wife of Grammy-winner Justin Bieber, 29, put on a busty display in a glitzy Giorgio Armani dress and sky-high black heels Bieber's brunette hair was styled sleek and straight and she opted for her go-to natural glam look for the star-studded soiree in Los Angeles After getting in her solo shots on the WWD Style Awards step-and-repeat photo op, the mother-of-one mingled with WWD editor-in-chief Michael Atmore Demi Moore wowed onlookers in a sparkling black floor-length gown with a sexy halter neckline The dress was semi-sheer and she carried a black satin purse Moore, who was joined at the event by her longtime stylist Brad Goreski, received WWD's coveted Fashion Icon award Blunt flashed her toned midriff in a black jeweled bra top and matching shrug during her red carpet stint Taylor Srirat at the 2026 WWD Style Awards held at the Regent Santa Monica Beach wearing Mark Maruwut The Quiet Place star, 42, styled her upper half with a matching pencil skirt and sexy stiletto heels Blunt's dark brunette hair was styled in a chic updo and she accessorized with sparkling diamond jewels She attended this year's ceremony in support of celebrity facial masseur Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine, who was honored with the 2026 Red Carpet Skin Savior of the Year award for his work on Blunt and other A-list faces Kaling showed off her ever-shrinking figure in a sexy one-shoulder LBD The black leather frock hugged her tiny waist and put her toned legs on full display as she made her way around the event with stylist Erin Walsh, who is this year's Style Maker of the Year award recipient The Office alum's cropped brunette hair was flipped up at the ends to frame her flawlessly made-up face She kept jewelry to a minimum, only rocking silver drop earrings and a single ring on her right hand She attended this year's ceremony in support of celebrity facial masseur Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine, who was honored with the 2026 Red Carpet Skin Savior of the Year award for his work on Blunt and other A-list faces. Kaling showed off her ever-shrinking figure in a sexy one-shoulder LBD. The black leather frock hugged the 46-year-old's tiny waist and put her toned legs on full display as she made her way around the event with stylist Erin Walsh, who is this year's Style Maker of the Year award recipient. The Office alum's cropped brunette hair was flipped up at the ends to frame her flawlessly made-up face. She kept jewelry to a minimum, only rocking silver drop earrings and a single ring on her right hand. Kristen Stewart looked ultra stylish in a preppy black pleated skort and blazer. The Twilight alum, 35, supported her go-to hairstylist Adir Abergel, who is the 2026 recipient of the Red Carpet Hair Stylist of the Year award. Pamela Anderson turned heads as she rocked a voluminous bleach blonde hairdo to the star-studded event. Kristen Stewart looked ultra stylish in a preppy black pleated skort and blazer The Twilight alum, 35, supported her go-to hairstylist Adir Abergel, who is the 2026 recipient of the Red Carpet Hair Stylist of the Year award Pamela Anderson turned heads as she rocked a voluminous bleach blonde hairdo to the star-studded event The Baywatch beauty, 58, wore large designer sunglasses and a dramatic black satin gown with a high neckline and long-sleeves Anderson is this year's recipient of the Beauty Icon award Cameron Diaz made a very rare red carpet appearance to support her longtime makeup artist Gucci Westman, who is being honored with WWD's Red Carpet Makeup Artist of the Year award The Charlie's Angels star, 53, flaunted her incredibly youthful appearance as she posed for shutterbugs ahead of the ceremony Rocking a bold red lip, the blonde bombshell strutted her stuff in a chic low-cut dress worn under a classic black blazer Paris Hilton showed off her wild side in a sexy leopard-print dress worn over a see-through black mesh catsuit The beloved socialite, 44, added height to her already statuesque frame with bedazzled black high heels Hilton's signature sandy blonde hair was worn in a Madonna-inspired updo and she made her hazel eyes pop with heavy eyeshadow She brought her glamorous mom Kathy Hilton, 66, as her plus-one to the exclusive event Rachel Zoe delivered goddess glamour in a one-shoulder, animal-print gown, which she styled with a black and white clutch and chunky hoop earrings The Baywatch beauty, 58, wore large designer sunglasses and a dramatic black satin gown with a high neckline and long-sleeves. Anderson is this year's recipient of the Beauty Icon award. Cameron Diaz made a very rare red carpet appearance to support her longtime makeup artist Gucci Westman, who is being honored with WWD's Red Carpet Makeup Artist of the Year award. The Charlie's Angels star, 53, flaunted her incredibly youthful appearance as she posed for shutterbugs ahead of the ceremony. Rocking a bold red lip, the blonde bombshell strutted her stuff in a chic low-cut dress worn under a classic black blazer. Paris Hilton showed off her wild side in a sexy leopard-print dress worn over a see-through black mesh catsuit. The beloved socialite, 44, added height to her already statuesque frame with bedazzled black high heels. Hilton's signature sandy blonde hair was worn in a Madonna-inspired updo and she made her hazel eyes pop with heavy eyeshadow. Legendary supermodel Cindy Crawford made jaws-drop in a curve-clinging burgundy dress that showed off her incredible physique She carried her essentials in a glitzy gold clutch The 59-year-old beauty wore her brunette hair in a voluminous style Once inside the event, she cozied up to Oscar-winner George Clooney, who co-founded Casamigos tequila with Crawford's longtime husband Rande Gerber Carolyn Murphy exuded elegance in a sparkly black gown worn under a black velvet coat Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause stunned onlookers in a chic black suit and tie The reality TV fixture, 44, locked arms with Kim Kardashian's hairstylist Chris Appleton on the red carpet McKenna Grace delivered blonde bombshell glamour in a black corset dress with gold chain details and a ruffled tulle skirt She brought her mom Kathy Hilton, 66, as her plus-one to the exclusive event. Rachel Zoe delivered goddess glamour in a one-shoulder, animal-print gown, which she styled with a black and white clutch and chunky hoop earrings. Legendary supermodel Cindy Crawford made jaws-drop in a curve-clinging burgundy dress that showed off her incredible physique. The 59-year-old beauty wore her brunette hair in a voluminous style and carried her essentials in a glitzy gold clutch. Once inside the event, she cozied up to Oscar-winner George Clooney, who co-founded Casamigos tequila with Crawford's longtime husband Rande Gerber. Carolyn Murphy exuded elegance in a sparkly black gown worn under a black velvet coat. The runway maven, 51, let her natural beauty shine by opting for minimal makeup. She wore her shiny blonde hair down for the starry occasion in LA. Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause stunned onlookers in a chic black suit and tie. Once the red carpet wrapped, the event's A-list guests filed into the Regent Santa Monica Beach for the ceremony Hailey mingled with fellow stars without her husband Justin Bieber by her side George Clooney addressed the A-list crowd He laughed it up with Cindy Crawford Paris Hilton was seated next to WWD editor-in-chief Michael Atmore Kristen Stewart posed for a snap with Jackie Tohn Pamela Anderson looked effortlessly cool as she watched stars take the stage Cameron Diaz had a smile on her face as she listened to the speeches given throughout the night Emily Blunt and Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine gathered for a photo Lisa Rinna also attended the star-studded function in a daring gold corset The reality TV fixture, 44, locked arms with Kim Kardashian's hairstylist Chris Appleton on the red carpet. McKenna Grace delivered blonde bombshell glamour in a black corset dress with gold chain details and a ruffled tulle skirt. Once the red carpet wrapped, the event's A-list guests filed into the Regent Santa Monica Beach for the ceremony. Former Disney Channel star Matt Prokop has been arrested in Texas. The 35-year-old actor is being held without bail at a jail in Victoria County following a Christmas Eve arrest, per TMZ and People. The outlets reported on Friday that Prokop was initially booked for violating his bond conditions, as well as evading and resisting arrest. According to local news station Crossroads Today, an additional charge for 'possession or promotion of child pornography' was tacked on after a warrant was signed on December 31. The Daily Mail reached out to both Prokop's rep and Victoria County Jail for comment. Prokop was previously arrested in Texas, where he's from, in May 2024 after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. Former Disney Channel star Matt Prokop has been arrested in Texas The 35-year-old actor, who rose to fame as a child actor, is being held without bail at a jail in Victoria County following a Christmas Eve arrest According to Victoria Police Department at the time, the pair was on a weekend outing when Prokop's girlfriend allegedly told someone he assaulted her. Officers responded to a disturbance in another area about an hour later, where they found Prokop and his girlfriend. The woman sustained enough injuries to warrant an arrest, as the investigation found that Prokop allegedly pushed her and slammed her head into something. Prokop reportedly tried to pull away from officers and run as they arrested him. Prior to that, his ex-girlfriend and former Disney co-star Sarah Hyland, now 35, filed a restraining order against him. The actors dated from 2008 to 2014, after meeting at an audition for High School Musical 3: Senior Year, in which he played Jimmie. He appeared in a 2012 episode of Modern Family with the actress, as well as the movies Geek Charming (2011), Struck by Lightning (2012) and April Apocalypse (2013). Prokop was also credited as a producer on her 2015 movie See You In Valhalla. Prokop's ex-girlfriend and former Disney co-star Sarah Hyland, now 35, filed a restraining order against him in August 2014; pictured in June 2014 Pictured with Hyland in the 2011 Disney rom-com Geek Charming Hyland claimed that Prokop was verbally and physically abusive for four years of their relationship, until her Modern Family onscreen mother Julie Bowen stepped in and helped her end things. In her legal filing she recounted an incident in which Prokop allegedly pinned her against a car and choked her. 'His grip was so tight that I could not breathe or speak,' Hyland said in the court documents. 'I was scared and in fear for my life.' After Prokop entered rehab in August 2014, someone from the institution called to warn her of his mental state when he was released, recommending she get a restraining order. Hyland was granted a temporary restraining order that September, which became permanent a month later and required him to stay at least 300 feet away from her and her dog. Jennifer Lawrence has garnered backlash from some fans after she revealed that she gave up her dog after it bit one of her young children. The 35-year-old actress - who recently brushed aside her shock SAG Actor Awards snub - had made the revelation while attending a screening of her movie Die My Love in NYC earlier this week on Wednesday. At one point, the Oscar winner said that her son had been bitten by her chihuahua and said 'that made me want to obliterate every dog ever.' However, she explained the dog is now safely living with her parents instead. Social media users have since offered their thoughts in the comment section of an Instagram clip shared by E! News that showed the conversation. One penned, 'you don't dump your dog just because you had kids you learn to teach your kids to respect your pet wow I really don't like her now.' Another wrote, 'This is so disappointing,' and a fan added, 'Thats an awful statement.' Jennifer Lawrence, 35, has garnered backlash from some fans after she revealed that she gave up her dog after it bit one of her young children; seen in December 2025 in NYC At one point, the Oscar winner said that her son had been bitten by her chihuahua and said 'that made me want to obliterate every dog ever.' However, she explained the dog is now safely living with her parents instead; seen above with her dog in 2016 in NYC One penned, 'you don't dump your dog just because you had kids you learn to teach your kids to respect your pet wow I really don't like her now' 'Ufff Jen did not pass the vibe test. Poor dog,' an Instagram user shared, and one typed, 'She should never own any dogs or pets if she thinks like that.' Another commented, 'This is setting a precedence for so many other people that look up to you to just abandon their fur babies when they have kids.' 'So sad and disappointing,' one penned and a fan also shared, 'This is not funny. Like, at all. dog bites are awful and a VERY real concern which is why slow integration and training with kids is an absolute necessity.' They continued, 'Saying she wants to "obliterate" every dog when we already see so many euthanized at our local shelters just broke my heart.' 'YIKES. Im SHOCKED. I loved her.. this is so disappointing. i hope people dont think this is normal behavior,' another said. 'I have twins and my dogs are family FOREVER. We are a pack together. A home full of love, respect, loyalty and time dedicated to all.. DO BETTER JENNIFER.' However, others came to Lawrence's defense as one pointed out, 'Guys, she rehomed with HER PARENTS. They are in a happier and safer environment and her kids are as well.' One also wrote, 'As a professional dog trainer and nonprofit dog shelter founder, this comment section isn't it. Dog people are some of the most judgemental people around. We don't know the situation. Join the debate Was Jennifer Lawrence right to rehome her dog after it bit her child? 'If she felt her dogs were unsafe around children, we should not be judging a mother and a decision she made for the safety of her children. A parent should ALWAYS choose her child's safety.' One commented, 'If your dog bites ur kid you should rehome them. Why is that controversial.' During a Q+A discussion at the screening of Die My Love this week, Lawrence was questioned if she was more of a dog or cat person in a video also posted by TV producer John Pascarella. 'One of them bit my son, and that made me want to obliterate every dog ever,' The Hunger Games star replied. Lawrence is mom to son Cy, three, and another baby boy welcomed in early 2025 - whom she shares with husband Cooke Maroney. She was referencing to her chihuahua named Princess Pippi Longstocking and shared that the dog is living comfortably with her parents now. The actress expressed, 'She did not like New York. I lived on 1st and 67th just to be near the park for her. After I had a kid, dogs became so scary. 'My son's going up to it and it's almost like I don't recognize dogs right now. I just see them as a threat.' During a Q+A discussion at the screening of Die My Love this week, Lawrence was questioned if she was more of a dog or cat person in a video also posted by TV producer John Pascarella The actress expressed, 'She did not like New York. I lived on 1st and 67th just to be near the park for her. After I had a kid, dogs became so scary'; seen above with her dog in 2015 in NYC Lawrence further reflected on how her life has changed since welcoming her two kids to the world. 'Anyway, after I had a kid, our dogs became so scary, you know? It's almost, like, I don't recognize dogs right now. I just see them as a threat.' While her dog has since been rehomed, the Hollywood A-lister still owns her cat named Fred. 'I have a cat and I feel like they're so misunderstood. They are a**holes and people who don't like that about cats are getting that that is what is so funny.' 'Anyway, after I had a kid, our dogs became so scary, you know? It's almost, like, I don't recognize dogs right now. I just see them as a threat,' she explained; seen earlier this month in NYC Her psychological drama Die My Love - also starring Robert Pattinson - officially hit theaters late last year in November and garnered critical praise upon its release Also on Wednesday, the nominees for the upcoming 2026 SAG Awards were announced - but Lawrence was not among the list. Her psychological drama Die My Love - also starring Robert Pattinson - officially hit theaters late last year in November and garnered critical praise upon its release. However, her performance in the film has still been recognized as she raked in a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. The awards ceremony is set to take place later this week on Sunday, January 11. The Traitors series one star Amanda Lovett surprised fans with her appearance as she featured on Uncloaked. The Welsh TV personality, 57, was one of the original Traitors in the BBC show's first series but despite her devious gameplan and trustworthy accent she failed to make the final as Traitor Wilfred Webster turned on her. She made an appearance on Friday's episode of The Traitors Uncloaked with Ed Gamble, alongside fellow Welsh stars Charlotte Church and recently banished Traitor Fiona. But it was how 'phenomenal' she looked that captured the attention of fans, who claimed they couldn't even recognise her. Amanda looked incredible as she wore a black capped sleeve mini-dress with sheer tights and brown suede boots for filming. She has been dedicated to caring for her skin, investing in creams and undergoing facial threading a non-surgical procedure designed to lift sagging, ageing skin and stimulate collagen production for a more youthful appearance. The Traitors series one star Amanda Lovett surprised fans with her appearance as she featured on Uncloaked on Friday The Welsh TV personality, 57, was one of the original Traitors in the BBC show's first series but despite her devious gameplan and trustworthy accent she failed to make the final (Seen in 2022) Referencing her looks on the show, fans wrote: 'Sorry but amanda looks PHENOMENAL #TheTraitors,'; 'What on earth has happened to Amanda #TheTraitors #TheTraitorsUK #Uncloaked,'; 'Uncloaked - how the f*** does Amanda not look ANYTHING like Amanda?!?!,'; 'Amanda (S1) looks 20 years younger on uncloaked omgg.' Fans were again shocked back in December as Amanda looked worlds away from her time on the show. She stunned in a green dress that showed off her incredible figure and dramatic weight loss. The mum-of-five and grandmother-of-six also showed off her 7.5k facelift as she beamed in front of her Christmas tree. Despite spending 500 to 650 per session on her facial threading procedure, Amanda found that the effects were only temporary. She made an appearance on Friday's episode of The Traitors Uncloaked, but it was how 'phenomenal' she looked that captured the attention of fans, who claimed they couldn't even recognise her Referencing her looks on the show, fans wrote: 'Sorry but amanda looks PHENOMENAL #TheTraitors' Within a couple of months, she revealed her face would begin to droop again so decided to get a neck and lower facelift. She told fans: 'I was looking at myself on the camera, and I kept seeing myself at all these different angles that I had never seen before, as it's so different to having a picture taken. 'I noticed my face and neck were just getting saggier and saggier. 'I started to think about needing to wear a scarf or polo necks just to hide this area of my body that I didn't like. 'But then I thought, why should I do that when there is help out there that can sort this issue out and take the years back a bit?' The cosmetic procedure cost 7,600 and took between four to five hours to complete, while Amanda was awake under local anaesthetic. The mum-of-five and grandmother-of-six also showed off her 7.5k facelift as she beamed in front of her Christmas tree Amanda recalled: 'I was a bit apprehensive at first I wondered how bad it would be choosing to be awake rather than asleep, but it really wasn't that bad. It felt like a lot of tugging, pulling and tugging. 'I found it comforting I even dozed off at one point.' It took three to four weeks for the swelling to go down for Amanda and three months to fully recover from surgery. She added: 'It takes time to heal, but I was back going out with friends after three weeks. Now I haven't got a scar or anything. It's absolutely amazing.' Filming for Love Island: All Stars has been delayed due to a 'nightmare' wildfire that forced the production team to evacuate the villa in South Africa. The new series, which features returning contestants looking for another shot at love, was due to begin filming on Saturday before but a wildfire has caused a road closure near the villa, putting a delay to production. The villa was evacuated as a precaution and shooting the launch episode had to be postponed. Producers are now said to be 'scrambling' to ensure the launch episode can still run smoothy, but the editing team will be left with half their usual time to put the episode together in time for Monday. A source told The Mirror: 'It's left the team scrambling to arrange alternative options on what's the most difficult day in terms of logistics for the crew - it's called the 'get in' day and they need to make sure everything is running on time and that the islanders don't get a glimpse of each other before arriving at the villa. 'The filming for their arrivals/meetings take hours. Safety is priority though and they have plans in place for such situations. But not ideal given the show hasn't even begun. Filming for Love Island: All Starshas been delayed due to a 'nightmare' wildfire that forced the production team to evacuate the villa in South Africa The new series, which features returning contestants looking for another shot at love, was due to begin filming on Saturday before but a wildfire has caused a road closure near the villa 'The edit team will now have half the amount of time to put together Monday nights episode because of the delay in filming.' An ITV spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail: 'Owing to an ongoing wild fire in the area, we have evacuated the Love Island production site as a precautionary measure.' Multiple wildfires have been burning across the Western and Eastern Cape due to high temperatures, shifting winds and prolonged dry conditions. Residents of Zwartenbosch, Oyster Bay Road, Kromme River and Riverside areas in the Eastern Cape were evacuated while fires also broke out in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape. The Love Island villa is the Ludus Magnus Estate, located about an hour from Cape Town in the Western Cape. It comes after Daily Mail exclusively revealed the line-up, which includes two former winners, two nepo babies, and a finalist whose bitter split from her ex still rumbles on. Whitney Adebayo, 28, Millie Court, 29, Belle Hassan, 27, Helena Ford, 29, Jess Harding, 25, Leanne Amaning, 28, are the girls taking part. They will have to couple up with Ciaran Davies, 23, Jack Keating, 26, Sean Stone, 26, Tommy Bradley, 22, Charlie Frederick, 31, or Shaq Muhammad, 27. Producers are now said to be 'scrambling' to ensure the launch episode can still run smoothy, but the editing team will be left with half the time to put the episode together in time for Monday The outside of the villa features a large cooking and dining area, including a breakfast bar, as well as two new relaxing day beds perfect for a spot of shade Elsewhere, the show's host Maya, 31, shared a health update after pulling out of Love Island: All Stars launch event days before the hit ITV2 dating series begins. She admitted the 'flu is kicking my a**' as she shared a candid Instagram update during her 12 hour flight to South Africa on Monday night. She flashed a small smile as she posed for a selfie while preparing to get some sleep as she jetted off to Cape Town to host Love Island. Maya revealed she has taken some vitamins to boost her immune system and is 'praying the sun' cures her. She wrote: 'Used to spend this flight on the reds chatting away to the flight crew but entering this year wholesome.... 'Lol truthfully the flu came in last minute to kick my a** for the last 24hours. Vitamin C'ed up and praying the sun deletes it all, next stop [South Africa flag emoji]'. Tess Daly looked in good spirits as she enjoyed a family ski trip ahead of her daughter Phoebe's move to New York City. The TV presenter, 56, took to Instagram on Friday and shared several snaps from the excursion to the French Alps. The former Strictly Come Dancing host wrapped up warm in a white woolly jacket along with cream trousers. Letting her blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders, Tess also sported a pair of black boots and stylish sunglasses. Phoebe, 21, opted for a silver coat along with a burgundy and white patterned trousers and accessorised with a dark handbag. Tess also shared snaps with her husband Vernon, 51, who wore a black jacket, trousers and matching beanie hat. Tess Dalylooked in good spirits as she enjoyed a family ski trip ahead of her daughter Phoebe's move to New York City The TV presenter, 56, took to Instagram on Friday and shared several snaps from the excursion to the French Alps The couple, who have been married since 2003, are also parents to younger daughter Amber, 16. Alongside the post, Tess wrote: 'Hitting the slopes for the first time since I was 17 made for an eventful trip last week.' It comes after Phoebe revealed she has moved to New York City. The 21-year-old took to Instagram on Thursday and shared a snap of herself at a rooftop bar in the Big Apple. It appears to be a temporary move for Phoebe however, as she captioned the snap: 'Home for a while...' Phoebe was backstage at this year's Strictly final, the last her mother Tess and co-host Claudia Winkleman presented after announcing they were leaving the show. The pair received a special tribute VT after this year's series highlights were aired. However, they were left blown away as Craig Revel Horwood read out a special letter from Her Majesty The Queen. Tess also shared snaps with her husband Vernon, 51, who wore a black jacket, trousers and matching beanie hat The former Strictly host wrapped up warm in a white woolly jacket and matching hat It comes after Phoebe revealed she has moved to New York, saying it was 'home for a while' Phoebe was backstage at this year's Strictly final, the last her mother Tess and co-host Claudia Winkleman presented after announcing they were leaving the show It said: 'Tess and Claudia, as you prepare to take your final twirl, I just want to say thank you on behalf of the millions who watch you each week. 'I have often thought that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about friendships, the bonds forged, the struggles overcome, and the joy shared in undertaking a joint endeavour. 'If that is true, then perhaps yours has been the greatest strictly partnership of all. The warmth, compassion, and sheer happiness you have radiated with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's success. 'I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly fabulous. I wish you both every success in wherever life's journey takes you next, but as one who has appreciated its lifelong benefits, do promise us one thing, keep dancing. 'With the warmest gratitude and admiration, Her Royal Highness, Queen Camilla.' Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted looking ever so chic on a night out as she left celebrity hotspot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica on Friday. The Marty Supreme actress, 53, sported a casual look for the dinner in a tan leather bomber jacket with puff sleeves over a white collared button-down shirt, which she tucked into her jeans. She opted for high-waisted, wide-leg dark wash denim trousers and accesorised with a black belt with a gold buckle. Gwyneth looked youthful with minimal makeup as she let her blonde locks fall down her shoulders. That same day, the Goop founder mingled with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jacob Elordi at the star-studded AFI Awards Luncheon in Beverly Hills. Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted looking ever so chic on a night out as she left celebrity hotspot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica on Friday The Marty Supreme actress, 53, sported a casual look for the dinner in a tan leather bomber jacket with puff sleeves over a white collared button-down shirt, which she tucked into her jeans The meeting comes two years after Gwyneth revealed she refused to go on a date with the Wolf Of Wall Street actor in the 1990s due to his reputation with the ladies. Back in 2023, she was asked by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper about some of her Hollywood flirtations and mentioned the Titanic actor. 'Nope, never made out with Leo,' the Emma actress answered. 'He tried back in the day. But he was already like, you know, he was very loose with the goods from when he was 19.' There appeared to be no awkwardness as the two warmly greeted and embraced each other at the event being held at the Four Seasons Hotel. At one point she looked at Leonardo and gave him a big smile, and he seemed to return the favor. During another moment that was captured on camera, Gwyneth, who was wearing TACORI's stunning Dahlia Collection, wrapped her arm around the star's neck to bring him in for a bear hug. The actress was also pictured having a good time with Jacob Elordi as the pair looked deep in conversation. Also in attendance at the event, which spotlights the American Film Institute's top 10 films and television programs of the year, included Emma Stone, George Clooney, Laura Dern, Adam Sandler, Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Rhea Seahorn, Ariana Grande and Michael B. Jordan. Gwyneth also attended the star-studded AFI Awards Luncheon in Beverly Hills earlier that day The actress pictured mingling with Wolf Of Wall Street actor Leonardo DiCaprio Gwyneth was also pictured having a good time with Jacob Elordi as the pair looked deep in conversation In the same podcast interview, Gwyneth gushed about exes Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck's bedroom prowess. She mentioned they were both 'good kissers,' but was at a loss to say who was better in bed. 'That is really hard because Brad was like the sort of major chemistry, love of your life, kind [of hookup],' said Gwyneth. 'And then Ben was, like, technically excellent,' she added. When playing the podcast's signature F***, Marry, Kill game, the Great Expectations actress revealed she would marry ex-husband Chris Martin all over again, sleep with Brad and kill Ben. Gwyneth, who is currently married to producer Brad Falchuk, ended her engagement to Pitt in 1997 and from there had an on-and-off romance with Affleck until their final split in 2000. Lisa Faulkner has issued a stark warning to her daughter who is keen to follow in her acting footsteps. The actress and presenter, 53, adopted her now-20-year-old daughter Billie at 17 months old with her ex-husband Chris Coghill. Lisa is known for her roles on shows such as Holby City, Brookside and, more recently, Harlan Coben's Netflix series Missing You. Now her daughter Billie is reportedly interested in taking up her own showbiz career, but Lisa has warned her against becoming an actor. Speaking to Hello! magazine, Lisa said: 'I'm like: 'No, keep away from the acting.' 'I think it can be a great thing, though it's very up and down. But if she wants to do it, she can.' Lisa Faulkner has issued a stark warning to her daughter who is keen to follow in her acting footsteps The actress and presenter, 53, adopted her now-20-year-old daughter Billie at 17 months old with her ex-husband Chris Coghill (Lisa and Billie seen in 2011) Lisa recently gushed about her husband John Torode, calling him her 'best mate' as he champions the actress' return to the theatre. The Holby City star, 53, is set to take the stage as single mother Allie in Single White Female, which is based on the 1990s psychological thriller film and bestselling book by John Lutz. She will be acting alongside Coronation Street's Kym Marsh, 49, who will play obsessed roommate Hedy. Lisa spoke of her wholesome partnership with the chef, 60, and said he has been running lines with her. She told Hello! magazine: 'He's my husband and my best mate. We really do support each other and hold each other's hands through everything. He's such a gentleman and so kind. 'He's been running through the lines with me. He's so happy for me.' The controversial TV chef also spoke lovingly about his wife, telling the Mirror: [Lisa is] my rock, my best friend, my love, my wife, a Wonder Women. Nothing else needs to be said.' Also supporting Lisa's new career move are her best friends Angela Griffin and Amanda Holden. Lisa is known for her roles on shows such as Holby City, Brookside and, more recently, Harlan Coben's Netflix series Missing You (Pictured) Now her daughter Billie is reportedly interested in taking up her own showbiz career, but Lisa has warned her against becoming an actor (Seen together in 2015) Lisa said: 'They've got a separate WhatsApp group, because I've told them I don't want to know when they're coming.' The actress said spotting her friends in the crowd would throw her off and will only check if they're there after the performance. Single White Female follows a recently divorced mother who takes in a lodger to help ends meet. But as they grow closer, the roommate Hedy develops a sinister obsession and their arrangement begins to spiral out of control. It comes after Lisa and John's ITV cookery show Weekend Kitchen is reportedly set to axed, despite the broadcaster's vow to stand by the sacked MasterChef star. The chef was fired by the BBC earlier this year after an allegation emerged he had used 'extremely offensive racist language in 2018', which he claims to have 'no recollection of'. His exit came just weeks after co-star Gregg Wallace, 61, also got the boot over a series of allegations about his sexualised on-set behaviour. But despite ITV previously throwing their support behind John, the prospect of their show, which debuted the same year as his wedding, continuing is said to be unlikely. John has been married to Lisa since 2019 after meeting on Celebrity MasterChef, Oti Mabuse has said Strictly Come Dancing will survive without its longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The professional dancer, 35, who worked on Strictly between 2013 and 2019 and won the show twice, praised the presenters for the work they did on the show. Speaking to The Times, she said: 'I love Strictly. I wouldn't be sitting here without that show. Strictly belongs to the people, and as long as the people still love it, it will go on for years. 'Claudia and Tess are I get emotional when I talk about it, because they are just so brilliant. 'Nobody really sees the work Tess has to do that show's live, she's making sure it's not running over.' Oti has recently become the head judge on Dancing With The Stars Ireland, the Irish version of Strictly. Oti Mabuse has said Strictly Come Dancing will survive without its longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman She said: 'I love Strictly. I wouldn't be sitting here without that show. Strictly belongs to the people, and as long as the people still love it, it will go on for years' Her new role has given her even more appreciation for what Tess and Claudia do, given she now has producers in her ear telling her to make her comments 'snappy'. The dancer believes the Strictly producers will do a 'good job' in selecting the next hosts because they 'know the show better than any of us'. It comes just a day after the Daily Mail reported that BBC bosses have reportedly drawn up a 'Golden Ten' shortlist as they search for potential new Strictly hosts. Presenters including Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones and Alan Carr are among the frontrunners, with insiders claiming bosses will put contenders through a series of partner-swap chemistry tests to find the perfect on-screen match. A source told The Sun: 'Replacing Claudia and Tess is a mammoth task, but the BBC have whittled down the talent to ten people. As well as Bradley, Alex and Alan, Rylan Clark, Rob Rinder, Zoe Ball, and Holly Willoughby will be at the chemistry day. 'Amanda Holden, Alison Hammond, and Angela Scanlon have made the cut too.' Oti worked on Strictly between 2013 and 2019 and won the show twice, praised the presenters for the work they did on the show (pictured on Strictly with Danny Mac) Oti said: 'Claudia and Tess are I get emotional when I talk about it, because they are just so brilliant' The insider added that the stars will be brought into a studio and placed into different pairings to see who has the strongest on-screen connection. They explained that pairings could consist of two women, two men, or a mixed partnership, as Strictly bosses look to 'mix things up' and find a combination that hasn't been tried before. Daily Mail has contacted BBC for comment. Myleene Klass showcased her toned physique in a green floral bikini in a clip shared to Instagram on Saturday as she soaked up the sun in Thailand. The presenter, 47, looked incredible in her skimpy floral two-piece while posing at the back of a boat. For her holiday ensemble, she accessorised her look with a Sketchers cap, which featured a tiger print, and a pair of tinted sunglasses. As she soaked up the sun, Myleene was seen posing up a storm as the boat powered through the sea waves. Alongside her post, she penned: 'final boat, final bikini.' Myleene has become synonymous with white bikinis ever since her appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here in 2006. Myleene Klass, 47, showcased her toned physique in a green bikini in a clip shared to Instagram on Saturday as she soaked up the sun in Thailand The presenter looked incredible in her skimpy floral two-piece while posing at the back of a speedy white boat The nation's attention was grabbed when the star went for a shower in the jungle while sporting a tiny two-piece, which showcased her incredible frame. Her stunning post comes a week after Myleene donned a matching white two-piece bikini for fans as she posed up a storm at a waterfall. Alongside the pictures, Myleene penned: 'The OG (Although you cant turn this waterfall off). '20 years ago, my name became a verb. "Doing a Myleene". 'Ill be eternally grateful for that moment in the Australian jungle, only to be repeated in South Africa for the All Stars battle royale and the crown 17 years later. 'Honestly, that white bikini has put my kids through school.' Myleene previously revealed that the first white bikini she wore in 2006 sold for a whopping 7,500 after the show, after she bought it for just 40. For her holiday ensemble, she accessorised her look with a Sketchers cap, which featured a tiger print, and a pair of tinted sunglasses As she soaked up the sun, Myleene was seen posing up a storm as the boat powered through the sea waves 'I bought that white bikini for 40. After the show, I sold it off - for 7,500!' she said ahead of entering the jungle for the all-stars edition in 2023. Meanwhile, on Friday, Myleene shared a selection of pictures by the pool whilst soaking up the sun. She posed up a storm in a two-piece animal print bikini as she went make-up free with her bronzed complexion on full display. In one capture, Myleene enjoyed the jacuzzi, while in another she showed off her long legs whilst sunbathing. She stopped short of revealing exactly where she is but captioned the snaps: 'Back in the jungle.' Roxy Horner cut a chic figure as she arrived at swanky Italian restaurant Sale E Pepe in Knightsbridge, London, on Saturday for wedding preparations with her bridesmaids, ahead of her nuptials to fiance Jack Whitehall. The model, 34, stunned in a pink tweed coat layered over a white peplum top, flashing a smile and a wave for the cameras. She teamed the look with light-blue, wide-leg denim jeans and added inches to her frame with pointed white heels. Completing her ensemble, the blonde beauty toted her essentials in a white quilted Chanel bag. Not far behind were her stylish pals, who were also spotted making their way into the Knightsbridge hotspot to join Roxy for the pre-wedding celebration. Roxy's outing comes after she tried on several wedding dresses in November last year ahead of her big day. Roxy Horner, 34, cut a chic figure as she arrived at swanky Italian restaurant Sale E Pepe in Knightsbridge, London, on Saturday for wedding preparations with her bridesmaids, ahead of her nuptials to fiance Jack Whitehall Not far behind were the models stylish pals, who were also spotted making their way into the Knightsbridge hotspot to join Roxy for the pre-wedding celebration The model and the comedian, 37, who are parents to daughter Elsie, two, became engaged when he popped the question in early December last year. As part of her preparations for the big day, Roxy tried on some dresses and took her social media followers along for the trip. The beauty stunned in a strapless garment which featured a sweetheart neckline and a floral print. The outfit also featured a flowing train and a sheer detail. In another look, Roxy looked sensational in a strapless satin gown with a sweetheart-style bodice and an asymmetric rosette along the waist. Jack and Roxy have not said publicly when their wedding day, is but it is scheduled for sometime in 2026. The model recently opened up about living with type 1 diabetes in a candid Instagram post. She took to Instagram and shared that she had reunited with the comedian for a family holiday to Corfu with their daughter Elsie after 'months apart'. Roxy's outing comes after she tried on several wedding dresses in November last year ahead of her big day In one look, Roxy looked sensational in a strapless satin gown with a sweetheart-style bodice and an asymmetric rosette along the waist Roxy shared a stunning snap taking in the views while wearing a white tiered summer dress and posed for silly snaps with Jack. In the post, Roxy revealed that travelling with type 1 diabetes can be challenging as she shared that she brings a Dexcom G7 glucose sensor with her to monitor her levels. The glucose monitor could be seen attached to her arm in the snaps, while in a video, she showed how it is administered. 'After months apart, weve finally made it to our much needed family holiday in Corfu My heart is so full having our little family all together again,' she said. 'Traveling as someone living with type 1 diabetes comes with a lot of baggage (literally, lol) and spontaneity for me means planning, packing and double checking!! 'But thanks to my Dexcom G7 CGM, Ive got one less thing to stress about. It gives me the freedom to stay present, enjoy the moment, and soak up every moment with my family. My CGM is waterproof so I can swim whenever I choose, and the 30 minute warm up means I never need to go long without my numbers.' She continued: 'Heres to love, adventure, and tech that makes it all a little easier .' Roxy welcomed daughter Elsie at the iconic Lindo Wing, in which a host of royals have given birth, last year. Jack and Roxy have not said publicly when their wedding day, is but it is scheduled for sometime in 2026 Jack admitted the experience was both 'utterly overwhelming' and 'joyous' in ways he 'couldn't have imagined'. He wrote at the time: 'Well this just happened! Utterly overwhelming and joyous in ways I couldn't have even imagined. 'In awe of my partner @roxyhorner who has been amazing throughout this journey and is going to be the greatest mum ever. So excited to have started a family of my own. 'Having vowed I'd never be that guy I am now 100% going to be the parent that shows everyone endless pictures of their kid. I also wore skechers to hospital, I think I must accept I am a full blown dad now. 'Name wise after this weekend I think 'rice, rice, baby' has a nice ring to it.' The couple then revealed Elsie's name, which means 'Pledged to God' in Hebrew. Erin Doherty led the glamour as she joined co-star Stephen Graham and his wife Hannah Walters at the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch in LA on Saturday. The British actress, 33, looked effortlessly chic as she wore a unique sheer, white, frilled blouse, which she layered over a white vest. She paired her stylish top with black, tailored flared trousers and towering, black, closed-toe heels. Meanwhile, fellow Adolescence star Stephen, 52, cut a casual display in a beige polo shirt, which he paired with brown trousers and brown trainers. He was supported by his wife, Hannah, who looked effortlessly chic in a white floaty dress and floral kimono. Elsewhere at the star-studded event, Caylee Cowan looked incredible as she stepped out in a brown floral dress, Erin Doherty, 33, led the glamour as she joined Stephen Graham and his wife Hannah Walters at the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch in LA on Saturday Meanwhile, Adolescence star Stephen, 52, cut a casual display in a beige polo shirt as he was supported by his wife Hannah She layered her unique garment over a blue shirt as she toted her belongings around in a maroon clutch. Joel Edgerton looked classically handsome in a black two-piece suit, which he layered over a white top. Putting on a leggy display, Zoey Deutch arrived in a structured white blazer, which she paired with an elegant mini skirt. Natasha Rothwell and Hannah Einbinder are hosting the glitzy event, which will see an array of stars arrive at The London West Hollywood hotel. Natasha is the creator, executive producer, and star of the critically acclaimed series How to Die Alone, which won Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series at the 2025. Hannah has quickly established herself as a sought-after actress and comedian, best known for her role as Ava in the Emmy Award-winning series Hacks. The final deadline to confirm participation in the Nominee Screener Program is Wednesday, January 12. The Spirit Awards voting period will take place from Monday, January 19, to Tuesday, February 3. Elsewhere at the star-studded event, Caylee Cowan looked incredible as she stepped out in a brown floral dress Joel Edgerton looked classically handsome in a black two-piece suit, which he layered over a white top Putting on a leggy display, Zoey Deutch arrived in a structured white blazer, which she paired with an elegant mini skirt The Spirit Awards Ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 15, 2025. The website for the awards night reads: 'The 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards will take place on Sunday, February 15, at the iconic Hollywood Palladium. 'The Spirit Awards is not only the premiere awards show for independent film and television, it serves as the annual fundraising gala for Film Independent, a 501(c)(3) organisation. 'Attendees directly support Film Independent's year-round work championing bold, original storytellers and building audiences to sustain a thriving community for independent creators.' Lorraine Kelly's father's cause of death has been revealed after he tragically died after falling on an icy path. John Kelly, 84, was reportedly found injured early this morning in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire and sadly died at the scene amid freezing temperatures. It is understood by The Sun that police are probing a 'slip on ice' as part of their inquiries after staff from a nearby Tesco store are understood to have found him injured at around 7am and called emergency services. Lorraine, 66, shared the news that her father had passed away on Saturday afternoon as she shared a photo of herself with her dad alongside an emotional tribute. The TV presenter noted John had been 'in poor health' recently but his passing had still come as a 'shock'. She wrote: 'Very sad news. My dad has died. I am mourning the man who bought me a telescope when I was five years old, who watched the moon landings with me and taught me to always be curious and interested in everything. Lorraine Kelly's father's cause of death has been revealed as 84-year-old dies after reportedly falling on an icy path in Scottish town (Lorraine pictured with her parents in 2002) John Kelly, 84, was reportedly found injured early this morning in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire and sadly died at the scene amid freezing temperatures 'He was in poor health but it has still been a shock. Any of you who have experienced a similar loss will know how my brother Graham and I are feeling. 'Our priority is taking care of my mum and the family would very much appreciate privacy at this distressing time. We will miss you dad.' The Daily Mail have contacted Lorraine's representatives for comment. The Met Office issues a yellow weather for snow and ice covering Scotland after temperatures dropped below freezing overnight. A source close to Lorraine told The Scottish Sun on Sunday: 'The news came as a complete shock and she's understandably heartbroken. 'It's never easy losing a parent, and Lorraine will be spending the next few days with her close family.' Meanwhile locals told the publication how the stairs were an accident blackspot and was very dangerous in the ice. A resident who was passing the tragic scene said: 'It was bitterly cold last night, and it is pretty treacherous underfoot.' The TV presenter, 66, made the heartbreaking announcement on Saturday as she shared a photo of herself with her dad alongside an emotional tribute Commenting on Mr Kelly's death, Police Scotland said: 'Around 7am on Saturday, 10 January, 2026, we were called to a report of a man found injured on a path near to St Leonard's Square in East Kilbride. 'The 84-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. His family is aware and are being supported by officers. 'The death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.' John worked as a TV service engineer and passed on his love of astronomy and science to his daughter. He was married to Lorraine's mother Anne for over 65 years. John was 18 and Anne was 17 when they had their daughter. Their son Graham was born six years later. Writing in The Times, Lorraine said of her childhood in the Gorbals area of Glasgow: 'Until I was 13, all four of us - me, my brother and my mum and dad - lived in the one room. 'In one corner you had your sink and your cooker, and there was a recess where your bed was. Then there was an absolutely disgusting outside toilet, and you went to the public baths to have a bath. 'My mum kept our place immaculate - which is where I get my tidy gene from. To this day, I can't leave washing up in the sink, because I think the tidy police are going to arrest me.' She praised her father for taking their family out of a 'deprived background' through 'sheer hard graft'. The family later moved to Bridgeton and eventually settled in East Kilbride where Lorraine began her media career working for local newspaper the East Kilbride News. Lorraine previously spoke of her fears of losing her dad back in 2021 when he battled a major infection and heart failure. Lorraine received several messages of condolence from her friends and followers She told The Mirror: 'We went through a few very tough months thinking we were going to lose him. It was just awful but he was amazing, he rallied. 'This time last year he was in hospital and got out just before Covid started. He basically has heart failure. 'He also had a really bad scare and they thought he had lung cancer but it was just a massive, massive infection.' The presenter has spoken of helping to care for her mother Anne who suffers from the kidney condition nephrotic syndrome. She has cut back her hours at ITV in order to help care for her. Lorraine received several messages of condolence from her friends and followers including Vanessa Feltz who wrote: 'Lorraine I am so terribly sorry to hear this. I know what a close and loving family you are. Sending love and my deepest condolences. Vanessa.' TV presenter Charlotte Hawkins wrote: 'Lorraine I'm so sorry to hear that, heartbreaking for you. Sending loads of love.' Dawn French added: 'Love wrapped around you' and former first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon wrote: 'Sending love Lorraine x.' Dr Amir Khan, who regularly appears on Lorraine's ITV chat show wrote: 'Lorraine I'm so sorry. I know how close you are to your family - sending you all the love.' The stakes are rising for America's steakhouses - and not all of them can handle the heat. This is certainly the case for a chain of upscale steakhouses that once had 60 locations, but now just 13 remain. McCormick & Schmicks started with a simple, winning idea in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1970s: serve great steaks, super-fresh seafood and plenty of oysters in a place that felt special but not stuffy. Founders Bill McCormick and Douglas Schmick opened the first restaurant in Portland, Oregon, in 1979, and it didnt take long for it to catch on. Locals packed the place, visitors followed, and the brand quickly became known for polished dining without white-tablecloth pretension. During the 1980s and 1990s, McCormick & Schmicks expanded across the country, opening locations in downtown areas, business districts and near convention centers. It became a go-to spot for happy hour oysters, towering seafood platters, big steaks and the kind of business dinners that featured expense reports and martinis. By the late 2000s, the chain was riding high, with nearly 100 restaurants and catering locations across the US and Canada. McCormick & Schmicks started with a simple concept in the Pacific Northwest in the late 70s The mission was to serve great steaks, super-fresh seafood and plenty of oysters in a place that felt special but not stuffy. MacKenzie Spurlock tends bar at McCormick & Schmicks Seafood Restaurant on J Street in Sacramento, California, in 2007 Locals packed the place, visitors followed and the brand quickly became known for polished dining without white-tablecloth pretension McCormick & Schmicks became a go-to spot for happy hour oysters, towering seafood platters, big steaks and the kind of business dinners that came with expense reports Things changed in 2011, when McCormick & Schmicks was acquired by Landrys, the Houston-based restaurant empire behind brands like Mortons The Steakhouse, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co and Del Friscos. Not long after, the McCormick & Schmicks footprint began to shrink. The first major round of closures occurred in 2017, when roughly a third of the chains locations closed. Over the years that followed, more restaurants quietly disappeared as leases ran out, dining habits shifted, and competition in the steak-and-seafood world grew fiercer. By 2024 and 2025, the pullback sped up. The brand shuttered longtime locations in major cities, including its final Oregon restaurant, closing the loop on the state where it all began. In Charlotte, NC, the last McCormick & Schmicks closed after decades in the city. Even Chicagos Loop, once prime territory for the chain, lost its location. Today, just 13 McCormick & Schmicks restaurants remain nationwide - a dramatic fall from its peak and a sign of how much the once-ubiquitous brand has faded. Join the debate Will more beloved American restaurants suffer the same fate? More restaurants quietly disappeared as leases ran out, dining habits shifted and competition in the steak-and-seafood world grew fiercer Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch dine at McCormick & Schmick's in Los Angeles in 2013. Just 13 restaurants still remain open nationwide Classic steakhouse chains are facing a perfect storm of people eating out less often, rising operational costs, changing tastes and stiff competition Industry watchers point to a mix of rising costs, changing tastes, and tough choices inside Landrys sprawling restaurant portfolio. Instead of reviving McCormick & Schmicks, the company appears to be moving on, swapping shuttered locations for newer or more profitable concepts. At the moment, classic steakhouse chains are facing a perfect storm of people eating out less often, rising operational costs, changing tastes and stiff competition. Outback Steakhouses recent closures and ongoing turnaround efforts illustrate these pressures in real time and show how even well-known brands must adapt quickly - or fade. Regional Management Corp. (NYSE:RM Get Free Report) major shareholder Fund L.P. Forager sold 21,561 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.96, for a total value of $840,016.56. Following the sale, the insider owned 1,020,572 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $39,761,485.12. This trade represents a 2.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a companys shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC. Fund L.P. Forager also recently made the following trade(s): Get Regional Management alerts: On Thursday, January 8th, Fund L.P. Forager sold 18,294 shares of Regional Management stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.79, for a total value of $709,624.26. On Wednesday, January 7th, Fund L.P. Forager sold 300 shares of Regional Management stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.05, for a total value of $11,715.00. On Tuesday, January 6th, Fund L.P. Forager sold 7,576 shares of Regional Management stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.88, for a total value of $294,554.88. On Monday, January 5th, Fund L.P. Forager sold 8,827 shares of Regional Management stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.09, for a total value of $353,874.43. On Friday, January 2nd, Fund L.P. Forager sold 7,968 shares of Regional Management stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.93, for a total transaction of $310,194.24. Regional Management Stock Up 0.4% Shares of Regional Management stock traded up $0.15 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $39.15. 64,904 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 46,281. The business has a fifty day moving average of $38.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $37.91. The company has a market capitalization of $380.13 million, a P/E ratio of 9.48 and a beta of 1.07. Regional Management Corp. has a 1 year low of $25.41 and a 1 year high of $46.00. Regional Management Announces Dividend Regional Management ( NYSE:RM Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The credit services provider reported $1.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.03. Regional Management had a net margin of 6.57% and a return on equity of 11.43%. The firm had revenue of $165.49 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $162.84 million. As a group, research analysts predict that Regional Management Corp. will post 4.7 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 25th. Regional Managements payout ratio is currently 29.06%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently commented on RM shares. Zacks Research upgraded Regional Management from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of Regional Management in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Regional Management from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Regional Management presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $30.00. Read Our Latest Report on Regional Management Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. boosted its stake in Regional Management by 41.1% during the second quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 947 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 276 shares during the period. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Regional Management in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Regional Management during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. CWM LLC increased its holdings in Regional Management by 43.7% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Regional Management by 45.3% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,077 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 648 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.89% of the companys stock. Regional Management Company Profile (Get Free Report) Regional Management Corp., headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, is a consumer finance company specializing in installment loan products for underbanked individuals. Since its founding in 1977, the company has developed a network of field-based branches alongside a digital platform to offer credit solutions in rural and small-town markets across the United States. The companys core offerings include consumer installment loans for everyday purchases, auto refinancing and lease buyouts, as well as ancillary services such as insurance referrals. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Regional Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Regional Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM Get Free Report)s share price fell 1.9% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $296.35 and last traded at $296.8350. 2,800,770 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 29% from the average session volume of 3,949,838 shares. The stock had previously closed at $302.47. Key International Business Machines News Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week: Get International Business Machines alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have commented on IBM. Weiss Ratings raised International Business Machines from a hold (c+) rating to a buy (b) rating in a report on Saturday, October 25th. Bank of America increased their target price on International Business Machines from $310.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Erste Group Bank raised shares of International Business Machines from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of International Business Machines from a hold rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $300.00 to $360.00 in a report on Monday. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a sell rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $301.85. International Business Machines Price Performance The firm has a market cap of $284.49 billion, a PE ratio of 36.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.70. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $303.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $282.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.89. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.45 by $0.20. International Business Machines had a net margin of 12.09% and a return on equity of 37.76%. The firm had revenue of $16.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.30 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year. International Business Machines Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th were given a $1.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $6.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. International Business Machiness dividend payout ratio is 80.38%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,011,122,000. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in International Business Machines by 13.9% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,045,156 shares of the technology companys stock worth $4,809,461,000 after buying an additional 2,077,506 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of International Business Machines by 2.1% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 95,051,475 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $28,019,274,000 after acquiring an additional 1,913,708 shares during the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 27,928.2% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,903,116 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $561,001,000 after acquiring an additional 1,896,326 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 39.6% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,052,880 shares of the technology companys stock worth $861,401,000 after acquiring an additional 865,253 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the companys stock. International Business Machines Company Profile (Get Free Report) International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM. IBMs principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development. See Also Receive News & Ratings for International Business Machines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Business Machines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO Get Free Report) CEO Jacob Dewitte sold 3,455 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.01, for a total value of $345,534.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 825,764 shares of the companys stock, valued at $82,584,657.64. This represents a 0.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Jacob Dewitte also recently made the following trade(s): Get Oklo alerts: On Thursday, January 8th, Jacob Dewitte sold 1,255 shares of Oklo stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $125,500.00. On Wednesday, January 7th, Jacob Dewitte sold 231,657 shares of Oklo stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.25, for a total value of $22,991,957.25. On Wednesday, January 7th, Jacob Dewitte sold 92,005 shares of Oklo stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.03, for a total transaction of $9,019,250.15. On Monday, January 5th, Jacob Dewitte sold 200,000 shares of Oklo stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.29, for a total value of $18,058,000.00. On Monday, December 22nd, Jacob Dewitte sold 840,000 shares of Oklo stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.32, for a total value of $69,148,800.00. Oklo Price Performance Shares of Oklo stock traded up $7.69 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $105.29. The company had a trading volume of 33,857,675 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,841,695. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $93.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $92.43. Oklo Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $17.42 and a fifty-two week high of $193.84. The firm has a market cap of $16.45 billion, a PE ratio of -194.97 and a beta of 0.76. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oklo Oklo ( NYSE:OKLO Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported ($0.20) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by ($0.07). During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.08) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Oklo Inc. will post -8.2 EPS for the current year. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in Oklo by 71.8% during the 3rd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 7,102,234 shares of the companys stock valued at $792,822,000 after purchasing an additional 2,968,981 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Oklo by 33.4% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,593,468 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,294,179,000 after buying an additional 2,901,909 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Oklo by 454.5% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,138,658 shares of the companys stock worth $119,743,000 after acquiring an additional 1,752,946 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Oklo by 195.9% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,248,425 shares of the companys stock worth $125,906,000 after acquiring an additional 1,488,482 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in shares of Oklo by 61.0% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,474,993 shares of the companys stock worth $387,914,000 after acquiring an additional 1,316,867 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.03% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages recently commented on OKLO. Barclays set a $146.00 target price on Oklo in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of Oklo in a report on Monday, November 24th. Canaccord Genuity Group assumed coverage on shares of Oklo in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. They set a buy rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Oklo from $117.00 to $111.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, B. Riley increased their target price on shares of Oklo from $58.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $102.13. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Oklo More Oklo News Here are the key news stories impacting Oklo this week: Oklo Company Profile (Get Free Report) Oklo, Inc is a California-based energy technology company specializing in the design and development of advanced nuclear microreactors. Headquartered in Fremont, the firm focuses on small modular reactor (SMR) technology that leverages fast-neutron fission and liquid-metal cooling to deliver carbon-free power. Oklos core objective is to bring compact, factory-built reactors online within a decade, offering a low-footprint alternative to traditional large nuclear plants. The companys flagship product, the Aurora microreactor, is a 1.5-megawatt electric (MWe) fast reactor cooled by a sodium alloy. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Oklo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oklo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ninety One Group (LON:N91 Get Free Report) shares shot up 2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as GBX 223.80 and last traded at GBX 223.80. 511,146 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 21% from the average session volume of 421,218 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 219.40. Analyst Ratings Changes N91 has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Ninety One Group from GBX 226 to GBX 222 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Ninety One Group from GBX 165 to GBX 190 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 206. Get Ninety One Group alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Ninety One Group Ninety One Group Trading Up 2.0% The stock has a market cap of 1.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.23, a P/E/G ratio of 15.99 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 25.60, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.07. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is GBX 215.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 204.33. Ninety One Group (LON:N91 Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 17th. The company reported GBX 8.40 earnings per share for the quarter. Ninety One Group had a return on equity of 42.90% and a net margin of 26.24%. On average, research analysts predict that Ninety One Group will post 15.1025641 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, insider Kim Mary McFarland acquired 76,988 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 209 per share, for a total transaction of 160,904.92. Also, insider Hendrik du Toit bought 42,946 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 210 per share, for a total transaction of 90,186.60. Company insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock. About Ninety One Group (Get Free Report) Ninety One Group operates as an independent global asset manager worldwide. It serves private and public sector pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurers, corporates, foundations, and central banks, as well as large retail financial groups, wealth managers, public and private equity as well as debt, private banks, and intermediaries. It seeks to invest in South African companies struggling with the economic fallout from the spread of coronavirus. Ninety One Group was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa with additional offices in Africa. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Ninety One Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ninety One Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO Get Free Report) and Welltower (NYSE:WELL Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, profitability, risk and institutional ownership. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Vornado Realty Trust and Welltowers top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get Vornado Realty Trust alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Vornado Realty Trust $1.79 billion 3.70 $70.39 million $4.20 8.21 Welltower $7.99 billion 15.99 $951.68 million $1.45 128.36 Profitability Welltower has higher revenue and earnings than Vornado Realty Trust. Vornado Realty Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Welltower, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. This table compares Vornado Realty Trust and Welltowers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Vornado Realty Trust 49.91% 19.48% 5.75% Welltower 9.69% 2.71% 1.75% Institutional & Insider Ownership 90.0% of Vornado Realty Trust shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 94.8% of Welltower shares are held by institutional investors. 8.4% of Vornado Realty Trust shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Welltower shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Dividends Vornado Realty Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.74 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. Welltower pays an annual dividend of $2.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. Vornado Realty Trust pays out 17.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Welltower pays out 204.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Welltower has raised its dividend for 2 consecutive years. Vornado Realty Trust is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Volatility & Risk Vornado Realty Trust has a beta of 1.49, meaning that its share price is 49% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Welltower has a beta of 0.86, meaning that its share price is 14% less volatile than the S&P 500. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Vornado Realty Trust and Welltower, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Vornado Realty Trust 2 9 3 0 2.07 Welltower 1 2 11 1 2.80 Vornado Realty Trust presently has a consensus target price of $38.46, suggesting a potential upside of 11.53%. Welltower has a consensus target price of $204.80, suggesting a potential upside of 10.04%. Given Vornado Realty Trusts higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Vornado Realty Trust is more favorable than Welltower. About Vornado Realty Trust (Get Free Report) Vornado Realty Trust is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. About Welltower (Get Free Report) Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL), a real estate investment trust (REIT) and S&P 500 company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, is driving the transformation of health care infrastructure. Welltower invests with leading seniors housing operators, post-acute providers and health systems to fund the real estate infrastructure needed to scale innovative care delivery models and improve peoples wellness and overall health care experience. Welltower owns interests in properties concentrated in major, high-growth markets in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, consisting of seniors housing and post-acute communities and outpatient medical properties. Receive News & Ratings for Vornado Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vornado Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Zinc Media Group plc (LON:ZIN Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as GBX 45.26 and last traded at GBX 48, with a volume of 19994 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 47.50. Zinc Media Group Price Performance The stocks fifty day simple moving average is GBX 49.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 58.87. The firm has a market capitalization of 12.09 million, a P/E ratio of -6.58 and a beta of -0.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 110.93, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 1.09. Zinc Media Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Zinc Media Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, produces television and cross-platform content in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in two segments, Television and Content Production. The Television segment engages in the production of television content under the Blakeway, Brook Lapping, Films of Record, Red Sauce, Supercollider, REX, and Tern names. The Content Production segment is involved in film production, radio and podcast production and publishing. The company was formerly known as Ten Alps plc and changed its name to Zinc Media Group plc in November 2016. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Zinc Media Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zinc Media Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cannlabs (OTCMKTS:CANL Get Free Report) and Pediatrix Medical Group (NYSE:MD Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, institutional ownership and profitability. Volatility and Risk Cannlabs has a beta of 1.75, indicating that its stock price is 75% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pediatrix Medical Group has a beta of 0.73, indicating that its stock price is 27% less volatile than the S&P 500. Get Cannlabs alerts: Profitability This table compares Cannlabs and Pediatrix Medical Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Cannlabs N/A N/A N/A Pediatrix Medical Group 8.44% 20.45% 7.94% Institutional and Insider Ownership Analyst Ratings 97.7% of Pediatrix Medical Group shares are held by institutional investors. 0.9% of Pediatrix Medical Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Cannlabs and Pediatrix Medical Group, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Cannlabs 0 0 0 0 0.00 Pediatrix Medical Group 0 4 1 1 2.50 Pediatrix Medical Group has a consensus price target of $21.00, suggesting a potential downside of 5.81%. Given Cannlabs higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Cannlabs is more favorable than Pediatrix Medical Group. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Cannlabs and Pediatrix Medical Groups revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Cannlabs N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Pediatrix Medical Group $2.01 billion 0.95 -$99.07 million $1.90 11.73 Cannlabs has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Pediatrix Medical Group. Summary Pediatrix Medical Group beats Cannlabs on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Cannlabs (Get Free Report) CannLabs, Inc. provides cannabis testing laboratory services in the United States. Its testing services include potency testing, residual solvent analysis, microbiological testing, pesticide testing, heavy metals testing, nutrient analysis, terpenes analysis, shelf-life/stability studies, gene expression testing, and genotyping/phenotyping testing. The company also offers data/analytics and consulting, as well as education services. CannLabs, Inc. was incorporated in 2010 and is based in Denver, Colorado. About Pediatrix Medical Group (Get Free Report) Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides newborn, maternal-fetal, pediatric cardiology, and other pediatric subspecialty care services in the United States. It offers neonatal care services, such as clinical care to babies born prematurely or with complications within specific units at hospitals through neonatal physician subspecialists, neonatal nurse practitioners, and other pediatric clinicians. The company also provides maternal-fetal care services, including inpatient and office-based clinical care to expectant mothers and unborn babies through affiliated maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists, as well as obstetricians and other clinicians, including maternal-fetal nurse practitioners, certified nurse mid-wives, sonographers, and genetic counselors. In addition, it offers pediatric cardiology care services comprising inpatient and office-based pediatric cardiology care of the fetus, infant, child, and adolescent patient with congenital heart defects and acquired heart disease, as well as adults with congenital heart defects through affiliated pediatric cardiologist subspecialists and other related clinical professionals, including pediatric nurse practitioners, echocardiographers, other diagnostic technicians, and exercise physiologists; and specialized cardiac care to the fetus, neonatal and pediatric patients. Further, the company provides other pediatric subspecialty care services, such as pediatric intensivists, pediatric hospitalists, pediatric surgeons, and pediatric ophthalmologists, as well as pediatric ear, nose, and throat physicians, pediatric gastroenterologists; and support services in the areas of hospitals, primarily in the pediatric emergency rooms, labor and delivery areas, and nursery and pediatric departments. The company was formerly known as MEDNAX, Inc. and changed its name to Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. in July 2022. Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is based in Sunrise, Florida. Receive News & Ratings for Cannlabs Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cannlabs and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Aviva PLC (OTCMKTS:AVVIY Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of Hold by the four ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. AVVIY has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised Aviva to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Aviva from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Aviva from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded shares of Aviva from a hold rating to a moderate sell rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Get Aviva alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on AVVIY Aviva Stock Down 1.7% Aviva Company Profile OTCMKTS AVVIY opened at $18.60 on Monday. Aviva has a 1-year low of $11.49 and a 1-year high of $19.40. The stocks 50 day moving average is $17.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.95. (Get Free Report) Aviva plc (OTCMKTS:AVVIY) is a UK-based multinational insurance company headquartered in London that provides a broad range of life and general insurance products, retirement solutions and investment management services. The company operates a diversified insurance business that includes individual and group life protection, health and income protection, home and motor insurance, workplace benefits, pensions and savings products. Aviva also offers asset management services through its investment arm, which manages assets on behalf of its insurance businesses and third-party clients. Aviva traces its identity to a series of mergers and the consolidation of longstanding insurers, and it uses the Aviva brand across its operating markets. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Aviva Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aviva and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BE Semiconductor Industries (OTCMKTS:BESIY Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Kepler Capital Markets from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report issued on Friday,Zacks.com reports. Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Zacks Research raised BE Semiconductor Industries from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. UBS Group reiterated a buy rating on shares of BE Semiconductor Industries in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Needham & Company LLC upgraded shares of BE Semiconductor Industries to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an outperform rating on shares of BE Semiconductor Industries in a report on Sunday, January 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating on shares of BE Semiconductor Industries in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold. Get BE Semiconductor Industries alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on BE Semiconductor Industries BE Semiconductor Industries Stock Up 3.6% BESIY stock opened at $176.89 on Friday. BE Semiconductor Industries has a 12 month low of $88.02 and a 12 month high of $188.58. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $158.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $151.25. The company has a quick ratio of 5.02, a current ratio of 5.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46. BE Semiconductor Industries (OTCMKTS:BESIY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The technology company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $154.12 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $160.84 million. BE Semiconductor Industries had a net margin of 25.42% and a return on equity of 33.98%. On average, equities analysts expect that BE Semiconductor Industries will post 4.56 EPS for the current fiscal year. BE Semiconductor Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) BE Semiconductor Industries NV (OTCMKTS:BESIY), commonly known as BESI, is a global supplier of assembly equipment for the semiconductor industry. The company designs, develops and manufactures capital equipment used in the back-end production of semiconductor devices, including die attach, wire bonding and flip chip packaging systems. BESIs platforms support a wide range of applications from memory and logic chips to advanced power devices and radio-frequency modules, enabling high precision, throughput and yield in device assembly and test processes. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Duiven, the Netherlands, BESI went public on Euronext Amsterdam in 1999. See Also Receive News & Ratings for BE Semiconductor Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BE Semiconductor Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silgan Holdings Inc. (NYSE:SLGN Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the twelve brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $55.20. SLGN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Silgan in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Silgan from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Silgan from $55.00 to $52.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Truist Financial set a $50.00 price target on shares of Silgan and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Silgan from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Get Silgan alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Silgan Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Inflows and Outflows In other news, CAO Kimberly Irene Ulmer acquired 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $38.11 per share, for a total transaction of $38,110.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief accounting officer directly owned 105,321 shares in the company, valued at $4,013,783.31. This represents a 0.96% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link . Also, CEO Adam J. Greenlee acquired 7,000 shares of Silgan stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $38.19 per share, with a total value of $267,330.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 328,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,532,583.16. This represents a 2.18% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing . 1.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CX Institutional boosted its stake in shares of Silgan by 26.2% during the 2nd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,044 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its position in shares of Silgan by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 50,156 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,717,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc increased its stake in Silgan by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 6,241 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $338,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. Aristeia Capital L.L.C. raised its holdings in Silgan by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Aristeia Capital L.L.C. now owns 5,733 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $293,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the period. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Silgan by 1.0% during the third quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 27,578 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,186,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.25% of the companys stock. Silgan Trading Up 1.5% Shares of NYSE:SLGN opened at $42.73 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The companys 50-day moving average price is $39.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.73. The company has a market cap of $4.51 billion, a PE ratio of 14.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.72. Silgan has a fifty-two week low of $36.15 and a fifty-two week high of $57.61. Silgan (NYSE:SLGN Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.94 billion. Silgan had a net margin of 4.91% and a return on equity of 19.47%. Silgans revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.21 earnings per share. Silgan has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.620-0.72 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 3.660-3.76 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Silgan will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current year. Silgan Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Silgans dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.21%. About Silgan (Get Free Report) Silgan Holdings Inc (NYSE: SLGN) is a leading supplier of rigid packaging solutions for consumer goods manufacturers. The companys core business activities center on the design, production and distribution of metal and plastic containers, closures and dispense systems. Silgan serves a broad array of end markets, including food and beverage, home and personal care, health care and industrial products, providing both standard and custom packaging formats. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, Silgan has grown organically and through strategic acquisitions to establish a global manufacturing footprint. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Silgan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Silgan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Celestica, Inc. (NYSE:CLS Get Free Report) (TSE:CLS) fell 5.9% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $285.44 and last traded at $287.8580. 685,313 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 66% from the average session volume of 1,987,838 shares. The stock had previously closed at $305.87. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have issued reports on CLS shares. TD Securities lifted their price target on Celestica from $238.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Celestica from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. BNP Paribas restated an outperform rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Celestica in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. Citigroup raised Celestica from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their price target for the stock from $212.00 to $375.00 in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Celestica from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $336.13. Get Celestica alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on CLS Celestica Trading Up 4.7% The firm has a market cap of $34.75 billion, a PE ratio of 49.03 and a beta of 1.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $313.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $250.29. Celestica (NYSE:CLS Get Free Report) (TSE:CLS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 27th. The technology company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $3.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.01 billion. Celestica had a net margin of 6.35% and a return on equity of 30.53%. The firms revenue was up 27.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.04 EPS. Analysts forecast that Celestica, Inc. will post 4.35 EPS for the current year. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Laurette T. Koellner purchased 6,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 30th. The stock was bought at an average price of $341.67 per share, with a total value of $2,050,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 6,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,050,020. This represents a increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.52% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Celestica A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in Celestica by 1,103.8% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 24,486 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,930,000 after purchasing an additional 22,452 shares during the period. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Celestica during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $328,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd boosted its stake in Celestica by 406.3% in the 2nd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 52,606 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $8,212,000 after buying an additional 42,215 shares in the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Celestica in the second quarter valued at $343,000. Finally, Light Street Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Celestica during the second quarter worth $26,422,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.38% of the companys stock. Celestica Company Profile (Get Free Report) Celestica Inc is a multinational electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company that provides design, engineering, manufacturing and supply chain solutions to original equipment manufacturers across a range of industries. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Celestica works with customers to develop and produce complex electronic and electro-mechanical products, integrating activities from product design and prototyping through high-volume assembly, testing and final system integration. The companys service offering typically includes product engineering and design support, printed circuit board assembly, box-build and systems assembly, automated test and inspection, aftermarket repair and refurbishment, and end-to-end supply chain and logistics management. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Celestica Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Celestica and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund (TSE:CHE.UN Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as C$15.59 and last traded at C$15.57, with a volume of 157810 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$15.21. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades CHE.UN has been the subject of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$20.00 to C$18.50 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Scotiabank downgraded Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and increased their target price for the company from C$15.00 to C$17.00 in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Raymond James Financial raised Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and lifted their target price for the stock from C$16.00 to C$21.00 in a report on Thursday, November 13th. CIBC upped their price target on Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$16.00 to C$19.00 in a report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund from C$14.00 to C$18.00 in a report on Thursday, November 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$18.07. Get Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on CHE.UN Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund Trading Down 2.9% Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund Company Profile The stock has a market cap of C$1.76 billion, a PE ratio of 15.81 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 128.02, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of C$14.35 and a 200 day moving average price of C$13.05. (Get Free Report) Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund provides industrial chemicals and services to customers in North America and around the world. The company organized into four main operating segments: Sulphur Products and Performance Chemicals (SPPC), Water Solutions and Specialty Chemicals (WSSC), Electrochemicals, and Corporate. It generates maximum revenue from Electrochemicals segment. Chemtrade operates in Canada, the United States, and South America of which maximum revenue comes from the United States. SPPC markets, remove and produces merchant, regenerated and ultra-pure sulphuric acid, liquid sulphur dioxide, sodium hydrosulfite and provides other processing services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU Get Free Report) and Brookfield Renewable (NYSE:BEPC Get Free Report) are both mid-cap energy companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability and dividends. Profitability This table compares Central Puerto and Brookfield Renewables net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Central Puerto alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Central Puerto 28.24% 15.01% 10.43% Brookfield Renewable -34.58% -12.74% -3.20% Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Central Puerto and Brookfield Renewable, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Central Puerto 0 1 1 0 2.50 Brookfield Renewable 1 1 3 0 2.40 Risk & Volatility Central Puerto presently has a consensus target price of $17.50, indicating a potential upside of 3.77%. Brookfield Renewable has a consensus target price of $39.75, indicating a potential upside of 4.56%. Given Brookfield Renewables higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Brookfield Renewable is more favorable than Central Puerto. Central Puerto has a beta of 1.06, indicating that its share price is 6% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Brookfield Renewable has a beta of 1.23, indicating that its share price is 23% more volatile than the S&P 500. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Central Puerto and Brookfield Renewables top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Central Puerto $810.70 million 3.15 $54.56 million $1.48 11.39 Brookfield Renewable $5.88 billion 0.94 $236.00 million ($0.89) -42.72 Brookfield Renewable has higher revenue and earnings than Central Puerto. Brookfield Renewable is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Central Puerto, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Insider & Institutional Ownership 3.0% of Central Puerto shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.1% of Brookfield Renewable shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Central Puerto 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. Summary Central Puerto beats Brookfield Renewable on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Central Puerto (Get Free Report) Central Puerto S.A. engages in the electric power generation in Argentina. It operates through three segments: Electric Power Generation from Conventional Sources, Electric Power Generation from Renewable Sources, and Natural Gas Transport and Distribution. The company generates energy through thermal, hydroelectric, and wind farms. It also engages in the natural gas transport and distribution business. Central Puerto S.A. was founded in 1898 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. About Brookfield Renewable (Get Free Report) Brookfield Renewable Corporation owns and operates a portfolio of renewable power and sustainable solution assets primarily in the United States, Europe, Colombia, and Brazil. It operates hydroelectric, wind, solar, and distributed energy and sustainable solutions with an installed capacity of approximately 19,161 megawatts. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Brookfield Renewable Corporation operates as a subsidiary of Brookfield BRP Holdings (Canada) Inc. Receive News & Ratings for Central Puerto Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Central Puerto and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EssilorLuxottica Unsponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:ESLOY Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of Buy from the six ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. Several brokerages have commented on ESLOY. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an outperform rating on shares of EssilorLuxottica in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Citigroup reissued a buy rating on shares of EssilorLuxottica in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a buy rating on shares of EssilorLuxottica in a report on Friday, December 5th. UBS Group raised shares of EssilorLuxottica from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, November 27th. Finally, Zacks Research cut EssilorLuxottica from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Get EssilorLuxottica alerts: Get Our Latest Report on EssilorLuxottica EssilorLuxottica Trading Up 2.1% EssilorLuxottica Company Profile ESLOY opened at $162.38 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.97. EssilorLuxottica has a 52 week low of $118.60 and a 52 week high of $186.81. The business has a 50 day moving average of $171.14 and a 200-day moving average of $160.96. (Get Free Report) EssilorLuxottica SE is a global ophthalmic optics company formed through the 2018 merger of France-based Essilor and Italy-based Luxottica. Headquartered near Paris, the company combines lens manufacturing, frame design and production, brand management and retail operations to provide a vertically integrated offering across the vision care value chain. Its activities span product research and development, manufacturing, wholesale distribution and retailing of spectacles, sunglasses and ophthalmic lenses. The companys product portfolio includes prescription and non-prescription lenses, lens coatings and treatments, and an array of eyewear brands and frames. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for EssilorLuxottica Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EssilorLuxottica and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Renasant (NYSE:RNST Get Free Report) and Triumph Financial (NYSE:TFIN Get Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, risk, dividends, earnings and analyst recommendations. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Renasant and Triumph Financial, as provided by MarketBeat. Get Renasant alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Renasant 0 1 0 1 3.00 Triumph Financial 1 0 0 0 1.00 Institutional & Insider Ownership 77.3% of Renasant shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 91.1% of Triumph Financial shares are held by institutional investors. 2.8% of Renasant shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.6% of Triumph Financial shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Volatility and Risk Profitability Renasant has a beta of 0.97, suggesting that its share price is 3% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Triumph Financial has a beta of 1.48, suggesting that its share price is 48% more volatile than the S&P 500. This table compares Renasant and Triumph Financials net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Renasant 11.26% 6.99% 1.01% Triumph Financial 2.00% 1.76% 0.24% Valuation and Earnings This table compares Renasant and Triumph Financials gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Renasant $1.09 billion 3.18 $195.46 million $1.99 18.33 Triumph Financial $487.93 million 3.36 $16.09 million $0.29 238.24 Renasant has higher revenue and earnings than Triumph Financial. Renasant is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Triumph Financial, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Summary Renasant beats Triumph Financial on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks. About Renasant (Get Free Report) Renasant Corporation operates as a bank holding company for Renasant Bank that provides a range of financial, wealth management, fiduciary, and insurance services to retail and commercial customers. It operates through three segments: Community Banks, Insurance, and Wealth Management. The Community Banks segment offers checking and savings accounts, business and personal loans, asset-based lending, and equipment leasing services, as well as safe deposit and night depository facilities. It also provides commercial, financial, and agricultural loans; equipment financing and leasing; real estate1-4 family mortgage; real estatecommercial mortgage; real estateconstruction loans for the construction of single family residential properties, multi-family properties, and commercial projects; installment loans to individuals; and interim construction loans, as well as automated teller machine (ATM), online and mobile banking, call center, and treasury management services. The Insurance segment provides insurance agency services, such as commercial and personal insurance products through insurance carriers. The Wealth Management segment offers a range of wealth management and fiduciary services, including administration and management of trust accounts, such as personal and corporate benefit accounts, and custodial accounts, as well as accounting and money management for trust accounts; annuities, mutual funds, and other investment services through a third party broker-dealer; and qualified retirement plans, IRAs, employee benefit plans, personal trusts, and estates. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated a network of 189 banking, lending, and mortgage offices located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; 150 full-service branches and 11 limited-service branches; 173 ATMs; and 38 interactive teller machines. Renasant Corporation was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi. About Triumph Financial (Get Free Report) Triumph Bancorp, Inc. operates as a financial holding company for TBK Bank, SSB that provides various banking and commercial finance products and services to retail customers and small-to-mid-sized businesses in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Banking, Factoring, Payments, and Corporate. It offers depository products, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; and commercial and industrial loans, loans to purchase capital equipment, and business loans for working capital and operational purposes. The company also provides asset-based, and equipment and premium finance loans; real estate loans to finance commercial properties; to factoring services the transportation and non-transportation sectors; agriculture loans; commercial construction, land, and land development loans; mortgage warehouse loans; residential real estate loans; and consumer loans. In addition, it offers debit cards; electronic banking, trust, and treasury management services; and insurance brokerage services. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated through a network of 10 branches in the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area of Iowa and Illinois; 8 branches in northern and central Illinois; 7 branches in southern Colorado; 3 branches in New Mexico; 31 branches in central and eastern Colorado; and 2 branches in far western Kansas, as well as a branch office dedicated to deposit gathering activities in Dallas, Texas. Triumph Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Receive News & Ratings for Renasant Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Renasant and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Globus Medical, Inc. (NYSE:GMED Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $101.40 and last traded at $95.4510, with a volume of 1125592 shares. The stock had previously closed at $90.54. Key Headlines Impacting Globus Medical Here are the key news stories impacting Globus Medical this week: Get Globus Medical alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets GMED has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup restated a market perform rating on shares of Globus Medical in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Globus Medical from $70.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $115.00 price objective (up from $90.00) on shares of Globus Medical in a research report on Thursday. Bank of America raised Globus Medical from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $65.00 to $91.00 in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a neutral rating on shares of Globus Medical in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $97.78. Globus Medical Trading Down 0.2% The firm has a market capitalization of $12.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.06. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $85.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $67.89. Globus Medical (NYSE:GMED Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The medical device company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.39. Globus Medical had a net margin of 15.30% and a return on equity of 11.52%. The company had revenue of $769.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $734.58 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.83 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 22.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Globus Medical has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.750-3.85 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Globus Medical, Inc. will post 3.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Ann D. Rhoads sold 8,000 shares of Globus Medical stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total transaction of $648,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 17,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,408,104. The trade was a 31.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen T. Zarrilli sold 25,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.29, for a total value of $2,107,250.00. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 86,042 shares of company stock worth $7,419,030 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 18.51% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Globus Medical Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. grew its holdings in Globus Medical by 24.3% during the 2nd quarter. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. now owns 3,481,438 shares of the medical device companys stock valued at $205,474,000 after buying an additional 679,691 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Globus Medical by 17.2% during the third quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 2,819,165 shares of the medical device companys stock worth $161,454,000 after acquiring an additional 414,134 shares during the last quarter. Sculptor Capital LP grew its stake in Globus Medical by 31.9% during the second quarter. Sculptor Capital LP now owns 2,760,688 shares of the medical device companys stock valued at $162,936,000 after acquiring an additional 667,850 shares in the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Globus Medical by 13.6% in the 2nd quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 2,082,788 shares of the medical device companys stock valued at $122,926,000 after acquiring an additional 249,141 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in Globus Medical by 1,303.9% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,055,183 shares of the medical device companys stock worth $117,700,000 after purchasing an additional 1,908,795 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.16% of the companys stock. Globus Medical Company Profile (Get Free Report) Globus Medical, Inc (NYSE:GMED) is a leading medical device company specializing in musculoskeletal solutions for spine and orthopaedic applications. Founded in 2003 by David C. Paul and headquartered in Audubon, Pennsylvania, the company develops, manufactures and markets implantable devices and surgical instruments designed to treat spinal disorders and promote bone healing. Its product portfolio encompasses solutions for minimally invasive and open surgical procedures, including interbody fusion devices, pedicle screw systems, and biologics used to enhance fusion outcomes. In addition to its core spine business, Globus Medical has expanded into robotics and navigation systems to support precision and efficiency in the operating room. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Globus Medical Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Globus Medical and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (NYSE:HPF Get Free Report) declared a monthly dividend on Friday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be given a dividend of 0.1235 per share on Friday, January 30th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 12th. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Trading Up 0.3% HPF opened at $16.11 on Friday. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II has a fifty-two week low of $14.56 and a fifty-two week high of $17.58. The companys 50-day moving average price is $16.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.30. Get John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II alerts: John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Company Profile (Get Free Report) John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (NYSE: HPF) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide a high level of current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the fund primarily invests in preferred securities issued by U.S. and, to a lesser extent, international issuers. Its diversified portfolio may include investment-grade and below-investment-grade preferred stocks, corporate debt securities, convertible securities and, when deemed appropriate, common equity. Launched in June 2006, HPF employs leverage through preferred share borrowings and other forms of financing to enhance income potential. See Also Receive News & Ratings for John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by TD Cowen from $24.00 to $25.00 in a research note released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. TD Cowen currently has a buy rating on the financial services providers stock. A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on KEY. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of KeyCorp from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of KeyCorp from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $18.00 price objective on KeyCorp and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on KeyCorp from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of KeyCorp from $19.50 to $22.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $22.33. Get KeyCorp alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on KEY KeyCorp Stock Performance NYSE:KEY opened at $21.22 on Wednesday. KeyCorp has a 1 year low of $12.73 and a 1 year high of $21.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.19 billion, a PE ratio of 26.19, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.09. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $19.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.66. KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.87 billion. KeyCorp had a return on equity of 10.14% and a net margin of 10.08%.The companys revenue was up 172.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($0.47) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that KeyCorp will post 1.5 EPS for the current year. KeyCorp Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.205 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. KeyCorps dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 101.23%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On KeyCorp A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG acquired a new stake in KeyCorp during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $337,000. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in shares of KeyCorp by 2,258.4% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,572,980 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $44,821,000 after purchasing an additional 2,463,880 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of KeyCorp by 23.2% during the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 107,565 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,867,000 after acquiring an additional 20,228 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of KeyCorp by 9.9% in the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 575,108 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $10,018,000 after purchasing an additional 51,705 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signal Advisors Wealth LLC purchased a new position in KeyCorp during the 2nd quarter worth $431,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.69% of the companys stock. KeyCorp Company Profile (Get Free Report) KeyCorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, that operates through its primary banking subsidiary, KeyBank. It provides a broad range of banking and financial services to individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies and large corporations. KeyBanks offerings span traditional deposit and lending products as well as more specialized financial solutions designed for commercial and institutional clients. The companys product and service mix includes retail banking products such as checking and savings accounts, consumer and residential mortgage lending, and auto financing. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for KeyCorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KeyCorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. trimmed its position in Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 72.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,368 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 19,756 shares during the quarter. Lecap Asset Management Ltd.s holdings in Bristol Myers Squibb were worth $332,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 194,925,206 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $9,023,088,000 after acquiring an additional 3,522,202 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Bristol Myers Squibb by 16.8% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 70,802,680 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $3,277,456,000 after purchasing an additional 10,195,775 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Bristol Myers Squibb by 1.6% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 46,176,690 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $2,132,976,000 after purchasing an additional 723,459 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Bristol Myers Squibb during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,554,154,000. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Bristol Myers Squibb by 1.3% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 32,579,618 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,508,099,000 after purchasing an additional 432,158 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.41% of the companys stock. Get Bristol Myers Squibb alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms recently commented on BMY. Wall Street Zen upgraded Bristol Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Truist Financial set a $65.00 price objective on Bristol Myers Squibb in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Bank of America upgraded shares of Bristol Myers Squibb from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $52.00 to $61.00 in a research note on Monday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $57.00 target price (up previously from $51.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of Bristol Myers Squibb from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $46.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Bristol Myers Squibb has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $56.62. Bristol Myers Squibb Stock Performance Bristol Myers Squibb stock opened at $55.92 on Friday. Bristol Myers Squibb Company has a 12-month low of $42.52 and a 12-month high of $63.33. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $50.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $47.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $113.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.89, a P/E/G ratio of 9.29 and a beta of 0.29. Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $12.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.75 billion. Bristol Myers Squibb had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 76.53%. The companys revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.80 earnings per share. Bristol Myers Squibb has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.400-6.600 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Bristol Myers Squibb Company will post 6.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Bristol Myers Squibb Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This is an increase from Bristol Myers Squibbs previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.5%. Bristol Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is presently 85.14%. Key Headlines Impacting Bristol Myers Squibb Here are the key news stories impacting Bristol Myers Squibb this week: Bristol Myers Squibb Profile (Free Report) Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, focused on discovering, developing and delivering medicines for serious diseases. The companys core activities include research and development, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of prescription pharmaceuticals across multiple therapeutic areas. BMS concentrates on advancing therapies in oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular disease and specialty areas through both small molecules and biologics. BMSs marketed portfolio and latestage pipeline reflect a strong emphasis on cancer and immunemediated conditions. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Bristol Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lithium Americas (Argentina) (NYSE:LAR Free Report) had its price objective lifted by Stifel Nicolaus from $6.00 to $8.50 in a research note released on Wednesday morning,BayStreet.CA reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a buy rating on the stock. Several other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a sell (d+) rating on shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, September 15th. National Bankshares boosted their price target on shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) from $4.75 to $6.50 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their price objective on Lithium Americas (Argentina) from $3.50 to $4.25 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $5.81. Get Lithium Americas (Argentina) alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Lithium Americas (Argentina) Lithium Americas (Argentina) Trading Down 0.9% Lithium Americas (Argentina) stock opened at $6.98 on Wednesday. Lithium Americas has a fifty-two week low of $1.71 and a fifty-two week high of $7.22. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $5.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $3.96. Lithium Americas (Argentina) (NYSE:LAR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.01). As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Lithium Americas will post -0.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithium Americas (Argentina) Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAR. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) in the 1st quarter valued at $1,064,000. Boston Partners lifted its position in Lithium Americas (Argentina) by 15.3% in the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 136,505 shares of the companys stock valued at $284,000 after acquiring an additional 18,096 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Lithium Americas (Argentina) by 23.8% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 342,513 shares of the companys stock valued at $712,000 after acquiring an additional 65,783 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. acquired a new position in Lithium Americas (Argentina) in the first quarter valued at $9,308,000. Finally, Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) during the second quarter worth about $28,000. 49.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Lithium Americas (Argentina) Company Profile (Get Free Report) Lithium Americas (Argentina) is a subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corp. focused on the exploration, development and production of lithium brine resources in the Jujuy province of northwest Argentina. The companys principal asset is the Cauchari-Olaroz project, situated within the Lithium Triangle, one of the worlds richest regions for lithium-bearing brines. Through its Argentine operations, Lithium Americas aims to supply battery-grade lithium carbonate critical to electric vehicle and energy-storage markets. The Cauchari-Olaroz project encompasses concessions on the Salar de Cauchari and Salar de Olaroz salt flats, where detailed drilling programs and pilotscale evaporation ponds have demonstrated favorable lithium concentrations. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Lithium Americas (Argentina) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lithium Americas (Argentina) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mesabi Trust (NYSE:MSB Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $41.98 and last traded at $41.8150, with a volume of 48447 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $39.73. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Mesabi Trust in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold. Get Mesabi Trust alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSB Mesabi Trust Price Performance The firms 50 day moving average is $35.04 and its 200 day moving average is $31.69. The company has a market capitalization of $521.91 million, a PE ratio of 30.37 and a beta of 0.57. Mesabi Trust (NYSE:MSB Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, December 12th. The mining company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $3.39 million for the quarter. Mesabi Trust had a net margin of 82.80% and a return on equity of 79.30%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mesabi Trust Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Mesabi Trust in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Mesabi Trust by 57.3% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,612 shares of the mining companys stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 587 shares during the period. Colonial Trust Advisors purchased a new position in Mesabi Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at $44,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Mesabi Trust in the 1st quarter worth $44,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mesabi Trust in the 2nd quarter worth about $203,000. Mesabi Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Mesabi Trust (NYSE: MSB) is a passive royalty trust that holds royalty interests in iron ore properties located on Minnesotas Mesabi Iron Range. The trust does not engage in mining operations directly but receives royalty payments based on the volume of iron ore shipped from the underlying properties. These payments are derived from production of iron ore concentrate and taconite pellets sold to domestic and international steel producers. Established in December 2011, Mesabi Trust was formed through the consolidation of royalty interests contributed by several mining companies. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mesabi Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mesabi Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report) by 11.1% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 172,617 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after buying an additional 17,195 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $19,354,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in EOG Resources by 10,950.0% in the 2nd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 221 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in EOG Resources during the second quarter worth $29,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in EOG Resources by 45.1% in the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 283 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of EOG Resources during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.91% of the companys stock. Get EOG Resources alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets EOG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $130.00 to $125.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on EOG Resources from $129.00 to $124.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $127.00 to $126.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on EOG Resources in a report on Sunday, October 12th. Finally, Barclays set a $136.00 price target on EOG Resources and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $138.14. Insiders Place Their Bets In other EOG Resources news, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 2,000 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.68, for a total value of $211,360.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 54,979 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,810,180.72. The trade was a 3.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. EOG Resources Stock Down 0.6% Shares of EOG Resources stock opened at $104.94 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 1.43. The company has a market capitalization of $56.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.27 and a beta of 0.49. The business has a 50-day moving average of $106.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $113.23. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 1 year low of $101.59 and a 1 year high of $138.18. EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The energy exploration company reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $5.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.48 billion. EOG Resources had a net margin of 24.49% and a return on equity of 19.80%. The businesss revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.89 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.47 EPS for the current year. EOG Resources Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be given a dividend of $1.02 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio is 40.64%. EOG Resources Profile (Free Report) EOG Resources, Inc (NYSE: EOG) is an independent exploration and production company headquartered in Houston, Texas. Tracing its corporate origins to Enron Oil & Gas Company in the late 1990s, the company established itself as a standalone E&P operator and has grown into one of the largest U.S. upstream producers. EOG focuses on the exploration, development and production of crude oil, condensate, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). As an upstream-focused company, EOGs core activities include geologic and geophysical exploration, drilling and completion of wells, reservoir development, and the marketing of hydrocarbon production. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EOG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for EOG Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EOG Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Orange (OTCMKTS:ORANY Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $17.1530 and last traded at $17.1530, with a volume of 50701 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $16.89. Analyst Ratings Changes ORANY has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup upgraded shares of Orange from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Orange to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. Get Orange alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on ORANY Orange Stock Performance Orange Dividend Announcement The businesss fifty day moving average price is $16.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.2392 per share. This represents a yield of 395.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. Orange Company Profile (Get Free Report) Orange SA, commonly known as Orange, is a multinational telecommunications operator headquartered in Paris, France. The company has its roots in the former state-owned France Telecom and later consolidated its international operations under the Orange brand. Orange provides a wide range of connectivity and communications services and maintains a significant presence across Europe, and in many countries in Africa and the Middle East, serving both consumer and business customers. Oranges core activities include mobile and fixed-line telephony, broadband and fiber internet access, and television services for retail customers. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Orange Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Orange and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its stake in Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL Free Report) by 42.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 76,500 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after acquiring an additional 22,850 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Funds holdings in Welltower were worth $13,628,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp raised its position in Welltower by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,616,289 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $6,090,212,000 after purchasing an additional 1,740,196 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Welltower in the 2nd quarter valued at $4,903,554,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Welltower by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,012,454 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,303,484,000 after buying an additional 723,887 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Welltower by 1.9% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,898,391 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,214,232,000 after acquiring an additional 149,724 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Welltower by 5.4% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,329,291 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,126,732,000 after acquiring an additional 372,697 shares during the period. 94.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Welltower alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Welltower from $170.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Loop Capital set a $196.00 price target on shares of Welltower in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Welltower from $182.00 to $214.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Welltower in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Welltower from $232.00 to $228.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $204.80. Welltower Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:WELL opened at $186.12 on Friday. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $192.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $175.42. Welltower Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $123.11 and a fifty-two week high of $209.05. The company has a market capitalization of $127.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 128.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 5.47 and a quick ratio of 5.47. Welltower (NYSE:WELL Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $2.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.70 billion. Welltower had a net margin of 9.69% and a return on equity of 2.71%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 30.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.11 earnings per share. Welltower has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.240-5.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Welltower Inc. will post 4.88 earnings per share for the current year. Welltower Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 11th were paid a dividend of $0.74 per share. This represents a $2.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. Welltowers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 204.14%. Welltower Company Profile (Free Report) Welltower Inc (NYSE: WELL) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires and manages real estate serving the health care industry. The company specializes in healthcare infrastructure, owning and operating a diversified portfolio of senior housing, post-acute and long-term care communities, and outpatient medical properties. Welltowers assets are designed to support the delivery of health care services through a combination of leased properties, joint ventures, and other capital arrangements with health care operators and providers. The companys property types include assisted living, memory care, independent living and skilled nursing facilities, as well as medical office buildings and other outpatient-care real estate such as ambulatory surgery centers and specialty clinics. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WELL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Welltower Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Welltower and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its position in Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO Free Report) by 32.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 125,772 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 30,802 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Funds holdings in Southern were worth $11,919,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of Southern by 0.5% in the third quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 21,461 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,034,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Southern by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,230 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,443,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC grew its position in shares of Southern by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC now owns 4,697 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $431,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Southern by 0.7% during the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 15,667 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,485,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, Sara Bay Financial increased its stake in shares of Southern by 2.7% during the third quarter. Sara Bay Financial now owns 4,133 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $392,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.10% of the companys stock. Get Southern alerts: Southern Trading Down 0.3% Shares of NYSE SO opened at $87.00 on Friday. Southern Company has a 1 year low of $80.50 and a 1 year high of $100.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $88.27 and a 200 day moving average of $91.95. The stock has a market cap of $95.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.46. Southern Dividend Announcement Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.39 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Southern Company will post 4.29 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a dividend of $0.74 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. Southerns payout ratio is presently 73.27%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $102.50 price target (up previously from $99.50) on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley restated an underperform rating and issued a $97.00 price objective on shares of Southern in a report on Thursday, November 20th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Southern in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Southern from $97.00 to $88.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Southern from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $98.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Thursday, November 6th. One investment 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.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $96.21. Get Our Latest Analysis on Southern Southern Profile (Free Report) Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is an Atlanta-based energy holding company that provides electric and gas utility services and owns power generation assets across the United States. Founded in 1945, the company operates a portfolio of regulated electric utilities and affiliated businesses that generate, transmit and distribute electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Southerns principal regulated electric subsidiaries include Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power, which serve large portions of the southeastern United States. Read More 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. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its stake in KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR Free Report) by 34.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 78,434 shares of the asset managers stock after buying an additional 20,024 shares during the quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Funds holdings in KKR & Co. Inc. were worth $10,192,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 58,656,955 shares of the asset managers stock worth $7,803,135,000 after acquiring an additional 1,099,263 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in KKR & Co. Inc. by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 19,847,217 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $2,640,275,000 after purchasing an additional 765,457 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in KKR & Co. Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,530,419,000. Lone Pine Capital LLC raised its position in KKR & Co. Inc. by 9.6% in the second quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC now owns 5,221,769 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $694,652,000 after purchasing an additional 457,998 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in KKR & Co. Inc. by 6.7% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 4,576,310 shares of the asset managers stock worth $608,787,000 after purchasing an additional 288,006 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.26% of the companys stock. Get KKR & Co. Inc. alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on KKR & Co. Inc. in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. They set an outperform rating and a $148.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on KKR & Co. Inc. from $170.00 to $166.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded KKR & Co. Inc. from a sell (d+) rating to a hold (c-) rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays cut their price target on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $169.00 to $159.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. They set a buy rating and a $176.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, KKR & Co. Inc. currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $158.07. KKR & Co. Inc. Trading Up 0.8% NYSE:KKR opened at $134.77 on Friday. KKR & Co. Inc. has a 12-month low of $86.15 and a 12-month high of $170.40. The firm has a market cap of $120.13 billion, a PE ratio of 57.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 0.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $126.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $133.03. KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The asset manager reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.11. KKR & Co. Inc. had a return on equity of 6.12% and a net margin of 13.84%.The company had revenue of $4.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.14 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.38 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. KKR & Co. Inc. Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a dividend of $0.185 per share. This represents a $0.74 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. KKR & Co. Inc.s payout ratio is 31.36%. About KKR & Co. Inc. (Free Report) KKR & Co Inc is a global investment firm headquartered in New York City that specializes in private markets and alternative asset management. Founded in 1976 by Jerome Kohlberg Jr., Henry Kravis and George R. Roberts, the firm built its reputation in leveraged buyouts and has since expanded into a multi-strategy asset manager. KKR operates across private equity, credit, real assets (including real estate and infrastructure), growth equity and hedge fund strategies, offering a range of investment products and strategies for institutional and private investors. KKR manages capital through traditional closed-end funds as well as customized vehicles such as separate accounts, co-investments, and listed investment vehicles. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for KKR & Co. Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KKR & Co. Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS Free Report) by 32.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 84,038 shares of the transportation companys stock after purchasing an additional 20,734 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Funds holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $7,020,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of UPS. Andra AP fonden increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 95.9% during the second quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 332,983 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $33,611,000 after acquiring an additional 163,000 shares in the last quarter. BLVD Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,479,000. Strategic Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,885,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 14.6% in the second quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 94,361 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $9,525,000 after buying an additional 12,035 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Equity Investment Corp raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 16.8% in the second quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 1,130,550 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $114,118,000 after buying an additional 162,364 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get United Parcel Service alerts: United Parcel Service Stock Up 1.1% Shares of UPS stock opened at $108.11 on Friday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.00 and a twelve month high of $136.99. The stock has a market cap of $91.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.11. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $97.86 and a 200 day moving average of $93.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement United Parcel Service ( NYSE:UPS Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The transportation company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.43. The business had revenue of $21.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.94 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 40.07% and a net margin of 6.15%.The businesss quarterly revenue was down 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.76 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. United Parcel Services dividend payout ratio is 101.39%. More United Parcel Service News Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week: Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein raised its price target to $125 and moved to an outperform rating, implying meaningful upside and lending buy-side momentum. Read More. Sanford C. Bernstein raised its price target to $125 and moved to an outperform rating, implying meaningful upside and lending buy-side momentum. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Citigroup increased its target from $120 to $126 and kept a buy rating another bullish signal from a major bank reinforcing upside expectations. Read More. Read More. Citigroup increased its target from $120 to $126 and kept a buy rating another bullish signal from a major bank reinforcing upside expectations. Read More. Read More. Positive Sentiment: UBS lifted its price target to $116, adding to the string of upward revisions that support a higher consensus valuation. Read More. UBS lifted its price target to $116, adding to the string of upward revisions that support a higher consensus valuation. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Bank of America upgraded UPS from underperform to neutral with a $114 target a defensive-to-stable move that reduces one source of selling pressure. Read More. Bank of America upgraded UPS from underperform to neutral with a $114 target a defensive-to-stable move that reduces one source of selling pressure. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings showed a margin-focused beat (Efficiency Reimagined), which drove a sharp post-earnings rally and underpins analyst optimism about sustained profitability improvements. Read More. Recent earnings showed a margin-focused beat (Efficiency Reimagined), which drove a sharp post-earnings rally and underpins analyst optimism about sustained profitability improvements. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Wolfe Research maintained a peer perform rating neutral coverage that suggests expectations are balanced among some institutional analysts. Read More. Read More. Wolfe Research maintained a peer perform rating neutral coverage that suggests expectations are balanced among some institutional analysts. Read More. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and pieces asking whether to revisit UPS after recent weakness provide context for investors weighing valuation vs. near-term risks. Read More. Market commentary and pieces asking whether to revisit UPS after recent weakness provide context for investors weighing valuation vs. near-term risks. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting UPSs inclusion in wide-moat / large-cap ETFs (e.g., MOAT) can support demand from passive and factor funds but is a slower, less direct catalyst. Read More. Coverage noting UPSs inclusion in wide-moat / large-cap ETFs (e.g., MOAT) can support demand from passive and factor funds but is a slower, less direct catalyst. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Macro commentary (Fed rate-cut debate) is being watched as it could lift cyclicals and dividend stocks, but the net effect on UPS depends on broader economic activity and shipping volumes. Read More. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on UPS. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wolfe Research reiterated a peer perform rating on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets restated a market perform rating and issued a $96.00 price objective (down from $125.00) on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Wall Street Zen upgraded United Parcel Service from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $85.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $111.82. Get Our Latest Stock Report on United Parcel Service About United Parcel Service (Free Report) United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce. The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for United Parcel Service Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United Parcel Service and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Parnassus Investments LLC lowered its stake in shares of Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE:TFC Free Report) by 3.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,421,042 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 55,390 shares during the quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC owned about 0.11% of Truist Financial worth $64,970,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH acquired a new position in Truist Financial during the third quarter worth approximately $240,000. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Truist Financial by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 211,197 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $9,656,000 after buying an additional 10,812 shares during the last quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Truist Financial in the 3rd quarter worth $208,000. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Truist Financial by 30.2% in the third quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 147,314 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $6,735,000 after acquiring an additional 34,139 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invested Advisors acquired a new position in Truist Financial in the third quarter valued at $214,000. 71.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Truist Financial alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Truist Financial In other news, Director K. David Jr. Boyer sold 5,160 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.45, for a total transaction of $239,682.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 10,153 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $471,606.85. This trade represents a 33.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock. Truist Financial Trading Down 0.7% NYSE:TFC opened at $50.62 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $64.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.89. Truist Financial Corporation has a one year low of $33.56 and a one year high of $51.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $47.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.74. Truist Financial (NYSE:TFC Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 17th. The insurance provider reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $5.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.20 billion. Truist Financial had a return on equity of 8.73% and a net margin of 16.84%.Truist Financials revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.97 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Truist Financial Corporation will post 4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Truist Financial declared that its board has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, December 16th that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the insurance provider to repurchase up to 15.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the companys board believes its stock is undervalued. Truist Financial Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. Truist Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.91%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on TFC. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Truist Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Truist Financial from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Piper Sandler set a $48.00 target price on shares of Truist Financial in a report on Monday, October 20th. Evercore ISI raised shares of Truist Financial from a hold rating to an outperform rating and upped their price target for the stock from $49.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Baird R W downgraded Truist Financial from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Truist Financial presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $52.80. Get Our Latest Stock Report on TFC About Truist Financial (Free Report) Truist Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company that provides a broad range of financial services through its primary subsidiary, Truist Bank, and other operating units. The company offers traditional retail banking products and services such as deposit accounts, consumer and residential mortgage lending, and credit and debit card services. Truist also serves commercial clients with middle-market and corporate lending, treasury and payment solutions, and specialty finance products. Beyond core banking, Truist operates wealth management, asset management, insurance and capital markets businesses. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Truist Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Truist Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF (NYSEARCA:PYLD Free Report) by 3,028.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 589,314 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 570,474 shares during the period. PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF makes up approximately 2.3% of Pasadena Private Wealth LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC owned about 0.19% of PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF worth $15,817,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of PYLD. Riverchase Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF by 21.0% in the 3rd quarter. Riverchase Wealth Management LLC now owns 493,419 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,243,000 after purchasing an additional 85,673 shares in the last quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF by 39.5% during the 2nd quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 1,444,498 shares of the companys stock worth $38,337,000 after buying an additional 409,080 shares in the last quarter. RFG Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF by 18.5% during the 3rd quarter. RFG Holdings Inc. now owns 1,124,872 shares of the companys stock worth $30,192,000 after buying an additional 175,387 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in shares of PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF by 9.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 897,031 shares of the companys stock worth $24,076,000 after buying an additional 73,751 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc boosted its stake in PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF by 3.0% in the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 478,385 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,696,000 after buying an additional 14,123 shares in the last quarter. Get PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF alerts: PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF Trading Up 0.2% PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF stock opened at $26.81 on Friday. PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF has a 12-month low of $25.42 and a 12-month high of $27.04. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $26.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.68. PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF Increases Dividend PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF Profile The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This is a boost from PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETFs previous monthly dividend of $0.11. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. (Free Report) The PIMCO Multisector Bond Active Exchange-Traded Fund (PYLD) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in broad credit fixed income. The fund actively manages a multi-sector portfolio of fixed income instruments issued by various US and non-US public or private-sector entities. The fund has no maturity and credit rating limitations. PYLD was launched on Jun 21, 2023 and is managed by PIMCO. Read More Receive News & Ratings for PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PIMCO Multi Sector Bond Active ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc. (NYSE:GRDN Free Report) by 8.2% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 232,011 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 17,632 shares during the quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLCs holdings in Guardian Pharmacy Services were worth $6,086,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services in the 3rd quarter worth about $133,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in Guardian Pharmacy Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $58,000. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury purchased a new stake in Guardian Pharmacy Services in the second quarter worth approximately $186,000. Man Group plc bought a new position in Guardian Pharmacy Services during the second quarter valued at approximately $626,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services by 53.3% during the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 296,659 shares of the companys stock worth $6,321,000 after acquiring an additional 103,146 shares in the last quarter. Get Guardian Pharmacy Services alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on GRDN. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services in a report on Friday, October 10th. They issued an outperform rating and a $30.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Guardian Pharmacy Services from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, November 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $30.67. Guardian Pharmacy Services Trading Down 2.3% Shares of Guardian Pharmacy Services stock opened at $30.23 on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $29.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $26.12. The company has a market cap of $1.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.98 and a beta of 0.96. Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $17.78 and a 12-month high of $37.43. Guardian Pharmacy Services (NYSE:GRDN Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The company reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. Guardian Pharmacy Services had a net margin of 2.90% and a return on equity of 30.29%. The firm had revenue of $377.43 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $381.16 million. Analysts predict that Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc. will post 0.87 EPS for the current fiscal year. Guardian Pharmacy Services Profile (Free Report) Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc, a pharmacy service company, provides a suite of technology-enabled services designed to help residents of long-term health care facilities (LTCFs) in the United States. Its individualized clinical, drug dispensing, and administration capabilities are used to serve the needs of residents in lower acuity LTCFs, such as assisted living facilities and behavioral health facilities and group homes. The companys Guardian Compass includes dashboards created using data from its data warehouse to help its local pharmacies plan, track, and optimize their business operations; and GuardianShield Programs for LTCFs. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GRDN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc. (NYSE:GRDN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Guardian Pharmacy Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Guardian Pharmacy Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in NewJersey Resources Corporation (NYSE:NJR Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund acquired 112,093 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $5,397,000. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in NewJersey Resources during the second quarter worth about $52,671,000. Energy Income Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of NewJersey Resources by 145.7% during the 2nd quarter. Energy Income Partners LLC now owns 798,661 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $35,796,000 after purchasing an additional 473,664 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its position in shares of NewJersey Resources by 77.1% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 730,300 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $32,732,000 after purchasing an additional 317,932 shares during the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC lifted its stake in NewJersey Resources by 127.5% in the 2nd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 347,620 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $15,580,000 after buying an additional 194,836 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in NewJersey Resources during the 1st quarter valued at $8,907,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get NewJersey Resources alerts: NewJersey Resources Price Performance NewJersey Resources stock opened at $46.48 on Friday. NewJersey Resources Corporation has a 1 year low of $43.46 and a 1 year high of $50.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.73. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $46.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $46.34. The company has a market cap of $4.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.96 and a beta of 0.60. NewJersey Resources Dividend Announcement NewJersey Resources ( NYSE:NJR Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The utilities provider reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $336.08 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $307.30 million. NewJersey Resources had a net margin of 16.48% and a return on equity of 13.73%. NewJersey Resourcess revenue was down 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.89 earnings per share. NewJersey Resources has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.030-3.180 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that NewJersey Resources Corporation will post 3.15 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 12th were paid a $0.475 dividend. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 12th. NewJersey Resourcess payout ratio is currently 57.06%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other NewJersey Resources news, COO Patrick J. Migliaccio sold 4,017 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.46, for a total transaction of $186,629.82. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 38,065 shares in the company, valued at $1,768,499.90. The trade was a 9.55% 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. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NJR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut NewJersey Resources from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Sunday, December 28th. New Street Research set a $54.00 price objective on NewJersey Resources in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c+) rating on shares of NewJersey Resources in a report on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho raised shares of NewJersey Resources from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and raised their price target for the stock from $51.00 to $54.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued an outperform rating and issued a $53.00 price objective on shares of NewJersey Resources in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, NewJersey Resources currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $52.86. View Our Latest Stock Report on NewJersey Resources NewJersey Resources Company Profile (Free Report) New Jersey Resources Corporation is a publicly traded energy services holding company headquartered in Wall Township, New Jersey. The firms primary focus is on the safe and reliable distribution of natural gas, along with complementary energy services and renewable energy investments. Its operations center on delivering cost-effective solutions to residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout the state. The companys principal subsidiary, New Jersey Natural Gas, owns and operates an extensive pipeline network that spans northern, central and southern New Jersey. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NJR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NewJersey Resources Corporation (NYSE:NJR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for NewJersey Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NewJersey Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nepsis Inc. lowered its stake in shares of RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:RNR Free Report) by 12.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 58,526 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 7,949 shares during the quarter. RenaissanceRe comprises about 4.7% of Nepsis Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 10th largest position. Nepsis Inc. owned 0.12% of RenaissanceRe worth $14,862,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of RNR. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its position in RenaissanceRe by 1.2% during the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 3,355 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $852,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of RenaissanceRe by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 441 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $106,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of RenaissanceRe by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 12,577 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $3,055,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of RenaissanceRe by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 1,257 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $319,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rossby Financial LCC raised its position in shares of RenaissanceRe by 6.2% in the 2nd quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 845 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $205,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. 99.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get RenaissanceRe alerts: RenaissanceRe Trading Down 2.4% RNR opened at $272.86 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average is $269.55 and its 200-day moving average is $253.51. RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. has a 52-week low of $219.00 and a 52-week high of $285.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.58, a P/E/G ratio of 6.64 and a beta of 0.26. RenaissanceRe Dividend Announcement RenaissanceRe ( NYSE:RNR Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The insurance provider reported $15.62 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $9.49 by $6.13. RenaissanceRe had a return on equity of 16.83% and a net margin of 14.23%.The firm had revenue of $3.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $10.23 earnings per share. RenaissanceRes revenue for the quarter was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. will post 26.04 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. RenaissanceRes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.45%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Zacks Research downgraded RenaissanceRe from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets reissued an outperform rating and set a $303.00 target price on shares of RenaissanceRe in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of RenaissanceRe in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe from $250.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe from $303.00 to $329.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, RenaissanceRe currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $295.67. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on RNR RenaissanceRe Profile (Free Report) RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. is a global provider of reinsurance and insurance solutions, specializing in property catastrophe, casualty, and specialty lines. Established in 1993 and headquartered in Bermuda, the company trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RNR. With a focus on underwriting and risk assessment, RenaissanceRe offers tailored programs designed to help insurers and corporations manage exposure to natural disasters, liability claims, and other complex risks. The company operates through two primary segments: Reinsurance and Insurance. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RNR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:RNR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for RenaissanceRe Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RenaissanceRe and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its position in The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (NYSE:PNC Free Report) by 201.4% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 4,681 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 3,128 shares during the quarter. Rothschild Investment LLCs holdings in The PNC Financial Services Group were worth $941,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. IMG Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of The PNC Financial Services Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Concord Wealth Partners raised its position in The PNC Financial Services Group by 144.9% in the second quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 169 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC bought a new position in The PNC Financial Services Group during the third quarter worth about $34,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in The PNC Financial Services Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in The PNC Financial Services Group by 1,133.3% during the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 222 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.53% of the companys stock. Get The PNC Financial Services Group alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth PNC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays increased their target price on The PNC Financial Services Group from $235.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Oppenheimer cut their price objective on The PNC Financial Services Group from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Piper Sandler raised shares of The PNC Financial Services Group from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and upped their target price for the stock from $211.00 to $220.00 in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group from $186.00 to $206.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. Finally, Cfra Research raised shares of The PNC Financial Services Group to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $222.06. Insider Activity at The PNC Financial Services Group In other news, EVP Guild Deborah sold 1,080 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $186.97, for a total transaction of $201,927.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 27,335 shares in the company, valued at $5,110,824.95. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michael Duane Thomas sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.57, for a total value of $183,570.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,802 shares in the company, valued at $1,065,073.14. This trade represents a 14.70% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.41% of the companys stock. The PNC Financial Services Group Stock Down 0.5% Shares of NYSE PNC opened at $217.52 on Friday. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc has a 12-month low of $145.12 and a 12-month high of $220.54. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $199.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $196.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The company has a market cap of $85.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.99. The PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $4.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.05 by $0.30. The PNC Financial Services Group had a net margin of 19.30% and a return on equity of 11.47%. The firm had revenue of $5.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.49 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc will post 15.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The PNC Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 5th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be given a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. The PNC Financial Services Groups payout ratio is 43.93%. The PNC Financial Services Group Profile (Free Report) The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, offering a broad range of banking, lending, investment and wealth management services. PNC operates a national banking franchise with a significant retail branch network and dedicated capabilities for commercial, institutional and government clients. Its services are designed to serve individuals, small businesses, corporations and public sector entities across the United States. PNCs core business activities include consumer and business banking, residential mortgage lending, corporate and institutional banking, asset management and wealth advisory services. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PNC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (NYSE:PNC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The PNC Financial Services Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The PNC Financial Services Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Siemens Aktiengesellschaft (ETR:SIE) used its CES 2026 stage to frame artificial intelligence as a general-purpose technology on par with electricity, with President and CEO Roland Busch arguing the next phase of AI will be defined by its ability to scale into physical systems such as factories, infrastructure, energy grids, and transportation. Get alerts: Busch: Industrial AI moves from feature to force In his keynote, Busch said AI is moving faster than prior technology shifts, noting steam took decades to transform society, while AI could be embedded into the systems people rely on in seven years or less. He emphasized that in industrial deployments hallucination is not acceptable, positioning Siemens approach around reliability, safety, and end-to-end integration. Busch described Siemens strategy as combining AI-powered technologies, industrial domain expertise, data, and partners through the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace. He said many companies already have pieces of the puzzledigital twins, software, compute, or databut still are not AI-ready because data can be fragmented and digital twins often lack prescriptive capability. Siemens, he said, is focused on an end-to-end AI industrial stack. Busch also cited Siemens scale and industrial footprint, including that Siemens controllers are used in one out of three manufacturing machines worldwide. He said Siemens has more than 1,500 AI experts and over 250,000 employees with industrial domain knowledge across 30 verticals. Expanded NVIDIA partnership: five collaboration areas Busch was joined by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang to discuss what both leaders described as a shared vision for an Industrial AI operating system. Huang said the pieces of that vision are finally coming together, and Busch outlined five areas where the companies plan to intensify collaboration. AI-native chip design: Huang described NVIDIAs latest Vera Rubin system as a rack-scale platform, citing 240 kilowatts, 220 trillion transistors, two tons, and 150,000 engineering years. The companies discussed using digital twins to model chips and entire systems, and accelerating Siemens EDA and Simcenter tools using CUDA to leverage GPUs. Huang described NVIDIAs latest Vera Rubin system as a rack-scale platform, citing 240 kilowatts, 220 trillion transistors, two tons, and 150,000 engineering years. The companies discussed using digital twins to model chips and entire systems, and accelerating Siemens EDA and Simcenter tools using CUDA to leverage GPUs. AI-native simulation: The companies said they intend to move more simulation workloads from CPUs to GPUs. Huang and Busch discussed plans to accelerate Siemens Simcenter solvers with CUDA and CUDA-X and to develop AI physics that can emulate physical outcomes to accelerate experimentation by orders of magnitude. The companies said they intend to move more simulation workloads from CPUs to GPUs. Huang and Busch discussed plans to accelerate Siemens Simcenter solvers with CUDA and CUDA-X and to develop AI physics that can emulate physical outcomes to accelerate experimentation by orders of magnitude. AI-driven adaptive manufacturing: Huang described the factory as one giant robot orchestrating robots. Busch said Siemens will start in Germany in 2026 with what he called a first fully AI-driven adaptive manufacturing site, with an AI brain on top of software-defined automation and operations software, operating in real time. Huang described the factory as one giant robot orchestrating robots. Busch said Siemens will start in Germany in 2026 with what he called a first fully AI-driven adaptive manufacturing site, with an AI brain on top of software-defined automation and operations software, operating in real time. AI factories (data centers): Huang said a one-gigawatt AI factory could require $50 billion in investment, with little tolerance for schedule delays or design changes. Both executives emphasized digital twins for upfront planning and simulation, and AI for operating complex facilities. Huang said a one-gigawatt AI factory could require $50 billion in investment, with little tolerance for schedule delays or design changes. Both executives emphasized digital twins for upfront planning and simulation, and AI for operating complex facilities. We drink our own beer: The executives described a feedback loop where Siemens tools help accelerate NVIDIA development and vice versa, including faster EDA and simulation enabling faster chip and factory design. New Digital Twin Composer and early customer results Siemens also announced the launch of Digital Twin Composer, a tool Busch said can create virtual 3D models of products, plants, and processes, connect them to real-time data, and enable users to move backward and forward in time to analyze issues or simulate future designs. Busch said the product will be available on the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace shortly after the keynote. PepsiCo was highlighted as an early adopter. Athena Kanyura, PepsiCos Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer (and newly appointed CEO of Latin America Foods), said the company is using a digital-first design approach to optimize layouts before spending on physical build, especially for older warehouses. Kanyura said the Digital Twin Composer enables PepsiCo to explore hundreds or thousands of layouts and compress tasks that previously took months into days. She cited early results from the Gatorade plant in the U.S., saying PepsiCo increased efficiency by 20% in three months and estimated a 10% to 15% CapEx reduction across operations. Microsoft partnership: models, agents, and industrial copilots Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appeared via recorded remarks, highlighting the partnerships goal of combining Siemens industrial expertise with Microsofts cloud and AI capabilities, including co-engineering custom models and agents trained with real-world industrial data. Microsofts Jay Parikh described three waves of AI adoptionchatbots, delegated tasks, and orchestration of agentsand said Microsoft is focused on the third wave, emphasizing security, compliance, observability, and enterprise readiness. Busch also cited examples including Rolls-Royce aircraft turbines, describing a digital twin of a hydraulic pump and the machines that produce it. Parikh said joint copilots helped reduce CAM programming time by 80% and raised factory productivity by 30% in that context. Copilots, smart glasses, fusion, and grid stability Busch said Siemens is launching nine additional AI-powered industrial copilots across the industrial value chain. He also announced work with Meta to bring Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses into industrial settings, providing real-time audio guidance to shop-floor workers. Siemens said early tests show workers are more confident and productive. On energy constraints tied to AI infrastructure, Busch introduced Commonwealth Fusion Systems CEO Bob Mumgaard, who said CFS is building a tokamak-based system and is assembling its SPARC facility in Massachusetts. Mumgaard said CFS installed the first big magnet for SPARC and described plans for ARC, a commercial system expected to generate about 400 megawatts, adding that Google has agreed to buy power from ARC. Busch also pointed to grid constraints, saying Siemens is using AI to maximize existing grid capacity by 20% without new infrastructure and described grid simulations such as the impact of adding 10,000 electric vehicles and coordinated building demand response to support stability. Closing his keynote, Busch argued that as electricity became an invisible fabric of daily life, industrial AI could follow a similar pathenabling more predictable operations, fewer outages, and faster innovationif it can be scaled reliably into the physical world. About Siemens Aktiengesellschaft (ETR:SIE) Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, a technology company, focuses in the areas of automation and digitalization in Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. It operates through Digital Industries, Smart Infrastructure, Mobility, Siemens Healthineers, and Siemens Financial Services (SFS) segments. The Digital Industries segment provides automation systems and software for factories, numerical control systems, servo motors, drives and inverters, and integrated automation systems for machine tools and production machines; process control systems, machine-to-machine communication products, sensors and radio frequency identification systems; software for production and product lifecycle management, and simulation and testing of mechatronic systems; and the Mendix cloud-native low-code application development platform. Featured Articles Smurfit Westrock PLC (NYSE:SW Get Free Report)s stock price shot up 7.9% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $42.63 and last traded at $42.7590. 3,061,381 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 35% from the average session volume of 4,707,810 shares. The stock had previously closed at $39.64. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on Smurfit Westrock in a research note on Monday, September 15th. They set a buy rating and a $60.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating on shares of Smurfit Westrock in a research report on Thursday. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Smurfit Westrock from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Smurfit Westrock from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Smurfit Westrock from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $51.60. Get Smurfit Westrock alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on SW Smurfit Westrock Trading Up 1.6% The stocks 50 day moving average price is $36.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $41.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.05 and a beta of 1.09. Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.10). Smurfit Westrock had a return on equity of 6.21% and a net margin of 2.40%.The business had revenue of $8 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.89 billion. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Smurfit Westrock PLC will post 3.25 earnings per share for the current year. Smurfit Westrock Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th were given a dividend of $0.4308 per share. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. Smurfit Westrocks payout ratio is presently 120.28%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Smurfit Westrock A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SW. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock by 113.3% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 640 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of Smurfit Westrock in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in Smurfit Westrock in the second quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Smurfit Westrock by 50.0% during the 2nd quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 1,026 shares of the companys stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. 83.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Smurfit Westrock Company Profile (Get Free Report) Smurfit Westrock Plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells containerboard, corrugated containers, and other paper-based packaging products in Ireland and internationally. The company produces containerboard that it converts into corrugated containers or sells to third parties, as well as produces other types of paper, such as consumer packaging board, sack paper, graphic paper, solid board and graphic board, and other paper-based packaging products, such as consumer packaging, solid board packaging, paper sacks, and other packaging products, including bag-in-box. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Smurfit Westrock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Smurfit Westrock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its position in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 3.8% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 236,204 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after buying an additional 8,678 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $31,637,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of ABT. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 1.8% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 172,800,851 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $23,502,644,000 after purchasing an additional 2,977,715 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 78,354,270 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $10,656,964,000 after buying an additional 689,517 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 38,293,067 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $5,184,589,000 after acquiring an additional 1,390,554 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,026,180,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 0.5% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,177,029 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $1,792,209,000 after acquiring an additional 68,613 shares during the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Trading Down 0.2% NYSE ABT opened at $125.95 on Friday. Abbott Laboratories has a 12 month low of $110.86 and a 12 month high of $141.23. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $126.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $129.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The company has a market capitalization of $219.00 billion, a PE ratio of 15.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.72. Abbott Laboratories Increases Dividend Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.30. The company had revenue of $11.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.40 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 31.88%.The companys revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.21 EPS. Abbott Laboratories has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.120-5.180 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 EPS for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This is a positive change from Abbott Laboratoriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 15th. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is 29.57%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages recently weighed in on ABT. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $162.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $147.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. William Blair raised Abbott Laboratories to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Benchmark began coverage on Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Friday, October 10th. They issued a buy rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $147.68. View Our Latest Report on Abbott Laboratories Abbott Laboratories Profile (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories is a global healthcare company headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois, that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of medical products and services. Founded in 1888, Abbott operates through multiple business areas that focus on diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and established pharmaceuticals. The company supplies hospitals, clinics, laboratories, retailers and direct-to-consumer channels with products intended to diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of health conditions. In diagnostics, Abbott provides laboratory and point-of-care testing platforms and assays used to detect infectious diseases, chronic conditions and biomarkers; its Alinity family of instruments and rapid-test solutions are examples of this capability. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG Free Report) by 1.2% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 564,105 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 6,687 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $86,675,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MOKAN Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 13.7% in the second quarter. MOKAN Wealth Management Inc. now owns 15,319 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,442,000 after buying an additional 1,846 shares during the period. Czech National Bank raised its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 594,914 shares of the companys stock valued at $91,409,000 after acquiring an additional 21,825 shares in the last quarter. Vega Investment Solutions lifted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vega Investment Solutions now owns 638,400 shares of the companys stock valued at $101,710,000 after acquiring an additional 8,500 shares during the period. Westerkirk Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 2nd quarter worth $4,796,000. Finally, Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS increased its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 36.2% in the second quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS now owns 17,798 shares of the companys stock worth $2,836,000 after purchasing an additional 4,730 shares during the period. 65.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Procter & Gamble alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have issued reports on PG. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a hold rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $156.00 to $179.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Wednesday. They set a neutral rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Dbs Bank raised Procter & Gamble to a hold rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Procter & Gamble currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $169.23. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Procter & Gamble news, CAO Matthew W. Janzaruk sold 725 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.57, for a total transaction of $108,438.25. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 979 shares of the companys stock, valued at $146,429.03. The trade was a 42.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders. Key Stories Impacting Procter & Gamble Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week: Procter & Gamble Price Performance Shares of NYSE:PG opened at $141.81 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.51. Procter & Gamble Company has a one year low of $137.62 and a one year high of $179.99. The company has a market cap of $331.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.70, a PEG ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 0.39. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $144.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $151.57. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, October 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.09. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 32.63% and a net margin of 19.74%.The business had revenue of $22.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $22.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.93 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Procter & Gamble has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.830-7.100 EPS. Research analysts predict that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 17th. Investors of record on Friday, October 24th were given a dividend of $1.0568 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 24th. This represents a $4.23 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Procter & Gambles dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.75%. Procter & Gamble Profile (Free Report) Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the worlds largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide. P&Gs product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Procter & Gamble Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Procter & Gamble and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its position in shares of The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX Free Report) by 36.0% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 259,388 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock after purchasing an additional 68,604 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings in TJX Companies were worth $37,492,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TJX. First American Bank boosted its holdings in shares of TJX Companies by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. First American Bank now owns 138,840 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $17,145,000 after acquiring an additional 5,921 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its holdings in shares of TJX Companies by 129.9% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 269,813 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $33,319,000 after purchasing an additional 152,453 shares during the last quarter. MinichMacGregor Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in TJX Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $5,045,000. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in TJX Companies by 66.6% in the second quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 76,998 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $9,508,000 after purchasing an additional 30,779 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hendley & Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in TJX Companies by 75.0% in the second quarter. Hendley & Co. Inc. now owns 8,305 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $1,026,000 after purchasing an additional 3,560 shares during the last quarter. 91.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get TJX Companies alerts: TJX Companies Stock Performance NYSE:TJX opened at $157.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 1.09. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $151.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $140.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $175.32 billion, a PE ratio of 34.85, a P/E/G ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.75. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $112.10 and a 52-week high of $159.48. TJX Companies Announces Dividend TJX Companies ( NYSE:TJX Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $15.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $14.80 billion. TJX Companies had a return on equity of 58.30% and a net margin of 8.68%.The businesss quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. TJX Companies has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.330-1.360 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 4.630-4.660 EPS. Analysts forecast that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 4.18 EPS for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 12th will be given a $0.425 dividend. This represents a $1.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 12th. TJX Companiess dividend payout ratio is presently 37.53%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.81, for a total value of $4,464,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 535,143 shares of the companys stock, valued at $79,634,629.83. This represents a 5.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Amy B. Lane sold 500 shares of TJX Companies stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.40, for a total transaction of $75,700.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 22,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,362,896.80. This trade represents a 2.20% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 54,863 shares of company stock valued at $8,226,366. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets TJX has been the subject of a number of research reports. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of TJX Companies from $162.00 to $167.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered TJX Companies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, January 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an outperform rating and issued a $170.00 target price on shares of TJX Companies in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued a positive rating and issued a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of TJX Companies in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Citigroup restated a buy rating and set a $168.00 price target (up from $160.00) on shares of TJX Companies in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and twenty-four have issued a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $163.86. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on TJX Companies TJX Companies Company Profile (Free Report) TJX Companies, Inc is a leading off-price retailer of apparel, footwear, home fashions and other consumer goods. The company operates multiple retail concepts that offer discounted brand-name and designer merchandise, including well-known banners such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls in the United States, HomeGoods for home furnishings, TK Maxx in parts of Europe, and Winners and Homesense in Canada. Merchandise categories span womens, mens and childrens apparel, accessories, beauty, home decor, kitchenware and small furniture, with frequent changes in assortment that create a treasure-hunt shopping experience for consumers. The companys business model centers on opportunistic buying, purchasing excess, irregular or out-of-season inventory from manufacturers, department stores and other suppliers, and passing savings to customers through lower prices. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TJX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for TJX Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TJX Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG Free Report) had its target price increased by Evercore ISI from $137.00 to $145.00 in a report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Evercore ISI currently has an in-line rating on the insurance providers stock. A number of other research analysts have also commented on the company. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on The Hartford Insurance Group in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. They set a peer perform rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on The Hartford Insurance Group from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on The Hartford Insurance Group from $143.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (a-) rating on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an outperform rating and a $160.00 target price on the stock. Two 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 companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Hartford Insurance Group currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $147.07. Get The Hartford Insurance Group alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on HIG The Hartford Insurance Group Stock Performance Shares of HIG stock opened at $136.20 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The Hartford Insurance Group has a 1-year low of $104.93 and a 1-year high of $140.50. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $134.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $130.36. The company has a market capitalization of $37.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.61. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The insurance provider reported $3.78 earnings per share (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 analyst estimates of $7.17 billion. The Hartford Insurance Group had a net margin of 12.75% and a return on equity of 21.07%. The firms revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.53 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Hartford Insurance Group will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The Hartford Insurance Group Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This is a boost from The Hartford Insurance Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The Hartford Insurance Groups dividend payout ratio is 19.61%. Insider Activity at The Hartford Insurance Group In other The Hartford Insurance Group news, EVP Lori A. Rodden sold 7,841 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.41, for a total transaction of $959,816.81. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Beth Ann Costello sold 35,339 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.58, for a total transaction of $4,826,600.62. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 77,574 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,595,056.92. This represents a 31.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hartford Insurance Group Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in The Hartford Insurance Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its position in The Hartford Insurance Group by 707.7% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 210 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new position in The Hartford Insurance Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 93.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About The Hartford Insurance Group (Get Free Report) The Hartford Financial Services Group, commonly known as The Hartford, is a U.S.-based insurance and investment company that provides a broad range of commercial and personal insurance products and employee benefits. Its core businesses include property and casualty insurance for businesses and individuals, group benefits such as group life, disability and dental plans, and retirement and investment solutions offered through affiliated asset-management operations. The company also delivers risk management, claims-handling and loss-prevention services designed to support policyholders across a variety of industries. Founded in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1810, The Hartford is one of the oldest insurance organizations in the United States and has a long history of underwriting and product development across multiple insurance lines. Recommended 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. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC cut its position in shares of Transdigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG Free Report) by 28.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,602 shares of the aerospace companys stock after selling 6,449 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Transdigm Group were worth $21,882,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of TDG. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in shares of Transdigm Group by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 257 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $391,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares during the period. Diversified Enterprises LLC raised its holdings in Transdigm Group by 3.8% in the second quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC now owns 193 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $293,000 after buying an additional 7 shares during the period. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Transdigm Group by 3.8% during the second quarter. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 191 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $292,000 after buying an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. lifted its position in Transdigm Group by 3.3% during the second quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 254 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $386,000 after buying an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Wealth Partners Inc. grew its stake in Transdigm Group by 4.7% during the second quarter. Tower Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 179 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $272,000 after buying an additional 8 shares during the period. 95.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Transdigm Group alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Transdigm Group from $1,385.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Transdigm Group from $1,710.00 to $1,650.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Zacks Research raised Transdigm Group from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Transdigm Group from $1,405.00 to $1,435.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Transdigm Group to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $1,596.60. Transdigm Group Price Performance Shares of TDG stock opened at $1,392.02 on Friday. Transdigm Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $1,183.60 and a 12 month high of $1,623.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.39, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.94. The companys fifty day moving average price is $1,324.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,375.04. Transdigm Group (NYSE:TDG Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The aerospace company reported $10.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.33 by $0.49. Transdigm Group had a negative return on equity of 31.91% and a net margin of 21.69%.The company had revenue of $2.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.40 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $9.83 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. Transdigm Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 36.490-38.530 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Transdigm Group Incorporated will post 35.13 EPS for the current year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Kevin M. Stein sold 17,373 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,407.25, for a total transaction of $24,448,154.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,158 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,480,345.50. This represents a 68.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert J. Small sold 4,700 shares of Transdigm Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,290.19, for a total transaction of $6,063,893.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 5,625 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,257,318.75. This trade represents a 45.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 189,974 shares of company stock worth $256,190,840 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 4.09% of the companys stock. Key Transdigm Group News Here are the key news stories impacting Transdigm Group this week: Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged up multiple nearterm and multiyear EPS forecasts (small bumps to Q2Q4 2026 and Q1 2027, FY2026 to $35.64 from $35.41, and FY2027 to $42.36). These upgrades signal slightly stronger expected profitability and support valuation given TDGs high PE. Zacks / MarketBeat TDG estimates Zacks Research nudged up multiple nearterm and multiyear EPS forecasts (small bumps to Q2Q4 2026 and Q1 2027, FY2026 to $35.64 from $35.41, and FY2027 to $42.36). These upgrades signal slightly stronger expected profitability and support valuation given TDGs high PE. Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also issued a mix of laterperiod revisions (some higher Q4 2027 and Q3 2027 estimates, but a downshift for Q1 2028), and maintained a Hold rating. The changes are incremental and more likely to affect analyst modeling than nearterm trading. Zacks / MarketBeat rating details Zacks also issued a mix of laterperiod revisions (some higher Q4 2027 and Q3 2027 estimates, but a downshift for Q1 2028), and maintained a Hold rating. The changes are incremental and more likely to affect analyst modeling than nearterm trading. Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and data pieces point out that TDGs stock performance has outpaced its underlying earnings growth over the past five years a reminder that multiple expansion / buyback activity can drive returns separate from organic earnings. This is background context for investors assessing valuation risk. TransDigm outperforms earnings growth (Yahoo) Analyst commentary and data pieces point out that TDGs stock performance has outpaced its underlying earnings growth over the past five years a reminder that multiple expansion / buyback activity can drive returns separate from organic earnings. This is background context for investors assessing valuation risk. Negative Sentiment: Material insider selling: Director Kevin M. Stein sold 17,373 shares (~$24.45M at ~$1,407.25 per share), reducing his stake by ~68%. Large, disclosed director sales can create nearterm downward pressure and raise questions for some investors about timing or liquidity needs. SEC filing for insider sale Material insider selling: Director Kevin M. Stein sold 17,373 shares (~$24.45M at ~$1,407.25 per share), reducing his stake by ~68%. Large, disclosed director sales can create nearterm downward pressure and raise questions for some investors about timing or liquidity needs. Negative Sentiment: Media reports aggregated the insider transactions and highlighted total disclosed insider sales (one report cites ~$34.34M in director sales), which can amplify market reaction beyond the single filing. InsiderTrades: Kevin M. Stein sale AmericanBankingNews: Insider selling Transdigm Group Company Profile (Free Report) TransDigm Group Incorporated is a designer, producer and supplier of engineered aircraft components and systems for commercial and military aerospace applications. The companys product portfolio covers a broad range of mission-critical parts and subsystems, including mechanical and electromechanical components, ignition and fuel system parts, sensors and actuators, cockpit and cabin systems, and other safety-critical hardware. TransDigm supplies original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as the aftermarket, providing spare parts, repair and overhaul services and component support throughout an assets life cycle. TransDigms operating model places emphasis on proprietary, niche components that are difficult to replace, and the company operates through a collection of independently run subsidiaries and brands that sell specialized products. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TDG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Transdigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Transdigm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Transdigm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Valmark Advisers Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:IJR Free Report) by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 308,523 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 39,617 shares during the quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc.s holdings in iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF were worth $36,662,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC raised its position in iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF by 7.8% in the third quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,073 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $722,000 after acquiring an additional 438 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF by 4.7% in the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 10,467 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,244,000 after purchasing an additional 467 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF by 225.6% in the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 43,352 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $5,150,000 after purchasing an additional 30,037 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 248,425 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $29,520,000 after purchasing an additional 719 shares during the period. Finally, Nova R Wealth Inc. lifted its position in iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF by 2.2% during the third quarter. Nova R Wealth Inc. now owns 15,277 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,815,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.92% of the companys stock. Get iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF alerts: iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF Stock Performance NYSEARCA:IJR opened at $126.42 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $120.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $117.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.49 billion, a PE ratio of 16.52 and a beta of 1.08. iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has a 52-week low of $89.22 and a 52-week high of $126.58. iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF Company Profile iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF, formerly iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Index Fund, seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors SmallCap 600 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of publicly traded securities in the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The Index serves as the underlying index for the S&P 600/Citigroup Growth and Value Index series. The component stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IJR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:IJR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tanager Wealth Management LLP boosted its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:VGK Free Report) by 2.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 379,390 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 10,613 shares during the period. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF accounts for about 3.2% of Tanager Wealth Management LLPs portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Tanager Wealth Management LLP owned approximately 0.11% of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF worth $30,275,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VGK. Fiduciary Alliance LLC increased its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 11.5% during the second quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 7,816 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $606,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares during the last quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. acquired a new stake in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,726,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 22.0% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 106,051 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $8,219,000 after purchasing an additional 19,095 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust acquired a new position in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF during the second quarter worth $248,000. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 5.2% during the third quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 6,253,801 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $499,053,000 after purchasing an additional 308,346 shares in the last quarter. Get Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF alerts: Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Trading Up 0.7% Shares of NYSEARCA VGK opened at $85.77 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.14 billion, a PE ratio of 16.04 and a beta of 0.93. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF has a twelve month low of $62.02 and a twelve month high of $85.83. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $82.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $79.94. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Profile Vanguard European Stock Index Fund is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by Companies located in the markets of Europe. The Fund on focuses indexing investment approach by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the common stocks included in the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index. The Funds investment advisor is The Vanguard Group, Inc Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vestis Corporation (NYSE:VSTS Get Free Report)s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $6.89, but opened at $6.15. Vestis shares last traded at $6.4750, with a volume of 800,224 shares. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Vestis from $5.50 to $6.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Vestis from $5.00 to $6.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d) rating on shares of Vestis in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Vestis from a neutral rating to a sell rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $6.30 to $5.30 in a research note on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Strong Sell and an average target price of $5.70. Get Vestis alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on VSTS Vestis Price Performance The firms 50 day moving average price is $6.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $5.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market cap of $849.90 million, a PE ratio of -20.79 and a beta of 0.73. Vestis (NYSE:VSTS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, December 1st. The company reported $0.03 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.03. Vestis had a negative net margin of 1.47% and a positive return on equity of 2.62%. The company had revenue of $712.01 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $690.65 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.11 EPS. Vestiss revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Vestis Corporation will post 0.7 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Keith A. Meister purchased 800,222 shares of Vestis stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $6.81 per share, for a total transaction of $5,449,511.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 19,604,121 shares in the company, valued at $133,504,064.01. This trade represents a 4.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director William Goetz bought 6,746 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The stock was bought at an average price of $7.42 per share, with a total value of $50,055.32. Following the purchase, the director owned 29,877 shares in the company, valued at $221,687.34. This trade represents a 29.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought 1,205,810 shares of company stock valued at $8,138,302 over the last three months. Insiders own 13.60% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vestis Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Vestis by 471.9% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,456 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 4,502 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vestis by 703.2% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 5,743 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 5,028 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vestis in the third quarter worth $46,000. Sanders Morris Harris LLC bought a new stake in Vestis during the third quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in Vestis by 331.4% during the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 9,427 shares of the companys stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 7,242 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.40% of the companys stock. About Vestis (Get Free Report) Vestis Corporation provides uniform rentals and workplace supplies in the United States and Canada. Its products include uniform options, such as shirts, pants, outerwear, gowns, scrubs, high visibility garments, particulate-free garments, and flame-resistant garments, as well as shoes and accessories; and workplace supplies, including managed restroom supply services, first-aid supplies and safety products, floor mats, towels, and linens. The company serves manufacturing, hospitality, retail, food processing, food service, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, automotive, and cleanroom industries. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Vestis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vestis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lennar (NYSE:LEN Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lennars Q1 2026 earnings at $1.04 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $1.30 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.78 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.03 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.14 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.85 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.88 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.68 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.00 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $8.42 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $10.17 EPS. Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Lennar from $115.00 to $80.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Bank of America restated an underperform rating and set a $95.00 price objective (down previously from $125.00) on shares of Lennar in a report on Thursday, December 18th. UBS Group cut shares of Lennar from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their target price for the company from $137.00 to $122.00 in a research note on Tuesday. BTIG Research set a $90.00 price target on shares of Lennar in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Lennar in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and eight have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lennar presently has a consensus rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $106.00. Get Lennar alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on LEN Lennar Trading Up 8.6% NYSE:LEN opened at $118.92 on Thursday. Lennar has a 52 week low of $98.42 and a 52 week high of $144.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $116.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $121.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 4.89. The firm has a market cap of $30.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.42. Lennar (NYSE:LEN Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, December 16th. The construction company reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.30 by ($0.27). The business had revenue of $9.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. Lennar had a net margin of 6.08% and a return on equity of 9.27%. The businesss revenue was down 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.03 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Lennar will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lennar Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LEN. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of Lennar in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lennar during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of Lennar during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lennar in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Rexford Capital Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lennar in the second quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.10% of the companys stock. Trending Headlines about Lennar Here are the key news stories impacting Lennar this week: Positive Sentiment: Shares rose today on heavy volume, indicating buying interest that outweighed the negative analyst headlines (volume above average; technicals show price above the 50day SMA). Shares rose today on heavy volume, indicating buying interest that outweighed the negative analyst headlines (volume above average; technicals show price above the 50day SMA). Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a FY2028 EPS projection of $10.17 for Lennar, signaling a longerrange recovery expectation even as nearerterm estimates were cut. Zacks published a FY2028 EPS projection of $10.17 for Lennar, signaling a longerrange recovery expectation even as nearerterm estimates were cut. Neutral Sentiment: Citizens / JMP reaffirmed a Market Perform (neutral) rating on LEN. Citizens Jmp Reaffirms Market Perform Rating for Lennar (NYSE:LEN) Citizens / JMP reaffirmed a Market Perform (neutral) rating on LEN. Neutral Sentiment: TPGs acquisition of a majority interest in Quarterra was reported; this is industrylevel M&A news that may indirectly affect builder sentiment in certain markets but has no direct confirmed impact on Lennar. TPG Buys Majority Interest in Quarterra TPGs acquisition of a majority interest in Quarterra was reported; this is industrylevel M&A news that may indirectly affect builder sentiment in certain markets but has no direct confirmed impact on Lennar. Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut Lennars nearterm and mediumterm EPS forecasts across multiple quarters and fiscal years (examples: FY2026 cut roughly to $6.14 from prior ~ $8.77; FY2027 cut to $8.42 from ~$10.11; several quarterly downgrades). Zacks kept a Hold rating the cuts reduce nearterm earnings visibility and are a clear negative for consensusdriven valuation. Zacks cut Lennars nearterm and mediumterm EPS forecasts across multiple quarters and fiscal years (examples: FY2026 cut roughly to $6.14 from prior ~ $8.77; FY2027 cut to $8.42 from ~$10.11; several quarterly downgrades). Zacks kept a Hold rating the cuts reduce nearterm earnings visibility and are a clear negative for consensusdriven valuation. Negative Sentiment: Major sellside moves: Citigroup trimmed its price target to $113 and kept a neutral view (reported via Benzinga), and Wells Fargo lowered its target to $105 both put downward pressure on sentiment. Citigroup price target cut reported at Benzinga Wells Fargo Lowers Lennar Price Target Major sellside moves: Citigroup trimmed its price target to $113 and kept a neutral view (reported via Benzinga), and Wells Fargo lowered its target to $105 both put downward pressure on sentiment. Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes after Lennars Q4 showing: some outlets and analysts moved LEN to marketperform/neutral following an underwhelming quarter (Citizens/MSN coverage), reinforcing cautious sentiment. Lennar lowered to market perform at Citizens after underwhelming Q4 Lennar Company Profile (Get Free Report) Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN) is a U.S.-based homebuilder and real estate company that designs, constructs and sells residential housing. The company offers a range of product types including single-family detached homes, townhomes and condominiums, serving buyers from entry-level and first-time purchasers to move-up, active-adult and luxury segments. Lennar also develops master-planned communities and manages land acquisition and entitlement activities that support its homebuilding operations. In addition to home construction and sales, Lennar provides a suite of ancillary services intended to streamline the purchase process and capture additional value. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Lennar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caldwell Trust Co grew its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report) by 7.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 28,671 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,095 shares during the period. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF makes up 1.8% of Caldwell Trust Cos portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Caldwell Trust Cos holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $19,190,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Get iShares Core S&P 500 ETF alerts: Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Forza Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 28.7% in the third quarter. Forza Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,457 shares of the companys stock worth $4,322,000 after purchasing an additional 1,438 shares during the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 13.4% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 49,231 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,950,000 after purchasing an additional 5,800 shares during the last quarter. Community Trust & Investment Co. grew its stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 29.9% in the 3rd quarter. Community Trust & Investment Co. now owns 4,314 shares of the companys stock worth $2,887,000 after buying an additional 992 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Management Inc grew its stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Legacy Wealth Management Inc now owns 537,532 shares of the companys stock worth $359,770,000 after buying an additional 7,487 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cobblestone Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cobblestone Asset Management LLC now owns 21,216 shares of the companys stock worth $14,200,000 after buying an additional 1,941 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.12% of the companys stock. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Performance iShares Core S&P 500 ETF stock opened at $697.08 on Friday. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a fifty-two week low of $484.00 and a fifty-two week high of $698.37. The stock has a market cap of $772.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.10 and a beta of 1.00. The firms fifty day moving average price is $683.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $661.41. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Profile iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The component stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. FengHe Fund Management Pte. Ltd. lifted its stake in Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA Free Report) by 175.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 131,200 shares of the specialty retailers stock after purchasing an additional 83,600 shares during the quarter. Alibaba Group accounts for approximately 2.1% of FengHe Fund Management Pte. Ltd.s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest position. FengHe Fund Management Pte. Ltd.s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $23,449,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Get Alibaba Group alerts: Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the third quarter worth about $30,000. 1248 Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ransom Advisory Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Alibaba Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton purchased a new position in Alibaba Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its position in Alibaba Group by 65.0% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 330 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. More Alibaba Group News Here are the key news stories impacting Alibaba Group this week: Alibaba Group Price Performance Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades NYSE BABA opened at $150.93 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $155.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $145.80. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 52 week low of $80.06 and a 52 week high of $192.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $360.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.85, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.37. A number of analysts have commented on the company. Nomura lifted their target price on Alibaba Group from $170.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. CLSA lifted their price objective on Alibaba Group from $155.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Alibaba Group from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Alibaba Group from $153.00 to $174.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, September 24th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Alibaba Group presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $191.84. View Our Latest Research Report on BABA Alibaba Group Company Profile (Free Report) Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a Chinese multinational conglomerate founded in 1999 in Hangzhou, China, by Jack Ma and a group of cofounders. The company built its business around internet-based commerce and related services and has grown into one of the largest e-commerce and technology companies in the world. Alibaba completed a highprofile initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014. The company operates a portfolio of online marketplaces and platforms serving different customer segments: Alibaba.com for global and domestic B2B trade, Taobao for consumer-to-consumer shopping, and Tmall for brand and retailer storefronts targeted at Chinese consumers. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BABA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Alibaba Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alibaba Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. FengHe Fund Management Pte. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM Free Report) by 253.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 353,900 shares of the semiconductor companys stock after acquiring an additional 253,800 shares during the period. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing makes up approximately 9.0% of FengHe Fund Management Pte. Ltd.s investment portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. FengHe Fund Management Pte. Ltd.s holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing were worth $98,841,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Get Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing alerts: Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. 1248 Management LLC acquired a new position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the third quarter valued at $32,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV purchased a new stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing during the second quarter valued at $32,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. raised its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 174.1% in the 2nd quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 159 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.51% of the companys stock. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Trading Up 1.8% Shares of NYSE:TSM opened at $323.71 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.69, a quick ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. has a 12-month low of $134.25 and a 12-month high of $333.08. The business has a 50 day moving average of $295.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $269.74. The company has a market capitalization of $1.68 trillion, a PE ratio of 33.20, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.29. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( NYSE:TSM Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, November 14th. The semiconductor company reported $14.32 earnings per share for the quarter. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a net margin of 43.72% and a return on equity of 34.34%. As a group, analysts forecast that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. will post 9.2 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a $0.9678 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This is a positive change from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings dividend payout ratio is presently 25.74%. More Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing News Here are the key news stories impacting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing this week: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a report on Monday, January 5th. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. Finally, UBS Group set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a report on Sunday, December 7th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $355.00. Get Our Latest Analysis on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Profile (Free Report) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is a leading pure-play semiconductor foundry that provides wafer fabrication and related services to the global semiconductor industry. Founded in 1987 by Morris Chang and headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, TSMC manufactures integrated circuits on behalf of fabless and integrated device manufacturers, offering contract chip production across a broad set of technologies and products. TSMCs service offering covers logic and mixed-signal process technologies, specialty processes for radio-frequency, power management and embedded memory, and advanced nodes used in mobile, high-performance computing and AI applications. Featured Articles 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. Air Ambulance Northern Ireland will be the official designated charity of the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 for a second year in succession during the May 4-9 race week, continuing a partnership that has already made a life-saving impact across Northern Ireland. Having raised over 36,000 at last years event, the charity is hoping to surpass that total in 2026 as it plans a new Party at the Paddock BBQ event for Saturday, May 2. The AANI will also be seeking volunteers for collections in Portstewart, Portrush and Coleraine and around the famous 8.9 mile Triangle course during practice and race sessions. A JustGiving Page has already been set up for donations at North West 200 2026 - Air Ambulance NI - JustGiving The response from the public and biking community for the Air Ambulance NI during our race week in 2025 was nothing short of incredible. Mervyn Whyte, NW200 Event Director, said. We are delighted to support Air Ambulance NI again for the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200, helping to fund and highlight the vital role the service plays in our communities. The HEMS team were called into action twice during last years race week, underlining just how essential this service is. We hope to see even more support for this great cause come May. Air Ambulance NI, working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, operates the regions Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), providing critical pre-hospital care seven days a week, twelve hours a day. On average the medical team are called upon twice every day, whether that is as a result of a serious road traffic collision, farm or workplace accident, sport and leisure incident or a serious medical emergency. The highly trained team of doctors, paramedics, and pilots can reach any corner of Northern Ireland in approximately 25 minutes, delivering life-saving interventions when every second counts. Being selected once again as the official charity partner for the Briggs Equipment North West 200 is an incredible honour. Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising for Air Ambulance NI, said. Every year, we are humbled by the support of the biking community, volunteers, and everyone who donates. It costs 8,200 each day to keep our service operational, and every pound raised directly helps us to save lives, preserve neurological function, and prevent limb loss across Northern Ireland. Were excited to be working with the NW200 team again to make 2026 another unforgettable year. As a local charity, Air Ambulance NI aspires to raise 3 million each year to maintain and sustain this service so public donations are crucial. One of the simplest ways to support is by becoming a member of Club AANI and donating via a monthly or annual subscription. For more information on supporting Air Ambulance NI at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200, visit www.airambulanceni.org, or call Katrina Hughes on 028 9262 2677 or visit www.northwest200.org.